Day: April 9, 2023

Hong Kong, based Capo Daniel, said he tendered his resignation letter to the leader of one, of the frontline groups fighting for the independence of the former Southern Cameroons, now North West and South West regions.

In a video shared on Easter Sunday, the now-former Spokesperson and Deputy Defense Chief of the armed wing said he resigned due to divergence with the organization.

“I think makes it impossible for me to continue serving our Liberation Movement in those capacities. I thank Dr. Cho Ayaba for his trust during my time in the organization and will continue working for our liberation movement selflessly.”

Mr. Ngong Daniel had been a frequent user of the group’s Facebook page, with his podcasts on the state of their struggle.

He told CNA newsroom on Sunday that the divergence concerns, “differences regarding the internal functioning of the organization. It’s confidential but those are differences that have made it difficult for me to carry out my functions”

Asked if he is tired of the war and wants some time to rest, he said,

“I did not resign from the war. I resigned from the positions I hold in the Ambazonian Governing Council. I still believe in the movement and will continue my advocacy for the rights of self-determination for the territory and support the arm resistance. I will transform my media platform into a non-communal organisation for the advocacy of Ambazonian independence

In a Youtube video, he said, ” The subjects of these issues do not serve any public interest. But all the cycles of AGOVC are very much aware of these issues…I want to thank Dr. Cho Ayaba for the trust he had in me, for allowing me to serve”

On Saturday, April 8, 2023, the leader of the Ambazonia Governing Council, Dr. Choo Ayaba, acknowledged the resignation of Capoi Daniel, wishing him well in his future endeavours, “Myself, the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC), Ambazonia Defence Forces, and the Ambazonian people wish to thank comrade Capo Daniel for his great services and contribution to the organization, our people and our liberation. He stood up for Ambazonia, defended Ambazonia, and took a firm stance against blackmailers, scavengers, disrupters, and Cameroun the butchers of our people. We received and accepted his letter of resignation. He served the organization and our people well when very few could speak for Ambazonia. We wish him luck in his new activism endeavours. We have reached a critical point of divergence and l am obliged to accept his resignation”

Capo Daniel said he will go solo by creating a pressure group to keep his activism alive.

Since 2016, the North West and South West regions, have been hit by a conflict between government forces and separatists. After a ferocious government crackdown, the teachers’ and lawyers’ strike action was transformed into a civil society protest, leading to a failed dialogue on January 13, 2017. This led to the arrest of frontline leaders on January 17, 2017, leading to handing over of power to the diaspora.

The Diasporans demanded outright independence of the regions, creating armed groups that have been fighting for the past seven years.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Community Aid for Rural Deve lopment (CARD)-Ghana, has called on males to lead the campaign for female leadership in their communities as females have the potential to contribute meaningfully to community and national development.

It said some girls and young women shunned leadership roles both in institutions and in the communities due to some social and cultural norms and values that discouraged female leadership.

Miss Leenat Abdul-Rahaman, the Executive Director of CARD-Ghana, made the call during a training workshop for She-Leads Male Champions in Wa organised by CARD-Ghana as part of the She-Leads project implementation.

She-Leads is a five-year project (2021-2025) that seeks to increase the sustained influence of girls young women on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions that hinders female leadership.

The project is being implemented in the Upper West Region by CARD-Ghana in partnership with Plan International Ghana to advocate for increased acceptance of girls and young women leadership and their inclusion in decision-making processes at all levels.

Miss Abdul-Rahaman said as part of efforts to encourage girls and young women to take up leadership roles, CARD-Ghana was supporting instrumental females who had expressed interest in taking up leadership positions in both mainstream and students’ politics saying, ‘that does not mean we are supporting any political party.’

She urged participants to share the knowledge gained at the workshop with other members of the team in their communities to help ensure the success of the project.

Participants were educated on the provisions of some legal frameworks that protected the rights of women and girls.

