the gold star herald - september edition

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The Unflattering Diplomacy

GHANA:When Corruption Leads to Mass Suffering! P2

Obama needs to focus more on blackeconomic crisis P4

The Most Popular Runway Models of Color at 2012 NewYork Fashion Week P14

The GHGHAANANADOCUMENTDOCUMENT

Kwasi Pratt Former Pres. John Rawlings Pres. John Attah-Mills Nana Akuffo-Addo ex-President John Kufuor

Kwabena DuffuorMinster of Finance

Miss Leila Lopes, is MISS UNIVERSE 2011 P9

Nigerian Economic Growth is OptimisticNigerian Economic Growth is Optimistic P10

INSIDE

Wangari Maathai, NobelPeace winner, dies P11

IMMIGRATIONMichael Bloomberg warns:"National Suicide" P12

Kweku Adoboli

Arrested for $2bnBank Fraud P12

September, 2011, 2011 The GOLD STAR HERALD

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ColumnistsStephen Nyarko, London, UK

Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, Ottawa, CanadaLeonard Karshima Shilgba, Yokohama, Japan

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Peter Jeffery, London, UK

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TheGold Star

Herald

There is no wonderthat corruption is eating

deep into the nationalfabric. There is no daythat the various means

of mass communicationin Ghana do not carry

news items about gigantic fraud and

corruption in all parts ofnational endeavour.

China's destiny is AFRICA's biggest opportunity

When Corruption Leadsto Mass Suffering!

he cost of living is ballooningway beyond the means ofmost people living in thisnation, declared independ-ent of British colonial ruleon March 6th, 1957. The

Chronicle has not shied away from pointingout that the rhetoric of a 'Better Ghana' hasfailed to deliver our people from untoldhardships.

In the rural areas especially, life is becomingshort and brutish. A umber of people, un-able to face the hardships, are using uncon-ventional means to avoid disgrace. Some arebooking a date with their maker, throughunconventional means.

Meanwhile, the Government of John EvansAtta Mills is continuing with life as usual. Onour front page today, is a story which tellsabout the recent gas shortages. In the wordsof the workers' leadership at the Tema OilRefinery (TOR), some un-named partygurus, given the role of ensuring that thereis constant supply of crude oil to the refin-ery, have found it convenient to connivewith some business tycoons importing fin-ished petroleum products for storage anddistribution by the state refinery.

The end result is shortage of gas, with its rip-ple effect on the cost of living. What thismeans is that workers of the refinery justidle about, with the resultant dwindling in-comes and irregular payments.

Though the workers have so far failed toname the personalities involved, The Chron-icle believes in the workers' story. TOR hasbeen prevented for quite some time nowfrom carrying out its core business of refin-ing crude oil.

From what we know, the refinery has notsuffered any structural damage. All parts arefunctioning. But the human shortage ofcrude has been orchestrated to ensure thatbusinessmen, who could influence officials,especially, with elections only one year

away, get their own way atthe expense of the state.Just before Wikileaks gotapologists of this adminis-tration hooked on whatamounts to hearsays,Minister of Roads andHighways Joe Gidisu has

been exposed over a gift ofa BMW seven series car from Chinese con-tractors working on state contracts underhis Ministry. Take it or leave it, the action orinaction of the Minister and his Ministry, iscorruption on a massive scale.

Instead of showing the Minister the exit, thePresidency has reportedly ordered that thevehicle be given to the State Protocol to beused by foreign dignitaries. The Chronicle isbeside itself with shame. Instead of return-ing the vehicle and calling the bribe givers toorder, the state of Ghana has rather grabbedthe vehicle for use. Any wonder that corrup-tion is eating deep into the national fabric?

The Atta Mills administration signed a socialcontract with the people of Ghana to endcorruption. For the past two years and a halfthat this administration has taken charge,corruption has been given pride of place innational affairs.

Letters are written on dodgy Castle letter-heads without reference numbers, bearing

the President's signature on issues whichclearly cast doubts on the Head of State's in-tegrity and honour. We are told, by docu-ments bearing the stamp of the Presidenthimself, that private estate agents are erect-ing tents for our professional soldiers andpolicemen, who have erected their own tentssince this nation became a nation-state.

There is no wonder that corruption is eatingdeep into the national fabric. There is no daythat the various means of mass communica-tion in Ghana do not carry news items aboutgigantic fraud and corruption in all parts ofnational endeavour.

At the last count, this nation has borrowednearly US$10 billion in the name of the peo-ple, with very little to show for this hugedeficit. Clearly, this administration is toyingwith the future of this nation. The Presidentis on notice to ease the suffering of the peo-ple by changing course. It is not in the inter-est of J.E.A. Mills that his administration isneck-deep in corruption, while the peoplesuffer.

T

ince the late 1970s, when pre-mier Deng Xiaoping initiatedthe "Reform and Opening" pol-icy, the once withdrawn Asiannation has gradually opened itsdoors.

For the last 10 years this development hasgathered pace exponentially, since over 40African countries met in China at the firstForum on China-Africa Cooperation in2000.

China's emergence as a world power hasbeen relevant here in Africa as China has be-come one of the continent's most importantpartners in trade, aid and diplomacy, alsobuilding on decades of support for Africanindependence movements.

Few will have missed the media spectacle inAugust last year when president JacobZuma led a 350-strong delegation of diplo-mats, officials and business people to Beijingto meet with their Chinese counterparts.After a three-day visit, dozens of agreementswere arrived at in a variety of sectors, in-cluding no less than a comprehensive strate-gic partnership agreement between SouthAfrica and China.

This relationship is crucial. China becameSouth Africa's premier trading partner in2009. The department of trade & industry(DTI) reports that in 2009 13.7% of South

Africa's imports came from China, totallingover R70-billion. But this trade is also forthe benefit of South Africa: China accountsfor 11% of South African exports; in 2009this amounted to over R48-billion, accord-ing to the DTI.

China recently passed Japan to become theworld's second-largest economy. It is rapidlybecoming the world's largest consumer ofmany resources that African nations trade,offering Africa, as a region, the opportunityto increase its slim share of global trade andcommerce.

In the public perception, China is a contro-versial partner and relationships thus do not

come without caveats, both economicallyand socio-politically. The issues of tradedeficits, threats to local industries andChina's idiosyncratic foreign policy come tomind here.

Economically, even Africa's few stronger ex-porting nations, such as South Africa andNigeria, typically maintain large tradedeficits with big exporting powers for massconsumer goods like China. That tradedeficit was one of the issues Zuma's statevisit sought to address: how can we close thegap between the vast amounts of goods andservices we import from China, and the rel-atively smaller amounts of goods and serv-ices we export to them?

In the global trade arena, the end of theglobal multi-fibre agreement in 2005 alsospelt the end for South Africa's strugglingtextile industries. The agreement protectedthese from the immense productive capacityof Chinese and Indian industries throughtariff barriers. Now, local industries acrossSouthern Africa, such as textiles, struggle tocompete with the massive productivity oftheir Chinese and Indian counterparts.

As a country that often prides itself on thestate and quality of its democracy, SouthAfrica has had to make some difficultchoices in negotiating its evolving relation-

(continued on page 5)

SS

These days it is difficult not to notice the increasing presence of China in local,

national and international news.

There is no wonder that

corruption is eating deep into the national

fabric. There is no day that the various means of

mass communication in Ghana do not carry

news items about gigantic fraud and corruption

in all parts of national endeavour.

Minister of Roads and

Highways Joe Gidisu

EDITOTIAL The Ghanaian Chronical

September, 2011 The GOLD STAR HERALD

September 15, 2011The GOLD STAR HERALD

WWOORRLLDD NEWS BRIEF NEWSSANAA - President Ali Abdullah Saleh unexpectedly returned toYemen on Friday after three months in Saudi Arabia, calling for aceasefire between his supporters and opponents after five days offierce fighting in the capital.- - - -ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON - Pakistan warned the UnitedStates it risks losing an ally if it continued to accuse Islamabad ofplaying a double game in the war against militancy, escalating thecrisis in relations between the two countries.- - - -ATHENS/WASHINGTON - Talk of a possible Greek defaultgained pace on Friday while a pledge by the world's majoreconomies to prevent Europe's debt crisis from underminingbanks and the global economy failed to lift financial markets forlong.- - - -BENGHAZI/SIRTE - Libya's interim rulers said they would an-nounce a new government within the next few days, signalling abreakthrough in previously unproductive efforts to form a moreinclusive administration to lead the war-torn North African coun-try.- - - -AMMAN - Syrian forces killed at least two protesters when theyfired live ammunition to disperse pro-democracy demonstrationsafter Friday prayers, activists said.- - - -WASHINGTON - With aid to disaster victims running out, theU.S. Congress on Friday ratcheted up a high-stakes confrontationover spending that once again threatens the government's abilityto function smoothly.-- - -ORLANDO - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romneypounced on rival Rick Perry's record on illegal immigration to tryto raise doubts among conservatives about the front-runner for theparty's 2012 nomination.- - - -MOSCOW - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told his ruling UnitedRussia party on Friday it must listen to voters and explain its poli-cies better if it wanted to reverse a decline in popularity before aparliamentary election.- - - -ISTANBUL - A Turkish oil exploration vessel left the Aegean portof Izmir on Friday to carry out surveys off northern Cyprus amidtensions with Greek Cypriots on the divided island over rights tohydrocarbon reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.- - - -KABUL - Afghans wept, vowed revenge and threatened the gov-ernment on Friday in an outpouring of anger at the burial of for-mer Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, the government'schief peace negotiator, who was assassinated this week by a suicidebomber.- - - -JOHANNESBURG - With tears in his eyes, Zambia's RupiahBanda achieved a rare thing in African politics by conceding defeatgraciously and with his gaze firmly on the future, not the past.- - - -BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra facedwithering criticism on Friday for allowing her brother, deposedpremier Thaksin Shinawatra, to summon government ministersfor a meeting by web-cam from his self-imposed exile abroad. - - - -AMMAN - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told U.N. Secre-tary-General Ban Ki-moon that military and police operationsagainst pro-democracy protesters have stopped, but activists re-ported more bloodshed overnight.- - - -BEIJING - China and the United States share a responsibility forboosting global market confidence, Chinese Vice President Xi Jin-ping told visiting U.S. President Joe Biden in talks on Thursdaythat focused on shoring up trust between the two big powers.

Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas asksUnited Nations to Recognize StateUNITED NATIONS-- Defying U.S. and Israeli opposition,Palestinians asked the United Nations on Friday to accept themas a member state, sidestepping nearly two decades of failednegotiations in the hope this dramatic move on the world stagewould reenergize their quest for an independent homeland.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was greeted by sus-tained applause and appreciative whistles as he approachedthe dais in the General Assembly hall to deliver a speech out-lining his people's hopes and dreams of becoming a full mem-ber of the United Nations. Some members of the Israelidelegation, including Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann,left the hall as Abbas approached the podium.

Negotiations with Israel "will be meaningless" as long as it con-tinues building on lands the Palestinians claim for that state,he declared, warning that his government could collapse if theconstruction persists. That would put 150,000 people out ofwork.

"This policy is responsible for the continued failure of the suc-cessive international attempts to salvage the peace process,"said Abbas, who has refused to negotiate until the constructionstops.

"This settlement policy threatens to also undermine the struc-ture of the Palestinian National Authority and even end its ex-istence."

To another round of applause, he held up a copy of the formalmembership application and said he had asked U.N. chief BanKi-moon to expedite deliberation of his request to have theUnited Nations recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank,Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

Ban has to examine the application before referring it to theSecurity Council. Action on the membership request could takeweeks, if not months.

Abbas' jubilant mood was matched by the exuberant celebra-tion of thousands of Palestinians who thronged around out-door screens in town squares across the West Bank on Fridayto see their president submit his historic request for recogni-tion of a state of Palestine to the United Nations.

"I am with the president," said Muayad Taha, a 36-year-old

physician, who brought his two children, ages 7 and 10, to wit-ness the moment. "After the failure of all other methods (to winindependence) we reached a stage of desperation. This is agood attempt to put the Palestinian cause and the Palestinianpeople on the map. Everyone is here to stand behind the lead-ership."

To be sure, Abbas' appeal to the U.N. to recognize an independ-ent Palestine would not deliver any immediate changes on theground: Israel would remain an occupying force in the WestBank and east Jerusalem and continue to severely restrict ac-cess to Gaza, ruled by Palestinian Hamas militants.

The strategy also put the Palestinians in direct confrontationwith the U.S., which has threatened to veto their membershipbid in the Council, reasoning, like Israel, that statehood canonly be achieved through direct negotiations between the par-ties to end the long and bloody conflict.

Also hanging heavy in the air was the threat of renewed vio-lence over frustrated Palestinian aspirations, in spite of Abbas'vow -- perceived by Israeli security officials as genuine -- toprevent Palestinian violence. The death on Friday of 35-year-old Issam Badram, in gunfire that erupted after rampagingJewish settlers destroyed trees in a Palestinian grove, was thetype of incident that both Palestinians and Israelis had fearedwould spark widespread violence.

Sept. 21: President Obama talks with Palestinian Presi-

dent Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting in New York.

Obama needs to focus moreon black economic crisis

(CNN) -- It is no secret that the Congressional Black Caucusdid not initially support Barack Obama's campaign to becomepresident of the United States. During the 2008 primary cam-paign, half of the members backed then-Sen. Hillary Clinton.It was not until the Iowa caucus win by Obama that many blackAmericans started to believe it was possible for a black man tobecome president. And even once it was clear that Obama couldwin, some CBC members were still skeptical.

