TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • State Protocol was informed Mahama would be unavailable for 6th March Parade – Brogya Gyamfi

    A former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer and a communicator, Brogya Gyamfi says State Protocol was made aware that former President John Mahama would not attend the 63rd independence parade. The parade which was held at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi saw John Mahama missing.

    This raised a few eyebrows as some speculated that Mahama did not turn up due to political reasons.

    A Chair with the inscription John Mahama, which was close to former President John Agyekum Kufuor was empty.

    Some even said Mahama chose his wife’s birthday which also fell on March 6 over the state event but Brogya Gyamfi has explained why the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) missed the event.

    “The former President John Dramani Mahama indicated to the State Protocol of the independence day celebration of his unavailability to attend the event.”

    Also missing on the day was former President and Founder of the NDC Jerry John Rawlings, Mr Gymafi indicated that he attended a program at Sogakope hence his absence too.

    Present at the Independence parade was His Royal Majesty, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley was the special guest of honor.

    The event saw thousands of Ghanaians troop to the Baba Yara Stadium to catch a glimpse of it.

    That was the first time the Independence parade was held at Kumasi and the second time it was held outside Accra.

    Last year it was held at Tamale and President Akufo-Addo has indicated that the event would be rotated across all the regions.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Monday, 9th March 2020 is not holiday for schools – GES

    The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, GES has issued a statement to announce that Monday 9th March 2020 is not a holiday for students and teachers.

    The statement further congratulated the students and teachers for their smart turn out at the 63rd Independence day celebration parade held throughout the country.

    According to the statement, it is expected that teachers, pupils and students will take advantage of the weekend to rest and fully refresh themselves to resume academic work on Monday 9th March 2020.

    “Teachers, pupils, students and the general public should, therefore, take note that Monday 9th March 2020 is not a holiday for schools.”

    Changing educational curricula to meet the needs of the modern economy

    President Akufo-Addo has indicated that the government is changing the educational curricula across the country, to meet the needs of the modern economy.

    According to the President, this is aimed at preparing Ghanaian students to equally compete on a global scale.

    The President made this known at the 63rd Independence celebration hosted at the Baba Yara sports stadium in the Ashanti Region, Kumasi today March 6 2020.

    The President outlined achievements the country has chalked in its 63rd years.

    President Akufo-Addo stated that: There are more children in SHS now then we have ever had. We are changing the curricula and focus in education to meet the needs of the modern economy we are making progress…”

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Independence Day celebrations: Ghana flag missing in Ho

    It is said people who have never met can have a sense of unity, knowing they are part of the same country flying the same flag.

    National flags are simply symbols of identity and arguably the soul of nations.

    In some countries, it is regarded as an object that gives hope to citizens, with many prepared to die for colours of their national flag.

    The colours and symbols are said to convey the ideas, ambitions and values of the country.

    Unfortunately, it appears the importance of national flags and the pride they give to citizens is gradually getting lost on many Ghanaians.

    This situation was evident at the 63rd Independence anniversary celebration in the Volta regional capital, Ho, where national flags of public institutions and security services were said to be on holiday.

    There was virtually no sign of celebration of independence anniversary in the regional capital apart from security services, selected schools and some heads of institutions who gathered at the Jubilee Park for independence parade.

    Though structures at the Jubilee Park are painted in colours of the national flag, the flags were absent in town.

    Flag poles at the Regional Coordinating Council, the Ho Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Forestry Commission, and all security services were empty when the Ghana News Agency visited their premises Independence Day morning.

    At the 66 Artillery Regiment, the GNA saw the Unit flag up high without the Ghana flag, but was told the national flag of the Artillery was sent to the Independence parade ground.

    It was only GAD furnitures, a private company located opposite the military barracks that had the national flag flying at full mast.

    Some heads of institutions told the GNA they did not hoist the national flag on Independence Day because it was a holiday.

    Others said though they had the flag poles, they did not have the flags to hoist.

    But Mr Prosper Afenyo, Volta Regional Budget Analyst, said that was no excuse and said it was negligence on the part of public institutions not to hoist the national flag on Independence Day.

    He said Ghana’s flag was first hoisted on March 6th and that it was a must for the flags to continue to fly high in all public institutions, especially on Independence Day.

    Captain (Rtd) George Nfodjo, a former Member of Parliament for Ho, also said Independence Day was a significant day to display the country’s flags and that the excuse that it was a holiday was not tenable.

    “Today is a special day and our flags can’t be kept indoors. This will not happen anywhere. It means the spirit of the nation is down,” he said.

    Mr Nelson Akorli, a former Municipal Chief Executive of Ho, said he was surprised he did not see colours of the national flag in town to mark the celebration.

    He said decorating the town with colours of the national flag and hoisting the flags on Independence Day would help tell the Independence story better and would instill values of patriotism and nationalism in the citizenry.

    Another worrying issue is the non-availability of the national flag in shops and the Ho Central Market for sale.

    Perhaps, a strong indication and opportunity for the Information Services Department to go back to its national reorientation campaign.

    That exercise years ago invoked the interest of the citizens on the national colours, promoted patriotism, punctuality and nationalism.

    Let’s bring back the love for the national flag for national cohesion. It is the soul of the nation to, which every national is connected. So let’s keep the flags up.

    Ghanaians love the red, gold, green and the black star. ISD should, therefore, make the flags available so we rally round it for a united nation.

    Source: GNA

  • Sogakope residents to keep vigil for murdered Assemblyman today

    Residents, family and sympathisers in the South Tongu District of the Volta region are set to hold a vigil in the memory of the late Assemblyman for Sogakope South Electoral area, Mawutor Adzahli.

    The vigil will start at 6:30pm on Saturday, 7 March 2020.

    Sympathisers will walk from Y junction in Sogakope through major streets within the town, submit prayers at the late Mawutor’s business centre, McGreen Ventures and to finally end at his residence.

    The vigil will be observed with a candle light and dirges.

    Sympathisers have been advised to be clad in black.

    The family and Police are yet to announce a date for the funeral and burial for the late Assemblyman who left behind a little daughter and wife.

    The late Mr Adzahli was on 1 March 2020 shot dead by unknown assassins in his private residence.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi express mixed feelings at 63rd Independence celebrations

    A cross-section of residents in the Western Region have expressed mixed feelings about the 63rd Independence Anniversary celebrations.

    In a random sampling, most of the respondents Daniel Kaku spoke to, commended the torch bearers of Ghana’s Independence but added that much had not been done since the overthrow of the first Republic.

    A Senior Citizen who attended the function at the Jubilee grounds, told this Reporter that most of the factories established by the first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah collapsed after the military junta took over in the infamous coup plot.

    According to him, Ghana could be economically viable by now if those industries were taken care of by successive governments.

    He called on government to revive the industries set up by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah under the one District one Factory philosophy.

    Another citizen who gave his name as Kofi Nuamah said although successive governments after the overthrow of Dr. Nkrumah had done their bit, much needed to be done to propel the nation towards economic transformation.

    Mr. Nuamah said at 63,Ghana must be self reliant and urged President Nana Akufo Addo to make the Ghana Beyond Aid policy, a reality.

    He was not too happy that at 63 Ghana’s apron strings were still tied to the colonial masters.

    He called for transparency, probity and accountability in national affairs to ensure judicious use of the country’s natural resources to better the living conditions of Ghana.

    The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah earlier took the salute from a contingent of 920 school children and security forces led by parade Commander, Major Daniel Whajah Nviddah.

    The Regional Minister said in spite of the gains made so far, Ghana was still bedevilled with some problems and assured Ghanaians that government remains committed to address their problems.

    Source: Daniel Kaku, Contributor

  • Unique cultural, military display characterize Ghanas 63rd anniversary celebration

    The unique cultural diversity of the nation was on full display as the nation marked her 63rd independence anniversary celebration at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday, March 6.

    Representatives of the sixteen regions showcased their rich culture and tradition in a spectacular manner as they held the teeming crowd spellbound with their performances.

    The display thrilled the invited guests and general public so much that they occasionally stood on their feet and applauded in excitement.

    The Ghana Armed Forces also took advantage of the programme to display sophisticated ammunition and other state-of-the-art weapons the nation could boast of.

    They also held a dress rehearsal of the strict training regimen of the military, which has gained Ghana much respect in terms of her military prowess, especially, in the eyes of other foreign countries.

    “Consolidating our Gains”, was the theme for the anniversary, marking more than six decades of self-rule by Ghana, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence.

    A parade of security agencies and schools was mounted to climax the programme.

    Source: GNA

  • True humility! – Ghanaians unleash blessings on Bawumia for kneeling to greet Otumfuo

    The 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebration was marked in Ghana on Friday, 6th March, 2020, with the Ashanti Regional Capital, Kumasi, hosting the historic event.

    It was a big day in the Garden City as the occasion was being hosted in the Region for the first time since Ghana gained freedom from her colonial masters.

    The Baba Yara Sports Stadium where the event was organised, was filled to capacity.

    Although there were lots of happenings at the venue, one moment that caught the attention of many, was when the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia bowed to greet the ruler of the Asante Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    The very moment has also gotten some Ghanaians on social media unleashing blessings on the second gentleman of the land.

    While some centred on his genuine humility, others talk about the fact he [Dr. Bawumia] respects culture and tradition in the country.

    Some actually said his humility and respect will end him as President of Ghana someday.

