Seth Asante Asiedu, aka Kwaku Rafik, was reported to have been picked up at his residence at Amasaman by some officials believed to be National Security operatives.
According to GhanaWeb sources, Kwaku Rafik’s arrest comes on the back of a series of tweets that seemingly addressed the government and some related issues.
The incident is reported to have happened on Thursday dawn at about 3.30 am.
He was, however, granted bail later in the night.
Kwaku Rafik’s lawyer, Beatrice Annan, in a tweet at 9.49 pm, Thursday, December 1, stated:
“Bail granted. Kwaku is free. Thank you all more the massive support. Free speech will win any day.”
Bail granted. Kwaku is free. Thank you all more the massive support. Free speech will win any day.
On November 6, Kwaku Rafik is said to have, in a post, suggested that Ghana was downgraded by major banks in Ghana because of risk levels, adding that commercial banks may be next to struggle.
“Investment firms are struggling, you know who is next? I believe commercial banks. It will be difficult for them to pay depositors. Moody’s has downgraded major banks in Ghana because of their risk levels,” he said.
In a more recent one posted on Wednesday, Kwaku Rafik suggested that some government officials had abandoned their official duties to go and witness the World Cup in Qatar.
“And so they left official duties to watch the World Cup. Really? A caring government indeed,” he posted 19 hours ago. Ban on foreign travels but they are in Qatar,” he posted on November 30, 2022.
20-year-old Stephen Ansah is in the grip of the Assin Fosu police service for slashing the palm of a friend at Pomaa Pokuase, in the Assin Fosu Municipality of the Central Region.
Inspector Gilbert Ayongo, who confirmed the incident, said Mr. Emmanuel Appiah, 22, is currently fighting for his fingers at the Fosu Polyclinic.’
According to the Ghanaian Times newspaper, Inspector Gilbert Ayongo, a state prosecutor, disclosed that Emmanuel the victim, demanded his share of GH₵30 money they both worked for, but Ansah refused to give him his part, and this lingered on for two weeks.
He added that the victim, who desperately needed the money, reported the incident to Ansah’s father.
However, Ansah took exception to this and went to the victim’s home armed with a cutlass and attempted to stab the victim in the stomach.
As the suspect pulled the cutlass, the victim seized it with both hands, cutting parts of his fingers.
Ansah fled after wounding the victim but was later apprehended by the Assin Fosu Police Force after receiving a tip-off.
The report added that he will now be charged in court.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is targeting more parliamentary seats in the Ashanti Region ahead of the 2024 elections, according to re-elected Regional Chairman Augustus Nana Kwasi Andrews.
Nana Kwasi however believes this can be achieved in the ruling party’s stronghold with a united and formidable front. The party has already presented lawmakers from Asawase, New Edubiase, Sekyere Afram Plains and Ejura.
“After my victory [in the Regional Delegates’ Conference], I called all the aspirants and we have resolved to stay united. This time we want to increase our votes in 2024; and we have more seats to snatch in the Ashanti Region, that is my focus for now”, he told dailymailgh.com after a thanksgiving service at a catholic church in Ejisu on Sunday (November 27).
“We are seeking to bring everybody on board [for the task ahead]”, I am blessed with a more focused team and we shall make it happen. The NDC will win the polls without any bloodshed”, he added.
NPP not an option
Nana Akwasi also took on the Akufo-Addo-led administration for the country’s economic woes which he says has been run into a “ditch”.
“They [NPP] labeled John Mahama as incompetent but what was the exchange rate then and what is the situation now? The prices of petrol products are killing businesses in Ashanti Region. But I must say that the suffering Ghanaians now know that former President Mahama is the best alternative and we shall make it happen under my leadership.”
The event was heavily attended by former government appointees, former MPs, and other party bigwigs. The catholic church prayed for the team and wished them well in their endeavours.
Delegates’ Elections
Augustus Nana Akwasi Andrews was retained after the November 13 polls.
The elections which saw 61 aspirants contesting the various positions, gave Andrews 637 votes, beating his main contender lawyer Evans Amankwa, who polled 572.
A former deputy communications officer Alexander Asafo Agyei suffered defeat after contesting his boss, Abass Nurudeen for the communication officer post.
A Ghanaian female photographer, Senyuiedzorm Awusi Adadevoh, has disclosed that she was nearly raped in Qatar.
According to Awusi, the incident happened on one of the days when she was walking home alone since her usual companion had left early.
She added that she is only sharing her ordeal to ensure that no visitor who has travelled to witness the World Cup goes through what she experienced.
“I always travel with somebody, but with this particular tournament, I have had to come alone. But I have been working with a friend. Yesterday, she did not have two matches; I had two matches, and she was tired, and so she left.
“So, I was getting back home at about 2 a.m., and I saw a young man from afar, an Arabic young man in white, maybe between 17 to 20 years. And I saw him smile, and he went back into a house … and by the time I reached his house, he had come out and greeted me.
“He extended his hands, and I shook (him) – he was a young guy, but he was way taller and bigger than me. And then he just said ‘I want to do the sex’. So, I tried to pull my hand and he just grabbed me and said ‘I say I want to do the sex’,” she narrated in a Facebook live post which was monitored by GhanaWeb.
Awusi said that despite all her efforts to free herself, the Qatari man was still holding on to her, saying, “don’t worry, don’t worry, I will pay you, I will pay you good.”
She said that the incident left her shocked and confused because she was afraid of being raped and losing her equipment, which was worth over €30,000, but she eventually managed to free herself.
The journalist urged Ghanaians and other nationals who are visiting Qatar for the World Cup to make sure that they are always travelling in pairs.
She also urged the Qatari authorities to warn their citizens against engaging in such acts.
A one-time parliamentary aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Kpone Katamanso, Hopeson Adorye, has refuted news publications that his removal from the National Security Secretariat was because he was not supposed to be working there after he was fired in 2017.
Speaking in an Okay FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Hopeson Adorye said that the sack letter he received was dated November 17, 2022.
Adorye, who was previously the Deputy National Security Coordinator in Charge of Airports, added that the reasons for his sacking were not stated in the letter because it was President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who ordered his dismissal.
“The news publication is wrong. Why will someone be sacked and leave his post after 4 years? What happened was that in 2017, I had to leave my post at the airport and go back to the ‘blue gate’ because the security at the VIP section of the airport, which the National Security was in charge of, was being taken over by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. I was never sacked; what ‘The Herald’ is saying is false,” he explained in Twi.
“How can one person be sacked from the same job twice? Tomorrow will be exactly two weeks since I received the letter indicating my appointment had been terminated with immediate effect. The letter was dated 17th November 2022 and I received the letter on 21st November, a day after my birthday,” he added.
He added that many elders of the NPP have advised him not to talk about the circumstances surrounding his dismissal, and he will for now heed their advice.
Hopeson Adorye had previously announced on live radio this week that he had been fired from his government job.
He said during a discussion on Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme, on which he is a regular guest, that he had been fired purposefully because of his support for Alan Kyerematen.
Adorye is a vocal supporter of the Trade and Industry Minister in respect of the minister’s rumoured bid to lead the NPP as flagbearer when elections take place next year.
“God will cater for us; we will eat, Uncle (referring to the show host); God has got us. How we toiled in opposition for Akufo-Addo to come to power, we will do same for Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen to come.
“I’m not a zombie, uncle, I was told that my support is not towards a particular camp, so I should be dismissed. I have been dismissed. ‘Your appointment has been terminated with immediate effect.’ That is why I am stressing that God will cater for us; we will never die,” he stressed.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has vowed to oppose the approval of budget estimates if the minister of the sector does not appear in the house alone.
According to him, some ministers have failed to show respect to the house, and there is a need to hold the government accountable.
“When we get to the approval of budget estimates and ministers don’t appear in person in parliament by themselves, we will not support the approval of the budget allocations to those ministries.
“Ministers must take this house very seriously, and only ministers appointed by the president to oversee the sectors of those ministries must rise from their seats to move motions to ask for budget allocations and approval by this house. Failure to do so will mean that we will stump down a number of those motions.
“We will hold this government accountable, and we intend to strengthen oversight. It begins with this our decision. If ministers don’t appear in person to move motions for budget allocations, then they should expect the fiercest resistance from this side of the house,” he explained.
Meanwhile, parliament has tasked the Ministry of Finance and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to submit their Heads of Estimates for consideration and approval by parliament on time.
A Financial Analyst, Professor Williams Peprah, has stated that the government should not conduct debt restructuring in a way that discourages investors from investing.
According to him, interest payments can be postponed whiles principals are paid under the possible programme.
Earlier, reports have revealed that some domestic investors were losing their investments due to an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission to banks.
The supposed order was for banks to use the mark-to-market approach to pay investors.
The investors have since lamented the inconveniences that this has caused while adding that some have begun losing part of their principal.
However, Prof. Peprah advised the government to restructure debt in a way that gives room for people to be able to access their principal when they want due to rising inflation in the country.
He said: “For the bonds, loss of confidence in the Ghanaian economy, it is better to defer interest payments and then pay principals so that people will be able to get cash flow to survive.”
“The reason why we’re seeing a lot of people trying to dump or discount their bonds now is because they need cash to survive because of the high inflation. So, government will have to have a metric where a certain class of investors is allowed to receive some funds to survive.
“I give an example; if I’m a pensioner, normally when they’re doing the bonds, they collect some data…so all those things are in the database. So, they must come out with some classification of individuals or age group brackets that will be allowed to withdraw some funds immediately,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.
“For those who are within their youthful age, between 20 and 35 in terms of years, they have time, can we have a discussion to prolong the payment of their principal and a little portion of their interest to them for them to survive. To pay a zero coupon it’s going to have a major impact on the Ghanaian economy. So, on the bond market we have to use the age bracket in order to be able to consider some issues,” he said.
A member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto, has suggested that the framers of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana got it wrong when they stated that Members of Parliament (MPs) could simultaneously serve as ministers of state.
According to him, MPs working at the same time as ministers of state make them ineffective in their main duty of representing their constituents.
“I think that the error we made was that we were trying to mix the Westminster system of government and the presidential system of government. That is the mistake that we made in our constitutional process.
“Being in parliament is a serious business. How on earth can you run a ministry as a minister and at the same time find time to represent your people in Parliament? You can’t.
“In fact, if you check the assembly roster, you will find out that there are many ministers who seldom appear in Parliament and yet that is the purpose for being elected as MPs. They were not elected to become ministers, they were elected to become MPs to represent the people,” he said in a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
He proposed that the section of the constitution that allows MPs to serve as ministers be reviewed so legislators could not be part of the executive branch of the government.
