TIG Post

Author: Phoebe Martekie Doku

  • GITFiC launches book on AfCFTA

    To actualize the dreams of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and keep it afloat, the Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) has taken a step further to launch a handbook on its activities.

    The book; ‘Actualising the African Economic Vision; A practical handbook on AfCFTA’, which was launched at the Pacific Alliance Embassy in Accra received high patronage and would serve as the guideline for African leaders, the Academia, Trade and Finance community and all other participants of the AfCFTA.

    In his welcome address, Mr Selasi Koffi Ackom, Chief Executive Officer of GITFiC said it took a great deal of work with of consultations, in-depth analysis, and references to come out with the final product.

    “This journey began for us when we took the 3rd conference to the Headquarters of the African Union Addis Ababa in 2019 and succeeded in getting a number of stakeholders from the four corners of the continent to the 3rd conference, including; Finance Ministers, UNECA, Trade & Development Bank in Kenya. ECOWAS Bank in Lome, Afrexim Bank in Egypt, Trade Ministers, Finance and Trade Experts, Agric, Aviation et al”.

    He said in 2020, they brought Chief Trade Negotiators, Deans of Premier Universities and Senior Media men and women from Africa back to Accra to advance the conversation on the AfCFTA, when Accra was officially declared the Commercial Capital.

    “Rightly so because Accra hosts the AfCFTA secretariat and has a rich history of both colonial and present, cross border trade emergence and also as the first country in Africa, south of the Sahara to gain independence.

    He said in 2021 they brought monetary and financial magnets from Central Banks in Africa to major stakeholders to discuss the Pan African Payment and Settlement System and its regulatory antecedents, where President Akufo-Addo gave the Keynote address through Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia.

    He said it was revealed in sections of the survey report that literature on the AfCFTA were missing and despite the gross interest in the subject matter by the public, almost nothing concrete was there to read more so, in a simplified form.

    Mr Ackom said the book was inspired by all Heads of State on the African Continent and the advent of the AfCFTA had received substantial interest and set forth a renewed sense of optimism and conviction that seeks to propel Africa into the league of global trade powerhouse.

    He said the book was expected to reach every educational complex on the continent through the help of State Agencies, Continental Institutions with requisite funding and Corporate Africa at large.

    “This book has been devoid of large leaflets and content. The main aim here is to encourage reading and attract same. The book comprises 10 chapters however; these 10 chapters give a complete understanding of the AfCFTA and its functional implementation structures and practically expose the reader to the opportunities within the AfCFTA.

    “The book has diagrams, info-graphics and photos to spice reading and give a pictorial meaning to the context and content and is currently in two languages; English and French and the African Union has recommended for our immediate attention to have the book translated in all recognized languages by the Union in a message sent to us on September 7th, 2022. These languages include; Arabic, Kiswahili, Portuguese and Spanish.”

    He said plans were afoot to translate it into Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese.

    He commended Ambassador Albert Muchanga, Mr. Nyame-Baafi, Mr. Bernard Afreh, Mr Tsornam Akpeloo and several other Chief Trade Negotiators who contributed to the practical book in diverse ways.

    Madam Claudia Turbay Quintero, Colombian Ambassador on behalf of the Pacific Alliance Embassy made up of Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile, said the launch of the book was an opportunity for the alliance to work hand-in hand with AfCFTA.

    She said they were forming an internal integration and that would be extended to Ghana and AfCFTA in general adding “we want to go closer to Africa.”

    Mr Bernard Afreh, Lead Consultant for GITFiC said the launch of the AfCFTA and the book would enhance trade and economies of Africa in succeeding yeaars and improve the lives of over 1.5 billion people.

    He appealed to financial institutions and Commercial and Trade communities to make good use of the literature contained in the book.

    Other speakers at the programme included Mr Tsonam Akpeloo, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of Association of Ghana Industries, Mr Joe Ghartey, Former Member of Parliament for Essikao-Ketan in the Western Region, and Ambassador Albert Muchanga.

    Over 6000 copies of the book which has a street cover price of GHS 100 were sold at the launch.

  • Global Citizen Festival begins with calls to end extreme poverty

    The Global Citizen Festival will be held in Ghana for the first time with a focus on amplifying the need to end extreme poverty across the globe.

     The music festival, which would take centre stage on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at the Black Star Square in Accra, promises some enthralling musical performances from global music stars such as Usher, Stormzy, SZA, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Gyakie, Tems, among others.  A royal welcome gathering dubbed ”The Festival of Cultures” was held at the Accra Tourist Information Centre to welcome participants from all over the world with a gallant pageantry of Ghanaian culture.

    Speaking at the royal gathering, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said the festival offers Ghana the opportunity to showcase its culture to the rest of the world.

    ”The festival has been running for over a decade, with a call to world leaders to make a meaningful commitment to making the world a better place for all of us and putting an end to extreme poverty.

    “As we open our doors on Saturday to these top artistes who would thrill music fans with various performances, we must not lose sight of the festival’s goal of ending extreme poverty, and I welcome all participants.”

    ”We have the opportunity to show what makes us as unique as a people and the different cultures we have and hopefully, the concert would be successful,” he said.

    Mr. Mark Okraku Mantey, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, lauded the organisers for choosing Ghana as one of the host countries and offered their support for a successful program.

    ”We have a strong culture, especially with our music and dance, and fashion from different parts of our cultures.

    ”’This is how we want to show our warm welcome to you as this festival is about to begin and we will offer you the needed support to ensure it becomes a success,” he said.

    The National Dance Ensemble of the National Theatre also delivered a masterclass performance displaying the different dance cultures from various regions.

  • CPP to strengthen base for 2024 elections with massive mobilisation

    The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is embarking on an expanded national mobilisation to ensure that the base of the party is strong and capable of securing seats in Parliament and winning elections.

    For a start, the party is ensuring that it has at least 17 polling station executives and 13 electoral area officers who would form the base of the party in each constituency to dedicate themselves to preaching the policies and programmes of the party and elect constituency executives as well.

    The National Organiser of the CPP, Yirimambo Moses Ambing, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra, said the mobilisation programme was the product of introspection the party organised after its 2020 polls performance.

    He explained that it was clear from interaction with party members across the country that the base of the party must be widened at the polling station and electoral areas so that these executives, together with the parliamentary candidate, could secure more votes and seats.

    “With this mass recruitment exercise, we will have nearly 34,000 polling station executives and when we add the electoral area numbers to it, the party’s members will be big. With this, if each member can get five voters, the party will be making a great stride come 2024. We will definitely spring a surprise,” Mr Ambing indicated..

    Piloting.

    He noted that when it became clear that the party members wanted to have that expanded executives at the local level during the introspection, the national executive piloted the same across 12 regions just to find out if it was empirically feasible..

    Mr Ambing said the party hierarchy was overwhelmed with the interest and participation of members for the expanded base programme and noted that “the success of the piloting is an indication that the members at the grassroots want to own the party and drive its success”..

    He explained that the report of the successful piloting had been documented together with all the findings and would be placed before the Central Committee of the party for their perusal and green light so that it would be rolled out..

    ICT.

    He said the party had already developed a template form for the mobilisation and would also train some of the executives to ensure that they appreciate the nitty-gritty of the new programme and be in a better position to shepherd the process to a successful end..

    Mr Ambing, who took the Daily Graphic round an office where computer servers and monitors had been set up, said it was capable of taking the database of at least eight million members, including their names, pictures, voter identification numbers, polling stations and constituency numbers..

    Members.

    He appealed to the members of the party who had been sitting on the fence to join the current executive in the mobilisation programme, noting that they should take up positions at either polling station or electoral areas and work assiduously to secure a resounding victory..

    He said the prospects for the party to win elections were bright but the realisation of this feat would require all hands on deck..

     

  • Strengthening party-gov’t relations: Sports Minister visits NPP headquarters

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has paid a visit to the National Headquarters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as part of efforts to strengthen the link between the government and the party.

    It also forms part of the initiatives to bridge the gap between government appointees and party officers in the party’s quest to mobilise its rank and file for a third consecutive electoral victory in 2024 and to “break the eight” as the popular mantra goes.

    During the interactions, Mr Ussif said nearly 75 per cent of the country’s 31.8 million population fell within the youthful bracket, which fuelled government’s commitment to implement several youth-centred interventions.

    Interventions

    He mentioned that interventions such as YouStart, Green Ghana, various modules of the Youth Employment Agency and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) had led to employment, training, capacity building and the provision of financial support to the country’s youth.

    The Youth and Sports Minister, therefore, encouraged the party to liaise with the appropriate government officials and agencies supervising these youth- centred interventions to ensure their success.

    Mr Ussif further encouraged the party to emulate the youth structures of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress which, he said, had been crucial to the party’s long stay in power.

    Way forward

    The General Secretary of the Party, Justin Frimpong Kodua, who received the minister on behalf of party headquarters, reiterated the point that this initiative of holding regular party-government meetings would be replicated across the country, particularly in the regional capitals.

    That, he said, was to provide a platform for government appointees, particularly ministers of state and chief executive officers (CEOs) to interact with party officers and grassroots.

    As part of this initiative, the party headquarters have witnessed visits over the previous weeks by some government appointees, including the CEO of Ghana Water Company Limited, Dr Clifford Braimah, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor.

    Other appointees are expected to have their turn in the coming weeks.

  • Desmond Tutu’s daughter barred from leading funeral

    Mpho Tutu van Furth married her wife, Marceline, in December 2015, and was subsequently forced to give up her permission to officiate as a priest in South Africa.

    The late Desmond Tutu’s daughter has been barred by the Church of England from leading a funeral because she is married to a woman.

    Mpho Tutu van Furth is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Washington DC and had been asked to officiate at the funeral of her late godfather, Martin Kenyon, in Shropshire on Thursday.

    Ms Tutu van Furth told BBC News it “seemed really churlish and hurtful”.

    The Diocese of Hereford said it was “a difficult situation”.

    The Church of England does not permit its clergy to be in a same-sex marriage because its official teaching is that marriage is only between one man and one woman.

    However, its sister Anglican church in the US, The Episcopal Church, does allow clergy to enter into gay marriages.

    “Advice was given in line with the House of Bishop’s current guidance on same-sex marriage,” a statement from the Diocese of Hereford said.

    The former Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend Paul Bayes, who is a campaigner for the church to change its position on sexuality, said to “plead that things are difficult is not good enough”.

    “We urgently need to make space for conscience, space for pastoral care, and space for love,” he said.

    After Mr Kenyon’s family was told of the Church’s decision, they moved the funeral service from St Michael and All Angels in Wentnor, near Bishops Castle, to a marquee in the vicarage next door so Ms Tutu van Furth could officiate and preach.

    “It’s incredibly sad,” Ms Tutu van Furth told BBC News. “It feels like a bureaucratic response with maybe a lack of compassion.

    “It seemed really churlish and hurtful. But as sad as that was, there was the joy of having a celebration of a person who could throw open the door to people who are sometimes excluded.”

    Martin Kenyon, then 91, became an internet sensation in December 2020 with his frank answers during a CNN interview after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.