They were the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the Children’s Act of Ghana.

In her presentation on the legal frameworks, Madam Charity Batuure, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, noted that it was against the law for any woman or girl to be taken through any form of degrading treatment and discrimination.

She urged parents to take interest in the welfare of their children and to listen to their concerns saying, ‘if you don’t listen to them, they will do things in their own ways and the results will not be good.’

She stressed the need for issues of concern to children’s development to be included in policy formulations adding that, ‘the healthy development of the child is crucial to the future well-being of every society.’

On her part, Pognaa Amaamata, Mumuni, the Queen Mother of Duori, a suburb of Wa, who made a presentation on gender, urged the participants to put in conscious efforts to ensure women stood par with their men counterparts.

She said this could be achieved through ensuring women’s accessed resources such as land, and involvement in decision-making among others since the absence of that led to discrimination against women and widened inequalities between men and women.

The participants expressed commitment to ensure that barriers against women leadership at the community level were removed.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Reverend Ebenezer Ayer, Head Pastor, Priesthood Worship Centre (PWC) Assemblies of God Tema Community Six, has stressed the need for Christians to rely constantly on the blood, especially in times of difficulty.

He said the Blood of Jesus still spoke for the people who believe in it irrespective of their background, stressing that there was active fighting for those who called upon it.

Taking the scriptures from Leviticus 17:11, and Hebrews 9:22, he said there was life in the blood and only those who believed would benefit from it.

Rev. Ayer was speaking during Easter Sunday and said Jesus’ death on the cross was to benefit all Christians who would accept Him as the Lord and personal saviour and charged Christians not to react to any mockery against the death of Christ.

He said one encounter with Jesus Christ must immediately change them from certain unacceptable attitudes and behaviours wherever they found themselves.

Rev. Ayer said right from the book of Genesis, the Bible highlighted the importance of blood sacrifice to God by killing live animals to atone for their sins and other reasons.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Reverend Cephas Akakpo, Fiave District Pastor of The Church of Pentecost has asked Christians not to lose hope because Jesus, the Christ is still alive.

‘Come and see, the one you are looking for is alive and lives forever,’ he said.

He said the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should assure believers that whatever problem they encounter would surely come to an end.

Delivering Sunday sermon from Matthew 28:6 at 2023 Easter Convention at Ho-Anlo Kordzi in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region, he said, ‘He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.’

Rev. Akakpo, who is also the Ho Area Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, said sickness, poverty and embarrassment would not near Christians so far, they believed that Jesus has died for them.

He said the believer would progress and his or her destiny come to pass since the locked doors has been opened in Jesus’ name.

The Ho Area Secretary also advised Christians to work hard in their lawful chosen professions to succeed as success does not come by chance, but by choice.

The Easter Convention which started on Wednesday, April 5, was attended by faithfuls from nine Districts of The Church of Pentecost.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Michael Boadi Nyamekye, the General Overseer of the Maker’s House Chapel International, has admonished Christians, especially the youth, to utilise their social media platforms to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

It was unfortunate, he said, that today’s generation were dedicated to sharing bad news and information that was unhelpful to society through their tiktok, instagram and other handles.

He was delivering the Resurrection Sunday sermon at the Destiny Arena – the multi purpose complex headquarters of the Church, at Kwabenya in the Ga East District.

Using the story of Mary Magdalene and the other women who went to town to broadcast the good news of Christ’s resurrection, he said Christians must also be enthusiastic about sharing positive news for building the Kingdom of God and society.

The occasion, which climaxed the annual Easter Supernatural Conference of the Church, was also used to commission the fully-occupied 5,000-seater ultramodern auditorium of the Church.

Dr Boadi Nyamekye reminded Christians that they could not live their lives anyhow if they professed to be followers of Christ Jesus.

Consequently, they must die to their old sinful nature and its works and lead exemplary lives befitting the Children of Christ the King.

