TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • Non-communicable diseases to go up after coronavirus – Dr. Wiafe Addai warns

    Chairperson of the Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has warned of increase health complications of people with non-communicable diseases after the control of coronavirus in the country if adequate measures are not well taken.

    She explained that all attentions have been diverted in the fight against the fast-spreading of the virus, at the neglect of cancers, diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disease among others that are silently killing the people.

    The Ghana Cancer Board chair gave the warning during a presentation of nose masks and hand sanitizers to the Peace and Love Survivors Association (PALSA) on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at the premises of Peace and love Hospital, at Oduom in the Oforikrom municipality in Ashanti region.

    The presentation according to the Dr. Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals, will help the members, who are made of people who have survived the breast cancer disease, to protect themselves and their families against the pandemic COVID-19.

    “We are already worried about the increase in NCDs complications we are going to receive after the CONVID-19 is over. Already we see late-stage diseases, we have seen women coming with huge breasts tumours, and that was before the coronavirus. So, what are we going to see after CONVID 19?” she quizzes.

    “Most NCDs patients are paying all their attention on preventing the coronavirus forgetting to go for their regular medical check-ups, taken their medications and so on. They should know that the virus did not come to stop hypertension, diabetes, cancers and must, therefore, be given equal attention,” she said.

    Alongside adhering to the safety measures of wearing nose masks, social distancing, washing and sanitizing of hands, Dr. Wiafe Addai also advocated for a more education on non-communicable disease patients who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus.

    Source: otecfmghana.com

  • Burnt 10-year-old girl appeals for assistance to undergo skin graft surgery

    A 10-year-old girl who suffered third-degree burns at Munamunaso, a farming community near Nsawkaw in the Tain district of the Bono Region, requires GHS10,000 to undergo skin graft surgery and other therapies.

    On Monday, 17 February 2020, the victim, Prosera Buenaa, was entrapped by fire she set up to cook food for her family who were harvesting maize on the farm.

    According to an eyewitness account, the girl left her brother and aunt, who were farming to prepare the food.

    The girl was later found unconscious with various degrees of burns on her buttocks, thighs, groin, and abdomen and was rushed to the Nsawkaw Government Hospital where she was admitted for medical treatment.

    She had been receiving medical treatment at the hospital until her referral to the Holy Family Hospital in Techiman to undergo skin graft surgery.

    Her parents, Sebastian, 49; and Vivian, 43, both peasant farmers, could, however, not raise the cost involved leading to her being discharged from the hospital.

    The family told Class News’ Maxwell Attah that they were hoping to receive some assistance from philanthropists and have, therefore, appealed for help from the general public to help the little girl go through the surgery.

    Source: Class FM

  • 3 siblings burnt to death at Sefwi Bibiani

    Three siblings, Timothy Aseda Anna Ducan, 4, Shiverra Ducan, 3, and Debora Adom Nkrumah Ducan, 11 months old, have been burnt to death at Sefwi Bibiani in an area called Gyidimu in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal in the Western North Region.

    The children lost their lives when their house caught fire on Wednesday at about 10 pm when they were sleeping.

    The fire is believed to have started from the bedroom of the children.

    Their mother, who realised that the bedroom was suddenly on fire, rushed out to cry for help while the husband had gone out to buy something.

    The people who came around to help could not rescue the children because of the heat.

    When the father returned, he asked for a wet blanket to cover himself, so, he could rescue his children but that attempt failed due to the heat from the inferno.

    He also got burnt in the process and is currently receiving treatment at the Bibiani government hospital.

    The deceased children have been deposited at the hospital morgue.

    Source: Class FM

  • NPP NEC clears disqualified aspirants

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has given the green light to some disqualified aspirants to contest its parliamentary primaries slated for June 20, 2020.

    Most of the candidates in Greater Accra, Western North and Ashanti regions seeking to contest their incumbent Members of Parliament were disqualified by the regional vetting committees.

    But NEC, after listening to their appeals, declared them eligible to contest in the elections.

    However, some of the decisions taken by the vetting committees were also upheld.

    Below is the full list:

    Greater Accra Region

    NEC upheld the recommendations of the Vetting Committee in respect of all the aspiring candidates. The decision by the appeals committee to clear the opponent of Moses Anim in Trobu, Edward Addo, who was initially disqualified by the vetting committee was thus reversed

    Western North

    NEC reversed the decision of the Appeals Committee to disqualify former BOST CEO, Alfred Obeng in the Bibiani Constituency. He has therefore been reinstated as per the verdict of the vetting committee that initially cleared him

    Western Region

    NEC upheld all the decisions of the Vetting Committee

    Northern Region

    NEC approved the decision of the vetting committee to disqualify Emmanuel Kutin, the Security Analyst in the Saboba Constituency, but reversed the decision to disqualify Osman Mahama in the Saboba Constituency. So the Deputy Tourism Minister, Iddi Ziblim, will not go unopposed.

    Ahafo Region

    NEC upheld the decisions of the vetting committee for all the candidates

    Central Region

    All the decisions of the Vetting Committee upheld, except that in respect of Evans Coleman of Agona West. So the gender minister will be contested by one other person, and not two.

    Bono Region

    All decisions of the vetting committee upheld. The opponent of the health Minister disqualified in the Dormaa Central

    Eastern Region

    All the decisions of the vetting committee upheld by NEC

    Ashanti Region

    Samuel Binfo was cleared by NEC to contest in the Adansi Asokwa Constituency again KT Hammond

    Kofi Nkansah Ofosu was cleared by NEC to contest in the Asante Akyem Central

    Francis Kwabena Owusu Akya was disqualified in the Juabeng Contest. That is, decision of Appeals Committee upheld

    Bekwai Lawyer Amofa Agyemang was disqualified by NEC.

    Asante Akyem North Kwadwo Baah Agyemang cleared by NEC

    Odotobiri Lawyer Anthony Mmieh cleared by NEC, thus reversing appeals committee decision

    Subin JB Danquah cleared by NEC

    Manso Nkwanta- Hon Grace Addo, the former MP disqualified by NEC

    Kwadaso Hilda Addo disqualified by NEC

  • We wont die if we dont go to church, mosque Ghanaians react to easing of restrictions

    Some Ghanaians have expressed mixed reactions to the reopening of places of worship and schools after some two months of closure.

    In a televised address on Sunday, May 31, 2020 President Akufo-Addo announced a phased approach to easing some of the restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic which includes allowing places of worship to operate with a congregation of not more than hundred in 1 hour and schools to equally open for final year students to take their exit exams.

    But while some Ghanaians are pleased with the directive for schools to reopen for final year students, others are not particularly thrilled, especially with the reopening of places of worship, arguing that the time allotted for services to be conducted is simply not enough.

    There is more in the report below:

    Source: abcnewsgh.com

  • North Dayi MP advocates for education on appropriate use face of masks in COVID-19 fight

    Member of Parliament for the North Dayi Constituency, Rocelyn Tetteh has expressed worry over how a majority of the public use face masks amidst concerns of Coronavirus spread.

    According to her, though many have bought into the idea of wearing face masks, how it is worn is problematic and deserves some attention as the fight against the virus continues unabated.

    She says it has become the norm the world over as more than 50 countries now require people to cover their faces when they leave their homes. Hence the need to ensure that citizens wear the masks as prescribed by health experts.

    Making a case on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, June 4,  the North Dayi MP said ”Though it appears many people have bought into the idea of wearing nose masks, there is a worrying trend among the populace especially when it comes to wearing and handling the masks properly. In our markets, on commercial vehicles and even at workplaces, you will find people who wear the mask below their chin, on their forehead, simply hang it around their neck or carry it in their hand.”

    ”The impression is created that it is sufficient to own a mask and carry it around. The main reason for members of the public wearing masks, particularly non-surgical masks, is to reduce the risk of passing the coronavirus to someone else. This is why I am worried about the improper manner in which some of us wear the masks,” she said.

    She added, ”I have a concern about the way some of us handle the masks, especially the home-made fabric types. Proper handling of the home-made ones requires that the masks are washed with warm soapy water, dried and ironed at least once a day if possible. Sadly, I have seen people wearing masks which appear rather soiled and unkempt.”

    She continued that ”This situation is alarming because the experts tell us that clothing or accessories that we wear have the potential to be contaminated, and same is true for our cloth masks. For this matter, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases expert at Columbia University advices we must wash our masks as often as we do our underwear.”

    The MP, while applauding efforts being made by government to make the wearing of face masks mandatory, called on the NCCE and other agencies to intensify education on it

    ”While we applaud efforts made to enforce mandatory wearing of nose masks, we must go a step further to ensure that they are worn and handled properly. I see the need for more public education on the use of nose masks. All government agencies must step up their public education efforts. The NCCE must also do a lot more and so must the Health, Information and Local Government Ministries and our numerous media houses,” she added.

