“We have a full alert at the port of entry to make sure that those products will not come in. We’ve intensified post-market surveillance throughout the Easter period, we will be going around to check if any has been brought in at all. We will make sure that we collect them all, in what we call a full recall. We will go round all the supermarkets to make sure that there is none,” Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Delese Mimi Darko, told Citi News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JpEoUyri5Q0kCPLe5bw774do0mtGLzDf”]In the last few weeks since Rwanda’s caution on food imports from South Africa, the FDA has warned Ghanaians against purchasing possibly listeriosis infected processed meat products by Enterprise Foods.

The Authority also announced that it would destroy the meat products from Enterprise Foods in Polokwane, South Africa.

The outbreak of listeriosis has been going on since the start of 2017. According to the World Health Organisation, 978 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases have been reported in South Africa between January 1, 2017, and March 14, 2018. 42% of the cases have been neonates who were infected during pregnancy or delivery.

In January, Rwanda warned Ghana to ban the importation of some food products from South Africa to avert the outbreak of listeriosis. Before the warning, Rwanda had already placed a ban on some food products from South Africa.

After the warning, the Ghana’s Ministry of Health assured Ghanaians that it had beefed up surveillance in the country to forestall the outbreak and spread of the disease.

About Listeriosis

Listeriosis is food poisoning that is caused by eating foods contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. In pregnant women, the infection can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, serious infection of the newborn or even stillbirth.

It mainly affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems.

According to the WHO, the outbreak in South Africa is the largest that has been detected worldwide. Due to the potentially long incubation period (one to three weeks and up to 70 days), further cases are expected before the impact of the recall of the affected food products is observed.

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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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They say the calls, made five times a day, have been disturbing residents of the Nyarugenge district, home to the capital’s biggest mosques.

But an official from a Muslim association criticised it, saying they could instead keep the volume down.

Some 1,500 churches have been closed for not complying with building regulations and noise pollution.

The majority of Rwandans are Christian. Muslims make up around 5% of the population.

The government says the Muslim community has complied with the ban.

Analysis: Rwanda’s open secret

Ally Yusuf Mugenzi: Editor of BBC Great Lakes service

To understand the latest round of regulations imposed by Rwandan authorities on religious groups, we have to look back to the 1994 genocide, in which some 800,000 people were killed.

A number of the Roman Catholic churches, where thousands of Tutsis had taken refuge, became killing grounds during the 100-day rampage.

Rwandans lost faith in the powerful institution and gravitated towards Pentecostalism and Islam.

Today’s noise pollution concerns have silenced the loudspeakers on Kigali’s mosques. But it would be wrong to say that Muslims are being targeted. They can still go to mosques and pray five times a day.

The same cannot be said for the Pentecostals.

About 1,500 Pentecostal churches across the country have been closed over the past month, leaving worshippers with nowhere to pray.

This might have something to do with Rwanda’s open secret: the country’s religious denominations are expected to pledge loyalty to the government of long-time President Paul Kagame.

Pentecostal leaders might not be toeing the line.

But the authorities are right to focus on those churches’ disregard for building regulations. Many of them hold noisy services, are badly constructed, situated in residential homes, and are a legitimate health and safety concern.

“I have found that they have begun to respect it and it has not stopped their followers from going to pray according to their praying time,” Havuguziga Charles, a local official from Nyarugenge told the BBC’s Great Lakes service.

This comes as the government continues its clampdown on substandard churches across the East African country.

Most of them were small Pentecostal churches, and one mosque was also closed.

The government says the reason is that some preachers “deceive their congregation with misleading sermons”, AFP reports.

But some preachers have accused the government of trying to control their message to congregants in a country accused by human rights groups of stifling free speech.
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By: BBC

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Most of the victims died instantly when lightning hit the church in the southern district of Nyaruguru, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP.

Two people died from their injuries, and 140 people were rushed to hospital and health centres.

Lightning also killed a student in the area on Friday, the mayor said.

The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday on Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service.

“Doctors say that only three [more churchgoers] are in critical condition but they are getting better,” Mr Francois told AFP on Sunday.

He said that in Friday’s incident, lightning struck a group of 18 students in the area, killing one.

Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.

The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.

Local news outlet Panor Actu reported (in French) that a number of the closed churches did not have required lightning rods – devices intended to protect a structure from a lightning strike.

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Source: BBC

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Most of them are small Pentecostal churches. One mosque was also closed.

A government official told the BBC that some of the more than 700 buildings shut down have already reopened after they were approved by inspectors.

According to new regulations, all preachers must have had theological training before opening a church.

