Latest news with #West Africa
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Ghana dey investigate how thousands of weapons take 'vanish' from military hand
Defence minister for Ghana don order investigation into how thousands of military ammunition don "miss or disappear" bifor di kontris December 2024 elections. Dr Edward Omane Boamah bin tok during di govment accountability series on Monday say "we don keep di kontri safe and stable even though dem bin transfer thousands of guns from di Armed Forces to di national security agency for 2024." Im tok say di national security secretariat neva fit account for di guns wey don dey raise questions about di whole transfer and why di national security go need thousands of guns when dem neva get active fighting force. "Di reality na say till now, those ammunitions still no dey accounted for." Dr Omane Boamah tok journalists say "di Ghana Armed forces don pass di mata to di national security secretariat say make dey chook eye for di matter sake of na dem bin collect di guns." Ghana President John Mahama first tok dis mata about guns wey don dey for di hand of plenty pipo for di kontri during im state of di nation address for 27 February 2025. Im tell parliament say "I wan promise say we dey committed to build our democracy especially given di troubling proliferation of military-grade weapons wey bin fall into di hands of unauthorized pipo under di former govment." President Mahama bin add say, "dis weapons dey pose ogbonge wahala to our national security wey e don dey scata di safety of all Ghanaians wey e fit pour fire for conflicts wey dey happun for parts of di kontri and armed robbery." Five months since di president don tok di mata, dem still neva find di weapons. Di defence ministry tok say dem bin confam say di weapons bin comot di Ghana Armed forces armoury without due process. "Di Ghana armed forces bin get protocols wia dem suppose use to transfer any asset to any oda agency for wetin dem wan carry do," di Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi tell local network TV3 for Monday night. Im bin explain say, "dem no follow dis protocols and procedures wen di thousands of ammunitions bin dey transferred to di national security agency, dem no get any documents wey dey cover dis transfer." According to di deputy minister, govment neva fit get answers about wia dis weapons bin dey till now, and wetin dem carry di weapons go do bifor elections. Di national security now begin dey chook eye for di mata well well. Meanwhile, one former deputy defence minister for di Nana Akufo-Addo govment tok say im dey find am "absurd say di minister go run to di public to tok some of dis matter." According to oga Kofi Amankwah-Manu, "e no be difficult tin to sabi wia a gun or ammunition bin go, who carry am and wetin dem carry am do." Sabi pipo don tok say dis tin na ogbonge mata wey e fit be say dis guns bin find dia way into di hands of wrong pipo. One sabi pesin Oga Richard Kumadoe describe di mata as "too absurd for us a kontri", - e say di investigation get to be proper investigation. "Di bureau of national investigation (BNI) get to be di pipo wey fit chook eye well well and find di facts and wia di weapons don vanish to." Im tell BBC pidgin say, "inside di security intelligence environment, we bin dey deal wit wetin we call command and control, na so at any point, whatever dem bin move and whatever dem don receive within di chain of activity, somebody get to dey responsible, dem get to hold somebody accountable for dis." "E fit be say dem don sell di weapons wey bin disappear for di black market or dem take take pipo wey don dey involve for illegal mining or even political party vigilantes, to find dem na critical" oga Kumadoe tok BBC pidgin. Ghana bin dey battle chieftaincy conflict wey bin last for many decades for parts of di kontri. Recently, sabi pipo bin tok say gun violence, mystery killings and robberies don dey hapun plenty, sometin wey bin dey keep di Inspector general of police (IGP) awake at night. Oga Christian Tetteh Yohuno for April dis year bin appeal to youth wey don dey fight for Bawku to "law dia arms". Wit terror threats and oda activities of jihadist along some of di kontris border communities, sabi pipo want ogbonge security for di kontris land, air and sea ports.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
The night divers seeking sea cucumbers and profits off West Africa's coast
In search of delicacies and profits off West Africa's coast. Omolade Jones with a sea cucumber [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Omolade Jones with a sea cucumber [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Banana Islands, Sierra Leone - As the sun dips below the horizon, Emmanuel Pratt tugs a worn cord and the outboard engine sputters to life. His wooden canoe, painted in white and faded blue, cuts through the darkening waters. Fruit bats screech overhead. Pratt, 35, is a seasoned sea cucumber diver from the Banana Islands - an archipelago home to about 500 people in Sierra Leone. For 15 years, he has made a living scouring the ocean floor for these creatures that resemble warty, oversized sea slugs. They hide in the silt by day and emerge at night to inch across the ocean