TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • Todays newspapers front pages

  • Man abandons wife after delivering quadruplets

    A 27-year-old woman has been abandoned by her husband after delivering quadruplets at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Western North Region on July 19, 2020.

    The Graphic.com.gh reports that the bolted husband, George Ackah, who works as a cleaner has not been to the hospital since his wife was admitted about five weeks ago.

    According to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Kwesi Adu-Gyamfi, the woman was referred to their facility from a private health center due to her anaemic condition.

    “After receiving her, I assigned a medical officer to her permanently, we followed her until the 31-weeks where we admitted her and then to 36-weeks when she delivered.”

    “I must say that from the time of admission to the time of delivery, the husband who she said is a cleaner in a private firm, did not pass by the hospital nor answer his calls,” he said.

    The Graphic.com.gh reports that before the arrival of the quadruplets, the unemployed woman already has two children with the bolted husband.

    The health workers at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai municipality, said after the delivery at about 11 a.m. last Sunday (July 19), they had to contribute to get the basic items needed for the upkeep of the children and the feeding of their mother.

    Initial scan

    The mother of the quadruplets first reported for antenatal at a private facility, where initial scan revealed triplets, said the Medical Superintendent of the Bibiani Municipal Hospital.

    “After we performed thorough assessment with further scans we realised they were quadruplets,” he said.

    “For proper care, we adopted what we call Focus Antenatal; we assigned a midwife to the woman, but after some time we did not hear from her again, her phone was also not going through,” he said.

    Asked how her bills and other needs were covered, Dr Adu-Gyamfi said, “From the day she was admitted, all her needs were covered by contributions of the hospital staff, the midwives and the doctors.”

    Call for support

    Upon hearing of the plight of the woman, the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has supported the woman with GH¢2,000 and promised to do more.

    The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, who presented the donation on behalf of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, said she was touched by the plight of the woman.

    The hospital administration has also called on members of the public to support the woman and her four children.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Samira Bawumia announces 30 finalists for Literature Prize

    Her Excellency Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, has announced the 30 finalists for the Samira Bawumia Literature Prize.

    The Samira Bawumia Literature Prize is an initiative by the Second Lady which seeks to support young Ghanaian writers.

    The Literature Prize, which is an annual literary competition for the best short fiction, poetry and non-fiction prose by young Ghanaians living in Ghana, was launched in April 2020.

    Samira Bawumia today, Monday, July 20, 2020, announced the 30 finalists for the Literature prize.

    The 30 finalists have been shortlisted in three literature categories Non-Fiction, Short Fiction and Poetry.

    Samira Bawumia, however, indicated that she will announce the top three winners on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

    Below are the names of the 30 finalists:

    Source: kuulpeeps.com

  • Four arrested over shooting at registration centre

    Four persons are in the grips of the police for allegedly disrupting the voter registration exercise at the Steps to Christ Registration Centre in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region.

    The cause of the incident is still unknown but police say the men just stormed the centre and one of them pulled a pistol and fired warning shots.

    This scared queued applicants, who run helter-skelter for their lives.

    Three burnt motorbikes were later found at the scene.

    The Kasoa Divisional Police Command rushed to the scene upon receiving reports of the activities of the men and arrested the four suspects.

    A statement issued by the Electoral Commission of Ghana said the gunmen attacked their officials.

    The elections-management body has, therefore, appealed to the security agencies to get to the bottom of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.

    Source: 3 News

  • Task force constituted to track arbitrary increase in transport fares

    A task force has been constituted by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to monitor compliance of the recently approved transport fares.

    The task force was formed following reports of arbitrary increases in transport fares by some commercial transport operators.

    A statement signed by National Chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kuma, and General Secretary of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, Emmanuel Ohene Yeboah.

    It said drivers have increased their fares against the approved fares which took effect from July 11, 2020, to the detriment of the general public.

    As such, the Union and the Council have asked union executives, company directors, station managers and masters to ensure compliance by drivers to the approved fares.

    It said the baseline for the calculation of the 15% increase was that of the first scheduled increase in Road Transport fares which took effect from September 16, 2019.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Ghanaian Times: Dealing with thugs at voter registration centres

    The Ghanaian Times on Wednesday carried a story under the headline “Student stabbed to death at Banda Ahenkro” in which a 28-year-old fresh teacher trainee graduate has allegedly been murdered at Banda Ahenkro in the Banda District of the Bono Region.

    He was said to have been attacked and stabbed by thugs believed to be the supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) without any provocation leading to his death.

    According to the report, it is unclear the reason for the attack but unconfirmed report suggests that the unfortunate incident occurred when the victim was returning from Wenchi to Banda.

    An eyewitness said, on reaching Kabronu, a suburb of the town, the thugs mistook him to be a National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizer, accosted and stabbed him to death.

    The report maintained however that the incident did not occur at a registration centre as widely reported.

    The District Chief Executive of the area, Mary Commey, confirmed the incident but could not give details as she was yet to be briefed.

    This is one of the numerous reports we have received from various registration centres and communities where violence have been recorded in relation to the ongoing registration exercise.

    Few of the thugs who attempted to cause mayhem at some registration centres have been arrested by the police but others have attacked, beaten up and in some cases inflicted wounds on their victims.

    Certainly, this is not the first time that such violence is being witnessed in our political activities but it appears it is now a deliberate ploy by political parties to deploy thugs at registration centres with the sole aim of attacking their opponents.

    This is not appropriate and a shame that contrary to the code of conduct that was signed by political parties to disband political vigilantism, the parties have rather tacitly supported the thugs to engage in violent activities at the registration centres.

    The Ghanaian Times is concerned that these violent activities are happening at registration centres, a place that should be under security protection for voters to register and participate in future election.

    We are baffled that instead of comporting ourselves and peacefully engaging in the exercise that would give us a clean and acceptable register for all, some are rather engaged in violence and attacks that is not in the interest of the exercise.

    We urge the Electoral Commission (EC) and security agencies to beef up security at hotspots across the country to deal with the thugs in accordance with law.

    For us to come out with a clean and acceptable register, it is appropriate that the hoodlums are dealt with so that these acts of violence would stop.

    We also appeal to the political parties to call their supporters to order and dissociate themselves from such violent activities by their supporters in line with their stated undertaken to stop political vigilantism and election related violence in the country.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • Voters registration: NDC supporters besiege Kasoa Police station

    Some people believed to be supporters of the National Democratic Congress on Monday besieged the Kasoa Police Command despite heavy police presence at the station.

    This comes after four people hour were arrested, with some guns retrieved by the Kasoa Divisional Police Command.

    They have since been transferred to the Regional Police Headquarters in Cape Coast in the the Central Regional Capital for investigations to continue.

    Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Charles Ampem Koosonu revealed his outfit acted immediately the incident happened and upon swift patrols in and around Kasoa environs arrested a pickup where they arrested this suspects.

    Speaking on Starr Today, NDC communications officer Mr Delali Sewarkpor accused the Special Initiatives Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson of being behind the violence in the area.

    According to him, several complaints to the Kasoa divisional police command has been ignored with no arrest made.

    Mr. Sewakpor added that NPP thugs have on different occasions attacked members of the NDC and in some instance serious injuries have been inflicted on their party members with no action taken by the Police.

    Mr. Sewakpor added that NDC supporters who besieged the Police station earlier in the day have left.

    Currently, the registration centre has been closed down as the Electoral Commission officers at the venue have fled following the violence.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Private schools have suffered immeasurably under coronavirus – GNACOPS

    The Executive Secretary of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Enoch Gyetuah, says over 1,104 teachers have not been paid their monthly salaries for about 3 months now. According to him, all the sectors have been badly impacted by the spread of the Corona Virus however, the private schools have been affected immeasurably.

    Mr Gyetuah stated that their salaries are not good enough to cater for their individual needs but their situation has been worsened as they stay at home during this COVID -19 period.

    “Over 400,000 teachers employed by the private sector are currently at home and at best, have received salaries for just March and April while at home”, he said in Twi.

    He mentioned this in an interview with Captain Smart on Anopa Bofoa on Monday, July 20, 2020.

    He said that after a meeting with the Finance Ministry on April 5, 2020, they were directed to apply for the GH¢600 million stimulus package President Akufo -Addo launched to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) impacted negatively by the COVID -19 pandemic.

