People, Places and Events
IVORY COAST
Telecommunications cooperation with France
French Minister of Posts, Louis Mexcandeau, signed a protocol in Abidjan aimed at improving and modernising the Ivorian telecommunications system. The new agreement meets the need to extend co- operation to new sectors such as facsimile communications and telecommunications network management.It has been agreed to step up the number of training schemes for Ivorian personnel both in Ivory Coast and France. The French Minister reported that the Ivorians had confidence in French equipment and that the French firm Thomson has just supplied the Ivorian administration with its first facsimile communication machines.
SENEGAL
Amnesty for detainees
Head of State, Mr Abdou Diouf, has amnestied 150 common law detainees throughout the country. According to a joint communique from the Ministries of Justice and Interior, those released included a large number of elderly or sick people and those who have served the greater part of their jail terms.Subsidies stopped
President Abdou Diouf has announced the suspension of state subsidies to the ground- nut industry, the country's main foreign exchange earner.In a 25th independence message President Diouf said the decision follows the disappearance this year of almost two thirds of the crop through fraud.
TOGO
New parliament elected
Togo has elected a new parliament, with 57 of the 77 seats going to newcomers after a poll in which almost 79 per cent of the 1.3m registered voters turned out. The poll marked the first occasion on which Togolese electorates have been able to time. choose between several candidates in each constituency.In previous elections only a single candidate from the ruling party of the Togolese People's Party was eligible. The new parliament, which also contains 22 alternate members, will also be considerably younger than the previous one, with the average age of the new house apparently between 40 and 50.
BURKINA
New studio for Radio Bobo
A new French-built studio building for Radio Bobo has been completed. The new building, complete with three studios with the latest equipment and three workshops, is far larger than the national radio service's central studio building in Ouagadougou. It was handed over to the Minister of Information and Culture by the Director of the French cooperation mission in Burkina Faso.A new five-year plan
Capt. Thomas Sankara has announced that the period 1986-1990 would be five years of struggle and five years of victory in the construction of a great and everlasting happiness; "it would be an intense period in the life of our Popular and Democratic Revolution (RDP) in the context of a strategy of struggle." In a broadcast - which was devoted to the five-year plan and its preparation - Sankara said: "Our five- year plan must be a popular, democratic and revolutionary one. All those who would voluntarily decide not to take part in this common task of nation-building must also renounce their right to criticise and in particular to make slanderous and destructive criticisms."MALI
New members for council
The second ordinary congress of the Demo- cratic Union of Malian People (UDPM) elected a National Council and the Central Executive Bureau (BEC), both of them for three years. All the BEC's members were re-elected with the exception of Mohamedoun Ag Hamani, former Secretary for External Relations, who has been replaced by Sekou Minandiou Traore, former Deputy General Treasurer, whose post goes to Fagimba Dicko.The general resolution passed by the congress reaffirmed the party's precedence over all the institutions in the country and approved the creation of a national fund for self-sufficiency in food. This fund will be financed by party resources and must become operational within a very short time.
In his closing address, the UDPM General Secretary Moussa Traore, praised the decisions made and thanked those invited to the Congress. After mentioning the persistent drought and desert encroachment in Mali, the Head of State once again stressed the need to promote rural co-operatives which form the cornerstone of the economic and social development of the rural population.
CAMEROON
Saudi aid for railway renewal
The Saudi Development Fund has granted a loan of more than 8.6bn CFA francs to the country. The amount will be used to finance the project of replacing old tracks of the Trans-Cameroon Railway.The agreement was signed for Cameroon by Youssoufo Daouda, Minister of State- for Planning and Territorial Development and Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzir, Director of the Saudi Development Fund. Saudi Arabia has already invested over 95bn CFA francs in several development projects in the country.
NIGERIA
New telephone exchange
A 6.3m naira Gusau automatic telephone exchange has been commissioned. It is a combination of a local and primary ex- change with an initial capacity of 1,000 lines and can be expanded to accommodate 10,000 lines in future.The exchange is equipped with 36 incom- ing and 36 outgoing trunk circuits for com- munication with other exchanges all over the country.
It is dangerous to overstay
A news commentary on Lagos radio has noted that even though the problem in Sudan was an internal affair for its people it may be pertinent to say that, "for us in Nigeria, and for the rest of the developing countries in the continent of Africa, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from the Sudanese experience. One is that it is dangerous to stay too long in power. One should step down when the ovation is still loud and spontaneous..."The situation in the Sudan was the consequence of too much reliance on foreign aid and friends, the commentary concluded.
