Foreign

Jerry Rawlings Dies of COVID-19

By Web News 830

Former President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana has died of COVID-19 related complications at the age of 73, according to multiple reports from Ghanaian media.

The development comes less than a month after he buried his mother.

Rawlings, who is one of the most respected African leaders, was a military leader in Ghana and later became a politician who ruled the country from 1981 to 2001.

The former President initially came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d’état in 1979.

Prior to that, He led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place.

He was until his death, the African Union envoy to Somalia.

Rawlings as leader of Ghana launched a massive anti-corruption campaign that purged the nation of corrupt political elements.

A former Nigerian Presidential candidate and media mogul, Dele Momodu, who has close links to the Ghanaian Presidency, confirmed the development on Twitter.

Punchng.com

Politics

Nigeria will no longer tolerate harassment of its citizens in Ghana – FG

By Web News 766

Federal Government has expressed deep concern over the incessant harassment of its citizens in Ghana and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by Ghanaian authorities, and will no longer tolerate such.
In this regard, the Federal Government is urgently considering a number of options aimed at ameliorating the situation.
In a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, The Federal Government said it has been documenting the acts of hostility towards Nigeria and Nigerians by the Ghanaian authorities.
The statement highlights the acts of hostility to include seizure of the Nigerian Mission’s property located at No. 10, Barnes Road, Accra, which the Nigerian Government has used as diplomatic premises for almost 50 years; Demolition of the Nigerian Mission’s property located at No. 19/21 Julius Nyerere Street, East Ridge, Accra; Aggressive and incessant deportation of Nigerians from Ghana between January 2018 and February 2019, when 825 Nigerians were deported from Ghana; Closure of over 1000 shops belonging to Nigerians; Residency Permit requirements, for which the Ghana Immigration; Service has placed huge fees, far higher than the fees charged by
the Nigerian Immigration Service which include the compulsory Non citizen ID card (US$120, and US$60 for yearly renewal); Medical examinations, including for Covid-19 which is newly introduced (about US$120), and payment for residency permit (US$400 compared to the N7,000 being paid by Ghanaians for residency card in Nigeria).
Others are Outrageous stipulations in the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act; Media war against Nigerians in Ghana; Harsh and openly biased judicial trial and pronouncement of indiscriminately long jail terms for convicted Nigerians.
The statement notes that there are currently over 200 Nigerians in the Nsawam Maximum prison in Ghana alone.
It states that the Federal Government will like to put on record the fact that even though over 1 million Ghanaians are resident in Nigeria, they are not being subjected to the kind of hostility being meted out to Nigerians in Ghana.
The statement explains further that though the main reason given for the seizure of Federal
Government property at No. 10, Barnes Road in Accra is the non renewal of lease after expiration, the Ghanaian authorities did not give
Nigeria the right of first refusal or the notice to renew the lease.
It says by contrast, the lease on some of the properties occupied by the
Ghanaian Mission in Nigeria has long expired, yet such properties have not been seized.
In the meantime, the Federal Government appealed to its citizens resident in Ghana to remain law abiding and avoid engaging in self help, despite their ordeal.

PR/Oluwakayode Banjo

Foreign News

More African States Impose Travel Restrictions

By Web News 840

Increasing numbers of African countries are confirming Coronavirus cases, prompting many to announce measures to control the spread of the virus.

Ghana is the latest nation to ban entry to foreign visitors from countries badly impacted by the disease.

Earlier, South Africa declared a state of disaster, closing its borders to foreign nationals from countries badly impacted by the disease. The ban includes China, Iran, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US.

Kenya has also imposed sweeping travel restrictions, blocking entry to all travelers coming from countries with reported cases. On Sunday, the government confirmed two more cases of Coronavirus, taking the total number to three.

Djibouti, which has no confirmed case, has suspended all international flights. Tanzania, which also has no confirmed case, has cancelled flights to India.

Morocco has also suspended all international flights from its airports. The North African state has 28 confirmed cases, including one death.

The prime minister of Libya’s internationally recognized government, Fayez Sarraj, also announced the closure of Libya’s airspace and land borders as a preventative measure starting from Monday.

In neighbouring Algeria, which has 48 Coronavirus cases, officials announced they would be suspending all flights to France as of Tuesday.

In Tunisia, Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh has ordered the closure of all borders and a ban on large gatherings, including congregation prayers in mosques. The country has confirmed 20 cases of the virus.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi has suspended all gatherings of 300 people or more. He has also suspended all foreign travel by state officials – including his own visits to Equatorial Guinea and Palestinian territories that were scheduled for later this month.

The virus is now confirmed to be present in at least 26 nations across the continent.

BBC NEWS