Vice-President of Namibia praises Agostinho Neto´s contribution

 Luanda - The Vice-President of Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba, praised the contribution of the founder of the Angolan nation, António Agostinho Neto, in the release of the Namibian people.

When speaking in a conference on the contribution of Agostinho Neto to the liberation and peace in Southern Africa, Nangolo Mbunga said that this was due to the efforts of President Neto that Namibia conquered its independence.

 

Hence, the Namibian people are grateful to the Angolan people and to President Agostinho Neto, in particular.

 

On her turn, the ambassador of Angola to Namibia, Jovelina Imperial, stressed that the legacy of Neto went beyond borders, so it is necessary that the youth know his achievements.

 

For the diplomat, some specific facets had marked the trajectory of life of Agostinho Neto, namely, strategist, politician-statesman, physician, humanist, writer and poet.

 

According to the ambassador, these facets have a connection that determined the growth of an “uncommon personality”.

 

The first President of Angola, Agostinho Neto, was born on 17 September 1922, in Kaxicane village, Municipality of Icolo e Bengo, outskirts of Luanda Province.

Head of State makes private visit to Spain

 Luanda – Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, is leaving Friday on a private visit to the Kingdom of Spain, which will last a few days.

The information was given this Thursday by the Angolan President’s Press Office.

President appoints Chairman of Capital Market Commission

 Luanda - The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, on Thursday appointed Andreia Vanessa Sousa Simões to the position of Chairwoman of the Capital Market Commission (CMC) Board of Directors.

Through a note, the President’s Press Office states that for the post of CMC Executive Directors were also appointed Sydney Júlio Pereira Teixeira, Ludmila Isménia Cardoso dos Santos Dange, Edna Augusta dos Santos Nunda Barbosa de Mascarenhas and Nádia Kelly Pinheiro Graça Pinto.

 

 

Dismissals at Capital Market Commission (CMC)

 

Before that, through a Presidential decree, the Head of State dismissed Maria da Conceição Uini Baptista, from the post of Chairwoman of the CMC.

 

In the same decree, João Lourenço also dismissed António José da Silva, Edna Augusta dos Santos Nunda Barbosa de Mascarenhas and Nádia Kelly Pinheiro Graça Pinto, from the position of CMC Executive Directors.

 

 

Sovereign Wealth Fund of Angola

 

Following the formation of the new government, the Angolan President appointed Rui Jorge Van-Dunem Alves de Ceita, to the position of Executive Director of the Angola Sovereign Wealth Fund.

 

In another decree, João Lourenço dismissed Valentina de Sousa Matias Filipe, from the position of Executive Director of the Angola Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Angolan ambassador at reception hosted by US President

 Luanda – The Representative of the Permanent Mission of Angola to the UN, in New York, Maria de Jesus Ferreira participated in the reception offered by the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and his wife to the Heads of State and Government participating in the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Maria de Jesus Ferreira participated in the reception as head of the Angolan delegation to the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. The Angolan diplomat speaks at the general debate of the 77th session of the UN, on Monday, September 26th.

On the sidelines of the general debate, Ambassador Maria de Jesus Ferreira carries out an agenda of high-level meetings and side events.

The 77th session of the UN General Assembly began last Tuesday (20) and will continue until next Monday, with the presence of dozens of heads of State and Government. The event takes place under the theme "A watershed moment: transformative solutions for interconnected challenges".

Blue, industrial economy among sector's priorities - Fisheries minister

 

Luanda – The newly appointed minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmém do Sacramento Neto, Thursday in Luanda named the top priorities of her mandate.

The minister mentioned as her sector’s priorities the rational use of fishing resources and  leveraging the salt and aquaculture industries.

Addressing a ceremony to receive the reins from the former minister, Carmém do Sacramento Neto spoke of the need to look at all those involved in the sector, in order to ensure a new dynamic to the fisheries sector.

“We need to monitor our sea more and look at aquatic resources as a blue economy, which need a young dynamics, aligned with the country's economy”, she said.