    Source: abcnewsgh.com

  • EC needs to work on its registration processes – Volta NDC

    The Volta Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the challenges encountered during the piloting of the Biometric Voters Registration kits have to be worked on by Electoral Commission (EC) for the compilation of a new register.

    Speaking at a press conference in Ho at the end of the pilot exercise yesterday, the Volta Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr James Gunu, said the EC must listen to key stakeholders else it was going to disappoint Ghanaians if it proceeded with those challenges.

    “The EC cannot insist on compiling a new voters register. They must listen to the voice of the people.

    Observations

    Mr Gunu stated that the two-day observation of the process revealed that before the commencement of the exercise last Tuesday, the technicians struggled to log onto the system until after a phone call from the head office in Accra for direction.

    He said the filling of the form 1A took an unduly long period after which the applicants had to wait for a considerable length of time for their data to be entered.

    “It was also observed that the EC’s form 1A has no serial number and so can be compromised at any time,” he added.

    “Indeed, we take cognisance of the fact that this exercise is a mere test run and not the actual registration but isn’t that the very reason why every document used in this pilot exercise should replicate exactly what will be used in the registration proper?” he quizzed.

    Mr Gunu also said the final ID card was not serially numbered and that there were three digits generated randomly which did not follow any logical sequence or pattern compared to the previous 10 digits of the existing voter ID.

    COVID-19

    Mr Gunu said the EC’s registration centre was not disinfected, hence the area was prone to the spread of coronavirus to applicants.

    He said the applicants who went through the process thumb-printed on the same ink pad, a situation which he said was a breach of the COVID-19 protocols.

    He said the EC’s new voter registration pilot exercise, with its attendant technical challenges and COVID-19 vulnerabilities, was an undisputed evidence that the EC was both ill-prepared and time-constrained to effectively compile a new voters register for the December 2020 general election.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • ‘Road contractors must collaborate to avoid disruption of telecom services, utilities’ – Ashigbey

    The Chairperson of the National Engineering Coordinating Team (NECT), Kenneth Ashigbey has advised road construction engineers to collaborate with the body to prevent the disruption of telecommunication and utility services during road construction.

    In a statement copied to Graphic Online, Ashigbey noted that disruption in the services of mobile telecommunication companies as well as other utility service providers was due to the activities of road construction engineers, other utility contractors and consultants.

    The statement mentioned that the NECT with “membership of all the agencies is notifying all Road and other Utilities Contactors/Supervising Engineers/Consultants the incessant destruction of utility (telecommunication, Electricity and Water) infrastructure within the road reservation and the need for swift action to correct the situation”.

    “In these trying times of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the demand for telecommunications, water and and services have reached a crescendo but the ability of the service providers to provide reliable service to the citizenry is being hampered by the activities of some road and utility contractors. It is essential that all utility lines especially that of the telecommunication, ECG and Ghana water industry is functioning at optimum capacity,” said Mr Ashigbey.

    “We entreat that you contact the NECT prior to the commencement of any road project to facilitate an inspection of the project with all utility agencies to locate or otherwise their infrastructure and also prepare for relocation”.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: Mosques ready to enforce ‘One Muslim One Mat’ as congregation resumes on Friday

    Following the president’s announcement on the easing of restrictions last Sunday, Muslims across the country are preparing for what could possibly be their first congregational prayer after a ban on social gatherings was imposed on March 15, to curb the spread the of COVID-19 in the country.

    Ahead of Friday, June 5, 2020, where the ease on the ban on religious gathering comes into effect, mosques across the country are putting in place measures to ensure hygienic measures outlined by government are enforced. Visiting some mosques in Nima today, their leaderships informed GhanaWeb that with the plans in place to congregate tomorrow, they were going to ensure all safety and hygienic protocols are adhered to including the policy of each congregant coming with their own mat for prayers.

    Per the directives outlined by the government, mosques are to ensure that each worshipper uses their personal mat (Sajaada), or disinfect mats provided by the mosque before and after use. Further to the directives by government, the Office of the Chief Imam in a release also recommended that each worshiper comes to a mosque along with their own mat (Sajaada) for prayers.

    At the Islamic Research Institute Mosque where a fumigation exercise had already been carried out earlier in the morning, a member of the COVID-19 Taskforce at the mosque, Musah Ahmed, told GhanaWeb that all is set for congregational prayers tomorrow and indicated that the mosque’s task force is going to ensure that social distancing and other hygienic protocols are enforced.

    “By the grace of God tomorrow we are going to pray and we are going to give the distance that the authorities asked us. We will stand at the gate and put the Veronica Bucket outside and before you come in you will wash your hands outside. We have already announced that they should do their ablution in the house or unless you come with your butar or pure water with a Sajaada, which, is a separate mat for you alone.”

    At the Masjid Abubakar Saddique where a fumigation exercise was underway, the Imam of the mosque, Imam Zakaria Omaru Ginko said while the leadership of the mosque continues to prepare for the reopening, the leadership is scheduled to meet with the community to outline measures that will be implemented during the congregation tomorrow. The Imam, however, said the directive to ensure that details of all congregants and their contacts are recorded to for contact tracing in case of a recorded case will be hard to follow since a lot of the community members, especially the elderly who may not have mobile phones.

    “We will ensure adherence to the permitted number (not more than 100 congregants), provide Veronica Buckets for handwashing and also register our congregants. But the register will be a problem because we are supposed to write their names and their phone numbers. Most of the aged don’t,” the Imam said.

    President Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation on Sunday announced the first stage of easing of restrictions starting on Friday, June 5, 2020. The President said “an abridged format for religious services can commence. Twenty-five percent (25%) attendance, with a maximum number of one hundred (100) congregants, can worship at a time in church or at the mosque, with a mandatory one-metre rule of social distancing between congregants. In addition to the mandatory wearing of masks for all persons at all times in churches and mosques, a register of names and contact details of all worshippers and handwashing facilities and sanitisers must be provided, with a maximum duration of one (1) hour for each service.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Ahafo Region dedicates it’s inauguration to President Akufo-Addo

    The MP for Asunafo North Constituency who doubles as the Ahafo Regional Minister, Evans Opoku Bobie disclosed in his statement to the media during the official inauguration ceremony of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council revealed that the region has been dedicated to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    Undoubtedly, the creation of the Ahafo Region became a reality because of the tenacious Nana Akufo-Addo.

    It is very imperative to note that Traditional authorities and various youth groups in the Ahafo Area have been petitioning successive Governments on the creation of the Ahafo Region for over forty years ago but it couldn’t materialise.

    The timely intervention of Nana Akufo-Addo, who acted on the Article 5 of Ghana’s Constitution upon receiving a petition from the people on the demand for the creation of a region. The Council of State advised the president that, indeed, there is substantial demand for the creation of the Ahafo Region.

    A Commission of enquiries was set to organise public hearings, sampling of opinions and referendum was held on the 27th December 2018 for the creation of new regions in Ghana of which Ahafo was not exempted.

    Ahafo Region registered the highest percentage turnout of registered voters’ in the 2018 referendum Where 90.41% of registered voters’ participated in the polls which glosses into 277, 663 out of 307, 108 voters’. The people of Ahafo Region dangled into a total pool of exhilaration when the results of the referendum was announced.

    The region was created on the 13th of February, 2019 by Constitutional Instrument (C. I ) 114.

    GOASO was announced as the CAPITAL on the 14th February, 2019 of the new Ahafo Region which was created out of the old Brong Ahafo Region.

    The Regional Minister, Hon. Evans Opoku Bobie ( MP) stated emphatically on a rounded pricket that, the creation of Ahafo Region was part of the president’s effort to bring Governance and Development to the door step of the people, particularly, hard and soft infrastructure. Therefore, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo deserves Brobdingnagian panegyric. Municipal District Chief Executives, Paramount Chiefs, Security officials, Departmental heads and other important personalities were all present at the inaugural ceremony.

    According to the Section 188 (2) of the Local Governance Act 2016, (Act 936) mandates the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council the approval of the by-laws of the District Assemblies in the region subject to their consistency with national legislation.

    The provision of back-stopping support for the performance of any function assigned to the District Assemblies in the region in respect of which a particular District Assembly is deficient in terms of skills and workforce. The performance of any other functions assigned to to it by or under an enactment.

    Moreover, the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council has an oversight responsibility for second-cycle educational institutions and regional hospitals in the region on behalf of the Ministries of education and health. The resolution of any conflicts between a District Assembly in the region and any agency of the central Government, public corporation, statutory body, Non-Governmental Organisation and individual.

    The Council is also responsible to provide a District Planning Authority with the information and data necessary to assist the Authority in the formulation of a district development plan.

    The Office of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council started operating in April 2019 with the posting of key management staff to the region by Head of Service of Local Government service.