More condemn execution of drug traffickers
The firing squad execution on April 10 of three accused drug traffickers has provoked widespread public reaction. Bernard Odegedbe, 29, Bartolomew Owoh, 26, and Lawal Ojuolape, 30, were the first people to be publicly shot in Nigeria under the country's anti-drug smuggling law, the Miscellaneous Offences Decree No. 20, which also prescribes the death penalty for arson and illegal dealing in petroleum.The decree, brought in last July, is retroactive to 31st December 1983, the day the military overthrew the civilian government of detained former President Shehu Shagari. Criticism of the executions has come from various people including the Roman Catholic Archbishop Olubunmi Okogie, the deputy president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Lawrence Peterside, and playwright Wole Soyinka.
One result of the national anti-drug smuggling campaign has been the intro- duction of vaginal examination of women overseas travellers at Nigerian airports. More than 30 women have since been arrested on suspicion of trafficking in either currency or drugs. But women's organisations have condemned the examinations.
Three people, including a 34-year-old mother of two, are awaiting confirmation of their death sentences for drug offences by the ruling Supreme Military Council. The regime's number two, Maj-Gen Tunde Idiagbon, has said no convicted drug offender, regardless of gender, would be spared.
Officials say half of the 103 Nigerians facing criminal charges or serving jail terms of up to 30 years in the United States, India and Egypt, are being held for drug trafficking. A total of 98 Nigerians were arrested last year in the United States for dealing in drugs and US officials place Nigerians fourth among nationals involved in drug trafficking there.
Meanwhile an investigation conducted by the Young Women's Christian Association of Nigeria has revealed that some influential persons are making use of the youth in perpetrating crime. The president of the Association, Mrs. C.A. Aborome, stated this in Lagos. Such influential persons, she said, were responsible for criminal acts like drug trafficking.
Executions arouse horror
A young lady fainted at the scene where three young condemned drug peddlers were shot at the Kirikiri shooting range in Lagos. She was among thousands of spectators who converged at the range to watch the execution of the first set of victims of the fearful Miscellaneous Offences Decree 20, of 1984.According to National Concord the middle-aged lady was not alone in her painful grief for the execution of the trio, made up of Bernard Ogedengbe, Akanni Lawal Ojulpe and Bartholomeu Owoh - all in their prime of life.
Several others wept openly, some with eyes covered, suggesting a sympathy for the executed.
Traditionally such a spectacle often aroused the enthusiasm of the public, as the villains concerned were mainly the "dread of the society".
This time, however, the situation evoked only sympathy. This was because, for the first time, Lagosians came face-to-face with a determination of the Federal Military Government to enforce discipline in its strongest terms within the society.
"So all convicted drug offenders will be shot like this?" was the loud outcry from a schoolgirl who stood a few yards away from where her compassionate colleague was being helped to her feet.
It was the same "uncertainty" that had spurred the majority of the spectators to the shooting range as early as 7.30 a.m. Many had thought that the government might have a last-minute change of heart.
For two hours, such an "uncertainty" was the basis of discussion among the waiting crowd, until the police prison vehicle, otherwise known as "Black Maria", came along with its "culprits" about 9.10 a.m.
Twenty minutes later the three were silenced forever. And as their bodies were being conveyed to the Atan Cemetery at Yaba for burial in crude wooden coffins, some spectators remained "glued" to one position while others watched the makeshift coffins being driven away, feeling as if in a trance.
Detained doctor's residence burgled
The Anthony village residence of detained first vice-president of the banned Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti in Lagos has been burgled. During the break-in on Easter Sunday, only documents kept inside Dr Ransome- Kuti's clinic within the premises were removed.Many personal files belonging to the medical practitioner were also ransacked and some contents littered the floor.
Government orders illegal aliens to leave
Foreigners in Nigeria without valid documents have been ordered to leave the country before the 10th of next month. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said in Lagos that the Government would take the necessary steps if the directive was not complied with. It said that as of mid-December more than 70,000 illegal immigrants were in the country.The Ministry noted with regret that there was a general misconception of the provisions of the ECOWAS (Economic was Community of West Africa) protocol on the movement of people. It explained that the protocol provided for only a three-month stay without visa for ECOWAS citizens in possession of valid passports or travelling certificates.
The Ministry said that no self-respecting nation would fold its arms while non-citizens broke its laws with impunity.
Literacy campaign flops
The army's top hierarchy has expressed concern over the alarming rate of withdrawals from the mass literacy campaign for its various units.The concern was based on the revelation that out of 930 soldiers who started the course on July 9, last year, only a little above 200 graduated while the rest were said to have withdrawn "for one reason or another".