 Carmém do Sacramento Neto, who replaces António Assis, former minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, said the blue economy entails the responsibility for the sustainability of natural resources, with a watchful eye on climate change.

According to the official, aquaculture is a strong alternative for the development of fisheries that should not only be extractive, but also planned for the harvesting and supply of animal protein.

The minister announced the ongoing restructuring in the sector. “We are going to align new methods that are capable of speeding up the sector to make fisheries contribute effectively to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)”, she said.

On the other hand, Carmém Sacramento Neto appealed to her new staff to cultivate the habit of accountability, accordingly with the recommended programmes and goals.

SIERRA LEONE: Amb Omrie Golley unveils agricultural production investment initiative

 In the 2021 Global Hunger Index, Sierra Leone ranked 106th out of the 116 countries. With a score of 31.3, according to the index, Sierra Leone has a level of hunger that is serious.

WFP’s Hunger Map for Sierra Leone in July 15, 2022 showed that 2.2 million people are chronically hungry, with 1.6 million people are acutely hungry.

  

All of these are occurring at a time when the world is emerging from the shock of COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally the war between Russia and Ukraine has also led to unprecedented price shocks in food, energy, and fertilizer globally, due to the predominance of Ukraine in global food production.

In Sierra Leone, poor smallholder farmers are struggling to produce adequate food supplies, and are facing severe negative impact because of the inability to afford agricultural inputs and related services.

Hence, food security, especially among the rural population, who depend largely on farming as a primary source of livelihood remain an existential threat to proper living.

Additionally WFP data in 2022, has shown that young people in particular, still lack educational opportunities and employment opportunities today. Over 56 percent of Sierra Leone’s population live below the poverty line.

Against this backdrop, prominent Sierra Leonean lawyer and diplomat, Omrie Golley has recently set up a private investment vehicle, Golley Agriculture Developments SL Limited, working in partnership with an Israeli company called Netafim to enhance food production in Sierra Leone, using innovative techniques, that combine education and the use of specialized advanced and modern techniques.

Netafim is one of the world’s largest irrigation Companies, and a renowned world leader in advanced drip irrigation solutions and utilising water and available land effectively with advanced agricultural technology.

In pursuance of this plan, the Golley Agricultural Team comprising local agriculturists, together with representatives of Netafim, have in recent days, embarked on fact-finding mission to identify suitable lands to cultivate essential food supplies.

The main thrust of the tour has been to identify fifteen (15) plots of 100 acres each from across the country for the construction of Agric-Educational Farms (AEF).

The purpose of the AEF is to train local student farmers in the latest agricultural techniques, including the use of drip irrigation. The intention is to train local farms in optimising chosen agricultural sites for production.

Local farmers will be trained in all aspects of agriculture, using advanced agricultural equipment, knowledge, and technology essential for maximum production.

At the end of the training, the intention is that local communities will then be able to create and manage efficiently commercial farms.

The land identification tour which started in the northwest, north, and later south and east regions of the country, has been to identify strategic locations that would stand the best chance of optimum production of various crops, with clear criteria for such production.

Commenting on his latest investment plans, Ambassador Omrie Golley had this to say:

“We are fortunate to have a country endowed with rich agricultural resources, including verdant fields and rich organic soil. We need to use these God-given resources to achieve food security by feeding ourselves and exporting agricultural produce. We need to harness the best in agricultural technology and education to achieve optimum results, which will in turn aid national recovery and development. We can assist and embrace the private sector and make great advances in the field of agricultural development. So achieving this has always been my dream”

Ambassador Omrie Golley in 2019 did promise to reactivate his contacts, after his very successful stint as our Ambassador to South Korea, and returning to the private sector, to bring on board all of them, to ensure that all key players of Sierra Leone’s political system work together for the betterment of the people.

