Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) has increased from being a key source of cooking fuel from 24.5 percent in 2017 to 36.9 percent in 2021, according to NPA Chief Executive Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.
According to him, regulatory interventions focused on rural LPG promotions to distribute free cylinders, intensified public education on safe LPG usage, infrastructural development, improvement in supply, distribution, and LPG pricing structure are to blame for the rise in the adoption rate of gas as a primary source of cooking fuel.
Speaking at the 3rd West Africa LPG Conference and Expo under the theme ‘Toward Making LPG the Clean Fuel of West Africa’, the NPA boss said the objective of government is to ensure at least 50 percent penetration by 2050.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid said even though Ghana had made gains in LPG consumption over the past five years, there are challenges which have threatened sustainability of the LPG market in Ghana
“… Challenges such as slow uptake in particularly low-income areas, affordability, accessibility, non-compliance with safety requirements by some operators, old and unsafe cylinders, among others, have threatened sustainability of the LPG market in Ghana.
“To remedy the situation, the government of Ghana in October 2017 launched the National LPG Promotion Policy with the objective of ensuring that at least 50 percent of Ghanaians have access to LPG for domestic, commercial and industrial use by 2030. The Policy is to be driven by a new marketing and distribution model, the ‘Cylinder Recirculation Model’ (CRM),” he emphasised
On his part, the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said the LPG industry presents an attractive solution to leverage the shift to cleaner energy sources while promoting Africa’s industrialisation agenda.
“And I believe it will take collective efforts from academia, the industry and government to prudently push West Africa to maximise economic gains across the entire LPG value chain,” he added.
This brings to six, the number of persons standing trial in relation to the disturbances which led to injuries to students and destruction of properties including nine cars.
So far, out of the six persons who are standing trial, five are students while one is an alumnus.
Four of them are currently in police custody while two including the alumnus have been granted bail by the high court.
During the court proceedings on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, the lawyers for the other suspects in custody prayed the court to grant their clients bail.
The prosecutor handling the case, ACP Kofi Blagodzi spoke to the media after the court proceedings.
Lawyer for one of the suspects , Elvis Ofori Asante says he is disappointed that his client has been denied bail.
In separate development, the six students of KNUST who have been accused of gang-raping a student have once again been denied bail after they appeared before the Asokore Mampong District Court.
The two cases have been adjourned to October 13, 2022.
The issuing of government bonds by Databank, a bank that Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister, co-founded, has drawn harsh criticism from Prince Kofi Amoabeng, the former CEO of the now-defunct UT Bank.
Due to the conflict of interest the entity is in, he contends that it is unethical for Databank to be in this situation.
These two institutions are linked to the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen respectively.
Reacting to this in a TV3 interview on Monday, Amoabeng wondered if the directors of Databank can have sound sleep after benefiting from the government bonds issuance.
He noted that “personally, I don’t really care about Databank because of me and Ken and what happened. But I think it is ethically wrong, certain things you don’t do just because there is a conflict of interest.
“As it is been reported that Databank and Black Stars have brokerage firms that are benefitting, really? If they can sleep in the night then they are tough people.”
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has blamed charging entities for wrongful deductions with the E-levy implementation.
The Authority said even though some customers have updated their information with charging entities, the entities have failed to do same with the GRA.
“We are aware of these wrongful charges. The good news is that there is an avenue for customers to make complaints when there are wrongful charges.
What we have also noticed is that customers have gone to the charging entities, especially the banks, to update their information, but the charging entities have failed to update same with GRA,” Head of Project Management at GRA, Isaac Kwabena Amoako said in a media interview.
Mr Amoako thus urged persons affected to report to their charging entities for a refund.
“Anyone who has been wrongfully charged has an obligation to report to their charging entities.
They are not supposed to reach out to GRA. Coming to us means that you are reporting the charging entities,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said customers can report to the GRA after they have reported to the charging entities but have not gotten the desired result.
Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to complain about unlawful charges on their transactions, even though they have successfully linked their Ghana Carddetails with their SIM cards.
However, the GRA has absolved itself of any blame.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of parliament for North Tongu, has noted a notable difference between Kwasi Kwarteng, a finance minister of Ghanaian heritage serving in the UK government, and Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister of Ghana.
He claimed that the former is “stiff-necked” and unyielding in his decisions, whilst the latter is more humble to acknowledge his mistakes and make adjustments.
Ablakwa’s comment comes on the back of a U-turn made by the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), Kwasi Kwarteng, on plans to cut the 45p rate of income tax – a move which saw a revolt by Tory MPs – hours before his speech to the Conservative party conference, BBC reported
The cut according to UK’s Evening Standard would have seen abolishing the tax rate for people earning more than £150,000 in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
In a Facebook post on October 3, Ablakwa said Ofori-Atta has remained headstrong despite the fact that the economy under his stead has seen downgrades from rating agencies.
He wrote: “it seems to me of the two under fire Ghanaian Finance Ministers, Kwasi Kwarteng has the humility to listen and concede quickly that he got it wrong while his counterpart, Ken Ofori-Atta remains stiff-necked, intransigent and adamant as he attracts more calamitous downgrades”.
Ghana’s economy has fared badly in the last couple of months with economists pointing to record high inflation rates, fuel price hikes, and the Cedi depreciation as the basis for their claim.
Government has consistently blamed the situation on the ravages of Covid-19 and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war but has assured that it is implementing measures to mitigate the impact such as seeking an IMF programme in the interim.
This has been occasioned by downgrades from rating agencies such as Fitch and Standards and Poor. Recently, the International rating firm, Moody’s Investors Service also downgraded Ghana’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa2 from Caa1 and placed the ratings on review for downgrade.
According to Moodys, the downgrade reflects the recent macroeconomic deterioration of Ghana’s economy which resulted in further heightening of the government’s liquidity, debt sustainability difficulties and posing an increased risk of debt default.
“Without external support, the government’s policy levers to arrest a worsening macroeconomic backdrop and heavier debt burden are extremely limited; the government’s small revenue base, large and increasingly absorbed by interest payments, further intensifies the policy dilemma between competing objectives, including servicing debt while meeting essential social needs,” Moody’s said on its official website on September 30, 2022.
It however explained that the initiation of the review for downgrade is prompted by the ongoing negotiations between the government of Ghana and the IMF over a funding programme that may include a condition for debt restructuring to ensure debt sustainability.
Thomas Partey has made the Premier League Team Of The Week of former England skipper, Alan Shearer.
Partey was named along with three other Arsenal players after a strong performance in their 3 – 1 win over the weekend against North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspurs.
The Black Stars deputy skipper made Shearer’s midfield along with teammate, Granit Xhaka, Phil Foden of Manchester City and Maddison of Leicester City.
Shearer’s defence had two Arsenal players, White and Saliba along with Coady.
Pickford in goal and a three forward of Almiron (Newcastle United), Erling Haaland (Manchester City) and Trossard completed the 1 – 3 – 4 – 3 formation by the English Premier League great turned pundit.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was also picked as coach of Week
According to the Bank, this necessitates action and the strongest possible desire from financial institutions to get involved in agriculture value chain finance in order to set up the industry for success.
Speaking to the B&FT during a session on strengthening capacity to enable financial institution financing for SMEs in the agriculture value chain, Deputy CEO-DBG Michael Mensah-Baah said the present rate of 4 percent bank financing for the industry is alarming.
The workshop was organised by the DBG and the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL).
“If you do not have the resources, it is very difficult to make commitment into the sector. Secondly, lack of understanding risks in the agricultural sector is making most banks shy away from making investments in the sector,” he said.
He explained it is important that financial institutions have a clear understanding of the agribusiness value chain, adding: “Only when conscious efforts are made at understanding agribusiness will giant strides be made in de-risking agri-business lending”.
Access to long-term finance schemes and risk management, Mr. Mensah-Baah said, must be addressed in order to rectify the issues associated with agribusiness finance across the value chains.
The DBG, he revealed, is finalising processes to commit up to 60 percent of long-term funds into agriculture to make sure the sector thrives.
“That is the main role of the DBG. We are established to uplift and support SMEs in any sector to thrive. Our goal is to act as an enabler for businesses in Ghana and as a long-term capital provider in the market,” he added.
The DBG and GIRSAL programme is designed to enhance financial institutions’ agricultural knowledge; improve their capacity to assess agricultural loan applications; and structure and manage agribusiness lending.
In the first phase of the programme, which was held between August 2020 and September 2021, a total cohort of 262 mid-level staff from 24 financial institutions participated.
The positive feedback received from participants in the programme has indicated that the course has been effective in demystifying the agriculture sector, and the prevailing perception that the agriculture sector is ‘high-risk’.
Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT, revealed this during the beginning of the Trust’s yearly Mobile Service Week in Ho, Volta Region.
With the new services, both members and retirees can elect to pay contributions and receive pensions via MoMo.
“I am happy to announce that in about a week from today, members can pay their contributions using MoMo, and pensioners can also opt to receive their pensions through MoMo (E-Levy exempt) and by the close of the year, the SSNIT app will be fully functional,” the Director-General said.
Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang mentioned that the Trust would soon launch an improved and interactive self-service portal that will enable members and clients to carry out a range of tasks on the SSNIT’s website as part of initiatives to improve service delivery.
In addition to allowing members to initiate registration onto the scheme, view the nominee list, check member information, initiate and track benefits applications, among other activities, Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang stated that employers would be able to request, view, and download Clearance Certificates from these activities, as well as request a negotiation meeting for unpaid debts.
SSNIT Mobile Service (SMS) Week
Annually, SSNIT branches have the chance to set up camp at various sites across the nation during the SSNIT Mobile Service (SMS) Week to bring the Trust’s services right to the doors of its members and clients.
To make it simple to use the Trust’s services, a total of 69 vantage points have been chosen throughout the 16 regions of the nation.
Statements of Accounts issuance, employer and employee registration, benefits processing initiation, renewal of Pensioner Certificates, merger of SSNIT and NIA numbers, and general inquiries regarding the business and operations of SSNIT are just a few of the services that are being given.
