African Leaders Urged To Take Full Advantage Of UNCTAD

Mr K. B. Asante, a retired diplomat and renowned columnist, yesterday called on African leaders to attend the forthcoming meeting of the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII) in Accra with a mindset that UNCTAD is for trade and not aid as a means for development.

UK Parliamentary Debate on Aid Cites IMANI 

"A member of the House, Mr. Christopher Chope, asked, "Does my hon. Friend accept that it cannot be that difficult to get hard data on the extent of corruption when Franklin Cudjoe, the Ghanaian director of the Imani think tank, has asserted that $4,700 is stolen by African Governments from their people every second?"

Read the entire Hansard (verbatim report) debate by clicking on the quoted and boldened sentence above. We arrived at the $4700 by using Africa Union's own statistics of US$149bn,being the cost of offcial corruption per annum in Africa.Imani has been cited by a Judge in South Africa's Supreme Court on the subject of patents and Intellectual property, numerous local Television and BBC radio interviews, invitations to partake in international debates and discussions on Africa's development.

 

• Imani Director was cited by Republic of South Africa Supreme Court of Appeals Judge LTC Harms, in a recent speech in June 2006. "And, according to Franklin Cudjoe, attacks on drug patents call for more official meddling and distracts from the real health problems of the poor: tariffs, bad infrastructure, official interference and poverty. See pages 6 & 7 of the speech (BALANCING IP RIGHTS WITH PUBLIC POLICY, LTC Harms)" he said

 

• On June 16, 2006, the United Kingdom House of Commons cited the work of Imani in a parliamentary debate on corruption and aid to Africa- A member of the House, Mr. Christopher Chope, asked the house which included the U.K Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary for International Development, "Does my hon. Friend accept that it cannot be that difficult to get hard data on the extent of corruption when Franklin Cudjoe, the Ghanaian director of the Imani think tank, has asserted that $4,700 is stolen by African Governments from their people every second?"
  Read story here
  This was followed with a visit to Ghana on August 7, 2006 by the Chairman of the Globalisation and Global Poverty Group of the UK Parliament, Rt Hon Peter Lilley MP. The MP, who has been following the work of Imani, met Imani director with his team to discuss Imani's work and solicited Imani's inputs into a report on policies to help alleviate poverty in developing countries. The Globalisation and Global Poverty Group was set up by David Cameron MP, the Leader of the UK Conservative Party, in December 2005.
  This development led Atlas Board member, Linda Whetstone to write "So you are not only influencing things in Ghana and the US (I read the report in the Washington Times I think about your talk at the Atlas dinner in San Francisco – you are a star – well done) but also MPs in the UK, something we cant always do even when we are in London. Best wishes Linda"

  Linda Whetstone atlaser-at-globalnet.co.uk

   

• Ethiopian Journalist confirms Imani Ghana's impact on world trade talks in the Addis Fortune Newspaper: " Another critic of Ethiopia's land policy is Franklin Cudjoe, director of a policy think-tank in Ghana, Imani, whose series of articles are appearing [simultaneously]on the Wall Street Journal Asia[Europe & North America], a business daily widely distributed to the [WTO ]conference attendants,including 2,000 representatives of NGOs and 3,000 journalists."

Ken Schoolland on a visit to Ghana.

Ken Schoolland, author of world acclaimed book The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible, said of Imani when he visited in January 2006; "IMANI is a freedom institute of the highest calibre, making waves in a country worn down by years of socialism and bureaucratic repression. Franklin is also involved with Students in Free Enterprise-Ghana." "On our way home from the airport we called on leaders of institutes that were promoting markets in a persistent, subtle, academic manner. By contrast, Franklin is neither subtle nor indirect. He cuts through the confusion of public policies with clear, articulate passion. Franklin is a public relations genius, developing positive relationships in a political arena long accustomed to the intrigues of powerful political figures." "Later Franklin arranged interviews on nationwide radio and television.
The publicity resulted in numerous contacts from people interested in becoming involved with IMANI.)

Subject: Good Work

Date: Fri, July 14, 2006 15:34

To: franklin@imanighana.org 

Hi Franklin, A friend told me about you and your organization and I have been at your site all day. I must say I'm very impressed and delighted at what you are doing for Ghana and for Africa across the world. Lets continue to keep this hope alive, that in our lifetime Africa will com into its own. That it will begin an unstoppable journey of releasing its full potential and at the end ofit all take its place on the world stage, which is to stand shoulder to shoulder with the nations of the world. Thanks for the good work pal.Yours for Africa Cheers ARNOLD PARKER,Standard Trust Bank

Ghana Limited,Heritage Towers, Near Cedi House,Ambassadorial
Enclave,Off Liberia Road, West RidgeAccra,Ghana.
TEl: +233 21683526-30D/L: +233 21682359
WEB: www.standardtrustghana.com

Dear Franlin Cudjoe,

At the 39th Sunyani Congress of the National Union of Ghana students, I came across your article which you freely distributed to us all participants. It was only some few days ago that i finally decided to find out more about your vision-filled organization,Imani, after I read your article in the papers again. I am groosly impressed that people like you are pratically transforming society and shaping the paradigm of many Ghanaians,especially we the young generation. I must confess, what I saw and read from[the]Imani website left me wondering if I was the only one who was late in discovering such a great organization. Imani is simply recourceful to me!
As I aspire to the office of the International Relations Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students(NUGS), it is my sincerest hope that when the election victory eventually knocks on my door, we shall be partners in promoting the MDGs and also reaching out more to the tertiary institutions as you're already demonstrating. Thanks and God bless us all.

Selorm Kofi Dake,

Former SRC Deputy Secretary/Treasurer,

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology.

Franklin Cudjoe discussing what Africa really need. One of these guys for every 10000 Bonos and we should be okay. Follow the link to his Freedom Wings blog for more hope ..