Director of Army Training and Operations, Brigadier A.B. Mamman said at the graduation ceremony of 207 soldiers of the Garrison/Signal group who completed the first mass literacy course at the Ikeja Cantonment that the army would not tolerate any half measures on the programme.
Brigadier Mamman who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Ibrahim Babangida, on the occasion, said that this would not be allowed because the time limit placed on the eradication of illiteracy from the army must be met.
Efforts to form ECOWAS health agency
Progress has been made to form an all- embracing health organisation for the West African sub-region. As part of the effort, the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has approved the formation of a task force to handle the issue. The task force will study a proposal for the merger of the West African Health Community and its Francophone counterparts.The outgoing chairman of the executive board of the Health Community, Brig-Gen. J. Dimer-Buckley, disclosed this in Lagos at the opening session of the 13th ordinary meeting of the board. He said that the aim of the proposed measure was to form a new central health organisation for the sub- region which would be an agency of ECOWAS.
State government takes over station
The Sokoto State Government has taken over the radio station in Sokoto, currently operated by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). FRCN staff working at the station are to be "screened" so that "suitable" personnel can continue to be employed by the radio's new operators.Swiss companies told to Nigerianise management
Swiss companies operating in Nigeria have been told to Nigerianise their management positions. The idea is to put an end to the present practice of asking for expatriate quota for jobs that qualified Nigerians can perform.The Minister of National Planning, Chief Michael Adigun, made the demand in Lagos while exchanging views with the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Alfred Ruegg. He commended the efforts of Swiss companies operating in Nigeria. Chief Adigun told the Ambassador that invest- ment opportunities abound in the country in spite of the present economic crisis, pointing out that many companies have been recording high dividends. The Minister also asked Switzerland to buy more Nigerian goods to effect a balance of trade with Nigeria.
Dr Ruegg informed the Minister that there was a growing interest by Swiss nationals to do business with Nigeria.
Central Bank's report for 1984
Nigeria's reserves for 1984 reached a peak of 1,143m naira in December, according to the Central Bank's returns of assets and liabilities for last year. The returns, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, shows that the country recorded the lowest level of N566m in February while the reserves stood at N1,030.7m in June and N1,142.4m in October.According to the returns, total liabilities for 1984 stood at an average of N13,708.6m a quarter. The report showed that currency in circulation during the year under review was largely affected by the currency ex- change carried out in the months of April, May and June.
The report showed, however, that Nigeria's total external reserves declined in January this year to N1,005,681,222 from the December 1984 position of N1.14bn.
The country's total assets for the month of January stood at about N14bn while currency in circulation for the month stood of OPEC." at N5.15bn as against N5.34bn in the previous month. The December figure of currency in circulation represented a 5.52% in- crease, compared with the November figure of N5,067.5m.
Income tax amendment decree
A decree amending the Income Tax Man- agement Act of 1961 has been promulgated. Cited as the Finance (miscellaneous taxation provision) Decree 1985, the decree demands that tax be paid on interest accruing to a foreign company or person regardless of whichever way the interest might have been accrued.It stipulates circumstances for which tax is payable to taxing authorities in respect of interest, dividend and rent, and provides new tables for capital allowances allowable under the Act. Furthermore, the decree amends the Companies Income Tax Act 1979 and prescribed, among other things, types of transactions for which tax clear- ance certificates are applicable and formalises certain tax measures and tax incentives.
On personal income tax, the decree says there shall be allowed a deduction of 1,200 naira plus 12.5% of earned income in excess of N6,000. The decree also formally pro- vides legal backing for the N100 levy im- posed on air travellers outside Africa. How- ever, the decree exempts the Head of State, the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, State Governors, Diplomats, UN personnel, transit passengers whose tickets were purchased outside Nigeria, and infants of not more than two years, from paying the levy.
Nigeria needs OPEC
The Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof. Tam David-West has said that it would be "suicidal" for Nigeria to quit OPEC. Delivering a lecture at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at Kuru near Jos, Prof. David-West said "it will be erroneous to contemplate that Nigeria's opportunity for freedom of action will increase by being out of OPEC."He said that suggestions by Nigerians that the country quit OPEC were restrictive and that such an action could attract reprisals from the organisation. "OPEC can team up to price us out of the market and frustrate all our strategies or projections for national development and the con- sequent untold hardships could culminate in social discontent and possible revolution," he added.