    He was quick to add that one can not go and take a loan from the NBSSI to pay teachers thus, the private schools were expecting that the president would allocate some grants for them since schools were closed indefinitely.

    He said that the application is long and the criteria demand some documents and financial background to be accessed which may prove difficult for some teachers to access.

    The private sector, made up of over 22,000 registered private schools, contributes some per cent of taxes to support national development, he said.

    He, therefore, appealed to the media to speak on their behalf for the necessary assistance they need.

    Source: angelonline.com.gh

  • Prof Opoku-Agyemang rescues woman as husband vanishes after she gives birth to quadruplets

    The running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has gone to the aid of a poor woman whose husband abandoned her at the hospital after she gave birth to quadruplets.

    Reports say after hearing of the plight of the woman, she decided to support her with GH¢2,000 and promised to do more.

    The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah presented the donation on behalf of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang.

    George Ackah allegedly abandoned his 27-year-old wife at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Western North Region, after realising she was carrying quadruplets, which she delivered on Sunday, July 19.

    He is said to be a cleaner with a private firm outside his community, Sefwi Adukrom.

    The last time he was spotted at the hospital was about five weeks ago when his wife was admitted and has not returned since.

    READ ALSO: Respectful man loses lucrative job after referring to interviewer as ‘uncle’

    The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Kwesi Adu-Gyamfi, told Graphic Online that the woman was referred from a private facility due to her critical condition.

    “After receiving her, I assigned a medical officer to her permanently, we followed her until the 31-weeks where we admitted her and then to 36-weeks when she delivered.

    “I must say that from the time of admission to the time of delivery, the husband who she said is a cleaner in a private firm, did not pass by the hospital nor answer his calls,” he said.

    According to the news portal, the unemployed wife, who lives with Ackah in Sefwi Adukrom, a farming community, already has two children with the man before the arrival of the quadruplets.

    It further reported the health workers at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai municipality as saying that, after the delivery at about 11 a.m. last Sunday (July 19), they had to contribute to get the basic items needed for the upkeep of the children and the feeding of their mother.

    Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the mother of the quadruplets first reported for antenatal at a private facility, where an initial scan revealed triplets.

    “After we performed a thorough assessment with further scans we realised they were quadruplets.

    “For proper care, we adopted what we call Focus Antenatal; we assigned a midwife to the woman, but after some time we did not hear from her again, her phone was also not going through,” he said.

    Well, the poor mother was fortunate as some compassionate health workers contributed monies to take care of her over the period in the absence of her runaway husband.

    Dr Adu-Gyamfi said: “From the day she was admitted, all her needs were covered by contributions of the hospital staff, the midwives and the doctors.”

    Source: Pulse Ghana

  • Arrest soldiers who enter your houses Woyome advises border-town residents

    Embattled businessman, Alfred Woyome, has said military deployment to border towns in the Volta Region and other parts of the country was a bad call by the government.

    According to him, some of the soldiers were illegally entering the home of the border town residents and intimidating them.

    “I am also suggesting to the people that they should form community watchdogs because some of these people may be operating without a lawful order. So that they arrest anyone of them who is entering their house, whether they have weapons or not. They should arrest them and put them in the nearest police station and call in the media,” he said.

    He added: “Leave these people alone. Let them go to their farms, let them eat. They are living in fear. What is this?”

    Although the government has said the deployment is to check illegal entry of non-citizens into Ghana through non-approved routes amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Woyome disagrees.

    He told Class FM that the deployment is a veiled statement by President Nana Akufo-Addo that seeks to question the legitimacy of Ghanaians living along the border towns.

    “If you are saying these people are not legitimate, then your Presidency is not legitimate, then the Parliamentarians are also illegitimate,” he said.

    Controversial deployment

    The deployment of the security personnel in March grabbed headlines and remains a controversial decision by the government following condemnation by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other civil society groups.

    The NDC said the deployment to the Volta Region, its heartland, is a tactic to intimidate its supporters from getting registered for the next election.

    The Minority in Parliament last week also claimed at a press conference that the security personnel deployed to border towns in the Volta Region were entering homes of residents to ascertain the citizenship of some individuals.

    Speaking to Class FM about this claim, Mr Woyome said the best way to deal with the soldiers entering homes of persons illegally was for the residents to arrest them.

    Deployment defended

    On March 30 and April 20 this year, the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul said military personnel were also deployed together with the police as part of ‘Operation Calm Life’ to ensure increased security during and after the lockdown in some parts of the country.

    A further deployment was done on June 18 and 19 to all border towns to support existing teams to close all unapproved routes to deal with illegal entry, the Minister added.

    In the Upper East Region, he said, 207 were deployed to eight various locations, 102 were deployed to four areas in the North East region, 110 were posted to five locations in the Northern Region while 95 personnel were deployed to nine areas in the Volta Region.

    At Upper West, 69 soldiers were deployed to three different locations, 21 soldiers were posted to Damango and Bole in the Savannah Region while 44 and 13 soldiers were deployed to Bono and Western regions respectively, Mr Nitiwul stated.

    He noted that the Ministry was in the process of deploying some other personnel to Gyaman North and Dormaa, both in the Bono region.

    He said marine security has also been tightened through increased patrols to prevent illegal entries.

    He also promised that the Ministry would investigate allegations that some military personnel were intimidating residents in the area of deployments.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Land guards on rampage, destroy farmlands belonging to farmers

    Some hundreds of acres of farmlands belonging to peasant farmers in the Adigon community in the Kpone Katamanso District of the Greater Accra Region have allegedly been destroyed by land guards operatives working for some unknown estate developers.

    The situation is threatening the livelihood of hundreds of families in the community, with the police being accused of doing nothing.

    The destruction of farmlands belonging to some peasant farmers in Adigon, which began a week ago by armed land guard operatives under the supervision of some police personnel, has rendered farmers in the community jobless.

    According to natives of the community, some unknown persons with the support of government officials are taking advantage of a lingering boundary dispute between Adigon and Kpone, to drive them out of their land, while the police sit and watch without doing nothing.

    An opinion leader of the area, Ataa Aboe, said aside the destruction of their properties, coupled with some threats and the recent assault of their Chief by land guards operatives, has caused fear and panic among them.

    According to him, their only source of water, which is a dugout dam, has been polluted by the land guards, making life difficult for them and their livestock.

    Some natives also narrated their frustrations and fears to this reporter, calling on authorities to act swiftly.

    According to them, the rampant firing of warning shots at midnight and dawn has also brought some fear in the community.

    Meanwhile attempts to reach the Oyibi District Police Commander on the issue proved futile, since he was not ready to touch on the subject matter.

    Source: Atinka Online

  • EC detected bloated figures themselves, not NDC Ashanti NPP

    The Ashanti regional branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Electoral Commission was forced to admit anomalies in voter registration figures in the Ashanti region after they complained of it.

    According to the NPP, the assertion of the NDC is false as the EC itself had earlier informed the political parties of the challenged and what they were doing to resolve it.

    “It is unfortunate and ridiculous when the NDC makes such allegations. When they talked about bloated figures it was the electoral commission that noticed the anomalies themselves and they discussed with the parties, and that was rectified,” Ashanti regional secretary of the NPP Sam Pyne told a news gathering in Kumasi Monday.

    The Electoral Commission (EC) confirmed figures of registrants submitted to its headquarters from two districts in the Ashanti Region were over-computed.

    Regional Director, Benjamin Bannor Bio, told the media the anomaly was detected in returns for the first six days for Sekyere South and Offinso North.

    “The NDC regional secretary Kwame Zu personally called me and l explained everything to him on phone so am surprise they continue to see it as a big case”.

    Mr. Bannor Bio explains “all tabulated figures remains provisional and has no direct consequences on the final figures which would be automatically generated by the registration machines after the exercise”.

    Source: Starr FM

     

  • NAM1 case suffers long adjournment

    The Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Her Honour Ms Ellen Asamoah has adjourned the case in which Chief Executive officer (CEO) of defunct Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah has been arraigned, to September 7, 2020.

    The State had previously on June 24, 2020 filed new charges against the CEO of Menzgold, also known as NAM 1 at the Accra Circuit Court.

    Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvester Asare then told the Court that his directives were that he should hold on to the new charges and the plea taking of the accused.

    However, in court on Monday, July 20, ASP Asare told the court that, they are seriously working to advice the court on the matter.

    To this end, he prayed the court for a long adjournment after which they would have been able to advice the court on their intention of prosecution on the matter.

    He said when the advice is ready they will issue a hearing notice to the accused persons to appear before the court to to do the needful.

    The court after listening to the parties adjourned the case to September 7.

    The Circuit Court on July 26, 2019 granted NAM 1 bail in the sum of GH¢ 1 billion cedis with five sureties, three to be justified.

    He had pleaded not guilty to all initial 13 charges levelled against him by the State. The state had since amended its charged sheet which is yet to be moved.

    He is also to report to the police every Wednesday at 10:00 hours.

    He was initially charged with abetment of crime, defrauding by false pretences, carrying on a deposit-taking business without licence, sale of minerals without licence, unlawful deposit taking, and money laundering.

    It is alleged that the accused had taken various sums of money, totaling GH¢1.6 billion from customers.

    Source: Starr FM

  • GES begins recruitment of 2017, 2018 College of Education graduates

    The Ghana Education Service has announced the recruitment of trained teachers who completed the College of Education in 2017 and 2018.

    This announcement was captured in a statement released by the Ghana Education Service.

    According to the GES, the trained teachers who will be recruited are those who were not qualified for recruitment at the time of the earlier exercise, but have since qualified to be recruited.

    The GES indicated that applicants must meet the following criteria for consideration:

    1. Completed College of Education in 2017 or 2018 and have no outstanding /referral paper.

    2. Completed the mandatory one year National Service.

    3. Passed the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination.

    4. Available to work where your services are needed.

    Interested applicants are to access the GES official web portal www.gespromotions.gov.gh to complete the application form and attach a valid certificate on or before August 25, 2020.

    The GES also indicated that recruitment for other levels will be announced later.

    Below is a copy of the statement:

    Source: kuulpeeps.com

  • Police officer killed in car crash, wife injured`

    An off duty Police Officer has died in a car crash in the Eastern Region.

    The accident occurred at Borla Junction on the Akyem Akroso to Asamankese road.

    The Police Officer, David Ahiabu Victor was driving a private car onboard by a woman reported to be his wife. He died at the spot but the woman survived with serious injury.

    She was rushed to Asamankese Government Hospital while the body of the deceased Police Officer was deposited at the morgue of the same Hospital.

    The cause of the accident has not been established but witnesses say the car veered off the portion of the road under construction, somersaulted and crashed in a nearby farm.

    The Police officer was reportedly not wearing a seat belt hence was found dangling on the front gate with a fractured head, while the injured wife was found locked in her seat.

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Police officer killed in car crash, wife injured

    An off duty Police Officer has died in a car crash in the Eastern Region.

    The accident occurred at Borla Junction on the Akyem Akroso to Asamankese road.

    The Police Officer David Ahiabu Victor was driving a private car onboard by a woman reported to be his wife. He died on the spot but the woman survived with serious injuries.

    She was rushed to Asamankese Government Hospital while the body of the deceased Police Officer was deposited at the morgue of same Hospital.

    The cause of the accident has not been established but witnesses say the car veered off the portion of the road under construction, somersaulted and crashed in a nearby farm.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Todays newspapers front pages

  • More than 100,000 registered in Western North Region after third phase

    The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered a total of 100,538 persons from the nine constituencies in the Western North Region at the end of phase three of the ongoing voters registration exercise.

    The figure comprise of 51,244 males and 49,294 females.

    A total of 13,462 were registered in the Aowin constiuency,4,293 in the Suaman constiuency, Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai constiuency registered 25,223 with 17,828 recorded in the Waiwso Constituency.

    Others are 7,485 from Akontombra Constituency, Juabeso recorded 9, 250 while Bodi constituency had 5,732.

    The rest are 12,193 for Bia West and 5,062 for Bia East Constituencies.

    Mr Godwin Okley, the Regional Director of the EC, said 74,734 of the registered persons used the Ghana card to support their registration with 352 supporting their registration with passport, while 25,452 got registered through guarantors.

    He said 277 persons were challenged and 321 Persons with disabilities got registered.

    Mr Okley said the fourth phase of the exercise had started in 232 centres across the Region and called on those who were yet to visit any registration centre to ensure they follow the precautionary measures at the centres.

    Source: GNA

  • Western North Region records first COVID-19 death

    The Western North Region has recorded its first COVID-19 death after a middle-aged man from the Aowin Municipality died of the virus.

    A weekly report signed by Dr Marion Okorh-Owusu, the Regional Health Director and copied to the GNA, indicated that the Region has 285 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 216 fully recovered and discharged with 68 active cases.

    The Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai Municipality has eight of the active cases, Aowin Municipality 20 cases and Suaman District 40 cases.

    The Regional Health Director encouraged residents to adhere to the precutionary measures, including social and physical distancing, wearing of nose mask, using alcohol based hand sanitizer, and regular washing of hands with soap under running water and avoiding over-crowded places.

    She urged residents to wear their nose masks when going out or boarding a public transport.

    She said the Regional Health Directorate had recommended the use of large and well-ventilated spaces for all staff meetings and trainings.

    The Directorate had further recommended the decentralization of highly interactive trainings to sub-district and district levels instead of allowing staff to converege at the regional capital for such trainings, Dr Okorh-Owusu said.

    Source: GNA

  • Thirteen communities in Eastern Region declared child marriage-free

    Thirteen communities in the Eastern Region have been declared child marriage- free after an intervention by some organisations to halt the trend. What this means is that these communities have Sustainability measures to ensure that there would be no child marriages within the next five to 10 years.

    The communities include Koforidua-Zongo, Agavenya, Trom, Jumapo, Oyoko, Suhyen, Kwamoso, Addo-Nkwanta, Nyamebekyere, Kobokobo, Baware, Abenaawia, and Nsutam in the New Juaben South and North, Akuapem North and Okere districts.

    These communities were declared child marriage- free by the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA), a global project being implemented by Plan International Ghana in collaboration with the International Child Development Programme (ICDP).

    Mrs Joyce Larnyoh, the Country Director of the ICDP, said the 13 communities were selected out of 24 in the four intervention districts.

    The ICDP and the GAA identified the communities and engaged with all stakeholders including chiefs and queenmothers, parents, the Department of Social Welfare, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in series of activities over the years to end child marriages.

    She indicated that the three state institutions had done a thorough investigation and monitoring to select the 13 communities.

    Nana Oppong Owusu, Chief of Jumapo, one of the beneficiary communities, commended the ICDP and GAA for their interventions describing it as a real game changer for women’s development.

    He called on stakeholders not to relent in their efforts to sustain the gains made.

    Focal persons, including chiefs and queenmothers of the project, were presented with citations.

    Source: GNA

  • All you need to know as WASSCE begins today

    The West African Examination Council earlier this month released a new timetable for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

    The new timetable was released after the West African Examination Council (WAEC) got approval from the Ministry of Education.

    The examination starts from today, Monday, July 20, 2020, with Project Work for Visual Arts candidates, while the theory papers will start from August 3, 2020, until September 5, 2020, when the five-week-long examination will be brought to an end with Principles of Cost Accounting and Technical Drawing.

    In all, 60 subjects, made up of four core and 56 elective subjects, have been made available to the candidates.

    The subjects cover the seven programmes offered at Senior High School (SHS), namely, General Arts, General Science, Business, Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Home Economics, and Technical.

    A total of 375,737 candidates, made up of 187,574 males and 188,163 females will take the examination.

    The Ashanti Region has the highest number of candidates with 87,295 candidates; followed by Eastern Region with 56,467 candidates.

    See the full 2020 timetable for the WASSCE for school candidates below.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • NDC agents were not prevented at registration centres – EC

    The Electoral Commission (EC) has described as untrue reports it prevented some party agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from observing the Voters Registration Exercise at the Tepa Senior High School and Prempeh College in the Ashanti Region.

    The EC said in line with laid down procedures, it informed all political parties about the planned exercise and requested to have their agents at the centres in the schools.

    The Commission, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, (GNA) said in the case of the Tepa Senior High School, it made available 16 kits for the exercise.

