The Environmental Office of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly has started a campaign dubbed “Name, shame, sanction” campaign.
The campaign is to raise awareness on the need to keep the environment clean after the increasing rise in sanitation problems in the Municipality.
During this campaign, the Environmental officers move with the media team from Obuasi to identify places in Obuasi especially chop bars operators and filling station operators who flout environmental laws, arrest and penalise offenders.
The campaign is also intended to assist the Obuasi Municipal Assembly to enforce sanitation bye-laws and raise awareness about the need to keep our environment clean.
Briefing the media after the first round of the exercise, the Municipal Environmental Health officer, Fuseina Imoro said the rationale behind the exercise was to follow up on feedback from the general public about the unsanitary conditions at some chop bars in Obuasi.
“We decided to involve the media in this exercise to serve as a deterrent to those who constantly flout our laws with impunity. We have had a lot of complaints from the general public and our officers on the ground so this time around we decided to involve the media to name and shame offenders,” Miss Imoro added.
She said as part of the exercise, they issued abatement notice to those who had violated environmental laws to afford them the time and space to correct their wrongs. She emphasized that her office will do a follow to ascertain whether the anomalies detected have been corrected. “when we come back and see things are the same, we will process offenders for court”.
She said the Assembly has resolved to enforce its environmental bye-laws to ensure full compliance in a bid to keep the environment clean.
Current public health laws are punitive enough
The Municipal Prosecutor Richmond Adam Brown has revealed that the current Public Health laws are punitive and deterrent enough. He added that strict enforcement of it will help keep the city clean.
“The bye-laws and the criminal offences act were not deterrent enough but the introduction of the Public Health Laws 2012 Act 851 has given us hope that we can fight to keep our environment clean and safe since it contains punitive actions to deal with offenders.”
He added that the Assembly has taken into consideration the process involved in the enforcement of environmental laws, hence has decided to first give verbal education and abatement notice to offenders. He stressed that they will follow it up with court actions if nothing has been done about the situation.
Mr. Brown called for the support and Cooperation of the people of Obuasi to enable the office keep the environment clean.
Rice farmers in the Akatsi South District of the Volta region are in distress as prices of farm inputs skyrocket.
Some of the farmers have abandoned their farms due to the high cost of production and those in business fear there would be poor yields during the harvest season because they cannot afford adequate fertilizers for their farms.
They are therefore appealing for support and assistance to be able to bounce back into business.
They made the point when a Ukrainian government delegation interacted with the farmers at Akatsi.
The Ukrainian government delegation is on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the plight of the farmers as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine is a major exporter of fertilizer to Ghana.
The Volta Region is thus noted for its high rice production rate in Ghana. The region thus contributes huge tonnes of paddy rice to the country’s rice production capacity.
According to the farmers even though the rainfall pattern has been favourable this year, their major challenges are the high prices of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs.
The Chairman of the local rice farmers Association, Richard Odzor said most farmers cannot afford to buy fertilizers, a situation which will have negative impact on their yields.
He noted that previous years saw them producing huge tonnes of rice, due to government subsidies on fertilizers, but such incentives have been scrapped.
“Most of the farmers quit the business because they don’t have capital or money to buy the inputs. So few farmers try their best to still be in the business. As you can see the rice on this field needs fertilizer and now the fertilizer Uriah one bag costs 500 Ghana cedis and unfortunately that 500 Ghana cedis too the fertilizer itself is not in the system to buy,” he added.
The Ukrainian government delegation has been in the country to engage the Ghanaian government on the effects of the Russian-Ukraine War on key sectors of the economy and the way forward.
After a tour of some rice farms in the district, a member of the delegation, Oleg Nivievskyi said fertilizer production levels have dropped significantly in Ukraine, and export channels have been blocked due to the Russia invasion.
“The war in Ukraine challenges International rules of trade. Trade is what is needed to bring fertilizers from other countries to Ghana and this is not happening right now because Russia challenges that. Things have to be restored so that the trade can also begin smoothly between Ghana and her partners and respect for trade rules and not by uncertain behaviour of Russia as we are seeing.”
Another member of the delegation, Olexiy Haran thanked the Ghanaian government for their support and empathy for the people of Ukraine who have been devastated by the war.
President Akufo-Addo has commissioned an inmate skills acquisition and reformation center at Nsawam to begin day two of his 3-day working tour of the Eastern Region.
The 320-bed capacity facility constructed and donated by the Church of Pentecost is the second of the 5 model prison camp, which forms part of the 5-year strategic vision of the church to decongest the country’s prisons.
Speaking at a durbar to commission the facility, the Director of Prison Services Isaac Kofi Egyiri who commended the Church for the collaboration indicated that the service will expand prison agriculture to obtain food security at the prison.
President Akufo-Addo who also lauded the exemplary efforts of the Church of Pentecost in tackling issues of congestion at the prisons indicated that government will provide the necessary support to the service to realize the vision of attaining food security.
The $3.2 million Children’s Library initiated and constructed by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to promote education and reading among children, was yesterday handed over to the Ghana Library Authority (GLA).
The facility located at the Airport Residential Area, near Kawukudi Junction in Nima, which started in 2015 was completed last year.
The multi-purpose one-story library, equipped with modern technological equipment to help the visually and hearing impaired also use the facility, is stocked with about 22,000 books.
In addition to the physical library, SSNIT also handed over a mobile library facility to the GLA.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony witnessed by the board members of SSNIT and officials of Ministry of Education and the GLA as well as pupils from schools from Kanda, the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, said SSNIT had been involved in education over the years.
He said SSNIT started the Students Loan Scheme, which was later handed over to the Students Loans Trust and also financed the construction of students’ hostels and some community schools in some parts of the country.
Dr Ofori-Tenkorang indicated that the state-of-the-art library facility was to help children to learn and discover themselves for the development of the country.
“We believe that we need educated population, in order to get a good workforce, and, therefore, SSNIT this year launched supplementary readers developed in conjunction with the Ghana Education Service, to bring social security education to children at the younger age,” he said.
The Director-General said the supplementary readers would help children to learn about social security and retirement planning.
Dr Ofori-Tenkorang described the facility as ultra-modern because everything about the facility such as registration to use the library as well as searching for books, was computerised.
In addition, he said the library had facilities for the visually and hearing impaired to read and learn, conference rooms, computer room, first aid room and media viewing room.
Asked of the cost of the facility, he said about $3.9 million was budgeted for the project, but between $3.1 and $3.2 million was used to complete the project.
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adu-Twum, in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Pre-Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education, Nana Baffour Awuah, said education remained a priority of the government, most importantly, Pre-Tertiary education.
He commended the SSNIT for financing the construction of the Children and Mobile Library for use by children from two years to the pre-tertiary level.
Dr Adu-Twum entreated the GLA to take good care of the facility to benefit the not children around the Airport Residential Area, and the country as a whole.
The Chief Executive Officer of GLA, Hayford Siaw said the new Children and Mobile Library, which had the capacity to serve 169 pupils, brought to 61 new libraries constructed around the country since 2016 and 14 in Greater Accra Region.
The Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Julius Kuunor, has said management is making efforts to acquire land in all 16 regions to establish fire colleges and training schools, to ensure adequate manpower for the Service.
According to him, recruits will no longer travel long distances to the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) at James Town, the only institution which exposes recruits to the rudiments of the profession in the country.
Mr. Kuunor made this known when the Fire Service Council, paid its first working visit to the Greater Accra Regional Command at Korle-Bu.
The visit to the Greater Accra Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service was to introduce members of the Council to the Personnel and acquaint themselves with the challenges confronting Fire Officers in the region.
At the durbar, the Greater Accra Regional Commander, DCFO Richard Gibril Nuhu promised that the command will work hard to fight against the common enemy ‘fire’ to achieve the common goal of protecting lives, property, and investment.
The Chief Fire Officer, Julius Kuunor outlined some plans for Officers of the Service.
The Chairman of the Council, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi while encouraging the officers to continue the good work in saving lives and property, he promised that the Council will support the Management to protect the wellbeing of all officers.
The New Council inaugurated by the President in September last week, is to ensure the growth of GNFS.
The Greater Accra Regional Command is the 4th fire command the Council has visited.
Calls for the dismissal of the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta, have heightened in the last couple of weeks following the wobblign state of the economy.
In spite of the fact that netizens have taken to social media to whine and call for the dismissal of the Finance Minister, President Akufo-Addo has disregarded their solicitations.
In some way or another, this got a few well-known individuals to pound on the Minister’s renunciation since the economic slump has forced government to seek a financial rescue programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
President Akufo-Addo on August 8, while talking in an exclusive interview on Tamale-based North Star radio, during an official tour to the region shielded his ministers.
He noted that they have been working hard while expressing their outputs have been extensive.
GhanaWeb in this article puts together a list of some public figures pushing for the resignation of the Finance Minister.
Nana Oye Bampoh Addo
Former Gender Minister, Nana Oye Bampoh Addo, joined calls for Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to resign.
She believes as the main gatekeeper of the national economy, the Minister must take responsibility for the economic downturn the country is experiencing.
Nana Oye pointed out that the approach that the National Democratic Congress government in 2015 used to secure a programme from the International Monetary Fund was different from that of this government.
Kwabena Agyei Agyapong
Former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, has also hammered on the resignation of Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to Mr Agyapong, the main reason for his call was the decision of the government to seek an economic rescue programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – a position that the Minister had vehemently opposed publicly and vowed will not be taken.
Mr Agyapong added that the Minister must on his own volition tender his resignation because of his anti-IMF statements and having “got it wrong.”
Lydia Forson
Entertainment personality, Lydia Forson, following the resignation of the UK’s Prime Minster, Liz Truss, questioned the rationale behind Ken Ofori-Atta’s decision to stay in office as the Minister of Finance.
According to her, Ghanaians have lost confidence in Ken Ofori-Atta as the Minister of Finance due to the economic downturn currently being faced by Ghanaians.
In a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb, she said, “It makes absolutely no sense that Ken Ofori-Atta is still the finance minister, how? He’s lost the confidence of the people!”
Nana Aba Anamoah
Lydia’s views were not different from media personality, Nana Aba Anamoah, who has also pushed for the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to save himself the disgrace and step down.
According to her, Ken Ofori-Atta has failed in the management of the local economy.
Nana Aba Anamoah attributed the frequent fall of the local currency, high inflation rate, and increase in petroleum prices, among other factors leading to the country’s economic crisis to the incompetence of the Finance Minister.
She asserted that the current harsh economic condition was due to government’s “imprudent borrowing taste and wasteful use of those flammable funds.”
Kweku Sintim Misa (KSM)
Known for not shelving his thoughts on governmental issues, Ghanaian playwright and actor, Kweku Sintim Misa (KSM), in a recent post advised Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori Atta, to resign from his position.