    Read some of the comments below:

    Source: ghanaguardian.com

  • Do not allow self-seeking politicians to use you – DCE

    Mr Thomas Moore Zonyrah, the District Chief Executive for Central Tongu District, has asked the youth not to allow any self-seeking politician to use them to foment trouble.

    He said as the country prepared for general elections this year, it was important that young people got united for the good of the country and put the nation first, and not politicians.

    Mr Thomas Moore Zonyrah, who said this at the 63rd Independence Day celebration in Adidome, asked the youths to conduct themselves in a manner that would foster peace before, during and after the election.

    Mr Alexander Roosevelt Gabby Hottordze, the Member of Parliament for Central Tongu, asked the youths to limit activities that would not have any good effect on their academic performance.

    He also asked the security agencies in the District to fasten their belt for security duties in the District.

    “The security agencies must sit up in the District, so that the Mafi and Adidome crime issues do not escalate to what we experienced in one of the Tongu districts,” he said.

    The 63rd Independence Day celebration was on the theme, “Consolidating our gains”.

    Source: GNA

  • E-technology has improved prosecution of crimes Chief Justice

    Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, Chief Justice of Ghana, has said the introduction of e-technology into the trial process has eased prosecution of transnational crime cases with access to videos and footages.

    “The advent of E-technology also meant that nationally there is the ability to conduct trials and take evidence by video link, flash drives, CCTV footage, emails, VCD, DVD etc,” he said.

    He said this in his key note address read on his behalf by Justice Nene Abayatie Offei Amegatcher of the Supreme Court Ghana at the opening of the Second Annual Attorney Generals Alliance- Africa (AGA-Africa) Conference in Accra.

    The two-day conference held under the theme: “Tackling the Reality of Transnational Crime in Africa,” brought together stakeholders to address modern trends in transnational crime and ways to tackle such crimes across the borders.

    He said Ghana’s legislative arsenal was adapting to deal with transnational crimes, with the latest effort being the Anti Money Laundering Bill to improve on the current Anti Money Laundering Act 2008 (Act 749).

    He said adherence to a uniform regime in legislation and ensuring that domestic legislation was responsive to the ever changing face of transnational crime, ratification of international conventions aimed at fighting the menace of transnational crime would deepen cooperation between state parties and crime fighting agencies.

    Additionally, he said, the adoption of a unified vision and approach were some of the practical initiatives to be taken by African states in dealing with the spectre of transnational crime.

    He said transnational organized crimes were cross border in nature which covered illicit activities such as cybercrime, drug trafficking, environmental crime, smuggling of cultural artifacts, wild life, crime and weapons trafficking.

    Mr Godfred Yeboah Odame, Deputy Attorney General Ghana, said technology has generally transformed life around the world and its benefits were not lost on criminal organizations.

    “It has resulted in what I term organised criminal exploitation of digital technology,” he said.

    Additionally, he said, contemporary transnational criminals have taken advantage of globalization, trade liberalization and new technologies to perpetrate diverse crimes to move money, goods, services and people instantaneously for purposes of committing violence and other crimes, even for political ends.

    He said globalisation has facilitated international trade through the widespread deregulation the world has seen since the 1980s, which has allowed illicit actors to launder the proceeds of crime more easily.

    He said it was noted long ago by the leaders of the G8 in a statement issued in 1998 in Birmingham, that, “globalization has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in transnational crime”.

    He said this did not pose a threat to only citizens and their communities but undermined the democratic world economic basis of societies through the investment of illegal money by international cartels, corruption, a weakening of institutions and loss of confidence in the rule of law.

    He said the financial crimes, corruption and its related offences- money laundering and illicit financial flows constitute the most serious and urgent transnational offences Africa was encountering.

    Madam Karen White, Executive Director, AGA-Africa, said AGA-Africa Alliance Partnership collaborated with African Justice and Law Enforcement agencies and other state and non-state actors to share knowledge and experience in the fight against transnational crimes.

    She said they were currently working with justice and law enforcement bodies such as the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Public Prosecutions, Solicitors General, the Police, academic bodies and other transnational actors on the continent.

    Source: GNA

  • Change the narrative of gender inequality – Prof Audrey Gadzekpo

    Prof Audrey Gadzekpo, the Dean of the School of Information and Communications Studies, University of Ghana, has called on Ghanaians to do more to change the narrative of gender inequality against women and girls.

    Prof. Gadzekpo who was speaking at a panel discussion hosted by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in Accra, to interrogate issues on feminism and new approaches in the push for gender equality, said little gains were made towards female inclusion in socio-cultural, economic, political and even religious line spaces.

    She however noted that diverse battles had changed the narratives in areas such as education and health, but the pace was slow, hence the need to develop new strategies to eliminate the numerous hostilities against females who tried to enter into male dominated spheres.

    She said it was sad that several years after Beijing, women continued to suffer discriminations in their efforts to contribute to national development, citing the hostilities they faced especially in trying to get to the decision-making table.

    Prof. Gadzekpo stated that intolerant political landscape of Ghana and in many countries world-wide was a major factor to the low representation of women at the decision-making levels.

    She said most women would rather hold back from actively participating in political or other social activities for fear of abuse, both physically and verbally, a phenomena that infiltrated into Ghanaian politics.

    She indicated that such cases of abuse remained the reasons why the country continued to perform poorly in its course to empower more women to take up political leadership roles.

    She called for a unified voice towards affirmative action and the need to implement the quota system to allow more women to get into the discussion tables.

    Ms Josephine Sanny, a Representative of the Afro barometer Communication Coordinator for Anglophone West Africa, confirmed the fact that statistics had shown high gender inequalities in the Ghanaian society and called for change.

    Dr. Kojo Asante, the Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the CDD-Ghana said it was the strategy of the Centre to sustain the discussions around such issues in order to effect the needed change.

    Source: GNA

  • Parliament to ban use of mobile phones by members

    Parliament is to ban the use of mobile phones used by Members of Parliament in the chamber to avoid distractions.

    Speaking during the presentation of the Business statement, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu argued that the decision is contained in the new standing orders to be approved soon.

    Speaking on the floor of Parliament today March 5 2020, the Majority Leader argued that over the years, whenever proceedings are ongoing, and Parliament receives special guests Members of Parliament will be seen fidgeting with their phones and others going out to receive calls whilst proceedings are ongoing.

    Reports indicate that this was triggered by an action from North Tongu MP , Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who asked a question during the presentation of the business statement but when Osei-Mensah Bonsu was ready to deliver the answer, according to the Majority leader, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was fidgeting with his phone so he drew his attention to the fact that he was ready to answer his question.

    On the floor of Parliament, the Majority Leader who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Suame cited situations where Members are constantly on their phones in the chamber when the House is in session as the basis for the move adding these he believes that these practices serve as distractions during Parliamentary proceedings

    ”Weeks ago, a popular TV station was discussing how Members of Parliament while proceedings are ongoing use their phones. A time is coming where no member will be allowed to bring cellphones into the Chamber. We need to demonstrate seriousness in this House. When the President of the Republic is talking, MPs are on the phone, when a Minister comes here MPs are on their phones. The Parliament of Ghana is not the only Parliament in the world and there are other established Parliaments in the world who do not allow members to use their cellphones in Parliament. Mr Speaker , we should apply this to our Parliament”.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Madwoman gives birth; abandons baby at the hospital

    A madwoman has given birth to a bouncing baby girl and has left her in the care of midwives at the Bisease polyclinic in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District.

    According to an eye witness Madam Efua Tawiah, she was on her way to work when some guys who had gathered around a woman beckoned her to come to their assistance.

    “I responded to the call and move towards them. When I got nearer I realized the woman was mentally ill and had just given birth. It got me frightened but they told me not to be afraid and that the woman really needs immediate help. I mustered courage and talked to her politely that I wanted to help her and she agreed so I attended to her and put her in a taxi to the hospital with the placenta still attached,” the eyewitness said.

    Madam Ivy Aidoo, a Midwife at the polyclinic told Kasapa FM News Yaw Boagyan that she was shocked by the conduct of the madwoman when she was brought to the hospital.

    “The madwoman suddenly stood up and shockingly inserted her hand in her private part and pulled out the placenta. She then stormed out of the polyclinic, as she walked out she was talking on top of her voice and was throwing stones. Her conduct threw us into a state of fear. But we realized that the placenta was completely out and so she was out of danger. We examined the baby and realized she was healthy weighing 2.9kg.”

    Madam Ivy Aidoo added that the Officer in Charge of the Polyclinic was informed of the development who then notified officers of the Social Welfare Department who came to access the baby.

    The baby has since been taken to the Social Welfare Department regional office in Cape Coast and will later be sent to an orphanage home.

    Source: kasapafmonline.com

  • Ghanaians should be angry, protest more about corruption – Vitus Azeem

    Vitus Azeem who an anti-corruption activist says Ghanaians should be more angry about the rate of corruption in the country.

    According to him, we do not show more anger at the spate of corruption as we should and that has contributed to the rise in the act.

    “We are not angry about corruption enough in this country. We should be angry and pour out on the streets to protest corruption,” he spoke on Starr FM.

    He also commented on the Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo, he praised him for his good works but said it will be shocking if his tenure is extended when it finally comes to an end.

    “Domelevo is a special person and all well-meaning Ghanaians should support him. It will be shocking to see his time extended unless a different government comes to power”.

    The Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo recently hit out at his critics saying that he will not become a pauper if he is removed from office.

    Mr Domelevo said he does not care if he is removed from office as some are calling for his immediate removal as he works to uncover corrupt acts in the country.

