TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • WASSCE practical paper for Food & Nutrition did not leak WAEC

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), says reports about a supposed leakage of the Food and Nutrition Practical paper of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), are untrue.

    Addressing the media on Monday, August 23, 2021, the Head of the Ghana Council of WAEC, Wendy E. Addy-Lamptey, stressed that “the information put out by EduWatch about the alleged leakage… is untrue, misleading and is creating anxiety among the candidates and our public”.

    The reports about a leak for the August 20 paper were put out by the African Education Watch Executive Director, Kofi Asare, via his Facebook page.

    Mr. Asare claimed at the time that he had reported the leak to WAEC.

    Mrs. Addy-Lamptey explained that guidelines for the Food and Nutrition Practical are however released early to help schools prepare adequately for the practical examination.

    “It is purely to enable the teachers to prepare for the conduct of the actual paper, which was taken on Friday, 20th August,” Mrs. Addy-Lamptey said.

    “The paper clearly contains only guidelines and was already in the public domain, hence we are surprised that somebody picks it up and refers to it as a leaked document,” she added.

    Moving forward, Mrs. Addy-Lamptey urged Ghanaians “to not create unnecessary tension, fear, and panic”.

    “Local and international bodies that use our results for the admission of Ghanaians into tertiary institutions may doubt the credibility of certificates, making the Ghanaian child the ultimate loser.”

    She further indicated that effective mechanisms have been put in place to ensure the administration of a credible examination.

    Past tension with Africa Education Watch

    WAEC considered suing Africa Education Watch earlier in 2021 over a report on its assessment of the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The report alleged a number of irregularities witnessed during the period of the examination.

    But WAEC said the report was fraught with factual inaccuracies and misleading.

    The 2020 WASSCE had some papers leaked before sittings.

    Confidential information on examiners was also leaked, prompting a report to the Cyber Crime Department of the Ghana Police Service by WAEC.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Activities of money doublers, ritualists in media could be a trigger for recent murders – Expert

    A criminologist and lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Edgar Tachie Akonnor, has underscored the need for the appropriate authorities to clamp down on the open advertisement of quick money activities.

    Reacting to the arrest of the 28-year-old architect who allegedly murdered three persons and stored their parts in a fridge, the lecturer said there could be several factors that could trigger such an act.

    He said such crimes could be influenced or triggered by several factors including, the activities of money doublers and ritualists.

    The lecturer explained that these activities could be triggers for people who want to make quick money.

    He told host Kwabena Agyapong that the adverts or activities of ritualists promising people quick money could easily influence people to engage in serial killings or murders just to have access to the money promised them.

    He advised the country to address the issue in the media landscape and call a spade a spade because it is having serious implications on our security.

    He said although civilisation and transformation in religion and culture should help in reducing such crimes, we have witnessed worse situations in the country.

    Edgar Tachie Akonnor also asked the Police to extend their investigations from all angles to help them have a conclusive outcome on the matter.

    He added that if such issues are not addressed, it would be accepted by Ghanaians, and people will no longer see it as a problem.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com | myjoyonline.com

  • Police Service must establish a Forensic Unit in every region – Criminologist

    A lecturer and criminologist, Edgar Tachie Akonnor, is advocating for every regional command in Ghana to have a forensic department to ensure efficiency in their work.

    He opined that the Ghana Police Service have competent and skilled service personnel to deal with crime in Ghana but what they need is logistics.

    He stated that servicemen in the country have what it takes in unravelling crime but need to improve on the logistics they have.

    Mr. Tachie Akonnor said it is not advisable for a Police Commands to drive to the National Headquarters before accessing the forensic department.

    The best approach in his view is for every regional command to have its own forensic unit.

    ”I strongly believe that all the regions should have the full complement of logistics so they would stop coming to Accra. The Police Service has the expertise but what they need is the decentralisation of the forensic unit.”

    Crime is complex, and evidence gathering is essential, and the more you delay in gathering evidence, the less you can prosecute your cases,” he said.

    Meanwhile, he has advised the Police Service to collaborate with academia in dealing with criminal issues so the rate of crime would be reduced.

    He explained that through research, experts could evaluate the pattern of crime, the reasons behind it, and propose ways to reduce crime.

    Crime-fighting, he added, must be towards the preventive leg through collaboration with the general public.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • School feeding caterers receive first term payment

    The Government through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has disbursed an amount of GHS160 million out of the GHS213 million required to pay caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) for the first term of the 2021 academic year.

    The disbursement of the funds which commenced on Friday 20th August 2021, covered 62 cooking days of the first term.

    The ongoing payment, however, did not include some regions such as the Western and Western North regions due to limited funds according to a release from the GSFP.

    The GSFP said it has received strong assurance from the Controller and Accountant General for the release of an additional GHS53 million to pay the remaining regions as quickly as possible.

    The GSFP has urged all caterers who have any payment-related issues to contact its regional coordinators in their respective regions for speedy resolution.

    Some 3,448,067 pupils are beneficiaries under the GSFP.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Motorbike riders will be arrested after 6:30 pm Police Commander assures

    The newly appointed Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Peter Ndekugri, has warned that all young men sitting on the same motorbike after 6:30 pm will be arrested.

    DCOP Peter Ndekugri said the move is to clamp down on the rise in robbery cases in the country, especially in the Upper West region.

    Addressing a press conference in the Upper West Region after his appointment, DCOP Ndekugri said he is resolved to ensure that peace returns to the region at all costs.

    He added that he would not relent in his pursuit of peace in the region, adding he is ready to make enemies if that will guarantee him the needed results.

    “No two young men should be on a motorbike after 6:30 pm; I repeat, no two young men should be on a motorbike after 6:30 pm. Whether you like it or not. Security is very expensive; in Bawku for instance, for two years, men were not riding on motorbikes, and yet we were able to maintain the peace.

    “So please, we should not take peace as a joke; it is one of the most essential commodities as far as this world is concerned…and I am ready to do that.”

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Abesim Murder: Acting IGP appeals for community support for expeditious investigation

    The Acting Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare has appealed to the Abesim Community to support police investigations with any information in connection with the tragic murder of the three young men in the town.

    Describing the incident as painful and worrying, the IGP entreated the deceased families to take comfort in God, assuring that the police would leave no stone unturned to ensure justice prevailed.     

    Tragedy hit the farming community in the early hours of Saturday, when Richard Appiah, a popular footballer, allegedly murdered his 12-year-old relative, with two others, and kept the body in a room.

    Police have since retrieved and deposited the bodies of Louis Agyemang Junior, Stephen Sarpong, and a yet-to-be-identified body at a private mortuary at Mantukwa in the Sunyani West Municipality.     

    Dr Dampare made the appeal when he and a high-powered police delegation visited and sympathised with the deceased families at Abesim on Sunday.

    He told the family the police would transfer the bodies to Accra for further investigations, saying the bodies would be brought back to the families when investigations were completed.     

    The Acting IGP said though the deaths of the three young men were beyond human imagination and it was only God who could explain that, the police would ensure that anybody in connection with the crime was arrested and prosecuted.

    He urged the families to be comforted saying from Tuesday, August 24, the police would despatch Counsellors from its headquarters to counsel the mothers of the deceased children.     

    “A team of investigators from the CID headquarters are on their way coming to support investigations and I assured you that justice would prevail in this matter,” the IGP told the families.

    Earlier, the IGP held closed-door discussions with Barimah Kumi Acheaw, the Chief of Abesim and Kyidomhene of the Dormaa Traditional  Area.     

    Dr Dampare and his entourage also visited the crime scene at Alaska, a new settlement.

    Source: GNA  

  • Black Wall Street survivors accept Ghana citizenship

    Two survivors of the 1921 massacre of black people in the US city of Tulsa have accepted the offer to become Ghanaian citizens.

    “We accept it with great joy and we thank the president for this great honour,” said Viola Fletcher, aged 107, and her brother, 100-year-old Van Ellis.

    They are currently visiting Ghana as part of a week-long tour of Africa to mark the centenary of the killings, known as the Tulsa Race Massacre.

    About 300 Black residents of the prosperous Greenwood town then known as “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were murdered and their businesses and homes destroyed by a mob of white people.

    Viola Fletcher, known as Mother Fletcher and her brother Van Ellis, known as “Uncle Red”, have been in Ghana since Saturday visiting historic sites including the Osu Castle Dungeon, where enslaved Africans were kept before being shipped abroad during the transatlantic slave trade.

    They made emotional remarks there decrying the horrors of slavery and calling for African unity.

    They also laid a wreath at the tomb of the Pan-African human rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, and paid a courtesy call to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    The centenarians said that they chose to visit Ghana because “it represents Africa.”

    On Wednesday, they also visited the Nigerian Igbo community in Ghana where they were crowned honorary chief and queen mother.

    Source: BBC

  • Bawumia, three ministers were key to suspension of UTAG strike – Prof Gyampo reveals

    Professor Ransford Gyampo of the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department has revealed that the Vice President and three ministers were crucial to the decision by the University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG, to call off its industrial action that last weeks.

    According to the UG UTAG General-Secretary, Bawumia and Ministers of Education, Employment and National Security showed what he called ‘enough leadership behind the scenes.’

    In a Facebook post on August 22, 2021; barely 24-hours to the resumption of negotiations, he further tasked the quartet to continue to keep a keen interest in the month-long negotiation that starts today.

    “The Ministers for Education, Employment, National Security and the Vice President have shown enough leadership behind the scenes, in pushing for the suspension of the strike.

    “I respectfully wish to urge them to take a keen interest in the one month negotiation period and ensure that all stakeholders, but particularly, my people (University Teachers), come out satisfied and smiling,” his post read in part.

