TIG Post

Author: Phoebe Martekie Doku

  • Aisha Huang’s Circuit Court trial adjourned to October 27

    The Accra Circuit Court 9 has once again remanded alleged illegal mining kingpin, Aisha Huang, and three other persons facing trial with her into custody.

    During court proceedings on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, Inspector Isaac Babaye, who stood in for the prosecution officer, asked the court for a time.

    According to the prosecution, the state has constituted a panel of experts to look into the matter, while an advice from the Attorney General’s Office is awaited.

    Following the prosecution’s request for time, lawyers for the accused persons prayed to the court for their clients to be granted bail.

    According to the defence lawyers, their clients do not pose a flight risk and will not interfere in the state’s investigations if granted bail.

    In the case of the second accused person, Franklin Kumatoh argued that his client was only a victim of circumstance.

    According to him, she only paid a visit to the house of Aisha Huang and was arrested together with the others during a swoop by state security officials.

    The lawyer noted that his client is gainfully employed in Ghana and is ready to meet conditions for bail if the court were to grant her bail.

    Mr. Kumatoh added, “Since the prosecution does not know the time to conclude the investigation and is now seeking expert advice, we believe it will be fair in the interest of justice if the second accused person is admitted to bail.”

    The prosecution, in their opposition to the application for bail, noted that it had demonstrated in previous sittings of the court that the accused persons are a flight risk.

    “What we have now is that most of the accused persons have multiple passports with different names on them. Therefore, if they are granted bail, they will not appear to stand trial and defeat the purpose of bail,” Inspector Babaye told the court.

    The defence counsel, however, rebutted the claim, noting that the claim by the prosecution is embellished with speculation to prejudice the mind of the court.

    The court, presided by Bright Acquah, after listening to both arguments, maintained its previous decision to deny the accused persons bail.

    Aisha Huang, aka Huang Ruixia, and the three other accused persons: John Li Hua, Huang Jei, and Huaid Hai Hun, are being held for engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a valid license.

    Aisha, 47, is facing an additional charge of engaging in mining without a licence.

    All the accused persons have denied the charges pressed against them.

     

  • Fire destroys house at Mataheko

    Fire has destroyed a residential apartment at Mataheko in Accra

    The incident happened Wednesday [October 12, 2022] morning.

    According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), three fire pumps from the Greater Accra Regional Headquarters Substation, National Headquarters and Circle Fire Stations were sent to the scene to control the fire.

    The Public Relations Office of the Greater Accra Regional GNFS said they received the distress call at 4:52 am and the firefighters arrived at the scene at 5am.

    “The fire was well lit and upon assessment, the first crew requested assistance and 2 fire engines were dispatched to augment firefighting efforts,” the PR office said in a post on Facebook.

    “The raging fire was brought under control at 0544hours and finally extinguished at 0658hours. No casualties were recorded and fire was contained from spreading to 3 Adjoining houses”.

    It said the cause of fire was under investigation.

  • NSS releases 2022/2023 postings; Personnel can print appointment letters from October 17, 2022

    The National Service Secretariat has released the 2022/2023 national service postings.

    The release of the postings was announced in a press statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

    The press statement signed and issued by the Executive Secretary of the NSS, Osei Assibey Antwi, said a total of 115,240 prospective national service personnel who enrolled to undertake their mandatory service have been posted.

    The number includes those who enrolled from accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana this year and those who defaulted in the previous years and private registrants.

    It said printing of appointment letters by service personnel and endorsements by respective user agencies can only be done from Monday, October 17, 2022 .

    However, validation and registration at all regional centres across the country would begin from Monday October 24, 2022 till Friday December 30, 2022.

    Below is a copy of the press release by the NSS

    PRESS RELEASE

    NSS RELEASES POSTINGS FOR 2022/2023 SERVICE YEAR

    1. Today, OCTOBER 12, 2022, the Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has released the postings of a total of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY (115,240) prospective national service personnel who enrolled to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2022/2023 service year.
    2. The prospective service personnel include the year 2022 eligible Ghanaian graduates from accredited tertiary institutions in the country, defaulters who submitted their applications for postings, and private registrants.
    3. Prospective national service personnel should log onto the Scheme’s website at http://www.nss.gov.gh to check their placements.
    4. Printing of appointment letters by service personnel and endorsements by respective user agencies can only be done from Monday, October 17, 2022 However, validation and registration at all regional centres across the country would begin on Monday, October 24, 2022, and continue bill FRIDAY, December 30, 2022, to accommodate prospective service personnel who are yet to complete their academic programmes.
    5. To minimize excessive crowding at the validation centres, all national service personnel must schedule appointments online and visit the validation centres on the scheduled date and time for validation with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol
    6. The Management further directs all prospective service personnel who have been duly posted, accepted by their user agencies, and validated by the NSS, to begin their national service on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
    7. All national service personnel who have been deployed are hereby entreated to accept their postings as part of their divic obligations and contributions to national development.
    8. The Management extends its best wishes to you all.

    Thank you.
    SIGNED.
    HON. OSEI ASSIBEY ANTWI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NSS

  • We can’t pay VAT anymore – Kumasi traders

    Some traders in Kumasi have called on the government to adopt more sustainable and business-friendly tax policies that would help the government to optimise its revenue mobilisation while promoting business growth.

    According to them, the current Value Added Tax (VAT) policy being implemented by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) “does not support our system.”

    “The tax structure and its administration do not support the features of our market. The policy introduced taxation for each item as it travels along the distribution channel,” the Executive Secretary of the Ashanti Business Community, Charles Kusi Appiah-Kubi said at a media briefing in Kumasi today (October 12, 2022).

    He said the current system where the tax was applied to every single item along the distribution line was making the cost of items more expensive and beyond the reach of customers.

    Point of entries

    Mr Appiah-Kubi proposed that the government should collect all tax at the point of entry of the goods into the country and allow those in the value chain to operate free of intimidation and harassment.

    He said the current practice where the same item was charged from the key distributor down to the last consumer, was overburdening the consumer and making goods more expensive.

    He said the tax should be collected just once at the point of entry, either at the ports or at the factories, thereby allowing the businesses to operate freely.

    “Government should take all its revenue from the points of entry. Take all the charges you want to charge at the point of entry or at the manufacturing and leave us alone,” he said.

    “We are ready to pay our corporate income tax and our Pay As You Earn (PAYE), but we can’t pay the VAT again,” he said.

  • Bagbin urges African MPs to prioritize climate change

    The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has urged Parliamentarians across Africa to pay much more attention to climate change.

    Addressing the 145th Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Conference in Kigali, Rwanda Ghana’s Speaker emphasized on the risk of climate change on the continent.

    “I can tell from the Members of Parliament from CVF countries and observer states in attendance that as parliamentarians we have made a clear and conscious decision to rise to the challenge of ensuring action on climate change. That is very encouraging indeed.

    “We should also consider what we can do to mobilize other key actors within the space to create a lot more awareness and readiness to act so that in a concerted manner, we can confront today’s climate change demands. In unity, as we told, lies strength. We can achieve a lot more together than if we leave national institutions, state and global actors to operate in silos,” he stated.

    As the leader of the Ghana’s delegation to the conference, Mr. Bagbin touched on the effects, risks and challenges of climate change and the critical role of Parliaments and Parliamentarians have to focus on.

    “Yes, the world is facing serious threats from the impacts and risks of climate change, but we also have an opportunity to seize upon new technologies and approaches that can help us adapt and build our resilience to this challenge.

    “For example, today, a lot more people are using digital devices for their work, for communication and for storing information. Consequently, it has led to a reduction in the reliance on paper, which goes to reduce deforestation. Bear in mind that trees, by being an important source of oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, help to reduce climate change.”

    The Speaker also commended Hon Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, who was confirmed Chairman of the GPG during the conference.

    Dr. Emmanuel Marfo is also the Chairperson of the Environment Science and Technology Committee, which is the relevant Committee in whose remit climate change issues fall in the Ghana Parliament.

    “I place my utmost faith in his capabilities to ensure the success of the priorities of the CVF GPG and in support of the CVF priorities of 1.5ºC Ambition, Adaptation, Loss and Damage and Finance.

    “The Parliament of Ghana is committed to support the work of the CVF GPG through the Chairperson of the CVF GPG. May I also take this opportunity to thank our Host Parliament, the Parliament of Rwanda, and Rt. Honorable Speaker, Donatille Mukabalisa, for hosting us. My appreciation also goes to the Secretary General of the IPU for facilitating the meeting of the CVF GPG.”

  • Put the interest of people you serve first at all times – CJ to new JUSAG Executives

    The Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin Yeboah has admonished the newly elected executives of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) to put the interest of the people they are elected to serve first at all times.

    According to Justice Anin Yeboah, who was adjudged the best labour friendly CJ by the association earlier in August, his office will continue to accord the new leadership of JUSAG all the necessary support they need to ensure that their term in office is a success.

    The CJ made this call during the swearing-in of new JUSAG executives after the two terms of Mr Alex Nartey had come to an end.

    On August 4, this year, members of JUSAG elected their new leadership during the association’s 1st Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference held at the University of Health and Allied Sciences.

    The conference was on the theme: ‘Enhancing rule of law through e-Justice in the digitized economy: The role of the Judicial Service.’

    The six-member executive team led by Samuel Afotey Otu who took over from Alex Nartey were sworn-in by Her Ladyship, Justice Charity Irene Larbi, a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

    New JUSAG Executives

    The new executives of JUSAG for the next four years are Samuel Afotey Otu, president, Samuel Lartey, Vice president, Brother Abdulai Yakubu, General Secretary, Joyce Assan, Deputy General Secretary, Brother Owusu Kankam, Treasurer and sister Hannah Boachie, Women’s Commissioner.

    Legacy

    The outgoing president of JUSAG, Mr Alex Nartey, in his handing-over message, touted some of his administration’s achievement including staff having to pursue higher education without resigning from the service.

    He also indicated that, his two terms from (2014 to 2022) has seen several developments that has led to the improvement of the lot of judicial service workers.

    He said, during his time in office, they negotiated judicial service workers out of the single spin salary structure, got the policy of study leave which was abolished by the service re-instated, leading to about 50 staff of the judicial service going on to study law to become lawyers.

    Open door policy

    The new president of JUSAG, Samuel Afotey Otu, in his statement after the swearing-in ceremony, expressed that, his team are deeply grateful for the confidence reposed in them by the staff of the judicial service.

    He assured that, he will keep an open door policy throughout his period in office.

    “The good of JUSAG depends on every little contribution from each and every one of us. Yes, we are the leaders, but we need everyone’s cooperation to be able to lead well. Every thought, suggestion and experience are all welcome to make JUSAG more resilient and beneficial to all,” Afotey Otu, the JUSAG president said.

  • Abandoned AngloGold Ashanti pit swallows 10 people at Okyereko – Chief alleges

    Odikro of Okyerekrom in the Akrofuom district, Nana Adyei Amoako Gyampa II, has expressed worry about an abandoned pit dug by AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) mine.

    According to the chief, AGA has turned deaf ears to this concern raised after the pit collapsed in 2012 posing as a threat to farmers who have their farmlands around the pit.

    The pit, which has allegedly claimed 10 lives since 2012 has remained one of the major concerns of the chief and residents in the area.

    Addressing the press, Nana Amoako Gyampa II gave a two-week ultimatum to AngloGold Ashanti to reclaim the pit or face their wrath.

    Some residents noted that their relatives who ply their farming activities around the pit kept going missing after the pit collapsed.

    They added that harmful chemicals such as cyanide and mercury used in retrieving gold by the company in 2012 has polluted the river they use to feed their various homes.

    The chief and residents, however, cautioned the mining company to reclaim the dangerous pit or face their anger after the 14-day given ultimatum.

    Abandoned AngloGold Ashanti pit swallows 10 people at Okyereko – Chief alleges.

  • Level 400 students’ portal, academic records updated – UEW Management

    Management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has said that all challenges students faced in accessing their portals and grades have been resolved.

    A press release dated October 10, 2022 said Level 400 students who were affected the most, by the issue, can now have full access to the proper records of their academic work.

