Dr Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), has said capping fuel prices is a wrong policy.
There have been calls for the government to intervene and cap the prices of fuel to cushion consumers.
But speaking at the 108th MPC press briefing in Accra on Thursday (6 October), Addison said, “Capping fuel prices is not an innovation. In fact, it is a wrong policy. When you have fuel prices rising and you also have a budget deficit problem, who is going to pay for the difference of the cost of fuel?”
“That will create further fiscal subsidies and worsen your fiscal deficit problem that we are all trying to resolve. So on the contrary, we should really be pushing towards full cost recovery to minimize the burden on the budget,” he added.
Oil prices held near three-week highs on Thursday after OPEC+ agreed to tighten global crude supply with a deal to cut production targets by two million barrels per day (bpd), the largest reduction since 2020.
Brent crude futures edged down 16 cents, or 0.2%, to US$93.21 per barrel by 1020 GMT after settling 1.7% up in the previous session.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 14 cents, or 0.2%, to US$87.62 after closing 1.4% up on Wednesday.
The Concerned Small Scale Miners Association believes that the fight against illegal mining can be won if the government takes action beyond expressing its commitment to it.
The President of the Concerned Small Scale Miners Association, Michael Peprah, said government officials involved in the activity must be held accountable.
“We believe that the fight can only be won if we decentralise the fight to the district level, and a lot of DCEs have come out to be accomplices in this galamsey problem.”
“It is not going to be easy, but I don’t believe in words. No matter what it is, we can still salvage the problem,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday held closed-door meetings with the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives over the grave destruction caused by illegal mining.
The President reiterated his resolve to ending the menace while charging the traditional authorities to support the government.
While speaking to MMDCEs, for instance, President Akufo-Addo said that he will not shield any government official found complicit in galamsey activities.
“I ask all of you to join hands in the fight against illegal mining. We have to win that fight, to protect our heritage for the next generation.”
An environmental health analyst at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Joseph A. Asitanga, has hinted that until some challenges are addressed, the gains made from the ongoing clean-up exercise would not have the needed impact.
The challenges, he enumerated, included the unwillingness of the squatters to assist in the clean-up; non-availability of access routes and the claim that they (the squatters had not been informed).
He, therefore, called for more information on the project.
He observed that if the above challenges were not addressed, the desired results from the clean-up operation will not be achieved.
He made the recommendation on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, during the three-month daily clean operation embarked upon by the task force of Operation Clean Your Frontage (OCYF).
The OCYF began their operations at the Circle-Neoplan Station enclave ensuring sanity in the area.
They cleared both makeshift structures, cement blocks and concrete structures from obstructing smooth movement.
Traders along the Circle-Avenor road were directed to abate the nuisance they had created.
Those who took over the areas earmarked for pavement and temporary packing lots were ordered to evacuate their wares.
Shop owners complained about brothels along the drains whose activities they indicated were polluting and impeding the free flow of water and suggested they should be evacuated.
They further lamented that the activities of sex workers identified to be foreigners were impeding the free flow of water through the drains and gutters.
“We are committed to ensuring regular cleaning of the area. In fact, it is something we have been doing but the issue is the drivers who park their vehicles along the gutters after returning from their long journeys,” a shop owner said under strict condition of anonymity.
A mop-up is expected to be conducted tomorrow to ensure compliance, according to Mr. Asitanga.
A team of delegations including Mr. Asitanga who went to inspect the Kaneshie market and the station brought a bad report.
According to Mr. Asitanga, upon reaching the location, it was observed that the evictees had suddenly returned to the streets making enforcement a difficult task.
Shop owners, therefore, suggested that the activities of sex workers be halted by authorities and evacuated immediately.
Speaking to journalitsts, the environmental health officer, AMA Mr. Ishmael Tagoe, said six vehicles were clamped down and tolled to the assembly pending prosecution.
Three mechanics were caught and sent to the Neoplan Police Station for open burning.
Presidential hopeful, Kojo Nsafoah Poku, has alleged that the recent challenges with the payment system of the Electricity Company of Ghana are resultant of a deliberate cyber-attack by some individuals.
According to him, some people intentionally introduced a virus into the system of the ECG to hide some crimes they committed.
He added that the IT staff at the ECG cannot be involved in the current challenges, as is being asserted, because they do not want any third party to be brought on board because of their inability to perform.
“The ICT staff are against the hiring of a third party to help with the payment system of the ECG and so they will never do something that will lead to that. Now that their payment system is down, people will be saying that the 3rd party has to be brought on board and that is not what the ECG staff want.
“There is someone at the ECG who is refusing to give data or equipment for the issue to be resolved and EOCO has now gone to take them by force. The person is the one with a motive. Now, there is a subject of criminality because the person might be trying to hide some bad things she/he has done including the possibility of shortchanging the company in terms of revenues acquired through the payment system.
“The truth is that the person has introduced a virus into the system of the ECG and that is why Ghanaians now have to struggle in order to purchase electricity,” he said in Twi in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
He urged Ghanaians to be patient because the security apparatus of the country including the National Cyber Security Centre, and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), have taken up the matter and will get to the bottom of it.
Since Tuesday, 27 September 2022, ECG customers across the country have struggled to purchase prepaid credits for their prepaid metres.
The ECG announced that it was experiencing challenges with the purchase of electricity by customers on the E-cash and PNS metering systems.
In a public announcement, the ECG noted that the interruption is due to “a technical challenge.”
The power distribution company, however, assured customers in the affected areas that its “engineers are working assiduously to correct the anomaly and restore the system to normalcy.”
Some Ghanaians including a System Analyst and Cyber Security Consultant, Yayra Koku, have alleged that the current challenge with the Electricity Company of Ghana’s prepaid vending system is a deliberate ploy to make way for the procurement of a new payment platform from a private company called Hubtel.
In a post shared on Twitter on Monday, October 3, 2022, Yayra Koku said that there is nothing wrong with the current payment system of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) but some people want to change it because of a 4 percent commission they stand to get.
The Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who disclosed this at the opening of the 3rd West African LPG Conference and Expo in Accra on Monday said the NLPGPP is an enhancement of the erstwhile Rural LPG Promotion Programme (RLPGPP), with an emphasis on commercial and industrial use.
He said the LPG sector offers a compelling way to support Africa’s industrialisation drive while leveraging the switch to cleaner energy sources, adding that, it would require joint efforts from academia, business, and the government to carefully drive West Africa to maximize the economic benefits along the entire LPG value chain.
Dr Opoku Prempeh noted that although the usage of LPG as a household fuel has grown in several West African nations since the early 1990s, the average per capita consumption is still low by global standards.
The Minister was hopeful that, “after detailed discussions via this forum on the promotion of LPG through policies and national legislation in West Africa, LPG consumption might be greatly boosted in the region.”
The 3-day conference and Expo is aimed at reaching an agreement on making LPG available at an attractive price in the West African Markets and attracting the requisite investments for LPG storage and distribution infrastructure.
President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe says it is unlikely Traditional Authorities will discontinue their interests in an entreprise they benefit from despite Akufo-Addo meeting them over the galamsey menace.
President Akufo-Addo says the protection of the lands against illegal small-scale mining also known as galamsey should be the responsibility of the traditional rulers and the government.
Addressing the House of Chiefs at the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 President Akufo-Addo indicated that ownership of the lands rests with both the government and chiefs hence protecting it should be a collective one.
“80 percent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 percent which I hold in trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you.
“What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the President in trust for the people,” the President explained.
He also pleaded for the support of the chiefs in applying stringent measures to curb the galamsey menace in the country.
Commenting on Akufo-Addo’s meeting with the House of Chiefs over the galamsey menace, Cudjoe who described the traditional rulers as the godfathers of galamsey said they[Chiefs] have a vested interest in the entreprise hence do not share the same sentiments with the President on the national crusade against illegal mining.
“Galamsey just got another bad name today. The godfathers assembled to disown their own child but will continue benefitting from its existence,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) says it is rolling out a number of interventions to ensure that, cocoa farmers do not lose their farmlands to illegal small-scale mining, otherwise known as galamsey.
It comes on the back of concerns that several factors are pushing cocoa farmers to exchange farmlands for illegal mining, thereby threatening the cultivation and production of cocoa in the country.
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, the Director of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, said among other things, the Board is assisting the farmers legally.
“COCOBOD is sponsoring a law to take into consideration what actually goes into the farm and the true value of it so that anyone moving in to take a cocoa farm and operating mining illegally there will have to pay the true value of the farm and this will serve as a disincentive”, he said.
He thus encouraged cocoa farmers to seek support from COCOBOD when faced with the challenge.
“The farmers do not want to give out these farms but with their level of exposure to go to court and resources not available to them, they are handicapped. That is why they give in. Our sensitization is ongoing, and I think that it has helped with that realization that, this is not the way to go. We are also giving the farmers legal representation when they fall on us for support.”
Mr. Boafo admitted that the producer price of cocoa ought to be increased to cushion farmers, but rejected suggestions the low cocoa price in Ghana is contributing to the exchange of farmlands for galamsey.
He disclosed that, farmers are selling farms between GH¢10,000 and GH¢25,000, but quickly cautioned farmers to desist from going into such paltry deals.
“The remuneration for cocoa farmers can be improved. In as much as the farmers’ income can be improved, I do not believe in the idea that based on economies of scale, that is why the farmers are giving out their farms. Sometimes it is out of ignorance and the wish to get things immediately without thinking about the effects of it”, he stressed.
The COCOBOD Public Affairs Director also stated that some traditional authorities are coercing farmers to give out farmlands.
“There are some traditional authorities who are actually aiding this because they tell farmers they are owners of the land, so it should be given back to them because they [chiefs] are being enticed by illegal miners. So they want to get the money quickly and eject these people from the land.”
Fire has gutted some cosmetic shops closer to the White Chapel at Makola.
The incident happened on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
Items destroyed in the fire included highly combustible cosmetic products.
The Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) sent six fire engines including a TL and water tanker to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further to other shops.
The service indicated that “accessibility to the affected shops was a challenge due to hardcore burglar proofing”
Also, “electricity power supply in the area has been isolated to enhance rigorous firefighting and prevent possible risk of electrocution of firefighters”
There were no casualties.
The GNFS says they are investigating the cause of fire.
A security analyst, Adib Saani, has called out the leadership of the outgone Students Representative Council of the Ghana School of Law for promoting what he says are undemocratic practices.
According to him, it is disturbing that the students, who form part of the institution that is responsible for protecting the democracy of this country, would be engaged in autocratic practices.
“It is always received with international dismay when incumbents refuse to hand over power to a newly elected following an election. It shocks me however that the very institution supposed to protect the democratic sanctity of our motherland is rather engaged in undemocratic practices,” he said in a statement made available to GhanaWeb.
