The administration of the University of Development Studies – Tamale Campus has said it is taking action to resolve any unresolved issues with the Volta River Authority.
Staff of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) accused security officers of UDS of detaining them for cutting supply to the institution.
NEDCo explained that the institution is in arrears of over GH¢447,000 hence the disconnection exercise.
The Head of Communication at UDS Tamale Campus, Abdul Hayi Moomen, explained to Citi News that security officers were unaware of the exercise by NEDCo hence the scuffle.
“What we were told was that they will be replacing the postpaid meters and replace them with prepaid meters, but the security on duty did not know about the exercise NEDCo had come to perform. So they wanted to confirm from management of the school before they were allowed to do anything and that is what caused the scuffle.”
“When they proceeded to take out the fuse that supply light to the school, it prompted the security to stop them and a scuffle ensued when officials of NEDCo wanted to leave with the fuse.”
“It is a scuffle. It is an unfortunate incident which happened. Management has taken notice of that and in recognition of the cordial relationship we have with VRA, UDS is putting measures in place to remedy the situation. Let us not create a storm in a teacup”.
CANCER! As scary as the word sounds, it means a lot of different things.
However, the most common among all these is the disease. This is caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body. There are many types of cancers that attack the human body and almost all of them are fatal.
Some take time to take adverse effects while others are just not time friendly. The GLOBOCAN estimates that 16,600 cases of cancer occur annually in Ghana, yielding an age-standardized rate of 109.5 cases per 100,000 persons. Each year, the world celebrates “World Cancer Day” in the month of February to create awareness about the various types, symptoms, and prevention of cancer.
Often, cancer patients need extra care and attention to help them go through relatively tough periods of rehabilitation and recovery. This year, World Cancer Day is slated for Saturday, 4th February 2023 under the theme: “Close the care gap”.
Jumia, Africa’s leading e-commerce company discusses the importance of cancer awareness by highlighting the most common cancers in Ghana as well as their causes and possible ways of prevention below.
Breast Cancer – Maybe the most talked about or most popular cancer worldwide. According to the 2020 GLOBOCAN report, Ghana is estimated to record 4,645 (20.4%) new breast cancer cases which are more than double the estimated 2,062 new cases in 2012, with close to 50% of them dying;
the high mortality rate is mainly due to late-stage presentation. Most of the women affected with breast cancer are below the age of 50 in Ghana (58.2%). Breast cancer happens when cells in your breast grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, creating a mass of tissue called a tumor.
Signs of breast cancer can include feeling a lump in your breast, experiencing a change in the size of your breast, and seeing changes to the skin on your breasts. Mammograms, self-checks, and regular checks by health professionals can help with early detection. Early detection helps breast cancer patients to live long fulfilling lives while late-stage detection can be fatal.
Lung Cancer – According to the WHO data published in 2020 Lung Cancers Deaths in Ghana reached 237 or 0.14% of total deaths. This is alarming considering the major cause of lung cancer is smoking of cigarettes.
Lung cancer also can be caused by using other types of tobacco (such as pipes or cigars), breathing secondhand smoke, being exposed to substances such as asbestos or radon at home or work, and having a family history of lung cancer.
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to avoid smoking of any form whether primary or secondary. Lung cancer is treated in several ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread.
People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments. People with small cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Prostate Cancer – Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer affects about 60% of black men. The Ghana Cancer Control Strategy plan document revealed that 200 out of every 100,000 men in Ghana are suffering from this cancer.
While some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or even no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly. Prostate cancer that’s detected early, when it’s still confined to the prostate gland has the best chance for successful treatment.
Usually, there are no signs or symptoms in its early stages. However, more advanced cases can cause signs and symptoms such as trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, blood in the urine, blood in the semen, bone pain, losing weight without trying, and erectile dysfunction.
Many health professionals advise men to reduce their risks of prostate cancer by choosing a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and frequent medical checks to know their status.
Cervical Cancer – Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix; the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cervical cancer.
Current estimates from the ecancer organization indicate that every year 2,797 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 1,699 die from the disease in Ghana
This is quite alarming and should be given extra attention. Early-stage cervical cancer generally produces no signs or symptoms. However, signs and symptoms of more-advanced cervical cancer include, vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause, watery, bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and have a foul odor, and pelvic pain or pain during intercourse. There are many risk factors that we should take into account.
These include Risk factors for cervical cancer include having many sexual partners, Early sexual activity, having sex at an early age, having other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a weakened immune system, smoking, and exposure to miscarriage prevention drugs. To help prevent or reduce these risks, women are advised to get the HPV vaccine and have routine Pap tests, practice safe sex and avoid smoking.
Colon/rectum Cancer – Maybe the least prevalent of the cancers mentioned so far. In Ghana, the incidence of colon cancer remains low at 3.9 cases per 100,000. However, it is a serious issue and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Common causes of colorectal cancer are lack of regular physical activity, having diets low in fruit and vegetables, a low-fiber and high-fat diet, or a diet high in processed meats, being overweight, and obesity alcohol consumption and tobacco use.
Many doctors and health professionals suggest that people may reduce their risk of developing colorectal cancer by increasing physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption, and avoiding tobacco.
As the world observes World Cancer Day on 4th February 2023, it is imperative that education about all cancers become widespread in rural and urban areas. Parents and guardians should teach their wards, health professionals should always advise and educate patients about the risk factors and preventive measures.
Above all things, patients living with cancer or undergoing treatments deserve all the care and attention they can get. Stigmatization of cancer patients should be completely avoided while cancer survivors should be encouraged to share their stories in order to motivate others going through similar challenges.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Tema Regional Branch, has stated that the new Junior High School (JHS) Two curriculum has not yet been introduced to schools in Tema and its surrounding area.
All basic schools in the Tema Metropolis, Tema West, Ashaiman, and the Kpone-Katamanso municipalities are yet to receive the JHS Two textbooks three weeks into the reopening of schools for the 2023 academic year.
The Chairman of GNAT, Tema, Mr Abednego Tettey Nuertey, in an interview with GNA, said the form two students were the first group to start the new curriculum.
He, therefore, urged the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to ensure that the books reach the schools to make teaching and learning effective.
“For now, teachers are using their own resources by searching on the internet for relevant information or the use of alternative books to guide their teaching, based on the syllabus,” he said.
He observed that the private schools mostly resorted to giving the pupils research topics to search on the internet based on the syllabus.
However, in the quest to research on the internet, the children would be exposed to unwanted materials, which often pop-up during searches, Mr Nuertey said.
Okagyakrom Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in the Jasikan Municipality will soon get a boys’ dormitory as the Oti Regional Minister, Mr Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, hands over a project site to a contractor to construct one for the students of the school.
The minister, sharing his personal experience of working as a farm labourer to raise funds for his Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), advised the students to hard work to achieve their career goals.
He presented a GHC1,000 prize to the 2022 best West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) student of the school.
The Oti Regional Director of Education, Nana Kugbeadzor-Bakateyi II, tasked the school authorities to protect the properties of the contractor against thieves. The contractor in charge of the project is Lovemak Ventures Ltd.
Three people were killed in a motor accident in Yaw Bronya, a suburb of the Bosome Freho district in Ghana’s Ashanti region, one of whom was a woman and the other two were men.
Sir Kenneth, an eyewitness who explained the incident to GhanaWeb’s Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Nana Peprah, said the tragic incident occurred on Thursday evening when two males on a motorcycle crashed into the unknown woman after she had crossed their path.
He said the two males who drove from Tebeso and were heading to Ofoase crashed the woman in Yaw Bronya, a town before Ofoase.
The source further stated that the three people died on the spot due to the rate at which the motorbike was speeding.
Amoako Mensah Yeboah, an assembly member for the Tebeso electoral area who confirmed the incident to GhanaWeb, said the crash happened at Yaw Bronya around 6:50 p.m. on Thursday when the two male adults were riding to Ofoase to present their final lotto report for the day.
He claimed that the accident was so severe that one of the victims’ helmet cracked into pieces.
He disclosed that the woman’s identity has still not been revealed since she is not from her electoral area.
Amoako Mensah revealed the identities of the two males, Annor Augustine, the motor rider, and Reuben, aka Teacher Gala.
According to the assembly member, police came to the scene, and the three deceased have since been deposited at a hospital morgue for autopsies and investigations.
The Upper East Regional Security Council has raised concerns that jihadists may have infiltrated the town of Bawku leading to an escalation of the conflict there.
At least six people have been killed in recent days following a military operation in the area.
The Regional Minister and Chairman of the Security Council, Stephen Yakubu says jihadists operating across the border next to Bawku are a major concern.
“It is very sad that people have lost their lives, it is something that the Council wants to know what happened. But I also want to say that these troubles in Bawku are taking too long,” he said.
Security analyst and Chief Executive of the Security Warehouse Limited, Adam Bonaa, says the government must thoroughly probe the jihadist threat in Bawku.
“We’ve had some suspected jihadists who attempted something in the country even though this was not something that was announced.
“So it is important to have a thorough investigation conducted to know if we have some terrorists who have infiltrated Bawku to aid their friends and families among others,” Mr Bonaa explained in an interview with JoyNews.
Over 95 percent completed Mahama’s E-Block has been abandoned in the bush at New Edubiase Apagya in the Ashanti region.
The facility, which is yet to see the light of day, has been left to rot.
The almost completed project is at the mercy of the weather.
Weeds have taken over major portion of the facility. Years of neglect have led to the roof falling apart.
The development is a worry for residents in the area.
Chief of Apagya, Baffuor Gyankokor II believes the completion and operation of the project will bring enormous benefits to the area.
“I seem not to understand why the facility is not operational looking at the amount of money sunk into putting up such a project. We don’t have a senior high school in this area and for that matter, our children have to continue their second-cycle education elsewhere. At least, the operation of this school will open up this area and boost economic activities as well. Government should finish up the work and make the facility operational”.
At the time of the visit, some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress were seen clearing the weeds around the facility.
National Organizer of NDC, Joseph Yammin said they will go around the country to protect the legacy of the party.
He chastised the NPP for neglecting the educational facility.
“Since 2017, nothing significant has been done to complete the project. It’s even difficult to identify the building from the roadside. So since it’s our legacy and the NPP is adamant about completing and making it operational, we will continue to protect the facility from further rotting away. We will see to the completion of the school as soon as we return to government”
Until work resumes on the project, the facility will continue to rot.
The feuding factions in Bawku have been urged to halt exchanging gunfire with military troops by the Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
The appeal follows reports of the military killing seven civilians in Bawku in the Upper East Region.
The accusation which was first made by the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has been refuted by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The military, however, claimed that they engaged some armed men and in the process neutralised six people.
“In a separate incident, sporadic firing was heard around Sabongari General Area. A Patrol Team dispatched to assess the situation spotted unknown armed men at Gozesi-Valley side in Sabongari wearing black T-shirts with Black Hoodies. Troops engaged them and neutralised six (6) armed men. During the engagement, some armed men took cover in a mud house within the immediate vicinity to engage the Team,” the Ghana Armed Forces said in a statement.
But the Chairman of the Security Council, Stephen Yakubu, speaking to journalists urged all persons in Bawku to remain calm and give peace a chance for the town to thrive.
“I want to appeal through this medium that let’s give peace a chance because Bawku is virtually dying and I am very concerned.”
Below is a statement from the Upper East Regional Coordinating Director:
According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a fire outbreak at Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region’s Atwima Nwabiagya town started because of a mosquito coil. Three people died as a result of the fire.
It says, “an unattended lit mosquito coil in close contact with room combustibles caused the heart wrenching fire which claimed 3 lives and resulted in the destruction of three (3) bedrooms and their contents including roofing sheets, doors, utensils, furniture, household appliances and personal effects which run into several thousands of cedis”.
A mother,28, her daughter, 9, and her granddaughter, 6, were burnt to death on Wednesday, February 1.
The deceased got trapped in their room, suffocated by the heavy smoke and burnt to death by the fire.
Fire fighters believed the fire started at about 2:00am on the said day.
