Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) and Quantum Terminals (QT) have jointly launched the reconstruction of Anyinase Health Centre into a 20-bed facility which will cost $2 million.
The move addresses the deteriorating state of the health center and its limited services for over a quarter of Ellembelle District’s population in the Western Region.
Despite its importance to residents and GNGC workers due to its proximity to the company’s headquarters, the center had suffered decay and offered only outpatient services.
The Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations Manager at GNGC, Stephen Donkoh, stated that the 12-month upgrade aligns with the company’s health support policy for the community.
“How do we give back to the community? We have five thematic areas– provision of educational infrastructure, health, sports, water and sanitation and skills building. Today is the first time we are fulfilling our policy on health delivery, so far as Ellembelle District is concerned, in appreciation of the support that the people have given to the company. Upon completion, it will enable the Ayinase health centre to offer 80 percent of services offered by the Ekwe District Hospital”, he added.
QT’s Brands and Communication Manager, Samuel Bonuedie, highlighted their commitment to community welfare, emphasizing the positive impact of their operations.
The health center’s revitalization is a shared goal between QT and Ghana Gas, aimed at enhancing healthcare standards.
Ellembelle District Health Director, Dr. Augustine Kwesi Amoakoh, praised GNGC and QT for enabling the health center to provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care and extended in-patient services.
MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, and District Chief Executive, Kwasi Bonzoh, lauded GNGC and QT as responsible corporate entities in Ellembelle.
The Amazigh new year has been acknowledged as a recognized paid national holiday by King Mohamed IV of Morocco.
It follows a long-running campaign by activists for the recognition of the calendar recognised by the Berber people, or Amazigh as they prefer to be called.
The Amazigh, who constitute around 40% of the country’s population of more than 34 million, celebrate the new year, also known as Yennayer.
The first day of the year is based on seasons and agriculture – and counting is said to have started when an Amazigh king defeated anEgyptianpharaoh 2972 years ago.
The current year is 2973.
The day is also celebrated by Arabic-speaking Moroccans who call it the beginning of the agricultural year corresponding to 13 January.
The royal palace said on Wednesday that the approval of the holiday showed the “king’s commitment to the Berber language, a fundamental part of Morocco’s authentic identity and a shared asset for all Moroccans”.
A former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has urged citizens to donate money to help organize the 10th National Delegates Conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The conference, slated for Saturday, December 17, in Accra, is to elect national officers to steer the Party’s affairs for the next four years.
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, Mr Mahama said about 9,000 constituency, regional and national executives, being accredited delegates, would have to be transported to Accra and accommodated for the conference.
“The Party needs your support to fund this congress,” he said.
“I am inviting 500,000 willing Ghanaians, NDC supporters, sympathisers, and friends to donate a minimum of 10 Ghana cedis each to help us fund the congress. You don’t have to be a member of the NDC to donate.”
The donation should be made via MoMo number 059 860 4199 or pay into the NDC Congress Account at the GCB Bank, into Account Number: 13-9113-00-00-837.
“If you want to arrange other forms of support, please send me an email- [email protected],” former President Mahama said.
Director General of Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) has appealed to the private sector and industry to support government to ensure sustainable funding for the TVET sector.
Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah said the government alone could not shoulder the cost of funding TVET and that the private sector and industry who were beneficiaries of TEVT product must contribute their share to ensure a viable means of financing the programme.
Dr Asamoah made the call at the National TVET EXPO 2022 and Awards and the inauguration of the National Apprenticeship Policy and Skills Gap Analysis in Accra.
The exhibition is intended to provide a platform for multi-sectoral collaboration towards promoting TVET in Ghana and bringing it to the fore in national discussions.
The objective of the TVET Expo is also to promote awareness and interest among various stakeholders about the importance of TVET in Ghana, bring visibility to the key projects being undertaken by the Ministry of Education and the Commission for TVET in the TVET space as well as provide a platform for dialogue among key stakeholders on how to enhance TVET delivery in Ghana.
Dr Asamoah also stated that investments in TVET in the past had been extremely low because government had not paid much attention to the sector saying there was no particular focus on TVET even though the country needed more people in the TVET sector to support the growth of the economy.
He said the current huge investments by government in the sector were intended to fill the gaps in terms of lack of equipment, obsolete machines, and training institutions for students.
“In our quest to bridge the gap, we have to do more than the normal…we are hoping that the investments in the sector will even double so that they can catch-up with their counterpart in the grammar schools,” he added.