Adib Saani was reacting to news of the refusal of the outgoing administration of the school, led by Wonder Victor Kutor, to hand over to the newly-elected body.
The outgone administration had severally been accused of corrupt practices.
“I find it hard to understand why the past administration of the Ghana School of Law that was embroiled in corrupt practices and found guilty, is refusing to hand over to a new administration despite a successful, uncontested election,” he added.
Adib Saani, who is the Executive Director of Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, further called on the student body of the Ghana School of Law to exhibit democratic tendencies in their dealings because it has an effect on the future of this country.
“Students have to learn to call for accountability and to fight off any external hands meddling in its democracy. What happens on campus today is a reflection of what will happen to our country tomorrow,” he added.
Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has said that President Akufo-Addo’s meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and chiefs on the fight against illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’) will have no impact.
According to him, the meeting will have no effect because the president has all the powers needed to fight the menace but has chosen not to use same.
Speaking in a Joy News Interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday (October 5), Kofi Bentil added that the president organised the meeting just to show that he is doing something in the fight against ‘galamsey’.
“It (the meeting) will not make any difference. It is the president that has all the power. So, when you have the power to do what you need to do and you go round suggesting that you are seeking the assistance of other people, who do not have any power or don’t have any real power to deal with the matters, it is just window dressing.
“I think he wants to show some activity. Activity is not necessarily progress. Unfortunately, I don’t think it is going to yield anything,” he said.
Kofi Bentil further stated that chiefs and MMDCEs whom the president met might be involved in ‘galamsey’ and they will not be putting in the needed efforts or help with the needed information to stop it.
He added that the president needs to call for a state of emergency if he truly wants to stop ‘galamsey’.
“That is why again I go to the call of Occupy Ghana to impose a state of emergency. The president can actually impose a state of emergency and go to Parliament even after the fact or can go to Parliament and request that it should be imposed now. If he doesn’t do it then he doesn’t want to do it because he can do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, during his meeting with chiefs and MMDCEs in Kumasi, urged chiefs across the country to get themselves involved in the fight against illegal small-scale mining since they are the custodians of lands in the country.
“80 percent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 percent which I hold in trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you.
“What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the president in trust for the people,” he noted.
The Ghana Police Service has reportedly arrested a man captured in a viral video beating a baby.
According to reports, Richard Kofi was arrested on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at Akaa Buem in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region.
The suspect is said to have been picked up by the police who took him to the palace of the chief of the town before he was whisked away into custody.
The police are said to also have arrested the wife of the suspect who lives separately from her husband’s house.
The assaulted baby was also rescued and taken into police care.
This brings an end to the hunt commenced by the police after GhanaWeb reported the video viral in which the suspect was seen beating up the baby with a whip.
The Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, announced a bounty of GHC2,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the man who was captured in the video.
In the said video, the suspect is seen holding the by one arm and whipping him up while the baby’s frantic cries for mercy was ignored.
Subsequent to the police announcement, children advocacy non-governmental organisation, Child Rights International also announced another reward of GHC10,000 reward for any such information.
An additional reward of GHC5,000 was announced by Givers Herbal Company Limited for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
This brought to a total some GHC17,000 as the bounty declared for the arrest of the suspect.
Meanwhile, a local journalist in the area has confirmed the suspect is currently in the custody of the Jasikan Police Command.
The bounty placed on a man wanted for assaulting a baby has been raised to some GH¢17,000.
This comes after the addition of some GH¢ 5,000 to the GHC12,000 announced by the Ghana Police Service and Child Right International. The additional GH¢5000 has been announced by Givers Herbal Company Limited.
“The video is very disheartening to even watch. We are even compelled to question if the child is his own. But even if the child is not his, that does not permit him to treat a baby like that. We find it worrying because this is not the first time we are seeing something like this. There was a similar video of a woman abusing a baby and we did not see how this issue ended. So we at Givers have also taken an interest and our CEO, Dr Derek Danso has also thought it wise to contribute to the search for the suspect. So whoever has information leading to his arrest will be given an additional GHC5,000 in cash,” Public Relations Officer of the Company, Richard Sarkodie told Accra FM in an interview.
The Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, announced a bounty of GHC2,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the man who was captured in a viral video whipping a young baby.
Subsequently, children advocacy non-governmental organisation, Child Rights International also announced an additional GHC10,000 reward for any such information.
For the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the General Secretary election of 2022 will perhaps be the most contentious since the outgoing executive, Asiedu Nketiah, overwhelmingly won his first election in December 2005.
Since then, there have been little doubts about the influence and power that Asiedu Nketiah, known commonly as General Mosquito, has brought to the party and its overall political outlook.
With his announced exit, a number of candidates have already started putting themselves up to take up the soon-to-be vacant slot.
From the obvious to the surprise entrants, there have so far been four major names tipped for the General Secretary position of the NDC: Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan, Fifi Kwetey, and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
In this GhanaWeb article, we take a look at what each of these candidates bring to the table.
This is also to look at what kinds of pedigrees each of these candidates have in helping the party which has been in opposition since January 2017, get a hold of political power once again.
We begin with Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor:
Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor is the current Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As someone in that position, to be vying for the substantive position of General Secretary, Dr. Otokunor brings a lot of firsthand experience to the job. In fact, in the case of all the contenders, he is most likely the most knowledgeable about the workings or otherwise of the office.
He also brings in experience from his role as the Deputy Director of Research of the NDC, and the Registrar for the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy (GISD).
Dr. Otokunor previously contested in the NDC primaries for the Ablekuma Central Constituency parliamentary seat in 2015 and lost.
Previously, he served as the Deputy Coordinator for the National Youth Authority (NYA) under the John Dramani Mahama government.
Fifi Kwetey:
Fifi Kwetey is not a novice in the NDC party and surely not an easy contender in this race.
He is the former Member of Parliament for Ketu South: the constituency considered as the NDC’s ‘world bank’ for votes and support in the country.
After serving as MP for two consecutive terms, he backed out on his own, focusing his energies into other commitments.
But on what he brings to the table of the General Secretary slot of the NDC, his influence as a former MP is not the only quality there is.
Fifi Kwetey’s knowledge in finance and economic matters is something that cannot be overstepped.
This is evidenced in the fact that he was the Deputy Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2013, under the presidency of John Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory.
Under the presidency of John Dramani Mahama, his previous work and experiences earned him the appointment as the Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied Institutions.
The outspoken, articulate former MP also once served as Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Minister for Transport.
Fifi Kwetey has however not held any direct party executive position but there is no doubt that within the ranks of the party, he is quite popular and commands quite a following.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah:
The next person on GhanaWeb’s list is Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
This candidate is yet another strong contender for the position of the General Secretary slot of the NDC and he brings as much to the table.
While he has never won an election at the party level, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has served in other executive positions of the NDC.
He is the current Director of Elections of the party and also served as the Deputy National Campaign Manager in the 2008 elections.
He was also the National Campaign Coordinator for the 2012 presidential campaigns of the National Democratic Congress for both Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama.
He was also appointed Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development by President John Atta Mills. And then again, he was the Minister of Sports under Mahama, and then a Minister of State at the Office of the President.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah was also a parliamentary candidate in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency election of December 2000 elections, although he lost.
So, without a doubt, the competition this candidate brings to the General Secretary of the NDC race is one that will give all others a real run for their monies.
As an experienced politician, Elvis hopes to take over Asiedu Nketiah’s job and if it is anything to go by, his energy makes him perhaps, the best fit to take over the General Secretary position from the outgoing executive; who has equally exhibited a lot of energy in his role.
Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan:
Finally, another candidate vying for the position of General Secretary of the NDC is Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan.
Mentioned as a possible replacement for Johnson Asiedu Nketiah even though he is yet to officially state his bid to run, it is worth mentioning that in terms of political clouts, Farrakhan is the least most competitive candidate in this race so far.
This will however not be the first time Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan has been tipped to be the General Secretary of the NDC.
In 2014, he was the only person who dared to challenge General Mosquito for the party’s General Secretary position, losing out comfortably.
The 52-year-old previously served as a district chairman in the Obuasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
In 2018, Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan was one of 11 people who contested in the party’s Deputy General Secretary elections and lost to Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor.
The boldness and consistency in trying to lead the party at the level of the General Secretary position is one of the qualities that this candidate brings to the table.
It however remains an open contest with the possibility for any kind of surprises and GhanaWeb will continue to keep its eyes and ears close to the NDC and report all updates to its readers.
Six days after the flood disaster occurred in New Juaben North, victims are yet to receive relief items.
203 households were either collapsed completely or partially damaged.
One person died whilst 2686 made up of 977 children and 1708 adults displaced by the floods.
The victims are furious that National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the New Juaben North Municipal Assembly have failed to provide their pressing needs – mattresses and food but rather supply them with water in polytank.
The staff of the New Juaben Municipal Assembly dispatched to announce to the community provision of water were nearly beat up.
“They have not brought anything, just Polytank water. Is water food? We need food to eat. We need mattresses to sleep on. Now we are all sleeping outside nobody has come to help us” a victim lamented.
“We are suffering so New Juaben North MP come and help us. we don’t have what to eat but they brought us Polytank. NADMO has taken our data but has not brought anything yet ” Seidu Iddrisu, a victim said.
Another angry victim, Sumaila Mohammed told Starr News “The community center they allocated for us is on the other side of the flooded river how can we cross and sleep there? You brought water and erected it at the market, do you expect us to move from Zongo here to the market to fetch water? We need one here in the Zongo area. Since the incident occurred nobody is helping us, you brought water for us to drink is water a food ”
A visit by Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah observed when revisiting the community that, victims were salvaging their damaged properties whilst others returning to rehabilitate their houses to reoccupy.
Five Basic Schools in the Municipality including Akwadum M/A JHS and Islamic schools have been shut down due to the flood disaster.
The schools were submerged destroying teaching and learning materials.
Some of the children were seen roaming in town whilst others support their parents salvaging their household properties.
Evelyn Obeng, a Twi Teacher was met at Akwadum M/A JHS teaching the BECE candidates to enable them to prepare well for the BECE exams to be written this month.
Addressing the media Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben North, Comfort Asante however said some relief items have been mobilized for distribution but not enough hence calling on churches, NGOs, and Philanthropist to support the assembly to go to the aid of the victims.
The High Court in Accra is expected to hear the interlocutory injunction filed by some 9 citizens against the National Communications Authority(NCA) and the Attorney General(AG) over directives to block unregistered SIM Cards.
A pressure group, The People’s Project (TPP), has dragged the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Attorney-General (A-G) to court over the imminent actions against unregistered SIM users.