The Ashanti Regional Fire Command said an unattended lit mosquito coil in close contact with room combustibles caused the fire which claimed 3 lives.
“Fortunately, two (2) other tenants in the affected house managed to escape unhurt from the ruinous fire,” the Duty Officer, ASTNO Osei Gyamfi, explained.
He said “late call-up to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for help, as a result of late detection of fire and wrong address provided to the fire scene and poor road network led to the destruction of three (3) bedroom and their contents”.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has attributed its failure to serve Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis citizens with potable water to the actions of unlicensed miners in the Western Region.
Water shortage has hit parts of Sekondi-Takoradi and adjoining communities in the Western region due to the low level of water at the intake points of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the region.
The problem has also been compounded by the onset of the dry season, according to the Ghana Water Company Limited.
In a statement, the GWCL explained that the “challenges arise from inadequate freshwater inflows into the Pra basin which is the source of raw water for the Daboase Water Treatment Plant, the biggest Plant in the Region. The Anankware River, which supplies raw water to the Inchaban Water Treatment Plant is equally facing its own freshwater inflow difficulties.
“Compounding the current problem at Daboase are the activities of illegal miners upstream of the River Pra, causing severe siltation at the plant’s intake. The high silt deposits have drastically reduced the volume of raw water available for abstraction. The dry season currently being experienced has also exacerbated the problem of raw water unavailability.”
According to the GWCL, the result of these developments is that “the company is not able to produce enough water for residents, thus, worsening the already bad supply situation in the metropolis.”
The GWCL further added that it has reviewed its water demand management programme to bring equity in the water distribution exercise.
However, the GWCL said there are still customers who are not likely to receive water despite the review of the water management programme due to the erratic pumping regime.
“Management of the company recognises and shares in the pain of consumers and are now doing everything they can to ameliorate their suffering, including dredging the intake of Daboase Treatment Plant which is currently ongoing.”
Shisha smoking has gained popularity among the youth in Ghana, making its consumption a common sight in spots, clubs, pubs, and homes. This is because it is believed to be less harmful than cigarettes.
However, speaking ahead of World Cancer Day 2023 to be observed on February 4, 2023, Health Influencer, Dr. Blaise Ackom disclosed that Shisha is more dangerous than cigarettes.
“According to the WHO, when you take shisha for 1 hour, you’ve taken 100 sticks of cigarettes. We have a mindset that the water in the basin absorbs the Nicotine, which is not true so you are actually smoking more if you smoke shisha,” he stated on the New Day Show on TV3.
Dr. Ackom appealed to the youth to desist from the practice of shisha smoking in order not to subject themselves to its attendant health ramifications.
A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that shisha smoke contains many of the same harmful components found in cigarette smoke, such as nicotine, tar, and heavy metals.
Another publication by the British Heart Foundation indicates that shisha contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and heavy metal such as arsenic and lead and its smokers risk developing cardiovascular damage, respiratory infections, cancer formation and nicotine addictions, among others.
Shisha, also known as Hookah, Narghile, Waterpipe or Hubble bubble involves smoking of burning flavoured tobacco known as molasses, using coal and was invented in the 16th century by a physician called Hakim Abdul Fath Gilani.
An expert obstetrician-gynecologist at the First-Class Hospital, Dr. Francis Appiah, has warned diabetes patients to take their prescriptions as directed by licensed medical professionals seriously.
The Specialist Obstetrician-Gynecologist again cautioned the public, especially diabetics, to avoid self-medication.
He said diabetes should not be seen as a curse but as a curable and controlled disease.
Dr. Appiah made this known in an interview with GBC Ghana Online at Assin Nsuta in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
He explained that diabetes can be cured or controlled when prescribed measures are followed.
In addition, the Specialist Obstetrician-Gynecologist charged diabetics to be mindful of what they eat, when to eat, and also eat well to avoid unpleasant situations.
He explained that diabetes occurs as a result of a defect in the pancreas when the body is not able to utilize insulin.
According to Dr. Appiah, untreated high blood sugar can damage one’s nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
He, therefore, advocated that people should not wait till they are sick before visiting the hospital, recommending routine checkups.
Two distinct big shocks to the food supply chains have negatively impacted the world economy during the previous three years.
The first came about from the outbreak and spread of the first-ever global pandemic, COVID-19, which effectively suspended most international trade on agricultural produce as countries across every continent of the world, locked themselves down to curb the spread of the virus in their respective jurisdictions.
Then, just as the world began recovering from this, with supply chains re-opening, war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, two of the most important agricultural producers in the world, with Africa among the worst affected.
One of the most unfortunate effects of all this has been the distortions it has imposed on the perceived outcomes of one of the most ambitious and potentially transformative agricultural production initiatives ever embarked on by Ghana – the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.
Since food inflation set off the ongoing inflationary surge in Ghana, late last year, the widely acclaimed successes of the PFJ programme have been largely subsumed by worries over rising food prices.
However, it is instructive that those rising prices had nothing to do with supply shortfalls; rather it was the result of inefficiencies in the local supply chain for foodstuffs, which created the opportunity for profiteering by operators along that supply chain, wholesalers, transporters and retailer all-inclusive.
Supply chain
Critics have used the global supply shortfalls to dampen the acclamation deservedly generated by PFJ, a move it regards as particularly important since the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, (who recently resigned to pursue his political ambitions), has been generating crucial political capital for the current government, with his words and deeds since 2017.
However, the data shows that PFJ has been an eminent success, even with the severe headwinds that have confronted it and indeed provides a good model for efforts at enhancing agricultural production in Ghana going forward.
The most instructive statistic in this regard is that the agricultural sector in Ghana recorded its fastest growth in 30 years in both 2020 and 2021, at 7.3 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively.
Indeed, the only other time the sector recorded growth of over seven per cent was the 7.3 per cent achieved back in 2009.
Instructively, before PFJ was introduced in 2017, Ghana‘s agricultural sector was customarily growing at less than three per cent a year, indeed bottoming out at 0.9 per cent in 2014.
In 2020, as the effects of the PFJ initiative began to reach their full potential, Ghana’s agricultural growth rate became the highest among the three broad economic sectors (the others being industry and services respectively) for the first time since 2009, when its 7.3 per cent growth exceeded industry’s 3.8 per cent and services 6.7 per cent.
In 2020, agriculture’s 7.3 per cent growth easily exceeded the services sector’s 0.75 as the industry contracted by 2.5 per cent.
Ghana’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 0.5 per cent for that year – during which Ghana suffered its first economic recession in nearly four decades because of the effects of COVID-19 was only made possible by the continent’s leading growth performance of its agricultural sector.
The next year proved this was not a fluke.
With COVID-19 receding and as the Russia-Ukraine was yet to start, Ghana’s agricultural sector growth climbed to a historical high of 8.4 per cent, not far behind the 9.4 per cent growth achieved by the services sector and helping to negate the 0.8 per cent contraction in the industrial sector.
Thus again, the agricultural sector was a key contributor to Ghana’s solid economic rebound in 2021 to 5.4 per cent.
Simply put, the data provides undisputed evidence that PFJ has enhanced Ghana’s agricultural production in a sustained way.
It is only the second time in the past four decades that the sector has grown by over seven per cent for two consecutive years, the latest two-year growth spurt significantly outstrips what was achieved in 2008 and 2009.
Consecutive growth
Even more instructively, the earlier two-year consecutive growth saw the second of the two years experiencing a decline in the growth rate (heralding further declines in the following years) whereas this time around, the second year’s growth was higher than the first year, creating the prospect of further acceleration in the sector’s growth rate going forward.
But growth in agricultural production, as crucial as that is, is not the only landmark benefit that PFJ has given the country and the other is equally important – job creation.
The initiative has not only attracted more Ghanaians than ever before into the agricultural sector but has also attracted a more diverse demography for the industry than ever before too, with regard to the urban/rural split, age, gender and educational background.
Available data reveals that there are now 3,037,381 people engaged in agricultural activity, translating to nearly one in every 10 Ghanaians. This number is fairly evenly divided: 1,999,229 males and 1,038,152 females.
Urban agric
Even more pleasantly surprising is the increase in urban agricultural activity arising out of the encouragement provided by PFJ for urban agriculture.
The latest data reveals that there are now 710,358 urban dwellers now engaging in some form of agricultural activity or the other, which is nearly a third of the 2,327,023 rural dwellers.
The increased number of urbanites engaged in the sector has naturally raised the level of formal education being deployed, a crucial driver of increased sector productivity.
Literate people engaged in agriculture for the first time outnumber illiterates – 1,612,937 versus 1,424,444, with nearly twice as many literates than illiterates in the urban centres.
Indeed, the literate farming community now includes 136,598 graduates of tertiary institutions and another 268,131 who have finished secondary school.
Although the traditional forms of agriculture still attract most people – there are 2,360,402 people farming arable crops and 1,192,990 cultivating tree crops, newer forms of agriculture are now catching on.
For instance, there are 2,015 people engaged in aquaculture, in addition to the 59,548 engaged in traditional fishing.
All the data suggests that a more geographically diversified – and better-educated agricultural labour force, engaged in a wider scope of activity than ever before– isa driving record-high agriculture growth rates which indeed are powering Ghana’s strong economic growth despite its huge fiscal challenges.
Indeed, while criticism of the government’s public expenditure profiles may attract justified criticism, the expenditure on PFJ has proved to have given real value for money, no matter how the programme’s critics try to paper over the unprecedented gains.
The project coordinator for the Accra Marine Drive Project, Dr. Kwame Nyantekyi-Owusu, has provided the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry, and Tourism with an update on the project’s vision, status, and strategies in place for the upcoming year.
The Accra Marine Drive Project is a 241-acre urban redevelopment scheme of Accra’s waterfront.
The Project’s origins can be traced back to the era of Ghana’s first Republic when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah sought to establish Accra as a major destination.
The Government in 2016, acquired the 241-acre land parcel for development by means of compulsory acquisition under Executive Instrument 59 (E. I 59).
In 2017, H. E. President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Government continued to pursue the Project’s development objective in line with the vision of Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Under the renewed vision of H. E. President Akufo-Addo, the Accra Marine Drive Project would become the single largest tourism investment project to be initiated by the Government of Ghana since independence.
According to Dr. Nyantekyi-Owusu, the 241-acre prime beachfront tourism enclave would further enhance Ghana’s position as the most sought-after tourist destination within the West African sub-region as well as provide job opportunities for the Ghanaian youths. The Accra Marine Drive Project will also provide essential infrastructure to support the country’s developing cultural and creative industries.
Dr Nyantekyi-Owusu explained that the plan is to develop the entire parcel of land, stretching from the Osu Klottey Lagoon (behind the Christianborg Castle) to the Accra Community Centre.
He indicated that the area has been re-zoned in line with the Project vision and to allow for more modern developments to be undertaken.
The Project scope has however been defined to cover the provision of key infrastructure such as roads, drains and telecommunications, construction of a public spaces and amenities including a promenade and boardwalk.
Upon completion, the Project SPV, which is a wholly Government of Ghana-owned entity, will issue leases on commercial basis to prospective developers.
All developers will be vetted to ensure that their proposed development schemes are consistent with the vision and masterplan of the Accra Marine Drive Project.
The infrastructure and facilities development has been grouped in phases to allow for a market-driven rollout of the horizontal infrastructure and vertical developments by private developers.
The total infrastructure development budget has been estimated to cost some US$ 214,000,000, for all three phases.
The enclave will focus on key tourism categories such as: business activities to be situated along the Accra High Street; leisure, along the seafront; and cultural tourism, which involves the preservation of noteworthy national heritage sites such as the Osu Castle, Black Star Square, Asomdwe Park, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. The facilities to be developed as part of the Project vision include an amphitheatre and facilities to encourage street arts and cultural displays at the promenade.
After the extensive presentations, which included the viewing of a 2.5-minute artists impression video, honourable members of the committee asked questions to the Project Coordinator.