The member of the Council of State also said that the current Parliament has become too partisan, with MPs pursuing the interests of their political parties rather than those of the nation and their constituents.
Akim Abuakwa South Member of Parliament Samuel Atta Akyea has called for a change in Ghana’s Agricultural policies.
He wants policies that go beyond just farming to feed the people to rather focus on the ability to supply raw materials for industrial purposes.
In his view, Ghana will realize the full benefits of agriculture when the sector is able to supply to industry in large quantities.
He was speaking in Parliament on Wednesday November 30 after the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie briefed the House on the the 2022 Farmers’ Day celebration.
The event is on the theme “Accelerating Agricultural development through value addition.”
The Agric Minister told Parliament that it will take place at the Koforidua Jubilee Park on Friday December 2.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be the special guest, the Minister said.
Contributing to a discussion on the floor of the House regarding the theme for the celebration, Mr Atta Akyea said “I am also of the humble view that the theme should translate into realities.
“If we continue in that kind of agriculture which is so agonistic and ancient, you will not have the benefit of agriculture
“I believe that the pillar and prop of the economy can be agriculture, there is no dispute about it at all. We should move from the kind of agricultural policies and undertakings which are stomach directed, that we want to feed our people, I think that is too basic for our forward movement.
“We should direct our efforts that agriculture should supply in substantial terms the raw materials for industry. That is where we begin to enhance the benefits of agriculture.”
The Benkumhene of the Asaman-Tamfoe, Nana Boakye Darkwa, has denied allegations of involvement in illegal mining and pointed out that the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, broke traditional norm by destooling him.
He has, therefore, dared Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II to provide evidence of his allegations.
“If Okyenhene has concluded that I am an illegal miner, then I urge him to report me to the relevant national and appropriate institutions for redress,” he stated in a rebuttal press conference on Thursday, December 1.
“I have never been into mining. In 2018, I was adjudged the Best District Cocoa Farmer in Atiwa West. I can therefore not renege on this honour by encouraging the desecration of cocoa farms.”
About a month ago, the Environmental Task Force of the Okyeman Traditional Council clashed with residents of Asaman-Tamfoe on allegations of illegal mining.
The Benkumhene, Nana Boakye Darkwa, held a press conference to deny his community members were involved in illegal mining and accused the Taskfoce of failing to do due diligence.
He was subsequently summoned by the Okyenhene over the issues arising from his press conference and alleged involvement in illegal mining and later destooled.
Asamang Tamfoe Benkumhene Nana Boakye Darkwa
But during his address to the press, Nana Boakye Darkwa said Okyenhene Amoatia Ofori Panin II cannot destool him and denied allegations of his involvement in illegal mining.
“The community members formed groups of miners and were allotted parcels of land, resulting from an MoU the community signed with Xtra Gold Mining Ltd to mine. This irked the traditional authorities who consequently orchestrated the ransacking of their sites and impounding of their equipment with some workers arrested in Rambo fashion. A press conference exposing the dastardly and cowardice actions of the Okyeman taskforce angered the overlord.”
He added: “As part of Corporate Social Responsibility agreement between the community and Xtra Gold, some monies were paid by the miners lodged in a credited account in the name of the community. Asaman-Tamfoe recognising and acknowledging the throne of Ofori Panin gave out GH¢115,000 on 7th October 2022 to the Ofori Panin Fie, disbursement as follows; Abontendomhene GH¢10,000, Osagyefo GH¢100,000.00 [and] Drinks GH¢5,000.”
The Benkumhene, who doubles as the 2018 Best Cocoa Farmer for Atiwa West, says Okyenhene’s destoolment does not hold.
“The Okyenhene broke traditional norm by decreeing that he had destooled me because as Omanhene, he is not a king maker. But in this case, he has now assumed that position hence the numerous chieftaincy issues bedevilling the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.”
He gave explanation to pictures making round of him prostrating before Okyehene.
“I did not prostrate as a sign of remorsefulness or of guilt but as sign of rendering an undeserved reverence because considering the venue of the gathering, any form of resistance and an insistence on not being guilty would not have resulted in any peaceful reactions. I am still the de-facto Benkumhene of Asaman-Tamfoe.”
Ghana should be boasting of 1,500 factories by now if past presidents had done what President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is doing with the One District One Factory (ID1F) project, Former Member of Parliament for Tema West , Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has said.
He said the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) can boat of only one factory, the Komenda Sugar Factory, while the Akufo-Addo has so far built 126 factories that are fully operating with 143 at various stages of completion.
He said this while contributing to a debate on the 2023 budget in Parliament on Wednesday November 30.
The former Deputy Minister of Trade said “Today, as I speak to you we have close to 300 factories under the Akufo-Addo government. Mr Speaker, out of this 296 or so factories, about 126 of them are operational, 143 are at various stages of construction and 43 pipeline projects.
“Let us assume Mr Speaker, if since 1992, all the presidents that have come to stay on for 8 years, now Akufo-Addo is the 5th President, if every president was bringing or churning out 300 factories in Ghana we will be having 1,500 companies as at today.
“Unfortunately, from 2009 to 2026 the Komenda Sugar factory is the only one that we heard off from the other side (NDC) and yet they have the effrontery to speak to us as if we have not done anything in this country.
“But fortunately for them those who have 1D1F in their constituencies or municipality their own siblings, their own children are working in these factories. I want to point out to them that if they provoke us we will mention names.
“When some president had the opportunity in this fourth republic to ensure that they provide workforce for the youth they rather sold the factories or companies that we had in Ghana.”
Some traders at the Dome Market in Accra have admitted to overpricing their products in order to stay in business in the wake of the current economic crisis.
They disclosed this during an interaction with the Independent Ghana’s Jessie Ola-Morris, who paid a visit to the market. The visit followed speculation that some traders are taking advantage of the economic crisis to price their products at exorbitant rates in order to make more profit.
Ghana’s economic woes continue to worsen unabated, despite various measures taken by the government to curb inflation and mitigate the hardships. Inflation remains high, and the prices of fuel and other essential commodities continue to surge.
A (25-litre) gallon of vegetable oil, which was selling for GH¢360 at the beginning of the year, was increased to GH¢600 in October and is now going for GH¢1,000 and over.
A bag of 5kg rice which was previously sold at GH¢40 at the beginning of the year is now GH¢105 and above.
Latest statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service indicate that the national Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) for the country reached a startling 40.4 percent rate in October 2022.
The hikes in fuel prices and the poor performance of the cedi against major currencies are the main contributing factors to the hikes in food prices.
As an import-driven economy that largely relies on international currency such as the U.S dollar ($), demand for such currencies has peaked in recent times, weakening the local currency (i.e the Ghana Cedi).
The dollar, which used to sell at GHC5.87 at the beginning of the year, is now selling at GH¢113.11 (interbank rate) and GH¢114.85 at the forex bureau.
Amidst the hardships, traders have been accused of compounding the woes of the ordinary Ghanaian by overpricing their products in order to make enormous profits.
During a visit to Dome Market, some traders refuted the claim, however, others also conceded to overpricing their products in order to stay in business.
A baby diaper retailer, Auntie Yaa, who asserted that traders are not to blame for the development, explained factors that largely affect the pricing of products.
She used herself as an example to demonstrate how the cost of transportation heavily influences her pricing strategy.
Auntie Yaa mentioned that she buys a pack of diapers at GH¢100 from the wholesale shop and slaps an amount of GH¢10 on each pack to cover the operational cost, which includes the cost of transport and other expenses involved in getting the products to their final destination (i.e the Dome Market).
“[After] I deduct these expenses from the GH¢10 I’m able to make a profit of GH¢5 from each pack, then I’m okay,” she said.
She was however baffled over the fact that the prices of the products are not stable on the market: “You make a purchase today and the next day you go back to the market to buy the same product and the price has shot up drastically, that disturbs us a lot,” she lamented.
Her other concern was with how some traders hoard their products and sell them later at exorbitant prices when demand is high. She, thus, called on the government to implement measures to curb such activities.
Another trader, Mary Oforiwaa, did not mince words about the fact that some unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of the free market to overprice their products.
“Undoubtedly, times are hard and when we lament we are told Ghana is not the only country facing an economic crisis but I think we traders are part of the problem. We are doing what we like. Even with transportation that is regulated by GPRTU, every driver has his (/her) own fare they charge, so the government is not solely to blame for the hardships. And with traders, we also price our products how we like,” she said.
Proposing a solution, she called on the government to implement a strategy adopted by the Rawlings regime. Recall that during the Rawlings administration some traders hoarded their products with the intention of selling them later at higher prices when the demand was high.
However, the former President found this out, went for the products and conducted a clearance sale on them. Going down memory lane to her
youthful days, she mentioned that “growing up I witnessed the Rawlings regime and during that time, if you hoard your products with the intention of selling them later at an outrageous rate, Rawlings comes for the goods and sells them cheaply – ‘Donkomi’ (to wit clearance sale) – but this government has been dormant in this regard and as a result, everyone is doing what they like.
“But I believe things will go according to how it’s supposed to be when the government adopts the late former president’s strategy. There are traders who also have to consult other traders before they issue prices for their goods, and all these are not helping,” she lamented.
Kwabena Asiedu Nketiah, the third trader who spoke to the Independent Ghana, acknowledged that he prices his products at exorbitant rates, however, he
attributed the development to the cedi-dollar depreciating rate and gross economic mismanagement by the government.
“Looking at the rate at which prices of products are increasing these days it’s above normal but then the dollar-cedi rate affects the prices. We import the products with dollars, so when the cedi falls against the dollar, the prices of our products also go up,” he added.
Additionally, he explained that overpricing the products was the only way to stay in business. According to him, traders risk losing their capital if they do not
toe this line.
“With business, it is wrong to wait for your old goods to finish, go for another one before you increase the price of your products. You’ll run at a huge loss if you do that.
“The moment you hear of a price increment, you instantly have to adjust your prices to the new rate otherwise, you’ll collapse your business,” he said.
Ghana operates a free market. A free market is one where voluntary exchange and the laws of supply and demand provide the sole basis for the economic system, without government intervention.
A key feature of free markets is the absence of coerced (forced) transactions or conditions on transactions. Consequently, traders largely decide how their products are priced.
We (the Independent Ghana) discovered that some traders are taking advantage of Ghana’s liberal market to overprice their
products.
