Former Beninese finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, has been officially sworn in as president of Benin on Sunday, succeeding his predecessor and former boss, Patrice Talon.

Wadagni, a 49-year-old economist widely regarded as a technocrat and continuity candidate for Talon’s administration, won the April 12 presidential election with 94 per cent of the vote.

His only challenger, Paul Hounkpe, was overwhelmingly defeated, while Hounkpe’s party later aligned with Wadagni’s political camp in parliament.

“I will serve Benin with integrity, courage and commitment.

“I will serve with the constant knowledge that power is never a personal privilege,” he said.

Wadagni assumes office at a time when Benin has recorded strong economic growth over the last decade but continues to grapple with inequality and insecurity in its northern region due to attacks linked to jihadist groups.

His inauguration also marks the beginning of a seven-year presidential term following a constitutional amendment last year that extended the tenure from five years. Presidents remain limited to a maximum of two terms.

During his decade-long tenure as finance minister, Wadagni oversaw fiscal reforms that reduced Benin’s budget deficit to three per cent of GDP.

He also pledged to confront security threats in northern Benin, particularly attacks attributed to the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

“Benin will not give in to fear nor complacency. The government will be firm against all those who threaten our unity and security,” he said.

The new president is also expected to work toward improving relations with neighbouring junta-led states, including Niger and Burkina Faso.

In a sign of warming ties, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine attended the inauguration ceremony and received applause from attendees.

The Guardian

Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, has appealed to the Chinese media to use their medium to promote Ghana.

Ghana, he said, boasts of several business opportunities, therefore if the Chinese media take keen interest in Ghanaian issues, it would help attract investors from China to Ghana.

“The Chinese media institutions should henceforth partner with the Ghana Embassy in promoting trade and investment opportunities in both of our sister countries for growth.

“There are potential for growth in various sectors such as infrastructure, clean energy, Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), healthcare, minerals processing and agriculture,” Mr. Bonsu pointed out.

He was speaking when the Ghana Embassy in China recently hosted a press soiree in Beijing, which was graced by a number of prominent media institutions in China.

The programme was mainly used to promote Ghana’s upcoming 69th independence anniversary celebrations and also highlight investent opportunities in the country.

Kojo Bonsu, who is a former Kumasi Mayor, said Ghana is the safest, friendly and best country for any investor to do business, urging Chinese businessmen to heed his advice.

According to him, Ghana is a democratic nation, which has conducive atmosphere for businesses to flourish, stressing his desire to work and improve Ghana-China relations.

“Ghana is committed to strengthening ties with China. My country is a stable democracy, has business-friendly environment and rich cultural heritage,” Kojo Bonsu stated.

President John Mahama of Ghana has ordered the immediate recall of Mohammed Ahmed, known as Baba Jamal, from his position as the country’s high commissioner to Nigeria over allegations of vote buying in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.

Mahama’s decision was in response to claims that delegates were induced during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries.

Jamal was a candidate in the polls, which he later won.

During the election, Jamal’s campaign team offered 32-inch televisions and boiled eggs to delegates who took part in the primaries.

“So if you give television sets to people, what is wrong with it when you give things to people?” he asked, according to local media JoyOnline.

“Is this the first time I am giving things to people?”

Explaining the reason behind Jamal’s recall, Felix Ofosu, Mahama’s spokesperson, said that while the allegations of vote buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.

“The President has also noted the public statement by the General Secretary of the NDC indicating that the Party has commenced its own investigations into the allegations arising from the primaries,” the statement reads.

“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”

Ofosu said the high commissioner’s recall takes effect immediately, and that directives had been issued to the minister for foreign affairs to take the necessary administrative steps.