Referencing the account of Luke 24:5, where the angels asked Mary and her companions why they were living for the living among the dead, Dr Boadi Nyamekye said it was important for Christians to part ways with ungodly attitudes and actions.

They also should be sensitive to their locations as many accounts in the Bible demonstrated that how God chose specific locations to reveal His plans, purposes and assignments to His chosen.

For instance, on the use of mountains God chose Mt Ararat to rest the Ark of the Covenant after the floods in Noah’s era, Mt Moriah for Abraham’s intended sacrifice of Isaac, Mt Sinai for giving the tablets of the Ten Commandments to Moses, Mt Zion for David’s installation as king, Mt Olives for Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem, and Mt Calvary for Jesus’ crucifixion.

Consequently, Christians could not take where they wanted to seek the face for granted.

Dr Boadi Nyamekye also encouraged Christians to be resolute in their faith, especially in trying times where they were likely to be abandoned by their loved ones and the people they had helped.

God always came through for His faithful ones, he assured, saying that sometimes God chose to reveal His glory by allowing believers to go through affliction.

The service was charged as the celebrants, clothed in mainly white attires, sang joyfully with the resident choir and danced to celebrate the power of the Risen Christ.

Dr Boadi Nyamekye acknowledged God for granting him supernatural abilities towards building his Ministry.

He also a commended the people who had assisted him in diverse ways to be faithful to his calling.

The Maker’s House Chapel International is a bible-believing church with branches in several areas in Ghana and beyond.

It strives for church excellence and empowering believers to live worthy fulfilling lives, while preparing them for heaven.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Passenger Terminal of the Port of Luanda was consumed by the fire on Saturday night, as a result of a road accident, the company’s management has said.

The fire consumed an area of 430 square metres, affecting ticketing services, a café/bar, a pantry and sanitary facilities.

Despite the violence of the accident and the total destruction of the vehicle, the four occupants left with only a few injuries.

According to a press note released by the management of the Port of Luanda, the accident occurred at around 9:30 pm.

The flames started in the crashed vehicle and reached part of the passenger concentration zone of the said maritime terminal.

At the moment, the situation is under control and the shift work teams as well as the goods needed to secure the operation of the terminal, are out of danger, after the quick intervention of firefighters department.

The Provincial Governor of Luanda Manuel Homem visited the site to learn of the situation.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced alarm Saturday at the tense situation in Sudan, urging all sides to redouble their efforts towards restoring a civilian-led government.

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan marched against the army and paramilitaries on Thursday as the civilian opposition marked a key anniversary in the decades-old struggle against military rule with new protests.

A new delay to the signing of a deal to restore the transition to civilian government, which had been rescheduled for Thursday, prompted the civilian opposition to call for nationwide protests instead.

Turk, the United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights, urged all sides to de-escalate tensions and refrain from violence.

“The country is at a decisive juncture. Much work has been done and many positive steps taken towards the signature of a final agreement — all efforts must now be made to get the political transition back on the right path,” he said in a statement.

April 6 is a symbolic date for Sudan’s civilian opposition, the anniversary of uprisings in 1985 and 2019 that ended up ousting two leaders who had seized power in coups.

Sudan is still ruled by a military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who took power in an October 2021 coup, aborting the transition to civilian rule agreed after the 2019 overthrow of Islamist general Omar al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup.

Turk urged all sides to work together to avoid further delays in signing an agreement for a transition to civilian government, while also calling on non-signatories to join the process.

“I urge the authorities to ensure that the rights of the people to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fully respected and that security forces are clearly instructed to respond to demonstrations in line with human rights laws and standards,” he said.

“We must not see a repeat of the use of unnecessary, disproportionate force.”

