Good morning. Here are summaries of this morning's top local and international news stories. Click on the headline to read the full story.
Prof Atuguba, Franklin Cudjoe, others join over 7,000 Ghanaians to boycott calls tomorrow over SIM registration
Law Professor, Raymond Atuguba, and President of think tank, IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, are among over 20 influential persons pushing for a ‘no calls day’ tomorrow to protest the ongoing SIM card re-registration.
The #NoCallsDay is backed by over 7,000 online petitioners protesting what they say is an illegal and chaotic process.
“On Tuesday [February 8, 2022], we are appealing to Ghanaians and all mobile network users within Ghana not to make and or received calls and all associated mobile network activities from 6 am to 12midday,” the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, led by former Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak, appealed in a press statement.
Subscribers are required to provide the name and residential or occupational address, date of birth, in the case of an individual; and Certificate of Incorporation, in the case of a body corporate; or registration, in the case of a partnership or an unincorporated body of persons; and an identification document as part of the SIM re-registration.
Akufo-Addo rallies African states to fight ‘consequential stranglehold’ of rating agencies
President Nana Akufo-Addo is rallying the 55 member states of the African Union to collectively work to reform the global financial architecture.
The Chairman of ECOWAS and President of Ghana also wants AU members states to build and strengthen financial institutions on the continent since the status quo, including the activities of rating agencies, was having a stranglehold on Africa’s economy.
“We need to guard against the continuing consequential stranglehold of the rating agencies, which has affected the cost and access to capital markets for African countries, and has, during this COVID period, resulted in the downgrading of many African countries, exacerbating, even more, their funding challenges,” Nana Akufo-Addo said.
He made the remarks while delivering his second report to the Assembly of Heads of States and Government on Sunday, 6th February 2022, in his capacity as AU Champion for Financial Institutions.
Drivers meet government today to ratify proposed 30% rise in transport fares
Drivers are pushing for an increase in transport fares, proposing a 30% hike pending approval by the government.
The Coalition of Transport Operators said the decision to increase the fares by 30% was reached after a meeting last Thursday, February 3, 2022.
The Coalition is made up of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other notable driver unions,
The Coalition has explained that the proposed increment will shield its members from the effects of recurrent fuel price increases over the last six months.
#FixTheCountry snubs NDC’s invite to join Yentua demonstration
Pressure group, FixTheCountry Movement, has turned down an invitation from the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to join its scheduled demonstration against the government’s proposed E-levy.
This follows an invitation the movement received from the NDC on Friday, 4 February to join in its protest against the levy.
A statement issued by the movement, however, noted that: “Over the past four months, #FixTheCountry has been the largest and most consistent opposition to the proposed plans by the Government to introduce the atrocious Electronic Transaction Levy, which seeks to enable the Government to dip its hands into the pockets of Ghanaians to take their livelihoods, business capital and savings which are stored on their mobile money wallets.”
Full statement: Government rejects Moody’s downgrade of Ghana’s credit rating
Ghana’s Finance Ministry has issued a lengthy statement to justify its rejection of the country’s latest rating by the international ratings agency, Moody’s.
Moody’s downgraded Ghana’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa1 from B3, and changed the outlook to stable from negative.
But in the press release issued in Accra on Sunday, February 6, 2022, the government said the latest credit rating for Ghana’s was puzzling, citing progress with recent fiscal consolidation measures.
“We are at odds to understand Moody’s assertion of the deterioration of Ghana’s institutional strength, given Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa.
“The government of Ghana is therefore completely puzzled by the decision to downgrade Ghana’s credit rating to Caa1, despite the series of progressive engagements we had with the team from Moody’s, the quality of data supplied, as well as the medium-term economic and fiscal focus of the government, underpinned by key fiscal consolidation reforms such as the policy decision to cut expenditure by 20%, as recently announced by the Minister of Finance,” the government said in the statement.
Newspapers headlines Monday, February 7, 2022
Click here for the front pages of some of Ghana's newspapers today.
Senegal declares national holiday to celebrate first ever AFCON win
Senegal's President Macky Sall has declared Monday a public holiday to celebrate the national football team's first-ever AFCON crown following their victory against Egypt.
The Tarenga Lions will be decorated by Sall on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Dakar, RTS television said.
"The president of the republic declared Monday a public holiday, a paid day off, following the brilliant victory of the Lions," RTS said, citing a presidential decree.
Sadio Mane netted the winning spot-kick as Senegal beat Egypt 4-2 on penalties to clinch their first-ever AFCON, after the final ended goalless following extra time on Sunday.
Germany mulls ending its military mission in Mali
Germany's defence minister has suggested it is unlikely that the country will be able to maintain its troops in Mali, as tension grows between the military rulers there and international partners.
Christine Lambrecht said she had the impression that German soldiers were no longer welcome in Mali where they've been helping in the fight against jihadists.
Germany has around 1,200 soldiers there as part of a counter-terrorism and peacekeeping mission.
It's a further sign that the international - French led - counter terrorism operation there is at risk of falling apart.
France has led the criticism of the military rulers in Bamako after they scrapped plans for elections and said they wanted to stay in power for several years.