#nana akufo-addo

[profeminist]

"Ghana's parliament has passed a tough new bill that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+.

It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.

Lawmakers heckled down attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling.

It is the latest sign of growing opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in the conservative West African nation.

The bill, which had the backing of Ghana's two major political parties, will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law. He previously said that he would do so if the majority of Ghanaians want him to.

Gay sex is already against the law in Ghana - it carries a three-year prison sentence."

Read the full piece here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68353437

[prnanayarquah]

President's reshuffle signifes elevation of 'mate' to 'driver' status - Dr. Osei-Kufuor avers

New Post has been published on https://plugzafrica.com/presidents-reshuffle-signifes-elevation-of-mate-to-driver-status-dr-osei-kufuor-avers/

President's reshuffle signifes elevation of 'mate' to 'driver' status - Dr. Osei-Kufuor avers

A Senior Research Fellow with the Department of Peace Studies, School for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast, Dr. Patrick Osei-Kufuor has avered that, the current reshuffle by President Akufo-Addo signifies the elevation of the Vice President.

He describes the reshuffle as the elevation of the ‘mate’ to the ‘driver’ status.

In a telephone conversation on GBC Radio Central’s ‘Wɔnfrɛ Yie’ show, Saturday February 17, 2024 and analysing President Akufo-Addo’s current reshuffle, he said the reshuffle places the Veep in the steering wheel to steer the affairs of state as he leads the New Patriotic Party.

Again, “the reshuffle is communicating the setting aside of Nana loyalist and perceived Bawumia lotalist stepping in. Also, those who Bawumia would need in other capacities to help his campaign have also been relieved of their position by the president”, shared the Senior Research Fellow.

According to Dr. Osei-Kufuor, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam is a known close associate of Dr. Bawumia and this is telling us that, the President of the Republic is giving him some powers and opportunities to his mate (Veep) to be in the driving seat as he tries to lead the nation.

“In real life, a mate is allowed to move and pack a car ones in a while as part of the learning processes and the reshuffle is what I see Nana Akufo-Addo doing for Bawumia”, he highlited.

Touching on the impact of the reshuffle, the Vice Dean, School For Development Studies however agreed that much cannot be achieved in this short time, underscoring “I expect to see some few changes and the implementation of the some of the vision as outlined by Dr. Bawumia recently”, stated him.

All these in the view of Dr. Osei-Kufuor is to present Bawumia as someone who means what intends to do and based on that he can achieve what hid desired goals. “Also the Akyem mafia tag is no more. Two Akyems, ie Ofori-Atta and Amoako Atta have been step aside and all these signifies that Bawumia wants to reduce that perception too. These are signs that Nana Akufo-Addo want to give power to Bawumia, the mate”, he stated.

Examining how auspicious the timing of the reshuffle was, the Conflict Management, Security Management and Development expect argued that the party had a lot issues to deal with and they felt they wanted to solve all those differences before the reshuffle.

“Though the reshuffle was expected, there was a lot of turbulence because the party was going through its primaries and it was only expedient for them to wait to implement such a major reshuffle after the primaries.

“People have also been calling upon the Veep to assert himself and to be in charge and the reshuffle is asserting Bawumia and putting him in charge. It’s too late though but it’s for a better course which might fit into their strategy”, he avered.

[ghlagatindotcom]

Nana Akufo Addo Forced Dr. Bawumia To Join The NPP, Which They Will Now Fire Him - Insider Spreads Rumours Within NPP

Kwaku Manu, a well-known Ghanaian actor and New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathizer, has generated heated controversy by claiming that the party will prohibit Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia from standing for president again. Kwaku Manu’s comments come as the NPP’s power dynamics shift following the departure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. According to Kwaku Manu, Nana Addo’s influence as…

[hicginewsagency]

John Mahama Secures Comeback Victory in Ghana's Presidential Election.

Former Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama and now president elect of Ghana republic. Courtesy image. Former President John Mahama has been confirmed as the winner of Ghana’s presidential election, marking a triumphant return to power with a historic margin. According to the official results announced by Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Mahama, the opposition candidate, secured 56.6% of the…

[dikoderbeatz]

Dr. Bawumia Advocates for Free, Fair Elections as Key to Africa’s Stability at DUA Forum 2024

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has underscored the importance of free, fair, and transparent elections in maintaining peace and political stability across Africa. Speaking at the Democrat Union of Africa (DUA Forum 2024), Bawumia emphasized that these principles are essential for sustaining democratic values on the continent. The high-profile event, which took place under the auspices of…

[espacetutos]