    He warned that failure to satisfy the concerns of UTAG will lead to: “a more deadly strike that elicits support from all labour unions in Ghana would hit all of us.

    “The current crop of UTAG leadership emerging (including my good self) are more socialized in the dogmas of mobilization and they know how to make an establishment ungovernable when necessary, to restore social equilibrium. But we do not need to get there. So, over to you, all duty-bearers in this one month period of negotiation,” he added.

    UTAG agreed to suspend their industrial action last week after it agreed to return to the negotiation table with the government. The National Labour Commission had to withdraw a suit against UTAG as part of the roadmap for negotiations.

    President Akufo-Addo expressed happiness at the suspension of the strike when he met with executives of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • ¢23.9m worth of chemicals, fertilizers expired at COCOBOD – Auditor-General

    The Auditor-General has discovered chemicals and fertilisers valued at GH¢23.9 million (GH¢23,957,525.07) expired at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

    During the 396th meeting of the Board of Directors held on Tuesday, October 30 and November 2, 2018, the board approved that the debt should be written off.

    The Auditor-General raised issues about the approval to write the debt off because management could not provide evidence of Parliamentary approval for the write-off of the value or loss from the books of account.

    Section 53 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, (Act 921) states that the minister shall seek the approval of Parliament to write off a loss of or a deficiency in public funds or public resources.

    The Auditor-General explained that failure to seek parliamentary approval could lead to unlawful write-offs from the books of the board.

    These are contained in the report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana: Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions for the period ended December 31, 2020.

    The report, dated May 31, 2021, was signed by Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, acting Auditor-General.

    The Auditor-General, therefore, urged management to seek retrospective parliamentary approval for the write-off.

    The report said in the event of failure to secure parliamentary approval, the value shall be recovered from the Board of Directors in accordance with Section 18(b) of the Audit Service Act, 2000, Act 584.

    The Auditor-General also urged management to ensure that they seek parliamentary approval for all write-offs in the future.

    “Management of COCOBOD will bring to the attention of the Board of Directors and liaise with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for onward submission to the Parliament of Ghana for retrospective approval,” the management promised.

    Source: thefinderonline.com

  • 10 dead, others injured in a car crash at Gomoa Mampong

    Ten persons have been confirmed dead after two buses collided at Gomoa Mampong on the Kasoa-Winneba Highway in the Central Region.

    The incident, which occurred on Sunday, August 22, has left several others with severe injuries of various forms.

    The injured have been taken to the Winneba Trauma Hospital for treatment.

    The deceased are reportedly six men and four women.

    Information reaching JoyNews reveals that the two buses made wrongful overtaking resulting in the gory incident.

    The Boss bus with registration number GN 4741-10 is said to have been coming from Takoradi to Accra while the Deploma Bus with registration number GS 6262-19 was from Accra to Ivory Coast.

    10 dead, others injured in car crash at Gomoa Mampong

    One of the survivors, Emmanuel Quaicoo who was on board the Boss bus, narrated the unfortunate incident to JoyNews.

    According to him, “It all started when our driver had an overtaking and was about heading to his lane but unfortunately, we realised the other bus had also made an overtaking. Our driver then tried to prevent the two buses from colliding but before we realised it, the other bus had hit us from behind.”

    He alleged that the Deploma bus was driving at top speed, adding that about six persons died on the spot.

    10 dead, others injured in car crash at Gomoa Mampong

    According to reports, two persons, including Emmanuel Quaicoo survived the incident.

    The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, Henry Asiedu who confirmed the incident, noted that when his officers reached the scene, they immediately worked to free persons who had been trapped in the buses.

    “My men were able to bring out about five people who were trapped. Two of them died but in all, we have about 10 casualties,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the 10 remains have been deposited at the Winneba Trauma mortuary.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • Police arrest man for allegedly killing 2 boys, harvesting body parts

    The Police in Sunyani has arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly killing two boys.

    Richard Appiah was arrested after the father of one of his victims, Louis Agyemang Junior, aged 12, reported him to the police.

    According to the police statement sighted by JoyNews, Thomas Adjei reported that the suspect, who is also his stepson, had come for Louis around 5:30 pm on Friday, August 20.

    However, at about 10 pm, Mr Adjei said his younger son had still not returned home.

    Accompanied by his four brothers, the complainant arrested the suspect, who he believed knew the whereabouts of the 12-year-old boy and brought him to the station for questioning.

    The Police, together with the complainant and suspect, then proceeded to the house where the suspect resides in the Alaska area near Abesim.

    The statement revealed that the team found the deceased lying in a supine position in a room, while another murdered person was found in a different room.

    During a further search of the house, pieces of flesh suspected to be parts of a different person were found in a double door fridge.

    The name of that deceased was given as Stephen, aged 15 years. Parents of the other victims are yet to identify their bodies.

    Meanwhile, the Regional Crime Scene Management team, Regional Crime Officer and District Commander in Sunyani assist with the investigations.

    JoyNews sources have disclosed that the IGP is on his way there for first-hand information on the issue and to commend the community members for their ability to smoke the alleged murderer out.

    Source: MyJoyOnline.com

    Source: MyJoyOnline.com

  • Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory

    JoyNews has released a documentary produced by Joojo Cobinah focusing on the abandoned Komenda sugar factory which has been rusting away since operations halted.

    The old factory, built in 1964, became defunct about 30 years ago due to technical difficulties and mismanagement. 

    “He (President Nana Akufo-Addo) promised that he will fix the factory. But he has not fulfilled that promise. So we are disappointed”, a resident of Komenda said.

    It may sound basic, but Ghana had a dream to start producing sugar locally to reduce the importation of sugar. Hence, the rebirth of the Komenda Sugar factory.

    In all, 7,300 jobs were expected to be created when the factory runs fully.

    The factory, which can crush 1250 tonnes of sugar cane daily, was expected to put a permanent smile on the faces of the farmers, who would directly feed the factory with raw materials and get paid.

    On May 30, 2016, the factory restored the hope of unemployed youth who dreamt of finally gaining employment.

    That dream has faded away after 5 years.

    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory
    Komenda Sugar Factory
    Photos: The abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory

    Source: myjoyonline.com.

  • Lives lost, residents displaced in Dansoman tidal waves

    Lives have been lost through tidal waves at Dansoman Gbegbeyise in the Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region.

    Apart from this, inhabitants have also been displaced while others have had to relocate to Kasoa in the Central Region, Volta Region and other parts of the country.

    This came to light when Onua News visited the Dansoman Gbegbeyise following a distress call by some of the residents.

    The visit revealed that several metres of the land that was already a playground along the sea have been submerged by the seawater.

    The tidal waves have gradually washed away over a hundred metre stretch of land which had buildings on them.

    Some of the residents are therefore crying to the government to continue the abandoned sea defence which was started by the then National Democratic Congress government because that has been the cause of the tidal waves.

    The Assembly Member for Mamponse-Agege-Shiabu Electoral Area, Nii Lantei Lamptey said he has done everything possible for the Assembly and the Coastal Development Authority to come to their aid but to no avail.

    The Ablekuma West Municipal Chief Executive, George Bray, when contacted, explained that they are aware of the issue in the area.

    He said authorities from the Coastal Development Authority and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who is also the Communications Minister, visited the place two weeks ago and they will, by all means, come to the aid of the residents.

    Source: 3news.com

  • Motorcycles killed 182 people in Tema – Regional MTTD

    Motorcycles killed 182 people through road accidents between January and June in the Tema Regional enclave making it an average of 30 people monthly; the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD), Ghana Police Service has revealed.

    The statistics indicate that in the first quarter, motorcycles which included tricycles and bicycles killed 99 people; and in the second quarter killed 83 persons.

    Sergeant Richard Timinka stated on behalf of the Tema Regional MTTD Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, William Asante at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office and MTTD road safety campaign platform.

    The GNA-Tema and MTTD Road Safety Project seek to create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road, educate all road users of their respective responsibilities, and sensitize drivers on road safety regulations, rules and laws.

    Sgt. Timinka explained that considering the number of people who sat on motorcycles, the rate of fatality was too high and called for strict observance of the road traffic regulations by all road users.

    He lamented that there had been a rise in road crashes in the Tema Region this year, saying that most of the accidents were preventable and urged road users to abide by the tenets of the Road Acts, Highway Code and Road Traffic Regulations.

    Sgt. Timinka also expressed concern about the rate of lynching of drivers who survived accidents, especially in the countryside, stressing that to a large extent it accounted for the hit and run situations.

    He revealed that most drivers who knocked down pedestrians left the scene of the accidents because they feared for their lives, as residents sometimes mobilize the youth to attack the driver.

    Sgt. Timinka said drivers who knocked down pedestrians instead of picking up the injured to the nearest hospital for medical attention most often run away for fear of their lives, in such a situation the victim may lose his or her life.

    He said the feeling that the driver had caused a life to be lost necessitating their action of lynching and meting out instant justice on the driver, “pedestrian knock-down may not be the fault of the driver alone, so we need to support the victim to the nearest hospital, instead of exerting our energy on the driver.

    “If you were in a situation whereby you mistakenly knocked down someone or caused an accident, would you expect to be lynched? In critical condition after a knock-down would you expect your people to attend to you or lynched the driver? he quizzed.

    Sgt. Timinka, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians not to be in a hurry to lynch a driver even if the accident occurred as a result of negligence on the part of the driver or other circumstances, investigations would reveal.

    “I take this opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians that if a driver knocks down a pedestrian they should not attempt to lynch the driver, but leave investigations to the police to handle,” he said.