Dr Asamoah also explained that to address the issues of skills mismatch between training institutions and the industry the government has conducted a skills gap analysis and audit for priority sectors.
He said the survey was more critical in a time of accelerated technological development when industries globally kept transforming and TVET was at the centre of providing the skills needed for industries, employability, and enhancement of livelihoods.
Mr Samuel Thompson, Policy, and Planning Coordinator, CTVET in his remarks noted that setting up of the Sectors Skills Bodies to help with the generation and upgrading of standards within the Competency-Based Training (CBT) framework was crucial.
He explained the gaps in the curriculum were also being addressed under the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, which were expected to develop competency-based training packages on the national TVET qualification framework.
Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of National Security, has warned that terrorists may take advantage of the galamsey activities in the country.
This is because the revenue generated from galamsey activities will be able to fund the criminal activities of these terrorists.
According to Kan-Dapaah, terrorists in countries like Burkina Faso and Mali, have been attracted to gold mining areas but he assured that his Ministry has taken cognizance of the development and working hard to avert the consequences.
He noted, the Accra Initiative, which aims to prevent the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel and to address transnational organized crime and violent extremism in ECOWAS member countries’ border areas.
“In Mali, in Burkina Faso, the terrorists have always been attracted to gold mining areas. Clearly, they try to make money from gold mining activities to undertake the criminal activities that they do. The criminals may want to take advantage of galamsey activities in our country to raise money to do what they do in other countries and what they may plan to do in our country.
“We are aware of this. We are studying it. We do know what has to be done in this area, and we work hard to make sure we are not overtaken by events. But clearly, one way that you can make cheap money to go and undertake some of these criminal activities is galamsey, so it’s of interest,” Albert Kan-Dapaah explained at a press briefing in Accra.
The West African sub-region has been confronted with terrorist threats, as Ghana’s neighbours Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso have suffered attacks from terror groups in recent times.
The development has compelled the government to launch the “See Something, Say Something” campaign, which is aimed at encouraging citizens to report any suspicious activity.
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has revealed that 346 terrorist attacks were recorded in Africa in the first quarter of 2022, with 49 per cent of them occurring in West Africa alone.
Also, he indicated that between July and September this year, 246 terrorist attacks resulting in 745 fatalities and 239 injuries were recorded in West Africa.
The minister was speaking at the opening of the two-day international conference on the Accra Initiative (AI), held in Accra on the theme ‘Accra Initiative: Towards a credible, preventive and coordinated response to challenges facing the Coastal and Sahelian States’.
The AI aims at preventing spillover of terrorism from the Sahel and to address transnational organised crime and violent extremism in member countries’ border areas.
Participants at the technical conference included representatives of relevant international governmental agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, think tanks, practitioners in the security sector and other multinational initiatives.
The conference, supported by the European Union (EU), would afford them the opportunity to reflect on measures and strategies deployed towards addressing the threat of terrorism and violent extremism and to come up with innovative approaches toward enhancing regional security.
According to Kan-Dapaah, enhanced collaboration was a key to countering terrorism in the region, adding that the heads of states of West African states in 2017 took pragmatic steps to address their common threats, hence the AI.
Describing the AI conference as timely, he said the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel and West Africa required the active collaboration and participation of all stakeholders including the media, CSOs, political leaders and academics among others, both at the national and regional levels.
The threat landscape he said had consistently changed, resulting in the frequent changes in security requirements among the citizenry.
“The geo-strategic dynamics, with direct influence on state survival keep undergoing mutations without warning. The threat posed by COVID-19 has also taught us that consolidating our efforts at the regional level is the best approach to secure our States.”
“This underscores the relevance of dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement, not only at the national levels but also at regional levels, towards finding lasting solutions to the common security threats of West African States,” he added.
He mentioned that the prominence given to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in recent times must not be interpreted as the trivialisation of other prevailing security threats such as cross-border crimes.
Executive secretary of the AI, Benedict Dere, on his part stated that it had become necessary to strengthen collaboration and cooperation between security and intelligent services through exchange of information and operational intelligence.
Throwing more light on the objectives of the AI, he said preventing terrorists and extremists from seeking refuge in a member State, dismantling terrorists networks and preventing the expansion of their cell and combating transnational organised crime were among its top priorities.
To achieve this, the AI he said relied on information and intelligence sharing, capacity building and the conducting of joint multinational operations.