Present at the meeting were, Hon. Freda Akosua Prempeh Minister of State, for the Office of the President, Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, led by the Chairperson of the Committee Hon. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, MP; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Klottey-Korley Constituency, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings; Board Chairmen for Ghana Tourism Authority and Ghana Tourism Development Company, Hon. Seth Agyei Baah and Lawyer Kwame Boateng, representatives of the Ghana Tourism Authority led by the CEO Akwasi Agyemang, ABP Consult represented by a Director J. B Asafo-Boakye and the Marine Drive Accra project team among others.
The engagement was held at Alisa Hotel on February 1, 2023.
A $55 million judgment against Ghana sought by a Chinese business for a traffic control project has been rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The disputed project; the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management System (AITMS) — was signed between the government of Ghana (GoG) and Beijing Everyway Traffic & Lighting Technical Company Limited (simply known as Everyway Tech) in 2012.
Under the contract, Everyway Tech was supposed to install new traffic signal systems in Accra, improve existing systems and reduce traffic congestion in the capital city through a coordinated traffic signal system.
In 2022, Everyway Tech dragged Ghana to the PCA with a case that the GoG had cancelled the contract and unlawfully expropriated its investment in the country, in violation of the China-Ghana Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).
Among other things, the claimant (Everyway Tech) sought damages of $55m from the GoG for the money it had expended on the AITMS before the alleged abrogation and unlawful expropriation.
Under international law, a country can expropriate (take over) properties or investments of individuals or companies in its territory, provided the expropriation is done lawfully, is in the public interest and the country pays the required compensation to the affected entity.
No jurisdiction
In a unanimous decision last Monday, a three-member panel of the PCA dismissed Everyway Tech’s claim on the basis that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the legality of the alleged expropriation of the company’s investment by the GoG.
It was the considered view of the arbitral tribunal that although the China-Ghana BIT allowed investor-state arbitrations to settle disputes, such arbitrations did not include the issue of legality of expropriation.
The China-Ghana BIT, the PCA held, rather gave jurisdiction to arbitral tribunals over the amount of compensation to be paid to entities affected by expropriation by the two states under the agreement.
“The China-Ghana agreement contains a provision for investor-state arbitration in Article 10(1) of the treaty which is limited to disputes concerning the amount of compensation for expropriation.
“As such, neither China nor Ghana intended to arbitrate and made no arbitration offer to investors of the other contracting state in respect of disputes concerning the entitlement of expropriation or the breach of equitable treatment and protection under the treaty,” the tribunal held.
The arbitrators of the tribunal were Prof. Stavros Brekoulakis (Presiding Arbitrator), V.K. Rajah SC and Prof. Richard Oppong.
A-G’s case upheld
The PCA gave the decision after it had upheld an objection raised by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the action.
“The tribunal upholds the respondent’s (GoG’s) objections to the tribunal’s jurisdiction and finds that it has no jurisdiction to decide the claimant’s (Everyway Tech’s) claims in this arbitration,” the PCA ruled.
Mr Dame had argued before the PCA that under the China-Ghana BIT, it was only the courts of the two countries that had jurisdiction over the legality of expropriation made in each country’s territory.
In that regard, per the argument of the A-G, since the dispute related to a contract in Ghana, only the courts of Ghana had jurisdiction to determine the legality of the expropriation, as alleged by Everyway Tech.
AITMS project
On December 16, 2011, Ghana signed a credit facility with the China Development Bank for a loan facility to develop 12 infrastructure projects in Ghana, including the AITMS project.
Based on the credit facility, Everyway Tech was awarded the AITMS project in April 2012 and it subsequently signed an engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) contract with the Ministry of Roads and Highways on September 17, 2012, valued at $100 million.
Under the EPIC contract, Everyway Tech was to “supply equipment and provide technical services to the GoG in respect of the planning, design, construction, supervision, operation and training for the AITMS project”.
Per the terms of the contract, Everyway Tech was to, among other things, construct traffic signal control sub-systems at 257 junctions in Accra, provide 394 comprehensive violation capturing sub-systems, provide traffic guidance display systems at 20 locations and traffic flow collection and speed capturing sub-systems at 425 locations.
The company was also to provide high-definition video monitoring sub-systems at 259 locations, 240km of fibre optic, 1,718 wireless magnetic detectors, road signs, lane markings and pedestrian handrails.
Everyway Tech was expected to commence work on August 26, 2019, with the work scheduled to be completed in 24 months.
Information available in the arbitral award shows that on December 22, 2018, Parliament approved the EPIC contract.
Case of claimant
Everyway Tech made a case that in November 2019, a delegation from the Ministry of Roads and Highways visited its factory in China and saw that it had manufactured equipment for shipment to Ghana for the AITMS project.
The company also claimed that in January 2020, the Department of Urban Roads granted it permission to ship the equipment it had manufactured and which had been inspected by officials to Ghana for the AITMS project.
“On February 21, 2020, about six months after the commencement of the AITMS project, the first installations at two intersections in Accra were switched on, indicating the official launch of the AITMS project in Ghana,” it said.
However, on November 19, 2020, the Parliament of Ghana rescinded its decision of December 22, 2018 to approve the EPIC contract.
It was the case of Everyway Tech that the EPIC contract was rescinded unlawfully, unjustifiably and at a period when it “had completed a substantial amount of work”.
The Chinese company then dragged Ghana to the PCA, with a case that the GoG had breached Article 4(1) of the China-Ghana BIT.
The respondent (GoG), however, argued that the decision of Parliament to rescind its approval of the EPIC contract was in the interest of the country’s national security. f
Furthermore, the PCA had no jurisdiction over the matter.
Over 4000 residents of Burkina Faso, as well as some Ghanaians who residing in the area have escaped to Ghana’s borders in search of safety.
According to a graphic.com.gh report, this has come about following attacks on Burkinabes by some suspected terrorists and militants.
Among those seeking refuge are women and children, with a number of them coming from such places in Burkina Faso as Bugri, Zouga, and Asongo.
So far, the majority of the refugees have landed in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region, hopeful that they can find asylum there.
The report also said that some of the communities in the Bawku West District housing these Burkinabes are Adasiga, Soogo, Agoogo, Kperigu, and Kperigzousi in the Soogo Electoral Area.
Others are also residing in places like Natinga, Googo, Weari, Kanlesi, and Fulbes in the Widnaba Electoral Area.
“More than 1,000 of the refugees are living in the Soogo Electoral Area, 1,773 are currently living in the Widnaba area, while 1,325 are staying in the Akasooga Electoral Area.
“The large number of refugees has put undue pressure on food and social amenities in the areas, a development which continues to be a source of worry for the local people and needs urgent attention from duty bearers,” the report stated.
Speaking on the development, the Assembly Member for the Soogo Electoral Area, Atampuri Osben Asaki, said that the situation in the area is serious and needs urgent attention.
He also complained about accommodation challenges, seeing that most of the refugees have been forced to live with local community members.
The report added that the situation is such that those who have could not be accommodated with the locals have resorted to the only available options in uncompleted buildings, while others too use makeshift structures.
“Sadly, some children, including newborn babies and their nursing mothers, sleep in the open, especially during the day, due to the unavailability of homes to accommodate them,” the report added.
In the meantime, it is reported that the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), through its grant support to the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Development Office (NABOCADO), of the Catholic Church, has presented food and non-food items to the refugees, summing up to GH¢1.3 million.
The Bawku Naba, Zugraan Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, has also made a donation of food items and clothing to the Burkinabe asylum seekers in the area.
The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is also reported to have held a number of meetings to assess the security situation in border communities, and also strategise on measures to prevent the terrorists from crossing over into Ghana.
It will be recalled that in June 2022, more than 1,872 refugees, including Ghanaians, fled a troubled spot in Burkina Faso to seek refuge in Ghana due to terrorist attacks by militants against local militia.
The Deputy Energy Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has said that government’s first shipment of oil imported into Ghana under the “Gold for Oil” scheme was not paid with gold as speculated.
According to a report by citinewroom.com, the minister stated that the first consignment of 40,000 tons of oil brought into the country was paid for with cash.
Egyapa Mercer explained that the government could not exchange gold for oil because the company it dealt with initially did not have the capacity to exchange gold for oil.
“The policy actually started with an intent to do strict barter for gold and petroleum products, but it became apparent that any of the international oil trading companies that do not have a commodity wing to deal with gold on their behalf will be excluded from the policy.
“We developed the policy such that we were operating two streams; one was direct barter, and the second was monetising the gold so we can pay for IOTs that were not other commodity focused but solely petroleum products,” he is quoted as having said on Citi News.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia is reported to have bragged about the Gold-for-Oil policy after the first product under it was delivered.
He said that the delivery of the first batch of oil shows that the policy will work.
“…Ghana took delivery of its first cargo under the gold for oil policy. This is our test cargo, it is the cargo to test the framework if everything that has been put in place will work, by the grace of God the Framework will work and if that should happen we are going to save a lot of foreign exchange and reduce the pressure on our currency,” Bawumia is quoted to have said at 2023 New Year School event.
Background:
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in November 2022 first announced the government’s plan to undertake the gold-for-oil initiative. The deal hinged on buying oil products with Ghana’s gold instead of the US dollar.
Dr Bawumia on Facebook earlier explained that the usage of gold to purchase oil would also address Ghana’s dwindling foreign reserves as well as reduce demand for US dollars by oil importers.
“It will fundamentally change our balance of payments and significantly reduce the persistent depreciation of our currency,” the vice president earlier wrote.
Under the policy, the government believes that using gold to purchase oil products would also bring stability to the exchange rate market and ensure domestic oil operators do not solely depend on foreign exchange to import products.
The West Hills Mall management has issued a statement, following a confrontation between a young man and a police officer.
Shadrach Arloo, 32, is said to have died after he was beaten by a policeman around the West Hills area in Accra.
The incident reportedly happened on Monday afternoon on January 30, 2023 when the refusal of the young man to hand over his bag to a police officer who demanded to search it led to a confrontation at the mall area where he went to withdraw money.
The police officer who is said to have gotten agitated hit and pushed him to the ground, leading to his death.
But in a statement from management of the West Hills Mall, the incident was misreported.
According to them, eyewitness and mall security personnel accounts indicate that the deceased was confronted by a police officer and asked to present his bag for examination upon suspicion that he was possessing drugs or banned substances.
Shadrach, is said to have taken out something from his bag and swallowed it as the policeman approached him.
The mall’s cameras subsequently captured a footage of the officer apprehending the young man together with another he was with as they headed for the main entrance of the mall.
An attempt by the police to handcuff him resulted in a struggle between the parties. The statement further noted that after the police officer succeeded in handcuffing him, the struggle stopped as the man in question appeared to be unwell.
The handcuffs were then removed by the police officer and he was taken to the medical facility on-site but he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Weija District Police have since retrieved the body.
Below is the full statement as sighted on citinewsroom.com
PRESS STATEMENT
Incident at West Hills Mall on Monday, January 30, 2023
The Management of West Hills Mall hereby confirms that an incident occurred on its premises in the afternoon of Monday, January 30, 2023 which unfortunately resulted in a fatality.
By eyewitness and mall security personnel accounts, at approximately 3:15pm on January 30, 2023, a visitor was confronted by a Police Officer and asked to present his bag for examination. The Police Officer ostensibly suspected the customer, a young man between 25 and 30 years, of possessing drugs or banned substances. The accounts indicate that the young man hesitated, removed something from his bag and swallowed it as the policeman approached him.
West Hills Mall’s 24-hour security surveillance system captured footage of the officer apprehending the young man, as well as another man who accompanied him, as they headed for the main entrance of the mall. In an attempt to handcuff the young man, a struggle between the parties ensued while the Police Officer tried to handcuff him.
He was eventually handcuffed but stopped struggling and appeared unwell after that. The Police subsequently removed the cuffs from his hands, and Mall Security arranged for transportation for him to be taken to the medical facility on-site. Sadly, he was pronounced dead by Medics upon arrival.
The Weija District Police have since retrieved the body of the deceased.
The Management of West Hills Mall is shocked by this ill-fated incident. We convey our sincerest condolences to the deceased’s family as we trust that the Police will handle the matter further.
Thank You.