    It said as part of measures taken by the School to protect the students against COVID-19, the authorities limited the agents for each political party to two, with the consent of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party.

    The Commission said midway through the registration process, the NDC expressed dissatisfaction with the number of their party agents present and, consequently, requested to have an agent monitor each kit.

    The EC said the School authorities opposed the idea and called in security officers who restored calm for the continuation of the exercise without any intimidation or assault as alleged.

    The Commission said, regarding the registration exercise at the Prempeh College, the agents of the NDC did not show up despite a notice to all political parties about the registration.

    It said in the “spirit of transparency and accountability”, the Commission delayed the registration until 1300 hours, five hours after the approved start time of 0700 hours.

    The Commission said the representatives of the NDC, however, arrived at the centre at 1700 hours, after 129 out of over 1,000 eligible applicants had been registered.

    The statement restated the commitment of the EC to a successful registration exercise and called for the support of all.

    Source: GNA

  • EU virus deal talks stretch into four day

    EU leaders trying to reach an agreement on a huge post-coronavirus recovery fund have stretched into a fourth day.

    There are reportedly deep differences between the leaders, who are trying to negotiate the deal at the same time as the bloc’s next long term budget.

    Some member states believe the proposed €750bn ($857bn; £680bn) package is too large and should come as repayable loans, rather than grants.

    The talks are reported to have been testy, with tempers flaring at times.

    AFP news agency reported that in the early hours of Monday morning, French President Emmanuel Macron banged his hand on the table and threatened to walk out of the discussions.

    Discussions are due to resume at 12:00 GMT on Monday.

    With the impasse still unbroken on Sunday evening, President of the European Council Charles Michel reminded the leaders that more than 600,000 people had died of the virus worldwide, and he hoped that the “headline tomorrow is that the EU has accomplished mission impossible”.

    On Monday morning, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus was almost 14.5 million globally.

    How are the EU talks going? EU leaders first met on Friday in Brussels to discuss the bloc’s €1 trillion seven-year budget and the planned stimulus package to help countries recover the pandemic.

    It was the first face-to-face meeting between leaders since governments began imposing lockdowns in a bid to stop the spread of the virus in March.

    Member states are split between those hit hardest by the outbreak, and those concerned about the costs of the recovery plan.

    Some northern nations like the Netherlands and Sweden have balked at the package, arguing it should take the forms of loans not grants.

    But nations including Italy and Spain are desperate to revive their shattered economies, and have accused the EU of not doing enough to help countries hit by the pandemic. Italy in particular was one of the earliest European countries to suffer an outbreak and has recorded 35,000 deaths – one of the highest tolls in the world.

    Italian PM Giuseppe Conte said Europe was “under the blackmail of the ‘frugals’” and described negotiations as “heated”.

    Hungarian PM Viktor Orban accused Dutch PM Mark Rutte of a personal vendetta and of trying to link financial help to political issues. Mr Orban, and his ally Poland, have threatened to veto the package if it adopts a policy of withholding funds from nations who do not meet certain democratic principles.

    Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said there was “a way to go”, but that it was possible a deal could be achieved.

    Mrs Merkel said: “I still cannot say whether we will find a solution. There is a lot of goodwill but also many different positions.”

    Source: BBC

  • Ghana’s coronavirus cases witnessing steep decline – GH

    Ghana’s active cases of COVID-19 is 4,058 indicating a steep decline in the country’s disease burden, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, said on Sunday.

    At a media briefing on the country’s COVID-19 Case Count and Management in Accra, he said the decline in the active cases was due to the high recovery rate, which was about 85 per cent.

    “For instance, if you are at home and eight out of 10 positive cases recover from the virus, it means it is left with two disease burden and so the focus should be on the two, not the 10,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye said.

    “So the decline in the disease burden shows that the COVID-19 strategies rolled out by the Government is working, therefore, we should continue observing the safety and preventive etiquettes.”

    Giving the regional breakdown of the active cases, he said the Greater Accra Region, which had recorded more than 10,000 positive cases, now had only 2,422 active cases.

    Currently, there are 3,372 active cases under home management, 387 in isolation facilities and 299 at treatment centres.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye said, for instance, the Ashanti Region, which was one of the epicentres of the respiratory disease with over 4,000 positive cases, now had only 714 active cases.

    The rest of the regions that had witnessed steep decline include Central-206, Ahafo-81, Bono-174, Eastern-115 and Western North-seven.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye explained that given the fact that only 299 cases are at treatment centres vis-à-vis the 700 beds available, the nation was not overwhelmed by the number of cases currently under treatment.

    Meanwhile, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah cautioned the public not to use the improvement in the country’s recovery rate to be reckless in observing the safety and preventive etiquettes.

    “We’re not out of the woods yet and so the improvement in the recovery data should not make us reckless in adhering to the preventive etiquettes,” he added.

    Source: GNA

  • Ahafo region: 10 SHS students test positive for coronavirus

    The Ahafo Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Boakye Boateng has revealed that over 10 senior high school students have tested positive for COVID-19.

    Dr. Boateng has also disclosed that Twenty-four (24) health workers are also battling with the virus.

    Speaking in an interview with Citi News, Dr Boateng said “In Ahafo Region, we have 24 of our staff who are confirmed COVID-19 cases. All of them are in isolation, one of them has recovered and for the students too, we have ten of our students, eight of them are in self-isolation. One has been discharged.

    “Currently, contact tracing is ongoing to ensure that we get all of them for testing. Gradually, people are getting used to COVID-19. They seem to have relaxed some of the instructions we have given them. We have to work in terms of risk communication and social mobilisation. We have to let them know COVID-19 is real and since there is no vaccine for it, they have to abide by the safety protocols.”

    Meanwhile, the government has indicated that closing down schools due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the various SHSs is not the best option.

    “Closure of schools from the health point is not the best option, it is best we keep them in schools because if we decide to let them go home then we might as well close down the whole country…from what we have been told they are asymptomatic, so they are able to go about their studies.”

    Prof. Opoku Amankwah added that “we are hoping that when they get to the exam time because we have two or three weeks before they write exams, all issues will subside…but sending them home will be disastrous,” Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa said on Tuesday.

    Source: Starr FM

  • 2,065 health workers test positive for coronavirus

    About 2,065 health workers have tested positive for Coronavirus in Ghana.

    Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, made this known to the media at the Coronavirus press briefings in Accra on Thursday, July 16, 2020.

    He said about 1,870 health workers who contracted the virus have recovered.

    However, he said six of the infected health workers have died with about 183 still under treatment across the country.

    According to him, about 24 health workers were infected in Ahafo, with five of them recovered so far; about 245 health workers infected in the Ashanti Region with 228 of them recovered and two dead.

    Greater Accra has the highest infection rate, with 588 health workers infected, 536 recovered but zero death.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Release the children, you’ve already achieved your aim – NDC Communicator to Akufo-Addo

    Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication team, Dela Edem has urged President Akufo-Addo and members of the NPP to put aside shame and close down Senior High Schools since their motive of registering eligible students for sympathy votes have been achieved.

    He said the best decision for government to save children in schools now is to do mass testing and isolate those who test positive and allow those who test negative to go back home and join their families.

    “We will blame President Akufo-Addo should any student suffer death or any health problem through COVID-19. How can students learn in fear?” he said.

    Dela Edem on UTV’s ‘Adekye Nsroma’ political discussion show outlined lots of measures the government have embarked on that he believes have worsened and increased the national COVID-19 cases.

    He heavily lamented on the science and data which according to President Akufo-Addo engineered the lifting of the 3-week partial lockdown in the Greater Accra, Kumasi and Kasoa areas.

    Source: Peace FM

  • PWDs expend share of Common Fund on farming

    Persons with disability in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region have channeled their share of the District Assembly Common Fund into farming.

    The move, according to leadership of PWDs, will improve the livelihood of beneficiaries and also make them self-reliant.

    Their share, the Disability Fund, is 3 percent of the District Assembly Common Fund.

    It is to be used to support Persons with Disability (PWDs) in various assemblies.

    Before one can access this fund, he or she will have to apply to the assembly through the Association of Persons With Disabilities.

    A five-member committee sits to vet the applications and approve or reject based on the request.

