Category: English

Source: APO – Report:

President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned boards and Chief Executives of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) against breaching administrative guidelines, conflicts of interest, and abuse of office, warning of swift sanctions.

Speaking at the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) Governing Board and CEOs Conference in Accra, the President urged public enterprise leaders to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against unlawful asset disposal, opaque procurement, and corrupt practices in all state institutions.

President Mahama reminded public officials that appointments to state boards and executive management positions are solemn public trusts anchored strictly on competence, integrity, and performance.

Emphasising the need for transparency in public sector procurement, President Mahama cautioned against using public office for personal benefit.

“Government will not tolerate conflicts of interest or abuse of office. Procurement must remain lawful, competitive, and transparent,” he stated.

He further emphasised that every piece of land, building, equipment, and public investment managed by state entities belongs to the citizens of Ghana, noting that board members and chief executives serve as temporary trustees accountable to the public.

Addressing persistent internal governance friction within state institutions, President Mahama outlined clear boundaries between oversight and day-to-day operations.

He instructed board chairpersons to avoid holding executive offices or interfering in routine management. He stressed that board roles are strategic rather than operational or ceremonial.

The president warned CEOs against resisting legitimate board oversight. He noted that institutional accountability breaks down when executive authority is treated as a personal privilege rather than a responsibility to deliver results.

Concluding his address, President Mahama tasked SIGA with strictly monitoring compliance and reporting recalcitrant public officers directly to the executive arm of government.

“Any board or chief executive that persistently tolerates governance breaches, frustrates statutory oversight by SIGA, or engages in conflict of interest will face swift administrative consequences,” he warned, urging SIGA to report such executives to the Presidency for immediate sanctions.

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

President John Dramani Mahama has inspected five ongoing Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) projects at Han Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper West Region, announcing plans to fully transition the facility from a day school into a boarding institution.

The inspection forms part of the President’s two-day #ResettingGhana Tour of the region.

President Mahama explained that while the Community Day SHS model remains viable, the government is shifting strategy based on population density.

“Our intention now is to apply the community day school concept in high-density population areas, where children can live at home and travel easily to school,” President Mahama said. “In sparsely populated areas, these schools will be converted into boarding institutions.”

Assuring the school management of immediate support, the President said the status change would be matched with proper infrastructure.

“We will not give you boarding status without building the necessary facilities,” Mahama assured the Headmaster. “We will provide both boys’ and girls’ dormitories. Once contractors complete these projects, the school will be officially redesignated so you can begin admitting boarding students.”

President Mahama also highlighted broader policy measures to reform secondary education across the country, particularly ending the double-track shift system.

He reiterated that a recently approved $300 million World Bank facility is being deployed to expand existing infrastructure in overcrowded schools so all students can attend classes simultaneously.

Additionally, the government is constructing 16 new senior high schools under the same financing package to ease congestion across the country.

“These projects will continue, and we hope that by the end of 2027, no Ghanaian child will still be on the double-track system,” President Mahama added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

President John Dramani Mahama has reassured Ghanaians of his commitment to delivering top-tier, long-lasting road infrastructure under his flagship “Big Push” initiative.

Speaking after inspecting ongoing construction on the strategic Wa-Han-Tumu-Navrongo road project on the first day of his #ResettingGhana Tour of the Upper West Region, the president acknowledged the public’s widespread demand for better roads and appealed for patience as projects roll out.

“I want to assure our people that, although everyone wishes all their roads could be constructed at once, we simply cannot do that,” Mahama stated. “There is a limit to the budget we have. That is why there is Big Push Phase One. We are already scoping Big Push Phase Two, and there will also be Big Push Phase Three.”

Outlining the execution strategy of the Big Push, President Mahama explained that major arterial corridors, the trunk roads, must be prioritised to create a strong foundational network before expanding into local communities.

He stressed that completing the trunk roads first ensures motorists from every district can easily access the main highway network for safe, comfortable travel.

“As we move forward, we will progress from the trunk roads to the feeder roads that connect with the trunk road network,” he added. “After the trunk roads are completed, we will extend the feeder roads into our communities and towns.”

Expressing confidence in the pace and execution of the Wa-Han-Tumu-Navrongo road stretch, President Mahama said the project is on track for commissioning next year.

He added that the road, a vital economic link connecting the Upper West and Upper East Regions, will be upgraded beyond standard surface finishing to ensure long-term value for money.

“The work is progressing well, and we will return next year to commission this road. I am confident that the quality of the road will be excellent,” he said.

“As the Minister said, after the double surface dressing, we will seal the entire road with asphalt from Wa to Bolgatanga. That will ensure the road lasts for at least the next 20 years and requires only minimal maintenance,” the president stated.

The road inspection was the first activity on the President’s schedule for the two-day regional tour.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

South Africa’s scientific and technological capabilities will this week come under the international spotlight when it participates as Country of Honour at the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, China.

Led by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, the delegation of South African scientists, innovators and researchers will join their global counterparts from 11 to 14 September to discuss emerging technologies and deepen international cooperation.

Among other things, the delegation is expected to articulate Africa’s science, technology and innovation (ST&I) agenda as articulated in the African Union’s STI Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034).

The country’s participation in the forum also marks 28 years of diplomatic relations between South Africa and China.