The Trust’s dedication to ensuring that every worker in Ghana obtains a reasonable pension, the Director-General said, is the inspiration behind the subject for the event.
The majority of the working population in the country, according to him, is made up of independent contractors; nevertheless, the majority of these individuals do not have access to social security, therefore, it is in their best interests to sign up for the scheme and profit from its provisions.
“We assure you of our commitment to vigorously pursue and enrol all workers, especially the self-employed. This is because the Trust recognises that the self–employed and workers in the informal sector form the majority of the 10 million or so workers in Ghana, and like their colleagues in the formal sector, they also deserve a pension.”
“The SSNIT Scheme is one of the surest ways to reduce and prevent poverty among the aged. So instead of re-echoing the misconceptions of low pensions which tend to discourage most self-employed, let’s share with them the value SSNIT provides and inform them that if their contributions or premiums are high, then their pensions will be high”, he said.
CEO of the defunct UT Bank Prince Kofi Amoabeng the former, has noted that the International Monetary Fund, IMF, is ready to bail Ghana out anytime the country seeks its help for policy credibility.
According to him, Ghana seeking an IMF bailout almost 18 times clearly shows that the leaders of the country are not capable of managing the resources of the country, therefore, they will always run to the international body for help.
He said, whenever Ghana approaches the IMF, they are in a position to say because this country is well endowed with resources but that the international lender stands on a great advantage to benefit in the long term.
Amoabeng who was speaking to TV3 programme ‘Business Focus’ explained:
“Go back to other IMF programmes; divestiture, cut down on salaries, freeze employment and what do you do? They know that you are going to mismanage the monies. If Ghana has visited IMF for the 18th time, don’t you believe they will come again? But it is a serious matter, the point is that if we had to go to the IMF, and this time that they’ve come, we should sign a contract with them for them to stay because when they go, we will mismanage again and then we will go to them and they will come back.
“And this is not free [because] they are a bank giving Ghana money. We pay for their travel expenses, hotel expenses and when they come because they know the potential of Ghana in terms of resources and others, IMF will always bail Ghana out. IMF will never say that the situation of Ghana is that bad and therefore they can’t handle it; they will always bail us out.
“Now, what is happening is that as we call them and they come for us to start negotiations, Moody’s said these people their situation is worse; somebody who is trying to negotiate, now you are throwing debt at him…these foreign institutions are in a form of some kind of caput…”
Ghana is before the IMF for US$3 billion to help the country navigate through the hostile economic crisis it finds itself in as a result of the adverse effects of the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
President Akufo-Addo has stated, on occasion, that “we have decided to seek the collaboration of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to repair, in the short run, our public finances, which have taken a severe hit in very recent times as a result, whilst we continue to work on the medium to long-term structural changes that are at the heart of our goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid, that is building a resilient, robust Ghanaian economy.”
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.6200 and a selling price of 9.6296. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 10.65 and sold at a rate of 10.85.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 10.9871 and a selling price of 11.0000 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 10.8860 and a selling price of 10.8998.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 9.5898 and a selling price of 9.6003 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.4529 and a selling price of 9.4641.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 10.10 and sold at a rate of 10.40.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.5460 and a selling price of 0.5461 compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.5386 and a selling price of 0.5392.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 45.2413 and a selling price of 45.2538 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 45.3142 and a selling price of 45.3911.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 12.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 15.50.
A Deputy Director of NADMO, Abu Ramadan also said his outfit is working to “expand and open estuaries so that the water can run into the sea so that we can see the levels drop. That is the main focus for now.”
The assembly has created about three estuaries at the Bojo beach to facilitate the movement of the water into the sea.
But it still warned residents to brace themselves for the worst following the spillage.
NADMO says it has so far rescued in excess of 300 stranded victims, while at the same time working to expand the estuary to facilitate the flow of the water into the sea.
NADMO has been given support by the Marine Police and the 48th Engineers Regiment.
Meanwhile, NADMO has also urged stranded victims of the Weija dam spillage to reach out through the 122 emergency hotline for immediate evacuation or other forms of help.
“It is a platform that is reliable. Anytime the call goes through, somebody will pick up,” Mr. Ramadan assured.
According to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Energy, Ghana stands a serious risk of having multibillion dollar oil and gas assets left stranded as a result of decreased funding for fossil fuel-related initiatives as the globe switches to greener energy sources.
His deputy Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer spoke on his behalf, and he said that among the many serious threats to Ghana’s expanding oil industry are the sharp decline in western funding for fossil fuel-related projects and the revision of business plans at exploration and production companies that are leaning toward renewable energy.
“There exists a real risk of stranded assets owing to Ghana’s vast unexploited oil and gas reserves,” he said in a speech read on his behalf at the maiden Africa Energy Conference in Accra.
Ghana, which has been producing oil for over 10 years now, holds huge untapped reserves in the Volta basin with Keta in the east and Cape Three Points in the west, among others. These resources – which government fears could be left stranded in the global energy transition process and drive toward renewables – have potentials to transform the economy if expeditiously and effectively exploited.
Although critical, he said, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources – as well as cost implications of technology required to effectively harness same – renders renewables incapable of satisfying base-load demands compared to fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources.
For Ghana and many other African nations, natural gas has been identified as the transition fuel of choice; a conclusion that the minister says necessitates a continuation of responsible oil and gas exploration and production.
Also noteworthy is the fact that petroleum products will remain a need for some decades in spite of the global shift away from fossil fuels.
In response to this reality and in line with Ghana’s ambition of becoming a hub for refined petroleum products in the West African sub-region and beyond by the year 2030, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said: “We have by statute launched the Petroleum Hub project”.
The hub will feature three refineries – each with a minimum production capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, five petrochemical plants, and industrial and storage infrastructure.
So far, 20,000 acres of land has been secured in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region of Ghana for this project.
Ghana, he declared, is therefore “open to investments in the Hub. Factors like the central location of Ghana and access to vibrant shipping routes which provide easy access to regional markets make the Hub project the very viable.
“Furthermore, Ghana has seen the need to develop a National Energy Transition Plan to guide its journey toward attaining net-zero status at a pace realistic to its peculiar circumstances.”
Ghana’s plan, Dr. Opoku Prempeh explains, is informed by both available and prospective energy sources, accessible financing and other factors.
“I am glad to hint to you that by end of this month the plan will be out-doored.”
Local production of solar batteries
Ghana discovered lithium – a key raw material for the solar and electric vehicles industries – in commercial quantities in the Volta, Western and Ashanti Regions during 2017, with Dr. Opoku Prempeh now revealing that the country is bent on exploring the prospects of using it to become a solar battery manufacturer in a value-addition drive.
“Ghana’s recent discovery of high-grade lithium is an achievement government intends to leverage on in exploring the real possibility of manufacturing solar batteries locally,” he said.
He added that the naturally occurring sunshine has also become a commodity which African countries must position themselves to fully harness.
“As we embrace the present opportunity of exploiting energy sources readily available to us, I urge African states to also plan around energy sources that will be available and accessible 20-30 years from now, and to start investing in the development of same.”
In determining which energy source to invest in, nations ought to consider the security of supply, affordability of energy source and sustainability of the energy source. Nations also ought to explore new industries or policies to diversity their economies, he said.
Energy sustainability must lead to diversification
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of VRA, Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, said efforts to promote energy sustainability should result in energy diversification.
“In recent times, energy sustainability has taken on several meanings and dimensions. However, in our VRA context, energy sustainability means to us the diversification of our power generation portfolio to take advantage of available and sustainable sources of energy – especially in the renewable energy space; namely hydro, thermal, solar, nuclear and wind,” he said in a speech read on his behalf.
To achieve this, Mr. Antwi-Darkwa said VRA – the country’s largest power producer – initiated a programme that ensures a significant improvement of its operations by including serious business acumen in its power generation, delivery process and customer service.
Aside from this, he said, the state-owned company has also revolutionised the fundamental structures of its business through digitalisation, creativity and innovation, business sustainability and a work culture pivoted on the mantra of public sector delivery with a private sector mindset.
“Improving access to energy in a sustainable manner would not only lead to the development of the African continent but also ensure improved quality of educational outcomes, improved health, lower mortality rates and reduced unemployment, and a potential decrease in rural-urban migration,” he further explained.
Africa Energy Conference
The Africa Energy Conference’s maiden edition focused on highlighting the infrastructure gap, financing options and energy transition opportunities in the Africa energy sector, and was held under the theme Africa’s energy future – achieving an all-round competitiveness and sustainability to support the continent’s development ambitions.
The one-day conference is a strategic platform powered by the Business & Financial Times Limited (B&FT) and supported by GCB Bank, Sethi Brothers Ghana Limited, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), Volta River Authority (VRA), Arthur Energy Partners and Nuclear Power Ghana.
It brought together experts and industry players from across Africa to proffer solutions on how governments and the private sector can access financing to bridge the sector’s infrastructure gap, achieve lower emissions and energy transition targets in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, says the failure of government to appropriately tackle the galamsey menace might be either because they are complicit in the illegality or they are incompetent.
According to him, the failure of government to decisively deal with key persons who have been identified as being active participators and facilitators of galamsey in the country is rather telling on the government’s lack of commitment to the galamsey fight.
He was in particular referring to the recent brouhaha surrounding the activities of Akonta Mining Limitedin the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve.
The company, owned by Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman and one other, is said to have been mining in the reserve despite a declaration by government that it has not granted any entry permit into the forest reserve.
While, the Lands and Natural Reseources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated that the activities of the mining firm are in direct breach of Ghana’s laws, no actions by the state have been taken to bring the company and its owners to book.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dr. Ashigbey said government’s actions and inactions in this rather clear illegality shows it is actively aiding and abetting the impunity that has characterised galamsey activities in the country in recent times.
He noted that as such, the government has no moral right to arrest others for committing the same crime.
“And to think that as we speak, the IGP nor the Attorney General has not invited Akonta Mining who has self-confessed, you know, they have confessed that they are mining, they have confessed they have leases, but the leases they have are not in the place they’re mining, not in the forest reserve. And as we speak, we have not heard anything about an invitation to these suspected criminals to answer for their crimes.