He didn’t mince words when he shared a post on Twitter on October 22, 2022, stating that since President Akufo-Addo has resolved not to sack him, Ken Ofori-Atta, he should take the initiative and step down from the position.
Dr Theo Acheampong
Political risk analyst and economist, Dr Theo Acheampong reiterated calls for the Finance Minister to resign from his post.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, he said that the calls for the minister’s resignation are not because he is not liked but because he has made serious policy mistakes which have impacted the livelihoods of many.
Dr Acheampong, listing some of the minister’s faults, said that “one is the E-Levy, number two on the fact that philosophically he doesn’t support us going to the IMF.”
The re-elected Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ablekuma South constituency, Alfred Addotey Allotey, has termed the just-ended elections as an ‘election of truth.’
The party executive, who polled 1013 votes against his contender, Albert Pangbot, who polled 510 votes, said his victory in this election feels so clean although he never underestimated his contender.
“I have never underestimated my competitor but this victory looks resounding, this victory looks so pure, so clean. My efforts [to] my people have really paid off and I anticipated this. I saw this victory coming and I’ve said to so many people that I knew this victory was coming.
“Throughout my campaign, I have said to everybody that Ablekuma South has been lured for many years, and these elections that we’re going to run is going to be the election that I term the ‘election of truth,’” Addotey Allotey stated.
Speaking to GhanaWeb immediately after he was declared winner in the constituency elections on Saturday, October 22, 2022, Alfred Addotey Allotey, popularly known as Alute, emphasised the need for the new crop of executives to continually support the work of their Member of Parliament, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.
“We have a Member of Parliament – I just want to be so emphatic, who today stands as one of the best Members of Parliament in Ghana. There are many constituencies surrounding us who are just pleading within their hearts, and they are overjoyed to have Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije as their Member of Parliament.
“This man is doing a yeoman’s job,” he stressed.
Watch him speak below:
Ablekuma South Organiser calls out regional executives working against party interest
Ablekuma South Organiser calls out regional executives working against party interest.
It is now illegal to manufacture, distribute or sell chanfangs(the machines used on river bodies for illegal mining), President Akufo-Addo has said.
In an interview during his recent 3-day tour of the Eastern Region, the president noted that the move is part of his government’s anti-galamseymeasures.
He also said: “We have increased significantly, the level of sanctions against people who engage in galamsey.”
“Today, Ghanaians who get involve will get a 15-year minimum sentence if convicted and foreigners will get as long as a 25-year imprisonment if convicted,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
He noted that “in a democratic dispensation if you want a change, the first thing to do is advocacy to change public opinion.”
Also, he said the anti-galamsey team, ‘Operation Halt’, has been given a boost to undertake its task.
“The problem was that we disengaged too quickly, once the first plot has gone through, this year we have decided to use the whole year to maintain Operation Halt, especially, the fight on our river bodies,” he said.
“Surveyors have taken charge of impactful machines, excavators and chanfang and they are being destroyed because it is our major problem in our mining.”
Driver of a KIA vehicle with registration number GE-8466-20 has been rushed to the hospital for treatment following a fire outbreak that caught his vehicle at a fuel station at Assin Manso in the Assin South District.
An eyewitness speaking with Angel News reporter Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack explained that after refilling the fuel tank at the filling station, the car failed to start so the driver removed the car battery to revive it thinking it is dead.
In an attempt to re-fix the battery, it triggered a fire outbreak.
According to reports, the driver had no fire extinguisher in his car. Other taxi drivers driving by, therefore, offered to use theirs.
The driver, therefore, suffered severe burns in the process of extinguishing the fire and was rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, all attempts to save the car became proved futile.
However, the intervention of the Assin Fosu Fire Service Command brought the fire under control, but the car was burnt beyond repair.
Government has come under criticism from a cross-section of the public due to the current economic crisis.
In the wake of this, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been at the receiving end from almost all and sundry.
While the “ordinary citizens” have been agitating on and off social media, Ghanaian celebrities have also not held back from expressing their dissatisfaction against government.
In the past week, some Ghanaian celebrities have called on President Akufo-Addo and the Minister of Finance to sit up and address the economic crisis fraught the country.
Below are some celebrities who have waded into the national conversation
Prince David Osei
The Ghanaian actor is one of the familiar supporters of the ruling government. He, alongside other celebrities like Kalybos was seen to be involved heavily clothed in NPP paraphernalia campaigning for the then Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
However, the movie star has openly displayed his disappointment in the government. In a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb, Prince called on government to seek help.
“Can we all put aside politics, humble ourselves and seek help from whoever has the ideas or in-depth knowledge on how to stop the further depreciation of our currency and stabilize our economy,” he tweeted.
Yvonne Nelson
The movie producer and actress is another popular figure who has not held back from bashing the government and calling for urgent steps to change the current tides.
In 2015, Yvonne Nelson led a demonstration against power cuts in Ghana, popularly known as “Dumsor”. Being a citizen and not a spectator as President Akufo-Addo implored Ghanaians, the model has this time taken to Twitter to quiz the President over his governance.
“Are you still the President? Are you still in this country? Are you this heartless? Do you hear people crying? Are you this heartless? No more campaign ahead so you are unbothered. You obviously feel nothing for Ghanaians. Such a disappointment”, she lamented.
Lydia Forson
The Ghanaian actress and social critic have also been vociferous over the state of affairs. She has opined that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, needs to resign.
According to her, the minister has performed woefully and thus is unfit to continue occupying his position.
Furthermore, she has asked the government to take a cue from Britain, whose Prime Minister has resigned her inability to lead.
“I really wish Gabby Otchere Darko’s obsession & admiration for the UK parliament included taking pointers as well on resignations and firing. It makes absolutely no sense that Ken Ofori Attah is still the finance minister; how? He’s lost the confidence of the people! She said in a tweet.
Nana Aba-Anamoah
The Ghanaian media personality and General Manager of GHOne TV and Starr FM has penned a long letter to Ken Ofori Atta.
The TV host in the letter discusses how the minister has failed in his capacity and needs him to resign. She called the minister an absolute failure in managing the economy and driving it into an abyss.
A portion of the letter reads, “Hmm. Maybe a part of you wants to leave and your cousin (President Akufo Addo-Addo) is backing you to the hilt on the altar of loyalty. But for God’s, spare the entire nation this prolonged spectacle of failure and let go of the burning rod.”
Film Producer and Founder of Pidgen Music, Panji Marc Owooh Anoff, popularly known as Panji Anoff has described Nigeria’s rise in showbiz to their level of support and appreciation of talents as compared to Ghanaians.
“Nigerians are more appreciative of talents than Ghanaians,” Panji asserted.
Speaking on Showbiz A-Z with George Quaye, Panji further opined that it will take a long time for Ghana to reach the level of Nigeria and South Africa when it comes to the reach of Afrobeats.
“Nigerians and South Africans are going to lead the Afrobeats charge because they have the structures and the population”, he enunciated.
The London-born Ghanaian was quick to add that afrobeat is the music genre which can take African sound to the global stage.
“Afrobeats is our biggest window of opportunity to get unto the world stage,” he concluded.
Panji also responded to questions about the evolution of Ghanaian music.
The National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers say an increment in treated water is imminent, adding that it intends to announce the new prices by Monday.
They have therefore urged the public to brace themselves for another increment in no time.
The President of the Association, Magnus Nunoo explained that they are set to increase their prices in the coming days as a result of the high cost of production.
Mr Nunoo in an interview on the Kumasi-based Otec 102.9 FM’s breakfast show, “Nyansapo” on Friday, October 21, 2022, blamed the high production cost on the continuous depreciation of the Cedi against other major trading currencies.
He noted that they will be forced to halt production and lay off their workers if government fails to address the issue.
“We will be compelled to shut down production and distribution of treated water if government does not address the continuous depreciation of the Cedi,” he said.
“There are a host of factors which are also impacting negatively on our business, “take the hikes in fuel prices and the astronomical increase in electricity cost among others is swallowing all our capital,” he stated.
He disclosed that electricity cost has ballooned from 15 % to 20 % of the production price as a result of the recent increase in utility tariffs.
Mr Nunoo has therefore called on the economic management team to proffer pragmatic measures to halt the current problems in the country’s economy to avoid grounding their business.
Commercial Pilot and CEO of Kantanka group of companies, Kwadwo Safo Jnr, has announced the soon-to-be-released vehicle powered by solar.
The CEO of the firm shared a video of a white salon car encrusted with a solar panel on the bonnet with a test drive plate captured at the number plate area.
According to Kwadwo Safo, the company is producing the vehicles to ease the pressure on buyers in times when fuel prices sell at a very high price.
“Something I am working on at the moment. As an alternative to salvage these high fuel prices. Kantanka all solar vehicle,” he shared on October 21, 2022.
After his post was shared, some netizens took their time to ask Kwadwo Safo if the price of the car will be affordable for the ordinary Ghanaian.
He immediately responded by saying, “Of course, it will. Where is the money for people to spend on extreme expensive cars???”
He however failed to disclose when the cars will be on the market.
Something am working on at the moment. As an alternative to salvage these high fuel prices. Kantanka all solar vehicle pic.twitter.com/uNSlDVtFCR
Television show host, Kwaku Sintim-Misa, popularly known as KSM has urged Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to as a matter of urgency resign for another financial manager to take over the affairs of the economy.
He averred that President Akufo-Addo has refused to sack Ofori-Atta despite calls by a section of Ghanaians for him to be fired.
KSM in a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb opined that it’s about time a competent financial manager takes charge to stabilize the wobbling economy.
“Advice to Ken Ofori-Atta. Bra Ken, it is obvious the President cannot and will not fire you. Please do him and GH a favour and respectfully resign for a competent financial manager to take charge. I am sure that the financial markets will react positively to the news,” his tweet read.
It would be recalled that Bloomberg on Thursday, October 20, 2022, reported that Ghana’s local currency – the cedi – depreciated in value by 9.6%.
This, the news portal said, makes the total loss of the cedi in 2022 almost 52%, the highest recorded in 22 years.
The free fall of the cedi now places the currency at the 148 position of worst-performing currencies in the world.
Meanwhile, Ghana is targeting an amount of $3 billion over a three-year period from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) once an agreement on a programme is reached.
The new amount requested as a loan is double the government’s initial target of $1.5 billion.
The IMF programme is aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and safeguarding debt sustainability among many others.
Bra Ken, it is OBVIOUS the President CANNOT and WILL NOT fire you. PLEASE do him and GH a favor and respectfully resign for a COMPETENT FINANCIAL MANGER to take charge. I am sure that the financial markets will react POSITIVELY to the news. ????????
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, openly rejected the nomination of Dr. K.K Sarpong, Former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) as was captured in a video that made rounds on Friday, October 21, 2022.
