Politics

Guinea’s President Doumbouya fires Minister of Infrastructure & Transport over corruption allegations

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2022

Guinea’s military President, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, has sacked the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Yaya Sow, over a series of corruption allegations that has rocked the ministry, a state by a presidential spokesman said on Friday.

The embattled Sow has been under investigation since November 7 over alleged corruption attempt in his department but in the statement read on the national TV RTG, the President said the dismissal of the Minister was a decision taken because of the launch of a judicial investigation by the Court of Repression of Economic and Financial Offences (CRIEF).

“The Minister, Yaya Sow is fired because he is linked to a scurrilous case of alleged corruption attempt on public contracts,” a local online media, africaguinee.com said in a report.

“Before his sacking, the Minister has been suspended since November 7 by Prime Minister Bernard Goumou,” the platform added.

Sow’s sacking brings to seven top government officials who have been given the boot by Doumbouya following the corruption allegation in the Ministry.

The officials affected according to the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Alphonse Charles Wright, have been referred to the Conakry Public prosecutor on “charges of corruption, misappropriation of public funds and complicity in the award of public contracts.”

Early in the week, Doumbouya had ordered PM Gomou to audit the spending of the national budget after the country suffered a deficit of $833 million.

A statement from the cabinet said the President wanted to correct the shortcomings and failures noted in the management of state’s assets in order to put an end to old habits that persisted in several places.

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Politics

Morocco joins PPCA to phase out coal

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco has joined an international campaign to phase out coal, Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), an effort to secure renewable energies in the next seven years.

With Morocco, PPCA has 60 national governments united by the desire to make a clean break with coal-fired power generation.

The United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, Kosovo, Malta, and Norway joined the global initiative earlier at the COP 28 climate summit, according to a statement from PPCA.

Without providing a timeline, the PPCA stated that Morocco “will work together with the PPCA to develop a plan for phasing (coal) out.”

Africa bears the least responsibility for climate change, yet it is already experiencing more severe effects than most other regions of the world.

The continent has the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita of any region, contributing less than 3% of global energy-related CO2 emissions to date. Africa is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s current population.

According to official figures, about 70% of Morocco’s electricity is generated from coal, with 20% coming from renewable sources thus far this year. By 2030, Morocco wants to increase the proportion of renewable energy in its energy mix to over 52%.

Politics

Seychelles declares emergency following explosion, flooding

Published

3 days ago

December 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Officials in the Seychelles have confirmed that a blast at an explosives store wrecked buildings and caused massive damage to an industrial zone.

The explosion has prompted the president, Wavel Ramkalawan, to declare a state of emergency on Thursday.

The president called for a minute of silence on Thursday after telling reporters that the blast rocked the island and caused flooding due to heavy rains. Three people died as a result.

National television footage showed streets strewn with uprooted trees buried in deep mud and covered in debris.

“Following an explosion at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage to the Providence Industrial area and the surrounding areas and major destruction caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the President has declared a state of emergency for today, December 7th,” President Wavel Ramkalawan’s office said in a statement.

“Everyone is being asked to stay at home. All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons travelling will be allowed free movement.”

Tourists can still use the international airport and the ferries that travel between the islands, according to the government’s official social media.

Comprising 115 islands, the Seychelles is the least populous country in Africa, home to only 100,000 people.