Ghana-Sénégal-CEDEAO: Nana Akufo-Addo reçoit Bassirou Diomaye Faye

Le Président ghanéen, Nana Akufo-Addo, a reçu le vendredi 17 mai 2024 à Accra le nouveau Président sénégalais, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, qui est en visite de travail d’une journée au Ghana. Selon la présidence ghanéenne, la visite du Président du Sénégal au Ghana, un pays anglophone de la CEDEAO, marque une étape importante dans l’amitié et la coopération durables entre les deux pays. Le Président…

[newshubgh]

24 DCE's fired by President Akufo-Addo with immediate effect

His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has laid off twenty-four District Chief Executives with immediate effect In an official letter dated 2nd February 2024, signed by the President Akufo-Addo indicated directives asking a total of 24 District Chief Executives out of their mandate as Heads of Districts with an immediate effect. The decision was taken in respect of Article 243(3) b of the…

[netbuzzafrica]

Former first lady Theresa Aba Kufuor has died

Theresa Aba Kufuor, the wife of the second president of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, the former president John Agyekum Kufuor, has died at the age of 87, a source close to the Kufuor family has confirmed to Netbuzz Africa. She died on Sunday 1 October 2023, 24 days to her 88th birthday. Theresa Kufuor (née Mensah) was born on 25 October 1935. She was a retired nurse and midwife. Her husband, the…

[naughtyskeptic]

'Sane' Ghanaians have to ensure Mahama is defeated - Akufo-Addo

Ghana has chalked a history of competitive democratic elections, and 2024 would be no different.  As political parties and their figures gather momentum towards such pivotal moment in Ghana, rigorous campaigns, shades and blows would be thrown at each other. In such similar situations, Nana Addo has re-echoed his stance on Former President Mahama’s possible reelection next year. President Nana…

[ausetkmt]

Benin grants citizenship to slave descendants as it faces its own role in the trade

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When Nadege Anelka first came to the West African country of Benin from her home island of Martinique, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean, the 57-year-old travel agent said she had a feeling of deja vu.

Nate Debos, known by his stage name NaTRILL Dizaster, left, who said he would apply for Benin citizenship, poses with Ay.Yon Michaels, right, of the rap duo Ayakashi Krewe inside an old school bus in New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Feeling at home in Benin, Anelka decided to settle there last July and open a travel agency. She hopes to become a citizen by taking advantage of a law passed in September that grants citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade.

The new law, which was initiated by President Patrice Talon, who has been in office since 2016, is part of a broader effort by Benin to reckon with its own historical role in the slave trade.

The law is open to all over 18 who do not already hold other African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Beninese authorities accept DNA tests, authenticated testimonies and family records.

In this Jan. 29, 2019 file photo, the flags of the nations of Benin and Togo, the west African homes of the survivors of the slave ship Clotilda, remain on display on a monument at what was the Africatown Welcome Center in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)

Benin is not the first country to grant citizenship to descendants of slaves. Earlier this month, Ghana naturalized 524 African Americans after the West African country’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, invited them to “come home” in 2019, as part of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in North America in 1619.

But Benin’s citizenship law carries added significance, in part because of the role it played in the slave trade as one of the main points of departure.

European merchants deported an estimated 1.5 million slaves from the Bight of Benin, a territory that includes modern-day Benin and Togo and part of modern-day Nigeria, said Ana Lucia Araujo, a professor of history at Howard University who has spent years researching Benin’s role.

In this Nov. 17, 2011 file photo, a fisherman stands amidst city trash brought in by the tide, as he prepares to launch his fishing boat, in Cotonou, Benin. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Benin has struggled to resolve its legacy of complicity. For over 200 years, powerful kings captured and sold slaves to Portuguese, French and British merchants.

The kingdoms still exist today as tribal networks, and so do the groups that were raided. Rumors that President Patrice Talon is a descendant of slave merchants sparked much debate while he was running for office in 2016. Talon has never publicly addressed the rumors.

Benin has openly acknowledged its role in the slave trade, a stance not shared by many other African nations that participated. In the 1990s, Benin hosted an international conference, sponsored by UNESCO, to examine how and where slaves were sold.

And in 1999, President Mathieu Kérékou fell to his knees whiling visiting a church in Baltimore and issued an apology to African Americans for Africa’s involvement in the slave trade.

FILE- A man paddles a canoe near a Voodoo sacred forest in Adjarra, Benin, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

Memorial sites are mostly in Ouidah. They include the “Door of No Return,” which marks the point from which many enslaved people were shipped across the Atlantic, as well as the town’s history museum.

At the “Tree of Forgetfulness,” enslaved people were said to be symbolically forced to forget their past lives.

“Memories of the slave trade are present on both sides of the Atlantic, but only one of these sides is well known,” said Sindé Cheketé, the head of Benin’s state-run tourism agency.

Nate Debos, 37, an American musician living in New Orleans, learned about Benin’s citizenship law while visiting for the Porto Novo mask festival. He had never been to West Africa before, but his interest in the Vodun religion led him there.