“And, you know, Kofi mentioned all the challenges that we’re having. Now Kidney diseases in these communities are on the rise; the turbidity of water has gone way beyond what we were supposed to be using to process water for consumption; our cocoa is under economic warfare, so you have the Chinese who are now beginning to produce cocoa and they are the majority of the foreigners who are involved in the destruction of our farmlands but our leaders are oblivious to it.
“It is either that they are complicit or are incompetent and in both case they don’t deserve to be where they are,” he said.
Commenting on the actions and inactions of district and regional authorities as the destruction of the Tano Nimri forestwas on-going, he stated that there needs to be a wake-up call for state officials to realise that they are destroying the country.
“And that’s where I agree so much with Otumfuor on one hand when he talks about holding the District Chief Executives accountable. Why would we not find 2,000 chang fangs sitting on the Offin River when about 50 metres from the Nimri police station you see a factory manufacturing these dredgers and nobody, you know, the District Police Commanders are passing there and they’re not seeing it?
“How is it possible that 12 football fields have been destroyed in the Tano Nimri Reserve and there’s a Minerals Commission officer in that place, there’s a Forestry Commission person in that particular area. You know, we really need to wake up and smell the coffee that we are destroying our country.
“So the thing that is happening is that people are seeing people close to power doing these things and nothing happens to them and so no wonder Erastus will see those people by the [river] side and they think that why shouldn’t they mine?
“So it is really important for all of us as Ghana to wake up and say to our leaders that you cannot continue doing this thing, our lives are beyond risk,” he said.
Africa’s main stakeholders must create and implement an energy plan that takes into account the unique characteristics of the continent while working to finance the transition from indigenous sources if Africa is to benefit from the impending shift toward more sustainable fuel sources.
At the inaugural Africa Energy Conference, which was put on by the B&FT, a panel of specialists who spoke on the topic of “The future of petroleum Industry Investment” reached this conclusion.
They argued that with foreign investment likely to dry-up as the Global North withdraws from financing projects with fossil fuels, there is a need to ramp-up domestic funding – since the continent contains huge deposits of the resources it desperately needs to utilise for its industrial drive.
Energy Economist Dr. Theophilus Acheampong, while acknowledging the scope and scale of investment required, said the continent’s sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are capable to meeting some of the financing needs and minimising dependence on other parties.
“We must be looking to our sovereign wealth funds on the continent. If you look at the data, quite a number of our SWFs invest most of their funds outside the continent… the argument could be made, and I support it, that some of that funding should be re-channelled to fund the necessary infrastructure,” he explained.
According to data available from the World Bank and PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC), African SWFs managed a cumulative US$300billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) in 2020; up 76 percent from the previous year, as the number of investors increased by 54 percent.
Also, a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2019 stated sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will require investments in the region of US$70billion annually for the transition toward renewable energy sources by 2030.
In addition to mostly domestically-sourced financing, Dr. Acheampong said measures must be taken to ensure the harmonisation of policies and regulation across the continent’s different regional blocs.
He noted that a concerted effort from key stakeholders would allow for the continent to benefit from a stronger collective bargaining position.
In similar vein, Lawyer and Oil and Gas sector Chairman at the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Kwame Jantuah, said domestic policies must be designed to ensure that the gains from minerals and extractive industries are used to finance the transition.
He believes the revenue generated by the industry, if channeled properly into the financial sector, will allow local business persons to partake in funding the energy transition.
“For far too long we have been on the receiving end. If, for instance, we made it mandatory for all major foreign parties engaging in the extractive sector to set up processing plants and the money from that passes through our banks, they would be more liquid and businesses would be able to access funds and take part in what we are talking about,” he remarked.
Mr. Jantuah stated that recent geopolitical events – which have led the likes of Germany to fire-up redundant coal plants and the European Union to outline plans of cutting Russian-supplied gas by up to 90 percent by end-2022 – have reiterated the need for further conversation around an exclusive renewables-driven landscape.
He added that Africa is capable of utilising its existing rich fossil resources to accelerate development, while calling for increased investment in rail and shipping transportation to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Also on the panel – which was moderated by the Head of Department, Water Resources and Sustainable Development, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Dr. Michael Tuffuor – Managing Partner at Amoakwa-Boadu & Osei Mensah Law Consults, Kingsley Amoakwa-Boadu, said it would be unrealistic to expect domestic parties to fund the transition.
He called for partnerships between stakeholders while remembering that the transition is a fairly lengthy process.
He also called for a review of local content policies to focus on enhanced development of Human Resources.
“We should be looking at much more of increasing our human capital, and that takes a bit of time. We should expand those avenues which increase our human capital, so that even if we are not going to attract the trillions of dollars into our industry we should be able to get some the low-hanging fruit around; and the multiplier-effect of that will enhance our ability to benefit from those industries, and with time we can look at solely African investors,” he said.
The continent is one of the least-exploited regions for fossil fuel, with the estimated 61 billion-barrel oil equivalents (BOEs) discovered over the last 10 years suggesting there is much more to be found.
It is for this reason that Africa is responsible for only 3.8 percent of global CO2 emissions, while it remains largely under-industrialised and underdeveloped.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Agriculture, has disclosed that only 2% of cocoa lands have been affected by illegal small-scale mining, galamsey, activities.
In an interview with Accra-based Joy News’ Ashanti regional correspondent, he said the figure was determined from a COCOBOD study.
He is, however, concerned about the potentially devastating impact of galamsey, especially on Ghana’s cocoa-related exports.
“For me, in terms of acreages, it is not much and I have the evidence. COCOBOD did a survey and they are saying that 2% of land under cocoa has been destroyed by galamsey. 2% is nothing.
“And cocoa is concentrated in the gold belt, so if you extend it to the north in terms of total, it is not much,” he said.
The Ashanti Region is the hotspot for galamsey activities, a concern that has been raised by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as recently as over the weekend when he met the US ambassador.
Galamsey activities have for years now ravaged water bodies, forests and other arable lands across the Ashanti and Eastern regions. This is despite the government’s efforts, including the deployment of military and police contingents, to stamp out the canker.
The Minister is also concerned about the water pollution that comes with the use of chemicals like cyanide and mercury, which could end up in the food that is produced in these mining areas.
“What is very important is the water pollution, the cyanide and the other chemicals, mercury which goes into the food chain and ends up in our stomachs, you journalists don’t talk about that, for me that is the most dangerous part,” he stressed.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to renew the fight against galamsey during a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives at Manhyia.
The two accused persons in the Mankessim ritual murder case appeared in court on Tuesday, October 4, 2022; and were remanded by the judge till October 18.
In court, a third accused person by the name of Jonathan Obeng was added to the charge sheet that already had Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clarke and one Pastor Michael Darko.
They are standing trial for the murder of a prospective student nurse by the name of Georgina Asor Botchwey.
When the day’s sitting ended and the two accused were being ushered into police vehicles by heavily armed guards, residents and relatives of the deceased accosted them and rained insults and curses on them.
In a Ghana News Agency video cited by GhanaWeb, a weeping elderly woman refers to one accused person as a wizard repeating severally, ‘God will punish you,” amid wailing.
Another man is spotted pointing fingers at the other accused hurling insults. As the police vehicle carrying them drives off, bystanders hoot and continue to insult the accused persons.
The Mankessim murder case involves a young lady, Georgina Asor-Botchwey, who had travelled to Cape Coast with the hope of being admitted into the nursing school there but was later discovered to have been killed and buried.
Her remains were discovered in a shallow grave dug in the kitchen of the Tufuhene who was reportedly aided by Michael Darko, a pastor and fiancé of the sister of the deceased.
The family has since called for the court to expedite the trial and grant it closure in the matter.
President Nana Akufo-Addowill be meeting the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to discuss the problem of illegal mining in Ghana.
The meeting will take place later today, Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at Manhyia in the Ashanti Region, one of the regions worst hit by illegal mining.
This follows indications that some MMDCEs are involved in Illegal mining activities in their jurisdictions.
Speaking to Citi News, Chairman for Public Relations for NALAG, Clement Wilkinson says all local authorities must back the government’s effort to fight galamsey.
“All MMDCEs should be careful of giving business operating permits on our water bodies,” he said.
Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has suggested that no administration can lay ‘exclusive credit’ for the EUROJET hospital projects.
Taking to his Facebook page on the matter, the veteran journalist said the project was initiated under former President John Agyekum Kufuor who secured the funding in 2008.
He reiterated that various administrations post the Kufuor era have at each point in time played a role to ensure the project sees the light of day.
This, he noted, was corroborated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo when he commissioned the Upper West Regional Hospital, one of the nine Eurojet hospital projects, in 2019.
He stated that he has once again come out with the facts of the matter as a result of the “needless and unwarranted” controversy by members of the political divide who want to be exclusively credited for it.
“In spite of the abundance of material of evidential value underscoring the genesis and trajectory of the Project under reference, it appears there’s still some controversy relative to who did what, when, where and how to actualise and sustain the evolution of the Project to date.
“Honestly, but for the tendency of “political elements” across the political divide, who are prone to claim “exclusive credit” relative to this and other projects, methinks the controversy is needless and unwarranted. However, in an environment of competitive partisan politics, it is virtually impossible to impose an “injunction” on this “sub-culture”. Hence my decision to set the records straight via “The 4 Cs methodology”; (Conceptualization, Construction, Completion and Commissioning).
“Indeed, evidence of this “methodology” was best articulated by President Akufo-Addo when he commissioned one of the Nine Eurojet Hospitals; the Upper West Regional Hospital(Wa) on 18th. August, 2019.
“Hear him: ” This project has passed through the hands of four successive Presidents of Ghana. It was initiated and begun under the 2nd. President of the 4th. Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor; it was continued by His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills; and his successor; His Excellency John Dramani Mahama; and it has been commissioned by me; the 5th. President of the 4th. Republic. This is a good statement about our country, of our institutions and of our governance”.