floor, gobbling up decomposing matter. Also on the canoe, 25-year-old Omolade Jones - sweating in a half-zipped-up wetsuit - perches on the edge of the boat and gazes out at the dark water. After 10 minutes, the younger diver gestures at Pratt to cut the engine and readies himself to dive. Jones blows on his mask, grabs an underwater torch and wraps a breathing hose around his waist. The seabed surrounding the small, jungle-coated archipelago used to teem with sea cucumbers. Nowadays, they are scarce and scattered. Freediving is no longer an option. Pratt and Jones have to dive deeper, for longer, to find their catch. They have turned to 'hookah diving' - a makeshift system where air is pumped from a diesel-powered generator on the boat down through a plastic hose. It is a risky and fragile lifeline. The engines are often old and the air is easily contaminated by diesel fumes. And experts say it is much more dangerous than scuba or free diving. As the diesel engine that powers his air supply rattles in the boat, Jones quietly slips over the edge into the black water. The yellow hose trails behind him as he swims away from the canoe. Minutes later, his torch lights up a column of water above the seabed. Pratt sits in the canoe, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes fixed on the spot where Jones's light is. 'The cucumbers are running out,' he says glumly. While they used to haul in dozens of buckets of sea cucumbers a night, now they struggle to find a handful. Pratt says the divers rarely make more than $40 on a dive - barely enough to cover the costs of fuel or to hire some of the diving equipment. Not long after Jones exits the boat, he flashes his torch to signal that he is ready to swim back in. When he reaches the canoe, he hoists himself up on the side with his forearms. In one hand, he holds the torch, in the other, a small, brown sea cucumber. Pratt takes his turn and disappears into the dark water. He surfaces a while later with a sea cucumber. But the divers are unimpressed. After a couple of hours at sea, they head back to the mooring with a meagre catch of just three specimens. Overhead, the almost-full moon casts a white sheen over the water and dimly illuminates the way home. Emmanuel Pratt walks down to the harbour before a dive [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Emmanuel Pratt walks down to the harbour before a dive [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] While they may not be much to look at, sea cucumbers are prized as a delicacy in China and other parts of Asia. They are served up at banquets or on festive occasions. A single kilogram (2.2lb) of the dried isostichopus maculatus maculatus variety found in Sierra Leone sells for up to $1,237 in marketplaces in Hong Kong, according to Steven Purcell, a professor in marine science at Southern Cross University in Australia. In recent years, demand for sea cucumbers has also been buoyed by Asia's wellness industry. Extracts of the animal are now a common ingredient in health supplements and face creams, which are sold across China, Japan and South Korea. Rich in zinc and collagen, sea cucumbers are purported to boost heart health, cure urinary tract infections and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Chinese folklore also holds that they are an aphrodisiac, due to their phallic shape and the way they stiffen and expel their entrails when threatened. But Asia's appetite for the animals is pushing global stocks to the brink and quietly damaging the marine ecosystem. Sea cucumbers play a vital role in recycling decomposing matter, turning it into nutrient-rich sediment that helps aerate the seabed. This improves the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds. 'Since the 1980s, sea cucumbers have been plundered in seas across the world, sought after by Asian traders,' says Purcell. 'We are seeing clear signs of severe overfishing from underwater surveys of the animals.' The Banana Islands are no exception. Ever since two Chinese traders showed up in 2010 to source and export sea cucumbers, locals say overfishing has decimated local stocks. If only divers had been trained to fish them sustainably - diving seasonally and collecting just the mature ones - then stocks might still be healthy, says Stephen Akester, an adviser on West African fisheries for the World Bank. If this were the case, then divers like Pratt might have been able to rely on sea cucumbers to provide them with a steady income stream over several decades. As it stands, nowadays, he can barely find enough to make a living. Pratt holds two boiled sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Pratt holds two boiled sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Islanders began searching for sea cucumbers 15 years ago. This was when two traders - Chinese men known to islanders as Mr Cham and Mr Lee - turned up on Banana Islands. At that point, sea cucumber stocks across Asia were already badly depleted and businesspeople were searching further afield for the precious marine commodity. Cham and Lee introduced themselves to the then-island chief, Georgiana Campbell, showed her a photograph of a sea cucumber, and asked if she had ever seen one. Campbell, now retired, remembers the moment vividly. 