To curtail this, Martha Ofosuhemaa, another trader, suggested that the government should be keen on consulting manufacturers and market women regarding
regulating the prices of products on the market.
She believes the solution to addressing the exorbitant rates at which goods are priced largely lies with manufacturers and market women.
If the prices of every product are embossed on its packaging, this will significantly help in regulating them to make them affordable, she noted.
“Take coke for instance, if the manufacturer writes on the label that the small bottle should be sold at GHC 3.50 pesewas, we traders will go for it and know that that is how we are supposed to sell it so
we will,” she said.
“Government should also speak to the market women. I believe if such consultations and negotiations are held regularly, the prices of products on the market will drastically reduce,” she added.
Overpricing in one sector of the economy affects all other sectors since they are interrelated.
Astronomical hikes in fuel prices influence transport fares, which in turn affect the prices of products on the market. This comes back to bite the ordinary Ghanaian since it escalates the cost of living.
Consequently, Ghanaians continue to lament over the hardships and have on various occasions appealed to the government to roll out measures to check these developments on the market.
The Institute of Energy Security (IES) has predicted a fall in the price of petroleum products effective December 1, 2022.
IES, in a statement, has projected that consumers of petroleum products will see a reduction of about 8 to 10 percent from Thursday.
The projection, made by the Institute of Energy Security (IES), will be the second consecutive period that will see consumers witness a reduction in the price of petrol and diesel products.
They, however, indicated that despite the estimated reduction, the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will remain stable due to the depreciation of the local
currency against major trading currencies.
“Prices of the various finished products will be affected by the 13.45% fall in the price of gasoline [petrol], the 11.63% fall in the price of gas oil [diesel], and the
1.88% fall in the price of LPG. However, the 3.09% depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar is expected to erode portions of the gains from the reductions in international fuel prices.
The price of LPG is however expected to remain stable on account of the cedi’s depreciation,” the IES added.
The price of petroleum products has witnessed significant surges since the beginning of the year.
This has then resulted in a high cost of living, inflationary pressures, and rampant increases in transportation costs for commuters.
The Central Bank has attributed some of Ghana’s current economic crisis to external factors that arose as a result of the United States of America’s (U.S.A.) efforts to stabilise their economy.
This was stated in a report issued by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) following its 109th Monetary Policy Committee meeting on November 28.
The BoG, in its report, made sure to emphasise the US’s role in escalating economic conditions for several countries around the world, including Ghana, while citing a number of factors that have contributed to Ghana’s current economic situation.
According to the Central Bank, when the US Federal Reserve revised some of its policies, it resulted in “tight global financing conditions and a stronger US dollar against major international currencies.”
In September 2022, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points, the third increase in a row, bringing the Fed rate to 3%-3.25% By doing so, the US central bank, as part of efforts to check its inflation (8.2% as of September), increased demand for the dollar from foreign investors attracted by the higher returns available in the country.
Since the US dollar is the existing currency for global trade, emerging markets faced a rise in the cost of imports.
According to the Bank of Ghana, these external shocks have had severe consequences on the Ghanaian economy, reflected in high and rising inflation and depreciation of the local currency.
“These developments have spilled over into currency pressures and imported inflation, complicated access to external capital markets, and resulted in acute capital outflows, especially in emerging markets and frontier economies,” the Central Bank added.
Per the Bank’s report, the foreign exchange market witnessed increased volatility, with intense pressure on the local currency, especially in September and October 2022.
Other external factors that led to the significant drop in the value of the cedi include; the sovereign downgrades, the de facto closure of the international capital market, portfolio reversals, and increased demand for foreign exchange amid supply constraints.
As of November 24, 2022, the Ghana Cedi cumulatively depreciated by 54.2 percent against the US dollar.
The local currency lost 48.9 percent and 49.9 percent of its value to the Pound and Euro, respectively.
In comparison with the same period of last year, the Ghana Cedi was much stronger.
It depreciated by 2.6 percent and 0.2 percent against the US dollar and the Pound, respectively, and appreciated by 6.6 percent against Euro.
Since revising the interest rate, the US has seen its inflation rate drop to 7.7% as of October 2022.
The African Development Fund’s Board of Directors has approved a grant of $6.12 million to support the improvement of public finance governance in low-income African nations.
The amount will be used to implement Phase 2 of the Regional Institutional Support Project in Public Finance Governance (RISPFG) by the African Tax
Administration Forum (ATAF) and the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI).
The grant, which was formally approved on November 3, 2022, will be split as follows: $3.90 million will go to ATAF to support budget reforms and improve public finance management, and $2.22 million will go to CABRI to support tax administration reforms and domestic resource mobilisation efforts on the continent.
Director of the Governance and Public Financial Management Coordination Office at the African Development Bank, Abdoulaye Coulibal, stated that the project’s goals included strengthening national systems’ resilience to various shocks, enhancing disaster preparedness, and promoting the shift to low-carbon economies through climate-smart budgeting and fiscal policies.
“The project will contribute to strengthening the actions of the Public Financial Management Academy, a virtual capacity building platform for African
countries across the cycle and ecosystem of public financial management created in August 2022 by the Bank,” said Coulibaly
The African Development Bank approved the first phase of this project in 2016, and both institutions successfully closed the first phase in September 2021 (ATAF and CABRI).
The overarching goal of the project is to support recipient countries in their efforts to achieve sustainable,inclusive growth and development by enhancing domestic resource mobilization and public financial management.
More particularly, it aims to strengthen public financial management capabilities. Additionally, to integrate gender and climate change into taxation, and improve African tax systems through the development of technical ability.
This project will also assist nations in forging a unifying stance and a more powerful voice for the continent on regional and international venues.
The project will benefit the African Development Fund member nations that are also a part of the two implementing organisations.
Building capacity will be beneficial for their tax administrations as well as staff members from the finance ministries. The project
will help the African continent accomplish its development goals and fulfil a number of obligations, including finance for development, Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
It will be put into action over the course of three years.
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) was established in 2009 with the goal of strengthening more effective and efficient tax systems in Africa
in order to decrease reliance on aid, enhance fiscal management, eradicate poverty, and enhance the standard of living for African inhabitants.
It is made up of forty (40) African countries. ATAF has for over a decade gained international recognition as an expert institution, technical
leader, and voice of authority on tax issues.
Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI) on the other hand is an international organisation made up of 17 African nations and was founded in 2009.
CABRI’s sole aim is to increase civil servants’ ability to carryout changes that guarantee the honest, open, and accountable management of public financial resources.
For African Ministries of Finance, Budget, and Planning, it acts as a platform for learning and communication.
A yet-to-be-identified Nigerian man has been arrested by the police in Ghana for allegedly beheading his girlfriend.
A journalist in the country, Serwaa Amihere disclosed this on Twitter.
According to her, the incident occurred in Spintex.
“A young Nigerian man has been picked up by the Ghana Police Service for allegedly beheading his girlfriend at Spintex,” she posted while attaching a video of the incident.
The corpse of the lady was seen being taken to the back of a pickup vehicle in the video.
This is coming a few weeks after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) arrested seven Nigerians in connection with alleged involvement in activities of cybercrime in Ghana.
The suspects were nabbed after the EOCO acted on intelligence to raid a residence at Manhean, Obeyeyie in the Greater Accra Region.
A young Nigerian man has been picked up by the Ghana Police Service for allegedly beheading his girlfriend at Spintex. pic.twitter.com/itSjjuwPqz
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called for the dismissal of Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Scheme (NSS), Mr. Alex Opoku, after he verbally abused a nurse at the Manhyia District Hospital.
Mr Opoku is reported to have marched to the Manhyia District Hospital and confronted a nurse who drew the attention of his daughter to a task she had failed to execute.
His daughter, a House Officer, is said to have failed to log into the E-health system and update the patient’s prescription order. The patient would have been billed for unissued drugs but for the intervention of the nurse.
Mr Opoku’s daughter who was displeased by the incident reported the matter to her father who accused the nurse of being envious of his daughter.
The matter was brought to the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association’s attention after the media reported the story.
Reacting to the issue, the Association faulted the Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Scheme, adding that Mr Opoku “had absolutely no right to
enter Manhyia District Hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question who was on duty at the time.”
According to the Association, Mr Opoku should have followed due process by reporting to a Medical Superintendent or a Nurse Manager under whom the nurse works.
In view of his misconduct and gross disregard for law and order, the Association wants Mr Opoku sacked from his current position latest by Friday, December 2, 2022.
Should the government fail to relieve Mr Alex Poku Mensah of his duty as Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme within 72 hours, “nurses and midwives of Manhyia Hospital will be called to lay down their tools, followed by the whole of Ashanti Region and then it will be escalated to the whole nation.” after registering.
Nurses and midwives at the Manhyia District Hospital have been urged to remain calm and go about their normal duties as they wait for further directives from the leadership of the Association.
Meanwhile, the Association has called on the management of Manhyia Hospital to ensure that the House Officer is schooled on her role in the Medical Team and the fact that nurses and midwives are patient’s advocates and “will continue to advocate for their patients and clients even if it
makes another member in the team uncomfortable.”
They are also calling for a Team Building and Team Work for all staff of the hospital to foster unity of purpose at the facility.
On the other hand, Alex Opoku-Mensah has rendered an unqualified apology for his recent actions.
“ This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter (doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter. I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall
not be a repetition of such,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
In the next 24 hours, approximately six million network subscribers who have only linked their Ghana card and SIM card would be debarred from making or receiving calls, as well as data and SMS services.
These individuals have failed to complete the biometric stage before the fourth deadline extension of the SIM card re-registration exercise elapses.
On its part, telecommunication giant, MTN, has noted that it will deactivate 5,701,149 subscribers on December 01, 2022.
The deactivation of SIM cards forms part of measures introduced by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to ensure all SIM cards are re-registered in the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 11, Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, mentioned that SIM card registration will help minimise fraudulent activities.
The SIM re-registration exercise which commenced in October 2021 was expected to end on July 31, 2022.
However, it was extended to September 30 to allow Ghanaians link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards.
The deadline was again extended for the third time [October 31] due to the low number of re-registered SIM cards.
With several complaints about long queues at the premises of network providers, a self-serving registration app was launched to assist individuals to register in the comfort of their homes at a cost of GH5.
Yet, the numbers of registered SIM cards were not encouraging. As such, the NCA in September blocked outgoing calls for a sequential batch of numbers for 2 days.