    Asked how it felt to be one of the first people in the world to receive the jab, he said: “I don’t think I feel much at all”. But added he hoped not to have the “bug” now because he had granddaughters.

    “There’s no point in dying when I’ve lived this long, is there?” he said.

    Mr Kenyon was close friends with the late South African Archbishop, Desmond Tutu.

    Ms Tutu van Furth was forced to give her up right to officiate as a priest in South Africa after she married Marceline van Furth, a Dutch academic, in 2015.

    Her father Desmond Tutu, who died in December 2021, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his struggle against apartheid in South Africa. He also campaigned in favour of gay rights and backed same-sex marriage.

    “I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say sorry, I mean I would much rather go to the other place,” he said in 2013. “I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this.”

    He added: “I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level.”

  • Osei Kofi, Grace Nortey, Rama Brew among 25 heroes honoured on Nkrumah’s birthday

    The Annual Predecessors Awards 2022 was held on Wednesday, September 21 in Accra in an atmosphere charged with joy and gratitude.

    Various unsung heroes in Ghana and in the diaspora were acknowledged, celebrated and honoured by the Relevant Achievers Impacting Nations – Rain Foundations.

    In his address, the Founding President of RAIN, Author Ralph Antwi explained to the audience that the ultimate intent of the event was to immortalize the achievements, impact and legacies of predecessors.

    Author Ralph unveiled a project to be undertaken by the Predecessors Awards Worldwide for all the 25 honorees.

    The project, being undertaken 12 months before the 2023 edition includes the publishing and launching of a book for each honoree, a free website, one-year free healthcare and a celebration of their birthdays.

    The list of honorees included Alice Annum, Grace Nortey, Rama Brew, Dr. Jane Irina Adu, Hannah Addo, Rev. Mary Ghansah, Rev. Dr. Esther Nyamekyeh, Nombulelo Constance Zwane, Regina Ohemeng Donkor, and Dora Amoako.

    The rest are Justice (Rtd.) J.C. Amonoo-Monney, Elder S.K. Ampiah, Dr. Emmanuel Okeson, Rev. Thomas Yawson, Rev. John Gordon Egyir-Croffet, Rev. Dr. Nicholas Opuni, Apostle Bismark Akomeah, Bishop Elvis Acheampong, Bishop Joejo Dadzie, Apostle Dr. Claude Halm Adjepong, Rev. Frank Bennin, Otuo Achampong, Rev. Osei Kofi, Rev. Professor Enoch Agbozo, and the Outstanding Personality of the Year – Prophet Peter Baffour Appiah-Adu.

    Many dignitaries from all walks of life were present to honour the occasion. These included Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wengam, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, Prophet Dr. Emmanuel Baidoo, Mr. Sammi Awuku and Maame Afia Akoto.

    Predecessors Awards Worldwide will launch their Predecessors Magazine in Johannesburg, Accra, and Virginia before the close of this year.

    Relevant Achievers Impacting Nations is an international Christian Missions organization sold out to encourage the maximization of life and fulfilment of purpose.

  • Return contract certificate if you can’t complete roads – W/R Minister to contractors

    The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah has asked road contractors who are unable to undertake road contracts awarded them to return their contract certificates.

    There abound a litany of roads awarded on contracts, yet contractors are not on site as some have abandoned work midstream with the excuse of they not being paid by government for works so far executed.

    “There are a lot of road contracts in the western region, what we have seen is that some contractors are not doing their best. What we are saying is that any contractor who is not ready for the contract should write a letter to the ministry detailing his or her inability to fulfill the contract so that we re-award it. We are not ready to plead with any contractor again”, he emphasized.

    The Western Region in recent times has seen some agitations by chiefs and indigenes over poor roads for which politicians keep emphasizing are on contract. The attitude by the contractors is seen as unfair by the Western Regional Minister.

    “When the contractors were coming for the tendering process they brought along letters from their respective banks assuring the government that they had enough money to complete the contract. So if all of a sudden you turn around and complain of insufficient funds to complete the work then it means you are trying to deceive the government.”
    he fumed over.

    Just this week, chiefs in the Ahanta West Municipality have had to take to demonstrating over poor roads at Sankor – Cape 3 points although for the past 2 years they kept being impressed upon that the roads are all on contract since 2020 yet no contractor is on-site till date.

     

  • SIM card re-registration: Ghanaians being frustrated because of selfish interest of two forces – Simons alleges

    Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has alleged that Ghanaians are being stressed with the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise because of the selfish interest of persons at the National Identification Authority (NIA) and Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation.

    According to Bright Simons, the re-registration exercise logically could be done together with the registration for the National Identification Cards (Ghana Card) but this is not being done because of the personal interest of some people at both the NIA and the ministry.

    “Procurement is at the root of all the major scandals we have had in this country which involves money if you look closely. I can assure you that all the problems, we are facing with the SIM card (re-registration), the irrationality of the fact that people don’t have the Ghana Card but people are still insisting you should use the Ghana Card.

    “If you delve into it very seriously (you will find out that) it is actually because there are private companies behind both sides – the people that are doing the Ghana Card stuff and the people that are doing the SIM registration stuff and they are competing amongst each other.

    “So, the simplest thing which should have been that when I was doing my Ghana Card, you will take my phone number, send me a text message to establish that is actually my phone number. And then you will connect the data that has my biometric and that is the end of it, my card is registered. The reason why they will not allow you to do that (is because) it offends some people’s private interests. That is the only reason,” he said at the 2022 Baah-Wiredu Lecture in Accra.

    Meanwhile, the National Communication Authority (NCA), on September 5, 2022, announced that persons who have not registered their SIM cards would be barred from receiving certain services, including all outgoing voice calls and data services.

    The NCA explained in a statement that the move forms part of punitive actions ahead of the SIM re-registration deadline, which takes effect on September 30, 2022.

    It added that persons who fail to register their SIM cards before the September 30 deadline would have their numbers blocked permanently.

    But, the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof. Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, has stated that his outfit cannot issue Ghana Cards to all persons who need them to register their SIM cards before the stated deadline.

    This means that not all the nearly 2 million Ghanaian phone users who do not have the Ghana Card yet will be able to register their SIM cards before September 30, 2022 deadline.

    According to Prof. Attafuah, the NIA currently does not have the capacity to print Ghana Card for Ghanaians who need them to register their SIM Cards, citinesroom.com reports.

    “There is no way that NIA can register those people. It is technically physically impossible. We had said way back in March that it was impossible. I have said it is like expecting a maiden to make a baby every three months.

    “That is not how the physical and logistical system has been designed to respond. We cannot do that,” he said.

  • Our problems are bad leadership, corruption – Dr Ishmael Yamson

    Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, has expressed “frustration” over the country’s slow pace of development and blamed the situation on bad leadership, corruption, and greed.

    In an interactive session with some young people in Accra on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, he said the living conditions of people in the colonial era through to independence were better compared to today.

    Dr Yamson, who is also a management consultant, recalled events in the colonial era, where he said his grandfather, a farmer, could sell a bag of cocoa for 13 shillings – and could use that money to fend for his 26 children, grandchildren and nephews.

    “Today all our farmers are poor,” the eighty-year-old-man said, adding: “If you take the life of an average Ghanaian today, it is much worse than what I experienced.”

    “I have seen Ghana from colonial days up to today… I saw King George VI reign before Queen Elizabeth II and before we had the independence agitations, and I can tell you that life for me under colonial rule and the transition to independence and Republican was better than life for me today,” Dr Yamson said.

    His encounter with the youth on Wednesday formed part of activities for the 2022 Inter-Generational Dialogue under the auspices of the Passionate Africa Leadership Institute (PALI).

    Dr Yamson mentioned greed and corruption as the two major issues undermining the progress of the nation.

    He said the country would not develop “until we find a government that says I want to leave a legacy free of corruption and greed.”

    He urged all persons occupying leadership positions in the country to build on what was bequeathed to them and work to make the lives of the people better.

    “My frustration has been our leaders have not demonstrated enough vision, integrity in the way they’ve managed this country. Our leaders have not just performed what they promised they have to do,” Dr Yamson said.

    “Ghana is not that we don’t have people with good minds, goodwill. Our problem is that when it comes to executing those plans we are corrupt, greedy and those things will never allow us to develop,” he added.

    Dr Yamson also expressed concern over the inability of businesses to grow and expand their operations after the demise of their founders.

    He observed that many businesses were operated under the dictates of their founder without structures and proper succession plans.

    “One of our biggest tragedies is that many of our entrepreneurs die with their businesses …the business is run in the head of the founder so when he dies, the business disappears, “Dr Yamson said.

    He urged the youth to “rise up,” abstain from corruption and greed and vote for a leader who would make their lives better.

    Mr Frank Paa Kumi, Convener for PALI, said the Dialogue formed part of initiatives intended to connect young people with distinguished personalities to share their experiences with them.

    He said it was the expectation of the Organisation that many young people would be impacted positively to help raise an army of young people who would contribute positively to the development of the nation.

  • These African leaders were invited to Joe Biden’s reception in New York

    President of the United States, Joe Biden, on Wednesday (September 21) held a reception for a select group of Heads of States and government representatives at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

    The leaders present were in New York to attend the 77th United Nations General Assembly with the US president hosting the reception on the sidelines of the UNGA.

    Per GhanaWeb checks, African leaders present included William Samoei Ruto, the new Kenyan president, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC and Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon.

    Also present was George Weah of Liberia as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, AUC, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

    All attending presidents and their spouses took photos with the Bidens – Joe and Jill – with the American flag and presidential flag against a black background.

    “Kenya will continue expanding its strategic partnership with the United States of America to advance peace and prosperity in Africa.

    “With Rachel at a reception hosted by the @POTUS during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York,” Ruto captioned his photo with Joe Biden.

    Other world leaders who attended include: Racep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, President Klaus Iohannis of Romania, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Philip Pierre; Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry and Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica.

  • Dr Vanessa Aseye Mensah-Kabu unveiled as new icon for ‘Go Girl’ policy

    Dr Vanessa Aseye Mensah-Kabu has been unveiled as the new ambassador for Quality Insurance Company (QIC)’s ‘Go Girl’ Motor Insurance Policy.

    The Ghanaian, who became a doctor at the age of 22, succeeds the former Deputy CEO of Free-Zone Authority, Obuobia Darko-Opoku and Mamavi Owusu Aboagye.

    The ‘Go Girl’ Policy, which evolved from QIC’s flagship policy, ‘Kingly Queenly’ Comprehensive Motor Insurance, is designed specifically for women and offers exclusive benefits such as a courtesy car in the event of an accident and free renewal at the DVLA Prestige Center and Total Petroleum Service Stations.

    With an impressive social media presence, Dr Mensah-Kabu intends to promote the QIC Go Girl policy to reach the female market and also engage women about their health.

    Speaking after her unveiling, Dr Vanessa Mensah-Kabu started that every woman must sign on to the QIC Go Girl policy.

    “The QIC Go Girl policy is tailor-made for every woman who owns a car to enjoy the benefits it comes with. We will be talking about women’s health so whatever your questions are regarding the health needs of women we will discuss them.

    “Social media is a platform that has professional women on board so that platform is to drive and create awareness for our target women to hop on the policy,” she said.