They want the apex court to declare the deadline and the associated punitive measures null and void.
In a writ issued on Friday, September 9, the group said the sanction amounts to abuse of discretion, therefore seeking:
“A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Articles 2, 23, and 296 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the directive by the Minister for Communication, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful on Sunday, July 31, 2022, that the 1st Defendant will ensure that all SIM cards that are not re-registered by 30th September 2022 will be blocked while the National Identification Authority has not been able to issue the Ghana card which is the only card to be used for the said re-registration exercise to all Ghanaians is arbitrary, capricious, amounts to an abuse of discretion and same is unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect.”
The group also wants the Supreme Court to declare the punitive measures currently being implemented by the NCA which includes blocking calls declared as unconstitutional.
The full blocking of unregistered SIM users is set to begin after the September 30 deadline.
Early on, a statement issued by the NCA to all the Mobile Network Operators directed as part of the sanctions, a re-routing of outgoing calls for special messages to be played for all unregistered SIM cards.
Also in the interim, the NCA asked that some numbers be blocked for outgoing calls and data services for 48 hours once every week on a rotational basis.
“Subscribers who fully register their SIM Cards within the period they have been blocked will only be unblocked by the MNOs after the 48 hours to avoid the MNOs tampering with their systems intermittently,” the document noted.
Residents of Sakyikrom a suburb of Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality in the Eastern region say they are gripped with fear following the heightening chieftaincy dispute in the community.
The Queen mother of Sakyikrom, Nana Agyarkwabea, and a few palace Elders allegedly staged a palace coup by enstooling a new chief Nana Sakyi Agyarkwa known in private life as Percy whilst the substantive Chief Nana Osei Anka IV had traveled abroad for medical intervention in 2020 before COVID-19 lockdown.
The return of Nana Osei Anka IV to the community has since heightened tension as the Queen mother and her cohorts of chiefs aided by the security have allegedly hijacked the palace denying the alleged destooled chief access.
According to residents armed police and some plain cloth security operatives have been marauding in the town under the guise of maintaining law and order but say it is rather causing more fear and panic.
“When they come, they fire warning shots indiscriminately. We are all afraid. Our children, our wives are all afraid to go out. The last time they beat the assembly member mercilessly and he was rushed to the hospital “a resident said.
Tension was high Sunday, October 2, 2022, during the celebration of Akwasidae as both factions performed customary rites to observe the day.
Oheneba Nana Asante Okodie, the Apegyahene of Sakyikrom said, “this community is no longer safe because of the weapons being paraded in town. But I must emphasize that the Queenmother can’t destool a chief so the so-called destoolment by the Queenmother is illegal, null, and void”.
The embattled Chief of Sakyikrom, Nana Osae Anka IV explained that he was legitimately enstooled in 2013 but whilst abroad for medical treatment in 2020, he was informed by Abusuapanyin Kofi Owusu, the Queenmother was enstooling a new Chief.
Nana Osae Anka IV has since petitioned the Eastern regional House of chiefs as well as the Regional Police Command for the law to take its course rather than using violence to liberate the palace and his personal properties.
“We are peace-loving people so deposit having the numbers to face them squarely I have told my followers to remain calm. We are using the legal means to regain the stool and librate the palace” Nana Osae Anka IV.
The Mawerehene Nana Sakyi Ankomea, however, denied allegations of indiscriminate shooting in the community.
He admitted to the presence of security personnel during events due to the chieftaincy dispute in the community but said the security is to maintain law and order.
“We don’t fire warning shots. Whenever you hear gunshot that is from the musket during procession of chiefs to an event or ceremony so it is absolutely malicious to say we fire gunshots indiscriminately. There is serious chieftaincy dispute in the community so I have asked the factions several times to sit and resolve the feud for peace to prevail to stimulate development,” Nana Sakyi Ankomea, Mawerehene said.
The Deputy Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Katja Lasseur, has expressed the commitment of the Netherlands to leverage its expertise to support Ghana to improve on its agriculture sector.
She explained that the Netherlands as the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, had the potential to share knowledge, technology and investment opportunities to support efficient use of land in the country.
Speaking at the opening of the 2022 Orange Cocoa Day (OCD) in Accra last Monday, the deputy ambassador said although the Netherlands was a small country in terms of land size, its total agriculture exports for last year reached €110 billion.
Ms Lasseur stated that investment in agriculture thrives only on a well-structured land tenure system.
“Land fragmentation and insecurity does not promote investment in the agriculture sector,” she said.
Orange Cocoa Day
The Orange Cocoa Day was organised by the Netherlands Embassy in Accra, collaboration with European Union (EU) Delegation in Ghana, European Institute, Meridia and other firms active in the cocoa sector.
It was the theme, “exploring how improved access to land and tree tenure promote sustainability in the cocoa value chain,” and brought together stakeholders to discuss the sector-wide developments in cocoa and their readiness to support the sector in the country.
The OCD also served as a platform for exhibitors which consisted of Tropenbos Ghana, Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd, Financial Access, 57 Chocolate, Ghana CSOs Cocoa Platform (GCCP) and Solidaridad, to showcase a variety of goods and services to participants.
EU’s commitment
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, reiterated the commitment of the EU to support a sustainable cocoa production in the country.
He said the country’s efforts towards sustainability were fully aligned with the EU priorities to provide decent living income for cocoa farmers.
“It is also to ensure sustainability in the value chain. The European Commission in September 2020 launched an inclusive dialogue on sustainable cocoa production.
“This is what has been described as cocoa talks being executed between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
He said the EU was also supporting COCOBOD for the role out of the cocoa management system which was a sensitisation campaign to train agriculture extension officers.
Historic commodity
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said cocoa, for Ghanaians, was not just a cash crop that contributed significantly to the economy, but also, a historic commodity that formed part of the country’s heritage.
He said with the crop being cultivated in nine out of the 16 regions of the country, the lives and livelihoods of many people depended on the value chain of this commodity.
Mr Jinapor said in spite of its importance and contribution to socio-economic development, cocoa farming expansion had become a major driver of deforestation and forest degradation.
“While promoting production, we must do so in a manner that does not destroy our lands and forests which supports the lives of billions of people across the globe.
“As population grows, competition for land across the various sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, human settlement, infrastructural development, ecological sites, among others, is inevitable”, he said.
Creating balance
The minister stated that there was, therefore, the need to create a balance between all those competing land uses without compromising the land’s ability to sustain the benefit flows for current and future generations.
“Unlike many of the former British colonies, land in our country is mainly owned by stools, skins, clans, families and individuals, with the government controlling only about 20 per cent of lands acquired from stools and families,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for Suhum Constituency, Hon. Frederick Opare Ansah has described as desperate propaganda an attempt by some faceless people to misrepresent Dr. Bawumia’s engagements during his working tour of some parts of the north this week.
During his tour, which took him to the Northern and North East Regions between Sunday, October 2 to Wednesday, October 5, the Vice President paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers and inspected a number of ongoing Government projects, including Agenda 111 District hospitals.
The Vice President also met with the party faithful, who he thanked for their continuous support to the government and urged them to, in spite of the current economic challenges, be proud of the NPP Government’s achievements in various sectors, which he listed to them.
However, some people, who the Hon Opare Ansah says are internal party saboteurs, are, throgh social media, propaganda, spreading falsehood about the Vice President’s tour.
It is these claims Hon Opare Ansah, who was a member the Vice President’s delegation for the tour, has completely rubbished as “desperate propaganda” by people he adds, desire to lead the party in 2024 and see the Vice President as a threat.
Speaking to Omanhene Kwabena Asante on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme from the north on Wednesday after, Hon. Opare Ansah said even those behind the propaganda know very well how decent and decorous a politician Dr. Bawumia is.
“Everybody knows Dr. Bawumia is a decent and a decorous politician who speaks to issues and doesn’t insult,” said Opare Hammond.
“From 2007 when he emerged on the national scale, 2012, 2016 and 2020, Dr. Bawumia has been meeting people, and he has also been campaigning with the President. Have you ever heard he has said something indecent before?”
“I sat in all the meetings throughout the tour and nothing like that happened. All that these desperate people are putting through propaganda, artworks and articles on social media are coming from our own NPP brothers, who support some other people who intend to lead the party.
Opare Ansah described the Vice President’s tour of the North as very successful, as it gave him the opportunity to “inspect on-going projects, re-assure Chiefs and people of the north of government’s commitment to completing these projects, as well as provided opportunities for our party to interact with the Vice President on government’s development efforts, as he also thanked the party for their support to him over the years to partner President Akufo-Addo both as a running mate and as Vice President.”
The Suhum MP had some words of advice to internal NPP members who specialise in deliberately smearing their opponents with dirt to desist from that, as it is detrimental to the overall interest of the NPP party.
“Let us stop such dirty politics because it is not healthy,” he said.
“We will finish the internal contest and face the NDC. In the past, some of these people said many things against Nana Akufo-Addo in 2007 and after our internal contest, the NDC used these lies against our candidate.
“My advice to my NPP brothers is that we should have a healthy contest devoid of insults, lies and fabrications so that when you meet your brother in the future you can comfortably look him in the face and say this is my brother.
“There is no iota of truth in their desperate propaganda
You can’t deliberately throw dirt on your brother and turn around and accuse him of being dirty.”
Dr. Bawumia’s delegation to the North included: the Minister of Interior Hon. Ambrose Dery, Sports Minister Hon. Mustapha Ussif, a number of Deputy Ministers, CEOs of State Agencies including immediate past National Organiser of NPP Sammy Awuku, Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsia Asare, a number MPs from various regions, party executives and stalwarts of the NPP, including Chairman Odeneho COKA.
A total of 296 companies have so far been captured under the government’s flagship programme, One District One Factory (1D1F) as of September 2022, Kofi Addo, Lead Officer for 1D1F, Ministry of Trade and Industry has explained that the companies captured were either in operations, under construction or in the pipeline adding that the sector had many companies under its radial.
He revealed this during the inauguration of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) District Implementation Support Team (DIST) which has membership from the Assembly, Ghana Standard Authority, Ghana Drug and Food Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana National Fire Service, Tema Regional Police Commander, and others.
He said out of the number, 125 were in operations, 144 were under construction while 27 were in the pipeline noting that those in the pipelines had all their documentation ready to start the construction for the project.
1D1F Lead Officer also said out of the 261 districts in Ghana, the programme had so far covered 52 percent of them and was working to capture the remaining 48 percent.
He stated that the Greater Accra Region had1D1F projects in 19 districts of which the Tema Metropolis had two companies benefitting.
