The New Ghanaian

South African writer Heidi Holland is one of the last non-Zimbabwean journalists to have interviewed Robert Mugabe. She spent two hours with him last December after pursuing the Zimbabwean president for months. This is her description of that encounter. While I waited outside Robert Mugabe’s office in the foyer of State House, his spokesman hissed at me to get to my feet. Jumping up, I followed the frozen gaze of a dozen officials who stood to attention suddenly. Behind my chair, Zimbabwe’s president had appeared in a doorway, motionless and staring straight at me.

Heidi Holland, South African writer

The Abudus and Andani’s are meeting the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu for the third time. The meeting will deliberate on the way forward towards resolving the impasse between the two rival chieftaincy clans in the Northern region. Two previous meetings ended up in a stalemate over the burial of the late Dagbon overlord, Yaa Na Mahamadu Abdullahi. The Abudu’s want to perform the funeral rites of their late King, Yaa Na Mahamadu Abdullahi in the Gbewaa Palace. But the Andani’s suspect the Abudus will proceed to enskin an Abudu Overlord once given access to the Gbewaa palace. They have therefore vowed to resist with force, any attempts by the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to have the Abudus enter the Gbewaa palace to perform the funeral. Today’s meeting is expected to bring an end to the protracted conflict between the two factions.

Source: Ghananewstoday.com

In-depth investigations conducted by The Statesman have established that the education of two of former President Jerry John Rawlings’ daughters abroad was funded by a British water company - Biwater - which paid 7,000 Pounds Sterling a term per child.  A few years ago an independent newspaper based in Accra, reported that after his government had created the Junior and the Senior Secondary School (now Junior High and Senior High School) system, the former President deemed it more expedient to educate his children abroad using the Ordinary and Advanced Level system, which his government had discredited.

The children, Ezanetor and Amina Rawlings, were sent to Millfield public school in Dorset – a classy institution that charges very exorbitant fees. The fees were described as scholarships paid for by Biwater, which was then bidding for the management of Ghana’s water supply system.

By Peter Atiemo

Ghana will go through a period of high political tension between August and December 7, 2008 after which the country will elect a new president. There will be a smooth and peaceful transition of power to an elected government based on God’s choice after a second round balloting for the presidency.

Apostle Schambach Amaniampong, the Director of Schambach Theological College made these prophetic revelations in an interview in Accra at the weekend, during the graduation and ordination of 45 prophets10 pastors and 12 reverend ministers of the gospel.

Carly Vincent Ahiable, TNG correspondent in Accra

Jeff Fenech pushed his way through the media pack and playfully lifted up Azumah Nelson’s shirt.

“Show `em how fat you are,” Fenech taunted as he pointed at Nelson’s near 50-year-old midriff.

The banter was not appreciated by the Ghanaian, who ordered Fenech out of the South Melbourne gym they used on Wednesday to prepare for Tuesday’s return bout between the two triple world champions, 16 years after Nelson inflicted the first knockout of the Australian’s decorated career. ”Tell him to go out, get him out,” Nelson barked as he avoided Fenech’s attempts to pose for a photo together. At least Nelson’s demeanour, if not his abs, suggested Tuesday’s bout will not be a lighthearted payday between 49-year-old and 44-year-old has-beens.

Azumah lost the fight on a 2-1 split points decision.  The money was GOOD!!

It has been done with great brutality, but Robert Mugabe has achieved an extraordinary turnaround here. Back in March, when the first round of voting took place, he was humiliated by being beaten into second place in the presidential race, and by losing the parliamentary election outright. Now he’s the sole effective candidate in Friday’s presidential run-off, and he cannot fail to win with an overwhelming majority. His opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been completely outmanoeuvred. The outside world, which mostly sympathises with him, can do nothing whatever to help him. The suburban street outside the Dutch embassy where he’s taken refuge in Harare is empty, except for a few security policemen on the look-out. Even his choice of embassy has been turned against him by his political enemies. It might well have been better for him politically if he had chosen an African rather than a European country to ask for help. As it is, MDC supporters are gloomy and resentful. They are also cowed.

By John Simpson, World affairs editor, BBC News, Harare

Ghanaian culture is steeped in oral tradition, spectacular in its praise songs. Each line gives a colorful description of some aspect of the person’s “praise name.” The call-and-response form is simple. The poet speaks (calls) a line of the poem, and the audience responds on cue with its line. The audience will repeat the same line throughout the poem; each of the poet’s lines will be different.

Traditional protocol requires a linguist to interpret the king’s words and visitors not talk directly to the king. The linguist, in turn, talks to the king, who then responds directly back to the linguist. This method of triangular dialogue prevents the king from making a mistake, since one could always blame the linguist if there is a misunderstanding.

On this basis, presidential spokesperson Andrew Awuni, announced the “Grand Order of The Star and Eagles of Ghana” on June 23rd, 2008, which can only be bestowed on president Kufuor himself and coup d’tat maker supremo, JJ Rawlings. Vice presidents are relegated to The Order of the Star-Companion. The highest and most important award in our country today is to be President. Nothing trumps that!

In 1958, Chinua Achebe created Okonkwo, who rose from nothing to become an important man in the village of Umuofia, a powerful clan, skilled in war, proud tradition and advanced social institutions (AFRC, June 4 1979).  When died, clan members were not allowed to touch Okonkwo’s dead body, it is taboo! Others must do this, just as Ntikuma must for his Ananse.

Sydney Casely-Hayford, Publisher of The New Ghanaian

The new game in town is disqualifying Ghanaian nationals from some political offices on grounds that they possess dual citizenship. There is no law in Ghana that disqualifies dual citizens, although there is a law that disqualifies those who owe allegiance to another country. This triggers an obvious question, what is the relationship, if any, between citizenship and allegiance.

Allegiance is a term of art that originates from the common law. Under the common, allegiance was permanent and was determined by nationality. As the old judges used to write “nemo potest exuere patriam,” which simply meant “the bond of nationality once forged could never he broken.” Accordingly, anyone born a British national owed an allegiance to the British crown which he could never resign or lose.

To assume that multiple citizenship means or implies allegiances to multiple countries is plainly wrong. Our laws allow dual citizenship and do not impose any liabilities on dual citizens, who are Ghanaian nationals. Our laws impose occupational liabilities on citizens who owe allegiance to other countries. This latter law cannot be enforced by proxying citizenship for allegiance. 
The wholesale disqualification of people on grounds that they have dual citizenship is unconstitutional and must cease forthwith.

S. Kwaku Asare, “AZAR”