    The Auditor-General has been in the news lately as he faces a suit from the Deputy Agric Minister Kennedy Osei Nyarko over the GETFund report released. The report captured the Minister as a beneficiary.

    The National Democratic Congress also claims Mr Domelevo is being witch-hunted because of his investigation against Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Ghana must adopt Deferred Prosecution Agreements – Godfred Odame

    Mr Godfred Yeboah Odame, Deputy Attorney-General has called for the introduction of Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPA) to try some types of commercial criminal conduct as seen in the United Kingdom, serious fraud office (SFO) case against airbus SE.

    He said such an approach to criminal justice system in the country would not only save unnecessary time on litigation but has the potential to rake up substantial revenue for the national kitty.

    The Deputy Minister made these remarks at the opening of a five-day , 2nd annual Attorney General Alliance (AGA) African conference in Accra yesterday which brought together justice and law enforcement bodies such as the office of the Attorney General, Departments of Public Prosecution, Solicitors General, the Police Academic Bodies and other transnational actors in Africa.

    The aim of the conference among others was to bring together industry and public sector officials to foster increased international collaboration on issues such as human trafficking cybercrimes and intellectual property rights.

    Mr Odame said, one of the most important lessons to be learnt from the judgement of the crown court in the airbus scandal, with regards to law enforcement was the innovative reform made by U.K legislation in so far as the prosecution of some crimes was concerned.

    “We observed a departure from the traditional approach to the resolution of alleged criminal conduct through the introduction of a new mechanism of a DPA by the UK crime and courts Act, 201”, he said.

    He said the effect of such an agreement was that, proceedings were instituted by preferring a bill indictment while same may be deferred on terms including the payment of financial penalty, compensation, payment to charity and disgorgement of profit.

    Mr Odame however, expressed caution in introducing such a law on wholesale basis adding that, certain classes of offences under circumstances in which the courts maintain complete control over same should be considered.

    “This will not only contribute to the decongestion of our prisons, but will result in a speedier and more efficient adjudication of complex commercial crime and will also have further collateral benefits for the state like mobilising substantial revenue for government, saving jobs and lives of companies and avoiding other inordinate consequences for the society”, he said.

    He said the public interest factors that may substantially outweigh traditional prosecution of a certain type of commercial offences as has so far been the practice in the U.K, should include a willingness to admit the facts and cooperate with criminal investigations on the part of the company and individuals in question.

    Mr Odame said, effective remedial measures undertaken by the company in question, the potential disproportionate consequences for a conviction under current domestic laws of Ghana and another jurisdiction in which the crime may be involved should be some of the considerations.

    “In order to avoid a situation of prosecutors abusing the process, thereby acting contrary to the public interest , the High Court has to exercise full control and supervision over the processes leading up to the adoption of such deferred prosecution agreements”, he said.

    Reverting to the airbus scandal, he said, the statement of fact which was supported by over 30 million documents reviewed by relevant authorities was undisputed by the parties saying, “however, it is remarkable that in spite of the clear uncontroverted facts of the case, the key government officials in Ghana who negotiated the illicitly procured aircrafts have maintained utter silence, as it there was no such transaction or the principal actors do not exist.

    “Many of the senior government officials involved in the illicit procurement are still around but continue to maintain a deafening silence or reprehensible indifference to the explicit findings of the crown court in England”, he said.

    Mr Odame said, at least there was a Vice President who transformed into a president during the period in question adding that, whilst maintain his silence contrary to the tenets of accountability to the people , probity and integrity “he is rather remarkably, campaigning for votes from the same people he does not want to open to on the airbus scandal.”

    Mr Odame said in the spirit of accountability to the people, probity, integrity and transparency, one would have expected those key government officials who negotiated or were involved in the unplugged transaction to self-report and voluntarily cooperate with the investigations directed by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    “having previously sworn an oath to defend the constitution and its principles, it is ironic that, the past government officials in question will not open up to the people on the role they played in a transaction, the subject matter of a criminal matter in a British court”, he said.

    He said in England, it was the openness, transparency, self-reporting and cooperation shown by other key actors in the airbus scandal abroad which motivated the serious travel office of England to execute the deferred prosecution agreement with airbus SE.

    Source: Kofi Owusu, Contributor

  • Government imports stone from Jerusalem to sanctify National Cathedral foundation

    A Stone has been imported from Jerusalem to lay a foundation for the construction of the Ghana National Cathedral.

    Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana, Shani Cooper presented the stone to President Akufo-Addo at the sod-cutting ceremony to pave way for the actual work which is expected to begin on Friday, March 6, 2020, in the heart of Accra.

    The stone, according to her, will symbolize the sacredness of the land earmarked for the project as Christians regard Jerusalem to be the most sacred site in the world.

    She added that Isreal’s involvement in the construction of the Ghana National Cathedral will strengthen ties between the two countries.

    The interdenominational Christian Cathedral, when completed, will have a 5,000 seating capacity with chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery, and a Bible museum.

    It will also serve as a venue for formal state occasions of religious nature such as state funerals, thanksgiving services among others, according to President Akufo-Addo.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Protozoa sues Multimedia

    The Director of Political Affairs to the Chief of Staff, Frank Asiedu Bekoe popularly known as Protozoa has sued Multimedia group and one of its reporters, Kwetey Nettey for defamation over allegations leveled against him in a recent documentary on Joy FM.

    The documentary aired on Joy News programme, A.M Show on January 15, 2020 alleged that Protozoa who was then a member of the Confiscated Assets Committee allocated and auctioned seized vehicles to politically connected cronies of the government without the beneficiaries paying the required assessed.

    Mr. Bekoe in a writ filed before and Accra High Court avers that he has had a positive image as a staff at the Office of the President until the publication of the defamatory documentary about him in a manner that has caused him public disaffection and impugned his reputation, dignity and ridiculed him in the eye of the right thinking members of society.

    Documentary

    Joy News on January 15, 2020 aired a documentary in which they indicated that “JoyNews investigations have uncovered how the country lost thousands of cedis after confiscated cars were auctioned cheaply by politically connected individuals”, a story on myjoyonline about the documentary indicated.

    “These vehicles are part of 151 confiscated cars that the Director of Political Affairs at the Chief of Staff Office, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, wrote to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to be allocated to selected beneficiaries”, it added.

    The documentary further alleged that Mr. Bekoe, when contacted by the producer of the documentary declined to comment on the matter.

    Letter

    Mr. Bekoe in the aftermath of the documentary through his lawyer wrote to Multimedia asking them to retract and apologize for an allegation leveled against him.

    In the said letter, he indicated that when he was contacted by a journalist from Multimedia on the subject he requested the reporter to put his questions into writing for same to be addressed but it was not done.

    “Thus it was inaccurate to state in your documentary that our client declined to comment on the issue.”

    The letter further states that Protozoa as a member of the Confiscated Assets Committee had no input in the determination of prices or assessable duties on the confiscated vehicles.

    Writ

    Mr. Bekoe has gone ahead to file a writ against Multimedia which could mean that they failed to meet the demands of the plaintiff.

    In his statement of claim, Mr. Bekoe avers that the documentary which was published by Multimedia on various traditional and social media platforms including Youtube contains factual inaccuracies and was clearly circulated to malign and injure his reputation.

    The plaintiff also avers in the particulars of defamation that “it is clear that the defendants (Multimendia and the Kwetey Nettey) sough to embark on a one sided piece of work that was carefully calculated, designed, crafted to malign and destroy the reputation of plaintiff in the eyes right thinking members of society.”

    Relief

    Mr. Bekoe is, therefore, seeking a declaration that the documentary is defamatory of him and it was made without any basis.

    He is seeking an order directed at the defendants, agents, assigns, privies from continuing to air the defamatory documentary as well as they retracting it and rendering an unqualified apology in the same manner on Joynews and in the Daily Graphic

    He is also seeking general damages, compensatory damages of GH¢10 million for loss of reputation as well as cost including legal fees.

    Source: dailyguidenetwork.com

  • Dont be afraid of criticism – Bishop Tackie-Yarboi charges Christians

    The presiding Bishop of Victory Bible Church International, Bishop N.A Tackie-Yarboi has admonished Christians not to be afraid of criticism because the master and saviour Jesus Christ endured worse.

    According to Bishop Tackie-Yarboi, believers should not be surprised that people criticise anything good that comes in the way of Christians.

    “You see on social media that Patapeezy has bought a car for musician, Patapaa and nobody is saying nothing, but let a pastor get a new vehicle and people will start asking the source of his income,” he revealed.

    He added that Christians should not give up on their faith if people criticize them because Jesus was described as working with the spirit of Beelzebul.

    Bishop Tackie-Yarboi was speaking during a two-day Ministers Renewal Conference that attracted hundreds of Pastors from Victory Bible Church and other denominations.

    He was speaking on the theme; Sons of God (John 1:12) and explained that Christians have a mandate to impact the world positively.

    He reminded the Ministers to remember that their core mandate is the Great Commission and prayed for the pastors to go and reclaim the lost nations.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Students of Bosuso primary study under dilapidated building

    The Head Teacher for Bosuso Presbyterian Primary school in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern region, Mr Felix Ofoe Teye has expressed worry over the risk posed to the of lives of his pupils who are compelled to study under a death trap school block.

    According to him, the school building has turned into a death trap due to its dilapidated state. He says whenever it rains authorities are forced to close the school or move the students from the building over fears it might collapse.

    He expressed concern about the safety of the school children saying he fears of a disaster if nothing is done about the situation.