    The Head of Operations of QIC, Cecil Ribeiro, on his part indicated that, the ‘Go Girl’ policy differs from all over insurance due to the importance it places on women to build networks and promote healthy living.

    “We had to find a way of making it more interesting for women to come on board. We want to make this a movement and not just QIC selling a product for women.

    “It is all about creating the platform for women where it is not only about their insurance, we have brought Vanessa on as a doctor to discuss things that concern women, their health and wellness she has the right social media following which we want to leverage on,” he added.

    Mr Ribeiro also disclosed that as part of the benefits client gets to use QICs car for ten days in the instance when their cars are damaged.

  • Mankessim murder: I share a wall with Nana Clark – Captain Smart expresses shock

    The host of Onuaa Maakye on Onua TV, Captain Smart, has become the latest personality to express shock over the murder and secret burial of a 25-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey at Mankessim in the Central Region.

    According to the broadcaster, his shock about the incident stems from his personal knowledge of one of the two suspects who have been arrested in connection with the murder.

    Captain Smart, speaking on the Thursday, September 22, 2022, edition of his programme, noted that his family shares a wall with Nana Onyaa Clark whose house the deceased’s body was exhumed from.

    “Do you know the murder incident in Mankessim is right behind my house? From my house to the place where the aspiring nurse was killed is like from where we are sitting [the studio] to the newsroom. That is the distance between us, it is just a wall that separates us,” he said.

    Describing the suspect as a well-respected man, Captain Smart said he is a man he would never have thought to be a murderer.

    “The truth before God is had it not been for the body that was exhumed in his house, I would never believe that Nana Clark could kill even a lizard,” he said.

    Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the deceased, whose body has been exhumed from the house of one of the suspects.

    The two suspects are Michael Darko Amponsah, a self-styled pastor, who is also a fiancé of the deceased’s sister; and a local chief, Nana Onyaa Clark.

    The two have been charged with two counts, namely: conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29.

    The Cape Coast District Court II remanded them into custody to reappear on October 4, 2022.

  • Cement production can contaminate our salt – Panbros Salt Industries Limited

    Operations Manager, Panbros Salt Industries Limited, Mr Daniel Boye, a local salt production company, says the operation of a Chinese cement production firm in its vicinity could contaminate its product.

    He, therefore, called for the shutdown of the Empire Cement Company Ghana Company.

    Mr Boye said the dust from cement production could settle into salt ponds and contaminate the product.

    He said this on the sidelines of a press conference organised by McCarthy Hill Residents Association over the locatiion of the cement factory.

    The Association expressed displeasure at the location of the cement factory in the residential area.

    Mr Boye said the Panbros area was an environmentally protected Ramsar site and that the location of a cement factory in the area could harm the ecology of the sensitive area.

    He said Panbros had engaged the cement manufacturing company on its location and possible pollution of the environmental and told the factory would be using a technology that would not release dust in to the atmosphere.

    Meanwhile, Nana Obokom Atta IX, Co-founder, Empire Cement Company Ghana, said the factory’s location was not part of the wetlands reserves.

    Nana Atta said they had been given the green light by regulatory authorities to produce cement at the location.

    He added that the Company had put in place measures not to cause harm to residents.

    “This is a multimillion dollar investment project that will provide jobs for the teeming youth and contribute to development in the community and the country as a whole,” the Co-Founder said.

  • Fisheries Ministry, University of Environment and Sustainable Development sign MoU

    The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic collaboration with the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya.

    The MoU is a mutually beneficial relationship between the Ministry and the University on academic and scientific research cooperation in teaching, workshops, seminars, data management, and research relevant to the Fisheries and Aquaculture industry.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony on Thursday in Accra, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs. Mavis Hawa Koomson, said the fisheries industry makes a substantial contribution to national growth, particularly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the creation of jobs and income, as well as the security of food and nutrition.

    She said cooperation between the Ministry, resource users, and academic institutions like the University of Environment and Sustainable Development was necessary for the sustainable management of fisheries and the development of aquaculture.

    The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Eric Nyarko-Samson, said the collaboration was a crucial step toward producing graduates who are well-equipped with experience in the field that the University hopes to produce.

  • Poor electrical wiring key to high electricity bills – Energy Expert

    An Energy Expert, Rev Dr. Enginneer Agyenim Boateng, has stated that bad electrical wiring causes electrical leakages, which leads to an increase in energy consumption and unexpected hike in the electricity bill adding that over 70 percent of residents in the Ashanti Region are paying astronomical light bills due to the use of inferior materials for wiring.

    He explained that when the wiring was full of joints, using sub-standard materials for wiring, coupled with poor work by the electricians, size cable, and over-aged wiring, the insulation property wore out, which created heat in the system and caused the meter to read fast, leading to high payment of electricity bills.

    Engineer Agyenim Boateng who is also a leading member of the Certified Electrical Wiring Professional Association of Ghana (CEWPAG) said this during a discussion on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s morning show Nyansapo on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

    High electricity bills

    “Poor electrical wiring is expensive to maintain and also causes fire outbreaks, leading to lives and property”. Our checks on most of those complaining about this supposed high electricity bills either used unapproved materials or uncertified electricians for their wiring system”, he observed.

    “Per my checks and experience over the years as a professional electrician, I can tell you that most households are paying unrealistic bills due to poor wiring and the use of inferior materials “, the Energy Commission Inspector told the host of the programme Captain Koda.

    Some residents in the Ashanti Region have been up in arms against the government and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over outrageous electricity bills served them by the company.

    The new billing system implemented by the electricity distribution company according to them has led to the collapse of several businesses with a large section of Ghanaians complaining that they will be forced to stop using electricity in their homes if nothing is done about the situation.

    Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011

    According to him, the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011, L.I.2008 provides a guideline on who qualifies to undertake electrical wiring in the country.

    Rev Dr Engineer Agyenim Boateng stated that regulation seven states that “a person shall not undertake electrical wiring on premises unless that person is certified by a licensed electrical distribution utility company or a recognised firm appointed by the Energy Commission.

    He advised the public to always engage the services of a professional electrician certified by ECG, since most of the frequent fire outbreaks in the markets and houses were caused by poor electrical wiring.

    He said electrical wiring whether for residential, commercial or industrial project must be carefully installed and maintained to provide safety to persons and property.

    He however said while some of the citizens had genuine concerns, most of them are at fault.

  • President Akufo-Addo joins Investor Roundtable at UN General Assembly

    President Akufo-Addo has called on the mining investor community to take advantage of Ghana’s adherence to principles of democratic accountability, rule of law, respect for the sanctity of contracts, stable regulatory environment, and favourable fiscal regime, to invest in the mining industry in Ghana.

    He reassured the investor community that Ghana was not only the best place to do business in Africa but also one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies.
    The President said this during an investor Roundtable organised by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in partnership with AngloGold Ashanti and JP Morgan on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, in New York.

    In addition to the traditional minerals, he asserted that Ghana has numerous untapped deposits of green minerals like lithium.

    He said despite the government’s efforts to develop the full value chain for the country’s mineral resources and add value, there were still tremendous investment opportunities, particularly in the mining sector.

    The President, who was the keynote speaker at the event, used the occasion to articulate his vision to construct a progressive and prosperous Ghana, and the fundamental role of the private sector in Ghana’s economic recovery programme, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, indicated that the Government of Ghana was putting in measures to make Ghana a mining hub of Africa.

    The Roundtable, which included major international mining companies as well as bond and equity investors, gave the Government of Ghana a chance to directly interact with the investor community about investment opportunities in Ghana’s mining sector.

     

  • History of Ghana, NDC incomplete without Asiedu Nketiah – Afriyie-Ankrah

    Director of Elections, National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has hailed the Party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, saying the history of Ghana and NDC is incomplete without him.

    Mr Nketiah has publicly declared his intention not to seek re-election as General Secretary of the NDC in the Party’s upcoming national congress, after 17 years as chief scribe.

    In an audio message, Mr Afriyie-Ankrah, who is seeking to replace Mr Nketiah as General Secretary, described the latter as “a great personality”.

    “He is a great personality and definitely an institution, and he has made the necessary impact that anybody could make within the political system, and indeed the history of this country and the history of the NDC would definitely not be complete without talking about his major role over the past 17 years”, Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said.

    Mr Afriyie-Ankrah added that, “He (Mr Nketiah) has been an inspiration to all of us, just as some of us aspire to step in his shoes, we can continue to count on his wisdom, guidance and store-house of knowledge.”

    The NDC will hold its Constituency elections between October 22 and 23, 2022, while the regional elections would be held between November 12 and 13, 2022.

    The National Congress will be held on December 17, 2022.

    About 7,900 executives are expected to be elected in a total of 876 elections at the constituency, regional, and national elections scheduled for the next three months.

    Mr Nketiah, who had served as General Secretary of the NDC since 2005, in a radio interview on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, said the time had come for him to hang his boots as General Secretary and allow others to also serve the Party in that capacity

    Asked if he would be contesting other positions in the upcoming election, Mr Nketiah said he would announce it when the time comes.

    Mr Nketiah led the NDC to power in 2008, and 2012 elections.

    The Party, under his stewardship as General Secretary also lost the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, sharing the spoils with the New Patriotic Party in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

     

  • Ghana will not recognise Ukraine territories taken by Russia – Foreign Minister

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says Ghana will not recognise any territory forcefully taken from Ukraine by Russia.

    She has, therefore, called on Russia to immediately and unconditionally seize its operations in Ukraine by withdrawing its troops and also respecting the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine.

    The Minister who was speaking at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York Thursday, further urged Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and political independence.

    For her, “Ghana does not and will not recognise any territory that is unilaterally and forcefully acquired as dismembered from a sovereign entity.”

    Ms. Ayorkor Botchwey said there was the need for Russia and Ukraine, to chart diplomatic course to resolve the impasse between them.

    She noted that the two nations cannot resolve their differences through the barrel of a gun, adding that the use of gun to resolve differences only “leads to needless bloodshed on both sides.”

    She expressed the concern that with the rising death tolls of the civilian population and growing reports of war crimes in Ukraine, including human rights violations, there was the need to investigate such issues and perpetrators sanctioned.

    “We must uphold our responsibilities as a country and send a clear message that the perpetrators of the atrocities will be held to account,” she noted.

     

  • Tear gas fired to disperse protesting UEW students in Winneba

    The Ghana Police Service fired teargas on Friday, September 23, 2022, to disperse final-year students of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) who were demonstrating against authorities over failure to release their academic results.

    The students blocked roads, leading to the school in protest, after management failed to show up for their scheduled meeting over discrepancies in their results both online and on the notice board.

    Per a Graphiconline report, the students, after waiting for some time, with no sign of the meeting happening, went on a rampage, broke down signposts and blocked some roads on campus.

    The police who were then called upon were unable to control the students and therefore called for reinforcement.

    This resulted in the firing of teargas to disperse the students.

  • UEW final year students protest, accuse school of not updating GPA for 3 years

    Level 400 students of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), have demonstrated because of what they say is a deliberate attempt by school authorities not to update the cumulative record of students for the last three years.

