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Kofi Awoonor, 67 Others Killed In Kenya Attack
One of Ghana’s foremost authors, Professor Kofi Awoonor, was among 67 people shot dead in Saturday’s terrorist attack at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
One of Africa’s most extraordinary poets, Awoonor also served in several political roles in Ghana. Until recently, he was the chairman of Ghana’s Council of State.
He was appointed to the Council of State by the late President John Atta-Mills and in 2009 was elected to chair that advisory body.
A source at the Ghana High Commission in Nairobi confirmed Awoonor’s death in the massacre of innocents in Nairobi that has sent shock waves around the world.
A Somali Islamist militant group, Al Shabab, has claimed responsibility for the gruesome attack in which 68 people perished. Many more victims sustained various degrees of critical injuries.
Our source said Awoonor’s son who was with him at the mall also sustained injuries but is currently responding to treatment.
A source at Legon told our correspondent that Awoonor’s death “has put Ghanaians in a big mourning mood. He was a very beloved man, an honorable writer who believed in lifting up all Ghanaians.”
At various times, Awoonor, who was inspired by his country’s most well known nationalist figure, Kwame Nkrumah, also served as Ghana’s ambassador to Cuba, Brazil. From 1990 to 1994, he served as Ghana’s ambassador and permanent representative at the United Nations in New York City, heading the world body’s committee against apartheid.
Awoonor was born on March 13, 1935, educated in Ghana, the University of London, and the United States.
A polyglot and renaissance man, he spoke English, Spanish, French and Portuguese in addition to several Ghanaian languages.
Awoonor held several positions including Head of the Ghana Film Corporation. He taught at universities in the US, the University of Ghana in Legon, and the University of the Cape Coast where he was head of the Department of English.
Awoonor was a gifted writer and passionate promoter of African literature through his critical scholarship. His book of criticism, The Beast of the Earth, is widely regarded as an important foundational text in the appreciation of the links between the oral tradition in Africa and the continent’s modern literary traditions.
In addition to several collections of poetry, Awoonor also authored the highly experimental novel, This Earth, My Brother.
He also wrote his second novel, Comes the Voyager at Last, though not as well known as his first, is regarded by some scholars as an important pioneering fictive work linking Africa and its New World Diaspora.
As a celebrated author, poet, playwright and educator, Awoonor was known for the range of references in his literary work.
His poetry reflected a deeply Afrocentric perspective rooted in his Ewe cultural identity and integrated with contemporary religious symbolism and Western literary devices. His works, especially his poetry, were once widely studied at by students taking their General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations in English-speaking West African countries.
Our source said he was not aware whether Awoonor was on an official mission in Kenya.
The government of Ghana has issued a statement describing his death as tragic.
Ghanaian President John Mahama also sent a message of condolence to the Awoonor family in which he assured them of his government’s determination to get to the bottom of the matter.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the attack.
No fewer than 68 persons had been confirmed killed by gunmen who stormed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital last Saturday.
Joseph Lenku, the Kenyan cabinet Secretary for Interior Ministry confirmed the figure while addressing journalists yesterday, saying 175 other persons were injured during the attacks and were receiving treatment at various hospitals across the city.
The cabinet secretary said an unknown number of persons were still being held hostage by the attackers, while more than 1,000 others, including foreign nationals had be evacuated from the mall.
He, however, gave the assurance that security agents were on top of the situation and urged Kenyans to remain calm as efforts were being intensified to rescue the hostages.
However, the Chairperson of the AU Commission (AUC), Dr Dlamini Zuma, has condemned what she described as “dastardly terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in a Nairobi shopping mall” which claimed many lives.
The condemnation is contained in a statement issued by the AUC Directorate of Information and Communication, made available to newsmen yesterday in Addis Ababa.
The statement noted that “this cowardly attack once again underlines the imperative for renewed and reinvigorated efforts to combat terrorism on the continent.’’
It quoted Zuma as reiterating the AUC commitment to work with AU member states and partners “to end all forms of terror attacks on innocent lives in different parts of the continent.’’
It also quoted the AUC chairperson as expressing the commission’s solidarity to the government and people of Kenya and condoling with families of the victims, and wished the injured speedy recovery.
The statement expressed the commission’s commitment to sustain efforts in countering terrorism throughout the continent, as well as pursue efforts to stabilise the situation in Somalia and other crises areas in Africa.
It would be recalled that the Red Cross on Saturday confirmed that 30 persons were instantly killed when gunmen stormed the West gate Mall in Nairobi, while more than 60 others were injured in attack.
However, yesterday, the Red Cross confirmed that the Nairobi shopping mall death toll has reached 68, after nine more bodies were brought out from the building.
Lenku said that the gunmen, numbering 15, are still holding a number of persons hostage in the building.
He added that more than 1,000 persons, including some foreign nationals, had so far been rescued between Saturday and the early hours of Sunday.
The secretary said the attackers had been isolated and were being monitored through the CCTV, while security agencies had cordoned off the mall in an effort to rescue the remaining victims being held by the attackers in the building.
He gave the assurance that security agencies were in total control of the situation and were planning on the best possible way to rescue those being held by the attackers.
He confirmed that one of the suspects had been arrested but declined further comments, saying “disclosing the details will jeopardise the efforts of the security agents.’’
He commended the efforts of the Red Cross and others involved in the rescue operations as he confirmed that many people had donated blood to the victims receiving treatment in the hospitals.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.