    The school’s Management admitted that the challenges it had in updating the portal dates back to 2018 but “the current Management took the audacious initiative to resolve the challenges with the results of over 8,000 students as far back as June, 2022.”

    “Having come this far to successfully update students’ portals based on bulk data collated from the activities of the Students’ Help Desk, we expect our level 400 students to access their portals to check the updated results and resort to laid down processes to address their concerns if any are identified,” part of the press release said.

    On Monday, October 10, some level 400 students of UEW demonstrated against the school’s Management over what they described as not a true reflection of their academic work.

    The students, clad in red and black, said the Management has not shown any urgency in resolving their complaints.

    They insisted that it is a deliberate attempt by school authorities not to release their results on the students’ portal.

    “We wish to state that we are on the same page with our Level 400 students in the quest for accurate and clean results to enable them to graduate. Consequently, we are prepared to stay with them side-by-side on this cause to ensure that every single issue with their results is resolved.

    “We expect, on the other hand, that our level 400 students will resort to dialogue for all genuine concerns to be addressed if any are identified in the process to meet our collective goal,” the press release added.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) says it will be deploying auditors to the University this week to audit the grading system.

  • Game branch at Accra Mall shut down over E-VAT Invoicing system

    The Ghana Revenue Authority has shut down the Game shopping centre in Accra Mall over non-compliance with the E-VAT Invoicing system.

    This brings to 10, the number of shops and supermarkets locked up by the tax collector since Monday.

    Major chains like Palace Mall and China Mall have also been closed down.

    All customers making purchases at the time of the visit were asked to move out after the management of the mall consulted with their head office in South Africa.

    The GRA has stressed that it will not relent in its efforts at ensuring compliance with its electronic invoicing system.

    Addressing the media earlier, Kwasi Eghan, Deputy Commissioner of operations in charge of GRA’s Domestic Tax Revenue Division, said he was hopeful that all businesses expected on the platform would do so by the end of this week.

    “I am sure some people are just trying to see what will happen if they do not hook on, we will close you down. If we close down, you are not going to reopen until we are done with the process of hooking you up,” he said.

  • Metro Mass workers on sit down strike over unpaid salaries, other issues

    Workers of Metro Mass Transit Limited are embarking on a sit down strike over their two months unpaid salaries.

    The workers also say that the nationwide strike action is as a result of five years of incompetent administration by the management of the company.

    They want the immediate removal of the management team.

    Anthony Secretary to the Senior Staff division of the Union, Anthony Appiah spoke to Citi News saying, “everything of ours is not working. If you have been given room for five years as executives and for the first time in the history of this company, there are three managing directors and we are not seeing anything from them in terms of growth, workers’ welfare and service to the nation, we have to embark on a sit-down strike.”

    In Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, both senior and junior workers at the depot of the company joined in the nationwide sit-down strike over their conditions of service.

    According to them, aside from not receiving salaries for months, several other pertinent concerns that have been raised over the years have not been addressed.

    A visit to the Metro Mass terminal in Kumasi by Citi News‘ Middle Belt Bureau Chief, Edward Oppong Marfo showed that indeed the drivers have refused to work as all vehicles have been parked.

    Management members at the terminal have also laid down their tools, saying the failure to resolve their concerns has made life unbearable for them.

    “For about three months now, about 90 percent of workers have not been paid, and they haven’t given us any tangible reason. It’s pathetic”, one of the management members spoke toCiti News on condition of anonymity.

     

  • Somalia president attains PhD in Peace, Governance and Development

    President of Somalia is officially an academic “Dr.” after the completion of his PhD programme on Tuesday, October 11.

    President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who returned to the presidency in keenly contested poll this year completed his PhD Program of Peace, Governance and Development at PEACE University.

    “We are thrilled to welcome you to our Alumni ranks! @HassanSMohamud,” the University said.

    Mohamud lost his re-election bid in 2016 to immediate past Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo. Years on, he staged a comeback to defeat Farmaajo to stage a successful comeback.

    With a background in education, the former peace activist’s election campaign was focused on ensuring Somalis are united and are at peace with the rest of the world – something he did not fail to mention immediately after he was sworn in, the BBC said in a profile of the president in May 2022.

    Hassan Sheikh is said to have joined the Centre for Research and Dialogue in 2001 as a researcher in post-conflict reconstruction – a body sometimes criticised as being too closely affiliated to the West – and has worked as a consultant to various UN bodies and the transitional government.

    President @HassanSMohamud receives a PhD in Peace, Governance and Development from the United Nations Peace University #DalsanNewsDesk #Somalia pic.twitter.com/4UNNmKk3rV

    — DalsanTV (@DalsanTv) October 11, 2022

    Congratulations to President @HassanSMohamud, now PhD.

    Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud setting a good example for leadership and younger generations.

    Education is a lifelong process.

    — Rashid Abdi (@RAbdiAnalyst) October 12, 2022

  • Prepare for more flood – NiMet tells Nigerians

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) have cautioned Nigerians in some states, especially in the North Central, South East, and the South Western States that they should be expecting more floods soon.

    The Director-General, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, and Director-General, of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr. Clement Nze, made this known during a ceremony of the workshop on Hydro-meteorological status and outlook system (HydroSOS).

    According to Matazu, with high-intensity rains and with the dams being let open, there will be more floods.

    He said: “Remember, we issued the forecast in February and we followed up with the monthly updates that we’re going to have above-normal rainfall in most parts of the country. So in terms of the rainfall-induced floods, we’ve seen the peak but remember we told you that this rainwater gets collected into the reservoirs and dams, and whenever they are filled, it gets spilled. So, on September 13, the Lagbo Dam was released. And also Kainji and Shiroro dams were also released. So what we’re witnessing now is riverine flooding.

    “And from the information, we’re getting from NIHSA we’re going to see more floods. And now the rain is concentrating on the North Central and the southern states. So that will be a combination of short duration, high-intensity rain, which riverine flooding. So we’re going to see more of these floods in the north-central states as we are seeing in Kogi and also southeastern and southwestern states as we are beginning to see in a number of parts of South West.

    “In Africa, water-related hazards such as flood, drought, etc. have become a major cause of food insecurity, strains on livelihoods, health risks, and conflicts in many parts of the continent.”

     

  • Africa needs ‘ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles’ – Mahama

    Former President John Dramani Mahama has shared nuggets that can put Africa on the right footing in seeking to better the lot of people on the continent.

    He identified among others absolute accountability of institutions, ethical and moral uprightness and stoic fidelity to the truth as three such values Africa needs.

    His views were contained in a Facebook post dated October 9 sharing portions of a speech he delivered at the Liberty University’s convocation event last week in the United States.

    “Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people.

    “In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations,” his post accompanied by photos of his engagement read.

    Mahama was a special guest of honour at the 2022 Liberty University Convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia where he delivered a speech to a packed auditorium.

    He described Ghana as “an island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence,” citing how “almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’etats or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”

    He explained the situation in Ghana’s northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, where insurgents are running roughshod.

     

  • Measles cases spike in Juba and Terekeka counties in South Sudan

    The minister of health in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State has said there has been a marked increase in the highly contagious infectious measles disease in Juba and Terekeka counties.

    According to Minister Najuwa Juma Murshal, 50 new cases were registered in five Payams of Juba County while 8 others were recorded in two Payams of Tereka County over the last week.

    “What I know is that there are 50 cases recorded in Juba County on Sunday last week of October. There are also 3 cases in Muni, 4 in Terekeka, and another in Gemeza Payam of Terekeka County,” she said. “We have sent the state and county rapid response team to do vaccination there. My message to the public is that they need to follow the preventive measures and report suspected cases to the county health departments and health ministry.”

    “I also call on our health partners to stand with the ministry of health in stopping the spread of the disease in the reported areas,” Minister Juma added.

    On his part, the Central Equatoria State information minister, Andruga Mabe, said the state council of ministers in its Monday meeting directed the state finance ministry to allocate and approve an emergency budget to contain the disease.

    “The council passed the health emergency plan and directed the minister of health to implement the plan with immediate effect,” he said. “And the council also directed the minister of finance to avail necessary funds to meet the cost of implementation of this emergency plan.”

    According to the Central Equatoria State health minister, the areas in Juba County which recorded measles disease include Northern Bari, Rajaf, Mangala, Amadi, Luri, and the three Blocks of Kator, Munuki, and Juba.

    South Sudan’s national health ministry declared an outbreak of measles disease on 27 July after 5 deaths.

  • Ashanti Regional Minister commissions three Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Projects

    The Ashanti Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah on Monday, October 10, 2022, commissioned three Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Projects in the Region.

    The WASH projects which were financed by UNICEF with support from the Danish Government provided three ultramodern toilet facilities for three basic schools in the region.

    The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kwadaso Municipality, and the Asokore Mampong Municipality are the beneficiary assemblies.

    In attendance at the event were the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, H. E Tom Noring, and the Country Rep for UNICEF, Anne-Claire.

    Commissioning one of the projects at Kwadaso M/A Basic school, Hon Simon Osei Mensah commended the WASH programme and noted that, the project has come at a time the region was keen on improving the sanitation of people, especially girls and women.

    “Growing up in a clean and safe environment is every child’s right. Access to clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices not only keep children thriving but also give them a healthier start in life,” he said

    Hon Simon Osei Mensah assured the Danish Ambassador and UNICEF country Rep of government’s preparedness to support any projects that will improve both, the economic and social well-being of the people of Ghana.

    For his part, the Danish Ambassador to Ghana Tom Noring pledged the Danish government’s commitment to supporting girl child education.

    He added that the projects were also to help Ghana completely overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “Despite COVID-19 putting the spotlight on the importance of hand hygiene to prevent the spread of disease, there billion people worldwide, are hundreds of millions of school-going children, who do not have access to handwashing facilities with soap.”

    “People living in rural areas, urban slums, disaster-prone areas, and low-income countries are the most vulnerable and the most affected,” he said.

    “This is the main reason why we have teamed up with UNICEF to provide WASH facilities to schools in Ghana,” he noted.

  • Speeding vehicle kills 12-year-old girl at Kotwi

    A young girl believed to be 12-year-old has met her untimely death after she was knocked down by a speeding vehicle at Kotwi in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti region.

    The unfortunate accident occurred on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, around 5:00 pm.

    Some eyewitness who narrated the story to OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng said the girl was crossing the road when the Nissan Navara Pick-Up with registration number AC-884-21 hit her.

    “She had just gotten off a commercial vehicle and was crossing the road, but was knocked down by the vehicle.”

    “Some Emergency Medical Attendants and Paramedics who rushed to the scene declared the girl dead and left her at the scene”. A witness told OTEC News.

    Meanwhile, police in the area were at the scene to help ease the vehicular traffic caused by the accident.

    The body was however conveyed to the mortuary for further investigations.

     

  • FDA raises red flag over contaminated sausages

    The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is cautioning the general public against the consumption of AIA Wudy and Pavo sausages.

    This comes after the products, produced by Agricola Tre Vali, were recalled by Italian authorities due to the presence of Listeria bacteria in these sausages made from poultry meat.

    Two batches with codes 1785417 and 01810919 with an expiration date of November 30, 2022, are implicated.

    According to the FDA, following the recall activities ongoing in Europe and other countries, it has also conducted a market surveillance activity and Pavo Frankfurt sausages with an expiry date of November 2022 were found in Ho in the Volta Region.

    The products have since been detained for safe disposal. So far, no AIA Wudy sausages have been found on the Ghanaian market.

    The FDA has however directed that anyone in possession of the above-mentioned products should immediately take them to either their Head Office or Regional Offices across the country.

    “The FDA wishes to assure the public that its surveillance teams continue to monitor the markets for any of the above-mentioned products,” it concluded.

    Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very dangerous for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems.

    It’s most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurised milk products.

    Healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.

    Prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb the effects of listeria infection.

    Listeria bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing. So people who are at higher risk of serious infections should avoid eating the types of food most likely to contain listeria bacteria.

     

  • 3 things that can transform Zongo communities in Ghana – Expert reveals

    The Founder of ZongoVasion Hub, Mahmoud Jajah, has stated that there are three main things that can totally transform Zongo communities in the country.

    Speaking on GhanaWeb’s sociopolitical programme that focuses on the facts about issues that matter to Ghanaians, the Lowdown, he explained that there is huge potential in the Zongo communities that can be enhanced through these three pillars.