    The students among many accusations are blaming the data protection unit of the school for failing to update the records on their portals, making the various portals of the students empty.

    The school is expected to hold its graduation for the final year students in three weeks’ time.

    The students say they are not able to track their academic performance as a result of the school failing to update the portal.

    Demonstrating students are not allowing vehicles to enter the campus and have blocked the main entrance of the school.

    Persons caught taking pictures of the demonstration have had their phones seized.

     

  • Martin Amidu has not been celebrated enough – Bright Simons

    Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has praised former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu for his commitment to the fight against corruption in Ghana.

    Speaking at the 2022 Baah-Wiredu Lecture in Accra, the IMANI vice president said that Ghanaians are not celebrating Martin Amidu enough for his commitment to the fight against corruption.

    He added that the former special prosecutor is the only person in Ghana who has in recent times put his political career on the line to fight corruption.

    “We have not celebrated Mr. Amidu enough. There are few people in this country who can say with a straight face that they have done the heroics that he has done in this country.

    “Remember when it was Woyome’s period, the president of the country is someone, he (Amidu) had known for many years, he was his vice-presidential candidate. You don’t appoint someone (as your) vice presidential candidate unless you think highly of the person.

    “This president made him Attorney-General and when this matter (the issue of Woyome) came up, he wanted it to be addressed quietly but he (Amidu) refused to do that. He walked out of the office, put on his gown, went straight to court and filed processes to get the money back and then he got fired,” he said.

    Also, Bright Simons said that through the actions of Amidu, when he was the Special Prosecutor, Ghana was saved from losing a lot of money through the Agyapa Royalties deal.

    Even though there was extraordinary evidence that the deal was shrouded with corruption, the government was still going ahead with it, “until he (Amidu) decided to write a corruption risk assessment that declared that the whole transaction anathema”, he said.

    He added that this action of Amidu made the foreign partners suspend the deal which ended up saving the country $150 million in income every year.

  • No data shows hardship in Ghana is due to Russia-Ukraine war – Simon jabs Akufo-Addo

    Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has refuted the claim by President Akufo-Addo that the Russia-Ukraine war is the main cause of the difficulties in Ghana and other African countries.

    President Akufo-Addo, during his speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, said that the Russia-Ukraine War was having a devastating impact on Ghana and other African countries.

    “As we grappled with these economic challenges, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine burst upon us, aggravating an already difficult situation. It is not just the dismay that we feel at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities and towns in Europe in the year 2022, we are feeling this war directly in our lives in Africa.

    “Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa. The economic turmoil is global with inflation as the number one enemy this year,” the president said.

    But speaking at the 2022 Baah-Wiredu Lecture in Accra, Bright Simons argued that the president’s assertion is not backed by data.

    He intimated that there is evidence that Ghana is performing worse than other Africa surrounding it which means that there is more to the country’s challenges than the Russian-Ukraine war.

    “When we start to do the comparative analysis, you cannot use some other factor that has had a uniform effect. I tried my best to give you factors that could have shown that Ghana has been affected more, and as you saw I struggled with the data.

    “I went to jobs, I went to growth, I went to how many people were killed and none of it bears out that we were affected worse. So, if you are the worse performing in terms of currency, you cannot complain and say it is because of some factor that has affected everybody uniformly. It is as simple as that,” he said.

  • All you need to know about gruesome, ritual murders in 2022

    The recent news of the murders that have taken place in Wa and Mankessim, like those that have once flooded news headlines in Ghana before, have given rise to a lot of questions about the security situation in the country.

    Unsettled as they are, these cases have also brought to bear the fact that there have been quite too many instances like that where people have either died or been killed through mysterious means.

    In an attempt to chronicle some of the cases of murders (ritual murders) that have heralded news headlines in the country, particularly in 2022, GhanaWeb has put together this list of some of the most gruesome killings that happened in various parts of the country.

    Wa killings, Upper West:

    Residents of the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region have been living in fear with a rising spate of murders targeting private security officers.

    The number of victims is inching towards a dozen, with the most recent having been discovered on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

    In five months, ten lives have been lost in bizarre circumstances to ‘serial killers’ in the region.

    Last Friday, September 16, 2022, some residents showed up in their numbers at the Wa Technical Institute to protest the security situation there.

    Out of the ten people who have lost their lives, only three bodies have so far been found.

    The police have since ramped up efforts to arrest the situation and to assure the population of adequate security, with the Inspector-General of Police, COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, visiting the region.

    According to additional details, in the case of the latest victim, his eyes and tongue had been removed. The day after, Tuesday, September 19, another body was exhumed with his kidney, heart, and private parts missing.

    Bole, Savannah:

    In January 2022, the body of a middle-aged man was found in an uncompleted building at Mempeasem in Bole.

    On February 6, 2022, the decomposing body of a man was found in an uncompleted building.

    In both cases, the men were found with only their elbows visible while the rest of their bodies were in the ground.

    Mankessim, Central Region:

    A chief and a pastor confessed to killing and burying an aspiring nurse at Mankessim in September 2022.

    The duo is said to have dug a pit in the chief’s house, which is under construction, and buried the lady there.

    The pastor, Michael Darko Amponsah, who turned out to be the fiancé of the deceased’s sister, was arrested at Cape Coast and he immediately confessed to the crime.

    He then led the police to the house of his accomplice, Nana Onyaa Clark, a local chief, where the body was retrieved.

    Along with her body, the police also retrieved her bag, her shoes, and other belongings.

    Cape Coast, Central Region:

    In May 2022, a level 300 Marketing student of the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), Nana Ama Clark, was found dead at the Ola Estate near the Ola College of Education.

    Her body was found on the roadside at Ola Estate near the Ola College of Education, Cape Coast, with her private part cut off, and bruises on her body.

    At Beposo, near Kuntunase, also in the same region, four persons were arrested for murdering a 23-year-old man in January 2022.

    The suspects are reported to have tied the deceased with a rope and hit him with clubs until he became unconscious and subsequently died.

    Adukrom, Eastern Region:

    Between August 30 and September 1, 2022, three teenage Junior High School girls were found dead at Okrakwodwo along the Adukrom-Koforidua Highway in the Okere District.

    It is alleged that they left their homes to visit some young men in another community around 11:30 pm before they met their untimely deaths.

    At Odumase Krobo on September 12, 2022, a 60-year-old physically-challenged man was murdered and set ablaze in an arson attack.

    He was allegedly clubbed before a makeshift structure he was sleeping in, was set ablaze by the arsonist(s) in a protracted land dispute.

    Zakoli, Northern Region:

    At Zakoli in April 2022, more than eight people were killed and several missing after an attack on a village of Fulani herders.

    The town, near Yendi, is said to have been surrounded by gunmen at about 1 pm.

    A woman, who survived the attack because she was told she was a woman, said the gunmen separated the women and children to one side and killed only the men.

    She explained that most of the men were shot at close range while the attackers burnt down the entire settlement and left others with machete injuries. Dozens of livestock were killed and looted with motorcycles and other properties.

    Bono Region:

    In August 2022, angry youth of Adoe, a farming community in the Sunyani West Municipality, descended on Fulani herdsmen and killed nearly 100 cattle.

    On March 31, 2022, a 20-year-old ‘pragyia’ rider was allegedly murdered by unknown assailants.

    The deceased, a student of Chiraa Senior High School, was allegedly hired by some three men to take them to Bodamnii Nkwanta.

    The deceased was killed on the way while he was transporting the passengers to their destination.

    On July 8, 2022, at Prenkoase, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono Region, a man believed to be between 25-30 years, was found lying in a pool of blood on the side of the road.

    Ashanti Region:

    In September 2022, at Konongo, three suspects were arrested over the murder of a 15-year-old girl.

    The body of the deceased, identified as Regina Sarfo, was found dumped in a bush at Ahenbrom, a suburb of Konongo on September 8, 2022.

    At Benebene, near Fianko, two people were arrested for allegedly murdering a final-year student of the Tweneboah Kodua SHS.

    The deceased, who operated a motorcycle business at Odaho during school holidays, was allegedly attacked at Benebene near Fianko.

    At Konongo in the Asante Akyem area, in May 2022, some ‘sakawa boys’ allegedly murdered a 22-year-old girl.

    Body parts were removed before her body was dumped in a river.

    Western North Region:

    In July 2022 at Sefwi Bekwai, three people were arrested in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old woman at Sefwi Bekwai Atwumah.

    The deceased, Martha Tetteh, a resident of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, had travelled to Sefwi Bekwai on Monday, June 27, 2022, to allegedly consult a spiritualist.

    Her headless body was later found in an uncompleted building at Sefwi Bekwai.

    Volta Region:

    On June 16, 2022, at Kpetoe in the Agortime Ziope District, a man was killed and his body was found without its head.

    The deceased, identified as Apetor Yesu, was a homeowner and was allegedly approached by the suspect for accommodation after he was left stranded in Kpetoe.

    It was reported that after escorting the suspect out of the house, however, Apetor Yesu never returned.

    Also at Kpetoe in June 2022, the police arrested John Adonu, a welder, for his suspected involvement in the killing of an 85-year-old man, Joseph Tawiah Darko.

    The 85-year-old deceased had earlier been reported to have gone missing on June 14, 2022, after he left the house a day earlier.

    His decapitated body was discovered under a tree on his farm on June 15, 2022.

    Greater Accra Region:

    While this is not a case of murder or a killing, in June 2022, at Amasaman, a Ghanaian returnee was arrested after he was captured on video trying to use his 11-year-old daughter for money rituals.

    Unfortunately for him, the traditional priest he sent the girl to gave him out, explaining that he was not a fetish priest who demands human sacrifices.

    At Abeka on September 7, 2022, a newly-married woman was allegedly murdered in cold blood.

    The woman, identified as Muniratu Moro, who entered the marriage as a second wife, was found lifeless in a pool of blood.

    It was discovered too that there was a cut on her throat and her thigh.

    “She was killed in her room and then dragged into her rival’s room, the way she died was not natural and we need to know how she was murdered,” the brother of the deceased, Mohammed Samba said.

    These are but a few of the cases available to GhanaWeb as of the time of going to press but there are many more that are not captured here.

  • 21 foreigners arrested in Ejisu over illegal immigration

    Police in the Ashanti Region have arrested 21 foreign nationals believed to be illegal immigrants at Akokoamong within the Ejisu Municipality.

    The arrest follows a joint action by community members who say they have observed the suspicious activities of the persons for months and thus decided to hand them over to the police for further investigations to be conducted.

    One of the community leaders, Mohammed Ali, said they caused the arrest of the foreigners because they believe they pose a security threat and as such, they want the relevant authorities to probe their operations.

    “In the evenings, you will see them make calls. That is what they have been doing. So as residents, we have to be security conscious. Things go on around here and no one knows what they have been doing.”

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has been advocating for stronger collaboration amongst all security agencies to meet the security needs of the country.

    According to the GIS, Ghana’s porous borderlines pose a high-security threat to the country.

    This threat needs a purposeful cross-intelligence and engagement amongst security agencies and community stakeholders to improve security alertness.

