Addis Ababa: The Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has today urged African leaders to strengthen cooperation between Africa and Brazil across various sectors to achieve mutual progress and address global challenges.

Speaking at the opening of African Union Summit in Addis Ababa today, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said ”over 200 million Brazilians recognize themselves as Afro-descent.”

The President emphasized the need for Africans and Brazilians to forge their own path in the emerging international order and create a new global governance system to tackle contemporary challenges.

We, Africans and Brazilians, need to design our own path in the international order that is now emerging. We need to create a new global governance capable of confronting the challenges of our time.”

The President highlighted that the era of minimum state intervention is no longer effective, stressing the importance of agricultural and industrial development in public policies worldwide.

He also emphasized the sign
ificance of the digital and energy transitions, which require government incentives and guidance.

Lula acknowledged the undeniable progress of the BRICS alliance in networking emerging countries and emphasized the crucial role of developing countries in addressing global crises, particularly those that disproportionately affect the poorest and migrants.

Furthermore, the President rejected the notion that the solution to global challenges lies with extreme right-wing ideologies and emphasized the need for inclusive social projects that ensure prosperity, freedom, democracy, and sovereignty for all.

The President expressed the need for a strengthened United Nations, including a Security Council with greater representation from African and Latin American countries.

The President acknowledged Africa’s immense potential, pledging Brazil’s commitment to grow alongside the continent. He highlighted Brazil’s efforts to restore political and economic sovereignty, promote participatory democracy, combat hunger and
poverty, and provide inclusive education.

The President also expressed willingness to collaborate with Africa in areas such as food production, renewable energy, healthcare, and environmental protection, particularly in safeguarding the Amazon and Congo tropical forests.

To advance these initiatives, the President proposed the establishment of an advanced cooperation post with the African Union.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will outdoor his campaign team next week, all things being equal.

The Party’s General-Secretary, Mr Justin Koduah Frimpong, Saturday said the Flagbearer had clear vision for the nation, hence, he wasted no time to announce his policy direction just a few months after being elected as the presidential candidate.

‘Just look at the NDC Flagbearer former President John Mahama…has he come out with his policy direction after a year of being elected flagbearer?,’ he asked.

Mr Koduah Frimpong announced this during the acclamation of Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor as the parliamentary candidate of Damongo in the Savannah Region on Saturday.

The party learnt bitter lessons in the 2020 primary, therefore, it did not entertain imposition of parliamentary candidates on constituencies in the recent primary.

He was, therefore, hopeful that the free and fair internal party elections would yield fruitful results in the December 7 polls.

Mr Koduah Frimpong called for
unity among the rank and file of the party to ensure resounding victory in December, saying; ‘A divided front can never win an election’.

The acclamation ceremony also saw the launch of the Damongo Constituency and the Savannah Region campaigns of the Party for the 2024 Election.

Mr Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, over the past four years, had impacted his constituents with infrastructure projects and social interventions to alleviate poverty among his people.

For instance, he facilitated the construction of an astroturf, a community centre, 15-kilometre asphalt road, 15 community boreholes and provided educational materials to the pupils.

The MP also paid the tuition fees of 300 students from the constituency enrolled in some tertiary institutions across the country, while providing financial and technical support to women groups engaged in small and medium-scale enterprises to expand their businesses.

The parliamentary candidate of the NPP called for unity among the party’s rank a
nd file and said with unity and tenacity of purpose, they could retain the seat with a bigger margin on December 7.

Mr Jinapor, in his acceptance speech, said Dr Bawumia had vision for the nation that aligned with the fourth Industrial Revolution – ICT and digitisation – which the world’s economy was gearing towards.

He criticized the NDC Flagbearer for failure to resolve the power outages during his presidency and asked how far the much touted ’24-hour economy’ policy could go in support of Ghanaians.

Alhaji Adam Briamah, the Constituency Chairman, said the party would work very hard to win in all the 86 polling centres across the constituency.

He pledged his total support for the parliamentary candidate and the Party’s flagbearer to secure victory come December.

Alhaji Sulemana Iddrisu, the Regional Chairman of the Party, gave the assurance that the NPP would increase the margin of votes in the constituency from 2,300 recorded in 2020 to 7,000 or more in this year’s polls.

Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng,
Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Francis Asenso Boakye, the Minister-designate for Roads and Highways, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, the Minister designate for Information and Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril, the Savannah Regional Minister were among the dignitaries at the event.

Source: Ghana News Agency