Ghana’s former president, John Dramani Mahama, has charged the government to start slashing down its ballooning expenditure from the Office of the President.
In a tweet, John Mahama stated that the budget of the president’s office has ballooned exponentially in the last six years to GH¢ 3.1 billion.
“The budget for the Office of the President has ballooned, over the last six years, from GH¢700m to GH¢ 3.1bn in 2022,” he tweeted.
The former president further advised the government to start cutting down the expenditure of the president’s office, as it could save the country a substantial amount of money.
“For expenditure rationalization to be successful, it must first start in the President’s office. Substantial savings of GH¢1bn can be made by slashing the budget,” he added.
The government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been faced with a lot of economic challenges in the last year, with inflation figures skyrocketing.
Fuel prices and the rate of exchange of the Ghana cedis to the US dollar have also been extremely high in recent months, plunging a lot of businesses into disarray.
See John Mahama’s tweet below:
The budget for the Office of the President has ballooned, over the last six years, from GH¢700m to GH¢ 3.1bn in 2022. For expenditure rationalization to be successful, it must first start in the President’s office. Substantial savings of GH¢1bn can be made by slashing the budget.
Economist, Professor Lord Mensah, has said the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta must resign for a new person to take over the management of the economy.
According to him, the Finance Minister is trying to dissociate the economic dynamics from its management adding that what Mr. Ofori-Atta is doing is not real and it doesn’t happen anywhere.
The Economist explained that economic management goes with economic dynamics.
“Obviously it has to do with management so if the entire population is calling for his head. It sends the signal that what is on the grounds is not good. So for him to say that we should focus on the IMF and possibly restore the economy it’s uncalled for.
“For me his understanding of the management and influence of economic dynamics, he should understand that the economy is not on autopilot, the economy must be managed. If at the end of the day those that are supposed to feel the impact of the economy are saying that things are not going well with them that he should resign, he has to. He is not the one to come and explain and tell us that we have to focus on how we can restore the economy,” Prof. Mensah told Starr News.
He further stated that a new hand can give Ghanaians breathing space.
“I think his resignation will bring about some confidence to the economy and as a result of that maybe the economy will head in the right direction. Trust me you cannot dissociate human thinking when it comes to economic dynamics from the real numbers that are on the ground. We are waiting for him to resign so that we can have breathing space. As we speak now his presence as a Finance Minister has brought about a whole lot of uncertainty in the economy.
“People cannot even plan, investors cannot even look ahead and look at the next moment. As we speak now there are so many things going on at the back side of the economy that we don’t even know.”
Pressure group, OccupyGhana (OG), has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to probe allegations of a wealthy businessman who attempted to bribe some 80 lawmakers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who were calling for the resignation of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The allegation was first made by Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
According to OccupyGhana attempting to bribe MPs is an attempt to influence the conduct of the lawmakers in the course of their official duties which is a potential corruption offence that falls within remit of the Office of Special Prosecutor.
The group wants a probe into the claim and if the allegations are established to be true, proceed to prosecute.
Some 80 NPP MPs at a press conference called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fire Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
However, after a meeting with the President, they backtracked and gave the Minister time to prepare the 2023 budget and also finish his engagement with the International Monetary Fund.
Ghana’s ambassador in Doha, Mohamed Noureddine Ismail has praised Qatar for being a hospitable country with a lot of good values.
Speaking to QNA, the Ghana ambassador also applauded Qatar for putting in a lot of effort to host a successful 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“What draws attention and is taken into consideration is the huge infrastructure implemented by Qatar to host the tournament for the first time in the Arab region and the Middle East, including, for example, international stadiums, hotels, apartments, road networks, as well as the hospitality industry, which in turn confirmed its readiness to receive over 2mn guests expected to visit Doha during the World Cup.
“I have found Qataris to be warm and loving people, who believe in respect, trust, and friendship,” Mohamed Noureddine Ismail said in the interview.
He further indicated that he is confident Ghana will excel at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to go far in the tournament.
“Ghanaian players are prepared to go beyond the group stage and if possible, to the semi and final stage,” Ghana’s Ambassador to Qatar shared.
Charles ‘CK’ Akonnor discusses how someone did not want him at the helm of the Ghana national team and pushed for his sacking ahead of the 2021 Afcon.
WHAT HAPPENED: The tactician was fired on September 13, 2021, after the Black Stars suffered a 1-0 loss away against South Africa in Group G’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The move happened about four months before the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which was eventually held in Cameroon.
THE BIGGER PICTURE:
Milovan Rajevac was eventually appointed 11 days later, making a return to the team he had coached in 2010.
However, his stay was short-lived as Ghana performed poorly at Afcon and collected just a point in their group. The then 67-year-old was shown the door with Otto Addo taking his place.
The latter helped the Black Stars qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Akonnor has now stated he was hurt by the changes, insisting there was foul play.
WHAT HE SAID: “[Being the head coach at the 2021 Afcon] was a dream but one way or the other, somebody shut it down, who that person is, I don’t know,” Akonnor told Joy Sports’ Prime Take.
“I wouldn’t say so [I would have done better than what Rajevac did], but I had a plan and if that plan had worked, maybe we would have done better than we did.
“At least, the FA should have allowed me to go to the Afcon and come back because my contract was even running out. I was hurt but I am better now.”
Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo is expected to name his final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the coming days.
This will be a massive cut down from the 55-man provisional list released on Friday, November 2.
FIFA has set November 14 as the deadline for all 32 participating countries to release final squads.
However, 3 countries- Japan, Costa Rica, and Brazil have already named their final squads for the tournament due to start on November 20.
The Black Stars have a tall order as they have been pitted against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H of the World Cup.
They will begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal on November 24, followed by South Korea on November 28, and conclude against Uruguay on December 2 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra.
Checkout the GhanaWeb’s 26-man squad for World Cup
Goalkeepers
Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Joseph Wollacott, Richard Ofori.
Defenders
Tariq Lamptey, Alidu Seidu, Dennis Odoi, Gideon Mensah, Baba Rahman, Daniel Amartey, Salisu Mohammed, Alexander Djiku, Joseph Aidoo, Stephan Ambrosius
Midfielders
Thoams Partey, Baba Iddrisu, Kudus Mohammed, Andre Ayew, Abdul Salis Samed/Jeffery Schlupp, Daniel Kofi Kyere, Osman Bukari, Fatawu Issahaku, Kamal Sowah/Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jordan Ayew.
Strikers
Inaki Williams, Felix Afena-Gyan, Antoine Semenyo.
The 2022 World Bank’s Africa Pulse Report has ranked Ghana as the country with sub-Sahara Africa’s (SSA) highest food prices.
The report was released at the end of last month, October 2022, and indicated that domestic food prices have gone up by 122 percent since January this year.
Indeed, the country’s inflation has been rising to an all-time high of 37.8 percent for September 2022 – driven largely by food prices, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service(GSS).
With many Ghanaians feeling the heat and cost of food prices running out of control, the situation is being exacerbated as the year-on-year inflation rate for September 2022 from the 16 administrative regions was almost 38 percent.
This means general price levels have soared in September 2022, higher than September 2021 as month-on-month inflation between August 2022 and September 2022 was 2 percent, according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
Correspondingly, panelists in the agribusiness sector during the 11th Ghana Economic Forum (GEF) cautioned Ghanaians to brace for more hikes in cost of food over the coming months.
The panel included Chairperson of the Agribusiness Association of Ghana Industries, Fatima Alimohamed, who disclosed that “there is a looming shortage of foodstuff and its associated high costs”.
The discussions were on the topic ‘Ensuring food sustainability and security: an analytical overview of the PFJ and implications for economic growth’.
Also, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has projected in its Finance and Development Journal that food import bills for some 62 vulnerable countries will hit more than US$25 billion this year, putting 1.7 billion people at risk of going hungry in the future.
A chunk of these 62 countries, according to the FAO, are African countries south of the Sahara.
The FAO said rising cost of fertiliser on the global market will negatively affect availability of rice and other staple foodstuffs for the entire 2023, and probably beyond.
The organisation observed that rice production and availability will slump to their lowest from 2023 due to increase in the cost of fertiliser, as prices of the cereal are starting to rise.
“These developments pose risks because rice is a key staple around the world, including sub-Saharan Africa,” the FAO indicated.
Dairy import data from the Ghana National Association of Cattle Farmers (GNACAF) indicate that the country imports in excess of US$400million dairy products annually, as demand for fresh milk and other dairy products rise.
Despite this increasing demand, the local dairy industry is stagnating; thereby creating a deficit that can only be offset by importation.
Whereas special breeds have been grown and nurtured in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the west to give a maximum 30 litres and minimum 15 litres of fresh milk per cow each day, the situation is different in Ghana according to the GNACAF.
The president of GNACAF, Imam Hanafi Sonde, confirmed to B&FT that just about eight out of every 100 milk-cows in Ghana are able to give 3 litres of fresh milk per day; a phenomenon that he said demands more investment into domestic production to lessen the country’s reliance on foreign dairy imports.
The need to focus on milk
“The reason for low milk production is due to focus on meat, though the quest for fresh milk is rising incessantly. To increase milk output, the country must put emphasis on special breeds through insemination; and the introduction of technology for milk extraction,” Imam Sonde said.