Olympio Agbodza Assiastant Asset Manager, West Africa Asset Management
Sister’s Account:
Sister of the deceased who is a gospel musician, Perpetual Didier, narrating the incident in a viral video said that her brother who was scheduled to travel to Germany the next day had gone to the mall for shopping on the said day of the incident.
He had therefore gone to withdraw money in order to purchase some items intended to be sent to his sister in Germany.
She added that, from what an eyewitness told her, the police demanded that her brother hand over his bag to be searched, but he refused.
This then led to the police officer getting agitated and then hitting and pushing him to the ground.
Perpetual added that her brother fell to the ground and hit his head on the floor, breaking his neck in the process.
He is said to have lost consciousness, at which time the police officer tased the motionless man on the floor.
It is believed that this worsened the state the young man was already in, leading to his death.
While the police have yet to respond officially to these claims, the gospel musician is demanding justice from the IGP.
Kennedy Agyapong, the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated that he must run for president in 2024 if his party is to secure an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
According to him, the NPP will struggle to win the 2024 presidential elections if he is not the substantive flagbearer of the party.
“We have two years to make a difference in society in terms of development. If were are able to do it I think Ghanaians will give us another chance.
“But you know with, me we will break the 8… without Ken Agyapong well it will be tough,” he said during a Good Evening Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
“With Ken Agyapong as the number one on the ticket, we will break the 8,” Ken Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, stressed.
The MP for Assin Central is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and ex- Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh for the flagbearership position of the NPP.
A former national chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has hinted that Ghana’s bars are the only progressive businesses in the country.
According to him, the hardships and frustrations in the country have made people stick to drinking in order to forget about their transgressions.
He mentioned that before the president assumed office, he promised citizens to move the country away from taxation into production, saying “that was a major policy statement Akufo Addo has made.”
“The only industry that is booming in the country is the beer bar industry; people go there to drink away their frustrations, that’s why Akpeteshi and the rest are moving fast,” he told Don Kwabena Prah on Happy 98.9 FM’s Epa Hoa Daben show.
He further noted that most young people in business cannot meet their clients “due to the difficulty they encounter, and by the time the person would get there, they are drunk, and the client must leave in frustration.”
When asked if the government had demonstrated any form of local production within a reasonable time frame, the managing partner of Ndaana Ghana Limited responded, “What are you producing?” The increase of Value Added Tax by 2.5percent is that production, the introduction of a thievery tax called the electronic transfer tax or levy is that production, the imposition of Covid -19 tax on citizens is that a tax or it’s a production?” he quizzed.
The Ghana Maritime Authority management has been reported to the Attorney General for prosecution over procurement violations by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
The Auditor General in its 2020 report cited the institution for seven procurement breaches and recommended that the management of the Authority be sanctioned in accordance with the procurement laws.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi endorsed the recommendation.
“This is a straightforward matter that you are to be sanctioned in accordance with section 92, so we are therefore referring the case to the Attorney General.”
Meanwhile, the National Communications Authority (NCA) appearing before the Public Accounts Committee said it is doing everything possible to retrieve $22 million debt from Vodafone Ghana following the sale of spectrum to the telecommunication company.
The 2020 Auditor General’s report revealed outstanding revenue of $26.6 million and GH¢32. 2 million Ghana by the NCA due to weak internal controls over revenue accounting and management which could lead to loss of public funds.
Out of the stipulated figure, Vodafone Ghana paid one million dollars owed to the NCA.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee meeting, the Director General of the NCA, Joe Anokye said efforts are being made by the government to address the situation due to its 30 percent shares in Vodafone.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has affirmed it granted a Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi and not Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Reverend Victor Kusi-Boateng.
The NIA’s justification follows a double identity allegations by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member for Paliament for North Tongu .
According to Mr Ablakwa, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, “a popular prophet,” fraudulently received a Ghana Card from the authority, adding that the entire National Identity Program lacks legitimacy.
Mr Ablawa alleged in a Facebook post on Monday, January, 30,”the National Identification Authority (NIA) must explain to Ghanaians how a popular prophet arrived at their registration premises as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng but was mysteriously issued a Ghana Card bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi”.
“Having concluded a rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database, I can authoritatively disclose that the biometrics (fingerprint mapping, facial templates and iris recognition) of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng matches that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi”.
In a lengthy statement, the NIA described the allegations by the MP as baseless, without merit and called on Ghanaians to completely ignore the allegations.
According to the NIA, there is no record of Rev. Kusi Boateng in its database as claimed by Mr Ablakwa.
The NIA added that one of its registration centres in Kumasi duly issued an identity card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi after he presented all the necessary documents but no ID card has been issued bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng.
“During the mass registration exercise, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi went to an NIA registration centre called Vicandy School at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi on 15th January 2020 to register for the Ghana Card;
“He submitted to NIA registration officials a valid Ghanaian passport issued by the Passport Office on 16th May 2018, with the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi; the expiry date in the said passport is 15th May 2023. NIA registration officials registered Kwabena Adu Gyamfi using his valid passport as the base identity document for his registration, and duly issued him with a Ghana Card;
“NIA has no record of anyone bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng in the NIR, and NIA has no record in the NIR of any person born on 7th September 1971 or any other day with the name Victor Kusi Boateng.”
Below is the full statement by the NIA
NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY (NIA) PRESS RELEASE
Issuance of Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi by NIA
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has noted with concern allegations against the NIA by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency, in his Facebook post of Monday, 30th January 2023, and published by GhanaWeb and other media portals.
Essentially, Hon. Ablakwa alleges that NIA has fraudulently issued a Ghana Card to Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, “a popular prophet” and former Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral Secretariat, who had apparently presented himself at NIA premises with that identity but was issued a Ghana Card bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, with a different date of birth.
Hon. Ablakwa describes this as mysterious and asserts that his “rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database” discloses that “the biometrics (fingerprint mapping, facial template and iris recognition) of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng matches that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi”.
On these bases, Hon. Ablakwa, who is also the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Ghana, “calls to question the credibility of the entire national identification exercise, particularly after the recent embarrassing Aisha Huang Affair” (emphasis added). Hon. Ablakwa then laments that “it is the sloppiness and or complicity of state institutions that embolden certain characters to entrench their sophisticated conflict of interest machinations.”
The NIA wishes to react to the above allegations, insinuations and attacks as follows:
1. Alleged Fraudulent and Mysterious Registration and Issuance of Ghana Card
NIA is required by law to register applicants onto the NIA database, properly called the National Identity Register (NIR), based on the information supplied by applicants. Section 8(1) of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 950) provides that, the Authority shall require an individual who applies for an entry to be made in the Register to submit any of the following identity documents: a. a birth certificate; b. a valid passport; c. a valid residence permit; d. a valid certificate of acquired citizenship; and e. any other information as may be required by the Authority.
The amendment of Section 8 of the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750) by the 7th Parliament of Ghana in 2017 was made by all Members of Parliament including Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Thus, NIA registration officials are bound to register and issue a Ghana Card to an applicant who presents any of the documents specified above, unless on the face of the record or based on information gathered from the interview process, there is a reasonable basis to suspect fraud.
NIA operates in accordance with law and public policy. A person’s popularity is immaterial to the NIA registration process. Indeed, a popular name is not necessarily a person’s real name. NIA officials register applicants based on the names the applicants present to the officials, as captured in any of the above-specified identity documents, such as their birth certificates or passports.
Alternatively, as is commonly known, where an applicant is unable to submit any of the specified documents, they may be vouched for by a relative or other qualified people before a Commissioner for Oaths at the registration premises. In that event, the registration officials will use the name indicated by the applicant and vouched for by the guarantor(s) as the applicant’s name.
Thus, there is nothing mysterious about Kwabena Adu Gyamfi being issued with a Ghana Card as such, even though Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa knows Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng as well. Hon. Ablakwa has not presented any evidence that there is a person known as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng whose biometrics exist in the NIA’s database or NIR with which he made his rare and comprehensive analysis.
Contrary to Hon. Ablakwa’s assertions, the following constitute the facts in the NIR in connection with the issuance of a Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi:
a. During the mass registration exercise, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi went to an NIA registration center called Vicandy School at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi on 15th January 2020 to register for the Ghana Card;
b. He submitted to NIA registration officials a valid Ghanaian passport issued by the Passport Office on 16th May 2018, with the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi; the expiry date in the said passport is 15th May 2023;
c. NIA registration officials registered Kwabena Adu Gyamfi using his valid passport as the base identity document for his registration, and duly issued him with a Ghana Card;
d. NIA has no record of anyone bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng in the NIR; and
e. NIA has no record in the NIR of any person born on 7th September 1971 or any other day with the name Victor Kusi Boateng.
In these circumstances, NIA registration officials at the Vicandy School Registration Center did everything right, and absolutely nothing wrong; they could not reasonably have been expected to know that Kwabena Adu Gyamfi also apparently bore the name Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng as Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa claims. A popular name may not be a person’s real or official name, and this is rather trite or commonplace.
2. Attacking the Credibility of the National Identification Exercise
Hon. Ablakwa questions “the credibility of the entire national ID exercise”. We beg to differ. Surely, the credibility of the exercise cannot be questioned simply because Hon. Ablakwa is apparently unable to accept the science and law behind the issuance of a Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
The credibility of the entire registration exercise is solidly intact. Indeed, with stoic determination and focus, NIA has, since 2017, conducted a national identification exercise that has resulted in the capture of the biometrics and alpha-numeric data of over 17.3 million Ghanaians and qualified foreigners in Ghana, each with a unique identity, and issued smart, dual-interface biometric identity cards to over 16 million of them.
The registration exercise continues at 276 District Offices and 16 Regional Offices of NIA. The register built from “the entire registration exercise” captures biometrics, date of birth, citizenship, residential address, and digital address, among others.
In addition to the comprehensive national identity register, NIA and its technical partner, Identity Management Systems II Limited (IMS II), have built a credible and robust National Identification System (NIS) which includes:
a. A state-of-the-art back-end (technical) system;
b. A dependable data verification system platform that is currently being used by various businesses nationwide including:
c. i. All 25 universal banks in Ghana ii. All 145 Rural Banks iii. 19 Savings and Loans institutions iv. Five Micro-Finance/Micro-Credit institutions v. Five Finance and Leasing institutions vi. 16 Fintechs vii. Nine state institutions including SSNIT, GRA, NHIA and Students Loan Trust Fund viii. Six Telecommunications companies (telcos);
d. A Ghana Card issued to applicants – the card is integrated and harmonized with other databases such as those of SSNIT, GRA, NHIA, and all banks and telcos in the country. The Ghana Card is secure with high-level encryption, digital certificates, and Public Key Infrastructure, and meets the highest global standards. It is a contact and contactless smartcard with a 148k memory chip as well as secure printing that meets the global standards of ICAO and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with open standards. In addition, the card is unique and operates with a biometric verification system that is fast, accurate and not limited by geography.
So far, there have been more than 7.2 million biometric verifications without a single hitch. The Ghana Card verification system also has the capability to track and trace all transactions and return accurate and up-to-date information on the status of each individual, including banking and voting transactions.
Finally, as the single truth anchor for the verification of persons, the Ghana Card constitutes a single source of truth in identity management in Ghana, and will ensure political stability and development, as well as economic and social inclusion. So far, NIA has shared vital data with the Ghana Police Service, EOCO and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to assist in crime detection, investigation and prosecution.
Hon. Ablakwa is entitled to pursue all reasonable measures to tackle the spate of conflict of interest in our beloved country. He is, however, not entitled to attack and undermine the credibility of the National ID exercise, the NIS or any state institution without just cause.
3. The Kusi Boateng – Adu Gyamfi Ghana Card Revelation
Hon. Ablakwa notes that the “latest Kusi Boateng – Adu Gyamfi Ghana card revelation” fortifies his conviction even more that investigations are warranted into some dubious monetary transfer involving Victor Kusi Boateng/Kwabena Adu Gyamfi in connection with the National Cathedral Project. That may be so. But as far as NIA is concerned, there is nothing revelatory in Hon. Ablakwa’s post about NIA. He provides the application details of only Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, with 30th December 1969 as his date of birth, but not those of Victor Kusi Boateng, with 7th September 1971 as his date of birth. Hon. Ablakwa does not provide any records of Victor Kusi Boateng from the NIA database because none exists!