Debos is the president of an association called New Orleans National Vodou Day. It mirrors Benin’s Vodun Day, a national holiday on Jan. 10 with a festival in Ouidah celebrating Vodun, an official religion in Benin, practiced by at least a million people in the country.

It originated in the kingdom of Dahomey — in the south of present-day Benin — and revolves around the worship of spirits and ancestors through rituals and offerings. Slavery brought Vodun to the Americas and the Caribbean, where it became Vodou, a blend with Catholicism.

“Vodou is one of the chains that connects Africa to the Americas,” said Araujo, the professor. “For enslaved Africans, it was a way of resisting slavery.”

European colonial powers and slave owners sought to suppress African cultural and religious practices. Vodun was preserved through syncretism, as African deities and spirits were merged with or disguised as Catholic saints.

“Our African ancestors were not tribal savages, they had sophisticated cultures with very noble and beautiful spiritual practices,” Debos said.

He now seeks to establish more partnerships with collectives practicing Vodun in Benin, which would require him to stay in the country for longer periods. He will apply for citizenship, but not with an intention to move there permanently.

“At the end of the day, I am an American, even when I am dressed in the wonderful fabrics and suits they have in Benin,” Debos said.

Anelka, the travel agent now living in Benin, said her motivations behind getting Beninese citizenship are mostly symbolic.

“I know I will never be completely Beninese. I will always be considered a foreigner” she said. “But I am doing this for my ancestors. It’s a way to reclaim my heritage, a way of getting reparation.”

[prnanayarquah]

If Nana Addo was the IGP, NDC Would've Won Assin-North - Benjamin Quashie

New Post has been published on https://plugzafrica.com/if-nana-addo-was-the-igp-ndc-wouldve-won-assin-north-benjamin-quashie/

If Nana Addo was the IGP, NDC Would've Won Assin-North - Benjamin Quashie

Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quashie, South African National Democratic Congress Council of Elders Chair and the Group Chairman for Allied Consortiums has questioned the rationale for some persons plotting to oust IGP, Dr. George Akufo Dampare, as having NDC leanings.

He questions what the current IGP has done to showcase that he is NDC and the plot to get rid of him.

Speaking on CTV’s ‘Dwabrɛ Mu Nsɛm’, Mr. Quashie wondered whether, from the contents of the viral audio tape, one can safely conclude that in all the elections the NPP has won, the IGPs then did something to help their cause, he quizzed again.

The SA NDC Council Chair furthered that with reference to the Assin-North By-electons, the constituents overwhelmingly endorsed Gyakye Quayson. “Even if President Akufo-Addo was the IGP, the NDC would have won because the will of the people could not be changed”.

“Nana Addo can be the IGP going into 2024, the will of the people wouldn’t change. There is nothing Nana Akufo-Addo as IGP could do to help”, he emphasized.

According to Mr. Quashie, there is another audio tape which purports to suggest to be the voices of Justin Kodua and Gabby. In that audio tape, Kodua was questioning the police about why they were arresting only NPP folks? In the opinion of Mr. Quashie, he has no right to makes such comments. “The truth of the matter is, if your people are falling short of the law, would they not be arrested? They arrested your people because of the impunity they were perpetrating”, he stated.

He further alleged that, the NPP wanted a repeat of what happened at Ayawaso West Wuogon but, “The people of Assin-North were determined to face the police boot-for-boot because the country has gotten to a stage where all of us are tired and people are prepared to stand up and fight for the course of this country. People wanted to ensure the right things were done”, he claimed.

In the view of Mr. Benjamin Quashie, the IGP hasn’t done anything to show his bias for NDC but rather he has demonstrated his capabilities to protect the law and that is what matters going into the 2024 elections.

“The NPP has promised to break the 8. If they��re saying they can’t just because of the IGP, then, they’re fooling all of us. They should let their record break the 8 and leave the IGP alone”.

[ghlagatindotcom]

Akufo Addo's Aide Collapses, Interrupting His Final State of the Nation Address

A startling and unexpected turn of events occurred in Parliament today, when President Nana Akufo-Addo’s final State of the Nation Address was abruptly halted. The President’s aide-de-camp, an army general, collapsed behind him, sparking a brief panic. The event happened midway during the President’s presentation, causing a brief suspension of proceedings. The aide-de-camp had been standing…

[allthegeopolitics]

As the fate of Ghana’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bill hangs in the balance pending a court ruling, an activist is helping “scared” queer people confront a terrible choice: face persecution at home or try to find safety elsewhere. In February, Ghana’s parliament passed the bill to increase existing criminal penalties for queer people living in the country. Although not yet law, it seeks to impose prison sentences for those identifying as part of the queer community as well as those who “support” LGBTQ+ activities.  Prominent activist groups have urged president Nana Akufo-Addo to refuse to sign it into law. A memo from Ghana’s finance ministry warned that it would have disastrous economic consequences if it were to make its way on to the statute books. [...]