The demand for milk has been increasing incomes of cattle owners more rapidly than meat in recent times, as Imam Sonde said milk has become a growing alternative source of income for farmers.
An estimated US$90million worth of dairy products were imported in 2017, according to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; but the amount, Mr. Imam Sonde said, has reached a staggering US$400million in just four years, by 2021.
New Zealand, Brazil, Belgium and regional neighbours – key among them being Nigeria, remain the country’s top trading partners for dairy products. But the GNACAF said other countries are venturing in, since Ghana is experiencing an increase in dairy product consumption as diets continue to change, coupled with a growing population that is more urbanised.
Historically, limited access to cold storage and transportation has limited Ghana to the consumption of ultra-high-temperature pasteurised products.
Although these products have a long shelf-life, improved infrastructure is causing a push for fresher dairy and a bigger local dairy industry.
In 2018, MoFA released a statement that the country would start to import cattle from the United States to help build the domestic dairy industry. The imported cattle were supposed to be special milk breeds for insemination and to grow the local industry here.
But Imam Sonde said the animals are yet to be imported since the announcement was made, adding: “Maximum attention has not been given to the industry, as the sector continue to face biting challenges”.
In Ghana, cattle farmers rely heavily on natural grazing – which is not ideal for milk production, especially in the dry season when there are no pastures. The Association maintains that special improved imported breeds for insemination are the solution to increase production and close the escalating import gap.
On the national level, the Amrahia Dairy Farm – which is designed as capacity building centre for local cattle farmers to boost dairy production for industrialisation – is defunct.
But the GNACAF said it is currently scouting for investors to collaborate on insemination for special breeds which can increase milk output and enable local farmers to concentrate on milk production. The value chain includes breeders, shepherds, traders, transporters, butchers, veterinary products and the hospitality industry, among several others.
Koku Anyidoho, a one-time presidential spokesperson has reacted to the ‘Kume preko‘ reloaded protest that took place over the weekend.
The protest which saw hundreds of Ghanaians clad in red and black and holding placards critical of the government was called by a private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu.
The lawyer decried the spate of economic mismanagement as a core plank for his call for the president and his vice to resign and hand over power to the Speaker of Parliament.
It is that demand that Anyidoho built his views around in a tweet dated November 6, 2022.
It read: “When a lawyer goes on demonstration to ask that the President and Vice President should resign; is he asking for a coup?”
Kpebu speaks at protest
Kpebu led hundreds of demonstrators who marched through the capital on Saturday demanding the immediate resignation of President Akufo-Addo over Ghana’s current economic woes.
Addressing protesters during the march, he said: “We are dying; citizens are dying; citizens can’t afford food; citizens are starving all because of misgovernance by President Akufo-Addo.
“It never happened that you have a president in office and every time that the country borrows, the president’s family becomes richer; how? This can’t continue.
“We can’t borrow all the time and have Databank becoming richer all the time. Citizens have a duty as stated in Article 41 [of the Constitution] to ask the president to resign and this is not the first time that a president of Ghana is going to resign,” Martin Kpebu said.
What Akufo-Addo said about Ghana being in a crisis
Amid an economic downturn, calls for Akufo-Addo to resign has heightened with a November 5, 2022 protest dubbed ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ making the loudest call as activists and politicians marched in Accra to press home that demand.
The government is meanwhile, grappling with an economic crisis, which along with the galamsey scourge and corruption are the major drivers for the call on Akufo-Addo to resign along with his Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia.
Akufo-Addo in his October 30 address on the economy blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causes for the country’s economic woes.
While admitting that the country was in crisis and rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide, he said the situation was not peculiar to the country as many nations across the world were also experiencing difficulties.
“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.
“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy,” he said.
But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.
When a lawyer goes on demonstration to ask that the President and Vice President should resign; is he asking for a coup?
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the heads of public kindergartens and primary schools, as well as junior and senior high schools, to move in to ensure that students at the pre-tertiary levels in the country are kept safe.
This is in the absence of teachers at the pre-tertiary levels after the three teacher unions declared a withdrawal of their services effective Friday, November 4, 2022.
The teacher unions withdrew their services in protest of the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director General of the GES.
The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Rev. Isaac Owusu, said in an earlier press conference that it was doing so in protest of the fact that the new GES boss was a banker.
“It is unacceptable for a banker to be appointed as a Director-General of the Ghana Education Service instead of an educationist at the same time when many teachers who did the same courses and related ones were rejected by GES because it is not related to education
“We stated that both the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service should apologize to teachers for accepting the very qualifications they rejected when teachers presented them…We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians our intention to go on strike, having reached the November 4 deadline we gave the government. Consequently, we have decided to embark on strike from today, Friday, November 4, 2022. By this, we are informing the general public that we are withdrawing all our services in all the pre-tertiary institutions,” he said.
But the GES has called on the heads of the institutions to take over the safety of students who have been affected by this strike.
“Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has read from the media that the three (3) Teacher Unions in the Pre-tertiary Education sector have declared withdrawal of their services effective Friday, November 4, 2022.
“Heads of public kindergarten and Primary Schools as well as Junior and Senior High Schools have been directed through the Regional and District Directors to mobilise their management teams to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in schools,” the statement, signed by Cassandra Twum Ampofo, Head of Public Relations, said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed Dr. Eric Nkansah to act as the new director general of the Ghana Education Service on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
The appointment, according to a statement signed by Secretary of the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, aligns with Section 19 (1), (2) (a) and (b) of the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049).
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Organiser aspirant, Yaw Brogya Genfi has filed a writ at the Supreme Court for the annulment of the election of New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for the Tolon constituency, Habib Iddrisu.
The writ filed by Brogya Genfi stated that the MP had been convicted of fraud and forgery in Australia and was not fit to contest an election in Ghana at the time he filed his nomination to contest as an MP.
The writ filed on Monday, November 7, stated that Mr Iddrisu was convicted on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on November 28, 2011.
Among the reliefs being sought by Brogya Genfi include;
“A declaration that the 1st Defendant, Mr. Habib Iddrisu, who was elected the Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency in the Northern Region of the Republic of Ghana during the 2020 Parliamentary Elections, was not qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament within the meaning of Articles 94(2)(c)(1) and 94(5)(a) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana by reason of the fact that, at the time of filing his nomination for the said elections between 5th and 9th October 2020, he had been convicted of forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28 of November 201 and ten (10) years had not passed at the time when Mr. Habib lddrisu filed his nomination for the said elections;
“A declaration that the decision of the 2nd Defendant to permit the 1st Defendant to contest Parliamentary Elections in the Tolon Constituency when the 1st Defendant had been convicted for forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28th day of November 2011 is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)(9 and 94(5)61) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and ten (10) years had not passed when the 2nd Defendant made the decision to allow the Defendant to contest the 2020 Parliamentary Elections.”
“A declaration that the election of the 1st Defendant as the Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency notwithstanding his conviction for forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28th day of November 2011 is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)(i) and 94(5)(a) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and to that extent is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect;
“A declaration that the swearing-in of the 1st Defendant as Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)() and 94(5)(0) of the .1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and is to that extent unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect.”
At least 33,868 students in the Upper West Region have benefited from the government’s flagship Free Senior High School programme, according to official figures.
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the regional minister Hafiz Bin Salih attributed the increment in secondary school enrolment in his region to the visionary leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo in making education accessible to all.
“The introduction of the Free SHS programme in 2017 saw all 35 public SHS/SHTS/TVET schools in the region being enrolled onto the programme. So far, the programme has benefited 33,868 students in the region,” Salih said.
He said though the region was faced with the challenge of inadequate infrastructure when the programme was first introduced in 2017, the government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has completed 33 new educational projects, with 11 facilities being constructed in different areas within the region.
“In addition, from 2017 to date, the GETFund has completed 33 new infrastructural facilities, and 11 new facilities is in progress. These projects include dormitories, classrooms, science laboratories, administrative blocks, accommodation among others,” he added.
In addition, the minister said strenuous efforts are being made to complete a further 52 stalled GETFund projects in the region. These projects, he said, include some critical infrastructure including the Hilla Limann Technical University, some senior high schools and basic schools across the region.
Parliament will this week give effect to the vote of censure filed by NDC MPs in the House to determine the fate of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The debate and vote on the censure motion will be taken on Thursday 10th November, 2022 following the expiration of the seven-day notice mandated by the Constitution.
Speaking to Journalists, Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim said all NDC MPs have been instructed not to miss sittings in order to get the required number to carry out their objective, thus removing the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta from office.
According to Mr. Ibrahim, there would be consequences if a member fails to show up.
“The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak has sounded a note of caution to all Minority MPs that all the 136 MPs must be in the chamber on Thursday, so any member who absents himself on Thursday is at his own risk…On Thursday, whether we want Ken Ofori-Atta to be impeached or censored, the opportunity is being given to us,” he said.
According to him, the Finance Minister will also be allowed to defend himself on the same day.
For the vote of censure to succeed, 183 MPs must vote for it. With the Minority having only 136 MPs, 46 NPP MPs must join them.
Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim believes the NPP MPs will not back down on their calls to get the Finance Minister sacked.
“Whether the Majority is going to walk the talk to make sure that the motion that they staged, they still stand by it, is over to them. But I strongly believe that per the information and signals I am picking this morning, they are still going to walk the talk,” he said.
The Banda MP said it is important to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta now before the economic situation worsens. He urged the Finance Minister to step down before the vote of censure.
The Dagbon Traditional Council has passed a resolution to stop the use of weapons at festivals, funerals and other social gatherings following an emergency meeting with security stakeholders.
The decision comes after the traditional council expressed concern about the proliferation of small arms in the town.
Speaking to Asaase News, the executive secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Afi Yakubu, outlined the implications of using unregistered weapons.
“In Ghana, we are governed by laws, it is not everybody who can go out and go to the market and buy a gun. That is why we don’t have gunshots displayed all over the place,” Yakubu said.
“There is a criteria to own a gun in Ghana and it is determined by a law that was established way back in 1962,” she said.
The Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, who doubles as chairman of the security council, said that conflicts elsewhere in Africa have escalated because of the rapid spread of illegal small arms and other light weapons.
“Let me emphasise that conflict in the West Africa and Sahel regions have escalated and in recent years, due to uncontrolled proliferation of small arms that are illegally found in the hands of the youth.
“As a council it is about time, we gave advocacy roles in educating the youth and general public on the dangers of illegal arms and the acquiring of them. The potential of disturbing the peace and stability in the region in particular and Ghana as a whole.
“I wish to make a passionate appeal to all stakeholders to make illegal sales, trafficking of small arms and light weapons to the citizens in this region unattractive,” Yakubu added.
Criteria for owning a gun
According to Yakubu, “If you want to own a gun, you have to be 18 years and above. So, it means that those we’ve been seeing carrying weapons around may be going against the law.
“You must be of sane mind. Are you physically fit to operate the weapon? Do you have a clean criminal record?”
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the fight against HIV/AIDS have expressed concern over the inactivation of the National HIV/ AIDS fund six years after it was passed into law.
According to them, the inactivation of the fund was partly to blame for stalled progress and disruption in gains made towards the HIV/AIDS fight in Ghana, over the years.
Thus, in the face of dwindling donor funding to the area, the CSOs have appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency, activate the fund in its 2023 budget.
They made the call in Accra at the launch of the 2022 World HIV/ AIDS day on the theme; “Equalise; a call to action, a forceful appeal to the government, civil society, private sector, and individuals to work together to remove all inequalities that perpetuate the spread of the HIV epidemic.”
President of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, in a remark, said the National HIV and AIDS fund was needed to preserve the lives of over 250,000 Ghanaians currently surviving on life-saving anti-retroviral (ART) drugs.
He stated that about eight percent (20,000) of this number were children and needed to be supported to remain on medications and realise their potential in life.
“According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) Act, 938 as amended in 2016, the only person who can activate the fund is the Minister of Finance.
I, therefore, wish to appeal to the Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, to unfailingly activate the fund in the 2023 budget which will be read exactly two weeks from today,” he stated.
Mr. Ortsin maintained that it was expected that the Global Fund which presently was a major donor for Ghana’s HIV/ AIDS interventions to withdraw its activities in view of new global interests, as such, “as a country, we need to take our destiny into our own hands.”
“This is why GHANET and all CSOs in health are calling on the President and the Minister of Finance to activate the fund as immediately as possible.”
The Director-General of the GAC, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene disclosed that in the last five years, the country has averagely recorded 21,000 new HIV infections.
From January to June this year, Ghana had already crossed the average mark, recording 23,495 new HIV infections which are, two percent of 948,094 people who undertook HIV testing during the period.
The DG said high-risk behaviours, and complacency amidst disregard for preventive tools were contributing to the spread of the disease, urging members of the public to take responsibility for protecting themselves from HIV infection.
Currently, Ghana is doing 71-99-79 of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 target which aims to diagnose 95 percent of the HIV population, have 95 percent on anti-retrovirals, and 95 percent, achieving viral suppression of the disease.
Some teachers at the Pre-tertiary level in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, have defied the directive by the leadership of three teacher unions to embark on a nationwide strike.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT) on 4th November declared a strike over the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service.
The teacher unions want President Akufo-Addo to revoke the appointment with immediate effect, insisting that Dr. Nkansah does not qualify to occupy the position.
A visit by Citi News to some of the schools on Monday morning showed that many teachers were in class as academic work was going on smoothly.
The authorities in those schools who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity said there has not been any formal communication for them to embark on the strike, hence their decision to go ahead with normal academic work.
Some teachers however refused to go to class as they complied strictly with their leadership’s directive.
The teachers who spoke on grounds of anonymity said, although they had their own reservations and do not necessarily agree with the leaders to embark on the strike, they felt there was a need to comply.
Heads of various schools who spoke to Citi News said they are not under any obligation to compel the teachers to return to the classroom and as such, they have asked their students to be available for any teacher who decides to teach them.
The Kumasi Technical University chapter of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana has also backed the appointment of Dr. Nkansah as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.
The group insists that the credentials of Dr. Nkansah and his contributions to Ghana’s education sector make him fit for the job.
Some unemployed nurses comprising Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nurse Assistant Preventives (NAP) have hinted at plans to picket at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ministry of Finance, on Thursday over the government’s delay in posting them.
According to them, they have been forced to take this action as a series of engagements with the relevant authorities have yielded no results.
Speaking to Citi News, the Northern Zonal Vice President of the Nurse Assistant Clinical and Nurse Assistant Preventives, Francis Mengmi, said they won’t relent on their quest to get their concerns addressed.
Since completing school in 2019, he said his batch had engaged authorities on their posting, but to no avail.
“We are still on our grounds to continue hitting the streets and continue pouring out the frustrations we were going through as a batch after three years.”
“Imagine someone who has been catered to for three years or two years to complete a course then after school, you have nothing to pay back. It is a huge crisis on you,” Mr. Mengmi said.
The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E Sugandh Rajaram, has promised an injection of $150 million into mechanisation of Ghana’s agriculture to maximise productivity.
He noted that the Indian government is committed to establishing mechanisation centres in all rural districts across the country where farming equipment such as tractors, combined harvesters, tillers among others will be supplied and maintained.
H.E Sugandh Rajaram disclosed this at Sefwi Anhwiaso where he paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council and president of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II as part of his official visit to the Western North Region.
Citi News’ Western North correspondent, Stanley Boadi, reported that the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana also engaged with traditional rulers and other stakeholders on developmental areas of the economy where his government can assist.
According to H.E Sugandh Rajaram, the venture is to strengthen the cooperation between India and Ghana as they celebrate their 75th independence.
He added that agriculture is the major contributor to the country’s economy, but its processes are mainly subsistence. He said his country is willing to invest 150 million dollars into the sector through mechanisation.
In his welcome address, the Paramount Chief for Sefwi Anhwiaso and president of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II expressed his profound gratitude for the visit and also seized the opportunity to table a number of areas within his traditional area where assistance is needed from the Indian government for development.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih has said the completion of the Kaleo Solar Power Plant will help transform the region into a hub of economic activities to create jobs, improve livelihoods and alleviate poverty.
Addressing journalists during the State of the Region Report, a media engagement platform put together by the Ministry of Information for Regional Ministers to provide updates on developments in their regions, Dr. Salih said the completion of phase II of the solar plant will make the region the largest contributor of solar energy to the national energy grid.
“Works has also commenced for the construction of phase II of the Kaleo plant to add 15Megawatt peak. When completed, it will make the region the largest contributor of solar energy to the national energy mix,” he said
President Akufo-Addo in August this year commissioned phase I of the 13 Megawatts solar power plant. The project is the second utility-grid-connected solar project in the country.
Together with the Lawra solar project commissioned by the President last year, the systems will provide a combined generating capacity of 22.8-megawatt peak and will complement the national grid in Wa to provide efficient and reliable power for the region.
This Dr. Salih expressed delight at the coming on stream of the project expressing the hope that the projects would stimulate socio-economic activities and bring about an improvement in the lives of people in the region.
On Monday, October 31st, Diallo Sumbry was enstooled as the Nkosuohene (Chief of Development) in Nyame Bekyere, a community in the Eastern Region of Ghana approximately 1.5 hours away from the capital city of Accra.
Diallo whose title became Nana One (Nana is used as the title of a monarch to signify their status) was recognized by the village elders for his consistent work in the community of Nyame Bekere and his efforts to build bridges between Ghana and the global African diaspora as a Tourism Ambassador to Ghana, co-architect/founder of The Year of Return, Director of Partnerships at African Ancestry, author of The Smart Repatriation Guide to Ghana, and CEO of The Adinkra Group, a cultural resource organization which has organized Birthright Journeys to Ghana for over 1000 African Americans since 2019.
After being enstooled, Sumbry’s first order as a new Chief was performing a naming ceremonies for 8 members of African Ancestry Homecoming who traced their lineage to Ghana through DNA as well Dwayne, Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Wade who were also in attendance at the enstoolment along with over 300 members of royal families, government officials, media, family, friends, and local residents of the community.