    He encouraged the media to take an interest in such cases by visiting the police station to find out the outcome of investigations since a lot of people have been jailed, some have been fined and the licenses of others have been revoked.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • I will bridge the gap between science and industry – Dr Afriyie

    Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI), says he will bridge the gap between industry and scientists by the end his tenure in office.

    He said that decision was a priority of the government to propel the industrialisation agenda of the country.

    Dr Afriyie said this after visiting exhibition stands of agencies under MESTI, as part of the Civil Service Week Celebration, an event that celebrates the administrative machinery of the State.

    The celebration is on the theme, “Economic Transformation amid Covid-19 Pandemic: The Responsibilities of an Adaptive Civil Service.”

    The Minister said innovations in tools, equipment, food and agricultural technologies had gone through proven scientific processes and were commercially viable and needed to be scaled up.

    “By the end of my tenure in office, I will do everything possible to make these innovations popular and attractive to industry to harness the potential.

    “Scientists do so much and we need to build that synergy with the private sector as well as industry to take these inventions up to benefit the public,” he said.

    The scientists, he noted, had the capability to develop innovations to address everyday challenges and to improve livelihood, however, what was lacking was the marketing of the output.

    Dr Afriyie stated that the role of civil servants towards awareness creation was crucial to the success of the agenda, explaining that Scientists were specifically trained to do research and innovate.

    Madam Cynthia Asare Bediako, Chief Director of MESTI, said the work of civil servants was enormous and included translating policy into actions to improve the livelihood of the public.

    She said, “We often do these in our offices and many are not aware of our role so the week will celebrate gallant civil service staff and show appreciation for their dedication to work, deepen the trust of citizens in the Civil Service and the public sector in general.

    “It is also to sensitise the private sector and citizens on the activities of the Ghana Civil Service, and identify areas of collaboration/partnership, and engage citizens of Ghana with the view to soliciting feedback for policy formulation.”

    The Chief Director said the week would also allow civil servants to network, exchange experiences or ideas and upgrade their skills on emerging global reforms in public policies and programmes and foster unity and togetherness.

    The Institutions, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Ghana Atomic Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, took turns explaining their mandates and demonstrated some of their innovations at the event.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • Martin Amidu did not get the free hand to operate – John Mahama

    Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated that former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu did not get the cooperation he needed to make his work efficient.

    Mr. Mahama said Martin Amidu did not get the needed independence and support from the government to aid his work.

    Addressing the Media in Tamale ahead of his thank-you tour of the region, the former president said the government should give the new special prosecutor the independence and support to fight corruption.

    The former president also argued his government fought corruption while he was in office, which led to the prosecution of some people in his government.

    Mr. John Mahama recounted how Martin Amidu raised concerns over his finances and the challenges he encountered in his office.

    He said Ghanaians Ghanaians heard complaints about how the executive tried to interfere with the work of Martin Amidu.

    All these challenges Mr. Mahama added deprived Martin Amidu of effectiveness and it should be something that must be corrected under the new Special Prosecutor.

    Source: rainbownradioonline.com

  • Madagascar president sacks all his ministers, citing ‘failures in government’

    Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina inspects troops during the Independence Day celebration at the Barea Stadium in Antananarivo on June 26, 2021. © Rijasolo, AFP

    Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has sacked all his ministers, his office said, days after he criticised some of their performances as below par and weeks after officials said they had thwarted a plot to kill the former coup leader.

    Rajoelina‘s office gave no reason for the dismissals in a statement issued late on Wednesday.

    On Sunday, Rajoelina said the performance of some ministers was unsatisfactory.

    “Like in a football team, you have to change when there are failures in government,” he said in comments broadcast on national television.

    “There will be a change and this concerns those who do not carry out the work entrusted to them.”

    Last week, a senior prosecutor said Madagascar had arrested 21 more suspects, including 12 military personnel, in connection with a plot to kill Rajoelina and topple the government.

    Six people, one of them a French citizen, were arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in the plot, after what officials said was a months-long investigation in the Indian Ocean island.

    Madagascar, an impoverished former French colony of 26 million, has a history of political violence and instability. Rajoelina, 44, was sworn in as president in 2019 after a hotly contested election and a constitutional court challenge from his rival.

    Rajoelina first took power in a March 2009 coup, unseating Marc Ravalomanana. He remained in control at the head of a transitional government until 2014.

    In the 2019 elections, Ravalomanana challenged Rajoelina, lost, and said the vote was fraudulent. 

    (REUTERS)

    Source: france24.com

  • Scam Alert: EOCO cautions salaried workers

    The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has cautioned salaried workers on the current scams targeting them.

    EOCO said it had in recent times received a number of complaints from salaried workers, who had fallen victims to these individuals.

    A statement issued in Accra, and signed by Madam Faustina Lartey, Head of Public Relations on behalf of the Executive Director, EOCO said these scammers were attempting to take advantage of people who may be struggling financially.

    It said these “unscrupulous” individuals called and sent text messages promising loans at affordable rates and promising to coach individuals to secure loans for a fee.

    On the mode of operation, the statement said these scammers called and persuaded salaried workers to secure loans or propose to assist them to secure loans.

    It said this was done in the hope of retrieving their locked up funds at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).

    “These unscrupulous individuals pose as staff of (CAGD), thus, assure unsuspecting victims that they can secure a loan from any financial institution,” it said.

    It also told their victims the amount of money to procure after checking their affordability.

    “This is supposed to help ease the process of retrieving the locked-up funds owned by the victim,” it said.

    The statement said the scammer would promise that the CAGD would pay the lump sum to the financial institution where the loan was acquired so that after the loan was secured the scammer would take a percentage of the total sum.

    It said in other instances, they persuaded salaried workers and took their passport pictures and identity cards with the hope of securing the loan on their behalf.

    “The worker receives the loan, pays the agreed percentage to the scammer, but ends up paying double the amount that was previously agreed on,” it said.

    It said once the victim realised they had been scammed, all efforts to reach the scammer proved futile.

    EOCO said there were many red flags that salaried workers should be on the lookout for, including but not limited to: a demand for payment upfront or after, instructions to submit personal details to a third party, persistent calls, messages to convince you to go for a loan.

    It urged workers to contact the financial institution directly, make enquiries and request the loan amounts they needed.

    Salaried workers should also contact their institution or company’s Finance Department for information about their eligibility for loans and other requirements.

    “Work with a legitimate, licensed and qualified person or company. If you have any locked-up funds with Controller and Accountant General’s Department, write to them through your institution to request for your money,” it added.

    The statement advised workers not to under any circumstance engage an unknown third party to retrieve unpaid or locked up salaries with CAGD and they should not hand over their personal details, staff ID numbers and passwords to third parties.

    It said EOCO in line with its mandate to prevent and detect organised crime would continue to monitor these developments with the aim to ensure that citizens are protected from scammers and fraudsters.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • Industries cry for consistent supply of utilities

    The management of B5 Plus Group the largest steel manufacturer in West Africa has appealed to utility providers to ensure a regular supply of water and electricity to companies within the industrial enclave.

    Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani, Chief Executive Officer of B5 Plus Group, which is also the third-largest steel manufacturer in Africa, located at Kpone, explained that industries depended on a consistent supply of utilities for a successful production.

    He said the greatest challenge facing private companies in their operations was the lack of water and electricity; stressing “it is frustrating when lights go off for hours without any prior communications. Production operations have to come to an abrupt end, which sometimes even affects the machines.”

    Mr. Thakwani made the appeal when a delegation from the Centre for Greater Impact Africa paid a working visit to the company at Kpone and toured its steel manufacturing factory located at Lakpleku in the Ningo-Prampram District.

    The delegation was led by the Reverend Dr. Worlanyo Mensah, Executive Director; Mr. Samuel Akoetey, Director for Business Development for the Centre, Justice Isaac Douse, Appeals Court Judge (retired), Dr. Chris Kpodar, formerly of the United Nations, and Mr. Prince Saviour Gankui, all Technical Advisors for the Centre.

    He further noted that access roads were another problem that affected both the processes of production and distribution and therefore urged the government to help the companies, the industrial catchment areas by rehabilitating the deplorable roads, as well as constructing new ones to link the industrial base to the market.

    Touching on other production-related issues, he indicated that there was the need to put in place some tax exemptions on the importation of some important raw materials not available locally to bring down the cost of production and its resultant high cost of goods on the market.

    Mr. Thakwani observed that whereas local companies were producing certain items in Ghana, importation of the same products into the country does not create a competitive environment for the expansion of companies as they had to compete with imported goods.

    He, therefore, suggested that either additional levies would be put on the importation of such goods or a total ban on them would help the local industries to thrive and create more jobs for the unemployed Ghanaians youth.

    He noted that B5 Plus provides the sub-region with the needed nails, iron rods, wire mesh, binding wires among others and therefore there was the need for government to support it to expand and produce more.

    He disclosed that the company had provided over 15,000 jobs directly and indirectly to Ghanaians.

    Rev Mensah said for the high unemployment rate in Ghana to be reduced, there was the need to empower the private companies to take advantage of the AfCTA to give opportunities to the youth by expanding and creating more jobs.

    He agreed that there was the need for governments to provide the needed basic amenities to companies as well as formulate good administrative policies to help companies thrive in their various sector in Ghana.

    He said there was the need for instance for government to formalize the informal sector through digitalization to ensure that more people fulfil their tax obligations to the state instead of overburdening the ones who were already complying.

    Source: GNA

  • Weve never platformed mallams, money doublers Lucky TV denies claims by Kasoa murderers

    Digital television platform Lucky Television has rubbished reports linking them to the murder of a 10-year-old boy at Kasoa by his two teenage friends.

    The name of the television station has come up as the platform through which the boys sourced the number of the fetish priest who ordered them to present a dead body and an amount of GH¢5000 as for the money ritual.