     

     

  • GRA hands over alleged tax defaulters to police

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has handed over some managers of three facilities to the CID Unit of the Ghana Police Service for an investigation into non-compliance with the country’s tax law.

    The facilities are Champion Dishes, a Restaurant at Adabraka, Grace Has Found Us and Celeb’s all at Dansoman were found not to be issuing the Commissioner-General’s invoice.

    Mr Joseph Annan, Area Enforcement Manager of GRA in charge of Accra Central, told the Ghana News Agency that they had violated regulations of the Value Added Tax (VAT).

    He said the exercise or operations were part of an ongoing nationwide VAT Invigilation exercise by the authority to retrieve some taxes due the State.

    He said the Police would do their investigations, but for them as tax administrators, “we will assess their books and then apply all the penalties and interest that are applicable.”

    He said it was an offence not to issue the VAT invoice and the law would take its own course.

    Mr Annan said the GRA as part of a nationwide invigilation would continue to embark on mystery shopping exercises across the country to apprehend culprits evading tax.

    “We will continue this exercise until our taxpayers do the needful,” he added.

    He said the Authority in their auditing process would conduct a pre-emptive assessment, which meant that they would have to pay immediately, but then they would recommend a full audit to be conducted.

    Mr Annan said even though they would audit their books, the legal aspect would be handled by the CID, where they would prepare their docket for possible prosecution.

  • Three more persons arrested over Conti-Katanga hall clash

    In connection with the altercation at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, three more students have been detained.

    Following the issuance of a bench warrant by the court for the detention of more than sixty suspects in relation to the event, they were taken into custody.

    The three students, Emmanuel Appiah Amoah, Eugene Nuamesi, and Kwabena Kwarteng Amaniampong appeared before the Asokore Mampong District Court and have been remanded into police custody.

    The accused’s attorneys had asked the court to grant bail to their clients so that they could continue taking the University’s current exam.
    The prosecution disagreed with the plea, claiming that if the accused were released on bond, they would probably interfere with the investigation by the police.

    The court presided over by her worship Hilda Esther Wryter remanded the accused persons to reappear on October 4, 2022.

    The court also asked the police to give the students the needed support to enable them to write their exams.

     

  • Former Pres Kuffour, 14 seasoned journalists honoured for promoting free speech

    Fourteen awardees described as legends of journalism and promoters of free speech were on Wednesday night honoured in Accra.

    Former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, was also honoured for his role in the country’s media space and for repealing the Criminal Libel Law.

    The rest of the awardees included Kofi Badu, Elizabeth Ohene, KwakuAddoSakyiAddo, K.G. OseiBonsu, KabralBlayAmihere, Gifty Affenyi Dadzie, and Abdul-Malik KwekuBaako.

    Others were Kwasi Pratt Jnr, Anthony AkotoAmpaw, Nana Kofi Coomson, Prof. Kwame Karikari, Godwin Avernogbo, Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, and Prof. Paul VianneyAnsah (PAV).

    Organised by the Centre for Communication and Culture, a not-for-profit organisation, the awards was in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Sportswriters Association (SWAG), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Private Newspapers Association and the Institute of Public Relations (IPR).

    MrEnimilAshon, Executive Director of Centre for Communication and Culture, said that the awards was under the “Ghanaian Media, The Bold, Beautiful, the Ugly and the Maverick” project which would be rolled in three packages, including interviews on television , a 200-page book on the lives and times of the legends.

    Commending the legends, he said he was hopeful that present and future journalists would fight for the same course.

    An Economist, Kwame Pianim, commended the legends for chalking such feats, adding that there was the need to also honour the spouses of these legends who stood by them in those trying times.

    He extolled the former president for his role in the media space and indicated that maintaining free speech and press freedom required the efforts of all and sundry.

    MrPianim noted that we could have the Ghana we wanted if we applied selflessness, discipline and the rule of law.

    “We are a young nation with a mission to be a shinning beacon of Africa so it is not the institutions but we Ghanaians. We need to have the courage to speak our minds,” he stated.

    “We have an attitude that an elder does not err and that is doing us lots of bad than good and we have to work on that,” he added.

    The economist recommended that the organisers go beyond the giving of just plaques to the legends, adding that the GJA could establish a fund with support from the government to help these legends.

    The President of the GJA, Mr Albert Dwumfuor, hinted that the Association would soon introduce the GJA retirees support fund to support some of these legends who were faced with financial challenges.

    He congratulated the legends for the pace set, adding that he was hopeful that young journalists would carry on with what they have learnt from them to continue to make the country a better place.

  • LEAP to disburse Ghc54.7 million to beneficiaries

    A total of Ghc54.7 million is to be disbursed to 344,389 beneficiary households nationwide as social cash grants under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

    The five-day disbursement, expected to start from Monday, is for the 77th and 78th cycles, meaning all beneficiary households constituting more than 1.5 million individuals — would receive double the regular bi-monthly grant.

    In view of this, one eligible member household would receive GHC 64.00; two eligible members, GHC 76.00; three eligible members, GHC 88.00 while a household with four and more eligible members would get GHC106.

    This was contained in a statement issued by the Head of LEAP Programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr. Myles Ongoh, in Accra yesterday.

    LEAP is a social cash transfer programme for the poorest households in Ghana with the goals of reducing poverty by smoothening consumption and promoting human capital development.

    The category of persons who make a household eligible are orphan and vulnerable children (OVC); elderly (65 years+) without support; persons with severe disabilities who cannot work and very poor pregnant women and mothers with infants under one year.

    “The amount of money paid [through e-zwich] is not the same for all households benefiting from the Programme. The amount paid to a household is determined by the number of eligible household members,” the statement explained.

    The statement acknowledged the contribution of the Programme’s Development Partners and the staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development and all community volunteers towards the implementation of the Programme across the country.

  • Every dog must be vaccinated for Ghana to achieve immunity by 2030

    Every dog must be vaccinated once every one or two years to help Ghana achieve immunity by 2030.

    The critical proportion of all dogs that ought to be vaccinated is 70 per cent in order to break the dog-to-dog transmission of rabies.

    Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, disclosed these ahead of this year’s World Rabies Day celebration at a press briefing in Accra yesterday.

    He said mass vaccination of dogs should be preceded by evidence-based research of the dog ecology, population numbers and transmission in Ghana.

    “After this, adequate planning in strategy and logistics informed by policy is needed. All these must be done as quickly as necessary, considering the exigencies of the times. Community engagement and participation is key in assuring success of set targets in mass dog vaccination,” he stated

    Dr Bekoe said this year’s celebration would be held on the theme “One Health, Zero Deaths” to coincide with a recent record of cases of human rabies in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, saying  “the one health approach is an intersectoral collaboration between institutions concerned with human health, animal health and environment health.”

    “Rabies is considered a proxy for One Health because it has the human, animal and environmental components. This year, we want to remind ourselves of the One Health strategies and approaches, the systems, institutions and other resources we will fall on, and what our objectives ought to be from now till the next celebration” he stated.

    He said from May 21 to 25, 2018, relevant stakeholders met to develop  the current Ghana Rabies Control and Prevention Action Plan (2018-2030) whose goal was to use the ‘One Health Approach’ to control rabies in Ghana.

    The plan he said highlighted prevention and control of rabies, data collection and analysis, laboratory diagnosis, dog population management, information, education and communication, intersectoral collaboration and legislation.

    Dr Bekoe pleaded with all relevant stakeholders to collaborate to drive progress towards “Zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.”

    Dr Patrick Abakeh, Acting Chief Veterinary Officer said human vaccines were expensive and that it was currently estimated to cost USD$4,087,970 annually.

    For him, every exposed person who received a PEP vaccine, 50 dogs could have been vaccinated at the same cost, adding that in the hierarchy of importance of control of rabies , vaccinating dogs came first, followed by vaccinating exposed humans.

    Dr Abakeh called for the resource of the Veterinary Service Directorate (VSD) to be able to deal with zoonotic diseases as Ghana, together with other countries in the sub region, were endemic to rabies which is a Neglected Tropical Zoonosis.

    Dr Guyo Guracha , a representative from World Health Organisation, said his outfit regularly updated and disseminated technical guidance on rabies, for example  epidemiology, surveillance, diagnostics, vaccines, safe and cost-effective immunisation , control and prevention strategies for human and animal rabies, operational programme implementation and palliative care for human rabies patients.

    Benjamin M.Adjei, Assistant Food and Agriculture Organisation Representative of the United Nations, added that Rabies had a significant impact on lives and livelihoods, particularly in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and that the poor and marginalised communities were most heavily impacted as they often could not afford treatment or transport for care.

  • UNDP launches $1m Black Volta afforestation project

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a $ 1 million dollar ‘One Tree Planted’ programme to plant five million trees by 2024 to restore degraded areas in the Black Volta landscape.

    The programme was launched under the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grant Programme (GEF/SGP) at Maluwe in the Bole-Bamboi District of the Savannah region of Ghana.

    The ‘One Tree Planted’, according to the UNDP Resident Representative, Dr Angela Lusigi, would enhance capacity and supply various seedlings including Cassia, Mahogany, Cashew, and Mango to selected communities in the Black Volta landscape for planting. The aim is to fight environmental degradation and promote sustainable livelihood enterprises in the landscape.

    “This programme is about not leaving anyone behind. We are all expected to be involved in tree planting on farms, in open spaces, around towns, school compounds and in forest areas. Plant at least one tree and maintain it for people and for the planet,” Dr Lusigi said.

    Dr Lusigi stated that the programme was aimed at contributing to the Government of Ghana’s Green Ghana agenda by supporting the communities to invest in sustainable land management and the conservation of the Black Volta Basin ecosystem.

    She stated that it would also focus on providing alternative livelihood support systems to enhance the wellbeing of the people, while sustaining the environment.

    The National Coordinator of the UNDPGEF Small Grant Programme in Ghana, Dr George Ortsin said that the UNDPGEF Small Grants Programme would devote $1milion direct funding support to the ‘One Tree Planted’ programme while mobilising additional support from other development partners.

    “I am glad to say that the Terra Fund for financing Africa’s Top 100 Tree Restoration Projects and Enterprises has committed US$150,000 over the next three-years to support the programme. We would want to appeal to other donors to join the implementation of the programme,” Dr Orstin stated.

    He indicated that, the UNDPGEF Small Grant Programme was already supporting five communities in the Bole-Bamboi District with agroforestry and the ‘One Tree Planted’ Programme was to complement the existing agroforestry initiative.

    The Programme Lead in Maluwe, Hannah Boaduwaa said “Currently, we have almost 2000 farmers in five communities in the landscape, who are restoring the degraded landscape under the UNDPGEF Small Grant Programme. The farmers have integrated food crops into their woodblocks, and this is our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation because we are reducing poverty whiles protecting the environment.”

    She said the goal of the ‘One Tree Planted’ programme was to restore about 170 hectares of degraded areas in the Black Volta landscape to contribute to Ghana’s climate action agenda.

    The Chief of Maluwe (Maluwewura), Sulemana Bramani, expressed appreciation to UNDP and pledged the commitment of the communities in the area to the success of the programme.