    Previously, the fund was disbursed in the form of cash to members.

    But in 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed all MMDAs to equip the beneficiaries instead of giving them cash.

    This led to many assemblies distributing ruminants, industrial materials, fridges, provisions and many others to beneficiaries as support.

    This year, the Association in the East Gonja Municipality decided to invest in farming for beneficiaries.

    Over 160 acres of groundnut and maize farms have since been ploughed for some 80 beneficiaries.

    Each beneficiary has two acres.

    Thirty of the beneficiaries cultivated groundnut with the remaining 50 cultivating maize.

    The assembly ploughed the land for them and also provided them with seeds and some weedicides.

    Municipal Chief Executive for East Gonja Mohamed Tamimu said the move will improve upon their livelihood.

    “We moved away from the cash system to equipping them just to make them self-reliant and seeing these farms and how well they are doing, I think we took the right decision.”

    He added: “The only appeal to them is for them to take good care of their farms.”

    Secretary to the Association of Persons with Disability in the East Gonja Municipality Ewurtomah Abdul Wahid said members were happy with the the switch to farming.

    He is optimistic members will be self-reliant henceforth.

    A physically challenged beneficiary, Imoru Alhassan, expressed gratitude to the assembly.

    He indicated that the switch to farming will give them a source of livelihood.

    Source: 3 News

  • All biometric voter registration kits are brand new – EC

    The Electoral Commission says the Biometric Voter Registration kits being used for the compilation of the Voters Register are all new.

    It explained that as part of its procurement of a new Biometric Voter Management System, it bought 8500 Biometric Voter Registration Kits and all of these kits had been deployed to the field.

    Therefore, it said, the assertion by these individuals that 40 per cent of the BVR Kits being used were the old Kits, was an outright lie.

    A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, on Thursday, said the new Kits were completely different from the old ones in terms of look, appearance and functionality.

    For instance, it said, the new ones were smaller and had three handles; while old had one.

    It explained that the new kits also had an ID number and QR Code and could not be removed from the case; while the old version had no ID number and was removable.

    Additionally, the new kits could print out daily systems that made data collection easy and had charging points in the front with two led alerts light; but the old one did not have such features.

    “For the information of the general public, all the Kits being used for the registration exercise are brand new,” it emphasised.

    “There is not a single old absolute Kit in the field. One would have thought that the individuals making the assertion would have indicated in the report where they saw the old Kits being used.”

    The Voters Registration Exercise, which began on June 30, and will end on August 6, is in its third phase.

    It is taking place in more than 33,000 registration centres under a cluster system arrangement where a registration takes six days at each centre.

    More than 4.5 million applicants have been registered out of the targeted 15 million voters.

    Source: GNA

  • It’s illegal for agents to charge potential tenants 10% out of rent paid to landlords – Rent Control

    The Rent Control Department has said although the Rent Act recognizes the activities of agents, it is unlawful for them to charge ten percent of the amount rent paid by tenants after assisting them to rent.

    Public Relations Officer for the Department Mr. Emmanuel H. Kporsu speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that it is the responsibility of landlords and landladies to pay five percent from the payment made by the tenant to the agent.

    This he explained has been captured in Act 220.

    Mr. Kporsu told host Kwabena Agyapong that “the Rent Act recognises rent agents and says if as an agent you help a tenant to acquire a room or an apartment and pays the owner of the facility, the landlord you pay 5% of the rent paid by the tenant. And so, an agent has no legal basis to charge tenants 10% and also charge landlords 10%. It is illegal and punishable by law.”

    He said when the department gets hold of such information, they will investigate and deal with the offenders.

    He said it is usually the landlords who engage the services of agents when renting out hence it is their responsibility to pay 5% from the rent paid and not outside the rent.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • PIAC urges timely disbursement of oil revenues for projects

    The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has urged government to disburse oil revenues earmarked for projects, rather than accumulating it over time.

    According to the Committee, which has oversight responsibility over the prudent management of the country’s petroleum revenue, there are oil-funded projects that face funding challenges and it will be prudent to disburse the funds instead of accumulating it.

    The Chairman of PIAC, Mr Noble Wadzah, made the recommendation after leading a delegation to inspect the construction of the Anomabo Fisheries College in the Central Region on July 15. The project received petroleum revenues through the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) between 2012 and 2019.

    In its 2019 Annual Report, PIAC noted that the ABFA available for spending in 2019 was GH¢2.7billion out of which GH¢1.2billion was utilised leaving a balance of GH¢1.5 billion to be utilised and accounted for.

    For the third consecutive year, the actual ABFA was not fully utilised or accounted for.

    “It is worrying to know that the project suffered from irregular flow of funds. The period of our reporting indicates that there were unutilized petroleum revenues. If there are projects like this that have a track record of benefiting from oil revenue and still face funding challenges while there is evidence of accumulated revenue, it is problematic and it needs to be addressed,” he said.

    He said, PIAC continues to advocate for the use of petroleum revenues on legacy projects and projects such as the construction of the Anomabo Fisheries College, which is clearly a legacy project should not be stifled of funds.

    “Stifling the project of monies when petroleum revenues allocated through the ABFA portions are still not utilized is contradictory and the Ministry of Finance must ensure that it is utilized,” he said.

    He however expressed satisfaction with work done on the project adding that “we have gone round and the work done is impressive but it would have been better if funds were made available consistently.”

    Financial hurdle

    The Deputy Director, Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mr Enock Boadu Amo said financing for the project has been a challenge and currently the Ministry is relying on Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to get the project running.

    “The project started in 2012 but financing has been a challenge. In 2020, the ABFA funds did not come forth for the project so we are currently funding with IGF, but we hope that we can overcome this challenge and get the project running,” he said.

    Mr. Amo said the project was currently at a 90 percent completion stage and the road leading to the College was also under construction.

    He said when completed, the College will train people in the art and skills of fishing with certification up to the Masters level.

    He said the first phase of the project was expected to be completed for the 2020/2021 academic year and was optimistic that by 2022, the second and third phase would have been completed with additional facilities.

    The Project

    The construction project received an amount of GH¢11.5million from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) between 2012 and 2019. Although the project was initially scheduled to be completed within 18 months, it has dragged and contractors at the site are now estimating a completion time later this year.

    The PIAC-led team was conducted round the facility, which consists of an administration block, hostel facility, a laboratory and a classroom block. Work on the four different blocks has progressed steadily and was at different levels of completion despite the financial hurdles encountered earlier.

    The Clerk of Work Site, Akuffo & Associates, Mr. JBK Otoo told the team that work was progressing smoothly and although they might not meet the August 2020 timeline of completion, the work would be completed before the end of the year.

    “The project is going on smoothly. Some of the contractors were crying for money, but now they have got something and are speeding up the work. It is left with the finishing and if the money keeps coming, they will finish it soon,” he said.

    Source: PIAC

  • Schools Reopening: Make public your engagements, efforts – Kweku Baako tells Akufo-Addo

    Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has called on the government to make public their social interventions and stakeholder meetings that preceeded the reopening of schools for Ghanaians to appreciate their efforts.

    Kweku Baako believes publishing all that the government has done before the schools reopened and with regard to protecting students against the spread of COVID-19 will help to bring the matters to rest.

    He made this comment following calls on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to shut down schools after students in some Senior High Schools tested positive for the virus.

    Schools like the Accra Technical University, Accra Girls’ SHS and others in the Greater Accra and Western Regions have recorded cases of the COVID-19.

    Fifty-five (55) students and staff of the Accra Girls’ SHS, according to the Ghana Education Service, have tested positive for the virus.

    Due to this, the President has been asked to close the schools to curb the disease.

    The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also lambasted the President for refusing to allow the school children to return home and painted a picture that he and his government are cruel and also exploiting the students for political gains.

    But, according to Kweku Baako, the government has taken precautionary measures to safeguard the students.

    Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Mr. Baako was of the view that the opposition party and critics are trying to trivialize the President’s efforts to protect the students, hence wants the government to publicize the processes they went through before reopening the schools.

    “The engagements they had, the school authorities they engaged; they should publish, publicize and communicate those things…the supplies they have made, the number of sanitizers they’ve distributed and so forth including the schools they have provided these things.