'We used to see them under the rocks all the time,' she says, lounging on her porch with her grandson. 'But we didn't know they were worth anything.' She remembers calling over some fishermen to take a look at the picture. They confirmed that they often caught the animals in their nets and would just toss them back to sea. 'They were polite, because they wanted something,' Campbell says, referring to Cham and Lee. 'They came with all kinds of promises.' A few days later, the men apparently returned with a third associate, an American called "Mr Coleston", to help finalise the deal. In return for letting them harvest the sea cucumbers, the traders promised residents that they would bring solar energy to the island and dig two new water wells. They would also add an extension to the local school and build a community centre, they said. But none of the promises were kept. 'All they ever gave us were 10 bags of cement,' Campbell says - intended, she adds, for the community centre that never got built. A diver fixes his nets [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] A diver fixes his nets [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Today, Banana Islands has no running water nor a connection to the electricity grid. A few households have installed solar panels, but most people cannot afford them and rely on flickering, battery-powered torches after dark. Like 60 percent of those living in rural Sierra Leone, the majority of Banana Islands residents live on less than $2 a day. 'The Chinese men used us, all of us,' Pratt grumbles. Cham and Lee had also promised to train local fishermen like him to dive for sea cucumbers, he says. In return for gathering the animals and delivering them to the mainland, they promised fair wages and regular medical check-ups. But 15 years on, Pratt suffers from persistent chills and body aches he suspects are linked to the work he does. He says he only received one medical check-up. With no savings, he can barely afford to see a doctor on the mainland. The divers also say they were ripped off by the foreign businessmen, who paid them just $0.90 per kg (2.2lb) of raw sea cucumbers. But even with meagre wages, they could still earn a living at the start, as they hauled in such a vast quantity of sea cucumbers. They sometimes collected 60kg (130lb) a night while freediving. This method was also cheaper as it required less gear. Yet as the animals grew scarce, it became much harder to make ends meet. It was only several years later, once Cham and Lee had returned to China, that other traders turned up and offered better prices. Men from China, as well as Lebanon and Sierra Leone, came to buy sea cucumbers. One Chinese trader taught the divers to process their catch, increasing their profits. Jones and Pratt now sell 1kg (2.2lb) of dried, processed sea cucumbers for about $40. They usually take their catch to a handful of traders in Tombo, a nearby fishing village. They sometimes deliver the sea cucumbers to a Chinese casino in Freetown, where they are either exported or served up in the adjoining restaurant. While the traders got rich, the divers did not. 'Cham was the main man who extracted a huge quantity of sea cucumbers from Sierra Leone,' says Woody Koroma, public relations officer for the country's Artisanal Fisherman Union. 'He became very rich.' Houses in Dublin village, Banana Islands [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Houses in Dublin village, Banana Islands [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] The Banana Islands - which reportedly got their name because the Portuguese who landed there in 1462 thought they resembled a bunch of bananas - consist of two small inhabited islets connected by a stone causeway and one uninhabited island. They were once the site of a slave prison, held at different points throughout the 18th century by the British and Portuguese. Traces of their brutal past linger. A collection of moss-covered stones marks the site of a former slave fort, once capable of holding up to 2,000 people. Nearby, two rusted cannons bearing the British crown overlook one of the island's largest coves. Dublin is the largest of the islets. In the main village, a cluster of weathered clapboard houses sits in a clearing, surrounded by banana trees and scraggly bushes. The morning after the dive, an elderly man dozes in a green string hammock, hung between two trees, while chickens peck at the ground around him. A short distance away on the edge of the village is Jones's house - a tin-roofed bungalow - where the divers are at work, boiling and salting their catch from the night before. They move methodically through their routine: Pratt stands by an open stove, a tub of salt in one hand, while a saucepan of water boils beside him; Jones fans the flames with pieces of cardboard. In a plastic bucket, nearby, three sea cucumbers await processing. After boiling and salting them, the divers leave the sea cucumbers to dry in the sun. Processing the catch not only preserves it and makes it easier to export, but also drives up Pratt and Jones's profit margins - they can now deliver the final product to the traders. 