    “Education is supposed to give you a new perspective about your society and that’s why this time around, we have a lot of people from the Zongo communities pursuing higher education and I always tell them that, ‘Let your education reflect in the way you live in a society.

    “Education is the key, but I always use three things. I believe strongly that if we are to focus on these three things, we’ll be able to transform the Zongo communities within the shortest possible time.

    “One is education – we need to educate more of our young people. Two, is sports – sports is big business and it is one of the easiest ways we can get more young people out of poverty, and then three, is technology – technology is like a miracle and that is where my focus is because among these three things, technology is the easiest which can make a lot of impact,” he stated.

    Mahmoud Jajah also explained some of the reasons he believes that Zongo communities are getting better by the day, gradually correcting the erroneous misconceptions people have had about them for a long time.

  • KNUST Architecture student designs amphibious buildings with local materials, waste plastic bottles

    We are faced with uncertainties about the future due to the impacts of climate change on communities and our livelihoods.

    In the past decades, severe flooding in major cities and towns across the globe has resulted in loss of human life, damage to properties and infrastructure facilities, and destruction of crops among others.

    Coastal cities and island communities are among those facing the highest risks of climate change impact due to rising sea levels.

    Despite their huge tourism potential and economic opportunities, most island communities in Ghana are at risk of being abandoned due to climate crisis and limited investment.

    Azizakpe Island, located in the estuary of the Volta River, is one such example.

    Azizakpe has been in existence for more than a hundred years. However, in recent years, the island community faces existential threats due to severe flooding and erosion. About 20 acres of Azizakpe’s land has been lost to erosion.

    Farming and economic activities such as coconut oil production, crab hunting, boat making, fish mongering, weaving and broom making, etc. have been severely disrupted by this climate crisis and the emigration of most residents.

    To revitalize the community and make it attractive to both residents and visitors, a final-year Architecture student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Miss Rhoda Osei-Nkwantabisa), has designed resilient structures that can help the community withstand the impacts of floods and erosion.

    The proposed structures were designed based on the concept of Amphibious Architecture. This approach to design allows buildings to float on the surface of rising floodwater rather than succumb to inundation. The designer adapted local materials such as mangrove trees, thatch roof, woven coconut leaf walls, and bamboo raft floors.

    To enable the buildings to float without submerging, the designer created a bamboo cage at the base of each building. The cage is filled with waste plastic bottles for buoyancy in the event of a flood. The shape of the structures was inspired by the roots of the mangrove tree due to its ability to withstand floods and erosion.

    If sea levels rise in the future as has been predicted, the structures are designed to stay afloat with the aid of the bamboo cage and supporting mangrove sliding stilts.

    Due to the use of locally available materials and low-cost construction techniques, construction cost is estimated to reduce by 40 percent. This proposal, if implemented, will benefit the community socially, economically, and environmentally.

    The plastic bottles used to create buoyancy will reduce plastic waste in the community and its environs. The facility will also help to generate income for the community and the nation at large. It could serve as a model for the revitalization of island communities in Ghana.

    This research was supervised by Dr. Martin Larbi and Arc. Isaac Annor. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of Mr Emmanuel Kankam in the construction of the 3D impressions.

    This research was supervised by Dr Martin Larbi and Arc. Isaac Annor. The author gratefully acknowledges
    the support of Mr Emmanuel Kankam in the construction of the 3D impressions.

  • GhCCI demands GH¢10bn debt arrears owed by gov’t for work done by members

    The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) is demanding a total of GH¢ 10 billion as debt arrears owed by government for various development projects executed by its members.

    They have therefore threatened to go to court if government failed to fulfill its financial obligation to the contractors to retrieve their monies.

    The Chief Executive Officer of GhCCI, Mr Emmanuel Cherry, disclosed this at a news conference in Accra yesterday to brief the media about the outcome of the chamber’s 4th annual general conference held at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

    It was on the theme; “financing and funding methodology for infrastructure development: The case of GhCCI and delayed payments with associated interest and matters arising”.

    According to Mr Cherry, the debt government owed the contractors had been in existence since 2016 adding “This does not include interest and other associated costs.”

    “This debt includes roads fund, COCOBOD, consolidated fund as well as  Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). We’re even being charitable because if we should log all together with interest upon interest on delay payments, it will be more than that. So just imagine, government owing contractors such portfolios, you can imagine what it can do for the economic fibre of the country,” he added.

    He stated that, the delay in payment had taken a toll on their businesses and causing most of its members to incur more debts on the loans they acquired in executing the projects.

    “We’ve waited for too long and the time has come. We know government has tried but the approach is not the best so that’s the reasons why we are saying, the chamber together with the government through the Ministry of Finance will be calling for a stakeholder engagement.

    “We have certain recommendations and solutions that we want to table and we believe if government should buy into that, it will help us all collectively to settle some of this course once and for all. But if it should drag, we have no other choice than to fight for the collective interest of our members,” he said.

    Mr Cherry called on government through GETFund, Ghana Road Fund and Ghana Cocoa Board to make payment plan available to the contractors, consultants and suppliers for them to schedule project execution to reduce agitation and forestall negative perceptions of the principle of first come first paid method adopted.

    He also called for lists to be made available to the GhCCI for transparency and good practices in payment management and monitoring.

    The Chairman of GhCCI, Mr Emmanuel Tetteh Martey urged government through the Ministry of Roads and Highways to as a matter of urgency appoint a representative of the chamber to serve on the classification and Re-classification Committee.

    He charged the government through the Minister of Finance to disclose the inflows from the E-levy and proportion that had gone into infrastructure Development since its inception and as a matter of urgency pass the new Ghana Building

    Regulation which had been prepared by the Ministry of Works and Housing into law, to ensure standards was followed in the construction industry.

    “We also entreat government to take a serious and exceptional view of the current ‘galamsey’ menace in Ghana which is having a toll on the infrastructural projects of the country and we will fully support government in it’s desire to bring it to an end using legitimate processes and systems,” Mr Tetteh Martey added.

  • President urges Africa’s military to combine efforts to deal with continent’s insecurity

    President Akufo-Addo has called on Africa’s military to combine their capabilities to counter the insecurities that plague the continent.

    According to the President, the link between transnational organised crime and terrorism was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, posing a concrete threat to international peace and development of states.

    Mr. Dominic Ntiwul (third from right) with some digniteries inspecting some equipment at the exhibition stands. Photo Geoffrey Buta

    President Akufo-Addo said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of a two day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC) 2022 at Burma Camp, Accra and was under the theme “strengthening international collaboration to combat terrorism and transnational organised crimes.”

    The two-day event brought together delegates from the top hierarchy of Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, academia, military solution providers and other stakeholders in the defence industry from Africa and beyond.

    Also present were international security experts and over 60 exhibitors from across the globe.

    The event was aimed at deliberating on the growing threat of terrorism and other transnational crimes that posed significant security concerns in the region and adopt strategies to comprehensively address the emerging security concern.

    President Akufo-Addo said there were close linkages between terrorism and criminal groups, whose main agenda was to exploit porous borders and weak governments hence the need to ensure effective and efficient international and regional cooperation in dealing with criminal matters related to terrorism.

    “Establishing strong cooperation agreements among member states worldwide will help facilitate request for mutual legal assistance and extradition which plays an important part in the prosecution of cases transcending national borders,” he said.

    He mentioned that the use of electronic surveillance, undercover operations and use of informants had proven to be effective techniques that had assisted investigative agencies to combat organised crime and transnational crimes.

    “We need to develop and strengthen legislation to criminalise the laundering of proceeds of crime, train officials and increase the ability to identify and interdict cross-border transportation of illegal cash or other negotiable instruments as a major step in stopping organised crime in the sub-region and the world at large,” President Akufo-Addo said.

    He explained that tackling the insecurities in the sub region was of urgent importance to the government of Ghana considering the fact that most of the factors hindering the continent’s economic development included public borrowing, trade deficit, military expenditure, low level of technological innovation, political turbulences and corruption.

    The Chief of  Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, said in order to  achieve the aim of the event  there was the need for a multi-dimensional strategy that safeguards citizens, breaks the financial strength of criminals and terrorist networks.

    He also indicated that there was the need for an approach that disrupts illicit traffic networks, defeats transnational crime organisations, fights corruption, strengthens the rule of law, bolsters judicial systems and improves transparency.

    The CDS mentioned that the first day of the event would focus on terrorism and transnational organised crimes and  while today would be for open discussions on initiatives to counter-terrorism and transnational organised crimes at an offsite location which would be hosted separately by the various Service Chiefs of the Ghana Armed Forces.

  • 80 more foreign nationals in police grip at Kenyase-Duase

    Eighty more foreign nationals said to be in fraudulent online businesses were at the weekend arrested by the Tafo Pankrono Divisional Police Command in Kumasi.

    They were busted at Kenyase-Duase in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region.

    Out of the number, nine were females, all from Burkina Faso, and the rest of them from Nigeria and Niger.

    While the females have been kept at Kenyasi police custody the rest were kept at the Tafo Pankrono Divisional Police Command.

    They were all said to be living in a chamber and Hall apartment in the area.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Stephen Kwakye, Tafo Pankrono Divisional Commander confirmed the arrest but would not give any details.

    Meanwhile, the Unit Committee Secretary for the area, Kofi Kakari, said there were suspicious moves by the suspects and compelled some residents in the area to report them to the police.

    He claimed that he led some elders in the community to question them on their activities in the area but they failed to give tangible reasons.

    This brings to 128 the number of such suspects being investigated by the police with 48 arrested in two separate operations in connection with alleged terrorism and other fraudulent acts, barely two weeks ago.

    Twenty One of the suspects were arrested earlier, while 27 were also arrested later.

    They were said to be from Niger, Nigeria, Kenya and Mali.

    In the operation, the Ejisu Divisional Police Command made the arrest at Ekyem, a community in Ejisu Municipality, based on a tip off.

    The investigation is focused on whether they have links to any terrorist group, following a recent terrorist acts in some neighbouring counties.

    Some of the suspects have been placed in police custody at Fumesua and others at Donyina and Ejisu.

    Throwing more light on the incident, the Assemblyman for Akokoamon-Achiase-Ekyem electoral areas, Daniel Owusu, said the community members had observed the “suspicious activities” of the suspects for some months and therefore, decided to report them to the police for further investigations.

    He said they did not know what exactly was happening in the house but “you will always see them making calls for hours in the evening”.

    “Out of curiosity, I entered the house one day and asked them of their mission, but they claimed they were learning because the place is a school.

    The move, he said, followed the “See something, say something” campaign being spearheaded by the National Security as a citizens’ awareness campaign aimed at protecting the country against terrorist attacks.

    He said the 27 suspects had rented five bedrooms of a storey building while the 21 were also occupying a 13 bedroom house, both at Ekyem.

    A search in their rooms saw some teaching boards and documents. The arrest followed a tip off by some community members in the area who noticed the abnormal behaviour of the foreign nationals in the area.

  • My clients are not guilty – NPP’s Freddie Blay defends Aisha Hung’s accomplices

    The immediate past national chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Freddie Blay, has expressed shock at the backlash he and his firm has received because of their decision to defend some foreign nationals standing trial for alleged illegal mining offences.

    Law firm Blay and Associates is the law firm defending the four accomplices of En Huang, popularly known as Aisha Huang, who has been charged with the others for engaging in illegal mining activities in Ghana.

    The decision of Mr Blay’s firm to defend these foreign nationals, when his party and government is battling an ongoing galamsey menace has raised eyebrows but the astute lawyer in a radio interview said every accused person is entitled to legal representation.

    Mr Blay who is a stalwart of the NPP due to his immediate past position says it is rather unfortunate that he has been subjected to attacks.

    Speaking to Joy FM on Wednesday, October 12, Mr Blay said, “My clients are not guilty; we’ve sworn an oath to defend them.

    They came to instruct us and we as professionals, we have sworn an oath to defend our clients to the best of our knowledge and ability and that is exactly what we are doing in accordance with the Constitution of this country.

    “They are not guilty. They’ve been brought before the court, they’ve pleaded not guilty and are being defended,” Mr Blay said as quoted by Graphiconline.