The worsening state of Sudan’s economy has put pressure on all sides to reach a deal, which is a precondition for the resumption of international aid to the impoverished country.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Christians in Seychelles join others around the world to celebrate Easter on Sunday in their traditional ways, unlike these past three years when there were restrictions on gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In wishing believers a Happy Easter, the leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese, Bishop Alain Harel, and Archbishop James Wong of the Anglican Diocese, bring a message of hope for the resurrection of the social body of Seychelles and hope to face the uncertainties of the world.

Harel said on Good Friday, “Many of us were at the foot of the Cross, contemplating, with emotion, Jesus crucified, Jesus disfigured, Jesus drawn and quartered. We were also tempted to look away. This mutilated man, hanging on a cross, calls out to us, because it brings us back to a burning issue.”

He said that the “crucifixion of Jesus reminds us of the suffering of so many Seychellois brothers and sisters alienated from their humanity by destructive forces. Yes, the crucifixion of Jesus continues through these 10,000 Seychellois enslaved to cocaine, crack and synthetic drugs.”

The Roman Catholic Bishop spoke about the BBC programme that covered the scourge of drugs in Seychelles and how this dramatic documentary is playing out live in so many families, cantons, and even schools in Seychelles.

He said that many citizens move forward as if in a thick fog and find it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, between what is permitted and what is forbidden, but even more so to give themselves a goal, an ideal in life.

Harel asked if like all the people went away after witnessing the killing of Jesus, “will we also be content to watch, as passive witnesses, what is happening in our society, even if it means beating our chests afterwards? In conscience, we cannot live in denial because it is the Seychellois society as a whole that is pierced, just like Jesus on the Cross.”

He said that “this moral, health and demographic crisis should challenge us, disturb us and make us react and that God elicits our cooperation to free us from what shackles us, from what hurts us deeply – body and soul.”

This can be done by “allowing ourselves to be accompanied and guided by the risen Jesus, let us look reality in the face with courage,” said Harel.

He said every branch of the government and all institutions should have as their sole objective the common good of the Seychellois society.

“Thus, we are all called upon to pool our energies and our will to protect society from the scourges that affect us. […] Families and all of us must better shoulder our responsibilities. To educate means to grow,” he said.

“As we go through the desert following Jesus, let us go up to Golgotha. With and following Jesus, let us come out of our graves so that we may be freer, more united, and more fraternal. With and through the life-giving power of God, let us become what we are called to be, from before the foundation of the world, that is, sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ. On this feast of Easter, let us pray to the Lord for the resurrection of the social body of Seychelles. This is our Hope,” said Harel.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Wong said that the immeasurable power of God flowed into Jesus’ dead body and raised Him from the dark tomb and there is no better news for us than this.

Wong spoke about the graffities on the walls and doors of two church buildings in Port Glaud and Anse Royale and ask believers to pray for God’s forgiveness on those who wrote these words on these churches.

He said he believes in what Jürgen Moltmann, a professor of systematic theology, once wrote; “Totally without hope one cannot live. To live without hope is to cease to live.”

“I believe there is a great deal of truth in those words. In the difficult and often confusing world in which we live today, hope, for many people, is something that seems to be in short supply. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that in a world of pain, grief and sorrow, of complex family relationships, of problems at work – alongside many other hardships of life causing sadness, loneliness and depression – hope, for many people, has died a death,” said Wong.

He added that hope is “one of the key Christian attributes and one of the most important gifts we can give to the world today. Nothing brings hope back to life like the resurrection of Jesus. The Easter message gives us hope in a bewildering world and hope to face the uncertainties of the future. This special day never arrives without its refreshing reminder that there is life beyond this one: True life, eternal life, glorious life.”

“This hope can be with us in every moment of our life. Believe in the mighty power of God that defeats the enemy, changes circumstances, heals sick bodies and enables us to stand strong through the storms of life. And this power is available to us in unlimited supply. […] My dear brethren, may the miracle of Easter bring you hope, peace, renewed faith, and comfort. God bless you, and may you have a beautiful Easter,” said Wong.

Source: Seychelles News Agency