    It is worthy to note that the Article 256 of Ghana’s Constitution and Section 187 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) establishes the membership of the Regional Coordinating Council as the Regional Minister and Deputy or Deputies, the presiding member of each District Assembly in the region and the District Chief Executive of each district in the region, two chiefs from the Regional House of Chiefs and the Regional heads of the Decentralised Ministries in the region as members without the right to vote.

    The Regional Minister remains the chairperson of the Regional Coordinating Council with the Regional Coordinating Director as the secretary.

    Hon. Evans Opoku Bobie (MP) called on every tom, dick and harry to support the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council to make it one of the best among the sixteen regions in Ghana. He used the opportunity and advised the audience to stay alert and observe all the COVID-19 protocols so that we can all defeat this Coronavirus Pandemic.

    He congratulated the COVID-19 team in the region, security agencies and the entire people of the region on the COVID-19 fight. So far, Ahafo Region is the one and only Region that has not recorded a single case of Coronavirus Pandemic.

    Source: Francis Agyapong Nimpong, Contributor

  • Kpone, Asokore landfills to be turned into recreational centres

    Two landfills — one in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality, Greater Accra Region, and the other in the Asokore Mampong Municipality, Ashanti Region, will soon be turned into multi-purpose recreational centres.

    This came to light when the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, undertook an inspection tour of the Kpone Landfill site in Kpone last Wednesday.

    The minister was accompanied by some directors of her ministry, with the Municipal Chief Executive, Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly, Solomon Appiah, also present.

    Speaking to journalists, Mrs Dapaah revealed that the government had contracted waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, through a contractor, Waste Landfills, both of which are home-grown companies, to turn the two landfills into multi-purpose recreational facilities.

    She said when completed, the foul and repugnant smell with its attendants’ health hazards associated with the two landfill sites would be over.

    “As the rains have set in, they normally come with diseases such as cholera, therefore, this project will help avert those challenges,” the minister explained.

    She went on to add that the two recreational facilities would also serve as places of relaxation for the residents.

    She disclosed further that the components of the project had already started, noting that the project was expected to be completed between six and eight months.

    According to Mrs Dapaah, the two recreational centres will have sporting facilities to help unearth sporting talents in the two municipalities.

    She said the project was one of the ways the government was undertaking to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

    For his part, the General Manager of Waste Landfills, Peter Kwei Dagadu, said that decommissioning and re-engineering works were on-going at the two landfill sites.

    That, he explained, was because the two landfills had outlived their purpose.

    “With this project, we will give these landfill sites new lives, with sport facilities, places of relaxation, space for crusades and other social gatherings could also be held there,” he added.

    The Kpone landfill, especially has become a subject of agitation by the residents in the community. And with its looming environmental disaster, the residents have organised series of protest to pressurise the government to shut down the landfill, particularly as it was overflowing and continued to be used as dumping ground for solid waste.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • June 4: ‘I would have done things differently 41 years ago’ – Boakye Djan

    Former Member of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) has said although he would have joined the uprising again, he would have done things differently to avoid more bloodshed.

    Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd), said the country is currently experiencing the start of a Christian tyranny of the majority rule and that the country risks being torn apart if Ghanaians do not wake up and do something about it.

    Boakye Gyan who described the tyranny as “creeping” called on Ghanaians to wake up and bring it under control by organising a democratic audit of the young democracy Ghana is enjoying.

    Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) made this statement in commemoration of the 41st anniversary of the June 4th Revolution as he was one of the main architects of the uprising.

    The June 4th Uprising in 1979 arose out of a combination of alleged corruption, bad governance, frustration among the general public, and lack of discipline and frustrations within the Ghanaian army.

    It was sparked when the then military government of the Supreme Military Council (SMC II) of General F K. Akuffo put then flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings on public trial for attempting to overthrow the government on May 15th 1979.

    This happened because Rawlings was a junior soldier in the Ghanaian Army who with other soldiers were refused to be given their salaries.

    In an interview with Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive, Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd), said he has both good and bad memories of the uprising and that he will never support an overthrow of a legitimate government.

    Asked if he would have engaged in an uprising 41 years ago, Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) said although he would have joined the uprising again, he would have done things differently to avoid more bloodshed.

    Source: Atinka Online

  • Weve lost the relevance of June 4 uprising – Historian

    Historian, Benson Kofi Osei Ofori has recounted the events surrounding the June 4 uprising.

    As a third-year student at the University of Ghana at the time, he said they all prayed for the uprising to be successful.

    The objective of the uprising he said was to ensure probity, accountability and transparency in the governance of the country.

    Mr. Ofori was, however, quick to add that the aims and objectives were all not achieved because some of the persons who led the uprising were also corrupt.

    He indicated there were some positives of the June 4 uprising because it led to discipline and selflessness but today, we have increased corruption, stealing, indiscipline and unlawful acts.

    The historian was worried, the generation we have today have not learnt lessons from our past.

    He called on Ghanaians to eschew all forms of corrupt practices and be disciplined.

    He admonished leaders to also work to alleviate the poverty we have among people, create better opportunities for them so we will reduce the rate of unemployment and lawlessness in the country.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • Heavy rains displace people at Tongor-Dzemeni

    A downpour at Tongor-Dzemeni in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region has destroyed 30 houses and displaced 70 people.

    The rainstorm, which lasted more than an hour, also destroyed a church building, and flooded shops and houses, leaving the inhabitants stranded.

    Mr John Abotsi, the Assemblyman for Tongor-Dzemeni West Electoral Area, told the Ghana News Agency that the flood also swept away some goods from the shops.

    He said the displaced people, some with minor injuries, were lodging with relatives and friends.

    Mr Thomas Avuworda, the Assemblyman for Tongor-Dzemeni East Electoral Area, described the storm as devastating and feared more houses could be damaged if it continued to hit the community.

    He urged people living in dilapidated buildings to move to safer places to avoid loss of lives.

    He appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation to provide some relief items to affected persons and entreated the people to avoid throwing garbage into drains.

    Source: GNA

  • Its unfair to give us GHC70 after promising us GHC150 daily Contact tracers cry to Akufo-Addo

    Contact tracers in the Ashanti Region have cried out to President Akufo-Addo to intervene as their daily allowances promised them has been slashed.

    According to them, their allowance for the month of May was reduced drastically for reasons unknown to them.

    President Akufo-Addo in his fifth address to the nation promised to give contact tracers GHC150 daily allowance for their efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

    “An insurance package, with an assured sum of three hundred and fifty thousand cedis (GH¢350,000) for each health personnel and allied professional at the forefront of the fight, has been put in place, with a daily allowance of one hundred and fifty cedis (GH¢150) being paid to contact tracers,” the President said.

    But that joy of receiving the GHC150 daily allowance was cut short after their emolument for May was reduced.

    They indicated that their GHC150 daily allowance as promised was given to them in the month of April, however, it got reduced to GHC70 in the month of May.

    Describing the situation as unfair, the Coalition of Contact Tracers wants President Akufo-Addo to fulfill his promise.

    They have therefore written an open letter to President Akufo-Addo to address their concern.

    Read their statement below

    Good day sir,

    Accept a warm felicitation from us.

    We pray our letter finds you in a good health condition as you lead your beloved country in this fight against an invisible enemy.

    Mr President, on Sunday, the 5th of April 2020, you made a public announcement that Contact Tracers across the country would be given a Ghc150 daily allowance for their efforts in the fight against Covid-19. This announcement was very timely and welcoming since by then none of us knew how much we were getting even after working for days.

    Mr. President, for the month of April, the money was paid as you announced and we thank you for that.

    However, for the entire month of May, the money was not paid until on the 1st of June when we were asked to come the next day for our monies. We proceeded to our accountants for the money the next day only to be informed that, we are taking Ghc70 per day and not the announced Ghc150 per day.

    So Mr. President, we would like to humbly enquire whether your office has reviewed the amount or some entities within the region want to “cheat” us.

    Mr. President, when the announcement for the recruitment of health professionals to work as Contact Tracers was made, almost everyone was afraid to partake. A few of us showed up for the orientation and training, and a few among those who showed for the training actually showed up for work for fear of contracting the virus. But some of us against all odds sacrificed and contributed our quota in this fight. We faced some stigmatisations and distancing from even family members due to fear. People feared getting close to us just because of the work we do. But that did not deter us in fighting to make Ghana safe again.

    The successes chalked in the fight would not have been possible without our tireless efforts in Tracing and Testing some 153,056 people and recording 4956 positives. This could not have been possible without us.

    Mr. President, it is unfair for us to work all week including Saturdays and Sundays only for us to be denied what is due us. It is unfair sir.

    So we call on your esteemed office to issue a statement, possibly through the daily Ministerial Press Briefings to shed some light on this issue.