In the said video, the Ashanti King clearly indicated his displeasure about how the nomination process for Dr. K.K Sarpong was done.
While nullifying this and asking for kingmakers to follow the appropriate traditions as regards his nominations, Otumfuo Osei Tutu mentioned 5 main reasons he was rejecting the said nomination of Dr. Sarpong.
They were outlined as follows;
1. Family heads who led the nomination process of Dr. Sarpong were not qualified and didn’t have the mandate to do so. He noted that the family head (Atta Kwabena) who presented the pleas to him did not have the right to come close to the stool because he had a curse on him that had to be taken off.
2. Some family heads had reported to him (Otumfuo) that the name (KK Sarpong) presented to the queen mother for nomination as chief was not a royal.
3. They failed to consider other persons who have rights to the Offinso stool
4. They should have presented their thoughts about nominating him (K K Sarpong) as a candidate before him (Otumfuo) and asked for his permission and input.
5. Due process wasn’t followed by the family heads and queen mother for the selection process.
Asantehene cancels nomination:
The Asantehene further noted that despite his good relationship with the candidate, KK Sarpong, he expects that the right thing must be done.
He subsequently cancelled and nullified their nominations and asked that they do the right thing and return to him when all the processes have been followed accordingly.
“What went on, I know but what hurts me is that Kofi Kodua Sarpong, I have a good relationship with him so if you want him to be chief and you don’t come to me with the truth…the right thing must be done.
“There are a lot of narrations about the people deserving of the stool, you are making the complications complicated.
“I cancel every nomination. The person who brought you the pleas is not deserving until the curse is taken off. Why did you elders allow such a person to lead the process?
“I know you have sat with KK Sarpong and agreed he is the one you want, follow due process and present it to me,” Otumfuo further added.
Background:
The Offinso paramount seat became vacant in October 2021 after the passing of the late Paramount Chief, Nana Awiafe Akenten III after a short illness at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
The late Offinsomanhene had occupied the Wiafe Akenten traditional stool for 28 years, following his enstoolment in November 1993.
As tradition demands, a new candidate must be nominated and duly vetted by the traditional processes to replace the deceased chief.
There have however been controversies surrounding the nomination of the former GNPC Boss, K.K Sarpong after he was proposed by the Offinso Queenmother; Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko.
His candidacy has mostly been contested because of suggestions by some royal factions that he is not a royal nor has any entitlement to the stool.
The paramount chief of Offinso is the third in command in the Asante Kingdom.
Torgbui Honu II, a professor of spiritualism, has called on Africans at home and in the diaspora not to lose sight of the beautiful culture that was bequeathed to them by their forefathers.
Togbui made the comments at the launch of the maiden edition of the “Ghana Culture Meets Nigeria Culture,” an event aimed at promoting Africa’s culture and tradition.
The event was held at the National Theatre on Friday, October 22, 2022, under the theme “Promoting African Culture & Tradition.”
Speaking to the media on the sideline of the event, the communicator for Africa Spiritual Affairs said the event is earmarked to celebrate the rich culture shared between Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries.
He noted that with the impact of westernization, it was important to project efficiently the beautiful culture of not only Ghana and Nigeria but the continent at large.
“This project was launched due to the diversity of the Nigerian and Ghanaian cultures and what we can preserve for the new generation. Recently we heard of Naija jollof and Ghana jollof, Nigerian music and Ghana music, so we thought it wise that why can’t we bring the two cultures together because our culture is our heritage, it is our posterity, it is our pride.
He added: “All we are doing here is sensitize and bring awareness to everybody that our culture is beautiful, wonderful challenging the people who say our culture is evil.”
The Acting President of the All Nigerian Community (ANC), Chief Dr. Bayor Albert Asaolu commended the organizers while noting that the Nigerians in Ghana will be included in the subsequent editions should it be held in Ghana.
“I will link to commend the organizer of this event. He has done something unique that no one has ever done before. This is a cultural event that will unite Ghana and Nigeria more and let our children know more about our culture which is a very good innovation.”
“It is high time that we Africans begin to know our roots and cherish our culture so that we know that it is a good thing God has given unto us.”
He added: “I will ensure the next edition is attended by all Nigerians in Ghana as well as Ghanaians themselves”.
On his part, Chief Akintola Bolanle, the former Public Relations Officer of the All Nigerian Community (ANC) and the current Assistant General Secretary, the All Nigerian Community urged both the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments to revive the love for the local culture.
“I personally was moved when I was watching the culture of Ghana. I was highly impressed and it took my mind back to the old days when I was younger. We need to begin to train our children with the culture. We have to go back to the drawing board so our children will not cost us in the future because they won’t be any legacy.”
“I will also use this opportunity to send a message to the Nigerian government to revive our history as part of the academic program in school.”
“I will call on the government both Nigerian and Ghanaian to ensure they take culture as a political priority so that we don’t lose our focus.”
The event was attended by several dignitaries from the Nigerian community in Ghana, Yoruba Community in Ghana and other cultural groups.
A chairman aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nii Armah Ashittey, has said he stands taller and weightier than Samuel Ofosu-Amofo (the incumbent chairman) and Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (the incumbent general secretary who wants to unseat the incumbent chair) in the party’s upcoming internal polls.
Mr Nketia recently said in an interview that Mr Ofosu-Ampofo lacked the needed courage to be chair of the party and revealed that the latter unilaterally announced the boycott of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in 2019 without consulting the buy-in of his other leaders.
In response, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said: “Throughout my entire adult life, I have faithfully, dutifully, and conscientiously served the National Democratic Congress in various capacities. I have done so with honour and dignity while resisting every temptation to vilify political opponents.”
He added that, “I hold the view that it is totally out of place for party officials to divulge or discuss internal party matters that are within their knowledge by virtue of their privileged position, in the media or on any public forum”.
“It is within this spirit that I elect to refrain from commenting on the merit or otherwise of the matters that were referenced in the said interview, including high-level party decisions that are supposed to be held in confidence,” he continued.
Speaking on the Class Morning Show of his ambition to lead the party as chair, the former Greater Accra Regional Minister said: “I have what it takes: I’ve been a mayor of Tema under the late Rawlings, I served as a member of parliament for Klottey Korle and also the Greater Accra regional minister under the late Prof Mills and I served John Dramani Mahama as the minister of employment and labour relations. I am a lawyer. I was a trade unionist and a businessman”.
“I know Ampofo, I know Asiedu Nketiah and I can tell you, I’m taller and weightier”, he noted.
Of his contenders, Mr Ashittey said: “I know the two [Asiedu Nketia and Oforu-Ampofo]. Yes, they’ve served the party, but there’s also the issue that there are problems. I mean, when you sit back, seriously you know that there are problems. There is a problem at the top and recently, Asiedu confirmed that there is a problem”.
“He mentioned Ayawaso Wuogon but there could be others that he didn’t mention and I mean we are all members of the party, they have the right to stand, they’ve stood for elections and won and they want to go again. It doesn’t mean I cannot also come and join. That’s the beauty of democracy”, he indicated.
He explained: “I am coming because I know there are problems considering that we lost 2016, we lost 2020 because of the collation of results. Are we going to gamble again with 2024?”
In his analysis, the governing New Patriotic Party sees Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and Mr Asiedu Nketiah as weak spots that could be capitalised upon to ‘break the 8’.
“When l listen to the NPP, at times we take a lot of things for granted. They’ve been talking about: ‘We’ll break the 8’. You see, breaking the 8 is not just about breaking, it goes with certain things and one of the things that I, sitting back, which I believe the NPP have factored into their ‘breaking the 8’ is who will be the leaders of the NDC”, he analysed.
“Breaking the 8, as these people have been talking about, have factored into [it], who will be the chairman of the NDC, who will be the general secretary and they have factored in Asiedu Nketia and Ofosu-Ampofo and at this time that they want to be chairman, either or”.
“So, for me, Asiedu cannot say that he’s an alternative to Ofosu-Ampofo. No, he cannot at all”.
“Why am I saying that? The two of them are the leaders and have been the leaders of the party, so, whatever problems there have been, whatever confusion there is at the top, they are a party to it, they are the same boat; if the boat is going down, it will go down with the two of whatever”.
“So, for me, it is important for our delegates to remember that they are not alternatives to each other. And, particularly at this time when there is this struggle going on. There must be somebody is should be able to bring them together at the end of it all”.
Dr Joel Agorinya, a psychiatrist at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, has advised the public to normalise seeking help for mental health issues.
He said there were a lot of people walking on the streets who had mental health issues but were shy to seek help even though there is help.
“There are patients who will invite you to their homes in Ghana to attend to them or those who would like to come to the hospital early in the morning around 5AM because they do not want to be seen entering the psychiatric hospital,” he said.
Dr Agorinya gave the advice when he trained selected member of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) and some Social welfare officials on mental health issues.
The training organised by Basic Needs Ghana, an NGO with a focus on mental health issues was supported by Ghana Somubie Dwumadie, a disability focused programme on mental health and the UK Aid.
The training is expected to enhance participants’ knowledge on mental health and to help them understand persons with mental health issues.
Dr Agoriyna said there was a need to desist from stigmatising persons with mental health issues and encourage them to seek help.
“Elsewhere, there is nothing shameful about seeking help for one’s mental health issues, you see some celebrities take to social media to announce that they have depression or they are taking a break to enable them go through rehabilitation,”
There is nothing shameful about mental health, it is also a kind of illness that can happen to anyone but in Ghana people tend to hide or sneak into the Psychiatric hospital whenever they need help,” Dr Agoriyna said.
He said that now psychiatry care has been decentralized and every health facility in Ghana, even the CHPS compound has someone who is a trained mental health care professional.
Dr Agoriyna said mental health care if not well handled could cost the country billions of dollars because people with mental health issues tend to be non-productive at work.
Estimating the cost of mental healthcare in Ghana, Dr Agorinya who had an interest in global mental health issues, said it could cost a family about GHS4000 monthly to provide care for their loved one with mental health issues.
He urged Ghanaians to stop stigmatising and abusing persons with mental health conditions, saying, “There is never any justification for abusing any person with mental illness.
AirtelTigo’s flagship promotion for 2022, ‘To Gu Me So Reloaded’, has come to a successful end, rewarding over 5,000 customers with cash prizes of over GH₵1,000,000. This makes “To Gu Me So Reloaded” one of the most rewarding promotions to hit the telecommunications industry in Ghana.
Two lucky winners were present at the Prize presentation ceremony held at the AirtelTigo Head office in Accra.
Benaiah Diallo Oppong, the overall grand prize winner received GH₵125,000, while Ruth Addison the second runner up received GH₵25,000.
The Grand Prize winner Benaiah Diallo Oppong described his winning of GH₵125,0000 as a life-changing amount of money to win in a promotion.