The Ministry in a press conference noted that defaulters of the SIM card registration exercise will be blocked on Sunday, October 31, 2021.
However, after the October 31 deadline, unregistered SIM card holders continue to make and receive calls, as well as enjoy data and SMS services.
Currently, a total of 30,011,082 SIM cards have been linked to Ghana Cards, thereby completing the first phase of the registration process.
As of November 9, 20,892,970 subscribers had completed both the linkage and capture of their biometric data.
Meanwhile, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has disclosed that individuals whose SIM cards will be blocked will be given a six-month grace period to reclaim their SIM cards after registering.
Unregistered SIM cards after the six-month grace period will be churned out.
Nevertheless, it is unknown what will happen to individuals who have not begun the registration exercise due to the unavailability of a Ghana card since the
communications ministry did not factor them in their recent communique.
National Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nana Ofori Owusu, has alleged that some political party executives were flown to Qatar by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In an interview with ace journalist,Kwame Sefa Kayi, on Tuesday, Mr Ofori Owusu indicated that all the cost involved in the trip to Qatar to observe the 2022 World Cuptournament was fully funded by the Ministry.
According to him, executives of the Progressive People’s Party were not provided any sponsorship to Qatar.
“My colleague (political parties) had tickets and full packages to Qatar. They called me and asked where I was. They told me the Sports Ministry gave them packages,” he said.
His claims are yet to be confirmed or denied by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, headed by Mustapha Ussif.
Ghana is among the teams competing to win the 2022 World Cup tournament. Several Ghanaians in the country and across the globe have journeyed to Qatar, in the middle east, to support the Black Stars of Ghana.
In July this year, ahead of the tournament which began in November, it emerged that Kenpong Travel & Tours’ cheapest package for fans attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup from Ghana costs GH37,443.4, estimated at $4,710.
The package covers economy class flight tickets, accommodations for four people in a room, Category Two tickets for Ghana group
matches, COVID-19 testing, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and a police report.
However, it comes with no feeding while in Qatar. The most expensive package, dubbed Platinum Category A goes for GH₵84,350, approximately $10,610.
It covers business class flight tickets, feeding, single occupancy accommodations in a five-star hotel, Category One tickets for Ghana group matches, COVID-19
testing, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and a police report.
The Ministry of Works and Housing is optimistic that a Housing Authority will bring closure to all the challenges associated with housing in the country.
The Ministry also believes that with the help of the authority, there will be effective implementation of housing policies as well as a curb on the rate at which housing projects are abandoned after the government that initiated them leaves office.
Speaking on behalf of his outfit, deputy House and Works Minister, Abdulai Abanga, who lamented about the situation, said this trend (of stalled projects as a result of the change of government) should be a thing of the past.
“The conception, management, and planning of these projects were not handled by professionals but rather influenced by political considerations,” he said. “So we are hoping that when the Ghana Housing Authority is established, we will have highly qualified professionals to undertake affordable housing implementations.”
“The government led-housing projects which normally suffer in implementation, causing them to be stalled and abandoned when there is a change of government, should be a thing of the past,” Mr. Abanga said.
The comment follows the controversy surrounding the abandoned Saglemi Housing Project, which the government intends to sell to a private sector entity.
Government has clarified that the sale of the project (which was
to provide affordable housing to
Ghanaians upon completion) is the best option given the current circumstances.
However, this has been widely contested by many who believe the decision is not in the best interest of the country.
Addressing a gathering at the 2022 Ghana Property Awards, Mr Abdulai Abanga, said the authority will ensure that professionals undertake affordable housing projects in the country.
Meanwhile, the government maintains that the sale of the project is the best. Speaking on Saturday, November 26, 2022,the deputy finance minister, John Kumah, explained that “the Saglemi Housing project is no longer affordable per the arrangement that has happened to it because if you divide $200 million by 10,000, you are going to get it at $10,000, and they reviewed it to 1,500 (housing units) which makes it up (from) $40,000 to $50,000 per
unit. So how affordable can that be?”
“So in the present circumstances, the best option is to bring the private sector in,” he said.
European Union (EU) has donated five motorbikes with helmets and 50 document verification devices to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
The donation, according to the EU, is to augment efforts by GIS to strengthen border security in Ghana. The donation is estimated at EUR 1Million.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, the Ambassador of the EU to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, stated that “It will also be supporting Ghanaian law enforcement
agencies to acquire knowledge, skills, and tools to reinforce their efforts against international organised crime and insecurity on land.”
Receiving the donation on behalf of GIS, the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Naana Eyiah, commended the EU for their kind gesture. Expressing her appreciation, Madam Eyiah said, “we treasure the continuous support the EU continues to give the Ghana Immigration Service, as the Services strives to secure and protect Ghana’s borders, which in the long run strengthens regional security.”
This is not the first time the EU has donated to GIS. In August 2020, the EU provided COVID-19 emergency assistance to the GIS, by donating 15 laptops, five vehicles (three pick-ups and two minibuses), five motorbikes and personal protective equipment worth over €280,000.
Ghana’s oldest former president, John Agyekum Kufuor, has suggested that the tenure of office for a president or an elected government should be relooked at.
According to him, the current four-year tenure is quite problematic, leaving very little room for any leader to effectively cause a major developmental change in the country.
He added that it takes a while for any elected leader to even settle into the system before he can efficiently cause the changes needed in a country.
John Agyekum Kufuor made this known while speaking at a seminar on reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), at his residence in Peduase, in the Eastern Region.
The former president explained that he came to the realization after he was invited to Malaysia and got to see how much developmental growth the country had made, even though at the time of independence, it was on par with Ghana.
“Malaysia, by history – ’56, ’57, Ghana was at par with Malaysia, and we were both colonies of Britain but Malaysia has gone far ahead. 4 years? The man asked, what can we do in four years? And when I considered, I thought that we should do something about the tenure as the stage of development, we need to really develop but you vote in a new president or leader,” he said.
John Kufuor also explained the breakdown of how things turn out for politicians in a new government and why his suggestion for a review of the tenure should be looked at again.
“First year, very likely, he will come in with smart, naturally bright people, well-educated and all, but just good education is not enough to, say, enable you to sense how to attract investments so it would be win-win for your country and whoever the partner is.
“First year, all the bright youngsters you recruit as ministers will be learning to get the civil service, work with it, and what I discovered with our system is that the civil servants are so bright, like the politicians – they went to the same school, perhaps even the civil servants were brighter than the politicians , but the civil servant will be sitting there, getting this meagre pay… and will also hate the politician who just dropped in and instantly became like his boss and minister, when the civil servant knows that this minister does not know his left from right,” he added.
President John Agyekum Kufuor also used the opportunity to explain another major difficulty that is faced by new ministers in a government.
He said that in most cases, the civil servants, who mostly know the job far better than the appointed politicians, are not willing to offer the best advice to them, and for some specific reasons.
He added that by the time the civil servants come to accept and appreciate the politician who has been brought as their head, time might have elapsed, leaving close to no time for the politician to effectively work and bring the needed change to the country.
“And not until the civil servant gets the impression that the minister knows what he is doing, the civil servant will not volunteer to give the best advice. And it would take the good minister averagely at least one year to get to know the civil service to, in a way, harness it to use it to do the politics that must be done and then to help him go to parliament to get the law passed and then to bring back the policy to implement, by which time two to three years is gone. Fourth year, elections, all politicians go crazy,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, has said that the decision to reduce the E-levy from the initial 1.5 per cent was based on a stakeholder engagement.
According to her, the Minority proposed a reduction to 1.0 in December 2021 and this was adhered to, therefore minority must approve accepted the new changes.
While debating the 2023 budget in parliament on November 29, she said, “Mr. Speaker, this one per cent was arrived at by continuous engagement with stakeholders and you (Minority) were in this house in December 2021 when the minority leader said it is better for us to reduce the E-Levy to one per cent. So, if today we are coming today with a measure that will reduce the E-Levy to one per cent, I think the E-Levy debate is closed and should be accepted.”
In reaction to this comment, the deputy minority leader, James Avedzi refuted Abena Osei’s claim that the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu proposed a reduction to 1.0 percent in 2021.
“the deputy finance minister made a statement which was factually incorrect, and I want to correct it. She said that we were all in this house when the minority leader made a proposal for the E-Levy to be brought to one per cent. Never on this floor did the minority leader make that proposal, so for that to go into the records, it should be corrected. He never made such a proposal on this floor,” James Avedzi stated in the chamber.
Deputy Minister of Finance again insisted that the Minority leader even repeated same comments in Ho over the weekend at the Post Budget workshop, adding that she never indicated that Haruna Iddrisu said anything of the sort in the chamber.
A recent outburst by outspoken New Patriotic Party(NPP) Member of the Parliament(MP) for Assin Central Constituency Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has lend some credence to assertions that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s role in management of the economy has been thwarted by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Dr. Bawumia has in recent times been accused of failing to demonstrate his economic prowess as Head of the Economic Management Team following the bad performance of the cedi against the dollar among other economic challenges.
However, the onsets of events and significant instances have raised concerns over the efforts of the Vice President in finding solutions to the current economic situation.
It has strongly been asserted that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is effectively obstructing the Vice President on matters that bother on key economic decisions and actions.
Speaking to party members in Bolgatanga as part of his campaign to be elected flagbearer of the NPP, Kennedy Agyapong lamented the loss of some $12 million as a result of the depreciation of the Ghanaian currency.
“From March this year to August this year, through exchange rate, I have lost $12 million. So today I don’t even count it,” he said to delegates.
The maverick MP stated that he would not have bullied by a Finance Minister if he were in the position of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“If I’m a vice president, how can a finance minister bully me?” He questioned.
This recent outburst has been described by political watchers as grapevine information that points to a worrying situation where it is believed that Ken Ofori Atta as Finance Minister is given priority over the Vice President in decision economic decisions making.
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There is heavy police presence at the Wenchi High Court in the Bono Region ahead of the ruling of the Techiman South Parliamentary election petition today, Wednesday, November 30.
The election petition was filed by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in respect of the 2020 parliamentary elections in the Techiman South Constituency.
The NDC had said that it won the Techiman South Parliamentary election, but claimed the Electoral Commission (EC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) connived to deny it the seat.
The suit by the NDC seeks to quash the declaration of the NPP’s Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as Techiman South MP, and declare Dr Christopher Beyere Baasongti as the legitimate winner of the Techiman South 2020 parliamentary elections.
The NPP has always maintained its candidate and current Member of Parliament (MP), Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah was legally elected as announced by the Electoral Commission, accusing the NDC of engaging in propaganda.