Following the naming ceremony, Sumbry, the Wade Family and other guests participated in a ribbon cutting and unveiling for a 3 story library and community center Diallo has developed in the town which also featured a live performance go-go band, Black Alley from Washington DC who were in Ghana for the festivities.
“As a creative and cultural community leader for the past 25 years, I have dedicated my life and work to showing the beauty and relevance to African and African American culture. Since coming to Ghana, I have been committed to bridging the gap and allowing both sides to experience and learn from each other. It is an honor to be bestowed the title of a Chief/King, however I believe that like a fruitful harvest, greatness requires a supportive environment that will provide the necessary elements to produce ripe fruit. That is my vision for Nyame Bekyere and I and invite others to join me here to support the development of this community and other communities I build and work in Africa and in the US,” shared Sumbry.
In December 2018, Sumbry was appointed US Ambassador for Tourism for Ghana in recognition of his impact on the country’s cultural and tourism sectors, and his role as one of the architects of The Year of Return. He is the first African-American to receive this title.
The convener of the political pressure group, #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, has said Akufo-Affo has no reason not to resign as president.
This, he explains, is because he has failed Ghanaians amidst the current crisis the country is facing.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who was part of the demonstrators calling for the resignation of Akufo-Addo, added that it is important for citizens to save democracy, hence the need for them to call for action.
“….as far as I understand that Akufo-Addo himself said that if we ever got here and he was demanded to get out, he will get out, so I see no reason why he will not get out, unless you are calling the president a liar, which a lot of people seem to agree he is,” he said in an interview with GhanaWeb.
Some Ghanaians showed up in their numbers to demonstrate in demand for better living conditions and also called for the resignation of Akufo-Addo, Bawumia, and Ken Ofori-Atta.
The protest started at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and ended at Black Stars Square in Accra.
Addressing the crowd, the convener, lawyer Martin Kpebu, gave President Akufo-Addo, Dr. Bawumia, and Ken Ofori-Atta a three-day ultimatum to resign after the “Kume Preko demonstration” on November 5, 2022.
He said the trio must resign for their roles in the current economic crisis the country is facing while they get richer.
Flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) and former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor says he was serious with paying arrears to contractors and other persons who had worked for the government while he was in office.
According to him, the regular payment of arrears went a long way in boosting the growth of the economy.
“We never joked with expenditure. I was not making payments when there was not enough money. But as soon as money hits government account, I paid off people who government owed. We managed government bill very well. I never joked with arrears. I never denied contractors their money. I ensured I paid regularly in bit until all the debt is cleared,” Dr Kwabena Duffuor said on Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV on Monday.
He added: “When we paid contractors, their work also progressed and we also took the taxes. You pay arrears with your right hand and you take taxes with your left hand. That is how it is done. If a contractor has executed a project worth GHC10m and you say you’ll not pay him, how does he take care of the workers. The money is not for him, it is for the workers. When he pays them, then you also take the tax from them. That helps the economy to grow very fast and a lot of taxes are paid. If government does not pay contractors their businesses collapse and there’ll not be enough taxes to build the country.
The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has assured her constituents of her continuous service to them as their representative in the legislature.
The assurance comes few days after she returned from the United States, when tensions surrounding her political career seem to have abated.
Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo had been away since early months of 2021 on the back of an excuse to deal some personal issues.
By October 6, 2021, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, had indicated an indefinite extension of her leave which was supposed to have ended on August 31, 2021.
Her continuous absence from the country and consequently parliament over the period thus breached parliament’s 15-sitting-day threshold for absenteeism.
This led to the Speaker’s decision to refer her together with two other MPs to Parliament’s Privileges Committee to inquire into her absence and make recommendations to the House.
Although efforts to get the embattled MP to speak about her absence have proved futile, the House will in the coming days debate whether or not her seat should be declared vacant.
That notwithstanding, her actions over the period had also fomented discussions in the public space, creating divisions even among her own constituents and party members, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), some of whom believed that she determined to hold the party and government to ransom.
But like a Phoenix rising out the ashes, the MP who has been stripped of her responsibilities as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, has indicated that she will remain the lawmaker for the people of Dome-Kwabenya.
“Thanks to the whole constituency, especially Taifa, for all the prayers and all the support. I know I will be back and I will continue to be your Member of Parliament”, said the former Minister during her thanksgiving at some churches in her constituency on November 6, 2022.
A man has mistakenly shot his 12-year-old nephew to death at Mankuma, a farming community in the Bole district of the Savannah region.
According to a myjoyonline.com report, the boy was left in the care of his uncle, who was on his way to the farm, by his mother.
However, on their way to the farm on a motorbike, the uncle mistakenly clicked a locally manufactured gun trigger that he was carrying, leading to the instant death of his nephew.
The deceased has since been buried.
Meanwhile, the Bole district police command has commenced an investigation into the matter.
The families involved have also indicated that they want to settle the case without any police interference.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu constituency, Ras Mubarak, has abandoned his luxury lifestyle due to the current economic hardship and increasing cost of living in Ghana.
He joined public transport, popularly called ‘trotro’, over the weekend due to fuel hikes.
The former National Democratic Congress MP was part of the ‘Ku Me Preko’ demonstration in Accra to pile pressure on President Nana Akufo-Addo to resign for his inability to manage the Ghanaian economy.
Ras Mubarak took to Facebook to share his frustration.
Media personality now turned pastor Ahmed Abubakar popularly known as Blakk Rasta has stated that he is still the old person he used to be even after being ordained as a pastor.
Blakk Rasta is known for being one of the outspoken media personalities in Ghana. He has stated that he will not change his personality even after being ordained.
A few days ago, Blakk Rasta was ordained as a pastor after passing out from the Breakthrough Family chapel Bible school. There were photos of the media personality in a clerical collar that went viral on social media.
“Nothing will change about my views on topical issues. I always say that I speak to build and not to destroy. Speaking my mind is a way of helping society to develop so I will continue with that,” he told Graphic Showbiz in an interview recently.”
“In fact, I had no respect for anything spiritual and that is because I have read widely and believed everything has to be physical.
Even though I had more than 20 men of God telling me I would join them one day, I still believed if I have to succeed in life, it has to be physically and that is by working hard. I never believed in spiritual things,” he asserted in an interview with Graphic Showbiz.
The Lagos State Police Command has debunked reports making rounds that Nollywood actress and best friend of Davido was arrested in connection to the death of Ifeanyi Adeleke.
In the late hours of yesterday, a video of a woman went viral claiming that Eniola Badmus was arrested by the police over the death of Ifeanyi Adeleke.
According to the woman in the video, Eniola was in communication with the nanny of Davido’s son Ifeanyi and collected vital and sensitive information from the nanny to her friend Sophia Momodu, the first baby mama of Davido.
The woman further stated that Eniola was the one who called the nanny the day Ifeanyi drowned and distracted her attention from the little boy.
The news of Eniola Badmus was carried around by some media outlets but the report has been debunked by the Lagos Police.
However, the command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a chat with newsmen on Saturday said there is no iota of truth in the report as the actress was never arrested.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, with most people spending hours every day scrolling through various platforms. It’s no surprise, then, that businesses have also taken to social media in a big way, using it as a tool to reach out to potential customers.
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Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has charged his colleague Ministers for Energy at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt to have a united voice and stand up against attempts by environmentalists pushing for Africa to abandon its gas and oil resources and instead shift to renewable energy sources.
“We should not allow ourselves to be divided,” Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh made the call during a panel discussion at the recent African Energy Week 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to Dr Opoku Prempeh, Africa is awash with huge minerals and oil and gas resources and, therefore, cannot abandon them while the majority of the youth are without jobs and struggling to survive.
Dr Opoku Prempeh stated categorically that Africa would continue to exploit its mineral resources to bring development and lift the majority of the people from poverty.
He warned that any attempt to abandon the continent’s huge mineral resources could trigger chaos.
“We are going to use what God has given us to develop our nations,” he said.
Using Ghana as an example, Dr Prempeh said millions of Ghanaians do not have jobs and “you want me to go and stand in front of them and say we’re not going to exploit our oil and gas? There will be a coup,” he stated.
According to him, it appears that some people deliberately want to set up African leaders for coup d’état.
“It was an existential threat for Africa to be told that don’t exploit your oil resources,” Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh pointed out.
Making a strong case for why oil and gas resources have to be exploited and not abandoned, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh said God in His wisdom created the sea, wind, and sun and put oil and gas resources under the earth for man’s exploitation.
Shooting down the argument and supporting the shift from the use of fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh said if the answer to energy security was in, say, solar energy, God would not have put oil under the desert of Saudi Arabia because of the abundance of sun.
“If we are going to participate in the energy transition process, we are going to use what God has given us to achieve that,” he stated forcefully.
“Why did God put oil in Gabon. He put the trees and He put the oil. We have to exploit both. You can’t say you want to exploit one and leave the other. How are you going to exploit one without touching the other?” He quizzed.
COP27 is scheduled for November 7 and 18 in Egypt.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee in Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak has called on President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency resolve issues on the appointment of the new Ghana Education Service Director-General.