He disclosed that his initial thought when he was notified was the skepticism of the entire situation as it seemed unbelievable.
“As I have been presented with the cheque today, I am truly grateful to AirtelTigo for coming up with the ‘To Gu Me So Reloaded’ promo. They have really touched my life in a big way. I still feel like it’s a dream,” he said.
The second runner up Ruth Addison said, “to think that I recently bought this AirtelTigo SIM, dialed *500# to join the promo, and just by consistently using the service through calls, browsing and ATMoney here I am today a winner of GH₵25,000. This tells me that AirtelTigo is not selective of who wins, this a blessing and I want to thank God and AirtelTigo for the opportunity. I will encourage others who are not on the network to go get an AirtelTigo SIM and join the AirtelTigo family.
Presenting the prize to the winners, Director of Marketing at AirtelTigo, Isaac Boamah, congratulated the winners, saying, “we at AirtelTigo are excited to see that this promo has sufficiently expressed our appreciation to our customers for their loyalty, and we are glad that we have been able to touch the lives of many customers by showering them with lots of cash during the promo. Our customers should look forward to more innovative products and services for their call, data and ATMoney needs.”
The ‘To Gu Me So reloaded’ promotion was organized under the supervision of Gaming Commission of Ghana to provide a reliable and transparent method of selecting winners in weekly and grand draws with over 50,000 customers winning over GHC 1 million .
Africa’s leadingTelecommunications company, Telecel Group, is set to roll out its flagship social accelerator and investment program, the Africa Start–up Initiative Program (ASIP) powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech in Ghana beginning next week.
The ASIP/SBC/AfriTech scouting team will be in Accra on 27th October 2022 to scout for prospective start-ups for enrolment in the program after holding similar events inAbidjan, Lagos, Kampala, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi.
Applications for Cohort 3 of the ASIP Accelerator program which will be launched in February 2023, opened in August this year.
“We usually encourage start-ups to attend the country FastTrack events to enable them to get real time feedback from our panel of experts. From our experience, about 20 percent of start-ups that attend the events usually make it to the final round. It is a fantastic opportunity to network with our investment team and get more information about the program”, said Henry Ojuor, the Director of the Accelerator Program.
The Ghana FastTrack to be held at the Accra Digital Centre,coincides with Ghana Digital Innovation Week.
“The Ghana Digital Centre (GDCL) is excited to host the Fasttrack event. It comes at a time when GDCL is intensifying collaborations with key stakeholders to identify and create opportunities that accelerate the growth of digital start-ups in line with its objective of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the provision of platforms for business incubation, business acceleration, digital research,and development programs”, said Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, the Managing Director of the Ghana Digital Centre.
The Executive Deputy for Telecel Group and Director of ASIP, Eleanor Azar, said: “The potential we see in Ghana is exponential and we look forward to welcoming more Ghanian Start-ups to ASIP. The support of the Accra Digital Center to pursue our goals in Ghana and launch the ASIP Initiative has been instrumental, and we look forward to more events like this”.
The Ga Mantse (King), Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi(Mp) have pledged the support of the Ga Traditional Council and the Government of Ghana for the India Africa Trade Council (IATC).
They expressed their profound gratitude to the IATC for selecting Ghana as its headquarters for the West and Central Africa regions.
Speaking at the maiden IATC Trade submit held in Accra on October 18, 2022, at the World Trade Center, the Ga Mantse said he was excited about Ghana hosting the West and Central Africa headquarters of the Council.
He therefore pledged his fullest support to the IATC.
Hon. Baafi who doubles as Member of Parliament for the people of Juabeng South and Deputy Trade Minister, urged members of the IATC to embrace Ghana’s flagship industrialization programme, the One District One Factory (1D1F).
Hon. Baafi promised the doors of the Government of Ghana will always be open to investors, saying the Government will always support investors.
IATC Delegation Visits Ghana
The Global President of IATC, Dr. Asif Iqbal, was in Ghana to attend the submit and to also present to Dr. James Gnanaraj Rajamani, his letter of credence, confirming his appointment as the Chairman of IATC West and Central Africa.
Mr. Iqbal was accompanied to Ghana by his vice, Mr. Wali Kashvi and Trade Commissioner of Telanga State,India, Krishna Vamsi.
In his address at the submit, Dr. Iqbal admonished businessmen and women to take advantage of international trade liberalization policies to ensure effective growth of the business communities.
On his part, Dr. James Rajamani assured his readiness to live up to his responsibilities in coordinating the activities of the Central and West Africa sub regions.
Recognition
The three management directors of IATC were presented with certificate of recognition from IATC Global Head Office based in India.
They are: Dr. Immanuel Rajamani, Executive Director, International Protocol; Neelesh Bhatia, Executive Director, Finance and Administration; and Mr.Peter Mensah, Executive Director, Operations and Corporate Affairs.
Attendees
The submit attracted several key personalities from industry, the diplomatic community, government, religious leaders, traditional leaders and the security agencies.
In attendance at the submit were: the Board Chairman of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Kwame Acheampong Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs of Sierra Leone, Dr. Memunatu Pratt;
the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh ; the Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon. George Boakye; Bono East Regional Minister, Akwasi Adu Gyan; member of the Board of IATC and the Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network, Mr. Nat Adisi (Borla Ray);as well as some selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
About IATC
The idea is India Africa Trade Council came about in 2020 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
IATC is a non-governmental organization established in consultation with the various heads of Trade bodies in Africa and the presidents/representatives and professionals of repute from the entire Indo-African region.
It was formed with a view to giving the business communities of both India and Africa a voice and a tool to foster development.
Secretary-General of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has disclosed that from next year, the secretariat will focus on roping in young entrepreneurs into the trade initiative.
According to him, products traded under AfCFTA are value-added goods that are locally manufactured from various countries of origin.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, Wamkele Mene said, “We have agreed that next year the focus for the guided trade initiatives will be on young entrepreneurs. Now, they can benefit from the AfCFTA.”
He also noted that AfCFTA is for the private sector, Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), smallholder farmers, among others.
Meanwhile, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia are the 7 countries participating in AfCFTA.
The products traded include ceramic tiles, car batteries, pharmaceuticals, palm kernel oil, coffee, rubber, tea, components for air conditioners, among others.
AfCFTA was introduced in 2018 with the aim of creating a single market for Africa, as well as, ensuring the free movement of goods and services on the continent.
This free movement of goods and services will help expand Intra-African trade.
This implies that goods will be sold at a relatively cheaper price because of the increase in production which will, in turn, create both direct and indirect jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
The free trade area also provides traders and importers an opportunity to stay competitive.
Businesses when conducted in a free and safe environment will help reduce poverty in member states as well as create sustainable development.
LC Waikiki, a leading fashion retail brand globally, continues its expansion in Ghana and has opened its second store at the Achimota Retail Centre in Accra. This comes after the brand opened its first store at the Junction Mall in Accra last year.
The store openings in Ghana by the fashion retail giant form part of its plan to expand further in Africa in line with its mission, ‘Everyone Deserves to Dress Well.’ In the new store which covers an area of over 900m², the customers can find LC Waikiki’s special collections with wide choice of for men, women and children.
LC Waikiki’s Country Manager, Aziddin Zidi, speaking on the opening of the new store stated: “Ghanian market is one of most attractive market in Africa thanks to it’s economic potential, population and location in West Africa. It is a proud moment for us to open this store today as it signifies progress in LC Waikiki’s Africa growth strategy.
The two stores in Ghana makes us the second country in West Africa where LC Waikiki has expanded its brand following its success in the East African market and we are very happy about that. We are targeting more stores and more cities to be closer to our customers wherever they wish to find us.
Regarding our goals; we are planning to open our next store in Kumasi and we are aiming to be on 2 cities with 5 stores by end of 2023. From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Globally, the Turkish brand continues its operations with more than 1200 stores in 56 countries, 357 different cities on 4 continents and 57,000 employees. LC Waikiki’s target is to have more than 1500 stores all over the world in the next few years. The company reported that they have had 530 million items sold in 2021.
From this day onward, our promise to the Ghanaian market is to provide them with quality and fashionable items and never will we go back on this promise.”
Founded in 1988 and initially established in France, LC Waikiki has been operating in Turkey since 1997 with the aim of making fashion accessible to everyone. Its mission has always been ‘Everyone deserves to dress well’. For 34 years, LC Waikiki has continued to expand both nationally and internationally with 57,000 employees worldwide and more than 1,200 stores in 56 countries, in 357 cities around the world.
Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has urged managers of Ghana’s economy to as a matter of urgency begin talks with the World Bank and friendly nations for economic support even as it looks to get a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the shortest possible time.
Mr Bentil contends that the balance of payment support expected from the IMF will not be enough to deal with Ghana’s current economic crisis.
“We need more than the IMF. We need to be speaking to the world bank and friendly nations for concessionary loans to shore up the economy and then get IMF to tide us over to health. We should be speaking to them by now, IMF alone can’t help us,” he argued.
Government has had to seek an IMF bailout after months of dithering and seeking desperate to tax its way out of its inability to meet debt repayment obligations.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who had ruled out seeking an IMF bailout is currently leading negotiations to secure some three billion dollars for the country to heal resolve balance of payment challenges.
But Mr Bentil is of the opinion that the expected there billion dollars will be insufficient given the dire straits of the country.
Ghanaians are reeling under a harsh economy that has left vulnerable households unable to meet basic daily expenditure as inflation skyrockets and the currency continues a free fall against the dollar.
Narrating events leading to his arrest, Captain Smart in a 3FM interview alleged that there were spies of the NIB on the premise of his media house who relayed information about his movements to the office.
The media house has released a CCTV footage of an alleged NIB informants whom it claim was feeding intelligence about Captain Smart and other staff of the station to the operatives who eventually arrested him.
A video making the waves on social media captures Alfred Ocansey, a staff of TV3 running commentary over a video in which he claims a woman made his way to their premise and carried out her informant activities.
Why Captain Smart was arrested
The Ministry of Information earlier this week accused the journalist of impugning the character of President Akufo-Addo.
The statement was on the back of a broadcast by Captain Smart on October 17, 2022, in which he accused the president of being actively involved in illegal mining also known as galamsey activities.
Describing the claims by Captain Smart as false and malicious, the ministry further accused the journalist of engaging in unethical and irresponsible journalism.
The government in the statement said it was referring the matter to the National Media Commission for review and adjudication.
Despite the statement by government in which a threat of legal action was issued, Captain Smart in a subsequent edition of his programme reiterated his allegations against the president.
According to him, the allegation was on the basis of some of the government’s actions and inactions relative to the fight against illegal mining.