DNT News with Correspondent reports from Malik Abdul Bangura, Freetown

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Africa Needs Stronger Influence On Global Economic Order – Akufo-Addo

 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday advocated for a more inclusive and effective global financial system that meets Africa’s liquidity and debt sustainability needs.

Addressing the 77th annual high-level debate of the United Nations General Assembly, he said the present global economic downturn, which has left many African economies in turmoil, was a pointer that the continent needed a stronger influence on the global economic order.

The high-level General Debates of the UNGA77 opened Tuesday, September 20, 2022 with the theme, “A watershed moment: Transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.” It would end on Monday, September 26.

Reinforcing his point, the President noted that the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the Russian war in Ukraine, had seen inflation rates surging a record four times higher in several African countries, including Ghana, making the cost of food very unaffordable, especially for the urban poor.

“Moreover, the spillover from central banks raising interest rates to combat inflation has been severe beyond borders, as global investors pull money out of developing economies to invest in bonds in the developed world.

“This has led to depreciating currencies and increased borrowing costs; meaning we need to raise and spend more of our own currencies to service our foreign debts in US dollars.”

President Akufo-Addo pointed out that making matters worse, was credit rating agencies that had been “quick to downgrade economies in Africa, making it harder to service our debts.”

He emphasised that the international financial architecture was skewed significantly against developing and emerging economies like Ghana, saying, “the tag of Africa as an investment risk is little more than, in substance, a self-fulfilling prophecy created by the prejudice of the international money market, which denies us access to cheaper borrowing, pushing us deeper into debts.”

“It has become clear, if ever there was any doubt, that the international financial structure is skewed significantly against developing and emerging economies like Ghana… The avenues that are opened to powerful nations to enable them take measures that would ease pressures on their economies are closed to small nations.

“The financial markets have been set up and operate on rules designed for the benefit of rich and powerful nations, and, during times of crisis, the façade of international co-operation, under which they purport to operate, disappears.

“These are the savage lessons that we have had to take in, as the world emerged from the grip of the coronavirus to energy and food price hikes, and a worldwide rise in the cost of living. The necessity for reform of the system is compelling,” he stressed.

Touching on the theme of the 77th session, President Akufo-Addo stated: “We do not have the luxury of being able to pick and choose which big problem to solve.

None of them can wait; the economic turbulence requires urgent and immediate solution; the turmoil and insecurity in many parts of the world require urgent attention; and so does the need to tackle the problems posed by climate change.”

“A watershed moment, indeed, it is, and history will judge us harshly if we do not seize the opportunity to make the changes that will enable us deal with the many problems we face,” he told the gathering.

Many of the speakers at the Assembly focused their debates on the war in Ukraine, the soaring energy and food prices, climate action and ending COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: GNA

 

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Beauty Influencer, 18, Facing Six Years In Russian Jail Because She ‘Stands Out Too Much’ On Instagram

 A popular beauty influencer has been threatened with a six-year jail sentence for using Instagram in Russia.

Veronika Loginova, 18, who runs a beauty and fashion account, has been accused of “extremist activity”. According to the influencer, two state prosecutors called at her home claiming she “stands out too much”.

In a post to her followers, the influencer said: “This can now happen to anyone in Russia.

“Any day prosecutors can come to your house. I never touched politics and now I face six years in jail for running an Instagram account.” Beauty influencer, 18, facing six years in Russian jail because she Veronika was accused of “extremism” by “performing actions to attract users to social networks Facebook and Instagram”.

She said: “I am going to get to the bottom of it and to cover it here. Thankfully, I have the support from people who understand that this is not normal.

“This is totally f****d up, and I want as many people as possible to know about this story. And while we don’t speak about such things, I will still speak.”

A Moscow court banned Instagram and Facebook in March during a crackdown on western social media giants.

Meta, the parent company which owns Facebook and Instagram, was classed as “extremist” in response to the company’s relaxing of hate-speech towards Russian soldiers.

Russia has now created its own version of the app called Rossgram, after the ban left influencers in tears.

 

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