The Electoral Commission also maintains that Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah polled 49,682 votes as against 49,205 votes for Christopher Beyere of the NDC.
Professor Samuel Ato Duncan, the Executive President of the Centre of Awareness Global Distribution, producers of COA Mixture, formerly known as COA-FS, an immune booster medication, is to cough up GH¢2 million in damages for defaming the Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko.
Professor Duncan in 2020 accused the FDA boss of demanding a bribe of GHc200,000, so he could get the green light to continue selling his products which had come under scrutiny.
Professor Duncan made the allegation in a report put together by journalist, Manasseh Awuni Azure.
Prof. Duncan is said to have tried to bribe the FDA chief to get her to reverse her outfit’s decision to suspend the production of COA – FS following some of the company’s defective products on the market.
The Cape Coast High Court, presided over by her Ladyship Justice , on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, said the COA Mixture boss acted with malice by going to the press with such an allegation after efforts to manipulate the FDA CEO failed.
The Court turned down the professor’s defence that he had granted the interview in the public interest.
The Court also noted that the effects of the Professor’s defamatory publication had spilled over into other publications by other media outlets.
The court ordered the COA Mixture boss to publish an unqualified apology and retraction on the front pages of major newspapers within 14 days of the judgment.
The court also ordered the Professor to pay the sum of GHS2,000,000 to Mrs Delese Mimi Darko as damages for the defamatory publication and for the damage caused to her reputation.
Ghana has been downgraded deeper into junk territory by Moody’s Investors Service on the likelihood that private creditors will incur steep losses during the government’s planned debt restructuring.
The country’s credit rating was slashed by two levels to Ca, the second-lowest score at Moody’s, according to a Tuesday statement. That puts Ghana on par with Sri Lanka, which is in default.
The downgrade follows plans in Ghana’s proposed 2023 government budget to restructure both local and foreign debts.
“The Ca rating reflects Moody’s expectation that private creditors will likely incur substantial losses in the restructuring of both local and foreign currencies debts planned by the government as part of its 2023 budget proposed to Parliament on 24 November 2022. Given Ghana’s high government debt burden and the debt structure, it is likely there will be substantial losses on both categories of debt in order for the government to meaningfully improve debt sustainability,” analysts Lucie Villa and Marie Diron wrote in the statement.
At the same time, Ghana’s outlook was changed to stable as the restructuring will likely happen in coordination with creditors and under a program with the International Monetary Fund, according to Moody’s.
“The stable outlook balances Moody’s assumption that the debt restructuring will happen in coordination with creditors and under the umbrella of a funding program with the IMF against the potential for a less orderly form of default that could result in higher losses for private-sector creditors.”
The West African country formed a committee last month to start talks with domestic bondholders to restructure its local-currency debt.
Ghana’s Eurobonds have been among the worst performers in emerging markets since Bloomberg reported the plans for the local debt recast in September, handing investors losses of almost 12% in that period, according to data compiled from a Bloomberg index.
The nation’s debt-exchange program will replace existing terms and exchange debts with longer tenors at cheaper rates, said Abena Osei Asare, a deputy minister of finance. The plans come after an analysis of debt sustainability showed the nation faces a high risk of distress.
Fitch Ratings scored the nation at CC, two notches above default. S&P Global Ratings also assigned it CCC+, seven levels into junk.
The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has invited its Ashanti Regional Director for preliminary investigations.
Alex Opoku-Mensah is said to have verbally abused a nurse at the Manhyia Hospital for the manner in which the healthcare provider spoke with his daughter.
The nurse had called the house officer to suggest a change in prescription because what the latter prescribed was unavailable at the pharmacy.
According to the Medical Superintendent, Dr Hussein, the house officer is said to have taken offence at how the nurse spoke with her, thus protested.
Dr. Hussein said, the house officer happened to have been in the company of her father when she spoke with the nurse on phone. As such, Mr. Opoku-Mensah was infuriated by the turn of events and followed his daughter to the hospital.
In an audio recording that has gone viral, Mr. Opoku-Mensah said, “you are very frustrated…Who born dog?…you envy her, you don’t respect. Are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot.. that your useless nursing that you do, useless woman… Do you know who I am? I am the Regional Director of National Service Scheme. Some of you are under me.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NSS described the incident as “unfortunate” and apologised for it.
“The Management of the Scheme wishes to reiterate its commitment and assurances to the public and the nursing fraternity of our dedication to getting this matter resolved,” parts of the release read.
Twenty-four hours after the incident, Mr Opoku-Mensah rendered an unqualified apology noting that “that is not my style.”
Nonetheless, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has since issued a statement calling for the immediate removal of Mr Opoku-Mensah from office for the misbehaviour.
“The Public Services Commission and Government for that matter should sack the said Regional Director immediately because he is not fit for the director position he holds in public service.
“He had absolutely no right to enter Manhyia hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question who was on duty at the time,” the statement read.
The nurses threatened that they will call upon their members at the facility to boycott their duties if Mr Opoku-Mensah is not sacked within the next 72 hours.
The Ministry of Education has assured students of Technical Universities that the government is working to resolve concerns of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) to get them to resume work.
According to the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the government has shown enough commitment to address the demands of the striking teachers.
In a Citi News interview, Dr. Adutwum expressed optimism that the strike will soon be called off.
“We have had fruitful discussions. We have made appeals to them. They are also consulting their members, and we will hear from them soon.”
“Nobody wants students to be in class more than me, the Minister of Education. That is why I am saying we have made some considerable process, and I am very hopeful that the strike will be over soon,” the Minister said.
The leadership of the TUTAG on Friday, November 18 declared an indefinite strike over concerns about their conditions of service.
The union wants the government to honour its Codified Conditions of Service of members, which have been outstanding since 2016.
The leadership of TUTAG has accused the government of blatantly disregarding a ruling of the National Labour Commission on the matter, and also blamed the NLC for failing to enforce the ruling.
According to TUTAG, its members are facing some challenges with the payroll system and want the various Technical Universities to manage the payroll of the teachers.
The Association also wants the Government to pay outstanding Book and Research Allowances for the 2021/2022 academic year for the majority of its members.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called for calm after the Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Scheme, Alex Opoku-Mensah, verbally abused a nurse at the Manhyia District Hospital because of a reported dispute with his daughter, who is a junior doctor.
The GMA is worried that sharing pictures of the young doctor who is under horsemanship on social media could jeopardize her career.
“I am not happy with the way the doctor is being subjected to such an emotional trauma,” Dr. Frank Ankobea, the GMA President, said to Citi News.
“This is a young doctor who started work barely two weeks ago. She is young. She is now actually starting her career and I think we should support her. If we are only looking at what the father has done, we will throw away the baby with the bath water.”
“So it is important that all of us be measured in the kind of comments we pass and how we comment on these issues, and remember that somebody’s career is at stake,” Dr. Ankobea added.
Meanwhile, the management of the Manhyia District Hospital says it is offering psychological support to the doctor and the nurse involved in the issue and has asked them to stop working for a while.
Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Scheme has apologised for the incident after nurses demanded that he should be sacked.
The National Service Scheme has since said it has initiated investigations into the conduct of its Ashanti Regional Director.
Harriet Thompson, United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner to Ghana, has warned that over 70 per cent of cocoa lands in Ghana will no longer be suitable to grow the crop by 2050.
According to her, this will happen if temperatures continue to rise as is currently the case in the country.
The High Commissioner made these comments via a tweet on Tuesday, November 29 after she paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie.
Her visit to the minister was to enable the two deliberate on issues of relevance in the agriculture sector, especially on the subject of the United Kingdom Support Climate Smart Agriculture in Ghana.
“Over 70% of land currently used to grow cocoa in Ghana will not be suitable for that crop by 2050 if temperatures continue to rise as they are doing currently.
“Now is the time to adapt – and the potential to do so is great,” Harriet Thompson tweeted.
An unnamed nurse who engaged in a heated exchange with a public official in the Ashanti Region has been transferred from her duty post at the Manhyia District Hospital and is being given psychological support.
This was revealed by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) stating that the actions taken are to ensure her mental safety after a clash with the Ashanti Regional director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Alex Opoku-Mensah.
Mr. David Tenkoreng-Twum, the GRNMA’s General Secretary in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse programme on November 29, confirmed the transfer of the nurse.
“As I am talking to you, we have removed the nurse as quickly as possible from the hospital. The said nurse is now being given psychological support to ensure her mental safety,” he said.
‘This has never been my style’ – Ashanti Regional NSS director issues apology for ‘mishap’
Alex Opoku-Mensah, who has been caught in the middle of an altercation that he had with a nurse issued an apology after the almost 10-minute exchange went viral on social media.
In the audio recording of the incident, Mr. Alex Poku-Mensah is heard hurling insults and threats at the nurse for allegedly intimidating his daughter, who is a house officer at the hospital.
But in an apology shared on his Facebook page, Alex Poku-Mensah stated that what happened was not his style.
“I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the nursing fraternity and Manhyia Hospital.
“This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter (doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter,” he wrote.
He described what happened as a ‘mishap’ and asked for forgiveness.
“I do apologize for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such. I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship between any affected person,” he added.
Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for Madina, has stated that the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme [NSS] is suffering from what he calls a ‘superiority complex’.
This was after Alex Opoku-Mensah had stated in a Facebook post that the MP was suffering from an ‘inferiority complex’ in a January 19 post.
Sosu decided to respond to the NSS boss, Opoku-Mensah after he verbally assaulted a nurse on duty at the Manhyia District Hospital for allegedly speaking rudely with a house officer who is his daughter.
The NSS boss in a recorded audio is heard calling the said nurse a disappointed science student, adding that if he had the power, no General Arts student would be given the opportunity to be a nurse unless they study Science or Home Economics.
The MP shared a screenshot of Opoku-Mensah’s post which read “This Madina MP is suffering from [an] inferiority complex!” in a tweet on Tuesday, November 29, he added that he had proudly studied General Arts through which be became a lawyer and an economic policy management expert.
Sosu in an advice to the embattled NSS boss said “pride kills”.
“Ah well. I proudly studied General Arts. Ended with Law and Economic Policy Management. This man is obviously suffering from ‘SUPERIORITY COMPLEX’. This was what he said about me in Jan 2022. Pride kills,” Francis-Xavier Sosu tweeted.