Mr. Addo said the Ministry of Trade and Industry had a 10-point industrial promotion agenda, which the 1D1F was part, adding that others were the Strategic Anchor Projects, Business Regulatory Reform, Industrial Park and Special Economic Zones, and the Industrial Revitalization Programme, among others.
He mentioned that the key principles of the 1D1F include private sector driven, explaining that a district could have more than one factory under the programme, and support from the district implementation support team.
He added that an existing company could be captured under the 1D1F programme for expansion or creating of new subsidiary just like in the case of Pharmanova, Everpure and Kasapreko who have expanded to other areas with the help of the initiative.
“When you have people saying we are just bringing old companies under the programme, it is not true, we capture expansions, building of new structures, and totally new companies,” he explained.
The 1D1F Lead Officer added that two districts could also come together to have one company under the programme when they realized that their raw materials and other resources could not support full independent projects.
He said among its objectives were value addition, support in import substitution, support for export, industries support, as well as opening the country up for economic activities through which jobs would be created.
He said some incentives 1D1F companies received was five years’ corporate tax free, access to utilities, duty exemption (import duty, VAT, EXIM levy and NHIS levy) for all capital goods being imported for the project.
Mr. Addo also stated that agreement had been signed with 15 commercial banks, which ensured the capping of interest rate on loans for such companies at 20 percent to ensure stable funding for the project adding that the government also subsidized 10 percent of the interest rate for companies with majority Ghanaian owned shares.
Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), on his part urged Ghanaians to embrace the programme, as it had come to stay as an important way to industrialize the country.
Mr. Baafi said Ghana had gotten to a stage, where it did not have a choice than to industrialize, stressing that industrialization must be a way of life for the people.
He added that “1D1F should be taken like Christianity, it must be a way of life for us, and just like social media it has come to stay.”
Mr. Yohane Amarh Ashitey, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive chairing the inauguration said he believed in allowing the private sector to lead in industrialization therefore his resolve to ensure that the 1D1F programme was utilize by many to get more industries in the metropolis in addition to existing ones.
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Rev. Amisshaddai Amoah, has revealed that an E-Auction platform to auction vehicles at the Tema port is in the offing.
According to him, by the end of October 2022, vehicle buyers will have the option to make vehicle purchases online.
Among other benefits, the Commissioner-General said this will help to eradicate corruption with regards to auctioning of goods at the ports. He was speaking at a ceremony to launch the GRA Service Charter.
“We’re working to improve our services through various online and technology platforms such as that customers will feel comfortable dealing with us.
“We have the E-VAT, E-invoicing, and other innovative means by which customers are able to pay taxes and avoid some alleged corruption in our various offices. Another initiative is that by the end of October, we want to begin an E-Auction at the ports so that if you want to buy a car, just be home and click to search for the kind of car you want without coming to the port,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com
The Authority also noted that this is to enhance revenue mobilization and reduce revenue losses at the ports.
The team leader of technical advisers, Invest for jobs (GIZ) has urged stakeholders to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in other to create more jobs in the country.
According to him, investing in SMEs would also strengthen the economy of the country as it involves a higher labour force.
He said, “As part of this program, and a major component of it, I must say is for us to identify growth-oriented SMEs in Ghana, support them grow and to grow further, expand, and by so doing, create decent jobs, together with our partners.”
“We all recognize the fact that SMEs are the backbone of our economy in Ghana. They constitute I’m told and I’m aware, they engage more than 80 percent of the labor force here in Ghana. And we can not underestimate the significance of SMEs in Ghana.”
He was speaking at the official launch of the final edition of the Green SME Networking Festival in Tamale on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
Mr. John Duti said the aim to introduce these festivals is because of climate change, hence the need for SMEs (the 100 SMEs in the festival)to consider the environment in their production processes.
“We really want to discuss green and greening. We all know, and we’re experiencing the effects of climate change. We are witnessing erratic rainfalls, we are witnessing a lot of changes in our weather, our climate that we never saw in the past 10 years, and therefore the fact that the climate has changed, we are experiencing it, then it’s incumbent on all of us in our ways to support efforts to mitigate the effects of our actions on the climate”, he said.
He urged the selected 100 SMEs to consider themselves lucky and take the three-day workshop seriously as they were selected from 397 applicants.
Meanwhile, this is the final edition of the Green Festival for the year 2022 after the first and second editions happened in Accra and Kumasi respectively.
Seasoned Journalist, Kweku Baako Jnr, has taken a swipe at Akonta Mining Limited for mining in the Tano Nimiri forest reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.
It could be recalled that personnel from the Forestry Commission were recently chased out of the forest reserve by some muscular men when they went to stop workers of the company from mining.
Following the incident, Akonta Mining Ltd, a mining company owned by the governing ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako a.k.a Chairman Wontumi, has been stopped by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources from mining in the forest reserve.
Although the company claims to have a mining lease to operate in the forest reserve, the Ministry however says it has no right to mine in the Tano Nimiri forest reserve.
“As indicated in the Ministry’s Press Statement, dated 30th September 2022, Akonta Mining Ltd has a pending application dated 25th August 2022, for a Mining Lease over an area within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. That application has not been determined by the Minister, who is mandated by law, to grant or refuse such applications.”
“And for the avoidance of any doubt, Akonta Mining Limited has NO mining lease, mineral right, and/or permit to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, and steps are currently being undertaken to enforce the Minister’s Directive issued on 30th September 2022”, a statement by the Minerals Commission read.
Touching on the matter during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” discussion show, Kweku Baako Jnr berated the company for having intruded on the reserve when it knew it had no authorization.
“I have checked all the licences they hold from 2011, 2012 till date and it doesn’t have one for forest reserve. But the last one which the company’s application is pending, the one in August, it has not been approved but that is in the forest reserve. So, what was the company doing there?…They had no business being in that particular place doing anything because, first of all, they haven’t approved that licence”, he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.
He charged the government to get to the bottom of the issue stressing, “this is tough call, a really tough call that again how this matter is handled would either enhance the integrity of the fight or diminish it”.
“The issue is not that they have applied for a licence to go into a forest reserve. The issue is that you don’t have a licence yet but the company is there. Why? What kind of impunity is that?”, he exclaimed.
The Akufo-Addo government has announced a 21 percent increase in the producer price of cocoa.
The announcement comes after the minority caucus of Parliament warned Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and thus the government against any attempt to short-change cocoa farmers by announcing prices that are below GH¢1000 per a bag of cocoa.
“After all this uncertainty, government should not announce any price below GH¢1000 per bag, or GH¢16,000 per tonne. Ghanaians are all witnesses to the historic depreciation of the Cedi. In 2021, COCOBOD used an exchange rate of GH¢6 to $1.
“We wish to remind them that the dollar is now more than 10. Even at the dollar equivalent price, farmers and all stakeholders including LBCs and Haulers should receive higher prices and margins this year,” parts of a statement issued by minority’s Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on Wednesday, October 3, 2022 read.
In a statement issued, on the same day, by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the government said that the 21 percent increase translates to GH¢800 per bag of 64 kg. gross weight and takes effect from Friday, October 14, 2022.
“The 21% rise in the producer price of cocoa is a testament to government’s resolve to ensure farmers earn a decent income and make cocoa farming lucrative. Government will continue to implement initiatives to build a robust, resilient and sustainable cocoa industry where cocoa farmers and their communities will thrive.
“To ensure a decent standard of living for Ghanaian cocoa farmers after retirement, government will from November 2022 move from the pilot phase to the implementation phase of the Cocoa Farmer’s pension scheme.
“The Scheme remains an unprecedented achievement under His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo,” parts of the statement read.
Read the full statement below:
REVIEW OF THE PRODUCER PRICE OF COCOA FOR THE 2022/23 COCOA SEASON WEDNESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER 2022
Introduction
The Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), under the Chairmanship of Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, met and agreed on the Producer Price of Cocoa for the 2022/2023 season which opens, Friday, 14th October, 2022.
Producer Price
We are pleased to announce that Government has increased the producer price of cocoa by 21% from GH¢10,560 per tonne to GH¢12,800.00 per tonne. The producer price represents 89.99% of the net FOB value. This figure translates into GH¢800 per bag of 64 kg. gross weight and takes effect from Friday, 14th October, 2022.
The 21% rise in the producer price of cocoa is a testament to Government’s resolve to ensure farmers earn a decent income and make cocoa farming lucrative. Government will continue to implement initiatives to build a robust, resilient and sustainable cocoa industry where cocoa farmers and their communities will thrive.
To ensure a decent standard of living for Ghanaian cocoa farmers after retirement, Government will from November 2022 move from the pilot phase to the implementation phase of the Cocoa Farmer’s pension scheme. The Scheme remains an unprecedented achievement under His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.
Other Rates and Fees
The Committee has also approved the rates and fees for all other stakeholders in the supply chain. These include the Buyers’ margin, Hauliers’ rate, warehousing and internal marketing costs, as well as, fees for disinfestation, grading and sealing and scale inspection.
Government Support and Commitment
Government will continue to support cocoa farmers through the pests and diseases control programme (Mass Spraying) and rehabilitation of diseased cocoa farms. Government will also assist cocoa farmers by making the requisite inputs such as fertilizers available for farmers to buy to increase farm productivity. Government is committed to continuing to supply certified planting materials that are drought tolerant, early bearing and high-yielding.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as you may be aware, the European Union will soon legislate Regulations on due diligence on Deforestation and Forest Degradation. This places enormous responsibility on us to ensure that cocoa is sustainably produced in Ghana. Issues of deforestation and forest degradation remain important in meeting the EU due diligence requirements.
Once completed, the CMS will establish a national mandatory traceability system which will be transparent and accountable. This will ensure that all Ghana cocoa beans are traceable from the port of shipment to the plot of land that produced the beans. This is a key requirement under the European Union Due Diligence requirements.
I am pleased to inform you that the first component of the CMS, which involves the establishment of a reliable farmer database (farm mapping and enumeration), is expected to be completed by the end of October 2022.
Before I resume my seat, I wish to assure all stakeholders that COCOBOD has made available funds, jute sacks and related logistics for the smooth take-off of the 2022/23 Main Crop Season.
Deputy National Director of Arocha Ghana, an environmental non-governmental organization, Daryl Bosu says President Akufo-Addo’s statement during a meeting with the National House of Chiefs to discuss effects of the ‘galamsey’ menace offers no new direction for the fight against the menace.
The President stood by his declaration to put his presidency on the line in the fight against illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’. He also implored the chiefs to take out any partisanship interests in the fight against the menace.
The President noted that the battle is nowhere near being won despite all the efforts he and his government has put into fighting it.
“We have tried many initiatives, including that of the Community Mining Scheme, and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those Ghanaians and foreigners convicted of illegal mining. Still, we have not won the fight,” he said.
