Ghana: Press spotlights President’s call for support to ECOWAS to flush out terrorists, others

APA – Accra (Ghana)
The report that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed confidence that terrorists can be chased out of West Africa and the Sahel Region with the right amount of support to ECOWAS is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Friday.
The Graphic reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed confidence that terrorists can be chased out of West Africa and the Sahel Region with the right amount of support to ECOWAS.
In that regard, he said West African troops could do the job without the involvement of foreign troops, and cited “The Accra Initiative” as “a good example of indigenous self-help”.
President Akufo-Addo, who was speaking on “Democracy and Security in West Africa” at the United States Institute of Peace’s Programme on Governance and Peace in Washington DC yesterday, called on leaders of the global community to activate the provisions of chapters seven and eight of the UN Charter in order to provide proportionate support to Africa’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He said that despite the considerable economic difficulties confronting ECOWAS Member States, the four military-led States, having been suspended, had made clear their willingness to take the fight to the terrorists if they were sufficiently empowered.
“Comparisons, they say, are odious, but some cannot be ignored. The Russian war on Ukraine has elicited, according to my information, some US$73.6 billion in American support for Ukraine, US$138.8 billion from the European Union (EU) and its institutions, and US$14.5 billion from the United Kingdom (UK),” he said.
On the other hand, the President said, the security assistance from the US, the EU and the UK to ECOWAS had in the same period amounted to US$29.6 million.
Citing rising levels of displacement of populations in many parts of the Sahel as a result of the insecurity engendered by the armed groups, President Akufo-Addo said: “Africa had become the centre of attraction for terrorist groups which are multiplying in the region following defeats suffered in other parts of the world.”
The newspaper says that Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, four-time African champions, are set to face formidable competition in Group B of the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, to be hosted in Cote d’Ivoire.
In a challenging draw, the West African powerhouse will contend with Egypt, boasting an impressive seven-time championship record, as well as Cape Verde and Mozambique.
The Black Stars’ base will be in Abidjan, where they are slated to compete in most of their matches at the renowned Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
As per tournament regulations, the top two teams from each group will secure automatic advancement to the Round of 16 stage, while the third-placed team’s progress will hinge on its ranking.
The highly anticipated event is scheduled to kick off on January 13, 2024, culminating in the final match on February 11, 2024.
With aspirations set high, the Black Stars are determined to surpass their performance in the last edition, where they finished at the bottom of Group C, trailing behind Comoros, Gabon, and Morocco.
Meanwhile, the host nation, Ivory Coast, will face off against Nigeria’s Super Eagles, and the defending champions, Senegal, will contend with Cameroon and Guinea in Group C.
The draw has set the stage for a fiercely competitive tournament, with football enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the thrilling encounters that lie ahead.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Ghanaian Community in Israel is currently safe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI) has assured.
A statement issued by the Ministry in Accra on Wednesday said the viral video of Ghanaians allegedly caught up in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas was not a true reflection of the situation.
“The Ministry wishes to state categorically that the incident in the said video did not occur in Gaza nor Israel, or anywhere related to the ongoing conflict. The general public is therefore advised to disregard this misleading video,” it said.
The statement urged the public to contact the Ghana Embassy in Israel in the event of any concerns or emergencies related to Ghanaian citizens.
“The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates in due course. In that regard, the Ministry seeks the cooperation of the public to avoid the dissemina­tion of fake news,” it said.
Meanwhile Ghana has condemned the ongoing Hamas attacks on Israel, calling on Hamas to immediately cease the attacks and withdraw its militants from southern Israel.
In an earlier press statement issued on October 8, 2023, the MFARI also called on the Israeli government to exercise restraint in its response to the attacks.
The Ministry said that Ghana condemns the attacks and affirms its support for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself.
The press release came amid a renewed escalation of violence in the region, with Hamas militants launching rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and Israeli forces responding with air strikes.
The newspaper says that the Ghana Medical and Dental Council (MDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghanaian Doctors and Dentists Association in the United Kingdom (GDDA-UK) to facilitate the process of registration of members who are desirous and willing to support the health system of Ghana.
This would be in the form of training of undergraduate and postgraduate doctors and dentists; the provision of specialist and sub-specialist healthcare services; and health research collaboration with colleagues in Ghana.
Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, the Registrar of MDC and Dr William Kedjanyi, President of GDDA-UK, signed the MoU.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in an interview in Accra last Thursday Dr Banyubala said the MoU had brought to fruition many years of discussions between GDDA-UK executives and the Council regarding the bottleneck created by the “credentialling and licensing” process of UK-based Ghanaian physicians.
“Also other physicians with a vested interest in contributing to training, special, and subspecialty service provision, including organ/tissue transplantation procedures and health research collaboration,” he said.
According to him, the MoU would expedite the process and reduce the cost by 50 per cent, adding that another provision was a waiver of examination.
Dr Banyubala on his part stated that harnessing diasporan resources and leveraging technology were at the core of the vision of the Council to boost the local training of doctors and dentists both at the general duty and specialist levels.
Dr Kedjanyi on his part, said the MoU would make it easier for GDDA-UK members to register with MDC Ghana to enable them to offer quality and safe specialist and sub-specialist medical and dental services.
He said the agreement would also help members to provide support academic activities, including teaching and research through the medical and dental schools and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS).
GIK/APA