    But in a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the management of the TV station said never has the station ever made publications that promote the works of fetish priests or any such persons.

    The station, in the statement, said that the confession by the teenagers as gleaning information about the activities of the ritualist on their platform is untrue and has no basis.

    “The management of Lucky Television is disgusted about reports in the media, purported to have been revealed in court by the two teenagers charged for the murder of a ten-year-old boy in Kasoa.

    “According to reports, the suspected murderers told the court that their barbaric action was triggered by a phone number announced on Lucky Television by a witch doctor.

    “Lucky Television states unequivocally that this purported revelation by the alleged murderers is a figment of their imagination, and a blatant lie aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Lucky TV.

    “We would like to state that Lucky Television will never, and has never sold its precious air-time to any mallam, witch doctor, pastor or a fetish priest since its inception, and we challenge any group of people and or individuals who have contrary evidence to release same to the public to refute our claim,” parts of the statement read.

    The two suspected murders on Monday, August 17 gave an account of how they murdered their friend who at the time of being dumped in a hole was still breathing.

    Felix Nyarko, one of the suspects told the court: “when we got there, Nicholas told Ishmael (victim) that the game was in the sack over there so Nicholas bent down to pick the game from the sack. Nicholas then used a club to hit the back of his head and he fell to the floor, unable to speak. We dragged him closer to us and Nicholas hit him again with the club,” he said.

    The case has meanwhile been adjourned to Monday, September 6, 2021.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • COCOBOD expects a record production of over 1 million tonnes for the 2020/21 season

    Ghana Cocoa Board expects production to reach 1.06 million tonnes for the 2020/21 season, the Chief Executive Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, said on Thursday.

    He said with six weeks to the end of the season, the Board had recorded 1.033 million tonnes, beating the previous record of 1.024 million metric tonnes in the 2010/ 2011 crop season.

    Mr Boahen Aidoo was speaking at an event to introduce new weighing scales to be used by Licensed Buying Companies for purchases when the new cocoa season begins on October 1, 2021.

    Mr Boahen Aidoo attributed the achievement to the efforts of the hardworking farmers and the several interventions introduced by COCOBOD to increase the yield.

    “This achievement has never happened in the history of our cocoa industry. Notwithstanding the negative impact of COVID-19 our hardworking farmers have broken the existing record,” he said, adding that all stakeholders in the cocoa production line must be applauded.

    Mr Boahen Aidoo said the provision of improved seeds and fertilizer as well as mass pruning exercise undertaken by the Board contributed to the increase in yield.

    “We at COCOBOD also did a lot of work with the various stakeholders such as the License Buying Companies, Extension Officers, the Quality Control Unit, researchers and the farmers to achieve this target.”

    Mr. Boahen Aidoo expressed optimism that production in the 2021/2022 crop season will exceed the current target due to the US$400 Living Income Differential (LID) which directly goes to farmers.

    “We are very sure that as the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled, the consumption of chocolate will go up and this will lead to an increase in demand for cocoa. When this happens, the Ghanaian cocoa farmer will be better off.”

    He assured that COCOBOD will continue to put the Ghanaian farmer first to benefit from the sale of the commodity.

    As part of measures to ensure that farmers are not cheated, Mr Boahen Aidoo announced that effective October 1, 2021, which marks the beginning of the new crop season, electronic weighing machines will be used by License Buying Companies across the country.

    He said COCOBOD had already secured 40,000 pieces of the new weighing scale machines to be purchased by the License Buying Companies.

    “This issue of weighing, and cheating cocoa farmers have created a lot of problems, mistrust and disagreement in the cocoa industry. So, we have these weighing scales that can rely on both solar and electricity so that it can work in remote places,” he said.

    Based on research with the Ghana Standard Authority, Mr Boahen Aiddo stated that the new electronic weighing scales cannot be tampered with to protect the farmers.

    He stressed that the new system will enhance fairness and protect the integrity of the processes.

    He warned all License Buying Companies to abide by the new directive to avert sanctions by the regulator.

    “This new electronic scale is sealed. The issues of tampering with scales will stop because with this new scale, once you tamper with it, it gets spoilt,” he said.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • Photos: Architect unveils drawings of Agenda 111 projects

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, cut sod for the commencement of the Agenda 111 project, i.e. the construction of over 100 district hospitals and other major health facilities across the country.

    In his address at the launch, president Akufo-Addo mentioned a number of figures relative to the rollout of the project, from the cost of the project, the estimated number of jobs, contractors and period of completion.

    The main company behind the designs of the various facilities have revealed how the different structures will be like upon completion of the project.

    Adjaye Associates have a history of architectural works for the government of Ghana principally in respect of the design for the National Cathedral Project located in Accra.

    Find below some of the artistic impressions of the projects:

    Aerial shot of a proposed regional hospital

    The interior of a regional hospital

    Frontage of the propose Accra Psychatric Hospital

    Proposed images of Kumasi and Tamale Psychiatric Hospitals

    Aerial shot of a proposed distric hospital

    Courtyard of a proposed district hospital

    Section of a proposed district hospital

    All Photos are courtesy of the World Architecture website

    Each district hospital will cost a total of US$16.88 million, which is US$12.88 million for construction and US$4 million for medical equipment.

    An 18 month completion period has been announced per each project. According to Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, civil works are expected to take 12 months before the remaining six months goes into other works.

    A total of 25,000 Ghanaians will be employed for the construction and design phase. The workers to be employed include architects, engineers, masons, carpenters, painters, and other professionals.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his address at the sod-cutting spoke about the impact in terms of direct and indirect jobs.

    “The strategy of direct and indirect job openings to stimulate the economy of various communities which the facilities are to be created.

    “These include the creation of an estimated 25,000 jobs during the construction and design phase. i.e., jobs for architects, civil mechanical and electrical and biomedical engineers, quantity surveyors, masons, carpenters, welders, steel benders, painters, tailors, and related professionals and artisans as well as other indirect jobs.”

    According to President Akufo-Addo, the design of the project was done by 20 Ghanaian consulting firms.

    “20 Ghanaian consulting firms made up of architects, civil structural, electrical and mechanical engineers, quantity surveyors, bio-medical engineers and other technical teams have designed all these hospitals to reflect our unique domestic requirements including the impact of climate, socio-cultural conditions and traditional practices,” he said.

    The project is dubbed Agenda 111 but actually includes 101 district hospitals which is the first phase that has been started with the August 17 kick-off.

    Subsequently, the sod will be cut for six regional hospitals in the newly created regions, two specialised hospitals in the middle and northern belts, as well as a regional hospital in the Western Region and renovation of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • 1 Constituency-$1M: President commissions Adu Boahen public square project

    The President has commissioned the Albert Adu Boahen Public Square at Juaben in the Ashanti Region.

    According to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the project is under the President’s 1 Constituency 1Million dollars initiative.

    Addressing journalists after the Commissioning the CEO of Middle Belt Development Authority said the project cost GH¢1,620,000, the Adu Boahen Public Square will be used in hosting any events in the area.

    The ceremony was chaired by Omanhene of Juaben Traditional Council Daasebre Otuo Serebour 11 and the Chairman of Council of State.

    Present were the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Chairman of Council of state and Some members of the Council of state, Some Ministers, Hon. Charles Adu Boahen the Son of the late professor Adu Boahen and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.

    Hon Ama Pomaa Boateng Mp for Juaben and Deputy Minister of Communication and Digitization, CEO Middle Belt Development Authority Joe Danquah and his team.

    During a site meeting on Friday 2nd June 2021, the CEO assured the project would be completed within the specified period as indicated in the contract.

    The contract was awarded to Earth Masters Company Ltd and the project includes Conference Hall, Resting facilities, VVIP, 8 different pavilions or stands with large sizes a magnificent designed place for traditional Rulers, and a separate design for President and others.”

    He used the opportunity to outline most projects that have been established by the Middle Belt Development through $1m per Constituency in the Juaben Area.

    Joe Danquah said all the various stakeholders (District Assembly, Traditional Council, Middle Belt Development Authority) would be engaged to put proper management in place so far as those projects are concerned appealing to the general public to keep them safe.

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • UTAG to suspend strike; demands withdrawal of court action

    The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) is expected to suspend its strike following an agreement with the government to return to the negotiating table.

    The lecturers, according to a memorandum of understanding between them and the government, will suspend their industrial action if the National Labour Commission withdraws all legal action against them.

    UTAG began an indefinite industrial action last Monday over poor conditions of service and the failure of the government to resolve long-standing grievances.

    The association has been asking the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon with the government in 2012.

    The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.

    The entry-level salary of a lecturer is less than GH¢2000 while a professor earns less than GH¢5000 monthly.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Dont abuse women and girls in the name of religion FIDA on kissing Anglican Priest

    The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has asked religious bodies not to abuse women and girls all in the name of religion.

    FIDA said for far too long, the issue of sexual harassment has been at best sidelined and at worst silenced in the church.

    A statement reacting to the Anglican Priest who was caught kissing female students said “It is now time to challenge cultures of entitlement and abuse of power by clerics which plague women and girls in religious settings.

    The reality though is that sexual harassment and abuse by clerics has been in the news for quite a while due to undue influence, duress, and fear of religious authority. Though religious authority is regarded highly in Ghana, it should not be used as a cloak to oppress and abuse women and girls who most often need the protection of these clerics.”

    Below is their full statement

    Since yesterday, the attention of the country has been drawn to the video published by some media houses and circulating on some social media platforms of an Anglican priest, Rev Father Balthazar Obeng Larbi, kissing girls during a church service in a school. Also circulating are screenshots of chats allegedly posted by students of the same school claiming the incident as the modus operandi of the said reverend father.