'Ten years ago, we didn't know the real price of the sea cucumber,' Pratt says, 'We never knew their value.' Jones boils sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Jones boils sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Banana Islands divers are not the only ones feeling the effects of the sea cucumber decline - the nearby reef lies lifeless and grey. 'The sea cucumber is the dustman of the sea,' says Akester. 'They eat all the algae on the reef. When a coral reef runs out of sea cucumber, it dies. That's what's happened off Banana Islands.' Sadly, the damage is not limited to local reefs. Across Sierra Leone's waters, Akester says, the marine environment is under increasing pressure. Industrial trawlers from South Korea, China, and, more recently, Turkiye and Egypt, have fished along the continental shelf where fish spawn. Certain species like the yellow croaker, once plentiful, are starting to disappear. Turkish trawlers are targeting small pelagic fish, including mackerel and sardines, which the local fisheries depend on. 'There are fewer fish than before,' Suleiman Seaport, a 40-year-old fisherman, confirms. 'We don't eat other meat - fish is what our families survive on.' Up to 80 percent of Sierra Leoneans do not have enough food, according to the UNWFP. For the majority of the population, fish is the most affordable, and often the only, source of protein. Banana Islands [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Banana Islands [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] When Pratt isn't diving for sea cucumbers, he relies on spearfishing. But, these days, even that catch is small, partly as a result of overfishing trawlers. His house in Dublin village was built eight years ago, with cash from his early sea cucumber earnings. Back then, stocks were still abundant. Now, the brick bungalow is starting to crumble. The roof, which has been patched up with blue tarpaulins, is leaking badly, and the leather sofas have been ruined by rainwater. The walls, once covered in a bright lick of blue paint, are now faded and smudged. As the rainy season approaches, Pratt worries that the roof will not hold. 'I want to repair my place, but I don't have the money,' he says, exhaling cigarette smoke as he perches on the edge of a battered sofa. Later on, he adds: 'They promised us many things, but they are liars,' referring to the foreign businessmen who broke their word to the community. For generations, Sierra Leone has been a site foreigners came to for resources - from diamonds, purchased by big companies which helped fund rebel groups during the civil war, to precious rosewood felled by mainly Chinese traders, and iron ore mined by UK companies. Further back, the country was a huge hub for British and Portuguese slave traders. For locals, the short-lived sea cucumber boom on Banana Islands echoes a wider trend in Sierra Leone's history: As trawlers and opportunistic traders plunder the seas, the country's natural wealth once again goes to enrich outsiders. Meanwhile, locals are left with less to eat and fewer ways to earn a living. Meanwhile, divers are trying to build on new dreams. 'I am becoming a musician,' Jones says, before playing a sample of his latest recording on his phone. His voice is layered over a catchy, Afrobeats-style rhythm. 'I have talent, I want to do that instead.' Jones in the water diving for sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera] Jones in the water diving for sea cucumbers [Olivia Acland/Al Jazeera]
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
WAEC speak on report of cancellation of 2025 exam
Di West African Examination Council (Waec) say report say dem cancel all di papers for di just concluded West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) 2025 no be true. WAEC say dem see news wia one supposed press statement wey dey fly up and down for social media dey claim say di federal ministry of education don cancel di examination sake of 'examination malpractice, leaked exam papers and unauthorised spread of exam materials.' Di WASSCE 2025 papers bin take place few months back and during dat time, some conversation about malpractice bin come up. For May 2025, students write di English Language paper 2 essay exam for di WAEC examination late into di night on Wednesday 28 May, 2025 wia parents say dem no happy wit dat kain development. Dat particular paper suppose take place for afternoon but na for late for night dem write di paper. Now, WAEC say dem no get hand for di press statemen wey dey spread for 19 July 2025 about cancelling di papers sake of exam malpractice and oda mago-mago. WAEC cancel di 2025 WASSCE paper? WAEC don come out to debunk di tori say dem no cancel di 2025 WASSCE papers wey students just write few months ago. According to di statement by Moyosola Adesina wey be di head of WAEC Public Affairs department, e say di fake press statement on di cancellation of di examination no be from dem. "We neva cancel di examination. Though we no sabi di source of dat information, di Council dey certain say di false claim dey spread from mischief-makers wey wan bring di Council into bad image." Waec say di pipo wey dey spread di fake news wan cause confusion for di candidates wey sit for