Reacting to these comments, Mr. Bosu said President Akufo-Addo’s statement offered no home.
“I must say that I struggle to really get any new action from what the President said. I listened to what the President was saying and it takes us back to 2017, most of it. Frankly, I am struggling unless maybe coming from the closed door meetings, we are going to see some more pragmatic action to address these menace but until then I did not really get anything new…there is nothing new for us here,” he said on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
According to him, the President’s comment rather gives the notion that government admits to its failure in the fight against the canker.
“I think what we are getting from the President is his admission that the fight against ‘galamsey’ has failed…for me, I feel it is going over the same issue over and over again without anything new,” he told Blessed Sogah.
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has disclosed that it has uncovered a syndicate engaged in the sale of already registered SIM cards at outrageous prices.
According to the Executive Director of the Agency, Kofi Kapito, the SIM cards have been pre-registered with the details of other persons and are being sold on the open market.
Kofi Kapito said the Agency managed to purchase 15 of such SIM Cards from the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area. Others, he revealed, are stationed at the Kotoka International Airport and selling the pre-registered SIM cards to persons arriving in the country.
“The CPA heard that some SIM cards are being sold on the market already registered and we felt it was not possible, but upon our investigations, we managed to secure some of these SIM cards and believe me, if you put it in your phone, it will work just like that.
“The funny thing is that, how is it possible that it comes with the names of the owners of the SIM cards…if you arrive at Kotoka Airport some people are there selling to you pre-registered SIM cards,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
The CPA thus called on the Communications Minister to urgently address the situation as it has implications for national security.
“This is an opportunity for we all as Ghanaians especially the Minister for Communications who we are grateful to, for not cutting off the SIM cards as of the 1st of this month but we would like her to also go extra mile to get the security agencies involved…this is borderline fraud, if there is any fraud this is the highest…it is pure national security issue,” he added.
Meanwhile, a Consumer advocacy firm, CUTS International, has urged the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization to shut the door on Ghanaians who have acquired their Ghana card, but are yet to re-register their mobile SIM cards.
It however wants those who are yet to receive their Ghana card to be given some time so they could register their SIM cards going forward.
Speaking to Joy Business, its Country Director, Kusi Appiah Adomako, said, any agency that intends to use Ghana card for registration purposes must work with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to achieve the intended purpose.
“I think the Ministry of Communications did very well by heeding to the call from Ghanaians in extending the deadline to the end of this month [September 2022]. The data shows that lots of Ghanaians have taken advantage of the alternative registration platform which was created. If by now, someone has not registered, I think the person is not either having his or her Ghana card or the person doesn’t want to register”.
“So people who have still not received their Ghana cards, I think those people should be given special dispensation needs to re-register their SIM cards. But if you have your Ghana card and have not registered then that person is not ready to register. And for that reason, those people do not really need an extension. That is what I will say”.
A 55-year-old man has reportedly been killed during a fight over goat meat at Sehwi Paboase, a community in the Sehwi Wiawso Municipality of the Western North region.
According to onuaonline.com, the victim who was identified as Buley was hit on the head by his close friend, Azuley, as they were fighting over a dead goat given to them by a neighbour.
The report indicated that Buley and Azuley have been hunting for carcasses together but the goat meat they were given created some confusion between them after Buley felt cheated because of the part of the meat he was given.
The two men started an altercation over the meat but the issue was resolved and they both went to their homes.
The assemblyman for Paboase Electoral Area, Simon Okom, who was narrating the incident, said that the fight rekindled the next day when Buley went to Azuley’s house for his sack.
He added that as the two men were fighting Azuley struck Buley’s head with a club and he was pronounced dead at the Sehwi Wiawso Government Hospital.
“They both go around looking for carcasses. So a man gave them a goat and Buley felt cheated after getting only the head and some parts.
“When he went home for his sack this morning, the disagreement continued and Buley hit Azuley first. So Azuley also hit him with a stick and he fell unconscious and died,” he is quoted to have said by onuaonline.com.
The report also indicated that the mortal remains of the victim have been deposited at the Sehwi Wiawso Government Hospital Morgue.
It added that the suspect, Azuley, run away from the community after the incident.
Prof. Charles Marfo, Provost of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS), has echoed the clarion call for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to be entrusted with the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country, Purefmonline.com reports.
The former President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in an interview with Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM stated that the IGP has shown competence through his high-class tactical abilities and has over the period exerted the qualities needed to garner gains concerning the leadership responsibilities required to combat the galamsey menace.
According to him, Government’s efforts to suppress galamsey activities so far do fall short of rewards and punishments modalities which he describes as a key ingredient to sustain the fight.
He stated that the IGP has matured with such potential to tighten the loopholes and gaps in the galamsey fight processes.
“Kwame, the last time, I heard you in one of the viral videos recommending the IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare as the man befitting for the galamsey fight job. I think so too.
Let us look at this, for instance, he was denigrated for introducing the system where competent relatives replace officers who die in the line of duty, but Kwame, what has been the overall feedback and the attitude of our officers after this system was introduced?
These are the rewards and punishments I am talking about. When I commit myself to the nation and I am gone, what happens to my family?”
“We need a formidable system to cater for rewards, benefits or emoluments of front liners (security personnel) commissioned to these illegal mining areas.
Such modalities will ingrain patriotism and uncompromising commitment toward the national course.
This and many more I think Dampare is likely to bring on board if he’s left to lead the charge in the galamsey fight.”
“The illegal mining sector has tendencies to corrupt those security officers ordained to fight galamsey. Without any modalities, when these military officers are pushed into the forests and see these miners living lavishly, what do we expect them to do?” He quizzed.
The KNUST CoHSS Provost further re-echoed his description of Dr. Dampare as a brilliant policy maker, referring to his latest instituted rewarding systems in the Police Service; an emergency medical fund and replacement of officers who die in the line of duty with the deceased qualified family member into the Police force.
Such tactful packages, according to him, will eliminate diabolic thoughts questioning the essence of committing oneself to the success of a national need.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, has denied allegations that he is involved in illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’).
He said that he will never do anything to hurt his company or ruin the image of his party, the NPP, adomonline.com reports.
The regional chairman added that if he wanted to do illegal mining, he will not go through the trouble to acquire the mining licenses he has.
“I won’t do things to hurt my company; I won’t do things to hurt this party (NPP). In 2017, I could have easily moved to the site to work but I waited untill I got the license before beginning my operations.
“If someone wants to do galamsey, would the person apply for a lease? You can’t go to the police if you want to engage in a criminal activity,” he said.
Wontumi added that his only intention in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve was to drive out ‘galamseyers’ as he awaits the permission of the lands minister to start mining.
“It is like a man who has gone in for a woman and visited her family to perform the knocking ceremony. If another guy wants to rape the lady, you have expressed interest in, won’t you protect your lady? I have the gazette and this is law and if galamsey operators want to destroy my site, shouldn’t I protect the place?” he quizzed.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has directed the Forestry Commission to suspend the operations of Akonta Mining Company in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve of the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly.
According to a statement issued by the Public Affairs office of the Ministry on Friday, September 30, 2022, the company owned by the ruling NPP Chairman for Ashanti Region has been engaging in mining activities in the forest without a permit.
“The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to publications about certain operations by Akonta Mining Limited in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.
“Records available to the Ministry show that while Akonta Mining Ltd has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve,” the statement said.
According to the Ministry, while Akonta Mining Company had applied for a permit to mine in the said forest reserve, the Minister had yet to give approval to any such application hence rendering the activities of the firm in the said forest reserve illegal.
Consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as main source of cooking fuel rose from 24.5 per cent in 2017 to 36.9 per cent in 2021, the Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has said.
That, he said, was due to regulatory interventions such as rural LPG promotions, free cylinder distribution, intensified public educations on safe LPG usage, infrastructure development, improvement in supply and distribution and LPG pricing structure.
Speaking at the 3rd West Africa LPG Conference and Expo under the theme “Towards Making LPG The Clean Fuel of West Africa,” he said the objective of the government was to ensure at least 50 per cent penetration by 2050.
Dr Abdul-Hamid said even though Ghana had made gains in LPG consumption over the past five years, there were challenges threatening the sustainability of the LPG market in Ghana.
“… challenges such as slow uptake in particularly low-income areas, affordability, accessibility, non-adherence to safety requirements by some operators, old and unsafe cylinders, among others have threatened the sustainability of the LPG market in Ghana,
“To remedy the situation, the government of Ghana in October 2017 launched the National LPG Promotion Policy with the objective of ensuring that at least 50 per cent of Ghanaians have access to LPG for domestic, commercial, and industrial use by 2030.
“The Policy is to be driven by the new marketing and distribution model, the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM),” he said
On his part, the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said the LPG industry presents an attractive solution to leverage the shift to cleaner energy sources while promoting Africa’s industrialisation agenda.
“And I believe it will take the collective efforts from academia, the industry and government to prudently push West Africa to maximize the economic gains across the entire LPG value chain” he said.
Fast-Moving Consumable Goods (FMCG) Marketing Director of the year 2021, Ms. Barbara Incoom, has called on the general Ghanaian populace to embrace change by switching from using the traditional cloth handkerchief to disposable handkerchiefs.
The change, in her opinion, no matter how little it appeared, was significant post-covid-19 as part of the country’s efforts toward minimizing the spread of disease-causing germs and bacteria.
She made the call after picking an award on behalf of Flora Tissues on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, as Ghana’s premium quality tissue paper brand of the year 2021 at the 6th Global Business Quality Awards 2022 ceremony held at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra.
The Global Business Quality Award is an initiative of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EEG), organizers of the prestigious Ghana Entrepreneurs & Corporate Executive Awards and Made in Ghana Awards, which have been instituted to recognize indigenous and foreign companies with operations in Ghana for their investment in product and service quality to the Ghanaian consumer.
“I understand change takes time, but it’s the best option we face as a people today. Ghanaians need to switch from the traditional cloth handkerchief to the more hygiene-proven paper disposable handkerchief…”
“…I understand the use of tissues hasn’t been a dominant part of us until COVID-19 came around, but aided efforts at controlling the COVID-19 situation in the country, and it’s one thing we must continue with.” She stressed.
She dedicated the award to staff and management at Delta Paper Mill Limited, while eulogizing them for their absolute commitment to making the brand a sought-after on the Ghanaian market.
Flora tissues between January and July alone has secured a total of three awards for its brand innovation, quality, and resilience shown in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, taking its awards tally to four even before the year comes to an end.
The latest award, in the view of the organizer, is in recognition of the Flora brand’s commitment to standard quality, product innovation, and its resistance to the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s award event was under the theme “Celebrating Decades of Quality Global Brands in Ghana.” And among the notable brands recognized on the day are the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, and Alpha Industries Limited (Top Choco).