    Quite disturbing to watch was the jeering and excitement on the faces of onlookers which in no doubt emboldened the perpetrator to continue kissing the girls. Sexual harassment and sexual abuse are not a laughing matter.

    For far too long, the issue of sexual harassment has been at best sidelined and at worst silenced in the church. It is now time to challenge cultures of entitlement and abuse of power by clerics which plague women and girls in religious settings. The reality though is that sexual harassment and abuse by clerics has been in the news for quite a while due to undue influence, duress, and fear of religious authority. Though religious authority is regarded highly in Ghana, it should not be used as a cloak to oppress and abuse women and girls who most often need the protection of these clerics.

    Needless to say, sexual harassment is gender-based violence and a violation of the human rights of girls and women and is prohibited in the 1992 Constitution, the Domestic Violence Act, and the Labour Act. The Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) defines “sexual harassment as any unwelcome, offensive or importunate sexual advances or request made by an employer or superior officer or a co-worker, whether the worker is a man or woman. The effect of sexual harassment in the academic and professional lives of women has in most situations denied women of their rightful places of merit and contributed to the huge gender gaps in education and the workplace, thus the need for the Affirmative Action Law.

    FIDA-Ghana applauds the Anglican Church of Ghana for taking this matter seriously by relieving Rev Father Larbi of his duties, providing counselling for the girls, and investigating this unfortunate incident. It is now time for women and girls who have been sexually harassed in churches to come out with their experiences in order to raise awareness of these despicable acts. Being mindful of the possibility of being stigmatized for speaking out, FIDA Ghana would like to inform the public of its Gender-Based Violence reporting phone number or WhatsApp platform on 0554121205 and website on www.save@fida.org. These platforms provide

    opportunity for victims of violence to report such acts whilst providing a trained lawyer to attend to their legal needs.

    Source: 3news.com

  • Ghana receives 249,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from the UK government

    Ghana has received an extra 249,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines from the United Kingdom government.

    This was announced by the UK government through its official Twitter handle, @UKinGhana and retweeted by the Ministry of Health, Ghana, handle @mohgovgh.

    “This morning 249,000 Flag of United Kingdom-donated #COVID19 vaccines arrived at #Kotoka Int. Airport, now they are being transported across Flag of Ghana to health workers, those most in need & those waiting for their 2nd dose. Thank you to our partners: @_GHSofficial, @UNICEF, @gavi, @CEPIvaccines & @mohgovgh,” the tweet read.

    Retweeting this, the Ministry of Health page wrote, “AstraZeneca vaccine. Thank you @UK Government.”

    On August 8, Ghana took delivery of its first batch of 177,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines to augment the national vaccination exercise against the Coronavirus.

    Ghana has received an extra 249,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines from the United Kingdom government.

    This was announced by the UK government through its official Twitter handle, @UKinGhana and retweeted by the Ministry of Health, Ghana, handle @mohgovgh.

    “This morning 249,000 Flag of United Kingdom-donated #COVID19 vaccines arrived at #Kotoka Int. Airport, now they are being transported across Flag of Ghana to health workers, those most in need & those waiting for their 2nd dose. Thank you to our partners: @_GHSofficial, @UNICEF, @gavi, @CEPIvaccines & @mohgovgh,” the tweet read.

    Retweeting this, the Ministry of Health page wrote, “AstraZeneca vaccine. Thank you @UK Government.”

    On August 8, Ghana took delivery of its first batch of 177,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines to augment the national vaccination exercise against the Coronavirus.

    The Johnson & Johnson single-shot Coronavirus vaccines are the first of monthly supplies under an arrangement with the African Union, making the country one of the first in the region to receive the vaccines that were manufactured in Africa, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said in the statement.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Electoral reforms that widen the space for inclusiveness should be embraced Charlotte Osei

    Former Chair of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), Charlotte Osei, has said that any reforms or policies that seek to widen the space for inclusiveness should be accepted by all Ghanaians.

    She added that policies that also seek to make the people feel a sense of ownership of Ghanaian institutions should also be embraced.

    She said these when asked questions on some of the electoral reforms introduced by the current leadership of the elections management body, while speaking on Joy News Wednesday, August 18.

    “My view is that any policies or any reforms that widen the space, that creates new avenues for inclusiveness, that create avenues for transparency should be embraced.

    “My view is that anything that makes us feel as citizens in the sense of ownership of our own institutions and create accountability by appointed or elected officials of state should be encouraged.”

    The EC has made a number of reform proposals for elections in Ghana.

    These include “We propose closing the polls at 3 pm rather than 5 pm. In 2019, we announced our decision to close the polls at 3 pm rather than 5 pm, in the 2020 Elections.

    “Nonetheless, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stringent, and necessarily time-consuming safety protocols we instituted at our polling stations, we were compelled to put this proposal on hold. Over the past months, however, this proposal has re-surfaced from various sections of the public, and indeed, our own experience from the 2020 Elections has revealed that it is a workable proposal, as, by 1 pm, most polling stations were empty, suggesting that this is a workable proposal. Therefore, this is a reform we intend to put forward.

    “Again, we propose to do away with the system of periodic nationwide registration exercises and institute an all-round system where citizens who turn 18, or persons who have not previously registered, may visit any district office with their Ghana Card or passport and register as voters.

    “This will help us do away with nationwide registration exercises and go a long way to reducing the cost of elections.

    “We further propose a year-round exhibition system that will enable citizens to check their registration details on their smartphones and other mobile devices.

    “Citizens would not need to wait for an exhibition exercise to check their details. They will be able to do so, all year round.

    “We propose to build further efficiency into our collation process by focusing on data entry only at the Constituency Collation Centre. The entry point for data capturing into the system will be at the Constituency Collation Centre.

    “The data i.e. Constituency Collation Results will be made available to all stakeholders at the Regional and National levels. Flowing from the data captured at the Constituency Collation Centre, the system will generate regional and national reports without further data entry at any of those levels.

    “By adopting this system, the problem of minor inaccuracies with the collation process and unnecessary delays will be reduced significantly,” she said.

    Source: 3news.com

  • Here’s the monthly Cocoa Market Report for July 2021

    The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has released a report for the monthly performance of cocoa on the international market for July 2021.

    According to highlights of the report available to GhanaWeb, prices of the nearby cocoa futures contract averaged US$2,195 per tonne.

    It further ranged between US$2,122 and US$2,295 per tonne in London whereas, in New York, the average price of the first position contract stood at US$2,332 per tonne, seesawing between US$2,242 and US$2,425 per tonne.

    For Europe, 7,960 tonnes of cocoa beans were exchanged on the market against the July 2021 contract, down from the 9,280 tonnes tendered against July 2020.

    Meanwhile, Ivory Coast and Ghana account for almost 60% of world supplies for cocoa beans.

    The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has released a report for the monthly performance of cocoa on the international market for July 2021.

    According to highlights of the report available to GhanaWeb, prices of the nearby cocoa futures contract averaged US$2,195 per tonne.

    It further ranged between US$2,122 and US$2,295 per tonne in London whereas, in New York, the average price of the first position contract stood at US$2,332 per tonne, seesawing between US$2,242 and US$2,425 per tonne.

    For Europe, 7,960 tonnes of cocoa beans were exchanged on the market against the July 2021 contract, down from the 9,280 tonnes tendered against July 2020.

    Meanwhile, Ivory Coast and Ghana account for almost 60% of world supplies for cocoa beans.

    See the full report HERE:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Government to allocate one per cent of GDP to support research and scientific activities

    The Government has announced that it will dedicate a minimum of one per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to supporting research, science, technology, and innovative activities.

    To that end, the government was putting measures in place to establish a National Research Fund, which would be accessible to researchers and all potential innovators.

    Currently, the Fund Bill has been passed and the government is working on the regulatory framework for operationalising the fund.

    Dr Eric Nkansah, Technical Advisor and Director in charge of Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education, announced this at the opening ceremony of the maiden African Mathematical School in Mathematical Methods in Analysis and Probability in Accra.

    The two-week workshop, organised by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Ghana (AIMS Ghana) aimed at equipping participants with relevant skills on stochastic analysis, the analysis of partial differential equations, and related numerical methods that can be employed.

    Launched on Monday, 16th August 2021, the two-week workshop brought together over 35 mathematics researchers from universities across Africa, which provides a platform for them to network and interact, to learn about cutting-edge research latest mathematical tools, and to share their ideas and experiences with world-renowned researchers and professors.

    The summer school is expected to enrich multi-disciplinary research between different departments, schools in Ghana, Africa, and among Africans, as well as across research institutions worldwide.

    Dr Nkansah re-affirmed the government’s unalloyed commitment towards promoting and advancing the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) from the basic schools to the tertiary level.

    He expressed the government’s ambition of partnering with AIMS Ghana- a Centre of excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences and research- towards training between 50 and 100 PhDs in the next five years.

    “The hope of Africa lies in building a solid mathematics research foundation in our education. As Ghana and Africa strive to satisfy the socio-economic needs of the people, we need to anchor our development on the pinnacles of STEM education and research, training and developing young African mathematicians who will lead Africa in scientific breakthroughs,” Dr Nkansah stated.

    He reiterated the government’s vision of forming a strategic partnership with AIMS Ghana towards establishing a female STEM Senior High School soon.

    He believed that the summer school would increase the stock of knowledge of participants and help unlock the research capabilities of young researchers to make Ghana and the world a better place to live in.

    In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the sidelines of the workshop, Professor Olivier Menoukeu Pamen, the German Research Chair in Mathematics and its Applications at AIMS Ghana who is also a Reader at the University of Liverpool, advocated the need for African governments to allocate more funding towards research.