“These are the reasons why Nana is a galamsey kingpin. Osafo Maafo is a Senior Advisor to the President but asked us to allow Aisha Huang to go because of $2 billion when she was arrested. Is the $2 billion more important than our lands?
“Secondly, Chairman Wontumi is doing galamsey but still at post. Meanwhile, Kwabena Agyapong, Sammy Crabbe and Paul Afoko were suspended for doing things against party. They didn’t do anything to the state but the party. But Wontumi is doing something that is against the country. Is the party more important than the country?
“Also, the Minerals Commission boss has said Wontumi had no license to enter the Tano Nimiri forest. But the only thing government was able to do was to ask some small boys to put some old equipment there for them to burn them to suggest they have taken any action. If you’re not a kingpin, sack Wontumi,” he said.
Apostle Elijah King, the leader of the Fire Nation Arena Ministries in Lusaka, Zambia has made some interesting predictions about the flagbearer race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a sermon in his church that has been in circulation on social media, Apostle Elijah King disclosed that there will be instances of backbiting and betrayal from some of the candidates.
According to him, one of the leading candidates who will fall victim to the scheme will break away from the NPP and set up his own party.
This person, he claims will win the general elections and set the country on the path of autocracy and military rule.
“The Lord shows me that there will be confusion in the present government of Ghana. There will be confusion in the NPP and they will end up fighting each other and setting each other up. There is this race of the next presidential candidate. I won’t go into details but there is one particular man amongst the candidates that the Lord focused on and spoke to me about.
“I saw that the man will be set up and betrayed by the party. Out of the betrayal and anger, he will walk away and set up his own political party. He will buy people and Lord says, he will rule like a military government. Whatever he says will become final,” he said.
The three leading candidates in the NPP race are Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Trades, and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong.
Though the first two names are yet to officially announce their interest in the race but Kennedy Agyapong has announced his, detailing his plans for the primaries and the national election.
Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party, (NPP) is concerned about the continued depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
He is equally concerned about what he describes as ‘talking down’ the currency which is currently the worst against the US dollar globally according to a Bloomberg report.
“The widespread talking down of the cedi is contributing largely to the struggle of the cedi. The technical word for it is speculation. The speculation must stop,” he tweeted on Friday, October 21.
His tweet was in reaction to a description of the cedi as ‘worthless’ in a news reportage by Accra-based TV3.
Ahiagbah was echoing a similar concern raised by a leading member of the NPP, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who had in a series of Facebook posts warned against how journalists especially describe the cedi.
Gabby holds that whenever journalists report negatively on the cedi, they become accessories to fuel speculation about the currency and thus become complicit in its depreciation.
He wrote in a Facebook post on October 20 thus: “Journalists can report and influence. But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation.
“It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi; but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations.
“The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless! My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know where to turn,” the post added.
His comments come a day after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta appealed against panic and unnecessary rush to get the dollar. he, however, described the depreciation of the cedi as ‘perplexing.’
Ghanaians have vented their frustration on the government, accusing the authorities of being incompetent, as a result of the country’s crippling economic situation.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, some residents can be heard booing the president and his entourage as they drive on a stretch riddled with potholes in a town reported to be Akyem Akroso, in the Eastern Region.
The president received boos due to the appalling condition of the area’s roads, according to a Twitter user going by the name @PrinceHenry_PHK.
Skyrocketing fuel prices, ever-increasing food market prices, bad roads, and a high cost of living among other factors have driven Ghanaians to resort to booing the president at any given chance.
The first time was at the Global Citizen Festival, an international event held at Ghana’s Independence Square, where he was jeered as he took the platform to make his speech.
The incident drew a lot of criticism, with some chastising the youth and labelling them impolite for engaging in such behavior on an international platform.
A few days ago, while the president toured the Ashanti region to commission some projects, several market women and men also booed at him and his entourage as they drove through Adum.
The number of times Ghanaians have publicly shown their anger with the current administration in recent weeks now stands at three following the most recent booing episode in the Eastern region.
The Police have arrested two individuals seen in a viral video, with one wearing a black attire with police insignia.
The person seen in the attire, Marcus Dankwah, is not a police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, Pascal Nelson.
According to the police, a search conducted on them led to the recovery of the attire.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.
The investigation by the police also revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
“As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.”
President Akufo-Addo has expressed optimism over the ability of his government to remedy recent economic headwinds the country is facing.
In an interview on Republic 97.5 FM, the president said the solutions being sought will fix the fundamentals of the economy and by so doing justify the government’s aspirations.
“I am confident that where our economy is now, we will find a solution to it and with that, the whole world will see that the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy, the things we set out t do, we were right in identifying those things.”
He identified specifically the areas of food security and industrial development and expansion as major planks of the new economy being built.
On the causes of the current crisis, Akufo-Addo, who is currently touring the Eastern Region, put it down to the inability this year to raise funds on the capital markets.
“One of the most fundamental is our capacity to raise money on the international capital markets, this year that has been compromised. Largely as a result of issues in the global economy, which meant that all budgets of countries have been thrown out of gear,” he stated.
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, a Political Scientist and a member of the governing NPP, is of the view that the governing New Patriotic Party‘s (NPP) ‘break the 8’ agenda is mere rhetoric.
According to him, it will be difficult for the governing party to achieve that aim because going beyond the eight-year cycle as has been the case since 1992 can only be possible by deeds or performance and not words.
“When people are saying that you cannot break the 8, that is what they are saying, you cannot. What are you going to do to break the 8 anyway? It is your performance that breaks whatever you want to break not you yourself saying it…it is others who are going to vote to look at your performance and they thought that they will break it for you. So, we see these things because there is a lack of performance,” Dr. Amoako Baah said on Joy FM, Friday, October 21.
The political scientist was reacting to the Global InfoAnalytics survey report which revealed that 70% of eligible voters doubt the ability of the New Patriotic Party to win the 2024 general elections.
To him, the survey is not scientific although it gives an idea of where the country is heading.
He noted that the unpopularity of President Akufo-Addo is a clear testimony of the position of the NPP in the 2024 elections.
“The party in power and especially when the leader, the President becomes this unpopular it is very easy to decide where this is going. You will know the outcome beforehand but this research is unscientific that is all it is.”
Global InfoAnalytics survey in its October 2022 report stated that the majority of the voters have ruled out the possibility of the NPP ‘breaking the eight’.
“On the question of whether the NPP can ‘Break the Eight’, approximately 70% of voters do not believe the NPP can win the 2024 election, whilst 19% believe so and 10% have no opinion”, a summary of the survey disclosed.
The survey also revealed that former President John Dramani Mahama, if given the mandate as the NDC flagbearer, will beat any of the two frontrunners of the governing NPP in the 2024 elections.
The report noted that Ghanaians are likely to vote for John Dramani Mahama as the next president over Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
“In the general elections, the poll shows Mahama (JDM) continues to lead his potential rivals from the NPP, Bawumia (DMB) and Alan Kyeremanten (AKK) by a significant margin if the elections were held today.
“The poll shows further that among voters who are likely to vote in the 2024 elections, JDM leads DMB 62% to 33%, representing a 29% lead. 6% of voters prefer to vote for someone else (SO). In the race between JDM and AKK, JDM leads AKK 60% to 36%, representing a 24% lead. 5% prefer to vote for SO”, excerpts of the survey read.
Global InfoAnalytics
Global InfoAnalytics Ltd, is a research company based in Accra. The company describes itself as “the trusted foundation for decision making; we earn that trust through the application of sophisticated methodologies to the real-world problems of companies, political organisations and policy and strategic decision-makers.”
Global InfoAnalytics has uniquely addressed the market demand for big data analytics solutions and services and provide clients with cost-effective and result-oriented service offerings that enable them to gain a competitive edge.
Latest election survey by Global InfoAnalytics has predicted former President John Dramani Mahama as the preferred candidate to win the 2024 general elections.
The survey indicated should the 2020 NDC flagbearer be given the mandate by his party, Ghanaians will vote for him as the next president over any of the frontrunners of the governing NPP thus, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.
The October 2022 report sampled views across the length and breadth of the country and stated that presently, Mahama has more appeal than both the Vice President and the Minister for Trade and Industry.
“In the general elections, the poll shows Mahama (JDM) continues to lead his potential rivals from the NPP, Bawumia (DMB) and Alan Kyeremanten (AKK) by a significant margin if the elections were held today.
“The poll shows further that among voters who are likely to vote in the 2024 elections, JDM leads DMB 62% to 33%, representing a 29% lead. 6% of voters prefer to vote for someone else (SO). In the race between JDM and AKK, JDM leads AKK 60% to 36%, representing a 24% lead. 5% prefer to vote for SO”, excerpts of the survey read.
The report continued: “The poll also shows JDM regaining the Northern region after lagging behind in earlier polls. JDM continues to lead in the North East region, the home region of the Vice President, according to the poll.
“JDM lead DMB 69% to 28% and leads AKK by 29% to 69%. In the North East, JDM leads DMB by 53% to 45% and AKK by 52% to 48%.”
In the race for the NDC’s flagbearership, the report said John Dramani Mahama is ahead of all other contenders.
“He leads Dr. Kwabena Duffour (DKD) 71% to 19%. Hon. Kojo Bonsu, attracts 3% of the votes with someone else,7%. DKD’s improvement in the polls suggests that people who had earlier said they intended to vote for someone else in the July polls, opting for him instead”, the survey said.
Global InfoAnalytics
Global InfoAnalytics Ltd, is a research company based in Accra. The company describes itself as “the trusted foundation for decision making; we earn that trust through the application of sophisticated methodologies to the real-world problems of companies, political organisations and policy and strategic decision-makers.”
Global InfoAnalytics has uniquely addressed the market demand for big data analytics solutions and services and provide clients with cost-effective and result-oriented service offerings that enable them to gain a competitive edge.
On Wednesday, October 20, 2022, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss announced her resignation from the role.
Liz Truss stepped down as Prime Minister of the UK after just 45 days, setting a record as the shortest-lived PM of the UK.
Her resignation came on the back of a series of U-turns on her economic plan which led to the axing of the Chancellor of Finance, Kwasi Kwarteng.
It does however appear that there were some spiritual anglings to her short reign as the PM of the UK which is currently experiencing an economic meltdown.
Two Ghanaian prophets, Badu Kobi of the Glorious Wave Chapel International and Prophet Amoako Attah of the Parliament Chapel International prophesied the resignation of Liz Truss four days before she made it public that she was stepping down.
In separate videos published on their social media handles, the two prophets disclosed that Liz Truss had days in the spiritual realm and was not going to last long in office.
Amoako Attah said “this woman will not spend a year in office. She has days, weeks and months but not a year. Other people will prefer the return of Boris Johnson.
Prophet Badu Kobi said, “Liz Truss will be the shortest serving Prime Minister. He cannot be in the shadows of a failure. Liz Truss will be the shortest in the history of Great Britain”.