    The headmaster mentioned that, not long ago, the District chief Executive for Fanteakwa south Assembly, Nturi Adgabeng whiles on an inspection visit to the school promised that the situation will be dealt with.

    Mr Teye lamented that with the rainy season almost upon us, there is the need for urgent attention to be given to the plight of the school. He therefore appealed to institutions, NGOs and philanthropists to come to the aid of the school.

    ICT

    He added that through World Vision Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, the school received a donation of tablets and a projector which is being used to teach ICT to the students. He appealed for more support in the form of computers in order to be able to cater for the students whose population exceeds the tablets the school currently has.

    Source: Ahmed Kamal, Contributor

  • Coronavirus: Cancel Independence Day parade Fmr. Ridge Hosp. boss

    A former medical director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital Dr Thomas Anaba has urged President Akufo-Addo to cancel the upcoming Independence Day Celebration in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

    According to him, such a measure will show to the Ghanaian people how serious the government is taking the preventive measures in avoiding an outbreak of the virus in Ghana.

    “Let us cancel the independence day celebration because it is a risk for spreading the virus. Such a move will show the Ghanaian people how serious the President is taking this fight. Cancelling the celebration will be a strong message to the people that we serious about preventing an outbreak. The President should set the right example by taking such measures, he should show more leadership in these matters,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Thursday.

    However reacting to the call, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service says it is “very safe” for the President to go ahead with the celebration tomorrow.

    Ghana will observe its 63rd Independence Day Anniversary tomorrow Friday, March 6. The celebration will be marked with a national event attended by the President in Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

    Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company, Yaw Kwakwa, has assured President Akufo-Addo that the Kotoka International Airport is ready to deal with any threat posed by covid 19, the coronavirus that is currently sweeping through the world.

    He gave the assurance when he addressed journalists at the Kotoka International Airport after giving President Akufo-Addo a guided tour through the processes that passengers arriving at the airport are subjected to by way of checks to ascertain their health status.

    “We are well prepared to deal with the coronavirus issue through every international standard,” Mr. Yaw Kwakwa said.

    Visit of the President

    On the visit of the President, Mr. Kwakwa said it was to afford the first gentle of the land an opportunity to know at first hand the level of preparedness of the airport in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

    “From what he said when he was getting into his car, he is very satisfied that we have put in place measures along international guidelines to make sure that the country is well protected against the coronavirus” Mr. Kwakwa stated.

    Source: Starrfmonline.com

  • Galamsey: Drivers threaten demo on Independence Day over arrest of colleagues

    Members of the National Concerned Drivers Association have threatened to stage a demonstration against the government during the 63rd Independence Day Celebration in Kumasi on Friday, 6 March 2020 over the incarceration of some of their colleagues arrested by operation vanguard in the fight against galamsey.

    The concerned drivers are calling on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to order the release of their fellow drivers who they claim were just hired to drive trucks at galamsey site while the big names involved in act have gone unpunished.

    According to the Eastern regional Chairman of the Association, Nana Owiredu, “Our colleagues were never involved in any illegal mining activity, neither did they own any of the excavators used at the site, none of them owns a galamsey site either.”

    “We are asking the President to as matter of urgency release these innocent souls who are pillars within their families to go home. We are calling on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to come to our aid,” he added.

  • Class 4 pupil dies after falling from mango tree at Afram Plains

    A class four (4) pupil of Tease D/A Primary School in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern region has died after falling out from a mango tree.

    The body of the deceased Gyagadu Kwame Moses has been deposited at Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital Morgue.

    The incident occurred Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The deceased reportedly climbed a mango tree on the school compound to plug some fruits to eat at the blind side of the school authorities who were then busily supervising a rehearsal ahead of the 6th March Parade.

    Unfortunately, he fell from the tree and was left unconscious under the mango tree by a friend who was with him. Instead of raising an alarm four the rescue of the deceased, the little boy ran home to inform the grandmother of the deceased who rushed to the scene wailing for help.

    Already, a Teacher had carried the unconscious child on a motorbike to Tease Presbyterian Health Center but the condition of the boy deteriorated hence referred to Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

    The distraught grandmother while rushing to follow up on the condition of the boy, was unfortunately knocked down by a speeding tricycle.

    She suffered serious injuries and was treated and discharged at the Tease Health Center.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Fulani herdsman arrested for kidnapping 20-year-old man

    The Donkorkrom District Police Command has arrested a Fulani herdsman who was part of a five-member kidnapping gang that kidnapped a 20-year-old.

    The suspect, Halidu Sambo,34, has been transferred to the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters assisting with investigations.

    According to the deputy Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, Sergent Francis Gomado, on February 29,2020, one Abubakari Ibrahim, a resident of Tease, accompanied by the Sariki Sambo Iddrisa the Fulani Chief of Donkorkrom lodged a complaint at the Donkorkrom Police that his 20-year-old Son, Abubakari Yahaya had been kidnapped the previous day.

    He said when he called his son on a mobile phone to know his whereabouts, a strange person picked the call and told him the son has been kidnapped at Atensu near Tease.

    The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Ghc5000 from him before they will release him.

    The victim was released the next day after the ransom was paid.

    Police investigation led to the arrest of the suspect Halidu Sambo, who has named the leader of the five-member kidnapping gang known as “Denji”.

    All the accomplices are now at large. Efforts are underway to arrest them.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Todays newspapers front pages

    Source: backend.theindependentghana.com

  • Pre-Tertiary education bill is dangerous Teachers

    The Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, if passed in its current state, will present dangerous consequences to education management as well as inhibit professional development of teachers in the country, teacher unions in the Northern Region have cautioned.

    A statement read at a joint-press conference by the teacher unions in Tamale on Tuesday said the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill, if passed in its current form, might result in poor management of the education sector since some District Assemblies did not have the wherewithal to prosecute the tasks assigned them under the Bill.

    The statement was signed by the Northern Regional Chairmen and their Secretaries of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers as well as the Northern Regional Industrial Relations Officer of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union.

    Mr Atta Longiya, Northern Regional Chairman of GNAT, who read the statement, mentioned portions of the Bill saying, they sought to cede effective responsibility for the provision and management of basic schools to District Assemblies, put the Management of senior high schools to the Regional Education Directorate, and separate Technical and Vocational Education and Training to be managed by a Director General independent of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

    Parliament is currently considering three Bills on Pre-Tertiary Education (2019).

    Under section 32(3) of the Bill, the Head of the Local Government Service will be appointing heads and staff of the District Education Unit as well as be responsible for promotion, transfer, discipline and dismissal of staff of the District Education Unit.

    Under section 32(4) of the Bill, inter-district transfer of a head teacher or staff of a basic school can only be undertaken by the Head of the Local Government Service whilst section 25(2) and 26(2) of the Bill stipulated that the President of the Republic shall be appointing Regional Directors and their Deputies and determining their terms and conditions of service.

    Also, according to section 30(1c) of the Bill, the preparation, administration and control of budgetary allocations of the basic schools shall be determined by the District Assembly.

    Mr Longiya said “If this Bill is allowed to go through in its current state, it has the tendency to break the unified educational arrangement we have now. It also has the potential of distorting the Unified Conditions of Service we are using now as the various District Assemblies will develop their independent Conditions of Service, which may not be in the best interest of our members.”

    He said the Bill would not only open the education sector to political abuse but would be dangerous to education, adding, “It has the tendency of destroying the very fabric of the management arrangement of GES in the country.

    He said “We are in Ghana and we know what politicians can do and we will not allow them to toy with the future of our children,” adding, “We would therefore, resist the passage of this Bill in its current form with all our legitimate might and strength as teachers.”

    He reiterated that “We are reechoing the call by our National Leadership for the suspension of the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill for further and deeper stakeholder consultation.”

    Source: GNA

  • Stop usage of Bupivacaine FDA

    The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), on Wednesday ordered hospitals and all concerned parties in the pharmaceutical supply chain to stop usage, importation, and distribution of unregistered heavy Marcaine 0.5 per cent injection (Bupivacaine).

    This is to protect public health and safety; FDA statement signed by Mrs Delese A. A. Darko, the Chief Executive Officer and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra stated.

    The statement said the product was unauthorized and unregistered, it has no English language as part of the label and Patient Information Leaflet.

    According to the statement, the FDA had received a number of complaints for investigation on therapeutic ineffectiveness of Heavy Marcaine 0.5% injection (Bupivacaine) manufactured by Astra Zeneca/ Aspen which was being used in major health facilities in the Central and Greater-Accra Regions.

    The statement said FDA has initiated investigations and yet to conclude on who was the importer of the product into the country.

    Source: GNA

  • Gusher Assembly holds first ordinary meeting

    The first ordinary meeting of the first session of the Gushegu Municipal Assembly has been held with a call on the Assembly Members to work together to meet the development aspirations of the people of the area.

    Mr Issah Musah, Municipal Chief Executive of Gushegu, who made the call when addressing Members at Gushegu, emphasised the need for them to take decisions necessary for achieving development targets and also ensure the prosperity of the people.

    Mr Musah said significant progress was made in all fronts during the previous sessions of the Assembly and expressed the hope that the current Assembly would build on what was achieved previously for the progress of the area.

    He informed the house that 12 newly recruited staff were posted to the Assembly to augment its staff strength, and expressed the hope that they would bring their experience and expertise to bear for rapid development of the area.

    He condemned the recent conflict at Kpatinga, a town in the Municipality, saying huge sums of money, which could have been used for other development projects, was being spent to maintain peace in the area.