    According to him, the four accused persons may have a relationship with Aisha Huang because in 2017 they bought a supermarket from her.

    Meanwhile, the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame has assured Ghanaians that his outfit will not relent in its effort to prosecute all illegal miners in the country, adding that, for Aisha Huang, who has gained notoriety for the galamsey trade she will pay for both her past and present offences.

    Godfred Dame was speaking to the press after the now-famous galamsey kingpin Aisha Huang was denied bail on Tuesday, October 11.

    “In respect of Aisha Huang, we have filed most of the documents we will rely on. We have filed witness statements with four witnesses, we need about four more. But the Judge in her discretion decided to adjourn to 24th October for us to come and conduct the case management conference and we are ready to conduct the trial on a day by day basis and the Judge has also indicated the inclination to conduct the trial in that manner. So we are happy with the progress of the matter. And it is important to indicate to the world our full commitment to prosecute all these illegal mining offences. It is something that is of utmost importance to the nation.”

    Aisha Huang, a Chinese national, previously deported/repatriated for dealing in illegal mining in 2018 was re-arrested this year.

    She is currently standing trial with three other Chinese nationals for mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals.

    All three were remanded into the custody of the National Investigation Bureau pending the final determination of their case.

  • Meet the 3 NPP lawyers who have represented Aisha Huang in court since 2017

    Chinese National, Aisha Huang is in court over her involvement in some galamsey activities.

    Her present charges include two of mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of mineral and four others; including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.

    But prior to this, Aisha Huang had been in court in 2017, over some charges including undertaking a mining operation at Bepotenten in the Ashanti Region between 2015 and 2017 without license contrary to Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703, as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019, Act 995.

    The second accusation was facilitating the participation of four Chinese; Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun, 39; Haibin Gao, 26; Zhang and Zhang Pen, 23, to mine at Bepotenten without a license. This was an offence because she employed foreign nationals contrary to Section 24 of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573.

    Aisha Huang was accused of providing excavators to small-scale mining companies around February 2015 to May 2017, without a valid license from the Mineral’s Commission.

    The first case was however dismissed by the prosecution after a nolle prosequi was filed by the state.

    She was said to have been expatriated to her home country afterwards.

    With the case back in court, government, headed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, have said they will do all in their power to ensure that the case is fairly heard and the accused persons duly prosecuted if found guilty.

    Meanwhile, it has been noted that all lawyers who have sat in for Aisha at the various points of her case are members of the ruling government.

    In this piece, GhanaWeb takes a look at all 3 lawyers from the ruling New Patriotic Party who have defended Aisha Huang in court:

    Bernard Owiredu Donkor:

    Bernard Owiredu Donkor was lawyer for Aisha Huang during her case in court in 2017.
    As a member of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Donkor was a 2020 parliamentary candidate for Akwatia in the Eastern Region contesting against 3 others; Ernest Yaw Kumi, Robert Boateng Ampratwum and Mercy Adu Gyamfi.

    He is a private legal practitioner and electoral coordinator for Kusi electoral area, Mr Donkor holds a BSc Chemistry from the University of Ghana.

    In 2009, he enrolled at the University of Ghana Law Faculty, graduating with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 2011. He entered the Ghana School of Law the same year and was called to the Bar in 2013.

    He also holds a Certificate in Insurance Claims and Re-Insurance from the National Insurance College.

    The multilingual lawyer also worked briefly as Quality Assurance Manager at a food processing company in Tema before pursuing Law.

    He has been involved in other high-profile cases including the Kwabenya Police shooting case, the SSNIT OBS case, among others. He is currently a retainer lawyer for many entities, including the Denkyembour District Assembly.

    Government fully committed to bringing Aisha Huang, others to book – Lands Minister

    Ellis Owusu Fordwouh:

    Messer Ellis Owusu Fordwuoh has also been mentioned by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as one of the lawyers who represented Aisha Huang in court in 2017.

    He is a known member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a retired Commissioner of Police.

    He is also a former Director of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) formally the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

    He is also a farmer at Kwaafokrom, a cocoa farming community in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

    Nkrabeah Effah Dartey:

    He is said to have taken over Aisha Huang’s case in 2018 and was present in court when government filed its nolle prosequi discharging Aisha Huang and her accomplices in 2018 December.

    Nkrabeah Effah Dartey is the current lawyer defending Aisha Huang in court.

    New Patriotic Party stalwart, Captain (Rtd) Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, showed up at the Accra Circuit Court 9 to represent Aisha Huang and rose for the accused persons.

    As a politician, Captain Effah-Dartey, who resigned from the Ghana Armed Forces in 1983, represented the people of Berekum Constituency as a Member of Parliament for two terms between 2000 and 2008.

    He also worked as a Deputy Minister for Interior over the period.

    Having been away from active politics, Captain Effah Dartey is now operating his private law firm.

    Meanwhile, Freddie Blay, former National Chairman of the NPP is lawyer for the four other persons in court with Aisha over illegal mining activities.

    We are ready to prosecute alleged galamsey kingpin – Attorney General.

    The 3 Chinese Nationals and a Vietnamese National are standing trial for their various roles in illegal small scale mining in the country.

    The three (Shi Yang alias Philip, Li Wei Guo and Shi Mei Zhi) are facing the charge of engaging in illegal mining activities in the country, while Aisha Huang has been charged with mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals.

    Aisha is also facing four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.

    A fourth suspect, Vietnamese national, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, is however being charged for remaining in Ghana after the expiration of a permit contrary to sections 20(1) and 52(1)(d) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

    Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay, popularly called Freddie Blay, is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament in Ghana and served as the First Deputy Speaker in the Fourth Parliament of Ghana.

    He lost his seat in the general elections held on 7 December 2008 to Armah Kofi Buah of the NDC. He was a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) but resigned to join the New Patriotic Party after being criticized by some CPP stalwarts for not campaigning for the CPP flagbearer Paa Kwesi Nduom, instead endorsing NPP’s presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.

    After joining the NPP, he stood for and got elected to the post of Vice Chairman of the party in April 2014. After the party expelled its Chairman Paul Afoko, it appointed Blay as its acting Chairman. He stood for and was elected as substantive Chairman of the party at an NPP party national conference in Koforidua that took place from 7 to 8 July 2018.

    In the prelude to the Chairmanship race, a lot of controversies were generated when Blay promised to and eventually bought 275 buses for the 275 constituencies of the party for a purported cost of 11 million dollars. The opposition asked for an investigation.

    Blay’s opponent in the election called it vote-buying. Blay stated that the buses were bought with a loan facility from the Universal Merchant Bank to be run by State Transport Company on the behalf of the NPP’s constituents.

    He was also appointed to the position of Board Chairman for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation GNPC.

    Lands Minister defends Mireku Duker over galamsey allegations

    He is currently the Senior Partner at Blay and Associates.

    He is also the board chairman and majority shareholder of Western Publications Limited, publishers of the Daily Guide newspaper, the flagship of the Group, Business Guide, News-One, and Young Blazers.

     

     

  • NPA fines 9 companies for unlawful fuel lifting

    The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has fined nine oil marketing companies GH¢2.22 million for engaging in illicit Third-Party trading of petroleum products, and unlawful lifting of petroleum products.

    The companies include Bello Petroleum, Jas Petroleum, Oval Energy, Kros Energy, Safety Petroleum and Santol Energy.

    The rest are Riseglobe Energy, Sayon Energy and Cigo Energy.

    In a statement, the NPA said it had directed Cigo Energy to pay a fine of GH¢725,000 comprising GH¢30,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the second time, and GH¢695,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.”

    Sayon Energy was fined GH¢425,000, made up of GH¢10,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the first time and GH¢415,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.

    Bello Petroleum was slapped with a fine of GH¢120, 000 comprising GH¢10,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the first time and GH¢110,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.

     

  • Former Groupe Nduom staff appeal for release of Provident Fund

    Former workers of the defunct Groupe Nduom (GN) Savings and Loans Limited have appealed to the government to facilitate the immediate release of their locked up provident fund (PF).

    According to the aggrieved workers, their PF, which had been outstanding since August 2019, was locked up with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).

    The group, therefore, urged the NPRA to remove the embargo placed on the trustee for the fund to be advanced to them.

    They further entreated the National Peace Council (NPC) to intervene to ensure “this matter is resolved expeditiously to save the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable beneficiaries”.

    This was contained in a statement issued by the former staff who refer to themselves as concerned ex-employees of GN Savings and Loans Ltd.

    Establishment of fund

    They explained that a pension fund scheme was established for them during their active service with the bank but it was subsequently stalled.

    “The PF was stalled as a result of the revocation of the financial institution’s licence and entrusted to Pentrust Limited for disbursement to contributors,” they said.

    The group, however, claimed that after refunding 50 per cent of their money in November and December 2019, Pentrust Limited halted subsequent payments, with claims that the rest of the 50 per cent was non-refundable because it had been invested at GN.

    According to the group, the trustee further claimed that the ex-workers required validation and payment from the receiver, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), before the rest of the money could be paid.

    “For over three years since the bank’s licence was revoked, the remaining 50 per cent of our PF contributions remains unpaid to date.

    “The real value has diminished over time through inflation and the depreciation of the cedi. The non-payment of the fund has been very devastating, with many losing hope in life due to the harsh economic conditions in the country,” they added.

    The group said on August 16, this year, Pentrust announced that the receiver had released a portion of the money to be refunded to qualified beneficiaries, and that payment would resume forthwith.

    “However, the refund was not made,” they said.

    They also alleged that when they called on the NPRA to intervene, the authority responded by asking the “trustee and the custodian bank to suspend all processes underway for the payment”.

    The authority also proposed the appointment of a new trustee to handle the matter, they said.

    “Our PF scheme effectively came to an end at the revocation of the GN licence. The beneficiaries cannot make any more contributions, since they are out of job.

    “We trust that this matter will be resolved expeditiously to save the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable beneficiaries,” the group added.

  • 21 Nigerian youth repatriated

    The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) yesterday repatriated 21 Nigerian youth who were rescued from a group of Nigerian human traffickers that was operating in the country.

    The rescued youth, aged between 15 and 20 years, were picked up by EOCO last month during a swoop to arrest some people allegedly involved in cyber crime.

    However, after investigations, it was established that they were rather victims of human trafficking going on in the country, hence the decision by EOCO to send them back to their country.

    At a press conference, the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Operations at EOCO, Nana Antwi, said the arrangement for the repatriation exercise was a collaborative work among EOCO, an NGO and the Nigerian High Commission.

    The swoop

    He disclosed that the swoop was organised on September 26 through an intelligence-led operation at a location in Accra.

    The victims and seven suspects, he said, were picked up in a house where all the Nigerians had been housed by the suspected human traffickers and were being trained in Internet cyber fraud.

    Relating what had happened, Nana Antwi said: “On that day, 28 people were arrested. We had the firm conviction that the arrest covered both the victims and the organisers of the trafficking. Subsequent investigative processes revealed that, in actual fact, of the number, 28 young males whose ages were not above 20 years were trafficked from Nigeria and brought to Ghana, housed, given computers and other accessories and were being trained on how to conduct criminal activity with the gadgets.”

    The seven suspects, he said, had since October 3 been put before court to answer charges related to the crimes of which they had been accused.
    “As a result of the sorting and critical analysis, we found it prudent to separate the victims from the suspects,” he said.

    Security Agencies support

    Nana Antwi commended the security agencies whose support led to the successful operation and subsequent deportation of the victims.

    “In fact, an hour from now, they will start the journey towards their home country, Nigeria. There has been close collaboration with the Nigerian anti-human trafficking authorities and other relevant agencies.

    “The Ghana Immigration Service too is in this exercise and all local related agencies are also involved, just as our police counterparts who gave us a very good backing during the September 26 operation,” he said.

  • Nation loses 7% GDP to psychological distress

    Psychological distress, a mental health condition, costs the country about seven per cent (GH¢8.6 billion) of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a clinical psychologist, Professor Angela Ofori-Atta, has disclosed.

    She attributed the loss of national revenue to the many hours and days of unproductiveness because workers were in psychological distress.