His comment comes on the back of three teacher unions having declared a strike action over the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah.
According to the Unions, their action has been occasioned due to the failure of the government to meet the deadline to terminate the appointment of Mr. Nkansah.
The Unions are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-G).
However, the deputy ranking member thinks President Akufo-Addo is adamant about the demands of the teachers’ unions.
“Will Nana Addo keep the Acting Director General of GES to the detriment of the academic wellbeing of over 8 million Ghanaian pupils or students, whose about 400,000 teachers or masters are on strike in opposition to his appointment of Dr. Nkansah as Director General?
According to the teacher unions, Dr. Nkansah is a banker and not a professional teacher.
“The Teacher Unions did not only register their protest but also, found it unacceptable for a Banker to be appointed as a Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, GES, instead of an Educationist at a time when many teachers who did the same courses and related ones were rejected by GES.
“Because it is not related to education we stated that both the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, should apologize to teachers for accepting the very qualification they rejected when teachers presented them,” they demanded in a statement dated November 4, 2022.
A security analyst, Adib Sani, has said protest is an important exercise as it reduces built-up anger against the government in terms of economic crisis.
According to him, protesting prevents people from holding back anger, and speaking out on their frustrations as we are in dangerous times in the country.
“This demonstration is extremely important, the suffering, the uncertainty, the anger is unbelievable and we are saying that it is rather in the best interest on government for us to protest and there is so much anger if people hold it. It will create an explosive charge like the Arab spring, people were angry and they couldn’t talk because they are gagged.”
Adib Sani made the comments at the ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ demonstration, held on November 5, 2022.
Some Ghanaians showed up in their numbers to demonstrate in demand for better living conditions and also called for the resignation of Akufo-Addo, Bawumia and Ken Ofori-Atta.
The protest started from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and ended at Black Stars Square in Accra.
The plan by tgovernment to demolish all buildings built on the Sakumono Ramsar site has undergone a significant U-turn.
This will result in the regularization of all the landowners on the specified area.
Since the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, spoke with the impacted parties, the initial planned demolition of every building on the site has been postponed.
Outcomes of the stakeholder meeting on Sunday, November 6, 2022, indicated that the government is taking steps to regularize the structures at the Ramsar site.
“I want to say here and now that not a single building will be demolished.
“We will go through some processes of discussions, and we will have this kind of meeting again in about three weeks’ time by which time we would have had a clear road map,” he said.
It will be recalled that weeks ago, the Regional Security Council in the Greater Accra Region went ahead with its planned demolishing exercise at the site, bringing down a number of buildings.
The exercise was being undertaken as a result of encroachment on the state land by private owners.
It was also believed that the encroachment had, over the years, led to flooding in areas around the site such as Ashaiman, Tema and other adjoining communities.
The majority in parliament claims it is considering taking Alban Bagbin, speaker of the house, to the Supreme Court for his decision about Sarah Adwoa Safo, a member of parliament from Dome-Kwabenya.
The majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, called the decision “unfortunate” and suggested that the Speaker might have erred in his interpretation of the legislation.
“If we lend ourselves by what I consider to be a very capricious ruling, then the Supreme Court would be the final arbiter,” he added.
The issue whether the Dome Kwabenya MP should lose her seat for missing more than 15 sittings must be discussed by the entire House, according to Alban Bagbin’s ruling.
Her continuous absence from Parliament divided the House with the Majority interestingly taking the view that the Privileges Committee report should be final.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision as to whether or not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its rights to receive and consider the report of the Committee and make a determination arising out of the recommendation,” Mr Bagbin ruled.
But the Suame MP says the Speaker was wrong and they are determined to fight it before the debate.
“When they [Privileges Committee] have made that determination, it doesn’t come back to Parliament for Parliament to vote on it. So for the Speaker to come in with what I consider very unfortunate interpretation of the Constitution… this is a matter of the interpretation of the Constitution and it can go to the Supreme Court,” he added.
A day after the Speaker’s ruling, an NPP legislator commenced the process of filing a suit at the Supreme Court to have her seat declared vacant.
In documents cited by Myjoyonline.com, the MP is praying the Court that by failing to appear before the Privileges Committee to explain her absence from Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo ceases to be a Member of Parliament.
The Ahafo Ano North MP, Sulemana Adamu Sanid, is contesting the Speaker’s ruling.
“A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, a member of Parliament who absents himself/herself, without permission in writing of the Speaker and he/she is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on privileges, from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet, automatically forfeits his/her membership of the Parliament of Ghana,” portions of the reliefs read.
Background
Before going on recess in July, Mr. Bagbin deferred his ruling on whether the Dome-Kwabenya seat should be declared vacant or not following Madam Safo’s failure to honour an invite by the Privileges Committee on her continuous absence from Parliament.
Mr. Bagbin, on May 4, referred Madam Safo, Mr. Henry Quartey, MP of Ayawaso Central, and Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP, Assin Central, to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves from 15 sittings of the House without his permission.
That was during the First Session of the Eighth Parliament.
The Committee failed to achieve a consensus in its recommendations on whether absenting herself for more than the mandatory 15 days without permission warranted her seat being declared vacant.
Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo
The Majority, however, wants the seat declared vacant without delay in line with stated constitutional provisions.
It observed that Madam Safo failed to take advantage of the numerous opportunities to explain her absence without leave.
Meanwhile, the Majority of MPs on the Committee cited Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare v the Attorney-General & 3 Ors, in this regard.
The Minority MPs on the Committee, argued that according to the principle of natural justice, the seat should not be declared vacant because Madam Safo did not provide her side of the story to the Committee.
The Committee, however, determined that the explanation offered by her two colleagues, Mr. Agyepong and Mr. Quartey for absenting themselves, were reasonable.
A copy of the report made available to the Ghana News Agency before recess, showed that the Committee members gave a split decision on the fate of Madam Safo.
Barely a day after police commenced an investigation into a chieftaincy dispute in Enchi, video footage has emerged.
The CCTV clips detail how the suspected attackers besieged the palace on Sunday in the Western North Region.
That morning, four people were shot dead with one left in critical condition at Enchi Government Hospital.
According to the report, the incident was evoked when an unidentified group believed to be residents of the community attempted to attack their paramount chief of Enchi Traditional council, Beyeeman Tano Kwao Benbuin II at his palace on early Sunday, November 6, 2022.
Watch CCTV footage below:
However, the palace guards also avenged and there was an exchange of gunfire between the two parties.Four of the visitors were killed and one person was also injured.In the video obtained by Myjoyonline.com, about a dozen men are seen bullying their way through the streets of Enchi armed with guns, knives and other assault weapons.
Sources say the incidents recorded ensued moments before the violent attacks.
At a point, two of them stopped and fired shots into the air before proceeding toward the palace.
According to Adom News’ Augustine Boah, security has been strengthened in and around the palace today.
He however indicates that there is an uneasy calm despite the police presence.
The Ghana Police Service says an investigation is ongoing with crime scene experts deployed on site.
The police in a statement say reinforcement teams have been dispatched from the national headquarters in Accra and surrounding police regions to support the Western North Regional Police Command.
They also urged “the public, in this case, our revered chieftaincy institution which is the embodiment of our customs, traditions and values to use peaceful and due judicial process in resolving differences in order to avoid such needless deaths.”
Leadership of the three striking teacher unions will today, Monday, November 7, 2022, meet the Employment and Labour Ministry to continue deliberations over the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The unions declared a strike on Friday, November 4, following their demand for the withdrawal of Dr. Nkansah’s appointment.
An earlier engagement with the Ministry ended inconclusively.
Speaking to Citi News, the President of one of the unions, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu expressed disappointment at the Education Ministry for not addressing their concerns sooner.
“The invitation to even come and jaw-jaw was not from the Education Ministry. They were rather trying to banter us in the media through press conferences instead of sitting with us to discuss the issues. So we are on strike, expecting that our demands will be met at [today’s] meeting.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wereko-Brobby said he is optimistic that the concerns of the teachers will be addressed.
“This is a matter we can sit and discuss. So I am optimistic that nothing untoward will happen. The issues that they have raised will be looked at and will be resolved by Monday after we meet.”
The unions had requested time to seek the views of their members. They have argued in favour of a career teacher being made the GES boss.
The leaders of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) have expressed their displeasure over the government’s neglect of the welfare of their members in the 46 Colleges of Education over the years.
The associations in a joint statement accused the Government and the Ghana Education Service (GES) of unfair treatment over the years.
CETAG in January 2022 called off its weeks of strike action after the Government assured the association of taking stringent measures to resolve the non-implementation of its 2017-2020 conditions of service, but those resolutions are yet to be implemented 10 months on.
Leadership of the two associations in their statement have therefore given the Ghana Education Service (GES) five crucial working days to address the following outstanding concerns;
i) Non-finalisation of CETAG’s Conditions of Service (CoS) negotiations which started on 14th August 2021 and have direct implications for CENTSAG’s own CoS.
ii)Unilateral determination of April 2023 by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) as the effective date for placing First Degree Holders of CENTSAG on 17H on the SSSS.
iii) Undue delay by the Ministry of Education in responding to our request for payment of compensation for all-year-round work to both teaching and non-teaching staff.
iv) Deliberate variation of Fuel, Vehicle Maintenance, and Off-Campus allowances of CETAG and CENTSAG members as compared to our counterparts in other analogous institutions in the face of the rising cost of fuel prices in the country.
v) Unfair retrospective deductions of office holding allowances paid to some members of CENTSAG and CETAG.