Again, Hon. Ablakwa’s claim that his “rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database” discloses that “the biometrics … of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng matches that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi” rings hollow. The claim is false because there is no biometric record of any person in the NIA database called Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng and, therefore, Hon. Ablakwa could not have conducted any comparative analysis of that non-existent data with that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi”.
The claim to having conducted “a rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database” is a mere self-praise; indeed, it is both rare and uncanny. Hon. Ablakwa provides no empirical evidence of the biometrics of Victor Kusi Boateng precisely, as there is none, and if there is, it is not derived from the NIA database!
4. Invoking the Spectre of the Aisha Huang Affair As far as NIA is concerned, there was nothing embarrassing about its handling of the Aisha Huang affair. On the contrary, there was everything celebratory about NIA’s handling of Aisha Huang’s attempted fraudulent registration for the Ghana Card, in that it was the vigilance of its personnel and the robustness of its technical system that resulted in her exposure.
The NIR does not contain any record of a person named Aisha Huang, a point that was made abundantly clear by the NIA when the “Aisha Huang Story” broke. Raising the spectre of the dead Aisha Huang non-story is both unnecessary and disingenuous. NIA’s verification system functioned as designed to enable NIA to prevent En Huang (the so-called Aisha Huang) from registering under a new name and date of birth for a new Non-Citizen Ghana Card, despite her being in possession of two different Chinese passports. NIA deserves commendation, not condemnation!
In short, the allegations against NIA by Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa are without merit or foundation and must be ignored by Ghanaians. NIA urges Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa respects state institutions doing their best to build the nation. The insinuations and castigations will not change NIA’s resolve to remain focused, rigorous and coherent in fulfilling its statutory mandate. End.
The ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Executive Committee and National Council will meet today to decide when to hold the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The meeting will also announce a date for the opening of nomination for both elections.
The much-anticipated meeting was postponed from January 31st to today following the absence of many of the Council members.
Reports attributed to the Council said the party has set November 2023 to elect its presidential candidate, January 2024 to elect parliamentary candidates for constituencies with sitting NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) and April 2024 for constituencies without sitting NPP MPs.
But in a statement, the NPP said timelines in the above were not accurate and dates were yet to be concluded.
The former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has declared his intention to contest the flagbearership slot and lead the NPP. He will contest former Agriculture Minister, Dr Akoto Afriyie and former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko who have all declared their intention to contest.
On Wednesday, February 1, a former Member of Parliament for the Mampong Constituency, Francis Addai-Nimoh formally announced his intention to contest the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearership race when nominations are opened.
The former legislator said preliminary research conducted by his team coupled with consultation and advice from some elders of the party, psyched himself to bring on board his professional knowledge and values to retain political power.
The staff of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) is calling for the removal of its Managing Director, Osmani Aludiba Ayuba for performing below par.
In a petition presented to the Board of Directors of the company, the staff cited among other things the “worse financial performance of NEDCo, lack of a clear strategy for the company, exorbitant sole source procurement of point-of-sale devices and worsening distribution losses,” to back their demand.
They added that the company has retrogressed since Mr Ayuba took over as the managing director some three years ago.
“The net financial loss of NEDCo instead of improving has deteriorated from GH¢315.398 million in 2018 to GH¢392.406 million as of September 2022. The estimated net loss for 2022 is over GH¢400 million. This means NEDCo’s performance deteriorated by at least 24% over the period,” the staff said in the petition sighted by Citi News.
They add that the “cash flow situation of NEDCo is worsening every day. As a result, NEDCo is unable to pay most of its suppliers and contractors. As of September 2022, NEDCo was indebted to its major suppliers to the tune of GH¢1.8 billion. NEDCo is struggling to raise Letters of Credit to procure critical materials and equipment required for its operation under the watch of Mr Ayuba.”
As part of steps to press home their demand, the staff from Wednesday, February 1, have hoisted red banners across all the operational areas and service centres in NEDCo.
According to the petition, the distribution loss alone within the Tamale metropolis is estimated at 12 million cedis of revenue loss each month.
They also alleged that the managing director and his team of leaders have spent over $40 million in the last three years on needless projects.
“A contract of GH¢57.68 million awarded to Meinergy Technology to supply and install 40,300 Smart Split Prepaid Meters in Tamale is not yielding the desired results for NEDCo. Out of the over 24,000 Longi Meters deployed so far, 60% of the meters do not have the new PURC-approved tariff effective September 1, 2022, primarily due to integration issues with the Hexing Billing System.
“For almost 5 months, NEDCo management is unable to ensure that the affected customers pay the right tariff for the power consumed. It is estimated that NEDCo has lost GH¢2.2 million in revenue over the 5-month period.”
Adding that, “about 11,000 of the meters were also given free of charge to customers without them paying the required new service fees. This has occasioned an estimated loss of GH¢7.7 million in revenue”.
Meanwhile, the Board of Directors has appealed to the aggrieved staff to be patient and allow them to resolve their grievances.
President Akufo-Addo has announced that Ghana will begin the process of constructing a War Command College this year.
The Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces revealed on February 1, 2023 that he had tasked the Military High Command to activate processes towards that goal within this year.
“The government will not relent in its effort to transform the Ghana Armed Forces into a formidable modern force and will continue to help enhance the capacity and capability of the Armed Forces towards the development of our nation.
“I have tasked the Ministry of Defense and the Military High Command to begin the process of establishing a War College in Ghana this year. The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has been tasked to provide the seed capital,” he added.
The president was speaking at the 2023 West Africa Soldier’s Socialization Activities (WASSA) of the Ghana Armed Forces, at Burma Camp in Accra.
“The government and the people of Ghana continue to appreciate the sacrifices of the Ghana Armed Forces Forces towards ensuring peace and security both internally and externally,” he stressed.
February 1, busy day for CIC
President Akufo-Addo had a busy day aside from the WASSA, inagurating critical facilities for the military and donating equipment for their operations.
He wrote on his Facebook wall: “As part of Government’s effort towards addressing the accommodation deficit of the Armed Forces, this morning, I commissioned a newly constructed 300 Bed capacity Joseph Siaw Agyepong Young Soldiers’ Block at the 37 Military Hospital, which will accommodate newly posted young soldiers to commence their basic training in medical care.
“I also handed over the UN Level IV COVID-19 Field Hospital located near the Air Force Base, Accra, to the military High Command. I familiarised myself with the operations of DIKMAC Ltd, which is an armoured vehicle assembly plant located in Burma Camp, and also handed over a fleet of vehicles (175 in total) to the Headquarters 15 Armoured Brigade.
“Commissioning the ultra-modern CDS office complex was one of the highlights of the day, for it is an edifice befitting the CDS and his staff.
“I also cut the sod for the construction of a General Headquarters Office Complex for GHQ, and also for the construction of two thousand (2,000) housing units for the Navy,” the post accompanied by pictures of his engagement concluded.
The President of the Republic, Akufo-Addo, has commissioned a three hundred (300)-bed capacity young soldiers’ block at the 37 Military Hospital.
Commissioning the Block on Wednesday, 1st February 2023, President Akufo-Addo stated that the 37 Military Hospital, usually, finds itself with a lot of young soldiers posted to the Unit to commence their basic training in medical care.
Over the years, he explained that “the number has been increasing with nowhere to house these young soldiers, as they have to be on the hospital premises to learn their trade.”
According to the President, it is for this reason that then Director General of Health Services, Brigadier General Ralph Ametepe, conceived and started this project in 2016.
“With the use of internally generated funds, the project stood at fifty percent (50%) complete in 2018. Running out of funds in 2018 meant that the project stalled. It is good to note that successive Directors at the Hospital continued the project, albeit at a slow pace, until the project was revived in 2021 by the current Chief of Defence Staff,” he said.
The President continued, “I am told that the Chief of Defence Staff, in 2021, made an appeal to the Jospong Group of Companies to assist with the completion of this block, a request which was duly heard and answered. Jospong Group of Companies agreed to complete the project as a Corporate Social Responsibility at no cost to the Ghana Armed Forces. Jospong, well done, ayekoo!!”
Whilst assuring the officers, men and women of the Armed Forces of Government’s commitment to their welfare and well-being, he noted that since in assumption of office in 2017, his Government rolled out a number of measures to help deal with these challenges facing the Armed Forces.
These include phases one and two of the Barracks Regeneration Project and the Military Housing Projects, which I launched in 2017 and 2021, respectively. Government is also striving to complete stalled SSNIT and Ministry of Defence projects commenced in 2016 to add to the accommodation stock. These, together with ongoing accommodation projects, he explained, will provide some three thousand (3,000) accommodation units for the Ghana Armed Forces soon, and it will be the largest provision of accommodation units for the Armed Forces.
“We will continue to stay true to the pledges we made in our 2016 and 2020 manifestoes, which brought into and retained my party, the New Patriotic Party, and I, in office. Government will continue to construct much-needed accommodation infrastructure to enable the 37 Military Hospital and the Ghana Armed Forces perform its role as required by the Ghanaian people,” the President said.
Later in the day, President Akufo-Addo also commissioned a new administration block for the Chief of Defence Staff, at Burma Camp, and also handed over a UN Level IV Field Hospital to the Ghana Armed Forces.
In an exclusive interview with Citi News shortly after he made the disclosure before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament, he said the role handed him is not new and has always existed per law.
The Minister added that he had already been doing that but the President Akufo-Addo had to make it official.
The announcement of the designation, previously under the purview of the Finance Minister, has been misconstrued by observers as a creation of an entirely fresh Ministry by the government.
“I appeared before the [Public Accounts] Committee and the chairman asked me which Minister is responsible for SSNIT and I read the letter to him. So, it’s not any new thing. I still remain the Minister for Employment except that I have additional responsibility with oversight of pensions. That’s the simple terms of reference to see over SSNIT and National Pensions Regulatory Authority as my agencies for policy directives”, Mr. Baffour-Awuah told Citi News‘ Umaru Sanda Amadu.
The appointment which is in accordance with section 211 of the National Pensions Act 2008 (ACT 766) will see the minister steering the affairs of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) effective January 30, 2023.
“The law says that the President has to designate a specific Minister for pensions. So that is what he has exactly done just that to a greater extent, I was playing that particular role, but I had not been officially designated as Minister responsible.”
“It’s just been more official. To be very honest, hitherto, it was under the Minister of Finance. So I am surprised by the publications because this was just to clear a point by the Committee”, he added.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Alan Kyerematen has made a strong case for the delegates of the party to choose him as their candidate for the 2024 elections.
Speaking in an interview on Angel FM on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, Alan said that the party needs a candidate who can win not less than 80 percent of the votes in the Ashanti Region.
The former trade and industry minister added that not only can he win the party over 80 percent of the votes in the Ashanti Region but he can pull a good number of votes for strongholds of the largest opposition party, the NDC.
“We are not just looking for a flagbearer, we are looking for someone who can help the NPP retain power… Everybody knows that the Ashanti Region is the backbone of the NPP… And so for a difficult election, which I perceive is going to happen in 2024, you need a candidate that is going to win at least 80 percent of the votes in the Ashanti Region to guarantee us victory.
“You need a candidate who can do two things, consolidate your base and reduce the strength of your opponent. We all know that the base of the NDC is the Volta Region but many people have been asking why Voltarians like me so much.
“Everybody in Ghana knows that the people of the Volta Region have taken me to be one of them. I believe that I am the candidate who can win 80 percent of the votes in the Ashanti Region and also compete with the NDC in the Volta Region for their votes to be reduced,” he said in Twi.
Alan added that he has name recognition and he is known in every corner of Ghana.
“I have been working with Akufo-Addo all these years and there is no village where Akufo-Addo is known where I’m not known,” he said.
The former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, for the flagbearership position of the NPP.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, has said that he is not corrupt and that he has never taken a bribe.