    Presenting a paper at a lecture to commemorate World Mental Health Week by the Department of Psychiatry of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra last Monday, Prof. Ofori-Atta quoted the findings of a research conducted by a group of scholars from the University of Ghana and the Yale University in the US to indicate that 55 per cent of the population reported some form of psychological distress.

    “When you calculate the number of days people say they went to work but were unable to do anything — one hour at work lost, half a day lost — when we calculate all this lost productive time, the country is losing at least seven per cent of its GDP to psychological distress,” she said.

    She spoke on the topic, “Prioritising mental health and wellbeing for all”, which is the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day.

    Survey

    Throwing more light on the survey, dubbed: “Ghana health and socio-economic survey”, Prof. Ofori-Atta, who is the immediate past Head of the Department of Psychiatry of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical School, described it as the first national mental health survey.

    She said the survey did both economic analyses and psychological measurement of distress and established that the prevalence of psychological distress was 18.7 per cent.

    The condition, she noted, was more prevalent among lower-income groups, the less-educated and less-empowered women.

    Recommendations

    Prof. Ofori-Atta said the country had to improve on its investment in the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

    As part of the many interventions, she suggested that the country could adopt cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders.

    It focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (such as thoughts, beliefs and attitudes) and their associated behaviours to improve emotional regulation and develop personal coping strategies that target solving current problems.

    It also involves communication and healthy lifestyles.

    Although it was originally designed to treat depression, its uses have been expanded to include the treatment of many mental health conditions, including anxiety and substance use disorders.

    Gross Domestic Happiness Index

    Prof. Ofori-Atta said the country could also adopt the use of Gross Domestic Happiness Index (GDHI) which, among others, measured the collective happiness and well-being of a population.

    She said it also measured how people felt about their lives, using happiness as the measure of development.

    “Gross national happiness was designed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of GDP,” she said.

    Prof. Ofori-Atta mentioned the components of the index to include psychological well-being, health, time use, education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological resilience and living standards.

    “We have the Ghana Statistical Service conducting the living standards survey over every five years and so it will not be difficult for the country to actually have a happiness index,” she said.

    Citing some benefits Bhutan derived from the index, she said the very poor country, based on the adoption of the index, was graduating out of the least developed country category, had been able to track what mattered to its population and gained happiness for its people and wealth for the nation.

    “Growth increased between 3.1 and 8.1 per cent between 2011 and 2019. This shows the association between focusing on the happiness of people and the wealth of a nation,” she said.

    Writer’s email: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh

     

  • Transport Ministry backs Airport company’s service charge review

    A Deputy Minister of Transport, Hassan Tampuli, has backed the Ghana Airport Company Limited’s (GACL) request to have their user fees and services reviewed upwards to enable them to maintain the new airports that are springing up across the country.

    “The government is committed to improving the aviation sector to ensure that the country becomes an aviation hub, however, one of the critical agencies responsible for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana -GACL is pushing for a review of its Airport Passenger Service Charge (APSC) in order to properly maintain and manage effectively the new airports being developed in some of the regions”, he said.

    Speaking to the press on the sidelines of a day’s visit to the Kumasi and Tamale airports by the leadership and members of the Select Committee of Parliament’s Roads and Transport, and officials of GACL, led by the sector minister, Hassan Tampuli, he said “now revenue from APSC for Accra is also a subject of a loan facility so payment more or less goes to amortise those loans, so we need excess funds to be able to maintain these facilities.”

    He, therefore, underscored the need for a sustained revenue stream, even itemise them in the budget and the purpose it was going to be used for.

    He said the ministry was excited that leadership and members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport appreciated the fact that the GHC5 that was in the price buildup of domestic air travel was woefully inadequate.

    Mr Tampuli said “ so we appreciate the fact that they recognise it needs to be reviewed, so they have asked that we come with a justification paper for us to be able to go through the numbers and see whether there is a justification.”

    Expected benefits

    Mr Tampuli also explained that “we have not moved into these facilities yet, in order not to get to a point where it would be difficult to maintain the facility, we need to be proactive and get revenue stream put in the price build up way before the opening of these airports.”

    “We need to be ahead of the curve and get a stable revenue stream and I believe when Parliament resumes from recess, these are matters that would be considered in the next meeting”.

    The Chairman of Parliament’s Road and Transport committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, urged the ministry and officials of GACL to submit the law mandating them to review the user fees and charges to the committee.

    He expressed concern about the paltry amount GACL charged for domestic passengers “now they use to charge GHC5 for all our domestic airports, [Ho,Wa, Tamale] every passenger passing through domestic airport.

    “All international passengers are charged $200 at Terminal 3, and that is the money they are using to support the domestic airports, how can you have a domestic facility so viable and vibrant’’? He asked.

    “I have instructed them to bring back the law so we will be able to amend it, they should not be charging less than 50ghc to maintain this airport. But we want them to run the numbers with us and justify it.

    ‘‘I can assure you that if we don’t look for revenue stream to maintain it, in less than a year, all these beautiful edifices would go down the drain”, he said.

    GACL

    The Managing Director of GACL, Pamela Djamson Tettey, indicated that the company was resolved to push through with the APSC and also work closely with the sector minister to ensure that GACL met with Parliament when it resumed to attain the objective.

    Ranking member of the Parliament’s Select Committee, Kwame Governs Agbodza, advised the GACL to be more innovative to raise funds to sustain the domestic airports without recourse to the government.

    Both Kumasi and Tamale airports are nearing completion and are expected to be fully handed over sometime next year, according to management of GACL.

  • Golden Star supports 1,162 adolescent girls

    The German International Development Cooperation (GIZ) has partnered with some major mining companies to build economic and health resilience for pandemics, including COVID-19, and beyond.

    GIZ and its mining partners, including Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL), are investing €13 million in various projects to run concurrently for three years.

    Menstrual health

    As part of the GIZ health programme, dubbed “Pandemic Management in Catchment Communities in Times of COVID-19 & Beyond”, Golden Star recently donated sanitary towels to 1,162 females in 14 basic schools in the Wassa area.

    In a release, Gold Star said the year-long distribution programme was being coordinated by the Wassa East District Health Directorate, and would see 1,162 pupils and students receive a set of sanitary pads every month for the period.

    This was after the company organised a forum and a float for all basic schools in its host communities to create awareness on menstrual hygiene under the theme: “Making menstruation a normal fact of life”.

    Forum

    The forum at Daboase, the district capital, discussed and promoted access to science-based information about menstruation and hygiene.
    Some of the issues touched on included discrimination and stigma due to the natural process of menstruating.

    The Community and Health Coordinator of GSWL, George Amankwah-Kumi, expressed happiness that Golden Star, under a new ownership of Chifeng Jilong Gold, had continued to support the communities.

    He said the company continued to collaborate with strategic development partners such as GIZ and the Ghana Health Service to deliver projects with long lasting positive impacts for its host communities.

    Partnership

    The GIZ partnership to develop health also has Asanko Gold and AngloGold Ashanti working in partnership with the extractive communities in the Western and Ashanti regions.

    GSWL said the project was expected to mitigate the negative social impact of COVID-19 and to increase economic and health resilience of communities.
    Some of the projects include enrolment onto the National Health Insurance Scheme, COVID-19 vaccination, medical screening and care, financial literacy and improved social protection.

    The programme will also benefit staff of the health systems of the various communities and families, it added.

  • Anomabo climaxes Okyir festival

    The chiefs and people of Anomabo in the Central Region, at the weekend, climaxed their annual Okyir festival with a call on the government to reinforce discipline as a critical component in the nation’s educational structure for sustainable development.

    In a message delivered on his behalf by Nana Baffoe IV, the Kontihen of the area, the Omanhen of the Anomabo Traditional Area, Nana Amonoo Kantamanto XI, said disciplined educated citizens remain a significant ingredient for the nation’s accelerated socio-economic development.

    He indicated that while there was so much attention on developing education through financial investments, little attention was given to the attitudinal and behaviourial growth of students.

    This year’s durbar themed “Education and discipline: Tools for development” was in its full grace and colour, as hundreds turned out to celebrate the festival after its two-year break due to COVID-19.

    Kantamanto Amonoo said the country needed a discipline-oriented education system to shape behaviour and attitude for an accelerated sustainable development.

    Meaning of Okyir

    Okyir, which literally translates as “abomination”, is used as a platform to campaign against social vices, including poor sanitation, teenage pregnancy, greed and injustice.

    The week-long festival, which is celebrated in the second week of October, is also used to thank the ancestors for their protection and guidance and engender unity for progress among all citizens in Anomabo.

    Kantamanto Amonoo called for a shift in focus, saying that discipline remained an invaluable asset needed for development in Ghana, stressing that no country could attain a meaningful growth without educated and disciplined citizens.

    He thanked successive governments for their contributions to the development of Anomabo and appealed to the government to expedite work on ongoing or abandoned projects in the town.

    Government pledge

    In a message delivered for him by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Mfantseman, Ike Lord Enu, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said government would continue to impact every community with development.

    He said Anomabo had had the greatest share of government’s support in the area, with, among others, a five-million-dollar sea defence project, a gari factory and a fisheries college which was 97 per cent complete.

    He stated that these projects and the Anomabo new market, which would be completed next year, would all promote the well-being of the people of the area.

    A management consultant and chairman for the occasion, Mr Ernest Egyir De-Graft, touching on the theme, said discipline should be an integral part of education and adopted as a major Key Performance Index.

    Eschew greed

    The chairman further urged leaders on all levels to eschew selfishness and greed that enrich themselves at the expense of the people they served in order to support development efforts in their communities.

  • Poultry farmers call for stakeholder engagement to save industry from collapse

    The chairman of the Ashanti Regional Poultry Farmers Association, Boris Baidoo, has called for a national stakeholder engagement to find solutions to save the poultry industry from collapsing.

    He said a road map for mitigating the bottlenecks facing the industry had to be discussed extensively by stakeholders in order for them to appreciate and comprehend the existing challenges.

    He made the call during a Fund Summit jointly organised by Fidelity Bank and eco.business for poultry farmers in Sunyani.

    The summit was held on the theme: “The future of poultry production: Economical and sustainable solutions to the sector’s current challenges”.

    Summit

    The two-day summit brought together about 100 poultry industry players from the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, North East, Upper West, Upper East and Savannah regions.

    The participants included farmers, experts in animal husbandry, insurance companies and agricultural products exporters, among others.

    The participants brainstormed on sustainable solutions to the challenges currently facing the local poultry sector in order to sustain the industry.

    Lack of favourable policies

    Addressing the participants, Dr Baidoo, who is also the Managing Director of Boris B’s Group of Companies, said the industry lacked favourable policies to drive its agenda of restricting the influx of frozen chicken.

    He said despite the implementation of several government interventions, the agenda had not been achieved, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.

    Dr Baidoo expressed the need for the enactment of favourable policies to improve crop and livestock sectors, saying, “Ghana has no excuse for not producing enough maize and soya, which form an integral part of our feed formulations, considering the availability of vast arable lands”.

    Cost of raw material

    He said it was sad to note that the poultry industry had been hit with scarcity and high cost of raw materials, because of the current global recession, leading to a drastic decline in the operation of the poultry sector.

    Dr Baidoo said the poultry industry was not spared by the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the vulnerability of the sector in particular and Ghanaian industries at large.

    He stated, however, that irrespective of the challenges, poultry farmers could not live in denial of the many potentials in the areas of job creation through the poultry value chain, revenue generation, health and helping to alleviate rural poverty.

    Importation

    Dr Baidoo said currently about 90 per cent of chicken consumption in the country was imported.

    He said due to the absence of ready market for the broiler meat, most poultry farmers had turned to table egg production, as an alternative to keep their farms operational.

    Dr Baidoo said the industry used to be very vibrant in the 1980s, meeting the protein needs of the country to the extent of exporting some of its produce to the neighbouring countries.

    The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the eco.business Fund, Jens Mackensen, said the support of the eco.Business Fund went beyond access to finance.

    He explained that the summit, co-hosted with Fidelity, demonstrated their commitment to support farmers and industry stakeholders in the country by equipping producers with the skills they needed to withstand potential threats to their businesses and adapt to the challenging global environment and climate change.