Fast forward to this year. The black caucus and most of blackAmerica (with the exception of Tavis Smiley and Cornel West)had remained silent for two years about the devastating eco-nomic impact of the recession on black people. They did so outof fear that to criticize this president would hurt his standingas the nation's first black commander in chief. But finally this

summer, the CBC, led by Rep.Maxine Waters, D-California,took off the gloves and broke itssilence through a series of na-tional town hall forums.

Waters said she was concernedthat the president's jobs tour "didnot include any black cities." She

further indicated that the black caucus wanted to put pressureon Obama, but could not, due to the fact that black people "lovethe president." She said the caucus also "loves the president,"but lamented, "We are getting tired." Waters ended by askingthe audience, "Will you unleash us? Let us know when to let go,and we will let go."

At the White House, there was dismay about how to respondto this attack from its most loyal base of supporters. Finally,the White House started a blitz of interviews on black media.Although the president and his staff steered away from using

the word "black," they made clear that they heard the CBC'smessage and were working diligently to change course.

All seemed well, that is until Saturday night at the 41st annualCBC Phoenix Awards dinner in Washington, where the presi-dent told the attendees, "I expect all of you to march with meand press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on yourmarching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grum-bling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work todo, CBC."

Taking the president's comments in context, it is clear that hedirected his ire at his critics. Some say he was offering a "toughlove" rebuke, rallying the troops to get up and act. But the re-ality is that black America is in a crisis that civil rights iconMarian Wright Edelman last week called "the worst since slav-ery."

The president made clear his dismay with such criticisms dur-ing a Monday night BET interview when asked by a reporterwhy he doesn't "target black America specifically for economicrelief." Obama responded, "America doesn't work that way."

Others have questioned the president's choice of words at the

President Barack Obama addressed the Congressional

Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards.

Editor's note: Sophia A. Nelson is a freelance journalistwho covers the White House and the author of the book,"Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama."


Sophia Nelson

AFRICANAFRICAN CCoonnttiinneennttaall NewsSeptember 15, 2011

Kuwait presents request tojoin African UnionThe move comes ahead of the Arab countryhosting the third Arab-African Summit,scheduled for 2013, the first to be held out-side Africa

Manama: Kuwait has submitted an officialrequest to join the African Union as an ob-server, the official news agency said.

The move comes ahead of the Arab countryhosting the third Arab-African Summit,scheduled for 2013, the first to be held out-side Africa.

The request included in a letter fromShaikh Mohammad Sabah Al Salem AlSabah, the foreign minister, was handed byMohammad Nahi Al Alati, the actingcharge D'affaires at the Kuwaiti embassy inEthiopia, to Jean Ping, the chairman of theAfrican Union (AU) Commission, Kuna re-ported.

The embassy said that Ping welcomed the

Kuwaiti request and "paid tribute toKuwait, and particularly to the KuwaitFund for Arab Economic Development, forthe support for many African nations."

Al Alati said that Kuwait was interested indeveloping its relations with all Africancountries.

--By Habib Toumi, http://gulfnews

Seven arrested over killings inNigeria village: officialKANO, Nigeria — Police in northern Nigeria'sZamfara state have arrested seven people sus-pected of involvement in a weekend raid on a vil-lage that left 19 people dead, the state governor saidMonday.

Dozens of attackers suspected of belonging to agang of robbers armed with guns and machetes on

raided Lingyado, a remote farming and herding vil-lage, killing at least 19 people, wounding six othersand burning homes.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari told reporters in his officein the state capital Gusau that the state police chiefinformed him of the arrests.

"I have been briefed on the arrest of seven men sus-pected of being part of the group of gunmen thatattacked Lingyado village at the weekend, killing 19people," Yari said.

"Police and military personnel are in the area look-ing for the gunmen that launched the attack," hesaid.

The pre-dawn attack was in reprisal for the extra-judicial killings of suspected robbers some monthsago by local vigilante groups formed by villagers toend spates of robberies in the area, police said.

Those that survived the vigilante onslaught re-grouped and started reprisal attacks including theraid.

"From information I have received, the attackerswho are nomadic Fulani invited their comradesfrom as far as the Central African Republic for theraid," Yari said.

He said the search for the attackers was being ham-pered by rough terrain that was inaccessible to evenall-terrain vehicles.

"We may possibly request for helicopters from thepolice headquarters in Abuja in the hunt for the at-tackers who ride on motorcycles, making it easierfor them to move despite the bad terrain," Yari said.

The attack has led to a mass exodus of villagers inthe area to other areas they consider safe.

On August 10, a number of victims were killed insimilar circumstances by suspected armed robbersin attacks on two villages in the area.

Islamist sect Boko Haram has been blamed forscores of attacks in Nigeria's north, but there is sofar no indication of the group's involvement in theraid.

South Africa and Cuba to the rescueof Sierra Leone health sectorSierra Leone will benefit from medical expertisefrom Cuba in an agreement negotiated with SouthAfrica's help.

According to the agreement, a total of 32 Cubanmedical specialists in various categories will be sentto Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone Government approached SouthAfrica a few years ago, through the Foreign min-istry, then headed by current minister of Healthand Sanitation Aja Zainab Hawa Bangura, to helpsolve health problems caused by the “acute short-age” of staff.

And based on the proposal, vis-à-vis the needs ofthe country, the SA will fund the Cuban doctors'three-year stay in Sierra Leone.

A joint meeting in the Cuban capital, Havana, be-tween representatives of the three countries, cul-minated in the signing of an agreement betweenSeptember 15 and 17 this year.

Most challenging

Sierra Leone`s health sector remains one of themost challenging in its post-conflict reconstruction.But the government continues to secure expensiveand advanced equipment whose operating expert-ise is lacking.

In addition, various specialist areas like gynaecol-ogy, obstetrics and psychiatry remain largely un-derstaffed. The only known psychiatrist in thecountry, for instance, operates on consultancybasis. This, according to the Donor Liaison Officer

at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Mr YahyaConteh, has left the sector virtually paralysed.

Other areas badly in need of intervention includepaediatrics, internal medicine and biomedical en-gineering. All of these will be taken care of by theCubans.

“We do need a lot of specialists in a lot of areas, andmost of the doctors who are coming are special-ists,” Mr Conteh said in an interview with the AfricaReview.

The Cubans will also train Sierra Leonean doctorson handling hospital machines.

Cuba`s health successes have allowed it to exporthelp across the world, especially to developingcountries.

Sierra Leone's Connaught Teaching Hospital'snursing school. The West African state is poised tobenefit from support of 32 doctors from Cuba.

Jean Ping, the chairman of the African

Union (AU) Commission

African Women Face Legal Hurdlesto Economic Parity-ReportA new report from the World Bank andInternational Financial Corporation(IFC) release revealed that women stillface legal and regulatory hurdles tofully participating in the economy.

The report: 'Women, Business and theLaw 2012: Removing Barriers to Eco-nomic Inclusion', finds that while 36economies reduced legal differencesbetween men and women, 103 out of141 economies studied still imposelegal differences on the basis of genderin at least one of the reports key indicators.

The report also identifies 41 law and regu-latory reforms enacted between June 2009and March 2011 that could enhancewomen's economic opportunities.

Out of 35 economies covered in Sub-Saha-ran Africa, only ten: Angola, Burkina Faso,Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius,Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zim-babwe have no legal gender differentiationregarding the usage of property and basiclegal transactions such as signing a contractor getting a passport.

However, in Zambia, customary law or per-sonal law are considered valid sources oflaw even if they violate constitutional pro-visions on nondiscrimination or equality.Therefore, customary law may take awayfrom legal gender parity.

However, the region is slowly but surelymoving towards more gender parity. Kenyawas a top reformer, with the promulgationof its new Constitution which included anumber of positive measures for women.In Botswana the newly introduced smallclaims court is often used by women to col-lect child maintenance. There are also newcredit bureaus in Ghana and Uganda andMauritania that cut the minimum loanamount for inclusion in the credit bureauby half.

In Sub-Sahara Africa, only Lesotho doesnot provide paid maternity leave. But only15 economies out of 35 provide any type ofpaternity leave and none provides forparental leave - where both the mother andthe father share the child raising responsi-bilities.

Seven economies in Sub-Saharan Africamade changes over the past one year andhalf that affected the indicators in Women,Business and the Law. Those economiesare: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania,Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. Kenyawas the country with the highest number ofreforms. Rwanda introduced paternityleave; South Africa increased the maximumamount for small claims courts.

Globally, women represent 49.6 percent ofthe population but only 40.8 percent of the

workforce in the formal sector. Legal differ-ences between men and women may ex-plain this gap. The report shows thateconomies with greater legal differentiationbetween men and women have, on average,lower female participation in the formallabor force.

Competitiveness and productivity havemuch to do with the efficient allocation ofresources, including human resources, saidAugusto Lopez-Claros, Director, Global In-dicators and Analysis, World Bank Group.

The economy suffers when half of theworld's population is prevented from fullyparticipating. It is certainly no surprise thatthe world's most competitive economiesare those where the opportunity gap be-tween women and men is the narrowest.

The report measures such things as awoman's ability to sign a contract, travelabroad, manage property, and interact withpublic authorities and the private sector.

In all economies, married women facemore legal differentiations than unmarriedwomen. In 23 economies, married womencannot legally choose where to live, and in29 they cannot be legally recognized ashead of household.

Every region includes economies with un-equal rules for men and women, althoughthe extent of the inequality varies widely.On average, high-income economies havefewer differences than middle- and low-in-come economies.

The Middle East and North Africa have themost legal differences between men andwomen, followed by South Asia and Africa.In Africa, a notable exception is Kenya,which leads globally with the most gender-parity reforms during the past two years.Regionally, the most improvements in gen-der parity occurred in Latin America andthe Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia.

Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh

Ghanaian Chronicle

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The GOLD STAR HERALD

The GOLD STAR HERALDSeptember 15, 2011

Caribbean News in Brief

AFRICANAFRICANDDiiaassppoorraa News

The majority of the United State’s population that identifiesitself as black or African American is concentrated in thesouthern states, according to a new report by the Census Bu-reau.

According to the new analysis, the DMV is home to one ofthe largest populations that identify as black or AfricanAmerican in the country.

In the most recent Census survey, respondents could checkmore than one box on the questionnaire surveying race. Inits report, the Census Bureau counted those respondents thatonly checked the box that read “Black or African American”as black alone. Those that checked the box and also anotherrace category are considered black-in-combination.

The Census report found that most of those (60 percent) whocounted themselves as black or black-in-combination withanother race were concentrated in just 10 states.

Maryland, with a population of 1.8 million that counts itselfas black alone-or-in-combination, and Virginia, with a pop-ulation of 1.7 million identify as black alone-or-in-combina-tion, are among those 10 states.

In Census population reports, the District gets treated as astate in. When compared to the other 50 states, D.C. has the

highest percentage black alone-or-in-combination popula-tion, at 52 percent. The size of the black population in D.C.has actually declined by 10 percent since 2000, according toCensus data, but increased in every other state.

Florida is the state where the population identifying as black-alone-or-in-combination grew fastest in 2010.

In cities of 100,000 or more people, the highest percentageof black alone-or-in-combination was in Detroit, with 84percent. Baltimore was 5th on that list, with 65.1 percentidentifying as black alone-or-in-combination.

According to the Census Bureau, 14 percent of Americans

Herman Cain Says Segments of African-AmericanCommunity 'Brainwashed' to Vote Democratic During an interview that aired on CNN's "The SituationRoom" , GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain made thesuggestion that members of the African-American commu-nity, might "have been brainwashed into not being open-minded, not even considering a conservative point of view.""I have received some of that same vitriol simply because Iam running for the Republican nomination as a conserva-tive," the former Godfather's Pizza CEO said. "So it's justbrainwashing and people not being open-minded, pure andsimple."

CCaaiinn:: African Americans Becoming More Willlingto Vote Republican Cain did say that he believes be-tween one-third and 50 percent of African-Ameri-can voters are becoming more open to votingRepublican, and the idea that black voters will au-tomatically vote for President Barack Obama is notnecessarily true.

"I meet them every day. They stop me in the airport. And sothis whole notion that all black Americans are necessarilygoing to stay and vote Democrat and vote for Obama, that'ssimply not true. More and more black Americans are think-ing for themselves. And that's a good thing" Cain said.

But this isn't Cain's first brush with provocativeness. Thissummer Cain said Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" parodiedhim because he's a "black conservative."

The comments follow Cain's surprise win in the Florida strawpoll. And according to a Fox News poll released on Wednes-day, Cain is running in third place Republican race. He's be-hind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is in firstplace, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is in second place.

Jesse Jackson:

'Plantation' comments insult black voters

Black Population Concentrated in South: Census

RESIGNATION

Castries, St. Lucia: Housing Min-ister Richard Frederick has re-signed from Cabinet amid anongoing scandal over the revoca-tion of his U.S. diplomatic andtravel visas, but will remain theMember of Parliament for Cas-tries Central.

Frederick said the decision wastaken to spare his colleagues fur-ther distractions from importantwork "during these especially dif-ficult times".

"I want to assure the Prime Min-ister and my other colleagues thatmy support for them and theUnited Workers Party is neverending," he said.