The unions added that if these concerns are not resolved by November 11, 2022, “we shall reactivate our indefinite strike actions which we suspended on January 24 and April 14, 2022, respectively.”
Edwina Nana Addo, the daughter of Ghana’s first gentleman Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is making great strides in the entrepreneurial space and has built a grand restaurant which attracts some of the most affluent people in the country.
Edwina’s eatery is named NsuomNam, a fine Twi name which gives it a touch of Ghanaian heritage.
NsuomNam means fish from the water, and as the name suggests, the restaurant specializes in seafood and is said to be one of the best seafood restaurants in Accra per reviews on Google.
Since its opening, the restaurant has been met with criticism from Ghanaians as they felt $6 Million was too much money for a restaurant. Business, however, started booming for Edwina, although the restaurant was opened not long ago.
NsuomNam hosts some of the most affluent peeps in the country, and celebrities like Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari, Majid Michael, and others have been spotted at the luxurious eatery. YEN.com.gh has compiled some photos and videos of the grand restaurant.
1, The entrance of the eatery is nothing you’ll expect less of a $6 Million restaurant. The beautiful white walls and its classy glass entrance screams luxury. At night the eatery looks even more beautiful with its beautiful lights, letting it stand out in the darkness of the night.
2. NsuomNam seems like the new house for the rich. A week ago, some of Ghana’s most affluent movie stars partied hard at the restaurant.
4. Edwina has good taste for decor, and NsumNam reflects her excellent taste as the restaurant treats its patrons with not just good food, it provides a serene environment.
5. Exquisite seafood is hard to find In Ghana, but NsuomNam looks like it is about to set itself apart from the current competition as the restaurant provides some of the most exclusive seafood menus.
NsuomNam is the most-talked-about Ghanaian-owned restaurant in Cantonments causing rifts on social media. According to most, NsuomNam is too expensive, looking at the posture of the owner, who is rumoured to be Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo, the president’s daughter.
NsuomNam is the restaurant commentator Kelvin Taylor accused the H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s daughter, Edwina, of using Ghanaians’ money to set up. Taylor also insinuated that the ordinary Ghanaian could not afford to dine at NsuomNam – but how true is this? Because the other fraction vehemently denies this claim.
The debate could go on forever, but food blogger, Zubaida, did the honours of visiting and leaving a review.
She wrote, “The food was nice. The starter especially was 10/10. Service was good, plus the owner, the manager & the chef are so nice. The average spend for a drink, starter, main & dessert is ¢400pp.”
Videos showed a hush, serene, classy restaurant with high ceilings and gorgeous stylish cane chairs. A quick look at the menu offered price ranges from Gh45.00 to Ghc120.00 for starters. The mains are placed just a little above this range unless you want their seafood, which is the restaurant’s speciality, starting from Ghc180.00 to Ghc600.00.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is back in Ghana after close to a year in the United States of America.
She is back after staying away from her duties as a Member of Parliament for the period amidst criticisms from some colleague MPs and executives of the New Patriotic Party.
Sarah Adwoa Safo was spotted at a Presbyterian Church in her Constituency on Sunday November 6, 2022 where she was accompanied by some family and friends to thank God for his protection of her life.
Speaking to the Congregation, Adwoa Safo said she was grateful to God for protecting her life and that of her family stressing that “last year was a very challenging year”.
The Member of Parliament who doubled as Gender and Social Protection Minister was sacked by the President of Ghana after she failed to show up for her responsibilities.
Rumors were rife that she had left the country because she did not want the Gender, Children, and Social Protection Minister but rather wanted to remain the Deputy Majority leader in Parliament; a position which had been given to Alex Afenyo Markin.
Meanwhile, after referring her absence from Parliament to the privileges committee of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament said he investigated their work and was not satisfied with it and has since referred it to the floor of Parliament for a decision to be taken.
Kwabena Agyepong who served as Press Secretary to former president John Agyekum Kufuor between 2001 and 2006 has said he declined a ministerial appointment offered to him by his boss after serving for almost six years.
The decision to not accept the appointment, according to Kwabena Agyepong was informed by the quest to exit from the administration and focus on some other equally important activities.
“It was fine,” he said in response to whether or not it was a peaceful exit. “I just felt I had to leave politics, so, although the president called me and offered me a deputy ministerial position, I respectfully declined.”
Sharing his work experience with the former president, Mr. Agyepong told Deloris Frimpong Manso on The Delay Show that his boss was indeed a diplomat.
“Mr. Kufuor is a very quintessential diplomat and democrat. He worked with the IGP the previous government appointed for over six months when he assumed office. Persons who occupied some of the key positions experienced same. He did so just to get a smooth transition,” the former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) remarked.
Meanwhile, Agyepong has said he never acquired any property during his tenure as Press Secretary to Mr. Kufuor.
Establishing that the desire to do politics was borne out of passion, selflessness, and service to the country, Agyepong expressed optimism in becoming president of Ghana as he readies to contest in the NPP presidential primaries.
“Our budget is always in deficit; we need to cut our coat according to the size of cloth we have. We need to be truthful to Ghanaians for instance if we cannot construct new roads and put together a proper plan review. We like constructing new things without providing any form of maintenance for the old ones.
“The value system in this country has disappeared, it has collapsed. Those are the changes I believe it is time for a new dawn, a new dimension, and a new direction,” Mr. Agyepong said while underscoring the need to serve instead of amassing wealth to the detriment of the Ghanaian people.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the unfair and unequitable distribution of medical doctors in the country, describing it as a discrimination against Northern Ghana.
Speaking at the 64th Annual General Conference of the GMA in Bolgatanga, Dr Frank Serebour, the National President, GMA, said the situation was having dire health consequences on the already deprived and underserved regions and posed threats to quality of healthcare delivery in those areas.
He stated for instance that the Upper East Region had a total of 89 medical doctors, out of which only 30 were currently at post due to further studies, depriving many vulnerable communities of quality healthcare.
“This number is equivalent to a single department in our teaching hospitals in Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye, and the numbers are not different from other deprived regions in the country”.
According to Dr Serebour, many healthcare facilities in Northern Ghana in particular, were being served by one doctor while some doctors had spent all their working lives in the South particularly in Accra and Kumasi.
He described the situation as an indictment on the management of the healthcare system in Ghana and underscored the need for an open and honest discussion to resolve the skewed distribution of doctors.
“Until there is a total transparency and fair play in transfers based on the needs of institutions, there will always be brave people who would refuse postings to deprived areas,” he lamented.
Apart from urging the government to design incentive package to attract and retain doctors in rural and deprived areas, Dr Serebour urged the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, particularly the District Assemblies to provide basic structures for doctors and other health workers.
This, he said, coupled with improved condition of service, would not only motivate doctors and other health workers to work in deprived communities but would help prevent the brain drain of doctors which was on the ascendancy.
“These packages may include well-furnished accommodation, top up salaries up to the tune of 50 per cent of their total salaries, full scholarships for further training, either within or outside the country after three years of continuous and dedicated service,” he added.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister, indicated that shortage of doctors especially in the Upper East Region was worrying to stakeholders and needed collective approach to resolving the issue.
He said over the years, doctors had refused postings to the region and the Regional Coordinating Council had tasked the Municipal and District Assemblies to identify and sponsor students to pursue medicine and bond them to work in the region.
He said the region was benefitting eight district hospitals under the government’s agenda 111 project and there was the need to attract and retain more doctors.
Mr Mahama Sei Seini, the Deputy Minister of Health, lauded the efforts of the GMA for the continuous contribution towards ensuring quality healthcare in the country.
He said as part of the government’s to achieve Universal Health Coverage, the Ministry had set up a committee on rural incentive package to attract health workers to rural areas and added that the committee had finished and submitted its report.
The conference was on the theme, “Doctor distribution dilemma: the case of Ghana and its underserved areas”.
Blood that has been grown in a laboratory has been put into people in a world-first clinical trial, UK researchers say.
Tiny amounts – equivalent to a couple of spoonfuls – are being tested to see how it performs inside the body.
The bulk of blood transfusions will always rely on people regularly rolling up their sleeve to donate.
But the ultimate goal is to manufacture vital, but ultra-rare, blood groups that are hard to get hold of.
These are necessary for people who depend on regular blood transfusions for conditions such as sickle cell anaemia.
If the blood is not a precise match then the body starts to reject it and the treatment fails. This level of tissue-matching goes beyond the well-known A, B, AB and O blood groups.
Prof Ashley Toye, from the University of Bristol, said some groups were “really, really rare” and there “might only be 10 people in the country” able to donate.
At the moment, there are only three units of the “Bombay” blood group – first identified in India – in stock across the whole of the UK.
Image source, NHSBT
Image caption,
A laboratory-grown red blood cell, which carriers oxygen and carbon dioxide around the body
So how is the blood grown?