di examination. Wen WAEC go release 2025 WASSCE? WAEC say dem don begin dey mark di examination scripts and don conclude am. According to dem, di 2025 WASSCE results na di next tin dem dey ready to release as dem don finish wit di marking of scripts. WAEC say WASSCE results go dey ready and dem go release am for August 2025. "As a matter of fact, we don conclude di marking of scripts of dis examination. Results go dey released on or bifor Monday 4 August 2025." Pipo wey dey mark WAEC scripts na examiners wey be sabi pipo for di education sector wey sabi classroom work well-well. WAEC go set up Committee of experts wey go come up wit marking guide, den drill all di appointed examiners well-well on all aspects of di marking scheme for one marking exercise wey dem dey call co-ordination. Na how WAEC dey pick dia examiners be dat and na dat same process dem take mark di 2025 WASSCE. Dis no be di first time wen pipo dey tok about exam malpractice for WAEC and di results. For 2023, results of 262, 803 candidates wey write di 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) dey withheld, according to wetin di council tok. WAEC say di plenty results wey dem dey hold na those of candidates wey involve for examination malpractice and oda mago-mago. Di 262, 803 results wey dem hold na out of di 1,613,733 candidates wey sidon write di 2023 exam. For may 2025, WAEC for dia statement bin apologise to students for di delay in di exams wen dem write into di night. Dem acknowledge say dem get some challenges during di conduct of WASSCE for School Candidate, 2025 wey include delay in di timely conduct of English Language Paper 2 dem write on Wednesday 28 May, 2025. Dem say dem face some challenges primarily sake of dia major aim to prevent leakage of any paper, na why di paper happun for night. Offence wey count as exam malpractice for WAEC Wetin to know about WAEC? Di West African Examination Council, na international exam for senior secondary school student wey dey happun every year. Kontris wey dey write WAEC na, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Na for 1952 dem establish am. According to information on top dia website, di vision of di West African Examinations Council na to be a world-class examining body wey dey add value to di educational goals of im stakeholders. WAEC na West Africa ogbonge examining board wey dey established by law. Dia work na to set, conduct di examinations and to award certificates wey dey comparable to dat of equivalent examining authorities internationally for di English-speaking West African kontris,.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Valaris Gets Target Bump from Citi as Offshore Execution Holds Steady
Valaris is one of the best oil drilling stocks according to hedge funds, backed by a recent rating adjustment from Wall Street. On July 11, Citigroup maintained a Neutral rating on the stock but raised its price target from $47 to $50. The move signals growing confidence in Valaris's ability to navigate the offshore cycle, even as conditions remain mixed. Analyst Scott Gruber pointed to Valaris's modern fleet and a strong slate of recent contract wins as key reasons for the target bump. He noted that while macro softness is still weighing on day rates, Valaris's utilization trends and operational execution offer a base for potential upside once pricing firms. Oil platform Valaris (NYSE: VAL) is a pure-play offshore driller with a global fleet of high-spec drillships, semisubmersibles, and jackups. The company serves deepwater markets across the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, West Africa, and the Middle East, with most of its revenue tied directly to drilling operations. While we acknowledge the potential of VAL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Ghana central bank notes economic recovery but takes no action at emergency MPC
ACCRA, July 18 (Reuters) - Ghana's central bank said on Friday that an emergency meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday had considered whether to take immediate action but held off until a regular meeting later this month. The bank noted in a statement that a broad range of macroeconomic indicators had improved as the West African country emerges from its most severe economic crisis in decades. "Inflation expectations are broadly anchored, external buffers have strengthened, and confidence in the economy is returning," the bank's statement said. "The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to support the recovery process without compromising the gains achieved so far." The regular MPC meeting will take place from July 28 to 30, with a policy decision announced at its conclusion. Ghana's economic growth accelerated in the first quarter and inflation (GHCPIY=ECI), opens new tab dropped to its lowest level since December 2021 in June. The bank's statement noted the disinflation, the first-quarter growth rate, a good performance by the external sector, rising international reserves and a stronger local currency. The cedi is up more than 40% against the dollar so far this year. The central bank also said the global economic environment remained uncertain, with weakening global growth momentum and tight financing conditions.
