Ghana ,Nigeria Bond is warm too

Ghana, Nigeria Bond is the Warm Abassador Oluseyi with his family in recent times Abassador Oluseyi with his family in recent times ADEMOLA OLUSEYI Onafowokan, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, has said the bond of friendship between Ghana and Nigeria is at its warmest currently. Ambassador Onafowokan was speaking with DAILY GUIDE in Accra during a spotlight interview. The High Commissioner also spoke on trade issues between Nigeria in Ghana. The well traveled diplomat said his wife, Pauline Onafowokan, whom he described as his best friend aside Jesus, is the sweetest woman in the world. Below are excerpts of the interview: *Ghana, Nigeria Trade Matters*Oluseyi Ambassador Oluseyi Onafowokan *Daily Guide* (*DG*): Is it possible to create a Nigerian market in Ghana, looking at recent trade issues in the country? *Ambassador Oluseyi (AO): *Why not? It’s quite possible. As a matter of fact, when the honourable Minister Hannah Tetteh was the Minister for Trade, she said if Nigerian traders can source for land, they can be guaranteed the permission to run their own market just as the Chinese have done without interfering with the Ghanaian traditional market. *DG*: How strong do you think the bond between Ghana and Nigeria is? *AO*: Bond? Wow that is big! Nigeria and Ghana have had a checkered history. We are families, brothers and sisters, cousins, husbands and wives. We are inter-married. We have fantastic background and economically we trade. In West Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are trade partners. We play football together and we used to play cricket together. The bond between us is unshakable. We might have had small small (problems), not too smooth a relationship but that was long ago. As of now, I believe our relationship is at the warmest. *DG*: What do you have to say to your fellow Nigerians plying their trade and businesses here in Ghana? *AO*: They should be law-abiding. They should respect the law of the land. They should not violate the ECOWAS treaty and I believe if they do that and they conduct themselves well; they do not involve themselves in politics where it does not concern them, I think they will enjoy their stay in Ghana. Ghana is very welcoming, that’s what I have seen so far. ***Advice For The Youth* *DG:* What advise do you have for the youth who aspire to become like you? And what are some of the courses they need to pursue? *AO:* Make sure you get a solid education. I joined the Nigeria Foreign Service with a masters degree because I had made grade one in my ‘O’ level. Have a solid education and be focused. However, you don’t necessarily have to be a diplomat to be successful. There are a lot of other fields that you can be successful but if you want to be a diplomat, a good degree in the arts and social sciences would really put you on your way. ***Career/Family life* *DG:* How interesting is your work? *AO:* My work is very interesting, mentally very tasking. I do a lot of travels but diplomacy is not about wining and dining alone. There are dangers too but the joy I get personally from doing this work is more than the disadvantages. It affects your whole being, your wife, your children, their education, going up and down, selling your properties, coming back. It’s sometimes bedeviling but if you are really committed to it that this is what you will always love to do, I don’t think you should have any problem about that. *DG*: What do you do for leisure and where do you love to hangout? *AO:* I try to play gulf at Achimota when I can find time. At other times, I do go to the restaurant or the Diplomatic Guest House, not too far from here (referring to the Nigerian High Commission) to listen to jazz music and to relax and wine sometimes. And I travel around Ghana quite a lot. *DG:* Which of the Ghanaian dishes do you love to eat? *AO:* I have tried kenkey and banku. *DG:* Oh okay. *AO:* I think banku is too heavy for me. *DG:* What about fufu? *AO:* No, I have not tried fufu. *DG:* Fufu is just