The research project combines teams in Bristol, Cambridge, London and at NHS Blood and Transplant. It focuses on the red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
They start with a normal donation of a pint of blood (around 470ml)
Magnetic beads are used to fish out flexible stem cells that are capable of becoming a red blood cell
These stem cells are encouraged to grow in large numbers in the labs
And are then guided to become red blood cells
The process takes about three weeks and an initial pool of around half a million stem cells results in 50 billion red blood cells.
These are filtered down to get around 15 billion red blood cells that are at the right stage of development to transplant.
“We want to make as much blood as possible in the future, so the vision in my head is a room full of machines producing it continually from a normal blood donation,” Prof Toye told me.
Image source, NHSBT
The first two people have taken part in the trial, which aims to test the blood in at least 10 healthy volunteers. They will get two donations of 5-10mls at least four months apart – one of normal blood and one of lab-grown blood.
The blood has been tagged with a radioactive substance, often used in medical procedures, so scientists can see how long it lasts in the body.
It is hoped the lab-grown blood will be more potent than normal.
Red blood cells normally last for around 120 days before they need to be replaced. A typical blood donation contains a mix of young and old red blood cells, whereas the lab-grown blood is all freshly made so should last the full 120 days. The researchers suspect this could allow both smaller and less frequent donations in the future.
However, there are considerable financial and technological challenges.
The average blood donation costs the NHS around £130. Growing blood will cost vastly more, although the team will not say how much.
Another challenge is the harvested stem cells eventually exhaust themselves, which limits the amount of blood that be grown. It will take more research to produce the volumes that would be needed clinically.
Dr Farrukh Shah, the medical director of transfusion at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “This world-leading research lays the groundwork for the manufacture of red blood cells that can safely be used to transfuse people with disorders like sickle cell.
“The potential for this work to benefit hard to transfuse patients is very significant.”
Elon Musk says Twitter users engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying it as a parody account will be permanently suspended.
Twitter previously issued a warning before suspending accounts, but there would now be no warning, he announced in a series of tweets.
The company’s new owner laid off around half of the company’s workforce at the end of last week.
He also confirmed plans to allow users to buy blue-tick verified status.
Detailing the new policy on parody accounts, Mr Musk tweeted: “Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning.”
He added that “any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark”.
Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
Several accounts that had changed their name to Elon Musk and mocked the billionaire have been suspended or placed behind a warning sign, including those of US comedian Kathy Griffin and former NFL player Chris Kluwe.
Other accounts, including one parodying former US President Donald Trump by comedian Tim Heidecker, are yet to be suspended.
Mr Musk has previously said he opposed permanent bans on Twitter, including that of Mr Trump’s official account. Mr Musk said last week that banned accounts would not be reinstated until there was “a clear process for doing so”.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that Twitter was delaying the rollout of verification check marks to subscribers of its new service until after Tuesday’s US midterm elections. At the weekend, the social media site’s website app began offering an update that will charge $8 (£7) a month for its blue, verified checkmark.
On Friday, the billionaire said Twitter was losing more than $4m per day, insisting that this gave him “no choice” over culling around half the company’s 7,500-strong workforce.
The cuts – as well as Mr Musk’s fierce advocacy of free speech – have caused speculation that Twitter could water down its efforts on content moderation.
However, Mr Musk has insisted that the firm’s stance towards harmful material remains “absolutely unchanged”. UN human rights chief Volker Turk wrote him an open letter, warning that Twitter had a responsibility to avoid amplifying harmful content.
The fight against climate change can become “a global mission for new jobs and clean growth”, Rishi Sunak will tell world leaders at the COP27 summit.
The prime minister will also say it is essential nations stick to commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow a year ago.
The UN’s climate change chief said a key aim to limit global temperature rises is “still within reach”.
Mr Sunak is making his first outing on the international stage in Egypt after becoming UK PM last month.
He arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday night and will join other world leaders at the UN summit, including US President Joe Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Mr Sunak will unveil more than £200m funding to protect forests and for green technologies in developing nations.
He reversed a decision not to attend COP27 earlier this week after a backlash from opposition MPs and campaigners. He initially declined the invite as he said he was too busy preparing the November budget.
In his opening address on Monday, Mr Sunak will urge global leaders to “move further and faster” to avoid the worst impact of climate change by limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
He will say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has “reinforced” the importance of ending dependence on fossil fuels, but will argue the move can give a boost to new green industries.
“The world came together in Glasgow with one last chance to create a plan that would limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. The question today is: can we summon the collective will to deliver on those promises?” he will say.
“By honouring the pledges we made in Glasgow, we can turn our struggle against climate change into a global mission for new jobs and clean growth. And we can bequeath our children a greener planet and a more prosperous future.”
Mr Sunak will also meet French President Mr Macron at the conference, where the topic of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats is likely to be raised. The prime minister has said reducing the number of crossings is a “key priority”.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak will announce a further £65.5m for the clean energy innovation facility which provides grants to researchers and scientists in developing countries working on clean technologies – from biomass-powered refrigeration in India to lithium-ion batteries in Nigeria.
It said the UK will also commit £90m for conservation in the Congo Basin rainforest, and £65m to support indigenous and local communities.
But Labour’s Ed Miliband said Mr Sunak “had to be dragged kicking and screaming” to go to the summit and it was “implausible for him to claim the mantle of climate leadership”.
The shadow climate change secretary said the government should drop plans to issue more licences for North Sea exploration and end its opposition to onshore wind.
As COP27 got under way, the UN itself warned that meeting the critical target of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C would take an “extraordinary effort”.
“The science tells us that is it still within reach,” said the UN’s new climate chief, Simon Stiell. “We cannot lift the pressure.”
Speaking to the BBC World Service’s Newshour programme, Mr Stiell said just 29 states had strengthened their climate pledges since last year, which was “not enough”.
His remarks came after the UN’s weather and climate body released a report showing that the rate at which sea levels are rising has doubled since 1993.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the report as a “chronicle of climate chaos” and urged governments at COP27 to answer the planet’s “distress signal” with “ambitious, credible climate action”.
Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,
Vulnerable countries increasingly being hit by extreme storms, floods and droughts, such as Pakistan’s devastating flooding this year
Global temperatures have risen 1.1C and are heading towards 1.5C, according to the UN’s climate scientists, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
If temperatures rise 1.7 to 1.8C above 1850s levels, the IPCC estimates that half the word’s population could be exposed to life-threatening heat and humidity.
Rich countries are also falling short in providing the finance needed to help developing nations adapt to a changing climate and develop cleanly, the UN has warned.
But Mr Stiell said the conference was off to a “hopeful start” after developing nations successfully lobbied to put on the agenda the thorny issue of “loss and damage”.
This debate revolves around compensation money paid by wealthy countries to the states worst affected by climate change.
Speaking to the BBC, David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, said bigger nations needed to “come good with their nationally-determined contributions”.
Highlighting China, India, Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil, Mr Panuelo said there are “many countries that need to come forward with… commitments to help meet this challenge that global communities are facing now”.
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in Accra, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, confirmed to pressmen last week that Ghana will be sending a delegation of over 320 persons to the ongoing 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 27) in Egypt.
He explained that out of a total of 322 people attending, attendees are pooled from both state and non-state institutions having duly registered on the government’s portal to attend and participate in COP27.
Dr Afriyie, according to a Ghana News Agency, GNA; report explained that of the total, participants from government institutions account for 226, while those from non-state actors are 72 and those belonging to the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) are 24.
“Half of the number on the government platform are NGOs and partner institutions who decided to go through some institutions to be registered,” he clarified.
“Therefore, the actual government staff attending the COP is about 150…People attending this will be participating in diverse programming including negotiations, workshops, side events and bilateral meetings. Sponsorships is also form diverse sources,” he stressed.
2021 edition attracts public scrutiny
There was a huge public outcry when it emerged that Ghana sent over 330 delegates to the COP 26, which took place between 31st October and November 12, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland.
A provisional list published on the website of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change indicated that Ghana’s contingent was led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Some sector ministers who made the trip included Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Land and Natural Resources and Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Energy.
The list also includes representatives from Parliament, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the President, the media, among others.
It was later explained that not all persons registered under Ghana traveled on state largess and that the presidential team was much smaller.
Akufo-Addo leads COP 27 delegation
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo arrived in Egypt on Sunday as leader of Ghana’s delegation of climate negotiators to COP 27.
COP 27, scheduled for November 7 to 18, is being hosted in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
It will provide the platform for climate activists and negotiators to discuss, propose actions and make decisions towards facilitating the implementation of the various Articles of the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact.
At a Pre-COP media briefing organised by Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in Accra, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, sector Minister, said Ghana’s team was ready to present the real needs of the African people at the conference.
“Ghana will participate actively at the negotiations, and the Presidency implementation summit and also host a number of events at the Ghana Pavilion.
“We will launch the Article six framework and sign some additional bilateral agreements with Sweden and Singapore. Other sectors will host events relating to their mandate, i.e., energy, forestry, transport, finance etc,” Dr Afriyie stated.
Private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has challenged New Patriotic Party(NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) to name a businessman who allegedly tried inducing them with money.