Pentecostal churches, often run by charismatic preachers claiming to be able to perform miracles, have grown rapidly in many parts of Africa in recent years.

Some are massive, attracting thousands of worshippers each Sunday, but others consist of tiny structures built without planning permission.

Church leaders have at times been criticised for using loud public address systems to attract worshippers.

Government official Justus Kangwagye told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that they simply required the churches to meet “modest standards”.

Some church premises exposed worshippers to unnecessary risks and could “cause danger to those worshipping,” Mr Kangwagye told the Rwandan New Times newspaper.

The reported crackdown is being carried out by the local authorities with the support of the Rwanda Governance Board, according to the New Times.

Some 700 churches were thought to be operating illegally, the Rwanda Governance Board said in a recent statement.

The vast majority of Rwandans are Christians but many also follow traditional practices.
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By: BBC

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Rwanda has already placed a ban on the said food products from South Africa to avoid a spread of the disease.

The Listeriosis disease, according to a document sighted by Citi Business News, can be transmitted through the consumption of plant and animal products such as meat, dairy products, as well as fruits and vegetables.

Listeriosis is a food poisoning infection that can be contracted by eating contaminated foods.

The infection, can result in miscarriage among pregnant women, cause premature delivery, cause serious infection to newborns, and even lead to stillbirth.

The document sighted by Citi Business News warned the Ministry of Agriculture to take the relevant steps to ban the importation of such food products from South Africa, to prevent a possible spread of the disease to other countries as South Africa struggles to bring the outbreak under control.

Already, the Republic of Rwanda through its Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, announced a ban on the 19th of December, 2017, from South Africa, to prevent a possible spread of the disease.

According to the document, the Republic of Rwanda is insisting that the ban remains indefinite until South Africa brings it under control—as it urges other countries to do same until the disease is completely eliminated from the continent.

“In view of recent measures being taken by some African countries to mitigate the spread of Listeriosis, your ministries may be alerted to these actions to inform the formulation of appropriate preventive measures,” the document warned.

In addition, it cautioned that it will be in the interest of countries to formulate policies on how the disease will be brought under control since other countries such as Botswana have also issued health alert on the disease.

Meanwhile, Citi Business News understands that Ghana’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, is currently meeting with relevant stakeholders to take action on the alert.

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By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Health Alert: Rwanda urges Ghana to ban food import from South Africa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Rwanda becomes the second country in Africa to ban shisha smoking after Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli imposed the ban in July last year.

CANCER

Other countries with similar bans are Pakistan, Jordan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

The Rwanda Health ministry has also outlawed the importation, advertising and smoking of shisha within its territory over health concerns.

In a public notice effective December 15, 2017, the ministry warns of sanctions to those who flout the ban arguing that “…shisha tobacco smoking is damaging, addictive and dangerous on human lives.

“The smoke that emerges from a water-pipe contains numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer, heart diseases, just to name a few,” reads the communication from Health Minister Diane Gashumba.

World Health Organisation (WHO), in a recent advisory note to regulators, revealed that smoking shisha posed grave health risks.

In a single session, it said, shisha smokers can inhale smoke of 100 or more cigarettes.

SMOKE

“Cigarette smokers typically take eight to 12 cigarettes with a 40 to 75 millimetre puffs and inhaled 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke unlike shisha smoking sessions which typically last 20 to 80 minutes, during which the smoker may take 50 to 200 puffs which range from about 0.15 to 1 litre each,” it said.

Shisha smoking has become increasingly popular among young people in Africa, including in Kenya.

It goes by several names including hookah tobacco, maassel, narghile and argileh and comes in several flavours including fruity, minty, rich and creamy.

The highly toxic tobacco substance is smoked using a hookah (waterpipe).

The smoke exposes the user to the addictive chemical nicotine as well as tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.

HEART

People are drawn to it for being ‘cool’, with patrons flocking to shisha parlours saying it is harmless.

A common belief is that the risks of tobacco are reduced since it is purified as it passes through the water.

On the contrary, WHO insists that even after it has been passed through water, the smoke produced contains high levels of toxic compounds— including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals.

Shisha smoke is associated with increased risk of disease— cancer, heart and lung complications.

It is also known to cause problems during pregnancy among female smokers.

The side effects may not be immediately noticeable but just like cigarettes, the harmful fumes slowly damage certain parts of the body of a shisha smoker over time.

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Source: Nation.co.ke

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It comes in the wake of a video, released by CNN last week, showing men being auctioned off as farm workers.

“Given our own history… we cannot remain silent when human beings are being mistreated and auctioned off like cattle,” the foreign ministry said.

Hundreds of thousands of Africans travel through Libya every year as they try to make their way to Europe.