The Minister said, "we must not forget that we are OPEC's weakest links," adding that a break up of OPEC would open up the flanks of the organisation and enable major oil consumers to exploit the organisation to "perpetuity". He said that although Nigeria was not totally happy with what was going on in the organisation, "it would be economic as well as intellectual dishonesty not to recognise the significance
GHANA
Lawyers condemn discrimination in granting import licences
The Ghana Bar Association has expressed its readiness to enter into a dialogue with the PNDC and representatives or groups of organisations with a view to finding solutions to national problems including the question of ensuring democratic government in Ghana.In a resolution passed at a conference the association called for the repeal of PNDC Law 91, which in its opinion takes away the High Court's power of enquiry into detentions.
The association praised the government's trade policy noting that it had enabled essential items to appear again on the shelves and in the markets.
It however regretted that goods are still being seized from traders and condemned the practice of issuing special licences in a haphazard and discriminatory manner and called on the government to streamline the system.
Frustration persists
The June Fourth Movement (JFM) has observed that the frustration within the ranks of the CDRs, and public indignation against some of its executives which started from the last days of the defence. committees, still persist.A communique issued by the JFM after its conference in Accra has therefore advised the Political Counsellor for the Economic Development of CDRS to launch immediately new CDR guidelines to enable executives in communities and workplaces to seek fresh mandate from the people.
The communique also requested the PNDC to consider eventually shifting the whole CDR structure from its present position of community mobilization by making it a political pivot around which action and structure for the "new revolutionary process must revolve.""
Production resumes at Valco
The Volta Aluminium Company (Valco) has resumed production and expects to produce 60,000 tonnes of aluminium ingots per year or 30 percent of full capacity. Consequently 250 former employees have been re-engaged by the Tema based company. Valco was ordered to shut its potlines by the PNDC when the level of the Volta lake, which generates hydro-electric power for the smelter, fell drastically.Ghana-FRG police co-operation over illegal immigrants
The Ghana police, and that of West Germany, have called for closer co- operation between them to check the activities of illegal Ghanaian immigrants in West Germany. This was contained in a communique issued by the two institutions at the end of a visit by the West German police delegation to Accra. The communique was issued at the airport just before the delegation flew home.Last month three top German police officers accompanied some 24 illegal Ghanaian immigrants who were repatriated to Ghana on a chartered plane. According to the leader of the delegation, Mr Helmut Sippel, the activities of illegal immigrants have caused a lot of embarrassment to the West German police. The visit was, therefore, to find a lasting solution to the increasing influx of illegal Ghanaian immigrants to that country.
The joint communique issued at the end of the two days of talks spelled out some of the areas where both institutions could co-operate.
The two police institutions pledged as follows: (a) To join forces to block any future moves by criminals that will be detrimental to both countries; (b) the only solution to the problem of the influx of illegal Ghanaian immigrants in Germany lies in effective co-operation between the police institutions of both countries; (c) that efforts would be made by the Ghanaian police force to forestall the operations of Ghanaian syndicates assisting Ghanaian citizens in Germany causing embarrassment to the German police; (d) that the two institutions will co-operate to unearth and deal drastically with the cohorts of the illegal Ghanaian immigrants in Germany (e) that the German police force will also deal with German nationals who collude with the illegal Ghanaian immigrants in their country to commit crimes; (f) that the German Ghana police force with enough material on the criminal syndicates operating in Germany so that their partners in crime in Ghana could be located; (g) that the two police institutions would continue to co- operate effectively to combat crime.
Free Kankam da Costa too
Ghana's Catholic Standard, which has consistently publicised the plight of political detainees under the PNDC, has taken note of the fact that 202 persons, including two former ministers, Dr John Nabila and Mr S.K. Riley Poku, have been released 'to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the country's independence'.The paper, however, also noted the continued detention of the former Central Regional Minister, Mr Kankam da Costa, and argued that since press reports indicated that the release was recommended on 'medical or compassionate grounds', Mr Kankam da Costa too, if he is too healthy not to have been released on medical grounds, could at least have also been released on compassionate grounds.
The paper continued, 'it is possible that investigations into cases in which he may have been involved have not been completed. We find it difficult to appreciate why it should take over three years to investigate the public conduct of a minister who served in a government that was in power for just over two years.
'We are informed that the two former. ministers have been released on bail. Is there any special reason why Mr Kankam da Costa cannot be treated in the same way as his colleagues?' the Catholic Standard queried.
'Daily Times' expresses doubts about merger plans
The Daily Times views the proposed merger of Burkina Faso and Ghana as a plan which may be no more than counting one's chickens before they are hatched.The paper recalls numerous attempts by Libya to unite with her neighbours and their usual failures. One significant factor in the current merger efforts says the paper, is the special friendship between Ghana's leader, Flt-Lt. Jerry Rawlings, and his counterpart, Capt. Thomas Sankara.