  • ‘We didn’t give Aisha Huang visa’ – Ambassador

    The Ambassador of Ghana to China, Dr Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, on Thursday stated that the Embassy of Ghana in Beijing has nothing to do with En Huan, also known as Aisha Huan’s return to Ghana.

    He said the Chinese national who was deported from Ghana to China in December 2018 for allegedly engaging in illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region “did not take any visa from us.”

    Dr Hammond made these remarks here when two Chinese investors paid him a visit in his office, to among others, discuss issues of common interest and mutual benefit, including investment in Ghana, job creation for Ghanaians and transfer of technology to spur economic growth.

    Dr Hammond told the Ghanaian Times that it was necessary to respond to some unfounded allegations made against the Ghana Embassy for facilitating the return of Miss Huan to Ghana by issuing her a visa.

    While saying that the law should be applied to the letter, he noted that En Huang’s case ought to be handled with utmost caution so as not to jeopardise the healthy relationship built by Ghana and China.

    Dr Hammond noted there were many genuine Chinese businesses in Ghana contributing to the growth of the Ghanaian economy but said that those who flouted Ghana’s laws must be dealt with in accordance with law.

    En Huang had already made two court appearances following her arrest, first at the Circuit Court on September 6, and at the Accra High Court on September 16 in respect of different offences.

    At the Accra Circuit Court, En Huang and three others, Jong Li Hua; Huang Jei and HuiadHiahu had been charged with engaging in illegal mining in Ghana as well as engaging in sale and purchase of minerals without licence.

    On September 16, the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Lydia OseiMarfo remanded the accused until October 11.

    The prosecutor, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice charged En Huang with undertaking mining operation without licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals contrary to section 24 of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry contrary to section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573.

  • Serial killing in Wa not related to terrorism – Adib Saani

    Security analyst, Adib Saani, has refuted suggestions that the recent murders of security men in the Upper West Regional Capital, Wa, have something to do with terrorism.

    According to Adib Saani, the killings in Wa cannot be terrorist related because it does not fall within the modus operandi of any terrorist or jihadist groups.

    Speaking in a Joy News interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the security analyst added that terrorists normally target killing a lot of people at once and also announce their conquest after successful attacks.

    “Terrorists attack and they want the whole world to know that they have attacked. They are proud to flaunt their terroristic tendencies. So, if it were terrorist attacks, I’m sure they would have announced.

    “Secondly, terrorists want more people dead and more people scared. Their lethality has grown over the period and they prefer mass casualties. They have certain formats, they use and this is certainly not one of them,” he said.

    He added that even though the recent murders might not be terrorist attacks, they have the potential of creating conditions which terrorists can exploit.

    Background:

    Seven security guards have, since April 2022, reportedly been abducted by unknown assailants in the Upper West Regional capital. The police, in collaboration with a team constituted by the Wala Traditional Council, have found 4 dead bodies with missing organs.

    The 4 bodies have been deposited at the Upper West Regional Hospital morgue by the Special Purpose Intelligence and Investigation team dispatched by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

    The Ghana Police Service has also indicated that a pathologist from the Police Hospital has been deployed to assist with the investigation.

    It has also arrested one suspect who is alleged to be involved in the series of murders.

    According to the police, the suspect, Kankani Adongo, is alleged to be involved in at least the recent murder of a 58-year-old security man.

    In a post shared on Facebook, Monday, the police said that Adongo was arrested with the help of some community search parties.

     

  • International Day of Sign language: The communication challenges of the hearing-impaired

    Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a standard system of symbols, signs, or behaviour.

    But when it happens that one party is unable to decode the symbols or signs used by the other then communication cannot take place because there will be no proper feedback.

    This is what is happening between the deaf and those who can hear.

    Because the deaf cannot hear, sign language was first introduced in France in 1755 and in Ghana in 1957 by Dr. Andrew Foster, a deaf American.

    The United Nations in its 2017 General Assembly proclaimed 23rd September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign languages.

    Speaking to GhanaWeb through an interpreter, the Western Regional President of the Deaf Association, Ussher Kakra noted that because people do not understand sign language, anytime two deaf people are speaking through sign language, people think they are fighting.

    According to him, the deaf community faces many challenges that need to be addressed.

    Kakra mentioned that the deaf is unable to enter into any meaningful business because as soon as people get to know their status (deaf) they stop buying from the person.

    “Because of that, we can’t work in public places and most of us are poor in society, while others have resorted to begging,” he said.

    He called on the government to include sign language in the educational curriculum to help children to start learning sign language from the basic schools.

    Speaking to a sign language interpreter Richmond Baidoo, noted that society has not seen the need to break the communication barrier in various aspects.

    “Imagine a deaf person visiting the hospital, how will they communicate with the doctor to know his or her problem; imagine a deaf person who wants to enroll in educational courses, how will he access quality education when there is no sign language? Let’s look at the content on the internet, how many of them contain sign language interpretation for the deaf to understand the content?” he asked.

    Richmond Baidoo said, “it is about time we understand the culture of the deaf so that certain misconceptions about the deaf community will be dealt with.”

    He called on health workers to acquaint themselves with sign language in order to administer proper health care to the deaf adding that all health institutions should employ sign language interpreters who will interpret whatever health challenge the deaf has to the health worker.

  • 3 killed, 32 injured in gas tanker-bus collision at Fumesua

    Three persons were killed and 32 others injured when a gas tanker collided with a VIP passenger bus, at Fumesua, in the Ejisu Municipality of Ashanti, in the early hours of Wednesday.

    By the time the Ghanaian Times arrived at the scene, both vehicles had been towed away from the scene.

    The Ejisu Municipal Chief Executive, Samuel Frimpong, who was at the scene, confirmed the incident to the Ghanaian Times, here, quoting sources from the Ejisu Divisional Command.

    He indicated that the gas tanker was going to offload its content at Sonic gas filling station in Fumesua when the incident happened.

    “It is very surprising how the VIP bus rammed into the tanker, which had almost navigated into the filling station…the bus rammed into the tail of the tanker,”MrFrimpong indicated.

    He said drivers of the bus and gas tanker survived and were under investigation at the Ejisu Divisional Police Command., adding that some of the injured were sent to Ejisu Government Hospital.

    The gas in the tanker was siphoned into a new tanker amid the positioning of fire tender at the place, Mr Frimpong said.

  • I’m the complainant behind most galamsey cases in Ellembelle – DCE

    Kwasi Bonzoh, the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle has said that his dedication to the fight against illegal mining has seen him gone up against illegal miners in court.

    Bonzoh K as he is fondly called, said on Adom FM that he is the complainant in most of the illegal mining cases being prosecuted in the Ellembelle district.

    He recounted instances where he testified in open court against illegal miners and emphasize his commitment to the fight.

    Bonzoh K also noted that but for the drive and dedication of the Akufo-Addo government, the Ellembelle district would have been ravaged by illegal mining activities.

    Whiles commending the president for the fight against galamsey, Bonzoh K reaffirmed his willingness to protect the resources.

    “Let me commend the president. But for his intervention and commitment to fighting illegal mining, things would have been worse. There is gold in Ellembele but instead of going through due process they normally circumvent the process by seeing the families who are owners of the land. Because it’s illegal, you can’t regulate them.

    “Nana Akufo-Addo’s fight is what has brought us some relief. There are about 18 operations and I’m the complainant for most of them. There are instances where I’ve testified in open court against galamseyers” he said.

    Bonzoh K also called for a de-politicization of the fight against galamsey. He surmised that giving the fight a political colorization will prevent the government and agencies from identifying the real culprits behind the menace.

    “Galamseyers are businessmen who take advantage of the political space. We should do this thing [fighting illegal mining] without the political colorization of the fight”.

    “When you arrest one galamseyer, the number of calls that you will receive transcends political lines. The moment you politicize it, the real actors get away with it. We are doing the unborn generations a great disservice if we don’t win this fight. If we just look on for people to just destroy our environment, what will my children come to inherit?”

    Bonzoh K has been charged with five counts of alleged obstruction over the controversial missing excavators saga.

    The charges he will face are assault, conspiracy to assault, resisting arrest and two others.

    He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently on a bail.

  • Halt operations, withdraw troops from Ukraine – Ghana admonishes Russia

    Ghana has asked the Russian Federation to halt its military operation in the neighboring Ukraine.

    Speaking at the United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting yesterday September 22, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, bemoaned the atrocities the ongoing war between the two countries has left in its wake.

    She called on the Security Council to take urgent steps to prevent its own ‘near paralysis’ and end the war in Ukraine.

    Ayorkor Botchway emphasized Ghana’s commitment to ensure that perpetrators of the heinous crimes in the war were brought to book.

    “With the rising death toll, civilian casualties and growing reports of war crimes and other human rights violations, we must uphold our responsibilities as a Council and send a clear message that perpetrators of atrocities would be held to account,” she said.

    The minister further admonished Russia to withdraw it troops from Ukraine in respect of the sovereignty and independence of the country which once formed part of the Soviet Union.

    “We reiterate the call on the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally cease its operations, withdraw its troops from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and respect it neighbours sovereignty and political independence,” she reiterated.

    Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year after the latter had shown signs of joining the European security bloc, Nato. The war has been condemned by a majority of world leaders.

    The government of Ghana has also been partly blaming the ongoing war for it economic challenges.

    Speaking on Wednesday, September 21, 2022; at the UN General Assembly Meeting, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the ‘bombs and bullets’ being launched at Ukraine was hitting the pocket of African countries.

    “As we grappled with these economic challenges, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine burst upon us, aggravating an already difficult situation.

    “It is not just the dismay that we feel at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities and towns in Europe in the year 2022, we are feeling this war directly in our lives in Africa.

    “Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa. The economic turmoil is global with inflation as the number one enemy this year,” he added.

  • Exam for law school cancelled due to question paper leak

    The entrance examination for the Ghana School of Law, which was supposed to be taken by prospective students today, September 23, 2022, has been canceled.

    The exam was canceled as a result of the questions being leaked on social media hours before it was scheduled to be written.

    The four paged leaked paper had two questions the candidates expected to answer.

    The Independent Examination Committee of the General Legal Council, which oversees examinations, decided to cancel the paper after careful consideration.

    This is the second time the Committee has cancelled an examination this year.

    In July 2022, the examination body cancelled a Civil Procedure paper scheduled to be taken by students of the Ghana Law School.

    This was after the copies of the paper had been circulated on social media ahead of the time it was scheduled to be taken.

    Meanwhile, GhanaWeb is informed that the cancelled entrance examination paper is scheduled to be taken later in the day.

     

     

  • Occupy Ghana petitions RTI for info on state lands

    Pressure group, Occupy Ghana has petitioned the Right to Information (RTI) Commission to order the Lands Commission to provide details on all public lands that have been released to individuals.

    The group in their petition addressed to the Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission said the move had become necessary because the Lands Commission had frustrated attempts to access the information.

    Demands

    Among others, the group wants a list of all public lands over which the government’s ownership or control has been relinquished, and the names of the persons to whom those lands have been released; the respective sizes and locations (suburbs, towns/cities and regions) of all such lands; and the conditions of release, whether free, sale, lease or licence.