    He spoke about infrastructure and indicated that since 2017, the Assembly had successfully completed six educational infrastructural projects, while six others were at various stages of completion including; the supply of furniture.

    Mr Musah said in the health sector, the Assembly had completed the construction of Nayugu CHPS compound, but was yet to furnish it, adding that efforts were being made to mobilise funds for the rehabilitation of the remaining projects, including; the completion of Zanteli CHPS compound.

    He said construction work on all major roads linking the Municipality including; Gushegu- Karaga-Tamale and Gushegu Nalerigu Roads had all commenced and expected to be completed by the end of the year.

    On water supply, he said the rehabilitation and expansion of Gushegu Sustainable Rural Water Project, which started last year, was almost completed and added that the Municipality would soon start enjoying uninterrupted supply of potable water.

    Source: GNA

  • Auction cars: NPP organiser aspirant dupes victims GHC100k at Jubilee House

    A former aspiring youth organizer for the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP in the North East Region Godwin Nayaw Bamiah Yombu has defrauded a number of people to the tune of GhC100,000 under the pretext of securing them auction vehicles.

    The victims some of whom are members of the NPP paid amounts ranging from GHC7,500 to GHC18,000 to Godwin who according to them claimed was a special aide to deputy chief of staff Samuel Abu Jinapor and Executive secretary to the President Nana Asante Bediatuo. The victims, all males, said they gave the amounts to Godwin at the Jubilee House.

    They were later made to wait at the reception while Godwin went in to see his bosses. He returned with that story chits for the vehicles were not ready. The victims after the payments were taken to the Tema harbor by Godwin ostensibly to select a vehicle of their choice out of many packed there. Auction day came only for the victims to look on at the Tema port for others to be given their chosen vehicles one after the other. One victim told Starr News he paid for 2 cars but yet to get hold of Godwin months after parting with the money.

    ”I paid 18,500 for 2 vehicles. I got to know him through a cousin of mine in Saudi [Saudi Arabia]. He is my cousin so he asked me to crosscheck. So I made the payment to Godwin through her. When we met him he [Godwin] said he worked at the flagstaff house and was in contact with Abu Jinapor. So the money was paid outside the flagstaff house, at the car park and then we went inside to wait for him at a waiting area. Fifteen minutes later Godwin came back and said he was working on the chit and that we can go back. But the money I gave him was in dollars so he said he had to go and change the money first and I agreed so we all left. It was 16,000 in cash. So 4 days later he called asking for the balance but I refused initially. I paid the balance and since then he has been making excuses whenever we call. ”

    Another victim narrates how Godwin uses names of NPP bigwigs to extract the amounts from his victims.

    ”My brother who is a friend of Godwin introduced us to him. So we went to the harbor to select the car we want then from there we made the payment at the flagstaff house about 10 of us. We were told he deals with Abu Jinapor, Sammy Awuku and Nana Bediatuo but we never met them. The overall amount would be over 100,000 cedis, I paid for two other people, I personally paid 8,500 and the other deposited 2,000. He only showed us a flyer of him contesting for North-East NPP youth organizer. He said because he did not win, he was in charge of the auction cars. We trusted him because he met him at the reception of the flagstaff house ”.

    A mechanic who whose services were employed to inspect one of the said cars ended up paying 7,500 cedis a car he never had.

    ”I was a mechanic for Mr. Abu. I went there [harbor] to check a car for them. The whole story is that they are selling it if you are interested then you pay the amount. So I went and I checked his own for him and I also asked can I get one? He said yes. So he charged me for my own. But I was told I had to take mine for bodyworks so they said my own was 8,500 cedis so I paid the money that particular day to Godwin. Abu also paid 19,000 cedis. He even took us to the flagstaff House. We went there he asked us to sit at the reception and he entered for sometime before he came out with a story the chits will be ready in days for us to go for our cars.”

    According to the victims, a promise by Godwin to refund their monies has not been redeemed for months now.

    When Starr News contacted Godwin Nayaw Bamiah Yombu he declined comments on the allegations.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

     

  • Prof. Kwesi Yankah fetes over 400 PWDs in Agona East District

    Professor Kwesi Yankah, Minister of State In-charge of Tertiary Education has organised a get-together for over 400 People with Disability(PWDs) in the Agona East District to put smiles on their faces.

    The PWDs were received to the private residence of the Prof Yankah at Duakwa, where plastic buckets and food items were presented to them.

    The Minister, who is the Parliamentary Candidate for Agona East Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) also presented five wheel Chairs to leaders of the PWDs in the district to be distributed to members, whose wheelchairs were faulty for them to be comfortable.

    Addressing them Prof Yankah expressed dismay about some parents whose religious beliefs disallowed their children to be immunized against the six-killer childhood diseases and urged them not to allow religious beliefs to prevent their children medical treatment and later become a burden to the family and communities.

    The Get-together was attended by Mr Dennis Armah-Frempong, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Agona East, Mr Sam Essandoh, Agona East Constituency Chairman of NPP, Chiefs and Officials of Department of Social Welfare.

    Prof Yankah bemoaned the devastating effect of the Polio disease on many people who had grown to become disabled persons in the society and reiterated calls on parents not to hide behind religion to deny their children medical treatment, especially immunization.

    The Minister said the government was committed to ensuring that more opportunities were created for them to become responsible citizens.

    Prof Yankah called on the chiefs, stakeholders, opinion leaders and other health professionals to intensify their education to help reverse the effects of preventable childhood diseases in the society, assuring that the get-together would not be a nine-day wonder, but permanent.

    He called on the leadership of the Ghana Federation of Disabled Persons in the Agona East to endeavour to register all PWDs who were non- members in order to enjoy the disability fund.

    Mr Robert Baah, Agona West Director of Department of Social Welfare asked PWDs to invest their share of the Fund profitably and cautioned them to desist from begging for alms on the streets since it was an offence.

    Mr Baah who was the former Agona East director, assured the PWDs that government had put in place effective measures that would enhance their welfare.

    Source: GNA

  • We don’t know any James Kofi Annan, we have our structures – Asiedu Nketia

    The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has dismissed rumours that the party is settling on an independent candidate in the Effutu Constituency.

    Reacting to agitations by a section of the members of the party in Effutu against news flying around that the NDC had settled on James Kofi Annan, an independent candidate in the wake of the resignation of Victor Yankson, the party’s legitimate candidate, Asiedu Nketia has said the party has no intention of making anyone their candidate apart from a true active member of the NDC.

    “The NDC has structures. We don’t know any independent candidate who wants to switch camp. We have men in our party in Effutu who can be candidates. Ignore rumours making the rounds that we have replaced our candidate with a foreigner” the party’s scribe assured the delegation that called on him at the party’s headquarters.

    In a resignation letter written to the party’s General Secretary recently, Victor Yankson who hitherto, was the elected parliamentary candidate for the party in Effutu citing uncooperative attitudes by the leadership of the party in the constituency.

    Many had reasons to believe that Lawyer Yankson was stepping down to make way for James Kofi Annan following series of demonstrations by a section of the party’s members in the constituency who said the beleaguered and former candidate was an obstacle to the party winning the Effutu seat.

    It would be recalled that a recent interview conducted by Peacefmonline with James Kofi Annan revealed that the now independent candidate said he had resigned from the ruling New Patriotic Party. This was in anticipation of his elevation to Effutu’s NDC parliamentary candidate.

    This new turn of events throws James Kofi Annan’s plans out of gear as the party, through the General Secretary, has disowned him. The party is in the process of electing a new candidate to replace Victor Yankson, the General Secretary intimated.

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Minister orders arrest of Chinese for operating quarry without permit

    The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh has ordered the arrest of three Chinese nationals operating a quarry company without a permit at the Afienya-Dawhenya Industrial and Urban Renewal Enclave in the Greater Accra Region.

    The three, who are yet to be identified, established Skyline Quarry Company and employed 30 Ghanaian workers.

    They dug large trenches and used dangerous explosives like dynamite to blast rocks underground.

    There were excavators busily working at the quarry site, with trucks loaded with chippings leaving the site.

    The Minister also ordered two other Ghanaians, building structures without a permit to stop work with immediate effect.

    He issued a warning to all individuals and groups putting up the residential property on state lands in Shai Hills, Afienya and Dawhenya to stop work in their own interest since no compensation would be paid by the government upon demolition.

    This came to light when Mr Asomah-Cheremeh led a team from the Lands Commission including; Mr Suleimana Dawuda Mahama, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, some police personnel, the media and technocrats of the Lands Ministry, to inspect on-going encroachment on the 13,200 acres of land acquired by the government in 2016 for an industrial enclave.

    The Minister said the industrial enclave was acquired for the purposes of establishing factories as individual investors could apply to the Lands Commission to properly acquire plots of lands for setting up factories.

    At Afienya, the team witnessed on-going construction of a private residential facility belonging to one John Quayson.

    According to Mr Quayson, he bought the land from Mckeon Estate. There was another Baba Seidu, who was not present at the time of our visit, but met the mason he had contracted to construct structures intended be used as real estate working on the site acquired by the government for an industrial hub.

    The Lands Minister said the government had issued an Executive Instrument and gazzetted the Land documents at the time of acquisition and would therefore not tolerate such impunity any longer.

    Source: GNA

  • Gender Desk Officers tasked to prioritize adolescent health education

    The percentage of teenage pregnancy cases in the Western Region reduced to 12 per cent last year as against 18 per cent in 2018.