Continue Reading.

[beardedmrbean]

Burkina Faso's military junta has announced a ban on homosexual acts, making it the latest African state to crack down on same-sex relations despite strong opposition from Western powers.

Homosexuality was frowned upon in the socially conservative West African state, but it was never outlawed.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said the junta's cabinet had now approved legislation to make it a punishable offence, but he did not give further details.

The military seized power in Burkina Faso in 2022, and has pivoted towards Russia after drastically reducing ties with former colonial power, France.

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Burkina Faso's decision to outlaw homosexual relations is part of an overhaul of its marriage laws.

The new legislation, which still needs to be passed by the military-controlled parliament and signed off by junta leader Ibrahim Traoré, only recognises religious and customary marriages.

"Henceforth homosexuality and associated practices will be punished by the law," the justice minister was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

Capt Traoré took power in September 2022 after overthrowing another military ruler, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, accusing him of failing to quell an Islamist insurgency that has gripped Burkina Faso since 2015.

Burkina Faso was among 22 out of 54 African states where same-sex relations were not criminalised.

Unlike in many former British colonies, it did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws after independence from France in 1960.

Muslims make up around 64% of Burkina Faso's population and Christians 26%. The remaining 10% of people follow traditional religions or have no faith.

Many African states have been taking a tougher stand against the LGBTQ community in recent years.

Uganda is among those that have adopted legislation recently to further crack down on the community, despite strong condemnation from local rights groups and Western powers.

In May, its Constitutional Court upheld a tough new anti-gay law that allows for the death penalty to be imposed for “aggravated homosexuality”, which includes having gay sex with someone below the age of 18 or where someone is infected with a life-long illness such as HIV.

Activists said they would appeal against the ruling.

The World Bank has halted new loans to President Yoweri Museveni's government while the US has stopped giving Ugandan goods preferential access to its markets, following the adoption of the legislation last year.

Mr Museveni defended the legislation as preserving traditional family values, and said Uganda would not allow the West to dictate to it.

The daughter of Cameroon's president drew mixed reaction after she came out as a lesbian last week.

Brenda Biya, who lives abroad, said she hoped that her coming out would help change the law banning same-sex relations in the country.

Cameroon has been ruled with an iron-hand by her 91-year-old father, Paul Biya, since 1982.

In Ghana, parliament passed a tough new bill in February that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+.

However, President Nana Akufo-Addo has not signed it into law, saying he will wait for the courts to rule on its constitutionality.

The finance ministry has warned him that if the bill became law, Ghana could lose $3.8bn (£3bn) in World Bank funding over the next five to six years.

Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year.

[adocatezaabah]

🇬🇭🌈⚖️Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed two separate cases challenging the legality of one of Africa's most restrictive pieces of anti-LGBT legislation, paving the way for the president to sign it into law.

Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, both lawyers, filed separate challenges to the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, from the seven-member panel court, said in the televised ruling that the cases were premature.

"Until there's presidential assent, there is no act," she said, adding the two cases were "unanimously dismissed."

Lawyers for Odoi and Sky told Reuters they were disappointed by the ruling and would examine their options after studying the full judgment.

The West African nation's parliament unanimously approved the bill in February. It increases a crackdown on the rights of LGBT people and those promoting lesbian, gay or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities.

However, President Nana Akufo-Addo delayed signing it pending the challenges filed at the Supreme Court. A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders sponsored the legislation.

Gay sex was already punishable by up to three years in prison before this legislation. The bill now also imposes a prison sentence of up to five years for the "willful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities."

Supporters of the bill have been pushing for its promulgation despite a finance ministry warning that that such an act could jeopardize $3.8 billion in World Bank financing and derail a $3-billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund to help Ghana out of an economic crisis.

[humanrightsupdates]

Responding to the passing of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024” by Ghana’s parliament on February 28, Amnesty International’s Ghana Executive Director, Genevieve Partington, said:

“The Parliament’s passage of this draconian bill is shocking and deeply disappointing, coming shortly after Ghana was elected to serve at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“The bill is one of the most draconian in Africa and seeks to further criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It also seeks to punish anyone who supports or advocates for LGBT people, including human rights defenders, medical professionals, journalists, teachers and landlords in violation of the right to freedom of expression and association, with prison terms of up to 10 years.

“LGBTI people have already reported forced evictions, loss of jobs, increased violence and other violations of the rights guaranteed by the country’s Constitution since the bill was introduced in parliament.

“Amnesty International urges President Nana Akufo Addo to respect the human rights of all persons and not to sign this extreme form of discrimination into law, affecting everyone in the country.” (Human Rights Watch)