"To my people of Castries CentralI say, let not your hearts be trou-bled as I have every intention ofcontesting the upcoming generalelections. I am confident you willreelect me to continue the un-precedented development of Cas-tries Central that I started sincethe last four and a half years."

Frederick, whose tenure has beendogged by allegations of criminalactivities, announced his decisionSunday, just days after he refusedto bow to opposition pressure.

Frederick insists he has donenothing wrong, and said he wasconstantly targeted by "politicalenemies" since his decision in2006 to run for elected politics.

The opposition St. Lucia LabourParty has claimed that Frederickwas fired following a meetingwith his cabinet colleagues.

CALL FOR ACTION

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and To-bago: There are mounting callsfor swift disciplinary actionagainst police officers who areusing excessive force during theState of Emergency, which hasbeen in force for more than amonth.

The Law Association and Trans-parency Institute have demandeda higher level of accountability forthe officers, similar to what hasbeen applied by the DefenseForce.

"We certainly would like to see amore public accounting for al-leged abuses by the police author-ities," chairman Richard Josephsaid following complaints, includ-ing of people being held in cus-tody for days without charge.

"There should be some sort of in-dication to the public that eithercorrective actions have beentaken or that the allegation has nosubstance," he added.

In a media release, the law asso-ciation urged the police to moveexpeditiously to address claimsagainst members who are accusedof using excessive force.

It also advised officers to preparefor the end of the State of Emer-gency, which officially ends De-cember 7.

DENGUE NOT REPORTED

George Town, Cayman Islands:The Cayman Islands is reportingno cases of dengue fever for theyear, amid fears caused by an out-break in some Caribbean territo-ries.

The heath authority has issued atravel advisory stating the Cay-man Islands are still considerednot endemic to dengue, as there isno sustained transmission of thedisease here.

"With the regional outbreak inmind, we are not complacent andmedical personnel are on highalert to look for any local cases,"said Medical Officer of Health Dr.Kiran Kumar.

The authorities said seven caseswere reported last year, two ofwhich were imported.

Dengue fever outbreaks havebeen reported in Aruba, Ba-hamas, St. Lucia and Trinidad &Tobago, among other countries.

The U.S. Centre for Disease Con-trol recently issued a travel advi-sory and outbreak notice to itscitizens travelling to the Ba-hamas, and listed precautionarymeasures persons should take toavoid mosquito bites.

The symptoms of dengue includehigh fever, severe headache, back-ache, joint pains, nausea andvomiting, eye pain and rash.

EMERGENCY AID

Nassau, Bahamas: The Bahamaswill receive US$200,000 in emer-gency aid from the Inter-Ameri-can Development Bank to helpcope with the effects of HurricaneIrene, which affected the chain ofislands last month.

The grant agreement has beensigned by Prime Minister andMinister of Finance Hubert In-graham and President of theInter-American DevelopmentBank Luis Alberto Moreno.

A government statement said thefunds will be used to provide foodsupplies, clothing, potable water,medicine and material for tempo-rary shelter among other reliefitems to affected people in the is-lands of Eleuthera, Cat Island,


Black voters have not been “brainwashed,” and suggesting asmuch — as Herman Cain and Pat Buchanan have recently —is demeaning and derogatory, Jesse Jackson said Friday.

“Those are very strong words,” the veteran civil rights activisttold POLITICO. “It’s both demeaning and insulting.”

Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and a Republicanpresidential candidate, on Wednesday told CNN that blackvoters have been “brainwashed into not being open-minded,not even considering a conservative point of view.”

“I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I amrunning for the Republican nomination as a conservative,”Cain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “So it’s just brainwashing andpeople not being open-minded, pure and simple.”

On Thursday, Buchanan, an MSNBC contributor, endorsedthat view.

“I admire Herman Cain for standing up and going against, ifyou will, the conventional wisdom, and being a tough African-American businessman who succeeded in a tough world,”Buchanan said.

He said blacks had been hurt by programs championed byDemocratic presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson.

“Great Society liberalism has been devastating for the African-American family. … I think what he’s saying that they boughtan awful lot of liberal propaganda on the liberal plantation,and I think he’s right,” Buchanan said.

Jackson criticized Buchanan for openly misconstruing John-son’s record, whom he called one of the “most transformativepresidents of the last century.”

“We are a healthier, better nation because of the work of Lyn-don Johnson,” Jackson said, noting that Johnson championedand signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting RightsAct of 1965. “It’s hard to imagine America before 1964.”

Jackson, a former two-time presidential candidate, decriedBuchanan’s claim that blacks bought into propaganda from a“liberal plantation” and called the term a “not-so subtle sym-bol.”

“That’s an insulting statement and very inaccurate,” Jacksonsaid. “Our [voting] patterns are consistently in our interests.”

But Jackson avoided slamming Cain and his prospects at win-ning the Republican nomination directly.

“He’ll have a chance to see who comes out to the polls,” Jack-son said. “His positions on minimum wage and on health carereform — let us see how that plays out in the public. “

“I don’t think you inspire voters by demeaning them,” he said.

Herman Cain

The GOLD STAR HERALD September 15, 2011

1. Embassy was approached by two advisors toNational Democratic Congress (NDC) candi-date John Atta-Mills, Edward Nunoo and Syl-vanos Tamakloe, who told Political Office thatElectoral Commission (EC) Chairman KwadwoAfari-Gyan was being pressured by the rulingNational Patriotic Party (NPP) to announcefalse results that would be supplied by the NPP.The EC Chairman told Ambassador that the al-legations were "utter nonsense." #WIKILEAKS

2. Ivor Greenstreet said that Nduom's cam-paign is entirely self-financed, and that moneygoes only to Nduom and his chief campaignstrategist, David Ampofo, who receives about$5,000 a month to keep Nduom's name andimage front and center in the media. AlthoughNduom can't win, he hopes to establish long-term viability for himself through media recog-nition. #WIKILEAKS

3. When the Political office pointed out that therumor mill had consistently put the Libyans inthe NDC camp, Pratt said that Akufo-Addo'sfunding did not come from Qaddafi, but fromthe Libyan foreign minister, with whom Akufo-Addo had established a close relationship dur-ing his days as Ghana's foreign minister. Headded that President Kufuor controlled most ofthe NPP party money that would normally flowinto Akufo-Addo's campaign, and that "hehangs on to a lot of it."

4. If the NDC wins, Pratt is convinced, Rawlingswill no longer have a political voice that res-onates with the people, and the victory "will putan end to the Rawlings factor forever." In thecase of an NPP win, however, Pratt fears thatRawlings could gain a new lease on life in na-tional politics, re-emerging as a redemptive fig-ure hailed by an army of disillusioned anddisenfranchised youth. #WIKILEAKS

5. Pratt said that he has a long-standing per-sonal relationship with both Akufo-Addo andJohn Atta-Mills that goes back at least twodecades. He felt that Akufo-Addo had been un-fairly tarnished by the assumption of corruptionbecause of the high-level positions he has heldwithin the Kufuor administration, but that hewas in fact much cleaner than most of thosearound him. #WIKILEAKS

6. However, while President Mills has struckthe right rhetorical tone regarding his commit-ment to combating narcotics, Akrasi Sarpongsaid that the Mills Administration has so farfailed to provide adequate resources to NACOB.He underlined that the force is understaffed,underfunded, and underresourced. (COM-MENT: Sarpong implied that police are open tocorruption because of their personal financialsituation.END COMMENT). #WIKILEAKS

7. In reaction to Prof Mills claims about a sinusinfection and his radiotherapy in South Africa,Foreign Service Health Practitioner at postnotes that MRIs are usually not required to di-agnose sinus problems unless a physician isconcerned about tumors. He also notes that ra-diation therapy is not usually used to treat sinusinfections (usually antibiotics or surgical re-pairs are used), but that such therapy is morelikely used to treat some form of cancer. #WIK-ILEAKS

8. In a January 17 meeting with Political Chiefand visiting AF/W Desk Officer (reftel), Millsclaimed to know about a recent plot to assassi-nate former president J.J. Rawlings. Whenasked for more details in the January 26 meet-ing, Mills said some colleagues informed himabout one month ago that some members of theGovt and ruling NPP party had sent profes-sional assassins from the United States to as-sassinate Rawlings in Ghana. #WIKILEAKS

9. We have heard from other sources that GraceColeman is seriously ill, but PolChief has af-firmed to Ghartey that an illness would not ex-empt Coleman from extradition. Ourunderstanding is that Members of Parliamentare not immune from criminal prosecution ex-cept on their way to and from work while par-liament is in session (although the definition of"work" has been debated). #WIKILEAKS

10. Prof Mills traveled to China and SouthAfrica in the past few months for medicalcheck-ups, which stirred media speculationabout his health. Several well-informed con-

tacts have told PolChief Mills has/had throatcancer. Other NDC sources close to Mills insisthe only had sinus problems which developed asa result of his regular swimming. PolChief sawat the convention that Mills had lost weight butappeared energetic. #WIKILEAKS

11. Rawlings may have some medical problems-- he trembles slightly and loses his thoughtsfrequently. He called on his colleagues for opin-ions and then insulted them in front of us. Hisraw outbursts and scattered ideas are typical,and as bizarre as ever. His views of a coming vi-olent convulsion contrast with the much moremoderate, democratic views of many others inthe NDC party. Rawlings can however still whipup his own people to cause trouble if hechooses.

12. Rawlings agreed that the NPP manipulatedthe 2004 results, stating "killings will takeplace" in 2008, including possibly his owndeath, because the NPP is desperate to stay inpower. #WIKILEAKS

13. PNC leader Edward Mahama agrees withthe claim that Prez Kufuor supports Alan Ky-eremanteng, recently telling Ambassador thatthe Asantahene (an important power broker inthe NPP and close to Kufuor) dislikes Akufo-Addo because of his ties to a rival traditionalleader. #WIKILEAKS

14. Akufo-Addo is a formidable contender forthe NPP slot. He is respected for his intelli-gence, political family background, and broadgovernment experience, which includes tenuresas Minister of Justice and Minister of ForeignAffairs. He is reportedly backed by NPP youthand Akyem businessmen. On the other hand, hehas poor organizational skills and often comesacross as arrogant and formal, which may notplay well with many party activists and Ghana-ian voters. #WIKILEAKS

15. Spio-Garbrah was a loyal supporter of Millsin the 2000 and 2004 races and has been veryinvolved in the NDC. He served as Minister ofEducation and Ambassador to the UnitedStates under former President Rawlings.Nonetheless, he appears to have offended somesection of the party, including his peers. Fellowparty supporters cringed when Spio-Garbrahrecently claimed that the NDC lost the 2004election because of the quality of its leadership.#WIKILEAKS

16. [2006] According to Obed Asamoah, Rawl-ings was actively working against Atta Mills,making it impossible for him to gain the party'snomination for president. #WIKILEAKS

17. Ghartey said that the key to quickly resolv-ing the cases of the four narcotics suspects andthe corrupt judge was authenticating theirvoices on the respective tapes. Predictably, thesuspects have denied that the voices are theirsand Ghana reportedly has no experts who canauthenticate these voices for use in court. Heasked for USG assistance in providing a voiceexpert to authenticate these tapes (which are inthe Twi language). #WIKILEAKS

18. Attorney General Joe Ghartey had orderedthe arrest of the four main suspects caught ontape discussing cocaine deals, including a largeshipment from the fishing vessel Benjamin (ref-tel). Ghartey thought businessman Alhaji Moro,who is also recorded on the tape, was not guiltybecause he stayed out of the room during thecocaine discussion and specializes in armedrobbery, not drug trafficking. #WIKILEAKS

19. The purpose for this dinner remains un-clear. Ghartey, a 45-year-old lawyer who waspromoted from Deputy Minister to Minister inthe last Cabinet reshuffle, may have wanted itfor self-promotion. He seemed eager to projecthimself (quite convincingly) as open, youthful,informal, and progressive. The dinner was or-ganized by the local representative of U.S. com-pany Kosmos Energy, who may have wantedthe dinner to promote himself as a middle man.

