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Gabon coup not surprising, about 4 more on the way – Kwesi Pratt
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Veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has voiced his lack of surprise over the recent military takeover in Gabon.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper stated that clear indications were present regarding the ousted President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, tightly clinging to power.
Expressing his views on Accra-based Metro TV, Kwesi went on to suggest that the coup in Gabon garnered considerable local support due to the citizens’ fatigue with prolonged rule by a single family.
“Who was not expecting a coup d’etat in Gabon? I don’t know of one person who was not expecting a coup d’etat in Gabon. As a matter of fact, if you look at the measures which were instituted by the government of Ali Bongo in the run-up to the election and after the elections, they all point to panic, severe panic,” he said.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, he added that “everybody was expecting this coup d’etat in Gabon for many reasons.”
“One family has been in power for 53 long years. And that family has not been in power for 53 long years because it was loved by the people of Gabon; it has been in power because it imposed itself on the people, rigid elections, harassed opposition leaders, banned political parties, arrested trade union leaders, and so on.”
Furthermore, he projected his expectation of four additional coups across various African nations, emphasising the recurring nature of such political upheavals on the continent.
He further predicted the occurrence of four additional coups within Africa, foreseeing that at least two of them could transpire before the conclusion of 2023.
“I was expecting the coup creel in Gabon. I’m still expecting coup d’etats in 4 more countries. I think that four more are going to fall very, very soon, possibly before the end of the year. We should expect about 2 or 3 countries to fall, and four more countries are likely to fall.”
Meanwhile, Gabon’s president has called on “friends all over the world” to “make noise” over the coup in the country, in a clip that’s been circulating on social media.
Sitting in what he says is his residence – in a grand room complete with wood-paneled walls, ornate carpets and leather-bound books – Ali Bongo says: “My son is somewhere, my wife is in another place.
“Nothing is happening. I don’t know what is going on.”
He again urges his “friends” to speak up, before thanking them.
A communications company that was working for the presidency during the election has been in contact with the BBC to confirm the authenticity of the footage. It has been asked by Bongo’s office to circulate the video.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