Speaking at a press conference at No 10 Downing Street on Thursday afternoon, Truss said she came into office at a time of “great economic and international instability”.
“I recognize…given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” she noted.
Actress and model, Efia Odo, is concerned about the continued depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
She joined a long list of showbiz personalities lamenting the rate at which the cedi is losing grounds against the United States dollar.
In an October 20, 2022 tweet, at the time forex bureaus were reporting that a dollar had reached a record 13 Ghana cedi mark, Efia posed a rhetorical question on her timeline.
“$1=13 Cedis. Did we die and wake up in hell?” she asked.
She joins the likes of actresses Lydia Forson and Yvonne Nelson in calling out the government over the cedi depreciation.
Actor Prince David Osei has also threatened a protest amid calls for the government to fix the economy. On her part, broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah published an open letter on the economy among others, calling on Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to resign.
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
In a Director OJ video, rap legend Michael Owusu ‘Sarkodie’ Addo has asserted his dominance in what seems like a freestyle song.
Delivered in keeping with the popular braggadocios Hiphop spirit, he addressed a number of issues including why he is still an independent artiste and not signed to any major record label.
Africa’s most decorated rapper, he, in this surprise release titled ‘Fraud N*** in Suit’, compared detractors in the creative arts industry to bloggers who write “stupid things” to for money.
He also likened them to “blood sucking” mosquitoes, and warned them he would kill them with an insecticide.
“You don’t have good intentions. You’re here in Ghana, always scheming to destroy people,” he further charged and strongly warned that they should stay off Black Sherif.
“I beg you don’t go after Blacko with your witchcraft,” he barked sarcastically in a plea.
King Sarkodie, as is his nickname, he rapped in English, Pidgin and Akan.
Recently, Sarkodie, citing a trip to South Africa, indicated how popular ‘Blacko’ has become internationally. He recalled an instance where people in a club he was in, were pining to hear Black Sherif’s music as the biggest record of the night.
“It’s not just part of the playlist. We’re talking about the biggest song of the night that people are looking forward to at the highest peak,” the rapper affectionately called Sark said.
He also prayed for the 20-year-old: “He is about to see more than he has done already. So he should strap on for the better things that are about to happen. God bless you, Blacko.”
Sarkodie said these things at Black Sherif’s private cocktail to celebrate his debut album: ‘The Villain I Never Was’.
Meanwhile, due to some pictures of the two in a recording studio, spotted on social media, it is said they have collaborated on unreleased music.
Sarkodie is at the moment, gearing up for the November 11, 2022, release of his ‘Jamz’ project.
Samuel Bryan Buabeng, a presidential staffer admits that times are hard and the government is working to bring relief to the citizenry in the short to medium term.
He is, however, not convinced that the main opposition leader, former president John Dramani Mahama, given his previous record can make things any better for Ghanaians.
Commenting on the prevailing economic difficulties via an October 21, 2022 tweet, Buabeng restated his belief that the government will soon fix the problem with the economy.
“We won’t be cowered or deceived by Mahama and his enablers. He doesn’t have the magic hands to make Ghana any better, we still have receipts of his moribund government, never again! We shall overcome. We have done it before. This, too, shall pass.”
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
The upcoming season ofThe Crownis going to be covering some of the most painful times in recent memory for the Royal Family, and it might prove to be very difficult for Prince William and Prince Harry to stomach.
ET recently sat down with royal expert Katie Nicholl, who helped shine some light on what the princes may be struggling with when it comes to season 5 of The Crown, which largely covers the 1990s — a particularly tumultuous and dark time for the family.
“I think this series is going to be quite uncomfortable viewing, not just for [Queen Consort] Camilla and [King] Charles but also for William and Harry,” Nicholl explained. “Scenes leading up to their mother’s death are going to be very, very uncomfortable for them.”
Princess Diana died in a shocking car crash in Paris in 1997, at the age of 36. At the time, William and Harry were 15 and 12, respectively.
“This is a period that they had to live out so publicly. We heard Harry talk about the very real impact it’s had on his life, and William as well,” Nicholl shared. “So for this to sort of be revisited, even if it’s done tastefully … for this to be brought up all over again is incredibly hard for William and Harry.”
“[There is] a sense that, really, their mother’s ghost can’t ever be laid to rest for them,” she added. “I think [that] is really still something that’s very real and very difficult for them.”
Nicholl explained that the “biggest problem” the royal family and critics of the show have with the current seasons is that it “is about people who are still alive today.”
“The events, yes, are 25 years old, but they still feel very current because they’re constantly still making headlines — largely through films and TV series like this,” she said. “Those early [seasons] felt like there was enough history, felt like there was enough distance. But this just feels uncomfortably close.”
“That being said, with all the media hype and the attention the series has been getting, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this is the biggest rated [season] for the series, in terms of viewing figures,” Nicholl added.
Another element of awkwardness may stem from the casting of Dominic West — a real-life friend of Harry — to play a younger Charles.
“For Dominic West, going into that role playing Charles, during some of the most tumultuous years of the Royal Family — and at a time when Charles’ popularity was absolutely rock bottom — I think any actor would jump at the chance because, obviously, it’s a wonderful opportunity,” Nicholl said. “But [they might] also think twice about it as well. I mean, when they were making The Crown they would have known, given the queen’s age, given her frailty, [that] there was always a real risk that this series was going to go out when she was either close to death or indeed had died, as is the case.”
“So I think that is a big responsibility for the actors,” Nicholl said. “It’s not just a role, it’s not just a character, it’s not just a part. It’s a real person who now happens to be king, and it is the dredging up of a past which he’d much rather move on from.”
Season 5 of The Crown premieres Nov. 9 on Netflix.
The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has served notice to persons who are yet to complete their SIM registration process to do so before October 30.
According to her, some Ghanaians have been able to complete the first stage of the registration but are yet to complete the process with their biometric details.
These persons she noted, should take advantage of the SIM self-registration app to complete the process or risk having their SIM cards blocked.
In a release sighted by GhanaWeb on October 21, 2022, she said: It is however disconcerting that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM Cards to their Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed their Stage 2 registration.
“There is no excuse for this since these individuals have their Ghana Cards, have started the process, and had ample opportunity to fully register their SIM Cards, including through the use of the self-registration app which is the first of its kind in the world,” she added.
Read the full release below:
PRESS STATEMENT ON SIM REGISTRATION EXERCISE
I commend the millions of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaian residents in Ghana who have diligently registered their SIM Cards in accordance with the SIM Registration directives since the process commenced on 1st October 2021.
The primary objective of the SIM Registration exercise, as we have continually emphasized, is to protect us all against fraud, promote our collective security and advance our transformational digital agenda.
Mobile phones and SIM-enabled devices have become essential livelihood tools and underpin many digital innovations we find indispensable, but despite the immense benefits of modern digital technology, there are also significant risks, some of which we are seeking to mitigate through the SIM registration exercise.
We must ensure a safe digital ecosystem for us all. Government has no intention of just inconveniencing or overburdening citizens or depriving them of the use of their SIM Card enabled devices.
The good news is that despite the challenges that this exercise has encountered, including challenges with the acquisition of Ghana Cards, we have chalked significant successes we should be proud of. Between 1st October 2021 and 4th October 2022;
• 28,959,006 SIM Cards have been linked to Ghana Cards (Stage 1 registration); representing 67.28% of the 42,749,662 total SIM cards issued nationally
• 18,930,664 SIM Cards have been fully registered (Completed both Stages 1 and 2) – representing 44.28% of the total SIM cards issued. This equates to 69.64% of all Stage 1 registrations.
• 13,720,687 unique Counts of Ghana Cards have been used so far for the registration exercise
While we have not yet achieved our target, by every measurable yardstick and against the challenges that we have as a developing economy, this is quite an achievement. 14 million Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians can sleep safely, comforted by the fact that their 18.8 million SIM Cards are safe and secure. We have made good progress, and this is a collective gain that we must celebrate.
It is however disconcerting that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM Cards to their Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed their Stage 2 registration. There is no excuse for this since these individuals have their Ghana Cards, have started the process and had ample opportunity to fully register their SIM Cards, including through the use of the self registration app which is the first of its kind in the world.
There may be some who are opposed to the SIM Card registration exercise for either ideological, philosophical, or political reasons. Let me just remind them that they may be exercising their right to opt-out of this exercise but all actions have consequences. All unregistered SIMs will be deactivated. Regulation 1(b) of the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I 2006) states that “A network operator or service provider shall not activate a Subscriber Identity Module for a subscriber unless the subscriber complies with the directives given by the Authority under the Act and the National Communications Authority Act, 2008, (Act 769) on the registration of Subscriber Identity Module.”
This imposes a legal obligation on all Network Operators to activate ONLY SIMs registered in the manner prescribed by the NCA on their network. Any SIM which is not duly registered in accordance with NCA directives cannot be activated on any network in Ghana.
The Authority, NCA, therefore, has the power to issue DIRECTIVES detailing the entire procedure for SIM registration and to impose penalties/sanctions for noncompliance with the Directives.
As a responsible government, we will ensure that they enforce the law to the letter.
We also acknowledge that some of our citizens have had difficulties obtaining Ghana Cards to enable them undertake their SIM registration, although 1.3 million Ghanaians have also been issued their Ghana cards but have not collected them. This is regrettable and we will continue to engage the National Identification Authority to expedite the process.
At the end of July 2022, I announced a two-month extension of the deadline for registration to 30 September 2022. Following consultation with the industry, I hereby announce the following:
1. All SIM Cards that have been linked to Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration), but have not completed their Stage 2 registration will be blocked from the end of October. This is not an extension of the deadline but a temporary moratorium to encourage these individuals to complete the process. If they have any peculiar challenges, they should contact the NCA.
These good people have the Ghana card, have started the process, and will be encouraged to complete it with this gentle reminder. All other unregistered SIMs will also be blocked progressively.
2. The NCA is in discussions with the NIA on registered amputees and other categories of persons and will make an announcement shortly on arrangements made to accommodate them. The provision made earlier for SIMs active outside Ghana and diplomats still stands.
3. All data-only SIMs including those issued by Surfline, Busy Internet, Telesol, and any institution such as ECG, have up to the end of November to complete registration.
4. Some people have registered more than ten (10) SIM Cards for personal use and the database has identified it and will clean it up. They should, as a matter of urgency, delink the unwanted SIM Cards immediately because any excess SIM Cards over the individual limit of 10 SIMs per person will be removed from the database and blocked.
