Daily Watch – Ghana’s reserves rise slightly, Sudan begins democratic transition talks
27th March 2023

Last Friday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja set aside the decision of the Osun State Governorship Tribunal and upheld the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the state’s governor. In a unanimous agreement by a three-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu, the Court of Appeal quashed the tribunal’s judgement that his predecessor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Gboyega Oyetola won the contest. The panel held that the Osun tribunal was wrong to have said that there was over-voting, a claim that only relied on the evidence of Oyetola and the APC. The judge faulted Oyetola and APC, that they only relied on the data from the back-end server and failed to look at the voters register, which forms the foundation of the whole electoral process and cannot strengthen their allegations of over-voting.
At least 594 rehabilitated Boko Haram members have graduated from the FG’s Operation Safe Corridor’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration camp in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe. Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the camp Commandant, Col. Uche Nnabuihe, said, “Fifteen clients hail from Adamawa, 495 from Borno, 16 from Yobe, 16 from Kano, three from Gombe, 13 from Kaduna, one from Kogi, 12 from Bauchi, five from Jigawa, five from Katsina, four from Kebbi, one from Nasarawa, one from Plateau, while two are from Zamfara states.” Nnabuihe said out of the 594 graduating repentant terrorists, ‘’590 are Nigerians, while four others are foreigners; three Nigeriens, and one Chadian.’’ The camp commandant stated that 588 of them were Muslims, while six are Christians. He explained that upon arrival, medical tests were conducted on them while their data were captured by the National Identity Management Commission.
Ghana’s net international reserves improved slightly to $2.62 billion, about 2.8 months of import cover in February 2023, the Bank of Ghana said in its March 2023 Summary of Economic and Financial Data. This is from the $2.24 billion recorded in December 2022 or about 2.7 months of import cover. The country’s balance of payment at the end of February 2023 stood at a deficit of $3.63 billion, approximately 5 percent of gross domestic product. The bank said the decline followed a drop in the Capital and Financial Account Balance which stood at a deficit of $2.17 billion in December 2022, compared with a surplus of $.3.30 billion in December 2021. Net international reserves have been declining since January 2022’s $6.07 billion (about 4.4 months of import cover), mainly due to the asset sales by foreign investors.
Sudan’s military and civilian political leaders began talks on Sunday on a proposal to bring the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the army’s control as they try to finalise an agreement for a new transition leading to elections. Integrating the RSF and placing the military under civilian authority are central demands of civilian groups that helped overthrow long-time autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir four years ago and shared power with the army until an October 2021 coup. The talks follow a framework deal agreed upon in December between the military and the civilian Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance, which aims to turn the page on the coup which led to mass protests and cut Sudan off from much international financial support. The two sides are expected to formally adopt the deal on 6 April 2023 and launch a new civilian government on 11 April. The agreement had left several sensitive issues, including security reform and transitional justice, for further discussion.