“As I indicated elsewhere recently, and two years ago, the above presidential observation tells the factual and truthful story relative to “the 4 Cs” of the EUROJET HOSPITALS PROJECT(s),” Kweku Baako wrote on his page.
In 2020, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper had the opportunity to clarify issues concerning the project.
He took on the current opposition National Democratic Congress who were claiming ‘ownership’ of the project in their famous Green Book.
Kweku Baako said the funds for the project was secured by Kufour but he could not see to the initiation and completion as the New Patriotic Party were voted out of office.
He indicated that the Mills-Mahama administration which took over gave its consent to the continuation of the project which had already gained Parliamentary approval.
Akufo-Addo’s role in Euroget
The New Crusading Guide Editor-in-Chief then pointed out that it took President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to secure funds for the continuity of the projects; listing their various stages of completion currently.
“The Wa 160-bed Upper West Regional hospital has been completed 100 percent and handed over. The 100-bed Ga East Municipal hospital has also been completed 100% and handed over. The 60-bed district hospital, Tepa, is 80%; anticipated completion date is August 2020,” he emphasized adding that the 60-bed district hospital for Konongo and Salaga district hospitals will be completed in December 2020 and February 2021 respectively,” Kweku Baako said in 2020
About the Eurojet hospital project
Euroget De-Invest, an Egyptian company, was contracted by the Government of Ghana in 2008 to put up nine hospitals, including a Military hospital in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Sources indicate that under the provision of the contract, the entire project should have been completed within three years of commencement at the cost of $519 million.
The projects included the construction of a 160-bed Regional hospital at Wa in the Upper West, a 60-bed district hospital for Salaga in the Northern Region, a 60-bed district hospital at Tepa in the Ashanti Region, a 60-bed district hospital for Nsawkaw in Brong-Ahafo Region and a 500-bed Military hospital in Kumasi.
There was also to be a 60-bed district hospital for Konongo and a 250-bed hospital in the Ashanti Region and the rest are a 100-bed district hospital for Madina and a 60-bed hospital for the Twifo-Praso District in the Greater Accra and Central Regions.
All these are in the name of the Ministry of Health.
Member of Parliament for Daboya-Mankarigu Constituency Alhaji Asei Mahama Seini, who is also a Deputy Minister of Health, has expressed worry over the extent of devastation of flood waters in his constituency.
The situation, according to the lawmaker, is affecting livelihoods and appealed to the Roads Minister to come to their aid.
All entry and exit points to the capital of the North Gonja District have been cut off as a result of torrential rains and the spillage of the Bagre Dam.
This year has seen unprecedented flooding across the northern belt following the spillage of the Dam some weeks ago.
Major roads have been washed away in these areas.
The Daboya-Mankarigu roads from Busunu in the eastern part and Tolon in the northern part of Daboya have been cut off, bringing business and other related activities to a standstill.
During a tour of the constituency to assess the impact of devastation caused by the flood, the unhappy MP told journalists that the situation has heightened poverty among farmers.
“It is a worrying situation that all economic activities have come to a halt such that people cannot even cart their goods from their farms to the markets. In fact, it has heightened poverty among farmers,” he bemoaned.
MP for Daboya-Mankarigu Constituency Alhaji Asei Mahama Seini
According to him, a team of engineers has been dispatched to fix portions of the roads in the Constituency affected by the floods.
He also commiserated with his constituents who have been affected greatly by the unfortunate situation.
Road construction
Since 2015, the Daboya-Mankarigu road has been on contract to one Mr. Peter Mahama.
The contractor is a brother of the former president John Dramani Mahama.
It will be recalled that in 2020 and 2021 respectively, a similar incident occurred cutting off the Daboya-Mankarigu enclave from other parts of the Savannah Region.
Daboya bridge
The Roads Minister, Kwesi Amoako Atta, in 2017, when the Yapei and Buipe bridges were closed down for rehabilitation works, gave the assurance that an alternative bridge will be constructed on the White Volta in Daboya to ease the pressure on the Yapei and Buipe bridges.
In April 2021 and at the 45th congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association in Bole, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced that construction of the Daboya bridge will begin in June.
“One project that is very dear to my heart and the government is the construction of the Daboya bridge, I have been informed that design works are ongoing and barring any unforeseen challenges, work will begin this year,” he announced to loud applause.
A Senior Communications Officer at Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Ms. Patricia Ofori-Atta, has received an honouring award in Environmental Communications.
The award ceremony, which was held on Saturday, October 1, 2022, in Accra, was meant to recognise persons who have distinguished themselves in the environmental and sanitation space.
Ms. Ofori Atta was recognised for her instrumental role in environmental communication ensuring that the environment was given due respect.
Being the maiden edition of the award scheme organised by the Ghana Environmental Sanitation-Award (GESA), sponsored by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, it formed part of the numerous measures to champion and encourage players in the sanitation management space to ensure the sustainability of the environment.
Ms. Ofori-Atta’s award was a unique recognition of her relentless effort in the sanitation sector as monitored by individuals, the organisers, and groups in making sure there was always a healthy environment across the country.
As an experienced multimedia practitioner with an extensive background in waste management, results, and performance-driven professional with over eighteen years of communication experience in journalism and marketing, Ms. Ofori-Atta is committed to providing adequate information on the protection of the environment.
She holds a Master of Arts in Media Management, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and was adjudged the overall best student and a BSc Administration (Human Resources Management, GIMPA, with a Diploma in Communications Studies in Journalism from the Manifold Information Technology (MIT).
Before joining Zoomlion, Patricia worked with media houses including The Public Agenda Newspaper, Choice FM and also had a one-year national service at the Graphic Communications Group (Junior Graphic) as the Administrative Assistant.
At her current employment with Zoomlion, she works at the Communication set up with other positions within the Jospong Group of Companies holding in trust the oversight responsibility of ensuring that the team of media personnel engaged provide media coverage for the subsidiary companies of the JGC.
In an interview with journalists after receiving the award, Ms. Ofori-Atta was positive the award will impact immensely on her job.
“This award simply tells me that whatever I was doing, there were people observing. I, therefore, entreat everyone to do whatever entrusted into his or her hand with a sense of urgency,” she advised.
Meanwhile, on the night Zoomlion bagged seven awards in total. These were Environmental and Sanitation Man of the Decade, which award went to the Executive Chairman of the JGC, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong; Distinguished Service in Environmental and Sanitation Communications, Ms. Patricia Ofori Atta, a Senior Communications Officer, and; Distinguished Service and Environmental Sanitation Management, Mr. Ernest Morgan Acquah, General Manager of Metropolitan Waste and Allied Services).
The rest were Most influential Blogger/Vlogger in Environmental and Sanitation Promotion 2022, Edmond Otu Yeboah, Assistant Communications Officer; Sewage System Ghana Limited, Most Impactful Waste Management Organisation of the Year; Most committed Borla Woman in Ghana, Madam Philomena Dzogbo, Borla Police, and; Most Impactful Clean Ghana Campaign Project. 1 Million Bin.
The country’s request for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail out needs a multi-stakeholder approach to deal with, the Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-Ghana), Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has said.
“Regrettably, the pervasive and ingrained clientele politics of the country which materialises in a “winner-takes-all” style of governance has often distorted a much-needed national debate on what needs to be done and how it needs to be done’’, he said.
Sharing his thoughts on the IMF-Ghana’s negotiations with the Daily Graphic, Dr Asante said, “Ghana’s approaches to the IMF, which have averaged every four years over the past 65 years, tell a story of recurrent failure on the part of successive governments to ensure fiscal discipline and to make the economy more resilient to both internal and external shocks.”
Context
He noted that the surge in food and fuel prices, high cost of living and disruptions in the supply-chain, as a result of exogenous shocks from COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine had exacerbated the already ailing economy, necessitating talks with the IMF on a 17th bailout.
“Undoubtedly, Ghana is suffering from its highest inflation rate of 31.6 per cent in 20 years as shown in a recent report issued by the Ghana Statistical Service,” he stated.
Citizen’s engagement
The governance expert noted that as the country wrapped up for a suitable IMF programme, there was the need for the citizenry to be made aware of the difficulties ahead.
“One thing must be clear; that much more difficult times exists ahead of us. In that regard, as much as the content of the agreement is important for charting a way out of our economic woes, preparing the citizens for this period of difficulty is even more imperative,” he said.
Dr Asante stated that whatever agreement that was going to be tabled must be citizen-centered, specifically people must be directly consulted about their needs in designing a home-grown content – one that reflected the aspirations of the people.
Issues of interest
Dr Asante said, for instance, the country’s lack of fiscal discipline, and its recent over-reliance on foreign funding where 48 per cent of its total public debt, held by external investors, would be of interest to the IMF in a recovery programme in order to ensure fiscal stability.
“However, the only way to pay our bills are through an enhanced revenue mobilisation through a tax compliance mechanism, spending efficiently and sealing all revenue leakages. We need a clear growth strategy to fix the structural problems such as our over-reliance on primary commodity exports such as gold, crude oil and cocoa.” “ We must create a workable support system and incentive to the youth who form the chunk of our population showing so much ingenuity and innovation, while ensuring that these programmes do not end up like the MASLOC, GYEDA, and the many failed programmes killed by partisan interference and unmeritorious leadership,” he stated.
Dr Asante questioned that would this on-going negotiations be the last time the country was requesting an IMF bailout in 65 years or it would also end up just like the many others.
“When we fail this time, we may not be so lucky the next time,” the governance expert retorted.
The Kasoa Odupong Ofaakor Circuit Court has sentenced two Nigerians to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbery.
The two were arrested by the police after a failed robbery attempt on a mobile money vendor at Kasoa New Market junction on May 17, 2022.
The convicted persons, Bright Okwara and Ferdinand Obi, pleaded not guilty to attempted robbery and robbery.
However, the Court presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei Darko, found them guilty after their trial and sentenced each person to 20 years imprisonment.
On the day of the incident, a mobile money vendor, Mr Hassan Nuru Yaroh, had gone to withdraw money from the bank for mobile money business when he was attacked.
The Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Amponsah, told the Court that Mr Yaroh withdrew an amount of GH₵11,800 and was on his motorbike to the shop when he noticed another motorbike following him.
He said realising that he was being followed, Mr Yaroh decided to ride to the police station but unfortunately, his motorbike broke down and the two caught up with him.
The convicts then snatched the money and sped off but luckily, Mr Yaroh’s bike started again, and he followed them until they were caught up in traffic at the police post near the market junction and he sounded an alarm to alert the people around.
The victim, according to the Prosecutor, got closer and hit them with his bike, snatched back the money while passers-by surrounded and arrested and handed them over to the police.
Four days of torrential rains have caused havoc in Akyem Odain the Eastern Region.
The rains led to flooding in many parts of the town, destroying over 100 houses and rendering more than 400 people homeless.
Some of the victims are currently putting up in classrooms, while others are staying with relatives, friends and sympathisers.
The affected areas are Oda Zongo, Towobotom, New Sakumono, South Town, Annow, Community Two and Community Six.
Visit
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah; the Birim Central Municipal Coordinating Director, Haruna Amadu; the Oda Constituency executive of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and staff of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) visited the disaster victims and inspected the extent of damage to properties in the area yesterday.
The MP donated relief items, such as student mattresses, plastic buckets and bowls, as well as mosquito nets and mosquito coils, to the victims.
He also provided some of them with breakfast.
The Oda Zongo Chief, Alhaji Sulemana Adamu, and the Assembly Member for the Kyeremim Number Two Electoral Area, Nuhu Ayara, conducted Mr Acquah and his entourage round the damaged buildings.
Addressing victims of the disaster at Oda Zongo, who were the worst hit, Mr Acquah assured them of the government’s preparedness to assist them repair their damaged buildings.
He attributed the flooding of the area to the Birim River which overflowed its banks as a result of the many days of continuous rainfall.
The MP advised the people to desist from dumping refuse into gutters, saying that was a contributory factor to flooding.
During her first trip to the Ashanti Region, U.S. Ambassador Virginia Palmer met with his Royal Majesty the Asantehene, other traditional leaders, civil society, and U.S. government alumni in Kumasi.
The trip reiterated the United States’ commitment to economic development, inclusive prosperity, and accountable governance in Ghana.
“I’m thrilled to visit Kumasi, the historic capital of the Ashanti Region. I was honored to meet the Asantehene today. Kumasi and its people are an important priority for the United States and I’m glad to have met so many Kumasifuo. I will be back soon,” said U.S. Ambassador Palmer during her trip.
The Ambassador met His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at Manhyia Palace. Their discussions centered on the continuous U.S investment in Ghana’s human capital based on strong bilateral ties rooted in history and common democratic values. The Ambassador also paid a call on the leadership of the National House of Chiefs to discuss the vital role of traditional leaders in development, prosperity, and peace.
She also met with the Ashanti Regional Minister Honorable Simon Osei-Mensah, focusing on the U.S government’s support for peacebuilding and governance, as well as promoting opportunity and development through inclusive investments in people.
At a media roundtable with Kumasi journalists, Ambassador Palmer reiterated to journalists the United States’ commitment to safeguarding press freedoms while promoting professional development for journalists.
Meeting with the local entrepreneurs during her visit to the Kumasi Hive, Ambassador Palmer underscored the importance of entrepreneurship in developing Ghana’s economy.
“Promoting inclusion and economic growth, trade and investment is one of the top priorities of the U.S. government and enhancing the skills of entrepreneurs across various sectors can boost sustainable economic growth,” said Ambassador Palmer. Earlier this year, with the support of the U.S. Embassy, the Kumasi Hive trained more than 300 local Senior High School students with entrepreneurship skills, including design thinking, marketing, and a pitch competition.
Ambassador Palmer concluded her trip with Kumasi-based alumni of U.S. Government exchange programs, including alumni of the Fulbright Program and Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Ghana National Gas Company(GNGC) has cut sod for the construction of 130-bed girls’ dormitory at Dormaa Senior High School to ease congestion in the school.
Dormaa Senior High School celebrated its 75th anniversary over the weekend.
The school has a student population of over 4,000, and was the first secondary school between Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Region to be established in 1947.
Addressing the ceremony, the Headmaster, Nicholas Asamoah, was full of praise for Ghana Gas for the intervention.
He said the project, when completed, will provide shelter and ease congestion at the girls’ dormitory.
He observed that the project was timely.
“I am very grateful,” he said, “the work that we started way back from January, today we have seen the reality of the day. We’re hoping that the contractor is going to work harder so that, within the time limit given, we will take over the product and our girls will have a place to lay their heads. We’re very grateful once again.”
Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, applauded the gas company for the intervention, and called on other corporate institution to assist as has been done on other school campuses.
“Ghana Gas, after we knocked on their door, stepped in to assist us to get a dormitory for Dormaa SHS girls. They heard our plea,” she said.
“Without women, there is no development. Ghana Gas’ provision of 130-bed girls’ dormitory will aid the girls’ studies and reduce the overcrowding burden of the school. Dormaaman, RCC and every individual who contributed to getting this dormitory for Dormaa SHS is grateful. I believe the contractor will deliver on his promise to complete this girls’ dormitory in the stipulated six months’ time given.”
Ghana Gas’ Assistant Project Manager, Mr. Anyimah Nwiah Edomgbole, reiterated the vision of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ben K.D. Asante, the board and management of the company to providing educational infrastructure across the country, adding that the gas company is committed in delivering on its mandate.
“Ghana Gas realized Dormaa SHS has one of the biggest student population and decided to share in their vision of giving them a girls’ dormitory. As we speak, it is not only Dormaa that has benefited from Ghana Gas. Sunyani Technical University will soon get an ultra-modern ICT centre that will train students on vehicle maintenance and assembling. Again, [at] University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Ghana Gas is building a 200-bed hospital capacity for the school and its environs.”
He revealed that when completed, that project will benefit and thus bring education and health development to the region.
“Ghana Gas is the nation’s property and that, the company is committed to providing support throughout the country. We can assure Dormaaman and Dormaa SHS that monies have been allocated to kick-start this project to be able to commission within six months.”
Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Health and MP for Dormaa Central Constituency Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES) Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Caost Prof. Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme, former Inspector General of Police James Oppong Boanuh, who is the President of Dormaa Old Students Association, Bono Region Minister Hon. Justina Owusu- Banahene, His Royal Majesty Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Dr. Agyemang Badu II, the Dormaahene and His Lordship Justice Eric Baah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal were among the dignitaries who graced the school’s 75th anniversary.
The team lead of WhiteChalk, Bryan Tachie- Menson has been crowned the Best Events Management and Planning Award at the just-ended Forty Under 40 Awards organised by Xodus Communications Limited at Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra.
Interacting with the media after receiving the honour, Bryan T. Menson was grateful to his clients and vendors all across the country and beyond for the massive support.
He especially mentioned her committed staff Gifty who has worked tirelessly for nine years and the rest of the team for making sure they deliver precise planning, flawless coordination, timeless design and trusted production.
“I am extremely grateful for such a great honor done me. I was really determined to win this award. I want to thank three women in my life namely, Gifty, my loving mother and madam Kate Hassan.
The award scheme is an initiative from Xodus Communications Limited with support from Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Tourism which seeks to identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the nation’s most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age of forty from a wide range of industries.
The priceless award is in recognition of his dedication and commitment to building the Events Industry as well as being a highly respected company advocating for best business practices in the Hospital, Entertainment, Tourism, Culture, and Arts sectors.
Bryan Tachie – Menson, who has been in the business for more than nine years, has established standards that have brought him top clientele and numerous prestigious awards.
Additionally, Bryan has received mentions in Dream Magazine and is a featured wedding planner on a monthly basis in the prestigious Bella9ja Magazine.
He won the Most Innovative Stylish at the Ghana Events Industry Awards and Planner of the Year at the African Wedding Makers Awards, among others. He was selected by the Turkish government as one of the Top wedding planners from Africa to tour Turkey as destination for weddings.
He is also selected from Africa to join other top wedding planners from the world by the Dubai government and EPEX for a conference in September.
For the third year running, staff of FBNBank Ghana have displayed exemplary commitment to their communities by making a cash donation to the Rotary Club of Accra Ring Road Central in support of their child-focused projects. This was after the Club’s ”Walk for a Child” fund-raising walk on the University of Ghana campus.
The Club’s 2022 child-focused projects are the completion of the Berekuso community clinic at and the renovation of toilet facilities at the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Primary School. For these two Rotary projects, the staff of the Bank made personal contributions totalling Fourteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢14,000) which was presented to the Club.
Acknowledging the contribution of the FBNBank staff, Kobla Nyaletey, President of Rotary Club of Accra Ring Road Central said, “service to our communities is core to what Rotary is about. Extending a helping hand to communities in need is a responsibility for all. We are very grateful for the support that our friends from FBNBank Ghana continue to lend to our efforts to positively impact lives. We remain eternally grateful and I believe the beneficiaries of our projects, like the people of Berekuso are also grateful.”
Since 2019, FBNBank Ghana staff have been supporting the activities of Rotary International’s clubs in Ghana aimed at delivering benefit to the communities. These include the renovation and construction of classrooms and library for the Golden Spring School in Tetegu and the purchase of essential equipment for the children’s cancer unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. This is apart from donations the Bank has also made over the years to support the work of Rotary especially in the area of polio eradication.
Commenting on the donation by FBNBank Ghana staff, Mr. Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer who is also the District Governor of Rotary District 9102 said, “at FBNBank our people are expected to live our values of ‘entrepreneurial, professional, integrity and customer-centricity.’ We believe these values are the main drivers of the effort to continue to be of service to our communities. In seeking to achieve this we have joined forces with a worthy partner, Rotary International and through this partnership the personal commitments of our staff find a useful platform to deliver exactly what we intend to achieve. The people of Berekuso and the students of the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian School, just like many other people in the numerous communities in Ghana need support particularly in the areas of education and health and we are willing to continue to support all efforts which seek to address these needs.”