The ceremony was well attended by people across industries, including diplomats, businessmen, investors, and the media.
Three Commercial sex workers all said to be Nigerian nationals have been arraigned and charged for human trafficking.
The three: Joy Gimbia Cataima, Juliet Jeoma Chigere Nnaj and Happiness Augustine Williams have pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy and human trafficking.
A painter, Collins Nana Yaw Oppong Bempong was also charged for abetment but denied the charge.
The Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Her Honour Mrs. Afia Owusuaa Appiah has remanded them into lawful custody.
This was after their request for bail through their lawyers was opposed by the Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Amoah Richard and same refused by the court.
The Prosecution was subsequently directed to file their disclosures and witness statement within time whilst the case has been adjourned to October 18.
Brief facts
The Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Amoah Richard told the court that, the complainant is Rev. Jonathan Kwasi Attuah, the Head Pastor of Baptist church, Tesano, Accra.
Whilst accused, Joy Gimbia Cataima,(A1), Juliet Jeoma Chigere Nnaj,(A2), and Happiness Augustine Willams, (A3), are Nigerian commercial Sex workers living in Lapaz-Alhaji.
The Prosecutor said, Collins Nana Yaw Oppong Bempong,(A4), is a Painter and lives in Lapaz, Alhaji with his fiancée (A2).
Chief Inspector Richard said, on September 1, 2022, the first three accused conspired to lure young girls from Nigeria to the streets of Accra to enslave them into prostitution and take proceeds from their unlawful enterprise under the pretext of a secured sales girl job in A1 and A2 shop in Accra.
According to the Prosecutor, the first accused paid the sum of N240,000.00 equivalent to GH¢5,732.00 to the 3rd Accused who misrepresented before a 19-year-old girl, Favour Ekubanse Asim and Peace in River State in Nigeria to have had a sales job work by selling weave-on and cream in 1st and 2nd accused shop in Accra.
He said the 3rd accused subsequently trafficked and transported the said teenagers from Nigeria to Accra on September 2, 2022.
Prostitution
Chief Inspector Richard told the court that, the 1st accused took custody of Favour Ekubanse Asim whilst 2nd took custody of Peace at their residence in Lapaz, Alhaji for a fee of GH$1,200.00 paid by 2nd accused to 1st Accused.
The Prosecutor said, 1st and 2nd Accused informed the said victims that they would not engage them in the sale of weave-on and cream as promised by 3rd Accused, rather they will engage in prostitution.
The 4th Accused, the Prosecutor said, subsequently threatened and initiated the two victims to swear an oath to pay the sum of GHc2,000.00 each to 1st and 2nd accused before they would be set free.
The Prosecutor said, on September 3, at about 4:30 am, Favour Ekubanse Asim escaped from 1st accused’s custody and whilst walking barefooted on the streets of Lapaz, she met members of Baptist Church on evangelism mission and the said victim informed the evangelism members of her predicament.
He said, the church has since taken her in into their custody and consequently petitioned the Bureau for action.
“On 23/09/22 at about 12:00 pm A1, A2 and A4 were arrested in Lapaz, Alhaji. On 27/09/22, Happiness was arrested at Lapaz. During interrogation, the accused persons admitted the offence.
The 2nd Accused according to the prosecutor, claimed she has transported Peace back to Nigeria for expressing her opposition.
Five basic schools in New Juaben North Municipality in the Eastern region have been closed due to the flood disaster.
The schools were flooded destroying teaching and learning materials.
Addressing the media, the Municipal Chief Executive Comfort Asante said measures are being put in place for the BECE candidates preparing to write their exams this month.
One person died while 2686 made up of 977 children and 1708 adults were affected by the floods.
203 households have either collapsed completely or partially damaged.
The MCE said the assembly has mobilized relief materials to be distributed to the affected persons being sheltered in churches, mosques, and community centers.
The assembly is however appealing to groups, NGOs, and religious bodies to come to their aid.
President Akufo-Addo has made a fervent appeal to members of the National House of Chiefs to eschew partisan political interests while collaborating with the government to end the menace of illegal mining.
The president made this request during his opening remark at a meeting with the National House of Chiefs to discuss the fight against galamsey.
“There are many requests I intend to make on you during our behind closed doors session of our meeting. But one of the most significant which I have to make now is to seek your assistance to take partisan political interests out of the fight against galamsey. It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle which no one seeks to exploit for political gain as we saw in our last election.
“The progress of our country depends on all of us; all citizens of Ghana, all fellow Ghanaians pulling together to defeat this existential threat to our future,” the president said during the meeting held on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
The president noted the several initiatives adopted by his government to end the menace while emphasising the need for traditional leaders to collaborate with the government in the fight against illegal mining.
“We have tried many initiatives including that of the community mining scheme and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon which has imposed severe sanctions on those Ghanaians and foreigners convicted of illegal mining, still we have not won the fight. It is obvious that if we are to win the fight you and I have to take the lead to collaborate closely to do so and that is why I am here today,” he said.
The meeting with the traditional leaders was convened at the request of the president to discuss ways to fight illegal mining, which has escalated in magnitude over the past years.
This is despite the promise made by the president at his inauguration in 2017 and the various campaigns launched by his government over the period.
The growing impact of galamsey is proving a threat to several water and forest bodies across the country.
This has led to calls on the government to adopt more radical efforts in the galamsey fight.
The Assembly Member for Tetegu a suburb of Accra, Bright Adablah has said the spillage from the Weija dam is the worse so far to hit the community.
Hundreds of houses in Weija, Tetegu, and the surrounding areas have been flooded leaving many residents displaced as a result of the spillage by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) from the Weija Dam.
According to GWCL, the rainy situation in the Eastern Region in the last weeks has contributed to the rise of the water level in the Weija Dam.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Adablah called on President Akufo-Addo to take up this year’s situation and investigate what might have caused it adding that, “someone didn’t do his work well and that has caused the whole community to suffer.”
The Assembly Member questioned why Ghana Water Company should wait for the water to get to its highest level before allowing for spillage.
“Because no one is giving any reason or talking to anyone about anything, all they are saying is that the people should move out of the community. As to what is causing the problem no one knows and the dam can’t contain the volume of water coming in.”
“This has never happened before in the history of Tetegu and it is a very serious and terrible one. But we just thank God no casualty has been recorded so far. The whole community is flooded, with no place to step, and our properties are in the water. Usually, what happens is a portion of the community will get flooded and within some days it’s okay but this is beyond control,” Mr. Adablah narrated.
He continued: “The notification didn’t come early. Maybe you will hear it a day before or during the spillage then they will say people living along the river should move, but I think this spillage is beyond expectation.”
He, however, added that the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is currently in the area to move people to safer places.
Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Charles Marfo has asserted that the Akonta Mining scandal is nothing less than a feign attempt to conceal the real galamsey culprits in the country, Purefmonline.com reports.
The KNUST CoHSS’ Provost in interaction with Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM emphasized that, the owner of Akonta Mining Company Limited, Benard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, having flaunted his wealth and his mining exploits blatantly in the past has in an unfortunate circumstance been set up as the galamsey poster-boy to cover the high-ranking government officials behind the practice.
Prof. Charles Marfo in commiserating with Chairman Wontumi maintained his disdain for the Ashanti regional NPP’s Chairman’s conduct in the public space.
“Everybody knows that I don’t like Chairman Wontumi, especially on how he conducts himself in the public space. His utterances and his constant display of his so-called mining acquired wealth in our faces,” he said.
However, in respect of this saga, I think they set him up. They put him there just to showcase his already mortified face while the real masterminds are working underground.”
“Why has he not been apprehended for the despicable damage caused to the environment yet?”
“This mischief is just a decoy to hide the hidden coaches who are the real galamsey players.”
The real scapegoats are not from among any of these unmasked personalities tagged with galamsey, instead, they are at the top manning the affairs of governance.”
“Why will the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor decide to even grant consideration to Akonta Mining’s request for licence to mine in a forest reserve when that place has been clearly declared a red zone?”
How can you do prospecting in a forest reserve? A reserve?
The application should not have warranted any engagement from the Ministry at all.
These inactions and occurrences together inflate the idea that there are hidden hands in government really fancying the galamsey practice.” Prof. Charles Marfo told Kwame Adinkrah on Pure FM.
Background
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources through the Forestry Commission has halted the activities of Akonta Mining Limited’s operations in the Nimiri Tano forest reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region.
A statement from the ministry said, while the mining company had a lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, the company had no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri forest reserve.
The Minerals Commission of Ghana in a subsequent press release reiterated that Akonta Mining Limited has no mining lease, mineral right, and/or permit to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve or any other reserve.
According to the Commission, the mineral leases granted to Akonta Mining Limited fell outside the Tano Nimiri Reserve, and thus documents purporting to indicate otherwise should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
The owner of the company who doubles as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has however refuted claims of wrongdoing.
“I am appealing to them to use the law. They should do their investigations, and we should let the law work.”
“I want to tell the public that I am not into galamsey.”
“I have a large scale company which Akonta mining is under. All the required documents I have, I will make available. I am not into galamsey,” he said on Wontumi TV.
Renowned investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has berated the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice +Chairperson of the Electoral Commission but CHRAJ’s rulings were very problematic.
“I don’t think that we will be having some of these names if the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana was declared unfit to hold public office by CHRAJ,” he said.
He intimated that should CHRAJ have ruled that the current Chief Justice is unfit for office and President Akufo-Addo chooses to ignore its ruling, the pressure on him will force him not to take the position.
“A similar thing happened with the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and we didn’t find CHRAG having the balls to make the right pronouncement,” he added.
The forum was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa on Tuesday, October 2, 2022.
This follows a bench warrant issued by the Asokore Mampong District court for the arrest of the accused.
The number of persons standing trial in connection to the disturbances so far stands at six.
Out of the six standing trials, one is an alumnus, and five are students.
While four of the accused, are currently in Police custody, the High Court has granted two, including the alumnus, bail.
Lawyers for the accused still in custody, prayed the court to grant the suspects bail, while in court, on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
However, the Asokore Mampong District Court refused the suspects’ bail.
The University Hall (Katanga) was on a procession during the celebration of their hall week on Thursday, August 19, 2022, and upon reaching Unity Hall (Conti), started to hurl stones into the hall.
The situation degenerated when the colleagues from the Unity Hall (Conti) retaliated, leading to at least 11 students sustaining injuries while 10 cars were vandalised in the process.
The injured students have been treated at the KNUST hospital and discharged.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Health Director, Dr. Kofi Badu Sunderland, has threatened to enforce public health laws against parents who fail to make available their children for polio immunization.