    Thank you Mr. President

    Convener

    Coalition of Contact Tracers, Ashanti Region.

    0200983057

    Cc:

    Minister of Health

    Minister of Information

    Director General, GHS

    Source: abcnewsgh.com

  • Special development, monitoring and evaluation ministries ‘useless’ Muntaka

    Asawase MP Muntaka Mubarak has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to collapse the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives.

    The Minority Chief Whip said that ministry and a few others, including the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, are needlessly draining the state coffers and must be scrapped immediately.

    The lawmaker told Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don) on the Ghana Yensom show on Accra100.5FM on Thursday, 4 June 2020 that although the individuals heading those ministries are good in their fields, their offices serve no purpose.

    “Now, you have the Ministry of Special Development doing ambulances when the Ministry of Health is there. They are doing furniture for schools when the Ministry of Education is there. This is a very useless ministry that should be scrapped,” he said.

    He added: “Another one is the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation. That is also a useless ministry. I have called on the president to scrap these ministries.”

    Source: Class FM

  • Coronavirus has eased our workload MTTD

    The Head of Research, Education, and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Alexander Obeng, has revealed that the Coronavirus pandemic has reduced the traffic on our roads thereby reducing their workload.

    He made these comments in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show aired on Happy 98.FM.

    He noted, however, that some stubborn persons were reckless on our roads. “Traffic was low during COVID-19 but that did not mean the recklessness on the part of some people was not present. For example, over speeding was rampant because some people felt that our roads were free”, he added.

    According to him, the Coronavirus period has confirmed that when the roads are in good shape and free from traffic, drivers tend to disobey the regulations and cause fatal accidents.

    He furthered that a few weeks after the lockdown was lifted, however, the country recorded more road casualties than it did before and during the lockdown.

    He, thus, urged road users to obey the road safety regulations to preserve their lives.

    Source: happyghana.com

  • Manganese, bauxite weigh bridge 85% complete

    The construction of a bridge at Apemanim in the Ahanta West District in the Western Region for the weighing of manganese and bauxite for export is 85 per cent complete.

    Work on the facility was begun in November last year and was expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of this year but stalled following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    When it becomes operational in August this year, the bridge will be a central point to ascertain and double-check the quantity of manganese and bauxite that is hauled from the mine sites to the Takoradi Port for export.

    The Western Region is home to the production of both minerals and others that are exported through the Takoradi Harbour.

    The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, inspected progress of work on the bridge last Tuesday as part of his two-day working visit to the Western and the Ashanti regions.

    With him on the visit were the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Naana Eyiah; the Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Dr Norris Hammer, and some top officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

    Progress of work

    At the site of the bridge, it was observed that concrete works on the main passage, supporting structures and other major components of the weighing bridge had been done.

    What is left to be done are fixing of steel surfaces and the installation of automated weighing devices.

    The minister expressed his satisfaction with the extent of work done on the bridge and asked that work be expedited to get the facility operational by August this year.

    Good project

    He said the weighing bridge was very important to the nation, as it would help it achieve accurate values on the quantity of manganese and bauxite it exported.

    Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said Ghana had lost a lot of revenue through underhand dealings by some mining companies, the reason the decision to construct the weighing bridge was taken.

    “As of now, determining the actual figures in terms of the dried metric tonnes (DMT) of manganese and bauxite is a problem; and the state is losing huge revenue because of a weak monitoring system. We, therefore, thought it prudent that we should know the accurate figures, so that we will know the actual amount the state should be getting at any point in time,” he said.

    The minister said in the absence of a refinery for manganese and bauxite, the best way for the country to benefit from the minerals was for monitoring regimes to be robust in checking discrepancies in values declared by mining companies.

    Background

    In September last year, the government ordered weigh bridges to be installed at vantage points along highways that connect mining sites to the Takoradi Harbour.

    The decision followed a financial and technical audit of all mining companies which revealed that the country was being short-changed by some of the companies.

    The financial and technical audit of mining companies was begun in 2018, after a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John-Peter Amewu, had raised alarm about the way some mining companies were using fraudulent scales to short-change the country, leading to revenue losses.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Half of coronavirus deaths from Ashanti Region

    Eighteen people have died from the deadly coronavirus in the Ashanti Region out of 38 deaths recorded nationwide.

    The region also has 1,342 cases of the disease out of 8,548 recorded nationwide.

    Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, said this at the launch of Anti-stigma campaign on COVID-19 in Kumasi today, Wednesday, 3 June 2020.

    The campaign against the stigmatisation of people living with the deadly coronavirus was launched by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

    Mr Osei-Mensah called for a stop to stigmatisation against people living with the pandemic and advised Ghanaians to adhere to the safety protocols to protect themselves from the disease.

    Otumfuo’s Manwerehene, Baffour Osei Hyiaman Brantuo VI, also advised people in the region to desist from stigmatising those who have recovered from the virus.

    Source: Class FM

  • Coronavirus: Ghanas case count hits 8,548

    Ghana’s coronavirus case count has leapt to 8,548, in the latest data released by the Ghana Health Service.

    Figures released on Monday, June 1, 2020, put the case count at 8,070.

    In the latest data, the death toll is pegged at 38 while the recoveries stand at 3,132, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) figures.

    According to the GHS, 17 persons are in critical condition with one patient on a ventilator.

    Below is a regional breakdown of the coronavirus situation in Ghana according to figures released on June 3, 2020.

    (Case Count from Highest to Lowest)

    Greater Accra Region 5,894

    Ashanti Region 1,342

    Western Region 449

    Central Region 438

    Eastern Region 134

    Volta Region 86

    Western North Region 68

    Upper East Region 42

    Northern Region 37

    Oti Region 26

    Upper West Region 22

    Bono East Region 6

    North East Region 2

    Savannah Region 1

    Bono Region 1

    Ahafo Region 0

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Fire reportedly guts parts of A&C Mall

    The Lux Cigar Lounge and the Honney Suckle inside the A&C Mall at East Legon was burnt to ashes last night.

    The fire started around 10:17pm on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

    It took the quick response from the Legon station of the Ghana National Fire Service to fight the situation.

    According to an eyewitness, the fire started a few minutes after a worker came to clean the place for operation.

    Assistant Divisional Officer GRADE II of the Legon Fire Station, Samuel Asare said over 26 extinguishers and 2 tenders were used to fight the fire.

    Source: Atinka FM

  • Immigration proposes inclusion of coronavirus testing in international certificate for vaccination

    Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi, has called for the inclusion of COVID-19 testing in the International Certificate of Vaccination otherwise known as Yellow Card to strengthen health security.

    He said the inclusion would help prevent, protect and contain the spread of the coronavirus disease across borders and avoid the interference with international traffic and trade.

    A statement issued by Superintendent Michael Amoako-Atta, the Head of Public Affairs, said the call was made during a web-based seminar on the impact of COVID-19 on the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) free movement protocol and the regional integration agenda.

    It was organised organized by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) under the auspices of the European Union, ECOWAS Commission and International Labour Organization.

    The statement said there is the need for health clearance for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases to be strictly enforced as part of requirements for entry into member states when implemented.

    It expressed concern over the nonexistence of health facilities at the various entry points of member States of ECOWAS to cater for the health needs of border officials who were unwell and exposed to infectious diseases and other ever-changing health risks.

    “We need effective collaboration between border security agencies and health institutions to curtail the possible spread of infectious diseases across borders”, Mr Takyi said.

    The Comptroller-General said member states should consider building the capacity of port health officials through a continuous training programme to strengthen health security in West Africa as part of the new paradigm shift, post COVID-19.

    The statement said as part of policy intervention, member States must leverage on technology to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along the borders for effective monitoring of movements of persons along the frontiers.

    It said some of the lessons learnt from the closure of the borders were the increasing use of unapproved routes by migrants to enter the entry, which has led to the identification of several unapproved routes of entry and exist.

    Others, the statement said, were the connivance of transport operators and border residents who aided travellers to cross borders illegally, adding: tip-offs from border residents and the sharing of intelligence among border security agencies are therefore crucial to combating irregular migration and the fight against infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

    Other panellists for the webinar were H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister for the Interior of Federal Government of Nigeria; Mr Tei Konzi, Commissioner of Trade, Customs and Free Movement for ECOWAS Commission; Ms Melita Gruevska-Graham, Head of Anti-Trafficking Programme for ICMPD; and Ms Lotte Kejser Chief Technical Adviser for International Labour Organization (ILO).

    Source: Ghana Immigration Service

  • Freight forwarders appeal for waivers on rent charges and demurrages over ICUMS challenges

    Vendors at the Tema seaport want temporary waivers on all time-related costs in the clearance of goods due to operational challenges being encountered with the new Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).

