The deliberations by members of the African Union on the re-emerging trend of unconstitutional change of governments on the continent, among other security issues and the call by the Minority Caucus in Parliament on the government to open Ghana’s land borders to allow for the free movement of persons and goods are some of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the members of the African Union (AU) have met in Accra to deliberate on the re-emerging trend of unconstitutional change of governments on the continent, among other security issues.
The three-day reflective forum, organised by the AU Peace and Security Council, brought together governance and security experts on the continent to find solutions to the problem.
The outcome of the forum will be presented to the AU Extraordinary Summit scheduled to take place on May 27 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. It will form the basis for the drafting of additional protocols to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo opened the forum yesterday and described the rate of coups d’etat on the continent and the manipulation of constitutions by incumbent governments as very disturbing.
He said the resurgence of coups d’etat was a setback to development and called on all stakeholders to help address it to accelerate socio-economic advancement of the continent.
“Coups d’etat undermine our collective bid to rid the continent of the menace of instability, and unconstitutional changes in governments.
“There are those who hanker after authoritarian personal rule because they claim Africa is underdeveloped and democracy is cumbersome and we need to get things done in a hurry.
“There are those who seek short cuts to office to exercise power without limits, and there are those who have no respect for the free choices of our sovereign people because they do not accord with their so-called ideological preference,” he said.
The newspaper says that the Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to open Ghana’s land borders to allow for the free movement of persons and goods.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 22, 2020 announced the closure of the country’s land, sea and air borders as part of measures to reduce the importation of the dreaded coronavirus disease.
The air borders were opened on September 1, 2020 and subsequently the sea borders.
Despite several appeals to the government by lawmakers from the land border communities for the borders to be opened, the government has argued that opening the borders would lead to the importation of COVID-19 cases.
But addressing journalists in Parliament yesterday, Minority Leader and Tamale South Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, said it was time the borders were opened for the return of normal living for citizens in those communities.
“We call on President Akufo-Addo to take practical urgent steps for the reopening of Ghana’s land borders to allow for free flow of persons and goods across ECOWAS and the rest of the world.”
Though Haruna Iddrisu said the country was not out of the woods of COVID-19 yet, keeping the borders shut and denying residents their livelihoods in the process was unfortunate.
The Graphic reports that the Bank of Ghana has ordered Spektra Technologies, owners of Dash App, to cease operations after the payment software provider raised $32.8 million in oversubscribed seed to expand operations.
The investment is to help digital payment networks across Africa interoperate and to aid it develop Mastercard and Visa-style intermediary services for mobile payment wallets across the continent.
But a letter dated March 9, 2022, from the Bank of Ghana (BoG), ordered Specktra Technologies to cease operating its Dash App, the payment platform service, due to lack of regulatory approval from the central bank.
All other Fintech companies that deal with Dash App have also been directed to halt operations until regulatory approval is granted.
The central bank said in the letter that it had come to its attention that through the Dash App, Spektra Technologies was offering services such as Wallet Creation, Cross Border Payment, Holding of Float Balance, as well as Bill and Utility Payments without the requisite approval.
The Head of Fintech and Innovation at the Bank of Ghana, Kwame Oppong, said in an interview that the move was to protect consumers and to keep the system safe.
“We have consumers to protect and a sector to keep safer to ensure that consumers are protected,” he said.
The newspaper says that the National Task Force of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Limited has cut power supply to parts of the Kotoka International Airport, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), the Accra Sports Stadium and the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel over debts owed to the company.
According to the leader of the task force, Mr Larbi Siaw Stephens, Accra Sports Stadium and La Palm were disconnected today as part of efforts to reduce the debts of the company.
He disclosed that the national stadium owed ECG GH¢587,087.37 and La Palm owed the national electricity provider GH¢196,073.62
Mr Stephens further disclosed that the GACL which was disconnected yesterday currently owes ECG GH¢48,985,505.41 after paying GH¢1million.
He said ECG had embarked on the aggressive revenue mobilisation drive as part of efforts to reduce the debt position of the national power provider which he said was affecting its operations.
Speaking in an interview with Joy FM monitored by GraphicOnline, Mr Stephens said apart from Terminal Three of the Kotoka International Airport and the runway, every other part of the airport was disconnected from the national power grid.
He said the runway was not disconnected because of interruptions that will be caused to flight schedules.
He said the revenue mobilisation was targeted at every customer that was owing ECG and not only state-owned enterprises.
GIK/APA