    A 2017 research by the Maternal Health Survey revealed that the Western Region recorded the highest percentage in teenage pregnancy of 19 per cent in that year.

    The Acting Regional Director for the Gender Department, Ms. Maribel A. Okine made this known during a two-day training workshop to sensitize Gender Desk Officers in the Region on adolescent sexual and reproductive health needs.

    The workshop jointly organized by the Department of Gender and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was to among others train the Desk officers on effective communication skills on issues pertaining to adolescents.

    It was also to build the capacity of the Gender Desk Officers to enable them respond to the sexual and reproductive health and gender needs of Adolescents.

    Ms Okine noted that though the adolescent population formed about 24 percent of the total Human force of the country their health, economic, education and socio-emotional well-being were not properly integrated , particularly in development plans, thereby leaving them in a Limbo in that age bracket.

    The Acting Regional Director was happy that the Region had been able to reduce the percentage of teenage pregnancies and commended the Gender Desk officers and health professionals for their efforts.

    She asked that the same enthusiasm that was used to help reduce the teenage pregnancy cases should be applied in dealing with the issues of adolescent health needs.

    She called on the participants to take the workshop seriously and use the knowledge acquired to analyze reproductive health issues at the local level to address challenges faced by Adolescents.

    For her part, Ms Sandra Kuntu Anaman, an Adolescent Health Development (ADHD) Specialist, said young people between ages 11 and 24 were the next workforce for the country, hence their health concerns have to be taken very seriously.

    She noted that children in their developmental stages stood the risk of sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, Teenage pregnancy and therefore called on parents to be more responsible during that period, to avert some of the social disasters such children often encountered in their development.

    Ms Anaman said the rate of Adolescent growth in Ghana clearly indicated that the future of the nation and region would be driven by these young people.

    “That is why we need to make a compelling case to policy makers and stakeholders that interventions should be devised to shape the adolescents into responsible adults,” she added.

    She mentioned forming school and community clubs, developing adolescent mobile applications, creating adolescent health corners and using “edu-tainment’ as some of the means to assist the adolescents with information that would empower them.

    The participants were taken through “Making a Compelling Case for Adolescents” using the National Adolescent Policy and section of Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings by UNFPA, “Meeting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs”, “Gender Concepts, Gender Mainstreaming; linking gender and health” and “Roles of GDOs: responding to SRHR and Gender needs of Adolescents”.

    Source: GNA

  • Government voted GHC 24 million for Swedru Akora River Project – Minister

    Government has approved an amount of GHc24 million for repackaging and re-awarding of Swedru Akora River dredging Project after it was stalled for more than five years.

    The approval of that colossal amount of money will help ease the huge traffic jam that hit Swedru town, particularly on market days on Mondays and Thursdays.

    Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Agona West made this known when she joined a five-hour clean-up exercise at the banks of Akora River.

    The exercise, organised by Concerned Youth of Agona Swedru saw the people weeding and collecting huge plastic bottles and sachet water bags piled-up alongside the river.

    According to the MP, the Contractor would move to site to commence work before the end of March.

    Mrs Morrison said apart from dredging of the river, three more steel bridges were added to the contract to be constructed at Desuenem/Owani/ Mangoase to join Old Sawmills.

    Another one will be constructed at Swedru Post Office to Pentecost Prayer Centre to join Nkubem bye-pass road and Swedru Zabo Zongo to Swedru Mahodwe.

    The Gender Minister said the contact would also cover Woraba Estate and Swedru Mangoase roads and other parts of Swedru Township.

    Additionally, talks are on-going with roads and Highways Ministry to include the roads at Mahodwe community, which were not originally in the contract.

    She said the construction of asphalt roads were started at Swedru town and expressed the hope that the contractor completed on schedule to enable Swedru to become beautiful and vibrant.

    The Minister stated that the Akora River banks would be used as a recreational centre, where holidaymakers could go instead of travelling all the way to Winneba and Kokrobite in Accra and other beaches for fun.

    The MP debunked rumours being peddled in the Swedru township and the rest of the Constituency that she threatened to arrest anyone who would reconstruct the wooden bridge swept away by torrential rains last October.

    According to Mrs Morrison, the demonstration staged by the Concerned Youth of Swedru, as a result, was their legitimate right.

    She expressed satisfaction that the asphalt road works in Swedru Texaco to Swedru Government Hospital Mortuary, Junction which began recently would soon be completed and appealed to the residents to cooperate.

    She said the Nyakrom roads were constructed and tarred to facilitate transportation of goods and services in the area.

    The Minister said the government had kept faith with of the people of Agona West and the entire nation as well, adding that everything possible would be done to ensure that the national cake was equally distributed to ensure quality living for Ghanaians.

    Source: GNA

  • ‘Relocate or face demolition’ GRIDCo orders encroachers

    The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) on Wednesday directed all persons and institutions that had encroached on lands bordering its transmission lines, to take immediate steps to relocate or face demolition.

    GRIDCo noted that the presences of these individuals and companies poses risks to public safety and the need for regular maintenance works on the lines by the company.

    “We are ready to undertake demolition exercises, where necessary, as part of our mandate to move unauthorized structures from the power transmission lines which is a prohibited zone to ensure the right thing is done,” GRIDCo stated.

    Mr Jonathan Amoako-Baah, GRIDCo Chief Executive, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said the company may even be compelled to surcharge the costs incurred during such exercises to the encroachers.

    He reiterated that it was an offence for persons or institutions to conduct any form of activity in relation to the lands around the location of power transmission lines.

    He said under the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (LI 542) as amended by Regulation No. LI 1737 of 2004, it was an offence to undertake any business near the power transmission lines, which was a prohibited zone.

    Illegal activities identified near the power transmission lines included drilling, excavating, lorry parks, shops, garages, bars, real estate, among others who are operating illegally in the area extending up to 20 meters on each side from the centre line of the transmission.

    He stated that these activities by the encroachers poses a great danger to human life and property as transmission line faults could result in casualties and damage to properties and outage to customers could also be prolonged due to restricted access to the Right-of-Ways.

    “We are very concerned with this trend across the country. Though we have chalked some success by ejecting some encroachers, others have remained adamant,” he said.

    Mr Amoako-Baah noted that over the years, they had carried out a lot of sensitisation programmes through the print and electronic media, Information Services Department campaigns and joint engagements with Municipal Assemblies.

    He said they were committed to carrying out their mandate as a power transmitter and will do whatever was necessary to prevent interferences.

    He indicated that GRIDCo had over the past years notified encroachers along its transmission towers and lands of the risk associated with their activities in the prohibited zones.

    He further stated that GRIDCo was working with the relevant state institutions to remove properties and structures and to curb all forms of human activities, within the Right-of-Ways, to safeguard public safety and ensure reliability of electricity supply.

    Source: GNA

  • Ill play for Black Stars if recalled Asamoah Gyan

    Former captain of the Black Stars Asamoah Gyan says he will readily honour an invitation to the national team if handed a call-up.

    Gyan, 34, said he is still available for selection, adding that he has not retired from the national team.

    The 34-year-old has played for the Black Stars for almost two decades, having made his international debut in 2003.

    He was however stripped of the captaincy by former Coach, Kwesi Appiah who opted for Dede Ayew as his captain.

    Gyan was made the General Captain of the Senior National team.

    Source: Ghana | GhanaNewsPage.Com

  • Two more suspected cases of coronavirus in Lagos

    Two more suspected cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Lagos.

    One of the suspected cases, Vanguard gathered, is a Chinese man isolated on arrival at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, on Tuesday.

    The unnamed man was said to be coughing excessively when accosted.

    A source said the Chinese man is at the isolation centre at Yaba, Lagos.

    “The Chinese is now under observation at the Mainland Hospital Quarantine Centre in Yaba.”

    The Lagos State government has commenced analysis of his travel history, diagnosis and possible contact tracing while more health workers have been drafted to all the entry ports and borders.
    Source: Vanguardngr.com

  • Attorney-General applies for release of names of officials in Airbus scandal

    The Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo has applied for the release of the names of the former government officials who were involved in the airbus scandal that went viral on 31st January 2020 from the UK government to face the appropriate punishment.

    The Crown Court of UK disclosed that investigations were conducted across, at least 26 countries, including Ghana in order to unravel the full circumstances surrounding the airbus scandal that has exposed some government officials in the country.

    Briefing the media during the Attorney General Alliance, AGA-Africa Partnership for Justice conference in Accra, a Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has stated that the key government officials in Ghana who negotiated the illicitly procured 3 aircraft for Ghana Army have maintained utter silence about the airbus scandal as if there were no such transactions or the principal do not exist.

    He noted that many of the senior government officials involved in the illicit procurement of the aircraft are still around but continue to maintain deafening silence or reprehensible indifference to the explicit findings of the Crown Court in England.

    He added that at least there was a Vice President who transformed into a president during the period in question, there was a Minister of defence, and there was an Attorney-General during that period.

    Godfred Yeboah Dame has descended on John Mahama for campaigning for votes from the same people he does not want to open up to on the airbus scandal.

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com

  • Delayed release of money to Minerals Fund affects development — Alhaji Adam

    The delayed release of funds to the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) has negatively affected the implementation of development projects in mining communities.

    Apart from the late release of funds from the Ministry of Finance to the MDF, a chunk of the required budget is in arrears, making the judicious use of the fund difficult.

    The Coordinator of the Mining Community Development Scheme (MCDS), Alhaji Abdul-Manan Adam, disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.