Ah well. I proudly studied General Arts. Ended with Law and Economic Policy Management. This man is obviously suffering from ‘SUPERIORITY COMPLEX’. This was what he said about me in Jan 2022. Pride kills. ????????????????. pic.twitter.com/ZvbYyaSsyS
Meanwhile, David Tenkorang Twum, General Secretary, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has said that the Association will embark on a strike if the Ashanti Regional NSS boss is not dismissed.
The Management of the National Service Scheme has, however, invited Opoku-Mensah for preliminary investigations into the matter.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) yesterday inaugurated a new Broadcasting Monitoring Centre (BMC) in Accra to help monitor broadcast content in the country.
The BMC would help improve the NCA’s capability to fully monitor the Broadcasting sector and also expand its Broadcast Monitoring System (BMS).
NCA in line with its mandate under section 62 of the Electronic Communications Act 2008, Act 775, is clothed with the power to monitor the quality of service of television and FM radio broadcasting services.
The Board Chairman of NCA, Mr Isaac E. Osei-Bonsu (Jnr), said the BMC would “provide a classic example of how the provision of systems or solutions by one Agency could be useful and critical for the other Agencies.”
He said the BMC would provide information to the various agencies when needed for investigations, and verification, and provide a digital plug for the recording and storing of broadcasting content in a digital manner and format.
“Again, the BMC also shows how State Agencies can collaborate and harness each other’s systems, solutions and data to impact on their delivery without having to face obstacles or hurdles when sourcing for information critical to their work.”
“This is also the concept that the SIM Database or Registry is also intended to take. While the BMC and the SIM Registry will make it easy for State Agencies to access information or data, the difference is that State Agencies will have to provide the relevant court orders to have access to SIM Related data to protect the subscriber and to comply with the tenets of the Data Protection Act whereas information from the BMC will require no such requirements, given that the content has already been published in the public domain,” he said.
Mr Osei-Bonsu (Jnr) said until 2018, monitoring the quality of broadcasting services required human intervention which was phased out due to the implementation of the BMS system.
The Director General, of NCA, Mr Joe Anokye, said“In 2021, there was widespread public concern about the negative repercussions of the ritualists’ contents of television stations that entertained spiritualists as well as charlatanic advertisements which mislead large sections of the public,” he said.
That, he said, prompted the stakeholders to brainstorm ideas and ways in dealing with the issue.
He said the NCA last year signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the National Media Commission to regulate Broadcast Content which had helped in establishing the BMC to provide the required technical support for the objectives of the Memorandum of Cooperation.
Mr Anokye said the new system had 16 satellite receivers and monitors, all 13 satellites providing Free to Air (FTA) satellite TV services over the territory.
The Executive Secretary of NMC, Dr. George Sarpong, commended NCA for setting up the BMC and was optimistic that it would help promote the broadcasting of goon content to accelerate national development.
Economist Joe Jackson has retracted and apologized for recent comments to the effect that budgetary allocations to the Agric Ministry were less than that of the Council of State.
He made the said comments while commenting on details of the 2023 budget presented to Parliament by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
According to him, the government failed to apply sound judgment in preparing the budget with the lopsided allocations in respect of the two entities.
In a tweet of November 29, 2022; he said: “Profound apology: I got my numbers wrong on the issue of the budget allocation to the Council of State. The statement went viral and I apologize to everyone on this issue.”
He attached a link to the GhanaWeb story that carried his views as reported in a JoyNews interview.
What Joe Jackson said:
He alleged that the government ignored key ministries with the capability of pursuing the nation’s economic recovery by starving them of funding while allocating significant funds to some agencies with questionable usefulness.
“I’ll be honest just this evening I got what I thought was a reliable version of the tables and I started looking through, some of the numbers just don’t make sense to me. Why is there 80 billion still there for the Cathedral? Forgive me, I don’t know. Why is there a contingency vote of 1.4 billion?
“The office of government machinery, I don’t care where you came from, why is it at 1.4 billion? Guess what? Ministry of Food and Agric, do you know how much we’re giving them? 1.2billion. Do you know how much we’re spending on free SHS? 2.9 billion. The Council of State is receiving more money than the Food and Agric Ministry,” he said on Joy News PM Express.
In his view, the government missed an opportunity to deal with the nation’s debt and economic crisis through the 2023 budget statement and economic policy.
“The point is this, we want reassurance, we want to believe that this government can even carry the rest of the country with the austerity budget it has to impose. We want to believe somebody is trying to bridge the trust gap between the government and the public. That can be done when you trim down and all of us feel that you’re taking the pain as much as we have to take the pain,” he said.
The government of Ghana is hoping to rescue the country’s challenging economy through several policies outlined in the 2023 budget.
David Tenkorang Twum, General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has described the apology of the Ashanti Regional Director National Service Scheme (NSS), Alex Opoku-Mensah, in relation to a viral audio, as hollow.
The GRNMA has issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the dismissal of the Ashanti Regional NSS boss for verbally assaulting a nurse on duty at the Manhyia District Hospital for allegedly speaking rudely with a house officer who is his daughter.
The GRNMA further indicated that if the NSS fails to dismiss its regional boss, the Association would embark on a strike.
The NSS boss in recorded audio is heard calling the said nurse a disappointed science student, adding that if he had the power, no General Arts student would be given the opportunity to be a nurse unless persons who study Science or Home Economics.
David Tenkorang Twum in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM said though the NSS boss has rendered an unqualified apology, the Association would not accept such an apology because it was a mere play on words.
“Forget about his apology; his apology was hollow and as far as I am concerned, he was playing with words,” he said.
When asked whether it was necessary for the nurses to lay down their tools over an issue that could be settled amicably, Mr. Twum indicated that the nurses at the Manhyia District Hospital where the incident occurred wanted to lay down their tools, but for the timely intervention of the leadership of GRNMA.
He also recounted a similar incident two years ago, where nurses have been abused by families of patients but this time, he noted that the Association is willing to put an end to that phenomenon.
“Two years ago, a community health nurse was trapped to death, and as I speak with you, it has not been resolved. Its starts like this, we do not want to be reactive, but proactive. The man actually threatened the young lady. So it’s not just about the insults and the uncouth behaviour that he exhibited, but we think there is a need to protect nurses and midwives,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has invited Mr. Opoku-Mensah for preliminary investigations into the matter.
The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has urged the Ghana National Fire Service to close down shops that fail to participate in community fire training and education as well as sanction those who fail to avail themselves of an audit on electrical wiring.
The BPS’ suggestion comes on the heels of the fire outbreak that razed over 200 shops, destroying goods worth thousands of cedis at Kantamanto in Accra on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
Despite the fact that the inferno destroyed several shops and properties, the Ghana National Fire Service was able to douse it after several hours to prevent further loss.
The GNFS complained of a lack of accessibility to the market, which made their job difficult.
The Chief of Party at the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada, speaking to Class News, said the Ghana National Fire Service must intensify its public education on fire safety and hold traders accountable.
He also chided city authorities for failing to structure market centers in the cities properly.
Martin Amidu has taken on Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin over recent comments Bagbin made on the floor of Parliament relative to his experience in Parliamentary democracy.
He accused the Speaker of behaving somewhat like a village chief who was treating Ghanaians and Members of Parliament like his subjects.
The former Special Prosecutor also admonished Bagbin to stay off boasting about his credentials and to allow colleagues and others who have known him overtime to do so.
Amidu’s views were contained in an epistle titled; ‘Games in Parliament – The Speaker and the Minority’s Motion of Censure.’
It read in part: “Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin needs to be told to stop talking down on Ghanaians as though he is a village chief and we, his subjects.
“No humble, learned, erudite, and experienced person will ever seek to silence his critics in a constitutional democracy by telling them that: ‘In all humility, please note that there is deep thought in whatever I do. Don’t underrate my knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise in Parliamentary practice and procedure.’
“It is for the public or one’s professional peer group, to determine one’s level of knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise and not for one to subjectively assert them and trumpet his competencies to the world,” the statement added.
Amidu also pointed to Justice D. F. Annan, the first Speaker of the Fourth Republic, to emphasise how someone who has not been an MP distinguished himself as a Speaker.
He charged Bagbin to take a lead from his predecessors and maintain his role as an umpire in the affairs of the House and stop acting like what he termed “a transactional member” of the House.
“The conduct of Mr. Bagbin in the processes leading up to the passage of the 2022 Budget Statement and subsequent Appropriation Act, 2022 and the current motion of censure filed by the Minority Caucus of Parliament against the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta vindicate the assertion that Mr. Bagbin behaves more as a transactional Member of Parliament than the Speaker of Parliament as an umpire,” Martin Amidu argued.
The Bishop of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Catholic Church in Ghana, Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, has berated the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, for saying that Catholics are free to join the Freemasons.
Alexander Afenyo Markin, who revealed that he is a member of the fraternal society, the Freemasons, said that the teachings and values of the organisation do not conflict with his Catholic principles and upbringing.
Speaking to Bola Ray on Starr Chat, the legislator said that freemasonry teaches its followers about God and the principles of life.
“I am a mason, and I have not been sanctioned by the Catholic Church. Freemasonry is a fraternal society that believes in God Almighty and follows certain principles that guide a man’s life, and it does not run counter with my beliefs as a Catholic. President Kufuor is a Mason and a Catholic,” he stated.
Reacting to this in an article in the Catholic Standard, Most Rev Joseph Osei-Bonsu, said that the MP’s views on the Catholic Church and the Freemasons are unfortunate.
According to the bishop, the Catholic Church’s teaching frowns on freemasonry since the fraternal society started in 1717.
“In recent times, the Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in a live radio interview, stated that he is a proud member of the Lodge, and his church, the Catholic Church, does not frown on its members joining the Brotherhood.
“It is unfortunate that the Honourable Member of Parliament does not know the teaching of his Church on this matter. Contrary to what Honourable Alexander Afenyo Markin believes, Freemasonry is not approved by the Catholic Church. Indeed, Catholics are forbidden to become Freemasons.
“The Catholic Church has opposed the Lodge nearly since the birth of modern Freemasonry in 1717. Since the founding of the Grand Lodge of England, eleven popes have explicitly condemned Freemasonry or Masonic principles,” excerpts from the bishops’ article read.
Read the article below:
EXCERPTS FROM CAN A CATHOLIC BE A FREEMASON BY MOST REV. JOSEPH OSEI-BONSU BISHOP OF KONONGO-MAMPONG
INTRODUCTION
Many people regard Freemasonry as a benevolent and charitable organization, somehow similar to the Rotary and Lions Clubs, the Knights of Marshall, the Knights of St. John International or the Knights of Columbus. Undoubtedly, it is for this reason that some Catholics join this fraternity.