According to him, during the first polio vaccination campaign, they were unable to visit the various school in the metropolis to vaccinate the children since they were on vacation.
Additionally, some parents hesitated to make available their children to undergo immunization.
He, therefore, called on parents and teachers to present their children to be immunised to curtail danger to the entire population.
“After the immunization, we still found out that there are some children who were not immunized within the metropolis. The reason for non-immunization was that some parents refused their children to be immunized. Some also said their children were not ready at home,” he told Angel News.
“This time round I’m going to urge the health workers that if a mother refuses to immunise her child, they should identify the person and inform us and we will go and have a dialogue. If we have the dialogue and still the parents are resisting, then we will apply the public health law, because we will not allow those little ones to put danger to the entire population.”
He noted further the directorate is still battling with some of the children on religious grounds, adding, “and if we are supposed to apply the public health law such parents are supposed to be arrested.”
On the part of the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Health Director, Mrs. Joyce Bagina, now that the schools are in session, children under 5 years are at the creche, daycare, and kindergarten will all be vaccinated by the health professionals who will visit the schools.
She stated that during the first polio vaccination exercise that took place between September 1 to 4, the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Health Directorate was able to vaccinate over 42,000 children.
However, for the second phase which is slated to last from 6th to 9th October 2022, the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Health Directorate is targeting over 44,000 children under 5 years to receive the dose.
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Health Director emphasized that no child should be left behind during the 2nd phase of the polio vaccination campaign.
President Akufo-Addo has emphasised that he spoke the absolute truth when he announced his commitment to fighting illegal mining in Ghana.
According to the president, the evidence of truth in his statement was apparent when his government’s fight against galamsey cost himself and the New Patriotic Party during his quest for re-election in 2020.
“Since I took office on January 7th, 2017, nearly six years ago, I have made it a central feature of my presidency to lead in the fight to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address that day. It has not been easy; it has not been popular and we have not gotten the immediate results that I was looking for.
“Indeed, in the last election of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bumbazed nor reckless. It was the simple truth,” the president said when he met with members of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
The meeting with the traditional leaders was convened at the request of the president to discuss ways to fight illegal mining, which has escalated in magnitude over the past years.
This is despite the promise made by the president at his inauguration in 2017 and the various campaigns launched by his government over the period.
The growing impact of galamsey is proving a threat to several water and forest bodies across the country.
This has led to calls on the government to adopt more radical efforts in the galamsey fight.
The Paramount Chief of Bunkpurugu Traditional Area, Naba Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong, has urged the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to focus on his good works for the country and not be discouraged by the negativity of his opponents, who he said, will always find negative things to say about the Vice President.
Welcoming Dr. Bawumia, who is on a working visit to the north, to his Palace on Tuesday, the Bunkpurugu Naba, commended the Vice President for his “indefatigable leadership,” and the recognition he has given to the people of Bunkpurugu and the north in general, adding that God will crown his efforts.
“I am excited to have you present at my Palace, once again, to pay a courtesy call on me and my people in the Bunkpurugu Traditional Area. We are highly delighted having you with us today, because of the recognition you have given us as a people in this part of our country,” Naba Abuba Nasinmong, who was flanked by his elders and indigenes of the community, said.
“You are a true statesman and an astute modern politician who has efficiently aided the first gentleman of the Ghanaian State, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain law and order, peace and tranquillity, and implementation of people-centred policies that have touched the life of every Ghanaian, especially in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District such as Free SHS policy, Planting for Food and Jobs, an extension of electricity, an improvement on our roads, etc.”
As he lauded Dr. Bawumia and the Akufo-Addo Government, he expressed his support and “wholehearted” encouragement to the Vice President not to be discouraged by the negativity of his critics.
“Permit me to wholeheartedly express the following: your opponents would always find negative things to say about you, but continue with your good works and Almighty God will grant you victory.
“I wish to, on behalf of my people, assure you of our maximum support.”
The Vice President has been on a working tour of the northern part of the country since Sunday.
After touring the Northern Region on Sunday and Monday, paying courtesy calls on traditional leaders, and inspecting ongoing government projects, the Vice-president took his tour to the North East Region on Tuesday.
The Government’s construction of Agenda 111 District hospitals is among the key government projects the Vice President has been inspecting on his tour.
Chief Executive Officer, of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei says the man in a viral video seen abusing a toddler might have done so under the influence of smoking weed (marijuana) and losing his ability to think rationally.
He believes the man could also be suffering from schizophrenia or that he’s a psychopath.
In the widely circulated video, the man is seen whipping the innocent child in the presence of other men while the victim cries in pain. However, none of them made any attempt to rescue the toddler.
The Police in a statement said they “have sighted a horrifying video on social media in which a male adult is seen subjecting an infant to severe beating under a tree. Efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested, and rescue the child.”
The Police are entreating anyone with information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact the police on 0243809991 and have offered a GHC2, 000 reward for anyone who will provide information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Commenting further on the incident in an interview on Nkawkaw-based Agoo FM Morning Show Ene No Bio, Dr. Akwasi Osei roundly condemned the act saying nobody with a sound mind could be this wicked to an innocent toddler.
“There is every indication that all is not well with this man, he needs a psychiatric evaluation. It may be the case that he’s smoked wee(marijuana) and is unable to think right hence doesn’t know that his action could hurt the toddler. He could also be suffering from a mental illness (schizophrenia) or it could also be the case that he has a personality disorder – a Psychpath, who has no conscience and sense of remorse. I don’t think that the man is just being wicked, there’s more to it. He definitely has to be evaluated psychologically.”
Dr. Akwasi Osei added that going forward, the child despite his age should be monitored and given the needed help as this abuse on him could leave him with trauma and affect him in the future.
He further urged the police to arrest whoever recorded the assault for questioning for looking on for the assault to be perpetrated.
According to him, CHRAJ, even though has been given the powers by Ghana’s Constitution to hold persons in public office accountable, it has on some occasions failed the country.
Speaking at a Public Forum on the declaration of assets in Accra, Manasseh said that the failure of CHRAJ to declare that Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, unfit for office after it received complaints about their asset declaration, is the reason the two are in office today.
“When we talk about leadership; we shouldn’t limit it to only political leadership. There are certain individuals in this country who are very powerful and the constitution has made them so. But they have decided to become very powerless. And they have failed the state when it matters most, one of them is CHRAJ.
“CHRAJ has done well in some of the cases that have gone before it. But in others, CHRAJ failed the nation.
“One of them has to do with the complaints against the Chief Justice. CHRAJ ruled that the PPA board chair cannot hold public office for 2 years because he failed to declare his assets. Similar complaints come against the Chief Justice and also the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission but CHRAJ’s rulings were very problematic.
“I don’t think that we will be having some of these names if the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana was declared unfit to hold public office by CHRAJ,” he said.
He intimated that should CHRAJ have ruled that the current Chief Justice is unfit for office and President Akufo-Addo chooses to ignore its ruling, the pressure on him will force him not to take the position.
“A similar thing happened with the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and we didn’t find CHRAG having the balls to make the right pronouncement,” he added.
The forum was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa on Tuesday, October 2, 2022.
The Minority Caucus of Ghana’s Parliament has berated the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for its treatment of cocoa farmers and stakeholders in the cocoa value chain in Ghana.
In a statement issued by its Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the minority said that farmers and other stakeholders in the cocoa sector are becoming very frustrated with the actions and inactions of the government.
It said that even though the 2022 cocoa season has already started the government has failed to set the price of cocoa.
“Farmers and stakeholders are running out of patience for COCOBOD. Every year cocoa prices are announced at the opening of the season. 1st October is internationally recognised as the start of the cocoa season worldwide as affirmed by the UN body for cocoa, the International Cocoa Organisation – ICCO.
“This year COCOBOD opened the cocoa season without a producer price for cocoa. After wasting scarce resources to organise a cocoa day that, was poorly attended, farmers and stakeholders in the cocoa industry are left in suspense about the price,” parts of the statement read.
The minority also warned COCOBOD and thus the government against any attempt to short-change cocoa farmers by announcing prices that are below GH¢1000 per a bag of cocoa.
“After all this uncertainty, government should not announce any price below GH¢1000 per bag, or GH¢16,000 per tonne. Ghanaians are all witnesses to the historic depreciation of the Cedi. In 2021, COCOBOD used an exchange rate of GH¢6 to $1. We wish to remind them that the dollar is now more than 10. Even at the dollar equivalent price, farmers and all stakeholders including LBCs and Haulers should receive higher prices and margins this year,” it added.
President Akufo-Addo has refuted suggestions that his government is not committed to the fight against illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’).
According to Akufo-Addo, his government has been committed to the fight against the menace since his first day in office and its determination to curb it even cost his party; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) some votes in the 2020 General Elections.
The president, who made these remarks at a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and some Municipal Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Kumasi, intimated that the votes he and his party lost showed that he really put his presidency on the line to fight ‘galamsey’.
“Since I took office on January 7th, 2017, nearly six years ago, I have made it a central feature of my presidency to lead in the fight to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address that day. It has not been easy; it has not been popular and we have not gotten the immediate results that I was looking for.
“Indeed, in the last election of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bumbazed nor reckless. It was the simple truth,” he said.
Akufo-Addo also urged chiefs across the country to get themselves in the fight against illegal small-scale mining since they are the custodians of lands in the country.
“80 percent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 percent which I hold in trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you.
“What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the president in trust for the people,” he noted.
Vodafone Ghana Foundation, as part of its, corporate social investment, is sponsoring this year’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) awards.
Dubbed ‘STEM Teacher of the Year Awards’, the programme slated for October 7, 2022 and to be held at Academic City in Accra, is meant to recognise and reward teachers from the sixteen regions who were using innovative approaches to teach science.
To be held on the theme “Rewarding Impactful Service,” the programme formed part of the Instant Schools platform, a programme which provides opportunity for teachers and students to download Ghana Education Service curriculum and educational materials from the internet.
Speaking at the launch of the award in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Director-General of Ghana Education Service, in charge of Quality and Access, Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, lauded Vodafone Ghana Foundation for its efforts to promote STEM education in the country.
He said STEM education was critical to the development of the country and urged STEM teachers to take keen interest in the award.
Dr Tandoh emphasised that the government’s agenda to promote STEM education could not be achieved without innovative teachers to teach STEM subjects.
He said teachers with disability teaching STEM subjects would be honoured.
Dr Tandoh stated that the ultimate winner would receive a laptop, modem and one year free internet subscription from Vodafone Ghana, the second winner would receive tablet, modem and six months free internet subscription and the third winner would receive a tablet, modem and three months free internet from Vodafone Ghana.