The Berekuso Health Centre project is currently in Phase One of construction. The facility is being constructed on a parcel of land provided by the community. When completed it shall have amenities like an Out-patient department, a maternity ward, male, female and children’s wards, a laboratory, a psychiatric unit, injection and emergency room, an antenatal unit, a pharmacy, stores, washrooms, consulting rooms and a public health section among others.
FBNBank Ghana has remained focused on putting its customers and communities first. This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its stakeholders as a whole, particularly the customers. FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 128 years of operation. FBNBank Ghana has twenty-six (26) business locations; comprising 23 (twenty-three) branches, two (2) agencies and one (1) collection centre across the country with over 500 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.
The court says the decision is to give ample time to the police to conduct their investigation into the matter.
The three accused persons including the third suspect who is alleged to have been hired by the Tufuhene Nana Clark and another accomplice Michael Darko to dig the hole that was used in burying the victim appeared before the court today.
The charge against the three still remains conspiracy to wit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal and other Offences Act 1980, Act 29.
They have been remanded into police custody to reappear on October 18, 2022.
A man believed to be in his late twenties has been lynched by unknown persons at Limozen a suburb of Gomoa Buduburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.
The body of the deceased, Stephen Akwaboa, popularly known as Gadafi Rasta, was discovered this morning.
It is unclear what might have caused his lynching, but residents in the area suspect it might be a robbery gone wrong.
The wife of the deceased Selina Essel expressed shock at the incident after hearing of his husband’s demise and thus called for justice.
She also denied rumours her husband was an armed robber.
The Greater Accra Regional Security Council has ordered the Immigration Service to as a matter of urgency pick up some illegal migrants converging along the streets of Achimota-Abofu in Accra.
Information gathered from the Okaikoi North Municipal Assembly reveals that the Nigeriens numbering over 30 were offloaded from an Ivory Coast-bound bus at the area on Monday evening by unknown drivers who are currently on the run.
Chairman of the Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Henry Quartey briefed the media on the development.
“The MCE called me that, he had a hint. These are not Ghanaians but they were dropped at about 11pm on Monday evening but in the meantime, we are arranging with the Immigration Service to take it up from here”, he said
Municipal Chief Executive for Okaikoi North, Boye Laryea also said:
“After they were dropped, the bus could no longer be found. I arranged with my taskforce and city guards to ascertain the issue so we are still waiting for the Immigration service to come in for the way forward.”
The suspects were arrested following an intelligence-led swoop at a house at Manhean in Accra.
According to EOCO, 28 suspects believed to be engaged in fraudulent activities were initially taken into custody.
It was determined that 21 of them were victims of human trafficking from Nigeria to Ghana.
The remaining suspects were remanded into custody while EOCO commences investigations.
“On 26th September 2022, the Economic and Organised Crime Office conductedan intelligence-led swoop at a house at Manhean, Obeyeyie in the Greater Accra Region. At the end of the exercise 28 Nigerians, suspected to be engaged in Prohibited Cyber Activities, were taken into custody.”
“After our initial screening, 21 of the persons were determined to be victims of Human Trafficking from Nigeria to Ghana. The seven suspects have since been remanded into lawful custody whilst investigations are ongoing,” a statement from the police added.
Some aggrieved residents of Sekyere Kumawu District in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday besieged the premises of the District Assembly to protest bad roads.
The residents say a rise in robbery incidents in the area can be attributed to the nature of the main Juaben to Kumawu road.
The residents had red bands tied to their hands and heads and said they were also worried about the transportation of produce from farming communities to urban centres after harvest.
One resident, Stephen Acheampong, read out the petition on behalf of the group and presented it to the District Chief Executive.
“This passionate petition has become necessary. Our road from Kumawu through Effiduase to Juaben is in a highly deplorable state. The contractor who started work in some parts has abandoned the site. We can no longer continue to deal with the poor state of the road.”
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kumawu received the petition on behalf of the Regional Minister.
“We know how important this is to you, and I can assure you all that I am on your side and will throw my weight behind you to see that the roads are fixed.”
Ghana will join the world to observe World Cerebral Palsy (CP) Day on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
World CP Day is used to celebrate and support those living with cerebral palsy, embrace diversity and help create a more accessible future for everyone.
“There are over 1 billion people around the world who live with a disability. Yet we still navigate a world that is not designed to be accessible,” the World CP Day Organisation says.
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects the movement and sometimes the speech of a person. It is considered the number one cause of disability in childhood.
There are more than 17 million people across the world living with cerebral palsy. Another 350 million people are closely connected to a child or adult with cerebral palsy.
It is the most common physical disability in childhood. Cerebral palsy is a permanent disability that affects movement. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.
It is a complex disability. 1 in 4 children with cerebral palsy cannot talk, 1 in 4 cannot walk, 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability and 1 in 4 have epilepsy.
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disability and there is no known cure.
Cerebral palsy is one of the least understood disabilities and people with cerebral palsy are often out of sight, out of mind and out of options in communities around the world.
In Ghana, members of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy issues will take to social media to educate the public about cerebral palsy and the need for government to formulate policies that support children with the condition and their families.
The Centre for Learning and Childhood Disabilities (CLCD) will also organise a free health screening exercise for children with cerebral palsy on October 8, 2022, to mark the day.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness, another organization championing CP issues will celebrate the day with families at the Shai-Osudoku Health Directorate.
World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6 was created by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in 2012 and now brings together people living with cerebral palsy, their families, allies, supporters and organisations across more than 100 countries.
The aim is to ensure a future in which children and adults with cerebral palsy to have the same rights, access and opportunities as anyone else in our society.
The theme for the celebration is; ‘Millions of Reasons‘.
The family of late social activist, Ibrahim Muhammed, popularly known as Kaaka, says it fears justice will not be served in his murder trial after the case has seen several adjournments for over a year.
Kaaka died at Ejurain the Ashanti region in June 2021 after he was allegedly attacked in front of his house.
Three persons were arrested and remanded for months over the incident, but were later granted bail.
The Asokwa District court that has been hearing the matter for months has been waiting for advice from the office of the Attorney General for committal processes to begin at the high court.
During the court’s proceedings today, all the accused persons were present, but the prosecutor was absent because the advice from the Attorney General was not ready.
The case has thus been adjourned to 8th November 2022.
The spokesperson of Kaaka’s family, Nafiu Mohammed, told Citi News they are disappointed with how the case is being handled.
“It’s been a sad day, we were in court today and all the accused persons were in court but for the fifth time. The prosecutor was not in court and the case had to be adjourned to the 8th of November. The Presiding Judge said, no advice has been received yet from the Attorney General, so no committal process will start. This is really disturbing and as a family, it is in a way draining our pocket. If this continues, it is a pungent smell of injustice, so the case must be called, so we find the way forward.”
Kaaka died on 28th June 2021 after he was attacked in front of his house at Ejura on 26th June 2021.
Following the death, Fuseni Alhassan and Ibrahim Issaka were arrested, and Iddi Mohammed [Kaaka’s brother] was subsequently arrested as well.
His death and subsequent protests later culminated in a commission of inquiry that took testimonies from about 20 witnesses including journalists, police, soldiers, political appointees, and some victims.
The committee made up of Justice George Kingsley Koomson as the Chairman; a security analyst, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, and the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, Juliet Adiema Amoah, presented its findings to the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery on Tuesday, July 27, 2021.
The committee in its ten recommendations recommended compensation for affected families and persons.
It also recommended the transfer of the Police commander of Ejura and the removal of the MCE of the area.
Ibrahim Muhammed’s family had earlier accused the police of delaying investigations, but the police have refuted these accusations.
The police instead cited delays from the Attorney General’s office.
A concerned citizen, Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako, says government has failed in the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Government has been fighting illegal mining for many years, but the efforts and investments have all proved futile.
In 2017, the Akufo-Addo government launched a joint Police and Military taskforce named ‘Operation Vanguard’ to rid the country of illegal miners.
It was during the launch that the President made his famous quote, “I am prepared to put my presidency on the line on this matter.”
Despite the massive public support, the impact of the operation was minuscule.
Thus, speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Antwi- Boasiako observed that despite President Akufo-Addo’s zealousness to halt the canker, galamsey has rather blossomed under his governance.
“We have a government that cannot provide governance as we understand it. The President said he was putting his presidency on the line to fight galamsey.
“How many years has it been since 2017? What is the situation on the ground? From what we’ve heard, the situation is worse. Our water bodies have become as you described, dead,” he said.
He, therefore, suggested that a more radical measure must be implemented to eradicate the menace.
On the same show, a fellow at CDD-Ghana, Kwame Sarpong noted that government could exploit other constitutional methods to clamp down the canker.
He questioned the government’s commitment to eradicate the menace.
“How can I sit here in the UK [United Kingdom] and use google maps to accurately pinpoint the contamination of our water bodies but hear a minister say that he is not aware that mining is going on in a forest reserve because a Commission under his Ministry says they haven’t issued a license.
“Last I checked, most of our ministers use smartphones. Couldn’t he have done what we all do to pinpoint what is going on and check what we all saw? This doesn’t require National Security. This requires the persons personal will to act,” he stated.
The South Birim Rural Bank has donated GH¢10,000 to the Oda Senior High School (ODASCO) for the rehabilitation of the school’s girls’ dormitory block which was destroyed by rainstorm recently.
The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mrs Benedicta Addo-Danquah, made the presentation, saying the gesture was in response to an appeal by the Headmaster of the school, Mr Evans Boafo, to the bank for financial assistance to repair the damaged building.
She said the appeal fell within the confines of the bank’s corporate social responsibility and, therefore, obliged to assist in the development of its catchment area.
Mrs Addo-Danquah advised the school authorities to utilise the money for the intended purpose in order to receive more assistance from the bank.
She also urged the students to study hard to become responsible future leaders to assist in the development of their communities and the nation at large.
The legal adviser of the bank, Augustus Anim Attafuah, enjoined the students to be disciplined, obedient, submissive and studious in order to achieve their objective of becoming great academicians in future.