    It also wants to know “If the land has been leased, the amount of rent paid or payable; and Any other amounts paid to or received by the government, if any, for each such transaction”.

    Argument

    Occupy Ghana argues that the Commission flouted the law when it allegedly returned some public lands to the original owners in compliance with Articles 20(5) and 20 (6).

    “It is a notorious fact that some public lands have allegedly been returned to the original owners in a purported compliance with Article 20(5) and (6) of the Constitution, contrary to Supreme Court decisions that those provisions do not apply to lands acquired before the Constitution came into force,” the statement said.

    “Further, OccupyGhana’s checks with both the Lands Ministry and Lands Commission have confirmed that contrary to article 258 (2), there is no government policy that authorises these alleged returns of lands to purported original owners. This would raise serious constitutional questions over the propriety of the alleged return of lands, since the Lands Commission, acting alone, has no power to treat the trust property of all Ghanaians in this manner by purporting to return such lands to alleged original owners. This also raises serious constitutional issues as to whether or not the Lands Commission is in breach of its constitutionally imposed fiduciary and accountability duties”.

    Delays

    The group added that after several frustrations it had resolved that “unless and until compelled by the Right to Information Commission to do so, the Lands Commission will keep coming up with one unsustainable excuse after another”.

    It said the most recent excuse, which gave a lot of cause for concern, was the claim that they required the advice of the Attorney-General “on our request in the light of the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the Right to Information Act”.

    “It is in the light of the above, that on 2 June 2022, OccupyGhana requested from the Lands Commission, an inventory of all public lands alleged to have been returned to their original owners since the coming into force of the Constitution. We made this request in the exercise of both our right to Information under article 21 of the Constitution and our right to be accounted to as Ghanaians, the ultimate beneficiaries of those lands, under article 36(8).

    “Unfortunately, the Lands Commission, while pretending to be gathering that information for us, is using every conceivable trick to frustrate our constitutional rights stated above. The reasons for not giving us the information to date has ranged from a demand that we name an individual with whom the Commission would deal, to asking for time to compile the information from the regions, to asking for a meeting to discuss our concerns.

    “We have responded to each of these excuses to show that the Lands Commission has absolutely no legal bases to deny or delay our right to the information we seek. However, at this stage we are concerned that unless and until compelled by the Right to Information Commission to do so, the Lands Commission will keep coming up with one unsustainable excuse after another. This is what compels us to petition your office for an order directed at the Lands Commission to supply to us the information requested”.

    Read the petition below;

  • Laklevikope residents consider demo after woman drowns in lagoon

    The operations of Seven Seas Salt Mining Limited in Laklevikope and the adjacent towns in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region have reportedly put the lives of the locals in danger, as such, residents in the area have threatened to embark on a protest.

    The locals asserted that since they rely on the lagoon for their fishing, the company’s operations put them in danger.

    In an interview with Citi News the the Assemblyman for the area, Victor Ayaku, said the residents have resolved to protest since efforts to bring such activities to their minimum have proven futile.

    He added that said the company doesn’t care about the lives of the individuals in the area since it failed to erect warning signs as a sign of caution.

    “It is important we demonstrate because this company is taking us for granted, all the activities that are being undertaken by the company within the company are doing more harm than good.

    “The necessary steps we needed to take as assembly members were all exhausted, but still, what is going on is still going on. We are calling on the government to come and investigate. After that, possibly, we will take legal action against this company,” he said.

    A woman and her three children perished on Saturday, September 17, 2022, after falling into a pit near the lagoon operated by Seven Seas Salt Mining Limited.

     

     

  • 30yr-old phone dealer shot and killed in robbery incident at Ohwim

    The murder of a 30-year-old man who was allegedly shot and killed in a robbery suspect at Ohwim in the Ashanti Region has left friends and family in mourning.

    After being attacked by some unidentified armed individuals at his home, the deceased, a mobile phone vendor named Ibrahim Abdul-Wahab, passed away in the hospital.

    According to the deceased’s family, the incident occurred on Thursday about 1:30 am.

    The deceased according to reports was rushed to a private facility and was later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he died.

    A spokesperson of the family, Ali Musah is appealing to the police to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure the perpetrators are arrested.

    He also appealed to the police to expedite processes to release the body for burial.

    Friends who are trooping to the family house of the deceased described him as humble and calm.

    Police at Suame have begun investigations into the incident, while the bereaved family is waiting for the body to be released for burial according to Islamic rites.

     

  • We’ll bring down anything non-Nkrumah at his mausoleum when renovation works end – Mornah

    A former People’s National Convention (PNC) secretary, Benard Mornah, has stated that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is eroding the heritage of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president.

    Mr. Mornah lamented that on the day designated to honor Kwame Nkrumah‘s birthday, the public was unable to access the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

    Speaking at an event, held by the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) to commemorate Memorial Day on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, Mr. Mornah said: “I went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and when I got there this morning, it was difficult to go there because the contractor claims they have taken control of that site.”

    “21st September has been declared a public holiday, and people are working at the site of Kwame Nkrumah and where Kwame Nkrumah is lying and the government of Ghana is happy and preventing citizens from visiting the tomb of Kwame Nkrumah,” he lamented.

    He stated that the administration would face resistance if it tried to change the initial concept for building the Memorial Park.

    “And their[government] attempt to impose other people that do not qualify to be at the Memorial Park, I sent a warning and let me repeat it here, if they make a mistake and put anything either than Kwame Nkrumah in the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, we’ll bring that thing down,” the former PNC Secretary stated.

    The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra was closed temporarily closed on Friday, 27 May 2022, for maintenance works.

    Contractors are working to upgrade the memorial park to a standard that befits the stature of the former president and boosts the attractiveness of the park and the overall tourism performance of the country.

     

  • Dzifa Gomashie calls for full-scale probe into Laklevikope lagoon drowning incident

    A member of parliament representing Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie, has urged the police to conduct a thorough inquiry into the most recent drowning tragedy at the Laklevikope lagoon.

    On September 18, a mother and her three children drowned in a dyke that was purportedly built in a lagoon by a salt mining firm in Laklevikope, Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.

    Due to this, the locals felt obligated to ask the government to make sure the business adheres to safety protocols to avoid similar incidents in the future.

    They are also calling on the mining company to put safety signposts along the lagoon.

    Reacting to the incident in a Facebook post, the legislator extended her condolences to the bereaved family and demanded an investigation into the matter.

    Dzifa Gomashie in the Facebook post said “While I commiserate with the affected communities, I also want to urge the Ministry in charge, the Minerals Commission, and the Municipal Assembly to take the extremely urgent steps necessary to avert any more tragic deaths.“

    “Indeed, I demand a full-scale Police investigation into the present case and the publication of the report, as well as the full disclosure of the efforts to ensure the lives and property of the people are protected.”

    “We are a peaceful and law-abiding people and will support the state in the discharge of their duty but we will not sit aloof whilst foreign entities imperil the lives of our people die,” she added.

     

  • 70 ladies undergo skills training conducted by Central Region CNC

    The Central Regional Centre for National Culture (CNC) has organised a graduation ceremony for more than 70 ladies who enrolled to take part in a year’s C-Carl Oparebea Annual Marketable Skills Training held in Cape Coast, Central Regional capital.

    The programme provided hands-on training for the women to acquire skills in bead making, crocheting, basic sewing, decoration, facial makeup, painting, hair dressing, dreads locking, hair braiding and fascinator making.

    This year’s event, the sixth to be organised under the C-Carl Oparebea Skills Training was on the theme: “Promoting Economic Growth and Development Through Arts and Culture.”

    The acting Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Ms Salamatu Alhassan, in her address, noted that the skills training was part of the Centre’s contribution towards reducing unemployment in the Cape Coast metropolis.

    She indicated that the training was in line with the core mandate of the National Commission on Culture under which the CNC falls in implementing government policies and programmes.

    “The responsibilities of the Centre for National Culture with regard to promoting youth in the arts arena cuts across all spheres of education,” she said.

    The practical aspect offered as part of the training, she said, was imperative in providing an opportunity for people to acquire employable skills to operate their own businesses.

    Ms Alhassan indicated that, past trainees from the programme, were excelling in their respective businesses and were also impacting the lives of individuals by training them, saying, “However, some of them are facing challenges of funding as a start-up.”

    He appealed to the government to resource the centres across the country in order for them to function effectively.

    The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, in an address read on her behalf, commended the CNC for initiating and sustaining the programme aimed at identifying, developing and rewarding creative talents in the region.

    “The flagship programmes are highly commendable as they are in line with government’s realignment of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) under the supervision of the Ministry of education,” she stated.

    She further said: “The government has been working to promote skills training and development for industrialisation and generate greater awareness of the importance of TVET.

    Mrs Assan expressed the readiness of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in supporting the CNC as it strives to make an impact and supports the growth of the region and the nation in general.

    She called on residents in the region to assist in creating a congenial atmosphere that would ensure steady growth and development of their societies.

    “This will help to compliment the government’s efforts to extend development to every part of the country,” she said.

     

     

     

  • MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exercise

    MTN Ghana has embarked on a drive to appreciate its customers and reaffirm its commitment to delivering distinct customer service.

    This is part of the 2022 Global Appreciation Week.

    Global appreciation week is a week that is set aside for MTN employees to show appreciation for each person’s contribution to the company’s performance.

    The first day was dedicated to the brand. Day two of the appreciation week was dedicated to customers and MTN staff who took the SIM registration exercise to the doorsteps of customers in Ghana. Customers were registered in the comfort of their homes and offices.

    MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exerciseMTN Staff Celebrate Global Appreciation Week

    In addition to SIM registration, staff interacted with customers and addressed their concerns. The CEO of MTN also sent SMS messages to MTN customers.

    The rest of the days focused on appreciating exceptional team members and individuals whilst the final day was used to celebrate our communities.

    MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exerciseMTN Staff Yvonne Takyi assists customer to check her registration status

    Commenting on this year’s customer appreciation week, the Chief Customer Services Officer, Jemima Kotei Walsh said, “We want to thank all our customers for their support over the years. We appreciate your loyalty and we have you at heart.

    “Therefore, we have dedicated our customer appreciation week to serving you in your comfort zone by bringing the SIM registration exercise to your doorsteps. We are undertaking this exercise across the country to ensure that every customer can conveniently register”.

    MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exerciseMTN Staff in the field to support Customers with their SIM Re-registration

    She urged those who have not yet registered their sims with the Ghana card to do so immediately.

    She said, “We are urging customers who have not yet started the process to link their Ghana card with USSD *404# or use the MTN web portal https://simregistrationportal.mtn.com.gh before they come to our touchpoints for the biometric capture.

    “Customers can complete the registration by either visiting the nearest service centre for the biometric capture. Alternatively, customers can download the SIM Registration Self Service app on google play to complete the registration”.

    MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exercise
    Customer Being Registered

    The Customer appreciation week was marked in all 19 MTN operations.

    MTN Ghana celebrates Global Appreciation Week with SIM registration exerciseMTN Staff interacting with Customers in the Market

  • We are joking about galamsey fight – Dr. Lawrence Tetteh

    A well-known evangelist, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has called Ghana’s battle against unlawful small-scale mining, better known as galamsey, a joke given how pretentiously everyone has been handling it.