    State-owned Daily Graphic newspaper reports that the freight forwarders are calling for a cancellation of warehouse rent charges and interest charges, as well as demurrages that may accrue to shipping lines effective June 1, 2020, when the ICUMS implementation took off.

    “An Executive Member of the Association of Customs House Agents (ACHAG), Mr Phillip Badu-Mensah told Graphic Online at the port that, although some companies and self-declarants have been able to process new declarations, a larger number of individual importers and agents have challenges as the ICUMS has been rejecting their TIN,” the report indicated.

    Despite concerted efforts by both Ghana Revenue Authority and Ghana Link to iron out the challenges being faced by freight forwarders with regards to clearing of goods at the Tema port through the ICUMS, the system is still fraught with challenges that are making the freight forwarding community unhappy.

    Two days after the complete change over from the erstwhile Customs Management System deployed by GCNet in collaboration with West Blue Consulting, customs agents are still complaining about various bottlenecks they claim they are confronted with in using the new platform.

    Norvan Acquah-Hayford, Public Relations Manager at Ghana Link has given the assurance that most clearing agents are getting their problems resolved quickly after they make their complaints.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • E.P. Church adds to list of churches announcing decision to remain closed despite lifting of ban

    The Right Reverend Dr Seth Senyo Agidi, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (E. P. Church), Ghana, on Tuesday said all chapels of the Church would remain closed despite President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s easing of restrictions on church services in the wake of COVID-19.

    “Not until the leadership of the Church met over the easing of the restriction on church services, all our chapels will still remain closed,” he told the Ghana News Agency.

    Rt. Rev. Dr Agidi said COVID-19 was real and that there was no need to rush to congregate because “everybody is a suspected carrier of the virus”.

    The Moderator, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to observe all the safety protocols so as to curtail the spread of the virus.

    Rt. Rev. Dr. Agidi said the leadership of Church would meet on Friday and appealed to members to remain calm for the outcome of the meeting and further directives.

    He also appealed to Christians to continue praying for God’s protection for frontline workers and His healing power for all who tested positive to the virus.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Sunday eased the restriction on religious activities, which was in force since March this year.

    He directed that only a maximum of 100 people should be present at church services for an hour at a time and that all safety protocols must be adhered to strictly.

    Source: GNA

  • Ghana’s High Commission in London to resume operations on July 1, 2020

    Ghana’s High Commission in the United Kingdom says it will on Wednesday July 1, 2020 resume full-time operations following the easing of coronavirus restrictions by the UK government.

    In a statement issued by the High Commission and copied to GhanaWeb, it said all applicants whose appointments were affected by the lockdown and subsequent closure of the Mission should expect new appointment dates via email in the coming week.

    “As soon as the batch of applicants have been served, new applicants will be facilitated effective, July 15, 2020. Applicants are to note that anyone who turns up at the Mission without a confirmed appointment will not be served,” the statement read.

    Read the full statement below;

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

     

  • Christians in Takoradi divided over reopening of churches

    A cross-section of people in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) of the Western Region have welcomed the decision of the Government to lift the ban on mass gathering permitting a limit of 100 people at a time.

    Those expressing their appreciation are happy that church services can go on within the specific guidelines put in place to limits the spread of the COVID-19.

    It would be recalled that President Nana Akufo-Addo on March 15, ordered the closure of all schools and universities and the suspension of all public gatherings for four weeks as a means to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A cross-section of the Christians who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an interview argued that the church was noted to maintain discipline in its services and can best adhere to the social distancing and other protocols.

    According to them, the order to close the churches turned out to be the most difficult one for them to obey as it was having a big impact on them because communal prayer and the discipline of the religious calendar were central to their lives.

    Prophet Godlove Agbemodzi, General Overseer of the Christ Miracle Power Church (CMPC), said when the announcement on the closure was first made, he was surprised, in that it was hard to imagine life without religious services for some.

    He lamented that life had not been easy for the past 10 weeks that he had been in the house without taking offerings.

    Other pastors the GNA spoke to said they have been in great distress since the services were their means of livelihood.

    President Nana Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation on 31 May, 2020, to provide an update on COVID-19 pandemic, announced that religious services could commence with service lasting for an hour per session and the congregation should be limited to 100 people at a time.

    However, some people were of the view that looking at the prescribed modalities given them by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to follow, the elite and well-endowed churches could follow, but the smaller ones and those in the villages or peri-urban communities may not be able to bear the cost that comes with it.

    According to the critics, churches in the rural communities before the closure were suffering from low incomes from tithes and offerings, which left some pastors no choice than to run prayer sessions frequently to increase their revenue.

    Madam Mary Agidi said evidence from other nations have proven that large gatherings provided the most fertile grounds for the spread of the virus, and so there was the need to refrain from such gatherings in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

    “Considering the all-night services, the miracle and the anointing services with people falling under the power of the anointing and the modalities to observe social distancing, I will not show up for some time at my church unless the pandemic is curbed,” she stated.

    She, therefore, advised churches to adopt digital platforms for services like payment of tithes and offering through mobile money platforms while those who can afford should offer online streaming services.

    Meanwhile, the leadership of the Fire Glory Church at Tanokrom, a suburb of Takoradi, said they would hold two services on Sunday with the first starting at 7 am to 8.30 am while the second begins at 9 am to 10.30.

    They further indicated that they would be holding a five-day Holy Spirit Revival service from Monday 8 to 12 June 2020.

    Source: GNA

  • Mornah granted bail

    The National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, has been granted police enquiry bail in connection with alleged threats he made against the Electoral Commission (EC).

    He is to report to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 16, 2020.

    The PNC chairman was granted bail after his bail condition of one surety was signed by the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the PNC, Mr Bala Maikankan.

    Mr Mornah is being represented by a team of lawyers led by Professor Raymond Atuguba

    This was after a meeting between some leaders of the PNC, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other members of the Inter-party Resistance Against New Register (IPRAN) and top officials of the CID.

    The closed-door meeting, which started at about 11:45a.m. ended at about 1:30p.m.

    Some high-ranking members of the NDC, including its national chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya and Mr Abraham Amaliba, arrived at the headquarters of the CID in connection with the invitation of Mr Mornah at about 10:52a.m.

    After arriving at the CID Headquarters, they were seen holding some discussions at the second floor of the CID headquarters before they held a closed door meeting with the Deputy Director-General of the CID, Barima Tweneboah Sasraku II, the head of Operations, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Oklu-Gyamrah, and other top officials of the CID.

     

    Supporters

    Ahead of the meeting some supporters of the PNC, NDC and members of IPRAN defied the downpour to besiege the headquarters of the CID.

    The supporters who were blocked at the headquarters of the National Fire Service managed to find their way to the entrance of the CID headquarters where personnel of the Formed Police Unit prevented them from entering the premises.

    Video

    After the meeting, Mr Amaliba told the Daily Graphic that a 37-second video in which Mr Mornah was purported to have made the said threats was shown to him (Mornah) and he confirmed making the comments.

    They initially wanted to arrest him, citing the statement which were captured on the video and after the video was shown he was charged for offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.

    Mr Amaliba said Mr Mornah was then made to write a caution statement in which he said he was not prepared to make any statement beyond what was on the video.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • OneGhana Movement seeks justice for June 3 disaster victims five years on

    Today marks five years after the country experienced one of the biggest disasters, which resulted in the loss of many lives and property.

    On June 3, 2015, heavy torrential rainfall, which started in the late hours of Tuesday, June 2, and continued into the next day leading to severe flooding in several parts of the country with Accra being the worst affected.

    An explosion at a GOIL fuel station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle saw the death of over 150 persons and left many injured.

    Significant donations were made and money was promised the victims and the bereaved families.

    Five years on

    Five years on, OneGhana Movement, in a statement says “the victims are yet to receive any substantial disbursements of the said contributions.”

    According to the group, “the only funds received by the victims to date are from a US$200,000 donation by the President of Benin which the NADMO and AMA disbursed to them in June 2019. This begs the question; “Where are the funds that were donated to the victims, and why have they not been disbursed even five years after the disaster?”

    It is for this reason that the OneGhana Movement, after launching its “Justice 4 June 3 (J4J3)” Campaign in 2017, is still seeking justice for the victims and the bereaved.

    “While the organisation acknowledges that the wheels of justice grind slowly, we do believe that the victims have endured significant trauma over the past five years and need to be adequately compensated to enable them afford a quality life and to restore faith in the justice system.”

    According to the statement, the victims and the OneGhana Movement have commenced a class action suit against Ghana Oil (GOIL), National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) for their complicity in the disaster.

    It is their hope that while the court case continues, “the pursuit of justice will not only result in fair compensations to victims and their families and punishment to culpable officials”, but “will drive the sense of accountability and responsibility on the part of citizens, corporate Ghana and public officials”.