This will also address issues of pre-registered SIMS. Let me remind all SIM card vendors that it is an offense to pre-register and sell SIM cards. The NCA has been directed to conduct mystery shopping and enforce the law against those miscreants. If found guilty, they could be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
Let me conclude by stating that the government is fully committed to ensuring that we have a safe digital ecosystem underpinning our collective cybersecurity. A successful SIM Card registration exercise is an essential part of this goal and I therefore appeal to us all to put our national interest first and do the right thing for this country.
As we celebrate our successes on the SIM Card registration, the government will continue to uphold its commitment to protect all citizens. We encourage all of us to live up to our obligations to each other and to the state. We need your cooperation to ensure that this essential SIM Card registration exercise succeeds.
The Pharmaceutical Industry in Ghana has disclosed its decision to stop supplying drugs and medications to health facilities across the country on credit basis as a result of the instability of the Ghana cedi.
At a press conference in Accra Thursday, October 20, 202, the Pharma Industry noted that the decision which takes immediate effect will affect the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The three major players in the sector, the Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana, and the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association of Ghana stressed that the current depreciation of the cedi against the dollar has compelled them to change their approach to business.
President of the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association, William Adum Addo stressed that the instability of the Ghana cedi might affect the quality of drugs on the market.
“The effect of medicine prices will not only result in challenges with medicine availability and accessibility but most importantly the quality of life of Ghanaians because we all know health is wealth. They cannot afford the exorbitantly high cost of medicine … very soon a sizable number of industry players may be forced to fold up or lay off staff,” he said.
According to the Chairman of Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, Harrison Abutiate, major players have had to cough up huge sums of money to import drugs and other materials needed for the production of medicines.
The groups urged the government to release all outstanding debts owed its members to prevent the shortage of products in the country.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed concern about the state of Ghana’s economy and called on the citizenry and the media to “come on board” to salvage the situation.
He said the economy was in a “terrible” situation and urged government to “come clean on the state of the economy” and “rally the people” to fix it.
The former president made the call when some executives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra on Friday, October 21, 2022.
The purpose of the visit was to among others, introduce the new executives to the former President and officially invite him to the 2022 GJA Media Awards scheduled for November 12, 2022.
Former President Mahama, who is also a communications expert, is a member of the GJA.
Ghana currently has an interbank exchange rate of GHS11.5 to US$1, inflation rate of 37.2 per cent, and a monetary policy rate of 24.5 per cent.
Mr Mahama urged the media to continue to play its “watchdog” role to build confidence and restore faith in the country’s democracy.
He urged the Government to take urgent steps to restore the economy and halt the rapid depreciation of the Cedi.
“The economy is in danger of crushing if we don’t get an IMF programme. How to even survive until that IMF Programme is going to be very difficult.
“In circumstance like this, what you do is to rally the country…We have come to the reality of the situation, and we all need to come on board and see how we can salvage it,” he said.
Mr Mahama commended the GJA for playing a “strong role” in broadening the media space since the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution, which, he said, had guaranteed the freedom of the press.
He expressed worry that Ghana dropped to 30 places in the latest World Press Freedom Index, describing the country’s performance as “poor”.
Mr Mahama asked the GJA to rise against any form of attack on journalists and defend its members from harassment in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
“One of your own, Ahmed Suale paid the ultimate prize and as at now, there seem not to be any movement in apprehending the people who assassinated him.
“I think that it is something that you (GJA) must not sleep on. Continue to fight to make sure that whoever was responsible for that murder is brought to book,” he said.
Mr Albert Dwumfour, President of GJA, commended the former President for his role in promoting press freedom during his tenure as President.
He said the vision of the new administration was to ensure the welfare of journalists through professional development, investing in human capital, and building capacities to meet emerging trends.
Mr Dwumfour said the Association would soon launch the “Journalists Support Fund” to provide legal services and other interventions to journalists attacked in line of duty.
“The Fund will put together a team of legal brains who will tell and see to the logical conclusion of such cases,” he said.
The government’s Green Ghana Project (GGP) remains a realistic intervention to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country, Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister has said.
The project, she said, had for the past two years planted more than 27 million varieties of tree species to restore the nation’s degraded forest and vegetative cover.
Madam Owusu-Banahene, therefore, implored everybody to help nurture and grow the trees to help tackle the nation’s vulnerability to climate change and its impacts.
The Regional Minister was speaking at a climate justice promotion capacity building and knowledge sharing workshop in Sunyani, organised by the Sunyani Zonal Chapter of the Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP) with support from the G2 Foundation, a non-government organisation.
Under the theme “Climate Change, Iniquities and Building a Local Resilience: Promoting Climate Justice through Planning Activism”, the workshop was attended by development planners drawn from the 12 politically administrative districts and municipalities in the Bono Region.
It sought to empower participants including traditional leaders and students to adapt climate mitigation systems and strategies, as well as helping to put climate issues on the forefront of policy formulation and implementation at district and regional levels.
Mad Owusu-Banahene emphasised the government’s commitment towards implementing policies and programmes directed at mitigating the effects of climate change in the country.
The government has committed the Forestry Commission (FC) to ensure six million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduction under the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ programme with the World Bank since 2019, she added.
She, therefore, stressed the need to strengthen the competencies of development practitioners for effective and efficient formulation and implementation of programmes aimed at achieving climate justice set targets.
“Agriculture, water, energy and the extraction of mineral resources are essential drivers of development in our countries, but at the same time, are characteristically sensitive to changing climate,” Mad Owusu-Banahene indicated.
Dr. Michael Addaney, lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, observed that climate change was well felt in the country, and called for concerted efforts to tackle unscrupulous human activities contributing to global warming.
Earlier, in a welcoming address, James Ata-Era, the Sunyani Zonal Chairman of the GIP, called on the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to strengthen by-laws on environmental sustainability.
He called on everybody to support the fight against illegal mining, logging, sand winning and the indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste.
A group, consisting of the victims and families of victims of the Ejura killings has submitted a joint memorandum to petition the Appointments Committee of Parliament against confirming the nomination of Justice Kingsley Koomson to the Supreme Court of Ghana,
This is in connection with his role in the work of the Interministerial Committee that investigated the killings that occurred in Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
In a petition to Parliament, the group said, “We consider that Justice Kingsley Koomson lacks the necessary independence of thought, moral conviction and integrity that will support his nomination to the Supreme Court.”
“Justice Kingsley Koomson’s record with the Koomson Committee shows that he is not up to the task and that he had failed when he was entrusted with a national duty requiring that he show the necessary independence of thought, moral conviction and integrity that will support his nomination to the Supreme Court.”
“We invite the Appointments Committee and subsequently Parliament to reject the nomination of Justice Koomson to the Supreme Court,” the petition added.
The President Akufo-Addo, has stated that government is prepared to take the necessary steps in reclaiming all state lands including University of Cape Coast (UCC) lands that have been encroached on by developers across the country.
He explained that, one-third of the UCC’s legally acquired land for instance had been taken over by encroachers, saying, “This is unacceptable.”
President Akufo-Addo said this at a durbar held at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to climax the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the University.
He inaugurated a number of facilities namely, the School of Graduate Studies Building, a six-storey guest house and School of Medical Sciences Auditorium and adjoining facilities.
The anniversary was on the theme: “60 years of quality higher education: expanding the frontiers.”
President Akufo-Addo said: “I am saddened with this state of affairs especially because it is happening in Cape Coast of all places, the cradle of Ghana’s education system”
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the area to ensure cessation of this unfortunate activities, saying, “We must begin to see the university not only as a national asset and asset of the Central Region but most importantly also as an asset of the people of Cape Coast in particular.”
Touching on the current economic challenges, he said, graduates of UCC and Ghanaians in general, should continue to be inspired by the patriotic endeavours showed by members of the Aborigines RightS Protection Society which was founded in Cape Coast which ensured indigenous ownership of landS as they were threatened by European colonialists.
“It is this same example of patriotic endeavour, this same spirit of determination and tenacity by the Aborigines that we must summon up today to enable us navigate the current difficult headwinds that have engulfed the economy of our country so that we must come out stronger and more empowered than we were before to continue our journey towards our destiny of prosperity and freedom,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo commended the UCC for the feat it had chalked over the years and therefore charged management to ensure that the institution remain pure and unadulterated un the provision of quality academic and intellectual discourse and in finding solution to complex and far-reaching problems across borders and disciplines.
He expressed anticipation of witnessing products of the University making positive impact and building a strong and distinctive workforce in Ghana, West Africa and across the world.
He further urged management, staff, students and stakeholders to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure further development and transformation of the University.
He noted that the achievement of UCC over the years had been remarkable as it was reflected in considerable growth of faculty, students and infrastructure.
He gave an assurance of his commitment towards redeeming a pledge made last year of supporting the construction of students’ accommodation facility for the University.
“I acknowledge the need for further expansion of infrastructure to meet current demands and support for the free SHS initiative of this administration,” he said.
He said, the current administration would offer the needed support to expand its infrastructure for the benefit of the numerous senior high school graduates who now qualify to access university education yearly.
The government, he said, would not renege on its commitment in providing quality education and equal opportunities for future generations to have a good education.
“Regardless of the difficulties currently confronting our nation, government will continue to intervene and remain responsible for the provision of free and quality basic and secondary education for all,” he indicated.
He noted that education was the key to the development of any country and said his administration’s commitment to the Free SHS remains unshaken.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson NyarkoBoampong, in his address, appealed to the government for financial clearance to recruit additional staff to compliment the efforts of the overstretched academic staff.
The University, he said, was currently pursuing international institutional accreditation exercise and said, it would ultimately enhance the process to increase the competitiveness of UCC.
He indicated that the University was pursuing a creative path to transform UCC into a world class competitive entrepreneurial university.
The Chancellor of UCC, Sir Sam Essuon Jonah, in his address, underscored the need for the University to be innovative in the training of students in order for them to meet the changing global demand.
He urged the School of Agriculture to lead the way in coming out with better yielding crop varieties in ensuring increase in crop production.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has signed a loan agreement extending a facility of USD 60 Million to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDco).
The purpose of the facility is to finance the installation and upgrading of transmission lines in the Republic of Ghana.
The signing ceremony took place on 18th October 2022 at the head office of the Bank in Lome, Togo.
The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, signed on behalf of the Bank while the Chief Executive Officer of GRIDco, Ing. Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, signed on behalf of GRIDco.
In his short remarks, Dr. Donkor observed that as ECOWAS Member States work towards post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it will be necessary that regional electricity connectivity also expands in order to accommodate growth.
In this regard, he emphasised the need for the expansion of electricity infrastructure in the sub-region as a key sector that must be given the necessary attention.
Dr. Donkor disclosed that the Bank’s total commitment to Ghana stood at USD 250 Million as of October 12, 2022.
He reiterated the Bank’s commitment to continue to finance infrastructure projects across all sectors of the economies of ECOWAS Member States to accelerate recovery and development for the Sub-region.