Speaking in an interview on Good Evening Ghana on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Agyapong said that he will never engage in activities that will make him rich at the expense of the people of Ghana.
He then proceeded to narrate how he rejected a $3 million bribe from an Indian businessman who wanted to get a government project with his help.
“I met an Indian last week and he said there is a project that he thinks I can influence. The actual cost of the project is ($)26 million.
“The guy comes to say that he can do it for $9 (million) and of course as a businessman, he has to make a profit with whoever introduced him, $3 (million), making $12 (million). Then he said to me, I’m going to give you $3 million so I will add it to the $12 (million) to make $15 million and I said no to him.
“I said Ghana first, I don’t want the $3 million if you know you can do the job for $12 million so be it. The young men that come from America with their tickets and everything whatever you want to give to them it is okay but me I will not take any money,” he narrated.
Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, said that the business told him that he (Agyapong) is the only person, he has met in Africa who has rejected such a huge amount of money.
“The Indian man, who was there with his young engineer son, said wow, I have goose pimples. I have worked in Africa for 22 years and I have never seen an African reject $3 million like you did,” he said.
The Akufo-Addo government has closed the gap between industry and TVET over the last five years, according to the director general of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah explained that the establishment of Sector Skills Bodies which are made up of industry players and academia and groups of related industries that come together under a common structure to drive growth and competitiveness across the sector by focusing on the exploration of business opportunities, innovation and capacity needs within the sectors had led to bridging the gap in the sector.
Dr Fred Asamoah made the announcement on Tuesday during a press briefing in Accra.
He described the establishment of the Sector Skills Bodies as crucial since it played a lead role in the development of TVET curriculums and standards generation in the TVET sector.
Again he stated that the government conducting Skills Gap Analysis and Audit for the sector led to the identification of challenges in the sector which have been resolved bringing about the upgrading, restructuring and provision of the needed resources to boost effective teaching and learning in all TVET institutions leading to improved standards within the Competency-Based Training (CBT) Framework.
The Director General indicated that developing 100 Curriculum or Competency Based Training (CBT) packages from level one (proficiency) to level five (higher national diploma) of the national TVET qualification framework as part of the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project was also part of the reforms being implemented by the Government.
He mentioned that that was in addition to the already existing 47 curriculums which have already been developed by the Commission since 2017 under the new leadership.
Dr Asamoah further indicated that, although one of the biggest drawbacks to the provision of quality TVET in the past was the poor state of training facilities and equipment and lack of linkage to the industry, the government has the past five years invested massively in the TVET sector to change the story.
Upgrading and modernization
The Director General said the upgrading and modernization of all the erstwhile 34 National Vocational and Technical Institutes (NVTIs) have been completed and inaugurated.
“We are also constructing 5 new District TVET centres of excellence ongoing with that of Anyinam and Pakyi No. 2 near completion whiles that of Assin Jakai, Manso Abore, and Akomadan at various stages of completion”, he said.
“The Ghana-China Project for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Technical Universities and Technical Institutes which includes the construction of new workshops/laboratories and supply and installation of equipment fit for disciplines in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Welding technology, Automotive maintenance, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering was completed and inaugurated last year”. Dr Asamoah added.
The Director General spoke about the first phase of the construction of 32 state-of-the-art TVET institutions amounting to some $158 million, which commenced last year (2022) in nine regions which has infrastructural projects containing industry-standard equipment and can be found in all the Technical Universities and selected Technical Institutes across the country.
Commendation
The Director General used the occasion to thank industry players for their support of the Government’s reforms so far and called on them (Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Federation of Professional Trade Association of Ghana (FEPTAG), Private Enterprise Foundation-PEF, Ghana Employers Association and the individual industries) to continue their support to the Government, through the Ministry of Education and the Commission’s vision of transforming Ghana’s Economy through a robust TVET system.
Dr Asamoah also used the opportunity to draw the attention of all TVET providers and institutions who are yet to be accredited by the Commission that, by law, which is; Section 43 of Act 1023, Education Regulatory Bodies Act,2020 and the Pre-Tertiary Act,2020 (Act 1049), every training institution in the TVET space needed approval from the Commission by way of accreditation to operate and entreated all those who are yet to comply with this law to contact the Commission for modalities on how they can be registered and accredited.
The Domestic Debt Exchange Scheme of the government continues to be opposed by organized labor, and the group has vowed to vehemently oppose any attempts to repackage the program to include pension funds.
Government had earlier exempted pension funds from the undoubtedly most resisted programme yet ever after many agitations.
The deadline for signing up for the programme which was expected to have ended on January 31, 2023, was extended to February 7 for further engagement.
To this end, Organized Labour in a statement signed by Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Anthony Yaw Baah reiterated their stance on the programme.
Organized Labour in a three-point statement laid said:
“1. Per the Agreement between Government of Ghana and Organised Labour, signed on Thursday, December 22, 2022, with the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta and Hon. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, executing same on behalf of the Government of Ghana and Dr Anthony Yaw Bank, Secretary General of TUC, on behalf of Organised Labour, paragraph 1 stated as follows: “Government has decided to grant exemption to pension funds in the DDE Programme.”
Organised Labour hereby reiterates that, this position is final as far as involvement of Pension Funds in the DDEP is concerned. By this, Organised Labour and ALL our Pension Schemes are not participating in any DDE Programme as per the aforementioned exemption from government.
2. Any contrary communication or position is alien to us and should be dismissed by all well-meaning Ghanaians. Any attempt to go contrary to this agreement will be resisted by Organized Labour.
3. We assure all workers of Ghana that, Organised Labour will continue to safeguard their interest at all times.”
The Managing Editor of The Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has described as reckless the removal of the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress.
He said the NDC has created room for speculation amongst the party’s political opponents.
“This is a reckless move, absolutely reckless move. So what have you achieved? You have created conditions for all manner of speculations. I was listening to some of my friends in the NPP discuss this matter, come and see, it’s like they have won a bonanza.
“One of them actually went to the extent of saying John Mahama directed this move because he has a rift with Haruna, he wants to show Haruna some sense. This is not true, John Mahama was not comfortable with this move,” Mr. Pratt said on the Alhaji and Alhaji show on Radio Gold.
He described the popularity of the MP for Tamale South as legendary adding that his removal will affect the fortunes of the party up north.
“His popularity is legendary and anytime he has been touched, there have been repercussions. He is not God, he is not all-knowing, he is not omnipotent, he is not omnipresent, he can be removed. But if you want to remove him there are things that you have to do knowing the political circumstances. Were those things done?” the Editor of the Insight Newspaper asked.
According to him, though the outgoing Minority Leader has his shortcomings, he is the primus inter pares in the Northern region.
“Haruna Iddrisu may have all his faults, but he is the primus inter pares [first amongst equals] in the Northern Region. I have been to Tamale on many occasions, I went to school in Tamale, and I know Tamale fairly well. This is a man who comes to Tamale and he doesn’t drive a car. I have seen him riding just an ordinary bicycle moving from place to place holding caucuses in the streets, and playing cards with members. I have seen him on a motorbike going to funerals and so on,” Mr. Pratt noted.
There have been some disagreements amongst the Minority caucus after the party replaced Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu with Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle also replaced Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Chief Whip.
Some MPs signed a petition to reject the decision of the party over lack of consultation. Another set of MPs also petitioned the leadership of the NDC to ignore calls for the reshuffling to be reversed.
The Council of Elders of the NDC subsequently called on both sides to cease fire.
The Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, convicted and sentenced 72-year-old Eric Danso, alias Aboloway to seven years imprisonment with hard labor, for defiling his 13-year-old granddaughter.
The court presided over by Kwasi Apiati Abadu (Esq) heard that the suspect committed the crime on the 8th of December, 2022 when he took advantage of the absence of the victim’s grandmother whom she lived with by luring her into his room and defiling her.
The court handed down the sentence after the convict pleaded guilty to defilement contrary to section 101 of Act 29/60 as amended by section 11 of Act 544/98.
Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Apedo, prosecuting, told the court that, the complainant, Regina Amoako, mother of the victim lived at a different location within the Sekesua community in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region while the convict lived in the same community but in a different house with the victim and her grandmother.
According to him, the convict had been making sexual advances towards the victim, a class six pupil of the Presby Primary School at Sekesua for some time now.
He furthered that on the 8th of December, 2022 at about 13:30 hours, the victim was alone in the house with the convict who took advantage of the situation by requesting that she helped him find his remote control in his room.
The victim obliged the request and while searching for the remote, Danso allegedly pushed her onto a wooden structure in the room, forcibly undressed her and had sexual intercourse with her.
The prosecution furthered that though the victim shouted for help, nobody came to her rescue.
Detective Chief/Insp Daniel Apedo added that the victim afterward narrated her ordeal at the hands of her grandfather to her biological mother, Regina Amoako and an official report was made at the Asesewa District Police Station.
A police medical report form was issued to the complainant in respect of the victim, whom accompanied by police, sent the latter to the Asesewa Government Hospital for assessment.
The medical officer subsequently confirmed the incident in the endorsed medical report form.
Based on this, the septuagenarian was arrested where he, during interrogation admitted the offence before an independent witness and pleaded for forgiveness.
After investigations, the accused was charged with the offence and dragged to court.
The convict was widely known for playing various roles in the erstwhile Akan drama series on TV.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to deal decisively with traders who display their goods on the bare floor for sale and at unauthorised places at Agbogbloshie market, the biggest food market in Accra.
According to the AMA, its Public Health Officials would begin a special operation to crack down on the traders at Agbogbloshie market on the 1st of February 2023, throughout the month, to ensure the safety of both traders and buyers.
The Chief Executive of the AMA, Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey disclosed this on Tuesday when she paid an unannounced visit to the market ahead of an exercise to decongest the city.
She noted that as part of the special operation traders found selling behind the dwarf wall and along the road, would be arrested, fined and prosecuted adding that vehicles parked on the shoulders of the road would be towed.
“We are going to enforce the bye-laws to the latter. Traders selling behind the Agbogbloshie market dwarf wall will not be spared, anyone caught will be arrested, fined or sent to court…The traders have already been educated not to display their foodstuff on the bare ground for sale but the practice persists. We will enforce the law and ensure that they leave the mandated 3 feet gap between the ground and their foodstuff,” she said.
The AMA boss who led the team reiterated that some of the traders after all the education and engagements over the years against displaying their goods on the bare ground and at unauthorised places, continue to go contrary and therefore the Assembly would not show any mercy in dealing with such offenders anymore.
She also cautioned buyers to refrain from buying from the roadside of all the markets in Accra to avoid arrest and prosecution while bemoaning the possibility of getting involved in an accident while displaying goods at or buying from the roadside.
With deep concern, the mayor again admonished traders to erect platforms on which their goods would be displayed for sale instead of displaying them on the bare floor to avoid contamination.
She also warned traders and commuters against littering and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) through its Public Health Department prosecuted 477 environmental health and sanitation offenders in 2022 representing 61% out of the 784 cases recorded for the year.
The offences included; accumulation of refuse, food safety issues, waste collection registration failure, unsanitary drains, overgrowth of weeds, open defecation, littering in the city centre and other environmental health and sanitation offences contrary to the Public Health Act 851 (Act 2012), AMA 2017 Bye-laws.
One person has been confirmed dead with another missing after two teenagers allegedly fell into a galamsey pit at Anwiafutu near Nyinahin in the Atwiman Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.
The deceased has been identified as Kwabena Anane, 17, while Ata Derrick, 18, is still missing in the pit.
The teenagers according to residents fell into the river after some security men suspected to be forest guards chased them while searching for gold in an abandoned pit.
The sad incident according to residents occurred on Monday, January 30, 2023.
One of the community members who witnessed the incident narrated the story to OTEC News.
“They were five boys who went to the area in search of gold in some abandoned pits in the forest, we were told that some forest guards chased them out of the forest forcing two of the boys to fall into the pits.”
“Although the boys had the skill to swim out of the pits, the forest guards allegedly pelted the boys with stones forcing the two to drown; now we have retrieved the lifeless body of only one of the two who fell into the pit”.