    He bemoaned the low level of research emanating from Africa, constituting about 2.5 per cent of global research output, with West Africa contributing less than 0.08%.

    Prof. Franca Hoffmann, AIMS-Carnegie Research Chair in Data Science at Quantum Leap Africa, AIMS Rwanda, and a Professor at the University of Bonn, called for more exchange programmes between researchers in Africa and the global research community to share ideas and experiences on the latest scientific research models.

    She advocated the need for brain circulation as opposed to brain drain.

    Overall, with the right methodologies, focus, conducive environment, and efforts by governments and institutions, scientific talents impacting in significant ways the advancement of global human knowledge could emerge from the African continent.

    Source: GNA

  • Are frontline health workers still benefiting from COVID-19 reliefs? NDC team member quizzes

    A communication team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Gabriel Maestro is demanding the current state of the incentive package paid to frontline health workers to help them fight the coronavirus in the country.

    Appearing on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he stated that Ghanaians deserve to know whether the Frontline health workers are benefiting from the COVID-19 reliefs.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in June 2020, extended the tax holiday provided for all health workers in the country for another three months.

    In his 13th update, the President said the extension meant that all health workers would pay no income taxes for the next three months, that is July, August, and September.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo added that all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, would continue to receive the additional allowance of 50 percent of their basic salary per month, for July, August, and September.

    The President first announced the incentive package for health workers in his fifth update to the nation on Sunday, April 5, 2020. The “thank you” package was for all health workers for the months of April, May, and June.

    Gabriel Maestro commenting on the issue said it would be important for the government to tell Ghanaians whether the reliefs were still in place.

    He said the virus was still with us, thus we have there was the need to let the people know if our Frontline health workers are being treated fairly.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • Court charges UTAG with GH¢3,000

    The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has been slapped with a charge of GH¢3,000 by the Labour Court 1 Division of the Accra High Court.

    According to a CitiNews report, the court surcharged UTAG for wasting its time.

    This comes after UTAG’s inability to complete its process before the hearing on Monday, August 16, 2021.

    The case has however been adjourned to Wednesday, August 19, 2021.

    The National Labour Commission (NLC) on Friday, August 6 secured an interlocutory injunction to compel UTAG to call off its industrial strike action.

    But members of UTAG continued with their strike asking the government to improve the condition of their service.

    The strike has resulted in the cancellation of the end of semester examinations of most state-owned universities.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Lets not neglect Godly values – Reverend Boama Agyekum

    Parents have been advised to create value systems for their children to ensure good morals in a world full of bad living and influences.

    “The world out there has become very slippery more than ever and family responsibility towards children coupled with good value systems was the surest way to save the future of these generations.”

    Reverend Boamah Agyekum, the Founder of the Emmanuel Community Chapel in Takoradi, told the Ghana News Agency on Sunday.

    He said with poor dressing among the youth, fast and fake lives gaining roots, among other vices, the family and the religious units had the greatest responsibility of turning things around for the better.

    Reverend Agyekum said even the secular society believed in discipline, company values and missions and any violation attracted sanctions and wondered why the homes and churches were gradually turning blind eyes to good morals and values.

    He said though the church had created the needed presence in the country, the impact in terms of teaching morals seemed to be lagging.

    “If we indeed have accepted Christ…we should allow his good deeds to prevail in our societies.”

    Reverend Agyekum said just as companies believed in discipline and respected them, people working there should translate such values into their daily work.

    He explained, “can you wear anything to the bank in the name of fashion, how about the police and the military, you dare not, so how come we want to behave anyhow as religious people and for that matter Christians…this hypocrisy and falsehood in the church must stop.”

    “If institutional discipline is working, how come good Christian living; integrity and, honesty, is being thrown to the dogs.”

    Reverend Agyekum called on colleague Pastors to stand firm, call a spade a spade and open the eyes of their followers to the true doctrine of God to save the country.

    He also advocated a multifaceted approach by all stakeholders, schools, families, religious bodies and state institutions to rethinking family life development for the betterment of the future.

    Source: gna.org.gh

  • Employment Minister responding to treatment after near-fatal road crash

    Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Employment and Labour Relations Minister, is said to be responding to treatment at the Bono Regional Hospital after his car collided head-on with a tipper truck on Saturday.

    Mr. Baffour-Awuah, who is the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, was returning from a funeral at Odumase and headed to Nsoatre when his driver wrongfully overtook a vehicle resulting in the accident.

    The Minister, according to a Citi FM reportage, was in the company of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for the Sunyani West Constituency, Kusi Boadum and other party members when the crash occurred.

    Seth Asare Bediako, the Bono Regional NPP Communications Director, told Citi FM that, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah would be discharged soon.

    He explained, “we went to a number of funerals yesterday [Saturday], and the last one was Nsaotre, his hometown. On his way coming together with his entourage, we were all in the car but unfortunately, an articulator truck made a wrongful negotiation without using the traffic indicators which got the driver of the Minister in a fix. He had no option other than to hit the truck. So they were injured, and as we speak they are all admitted at the Sunyani Government Hospital, responding to treatment.”

    “This [Sunday], we visited the Minister and the other Ministers. Three of them were discharged from the hospital. But as we speak, the Minister is still on admission as well as the Constituency Chairman. We spoke to the Medical doctor there, and he has assured us that they are done with the tests, and hopefully, he will be discharged soon”, he added.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Chinese national arrested for attempted murder

    The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old Chinese national -Luo Chuan on August 9, 2021, and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, abetment of attempted murder and duty to prevent Felony.

    Luo Chuan was arrested in connection with the attempted murder of a fellow Chinese national, – Xu Rongsheng 33-year-old by Jiang Yongshong, 49-year-old, also a Chinese and the main suspect in the case at a Casino in Community Six, Tema.

    According to Superintendent Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, Regional Crime Officer, Tema Police Command who briefed the Ghana News Agency in Tema on Wednesday said the main suspect, is currently on the run.

    He said the main suspect Jiang is alleged to have on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, shot at the victim three times without provocation at the premises of a Casino at Community Six and absconded in a black 4×4 Lexus with Registration No. GT 9555-15 being driven by Luo now in custody.

    Supt Otuo Acheampong explained that upon receiving a report and after initial enquiries, the police traced the getaway vehicle to Aristocrat Casino at Community Eleven, Tema on Saturday, August 7, 2021, where the vehicle was impounded and arrested a suspect with the keys to the said vehicle.

    He said further investigations led to the arrest of the driver of the said vehicle at his hideout in Tema and has since been arraigned before the Ashaiman District Court on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, and remanded into Police custody to reappear on August 25, 2021.

    “Unrelenting efforts are still underway to apprehend the main suspect who is on the run with a gun in his possession to face the full rigours of the Law,” Supt. Otuo Acheampong noted.

    He also called on the public to call Tema Regional Police Command on emergency numbers: +233291206472 or +233542719093 around the clock with any information leading to the arrest of the main suspect.

    Source: GNA

  • Teachers promotion examination: We deserve better – Teacher Unions

    Three Pre-Education Teachers’ Unions have called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to restructure the Teachers’ Promotion Examination to bring dignity and respect to the profession.

    The Unions, GNAT, National Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned TeachersGhana (CCT-GH), also urged the GES to solve their complaints by September 2021.

    Mr Thomas T. Musah, the General Secretary of GNAT, told a press conference that the issue of promotion had provoked the rank and file of teachers.

    “We deserve better treatment than the way we are being treated. Enough of the respect…it is deeply worrying and so demoralizing watching a professionally trained teacher weep uncontrollably for promotion,” he said.

    “A country where there is no motivation and recognition for teachers has a herculean problem,” he added.

    On transfer of teachers in Special Schools, the Unions said they were surprised at the decision by the Management of the GES to transfer all teachers teaching in special schools because of a problem in a single special school.

    “We, therefore, called on the GES to suspend the action as the ramification of a mass and nationwide transfer, singling out one group of Teachers is not only discriminatory but also wrong,” Mr Musah added.

    On appointments, Mr Musah said: “We do not understand why GES has decided not to consider teachers working in the District and Regional Education Offices as Heads and Assistant Heads of Schools.

    “The justification for this decision is not known to all stakeholders and we call for the suspension of the policy until a thorough discussion on the issue is done,” he said.

    The Unions also called on GES to stop the signing of the performance contracts with Heads of institutions until it was discussed with Unions.

    “This is unacceptable because the Unions do not know the details and the implications of the contract”.

    Other grievances of the Unions include increased contract and working hours without compensating the affected teachers, failure to provide teaching and learning resources to teachers and pupils to improve quality of education and delay in upgrading teachers who financed themselves to acquire degrees and those who have completed their study leave with pay.

    There are also issues of failure to pay responsibility allowance to deserving teachers, and other benefits and allowances such as car maintenance, rent advance, allowances for teachers in deprived/difficult areas and additional duty allowance, among others.

    Source: GNA

  • GMA calls for the urgent deployment of vaccines

    The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged the government to fast-track the deployment of available vaccines in the country to vaccinate more people and curb the spread of infections.

    “We will be in for a huge problem if we do not break the chain of transmission”, Dr Justice Yankson, General Secretary of the Association told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Wednesday.

    He said the Delta variant which is largely the cause of the increase in infections comes along with a high viral load and a high burden of disease.

    Dr Yankson said currently, health facilities and human resources handling moderate to severe COVID-19 cases are overstretched and the centres are becoming full.

    He encourages the public to wear their face masks at all times, wash hands regularly with soap under running water, observe social distancing and sanitize hands often to help curtail the spread of the disease.

    Dr Yankson commended Mr Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister for directing Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies to cause the arrest of a person not adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.