Dere mentioned that the AI currently comprised of seven-member States which are Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger, adding that Nigeria was an observer State waiting to be fully incorporated as a full member of the AI.
Aspiring National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has reiterated his pledge to build a more formidable NDC, which will become more attractive to win the 2024 elections convincingly.
General Mosquito, as he is affectionately called, says the NDC, under his leadership as chairman, if he wins the December 17 national congress, will actively engage all elected executives and influential persons within the party to rejuvenate the grassroots base.
Mr Nketia, who is currently on a campaign tour of the Western region, has been engaging footsoldiers, party influencers across the length and breadth of the country as well as delegates.
He has also promised, among others, to revive the NDC Heroes Fund to serve as a sustainable means of supporting party functionaries, who suffer disabilities in the course of their duties or their dependents in the event of death.
“My objective, at this stage in my political life and love for the NDC, is to colleague national executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to work hard and build the party into a more formidable, attractive, and modern organization”, he emphasised.
He said: “The NDC, I am optimistic will be the party of choice, especially the youth, women, the vulnerable in society and people from all walks of life and background.”
Speaking to delegates in various constituencies in the Western Region, Mr Asiedu Nketia assured the party executives that he will do more than before and will join them in their constituencies to sell the good message of the NDC, come 2024.
He said the NDC has no choice than to present former President John Dramani Mahama as its leader for the next elections and, therefore, called for hard work from all supporters, sympathisers, and executives of the party.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia, who has already toured the regions of the north, is receiving overwhelming responses from party members, some of whom wait deep into the night to engage him directly.
The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has declared an indefinite strike.
This is due to concerns about conditions of service.
“Upon further deliberations by the National and Chapter Executives of TUTAG, we declare an indefinite strike action which takes immediate effect,” a statement said.
Below is the full statement by TUTAG
We refer to our letter on the subject “NEW RATE OF FUEL ALLOWANCE FOR MEMBERS OF UTAG AND TUTAG” with reference number TUTAG/GTEC/02 dated 26th September 2022, addressed to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and copied to the Minister of Education, Minister of Finance, Chairman of the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
We wish to state that issues raised in the above letter have since not received any attention from the aforementioned government agencies. TUTAG views the inaction by these agencies as an indication that the concerns expressed in our letter have not been treated with the seriousness they deserve.
We also refer to the NLC’s directive of 2nd September 2022 under the subject “RE: IN THE MATTER OF NOTIFICATION OF INTENDED STRIKE ACTION BY TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (TUTAG)” with reference number NLC/TUTAG/2022/21 which was in relation to TUTAG’s demand for the implementation of the negotiated internally generated fund-related conditions of service.
The directive reads: “That the Minister of Finance (MOF) is hereby directed to ensure payment in January 2023 and should also ensure that it issues the necessary letters to the various University Councils within a reasonable time to make budgetary provisions in the budget to take care of payments on the effective date.
Even though January 2023 is less than two months away, and most universities are done with budget preparations for 2023, the Minister of Finance has still not issued the letter as directed by the NLC. It is important to state that a certain letter (electronic version), supposedly written by the FWSC, was shown to the President at NLC, the content of the said letter was in sharp contrast with the negotiations done with the Governing Councils of the various universities. Indeed, our checks from the listed recipients indicate that the said defective letter had not even been received.
Further, reference is made to issues raised in our letter under the subject “NOTIFICATION OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION” with reference number TUTAG/NLC/02 dated 10th October 2022, some of which have still not been resolved by the government agencies.
In view of all these, and upon further deliberations by the National and Chapter Executives of TUTAG, we declare an indefinite strike action which takes immediate effect.
A former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has urged members of the National Democratic Congress to ensure that the NDC wins the 2024 elections, otherwise the party will disintegrate.
Speaking at the NDC’s Volta Regional Delegates Conference in Ho on Saturday, the former MP for the Avenor-Ave constituency now Akatsi South, called on party members to sacrifice to ensure the party achieves its target in the next elections.
“We are a social democratic party, we put people at the centre of what we do so please I beg you, colleagues I beg you, we have to win the 2024 elections otherwise NDC will be disintegrated, let’s sacrifice for this party for once,” Mr Doe Adjaho said.
Mr Doe Adjaho also has charged members of the party to be united and remain focused as the current economic crisis is not sufficient to guarantee the party a victory in the 2024 general elections.