#WIKILEAKS

20. Attorney General Joe Ghartey assured Am-bassador that the GOG was very serious aboutcombating narcotics trafficking. "Heads willroll," he said, noting that he had recently firedan employee because of his handling of a nar-cotics case. #WIKILEAKS

21. Despite his volatile nature, Rawlings is stilla powerful political force in Ghana, and hismagnetic but mercurial personality attracts or-dinary Ghanaians, as evidenced by the line theAmbassador's staff formed to take pictures with"the leader," as his supporters call him. Giventhis influence, and his open animosity towardsthe current regime, it is easy to understand whythe NPP is still afraid of him and his followers.#WIKILEAKS

22. Any encounter with JJ Rawlings has an el-ement of the bizarre. He booms forth his opin-ions (which are often overly emotional anddifficult to follow)...He loses track of histhoughts, grabs people around him (he grabbedthe Ambassador's arm on several occasions),and fumbles with the 2 pairs of glasses danglingfrom his neck. He combines charm with a sub-tle sense of menace and confusion. None of hisentourage offered intelligent opinions on eco-nomics or Ghanaian politics writ large. #WIK-ILEAKS

23. In an emotional outburst, Mrs AgyemanRawlings accused the NPP government of ma-nipulating economic statistics to create an illu-sion of economic progress, arguing that growthwas much lower and inflation higher than theofficial reports. #WIKILEAKS

24. Mike Oquaye was often an obstacle in ourefforts in the energy sector. Boniface Siddiqueis a friend to the Embassy and also an impres-sive performer. Ayikoi Otoo was unresponsiveso his removal may be helpful. Papa OwusuAnkomah was unhelpful to us as Attorney Gen-eral but cooperative and friendly as InteriorMinister. Shirley Botchwey is well-regarded.Oboshi Sai-Cofie's shift from Deputy Chief ofStaff to Deputy Minister for Information re-moves a helpful ally in the Castle. #WIK-ILEAKS

25. Former Local Government and Rural De-velopment Minister Charles Bintim was de-moted for being ineffective and unable toaccount for $200,000 reportedly deposited ina personal bank account in 2005, although hewas kept as a minister apparently because he isthe only tribal Konkomba in Cabinet. #WIK-ILEAKS

26. By the end of January 2006 the situation atGhana International Airlines began to unravel.According to former CEO Vitale, GIA's newCEO, UK citizen Brian Presbury, had given VicePresident of Public Affairs Sammy Crabbe a freehand in managing GIA. Vitale reported thatCrabbe was giving inflated contracts to serviceproviders owned by relatives, friends, and in atleast one case, Crabbe himself. #WIKILEAKS

27. Politics is very polarized and ethnically di-vided in Ghana, Professor Mills said, addingthat the current "Great Ashanti project is terri-fying." (note: President Kufuor is an ethnicAshanti, as are many at the top levels of his gov-ernment. End note.) He would try to hold thecountry together, but "the time comes when thepeople you lead take over," he said. #WIK-ILEAKS

28. Professor Mills told Ambassador hereached out in good faith to cooperate with thenew NPP government when it came in power in2000. However, within his first month of office,President Kufuor threw a number of NDC ac-tivists in jail and came to Mills' house witharmed men to interrogate his wife, he said. Ku-fuor has never called him and he avoids anycontact with the President. #WIKILEAKS29. CMS considers D.K. Osei an adversary, who

together with others in the GoG ) includingMpiani ) have attempted to undermine CMSsince the Kufuor government took over in 2001.This group is in league with the controversialand notoriously corrupt ex-VRA Chief WarekoBrobby, whom Kufuor removed in 2003 follow-ing a series of scandals and death threats fromVRA workers. CMS suspects Brobby may be be-hind the disinformation campaign that manyCabinet members seem to have bought on to.

30. Background: CMS Energy invested $100million equity in 1998 to install two 110 MWcombustion turbine generators near the Tako-radi Port. CMS partnered with VRA (which in-vested $10 million), forming the TakoradiInternational Company (TICO). The goal wasfor CMS to duplicate VRA's own 330 MW plant,which is co-located with TICO. CMS has pro-posed a 110 MW "2nd cycle," which would bedriven by the exhaust of the 220 MW TICOplant, representing a 50 percent increase in out-put.

31. D.K. Osei painted a more negative pictureduring his earlier meeting with the Ambassa-dor, arguing that most Ministers disagreed withthe entire premise that the thermal expansiondeal was good for Ghana. He added that even ifCMS satisfied the President's own concerns, hewould hesitate to override the entire Cabinet,bcos CMS's only 2 supporters in the Cabinet,Mike Ocquaye and J.H. Mensah, had acquittedthemselves poorly in explaining the deal duringCabinet meetings. #WIKILEAKS

32. The Ambassador pressed Prez Kufuor onthe benefits of the thermal plant expansion dealand exhorted him to meet with IFC and CMS tofind a way forward. She noted that CMS's Pres-ident for Enterprises, Tom Elward, planned tovisit Ghana next week, and urged Kufuor tomeet with him. Kufuor relented a little from hisearlier opposition as the meeting ended, em-phasizing that he was open to discussion andmeeting with Elward, and agreed the deal couldbe important for Ghana. #WIKILEAKS

33. The Embassy has received a note from theMinistry of Foreign Affairs to support MajorTandoh as Ghana's candidate for Deputy ITUSec General. As Chairman of the NCA he re-peatedly blocked and delayed the resolution ofWestel's dispute with Govt of Ghana. He is alsowidely rumored to among the most corruptGoG officials.

34. South African High CommissionerMolekane claimed that he had not had any per-sonal contact, but that his mission had con-tacted Rawlings' staff to facilitate his SouthAfrican visa in 2005 and during the election in2004, when Rawlings alleged that the Govts ofSouth Africa and Nigeria were plotting to assas-sinate him. Molekane added that these contactswere informational in nature, and that the Gov-ernment of South Africa felt the accusations didnot merit any official response. #WIKILEAKS

35. Canadian High Commissioner Bobiash crit-icized the international community for hobnob-bing almost exclusively with the Ghanaian elite,based primarily in Accra. He commented thatthis elite group, comprised of well-off andhighly educated people is out of touch with theother 95% of Ghanaians. The elite have littleunderstanding of or sympathy for the difficultconditions under which most Ghanaians live,and Bobiash argued they lack a sense of urgencyto do much about it.

36. The American Ambassador expressed con-cerns about perception of rising corruption.British High Commissioner Wetherell agreedwith the Ambassador that there is corruption inGhana and that some politicians are using cor-rupt means to get rich while they are still inpower, including some officials in the Castle.However, there was no firm evidence that cor-ruption in Ghana is increasing (in fact it ap-

The WikiLeaks:The GHANA Document


1997 - 2010

Gabby/Ephson

The GOLD STAR HERALD September15, 2011

HEALTHHEALTH/NUTRITIONBirth Control May Affect Memory

Taking birth control may affecthow women remember certainevents, a new study shows. Ac-cording to Discovery News,women taking oral contraceptivesare not able to recall as many de-tails of an event as women not onbirth control.

Researchers reached this conclu-sion after dividing seventy-two fe-males into groups dependent onwhether or not they were taking oralcontraceptives. The subjects thenwatched a slide show story that in-volved a young boy being hit by a car.The women were monitored for the“fight-or-flight” hormone throughsaliva samples after the story wastold.

Just a week later, scientist foundthat the birth control group was ableto recall the gist of the story, but notas many specific details as the non-birth control group. Women takingthe pill weren’t able to recall detailslike the presence of a fire hydrantnear the scene of the accident,though their counterparts were.

Researchers speculate that the dif-ference is caused by the presence ofestrogen and progesterone in thebody and how they two interrupt theway stress hor-

mones are perceived by the brain.However, they were careful to statethat contraception doesn’t damagememory. Instead, it shifts focus onwhat memories are rememberedmost vividly.

3 Ways Nutrition Can Promote Healthier SkinBeauty may be only skin deep, buthealthy skin depends on what’s deepwithin us — especially the food weeat, according to Phoebe Yin, a natur-opathic doctor and core faculty mem-ber at Bastyr Center for NaturalHealth.

“When it comes to skin health andappearance, you really are what youeat,” says Dr. Yin, who focuses onskin health along with allergies, di-gestive health and women’s health.“Eating better changes the skin. I cansee the difference in my own appear-ance.”

The epidermis (the skin) is made ofrapidly dividing tissue, so it has ahigh demand for nutrients. And be-cause bodies tend to heal from the in-side outward, the skin reflectsinternal health, says Dr. Yin.

She offers three keys for promoting healthier skin throughnutrition.

1. Take care of the “organs of elimination.”

The skin is one of the organs that remove toxins and wasteproducts from the body (along with the lungs,bowel/colon, lymphatic system, liver and kidneys). Be-cause their work is connected, taking care of the lungs (bynot smoking), the liver (by limiting alcohol intake) and thecolon (by eating a high-fiber diet) are all ways to improveskin health.

2. Stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, which in-cludes good fats and a low-sugar diet.

Chronic inflammation can cause or aggravate a number ofskin conditions, Dr. Yin says. Avoiding inflammatory

foods such as saturated fats,refined carbohydrates andrefined sugar can help.(Complex carbohydrates inwhole grains are OK. So arepolyunsaturated fats fromavocados and fish oil.)

She points out that acnemay affect up to 95 percentof teenagers in Western cul-tures. Acne is virtually non-existent among the KitavanIslanders of Papua NewGuinea and the Achehunter-gatherers ofParaguay, two populationsthat eat fruit, fish, game andtubers but not cereals or re-fined sugars, she says. It’ssuspected that elevatedblood sugar sets off hor-monal changes that con-tribute to acne.

3. Eat antioxidant-rich food.

Antioxidants prevent free radicals from damaging skincells, and the antioxidants selenium, vitamin E and vita-min C have been shown to decrease the effect of sun dam-age and prevent further skin damage, Dr. Yin says.

For selenium, eat Brazil nuts, whole-grain cereals,seafood, garlic and eggs. For vitamin E, look to wheatgerm, nuts, seeds (such as sunflower) and leafy green veg-etables. For vitamin C, try kiwi, broccoli, bell peppers,kale, cauliflower, strawberries and many more fruits andvegetables.

You can get nutrients such as these through supplementpills, but the body often has a better chance of assimilatingthem through the diet, Dr. Yin says.

In a major step towards protecting childrenagainst severe diarrhoea and pneumonia, theworld's leading killers of children, an allianceof health groups has announced funding forthe distribution of rotavirus vaccines to 12new African countries: Angola, Burundi,Cameroon, Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana,Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda andTanzania.

Gavi Alliance

A Kenyan mother waits as her child is vaccinated

against pneumococcal disease.

Black Women Tend to SufferDisabilities Earlier, Study FindsHealthDay News) -- Black women are likely to developphysical limitations earlier in life than others their age, ac-cording to a new study.

Researchers from Case Western University in Clevelandanalyzed self-reported information on the mobility,strength and physical limitations of more than 8,700 olderpeople included in the 1994-2006 U.S. Health and Retire-ment Study. The participants ranged from 53 to 75 yearsold.

The study found a higher rate of physical problems amongblack women in their 50s and 60s in the study of black,Mexican-American and white men and women.

"We could not find the reason why African-Americanwomen developed limitations faster than other gender andracial/ethnic groups," said David Warner, assistant pro-fessor of sociology, in a university news release.

After their mid-60s, however, the rate at which disabilitiesoccurred among black women began to decrease, and byage 75 the rate leveled off, the study found.

For the study, recently published in Social Science & Med-icine, the researchers also examined the participants' earlylife experiences, socioeconomic status, marital status andhealth-related behaviors to determine how these factorsmight affect people's disabilities.

Men of all racial and ethnic groups fared better than

women, the study found. Better-educated, wealthier men,in particular, reported fewer physical health issues.

Women are at greater risk for disadvantages, such as lowerincomes and lack of health care in midlife, which may havelifelong effects, the researchers said.

At age 75, Mexican-American women fared worst -- withnearly five disabling limitations, twice as many on averageas white men -- the study found.

The study authors said future research should address theunique health experiences of older black women. Preven-tive efforts are also needed to eliminate racial- and gen-der-related functional health disparities, they said.

Lower income, lack of medical care can affect long-term health, researchers say.

Sleep Helpers That mayBe Keeping You Awake

People invest thousands and thou-sands of dollars and hours andhours of time trying to get a goodnights sleep. We invest hundredson new mattresses, sleep clinics andtest all sorts of “natural” or “herbal”remedies that are supposed to helpus get a better night’s rest. Unfortu-nately a few of the things we testmight actually be keeping us awake.The very simple reality is that anumber of the things that we’vetrusted to help us get to sleep areactually things that are keeping usawake. Have you tried any of thefollowing points?

There are quite a few whoadamantly feel that the best way tobeat insomnia is to try to go to sleep

earlier in the evening. This is totallywrong! The best way to overcomeinsomnia is to stay away from yourbed for as long as you can. The headstarts to get hungry for sleep thelonger you are active. If you decideto go to bed sooner at night it wonthave a possiblity to build up thathunger and you could stay awakeeven longer. Instead you need tostay up an remain active. You musttry to stay up until you really startto feel sleepy or start to nod off.Then it is safe and sound to go forthe bed to receive some slumber.

Some individuals tell you that youshouldnt exercise right before yougo to bed or later in the evening.This is completely a misconception.The truth of the matter is thatsometimes working out can inducesleepiness. If you are suffering fromsleeplessness and have been stress-ing out over having to find time toexercise during your day, youshould be able to relax now that youknow that exercising after work or

even after dinner or before bed istotally fine. Why not? It might evenhelp you have a more restful sleepexperience. Just ensure you com-plete an effective cool down beforeyou go to bed.

Sleep whenever possible, the timeof morning does not make any dif-ference. How often has somebodysaid this to you? This is actually notfully true. Of course, that doesntsignify it is 100 % false either. Thereal truth is that while resting dur-ing the day is better than gettingzero sleep at all, research hasproven that people who sleep moreduring the day and are awake moreat night are more likely to sufferfrom depression than people who

sleep at night and are awake duringthe day. Experts are not sure whythis is true but they imagine itmight be comparable to seasonalaffect disorder so try to sleep atnight–especially if you are prone todepression.

There are many ways to make cer-tain you get a good night’s sleep.Just make sure that you speak toyour doctor before you follow anypersons, articles or old wives talessuggestions. Your health careprovider will give you a total exam-ination and make sure that it isn’tsomething physical that is keepingyou awake (or find out if there isn’ta good method for making yousleep a lot easier). If your sleepingproblems are not that big of a deal,your medical professional can helpyou figure that out as well.