In March 2026, the two nations convened the 9th Bi-National Commission in South Africa during the working visit by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The commission was hosted under the theme, “South Africa-China Relations in an Era of Global Transformation: Advancing Shared Modernisation” with the aim of strengthening partnerships and cooperation to respond to the changing global environment, while advancing inclusive growth, industrial development and technological progress.

“As the first African country to be designated country of honour, we also view our participation in the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum as a unique opportunity to advance Africa’s ST&I agenda as articulated in STISA 2034,” says the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in a programme presentation document.

The Minister and his delegation will engage in site visits and bilateral meetings across various locations in the city, where they will explore topics ranging from climate change and sustainability; health innovation and biotechnology; and space science and astronomy.

The visit will also seek to strengthen ST&I cooperation between the two countries, drawing on the DSTI’s Decadal Plan priorities. The delegation will also promote research, technology transfer and investment partnerships as well as position internationalisation of the national system of innovation and South Africa as a gateway to African innovation ecosystems.

Participating institutions include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Technology Innovation Agency, South African National Space Agency, National Research Foundation, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, Agricultural Research Council and several universities.

Engagements on AI and digital innovation; green hydrogen and the energy transition; advanced manufacturing and mining innovation; oceans and polar research; as well as public science engagements are also on the agenda.

Some of the Chinese companies expected to be part of the forum include AI company MiniMax Group, Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Company and Shanghai ZJ Bio-Tech Company.

A dedicated South African pavilion will present locally developed technologies aimed at addressing social, environmental and economic challenges. Exhibits are expected to include climate-intelligence tools for farmers, hydrogen technologies, earth-observation applications, climate-smart mushroom farming and assistive technology for people with visual impairments.

Other displays will highlight smart energy-data management for municipalities, indigenous medicine research, radio astronomy, sustainable farming, wildfire disaster-management technology and marine and environmental observation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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Responding to reports that the Zambian authorities have cancelled the passports of former Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia and former Permanent Representative to the African Union Emmanuel Mwamba, historian and academic Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, former opposition Members of Parliament Binwell Mpundu and Emmanuel Jay Banda, former State House Special Assistant Kaizer Zulu, and blogger Lillian Mutambo on 11 September, Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa said:

“The arbitrary cancellation of passports by Zambian authorities is a violation of international human rights law. By weaponizing citizenship documents to target dissidents, activists, or political opponents, authorities explicitly breach the right to freedom of movement enshrined in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR.

“This is deeply concerning, particularly given the wider post-election crackdown on dissent, including arbitrary arrests and detention of members of the opposition and other government critics.

“The decision to cancel these passports effectively strips these individuals of their legal and social identity and traps them in a state of de facto statelessness. It undermines their dignity and basic civil protections.

“Amnesty International calls on the Zambian authorities to revoke these passport cancellations, restore these individuals’ passports and remedy any harm resulting from this unlawful decision.”

Background

Amnesty International has documented a rapid deterioration in the human rights situation in the country in the run-up to, during and after the general elections, marked by arbitrary arrests and detention, as well as attacks and intimidation targeting human rights defenders, activists, journalists and opposition political party members. As electoral tensions intensified, these violations were followed by further arrests of opposition members. The killing of former Cabinet Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security operation marked a further escalation of the crackdown.

On 11 September, the Zambian authorities issued a notice cancelling passports belonging to several government critics “in the interest of national security.”

Under Zambia’s Passports and Citizenship legislation, the cancellation of a passport is permitted only on specified grounds, including loss of citizenship, obtaining a passport through fraud or misrepresentation, certain forms of passport fraud, specified convictions and death. Political criticism or opposition to the government is not, in itself, a stated ground for cancellation.

– on behalf of Amnesty International.

Source: APO – Report:

Serving a population of approximately one million people in Tunisia’s Cap-Bon region, Mohamed Tahar Maamouri University Hospital plays a critical role as the region’s only specialized orthopedic center. In 2025, the hospital’s orthopedic department conducted more than 25,000 outpatient consultations and provided inpatient treatment to over 4,500 patients. The department’s workload increases significantly during the summer months due to the substantial rise in the regional population driven by tourism, as well as an increase in trauma cases, particularly those resulting from traffic accidents. Insufficient C-arm equipment in the existing operating theatres had been causing delays in surgical procedures and increasing pressure on the orthopedic department.

In response to this need, TİKA provided and delivered a modern surgical C-arm fluoroscopy system to the hospital to strengthen the technical capacity of its orthopedic operating theatre. As one of the essential pieces of equipment in orthopedic and trauma surgery, the C-arm system provides surgeons with real-time imaging during procedures, enabling accurate bone positioning and precise placement of surgical implants. The system is particularly important for minimally invasive surgical procedures, contributing to safer and more effective interventions.

With the newly delivered system now in active use at the hospital, orthopedic surgeries are expected to be performed more efficiently and with reduced waiting times between procedures, while the daily surgical capacity is projected to increase by approximately 20 percent. The project is also expected to ease the burden on the orthopedic department caused by patients awaiting surgery, shorten average hospital stays, and facilitate faster access to both emergency and scheduled surgical interventions. In this way, the project directly contributes to accelerating patients’ treatment processes and improving the efficiency of healthcare services in the region.

TİKA continues to support Tunisia’s healthcare sector through projects aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure, increasing treatment capacity, and expanding access to high-quality healthcare services.

– on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).