     

  • Freddie Blay’s firm should not have accepted to defend alleged illegal miners – Obiri Boahen

    In my candid opinion, former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Freddie Blay’s law firm should not have accepted to defend accused persons in the ongoing illegal mining case pending before the Accra High Court, Mr Obiri Boahen, a former General Secretary of the NPP has said.

    In a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Accra based Okay FM on Wednesday morning, Nana Obiri Boahen said Mr Blay’s firm should have allowed other lawyers to stand in for the accused persons.

    On Tuesday in court, Lucy Ekeleba Blay, a private legal practitioner, told the court that she was holding brief for Mr Freddy Blay in the case of the four accomplices of En Huang, popularly known as Aisha Huang, who has been charged with the others for engaging illegal mining activities in Ghana.

    The four accomplices are Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng.

    Mr Freddie Blay is the lead counsel for the firm in which Lucy Ekeleba Blay works.

    Already, Mr Blay has clarified that he is not the one who is personally handling the case but confirms that it is the law firm he belongs to that is handling the case.

  • Court finds receipts of galamsey site purchase with Aisha Huang’s accomplices

    The Attorney General, Godfred Dame, on Tuesday, told an Accra High Court that, the state has evidence to prove that some four foreigners charged as accomplices of galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang were indeed engaged in illegal mining activities.

    The Attorney General, during proceedings on October 11, 2022, told the court that the evidence gathered by the state against the suspects include five receipts issued to the foreign nationals as proof of purchase of small-scale mining sites.

    According to the Attorney General, the suspects were engaged in criminality as the laws of Ghana bar foreigners from engaging in small-scale mining.

    The four suspects are made up of three Chinese nationals; Shi Yang alias Philip, Li Wei Guo and Shi Mei Zhi, as well as a Vietnamese national, identified as Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen.

    They are all facing a provisional charge of engaging in small scale-mining without a licence, contrary to section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Act 995 of 2019.

    However, the Vietnamese national is facing a separate charge for remaining in Ghana after the expiration of a permit contrary to sections 20(1) and 52(1)(d) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

    The three Chinese nationals have all pleaded not guilty to their charge while the court was compelled to defer the plea of the fourth suspect due to the absence of an interpreter.

    Responding to the prosecution’s evidence against the suspects, their lawyer, Lucie Ekelebe Blay who was holding brief for Freddie Blay challenged the substance of the receipt.

    According to the lawyer for the accused persons, the supposed purchase of mining sites by her clients did not materialise as they were duped in the process.

    Her argument nonetheless was deemed as enough grounds to prove the prosecution’s case according to the Attorney General.

    In his response to the defence lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Dame maintained that the suspects breached the law by their attempt to own a mining concession as the law prohibits foreigners from engaging in small scale mining.

    The court, citing various factors such as the nature of the alleged offence committed by the suspects, their flight risk possibility and the severity of punishment if they are found guilty, denied the four bail till the end of their trial.

    The case against the four has been adjourned to Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

    Aisha Huang

    The state’s case against alleged galamsey kingpin Aisha Huang was called after that of her alleged accomplices was adjourned.

    Presiding Judge Lydia Osei Marfo, during a sitting on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, refused the plea of her lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Dartey, after the latter argued that his client deserved bail.

    According to the judge, all arguments previously made against his plea for bail, including his client’s flight risk, remain and will not be changed.

    She added that his constant presence in court with his client would be the only way to ensure the case is heard accordingly for the determination of his client’s fate.

    State Prosecutor Godfred Dame, on his part, reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring the case is duly heard and that the accused are prosecuted if found guilty.

    Aisha Huang is in court over charges of mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals, four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license.

    She is also facing four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry were filed at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Friday, September 16, 2022.

    Her case has since been adjourned to October 24, 2022, for case management.

  • There won’t be a miscarriage of justice – NPP on Freddie Blay’s role in Aisha Huang trial

    The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is of the view that justice will be served in the matter involving the state versus Aisha Huang and four others in a case involving illegal small-scale mining activities.

    This according to the party is despite the fact that lawyers affiliated with it are representing the accused persons.

    Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah maintained that the court will at all times deal with evidence put before it by parties to the case.

    He contended further that it was within the right of an accused person to get legal representation in court and consequently it was also right for the NPP-affiliated lawyers to render professional services to such persons.

    “If it is a matter of conscience then we should say that there shouldn’t be legal representation for criminals or for somebody who has killed somebody or is alleged to have killed somebody. As conscience will dictate, we should all abhor such behavior and therefore no lawyer as matter of conscience should want to defend any such act

    “I don’t think there will be any miscarriage of justice because the lawyers in the case are NPP related or have affiliations with the New Patriotic Party. The idea is that every client deserves a representation.

    “Our laws allows for that, so the client have exercised their right to have legal representation and those happens to be people affiliated with the NPP. I don’t think that necessarily changes the rules of the court which is evidence,” Ahiagbah said.

    It emerged that former NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay, is the main lawyer for Aisha Huang’s accomplices namely Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng, in the prosecution.

    Aisha Huang together with her four other accomplices made a court appearance yesterday October 11 for the state to continue with their prosecution.

    Private attorney Lucy Ekeleba Blay said in court that she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices. Another NPP affiliated lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Darteh is representing Aisha Huang.

    Meanwhile, Attorney General Godfred Dame has indicated his readiness to fast-track the prosecution of Aisha Huang for her past and previous crimes.

    Ms. Huang and her accomplices have been remanded into custody until November 24, 2022 following the judge’s refusal to grant them bail.

  • Barker-Vormawor: High Court to commence treason felony trial against #FixTheCountry convenor on Thursday

    An Accra High Court on Thursday, October 13, 2022, will begin hearing the case involving #FixTheCountry Convenor Oliver Barker-Vormawor.

    This comes after the Ashaiman District Court on Monday, August 1, 2022, committed the activist to stand trial at the High Court on a charge of treason felony.

    The High Court trial was scheduled to commence on September 1, 2022, after the circuit court concluded the committal proceedings with a bill of indictment indicating the state’s readiness to prosecute the activist.

    Meanwhile, the #FixTheCountry convener, through his lawyers, has filed an application to quash the circuit court’s committal proceedings and also to strike out the charge against him.

    “Last week, Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s lawyers filed two motions at the High Court in respect of the Treason Felony charges that the Ghana Government has brought against him.

    “The first motion is for an order of certiorari to quash the committal proceedings of the Ashaiman District Magistrate Court on the grounds that the Magistrate breached the committal procedure.

    “The second motion is a prayer for an order to strike out the charges in the bill of indictment on the grounds that they offend the rule against duplicity and the rule against multiplicity,” a statement by #FixTheCountry noted.

    According to the statement, the applications will be heard by the Criminal Division 3 of the Accra High Court on Thursday, October 9, 2022.

    Barker-Vormawor was arrested in February this year for allegedly threatening to stage a coup after the government passed the controversial Electronic Transfers Levy (E-Levy).

    A Tema High Court in April granted him bail pending the outcome of his trial.

  • Deputy Lands Minister declares war on illegal miners

    The Deputy Lands Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands Forestry Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio has sounded a clear warning to illegal miners to stay off forest reserves as he stressed that regardless of positions, they will be driven out and sanctioned.” No matter who you are, we don’t care, if you enter the forest reserves we will drive you out and sanction you as well”

    He intimated that the forest reserves are not for mining but was quick to add that unless for exceptional cases like that of Chirano mines and Newmont who have been granted legal licences to operate “but that doesn’t mean that anyone can just jump into the forest to mine and if we find you like that, we will deal with you”

    The Deputy Minister said this when he paid a working visit to Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve to ascertain the veracity of news of Akonta Mining Company still operating in the forest even after the directive by the Lands Minister to the Forestry Commission to halt the company’s operations in the Forest through a Press Release on 30th September, 2022.

    It will be recalled that the Ministry’s Press statement pointed out that “while Akonta Mining Limited has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Somreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral rights to undertake mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.

    After an aerial view of the entire forest, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio and his team spotted about three site in the forests with some equipment but no operations and immediately charged the forestry officers to burn and decommission everything on the site upon arrival.

    The team also discovered a different group of illegal miners, working along the banks and edges of the river and a few in the forest. Per the map guiding that aerial view 98% of the miners were outside the restricted area, which are the banks and edges while the remaining 2% worked in the Forest reserves itself. It could however not be determined which mining company these miners belong to.

    Addressing the issue of this new group of illegal miners found mining on the river he said “these are not small scale miners, these are obviously people who are just burnt on destroying our forests, waterbodies and the entire environment but I cannot tell wether that is Akonta or any other company because this is not organised so I can say it’s purely illegal mining that is going on there!”

    He assured the media that as a matter of urgency the Ministry will unleash Operations halt II to the area who with speed boats and the right equipment will bring a halt to all activities ongoing in the river. “With what we have seen here, I will report to the Minister and we would immediately see how we can strategize and bring the operationas to a halt with the speed boats recently pocured to chase them out”

    He also noted that together with the Forestry Commission and Samartex, a timber company in the enclave they will soon beef up the number of forest guards who patrol the 300sq kilometer forest with support from the military.

    The Deputy Lands Minister warned that with the help of the military, the Ministry and the Forestry Commission will embark on similar operations in all forest reserves across the country to ensure they rid all forests of illegalities of any sort. “This will not stop here, we know this is not the only forest reserves under attack and so we will continue to ensure all forest with any illegal activity is brought under scrutiny”

    Hon. Benito called on the community members and traditional leaders of the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region to join in the fight against illegal mining for their own sake and for the betterment of the environment and the country.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey on his part gave details to the extent of the devastation saying out of a total area of 205sq kilometer, close to about 0.12sq kilometer of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve has been impacted upon by the illegal activities.

    He noted that since August when the Commission started having the challenge of groups trooping into the forest to mine, the Commission have sent out the military to the area about 8 times all in efforts to keep them out of the forest.

    He assured that heeding to the directives of the Hon. Minister, the Commission is committed to ensuring that all those found culpable to this matter will be dealt with in accordance with the Law.

  • Africa needs ‘ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles’ – Mahama

    Former President John Dramani Mahama has shared nuggets that can put Africa on the right footing in seeking to better the lot of people on the continent.

    He identified among others absolute accountability of institutions, ethical and moral uprightness and stoic fidelity to the truth as three such values Africa needs.

    His views were contained in a Facebook post dated October 9 sharing portions of a speech he delivered at the Liberty University’s convocation event last week in the United States.

    “Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people.

    “In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations,” his post accompanied by photos of his engagement read.

    Mahama was a special guest of honour at the 2022 Liberty University Convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia where he delivered a speech to a packed auditorium.

    He described Ghana as “an island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence,” citing how “almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’etats or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”

    He explained the situation in Ghana’s northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, where insurgents are running roughshod.

  • ‘I started working in a chop bar at age 8’ – Dep Info Minister opens up about her childhood

    The Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakari, has opened up about her childhood, describing how she used to work with her mother in a chop bar as an 8-year-old girl.

    She explained that it was from working in such a place at a very young age that she was exposed to human relations and interacting with people from all walks of life.

    She added that unbeknownst to her, she was preparing herself for a life in communication and law, which today is her life.

    Speaking at the Power of a Girl Conference organized by Power To Girls GH to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, the deputy minister said that she didn’t start out big.

    “I was born in Moshi Zongo in Kumasi and I attended Foundation of Jesus Preparatory School in Kumasi, and also Bukrom MA JHS in Kumasi, and then I attended Kumasi Academy, also in Kumasi before I came to University of Ghana for my first degree in psychology and subsequently for my law degree. And then I went to the Ghana School of Law and then I’m back on the road, thinking about my LLM and by the grace of God, hopefully start a PhD program.

    “All that I want you to take from all these things I’m mentioning is that I never started big. I didn’t even start as the most intelligent person in my school; I took baby steps, starting with my passion,” she said.

    Fatimatu Abubakari added that in the days that she worked in her mother’s chop bar, she endeared the hearts of many people because of how opinionated and knowledgeable she was, even as a little girl.

    She added that eventually, she was nicknamed ‘lawyer,’ a tag that has followed her till today and as such, she encouraged parents not to shut up their outspoken and opinionated children because it could just be the thing they need to be properly set up in life.