    An Update of COVID-19 cases on the Ghana Health Service page showed that Ghana as at August 7, recorded 892 COVID-19 deaths with 109,022 confirmed cases.
    Currently, the active cases stand at 6,765 with 345 new cases.

    The GMA in a press statement issued on July 30, 2021, after its National Executive Meeting (NEC) said the Covid-19 situation in the country is alarming and dire especially with the rapid spread of the Delta variant in our communities.

    The statement said the risk of the further exponential rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and its attendant strain on the already over-stretched and fragile health system, as well as the national economy cannot be overemphasized or discounted.

    It further called for an urgent scale-up of free and enhanced COVID testing in communities especially in all identified COVID-19 hot spots, contact tracing as well as strict isolation and management of all infected persons at designated centres.

    Source: GNA

  • ASEPA petitions OSP to investigate Frontiers Healthcare Services contract

    Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has sent a petition to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the contract between Frontiers Healthcare Services and the Ghana Airports Company Limited.

    According to the Civil Society Organisation, little information has been made about the agreement which allows Frontiers Healthcare Services to undertake COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

    In a petition dated August 11, 2021, and copied to the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, ASEPA said, “the Minister of Health announced that a total of about $17million has been accumulated from the testing of passengers at the Kotoka International Airport since last year when the borders were opened, and out of that amount, only a paltry $1million in terms of revenue was accrued to Ghana.”

    It added that “this contractual in-balance in what is supposed to be a partnership arrangement, is cause for worry for a number of Civil Society leaders and well-meaning Ghanaians, who are raising a number of questions regarding the agreement, whether it was in the best interest of the State.”

    ASEPA is tasking the Special Prosecutor to establish who signed the contract, what are the terms of the contract and the processes leading to the selection of Frontiers Health Services by the Ghana Airports Company.

    Further, ASEPA stated in their letter that, the Special Prosecutor should investigate the background of Frontiers Health Services and also establish who are the shareholders and its country of origin, as well as the beneficial owners of the company.

    “(Investigate) the total amount of money generated from the Covid-19 testing at the airport from the inception of this agreement till 31 July 2021. Investigate allegations of money laundering against Frontiers Health Services in respect of the repatriation of monies generated from the Covid-19 testing at the Airport,” the petition read further.

    The Ghana Airports Company, signed a contract with Frontier Healthcare Services on September 1, 2020, to undertake COVID-19 antigen tests at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

    This was after the government of Ghana implemented a policy that required all passengers arriving at KIA to be tested for coronavirus at a fee of 150 dollars and 150 dollars for those departing.

    The COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport yielded more than $17million ($17,359,500) between September and December 2020, the Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah has announced.

    He said per the contract the Frontiers Healthcare Services Limited was to retain more than $16million ($16,202,200) for its services, while the Ghana Airport Company Limited received $1,157,300 as royalties.

    But, the Minority in Parliament, at the time, was sceptical about the deal and indicated that if Frontiers Healthcare Services making $16.2million from Covid-19 testing in four months, whereas Ghana earns $1.1million, it is evidence that the country has been ripped off in the arrangement.

    ASEPA also wants Kissi Agyabeng to, “investigate allegations of procurement breaches against the Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company and the Minister of Aviation in respect of this Frontiers contract” and also produce a corruption risk assessment report on the transaction and initiate criminal prosecutions against all persons found culpable in, “this rip-off transaction.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Ghanaian Landlord allegedly tortures his American tenant 67 times

    An American citizen, Mr. Claude D Convisser, who lives in the Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region, has accused his Ghanaian landlord of torture and threats to vacate an apartment rented to him.

    According to Mr. Claude, a contract agreement he had with the landlord, which allows him to use the apartment for four years has not expired, but the landlord is breaking the agreement to evict him.

    Visibly worried Mr. Claude said in the landlord’s attempt to get him out of the house, he has subjected him to all forms of inhumane treatments, including physical torture, which he has reported to police in Tamale.

    He said the police were however yet to press charges on the landlord despite his several attempts to pursue the case.

    “They beat me up 67 times. I have reported the beatings to the Northern Regional Ghana police service and the Sagnarigu local station. The police have done nothing about the beating which has left me with broken right ribs and a broken bone on my left hand…”

    He said fearing for their lives following several threats, his workmates, security guard and house cleaner, have all left the apartment.

    The landlord, Mr. Claude added threatened to unroof the apartment and demanded he vacates the house immediately.

    Mr. Claude speaking to the media, appealed to authorities especially the police in Tamale to effect an arrest on the landlord and his accomplices, to save him from the continuous torture.

    Source: Alidu Abdur Rashid, Contributor

  • Opeibea gun battle: Robbers have been on the police wanted list – ACP Kwesi Ofori

    The Acting Director-General, Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori has said the armed robbers who were killed during the gun battle with the police at Opeibea near Kotoka International Airport have been on their wanted list.

    The robbers, according to ACP Kwesi Ofori, have a violent history and have been on the radar of the Regional Police Command for some time.

    “These robbers, who engaged in a gun battle with the Police, have been on the Police wanted list for some time. They have been engaged in criminal acts leading to deaths of people and so we have been trailing them for long,” he said on Joy FM.

    Three armed robbers were killed by the police in a shoot out at Opeibea, Accra, on Monday.

    Akika Christian Roberts, Alhassan, and Alhaji were identified as the victims.

    Abdul Latif, 47, and Prosper Koku, 27, who have suspected gang members, were arrested at the scene and currently assisting investigations.

    The bodies of the deceased have been sent to the Police Hospital Morgue for an autopsy.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Supreme Court judge Justice Samuel Marful-Sau passes on

    A Justice of the Supreme Court Justice Marful-Sau has passed away, a source has confirmed to JoyNews. He was 64.

    Justice Marful-Sau was a member of the 7-member Supreme Court panel that decided the 2020 Election Petition brought before the Court by former President John Dramani Mahama.

    He was appointed to the Court in 2018 by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    Marful-Sau was admitted to practice in Ghana as a Barrister-at-Law and Solicitor in 1984 and served briefly as a prosecutor in the office of the Special Public Prosecutor from August 1984 to July 1986.

    In 2002, he was appointed a Justice of the High Court and was elevated four years later to the Court of Appeal where he served until he was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018.

    Source: Kwaku Asante|myjoyonline.com

  • Health Minister granted two-week leave to attend to ‘personal issues’

    Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has been granted a two-week leave of absence in order for him to attend to some “personal issues”, Citi News has reported.

    According to the news portal, the leave which was granted by Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare is said to have begun last week.

    Already, there have been growing calls by a section of the public for Mr. Agyeman-Manu to resign over his involvement in breaching procurement rules in the process of acquiring Sputnik V vaccines for Ghana.

    The deal which has since been terminated was subjected to probe by a committee that is yet to formally come up with its final report on the matter.

    Meanwhile, the intermediary Dubai-based businessman, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, who has been at the centre of the botched controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal has agreed to refund an amount of US$2,470,000 of the US$2.8 million paid to him as he only supplied to Ghana 20,000 doses of the vaccines out of an expected 300,000 before the contract was terminated.

    The development comes after the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a letter made a request for a refund of the money.

    In a letter sighted by GhanaWeb, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum asked the Health Ministry to provide account details necessary to undertake the refund.

    “We acknowledge receipt of your letter, Ref No. MOIVOM/LL1/7/2I, dated 2nd of August 2021, with a formal request to refund the remaining amount of the non-supplied doses from the 50% advance transferred to our accounts.”

    “We, hereby, request to kindly acknowledge and confirm the above-mentioned amounts to be refunded, further to which we shall initiate the refund process to your bank account. Please share with us the bank details where the refund needs to be processed,” the letter read in part.

    See Sheikh Al Maktoum’s letter below:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Airport workers demand payment of 13-month welfare, SSNIT arrears

    Workers of Ghana Airport Company are demanding the immediate release of their locked up deductions for Staff Welfare, Insurance, Credit union, and SSNIT benefits.

    The demand follows a physical assault of a worker by the Managing Director for the company, Yaw Kwakwa, during a staff meeting over their 13-month arrears.

    The said assault which was captured on video in possession of Starr News has heightened the agitations from the workers who have been demanding the removal of Mr. Kwakwa over mismanagement for a while now.

    SSNIT has, however, sued the Ghana Airport Company over its failure to pay the contribution of workers.

    Speaking to Starr News about the development, the chairman for the local chapter of the Public Services Workers Union, Abdul Isaka Bamba described the physical assault on the worker as unfortunate.

    SSNIT has, however, sued the Ghana Airport Company over its failure to pay the contribution of workers.

    Speaking to Starr News about the development, the chairman for the local chapter of the Public Services Workers Union, Abdul Isaka Bamba described the physical assault on the worker as unfortunate.

    According to Mr. Bamba failure to release the funds has brought untold hardship on staff who are unable to access loans from their credit union.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Sputnik V report: Initiate criminal probe against Agyeman-Manu ASEPA to AG

    The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has given the Attorney General a 48-hour ultimatum to initiate criminal investigations and prosecution against the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, and all other persons involved in the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines.

    This comes after the Ad-hoc Committee of Parliament set up to investigate the unsuccessful procurement of the vaccine by the Health Ministry, released a report of its findings and recommendations.

    In portions of the report, the Committee said it discharged its mandate by “diligently” examining the two agreements as well as “written and oral evidence on the subject within the parameters of the seven terms of reference and the timelines given by the house”.

    The Committee said it found that the Ministry of Health did not comply with the requirements of Article 181(5) of the Constitution in respect of its agreement with Messrs Al Maktoum.