    ”Put it out there. Let people know that this is the commitment. This is the management process that’s going on. It doesn’t mean you have 100 percent solution or everything is fine but people will understand you when they have the info,” he advised the President.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Fuel price increment: Pestle manufacturers threaten price increment, demonstration

    Pestle manufacturers in Kumasi Suame in the Ashanti Region have threatened to increase price of pestle following fuel price and transportation increment.

    The manufacturers have also threatened to embark on demonstration despite Covid-19 directives announced by President Akufo-Addo.

    The leader of pestle manufacturers in Kumasi Suame Alhassan Saanazuo expressing their grievances to Pure FM Osei Kwadwo said fuel price increment is collapsing pestle manufacturing business.

    “The wood is now scarce. It is very difficult to get the wood. Sometimes we have to travel to villages far from Kumasi before we can get the wood. Transporting the wood to Kumasi is not easy due to transportation increment following fuel price increment. Our business is gradually collapsing” Alhassan Saanazuo said.

    According to him “We (Pestle Manufacturers) have any option than increase pestle price to save our business from collapsing”.

    “After transporting the wood to Kumasi to work on it, we have to transport the pestle to places to sell them since the business is slow in Kumasi. Transport the wood in and out come with cost”.

    Alhassan Saanazuo disclosed that “People now prefer the fufu machine than the pestle and mortar ways. The fufu machine is giving us tough market competition over the years”.

    Source: mypurefmonline.com

  • Ghana and Mexico hold consultation on strengthening bilateral ties

    Ghana and Mexico, Wednesday, held their second consultation under the Bilateral Political Consultations Mechanism towards building a stronger bond.

    Mr Charles Owiredu, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration co-chaired the meeting with Mr Julian Ventura, his Mexican counterpart.

    They discussed regional and global issues of common interest and reiterated the commitment of their respective governments to multilateralism and international law, a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, on Wednesday, said.

    The meeting, held via video conferencing, was a follow up to the first, held in Accra in August 2019.

    “It was an important step towards forging a stronger and sustainable political dialogue between the two countries,” it said.

    “Since then, the level of collaboration has been strengthened over a broader range of issues spanning education, agriculture and commerce” .

    The two sides also supported the development of closer links between their societies.

    The deliberations, the statement said, highlighted the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, in Accra, and agreed on the need to maximise its benefits by leveraging the close ties they shared.

    They also charged their respective authorities to explore concrete cooperation schemes, including through the use of virtual meetings and seminars, it said.

    “While discussing global efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, the two Deputy Ministers agreed on the need to maintain a spirit of mutual solidarity and stressed the urgency of attending to the needs of the most vulnerable populations,” it said.

    The statement said Mexico, as a recently-elected non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2021-2022, reiterated its commitment to act with transparency and openness while maintaining a close dialogue with its African partners, in particular, on the issues on the Council´s agenda that most directly affected them.

    It said the two governments agreed to maintain frequent informal consultations among the relevant offices in their respective capital cities, as well as between their Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York.

    Deputy Secretary Ventura reiterated the standing invitation for Mr. Owiredu to visit Mexico City as a reciprocal visit to that of his visit to Ghana, to hold further consultations under the bilateral mechanism.

    Source: GNA

  • Mechanic in court for attacking SDA Elder

    Daniel Faglah, 56, a mechanic, has appeared before a Dodowa District Court, chaired by Gloria Naa Bator-Laryea for assaulting an Elder of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church.

    Faglah, who was charged with assault, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a GHC 5,000 bail.

    Chief Inspector of Police Peter Agbelie narrating the facts of the case, told the court that the complainant, Elder Benjamin Teye is with the New Abirem SDA Church and also a farmer.

    He said the complainant resides at Agomeda, while the accused person lives at Ayikuma Amanfro, both in the Sona District of Tema Municipal Area of the Greater Accra Region.

    Chief Inspector Agbelie said Elder Teye and Agbelie has a long standing dispute over a parcel of land situated at Gbogblodzi near Ayikuma and on January 11, Elder Teye and two others who are witnesses in the case, went to the land with a surveying machine to note the extent of the land, when Faglah emerged and confronted them.

    He said a misunderstanding ensued between them and Faglah seized the machine and assaulted the complainant.

    Chief Inspector Agbelie said a report was made to the Ayikuma Police and a police medical form was issued to the complainant for hospital attention.

    Source: GNA

  • Ghana card: Scuffle at Jomoro as NIA officials transfer kits from Elubo

    There was scuffle on Tuesday morning, at Elubo in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region as officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) attempted to move their registration equipment from the area.

    The residents, led by the Assemblymember of the area got into heated arguments which degenerated into a scuffle with officials of the NIA after the latter tried to transfer their kits.

    The NIA is embarking on a mop-up registration exercise to register people who couldn’t register during the main exercise and the Authority assured the residents of Elubo to finish its work in the area on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

    But before the communicated date, residents of Elubo got wind that the NIA officials would be removing their machines from Elubo to Bawia and Ellenda in the Jomoro Municipality on Monday evening, July 13, 2020.

    Upon the hint, some residents vowed to stop the NIA to relocate their machines to different places.

    On Tuesday morning, over 200 residents formed long queues early in the morning to register but the officials of NIA ignored them and started packing their machines in a pick-up vehicle.

    This resulted in a scuffle between the residents and the NIA officials.

    During the scuffle, the Assembly Member of Elubo West Electoral Area, Matthew Nana Frendo removed two machines from the pick-up vehicle to stop the officials from leaving the community.

    But the police were quick to storm the scene and provided security for the NIA officials to remove all their machines from the community to Bawia and Ellenda.

    The aggrieved residents lamented that the extension of the exercise at Elubo was to last for 21 days and hence did not understand the reason it had come to an abrupt end.

    All efforts to speak to NIA proved futile as at the time of filing this report.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Why can’t we agree to suspend 2020 elections? – Kwesi Pratt

    Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and former President John Dramani Mahama to come to a consensus over the upcoming general elections due to the threat of COVID-19 in the country.

    Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on Ghana as the country’s case count keeps increasing on almost a daily basis.

    Ghana began with two (2) cases of the disease in March and four months later, it has shot up to over 25000 cases. Specifically, Ghana has recorded 25,252, 21,397 recoveries and 139 deaths.

    Despite the spike in the COVID-19 cases, the Electoral Commission (EC) continues to conduct the voters’ registration exercise aimed at compiling a new register for the 2020 elections.

    Some political figures and Ghanaians have raised red flag over the ongoing exercise, arguing that the EC is risking the lives of citizenry and called on the Commission to suspend the exercise.

    The EC also holds that now is the opportune time for the exercise and postponing it might affect the upcoming elections or as some political analysts indicate, it might call for the old voters’ register to be used for the elections which is impossible because it will have judicial consequences.

    Making his submissions on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kwesi Pratt called on the election stakeholders to prioritize the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic over any other thing.

    He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the disease is “an emergency of extraordinary proportions. It’s a national and international emergency of extraordinary proportions”.

    According to him, since Ghana is not in normal times, it is prudent to set aside the 1992 constitution which makes provision for the Presidential elections to be held on December 7th every four years.

    He admonished the leaders in the country to take critical decisions to protect the people of Ghana.

    “This constitution, we can even decide to set it aside . . . If, as a people, we cannot think beyond our political parties, then we should die. The reality is that by 7th January, 2021, if we don’t vote, there will be no government. There will be a vacuum. When you look into the constitution, the constitution does not make adequate provision for that vacuum. So, we should have started thinking long ago.”

    “Are we not the ones who made the constitution? So, if we can get to a point where Parliament, all political parties, Chiefs and all the national institutions will come together and we all have a unanimous decision; why can’t we make an interim arrangements?” he questioned.

    “But this issue of Mahama wanting to be a President and this or that person doesn’t want to abdicate his seat and so on, is this what is going to guide us face this pandemic? If that is the issue, then let stay in the pandemic and die,” he fumed.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Todays newspapers front pages

  • Death of Gwiraman SHS student not caused by school – GES

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has disputed claims that the death of a student of Gwiraman Senior High School was due to mishandling by the management of the school.

    GES says although it consoles family of the late Nathaniel Yankey, his death was not caused by the school.