They are often held by smugglers and forced to work for little or no money.

During Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutu were massacred in 100 days while most countries did little to help.

“Rwanda, like the rest of the world, was horrified by the images of the tragedy currently unfolding in Libya, where African men, women and children who were on the road to exile, have been held and turned into slaves,” the foreign ministry statement said.

Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said Rwanda was a small country but it would find space.

She told the pro-government New Times newspaper that Rwanda was in talks with African Union (AU) Commission to determine how to intervene and resettle them.

“What I expect and know is that Rwandans will welcome these people. As Rwandans we are sensitive to people who are helpless and have no way of protecting themselves. It is something that is deep in ourselves, we take pride in human beings,” the paper quotes her as saying.

The minister also said negotiations were also continuing with Israel about accommodating African migrants seeking asylum there.

Last week, the AU expressed outrage after the footage emerged appearing to show slave markets in Libya.

Youths from Niger and other sub-Saharan countries were seen being sold to buyers for about $400 (£300) at undisclosed locations in Libya.

In April, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it had gathered evidence of slavery in Libya.

Smugglers hold migrants for ransom and if their families could not pay, they were sold off at different prices depending on their qualifications, an IOM official in Libya said.

–

Source: BBC

The post Rwanda offers refuge to enslaved Libya migrants appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It comes in the wake of a video, released by CNN last week, showing men being auctioned off as farm workers.

“Given our own history… we cannot remain silent when human beings are being mistreated and auctioned off like cattle,” the foreign ministry said.

Hundreds of thousands of Africans travel through Libya every year as they try to make their way to Europe.

They are often held by smugglers and forced to work for little or no money.

During Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutu were massacred in 100 days while most countries did little to help.

“Rwanda, like the rest of the world, was horrified by the images of the tragedy currently unfolding in Libya, where African men, women and children who were on the road to exile, have been held and turned into slaves,” the foreign ministry statement said.

Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said Rwanda was a small country but it would find space.

She told the pro-government New Times newspaper that Rwanda was in talks with African Union (AU) Commission to determine how to intervene and resettle them.

“What I expect and know is that Rwandans will welcome these people. As Rwandans we are sensitive to people who are helpless and have no way of protecting themselves. It is something that is deep in ourselves, we take pride in human beings,” the paper quotes her as saying.

The minister also said negotiations were also continuing with Israel about accommodating African migrants seeking asylum there.

Last week, the AU expressed outrage after the footage emerged appearing to show slave markets in Libya.

Youths from Niger and other sub-Saharan countries were seen being sold to buyers for about $400 (£300) at undisclosed locations in Libya.

In April, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it had gathered evidence of slavery in Libya.

Smugglers hold migrants for ransom and if their families could not pay, they were sold off at different prices depending on their qualifications, an IOM official in Libya said.

–

Source: BBC

The post Rwanda offers refuge to enslaved Libya migrants appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President Paul Kagame made the offer when he met with Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on the sidelines of the ongoing Global Business Forum on Africa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Q57b8jlokzlLnNnjllTcGDkYIOi7wwNS”]The structural economic reforms being undertaken by the Ghana government, including the implementation of a National Digital Property Addressing System, the issuance of a National ID card, and the introduction of a Paperless Port system, have already received commendation from international bodies such as the World Bank.

Rwanda is known for its business-friendly environment, and is ranked the highest in Africa for the ease of doing business.

Explaining the offer from Rwanda, Ghana’s Deputy Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who accompanied the Vice President said:

“Rwanda, having taken a lead in that area already, is available, willing and excited, also in line with its Pan African interest to extend a hand to Ghana, and to assist us to even quicken the pace at which we are introducing a lot of these reforms especially reforms in the area of ICT. His excellency, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia also took him through some of the reforms that we have been embarking on, and the next stage is to now formalize the exercise of cooperation, and get a team together that can now more directly tap into the Rwandan experience when it comes to doing business, when it comes to plugging ICT into various aspects of our economic and governance life as a people.”

The Forum, organized by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is under the theme “Next Generation Africa”, and is taking place at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah from November 1st-2nd, 2017.

The high-profile event, held under the patronage of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will explore new opportunities to enhance economic cooperation and expand trade and investment ties between the Middle East and Africa.

The two-day forum features a total of 24 sessions that will involve the participation of heads of state, ministers and dignitaries, policymakers, CEOs, prominent entrepreneurs, and heads of private banks, as well as UAE government and business leaders.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the METL Group in Tanzania, Mohamed Dewji, will be discussing the topic “Industrialization – the path to growth?”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Rwanda to help Ghana undertake reforms in ICT appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.