You can get more info on ProfuseSweating and many other relatedarticles by visiting thecoldsweats.org website.

Alliance to Fund Child Vaccines for 12 African Countries

The annual Miss Universe pageant was held in Sao Paulo,

and Miss Angola, 25-year-old Leila Lopes, tookthe crown after impressing judges with her striking cream-colored gown and insightful answer to the final question.Lopes is the first winner the pageant has ever selected fromher country. After she beat 88 other competitors fromaround the world, she was crowned by last year’s winner,Ximena Navarrete, from Mexico.

MISS UNIVERSE 2011

After she beat 88 other competitors from around

the world, she was crowned by last year’s

winner, Ximena Navarrete, from Mexico

September15, 2011 The GOLD STAR HERALD

September 15, 2011 The GOLD STAR HERALD

identified themselves as black alone-or-in-combina-tion in 2010, a total of 42 million people. Over the pastdecade, that number has grown by 15 percent, fasterthan the country's overall population growth. Since2000, the U.S. population increased by 9.7 percent.

The year 2000 was the first time respondents could

choose more than one race to identify themselves. The Census Bureay says it collects data on race in partto assist both state and federal government to enforcelaws like the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act,and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.

In addition, the Bureau says it asks about race because“data on race are critical for research that underliesmany policy decisions at all levels of government.”

Black Population Concentrated in South

Sierra Leone President Pitchesto Atlanta InvestorsSierra Leone is fighting corrup-tion, building infrastructure andimproving its business climatein a bid to welcome investorslooking to tap Africa's growth,the country's president said inAtlanta.

Ernest Bai Koroma, whose WestAfrican nation is known for abloody civil war that ended in2002 and high infant-mortalityrates, presented Sierra Leone asflush with new opportunitiesand prepared to continue thetough work of reforming its econ-omy.

"We know that we have to move along this path so thatall of you here will be attracted to do business in SierraLeone," he told a standing-room-only audience ofmore 150 people at the World Trade Center Atlanta.Attendees waited more than two hours for the presi-dent's arrival.

Mr. Koroma, who formerly worked with a large insur-ance firm, won a five-year term in 2007 on a platformof change. At the time, the United Nations Human De-velopment Index rated Sierra Leone the poorest coun-try in the world.

Though it still placed 158 out of 169 countries on thatscale in 2010, Mr. Koroma pointed out that SierraLeone's ranking in the World Bank's Doing Businessindex has steadily climbed. It now sits at 143 out of183, no longer easily pinpointed at the bottom of thepack, he said.

Indeed, the country of 6.4 million people was amongthe top 20 countries for improved business climatefrom 2006-2010, according to a new set of DoingBusiness data that tracks nine indicators over fiveyears.

Mr. Koroma credited investment in infrastructure and

efforts to improve governance,clarify tax laws and reduce hur-dles to opening and operating abusiness.He also noted that the countryhas set up a court that dealsweekly with commercial disputesas a safety net for foreign in-vestors. He called Sierra Leone'santi-corruption law "one of thetoughest in Africa" and toutedthe country as a safe travel des-tination.

"Sierra Leone is safe. SierraLeone is stable. We have been

through democratic elections. We have affected achange of government. I am a president that drivesaround alone without security. That is how safe SierraLeone is," Mr. Koroma said to applause.

Speaking to a crowd of African-American leaders,local Sierra Leoneans, students and activists, he noted"unique opportunities that are waiting to be exploited"in his country.

Sierra Leone has the large untapped deposits of ironore and has found oil and gas off its coast. An Ameri-can company is working to determine if the oil find islarge enough to be commercially significant.

Gold is also abundant. "We are a country that is sittingon a gold pile. Everywhere you go you can mine gold,"Mr. Koroma said.

Arable land is available to produce agricultural prod-ucts for the domestic market and for export, and thecountry's tourism infrastructure needs outside assis-tance, he said.

"We are here to show you the market that we have pre-pared. We are here to invite you to come and join usin exploring all of these possibilities and ensuring atthe end of the day Sierra Leone benefits and the in-vestor also benefits," Mr. Koroma said.


Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for theEconomy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has said thegrowth outlook for the Nigerian economy and thatother sub-Saharan African countries, remained opti-mistic.

Okonjo-Iweala stated this at the 24th meeting of theInternational Monetary and FinancialCommittee(IMFC) at the on-going IMF/World BankAnnual meetings in Washington DC.

She spoke on behalf of Angola, Botswana, Burundi,Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho,Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria,Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanza-nia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Okonjo-Iweala noted that “the resilience and rapid re-covery of the majority of low-income countries (LICs)from the global crisis reflect their strong structural re-forms efforts, pre-crisis macroeconomic policy buffersbuilt during the good days, and increased ownershipof policies, and flexibility in the Fund’s financing andengagement with the authorities.”

These reform efforts, according to her, were instru-mental to attracting investment inflows into the re-gion.

Nevertheless, the immediate past managing directorof The World Bank cautioned that, continuing thesetrends would depend on robust growth and recovery

in advanced economies.

“The rising global demand for commodities is ar-guably a key driver of the enhanced GDP growth to-gether with increases in the prices for oil, minerals,grain, and other raw materials.

On the other hand, rising global food prices have putupward pressure on inflationary trends and exacer-bated food insecurity for many countries in the region,particularly net food importing countries. An acutedrought, the worst in six decades, has hit hard thegreater Eastern Africa region and has exacerbatedchronic food scarcity throughout the region,” she ex-plained.

Okonjo-Iweala also said, for some emerging market

Okonjo-Iweala Optimistic aboutNigerian Economic Growth


Pres. Ernest Bai Koroma

BUSINESS & BUSINESS & FFIINNAANNCCEE

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

By Kunle AderinokunThisDAY

The GHANA Documentpeared to be declining) or that corruptionwas large scale, he opined. #WIKILEAKS

37. According to French AmbassadorJacquemot. Ghanaian elites are isolatedand do not understand the scope ofpoverty in their country. Jacquemot con-ceded that corruption is a problem (al-though it is better than many othercountries in Africa). #WIKILEAKS

38. Prez Kufuor came across as remark-ably composed and calm, given that theU.S. Ambassador had clearly outlined forhim the perception of growing corruptionin his government. He appeared satisfiedwith his own version of events [regardingthe true state of corruption in Ghana].#WIKILEAKS

39. Ambassador asked Prez Kufuor howHP's bid for the national ID project hadlost out to France's Sagem. She wonderedhow Sagem could underbid the Govt'sown $60m estimate by $20m. Com-pounding Embassy's concerns were re-ports that the President's son ChiefKufuor worked as a consultant forSagem, and Chief of Staff KwadwoMpiani, who oversaw the process, hadmanipulated it in favor of Sagem. #WIK-ILEAKS

40. The Ambassador also responded toD.K. Osei's accusation during the No-vember 29 telephone conversation aboutPolitical Chief Scott's meeting with andpassing money to Raymond Archer. Am-bassador said Scott considered Archerone of a number of regular contacts in themedia, met with him as a normal part ofhis political duties, and had not paid himmoney. She noted the Embassy's only di-rect support to Archer was a grant tostudy investigative journalism in the U.S.#WIKILEAKS

41. President Kufuor dismissed allega-tions of corruption in his administration(reftels) and insisted his government wasas decent as any in or out of Africa. Themeeting followed on the Ambassador'sNovember 29 telephone conversationwith the President regarding the safety ofRaymond Archer, the Editor of local dailyThe Enquirer. #WIKILEAKS

42. Ghana has taken steps to combat il-licit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psy-chotropic substances and has mountedmajor efforts against drug abuse. It hasactive enforcement, treatment, and reha-bilitation programs. #WIKILEAKS

43. Recent press coverage suggests theGovernment Of Ghana has become moreaggressive about combating corruption atlow levels. Ghana has adequate anti-cor-ruption laws and committed individualsin its anti-corruption institutions, buttheir resources are small in comparisonto the problem. #WIKILEAKS

44. The editor of the Enquirer, who hasbeen very aggressive in reporting on highlevel corruption, told PolChief on No-vember 25 that he has faced serious pres-sure from the president and his staff toback off of corruption stories, especiallyrelated to his investigation of the Confed-eration of African Football stadium deal(which implicates the GOG in acceptingbribes from the Chinese) and the presi-dency's alleged use of procurement kick-backs to fund the ruling party.#WIKILEAKS

45. We do not doubt that Ghana isamong the best in sub-Saharan Africa interms of corruption, but its presence hereas a very serious problem should be anindication of the long-term difficulties inbringing Western-style development inthe near future. #WIKILEAKS

46. The $200 million in funds madeavailable annually through the Highly In-debted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)are reportedly a source of significant cor-ruption. Senior Minister Mensah(brother-in-law of the president) controlsthe HIPC funds, and uses these resourcesto fund the Government Of Ghana's pa-

tronage network. #WIKILEAKS

47. When Government of Ghana (GoG)negotiators complained about not havingpersonnel experienced enough to fullyevaluate Alcoa's proposals, Alcoa submit-ted a list of consultants recognized indus-try-wide for their competence andoffered to pay for any work contracted.GoG officials refused, but submitted a listof Ghanaian experts (all GOG officials)and asked that Alcoa pay them instead.Alcoa refused the proposal. #WIK-ILEAKS

48. Alcoa, currently [2005] negotiatingwith the Government of Ghana (GoG)over their proposal to build an integratedaluminum industry, reports that GoG in-terlocutors asked for $3 million to fundan internal public relations campaign topromote the industry within the variousministries involved in the negotiations.When Alcoa officials asked for a line-itembudget to justify the cost, their interlocu-tors could not produce one. #WIK-ILEAKS

49. And of all the Ministers in govern-ment, Post would argue that Nduom isthe most capable of taking control of theteam and completing an acceptable Com-pact. Prior to his appointment as Minis-ter of Energy in 2003, Nduom oversawthe development of the Ghana PovertyReduction Strategy (Ghana's Poverty Re-duction Strategy Paper -- PRSP), an evenmore unwieldy program than the MCAproposal. He received well-earned praisefor his ability to steer that process.#WIKILEAKS

50. Prez Kufuor also voiced concern thatthe Ghana team's decision to increase theMillennium Challenge Project amountfrom $290 million to $500 million(mostly added infrastructure projects)would lead to problems with the MCCand further delays. He was unsure howthe increase had come about and said hehad taken his team to task. He admittedthat he was a little uncomfortable withthe larger amount and asked the MCC'sRod Norman whether the enlargementwas realistic. #WIKILEAKS

51. Palestinian Ambassador Omar por-trayed both Rawlings and his wife Nanaas out-of-touch and having an insatiableappetite for power. Omar said Rawlingscannot endure psychologically havinglost the reins of power and should havesought a post-presidential identity ear-lier. "He feels defeated," Omar said,adding that if it were not for Rawlings'advisor, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Rawlingsnever would have stepped down. #WIK-ILEAKS

52. The NDC, which is holding its na-tional convention in December [2005], isdivided and financially weak. Rawlingsstill exerts a strong influence on the partybut there are many in the party (includ-ing the camp of former NDC presidentialcandidate John Atta Mills) who want todistance themselves from the ex-presi-dent. Some believe these tensions willeventually split the party. #WIKILEAKS

53. However, the threat of terrorism re-mains clear and present, as the same live-and-let-live attitude that permeatesGhanaian culture also makes Ghana sus-ceptible to ease of entry, to bribery of of-ficials, and to security officers sometimesnot noticing when real danger is present.A determined individual or foreigner (orsmall group of foreigners) would have lit-tle trouble perpetrating a deadly attack.#WIKILEAKS

54. At one late night Islamic event lastmonth attended by the National ChiefImam, the organizing Imam began by an-nouncing his group's love for America,their love for the U.S. Embassy in Ghana,and their love for the charge d'affaires,who was attending. #WIKILEAKS

55. The Dependency Legacy: Ghana's de-pendence on foreign assistance over a

(continued from page 7)



First African Americanto Head JosephitesSeventy-six-year-old Rev. William Norvelhad already spent 50 years working for theinclusion of African Americans in theCatholic Church when he was asked to be-come the 13th superior general of theJosephite Priests and Brothers, a RomanCatholic order that was started 140 yearsago to minister to freed slaves.

Instead of retiring as he'd planned, Norvelaccepted the promotion. He's now becomethe first African American ever to hold thepost.

Norvel, 76, spent part of his career in Nige-ria persuading seminarians to come backto the United States. In his most recent po-sition, he served as peacemaker, ending arebellion in which parishioners called theprevious white pastor a dictator and abigot.

"It is about time that [the Josephites] hadan African American to lead them," saidDeacon Al Turner, director of the Office of

Black Catholics for the Archdiocese ofWashington. "African American Catholicssuffer from invisibility. We have alwaysbeen doing things, but the larger popula-tion thinks that we are invisible becausethey don't see many blacks in leadership."With Norvel's promotion, it looks likethings are changing.

Read more at The Root D.C.By: Jenée Desmond-Harris

South Africa’s failure to issue a visa to the DalaiLama, or even respond to his repeated requests forone, was sharply criticized on Wednesday by theDalai Lama and by Desmond Tutu, the former Arch-bishop of Capetown. The two men called the failuredisrespectful.

The Dalai Lama wants to travel to South Africa toattend an 80th birthday party on Oct. 7 for Arch-bishop Tutu, a fellow Nobel laureate and anti-apartheid champion.