    In a statement, GES said the family if the student rented a private hostel where the student stayed and was reporting to school because the school is an E-block community day school.

    The school was then informed about his ill health but when they called to check up on him yesterday (Wednesday, July 15, 2020), they were informed he had passed, the statement added.

    Source: Starr FM

     

  • I have done nothing wrong – Nana B insists

    The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, has mounted a strong defense over his decision to visit some Senior High Schools in the country, but denies any attempts to campaign for his party.

    Nana B, as he is affectionately called, has come under fire after a photo of him interacting with some SHS students went online despite a directive from the Ghana Education Service banning all such visits.

    But speaking to journalists on the matter in Kumasi, Nana B denied any wrongdoing. He insisted that he visited the schools to monitor the registration exercise.

    He added that he was appropriately accredited to monitor the exercise by the Electoral Commission.

    “For the records, I never campaigned in any of the schools I visited. I visited these schools as an accredited party official and I received the official accreditation from the Electoral Commission. Indeed, all political parties obtained the official accreditation from the EC and some NDC members also visited the SHS campuses,” Nana B stressed.

    Background

    The Electoral Commission registered eligible students in senior high schools between July 10 and 11, 2020.

    The Commission took the decision because SHS students are not allowed to go out of the premises of their schools.

    The opposition National Democratic Congress insisted that the exercise was illegal since the senior high schools were not gazetted for the registration but the EC was adamant.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Suspected water barrel thief tied to a tree and flogged; 2 arrested

    The Police in the Upper East Region have rescued a 27-year-old man from a mob action for allegedly stealing a storage barrel and some stainless steel bowls.

    The man identified as Nsoh Adongo according to the police who confirmed the incident to MyNewsGh.com, was saved from a mob attack at the Dorongo Primary School after a distress call was placed to the Police in the Upper East regional capital, Bolgatanga.

    According to them, the 27 years old was tied to a tree with a rag with multiple marks of assault on him at the premises of Dorongo Primary School, with a large crowd at the scene including the assemblyman of the electoral area.

    The victim was rescued and was rushed to the Police Clinic, Bolga where he was treated and discharged on medication.

    Preliminary investigations by the Police indicate that the Assemblyman of the area Martin Adongo and two others namely; Atanga Atampugre and Abu Akanyela who were part of the mob have been arrested.

    Source: My News GH

  • Ghana’s coronavirus case count now 25,430

    Ghana has recorded 178 new cases of the novel Coronavirus, taking the confirmed cases in the country to 25,430.

    The latest figures were announced by the Ghana Health Service on their official website, this morning July 16, 2020.

    21,511 persons who tested positive for COVID-19 have either recovered or discharged by the Ghana Health Service.

    139 persons have unfortunately died. The current active cases is now at 3,780.

    The GHS noted that, “a total of 178 new cases were reported on July 12, 2020. These are samples that were taken from the period 22 June to 10 July 2020… but reported from the lab on July 12,” the GHS said in its latest update.

    Twenty-five persons are in severe condition, according to the GHS, while eight remain in a critical situation with four others on ventilators.

    The Greater Accra Region still leads with 13,986 cases of COVID-19, whilst the Ashanti Region has 5,277 cases.

    Find below the cumulative cases per Region

    Greater Accra Region – 13,986

    Ashanti Region – 5,277

    Western Region – 2,190

    Central Region – 1,131

    Eastern Region – 962

    Volta Region – 441

    Upper East Region – 282

    Northern Region – 271

    Bono East Region – 206

    Western North Region – 200

    Oti Region – 138

    Bono Region – 107

    Ahafo Region – 103

    Upper West Region – 70

    Savannah Region – 57

    North East Region – 9

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • GBA calls for strict adherence to safety protocols to combat pandemic

    The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called on the public to comply with all the laws that have been introduced as a safeguard to combat the COVID -19 pandemic and to guarantee public safety and protection.

    A statement issued in Accra by Mr Anthony Forson, the National President of GBA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) noted with great disquiet the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.

    It said the current upsurge in cases in institutions and establishments is alarming, hence the need for strict adherence of safety protocols by all to combat the disease.

    “The GBA is particularly concerned with the incidence of confirmed cases in institutions and businesses in general that have resulted in the shutting down of some workplaces.”

    “It is in our interest that we comply with all laws and precautionary measures that have been put in place to stem the spread of the virus,” it said.

    It entreated citizens to ensure compliance with all that stated protocols- the social distancing, the enhanced hygiene protocols, and the wearing of face coverings at all times.

    “We hereby further call on all recognized professional bodies, associations and the media to be ambassadors in a sustained effort to complement all efforts made so far to ensure public health, safety and protection,” it said.

    The statement said persons who flout the said laws may be arrested, duly prosecuted and convicted adding that presently the punishment for contravening the laws were severe.

    The GBA also called on the Electoral Commission and the law enforcement agencies to ensure that all the requisite protocols are strictly observed at all the registration centers, in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

    “Any breaches at the registration centers will result in the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and it is imperative that the protocols were rigorously enforced.

    “We wish all afflicted persons with the disease a speedy recovery and sympathize with families who have unfortunately lost loved ones.”

    “We reiterate our earlier calls for citizens to collaborate in the fight against COVID-19,” it said.

    It said the Director-General of the World Health Organization rightly observed recently that “only aggressive action combined with national unity and global solidarity could turn this pandemic around” it is our fervent prayer that God will protect and keep Ghana safe.

    Source: GNA

  • Bono Police investigates alleged stabbing incident in Banda District

    The Bono Regional Police Command is investigating an alleged stabbing to death of a 29-year-old teacher in a passenger bus by a member of a group at Kabironu near Banda-Ahenkro in the Banda District of Bono Region.

    Chief Inspector Augustine Kingsley Oppong, the Bono Regional Police Public Relations Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Wednesday in Sunyani.

    He said on Monday, July 13, 2020, the Banda District Police Command had information that the group was at Banda-Ahenkro, the District capital, and its environs to monitor the progress of the on-going voters’ registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC).

    Chief Inspector Oppong said the Banda Police investigations established that some members of the group were not residents of Banda-Ahenkro, adding that, the Police again had information that some residents of Banda-Ahenkro had also barricaded the main entry road to the town to prevent the group from entering.

    He said the Police intervened to remove the blockade to avoid any possible clash between the Banda-Ahenkro youth and the group.

    Chief Inspector Oppong said the group began to retreat but in the process, their vehicle knocked two people who have been currently hospitalized.

    He said the crash infuriated the youth of Banda-Ahenkro and the Police unexpectedly heard the firing of gunshots and moved to the scene to bring the situation under control but two of the Policemen were hit by pellets.

    They were rushed to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital for treatment and were discharged the same day, Chief Inspector Oppong said.

    He said in the early hours of Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the Banda Police had the information that the group had attacked a vehicle travelling from Kabironu, near Banda-Ahenkro and a member stabbed deceased to death.

    Chief Inspector Oppong said the deceased, Silas Wulochema was a graduate from the Akim Oda College of Education.

    He said no arrest has been made and the investigation is on-going.

    Source: GNA

  • Sunyani coronavirus prevention taskforce locks up drinking spots

    The Sunyani Municipal COVID-19 Prevention Taskforce has locked up major drinking spots and night clubs operating in the Sunyani and Sunyani West Municipalities with security padlocks.

    The move forms part of its up-scaled measures to stem the spread of the COVID-19 in the two municipalities.

    Led by Superintendent Haruna Alhassan of the Ghana Immigration Service, the Taskforce had earlier issued warning notices to the operators to close their facilities in compliance with preventive measures outlined by the government to contain the spread of the disease.

    In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, Supt. Alhassan noted the drinking bars and night clubs were flouting the directives by the government, hence, their closures.

    They included Dreamers Pub, New Stamford Bridge, Europa 2000, Time Out Pub, Vienna City as well as Leisure and Lover Inn spots situated at Fiapre, Odumase, Abesim, Chiraa, Berlin Top, New-Dormaa and Penkwase.

    Supt. Alhassan warned that any drinking bar operator who would defy the order would not be spared and advised the affected operators to visit the two Municipal Assemblies to ascertain the penalties due them.