like your pounded yam. *AO:* I know, I am not a fun of pounded yam. I like groundnut soup. And the last time I visited the Ashantehene, I was served with some meat, wrapped around very tasty and delicious. I think that’s a good one. *DG:* Who is your best friend? *AO:* Jesus and my wife. *DG: *That sounds good. What is the most expensive gift you ever gave out? *AO:* Probably to my wife. If it is not bought with money, I think I have given her my love but if it is bought with money, I have given out so many gifts I cannot recollect; but there is this porcelain tiger I bought for my wife on a Valentine’s Day like today in 1994 in Havana, Cuba. It’s a big porcelain tiger. I will still have that till tomorrow. *DG:* What is the most expensive thing in your wardrobe? *AO:* Maybe my traditional cloths; they are quite a thing of value. *Fond Childhood Memories* ***DG:* Any found childhood memories? *AO:* Oh yeah, I remember growing up in my native Nigeria and in the primary school, the adventure we used to do in the forest. I mean these are things you can hardly find again back in those areas. And in the secondary school, you know when you play truancy with your friends and you go and hang out in the bush and you won’t go to classes. But generally, I think I had a beautiful upbringing, beautiful exposure from day one. And I’m full of fond memories and expressions of my late brother. *DG:* Tell me about your wife? How did you meet and all that? *AO:* Oh Pauline; she is a sweet woman, best woman in the world. we’ve been friends for 34 years now but married for 31 years. I met her in Port-Harcourt. As a young man, the moment I set my eyes on her, I knew she was the woman I’m destined to marry. Three years after we married and we have two beautiful children, very successful in their own right. And we have three grandchildren. *A Word for Ghana* *DG:* Your final words? *AO:* I want to wish Ghanaians very well. I want Ghanaians to welcome Nigerians just like how we welcome Ghanaians back home. There is no rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana. We are a family. Nigeria will always be there for Ghana because we know that Ghana will always be there for us. We are traditionally bonded even before colonial times and I will be very happy if we remain so. *DG*: Thank you very much. *AO:* Thank you my dear sister. *Biography* Ambassador Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan was born on July 29th, 1955 to the Onafowokan Family in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Nigeria. He started his elementary education at St John School, Aroloya. Later, he proceeded to Lagos Municipal School and ended his primary education at Emmanuel Primary School, Isonyin in present day Ogun State. He attended the Methodist High School, Ibadan and Christ High School, also in Ibadan, where he obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC) Grade 1 in flying colours. At age 20, Ambassador Oluseyi Onafowokan got his A ‘level in the Polytechnic, Ibadan. Between 1975 and 1979, he was at the University of Benin, for his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. This prepared him for a flourishing career as a diplomat. The seasoned diplomat proceeded to the Prestigious University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Ile Ife for his Masters Degree in International Relations. He completed this successfully in 1981. Armed with all these academic credentials, Ambassador Onafowokan was ready to make an impact in the diplomatic arena. He got admission into Nigeria Foreign Service in 1982. He is an avid scrabble player and golfer. He loves soft fiction and autobiographies. He is multi-lingual and a diplomat par excellence. He is widely travelled, having been to several countries in the world. His marriage to his soul mate Pauline Onafowokan has produced two children and three grandchildren. BY Rocklyn Antonio This entry was published in General News . Bookmark the permalink .← DHL Expands Network in Sub-Saharan Africa Messi Motivates Barca → Leave a Reply