    “… when I was younger, I was a born advocate – I was a talkative. I didn’t know anything about communication but my mom had a chop bar at Kumasi and I started working at the chop bar at age 8.

    “So, I talk to everybody and anybody. I was very social growing up so they just gave me a nickname, ‘lawyer,’ because anything you want explanation for, if you called Fati, I have answers for everything and I know there are sisters or daughters here that when they start talking, they will say ‘You, shut up. Everything you have answers to it,’ ‘Ei this girl is a talkative o.’ it’s good to express yourself and maybe, it is even going to lead you to a career,” she explained.

    The Deputy Minister of Information also talked about other passions that she developed as a child that have continued to guide her life and provide a source of income for her.

    This year’s Power of a Girl Conference was themed: ‘Girl Force, Unscripted and Unstoppable’.

     

  • Take up fight against ‘galamsey’ – Trinity Theological Seminary President urges church leaders

    The President of the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, The Very Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu has charged church leaders to take up the fight against the activities of ‘galamsey’.

    He was speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Christian talk show, A Walk With Jesus, over the weekend, during which he outlined the relationship between humanity, the environment and God.

    He explained that, “When the scriptures mention that God gave humanity dominion over the earth, what it simply means is that God has asked humanity to take care of the environment.”

    When asked why, in Ghana, instead of caring for the environment, the opposite is more common, with ‘galamsey’ being the most prominent example, and all efforts to stop it having failed, he explained that, “The fight against the menace has become difficult because, the people who are involved in it do so as a result of greed, covetousness, and lack of respect for the environment.”

    He went on to state that, “Political leaders on both political divides are to blame, Their campaign promise to voters that, when they come to power, they will help them to do proper ‘galamsey’ is out of place, insisting that, there is nothing like proper ‘galamsey’ anywhere in the world and that politicians should stop singing that song so the fight can be won.”

    His called for the church to step in as a result of God’s expectation of us to be stewards and admonished the church to mainstream the care of the environment through its messages.

     

  • Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained – Dr Bawumia

    Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated that it came as a shock to him when the Auditor-General’s report revealed that some universities in Ghana are running unaccredited programmes.

    He said the prestige of the country’s university system, the credibility and recognition of the certificates issued rest substantially on the time honoured and generally acknowledged quality assurance system.

    The Vice President said it is therefore critical for the protection of the country’s higher education system.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    He said this at the Fifth Investiture ceremony of the New Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, Professor Seidu Alhassan in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

    Dr. Bawumia said the country must have a zero tolerance for such lapses.

    “As a country, we must have zero tolerance for such development. That is why I applauded the efforts of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) to ensure that there is strict adherence to the regulatory requirements of the education regulatory body’s Act 2020, Act 1023,” he said.

    He charged all Vice Chancellor’s in Ghana to ensure they get all their courses accredited.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    “So may I suggest to you Mr. Vice Chancellor that one of your immediate tasks should be to take inventory of your programs and make all ongoing and new ones accredited before you enroll students into them,” Dr. Bawumia said.

    The Vice President also charged the leadership of the University for Development Studies (UDS) to realign their programs and research activities with the government priority agenda for creating a critical mass of impactful human capital.

    He said as the Vice Chancellor assumes office, he expects the University to stay the cause it has carved a niche in and reinvent itself as a university that takes pride in its relevance.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    He said the dual task for tertiary institutions is to achieve a gross tertiary enrollment ratio of forty percent overall and the proportion enrollment of science and technology programs relative to humanity ratio of 60:40 to 40 by the end of the year 2030.

    “It is the expectation of government that the UDS will prioritise the role of programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines while re-accessing the relevance of others,” he noted.

    Dr. Bawumia said the Ministry of Education is working to create a pipeline of well prepared students to feed into the tertiary system.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    “The Free Senior High School policy, curriculum reforms, rolling out of specialised STEM senior High Schools and Technical Colleges are only but a few of these pipeline interventions,” he added.

    He gave the assurance that government would continue to invest in the provision of appropriate infrastructure and the core personnel required for effective and efficient operations of the universities and other tertiary institutions.

    “I am informed that the GETFUND has put together a plan to complete all ongoing infrastructure projects in tertiary institutions within 18 to 24 months,” he said.

    He said investment in infrastructure through the educational system has been one of the very tangible interventions of the Nana Addo government and they intend to continue in spite of the current economic challenges.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    The Vice Chancellor for UDS, Professor Seidu Alhassan said his aim is to provide effective leadership and a cordial environment that would further develop the University into a practical-oriented institution that is internationally recognised for academic excellence.

    He said an excellent academic foundation has been laid already, hence the need to build on it.

    Prof Seidu said the University’s academic planning must tap into the frontiers of knowledge that cut across, academic excellence and community service, especially in areas they have a comparative advantage.

    He added that the overall goal is to strengthen existing programs and introduce innovative ones in line with current realities.

    He said academic infrastructure will be enhanced, adding that the UDS strategic research plan will be actualised to guide research excellence.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    In a speech read on behalf of the Overlord of Dagbon Yana Abukari by the Zangbalun Lana Naa, Dr. Jacob Mahama, said the UDS was created to address certain needs of the area and urged the new VC to be guided by the objective for which it was created.

    He urged the University’s authorities to blend its academic work with the community in order to provide a constructive interaction between the two for the total development of Northern Ghana and Ghana as a whole.

    The Yana said the role of the UDS in the development of the area is enormous, therefore he is ready to offer all the support they need to bring development to the area.

    He thanked the VC and government for their assurance to transform the Yendi Campus of the UDS.

  • Ghana committed to protecting dignity of refugees and asylum seekers – Ken Attafuah

    Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) and Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, has stated that Ghana remains committed to its obligation to protect the safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

    Addressing the 73rd Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland today 11October 2022, Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, said Ghana is living up to its responsibility of ensuring that refugees are not left behind.

    According to Professor Attafuah, the Ghana Refugee Board and the National Identification Authority, who are both under the Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the UNHCR, are taking steps to ensure that refugees will be registered and issued with the National Identity Card, also known as the Ghana Card” shortly.

    “This has become a mandatory requirement for all nationals and residents in accessing various services and facilities such as banking and financial transactions, accessing social security, insurance and healthcare, paying taxes, applying for a driver’s license, registering an interest in land, and registering a SIM card” Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah said.

    “The Issuance of the Ghana Card to refugees is a major step aimed at guaranteeing social and financial inclusion for all refugees. Our policy is that whoever they are, wherever they come from, wherever they find themselves within Ghana and at whatever time, refugees must be able to access services at the same levels as their Ghanaian hosts. This is what we aim to achieve as a refugee-hosting country” he added.

    Safety of refugees

    On the safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers in Ghana, Professor Attafuah, noted that Burkinabe nationals who have sought refuge in Ghana due to the security situation in their country are being accorded the needed protection by the State.

    Ghana he added “continues to live up to its obligations in this regard. Notwithstanding the interrelationships that exist across our borders and the already frequent seasonal movements into Ghana by Burkinabes to engage in livelihood activities, Ghana will register Burkinabes nationals and continue to guarantee international protection for those who have crossed into our country to seek asylum”.

    Buduburam refugee camp

    In his remarks, Professor Attafuah assured the gathering that the Akufo-Addo administration will properly decommission the Buduburam Refugee camp in a safe, secure, humane and efficient manner consistent with domestic and international law and Ghana’s human rights obligations.

    Ghana, he said “has taken note of the special appeal to the UNHCR by the Government of Liberia to assist with the repatriation of Liberian refugees from Ghana”.

    “We note, however, that, as reported last year, the Ghana Refugee Board successfully intervened to stop the planned decommissioning of the Buduburam Refugee Camp in September 2021 which used to host Liberian refugees from 2003 but now serves as unauthorized home to some former Liberian refugees and Ghanaian nationals.

    Some of the Liberians had benefited from voluntary repatriation but have returned to Ghana and to the Buduburam Camp at their own accord. High-level meetings have since been held between Ghana and Liberia and a roadmap developed to repatriate the non-refugee Liberians from the former camp to Liberia” Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah said.

    “Ghana remains committed to ensuring that the former Liberian refugees are duly repatriated to Liberia in a safe and humane manner, subject to the availability of funding from the appropriate quarters” he added.
    .
    Ghana lauded

    In his remarks following Ghana’s address, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, His Excellency Mr Filippo Grandi, expressed delight over the concept of including refugees in the acquisition of the Ghana Card and enabling them to access diverse facilities and services, describing it as “extremely important”.

    He expressed appreciation for Ghana’s handling of the influx of Burkinabe nationals seeking refuge in Ghana because of the security situation in their country, which he said was worrying.

    Mr Grandi added that “when refugees start to move to coastal areas”, it justifies “the concern and provides one more reason to invest more to bring to an end or to improve the situation in the area of the root cause of those influxes”.

    He also lauded Ghana for “being one of the main actors in bringing to a close the situation of the Ivorian refugees with the invocation of the Cessation Clause” and other measures.

  • UEW level 400 GPA saga: Records of 8000 students updated

    The Management of the University of Education, Winneba has indicated that it has resolved the challenges it had updating the academic records of some of its students.

    In a press release dated October 10, 2022, the university indicated that the level 400 students, who were mainly affected by the issue, can now access their portals to get the proper record of their academic work.

    It explained that 8000 students were affected by the challenge which began in 2018 but it has now been resolved due to the instrumentality of the current university administration.

    “The Management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), wishes to inform level 400 students of the university and the general public that student portals have been successfully updated, and level 400 students have full access to their portals.

    “The challenge at hand is a four-year-old issue that dates back to 2018. The current Management took the audacious initiative to resolve the challenges with the results of over 8,000 students as far back as June 2022.

    “Having come this far to successfully update students’ portals based on bulk data collated from the activities of the Students’ Help Desk, we expect our level 400 students to access their portals to check the updated results and resort to the laid down processes to address their concerns if any are identified,” parts of the statement read.

    On Monday, October 11, some final year students at the University of Education, Winneba protested what they say are disparities between results on the school’s online system and notice boards.

    Sources at the school indicated that students are unhappy about the inability of the school’s management to determine their various classes, although they have completed most courses and received their marks and transcripts for same.

    This comes following earlier protests in September when students had to be dispersed by police after they protested discrepancies in their results posted online and on the university’s notice boards.

    The students, who were disappointed about the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between level 400s and management to resolve the issues, broke some sign posts and tree branches and blocked some roads on campus.

    Ahead of what they say are their final papers, some final-year students recently protested again, citing the inability to determine their final marks as the reason.

    The students said the school system for checking grades, which was the notice board, had been upgraded such that students now have to log into a portal to access their grades, but the grades they have received, which were previously posted on the notice boards, differ from those on the school’s portal.

    Read the full statement issued by the university below:

  • Gov’t is determined to make Aisha Huang face the law – Lands Minister

    Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said the Akufo-Addo administration is determined to make all persons who are caught engaging in illegal small scale mining (Galamsey), to face the full rigours of the law.

    He indicated that the Chinese national, Aisha Huang popularly known as Galamsey Queen, who was arrested for allegedly re-entering Ghana without permission after her deportation, and the others with her will all face the law for their actions.

    Aisha Huang was denied bail yet again on Tuesday October 11.

    She was denied bail by an Accra High Court, where she is facing four charges pressed by the Attorney General.

    Speaking to journalists after the case, Mr Jinapor said “One of the key pillars on which we are seeking to deal with this issue of illegal small scale mining is law enforcement and prosecution, particularly as it relates to foreigners.

    “As you can see, the Attorney-General himself was in court and he himself is conducting this trial, prosecuting the cases in a very spirited and enthusiastic manner.

    “I think it helps my work, when you have an Attorney-General who is diligent and serious about prosecution and ensuring that all perpetrators are brought to book, I think it is a big boost and I am very thankful to him for the work he is doing.

    “We will continue with our efforts on all fronts – law enforcements, reforms as well as the prosecutorial part, which we are fully committed .

    “As you can tell, this Aisha Huang lady, the government of President Akufo-Addo is committed to bring her and other persons who are involved in illegal mining to face the full rigors of the the laws.”