    “The disbursement of funds from the Ministry of Finance to the MDF has not been encouraging. If we expect 100 per cent of the mandatory funds, we end up getting between 15 and 30 per cent. Currently, we are in 2020 but we have arrears from September 2019. We expected GH¢31 million disbursement, but we received GH¢9 million,” he said.

    MDF

    The fund was set up through the MDF Act, 2016 (Act 912) to provide development projects in mining communities that have been negatively impacted by mining activities.

    It derives funds from 20 per cent of minerals royalties received from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), holders of mining leases, money approved by Parliament, grants, donations, gifts, as well as investments made by the MDF Board.

    Per the disbursement formula, the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL), the MCDS and the Minerals Commission are to receive 50, 20 and 13 per cent, respectively, of the MDF.

    The Geological Survey Department and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are also entitled to eight and four per cent, respectively, while four per cent has also been set aside for research.

    Impact

    Alhaji Adam said although the MDF had made a significant impact in mining communities with the releases made to it so far, it was worrying that the required funds had not been made available, as expected.

    For instance, he said, in 2019, the approved budget for the MDF was GH¢130.8 million, but that was revised to GH¢99.8 million during the Mid-Year Budget Review.

    However, as of September 2019, total releases stood at GH¢52.14 million, he added.

    He said the MCDS had put its share of MDF allocations to prudent use in mining communities, saying that its major achievement was the investment of over GH¢30 million in an alternative livelihood programme, through which over three million oil palm seedlings had been distributed to farmers in mining communities.

    “Since 2017, we have signed a contract with Richie Plantation, a private entity, to provide one million seedlings at a cost of GH¢10 million every year and the company has delivered the seedlings for the past three years,” he said.

    The oil palm seedlings initiative, he said, had made an impact on the lives of residents of mining communities, leading to some of them abandoning illegal mining.

    Alhaji Adam added that the MCDS nursed and distributed 300 cashew seedlings in some parts of the Bono and the Ahafo regions in 2019, with a plan to scale up to cover more people.

    According to him, one of the major activities the MCDS was engaged in was the establishment of Local Community Management Committees (LCMCs) at 17 mining zones for the implementation of projects.

    He said eight of those LCMCs had so far been set up.

    Source: graphic.com.gh |Timothy Ngnenbe

  • NPP Primaries: Youll be disqualified if you misconduct yourself NPP Chairman warns aspirants

    Parliamentary aspirants who misconduct themselves without recourse to the rules of engagement stand the risk of being disqualified from partaking in the primaries according to Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    Alhaji Mohammed Baantima Samba in statement ahead of the vetting which comes off today March 4, 2020 and tomorrow March 5, 2020 in Tamale respectively also warned against the busing of supporters by prospective aspirants to the venue for the exercise.

    “There shall be no bussing of supporters to the venue of the vetting and that only the APCs and their drivers will be allowed entry to the venue.

    The party in the region is wide awake and would not spare any candidate who flouts the rule of engagement.

    APCs are further reminded that the party reserves the right to disqualify any parliamentary aspirant who fails to abide by the rules and regulations spelt out in the nomination forms”, he said in a statement copied to MyNewsGh.com

    Read full statement below;

    CHAIRMAN SAMBA CAUTIONS ALL PARLIAMENTARY ASPIRANTS TO NOT BUS SUPPORTERS FOR VETTING

    The hierarchy of the NPP in the Northern Region wishes to thank all Parliamentary Elections Committees CEC in Constituencies with sitting MPs for a good job done in the processes leading to the vetting of 22 parliamentary aspirants on 4th and 5th March, 2020. We wish to equally congratulate all Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates (APCs) for successful filing of nominations.

    The Regional Party, however, sounds a word of caution to all APCs that,

    There shall be no bussing of supporters to the venue of the vetting and that only the APCs and their drivers will be allowed entry to the venue.

    The party in the region is wide awake and would not spare any candidate who flouts the rule of engagement.

    APCs are further reminded that the party reserves the right to disqualify any parliamentary aspirant who fails to abide by the rules and regulations spelt out in the nomination forms.

    We count on your usual cooperation and best wishes to all APCs.

    ………. signed………..

    (Mohammed Baantima Samba)

    Regional Chairman

    NPP NR.

    Source: mynewsgh.com

  • Coronavirus: EU Parliament postpones Akufo-Addo’s visit to ECR-Africa summit

    Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo’s expected visit to the European Parliament has been postponed, Ghana Embassy in Brussels has communicated.

    In an official statement from the Embassy copied to the ECOWAS and UEMOA representation, it indicated the postponement has become necessary to allow the European Parliament put down precautionary measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

    President Akufo-Addo was to participate in the ECR-Africa summit scheduled for Wednesday March 4, 2020 at the EU Parliament.

    However, the Ghana Embassy in Brussels has indicated it will avail itself of this opportunity to renew to all African Missions, the ECOWAS and the EUMOA Representations the assurances of its highest considerations.

    Source: nsemgh.com

  • Afram Plains: Farmer shot dead by Fulani herdsman

    There is tension at Gyaneboafo, a farming community in Afram Plains South District following the killing of a farmer by a fulani herdsman.

    The deceased was shot in the abdomen when he and his two brothers attempted to arrest the suspect fleeing after his cattle destroyed their harvested tubers of yam.

    The deceased,a Dagomba, from the Northern Region had visited his brother-owner of the farm, to attend his marriage ceremony which happened last week.

    His body has been retrieved by the Police for preservation and autopsy at the Presbyterian Hospital in Donkorkrom.

    Assembly Member for Bonkro Electoral Area under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, Jordan Yunbow Michael confirmed the incident to Kasapa News.

    According to the Assembly Member,the District Police Commander has led a team of investigators to the community making effort to arrest the suspect now at large ,hence asked the angry farmers planning to retaliate to remain calm

    The has been renewed tension between farmers and fulani herdsmen in Communities such us Gyaneboafo Aframsu ,Kwame boye, Makofi ,Charity ,Bonkro, Tease among others over destruction of farms and pollugikn of water bodies.

    A joint team of Military and National Security was recently dispatched to some of the troubled areas for a two day operation which led to killing of dozens of cattle. Some Fulani herdsmen reportedly sustained gunshot injuries in the process.

    Source: kasapafmonline.com

  • Coup plotters planned to kidnap Akufo-Addo, Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament

    The prosecution of the Ghanaian suspected coup plotters charged for treason has taken an interesting twist as they have been accused by the State prosecutors of planning to abduct President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    The coup plotters have also been accused of plans to abduct the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

    The Senior State Attorney, Ms. Hilda Craig, told the Kaneshie District Court court on Tuesday, 3 March 2020, that the men also planned to jam communications signals of the National Communications Authority (NCA).

    She said the state will call 19 witnesses and also present 113 exhibits as evidence to prove its case.

    The accused persons are Dr. Mac-Palm, a medical practitioner; Donyo Kafui, alias Ezor, a blacksmith; Bright Alan Debrah, a fleet manager.

    Other accused persons are Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr. Benjamin Agordzor, Warrant Officer II Esther Saan Dekuwine, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akanpewon and Johannes Zikpi, a civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

    The 10 individuals were accused of being members of Take Action Ghana (TAG), a group alleged to have hatched a plan to “destabilise the country and possibly take over the government”.

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Godfred Odame engaging in propaganda with Airbus scandal – Felix Kwakye Ofosu

    Former Deputy Minister of Communications under the Mahama administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has described the Deputy Attorney General’s comments on the Airbus scandal as diversionary propaganda.
    He urged Ghanaians to brush those allegations off. Mr Godfred Dame who is the deputy AG today called out former President John Mahama to break his silence on the Airbus scandal because the transaction happened under his tenure.

    Mr Kwakye Ofosu speaking to Joy News said there are several questions the government must answer concerning some scandals but have decided to jump on the Airbus issue just to divert attention.

    “Godfred Dame’s pronouncement constitutes nothing but diversionary propaganda which must be promptly dismissed. This is just a tactic from a government that is wallowing in abject corruption. Where did this government derive their sudden quest for accountability and probity?, Has the President told us what happened in the Australian scandal, has he told us what went on in the PDS deal. There are issues in front of them but they are not able to disclose information yet they chose to jump unto the propaganda bandwagon and make claims that are completely false.”

    Mr Dame revealed that officials of the erstwhile Mills-Mahama administration are not co-operating in the ongoing investigation despite the various roles they played in the transaction.

    He called out John Mahama to break his silence on the matter for the purposes of accountability.

    Aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus, has been in the news within the past few days after it agreed on a legal settlement of about £3 billion over its involvement in an alleged bribery scandal between 2009 and 2015 in various markets including Ghana.

    The scandal has caused a political storm in Ghana over accusations of Airbus payments to a relative of a government official in connection with the purchase of military planes.

    The UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) stated that the said agent had no aerospace experience, having previously worked in football merchandising and as a facilities manager.

    It did not say what the agent, who had been helped by two unnamed British television actors, did with the money.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Mahama calls on stakeholders to take bold stance on Coronavirus

    Former President and Flagbearer for the NDC, John Mahama has called on stakeholders, Governments and the United Nations System to take a bold stance on the deadly coronavirus.

    John Mahama in a post on Facebook said “The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is posing a serious threat to global security, economy, trade, and transport. While the WHO has not yet declared it a pandemic, they urge countries to take aggressive containment measures.”

    According to him, response to the deadly coronavirus has not been the best since the outbreak from its original source in Wuhan, China.