Good Times Ahead

The President, John Dramani Mahama, has assured the nation of good times ahead, despite the difficulties being experienced within some sectors of the economy, which is having a crippling effect on the ordinary citizen.  According to the President, the current difficulties the country is going through must strengthen the collective resolve towards a future of limitless possibilities, arguing that 'despair is not an option, and we shall not make excuses.'  President Mahama made this observation yesterday in Parliament, during his address on the State of the Nation, which was publicised live on state and other private media networks.  Millions of Ghanaians are today experiencing very erratic and frustrating electricity supply. Compounding the situation is unstable power supply and the recent price increase in petrol and other petroleum products.  To the President, the current power outages do not reflect the investments and progress made by the country in the area of electricity generation.  However, despite the difficulties his administration is facing, he was optimistic that the country would in no time overcome those problems.  'Let us build trust - remembering always that civility, humility and discipline are signs of a strong national character. Real change is when everyone pulls together, works together, when we all exercise our responsibilities to country, our local communities and our families,' he noted.  In the midst of a divided Parliament and nation, President Mahama promised to work hard 'to ensure that every household in this country enjoys uninterrupted water and power supply.'  In doing so, he promised to fast track the restoration of the West African Gas Pipeline, planned for completion in April 2013. The repercussions of the incapacitated gas pipeline has brought near total darkness to the country's neighbours, Togo and Benin, and led to the loss of over 250 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity supply to Ghana.  He said in order to get businesses going, the government would install over 500MW of additional generation capacity, which includes 132MW from the Takoradi Thermal Plant Three by the end of February; 130MW from the Bui Hydroelectric  Power Project by end of April.  This will be increased to 400MW by end of September this year. In addition, he said the country was expecting 2MW from a Solar Park at Navrongo by the end of February.  ' With the addition of Takoradi Three this month, and the first power supply from Bui in April, our current deficit of about 200MW at peak, should be sufficiently ameliorated.  'While this will give us comfort from the current unpleasant load shedding, the system will still be fragile, with a slim margin of redundancy. Restoration of the WAGPI, and Asogli coming back on stream, will give us a better margin of comfort,' he noted.  To complement the above-mentioned intervention measures to restore uninterrupted power supply, the President also gave indications that work had started on a 161KV Tumu-Han-Wa transmission line in the Upper West Region, as well as the Kpando-Kadjebi Transmission project, a new 330KV transmission line from Aboadze-Prestea-Kumasi and Tamale-Bolgatanga.  In order to be self-sufficient in power supply, the President assured the nation that he would give his personal attention to the Gas Infrastructure Project, which is steadily progressing, at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.  The project, he noted would be completed by the end of this year, to put the country on track to achieve the planned expansion of 5,000MW capacity of power generation by 2016. To mitigate the effects of the increase in petroleum products on the poor and the vulnerable, President Mahama promised to introduce solar lanterns, expand the life-line threshold on energy for poor households, as well as deepen social protection initiatives to cover them.     Curtailing Gov expenditure  In order to curtail the government's expenditure on fuel, the President said his administration would rationalise the use of government vehicles and fuel in the next few weeks.  'I have given the Chief of Staff appropriate directives on this matter. We will discuss with auto companies a scheme to enable senior public servants to buy on hire purchase their own vehicles, and curtail the reliance on the use of state vehicles,' he noted. Mr. Mahama further noted that his administration had taken stringent measures to curtail MDAs spending beyond their budgetary allocations, and new mechanisms of strict monitoring would be announced by the Minister of Finance in the 2013 budget.  The Ghana Revenue Authority and other agencies, he noted, had been tasked to help raise tax and non-tax revenues to levels that benefit the country's emerging Lower Middle-Income status.  He promised to plug the leakages and raise the country's ratio of revenue to GDP from the current meager 16% to above 20%.     Employment and Labour  To ensure a resilient economy, the President promised to expand opportunities for all, where decent and sustainable jobs leading to meaningful lives would be a top priority.  He said he had directed the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to work with the Ghana Statistical Service to produce quarterly labour surveys to inform policy and planning. These surveys, he noted, will create an accurate database of the unemployed among all categories of the Ghanaian society, and track these on a quarterly basis, as well as ensure that new jobs were accurately recorded and tracked, while making it possible to coordinate the various job-creation and employment initiatives.     Education  To ensure a sound, meaningful and relevant education in the country's quest to build an equitable society, in which the productive capacities of the people are tapped for national development, the President promised to prioritise and expand access to education at all levels, aggressively address quality enhancement and outcomes at all levels, by putting in place measures to monitor quality of educational service delivery, especially, teaching and learning at all levels of the country's educational system, and work to improve gender parity in education.  In addition to the above, President Mahama promised to reward outstanding educational service providers to boost morale in the sector; work towards standardisation and affordability in fees; and encourage community participation in the management of schools.  Read the full text of the President's address on pages 6&7