“The body we retrieved had serious cuts confirming claims that the forest guards attack the boys with stones while trying to get out of the pit.”
Meanwhile, residents in the community have vowed to deal drastically with any forest guard who will come to the area if nothing is done about the situation.
A presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has refuted rumors that he will most likely withdraw from the party’s upcoming primary elections because he is acting on the instructions of another contender.
According to him, those claims are false and thus urged his teeming supporters to treat such reports with contempt.
He emphatically said that “Read my lips, I am not doing the bidding of anybody. I am genuinely contesting to become the President because I can do it better.”
He noted that “I am 62 years old, and I believe I am old and experienced enough to also contest and become the President of our country on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in 2024”.
Speaking on Net2 TV, he insisted that his decision to become the president in 2024 on the ticket of the NPP is non-negotiable.
“I am surprised because the support is coming from angles and corners. Even those in NDC and my own NPP members are supporting my bid”.
“Some people that I don’t know in person, I am told, have erected my billboards in the Northern parts of the country to support my ambition”, he said with a smile on his face.
Sounding happy, he said other people have printed his (Kennedy’s) campaign T-Shirts and caps to help him, stressing that he would surely become president in 2024.
According to him, he would win the upcoming NPP presidential primaries and go ahead to win the ultimate (presidential elections), slated for December 2024.
On another engagement, speaking to a cross-section of his supporters in the United States, Agyapong stressed that he was more of a leader than a politician, explaining that as a leader, he was focused more on national development whereas politicians are focused on the next election.
He said, “I don’t want to be president for eight years, I only want to be president for four years, challenge me and see how it will be done, and there is a difference between a leader and a politician”.
“A leader is the one who thinks of the development of his country and takes bold decisions irrespective of the repercussions. And the politician is the one who thinks of tomorrow’s election and therefore is not bold to take decisions”.
“And so, I don’t think of tomorrow’s election, I think of today and how I can make a difference,” he stressed adding that even if he was going to spend the full eight-year constitutional term, “Ghanaians will decide after four years, I won’t be afraid, I will invest in Ghana and create employment for the youth,” he said to a loud applause.
Mr. Agyapong, who is hoping to succeed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as leader of the NPP going into the 2024 elections has a hallmark of speaking truth to power without fear or favour irrespective of which political party is in power is a rare positive trait among his peers.
The MP for North Tongu, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called the controversy surrounding the leadership transition in the minority caucus a pointless diversion.
According to him, the focus of the National Democratic Congress and its MPs should be on helping find solutions to the numerous challenges the people of Ghana are facing.
Ablakwa said that the issue surrounding the change in the minority leadership has overshadowed important national issues including the debt exchange programme and corruption allegations in the government’s COVID-19 expenditure, as well as the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
“If you look at the current situation in our country, we are in a very turbulent chaotic time. We are really in crisis and we see what is happening with the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, where so many people have been forced to take haircuts… we have an avalanche of corruption reports, look at the Auditor Generals’ Report on COVID-19, look at our own exposé.
“The Ghanaian people expect us to be focused on those matters, to offer leadership, to be their voice because that is why they sent us to Parliament.
“So, the point I am making is that, this is a needless distraction,” the MP said in a JoyNews interview monitored by GhanaWeb, on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
Ablakwa, therefore, called on his colleague National Democratic Congress MPs to finalize the matter on their leadership and move on to national issues.
“So, some of us have been urging colleagues that we have to quickly close ranks, deal with this matter expeditiously and move on to the national issues,” he added.
The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC, with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament, saying that the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.
The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. He replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.
According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Leader.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.
Some MPs of the party have petitioned its National Executive Committee (NEC) to suspend the appointment of the new leadership of the party in Parliament.
The NDC MPs, including Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka (MP for Asawase), Dominic Ayine (MP for Bolgatanga East), and Cletus Avoka (MP for Zebilla), who are calling for the suspension, argue that the appointment was not made by any of the party’s decision-making structures but was imposed by just a few people.
Secretary General of the Ghanaian Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, has pleaded for the inclusion of single mothers in the new National Rental Assistance Scheme.
Speaking during the launch of the Scheme in Accra, the TUC boss explained that there is the need for such people to be given premium treatment in the distribution of such national initiatives.
He stressed that while initiatives like this are important, they should really be implemented in the national scope as they are designed, and not limited to only a few parts of the country.
“I’ll want to urge the implementing agency and the ministry that, the TUC will always be there to support this project. We are always willing to help secure accommodation, not only accommodation, but decent accommodation to all workers.
“So, we want to urge you to, as quickly as possible, extend this to all the regions because when you do something and you call it National Rental Assistance Scheme and you limit it to regions – not all the 16 regions, it’s a little problematic. It doesn’t matter how many you support in a region; I think you should try and do that,” he said.
Dr. Anthony Baah further added that in the case of single mothers, it becomes a better deal when they are offered such opportunities, more than when it is offered to others who do not necessarily have dependents.
“I also want to appeal to the ministry and all those who access the application, let’s prioritize women, especially mothers with children and without husbands; the single mothers. You see, if you provide accommodation to a single mother who has two children, it’s much better than providing accommodation for others who have no children. I’m saying this because of the experience I’ve gathered,” he added.
The member of parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has chastised the Ghana Armed Forces for the killing and mistreatment of some of his constituents and vowed to do everything in his power to seek reparation.
According to a statement issued under the name of the MP, on the night of Tuesday, January 31, 2023, there were reported gunshots heard in the Bawku township.
This, he added, was part of efforts by the military to ensure that it brought the situation under control, but things spiralled and, in the end, some six civilians are said to have been killed at the hands of the soldiers.
He said that the people who were killed were first chased and then shot, per the information available to him.
“Let me condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the infliction of mortal casualties on innocent civilians by members of the Ghana Armed Forces in Bawku today. This is totally unacceptable and I will leave no stone unturned in my fight for redress for these victims.
“Report reaching me is to the effect that there were gun fires last night across the Bawku town. The military, as part of their efforts to curtail the situation, chased anyone they saw, Information reaching is to the effect that they were chasing some people and other people saw those being chased running and also took to their heels. The military shot at them and in the process killed six civilians,” he stated.
Mahama Ayariga further explained that one of the people who were killed was a little boy who had also gone into hiding, bringing the number of reported deceased to 7.
He added that some other persons were physically abused, including an assemblyman.
“A little boy who also run to hide behind some grasses was also shot. The grass caught fire and burnt him to death, making the number 7. In addition, the Assemblyman for Missiga Electoral Area was physically assaulted by military personnel and sustained serious injuries.
“Several unspeakable brutalities have been reported,” he added.
Vehemently condemning what transpired in his constituency, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP called out the continuous attacks of the military on his citizens.
He has therefore called on the government to immediately investigate the matter, while calling for calm among the people of the Bawku township.
“This is totally unacceptable and I condemn the military in very strong terms. There was similar killing of two men at patelmi because they allegedly broke curfew laws. This is preposterous. The Government must immediately investigate this report and bring to book the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
“I urge everyone to lay down their weapons and let’s work towards peace and not give opportunities to others to inflict such inhuman treatment on us,” he added.
A former representative for the Mampong Constituency, Francis Addai-Nimoh, has formally declared his intention to run for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearership when nominations are accepted.
The former legislator said preliminary research conducted by his team coupled with consultation and advice from some elders of the party, he said psych himself to bring on board his professional knowledge and values to retain political power.
“I am humbled that my astute team has assessed my qualifications and motivations using some three criteria. Driven by my personal convictions, I am confident that my professional background and values can be useful in shaping the necessary initiatives that will significantly improve our country and coupled with the clarion call I have been receiving over these last years from our party members, rank and file and from wide consultations with elders of the party, I, Addai-Nimoh, I have thereby decided and officially announcing my candidacy to be elected as the next flagbearer of the NPP.”
Mr. Addai-Nimoh contested in the NPP’s presidential primaries in 2014 and lost. Addressing the media at the GNAT Hall in Accra, the former MP promised to bring unity and consolidate the performance of the current NPP-led government.
The Minister for Employment and Labor Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has been named the Minister in charge of Pensions by President Akufo Addo.
The appointment which is in accordance with section 211 of the National Pensions Act 2008 (ACT 766) will see the minister steering the affairs of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) effective January 30, 2023.
Mr Baffour Awuah made this known when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, February 1.
The new ministerial appointment which takes immediate effect comes after the Minority warned that any new ministerial appointment will not be tolerated as the country embarks on a domestic debt restructuring to revive the ailing economy.
Beneficiaries of the National Rental Assistance Scheme are required to repay any loans received with a 12 percent interest rate, according to Emmanuel Hovey Kporsu, head of public relations at the Rent Control Department.
Mr Kporsu said the interest will be split between the government and the scheme.
“This is a revolving fund from which the government is also going to benefit. The interest on it is about 12 percent and there is a cost-sharing between the government and the service provider. If we are to pay the rent, and we pay GH¢1000, 12 percent will be added and that 12 percent will be shared between the service provider and the government, and it will be reinvested into the scheme,” Mr Kporsu said in an interview on Face to Face on Tuesday, January 31.
He also disclosed that the scheme will be eventually extended to all 16 regions of the country after the pilot phase in five regions namely; Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern, and Bono East Regions.
Applicants who intend to rent an apartment that cost more than GH¢1500 monthly are not qualified under the scheme.
The government on Tuesday, January 31, duly launched the National Rental Assistance Scheme as part of measures to provide decent accommodation for Ghanaians.
Ghanaians above the age of 18 with a valid national ID card and verifiable employment with an income, qualify for a rent loan in five to ten working days under the scheme.
Total rent is paid to the prospective landlord of the applicant and the applicant in turn makes a monthly payment to the National Rental Assistance Scheme.
Mr Kporsu added that applicants will be evicted from the apartment if they default on the monthly repayment arrangement with the scheme.
Speaking at the launch in Accra on Tuesday, January 31, vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the five regions were “selected for the pilot because they are where there is pressure on rent in the country.”
Dr. Bawumia said, unlike previous policies which are often marred by defaulters, the National Rental Assistance Scheme is in collaboration with private investors who wouldn’t want their investments to go down the drain and will use any means possible to retrieve their funds which will also eliminate any form of political interference.
He also disclosed that the government through the Ministry of Works and Housing has submitted a bill to Parliament seeking to replace the current rent law which was passed over five decades ago and has lost its relevance.
“I am happy to inform you that the government has made significant strives as far as the housing sector and renting management are concerned. Government acting through the Ministry of Works and Housing has submitted to Parliament for consideration and passage, a rent bill to replace the existing Rent Act of 1963 Act 220. The current Act was passed by Parliament 59 years ago and therefore its relevance has been outlived by the current population growth, urbanization, housing availability, and general trends.”
The Kasoa branch manager of popular retail shop, Melcom, has been arrested by the revenue protection taskforce from the Ghana Revenue Authority over failure to issue VAT invoices on some items sold to customers.
He was arrested on Wednesday, February 1. His arrest brings to eight, the number of shop managers arrested on the third day of the operation by the compliance unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The GRA rolled out the Electronic VAT Invoicing system in 2022 in its quest to track taxes paid on goods purchased.
With the current Value Added Tax rate at about 25%, some shops have adopted schemes to bypass the system in order to keep a low price rate to attract customers.
According to the GRA, shop managers have found a smart way of directing purchases through other systems other than the customs-approved system.
The suspected shop managers will be arraigned according to the GRA after their statements are taken.
On Tuesday, the Managers of the East Legon branch of Max Mart shopping centre, Community 25 branch of Palace shopping mall, and Second Cup Coffee shop at Dzorwulu were arrested and detained by the Ghana Revenue Authority for non-compliance with tax laws and bypassing the Electronic VAT Invoicing system.
The three managers are made up of two foreigners and a Ghanaian.
According to GRA, the managers of the respective malls deliberately outsmarted the Electronic VAT Invoicing system by recording multiple sales of items under one unit.