The Head of Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Reverend Amaris Nana Adjei Perbi, said he was very ecstatic about the launch of another impressive educational initiative for the Ghanaian populace.
He said the STEM Teacher of the Year Awards was targeted at teachers in Ghana and would have ripple effect on the country’s education value chain.
Rev. Amaris said the Vodafone Ghana Foundation remained committed to its mandate for the execution of a highly impactful range of educational initiatives in the country every year.
“The STEM Teacher Awards acknowledges and recognises the hard work, diversity and creativity of teachers from the basic level to the senior high school level,” he said.
The awards, he said, would offer the teachers an opportunity to showcase the various methods through which they incorporate the teaching and learning of STEM to their main curriculum.
He said the top 16 most engaging entries would be shortlisted as finalists for the awards programme and automatically they would receive a backpack award with STEM sets.
Rev. Amaris the winner would become an Instant Schools Ambassador who would join the winner from the Literacy Challenge to drive the Instant Schools Virtual Learning Platform across the communities we visit in Ghana.
The Director of Science Education of Ghana Education Service, Mrs Olivia Serwaa Opare, said the programme had been timely, saying “We are happy to have this programme at this moment.”
She encouraged teachers to take active interest in the programme to be rewarded.
About 50 cars parked at unauthorised places along the roadside within the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) were yesterday towed away by the Assembly.
Shop owners and other sellers with dirty frontages were also made to clean them immediately.
This happened when the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey led a team from the Assembly and the City Response Team of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) on a decongestion exercise within the municipality in Accra yesterday.
Undertaken in conjunction with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the exercise was to ensure that citizens strictly adhered to the byelaws of the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage,’ which mandated them to keep their frontages clean.
The exercise which attracted lots of onlookers and patrons began from Circle through to Kaneshie, then to some parts of the Accra Central Business District (CBD).
Meanwhile, there were a few people who showed displeasure with the conduct of the exercise.
Interacting with some sellers, Mr Quartey implored them to strictly adhere to the bye-laws and report offenders for them to be dealt with accordingly.
“We are not here to move you away from where you sell. What we are asking is for you not to sell on the pavement,” he stated.
“I also urge you to report anyone who violates the bye-law to the security for them to be dealt with,” he added.
Mr Quartey stressed that cleanliness could not be over-emphasised as it was the basis of the overall wellbeing of all and sundry including animals.
“The importance of cleanliness in our lives cannot be denied. Maintaining a clean environment is for the health of all humans, as their health completely depends on the atmosphere,” he said.
“A bad environment is solely responsible for spoiling the health of the people around. Dirt and disease go together,” he added.
Mr Quartey, therefore, urged all to, as a matter of urgency, serve as checks on themselves and their neighbours to ensure that the city was clean.
The government is considering an ambitious move to establish a fertiliser company capable of meeting the fertiliser demand of the entire African continent, President Akufo-Addo has said.
According to the President, the global shortfall in the supply of fertiliser caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presented an opportunity for Ghana to position itself to produce fertilisers for local consumption and for export to other parts of the continent.
In a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday, President Akufo-Addo said discussions were ongoing to determine how the country could take advantage of the opportunity.
The Norwegian Ambassador, Ingrid Mollestad, visited the President with a delegation from Yara International, a Norwegian chemical company that produces, distributes, and sells nitrogen-based mineral fertilisers.
The discussion centred on Yara International’s support for about 100,000 small-holder Ghanaian farmers with fertilisers to the tune of US$20 million to improve crop production in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo appealed to the Norwegian company to consider partnering with the government to establish a fertiliser plant to serve the continent.
“Our main concern is to be able to make these fertilisers here ourselves. Plans are ongoing to establish a fertiliser facility here in Ghana. It will make a lot of sense in terms of the West African market and larger African market.”
“It would be great to involve you as partner in that exercise because it will make a lot of sense for us to make a big facility here in Ghana to supply our needs and at the same time the regional and continental market,” he said
President Akufo-Addo expressed the commitment to work to ensure that the vision became a reality for the country.
He thanked the Norwegian company for the support and invited the ambassador to work with the government to consider other areas of partnership and cooperation.
“We appreciate the gesture and your involvement in Ghana,” he said and commended the company for developing a model to track the movement of fertiliser to prevent corruption in the distribution of the fertilisers.
Ms Mollestad, on her part, reiterated Norway’s commitment to ensuring food security in Ghana, and Africa.
“We are committed to doing our utmost on the continent for food security and producing sustainable food for the continent,” she said.
She expressed delight that Yara, the biggest producer of fertiliser in the world, had decided to support Ghana to improve crop production and food security.
The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) has obtained a £ 10 million grant to conduct in-depth research into the scourge of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the West African sub region.
Awarded by the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the project is expected to inform enhanced prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies on inter-connected NCDs in three countries; Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger.
It would span a five-year period and see to the establishment of a “Global Health Research Centre for NCDs control in West Africa, “which would among others coordinate research, provide training and horn skills of clinicians in the effective management of NCDs to improve the general health and wellbeing of the populace.
Co-led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the centre would have other implementing institutions namely; Ashesi University, Ghana; Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO-UUB), Burkina Faso; and Laboratoired’Etudes et de Recherchesur les DynamiquesSociales et le Développement Local (LASDEL), Niger, on the project.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in an address, said the research project was timely in the face of high prevalence of NCDs globally, with lower and middle-income countries being worst affected.
According to him, despite an increasing trend in NCD-related mortalities, implementation of interventions by African government had been slow and segregated.
“There are clear indications that a scientific approach by the sub-region is required to improve the health and well-being of the population,” he noted.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said the scope of the project which considers strengthening individual skills and expertise, organisational systems, networking capabilities and leadership of researchers while promoting partnership, would go a long way to support the realisation of the global NCD compact and the 2022 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)resolution on NCDs.
The Minister added that Ghana’s newly developed policy on NCD, aligned with the international goals had an appreciable political commitment to ensure implementation and “there is the need to work collectively across sectors within the frameworks of health-in-all policies to tackle this health and developmental challenge confronting us as a country.”
The Senior Programme Manager at the NIHR, Dr Sylvia Anie said the “Global Health Research Centres” would provide a sustainable platform for high-quality applied health research in low-and low middle-income countries (LMIC) to address the burden of NCDs and improve health outcomes.
“It is time to shift the centre of gravity to LMIC-led research and this is the only grant awarded that looks at the issue in such in-depth manner,” she noted.
Professor Irene Agyepong, the Director of the Centre noted that the 15 countries of ECOWAS, like most LMICs were increasingly challenged by rising illness and deaths related to NCDs.
“This is additional to their long-standing challenges from communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Research is at the heart of the innovation needed to address these problems, and establishing the centre is a timely and welcome effort to make a difference.”
NCDs, also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease.
Across the world, NCDs kill 41 million people yearly, equivalent to 74 percent of all deaths globally.
According to the WHO, of all NCD deaths, 77 percent are in low- and middle-income countries.
Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).
According to him, the trustees and implementers of the scheme would be rolling out from district to district to register cocoa farmers onto the scheme to enjoy the pension scheme’s benefit.
Mr Mac Menu was speaking at this year’s cocoa day grand durbar which also coincided with the COCOBOD 75th anniversary on the theme “COCOBOD @75: sustaining our environment, wealth and health”, held at Suhum in the Eastern region.
He said that, though the past and previous years had been challenging globally with the cocoa sector having suffered greatly, Ghana COCOBOD had not relented on its effort to push for policies that enhanced the welfare of cocoa farmers, assuring that his outfit would continue to be innovative and pragmatic in the midst of the challenges faced.
He said it had been three years since the implementation of the living income inferential, a pricing mechanism spearheaded by Ghana and Ivory Coast to secure a $400 premium on every tone of cocoa sold to be paid directly to the cocoa farmers.
Meanwhile, he said unfavorable market prizes as well as a deliberate attempt by buyers, among others, had undermined the initiative which sought to guarantee a decent income for farmers.
But he promised that his outfit would not relent on ensuring the implementation of the policy as well as reviving dead cocoa farms, adding that collaboration with all stakeholders was underway to ensure the eradication of poverty among cocoa farmers.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, commended cocoa farmers for their contribution to Ghana’s economy over the past years.
He said the contribution of the cocoa industry to the economy and growth of the country could not be underestimated, adding that cocoa production had by far and largely remained the backbone of Ghana’s economy, contributing significantly to the country’s export, while employing a large number of people as well as support the livelihood of in the value change production.
Mr Acheampong, however, he said though cocoa production had existed in Ghana for years making a positive economic impact, the industry was confronted with the imminent danger of the sale of cocoa farms for illegal mining activities.
The practice, he said if not checked could wipe away all the gains made in the country by the cocoa sector.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs, the cocoa farmers, and the cocoa farming communities to say no to the sale of farmlands for cash to the detriment of their future and livelihoods.
The minister said all efforts must be made to protect the farmlands by encouraging the youth to rather go into cocoa farming instead of indulging in illegal mining so that they could also reap the benefits.
He, therefore, encouraged COCOBOD to strengthen its engagement with key stakeholders for the improvement of the sector.
Also for his part, the chairman for the occasion, Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin urged COCOBOD to expand its cocoa scholarship scheme to benefit all cocoa farmers across the country.
About 38 persons alleged to be migrants from Niger were yesterday rounded up at Abofu in Achimota, Accra by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
All women, with some carrying children, the migrants were rounded up during a decongestion exercise in Accra organised by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and led by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey.
They were picked up around 11 a.m. by the GIS to its headquarters for further investigations.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly (ONMA), NiiBoyeLaryea, told the media that he was informed about the arrival of the migrants by residents around 6a.m yesterday.
He said the alleged migrants were said to have been dropped by a bus around 11 p.m. on Monday with the whereabouts of the bus yet to be known.
Mr Laryea noted that intelligence found out that the migrants were making a transit from Niger to Cote d’ Ivoire and other places.
The MCE said he then informed the Regional Minister and the GISabout the incident while the Assembly’s task force assessed the situation.
The Regional Minister, for his part, stressed the need to treat the issue fairly as Ghana was part of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) and had signed on to its protocols.
MrQuarteyemphasised that there would be collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and the GIS to ensure that the migrants went through the due process and were offered the needed assistance.
The leader of the migrants, MrsMadinaYagoudaNeanti, said they meant no harm as they were heading towards Cote d’ Ivoire only to be dropped at the location by the driver of the bus who was conveying them.
She said that they only needed another vehicle to convey them to their destination but the language barrier had been a challenge as they could not communicate effectively with the driver of the bus that brought them to the Abofulocation.