    He noted that we are yet to see the kind of leadership, definite and concerted actions, which were mounted against the Ebola virus disease infection in West Africa a few years ago.

    Full statement below:

    The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is posing a serious threat to global security, economy, trade, and transport. While the WHO has not yet declared it a pandemic, they urge countries to take aggressive containment measures.

    Unfortunately, the international response had been lukewarm from the time of the outbreak from its original source in Wuhan, China.

    In the late 20th and early 21st century, we appear to be experiencing an emergence of many new infectious diseases- Zika, Ebola, MERS, SARS among others. This is scary. But it is consistent with the changing nature of infectious diseases as a result of increasing population, poverty, migration, conflicts, economic and technological development, antimicrobial resistance, climate change, inadequate health infrastructure and public health policies.

    These multiple contributory factors are daunting but not insurmountable if the global community, which has become intricately linked due to globalisation will act decisively together.

    Unfortunately, we are yet to see the kind of leadership, definite and concerted actions, which were mounted against the Ebola virus disease infection in West Africa a few years ago.

    As I said at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, during the Ebola crisis, that “Ebola is a problem that belongs to the world because it is a disease that knows no boundaries”, we have similarly seen a rapid transnational spread of Coronavirus disease over the past few months.

    Indeed referring to the Coronavirus disease, the WHO says “it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when”.

    Africa is vulnerable and has not been spared. The first case reported in West Africa has been in Nigeria. This must be a period for the implementation of aggressive preventive measures while we stamp out specific incidences.

    We must mount a strong educational and awareness campaign on the nature and mode of transmission of COVID-19 as was done in the period of the Ebola disease outbreak. Discouraging handshaking, frequent handwashing, use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers at public gatherings such as churches, mosques, funerals etc. should be promoted as soon as possible. Measures such as the establishment of quarantine centres, provision of hazmat suits, temperature monitoring and traveller tracking are urgently required.

    I, passionately, call on all stakeholders- Governments, the United Nations System, Health Professionals, Academia, Multinational Corporations, International and Local NGOs and CSOs – to immediately take a united, bold and definite stance against this Coronavirus disease, raise and pool resources in order to halt the spread of the deadly disease and end it.

    While we take bold action to prevent the spread of this COVID-19 disease, we must also offer intercessory prayers to the almighty to grant as a Passover.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Fire razes makeshift wooden structure in Accra

    More than 30 workers of the Chinese State Hualong Construction were displaced on Tuesday due to a fire outbreak that completely destroyed a makeshift wooden structure located near the Office of the First Lady.

    The Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that the five wooden structures which housed workers of the construction company were completely bent into ashes but no casualties were recorded.

    The intervention of fire service personnel at the Ministries Fire Station quenched the fire when all attempt by some workers around to put out the fire failed.

    Even though the cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained, information gathered by GNA revealed that the fire started in one of the building and subsequently spread to the other wooden structures.

    Madam Naomi Ofori-Adobea (DOII), the Commander in charge of Ministries Fire Station in an interview with GNA said they suspected the fire outbreak was caused by electrical faults since there were only two extension boards for the wooden structures.

    She said the fire service personnel were informed that the fire outbreak started at 15:02 hours and their team of seven personnel did their best to put out the fire at 17:26 hours.

    “The fire destroyed the entire structure, including clothing, money, beds, cooking utensils, gas cookers, television, laptops, among others”, she said.

    Madam Ofori-Adobea said their team worked tirelessly to prevent the spread of the fire to the adjoining buildings which was closer to the Office of the First Lady and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.

    She said the fire was able to spread easily because the structures were all made up of combustible materials, noting that investigations were underway to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak.

    Mr Ebenezer Mensah, who occupies one of the wooden structures said the structure housed workers of the Chinese company working on the State House project (Job 600).

    He said the fire outbreak started in their absence since they were all at work, adding that it took several hours for those around to bring the fire under control.

    He appealed to government and other institutions to come to the aid of the victims and provide a shelter for them since they have no were to sleep.

    China State Hualong Construction (Ghana) Limited is a comprehensive group corporation mainly engaged in industrial and civil buildings, construction of municipal roads and bridges, and international engineering contracting.

    Source: GNA

  • Todays newspapers front pages

     

    Source: backend.theindependentghana.com

  • Stop behaving like an opposition party – Kwaku Kwarteng tells GIFF over UNIPASS

    Ghanaian Importers and Clearing Agents are up in arms with government over its decision to abrogate the contracts of the two existing Single Window operators; Ghana Community Network Service Limited (GCNet) and West Blue Consulting, replacing it with a new deal with Universal Pass (UNI-PASS).

    The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, in a letter dated 26th February 2020, directed freight forwarders, clearing agents and other stakeholders in the country, to use the UNIPASS system to clear their goods from Sunday, March 1, 2020.

    President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Mr. Edward Akrong said the current operators are doing well and that since the new one has not been tested, its efficiency cannot be guaranteed.

    “We don’t have any qualms but we have an existing one and if we don’t know how the new one works, it will be troublesome. I don’t really see anything different; so far what we’ve seen is worrying. There has not been any piloting to see how the UNIPASS system works. There was a planned piloting but it never happened. We really need to take a second look at this; otherwise, there will be chaos…i believe that the Senior Minister was misinformed,” he said in an interview on Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo’

    But Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, speaking on the same platform in reaction, condemned criticisms of the UNIPASS system.

    “if you start criticizing it; moving from one radio station to the other, you are behaving like an opposition party” he said.

    He asked Mr Edward Akrong to be mindful of his utterances and stop campaigning against the new system, since it has come to stay.

    “Nobody should think that the various criticisms will make government change its mind; it won’t happen,” he added.

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Ghana has no suspected case of COVID19 – Dr. Sarkodie

    Dr Badu Sarkodie, the Director of Public Health, at the Ghana Health Service, on Tuesday reiterated that Ghana has no suspected case of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) so far.

    He debunked speculations that a man who died in Kumasi, Ashanti Regional capital might have been a suspect, stressing that test results on the man who arrived in Ghana from Germany was negative and that Ghana has no suspected case of the disease.

    He said the deceased who arrived in Ghana from Germany, reported of a condition that showed signs of the COVID19; thus an emergency test conducted on him proved that he was free of the virus but died later at the hospital.

    Dr Sarkodie in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said even though the cause of death was not known; the GHS was collaboration with Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research to conduct investigations into the matter.

    He therefore urged Ghanaians not to panic as everything was under control and that they were doing everything possible with the necessary preparedness activities to ensure that should there be a case it could be picked up early to prevent an outbreak.

    He said surveillance at the various points of entry have been heightened to ensure that passengers were properly checked for symptoms of the deadly disease.

    Dr Sarkodie said due to the fast widespread of the disease, people especially Ghanaians were advised to adhere to the preventive measures put in place for their safety.

    Regularly and thoroughly wash hands with soap and water, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser, maintaining at least one and half metres (5 feet) distance between oneself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

    People coughing persistently or sneezing should stay indoors or keep a social distance, but not mix with a crowd, adhere to good respiratory hygiene by covering mouths and noses with a handkerchief or tissue while sneezing or coughing.

    Source: GNA

  • Coup plotters planned abducting Akufo-Addo State Prosecutors

    The men facing trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo-led government have been accused by the State prosecutors of planning to abduct the President, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the process.

    The prosecution at the Kaneshie District Court court on Tuesday, 3 March 2020 also accused the alleged coup plotters of discussing whether or not to kill President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    The Senior State Attorney, Ms Hilda Craig further accused the embattled men of planning to jam communications signals of the National Communications Authority (NCA).

    Ms Craig told the court that the state will call 19 witnesses and also present 113 exhibits as evidence to prove its case.

    The 10 persons standing trial are Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, Dornyah “Ezor” Kafui (a local weapon manufacturer), Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu (aka BB or ADC)(freight manager).

    Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli and WO2 Esther Saan, Lance Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Sylvester Akanbiri, a civilian employee of the Armed forces, Johannes Zikpi and Senior Police Officer ACP Agordzo.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Coup plot: My arrest was to gag me Soldier tells court

    Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gameli, one of the 10 accused persons indicted in the alleged coup plot says he is being held over the cracks and challenges the Ghana Armed Forces.

    He told the court on Tuesday his involvement in the trial is meant to vilify and gag him as a senior military officer.

    Meanwhile, Col. Gershun Akpa, one of the six military personnel in the alleged coup plotters has been discharged.

    In court on Thursday, February 13, when Lawyer Victor Kojogah Adawudu moved a third bail application for them, the state said the AG has advised that Col Gershun Akpa be discharged, but the others would be committed for trial.

    Hilda Craig, Senior State Attorney, while opposing to the bail application said “their charge statements have been taken and all 10 except one have been indicted and we are likely to do the committals on February 20, at the District Court.

    “Gershun Akpa is the only one we have been advised to discharge. So we are waiting for the next court date to discharge him, all the rest have been indicted,” the Senior State Attorney told the court.

    Source: kasapafmonline.com

  • Senior Journalist at TV3 passes on

    A senior journalist at Media Generale, Edward Kwabi has passed on backend.theindependentghana.com can reliable report.

    According our source, Edward Kwabi who was a senior producer and sometimes news anchor for late news on TV3, passed on after taking ill for more than 2 months.

    Edward Kwabi was also presidential correspondent during former President John Dramani tenure in office.

    Many in the Ghanaian media fraternity are saddened by this loss are  still struggling to come to term with his sudden demise.

    Rest In Peace Eddie.

    Source: backend.theindependentghana.com