    Click here to read the full statement.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • COVID-19 cases in Africa top 157,000

    At least 4,880 people tested positive for COVID-19 across Africa in the last 24 hours, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

    The new cases pushed the tally across the continent to 157,322.

    Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 4,493, with 149 more fatalities.

    On the other hand, recoveries totaled at 67,007, of which 3,346 patients were discharged over the past day.

    South Africa emerged as the worst-hit country in terms of cases with 35,800, while Egypt suffered the most deaths with 1,100.

    Nigeria reported 314 fatalities, the highest in West Africa.

    Sudan reported 307 fatalities and Cameroon 200.

    Source:www.aa.com.tr

  • Government guided by lessons of countries that reopened schools too soon – Pius

    Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Hadzide has said that the government was drawing lessons from countries that saw a sudden outburst of COVID-19 cases when schools were re-opened.

    Germany, Israel, South Korea, France and other countries reopened schools amid the new coronavirus pandemic and spikes in new cases in the schools.

    France for instance recorded 70 new cases in schools that were allowed to reopen.

    Mr Hadzide who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), said “I think that we are drawing lessons and that is why we are taking the kind of steps we are taking.”

    According to him, some of the countries that opened earlier did not take the necessary steps at the beginning but said government would ensure that the preventive measures were followed.

    President Akufo-Addo in an address to the nation on Sunday, May 31, 2020, directed all final year students writing exit examinations to go back to school.

    The directive formed part of measures taken by government to ease restrictions imposed on public and social gatherings to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.

    Now religions meetings could be held but members meeting should not exceed 100 while the meeting itself should not last over an hour, according to President Akufo-Addo.

    So far, 38 people have died from the disease, while 2,986 have recovered from the sickness. There still remain a total of 5,273 active cases.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • No question yet on Covid-19 expenditure returns Parliament

    Parliament says no member of the house, including the member for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Cassiel Ato Forson has filed any question demanding accountability for the monies voted to mitigate the Covid-19 lockdown period.

    There are claims a question on the expenditure returns of an amount of GH¢280.3 million allocated for the fight against the Corona Virus during the lockdown period is yet to receive an answer three weeks after the question was filed.

    Parliament however says no such question exists in the house, and that if it did, the house would apply the rules as is the norm.

    In a statement issued Tuesday evening, June 2, 2020, Parliament said it has no record that Cassiel Ato Forson had filed any such question contrary to a claim by him on radio.

    “From our records in Parliament, there is no specific Question with the said amount filed by the Honourable Member or any Member for that matter.

    “Per the rules and practices of Parliament, Questions are not filed in the name of, or by Caucuses. Rather a Member seeking a response to a specific issue would file a Question in his or her name, signed by the Member as provided for in Standing Order 64.

    “The Office’s interaction with the Honourable Member does not disclose that he had filed an earlier Question. Rather reference is made to a Question filed earlier by a Member of the Minority seeking to “ask the Minister of Health what emergency preparedness and response plan the Ministry has put in place to help contain the spread of COVID-19 virus and the details of how the 100 Million Dollars announced by the President will be spent.”

    “Upon further consultation with the Honourable Member, he indicated that he intends to file a Question today on the matter raised in the media. Once the question is filed, it will be processed in accordance with the rules of the House.”

    The statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate also dealt with a claim that the Majority Leader, who is also the Chairman of the Business Committee had allegedly alluded to the creation of new constituencies in his presentation on Friday 20/05/2020 of the Business Statement for this week.

    “No such presentation has been made by the Majority Leader. In fact, the Majority Leader in the said presentation, stated categorically that Committee on Subsidiary Legislation should endeavour to submit its report on the Public Elections (Registration of Regulation of Voters) (Amendment) 2020 for the consideration of the House on or before the coming into force of the Instrument.

    “He insisted that the Committee must submit their report to the House by Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020 for consideration on Thursday June 4th, 2020. The attribution to him with regards to the creation of new constituencies is therefore wrongful.”

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Students loan trust fund to disburse GH¢32.3m to tertiary students

    The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) will by the end of the 2019/2020 academic year disburse GH?32.3million to beneficiaries in tertiary institutions across the country.

    It is expected that a further GH?35 million will be paid before the academic calendar ends, according to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Education, Vincent Assifuah.

    He was reacting to concerns raised by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) that about 2,000 students under the scheme had not received their first and second semester tranches of the loans they had applied for.

    According to Mr Assifuah, the trust fund was well-grounded even though there had been some delays in the periodic disbursement of loans in the current academic year.

    Following the outbreak of COVID-19, he said, the fund had created an avenue for loan applicants to use part of their loans to acquire laptops to enable them to access the e-learning due to the closure of schools to contain the virus.

    He explained that the delay in disbursement was not intentional and that “For the 2019/2020 academic year, the fund has been paying in tranches as and when funding is available.”

    Mr Assifuah said the management of the fund would continue to engage the leadership of NUGS and other students associations as well as the general student body to address their concerns.

    At a press conference last week, the leadership of NUGS said certain concerns brought to the attention of the government in relation to e-learning system, had been ignored.

    The concerns included the inclusion of students in the disbursement of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund stimulus packages, the provision of subventions in the form of free bundles to enable them to take their end of semester exams.

    They also called on the government to waive off the loans of students under the SLTF at least for this year.

    “We wish to remind government that none of the concerns and recommendations we tabled before the president and during our subsequent pressers have been met even as the semester is coming to an end,” NUGS said.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • Volta Regions coronavirus cases reportedly hit 84, with 35 recoveries

    The Volta region has confirmed 40 more COVID-19 cases in the last week increasing, the number from 44 to 84 as of June 1.

    The number of cases initially increased from 44 to 59, then to 71 by the middle of last week and to 84 by the end of the weekend.

    Per the latest breakdown received from the Public Health Directorate of the Volta Regional Health Directorate, Ho reordered 16 cases within the period under review, thus bringing its total cases to 23. Ketu South got additional 10 cases to bring its tally to 32, thus the highest in the region.

    South and Central Tongu, new entrants on the table of affected districts in the region recorded four and eight cases respectively.

    The latest District to record Covid-19 cases is Anloga where two cases were recorded last week.

    Per the information from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) available to DGN Online nine districts out of the 18 districts have so far been affected by the novel corona-virus.

    The other districts include Akatsi South with one case, Agotime-Ziope with one case, Kpando with two cases and Hohoe with 11 cases.

    Meanwhile, the number of recoveries in the region has also increased from 28 as at the last count over a week ago to 35 as at the weekend.

    The latest recovery which covers seven cases comprises of four cases in Ho, one case in Agotime-Ziope and two cases in Hohoe.

    To this end, the number of active cases reached 47 with two deaths.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Final year student commits suicide at Nakaba

    A final year Junior High School (JHS) student has allegedly committed suicide at Nakaba, a suburb of Enchi in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region.

    The deceased, Prince Meisu, 14, was discovered hanging on a crossbar in his place of abode.

    The Enchi District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Bernard Akotoge who confirmed the story to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said on Saturday, May 30, 2020, Opanin John Kojo Asemiah, the deceased grandfather reported to the Enchi Police post that at about 1600 hours on that day, Meisu returned from town but few minutes later they detected he had committed suicide.

    He said the police proceeded to the crime scene and found the deceased lying on a bed with a whitish substance foaming from his mouth.

    According to Superintendent Akotoge, the Police suspects no foul play as there were no marks of violence when the body was inspected.

    He said the body has since been conveyed and deposited at the Enchi Government Hospital morgue for preservation awaiting autopsy with investigations ongoing.

    Source: GNA

  • All Ghanaians must vote for Akufo-Addo in the 2020 election as thanksgiving – Rev. Owusu Bempah

    The Founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Ministry International Popularly known as Rev. Owusu Bempah has been one of the greatest and loyal supporter of the seating President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and not for NPP but the President he claims.

    According to Rev.Owusu Bempah, President Akufo Addo is a God sent leader who is destined to save Ghana from a big time crisis. As we all know Owusu Bempah to be one of the well renowed Prophets in Ghana.

    President Akufo Addo has been very much lively and effective leader since the out break of the Coronavirus pandemic. He has been very poised in combating the dreadful COVID-19 with the help of his expertises. President Akufo Addo has tried his possible best to eradicate the virus even though it keeps on increasing rapidly and astronomically

    Yesterday, he was able to ease some of the restrictions he placed on his citizen’s since the outbreak. He lifted the ban on all Public gatherings which was effective in a duration of barely 2months.

    He was able to start the process of getting Schools back by allowing the Final years to report to school on 15 June,2020 as the rest will follow in due time.

    Meanwhile, Rev.Owusu Bempah has commended the President of Ghana needs to be showed gratitude with the way he has sacrificed for Ghanaians to tackle the dreadful COVID-19 virus.