The President of EBID observed that the project was in line with the Bank’s strategic objectives and aligned perfectly with Ghana’s Agenda for Jobs II.
Taking his turn, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of GRIDCo, Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, indicated that the projects to be undertaken with EBID’s facility were part of a broader plan of GRIDCo to upgrade and install infrastructure to continue to improve efficiency and increase the transmission of power within Ghana and other West African Counties such as Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cote D’Ivoire.
While appreciating the confidence reposed in GRIDCo by EBID, he stated that the completion of the project would lead to the strengthening and expansion of the transmission network, reducing technical losses and enhancing businesses and livelihoods in Ghana and the ECOWAS subregion.
Ambassador Blay-Ahimere commended the President of EBID and his team for their dedication and professionalism that saw the expeditious completion of the credit process and the consummation of the transaction.
Present at the ceremony was Ghana’s Ambassador to Togo, His Excellency Kofi Dementia, Executives from C-Nergy Ghana, and the Managing Director of Cal Bank PLC., Mr. Philip Owiredu.
An economist, Courage Buttah, has berated Ghanaian traders for putting pressure on government to save the cedi from further depreciation.
According to him, if the government had a magic wand to turn things around and save the cedi, it would have used it a long time ago.
Mr Courage Buttah took issues with the traders agitating for the government to save the cedi from further fall.
The economist made these comments while speaking on 505 evening news analysis programme on Class 91.3 FM on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, on the issue of the traders’ strike in the central business districts.
He was of the view that the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and all other associations are within their rights to adopt any means to drum home their concerns but “my concerns are what will these strikes do to the high-interest rate, rising inflation rate among others?”
“I don’t think putting pressure on the government at this time of crisis is apt,” he added.
Mr Courage Buttah also said if there is anything to do, it must be the traders appreciating that “we are a nation in crisis.”
He called on Ghanaians to show some patriotism by helping the government navigate the crisis.
“If you live in a nation where personal interests override national interests this is where you will get to,” he charged.
“People talk down the cedi by doing all manner of speculations about it,” he also noted.
“These same people who claim to be Ghanaians buy the dollar.
The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions have asked the Government not to apply a “haircut” to Tier 2 Pension Funds as part of a “probable” debt restructuring programme.
The Forum said it had taken note of media reports suggesting that about 94 percent of Tier 2 Pension contributions placed in government securities might be affected by the said debt restructuring agenda.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 20, 2022, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the Forum, said any such decision on the Tier 2 Pensions would contravene provisions of the National Pensions Act, 2008.
“If the Government was to pursue the restructuring of Ghana’s debt by touching pension funds placed in government securities, it would be tantamount to the deceit of benefits envisaged under the Three Tier Pensions Scheme,” he said.
Mr Addo said following the media reports, the Forum officially wrote to the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) for clarification.
He said the NPRA, in its response to the Forum, assured that: “there’s no such policy or decision at the moment to restructure Ghana’s debt and as regards the 94 per cent of Tier 2 pension contributions placed in government securities.”
Mr Addo said the decision to place a larger proportion of Tier-2 funds into Government Securities, was due to the fact Government paid all the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana in government securities. He said the Occupational Pension Schemes had efficiently grown the Tier-2 Pensions Funds that would allow the schemes to pay “better lump sum” to its contributors on retirement.
“Thus, if the government would want to touch these funds, that are privately managed, it would be tantamount to the Government reaping where it has not sown,” he said.
The Forum is made up of nine public sector Unions and Associations, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, the Ghana National Association of Teachers; the Ghana Medical Association; the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana, Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana, and the Ghana Hospitals Pharmacists Association. The Forum constitutes about 70 per cent of the public sector payroll. Ghana’s Pension Scheme is in three tiers. The First Tier is the Basic National Social Security Scheme for all workers in Ghana. It is a defined benefit scheme and mandatory for workers to have 13.5 per cent contributions made on their behalf, and managed by SSNIT.
The Second Tier is a defined contributory Occupational Pension Scheme mandatory for workers with 5 per cent contribution made on behalf of members.
The contribution is managed privately by approved Trustees. The Third Tier which includes all Provident Funds and all other Pension Funds outside Tiers I and II is a voluntary scheme.
Section 102 of the Pensions Act states: “the accrued benefits of a member in an occupational pension scheme shall not be attached in execution of a judgment debt or be used as a charge, pledge, lien or be transferred, assigned or alienated by or on behalf of the member.”
The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Eric Baah has fixed February 16, next year, (2023), to deliver judgement in the case in which Ace Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has sued Kennedy Agyepong for defamation.
The Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) is facing a GHc25M sum from Anas over some comments he (MP) had allegedly made against the investigative journalist in public after airing his investigative piece #Number 12, which exposed some rots in Ghana Football.
Justice Eric Baah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, fixed the date after the parties had ended their testimonies.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that the lawyers have been directed to file their written addresses by December 6, 2022, and they would be back in 2023 for judgement.
Background
Sometime in 2018, the ace international investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas dragged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to court for defaming him.
Anas was asking the High Court to award aggravated damages to the tune of GH¢25 million arising from defamatory materials published by the MP.
He said the MP had been publishing materials in his bid to discredit the investigative journalist, who has released an explosive piece on the rot in Ghana football.
Displeased with the MP’s actions, Anas has, through his lawyer, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, sued Mr Agyapong for the award of general damages for defamation in the defendant’s publications.
A journalist, Mr Listowell Yesu Bukarson, has been granted the lawful attorney to stand in for Anas.
Publications
The publication complained of are May 29, 2018 live programme in Twi on Adom TV, where Mr Agyapong categorically stated that Anas was a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist and evil.
According to the statement of claim, the defendant, in a similar manner, published defamatory words on May 31, 2018 via Oman FM, a private radio station owned by the defendant.
The statement of claim also stated that the defendant published more defamatory materials against the plaintiff via other platforms to the extent of releasing pictures purported to be those of the investigative journalist in his bid to blow the latter’s cover.
The purpose of the visit was to introduce the new executives of the association, re-engage Mr Mahama as a member and invite him as a special guest for the upcoming GJA awards scheduled to take place at Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel on Saturday, 12 November 2022.
Speaking during the visit on Friday, 21 October 2022, the GJA acknowledged the former President’s support in the establishment of the media fund under his government, geared towards aiding and building the capacity of journalists.
President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour said: “Your support and promotion of press freedom is non-negotiable. You’ve been the guest of honour for our GJA awards when you were the president; this is how important you valued the Association.”
The former President commended the association for a peaceful election.
He noted that: “Many of us watchers of the media were getting a bit concerned with the delay in democratisation within the organisation and you being the watchdogs of our democracy if you yourselves could not get it right then there were a lot of concerns being expressed about it.
“But I’m happy that your election finally took place and an executive has been put in place.”
Mr Mahama further commended the Association for its role in broadening the media space in the country.
“The watchdog role of the media and they’re saying that the media shall be the watchdog of the people over government and so that is a role that you have had to effectively play. The GJA has played a very strong role in broadening the media space in order that journalists can operate and operate without fear of harassment.”
He called on the GJA, not to relent in its efforts to ensure justice for slain journalist, Ahmed Suale.
“For some time, there’s been concerns that the Association had become a bit docile in terms not only of safeguarding the media space but also in terms of defending its members when they come under attack from the work that they do.
“Of course one of your own, paid the ultimate price, Ahmed Suale and as of now there still doesn’t seem to be any movement in apprehending the people who assassinated him in such cold blood and I think that is something that you must not sleep on. You must continue to fight to make sure that whoever were responsible for that murder, you know, are brought to book.”
A total of 13, 209 delegates are expected to vote to decide the fate of some 466 aspirants in the Bono Regional National Democratic Congress (NDC) Party’s constituency election this weekend.
In all, that region has 12 constituencies.
Mr Richard Blay, the Party’s Bono Regional Director of Elections, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Sunyani that Banda was the only constituency among the 12 that had all its aspirants going unopposed and therefore, would settle for acclamation on Saturday.
He said that aside, the Berekum East constituency would hold the election on Sunday, but the rest would have theirs on Saturday.
Giving the constituency breakdown, Mr Blay explained that in Sunyani East Constituency, 43 aspirants were seeking to be elected with 2,295 delegates expected to vote, whereas in Sunyani West, 1,700 delegates would be voting for 40 aspirants.
At the Berekum East constituency, 1,204 delegates would be voting for 47 aspirants, whereas Berekum West has 46 candidates with 561 expected delegates.
The Dormaa West constituency has 39 contenders and 540 delegates, Dormaa East, 36 candidates and 807 delegates and the Dormaa Central, 42 aspirants but 1,247 delegates.
The Jaman North and Jaman South constituencies have 41 and 47 aspirants, with 1,014 and 1,211 expected delegates, respectively.
The Wenchi constituency has 50 aspirants and 1,256 delegates with the Tain constituency having 35 aspirants and 1,372 delegates.
Mr Blay expressed satisfaction with the election process in all the 12 constituencies, saying everything was on course for a successful, free, and fair election, indicating security on the day was well-assured for the safety of everyone.
The 466 candidates are contesting Chairman, Vice- Chairman, Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Organiser, Deputy Organiser, Treasurer, Deputy Treasurer, Communication Officer, and Deputy Communication Officer positions.
The other positions are Women Organiser, Deputy Women Organiser, Youth Organiser, Deputy Youth Organiser, One Youth Representative, Zongo Caucus Coordinator and eight other Executive members.
Eastern Region is one of the mining regions in Ghana Chinese sneaking to engage in illegal mining.
Dozens of these Chinese illegal miners have been arrested in the last five years but only three have been imprisoned.
As part of the fight against the menace, Chief Justice designated the Koforidua High Court 3 and Circuit Court B, to deal with illegal mining cases in the region.
Recent statistics by the Eastern Regional Office of the Attorney General Department headed by Chief State Attorney Mrs. Emily Addo-Okyireh detailed that, a total of 187 illegal miners charged in 48 cases have been convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in the Region since 2017.
The 187 convicted persons include 29 nationals of Niger, seven Nigerians and three Chinese.
A majority of the accused persons were tried and sentenced under the old section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). Section 99(1) of Act 703 prescribed a penalty of a minimum fine of three thousand penalty units or imprisonment for a term of not more than five years for the offence of buying or selling minerals without a licence.
For the offence of undertaking a small-scale mining operation without a licence or acting in contravention of a provision of Act 703 in respect of which an offence is created, section 99(2) of Act 703 stipulated a penalty of a minimum fine of one thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not more than three years.
In spite of the provision not being punitive enough, the Office of the Attorney-General says it succeeded in ensuring the application of maximum or near maximum custodial sentences allowed under imposed on the accused persons in 40 of the cases with the court exercising the discretion to impose a fine the rest of the cases.
