Politics

Wasteful trips! Ghana’s president bans appointees from foreign travels

Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo has banned all ministers, deputy ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and heads of government agencies from foreign travels

Published

5 years ago

June 25, 2018

Africa News Watch

Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo has banned all ministers, deputy ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and heads of government agencies from foreign travels.

It is unclear what may have prompted the new directive but a memo from the presidency said the ban was temporary.

The memo, which was signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Opare said the minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor-Botchwey is exempted from the directive.

“The President of the Republic has directed that, all foreign travels by Hon. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs and Heads of Government Agencies be temporarily suspended with immediate effect. Guidelines in respect of future foreign travels aimed at minimizing disruption to Government’s domestic work will be communicated to you shortly.

The memo however exempted the minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration from the temporary foreign travels ban.

The last time a similar travel restriction fro government officials was imposed was in December 2015 under the John Mahama government where he banned public officials from first-class air travel as part of efforts to cut wasteful spending.

Some officials in government have had the cause to complain about incessant travels of some appointees who in most cases are unable to justify why they travelled outside the country.

A former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourist Development Company, Akua Djanie recently resigned from her position alleging among other things that her boss, was fond of travelling outside the country, neglecting the core duties at the company.

“I wanted to work, not travel and chop per diem…I don’t see what GTDC is doing. The CEO travels every month for two weeks straight. In April, he was gone for three weeks,” she stated in an interview with a local radio station Citi FM.

Most of such travels are on the account of the Ghanaian taxpayer and the presidency believes, they also lead to a serious disruption in local government business.

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Politics

Bola Tinubu sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president

Published

9 hours ago

May 29, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President on Monday, May 29 at Eagle Square in the country’s capital city, Abuja.

Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima took the oath of office at exactly 10:28 AM and 10:38 AM respectively, administered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

Shortly after being sworn in, the Nigerian President promised to solve terrorism and criminality. “Security shall be top of our administration,” he said, adding that he would reform security architecture, invest more in security personnel, providing better training and equipment.

Additionally, he pledged to transform the economy in order to spur expansion and increase the Gross Domestic Product through job creation, fighting extreme poverty, increasing food production, ensuring the inclusion of women and young people, and combating corruption.

On the controversial subject of fuel subsidy removal, he took a firm position, announcing that the fuel subsidy regime was over. He also stated that, on the monetary policy side, he would work towards a unified foreign exchange system.

He was declared the winner of the presidential elections held on February 25 in which the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were won equally by the three leading candidates, twelve states each.

The ceremony was attended by some notable leaders from across the continent. Some of them are South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, the new Prime Minister of Gabon, Billy By-Nze, President of the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara; Ghana President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Rwanda President, Paul Kagame.

Tinubu garnered about 37 % of the total votes cast to become president. His experience includes being governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, and a prior career in finance with top financial companies like Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and GTE Services Corporation. Nigerians will hope he will use his experience to transform the economy which critics believe performed below par under the outgone president, Muhammadu Buhari.

He is faced with the challenges of high foreign debt, unemployment, soaring inflation, unstable multiple exchange rate system, and insecurity, amongst other challenges.

Politics

Embattled Senegalese opposition leader, Sonko arrested

Published

11 hours ago

May 29, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Embattled Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko was arrested on Sunday by the police during a march across the country.

Last Friday, Sonko set off on a march back to the country’s capital, Dakar which drew a crowd, mainly of young supporters, and was marred by clashes between youths and security forces, in which one man was killed in the south of the country.

The Minister of Interior, Antoine Diome claimed that the arrest was a result of clashes between Sonko’s supporters and the police during his return to Dakar, in which one man was killed.

Diome stated while addressing the media that the politician should have requested prior authorisation before organising what he called a “freedom caravan”.

He added that “a man was killed in Kolda. Is the state going to stand idly by (…) The answer can only be no”.

“We were, therefore, able to escort the leader of the Pastef (party) (Mr Sonko) to his home (in Dakar) where he was dropped off”, he said.

The politician who is battling with a libel suit against him is also charged with rape and making death threats against an employee of a beauty salon in Dakar but has denied all wrongdoing and insists that his legal travails are politically motivated and aimed at scuttling his bid for the 2024 presidency.

Sonko finished third with 687,523 votes, narrowly behind President Sall and Idrissa Seck in second place in the 2019 presidential election. He is hopeful of another try at the poll in the December 2023 elections.