Ricky Martin likes “smart, witty” men.
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5:36 AM | Posted in entertainment, feature, story, world | Read More »
The Oil Sector: What Ghana can learn from Nigeria
1. AGRICULTURE: The agriculture sector in Nigeria was the main stay of the economy before oil was discovered- we had the great groundnut pyramids of Kano; palm oil was so much in the East and South-South that the area was called the oil river-we had cocoa, cassava, potatoes, and many other crops that yielded good returns in the export market. Even our rubber plantations were doing very well and rubber factories were yielding good returns. But when oil came, the agric sector was so disregarded that now it is still difficult for it to find its place and make meaningful contributions to the economy.
2. THE ENVIRONMENT: The adverse effects that come with the expropriation of oil is something that may not have been conclusively anticipated and effectively planned for by the government. The soils are eroded, the waters and air are polluted and peoples’ areas of livelihood (plus their health) have come under very intense attacks. Once oil is mined, the environment will deplete. The government of Ghana must pay serious attention to this and have a system in place which will address the issue
3. Nigeria is a country with very few of its population doing white collar jobs (just like Ghana), and majority of the country’s population having not had the privilege of classroom education, still rely on subsistent farming/fishing to sustain themselves and their families-The lack of attention to them due to the oil find is one of the chief reasons the country seems to be very eager to plunge in capital intensive projects instead of labour intensive projects. And where the people get the support necessary for subsistent agriculture, the environment is polluted-so they cannot achieve much.
4. THE LAND USE LAWS: Just like Ghana, lands in the country are held in custody by the chief executive of the country (and a few by the state and chiefs) as provided by the Land Use Act. This means that any land upon which oil is found automatically belongs to the state. The process of relocation, rehabilitation and compensation of the communities/families displaced is either slow or non-existent. The government must realise that beyond generating revenue for the state, if the people that make up the state are not effectively taken care of, anarchy is imminent-it is just a matter of time. See the Niger Delta.
5. THE CONSTIUTION: In the constitution of Nigeria there is a concept referred to as the “derivative principle”, which presupposes that the communities wherein oil are found, will enjoy a certain percentage of the proceeds of the oil revenue over and above the rest of the country-This is so that funds will be made available to repair and ultimately sustain the environments being degraded by oil expropriation; and so that people whose main stay of income have been perverted by virtue of the oil, can get other meaningful activities to engage in (especially classroom education). The implementation of the derivative principle has been a very big issue and has resulted in a lot of riots and killings. “Laws are useless when they are not applied in the right situations. They are mere paper prints when they are not implemented”. The government of Ghana must ensure that the legal regime that governs the oil sector is taken seriously and they should also make provisions for addressing situations that are not immediately anticipated.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
7. UNSCRUPLOUS AND SHARP PRACTICES: A legal regime which should take care of criminality in the oil sector must be seriously considered and addressed. One of the reasons why it looks like the impact of the oil boom in Nigeria is not felt is because the laws are so porous and the implementation is not taken seriously, so criminals are engaged in smuggling and brokerage. Smuggling is already an enigma in Ghana-this must be addressed.
I congratulate Ghana today, But I hope that the sign posts mentioned above would help the people of Ghana chat a destiny for themselves presently, and for posterity. It is interesting how whatever happens in Nigeria repeats in Ghana and vice versa. Nothing says it must happen in this case. Beware the lies of the West. Protect the Western Region. Long live the Republic of Ghana.
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5:29 AM | Posted in africa, feature, nigeria, story | Read More »
Goodluck Jonathan gets boost to Nigeria election bid
Whoever wins the PDP nomination will be the favourite for the April 2011 poll.
Mr Jonathan, a southerner, is opposed by some in the PDP, who say the party should choose a northerner.
The PDP (People's Democratic Party) has a tradition of alternating power between north and south every two elections, meaning a northerner would normally stand in 2011.
Several northern powerbrokers have backed the campaign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, to be the PDP candidate.
'Principle of incumbency'
At an emergency meeting in the capital, Abuja, 18 governors and two deputies said they would support Mr Jonathan in PDP primaries on 13 January 2011.
"Democratic systems all over the world recognise the principle of incumbency and continuity," said Ibrahim Shema, governor of the northern state of Katsina, reports the Reuters news agency
The PDP has 26 of Nigeria's 36 state governors and, in the party's structures, they wield considerable power.
In previous primaries, they have instructed delegates from their states how to vote.
So the BBC's Bashir Saad Abdullahi in Abuja says their announcement is a significant boost for Mr Jonathan.
But he says that if state delegates vote independently, rather than how governors tell them, Mr Abubakar could still secure the party's nomination.
Mr Jonathan became president in February after the death of Umaru Yar'Adua, a northerner.
He is the first president from Nigeria's southern, oil-producing Delta region.
Nigeria's recent elections have been tarnished by fraud and violence.
Mr Jonathan has promised to introduce electoral reforms, but correspondents say it will be difficult to implement radical changes before April.
The main opposition candidates are former anti-corruption campaigner Nuhu Ribadu and Gen Muhammadu Buhari.
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5:26 AM | Posted in africa, feature, nigeria, story | Read More »
Wikileaks' Julian Assange says the US fears losing face
He said: "During my time in solitary confinement in the basement of a Victorian prison, my colleagues were publishing material" He highlighted allegations published on Friday about India torturing people in Kashmir.
'Continuing vendetta'
Ata hearing at the High Court in London on Thursday, Mr Justice Ouseley ordered Mr Assange be bailed on payment of £240,000 in cash and sureties.