VOLTA REGION OIL FIND IS REFINED

Volta Region “oil find” almost look refined – Voltaian Basin Voltaian BasinGhana National Petroleum Corporation’s (GNPC) initial assessment of samples of what appears to be crude oil sprouting out from a hand-dug well at Jumbo near Kpassa in the Volta Region, has shown a positive result. The GNPC’s team of experts have expressed surprised about the substance which looked almost refined compared to most unrefined crude oil. Mr Obeng Gyan, a technical director at GNPC told chiefs and people of Jumbo that forensic investigation would be performed to find the veracity or otherwise of the oily substance. He urged the people to avoid contact with the resource because should the test becomes positive, the crude oil could contain harmful chemicals due to its complex mixture of hydrocarbons and petrochemicals that possibly could  affect the brain, lungs, skin and the nervous system. Mr Gyan showed samples of hydrocarbons from other areas, which appear darker in colour than the substance oozing from the Jumbo well. He suggested this could be a special discovery and could occur in a reservoir underground assuring that ensuing investigations would settle the matter. Mr Oti Bless, Member of Parliament for Nkwanta North, said the area is hard hit by water scarcity, especially in the dry season resulting into the discovery and a possible good omen if proven positive. Mr Paul Levin Gyato, Nkwnata North District Chief Executive urged his compatriots to tread cautiously as “it is too early to begin to count the gains.” National Security operatives are currently protecting the area. Source: ghanabusinessnews citing GNA

Keta has enough to become an industrial state

Keta to get industrial salt estate for petrochemical industry Government in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited will this year establish an Industrial Salt Estate at Keta in the Volta Region, to produce sufficient volumes of the product to support the petrochemical industry. “The Keta Industrial Salt Estate is going to generate and support the downstream petrochemical and industrial sector,” Chief Executive Officer of Zoomlion,  Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the Awoemefia of the Anlo State Togbe Sri III at his residence in Keta. The first phase of the salt project estimated at $191 million is expected to produce about 600,000 metric tonnes annually within the first four years, while the second phase starts in the fifth year with an estimated value of 1.2 million metric tonnes. Dr Agyepong explained that the Region is economically viable and as a result his outfit is highly elated to be associated with the Keta Industrial Salt Estate. He said the recent oil find in the area called for massive salt production to feed the industry, which is expected to start by the end of 2013, adding that “Keta has enough natural resources to be transformed into an industrial hub”. Dr Agyepong expressed gratitude to the Awoemefia for his blessings and pledged that the Board of the project would be structured to give the Anlo State equity. “This project is going to be more localised to ensure that people in the Volta Region derive maximum benefits.” Togbui SrI expressed optimism that the project would open up the area for development. He however expressed concern over the environmental challenges associated with salt mining and cautioned the project managers to ensure that the Keta Industrial Salt Estate becomes a blessing and not a curse. “My plea is that you will be extremely vigilant so that your good ideas may not cause any hazards in my town,” he said. The MP for the area Mr Richard Quashigah expressed confidence in the project, explaining that it would improve the employment opportunities in the area. According to the Project Co-ordinator, Selasie Tamakloe the aqua-culture zones spanning 29 communities with about 6,000 acres include communities such as Tregui, Adzato, Klomikpota, Kpordui, Agortoe, Agorvinu, and Atasiavi. The more than 40 salt mining communities with an area size of 25,000 acres include Seva, Anyako, Aveli, Atiavi Glime, Aboilorve, Tsiame and Anlo-Afiadenyigba. Mr Tamakloe said salt could be converted into caustic soda for aluminum production and gave the assurance that all risk assessments have been carried out and therefore the project will not affect the livelihood of the people. The Municipal Chief Executive, Sylvester Tornyeava lauded the project and appealed for more local content. Source: GNA