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AFRICAN UNION: Mahama calls for collective action on reparations
President John Dramani Mahama has called upon his fellow heads of state to collectively act in securing justice for Africans and individuals of African descent through reparations.
Launching the African Union theme for 2025 at the ongoing 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, President Mahama said pursuing justice requires stronger legal and institutional mechanisms at national, regional, and international levels.
“We must continue to advocate for stronger legal and institutional mechanisms… to ensure that justice for the historical trauma inflicted on global Africa is not just a conversation, but a reality,” he said.
The African Union is dedicating the year to efforts to address historical injustices and their lingering consequences, which have impacted generations of Africans and people of African descent. The theme is “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
The initiative, as President Mahama noted, aligns with the AU’s Agenda 2063 for an integrated, peaceful, and prosperous continent.
The initiative aims to mobilise political will, foster partnerships, engage stakeholders, elevate awareness, encourage dialogue, and bring an end to the culture of silence and denial surrounding racism and colonialism.
President Mahama stated that the Accra Reparations Conference in November 2023 reaffirmed the necessity for comprehensive reparatory justice and resulted in the establishment of stronger advocacy and policy frameworks.
He explained that achieving justice requires collaboration among European member states, regional economic communities, the global African dias
President Mahama said the devastating effects of the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide, and neo-colonial exploitation have resulted in economic disparities, social inequality, systemic discrimination, and racial prejudices.
He noted that the transatlantic slave trade was one of the most heinous crimes against humanity, spanning about 400 years and forcibly displacing more than 12.5 million Africans.
For instance, President Mahama said an estimated two million Africans perished during the middle passage alone, adding that the legacy of this brutal system, along with colonialism, apartheid, genocide, and new colonial exploitation, has left deep and endurance cast on the fabric of our societies.
“The economic impact of colonialism on Africa has been profound, with the continent losing trillions of dollars in both human and material resources due to colonial exploitation,” President Mahama said.
President Mahama noted that the descendants of enslaved Africans continue to face economic disparities, social inequality, systemic discrimination, and racial prejudices.
He said addressing these challenges requires more than just acknowledging them. “It demands action. We must continue to advocate for stronger legal and institutional mechanisms at the national, regional, and international levels to ensure that justice for the historical trauma inflicted on global Africa is not just a conversation but a reality.”
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Launch a full-scale, transparent investigation into the Suame fire – Ashanti NPP Parliamentary Caucus to government
The Ashanti NPP Parliamentary Caucus has called on government to launch a full-scale, transparent investigation into the fire that destroyed more than 300 shops at the Suame Post Office Market in Kumasi.
In a statement signed by the caucus secretary, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the MPs expressed deep sympathy to the thousands of traders who lost their shops, goods, and livelihoods in the incident.
The caucus said the Ashanti Region had in recent months suffered repeated market fires, which had destroyed years of hard work and investment by ordinary Ghanaians.
They described the situation as “one too many” and insisted that people in the region deserved more than words of sympathy and empty promises.
The group questioned government’s approach, asking where the urgency, accountability, and concrete plans to stop such recurring disasters were.
They stressed that traders could not continue to see their sweat and toil reduced to ashes while authorities treated the matter as business as usual.
The caucus demanded immediate emergency relief and compensation packages for the affected traders, as well as urgent steps to introduce modern fire safety infrastructure in markets.
These include fire hydrants, surveillance systems, and dedicated fire posts.
They also urged government to put in place a clear policy framework to permanently address the spate of market fires in the Ashanti Region.
According to the statement, the matter would be raised strongly on the floor of Parliament.
The caucus added that they stood firmly with the traders of Suame and the Ashanti Region and would not relent until their safety, livelihoods, and dignity were secured.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Embrace entrepreneurship and opportunities in the private sector, Afenyo-Markin encourages youth
The Member of Parliament for Effutu and Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has encouraged young people to focus on entrepreneurship and the private sector instead of depending only on government jobs.
In a one on one interview he stated that the public sector was already full and could not employ everyone, noting that his office was flooded with CVs from job seekers.
According to him, the future would be brighter if the youth created jobs for themselves.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin explained that people with good business ideas should be supported with capital, but warned that such opportunities should not be abused.
He said many people misuse the help they receive, which prevents others from also benefiting.
He cited the “taxi work campaign” initiative in his constituency, where over 90 percent of the beneficiaries failed to pay back.
He added that similar cases of mismanagement by individuals he supported were common and called the situation “heartbreaking.”
The Effutu MP appealed to young people to make good use of support from banks, credit unions, family members, and political leaders, stressing that abusing opportunities denies future generations their livelihood.
By: Jacob Aggrey