The criticism — made in unusually blunt languageby two icons of peaceful dialogue — did not addressthe reason for the official inaction. But it has beenclear for some time that the South African govern-ment is reluctant to grant the visa for fear of anger-ing China, one of the country’s most importanttrading partners and an increasingly prominent in-vestor in the country.

China says the Dalai Lama, the 76-year-old Tibetanspiritual leader in exile, is a subversive agent of in-dependence for Tibet, which China regards as partof its territory. Though he fled Tibet more than 50years ago when the Chinese military suppressed anuprising there, Tibetans still idolize the Dalai Lamaas their leader, an allegiance that infuriates Beijing.The Dalai Lama, who lives in India, has said he doesnot favor Tibetan independence, but he has criti-cized what he has called China’s suppression of Ti-betan culture.

In their joint statement, reported by Agence France-Press, Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama saidSouth Africa’s handling of the visa request was “pro-foundly disrespectful of two Nobel Peace laureateswho are among the most revered spiritual leaderson earth.”

It quoted Archbishop Tutu as saying such disrespectwas “reminiscent of the way authorities dealt withapplications by black South Africans for travel doc-uments under apartheid.”

There was no immediate comment from either theSouth African or the Chinese government.

The criticism on Wednesday coincided with a visitto China by the vice president of South Africa,Kgalema Motlanthe, who signed agreements onWednesday for cooperation in geology, mineral re-sources and financial support.

Ominously for the Dalai Lama’s chances of gettingthe visa, an account of Mr. Motlanthe’s visit by Xin-hua, China’s official news agency, noted that hishost, Vice President Xi Jinping, expressed gratitudefor South Africa’s “valuable support” on the Tibetissue.

By RICK GLADSTONENYT

Tutu and Dalai Lama Criticize SouthAfrica Over Visa Delay

YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast (AP) — IvoryCoast's new government and dignitaries from theWest Africa region launched a South African-styleTruth and Reconciliation Commission that aims tofind peace after months of postelection violencerocked the country.

The 11-member commission is headed by formerPrime Minister Charles Konan Banny and includesthe nation's favorite son, Chelsea soccer star DidierDrogba, as well as religious leaders from through-out the West African nation.

At least 3,000 people were killed from December toApril, when United Nations airstrikes finally forcedthe country's entrenched ruler Laurent Gbagbo tocede power to President Alassane Ouattara.

The commission, styled after the effort in SouthAfrica which helped repair the wounds of apartheid,is expected to hear grievances from the families ofpeople killed by Gbagbo's military. Rights groupshave urged the government to ensure that it willequally hear testimony about those killed by therebel fighters Ouattara enlisted to help him takepower.

It remains unclear how the commission will be in-volved in the judicial process.

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whoheaded that country's Truth and ReconciliationCommission after the end of apartheid, said Tues-day that reconciliation and justice are intertwined,and that "victor's justice" would "greatly underminethe reconciliation process."

"We encourage President Ouattara to demonstrateto his people and the world that the judicial processhe has started is both fair and completely impar-tial," Tutu said.

Since Gbagbo's arrest in April, dozens of his sup-porters have been charged with crimes, but noOuattara supporters have faced charges. However,both sides are accused of carrying out gross humanrights violations during the crisis.

"We have the impression right now that there is vic-tor's justice," said law student Frank Kouassi, 26,who said he didn't vote in the last elections. "It wasa war. It wasn't just one side that pulled the trig-ger."

Kouassi said he doesn't think the commission's roleis to say who should be prosecuted.

He said "there is a fracture in society," and that thecommission may help if they "go door to door, talkwith people," and teach them to be tolerant of dif-ferent beliefs.

Ivory Coast, once one of the most prosperous na-tions in Africa, was brought to its knees by a decadeof conflict which started with a 1999 coup, followedby the flawed 2000 election which first broughtGbagbo to power. He failed to hold elections fiveyears later.

Then when another five years was up last Novem-ber, he refused to accept his electoral defeat, settingoff a five-month-long crisis that turned the once-chic commercial capital of Abidjan into a war zone.

For the first four months of the standoff, the victimswere overwhelmingly Ouattara supporters, whoseneighborhoods were shelled by the pro-Gbagboarmy. That changed in March when Ouattara finallyaccepted the help of a former rebel group. The fight-ers swept across the country, torching pro-Gbagbovillages, gang raping their women and executingsuspected supporters of the former president.

Ivory Coast Launches Reconciliation Process

FFAAIITTHHSS&RELIGION First African woman to winNobel Peace Prize diesNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - WangariMaathai, the first African woman recipientof the Nobel Peace Prize, died after a longstruggle with cancer, the environmentalorganization she founded said Monday.She was 71.

Kenya's most recognizable woman,Maathai won the Nobel in 2004 for com-bining environmentalism and social ac-tivism. She was the founder of the GreenBelt Movement, where over 30 years shemobilized poor women to plant 30 milliontrees.

In recognizing Maathai, the Nobel com-mittee said that she had stood up to a for-mer oppressive regime -- a reference toformer Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi-- and that her "unique forms of action

have contributed to drawing attention topolitical oppression."

Maathai said during her 2004 acceptancespeech that the inspiration for her life'swork came from her childhood experi-ences in rural Kenya, where she witnessedforests being cleared and replaced by com-mercial plantations, which destroyed bio-diversity and the capacity of forests toconserve water.

Although the Green Belt Movement's tree-planting campaign did not initially addressthe issues of peace and democracy,Maathai said it became clear over time thatresponsible governance of the environ-ment was not possible without democracy.

"Therefore, the tree became a symbol forthe democratic struggle in Kenya. Citizenswere mobilized to challenge widespreadabuses of power, corruption and environ-mental mismanagement," Maathai said.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga saidMaathai's death "strikes at the core of ournation's heart."

"I join Kenyans and friends of Kenya inmourning the passing of this hero of ournational struggles," Odinga said. "Hers hasbeen heroism easily recognized locally andabroad. ... Prof Maathai has passed on justwhen the causes she long fought for werejust beginning to get the attention they de-

served as threats to the survival of thehuman race and that of our planet."

The United Nations Environment Programcalled Maathai one of Africa's foremost en-vironmental campaigners. The U.N.agency recalled that Maathai was the in-spiration behind UNEP's Billion TreeCampaign, which was launched in 2006.To date, more than 11 billion trees havebeen planted as part of the campaign.

"Wangari Maathai was a force of nature.While others deployed their power and lifeforce to damage, degrade and extract shortterm profit from the environment, sheused hers to stand in their way, mobilizecommunities and to argue for conservationand sustainable development over destruc-tion," said Achim Steiner, the executive di-

rector of UNEP.

Tributes also poured out for Maathai on-line, including from Kenyans who remem-ber planting trees alongside her asschoolchildren. One popular posting onTwitter noted that Maathai's knees alwaysseemed to be dirty from showing VIPs howto plant trees. Another poster, notingNairobi's cloudy skies Monday, said: "Nowonder the sun is not shining today."

A long time friend and fellow professor atthe University of Nairobi, VertistineMbaya said that Maathai showed the worldhow important it is to have and demon-strate courage.

"The values she had for justice and civil lib-erties and what she believed were the obli-gations of civil society and government,"Mbaya said. "She also demonstrated theimportance of recognizing the contribu-tions that women can make and allowingthem the open space to do so."

Her quest to see fewer trees felled andmore planted saw her face off againstKenya's powerful elite. At least three timesduring her activist years she was physicallyattacked, including being clubbed uncon-scious by police during a hunger strike in1992. The former president, arap Moi,once called Maathai "a mad woman" whowas a threat to the security of Kenya.

President Alassane Ouattara

The Dalai Lama (left) and Desmond Tutu,

the former Archbishop of Capetown

Is AboutHEALTHISSUES


LAWIIMMMMIIGGRRAATTIIOONN

Michael Bloomberg:

Immigration Policy Risks"National Suicide" Michael Bloomberg said the United States risks“national suicide” if it doesn’t adopt a more wel-coming immigration policy.

“This is just craziness but we can stop it by offer-ing a conditional visa to immigrants who havecapital to back their business ventures,”Bloomberg said in his speech to the Council onForeign Relations Monday, as reported by CBS.

“If the new company successfully creates jobs forAmerican workers, the entrepreneur would re-ceive a green card to stay and grow the businessinto the future.”

Bloomberg addressed the lack of accommoda-tion the United States makes for foreign studentswho seek to stay into the country upon gradua-tion.

“Turning these students out of the country is, toput it bluntly, about the dumbest thing that wecould possibly do,” Bloomberg said, as reportedby Reuters. “Other countries are bending overbackwards to attract these students and we’re

helping them to do it. We become a laughing-stock of the world with this policy.”

Bloomberg suggested foreign students who earnadvanced degrees in science, technology engi-neering or math from universities in the UnitedStates be allowed to remain and work in thecountry indefinitely, according to CBS.

“Let’s offer them green cards when they finishtheir degrees and then we can get down to thereal business of convincing them to stay,” hesaid, as reported by CBS.

The mayor said that allowing more immigrantsenter the U.S. may actually help the countrycrawl out of the unemployment hole.

“People say, 'Why bring more immigrants intothis country when you have unemployed?’ Be-cause that’s the solution to the unemploymentproblem in this country -- more jobs being cre-ated by more businesses,” Bloomberg said, as re-ported by CBS.

Bloomberg's speech coincides with the release ofa report by the Partnership for a New AmericanEconomy, of which he is a co-chair, CBS news re-ports. The study found that 40 percent of For-tune 500 companies were founded byimmigrants or first generation Americans.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is crack-ing down on criminal immigration, CBS reports.A month after promising to focus deportationson the most serious criminal immigrants, theObama administration said Wednesday it hasrounded up nearly 3,000 criminals across thecountry for deportation.

“This is what we should be doing; this is goodlaw enforcement,” Immigration and CustomsEnforcement Director John Morton said, as re-ported by CBS. “It makes sense to be removingpeople who are committing crimes who are hereillegally first and foremost.”

Each of the 2,901 illegal immigrants arrested inthe last week had at least one criminal convictionand more than 1,600 of those people had beenconvicted of at least one felony, including at-tempted murder, rape and kidnapping, Mortontold CBS. --thirdage

US cracks down on illegal immigrants with criminal recordsAuthorities reveal more than 2,900 people ar-rested in seven-day operation, including morethan 1,200 with multiple convictions

Authorities arrested about 2,900 illegal immi-grants with prior criminal convictions in theUnited States in a seven-day nationwide opera-tion, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) said on Wednesday.

"You are going to see a sustained focus on crimi-nal offenders from this agency," ICE directorJohn Morton told reporters. "These are not thekind of people we want walking our streets."Authorities arrested 2,901 people in the week-long Cross Check operation, described by theagency as the biggest of its kind, officials said. Ar-rests were made in all 50 US states and in four USterritories.

Those arrested included citizens of Mexico, theDominican Republic, Panama, Honduras andNigeria.

All those arrested had previously been convictedof crimes in the United States and will be de-ported, officials said. More than 1,600 had felonyconvictions, including manslaughter, attemptedmurder and drug trafficking, they added. Thosearrested also included gang members and sex of-fenders. At least 1,282 of those arrested had mul-tiple criminal convictions.

Morton estimated that about 1m illegal immi-grants who have criminal convictions and aresubject to removal are still in the United States.The agency said it deports about 390,000 peoplea year, about half of them convicted criminals.

Illegal immigration is a hot political issue in theUnited States. More than 11m illegal immigrantslive and work in the United States, according tothe Pew Hispanic Center.

States including Arizona and Georgia have tried

to enact their own laws cracking down on illegalimmigration, arguing that the federal govern-ment has done too little to stop it.

The White House said in August that the US gov-ernment will review its deportation caseload tokeep low-priority cases from resulting in removal.Democratic congressional leaders praised themove and said it would ease the way for individ-uals who came to the United States illegally aschildren and have already spent years in thecountry to stay and work legally.

Texas governor Rick Perry, the front-runner inthe race for the Republican presidential nomina-tion to face President Barack Obama in the No-vember 2012 election, has been accused bymembers of his own party for not being toughenough on illegal immigration.

Rivals have blasted Perry's state policy allowingchildren of illegal immigrants living in Texas topay the same cheaper in-state college tuition ratesthat other Texas children pay.

All of the migrants arrested will be de-ported, US officials said. Photograph:Eduardo Verdugo/AP

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New York, Sept. 12 (UPI)- New York Citymayor Michael Bloomberg addressesthe 57th session of the United Nationsgeneral assembly on Sept. 13, 2002 inNew York City.

Ghanaian Born Kweku AdoboliArrested For $2bn Bank FraudA suspected rogue trader has been arrested inLondon in a dramatic pre-dawn swoop todayon suspicion of losing a major investmentbank £1. 3bn.

Thirty-one-year-old Ghanaian Kweku Adoboliwas held on suspicion of committing fraudwhile working at Swiss bank UBS, after policeraided his home at 3. 30am. After the raid thebank's shares fell by seven per cent, as UBSwarned that the unauthorised trading couldtip the firm into a third-quarter loss.