A residential fire at Abuakwa in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality of the Ashanti Region have claimed the lives of a family of three.
The unfortunate incident involves a 28-year-old mother, Abigail Manu, and her two daughters, Nora Yeboah and Philipa Yeboah who were 9 and 6 years respectively.
According to eyewitnesses, two other family members in the house were able to escape, but the three were trapped inside and were burnt to death in the process.
The intervention of officers prevented the fire from spreading to neighbouring houses.
The affected house has been completely destroyed.
An eyewitness, Stephen Wundomor told Citi News “we heard the victims screaming and calling for help but were only able to rescue two out of the five persons who were trapped in the fire.”
This comes a few weeks after a police officer and his family perished in a similar fire incident at Apromase in the Ashanti region.
It’s close to three years after his dilemma, yet, the former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, who was ordered to proceed on leave and was subsequently removed from office by President Nana Akufo-Addo, has still not received his entitlements, including wage arrears.
President Akufo-Addo in a statement dated Monday, June 29, 2020, and signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, directed Mr Domelevo to take his accumulated annual leave of 123 days and hand over all matters relating to his office to Mr Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, the Deputy Auditor-General, to act as Auditor-General.
A subsequent letter by President Akufo-Addo on March 3, 2021, signed by Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Secretary to the President said, “The attention of the President of the Republic has been drawn to records and documents made available to this Office by the Audit Service, that indicate that your date of birth is June 1, 1960 and that in accordance with article 199 (1) of the Constitution, your date of retirement as Auditor-General was June 1, 2020,” the letter said, adding by extension, therefore, “the President is of the view that you have formally left office.”
Surprisingly three years after he was ousted from Office, the former Auditor-General has not received his entitlement and salary arrears despite two separate letters to the presidency.
In a letter sighted by citinewsroom.com, the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo urged the Board of the Ghana Audit Service to review the claims of Mr Domelevo and take the necessary action.
“The Office of the President is in receipt of letters dated 5th November 2021 and 4th November 2022 respectively from the former Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, regarding emoluments and entitlements due him upon retirement. The contents of the letters have been duly noted and are hereby forwarded to you for your kind attention.
“This Office would be grateful if the Board of the Ghana Audit Service could review the claims of Mr Domelevo and take the necessary action in respect of them as soon as practicable. Kindly keep this Office informed of all steps taken in respect of this matter.”
Davis Mac Iyalla, a well-known Nigerian born British LGBTQIA+ rights activist who sworn in as a traditional chief in Yamonransa in the Central Region over the weekend, is no longer in that position.
The chiefs of Nkusum Traditional Area stripped him of the title and reversed his installation on the grounds that he failed to reveal his true identity to them.
According to the traditional leaders, they had known him only as Kweku Adu, a resident of Cape Coast, for the past 10 years and only got to know that he was actually known as Davis Mac Iyalla, an LGBTQIA+ rights activist only a few moments to the installation. In view of that, they (the chiefs) decided to reverse the process and that Mac Iyalla cannot refer to himself as a chief anymore.
“During the process of his installation as Amankorehen, (Nkosuohen ie Development chief), information came that Kweku Adu is also known as Davis Mac-Iyalla and has been supporting LGBTQIA+ and it’s related activities.
“Immediately this information came to our attention, we called for the whole process of Mac-Iyalla to be halted. We wish to state that no title has been conferred on him as Amankorehen of Yamonranza.”Nana Okese
The popular gay activist was outdoored at a ceremony at Yamonransa, under the stool name Nana Kweku Gyasi I. However, Nana Okese Esandoh IX, Paramount chief of the Nkusukum Traditional Area, disclosed that the traditional council was not aware that Mac Iyalla was a gay activist and had thus refrained from conferring that chieftaincy title on him.
The traditional leader explained that, he got to know Mac-Iyalla through some friends in Cape Coast, who recommended that he had been supportive with developmental projects. He made known that he discussed the issues with the Ebusuapayin (family head) of Yamonransa to install him as Amankorehen to help with the area’s development.
Among others, the Chief indicated that, the Amankorehen was to organise the African-American people who have traced their roots to Yamonransa to support the area’s development. Nana Esandoh admitted that Mac-Iyalla had shown some dedication and commitment to the development of the area.
“His broader vision to attract investors from America and Europe, particularly the United Kingdom to boost economic activities is great.”Nana Okese
Fall From Palanquin Incident
Davis Iyalla was carried in a palanquin through the Yamonransa township, pouring schnapps along the route. The palanquin ride did not go smoothly, as he fell off the palanquin to the ground on his way to the durbar grounds.
On reaching the grounds, Davis together with the paramount chief, Nana Okese Esandoh, were held in an engagement with police officials for about an hour before the proceedings continued with an amended programme lineup. The swearing of oath of allegiance to the Omanhene in state on the initial programme lineup was cancelled.
Mac Iyalla in his address disclosed that, he had completed all traditional formalities emphasizing that he was now a chief. He stated that he was born Nigerian but now a British citizen saying by “the grace of God he practice what he preaches”, ie human rights for all persons.
“I don’t believe in discrimination. Whether you are tall, short black, white, yellow or green you are a human being and I will fight for that my belief to the very end. No matter what it cost me. I am not a hypocrite and I will not start now to be a hypocrite. You don’t need to like me but you have to respect my views.”Davis
Mac Davis explained that, he came to know the Omanhene in April 2022 when the Omanhene had been in a chieftaincy dispute for 13years. He said soon after knowing him (the Omanhen) they worked to ensure he was gazetted in December 2022 and sworn into the regional house of chiefs. “I am a man of action. When I enter somewhere I bring change. Whenever I enter anywhere if I say I want to do something I do it and I do it very well.” he averred.
The gay actitivist, asserted that he belonged to Nkusukum Yamonransa and nobody can take it away from him. “Let us not waste time. Let us celebrate and enjoy. I have completed the process as a chief.” he declared.
News of his installation on various social media received a lot of attention with many criticizing the chiefs for installing him.
Senyo Hosi, the convener of the Individual Bondholders Forum (IBF), claims that the government’s improved terms for the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme are significantly better.
Mr. Hosi explained that the revised terms of the programme are an improvement from what was originally tabled by the government.
The government further extended the deadline for the programme to February 7, 2023, following the expiration on January 31, 2023.
This follows the agreement government reached with the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB), Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), and the Ghana Securities Industry Association (GSIA).
Government says a revised and final Exchange Memorandum will be released by February 2, 2023.
Speaking on the Eyewitness News, with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Hosi noted that, “Well this is not what we asked for or not, the consensus we reached with government was that it was going to make an offer to individuals. And then we can make an assessment, the process remains voluntary.”
“Subject to how the offer may work for you, you may accept it. If you don’t accept it, government will still honour its own obligation to you. When you look at the offer currently, it’s a massive improvement from what was originally on the table”.
The revised terms, he noted, “for the pensions fund, you will just be losing about 15% as against the original one of 50%, so it depends on how it works for you, it may be good. Another thing you may be looking at is your market expectations. You may be looking at a market act where the rate could really crash. When that happens the secondary market will give you a very good yield, and you may be able to exit. But these are decisions everybody would have to take”.
A statement from the Finance Ministry on January 31, 2023, noted that a number of “developments have necessitated the final extension of the deadline from 31st January 2023, to Tuesday 7th February 2023, and a new settlement date of Tuesday 14th February 2023 that will be confirmed via the new Exchange Memorandum”.
Stakeholders were awaiting the government’s next move given the agreements it recently reached with groups of individual bondholders and players in the banking and insurance industry.
The extension of the deadline for the debt exchange will make room for some finalised terms with subscribers of the programme.
The revised terms are as follows:
a. An affirmation that all individual bondholders are free not to participate;
b. However, upon a successful DDEP there will be very few of the ‘old bonds’ in circulation, and likely limit its tradability;
c. In this regard, the Government is pleased to make available the following alternative offer to encourage all individual bondholders to participate in the Exchange:
i. All individual bondholders who are below the age of 59 years will be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years, instead of 15 years, and a 10% coupon rate;
ii. All retirees (including those retiring in 2023) will be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years, instead of 15 years, and a 15% coupon rate.
Additionally, discussions are being finalised with Organized Labour and Pension Fund Trustees, on a separate arrangement in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Organized Labour on 22nd December 2022, and in line with government’s debt management Programme.
With this, Government encourages all stakeholders to participate in the DDEP, an essential step towards meeting our debt sustainability targets and restoring macroeconomic stability and economic growth.
These developments have necessitated the final extension of the deadline from 31st January, 2023, to Tuesday 7th February, 2023, and a new settlement date of Tuesday 14th February, 2023 that will be confirmed via the new Exchange Memorandum.
The Government appreciates the cordial engagements with the various stakeholders since the beginning of the DDEP, that have made such remarkable progress possible.
“All bondholders are hereby encouraged to commence all administrative processes towards their participation in the Exchange, in line with the agreements reached”, the statement concluded.
The District court in Achimota presided over by His Worship Prince Owusu, has ordered an insanity test to be conducted on the suspect, Patrick Asiedu, who is behind the widely circulated audio in claiming the police stopped and put narcotics in his vehicle.
The court gave the order on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, when the accused reappeared before it.
The accused who also claimed to be a doctor was again remanded into police custody to reappear on 14th February 2023.
A preliminary police investigation established that Patrick Asiedu was not a medical doctor as he claimed in the audio but an Uber driver.
The police also revealed that it had confirmed that the narrative he recorded and shared on social media in the viral audio did not happen.
“The investigations show that the entire story narrated in the audio tape is false and a total fabrication by the suspect.”
“The supposed military intervention and the alleged fight between the Police officers and the Military described in such dramatic detail in the audio tape are all false and a figment of the suspect’s imagination,” the police statement dated January 18, 2023, signed and issued by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the Director of Police Public Affairs on Wednesday night said.
The Ghana Police Service has started an inquiry into an alleged incident at the West Hills Mall that resulted in Shadrach Arloo’s death, a 32-year-old man.
In a press release dated January 31, 2023, the Police administration said its officials had contacted a relative of the deceased, Perpetual Didier, who first made the allegation in a viral audio.
“The attention of the Police Service has been drawn to a viral video in which a female who identifies herself as Perpetual Didier alleges that the action of a Police Officer has caused the death of her brother.
“The Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) has commenced investigation into the allegation and has contacted Madam Perpetual Didier to assist the investigation,” Assist. Superintendent of Police, Victor K Dosso assured in the press release.
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has said that the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education turned down a request to acquire data on the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
According to him, following some petitions from concerned stakeholders including parents and schools heads about issues emerging from the CSSPS, Eduwatch had initiated the RTI request to assess the effectiveness and equity of same.
“We have also been concerned at Eduwatch about the proper functioning of the CSSPS because we appreciate why the system was birthed, and so when we received concerns from parents and school authorities and all that including government agencies about issues emerging from the angle of effectiveness and equity, then we were concerned,” he said.
The purpose of the request he said was to ascertain whether government was indeed living up to its promise of allocating 30% of school placements in Category A schools to students from public basic schools.
The government had initiated the quota allocation system to provide equity in Ghana’s education system; however, concerns have been raised about its effectiveness.
“So we actually requested from the CSSPS, we made an RTI request to the Director General of the GES requesting for the placement data to enable us undertake an analysis. Our concern was actually the 30% allocation for public basic students.
“We wanted to be sure the extent to which we have been given public basic school students their 30% in the category A schools. It was an equity analysis. It was denied. We petitioned the Ministry, it was denied. As I speak, we are still engaging the RTI on the next step after this was denied. We won’t play around this time,” he said.
According to Kofi Asare, access to such data would help Eduwatch “to conduct research and advise government on how best to improve its own policy’s effectiveness through transparency.”
Meanwhile, in the latest JoyNews-Fourth Estate documentary, ‘School Placement for Sale’, it has been discovered that some persons have been collecting bribes from parents who want their children to be placed in Category A schools.
So far, eight persons exposed in the documentary have been arrested by the police.
According to editor-in-chief at Fourth Estate, Manasseh Azure, the suspects have been charged and arraigned.