According to him, the disclosure is the surest way to prove that the Members of Parliament indeed returned the money to the unnamed businessman and repelled him as they claim.
Member of Parliament(MP) for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi first disclosed on Accra based Joy Fm that the said businessman came to Parliament to meet with NPP MPs who had publicly called on President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo to sack the finance minister Ken Ofori Atta.
The NPP MP added that the wealthy businessman sought to ‘mediate’ in the impasse between the MPs and the Finance Minister and attempted to give them money which they rejected.
But speaking on Newsfile on Joy News, on Saturday, November 5, 2022; the lawyer wondered why the lawmakers allowed such a businessman to walk away after committing a crime of attempted bribery.
He argued that the narration of the MPs raises doubts over whether they actually returned the money to the said businessman.
“So, there was an offer and there was received. This is a transaction that resulted in a crime. At what point did any of these MP’s realise that they needed to return these envelopes as they have been telling us?
“How should we come to a point of believing them that they in fact returned these envelopes? Did they? How many took it and how many returned it? What the MP’s have dealt with so far, leaves me in a position to believe that they are not being frank,” he said.
Anyenini further stated that the unwillingness by the lawmakers to blow the cover of the businessman attempting to corrupt them further cast doubts on their narration.
“Let us all dare them to name this businessman. If they do not, let us not believe them that they took the money and returned it. Indeed we are right that they [NPP MP’s] took the bribe and engaged in a corrupt conduct,” he added.
The United Nations has indicated its readiness to scale up support for Ghana under its newly-proposed Cooperation Framework.
Under a previously signed framework, a total of $440 million was expended in assisting the country towards achieving her developmental need.
However, in what he describes as “realignment,” the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani, revealed that the new framework (2022-2025) is expected to scale up assistance to over $500 million.
“This is a gross increase in the value that comes through the UN system into Ghana. The 261 (million) that we announced at the Global Citizens (festival) is the core part of that and that has been secured already.”
UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani
“For the rest, we are in the motion of raising that fund, which backs my pledge that we stand ready to support,” Charles Abani told JoyNews.
In its report titled, ‘The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Sustainable Development in Africa’, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted that “Africa is facing a double crisis with the combined effects of the war in Ukraine and of the Covid-19 pandemic – now is a critical time for action.”
“It is time to intensify efforts and reframe development finance, strengthen resilience in African economies, and foster economic transformation as a key driver for change in Africa,” the report added.
Charles Abani [left] and Blessed Sogah
Commenting on the report, Charles Abani noted that the UN is collaborating with Ghanaian agencies to avert the impact of these exogenous factors hindering sustainable development.
“We need to ensure that we are investing in things that matter most. We should work more on strengthening Ghana’s institutions and the capacity of Ghanaians,” he stressed.
The United Nations is hopeful the government of Ghana will cooperate with its officials to successfully flesh out the cooperation framework.
Programmes Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Dr Charles Nyaaba has expressed doubt that food prices will go down in December.
This is due to the challenges farmers are going through including high cost of doing business, he said.
Dr Nyaaba told TV3’s Roland Walker on the Big Issue, Friday November 4 that “depending on the commodities, food prices will not come down, it is going to be extremely difficult for prices to come.”
This comes at a time the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie assured that the Ministry is introducing an initiative to sell food at cheaper prices in Accra.
Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie said at a meeting with farmers in Sefwi Wiaso in the Western North Region, that “the ministry itself is going to take its own initiative.”
He added “We are going to link up with the farm gate so that we make all the arrangements to ensure that we put up kiosks on our compounds at the ministry, specifically for food from Sefwi Wiaso and we are going to give it a lot of publicity.”
President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke says the source of hope for industry in the midst of the economic challenges is that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
He called on industry to rally behind the measures outlined by the President to tackle the economic difficulties in the country.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday November 5, he said “Our case as an industry is, what are the remedies? It is necessary that at this stage we gather the courage as the president did and then from there, with what he has outlined as part of his proposed solutions, players in the space or actors in the various sectors of the economy should quickly rally around the said call and then develop modalities to circumvent the challenges.”
He added “What can we say are the source of hope? That there is light at the end of the tunnel, how quickly can we all come together and take charge and seek to rectify the destruction that has befallen us. This has been the position of AGI leadership.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-0Addo in his public address on Sunday October 30 said the success of the government’s efforts at diversifying the structure of the Ghanaian economy from an import-based one to a value-added exporting one is what will, in the long term, help strengthen our economy.
“We are making some progress with the 1D1F but our current situation requires that we take some more stringent measures to discourage the importation of goods that we can and do produce here.
“To this end, we will review the standards required for imports into the country, prioritise the imports, as well as review the management of our foreign exchange reserves, in relation to imports of products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, tooth picks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water and ceramic tiles, and others which, with intensified government support and that of the banking sector, can be manufactured and produced in sufficient quantities in Ghana. Government will, in May 2023, that is six (6) months from now, review the situation. We must, as a matter of urgent national security, reduce our dependence on imported goods, and enhance our self-reliance, as demanded by our overarching goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid.
“Much as we believe in free trade, we must work to ensure that the majority of goods in our shops and market places are those we produce and grow here in Ghana. That is why we have to support our farmers and domestic industries, including those created under the 1-District-1-Factory initiative, to help reduce our dependence on imports, and allow us the opportunity to export more and more of our products, and guarantee a stable currency that will present a high level of predictability for citizens and the business community. Exports, not imports, must be our mantra! Accra, after all, hosts the headquarters of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
He added “as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down.
“The recent turbulence on the financial markets was caused by low inflows of foreign exchange, and was made worse in the last two to three weeks, in particular, by the activities of speculators and the Black Market. An anonymous two-minute audio message on a WhatsApp platform predicting a so-called haircut on Government bonds sent all of us into banks and forex bureaus to dump our cedis, and, before we knew it, the cedi had depreciated further. All of us can play a part in helping to strengthen the cedi by having confidence in the currency, and avoiding speculation. Let us keep our cedi as the good store of value it is. To those who make it a habit of publishing falsehoods, which result in panic in the system, I say to them that the relevant state agencies will act against such persons.
“Indeed, some steps have been taken to restore order in the forex markets and we are already beginning to see some calm returning. We will not relent until order is completely restored. The following actions have been taken thus far: 1) enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector;
“2) Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand; 3) the Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in;
” Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and 5) the Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme.”
President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke has told industries to be courageous and rally behind the measures outlined by the President to tackle the economic challenges.
He asked players in the industry to develop modalities to help circumvent the challenges.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday November 5, he said “Our case as an industry is, what are the remedies? It is necessary that at this stage we gather the courage as the president did and then from there, with what he has outlined as part of his proposed solutions, players in the space or actors in the various sectors of the economy should quickly rally around the said call and then develop modalities to circumvent the challenges.”
He added “What can we say are the source of hope? That there is light at the end of the tunnel, how quickly can we all come together and take charge and seek to rectify the destruction that has befallen us. This has been the position of AGI leadership.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-0Addo in his public address on Sunday October 30 said the success of the government’s efforts at diversifying the structure of the Ghanaian economy from an import-based one to a value-added exporting one is what will, in the long term, help strengthen our economy.
“We are making some progress with the 1D1F but our current situation requires that we take some more stringent measures to discourage the importation of goods that we can and do produce here.
“To this end, we will review the standards required for imports into the country, prioritise the imports, as well as review the management of our foreign exchange reserves, in relation to imports of products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, tooth picks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water and ceramic tiles, and others which, with intensified government support and that of the banking sector, can be manufactured and produced in sufficient quantities in Ghana. Government will, in May 2023, that is six (6) months from now, review the situation. We must, as a matter of urgent national security, reduce our dependence on imported goods, and enhance our self-reliance, as demanded by our overarching goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid.
“Much as we believe in free trade, we must work to ensure that the majority of goods in our shops and market places are those we produce and grow here in Ghana. That is why we have to support our farmers and domestic industries, including those created under the 1-District-1-Factory initiative, to help reduce our dependence on imports, and allow us the opportunity to export more and more of our products, and guarantee a stable currency that will present a high level of predictability for citizens and the business community. Exports, not imports, must be our mantra! Accra, after all, hosts the headquarters of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
He added “as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down.
“The recent turbulence on the financial markets was caused by low inflows of foreign exchange, and was made worse in the last two to three weeks, in particular, by the activities of speculators and the Black Market. An anonymous two-minute audio message on a WhatsApp platform predicting a so-called haircut on Government bonds sent all of us into banks and forex bureaus to dump our cedis, and, before we knew it, the cedi had depreciated further. All of us can play a part in helping to strengthen the cedi by having confidence in the currency, and avoiding speculation. Let us keep our cedi as the good store of value it is. To those who make it a habit of publishing falsehoods, which result in panic in the system, I say to them that the relevant state agencies will act against such persons.
“Indeed, some steps have been taken to restore order in the forex markets and we are already beginning to see some calm returning. We will not relent until order is completely restored. The following actions have been taken thus far: 1) enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector;
“2) Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand; 3) the Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in;
” Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and 5) the Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme.”
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo
UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani
Charles Abani [left] and Blessed Sogah