    He said;”In the upcoming December election, Ghanaians must have the mindset of voting for the NPP Presidential candidate and The seating President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to show gratitude to him and Thanksgiving to God with how Akufo Addo has saved Ghanaians from the deadly coronavirus”.

    Source: operanewsapp.com

  • I did not have it on a silver platter- Kenneth Agyapong Jnr

    Kenneth Agyapong Jnr is the first son of NPP’s Assin North constituency member of parliament, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, one of the millionaires in the country.

    Kenneth was born in America, he started schooling there and completed his education over there. Kenneth holds a prestigious position in one of his father’s business called Kencity Media company limited.

    Aside family business, Kenneth is an entrepreneur and a businessman who has a quiet number of businesses running for him.

    He has a food Van which sells food, something which is not common in Ghana, he also runs a clothing line which he has employed over 20 Ghanaian youths.

    He is also one of the organizers and master minds behind popular and biggest Christmas event in Africa which is hosted here in Ghana ” afrochella”.

    Kenneth has made shocking revelations in an interview with Dentaa that his father is very strict and has not pampered him at all but rather he has made him pass through life’s processes.

    ” I used to take trotro to work from Tema” he stated. He also said the worst of it all was when it rained, “the rain used to beat me a lot he cried out.

    Please use this link to watch the full interview:

    Source: operanewsapp.com

  • Beautiful alleged abandoned huge mansions of Kennedy Agyapong in his hometown revealed (Video)

    Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong who has not been silent about his wealth also does not shy away from flaunting amid testimonies of where he started from and where he is now.

    A video sighted social media suggests Hon. Kennedy Agyapong has a number of mansions in his hometown, he barely occupies.

    Many are amazed as to why such plush buildings will be left unoccupied.

    Watch a video below..

     

     

     Source: operanewsapp.com

  • I will vote for Akufo-Addo, else John Mahama will jail him for the many scandals

    My fellow Ghanaians, this is to appeal to your sense of pity and compassion to vote and retain the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo- Addo in power to avert a situation where the over 70-year old man would be sentenced to jail.

    The president although noted for the implementation of the free SHS policy, amidst other flagship government promises is also popularly for his taste of prosecuting and prompting the sentencing corrupt officials in the erstwhile Mahama administration to prison. If karma is anything to believe and go by, then you and I know that with the number of corruption that have rocked the Nana Addo government, should he lose the December 2020 elections, the president and other top officials of his government, may just spend the rest of their earthly years at the Nsawam prison.

    Here is a list of corruption cases that can land the president and his officials in jail should they lose power;

    Number 12

    Lots of NPP officials and even the president, Nana Addo were implicated in the Anas Aremeyaw Anas expose titled number 12. In the said expose, former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), was seen and heard bragging about how a portion of bribe he took from a group who be going to the pocket of president. This now, no investigation has been carried out on the allegation. But the NDC has promised to review the case and its evidence should they win power.

    BOST contaminated fuel

    The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) which was then headed by known NPP figure Alfred Obeng Boateng was accused of selling contaminated fuel to consumers. Reports indicated that, the acts were being carried on by the Movenpiina Oil, BOST and another unregistered oil company Macwest. The Managing director, Alfred Obeng Boateng was removed from office, the issue was widely discussed by the media but it just ended there. The NDC once again has promised to revive the case should the party win power in 2020.

    The GRA embezzlement saga

    Another issue the NDC would not forget should they win power is the Ghana Revenue Authority embezzlement saga. Reports are that, an account officer at the Domestic Tax Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Tamale was arrested for stealing GH¢2,430,774.30 belonging to the state. The culprit, Fuseini Hamza, was slapped with 12 years in prison following investigations and 8-month proceedings in court. The NDC, however, believe that Fuseini is just a small fish in the oceans of sharks and as such would revisit the case should they win power.

    Galamsey Escavators

    The issue of the missing escavators seems to be dying but the NDC would be revisiting it should they come to power. Many names of people in the NPP have popped up and no proper investigations have been carried out so far.

    The scandals are many. I love Nana Addo and I can’t watch him suffer in jail.

    Fellow Ghanaians, looking at all these cases, if you do not vote for Nana Addo come 2020 elections, Nana Addo and his top officials may just end up at the Nsawam Prisons.

     

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com. Our outfit will hereby not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”

    Source: operanewsapp.com

  • Two injured, vehicles damaged in accidents at Teacher Mante

    Multiple Vehicle accident on Teacher Mante stretch of Accra to Kumasi Highways has led to injuries of drivers and damages to vehicles.

    The accidents involved four (4) vehicles, Matrix Salon car with registration number GX 4265-18 with the driver named Isaac Quashie, Howo A7 Trailer with registration number GT 3609-20, Daf Trailer with registration GT 5740-19 fully loaded with bags of cement, and Toyota Hiace with registration number GT 5740 19.

    According to an eyewitness all the four (4) vehicles were speeding from Accra direction towards Kumasi,

    On reaching a section of the road, the trailer slowed down with indicator light that it was negotiating a curve. This caused the driver in charge of the matrix Salon car to slow down.

    However, the Daf Trailer failed to reduce speed as a result crushed the Matix Salon car in front of him which made it veered off the main road, and hit the Howo Trailer

    The Daf Trailer driver lost control of the steering wheel as a result of the impact hence hit a Toyota Hiace bus which has been packed along the road with no passenger on board.

    Both drivers of the two vehicles escaped unhurt except the driver of the Daf Trailer who sustained serious injury and rushed to Nsawam Government Hospital for medical treatment.

    Source: mynewsghana.net

  • IMANI, ASEPA petition Asantehene over new voter register

    Policy think tank IMANI Africa and the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) have petitioned Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asanteman Traditional Council to intervene in the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to compile a new voter register.

    The groups say the EC’s decision to compile a new voter register is creating tension in the country, hence the need for them to intervene.

    They want Otumfuo and the council to step in early by calling the EC and the agitated political parties to reach a compromise decision to avert any future disturbances.

    They do not want any Ghanaian to be disenfranchised even if the exercise takes off as planned.

    The EC will later this month compile a new voter register for the 2020 general elections.

    This has created a stalemate between some political parties especially the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the commission with some making pronouncements.

    The NDC and other parties against the new register said it is a move by the EC to rig the elections for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) an allegation the EC has denied.

    The petition was presented to the Asantehene and the council by the President of IMANI Africa, Mr Franklin Cudjoe and the Executive Director of Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson.

    Speaking to the media, Mr Franklin Cudjoe, said IMANI is not against registration for people to vote but the cost claim the EC makes does not justify procurement of a new register.

    He said the existing biometric registration machines are fit for running the 2020 general elections.

    Source: Class FM

  • President Akufo-Addo condemns police killing of unarmed black man in the U.S

    President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has joined the global call for justice for the late African-American, George Floyd who died in Powderhorn, a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis.

    Unarmed George Floyd was killed by a white police officer for an offense best known to same on May 25, 2020.

    President Akufo-Addo expressed his displeasure about how the United States of America, which is the beacon of Democracy in the world, still continues to battle racism in the 21st century.

    Nana Akufo-Addo took to his Facebook page to join people who are seeking justice globally for the late George Floyd.

    “Black people, the world over, are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in the United States of America. It carried with it an all too painful familiarity and an ugly reminder.”

    “It cannot be right that, in the 21st century, the United States, this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism.”

    “On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express my deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the late George Floyd.”

    “We stand with our kith and kin in America in these difficult and trying times, and we hope that the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head-on the problems of hate and racism.” Akufo-Addo wrote.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • ‘It was in self-defense’ – Woman who stabbed pregnant woman to death claims

    Adwoa Pokuah, the woman who stabbed a heavily pregnant woman to death in the Ashanti Region, has said she committed the crime in self-defense.

    Court documents presented by prosecution on Friday, May 29 also indicated that the suspect was heavily drunk at the time the incident happened.

    Her crime led to the death of Akosua Attah, 22, after she suffered multiple stab wounds during a scuffle on May 23, 2020, at Aburaso in the Atwima Kwanwoma District.

    Prosecution told the court that the suspect had questioned the deceased of the whereabouts of her keys when she returned home from town.

    “The suspect who could not find the deceased went to see her friend to accompany her to have a drink,” prosecution told the Asokwa District Court.

    Prosecution told the court that the suspect engaged the deceased in a heated exchange without any provocation resulting in a scuffle between the two.

    “The suspect then went to her kitchen and pulled a knife and stabbed the deceased under her right chest,” Prosecution told the court adding that she was rushed to the Suntreso Government Hospital for treatment, but died shortly after admission.”

    The suspect was subsequently arrested and arraigned. Prosecution, however, prayed the court for adjournment as investigations continue.

    The court presided over by H/H Afua Aduboahene granted the request and adjourned the case to June 16, 2020.

    Lawyer for the suspect, Yahaya Seidu, however, told Prosecution to expedite action on the investigations.