The judge imposed strict bail conditions including wearing an electronic tag, reporting to police every day and observing a curfew.
Speaking to the BBC after his release, Mr Assange said there was a rumour from his lawyers in the US that there had been an indictment made against him there.
A spokeswoman from the US Department of Justice would only confirm there was "an ongoing investigation into the Wikileaks matter".
Mr Assange has received the backing of a number of high-profile supporters, including human rights campaigners Jemima Khan and Bianca Jagger and film director Ken Loach.
Sex allegations
Wikileaks has published hundreds of sensitive American diplomatic cables, details of which have appeared in the Guardian in the UK and several other newspapers around the world.
He has been criticised in the US, where former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has said he should be hunted down like the al-Qaeda leadership.
Mr Assange argues the allegations against him are politically motivated and designed to take attention away from the material appearing on Wikileaks.
He is accused of having unprotected sex with a woman, identified only as Miss A, when she insisted he use a condom.
Mr Assange is also accused of having unprotected sex with another woman, Miss W, while she was asleep.
A full extradition hearing should normally take place within 21 days of the arrest. Mr Assange was arrested on 7 December, so this should be by 28 December.
However, in such a high-profile case, it is possible that a full extradition hearing will not take place for several months.
At that hearing Mr Assange will be able to challenge the warrant and raise any defences to the extradition request.
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5:21 AM | Posted in business, feature, story, world | Read More »
26-year-old billionaire founder of Facebook, named TIME person of the year
Runners-up this year included the Tea Party, Julian Assange, Hamid Karzai and the 33 Chilean Miners.
Our question to you today: Is Mark Zuckerberg a good choice for TIME's Person of the Year?
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6:43 AM | Posted in business, feature, story, world | Read More »
Wikileaks.org reappeared in the US of A, after American outfit Dynadot picked up the site's DNS service.
After Amazon booted WikiLeaks, US Senator Joe Lieberman – who chairs the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs – praised the decision. “The company’s decision to cut off WikiLeaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies WikiLeaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material. I call on any other company or organization that is hosting WikiLeaks to immediately terminate its relationship with them," Lieberman said in a statement.
"WikiLeaks’ illegal, outrageous, and reckless acts have compromised our national security and put lives at risk around the world. No responsible company — whether American or foreign — should assist WikiLeaks in its efforts to disseminate these stolen materials. I will be asking Amazon about the extent of its relationship with WikiLeaks and what it and other web service providers will do in the future to ensure that their services are not used to distribute stolen, classified information."
After EveryDNS removed Wikileaks.org from its service, Assange and crew moved to other country-level domains, including Swtzerland (wikileaks.ch), Austria (wikileaks.at), and the Cocos Island (wikileaks.cc). ®
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6:35 AM | Posted in feature, story, world | Read More »
Berkeley tables resolution to call suspected WikiLeaks soldier 'hero'
Manning is accused of releasing documents to WikiLeaks, a website known for leaking official secrets. Manning is currently awaiting trial on charges of illegally downloading classified material and providing video of a 2007 helicopter attack in Iraq to WikiLeaks.
The vote was 8-0, with one abstention, said Mary Kay Clunies-Ross, spokeswoman for Berkeley's city manager's office.
Mayor Tom Bates said the council didn't have enough information to determine whether Manning is "a hero or traitor."
"We don't even know if he (leaked the files)," Bates said. "We're interested in not trying to make that determination. We are willing to watch it and to consider it in the future, and if we feel it's appropriate to us to make some statement, we'll bring it back to our council."
Bates said those present at the city council meeting had a "great discussion" about topics such as internet privacy, international security and national security.
"We had an hour of discussion where we heard from the public and we heard every conceivable issue related to Pfc. Bradley Manning," Bates said. "We heard everything from he was a hero to a traitor and everything in between."
Bates said the motion was brought to the council by the Peace and Justice Commission, a group of volunteers that includes council members' appointees.
"A lot of people were upset that it wasn't a very well thought out," Bates said. "There was some feeling among us at the city council of not wanting to add credence to that."
6:32 AM | Posted in feature, story, world | Read More »
WikiLeaks, the law, and an unlikeable leader
The traditional way to handle this sort of thing is to write a story, a summary, but there are so many issues in play that I thought this was one where it's best to have you hear directly from specialists in the field. We have three distinguished participants, and there's a great deal of subtlety in their answers. Selecting a couple of quotes, or a tally of their "votes" on an issue, wouldn't depict that complexity.
The discussion roamed from WikiLeaks itself to the First Amendment implications of such a case, to the weaknesses of a prosecution and a defense, to the changes needed in the Espionage Act and other laws.
It's not the most important legal point, but it's notable that the three panelists all offered similar answers to the question, what is a weakness for the defense. The answer: the defendant. His statements and demeanor will hurt him with a judge and jury.
6:30 AM | Posted in feature, headline, story, world | Read More »
Tax deal passes Senate test vote
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bloc of senators easily propelled President Obama’s tax cut compromise over a key procedural hurdle yesterday, clearing the way for a final Senate vote as early as today, and setting the stage for a potential showdown later this week among divided Democrats in the House.
A looming Jan. 1 deadline — when Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire, raising taxes for most Americans — brought Democrats and Republicans together in the Senate to advance Obama’s compromise over the objection of liberals. The lopsided vote of 83 to 15 easily cleared a 60-vote threshold to prevent a filibuster and generated momentum for the Obama-GOP alliance on the contentious issue.
The wide margin is a blow to opponents of the deal, he said, adding, “it’s hard to see now how this is stopped.’’
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2:40 AM | Posted in business, feature, story, world | Read More »