Bank chief Oswald Gruebel revealed to staff ina memo yesterday that the rogue deals hadbeen discovered within the past 24 hours.He told staff: 'We regret to inform you thatyesterday we uncovered a case of unauthorisedtrading by a trader in the Investment Bank.We have reported it to the markets in line withregulatory disclosure obligations. 'The matteris still being investigated, but we currently es-timate the loss on the trades to be around 2billion US dollars. '

He vowed to 'establish exactly what has hap-pened' and underscored that 'no client posi-tions were affected'.

The German born Group Chief Executive Of-ficer has been in the post since 2009 andcalled the arrest 'distressing'.

He urged staff to remain focused on theirclients as the investigation continues.

The trader worked at the bank's headquartersin the very heart of London's finance districtand according to the Financial Services Au-thority joined UBS in 2006 as a trainee invest-ment advisor.

More recently the former Nottingham Univer-sity student has been Director of EuropeanEquity Trading for the Swiss firm. He is be-lieved to have worked with financial product,Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), an investmentfund traded on the world's stock exchanges.

Louise Cooper, markets analyst at BGC Part-ners, said today the alleged rogue trade is be-

lieved to involve a Swiss franc transaction thatwent wrong after the Swiss National Bank in-tervened to lower the value of its currency. MsCooper said the arrest will call UBS's risk man-agement into question and an unexpectedtrading loss could do 'significant reputationaldamage' to the bank. She said: 'Rich peopletend not to want to do business with a bankwhere there are questions over risk control.

'UBS needs to do a good job in explaining whatwent wrong and assuring its clients that it willnot affect them. '

The arrest has echoes of the infamous case ofNick Leeson, who was jailed after his 'roguetrading' losses of more than £800m causedBarings Bank to collapse. After fleeing to Sin-gapore, he was later jailed for more than sixyears.

The company employs around 65,000 staffworldwide.

The company employs around 65,000 staffworldwide. However, it said recently it wouldreduce its staff by 3,500 as part of a bid to save£1. 5billion by the end of 2013.

The cuts came as it said pre-tax profitsdropped 23 per cent on the previous quarterto £1. 3billion in the three months to June 30.

Suspected rogue trader Kweku Adoboli,31, leaves City of London magistrates


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result is a knee-jerk "what can you give me"mentality. There is a need to build more entre-preneurship, more bureaucratic capacity, moreof a sense of responsibility for tough economicdecisions. #WIKILEAKS

56. On the one hand, Prez Kufuor argued theGoG had almost finished setting up the new, au-tonomous National Petroleum Authority(NPA), established under the National Petro-leum Act that Parliament passed June 14. TheNPA, headed by a Chairman who "is not a party(NPP) man," would have full responsibility toorganize fuel tenders and set prices (accordingto an agreed formula). Kufuor even stated thatthe GoG would "use the NPA as the fall guy"when prices rise. #WIKILEAKS

57. Ambassador praised our excellent bilateralcooperation on law enforcement, especially incounter-narcotics. Owusu-Ankomah appreci-ated USG support, saying he hoped for contin-ued support in counter-narcotics. Narcotics isa serious concern in Ghana, especially traffick-ing through Ghana for other countries. Hewould like to get sniffer dogs and more sophis-ticated narcotics detection equipment. The Am-bassador noted our appreciation for the goodcooperation from NACOB's Akuoko. #WIK-ILEAKS

58. The Ambassador had expressed her con-cern about the growing number of allegationsand experiences of corruption that the embassywas hearing about ... President Kufuor askedthe Ambassador to give him details, cases andspecific allegations, saying he would look intothem personally. #WIKILEAKS

59. At one point Prez Kufuor spoke with a bitof bravado that the NPP was making progresswith the politics of the North because moderateMuslims were supporting the NPP. He was con-fident that in the future more Muslims wouldsupport the NPP, although he did not under-stand why they could have voted against him in2004 because he had a Muslim vice president.#WIKILEAKS

60. Kufuor asked if the Embassy could help in-tervene with former President J.J. Rawlings toencourage him to tone down his anti-govern-ment rhetoric, which was causing excessive"turbulence" in Ghanaian politics. The Ambas-sador noted that, while she was by no means anapologist for Rawlings, she .... suggested thegovernment might choose to ignore Rawlings'frequent barbs. The minister indicated that hegot her point. #WIKILEAKS

61. NPP Chairman Esseku suggested to Em-bassy Political Chief that Kufuor's handling ofthe incident involving the kidnapping of aGhanaian chief to Ivory Coast was an embar-rassment and diminished his stature (Kufuorflew to the Northern region with much fanfare,reportedly against the recommendation of hissenior staff, for what turned out to be a minorincident involving a chief who Esseku describedas a known arms smuggler.) #WIKILEAKS

62. New Attorney General Ayikoi Otoo had noissues to raise with us, except the request tofund a backup generator for his office. At theleast, we hope we put some energy behind theLOA and the extradition treaty. #WIKILEAKS

63. Political leaders here are risk averse and fo-cused on the short term, with little sense of vi-sion for the next decades. Over the longer term,Ghana needs to make significant progress ineconomic development. It desperately needs todiversify its economy to reduce its current vul-nerability to cocoa and gold price shocks. Itneeds to boost investment to create jobs for itsyouthful population (50% of Ghanaians areunder age 18 and predicted to increase by 50percent by 2025) #WIKILEAKS

64. The Kufuor government has not put inplace sufficiently investment-friendly proce-dures or policies. While the rhetoric is pro-mar-ket, the reality is often protectionist and statist,reflecting Ghana's socialist legacy. #WIK-

ILEAKS

65. The NPP generally did well among urban,wealthier, more literate, more industrial andethnically Akan voters, especially in the south,center and west. The NDC by contrast wasstrong among rural, lower income, less literate,Muslim and non-Akan voters, especially in thenorth and east. #WIKILEAKS

66. Shipley's film, entitled "Living the Hiplife:Reggie Rockstone and Ghanaian Popular Cul-ture", uses interviews with younger hiplife mu-sicians, disc jockeys and record producers toshow how the well-known singer, Reggie Rock-stone, became known as the "godfather" ofhiplife music. One record producer in the filmis Rab Bakari, who grew up in New York andwho helped Reggie Rockstone develop hisunique music style.#WIKILEAKS

67. Prez Kufuor and his staff are clearly moreaware that they need to monitor Ghana's MCApreparations closely. While we have somedoubts about Mpiani's effectiveness, he ap-peared well informed on this issue and alsoseemed prepared to play a constructive role inkeeping Ghana on track. D.K. Osei is one of thePresident's closest advisors and had not previ-ously been engaged in the MCA process, so Postwill keep him informed on progress. #WIK-ILEAKS

68. Mike Oquaye claims to be fiercely pro-American. He studied in the U.S. on a Fulbrightscholarship in 1997 (in Virginia), and says hehas also visited the U.S. several times under theIV program and as a visiting scholar. Oquaye'sbackground is in political science and he doesnot yet have a good grasp of the energy sector.Nevertheless, he claimed the President put himat Energy "because of all the challenges" in thatsector. #WIKILEAKS

69. According to our source in the Bank ofGhana, there is no evidence of the Governmentof Ghana or any of its senior officials promotingor engaging in laundering the proceeds from il-legal drugs transactions or terrorist financing.Neither does Post have any knowledge of finan-cial institutions engaged in money laundering.

70. Charles Mensa went on to say that Alcoastill needed to improve its bid to stay competi-tive, but had no specific suggestions. Alcoa'sPhillips complained that he had similar conver-sations with Mensa, and wondered aloud aboutthe transparency of the process and Mensa'smotivations.

71. Prez Kufuor said he would want to makemore use of businessman and presidential con-fidant Kwabena Darko as a point man on oiland economic issues. (Note: Darko was in theroom and helped in organizing this meeting forSenator Inhofe. Owner of Ghana,s largestchicken business, he appears to be a trustedpresidential aide on a range of issues. Endnote.)

72. Charles Mensa hopes to get a small portionof Valco up and running by the end of the year[2004] and to have a deal in place with eitherAlcoa or Billington by the end of January. Eco-nomic office's contact at Alcoa says Mensa'stimeline is unrealistic.

73. Kufuor focused on his imminent departurefor the AU summit in Tripoli...High-profile ap-pearances before the National ReconciliationCommission by former President Rawlings and,

separately, Rawlings' long-serving security ad-visor Kojo Tsikata (ref B), had increased GOGsecurity concerns, said Kufuor. "We are on astate of alert for the next week or so," said Ku-fuor. He asked the USG to "use its network" to"see if something is brewing."

74. Ambassador Princen's wife concluded em-phatically that Rawlings is a drug-user. Periodsof high-level energizing were followed by Rawl-ings' disappearance for thirty minutes, andupon his return he was subdued and even mel-low. He perspired profusely at short notice, andconsumed large quantities of non-alcoholicdrinks. Princen reinforced my own impressionthat Rawlings' attention span has shortened oflate. But the Princens found the president open,indulgent towards his children, and extremelydeferential - even obsequious - towards hisspouse. The tenor of their conversation rein-forced the widespread impression that they seeeach other only in public or in the context ofthis retreat to lake Volta.

75. World bank and IMF visitors complain thatRawlings seems profoundly uninformed on eco-nomic matters, even as his minister of financeis seen by financial experts inside and outsideGhana as alarmingly incompetent. Into the vac-uum has moved Anthony Aidoo, whose conspir-atorial demeanor encourages dark speculationabout his malign influence on Rawlings. Aidoois known to us principally for his entrenchedleftist leanings, his anti-imperialist rhetoricwhile a professor at cape coast university, andhis affection for the likes of Qadafi and Castro.Ambassador Princen's opportunity to watchAidoo at close quarters was far from reassuring.Aidoo seemed to reinforce Rawlings' fears thatsenior government officials were conspiring tohide things from the president. Aidoo's obse-quious behavior towards Mrs. Rawlings also re-inforced the impression here in Accra that sheis in some degree responsible for the alienationof the president's traditional friends, with Aidoonow filling the void.

76. Nduom said he is close to Kufuor and thatKufuor is loyal to his friends and close associ-ates ) too loyal, too often according to Nduomand this practice has been detrimental to theKufuor Administration.

77. Embassy Comment: It was clear from thediscussion that Nduom's methodical mind is atwork. His extensive travel throughout the coun-try and his strategy for registering voters indi-cates he is trying to cover all bases. If the PNCjoins forces with the CPP it will all but ensure aheated second round of voting, and no guaran-tee about the outcome.

78. Flag bearer Akufo-Addo must work dili-gently to "soften" his image and appear moregenuinely people-oriented, Alan Kyerematenaverred to the Ambassador.

79. Turning to external topics, Ghana, likeother countries, has come under the "spell ofChina." Kyerematen believes that China has amaster, long-term plan to ensure that it has theoil and other resources such as timber and nat-ural resources for its billions of people. He crit-icized Ghana for accepting soft loans withoutanalyzing thoroughly enough the consequencesand "fine print."

80. Dr. Mahama started off by thanking theAmbassador for her intervention in getting aroad in front of his clinic paved after 17 years ofunsuccessful requests to the government. Dr.Mahama stated that he as well as numerousclients and concerned citizens had complained

to the Government for years to get the roadpaved in front of his clinic to no avail, and thatit was only after the Ambassador commented tosomeone in Government about how difficult itwas to get to Dr. Mahama's office for a meetingdue to the bad road that something happened.

81. It appears that President Kufuor was not in-jured in the accident, despite the fact that hisvehicle, a gift from Libyan President Mu'ammarQaddafi, rolled over three times, finally comingto rest on its roof. Local citizens reportedly re-acted faster than Kufuor's security detail as theyoverturned Kufuor,s vehicle and pulled himfrom the wreckage. Kufuor was immediatelytransferred to another vehicle and traveled tothe Castle. Kufuor,s driver and aide experiencedminor injuries. #WIKILEAKS

82. The National Chief Imam, Sheikh NuhuSharabutu, also spoke and declared, through aninterpreter, "jihad" on narcotics and urgedeveryone to join the fight. This project is thefirst effort to combine religious, governmentaland non governmental actors, and a foreigngovernment in a campaign against narcotics.#WIKILEAKS

83. The UK High Commission's Nicholls pub-licly criticized Ghana for not doing better in arecent newspaper article and Howells appearsto have continued on this strong theme.Nicholls said that in response to the newspaperstory, President Kufuor dressed down the Min-ister of Interior and National Security Advisorin front of all the other Ministers for their fail-ure to effectively battle the narcotics flow.#WIKILEAKS

84. Dan Botwe was highly critical of PresidentKufuor's involvement in the NPP candidate se-lection process, commenting that if the NPP isto win the 2008 presidential race, Kufuorshould refrain from attempting to influence theprocess. He claimed Kufuor is financing thecampaign of former Trade Minister Alan Kyer-maten through corruptly obtained funds, andthat this effort is undermining the NPP's inter-nal democratic process. #WIKILEAKS

85. Asiedu appears to be connected to severalpowerful Ghanaian drug barons and other in-fluential people and if he is extradited, theGhanaian drug baron community will likely bealarmed. This arrest, combined with the arrestand expulsion of the two Afghan smugglers,seem to indicate a GOG willingness, at least inthe President's office, to treat the narcoticsthreat seriously and act accordingly. #WIK-ILEAKS

86. During a courtesy call on the newly namedDirector of National Security, Dr. Amoo, DCIGeneral Michael Hayden (who is visiting Ghanaon a fact finding tour of Africa) solicited Amoo'sthoughts about AFRICOM. Amoo, a Ph.D fromSAIS, quickly responded that for GhanaAFRICOM is a "very sensitive matter", and thatmost African governments share this senti-ment. Amoo recalled Nigeria's outright rejec-tion (which suggested Nigeria spoke for theentire continent). #WIKILEAKS

87. Kufuor was also allegedly upset with Pokufor his failure to share the full details of BNI'selection polling which could have potentially in-formed Kufuor earlier about Alan Kyerematen'slack of popular support. Kufuor was surprised



The GHANA Document

Kojo Tsikata

Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom

The GOLD STAR HERALDSeptember 15, 2011

L i f e S t y l e CULTURE E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Claim, "Not The AfricanKardashians!"