Appreciation
Mr Boafo, who received the sum in cheque, said the donation had come at an opportune time for the students to get a decent dormitory block.
He said the students had been sleeping in the school’s library since the rainstorm struck on May 17 this year.
He appealed to the government, well-to-do individuals and non-governmental organisations to help to rehabilitate the Danquah boys’ dormitory block and the school’s pantry which were also damaged by the rainstorm.
A police officer believed to be attached to the Jubilee House is said to have fired gunshots and physically assaulted some civilians around the Kaneshie Bishop area.
The three victims said they were on their way to get ‘waakye’ after church service on Sunday when the incident happened.
Kofi (not his real name) told Joy News their crossing to the other side of the road provoked Kyei Peprah who was riding a motorbike.
According to him, when they enquired why he was hurling insults at them for crossing the road, “it evolved into a scary situation in which a gun was fired” and “I was brutally slapped”.
The victim and eyewitnesses say the experience has left them traumatised
Kofi said how the incident unfolded leading to him being slapped and nearly shot in the leg is still a mystery to him.
unfolded in an interview with the Host of the AM Show on JoyNews.
He recounted how the police officer aimed to shoot his friend in the leg and slapped him after the shot.
Another witness expressed shock at how recklessly Kyei Peprah had acted.
Host of the AM Show, Benjamin Akakpo [right] interacting with one of the eyewitnesses
The victim and eyewitnesses say the experience has left them traumatised.
Kofi said the incident aired on Joy News, he got a call from the Police Professional Standards Bureau.
He was asked to come to the scene of the shooting for further investigations.
The police team was led by one ACP Cuthbert and, after they had gathered information from the scene, they told him they would take up the issue.
The case has been lodged at the Kaneshie Police Station.
Serbian trainer Milovan Rajevac has refused to rule out a return to the Black Stars.
The 67-year-old was fired after the Black Stars poor showing at the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Ghana recorded their worst AFCON performance after failing to win any of their games in Group C.
In an interview with Kumasi-based Akoma FM, the Serbian gaffer refused to rule out a return to the Black Stars.
According to him, Ghana is his second home and will therefore consider any opportunity that comes his way.
“No one knows what the future holds. Ghana is my second home, so if another opportunity arises for me to come there, I will consider it seriously. Last time I didn’t have enough time to implement everything I wanted, like the first time in Ghana. In order to achieve great targets, time is of the essence” he said.
Milovan Rajevac had a successful first stint with Ghana, reaching the final of the 2010 AFCON and also making the quarter final of the 2010 World Cup.
The African Union Commission and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have called on governments, multilateral organisations, philanthropies, the private sector, and civil society organizations to support the full implementation of Africa’s New Public Health Order to drive global health security.
The request for support was made at a series of events leading up to the 77th United Nations General Assembly.
Strong African Public Health Institutions that represent African priorities in global health governance and that drive progress on key health indicators;
Expanded Manufacturing of Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics to democratize access to life-saving medicines and equipment;
Investment in Public Health Workforce and Leadership Programs to ensure Africa has the workforce it needs to address health threats;
Increased Domestic Investment in Health, including the domestic mobilization of financial resources, human capital, technical resources, and networks; and
Respectful, Action-Oriented Partnerships to advance vaccine manufacturing, health workforce development, and strong public health institutions.
Call to strengthen African Public Health Institutions
African leaders called for support to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions, including the Africa CDC which led the coordination of Africa’s pandemic response, helping to significantly reduce loss of life during COVID-19.
“To achieve [its public health goals], the African Union Assembly in February 2022 granted Africa CDC autonomy to be able to fulfil its mandate, supporting member states to achieve health sovereignty,” said African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki. “But Africa CDC alone cannot meet this challenge,” he added.
“If you don’t have strong public health institutions before an emergency when the emergency comes it doesn’t matter how many resources you have. You’ll still struggle,” said Dr Ahmed Ouma, Acting Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Call to support vaccine manufacturing in Africa
Leaders also called upon all vaccine-purchasing mechanisms, such as the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI), to purchase at least 30 per cent of their vaccines from manufacturers in Africa.
While Africa currently produces one per cent of its routinely used vaccines, it has set a bold target of meeting up to 60 per cent of its vaccine demand through regional manufacturing by 2040.
By making explicit commitments to offtake vaccines from Africa, vaccine-purchasing mechanisms can stimulate private sector investment in vaccine manufacturing.
Call to support health workforce development
Health workforce development was another prominent focus. According to the WHO, Africa currently has a ratio of 1.55 health workers (physicians, nurses, and midwives) per 1,000 people.
This is below the WHO threshold density of 4.45 health workers per 1,000 people needed to deliver essential health services and achieve universal health coverage.
“Health workers are a crucial pillar in a well-functioning health system. Yet, they have been historically deprioritized in discussions about improving health systems,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement read on his behalf by South Africa Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla.
“It is good economics to invest in the health workforce as the return is measurable and dependable,” he added.
Leaders urged greater investment in health workforce development, and specifically called for stronger support of Community Health Worker programs in Africa.
“Experience shows that professional community health workers who are properly paid, trained, equipped, and supervised are best prepared to provide essential health services in their communities,” said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
She also highlighted that most community health workers in Africa are women who perform exceptional work but are unpaid for their efforts. “It is time to correct this injustice,” she urged.
Respectful, Action-oriented Partnerships
To advance progress towards stronger public health institutions, a robust workforce, and medical manufacturing in Africa, the Africa CDC and African Union Commission need partners. Leaders emphasised that the nature of these partnerships is important and called for partnerships oriented around principles of mutuality and respect, that recognize African knowledge and expertise and deliver contextually-relevant support and programs.
Partners of the African Union Commission and Africa CDC underscored that delivering a New Public Health Order for Africa is key to strengthening the global health infrastructure and ensuring better global preparedness to effectively respond to infectious disease outbreaks in the future.
“Achieving this future will take partnership, and not just any partnership but partnership that’s rooted in respect – and that means starting by listening, understanding, and then responding to real needs and top priorities,” said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, which last year partnered with the Africa CDC to launch the $1.5 billion Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative.
The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative has purchased vaccines for over 65 million people in Africa and is enabling the vaccination of millions more.
The initiative is also designed to drive health workforce development and strengthen the Africa CDC to ensure long-term health security.
According to him, although Ghana has been drawn into a tough group at the mundial, the Black Stars will advance to the knockout stage if the team fights very hard.
“The group is very strong. Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay are very strong teams and Ghana have to go the extra mile to qualify for the next round. In 2010, the situation was pretty similar, the group was strong, but Ghana managed to cope with all the challenges and make historical success,” Milovan Rajevac stressed in an interview with Akoma FM.
The two-time coach of the Ghana national team is of the view that success will be achieved if there is unity in the camp of the Black Stars.
“Unity of the team is the crucial aspect for achieving great things. Ghana has the talent and the passion, I’m sure that every player, coach, and official will do their best to make Ghana proud,” Coach Milo said.
This year’s world cup will commence in Qatar on November 20.
The Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has observed that there is an unwillingness amongst authorities to clamp down on illegal mining.
According to Prof. Kwesi Aning, companies and their leadership and ownership engaging in galamsey are well known in the country however, the state has turned a blind eye to their actions.
Thus, allowing these ‘crook’ individuals to operate unconcerned about the detrimental effect the activity is having on the country and its people.
Prof Aning was reacting to JoyNews’ Hotline Documentary, Destruction for Gold on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday.
“There is the lacuna between the flowery retrig of representatives of the state of Ghana and their unwillingness and it is not about capacity, this is deliberate unwillingness to respond to this challenge.
“So we initiate inter-ministerial groups, multiple joint campaigns by statutory security forces and they don’t go anywhere and they will not go anywhere until we are bold enough to strip bare the individuals and crooks involved.”
Government has been fighting illegal mining for many years, but despite efforts and massive investments, the situation seems to get worse almost every day.
Over the years, illegal mining has destroyed a majority of the country’s agricultural lands and contaminated many water bodies. As a result, there are already water shortages in various parts of the nation.
Considering the vast damage illegal mining has had on our water bodies and forest, a ban has been placed on mining in forest reserves.
Last year, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor revealed that his outfit will not issue licenses to any mining company to undertake exploitation in forest reserves.
However, checks by Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor show that some mining companies are still operating in the forest reserves.
His investigations uncovered that forest cover running over 12 football fields has already been destroyed by mining linked to Akonta Mining Limited owned by Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly called Chairman Wontumi.
This among other findings convinced Prof Aning that there is a state within the Ghanaian state where some ‘powerful’ individuals driven by greed are causing havoc.
“A deep state is a group of individuals sometimes performing openly but more often than not clandestinely and using a narrative that seeks to cover their criminal engagements and how they collude and connive amongst themselves and with external interests to undermine the authority of the state.
“These groups of individuals located within the deep state are determined to defend the galamsey trade through fair and foul means.
“Foul means can be corruption, intimidation, atrocities against individuals, the use of guns. Fair means can be through collusion and connivance in which statutory institutions are unable and unwilling to work,” he said.
Pressure group, OccupyGhanahas asked President Akufo-Addo to immediately declare a state of emergency in all mining areas in the country.
To them, this will help the President and his government streamline mining activities in the country.
In a press release issued on Monday, it urged President Akufo-Addoto seek advice from the Council of State before publishing a Gazette on same.
“We, therefore, request that you take immediate steps towards declaring a state of emergency in every mining area in Ghana.
The release from OccupyGhana
“In accordance with article 31(1) of the Constitution, these steps would be, first, seeking and obtaining the advice of the Council of State and, second, publishing a Proclamation of the declaration in the Gazette,” the group urged.
Meanwhile, it has also asked Parliament to be recalled from its vacation for it to pass the state of emergency.
“Thereafter we expect Parliament to be recalled from its vacation, for the government to place before it the facts and circumstances leading to the declaration of the state of emergency under article 31(2).