In recent times, the Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on a live radio interview stated that he is a proud member of the Lodge, and his church, the Catholic Church, does not frown on its members joining the Brotherhood. He added, “I am a mason and I have not been sanctioned by the Catholic Church. Freemasonry is a fraternal society that believes in God Almighty and follows certain principles that guide a man’s life and it does not run counter with my beliefs as a Catholic” (https://newsghana.com.gh/is-afenyo-markin-a-true-catholic/)
It is unfortunate that the Honourable Member of Parliament does not know the teaching of his Church on this matter. Contrary to what Honourable Alexander Afenyo Markin believes, Freemasonry is not approved by the Catholic Church. Indeed, Catholics are forbidden to become Freemasons.
FREEMASONRY AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Catholic Church has opposed the Lodge nearly since the birth of modern
Freemasonry in 1717. Since the founding of the Grand Lodge of England, eleven
popes have explicitly condemned Freemasonry or Masonic principles. These popes are: Pope Clement XII (28 April 1738); Pope Benedict XIV (18 May, 1751); Pius VII (13 September 1821); Pope Leo XII (13 March 1825); Pope Pius VIII (24 May 1829); Pope Gregory XVI (15 August 1832); Pius IX (between 1846 and 1873); Leo XIII (15 February 1882; 20 April 1884; 1887; 15 October 1890; 18 December 1892; 20 June 1894); Pope Pius IX (1907); Pope Pius X (1907); Pope Pius XI (1924).
A recent condemnation of Freemasonry is contained in the “Declaration on
Masonic Associations” issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 26 November 1983, declared that Masonic principles are irreconcilable with the doctrine of Church, and that Catholic membership in Freemasonry remains forbidden.
The Church’s position is that Freemasonry is a religion in its own right with its own doctrines, which are not compatible with Christian beliefs. For this reason, one
cannot simultaneously be a Christian and be a Freemason. What it teaches about the following cannot be reconciled with Christian beliefs, i.e., God, Christ, the denial of the role of grace and Christ in salvation, morality, its attitude towards the Bible, eschatology, the masonic oaths and the notion of rebirth and enlightenment. For this reason, one cannot simultaneously be a Catholic and a Freemason, just as one cannot be a Catholic and be Muslim, a Hindu, a Shintoist or a practitioner of African Traditional Religion. One will have to make a choice between Catholicism and Freemasonry.
CONCLUSION
Let me conclude by drawing attention to the DECLARATION OF THE GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE ON SANCTIONS FOR CATHOLICS WHO JOIN MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS, issued on 7 May 2009. Among other things, it says:
1) Any Catholic who is a member of any Masonic Association and participates in its programmes, or promotes its views, or holds any office therein, and refuses to renounce such membership despite at least one warning (cf. Canon 1347) is to be punished with an interdict (cf. Canon 1347), that is:
a. He is not allowed to receive Holy Communion and other sacraments (cf. Canon 1332).
b. He is prohibited to act as sponsor in Baptism and Confirmation.
c. He is not to be admitted as a member of parish or diocesan structures.
d. He is to be denied funeral rites, unless he shows some signs of repentance before death (Canon 1184 §1, no. 3).
e. Where funeral rites are allowed by the bishop, no Masonic service shall be allowed in the Church or cemetery immediately before or after the Church rites in order to avoid public scandal (cf. Canon 1184, §1, no. 3, and Canon 1374)
Any Catholic who is a convinced member of a Masonic Association and notoriously adheres to the Masonic vision is already considered to have incurred automatic excommunication (cf. Canon 1364). This means that the censures described in Canon 1331 automatically take full effect on this person. According to Canon 1331 §1, an excommunicated person is forbidden:
I. To have any ministerial participation in the celebration of the Eucharist or in any other ceremonies whatsoever of public worship.
II. To celebrate the sacraments and sacramentals and to receive the sacraments.
III. To discharge any ecclesiastical offices, ministries, or functions whatsoever, or to place acts of governance.
It is possible that some Catholics joined Freemasonry without knowing that it is forbidden to Catholics. Such people are advised to see their priests or their bishops who will assist them to renounce Freemasonry and avoid incurring the sanctions that will be imposed on them if they do not renounce Freemasonry.
The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has questioned the Ministry of Health on steps being taken to ensure that Medical Doctors posted to deprived parts of the country take up their postings.
The lawmaker also requested the Minister of Health to give a timeline on the policy on posting of doctors to deprived areas.
According to him, “as we speak this is a practical reality. For example in the Upper East region last year of all the ten doctors posted there not even one took up his position and this year only five.”
In responding to the questions in Parliament, the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu indicated that his ministry is validating a report on the situation which will be subsequently presented to the cabinet for action.
“Mr. Speaker, all the activities are not controlled by me, some of them are outside my environment. Depending on when we finish the validation I get my cabinet Memo done and approved then I come to Parliament to what we have agreed upon then we roll out.
“That is why we said we can’t wait for the problem you have mentioned to continue to exist. It is not the Upper East alone when you go to the Eastern regionk last year we sent ten there only one reported,” Mr. Agyeman Manu stated.
He said the Ministry has decided not to go about its usual way of posting rather the vacancies will be opened for applications.
“So if we tell you that there is a vacancy for a doctor and you are ready and apply we will interview you and post you there. So that idea of we will just get financial clearance and post doctors where they need to go and some will not go, we are stopping that.
“You will sit at home and look at adverts for vacancies if you are interested Mr. Speaker, we will post you. If you are not interested we can’t continue adding on to doctors in Accra. So that is the measure we are adopting,” the Health Minister added.
The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has described the government’s decision to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) by 2.5% in the 2023 Budget as insensitive.
“For me, it was insensitive for the VAT to have been increased in these times,” the chief executive of GNCCI, Mark Badu Aboagye, told sit-in host of The Asaase Breakfast Show Benjamin Offei-Addo on Monday (28 November).
“In our submission to the Finance Minister before the 2023 budget was read, we made it clear that an increase in any tax will be suicidal in respect to the current state of affairs,” he added.
Increment
Value added tax (VAT) is expected to increase by 2.5 percentage points, the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has announced last week.
The standard rate of VAT is 12.5%, except for supplies for a wholesaler or retailer of goods, which are taxed at a total flat rate of 3%.
Ofori-Atta said the proposal to increase the rate forms part of the government’s seven-point agenda to revitalise Ghana’s economy.
Presenting the 2023 Budget Statement in Parliament on Thursday (24 November 2022), the minister said that the increase in the VAT rate by 2.5 percentage points is “to directly support our roads and digitalisation agenda”.
He also announced that the government will undertake major structural reforms in the public sector.
Ofori-Atta said the government is determined to change Ghana’s fortunes and he admitted that the country has been going through difficulty.
“The government is determined to change the negative narrative and rebuild for a better future,” the minister said.
Ghana has not imported maize for past five years due to the government’s continuous support to the sector, the deputy agriculture minister Yaw Frimpong Addo, has said.
Addo said over the period, the government has put in a lot to boost production of maize.
Appearing on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (29 November) in Koforidua ahead of this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration, Addo said the government is committed to ensuring food sufficiency in the country.
“Our duty as a ministry was to increase production which to a large extent we have succeeded. Since 2017, we haven’t imported a grain of maize into this country,” he said.
“There are several stages in agriculture that an investor can add value. For us, it’s the private sector that has to be encouraged to support us.
“There’s a close collaboration between the ministry and the researchers. There’s a lot of variety that we’re giving farmers to increase yields,” Addo said.
This year, the celebrations at the regional level have been restored as a cost-cutting strategy to ease the financial burden on the 16 regional coordinating councils, which hitherto bore the cost of travel expenses, accommodation and lodging of regional award winners and other accompanying officials to participate in the celebration at the national level.
There will be five regional award categories per region, namely: Regional Best Farmer; Regional Best Livestock Farmer; Regional Best Crop Farmer; Regional Best Fisher and Regional Best Agricultural Extension Agent.
The district award categories have been revised from six to three per district, namely: District Best Farmer; District Best Livestock Farmer and District Best Crop Farmer.
The districts that have the financial wherewithal to cater for additional award categories are, however, advised to do so at their own expense.
A Labour Consultant Mr Austin Akufo Gamey has said that hiring freeze must be discriminatory.
He stated that no matter how difficult the situation is, the application cannot be total.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show with Alfred Oansey on TV3 Monday November 28, Mr Gamey said “It is obvious that no matter how hard the situation is they cannot do it flat-footed, they will have to do it in selective application.
“Teaching is teaching, you necessarily must have teachers in the classroom, nursing and all other health service providers and some emergency type of public service, first respondent if there is a disaster you have no choice therefore they have to be selectively.”
The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr Yaw Baah has also said that net freeze on employment into the public sector is better than total embargo.
He explained that net freeze is when retirees are replaced when they exit. This, he said, allows productivity and efficiency to go on.
Total freeze on the other hand, he added, is when the retirees are not replaced neither are new employees recruited. That will be detrimental to productivity hence, they do not want that to happen.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Daniel Opoku on the sidelines of a post budget analyses forum held by the TUC in Accra on Monday November 28, Dr Yaw Baah said “we still don’t have the details of the IMF conditionality but you will not be wrong if you think this is part of IMF conditions. Since 1965 when Ghana Government started going to IMF, employment freeze has always been part, in the last one that ended, employment freeze was one but in that case it was net.
“Net meant that if somebody retires you can replace the person. So the net freeze is what we need. But this one, we don’t know the details, whether it is the net freeze or total freeze.
“If it is a net freeze then it is like the previous one but if it is a total freeze it is another ball game all together. There are 644,000 people on the single spine. Let us assume without admitting that about 5 per cent of them retire yearly.
“If only five percent retire every year, we are talking now about over 30,000 people retiring and if the 30,000 people retire and they don’t replace them it will affect service delivery. If you reduce numbers by over 30,000 and they are not replaced then your effectiveness in service delivery will be affected.”
The Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta announced in the 2023 budget a freeze on employment into the civil and public service.
He also said there shall be no new government agencies established in 2023. He said these while presenting the budget in Parliament on Thursday November 23.
Mr Ofori-Atta said as a first step toward expenditure rationalisation, government has approved a number of directives which takes effect from January, 2023.
