Apology for Ghana textbook critical of missionaries

The Ghana National Association of Authors and Publishers (GNAAP) has apologised to those unhappy about a history textbook for primary schools that gives a controversial explanation about the activities of Christian missionaries.

History of Ghana for Basic Schools, Learners Book 4, states that the existence of religion, particularly Christianity, was the cause of doctrinal conflicts and increased poverty in the country.

One radio station tweeted a photo of the offending page from the book, which shows the heading: “Negative effects of Christian missionary activities”:

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Some parents and others have condemned the content of the book, saying it denigrates Christianity.

Ntim Fordjou, the country’s deputy education minister, described the book as “obnoxious”, saying its content was appalling and misconceived.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (Nacca) has since demanded its the immediate recall.

GNAAP apologised for the error and said it would set up a committee to assess all other books in schools published by its members.

“We are here to render apologies in our bid to protect the image and professionalism of writing and book development in Ghana,” the association’s president John Akwasi Amponsah said.

President tells Nigerians to stop panic-buying fuel

The office of Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu has told the public to stop panicbuying as the fuel subsidy will not end until the end of June.

The statement seeks to stem the chaos sparked by comments at his inauguration on Monday when he said the subsidy was “gone”, but he gave no timeframe or other details.

The statement says his remarks are “neither a new development nor an action of his new administration”, explaining that the decades-long subsidy was only funded until the end of June.

“He was merely communicating the status quo, considering that the previous administration’s budget for fuel subsidy was planned and approved to last for only the first half of the year,” it said.

“Effectively, this means that by the end of June, the federal government will be without funds to continue the subsidy regime, translating to its termination.

“The panic-buying that has ensued as a result of the communication is needless; it will not take immediate effect.”

Some people have posted videos online of filling stations already increasing prices, in some cases by more than 200%.

The statement from the presidency added that Mr Tinubu’s plan was to channel the money previously spent on the subsidy “into better investments that will cushion the effects of the removal on the general public, especially the poor of the poor”.

“This includes but is not limited to investments in public infrastructure, education, healthcare and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions of Nigerians and increase their earning potential.”

SA immunity notice leads to Putin visit speculation

SouthAfrica’s foreign minister has granted diplomatic immunity to foreign officials attending the Brics summit in August and a meeting for Brics foreign ministers this coming week.

The Brics alliance represents some of the world’s leading emerging economies, including Russia, China, Brazil and India.

Local media has said this could potentially open the door for Vladimir Putin to attend the August gathering in South Africa.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March for the Russian president for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

As a signatory to the ICC’s Rome Statute, South Africa is expected to enforce the warrant and arrest Mr Putin.

But Clayson Monyela, South Africa’s spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, tweeted that such immunities were standard when a country hosted an international conference or summit.

“The immunities DO NOT override any warrant issued by any international tribunal (like the ICC) against any attendee,” he said

South Africa previously failed to act on its legal obligation to the ICC when in 2015 Sudan’s then-leader Omar al-Bashir visited during Jacob Zuma’s presidency, but was not arrested.

On Monday, the South Africa military said it would not arrest Mr Putin if he attended the Brics summit, as it did not have the power to enforce the arrest.

South African National Defence Force chief Rudzani Maphwanywa, while acknowledging the ICC’s warrant, said that the army operates within the framework of international law and respects diplomatic immunities.

Call for immediate elections in Ethiopia’s Tigray

The leader of Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) party, Debretsion Gebremichael, has called for immediate elections in the northern region of Tigray.

The TPLF agreed a peace deal with government last November, signed in South Africa, to end a brutal two-year civil war.

That pact set up an interim administration in Tigray, which could only govern for between six months and a year, Mr Debretsion said in a post on Facebook.

“On the basis of self-rule, we have to go to elections immediately,” Mr Debretsion said, adding that the interim administration had “to complete its task within that time and transfer whatever remained”.

He stressed that the people of Tigray had to be led by leaders of their own choice.

“What has been there [presumably the TPLF leadership structure] has been destroyed for the sake of peace.

Source; BBC