Former South African President Nelson Man-dela's granddaughters will be getting theirown reality show to air in 2012. The threegrew up in the U.S., but returned to Africa forbusiness and family reasons.

Today, the Mandela family announced thatthree of Nelson Mandela's grown grandchil-dren will be getting their own reality show,slated to air sometime in 2012.

Dorothy, Zaziwe and Swati will be the stars ofthe yet unnamed television show.

Nelson Mandela just turned 93!

It will focus on Dorothy Adjoa Amuah, ZaziweDlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini's searchfor their true selves.

Show Director Graeme Swanepoel explains,"This is about three women breaking awayfrom the Mandela legacy to find their own

feet."

Swati, the granddaughter of Winnie Madik-izela-Mandela revealed at a news conference,"The show will be about our lives as young,black women. We're not wearing, 'I'm a Man-dela' t-shirts. "We're definitely not the AfricanKardashians."

Producer Rick Leed (Home Improvement andDr. 90210) revealed at a press conference inAfrica,"It's not going to detract from the dig-nity of Nelson Mandela."

He continued, "Their aim is to showcase thenew Africa and give viewers a peek into its so-phistication and it's exciting potential."

"These girls may have grown up abroad (U.S.)but they have all chosen to come home toSouth Africa and bring the best that they havegathered in their international experience andstudies. They feel they can make a positivecontribution to the continent."

Reportedly, the show will not feature the girls'parents or grandparents at any time.

Dlamini-Manaway has a 10-year-old son, a 2year-old daughter and another child due nextyear. She is involved in a family business,Mandela Dlamini Associates.

Dlamini is a single mother who plans to set upa foundation to aid the people in her countryin housing, education and medical needs.

Amuah has a law degree and works in the lux-ury brands business.

Photo Credit: WENN

The Most Popular Runway Models ofColor at 2012 New York Fashion WeekOut of 4,657 different women’s wear looks thatwent down the runways at the Spring/Summer2012 New York Fashion Week, only 820 spotswent to models of color. Although these numbersmay sound dismal, they’re actually an improve-ment over figures from previous years.

Asian and black models fare better than Latinamodels, a study conducted by Jezebel found.Non-white Latina models trailed in fourth place;out of those 4,657 looks, just 93, or 2 percentwere given to them.

The news may seem trivial, but the reality is thatwhat happens on the runway can have a lastingimpact on popular culture. “The runway is wherethe path to much more visible work — like adver-tising campaigns for major designers, editorialsin the biggest magazines, and, ultimately, if amodel is very lucky, multi-year contracts withcosmetics companies — begins,” explains JennaSauers, who wrote about this year’s diversity onthe runway for Jezebel.

“If the girls who go into this hopper are mostly

white, then the faces the rest of us will go on see-ing in ads, magazines, and billboards will bewhite,” Sauers said.This has a lasting impressions on women andyoung girls of all colors and sizes—their self-image and self-esteem, especially.

Loop21.com’s Keli Goff says diversity on the run-way “often has a much greater impact on our at-titudes on a subject like race than politics or thelaw.”

Mainstream designers like Calvin Klein was oneof the worst offenders. Klein gave just one lookof his 32-look show to a model who wasn’t white,which went to Jasmine Tookes. There was onlyone designer who sent an entire set of whitemodels down the runway: Billy Reid, a luxurybrand that GQ called one of the best mensweardesigners in America.

3.1 Phillip Lim, Betsey Johnson, Diane vonFurstenberg, Imitation of Christ, Jason Wu, JenKao, Oscar de la Renta, Peter Som, ThomBrowne, Tracy Reese, and Zac Posen all hadshow casts that comprised 20 percent or more

From L to R: Isabella Melo walks for Honor, Liu Wen at Proenza Schouler and Jourdan

Dunn at Marc Jacobs.

by Jorge Rivas, The Grio

The GOLD STAR HERALDPage 7 September 15, 2011

Caf has awarded the hosting rights of the 2015 African Youth Championship to Senegal, ac-cording to a statement released by Caf.

The President of the Senegalese Football Federation, Augustin Senghor has thanked theGovernment for supporting their bid and is delighted with the move taken by Caf.

“This shows the high esteem and confidence that Caf have for us,” Senghor told SenegalPress Agency, APS. “We had wanted to host a major continental competition after the 1992African Cup of Nations. The dream has just come true.”

Johannesburg — South African football enthusi-asts are excited about another hosting right tostage the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after a suc-cessful hosting of THE 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) onWednesday at an Executive Committee meetingin Cairo ratified a swap arrangement betweenSouth Africa and Libya for the hosting of the 2013Africa Cup of Nations.

Libya was to stage the event but the ongoing civilstrife in the country compelled the Maghreb na-tion to agree a swap deal with the South Africanswho were to host the 2017 edition.

Although Nigeria and Algeria indicated interest inthe 2013 edition, but the CAF Executive Commit-tee meeting in Cairo awarded it to South Africa.

Nigeria had been banking on an agreement withCAF to be on stand-by, in case any of the host na-tions for the 2012 and 2013 - Gabon/ EquatorialGuinea and Libya respectively, opted out.

South Africa Football Association (SAFA), led byits Vice-President Danny Jordaan, used the suc-cess recorded at the 2010 FIFA World Cup to con-vince CAF executive members of their readinessto host a successful Nations Cup in 2013.

Some of South African fans expressed excitementat the opportunity to watch Africa's best playersduring the tournament.

Gerhard Hugo, an Assistant Director, Departmentof Government Communication and InformationSystem, said South Africa would use the opportu-nity to showcase the country's tourism potential.

"We are always happy to host the world at anygiven opportunity; we used the 2010 FIFA World

Cup to tell the world our story. This year theWorld Conference on Climate Change will takeplace in Durban.

"In 2013, the Africa Cup of Nations is coming backto South Africa, having hosted it in 1996, we arehappy to host again," Hugo said.

Jordaan said with the hosting of 2013 tourna-ment, South Africa would not have to play in thequalifying matches.

"Now that we are hosting the 2013 edition of Na-tions' Cup, we don't have to worry about qualify-ing as that will give us enough time to prepare forthe 2014 World Cup in Brazil," he said.Lucas Radebe, a former captain of the BafanaBafana, said he was optimistic that the countrywould repeat the 1996 performance.

"I must tell you, I am really excited that we arehosting the Nations' Cup again; looking back in1996, we the Bafana Bafana won the cup for thefirst time, I am already dreaming of a repeat per-formance," Radebe said.

A sports journalist, Mphaki Moses, echoed similarviews.

"You know Bafana Bafana are not sure of playingin the 2012 edition. They are currently second be-hind Niger in the group.

"But with us hosting in 2013, we are sure of havinga place. Whatever the outcome of 2012 qualifiers,we know 2013 is our show," he said.

He said all the facilities used for the 2010 FIFAWorld Cup were still well maintained.

"Facilities are not the problem here. All the stadi-ums used for the 2012 FIFA World Cup are still ingood shape and most of the personnel that organ-ised the World Cup are still around and so it isgoing be one of the best ever," Moses said.

A bank official, Bernard Nirappil, said the hostingof big events usually brought about business op-portunities.

"Hosting of big events like football championshipsbring about business opportunities to SouthAfrica. We always want visitors in our country toshowcase our enormous tourism potential.

"This is another opportunity for us. We are happyto host Africa's best, come 2013," Nirappil said.

Africa: 2013 Nations Cup HostExcite South Africans

Senegal: Senegal to host2015 AfricanYouth Championships

and embarrassed when Kyerematen lost theNew Patriotic Party (NPP) nomination in De-cember 2007, according to sources. #WIK-ILEAKS

88. Prez Mills confided in the Ambassadorthat he shall rename the major road namedafter Prez Olusegun Obasanjo in Accra as thelatter was highly corrupt and not deservingof the honour. #WIKILEAKS

89. Asiedu appears to be connected to sev-eral powerful Ghanaian drug barons andother influential people and if he is extra-dited, the Ghanaian drug baron communitywill likely be alarmed. This arrest, combinedwith the arrest and expulsion of the twoAfghan smugglers, seem to indicate a GOGwillingness, at least in the President's office,to treat the narcotics threat seriously and actaccordingly. #WIKILEAKS

90. Sources report that Poku visited his of-fice over the weekend and shredded docu-ments and took some films from his officewhich now cannot be located. GOG officialsare also concerned that Poku may have beenusing GOG resources for his personal benefitand wanted additional details from him.Sources report that Poku returned homelater on January 16 under a police escortwhich will remain outside his residence untilhe departs for further "debriefing" on Janu-ary 17. #WIKILEAKS

91. The landlord contends that Bulgariaowes him nearly $800,000 in rent datingfrom June ¶1993. He obtained an evictionnotice from an Accra High Court judge andarrived to throw out the Ambassador. Therehas been disputes concerning this propertysince 1978. According to the landlord, theBulgarians were to pay rent from 1993 on-ward according to a settlement. The Bulgar-ian Embassy claim they settled the rent issuein 1983 when they paid a "huge" sum ofmoney to cover rent for the next 50 years.

92. During a courtesy call on the newlynamed Director of National Security, Dr.Amoo, DCI General Michael Hayden (who isvisiting Ghana on a fact finding tour ofAfrica) solicited Amoo's thoughts aboutAFRICOM. Amoo, a Ph.D from SAIS, quicklyresponded that for Ghana AFRICOM is a"very sensitive matter", and that mostAfrican governments share this sentiment.Amoo recalled Nigeria's outright rejection(which suggested Nigeria spoke for the entirecontinent). #WIKILEAKS

93. The landlord contends that Bulgariaowes him nearly $800,000 in rent datingfrom June ¶1993. He obtained an evictionnotice from an Accra High Court judge andarrived to throw out the Ambassador. Therehas been disputes concerning this propertysince 1978. According to the landlord, theBulgarians were to pay rent from 1993 on-ward according to a settlement. The Bulgar-ian Embassy claim they settled the rent issuein 1983 when they paid a "huge" sum ofmoney to cover rent for the next 50 years.

94. Sources report that Poku visited his of-fice over the weekend and shredded docu-ments and took some films from his officewhich now cannot be located. GOG officialsare also concerned that Poku may have beenusing GOG resources for his personal benefitand wanted additional details from him.Sources report that Poku returned homelater on January 16 under a police escortwhich will remain outside his residence until

he departs for further "debriefing" on Janu-ary 17. #WIKILEAKS

95. Kufuor welcomed AFRICOM engage-ment with the AU, saying that the U has con-sistently told its members not to have specificbilateral relationships with countries outsideof Africa. Close consultation with the AU onthe physical location of AFRICOM is impor-tant, according to Kufuor. #WIKILEAKS

96. In a separate meeting, Lt. Gen. JosephDanquah, Chief of the Defense Staff for theGhana Armed Forces, told Gen. Ward that hewelcomes the establishment of AFRICOMbut said that African countries should handleAfrican conflicts. #WIKILEAKS97. Mills' trip to the U.S. is but one exampleof the NDC's vigorous fundraising activitiesin Europe and North America to support its2008 campaign. Similar engagements by for-mer President Rawlings across the U.S. arereported to have yielded the NPP USD700,000 in pledges during August. #WIK-ILEAKS

98. In addition, Kwetey said some Ghana-ians, particularly Northerners and Muslims,will feel that Vice President Mahama de-serves the nomination and is being treateddisrespectfully by his party after serving loy-ally as Kufuor's deputy. Kwetey said the NDCwould exploit these negative sentiments togenerate support for its own candidate.#WIKILEAKS

99. Concerning Vice President Mahama'sMuslim faith, Fiifi Kwetey said religion is animportant factor in Ghanaian politics andthat many Christian Ghanaians would nevervote for a Muslim presidential candidate.While most Ghanaians would not admit thisopenly, Kwetey said a Muslim could not beelected President of Ghana. #WIKILEAKS

100. The criminal community is reeling afterthe arrest of two Afghans for narcotics traf-ficking. Contacts have said the drug "barons"were very surprised to learn that DEA wasactively conducting undercover operations inGhana. The Ghanaian media has carried thestory and some opposition parties haveseized on the arrests to attack the ruling NPP.However, the President's Office was person-ally involved in the case and the Govt per-formed well in the suspects' arrest andexpulsion. #WIKILEAKS

101. Among the NPP candidates, FiifiKwetey said NDC insiders view former For-eign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo as the mostformidable potential opponent in the generalelection. He noted that Akufo-Addo is well-funded, popular, charismatic, and has greatappeal to younger voters. In addition, Akufo-Addo comes from the Akyem ethnic group inthe Eastern Region, meaning that he lacksthe ethnic baggage that Kyerematen carriesas an Ashanti. #WIKILEAKS

Source: Franklin Cudjoe


Fiifi Kwetey

The GHANA Document

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