    “The minister said that he did that because of the exigencies of the time when COVID-19 posed public health crisis with highest fatalities and there was urgent global search for vaccines and at that material time the agreements were signed, all government-to-government sources had failed as the bilateral sources had communicated to the Ministry that they would only be able to deliver in August 2021”, portions of the report said.

    It added: “Suffice to say that the bilateral sources did not include Russia since Ghana had no such arrangement with Russia”.

    “The agreements ensuing from the negotiations have been submitted to the PPA for ratification, the Committee determined that the agreements were entered into without prior approval by the PPA under Sections 40 and 41 of Act 663. Indeed, at the time of completing its work, PPA was yet to do the ratification”.

    A statement signed by the Executive Director of ASEPA, Mensah Thompson on 9 August 2021 indicated that “Even though we commend the committee for the work done, we believe the work of the Committee and its resultant report wasn’t particularly thorough.

    “The adverse findings made by the Committee are already issues civil society, experts and well-meaning Ghanaian have already raised in the public domain”.

    “Our limitation was that we lacked the powers to recommend appropriate sanctions against the Minister in respect of the glaring violations of our laws and that’s why a committee was set up to investigate the matter and make appropriate recommendations.

    “Retrieval of monies paid to Sheikh for the failed procurement is an un-compromising formality and that cannot be the end to this matter,” it added.

    ASEPA, therefore, stated that “In respect of the violations of our laws there are clear sanctions that must be activated in accordance with the law, in respect of this we are giving the Attorney General a 48-hour ultimatum, to initiate Criminal Investigations and Prosecution against the Minister for Health and all other persons involved in this shady procurement or ASEPA will take the matter up and file an official complaint with the CID”, adding that: “A petition has been already prepared together with all relevant documents including the report of the ad-hoc committee of Parliament awaiting to be filed within the next 48 hours at the CID if the Attorney General fails to initiate the relevant legal processes against the health minister”.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Teacher Kwadwo was summoned by GES over professional misconduct

    Ghanaian comedian and professional Teacher Michael Owusu Afriyie known widely as Teacher Kwadwo will face the Akrofuom District Education Directorate today, August 10, 2021, for an alleged act of professional misconduct.

    Teacher Kwadwo has been invited by the committee to answer some questions regarding his conduct as a teacher.

    A letter shared on his social media page read “you are invited to appear before the Akrofuom District Education Directorate for alleged professional misconducts”.

    It is unknown what professional misconduct entails but the award-winning comedian has been on a campaign on social media where he highlights major issues affecting the teaching profession.

    From poor remuneration to poor classrooms, Teacher Kwadwo has been touring various parts of the country to bring to light some of the teething challenges facing the education sector.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Sputnik V saga: I will refund your money, share your account details – Sheikh to Agyeman-Manu

    A Dubai based businessman, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, who has been at the centre of the botched controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal has agreed to refund an amount of US$2,470,000 to Ghana.

    The development comes after the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a letter made a request for a refund of the money.

    In a letter sighted by GhanaWeb, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum asked the Health Ministry to provide account details necessary to undertake the refund.

    “We acknowledge receipt of your letter, Ref No. MOIVOM/LL1/7/2I, dated 2nd of August 2021, with a formal request to refund the remaining amount of the non-supplied doses from the 50% advance transferred to our accounts.”

    “We, hereby, request to kindly acknowledge and confirm the above-mentioned amounts to be refunded, further to which we shall initiate the refund process to your bank account. Please share with us the bank details where the refund needs to be processed,” the letter read in part.

    See Sheikh Al Maktoum’s letter below:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Asante Kotoko’s Adako Jackie project nears completion

    Works at the Asante Kotoko Adako Jachie project site is taking shape as the first phase is close to completion.

    The first phase will include the club’s secretariat and other officers being moved from the current Odeneho Kwadaso location to Adako Jachie.

    It will help the club in its administrative work while also giving the club the needed base to work on other infrastructural needs.

    They will also secure high-end equipment for their new secretariat as the staff are complaining the present ones are old.

    Phase 1 was originally supposed to be ready in January but the date was pushed back.

    The latest updates from the ongoing construction show that the facility is almost at its final stage of completion.

    The project when completed will have a 30-bed dormitory, a technical block, executive office, dressing room, medical block, secretariat, players block and a gym.

    Watch the video below:

    https://youtu.be/koFqvrVLFpA

    Source: Richard Obeng Bediako, Contributor

  • Enoch Adu Kofi red-carded as Mjallby fight to draw at Orebro in Sweden

    Mjallby midfielder Enoch Adu Kofi received a red card in his side’s 2-2 draw at Örebro in the Swedish Allsvenskan on Saturday, 7 August 2021.

    The former Ghana international accumulated two yellow cards in a spate of three minutes to take an early shower.

    Adu received his first yellow card in the 24th minute and then his second just three minutes later after a high kick.

    Despite his early expulsion, Mjallby adjusted well and twice clawed back to draw 2-2.

    Nahir Besara gave the home side an early lead in the 8th minute before Joel Nilsson equalized on 22 minutes.

    Örebro regained their lead in the 51st minute through Dennis Collander before Ghanaian striker Mamudo Moro snatched a late equalizer in the 84th minute.

    Source: ghanasoccernet.com

  • Police shoot to kill three at Shiashie

    Some three suspected armed robbers have been killed after they exchanged fire with the police at Shiashie in Accra.

    Kingdomfmonline.com reports that the three died on the spot.

    The report continued that a fourth person was arrested by the police and is currently in its custody.

    In the meantime, the bodies of the slain suspects, the report added, are yet to be identified.

    It is however unclear what the armed robbers were after, resulting in their confrontation with the police.

    Here is a video:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • We have seen and felt it all in him – Sissaland youth reject Mahama’s 2024 bid

    A group calling itself the Young Patriots in Sissaland has said that they are no longer interested in a bid by the former president, John Dramani Mahama, to lead the country.

    In a statement made available to GhanaWeb, the group said that all that is needed from the former president politically have been seen already and so, it would be needless for him to make any more attempts at returning to the high office.

    Authored by Bawah Chakilia Latif, the Acting Communication Director of the group, he said that it is unconscionable that even after people have advised him against it, John Dramani Mahama will still be hatching plans of returning to office as president.

    “After John Mahama’s humiliating defeat in 2016, his younger brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, told a group of senior journalists on behalf of John Dramani Mahama that John Dramani Mahama has given his all in politics to the NDC and Ghana and it is fair for him to rest.

    “According to Mr Ibrahim Mahama, they have advised John Dramani Mahama not to make a comeback in 2020 and he has agreed with them. Unfortunately, a few days later, he started embarking on “Unity Walks” across the then ten regions of Ghana,” the statement said.

    They continued that the fact that John Mahama eventually announced on Twitter that he is coming back, shows that he does not have the nation at heart.

    They added that even if he wins the primaries at the National Democratic Congress level, he will suffer a massive defeat on the national scale.

    “It appears former President John Dramani Mahama has mistaken the gullibility of the NDC members for all Ghanaians. In 2024 again, we will remind him and the NDC of the disdainful treatment that his government meted on us. We are well-discerning Ghanaians without short memories who are willing to remind former president John Dramani Mahama and the NDC that there is a tolerable level which our wisdom would be undermined,” it said.

    Besides, the statement added, the former president has been at all levels of political administration and as such, there will be nothing new for him to present to the people and for which reason he should not even consider the thought.

    “The good people of Ghana do not need former president John Dramani Mahama and the NDC in 2024. We have seen and felt it all in him. He had been a Member of Parliament, a deputy minister, a vice president and a president in the fourth republic. He has nothing again to prove,” the statement explained.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • 1D1F: GH¢7.3 million Savelugu rice factory, Tech Solution Centre commissioned

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, 7th August 2021, commissioned the GH¢7.3 million Savelugu rice processing factory, as part of his 2-day tour of the Northern Region.

    The rice factory is a state-of-the-art rice facility, with the capacity to produce between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour. The processing plants installed at the factory include modern parboiling, milling and packaging plants.

    It has a standby generator plant and a mechanised borehole to supply the facility with water. It also has a fully furnished office accommodation for staff, a conference room, laboratory and a canteen/kitchen.

    The Savelugu Rice Factory was constructed under the 1-District-1-Factory Common User Facility (CUF), which is an agro-industrial factory established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

    The factory, President Akufo-Addo was told, will employ about 118 people including management professionals, factory floor workers and plantation workers who will work on a nucleus rice farm.

    In addition, over 600 farmers from Savelugu Municipality and neighbouring communities will be directly engaged to supply paddy rice for processing.

    With funding from the African Development Bank, the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) has established five (5) of these CUFs nationwide.

    The 1D1F CUF factories are located in Savelugu (rice processing; Nkran Nkwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region (rice processing); Akontombra in the Sefwi Akontombra District of the Western North Region (rice processing); Dompim in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region (Oil Palm processing); and in Nsuta in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region (Maize processing).

    Savelugu Technology Solution Centre

    President Akufo-Addo also commissioned the GH¢6.04 million Savelugu Technology Solution Centre (TSC), which is one of 5 new facilities being established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP). The other four are located at Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region, Hohoe in the Volta Region, Elmina in the Central Region and Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.

    The five new TSCs are an upgraded version of and an addition to the original 26 Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs) established by REP, across the country in collaboration with GRATIS and the host District Assemblies.

    The TSCs are set up to support the Government’s Industrialization Agenda particularly the 1D1F initiative.

    The key functions include production of spare parts and repair services for district factories and the oil & gas industry, manufacturing of agro-processing equipment, provide training for human resource capacity building. To enhance the increased number of trainees, hostels facilities have been provided for both males and females at five of the older TSCs; and to admit trainees from within and outside the districts/municipalities they are located.

    Source: presidency.gov.gh