However, the paper is of the view that the very personal friendship between the two men could be the greatest weakness in the merger plan.
The Daily Times says that for such measures to be credible and capable of standing the tests of time, they need to go beyond and mean more than the excellent personal relationship of their founding fathers. The paper therefore calls on both leaders to bring the people of the merging states together in every conceivable field. According to the Times, only then will these measures forge an everlasting inter-people friendship and meaningful unity.
Drawings on the IMF
The Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwesi Botchway, has given details about Ghana's drawings from the International Monetary Fund towards the country's economic recovery programme. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said total drawings up to date under the first and second standby arrangements and compensatory financing facility drawing total about 500m dollars and under the standby arrangement with the country for the period which ended last August, Ghana drew about 377m dollars from the Fund.Dr Botchway said it was originally estimated that the funding of the three-year economic recovery programme will be 5.1bn dollars. In the first two years of the programme Ghana had to rely a lot more on external assistance than originally envisaged. The country also sought to obtain such assistance on concessional terms in order to ease its debt service burden.
He said at last year's donor conference in Paris, Ghana expressed concern about the lower than expected flow of official development assistance to her and also about the slow disbursement rate of committed funds. The Finance Secretary contributing 26.3m dollars towards the said foreign assistance to Ghana has been lower than the average for sub-Saharan Africa, and he is happy that the trend is being reversed.
Dr Kwesi Botchway, however, repeated that Ghana sees foreign assistance not as a substitute but as a supplement to her own domestic resources mobilisation effort. He hoped that this year and in 1986, there will be more aid from the IMF to enable Ghana to achieve her development projects.
BADEA's financial assistance for Africa
It has been disclosed in Accra that the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), is to make new financial investments worth 38.8 million dollars in development projects in Africa. According to a report published in the Ghanaian capital, citing the Bank's president, Chedli Ayari, the Bank decided to make these new investments during its ordinary meeting last December in Khartoum.With regard to Ghana, a fresh loan of 9m dollars granted by the BADEA will serve in financing the restoration of two of the most important timber and plywood factories in the country.
By the end of 1984, the Bank's financial engagement with Ghana had reached 31.73m dollars. Previous loans included 5m dollars for the restoration of cocoa plantations in Ashanti in 1975, and 10m dollars for the Kpong hydro-electric project in 1977.
Ghana has also received a third of an extra 10m dollar loan granted by the bank in 1975 to the West African Cement Company (Cimao) project, a project in which the Ivory Coast and Togo are also participating, and in the same year it received emergency aid of 4.4m dollars. Between 1975 and 1983, Ghana has received Arab aid totalling 314.6m dollars.
IDA credit for civil works
The International Development Association, an affiliate of the World Bank, has approved a 22m dollar credit to support Ghana's civil works programme designed to improve the flow of traffic in the Accra metropolitan area. Part of the credit will be used to rehabilitate a number of urban services.The six year programme includes the completion of the outer ring road and four other major roads. There will also be per- iodic road maintenance and the provision of drains. Water supply, electricity, sanitation and garbage disposal, will be improved upon, especially in the East Mamobi area.
The Valuation Department of the Ministry of Local Government will also receive technical assistance for the revaluation of properties in Accra.
The World Food Programme, the Canadian International Development Agency, the British Overseas Development Administration and the Government are all programme.
French and ADB loans
The Provisional National Defence Council has approved the terms of an agreement under which the French bank, Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale, will grant the Bank of Ghana a loan of 25m dollars. The loan is meant to be disbursed to mining companies, sawmills and other export-oriented factories for use in the purchase of essential equipment.Also approved are the details of a loan of 15.4m dollars from the African Develop- ment Bank for the establishment of pulp- wood plantations for the proposed pulp and paper mill. The loan is intended to finance the entire foreign exchange cost and part of the local cost of the establishment of an additional 4,000 ha of plantations.
A further loan of 14.2m dollars from the African Development Bank to the Govern- ment of Ghana is to be lent out to the Agri- cultural Development Bank to enable it to continue expanding its programme of assistance to small-scale farmers and fishermen by financing the purchase of essential items of equipment and recurrent inputs.
Sekondi-Takoradi association meeting
Members of the Sekondi-Takoradi association in the United Kingdom have been invited to a general meeting at the Methodist Church on Quex Road, Kilburn at 4.30 p.m. on April 27.Nearest tube stations are Kilburn or Kilburn Park. Others going by bus may catch numbers 16, 31, 32, 8 and 28.