  • I haven’t commented on Wontumi’s Akonta Mining issue; produce my voice if you have it – Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi

    President of the National House of Chiefs Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has denied publications in a section of the Ghanaian media that he has asked persons claiming that mining firm, Akonta Mines, belonging to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Anwti Bosiako (Chairman Wontumi) is engaged in illegal small scale mining (Galamseny), to produce evidence to that effect.

    He dared persons who say he made that comment to produce his tape if they have it to back their claims.

    Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II is reported to have asked persons with evidence to back the claims that Chairman Wontumi is involved in galasmey.

    “I have heard that Wontumi is doing galamsey. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know and I don’t have any evidence, so how do I tell the president about Wontumi in such a forum or expect me to speak about an issue on national television when I don’t have any facts or direct evidence on Wontumi’s activities?

    “So, if you have the evidence or anyone has evidence that Wontumi is into galamsey, make it available to the president and he will act on it,” he is reported to have toldsaid after a meeting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had with Chiefs in Kumasi last week Wednesday October 5 on the issue of galamsey.

    But speaking in interview with TV3’s Ato Kwamena Haizel on Tuesday October 11, he said he never made that comment.

    He said “After my statement, the press went out…on His Excellency’ statement with [the Chiefs]. The [President[ said ‘Every village has a chief, and then he, as a lawyer will want to have hard facts to add on. I even suggested that your Excellency, sometimes some of these rumours should be investigated, that was indoors. At no point did anybody including me mentioned Antwi Boasiako or Wontum’s name at the meeting.  So, if anybody has any evidence , my voice anywhere  that person  come out with it .

    “I remember one of the members raised the issue of Akonta Mines in Samroboe Forest and I intervened to say that yes, I was aware the paramount chief in the area had wanted to send a team there but he had a call somewhere and so had to stop them. Even at that point, I didn’t know the owners of Akonta Mining but what I said is that, people go under the guise of prospecting license to do mining, and so we were pleading with his excellency just as he is also pleading to [Chiefs], we will also plead with him to also involve his MMDCEs and politicians so that all of us will fight the menace of galamsey.

    “Because we are the custodians of the lands and all these forest reserves were given to Forestry Commission to manage for us. Again, I made the point the regulatory framework  of mining, [the Chiefs] are not part of it and so we were demanding that at least the small scale mining licenses regime should be handled at the MDAs offices instead of we getting  from Accra. This is what went on other chiefs also gave their dimensions.”

  • Judges’ residential complex in Kumasi to be commissioned on Monday – CJ reveals

    The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah has announced the judges residential complex in Kumasi in the Ashanti region is going to be commissioned next week Monday.

    The Chief Justice said this when he was speaking during a meeting with the leadership of Judicial Service Staff association of Ghana in Accra on Tuesday October 11.

    Explaining why he appeared late at the meeting, he said “Please accept my apology for not being here on time. Indeed, yesterday I was unable to come to work because I had to attend to more pressing matter in Kumasi and I came just this morning. As some of you may be aware, we are going to commission the residential complex in Kumasi on Monday  and we have invited some of the Directors to be with us.

    “So, I had to spend the whole time with the consultant, the contractors, and the regional  Minister.”

    In April last year, President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of 20 residential facilities for Court of Appeal judges in Kumasi.

    Supported by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod to signify the beginning of construction works for the accommodation facilities.

    “With the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, 20 townhouses and a guesthouse are being built to be used as permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges based in Kumasi, who will be mandated to handle cases in the northern part of the country,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.

     

     

     

     

  • I will support Bawumia on the basis of competence if he decides to contest as flagbearer – Abu Jinapor

    Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Abu Jinapor has declared, in no uncertain terms, that he will support the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia when the “time comes, and he decides to run” for the flagbearership of the NPP.

    Speaking in Kpalbe on Sunday, in the Savannah Region, during the visit of the Vice President, as part of his working visit to the North, Abu Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, said, in his view, the best person to lead the NPP to the 2024 elections if he decides to contest when the time comes is none, but Dr Bawumia.

    “At this moment, considering many things, including his competence and hard work, there is no other person. When the time comes and His Excellency the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia decides to contest, I will support him fully and work hard together party stakeholders in the Savannah Region for his hard work, and competence.” Abu Jinapor said.

    The Lands and Natural Resources Minister noted further that the 2024 Election won’t be an easy battle and for the NPP to retain power, the party needs someone like Dr. Bawumua, who will be widely accepted and can effectively communicate everything the government and the party have done.

    “Dr Bawumia has served with humility and honour and I can say without a doubt that, he has Savannah, the north and Ghana at heart,” Abu Jinapor noted.

    The Vice President resumed his working tour of the northern regions on Sunday in the Savannah Region.

    As part of his programme, he paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers, and inspected government projects, including the Agenda 111 District Hospital in Kpalbe and the ongoing works on the Fufulso-Bunjai Road, before commissioning a market complex in Salaga.

    Part of the Vice President’s delegation are; Minister of Interior Ambrose Dery, Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul, Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsia Asare, and Former Chief Whip Frederick Opare Ansah.

  • Bawumia’s visit to Savannah region wasteful – NDC

    The Savannah Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as whimsical and unnecessary the recent visit by the Vice President, Mahammud Bawumia to the Savannah region.

    Vice President Bawumia during his tour of the region over the weekend indicated that the newly created Savannah Region has witnessed much development under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

    According to him, the creation of the region by the Akufo-Addo led administration was the strongest indication that the growth and development of the region was at the heart of government.

    Dr. Bawumia inspected some on-going projects in the region as part of his visit to the region.

    But, the NDC in the region says the tour by the Vice President is ‘hollow’.

    “The desperate attempt by the Vice President Bawumia to recover his lost integrity and redeem his bruised reputation by touring the country appears whimsical and a waste of the tax payers money,” the Communication Officer for the Savannah region, Malik Basintale said in a press release.

    He continued: “It is rather unfortunate that among the comic attitudes of the vice President Bawumia, he chose to travel several miles from the seat of government with over 25 luxurious land cruiser V8’s and over 100 staff just to commission an old rural market, an NGO-owned borehole and water system and the foundation of a building labelled “Female surgical ward”, “Laundry block” etc in the name of agenda 111. (Pictures attached).”

    Below is the full statement by Savannah NDC

    BAWUMIA’S DESPERATE VISIT TO THE SAVANNAH REGION WHIMSICAL AND A WASTE OF THE TAX PAYERS MONEY.

    We have keenly monitored the Vice President’s visit to the Savannah region and still find it difficult to comprehend the motive and rational behind his hollow tour around the region.

    The desperate attempt by the Vice President Bawumia to recover his lost integrity and redeem his bruised reputation by touring the country appears whimsical and a waste of the tax payers money.

    It is rather unfortunate that among the comic attitudes of the vice President Bawumia, he chose to travel several miles from the seat of government with over 25 luxurious land cruiser V8’s and over 100 staff just to commission an old rural market, an NGO-owned borehole and water system and the foundation of a building labelled “Female surgical ward”, “Laundry block” etc in the name of agenda 111. (Pictures attached).

    It is shameful, that after 6 years in office and with the failed promises, pledges absolutely nothing to show, Dr. Bawumia still finds comfort in campaigning to the people of the Savannah region after admitting himself that he was used for the “dirty works” by the NPP in a recently leaked tape which obviously leaves his reputation and credibility questioned.

    To zoom in, Let me request from Dr. Bawumia the whereabouts or current state of their old promises to the people of the Savannah region:

    1. Where is the Damongo water project you promised the people of Damongo in 2018 after truncating the contract signed by the erstwhile John Mahama government.
    2. Where is the Daboya bridge you promised the people of North Gonja in August 2021?
    3. Where is the regional house of chiefs you cut sod for in 2020?
    4. Where are the factories you promised the people of the Savannah region under 1D 1F?
    5. Where are the permanent jobs your government promised the Nabco retirees in the Savannah region?
    6. Why is the Busunu-Daboya road still in a deplorable state after funds were made available by the erstwhile John Mahama government and why is the contractor not being paid to go back to site?
    7. Where is the senior high school your boss, Akufo-Addo promised the people of the North East Gonja?
    8. What is the state of the Salaga -Makango road and why are works slowing on it?
    9. Why is the fufulso-Sawla road not being maintained after 6 years of being in office?
    10. Why has your government abandoned the Bole teacher training college started by H.E John Mahama.

    These are the first ten (10) basic questions we need answers to as we haven’t seen or heard the Vice President, Bawumia mention the state of all these promises they made to us, throughout his 2- day tour and just in case they have forgotten, we will always be here to remind them.

    Signed:

    Malik Basintale
    Communication Officer
    NDC- Savannah region.

  • GRA shuts down 4 branches of Palace Mall in Accra

    The Labone, Spintex, Atomic roundabout and Weija branches of Palace Mall have been shutdown by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for non-compliance with the authority’s E-VAT Invoicing system.

    According to GRA, a number of selected shops have deliberately failed to issue VAT invoices electronically when customers walk in to make purchases.

    The GRA says failure of these shops to abide by its directive sends signals that they are under-declaring tax.

    The Weija branch of China Mall has also been shut down, bringing to five, the total number of China Mall branches closed down in the last 24 hours.

    Speaking to the media, the Area Manager of GRA’s Accra central office, Joseph Annan, cautioned managers of the shops not to tamper with the Commissioner’s seal as that may compound their situation.

    At the Labone branch of Palace Mall, managers of the facility locked themselves inside the shop while observing officials from GRA who were embarking on the enforcement exercise.

    They refused to exit the premises after several efforts by the taskforce.

    The entrance to the mall has since been sealed.

    The Commissioner General of GRA, Dr. Ammishaddiah Owusu-Amoah, earlier spoke to the media and urged businesses that were yet to subscribe to the new VAT policy to do so or bear the brunt of the authority.

    “There are 50 taxpayers that have been enrolled in this project. We have started in earnest and the response is quite encouraging. However, what is happening is that, for some of the taxpayers, the deadline had elapsed, and some people are still not on the system.”

    “GRA has decided that then compliance enforcement is the way to go. What we are doing now is that for those taxpayers who we have engaged, and are not hooked up unto the system, our compliance team will close down their shops. We are going to ensure that they are not restored until they comply.”

  • Eight witnesses to testify against Aisha Huang, four accomplices – Godfred Dame

    The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame, indicated that the state would present eight witnesses in the case against alleged small-scale mining (galamsey) kingpin, Aisha Huang, and her four accomplices.

    This is after the Attorney General withdrew the four witness statements he had previously filed against the alleged ‘galamsey’ kingpin.

    Speaking during the trial on Tuesday, Godfred Yeboah told the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, that the prosecution had to withdraw the four witness statements to enable it to file the full set of eight witness statements.

    He added that the prosecution was ready for a trial because all eight statements were ready and would be filed as soon as possible.

    Justice Lydia Osei Marfo granted the request of Dame and adjourned the case to October 24, 2022, for the AG to file the documents.

    Meanwhile, the court has remanded Aisha Huang to police custody.

    Presiding Judge Lydia Osei Marfo, during a sitting on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, refused the plea of her lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Dartey, after the latter argued that his client deserved bail.

    According to the judge, all arguments previously made against his plea for bail, including his client’s flight risk, remain and will not be changed.

    She added that his constant presence in court with his client would be the only way to ensure the case is heard accordingly for the determination of his client’s fate.

    State Prosecutor Godfred Dame, on his part, reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the case is duly heard and that the accused are prosecuted if found guilty.

    Aisha Huang is in court over charges of mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals, four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license.

    She is also facing four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry were filed at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Friday, September 16, 2022

    Also, four others, who appeared in court, 3 Chinese nationals and a Vietnam national, have all been remanded to reappear in court on November 1, 2022.

    The 3 Chinese nationals – Shi Yang alias Philip, Li Wei Guo and Shi Mei Zhi are on a provisional charge of engaging in small scale-mining without a licence, contrary to section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Act 995 of 2019.

    Vietnam national; Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen is, however, being charged for remaining in Ghana after the expiration of a permit contrary to sections 20(1) and 52(1)(d) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

    Hearing their cases separately, the sitting judge heard the pleas of the 3 Chinese nationals but reserved that of the Vietnamese, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, who had difficulty understanding the Chinese and English languages through which she was communicated.