“The statement is that we should not be complacent as a party. The mid-term elections in the United States have taught us that hardship alone, inflation and the economy cannot win an election…So let us not be complacent.”
“Hardship is a factor, and cost of living is a factor, but it is not sufficient. We have to work hard, we have to be united and present a united front in this region and in the party,” Doe Adjaho said.
The National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw, has set the record straight on why she contested for parliamentary candidate in Tano South in the 2020 national election while holding her position and working as National Women Organiser.
According to her, the decision was taken by the NDC leadership on the back of research conducted in the runner up to the 2020 general election.
Some factions in the NDC is criticizing Dr. Hanna Bissiw for simultaneously contesting as a parliamentary candidate for 2020 while working as national officer of the party.
In reaction to the false impression created around her contest and what led to the decision which was taken by the national leader of the NDC, Dr. Bissiw has outlined in detail event which led to the party deciding and tasking her to contest the Tano South Seat for the NDC in 2020.
I contested in the 2020 Parliamentary elections based on the entire decision by the National Democratic Congress(NDC). These are the facts of that “Political Decision”;
➢ Early 2019, a meeting was held in Ada and presided over by the National Chairman, Ofosu Ampofo. At the meeting,incumbent parliamentarians insisted that they needed early primaries so they could have the peace to go about their duties. At the time NDC had106 members in Parliament.
➢ A decision was made to organize primaries for sitting members of Parliament and leave out orphan constituencies.
➢ The party was to employ the services of a surveying company to conduct research and come up with findings on candidates in the orphan constituencies who have the tendency to win those seats. To win in any elections, research is utterly important.
➢ The issue of unqualified persons who could be suggested for candidature by the research findings was raised.
➢ The question was put out to the Chair and leadership of the party on what they will do if the survey findings recommend somebody the constitution does not allow to contest or the regulations agreed on to be used for the primaries goes against.
➢ The response from the national Chairman was that, he will take a ‘Political Decision’. A political decision like the one taken in Winneba where an angry NPP member crossedcarpet to the NDC. It was realized by the party that the “defunct” NPP member had lots of grounds to win the seat for us.
As a result, our PC who was duly elected was asked to step down for the NPP person who came in less than the stipulated time of 4years to contest on our ticket. That was a “Political Decision” for 2020.
➢ At that meeting, it was decided that Parliamentary primaries in the various orphan constituencies will be staggered. As and when they are able to convince the candidate who will emerge as the one with the high possibility of winning the seat to contest, and then they will conduct the election. So for the first time in our history, Parliamentary primaries were staggered.
➢ I was approached to contest because the party’s survey indicated that I had 91.3% rating in Tano South and the two other candidates shared the remaining 8.3%. Based on this finding, I was approached to contest for the party.
➢ Subsequently, some suggested that I step down as the National Women Organizer because the regulation states that if you want to contest primaries, you had to step down. I said NO.
➢ I’ll contest for the party if that’s what they ask of me but I was not going to step down. It doesn’t have to come with conditions because the decision to contest didn’t come from me. The party wants me to contest.
➢ There were meetings here and there trying to convince me to step down to go and do what the party wanted me to do. I vehemently said no because I’ve taken that seat before and I know what it takes to win the seat.
➢ You can’t come to me in the year 2020 and ask me to contest for a seat that needs a whole lot of work before you’ll be able to get victory. That too as late as an election year, you approach me and you want me to resign and go do the party’s bid for, so I refused.
➢ Eventually, the party directed that I contest for the seat on behalf of the party. Finally, in late august 2020, they said because of democracy a guy was made to contest me in the primaries. He pulled 47 votes out of the 1,092. The delegates massively endorsed me with 1,045 votes.
➢ After the primaries, our designs were supposed to come from President Mahama’s office. They took my picture from President Mahama’s office and the design did not come until ending of September.
➢ Due to this, it was during the first week of October I got any presence in the constituency.
➢ On the other hand, all National Officers were directed to go and station in their various regions and work from the regions in September.
➢ So I had only two months to contest in that election. It was an election that we didn’t lose. If you check the records, pulled 17,066 for the Presidential race. This is the first time we’ve had 17000 and over votes from Tano South Constituency for any NDC Presidential candidate.
➢ I set up ten teams and at the same time, I was working in and out of the constituency. In September for instance, I was with President Mahama in the Upper West and the Northern region. The running mate came to Ahafo regionbecause I was stationed to work in Ahafo according to the directives to all National Officers. I was with her throughout her stay in the region.