    He asserted that the persons involved in the trade are not hiding anything, and that the rules of the nation are freely flouted by them.

    In a brief excerpt from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation‘s Breakfast Show, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh spoke about how he had seen firsthand the extent of the environmental harm that galamsey has inflicted.

    “I have had the chance to go to Tarkwa, with my team as a form of excursion and curiosity, got to see galamsey sites. We advanced to see some in Obuasi and I think it’s a joke if we make talks that we’re fighting galamsey,” he said.

    The revered Man of God went on to say that although national authorities are aware of the origins of galamsey and the reasons it has grown to be such an empowered sector, they are choosing not to address it directly.

    “Everybody knows where galamsey is. Everybody knows the perpetrators… how does the equipment get to Ghana? The equipment don’t fly straight from China. The equipment don’t fly straight from Japan. The equipment don’t come straight from other parts straight; it goes through our ports of entry. Who monitors them?

    “I think that it’s about time as a nation, we walk the talk and stop limiting ourselves to very trivial things. Galamsey is destroying our water bodies, it has destroyed our nation,” he added.

    The  Akufo-Addo government has been on a relentless campaign to completely stop galamsey in the country but it has continuously been met with many challenges.

  • 200 pregnant women undergo free scan, receive medication

    More than 200 pregnant women in the Anyaa Sowutoum Constituency yesterday benefited from a free pregnancy scan organised by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Dr Dickson Adomako-Kissi.

    In addition, the women also received free blood supplements and education on caesarian section from some specialists of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

    Speaking in interview with the Ghanaian Times, the MP said the exercise formed part of his initiative to offer the women opportunity to seek medical attention on any bordering health issues.

    He said women’s health was paramount with regards to the Sustainable Development Goal Three which was targeted at reducing one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

    “It is in line with this, that today, I decided to use the holiday for free pregnancy scan so that we can pick up some of the issues and diagnose them for proper treatment,” he added.

    Dr Adomako-Kisi said some pregnant women often times were faced with pregnancy challenges such as pains, ectopic, abnormalities in the baby head size, shape, missing a limp among others which most of them could not afford in diagnosing and so was important they went through routine exercises such as that.

    He advised the pregnant women to desist from patronising prayer houses and visiting their hometowns for delivery to avoid complications.

    Dr Adomako-Kissi decried the increasing cases of pregnant women who patronised prayer houses and faith-based centres to assist them during deliveries saying that it made their work difficult.

    “I have advised them on the spiritual aspect because pastors and reverends are stakeholders in this work and sometimes make our work difficult because they do not encourage the women to take medical advice but only the spiritual advice. However, we can work hand in hand to ensure that there is no premature mortality,” he stated.

    He stressed the need for pregnant women to register at approved hospitals for ante-natal care to ensure safe delivery.

    Dr Adomako-Kissi promised to impact his community positively on health related issues and assured of establishing a district hospital to cater for the health needs of the constituents.

    Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the MP saying it was timely due to some health challenges they were unable to access the health centres due to financial crisis.

    “I am very happy for the gesture because some of us might have not had the opportunity or money to go through all these he has done for free. We appreciate it and say God richly bless him for thinking about pregnant women,” Mrs Deladem, a businesswoman said.

  • Eastern Regional Agribusiness Investor confab ends in Koforidua

    On Tuesday, September 20 at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Agribusiness Investors Conference and Exhibition was organized by the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council and the Torchbearer International Agricultural Science and Technology (TIAST) group.

    The two-day event’s goal was to secure the advancement of the Eastern Commodity Satellite Market Agenda, which was launched in 2019. This program aims to use increased agricultural value addition as a springboard for regional agricultural industrialization.

    Themed: “Achieving Agricultural Industrialisation through the Eastern Commodity Satellite Markets: Financial and Technical Support from TIAST,” the event brought together agribusiness men and women who came to showcase and manage their products as well as municipal chief executives, agricultural extension agents, agricultural regional and district officers who came to grace the occasion.

    According to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, the event will promote value addition to agricultural products, encourage local economic growth in the districts, and advance agricultural industrialization.

    “It would also enhance the supply of good quality agricultural produce for processors and consumers and link small scale farmers and processors to markets,” he said.

    The minister indicated that there was a paradigm shift in agriculture from just primary production to value addition, adding that “the only way a small holder farmer can maximise profits in a perfectly competitive market where the market dictates the price is by product differentiation through value addition, branding and packaging with special emphasis on quality.”

    Mr Acheampong said it was therefore, gratifying to have TIAST Group partnering with the Eastern Commodity Satellite and added that the event was in direct response to the ever-increasing demand for quality and safe foods, and the opportunity it would bring to the region in terms of industrialisation and job creation.

    He said the event inspired by instinctive creativity and exemplary commitment of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision would contribute significantly to agricultural productivity, revealing that the region can boast of three out of six agro ecological zones in the country, making it conducive for the production of nearly all crops grown in the country.

    Mr Acheampong was grateful to TIAST group for such partnership and stated that even though their main targets was large scale investors, they should design a concept that would embrace the small scale processors playing key roles in the Eastern Commodity Satellite Markets.

    For her part, the Chairperson for TIAST Group, Ms Lisa Hao stated that her outfits looked forward to partner investors, entrepreneurs and farmers in the region to transform the sector positively.

    “In a space of 10 years we are looking forward to creating one thousand factories, one million job and ten billion US dollars in West Africa. With our 70-80 financial support, technical service and offtake service, our partners are assured of a great agricultural experience.”

    She indicated that their partnership with the RCC was to support the agribusinesses to add more value to their raw products, link them to stable markets by giving them the platform, adding all was geared towards discovering the wealth of the agriculture sector for the benefit all.

  • Ahafo Region gets Infectious disease centre

    The Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. George Yaw Boakye, has stated that the Ahafo Region area is one of the three regions in the country to receive assistance from the Ghana Infectious Disease Center (GIDC).

    Others were situated in the Greater-Accra and Eastern regions to offer top-notch medical care to those living there and beyond.

    These were the remarks made by Mr. Boakye on Tuesday, September 20 when he inspected the GIDC at the Goaso Municipal Hospital (GMH) as part of his two-day official working tour of the Asunafo North Municipality.

    He said the 100-bed capacity hospital, which was 95 per cent complete, has been developed in response to COVID-19 pandemic to serve Ahafo Region and the rest of the middle belt.

    The Regional Minister indicated that the facility was developed by the Ghana COVID-19 private sector fund, an initiative committed to provide a prompt response to the hardship caused by the pandemic.

    Mr Boakye stated that the contractor used resource-efficient designs and technologies such as energy-saving lighting system, insulation and low-flow plumbing fixtures to lower the hospital’s utility cost.

    “The hospital which will cater for all manner of infectious disorders will soon be handed over to the Goaso Municipal hospital,” he emphasised.

    The Regional Minister was optimistic that the facility which was built in a serene environment would provide comfort, security and fast recovery for patients, adding that the COVID-19 relief fund is really impacting lives.

    Mr Boakye expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for honouring the people of Ahafo with such a landmark health infrastructure saying that “we are all indebted to him”.

    He urged residents of the newly created Ahafo region to be patient with the government to redeem the various promises made to them during the electioneering campaign.

     

  • Section of Obetsebi-Lamptey road closes today

    This year, the contractor will be launching metallic beams onto the interchange, thus from now until Friday, September 30, the route from the Obetsebi-Lamptey Roundabout to the Central Mosque at Abossey Okai will be temporarily closed to traffic.

    The stretch will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day.

    “This is to enable the contractor launch the metallic steel beams of the interchange. Motorists are advised to follow the traffic diversion signs and use alternative routes to their destinations, where practicable,” a public notice signed by the acting Director of the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), J.O. Amoo-Gottfried, said.

    Drivers have already been limited to using one lane, particularly around the roundabout to the Kaneshie Market (Mpamprom) sector.

    This is in spite of police presence to control the flow of traffic to ensure order and the smooth movement of vehicles.

    Second phase

    The second stage of the road project involves the launching of the beams that will act as decks for the road on which the asphaltic concrete will be poured.

    The Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange project’s second phase of construction got under way in February of last year.

    The second phase covers the third tier of work from the interchange towards the Abossey Okai road, as well as underground storm drains from the Hyundai stretch of the roundabout to Mpamprom, near the Kaneshie Market.

    This phase of the project involves the construction of a third-tier flyover from the Abossey Okai Central Mosque side of the road towards the ISTC Yard.

    It also involves the widening of the road into a three-lane dual carriageway, with provision for bus rapid transit facilities.

    It will also see the widening of the Awudome Cemetery and the Nii Teiko Din roads into dual carriage lanes, as well as improvement of the Kaneshie Market Terminal.

    The ground level will have a re-modelled roundabout.

    Engineers working on the second phase of the project told the Daily Graphic last month that they were on course to meet the March 2023 completion deadline.

    They estimated the current state of the project to be about 64 per cent complete.

    First phase

    The first phase, valued at $35 million and completed in November last year, five months ahead of schedule, involved the construction of the second tier interchange from the Graphic Road towards Kaneshie — east to west.

    It also involved the construction of two (5 x 2 metre) 550-metre viaducts and ramps between Graphic Road and the Dr Busia Highway (Kaneshie-Mallam Road).

    Rationale

    The construction of the interchange became necessary to eliminate one of the major bottlenecks on the Ring Road in Accra — congestion — and improve traffic flow at the intersection of four major roads — the Graphic Road, the Kaneshie-Mallam Road, Ring Road West towards the Nkrumah Interchange and Ring Road West Extension towards Abossey Okai.

    On completion, there will be the erection of an appropriate monument in memory of Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey, one of the Big Six of the country’s independence struggle, after whom the interchange is named.

    The Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange project is being executed by QGMI, with FAS Consult Ltd as consultants.

    The DUR, an agency under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, is responsible for the project.

  • Woman with spinal disorder appeals for GH¢97K to undergo bone grafting surgery

    Rebecca Eshun, 48, is requesting financial assistance from the general public so that she can undergo a bone grafting surgery.

    She needs GH97,048 for the surgery intended to treat her for spondylolisthesis, a spine condition that has impacted her lower vertebrae.

    The previously self-employed jeweler Rebecca Eshun is due for surgery at the FOCOS Orthopaedic Hospital, but her failure to raise the required finances is making the ailment she has been battling since 2019 worse.

    For almost three years, she has had to deal with pain in the back, upper and lower limbs, leading to difficulties in walking.

    During the period, initial recommendations by doctors after neurological and radiological evaluation suggested she was to be treated without surgery.

    However, frequent follow-ups now point to a surgical intervention in her lower back to relieve trapped nerves and stabilise the spine using implants.

    The cost covers theatre, ward stay, recovery medication, feeding, physiotherapy, six months of orthopaedic outpatient follow-up care, x-ray and laboratory tests.

    Individuals willing to assist can do so through her MTN Mobile Money number – 0551145709 [Rebecca Eshun] to enable her garner funds for onward payment into the hospital’s account.