“Considering the gravity of the situation, we fully expect Parliament to agree with the government and provide that the state of emergency should remain for such period as Parliament may determine so that the government can get a grasp of the situation,” the release added.
This call has been supported by the Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil.
According to him, this is the best solution to the matter now.
Ghana was in mourning yesterday when news broke in the morning that veteran actor, Ekow Blankson, had passed on.
In a recent post shared on Instagram, Adjetey Anang disclosed that he had waited more than a day so someone could tell him Mr. Blankson’s death was fake.
According to him, he was a strong man who showed no signs of any ailment, hence his shock at his sudden death.
“I’ve waited 24 hours since I heard this. Maybe it’s not true. Ekow is on Dede’s set, Ekow was making plans, and Ekow seemed fine when I last saw him.
“Maybe they’ll say it was a hoax. So I waited… But no, it’s confirmed. Unbelievable! You always praised me for my work and encouraged me not to rest but to keep raising the bar,” he shared.
He also added that the late Commercial Manager for GhanaWeb, would always ask about his family and motivate him before he dropped the line on the other side.
“You never ended our chats without asking about family and encouraging me to keep my family close. Down to earth cool brother you were! We lost a gem men! Sleep well brother… Sleep well!” he added.
Adjetey Anang joins the tall list of celebrities who have expressed shock at the actor’s death and are still hoping his death wasn’t true.
Former President John Mahama asked the Finance Minister to as a matter of urgency refund the alleged diversion of $100 million accrued from Ghana’s Petroleum lifting in the first quarter of 2022.
Mr Mahama said there can be no justification for the said diversion.
According to him, the move is illegal as per Petroleum Exploration and Production Act (Act 919).
In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Mahama stated that the Finance Minister did not seek parliamentary approval for the diversion.
“Section (15) of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act (Act 919), is also clear that “Any borrowing exceeding the cedi equivalent of thirty million United States Dollars for the purpose of exploration, development and production shall be approved by Parliament and shall be in consonance with the Petroleum Revenue Management Act.”
Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta
“There can be no justification for diverting revenues accruing from the nation’s share of petroleum resources into any other account aside from the PHF.
Former President, John Mahama
The Minister for Finance must as a matter of urgency repatriate all such illegal payments back into the PHF without delay as there is no record to confirm parliamentary approval on any such loans acquired by GNPC in their work programme,” he stated.
The issue was first made public by the Minority in Parliament.
The Minority, in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 28, insisted the revenue from the Jubilee and TEN fields to a company was transferred illegally.
The Caucus also alleged that the Finance Minister has ceded shares from the 2021 Occidental (Oxy) transaction in respect of the Jubilee and TEN Fields to an offshore company known as JOHL “in a very surreptitious and opaque manner.”
A book of condolence has been opened at the premises of Advertiser and Publishers Solutions Ghana Limited (ADPU), local partner of AfricaWeb, in Accra, in honour of the late Ekow Blankson.
The veteran actor was announced dead in the morning of Monday, October 3, 2022.
The condolence book is open to partners, clients and loved ones from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm each day of the week.
Until his death, he was the Commercial Manager of ADPU, which oversees the operations of AfricaWeb, owners of GhanaWeb and other subsidiaries.
All well-wishers, sympathisers, friends and loved ones are encouraged to visit the offices of ADPU at Dzorwulu to pay their last respects to him.
The darkness that covered the road between Koffekrom to Anyinam, both suburbs of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region will now be a thing of the past as mining giant AngloGold Ashanti has fully installed overhead powerlines and streetlights on the 1.6 km stretch.
Apart from beautifying Obuasi Gold Street, the project will also enhance security by protecting road users, who have been complaining of attacks by criminals on the stretch during the evenings.
This, however, comes as a welcome relief for pedestrians and motorists who ply that stretch.
The Stakeholders Engagement Superintendent of Anglogold Ashanti, Edmond Oduro Agyei, who spoke to the Media after a short ceremony to hand over the project to the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, said the project forms part of the commitment made by AngloGold Ashanti to the people of Obuasi to improve the social infrastructure of Obuasi.
Again, he mentioned that the project also forms part of the community safety initiative of AngloGold Ashanti, which features prominently in their 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.
“We believe that provision of streetlights is a primary responsibility of the Assembly but as corporate citizens, AGA deems it as a shared responsibility to also contribute positively to the well-being of the people of Obuasi.”
Fully funded by AngloGold Ashanti at a cost of GH¢650,000, Mr. Oduro Agyei said the project will help improve the well-being of road users on that stretch.
He added that though the project was an initiative of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, AngloGold Ashanti had to step in to fund it when the request came through from the Assembly for support.
Elijah Adansi-Bonah, the MCE for Obuasi, hailed the harmonious working relationship between Anglogold Ashanti and the Obuasi Municipal Assembly.
He said the healthy relationship between the two institutions has contributed immensely to the development of Obuasi.
“I can say that the Assembly is enjoying an unprecedented healthy working relationship with AGA. The current management of AGA has been responsive to the needs and challenges of Obuasi anytime the Assembly petitions them for support”.
Touching on the streetlights, Mr. Adansi-Bonah said the Assembly had earlier installed streetlights on that stretch, but thieves came to steal them.
He added that the Assembly had to fall on AngloGold Ashanti for support when it became clear that the Assembly cannot fund the project alone.
The Obuasi MCE revealed that the Assembly has plans to extend streetlights to other parts of the Municipality without Streetlights to enhance security in those areas.
Nana Amoabeng Kotoko, Odikro of Anyinam lauded Anglogold Ashanti for their proactiveness in supporting the communities where the Mine operates. He assured that the community will protect the streetlights from unscrupulous people who will attempt to cut the cables.
The overhead powerlines and streetlights were constructed by Ahenfo electricals, a locally based contractor.
One hundred Ghanaian medical students trained in Ukraine are still awaiting results verification and placement into Ghanaian medical schools.
This revelation comes after Dr. Anthony Nsiah- Asare, the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee put together to come out with modalities to integrate the students into Ghanaian medical schools, disclosed that about 100 out of the initial 187 students had been placed into Ghanaian medical schools.
Dr. Nsiah-Asaresaid the committee has successfully completed its work and would soon submit a report to the Ministry of Education.
But speaking to Citi News, the president of the Ukrainian branch of NUGS, Philip Bobbie Ansah says they are yet to see the placements done by the committee.
“100 medical students in Ukraine have been placed in medical school now, but we are yet to see the placement and results. The statement was made by the Medical and Dental Council, but the students are yet to see the assessment so we are looking for the date that they will release the results because they are awaiting the Ministry of Health.”
The Medical and Dental Council of Ghanabelieves criticisms of its decision not to recognize degree certificates issued by Medical and Dental Schools in Ukraine are unjustified.
The council’s Registrar, Dr. Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, suggested that his outfit was deserving of praise for being proactive and “acting in our collective interest.”
“We are set up exactly to do that; to make sure substandard practitioners, do not come and become licensed murderers,” Dr. Banyubala said.
The council’s decision is because some schools in Ukraine have resorted to studying online following the Russian invasion.
But Ghanaian students studying Medicine and Dentistry in Ukraine have decried the decision by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council not to recognise their certificates.
Speaking to Citi News, an Executive Member of the National Union of Ghana Students in Ukraine, Henry Brook Smith said the move is not in the best interest of Ghanaian students studying in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is currently running an offline mode. The online is being organised for those who can’t make it to Ukraine due to the invasion. Our concern is that, this decision has been taken without recourse to the effects on parents and students.”
A sea mammal; a whale, has reportedly been found dead at a Beach in Dansoman.
Photos posted by akokonsafuor on social media platform – Instagram, show that the mammal may have died some time ago, judging from the decolourized carcass that was washed ashore.
It is unclear however what may have caused the death of the mammal.
However,we have not received nor seen any official communication from authorities on what happened at the beach.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe believes an African country can win the winning FIFA World Cup in the future.
Africa is yet to win the biggest trophy in the history of the Fifa World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference in Algeria over the weekend, the South African businessman believes an African team has the potential to be world champions.
“Parts of our objective as CAF and as African Football is to build towards an African nation being the champions of the world, an African nation winning the FIFA World Cup,” he said.
“We absolutely have no doubt, [Africa], has the potential over time and has the potential now as well”.
The Black Stars of Ghana, Teranga Lions of Senegal, Atlas Lions of Morocco, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia will be representing Africa at Qatar 2022.
Dr. Patrice Motsepe relayed a goodwill message to Africa’s competing nations.
“I also want to wish the five nations that will be representing us, Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, Ghana, and Tunisia, the best in Qatar.”
Meanwhile, Ghana’s President, Nana Akuffo Addo, Ghana’s Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, and the Ghana Football Association’s Executive Committee Member, Dr. Tony Aubynn have also expressed belief that Ghana could win the 2022 World Cup.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place from November 20 to December 18, 2022.
Ghana has dropped six places in the latest FIFA World Cup power rankings produced by American media outlet, CBS Soccer.
The West African powerhouse is placed 22nd position out of 32 teams ahead of the start of the biggest soccer mundial in Qatar next month.
The much-anticipated tournament has been scheduled for November and December with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.
Ghana lost 3-0 to Brazil bit recovered to beat Nicaragua 1-0 in the pre-World Cup friendlies last month.
The defeat and narrow win during the international break put the four-time AFCON winners in tier three, a pot for teams that have a 50/50 chance progressing to the round of 16.
South American giants, Brazil and Argentina are in tier 1, the two teams likely to win the tournament in Qatar.
The tier two has countries that can challenge for the championship which includes the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Uruguay, Germany, England and Croatia and are ranked from 3rd to 10th.
The tier three has only three teams and they identified as nations expected to make it out of their group. Senegal, Belgium and Portugal are the teams in tier three.
Tier four, the countries in the mix, where Ghana’s finds itself also has, Serbia, Japan, Switzerland, Morocco, Ecuador, South Korea, Mexico, Wales, Ghana, Iran, USA, Poland and Tunisia.
The final lot is the group with nations expected not to make it past the group stage and it includes Australia, Canada, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
