Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu's new name for Akufo-Addo Ghana President ‘mother of serpent corruption’

 “Mother serpent of corruption” a phrase which until the late afternoon of Friday, November 27 was uncommon to some Ghanaians, has become the most used phrase on social media since Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu used it in his second address to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Amidu, a lawyer with admirable writing skills combined to perfection, the law language and the ‘normal English’ language, in which he slapped the tag of ‘mother of serpent corruption’ on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Amidu said that he used to be a disciple of President Akufo-Addo but after working in his administration as the lead figure in the anti-corruption battle, he has come to the realization that the president is not as committed to the course as he perceived.

He furthered that he was shocked that Nana Akufo-Addo whom he trusted as the ‘Moses of anti-corruption,’ turned out to be ‘the mother serpent of corruption.

“When I met the President on 23rd October 2020, I received the shock of my life when he demanded that I took no further action on the Agyapa royalties transaction anti-corruption assessment report for another week. That was when it was divinely revealed to me that the President whom I trusted so much for integrity only looked like the innocent flower of anti-corruption but he was really the mother corruption serpent under the innocent-looking flower," he added.

The ex-Special Prosecutor literally identified President Akufo-Addo and his Finance Minister as the brains behind the Agyapa deal which he discovered to be the greatest corruption plot in the history of the country.

“I can now say as a citizen of Ghana on the basis of the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transaction reports that the transaction was suspiciously conceived by the Minister of Finance and the Presidency and implemented to serve only a few persons within the NPP,” he said.

The use of the phrase by Amidu has resulted in its popularity on social media as Ghanaians and party supporters express divergent views on the matter.

Most of the people  have snakes with the president’s head on it to depict the image Martin Amidu intends to create with that description of the president on social media.

Global Vaccine Alliance Tackles Upset on COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new barriers to routine immunisation around the world, putting millions of children at risk of a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, warns the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI).

Over the last 20 years GAVI and its partners have vaccinated more than 760 million children in 70 countries, saving the lives of more than 13 million.

But in celebrating World Immunisation Week, the worry is that millions of children would be missing out on vaccines against measles, diphtheria and polio.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, measles, polio and other vaccines were out of reach for 20 million children below the age of one every year.

Given the current disruptions, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that this could lead to disastrous outbreaks in 2020 and well beyond.

GAVI estimates that at least 21 low- and middle-income countries, are already reporting vaccine shortages as a result of border closures and disruptions to travel.

So far, 14 vaccination campaigns supported by GAVI against polio, measles, cholera, human papillomavirus, yellow fever and meningitis have been postponed, which would have immunised more than 13 million people.

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said this week: “The tragic reality is that children will die as a result.”

GAVI has set an ambitious goal to immunise 300 million more children with 18 vaccines by 2025 and to attain this the organisation is looking to raise US$7.4 billion in its upcoming third replenishment that has been scheduled for June.

Dr Tedros said: “We call on the global community to ensure GAVI is fully funded for this life-saving work.

“This is not a cost, it’s an investment that pays a rich dividend in lives saved.
“Just as immunisation has been disrupted in some countries, so have services for many other diseases that afflict the poorest and most vulnerable people – including malaria.

“Immunisation is one of the greatest success stories in the history of global health,” he said, adding: “More than 20 diseases can be prevented with vaccines.”

Dr Richard Sezibera, a former Minister of Health in Rwanda, and a long-serving member of the GAVI Board explained in an Op-Ed for the Africa Briefing website earlier this month: “Now more than ever, the need to bring together public and private sectors in strengthening our healthcare systems is being shown.

“With GAVI, this kind of collaboration has been going on for 20 years and is still going strong with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children and persons all around the world.”

Dr Sezibera, who is also Chair of GAVI’s Programme and Policy Committee, said this year’s replenishment was “seeking to build on the historic gains it has made with governments and other partners”.

He added: “We will need to step up with even more.
“Commitments are needed towards increased domestic financing and for recognition of the critical role of vaccines to primary healthcare in Africa, at least for the next period of 2021-2025.”

GAVI said that immunisation campaigns required “a coordinated approach that factors in the unique challenges of each country”.

It added: “For example, in areas with densely populated urban settlements, there may be challenges with communicating the importance of vaccines, so social mobilisation activities are required.

“Conversely, many GAVI-supported countries have very remote regions that demand a new approach to vaccine delivery, like using autonomous drones to efficiently deliver medical supplies.”

The alliance said it was making “health system strengthening grants more flexible to allow countries to reallocate funding towards their COVID-19 response, as well as working with our partners to continue immunisation campaigns where possible”.

“The immunisation infrastructure that GAVI has helped build over the past two decades is also being used to help fight the pandemic,” the organisation said.

Local businesses appeal to government support to them in this challenges time of Covid-19

Ghanaian businesses called on the government to focus on protecting them from irreversible losses.

Recounting their new reality on Joy News’ current affairs programme, PM Express, on Tuesday, four business executives said although the government has shown commendable support since the business disruptions caused by the pandemic set in, there is room for improvement.

The Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), a federation of private business in Ghana, urged the government to be proactive in drawing up policies that emphasises support for local businesses.