    Source: GNA

  • Enchi court imposes fine on two persons for illegal mining

    The Enchi District Magistrate court on Wednesday imposed fines totaling GH¢14,400.00 on two young men for illegally mining for gold nuggets in the Tano-Anwia Forest Reserve.

    Lawrence Appiah alias owner, a student, 20, and Mathias Oppong Gyan, an excavator operator, 23, would serve nine months imprisonment each with hard labour in default.

    The court also ordered the two to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months or in default nine months imprisonment each in hard labour.

    Appiah and Gyan earlier pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, entering forest reserve without permit and mining for gold without license, but they were convicted after trial.

    Police Detective Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Agyare, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr Eric Baah Boateng, that the complainant Emmanuel Nkansah is a Range Supervisor of the Ghana Forestry Commission in Enchi.

    He said the convicts reside at Mooseaso in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region.

    At about 0605 hours, on August 8, 2019, Appiah and Gyan together with others now at large, unlawfully sneaked into the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve to prospect for gold, the prosecutor said.

    Detective Agyare said the complainant and his team who were on their usual patrol duties in the said Forest Reserve, spotted the two and their accomplices using shovels, pickaxe and metal detector machines in their operations.

    He informed the court that Appiah, Gyan and their colleagues upon seeing the complainant abandoned their tools and bolted, but the Complainant and his team pursued and managed to apprehend the convicts.

    Prosecution said the two were handed over to the Enchi police together with the exhibits they retrieved from them.

    Source: GNA

  • World can win war against coronavirus if leaders do their part – WHO

    The coronavirus pandemic is worsening, due largely to failures outside of Europe and parts of Asia. But World Health Organization director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says it’s not too late to get in the fight.

    Without calling out anyone or any place by name, Ghebreyesus said some countries were responsible in their handling of the outbreak and are getting back to business safely. He also said several countries are going in the wrong direction. There are different scenarios playing out worldwide, the WHO director said at a press conference in London.

    “The first situation is countries that were alert and aware,” Ghebreyesus said. “They prepared and responded rapidly and effectively to the first cases.”

    He said the Mekong region, the Pacific, the Caribbean and parts of Africa fell into that category. The doctor also credited much of Europe, where “strong leadership” following an initial outbreak helped manage a situation that could have been worse.

    Then there were the other two categories.

    Another situation playing out is in countries that initially reacted to the outbreak then began pushing to reopen too soon.

    A final situation is “those countries that are in the intense transmission phase of their outbreak,” he said. “We’re seeing those across the Americas, South Asia and several countries in Africa.”

    He called the Americas the “epicenter of the virus,” noting that more than half of the world’s cases have been discovered. According to Ghebreyesus, the Western Hemisphere should look east for guidance.

    “We know from the first two situations that it is never too late to bring the virus under control, even if there has been explosive transmission,” he said.

    WHO believes that even in places where numbers are spiking, putting reopening restrictions back in place will help combat the deadly virus. Ghebreyesus made clear that WHO is “committed to working with all countries” to end the global scourge that has infected nearly 13 million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

    “Let me be blunt,” Ghebreyesus said, after again emphasizing the importance of steady leadership. “Too many countries are headed in the wrong direction. The virus remains public enemy number one, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this.”

    He blamed “mixed messages” from some world leaders for undermining the efforts of the global community and”It does not have to be this way,” Ghebreyesus said, calling on “every single leader, every single government and every single person” to do their part.

    The U.S. notified the United Nations last week of the Trump administration’s intention to leave the WHO. The U.S. owed WHO nearly 200 million dollars in unpaid membership dues going into July, according to NPR.

    President Donald Trump has accused WHO of being slow to react as well as showing favoritism to China, where coronavirus is believed to have begun. Trump, too, has been targeted for his handling of the pandemic, by critics at home and abroad.

    An ABC News poll published last week shows 67 per cent of Americans disapprove of the president’s response to the pandemic.

    Source: GNA

  • Student allegedly kills Uber driver over GHC 1,200 debt

    The Police at Tafo/Pankrono in the Ashanti Region are holding a final year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for allegedly murdering an Uber driver.

    The suspect, Awuah Emmanuel, 23, was arrested after the whereabouts of the victim, Thomas Danso and his Toyota Corolla vehicle could not be traced since July 12, 2020 and needed police action.

    The suspect was, however, arrested at Nyinahini upon a tip off who later led the police to a thick forest near Nkawie/Toase in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality to recover his body.

    Divisional Police Commander at Tafo/Pankrono ACP Annor Arhin who briefed the media over the incident said the suspect will be arraigned before court tomorrow, Thursday, July 16.

    “What he [the victim] does is that normally when the car goes to work they communicated every two hours but for about four hours he could not hear of him so he became alarmed. On that same day around 9pm he called to inform the police that the vehicle has been spotted at Nyinahini so we gave the details to our colleagues there to trace the vehicle, impound it and arrest the occupants onboard.

    “The main suspect is final year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He committed the murder with one other man who is at large,” the Police Chief said.

    It was later gathered that the victim, Thomas Danso, 24 was murdered over ¢1,200 debt.

    “This happened in a thick forest between Atwima Gyankobaa and Hwidiem that was where they murdered the victim and drove to Nyinahini after committing the act… He told the deceased that it was because of the debt that he brought him to that thick forest and demanded same,” ACP Annor said.

    The partially decomposed body of the victim has since been recovered and deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for preservation and autopsy.

    ACP Arhin said another suspect named as Akeem also known as Cross is being pursued.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Commercial driver in trouble for allegedly having sex with his teenage daughter

    A 47-year-old-commercial driver (name withheld) has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly having sex with his 14 years old daughter at Pig Farm, suburb of Accra.

    He has, however, denied the charges of defilement and incest.

    The Court, presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, has, consequently, admitted him to bail in the sum of GHC60,000.00 with two sureties, one to be justified.

    The matter has been adjourned to July 24.

    Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Judith B. Asante said the complainant was a social worker residing in Accra.

    The accused, she said, had resided with her daughter since she turned 12, and had since the beginning of the year been having sex with her.

    The Prosecution said the victim’s mother, who was not living with them, became suspicious of the abuse and reported the matter to the Department of Social Welfare.

    The matter was transferred to the Nima Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit for further investigations, following which he was arrested, while the victim was rescued.

    Additionally, the Prosecution said a medical report form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to the hospital for examination and treatment.

    Source: GNA

  • Police Commander who organised birthday party amid coronavirus transferred

    The Donkokrom District Police Commander, Superintendent Emmanuel Yao Gadikor, has been transferred by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) less than 48hours after holding a birthday party at Presidential Lodge flouting Covid-19 preventive etiquette.

    He has been transferred to Bunkrugu-Yunyoo in the Northern Region as District Commander.

    He is among the list of over 50 Senior Police Officers transferred in the latest shake-up by the Police administration.

    The Afram Plains North (Donkorkrom) District Police Commander Emmanuel Yao Gadikor has been criticized by opinion leaders and officials of Ghana Health Service for throwing a birthday party without regard to Covid-19 preventive protocols.

    The Commander held the party at the Presidential Lodge where he has been accommodated for over 5 years, on Sunday, July 12, 2020, with scintillating live band attended by hundreds of residents.

    Most of the attendees did not adhere to the preventive etiquette of coronavirus particularly wearing of a nose mask and social distancing at a time four of his men have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 and were quarantined.

    Source: Kasapafmonline.com/102.5FM/Kojo Ansah

    “This evening around 8:00 pm we heard live band music and we found out that it was. The District Police Commander who was holding a birthday which he started from 2:00 pm and even transported Okada riders and other people there. So when we went there over 300 people were seen at the Presidential Lodge where he is being housed since he was posted here about 8 years now.

    “So we called the DCE to inform him and the DCE called the Divisional Commander to stop the live band because it was attracting lots of people who were not adhering the Covid-19 preventive protocols. They were not in nose masks neither observed social distancing. I did not see any Uniformed Police Officer there,” an angry opinion leader told Starr News.

    The District Police Commander Emmanuel Yao Gadikor hanged up his phone when contacted by Kasapa FM Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah Monday morning at 7:00 am.

    The Afram Plains District Health Director described as worrying the birthday party held by the Police Commander when contacted.

    Meanwhile he has been summoned to appear before the Eastern Regional Police Commander Tuesday.

    Source: Kasapa FM