These are “All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) are directed to reduce fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs by 50%. This directive applies to all methods of fuel allocation including coupons, electronic cards, chit system, and fuel depots. Accordingly, 50% of the previous years (2022) budget allocation for fuel shall be earmarked for official business pertaining to MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs;
“A ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross country travel. All
government vehicles would be registered with GV green number plates from
January 2023; Limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles. For the avoidance of doubt, purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles;
“Only essential official foreign travel across government including SOEs shall be
allowed. No official foreign travel shall be allowed for board members.”
The Finance Minister added “Accordingly, all government institutions should submit a travel plan for the year 2023 by mid-December of all expected travels to the Chief of Staff; As far as possible, meetings and workshops should be done within the official environment or government facilities; Government sponsored external training and Staff Development activities at the Office of the President, Ministries and SOEs must be put on hold for the 2023 financial year; Reduction of expenditure on appointments including salary freezes together with suspension of certain allowances like housing, utilities and clothing, etc.;
“A freeze on new tax waivers for foreign companies and review of tax exemptions for free zone, mining, oil and gas companies; A hiring freeze for civil and public servants, No new government agencies shall be established in 2023; There shall be no hampers for 2022; There shall be no printing of diaries, notepads, calendars and other promotional, merchandise by MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs for 2024; All non-critical project must be suspended for 2023 Financial year.”
The minority in parliament has raised concerns over seeming failure of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to make an appearance for the 2023 budget debate.
At the time the Speaker gave the guidelines for the commencement of the debate, the Deputy Minority Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed said there was a need for him to be present in the chamber as he needs to take note of their input.
“Mr Speaker, conspicuously missing on the floor is the mover of the motion and it Is not for nothing that the constitution says the finance minister can lay the budget on the floor on behalf of the president. So, you can’t just move the motion and remain there. It is appropriate that the minister must be here, Mr Speaker if he is not ready to do the job, he should let the house know. He must be here to hear our input.”
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Ato Forson said this is becoming quite characteristic of the finance minister. He therefore urged that the house should not debate on the budget until their input is considered by the finance minister.
Speaking on the matter, the majority leader said the constitution does not provide any where that the economic policy and the budget statement should be submitted to this house by the Minister of Finance.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also said that the president can choose any minister to lay the budget before the house and the minister is not obligated to speak to it.
He however stated that the finance minister had given prior notice that he would be absent from the country but indicated the availability of the two-deputy ministers to take note of suggestions.
In order to preserve our culture and traditions, Ghanaians should speak their native tongues, this is according to Nana Opare Kwafo I, the Kyedomhene of Aburi Atwiasin.
The traditional chief believed that because language is an integral element of culture, Ghanaians, especially the younger generation, would learn much more about their culture and tradition if they spoke their native languages.
The suggestions were given by Nana Opare Kwafo during his speech at the inaugural Home Builders Africa Awards, which took place over the weekend at the Ohene Konadu Auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
He noted that it was absurd for anyone to believe that using one’s mother tongue is embarrassing because in Ghana today, people only speak English at home and in public settings.
Nana argued that Ghanaians in metropolitan areas are more familiar with the customs and cultures of other nations than those of their own because they speak English when they interact with one another, this, he said, is a disturbing trend.
He emphasized that if the dominant culture is foreign, the younger generations will grow up either forgetting or not knowing about Ghana’s culture and traditions.
“Speaking in our native tongues will help our country advance, so let’s adopt this practice. There are several nations that do not speak English in addition to their own tongue, like China where they speak their own language. It is imperative that we start speaking Twi in everything we do in order to preserve the cultural values and beliefs of the nation,” the chief declared.
Meanwhile, Nana Opare Kwarfo received the “International Humanitarian Hero” award from the Home Builders Africa Awards.
He used the opportunity to thank the Home Builders Africa Awards organizers for taking the initiative to acknowledge the significance and relevance of people and companies that are making various contributions to creating tranquil homes.
The event, which was organized by Build Forward Africa with support from AfCFTA’s Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AfYEF), was focused on creating a strong home from the ground up so that it could be inhabited and lived in.
Abel Antonio Cardenas Tuppia, the Peruvian ambassador to Ghana, Dr. Chris Agyemang, the president of Taabea Group, and Jane Reason Akushika Ahadzi, the CEO of Stopover JRA Enterprise, were among dignitaries in attendance at the occasion.
The Minister of Interior Ambrose Dery has visited the scene of the fire outbreak at Kantamanto in Accra to commiserate with affected traders on behalf of the President.
The Minister toured the scene with the Inspector General of Police and other senior officers of the Ghana Police Service to assess the extent of damage and also interact with the traders.
Meanwhile, Police Officers have been deployed to the scene to prevent possible looting and also direct the movement of persons and vehicles away from the incident scene.
Officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation are also supporting the exercise.
The fire service under the leadership of the chief fire officer is also on the grounds helping with the operation.
Economist Joe Jackson has stated that the government of Ghana missed an opportunity to deal with the nation’s debt and economic crisis through the 2023 budget statement and economic policy.
Reacting to the details of the budget presented to parliament by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, Mr Jackson said in an interview with Joy News that the government failed to apply sound judgment in preparing the budget.
According to the economist, the government ignored key ministries with the capability of pursuing the nation’s economic recovery by starving them of funding while allocating significant funds to some agencies with questionable usefulness.
“I’ll be honest just this evening I got what I thought was a reliable version of the tables and I started looking through, some of the numbers just don’t make sense to me. Why is there 80billion still there for the Cathedral? Forgive me, I don’t know. Why is there a contingency vote of 1.4 billion?
“The office of government machinery, I don’t care where you came from, why is it at 1.4billion? Guess what? Ministry of Food and Agric, do you know how much we’re giving them? 1.2billion. Do you know how much we’re spending on free SHS? 2.9billion. The Council of State is receiving more money than the Food and Agric Ministry,” he said.
He noted that the government missed an opportunity on both fronts to bridge the trust gap between the citizenry and the markets in the 2023 budget.
“The point is this, we want reassurance, we want to believe that this government can even carry the rest of the country with the austerity budget it has to impose. We want to believe somebody is trying to bridge the trust gap between the government and the public. That can be done when you trim down and all of us feel that you’re taking the pain as much as we have to take the pain,” he said.
The government of Ghana is hoping to rescue the country’s challenging economy through several policies outlined in the 2023 budget.
Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, has warned Ghanaians against engaging in transactional sex.
Speaking to Joy FM, the AIDS Commission boss said Ghana’s target of achieving zero HIV infections by 2030 is achievable, but only if the youth of the country desist from transactional and commercial sexual activities.
“Some young people see sex as a means of making income. We have hookups, which entail young men and women offering themselves as sexual providers to sugar mummies and daddies. All these expose them to HIV/Aids,” he said.
According to Dr Atuahene, HIV, unlike other diseases such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis, is contracted through deliberate actions, hence the need for the youth to be cautious in their sexual escapades.
“Nobody can force the pathogen into your body. You decide to have sex and it does not come out of the blue,” he noted.
He also urged the youth to practice abstinence and safe sex, while noting the availability of HIV/AIDS treatment.
In the first half of 2022, 495 Ghanaians tested positive for HIV.
The figure represents two per cent of the total number of 948, 094 who got tested for HIV within the period in review.
The National Service Scheme Director in the Ashanti Region, Alex Opoku-Mensah, who has been caught in the middle of an altercation that he had with a nurse at the Manhyia Hospital, has issued an apology.
This follows a viral audio that captured the NSS director on tape verbally attacking a staff nurse at the Manhyia District Hospital.
In the audio recording of the incident, Mr. Alex Poku-Mensah is heard hurling insults and threats at the nurse for allegedly intimidating his daughter, who is a house officer at the hospital.
But in an apology shared on his Facebook page, Alex Poku-Mensah stated that what happened was not his style.
“I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the nursing fraternity and Manhyia Hospital.
“This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter (doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter,” he wrote.
He described what happened as a ‘mishap’ and asked for forgiveness.
“I do apologize for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such. I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship between any affected person,” he added.
Read his full statement below:
Background:
The Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Secretariat, Mr. Alex Poku Mensah, has been captured on tape verbally attacking a staff nurse at the Manhyia District Hospital.
In the audio recording of the incident, Mr. Alex Poku Mensah is heard hurling insults and threats at the nurse for allegedly intimidating his daughter, who is a house officer at the hospital.
According to multiple reports, the said nurse is said to have called Mr Poku Mensah’s daughter on phone to inform her about the need for her to return to the facility to update a patient’s record on the hospital’s patient management system.
But the regional NSS director, in the company of his daughter, stormed the hospital to accuse the nurse of intimidation.
Mr. Poku Mensah, in a heated exchange with the nurse, is heard verbally attacking her while touting his position and threatening to transfer the nurse from the hospital.
“If she does anything, come and inform me; I will use my power to ensure she is removed from here. I’ve introduced myself; I am the National Service Regional Director,” Mr. Opoku is heard shouting at the nurse.
The nurse in return is heard saying, “do you also know me? Do you know my father?” To which a furious Mr. Opoku retorted, saying, “Fool, does the work belong to your father?”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association GRNMA has called for the sacking of Mr Alex Poku from office.
According to the association, the conduct of the Regional NSS Director at the Manhyia Hospital makes him unfit to occupy the position.
The association has warned that it will recall the services of its members at the hospital if the government fails to heed the demand for his dismissal within 72 hours.
“We wish to state categorically that if the government does not relieve Mr. Alex Poku Mensah of his duty as Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme within 72 hours, nurses and midwives of Manhyia Hospital will be called upon to lay down their tools, followed by the whole of Ashanti Region and then it will be escalated to the whole nation,” the Association said in the statement dated November 29, 2022.
Only a handful of Members of Parliament (MPs) on the majority side showed up in Parliament for the post-budget hearing yesterday, November 29, 2022.
When the Speaker announced the rules for the debate to begin, only 21 members of parliament were present on the majority side of the house.
Although the majority had initially posited that they would not join in the debate due to the gross mismanagement of the economy by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, they showed up during the budget hearing.
However, the reason for their absence is unknown. The Finance Minister on November 24, 2022, presented the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic policy.
Contained in it were measures towards “expenditure rationalisation,” which include a ban on the use of V8/V6 vehicles, limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles, a 50% slash in fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs, and SOEs, etc.
The electronic transaction levy (e-levy) rate as well as its threshold have all also been reviewed, with effect from January 2023.
The presentation is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
The government is optimistic that the new measures contained in the budget will bring the economy back to life.