    “Definitely the Attorney General will definitely take over the case and when we get to the appropriate forum we will move to a Higher Court for bail for my client,” Lawyer Seidu told the media.

    Source: Daily Mai

  • Bishop Obinim’s trial adjourned to July 20

    The Kaneshie District Court on Monday adjourned the false publication of news and forgery case against Bishop Daniel Obinim to July 20 to enable prosecution to complete its investigations.

    Assistant Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare pleaded with the Court presided over by Madam Rosemond Dodua Agyiri to give prosecution enough time to investigate the matters at stake.

    Bishop Obinim, the leader of International God’s way church is to remain on the GHC100,000.00 bail with three (3) sureties, one of whom is to be justified.

    Bishop Obinim was arrested on bench warrant by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Tuesday, May 19 over publication of false news and falsification of documents.

    He was charged with the offences of Publication of false news and forgery of document contrary to sections 208 and 159 of the Criminal and other offences Act, 1960 (ACT 29).

    He is also under investigations for other offences levelled against him.

    Source: GNA

     

  • A Ga witch doctor performed gbeshie for Osei Tutu I to be born – Osu Wor-Lumor

    Wor-Lumor of Osu, Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II, in a bare it all interview with GhanaWeb’s People & Places team has revealed that, if not for the intervention of Agya Nortey, a Ga witch doctor in the 1600s, Ashanti’s pride, Osei Tutu I would not have been born.

    Speaking about the ‘History of Osu/Nadu Clan’ in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, Wor-lumor explained that a ritual called ‘gbeshie’, in the Ga tribe, was performed by Agya Nortey, a prominent witch doctor, for Akua Afriyie, mother of Osei Tutu I, to be fertile.

    “Agya Nortey, he was a fetish priest, a witch doctor and he was healing people around. He was the one who performed what we call the gbeshie for Osei Tutu I to be born.

    His mother Akua Afriyie, she was barren at that time. And those days when they want to perform the rights and rituals for you to be fertile, we call that gbeshie…when that thing is performed, then your womb is opened. That was performed for Akua Afriyie and Osei Tutu I was born,” he told the host Naa Oyoe Quartey.

    While some historic reports capture the Anyinam as the birthplace of Osei Tutu I, the Wor-Lumor says otherwise. According to him, he was born at Tutu, in the Akuapim Hills.

    “He (Osei Tutu) was born in at the Akuapem Hills, at Tutu,” he said.

    Wor-Lumor Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II posited that the place Agya Nortey Hill presently corrupted as Agyangotey by people is totally wrong.

    Osei Tutu I who was crowned as the Asantehene in 1701 died in 1717 in a battle against the Akyem.

    Meanwhile, you can watch the full video below:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Catholic Bishops Conference vows to adhere to protocols set by President Akufo-Addo

    On 31st May 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a televised address to the nation announced that religious services can commence in a church or a mosque with twenty-five percent (25%) of members in attendance, with a maximum number of one hundred (100) congregants with a mandatory one-meter rule of social distancing between congregants. He added that the maximum duration of service should be an hour.

    In relation to this directive, the General Secretary of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Rev. Father Anondee has said that the clergy accepts this directive and will ensure that the protocols are observed.

    Speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning show, he stated: “It is a welcome development. It will afford us the opportunity to come together to worship and have masses which we have missed for months now. This is not to say things will be as they were but we will certainly have to observe the protocols that have been prescribed. We are going to follow strictly what the president has asked us to do and then we will conduct our religious activities in a manner that will not promote the spread of the virus”.

    When quizzed by Samuel Eshun on the duration of service stipulated by the Government, he noted that the clergy had no problem with that as it afforded them the opportunity to congregate for worship. “We are in challenging times, so we have to face the challenge head-on. We just have to do what we can”, he added.

    He made known that contrary to the belief people may hold, the clergy did not force the Government to ease the restriction on the ban of social gathering.

    Source: happyghana.com

  • Rwanda bans charcoal for cooking in Kigali

    Rwanda is banning the use of charcoal for cooking in the capital, Kigali, and restricting supplies to the city from rural areas.

    The ban is aimed at protecting forests by clamping down on the illegal trade in charcoal. In future people will be encouraged to use gas.

    Rwanda follows Kenya and Uganda in taking action to discourage the use of charcoal, which is blamed for causing breathing problems for tens of thousands of people every year.

    The trade is also damaging forests and causing carbon emissions, which are blamed for global warming.

    Of the 1.4 million people living in Kigali, 85% rely on wood fuel for cooking.

    Most of this is charcoal produced illicitly in and around the protected Virunga wildlife reserve, an area shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

    In DR Congo the production is controlled by militias, which means the Rwandan and Ugandan authorities can only intercept supplies after they are transported across the border.

    Rwanda’s government will encourage people to use gas, by offering it at affordable rates for poor people, who can also use a hire-purchase scheme to buy a gas cooker.

    In 2018, Uganda banned exports of charcoal to curb demand, while Kenya stopped transportation of the commodity from some areas.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Dambai College of Education looks like primary school – Chief cries for help

    The Chief of Dambai in the newly created Oti Region Nana Kwaku Bianu II has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to give the Dambai College of Education some more attention.

    According to Nana Bianu, the infrastructure of the college is no different from that of a primary school.

    He said currently there is no water following in the school as it lacks hostels. The auditorium is still under construction and an administration block which started four years ago has been left unattended to.

    “The second thing we are appealing for is the upgrade of the Dambai College of Education because when you enter the school, the buildings there look like a primary school,” he stated.

    Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE in an interview in his palace in Dambai last Friday, Nana Bianu expressed his gratitude to the President for making Dambai the Regional Captial for the Oti Region and called for more developmental projects.

    “Because Dambai is the regional capital, we have begun to see physical development such as road infrastructure, the building of hospital and administration block,” he stated.

    Nana said as part of efforts to ensure the government speeds up development, the chiefs have allocated a 30-acre land for the construction of hospital.

    “Initially the regional administration request for 15 acres but we gave them extra,” he said.

    Request for university

    The chief is, however, calling on the government to establish a university in the region to complete the circle of education in the region.

    Education of nose masks

    Nana Bianu said chiefs in the area have joined the Municipal Assembly in educating the people on the need to constantly wash their hands and wear nose masks as safety measures to fight the deadly coronavirus.

    Base on this, “I personally distributed more than 2000 nose masks to the people of Dambai as one of the safety protocols in fighting Covid-19.”

    Source: Starr FM

  • Nursing mother escapes lynching

    A yet-to-be-identified nursing mother suspected to be a fake money dealer should thank the police for her life.

    This follows a last minute intervention by the police, which saved her from a blood-thirsty mob on Tuesday in the Bosomtwi District of the Ashanti Region.

    The suspect was arrested in possession of a big bag loaded with fake money in different Ghana cedi notes.

    Apparently, she had gone on a shopping spree at the Aputuogya Market, where she had bought a lot of items.

    The suspect reportedly shopped and gave out fake currencies in exchange of genuine Ghana cedi notes.

    Unfortunately for the suspect, luck eluded her eventually as some people detected her illegal activities in the market and blew the alarm, drawing a number of people to the scene.

    The angry crowd reportedly tried to lynch the nursing mother, but the police arrived at the scene on time.

    According to sources, the police had a hectic time before they could safely take the nursing mother to the station.

    The Feyiase Police are said to be preparing the suspect for arraignment.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • New Ebola outbreak hits DR Congo

    New cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Health Minister Eteni Longondo said four people had died from the virus in the western city of Mbandaka.

    It is more than 1,000km (about 600 miles) from the centre of the current outbreak in the east of the country.

    DR Congo was poised to declare an end to the second largest Ebola epidemic on record in April, but a new chain of infections was found.

    More than 2,000 people have died from the disease since August 2018.

    The country is also struggling with coronavirus, with more than 3,000 confirmed cases.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigerian men arrested for raping 12-year-old girl

    Twelve men have been arrested in Nigeria, accused of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl over a two-month period.

    Police in the north-western state of Jigawa were alerted to the alleged crime when they received a complaint about a man in his 50s luring the girl to a hidden place so he could have sex with her.

    During a police interview the girl said that 11 other men had also raped her.

    She is now in hospital and police have told the BBC there is medical evidence of rape.

    The incident follows the killings in the last week of two young women that have sparked widespread anger.

    In one case, the family of 22-year-old student Uwavera Omozuwa say she was raped inside a church and bludgeoned to death with a fire extinguisher in the city of Benin.

    In the other, a 16-year-old was shot dead by a policeman in Lagos.

    Amnesty International has said that although rape is a crime in Nigeria, the rising number of attacks is due to the failure of law enforcement.

    The country has an extremely low conviction rate for rape and sexual abuse.

    Source: bbc.com