➢ On 30th and 31st October, I was in the eastern region. I campaigned in three markets in the Eastern region and Fanteakwa as well. This brings the total to four.
➢ After being discharged from the hospital in that same October, I went to the market. On 3rd November, I was in Kaneshie market, Agbogbloshie market and Ablekuma South market.
➢ In the 2020 elections, NDC didn’t lose in Tano South. We didn’t lose that seat. There was zero coalition after the elections. Anyone who took the numbers directly from the polling centers declared that I won.
➢ There was a general light off in the entire constituency and it was drizzling as well. They rushed and gave some pink sheets to our agents. Some of them realized the discrepancies in the figures and drew the attention of the EC officials.
The answer they gave was “send them to your party leadership. When they come to the coalition centre, they will ask for recount”.
➢ So as we received those pink sheets that did not tally withthe figures at the polling centers, we rushed to the coalition centre in Bechem. A typical example is Konkomba A & B. The result of one center was over 400 and the other a little under 400. When you add the tow it was over 800votes but on the pink sheet, I was given 88 at both centers and 44 at both centers for my opponent and 72 spoilt ballots.
➢ At where I voter, Old mosque I had 285 and my opponent had 160 but on pink sheet, they gave me 103 and gave him 160. For the first time in Brosankro NDC had never won Old Brosankro but we won old Brosankro. You go to Mansin, polling stations that we have never won before in the history of this 4th republic, we won. You go to new Brosankro we won polling centers that hitherto we were not winning and appreciated in the other centers.
➢ Come to my own hometown, Techimantia, places where the NPP will get 200 and over votes and we get 50, 40votes. But in the 2020 election, if they had a little over 200 votes, we pulled 200. We appreciated in all the polling centers. There was no difference of 100votes between me and my close contender except for Appetite where he was able to stretch me with 100 votes. Only one polling center out of the 120 polling centers. Techimantia is the biggest place. The figures did not tally.
➢ We stayed at the coalition centre throughout the night. EC claimed they were doing administrative work but with all the administrative work we realized they were playing tricks.
➢ Thus, we indicated to Mr. Asamoah and I mention his name because he was the Presiding officer that we have not seen ballot boxes, biometric machines and electoral materials at the coalition center. We made it known that we will request for a recount of the ballots of the various polling centers.
➢ So where were the ballot boxes, biometric machines and the other electoral materials? He told us we are delaying him so we should allow them to finish with their administrative work. We sat through the night under heavy armed Police and Military officers. The coalition centerlooked like a war zone.
➢ The lawyer was directed to write a letter for recount, which was done. So we requested for the electoral materials to arrive. The lady returning officer appeared at the coalition center around 4 to 5a.m.
➢ Around 7 a. m I entered my car to charge my phone. The lawyer came with some sheets they said we should sign. They collated, so we refused to sign that report. We held a press conference and NDC as a political party took this case to court.
➢ Whiles in court and proceedings were not favoring the NPP, the entire EC office mysteriously caught fire one weekend and everything burnt down to ashes. There was zero evidence for us to continue the case.
➢ Now my question is, am I bigger than the party? Because anytime the party wants a particular candidate to contest anything anywhere, can anybody impose themselves on the party? No.
➢ I asked the party to get their candidate to go and contest if they thought they had somebody who could win the seat. In the survey’s findings in the entire orphan Constituencies I had the highest ratings at the time when I had zero presencein Tano South and hardly went to the village.
➢ Now, for the records, I have zero interest in going to contest for that seat. Even if there is no contest and I am asked to present myself for swearing in, I don’t want it. I am not interested in becoming a member of Parliament.
➢ Whether I am contesting for National Women’s Organizer or not, I reiterate that i am not interested. I have worked as a member of parliament and I know what it entails but, I have lost any interest in that regard.
➢ I accounted for every pesewa that was given to me. I lived well with my people even after we lost the election. 84 boreholes were drilled. Schools were built, mosques were built, school fees were paid, and scholarships were given. Computers, laptops, text books, exercise books, health facilities, I touched every sector. From the markets to abattoirs, reaching out to the needy in their various homes,reaching out to children and donating about 500 new clothes every year together with food items and toys to throughout the constituency and supporting teachers.
➢ The most important thing is that as a member of parliament, I led a very transparent administration like a mirror. I will always offer my support to the people but I am not interested in becoming a Member of Parliament for Tano South.
The regional elections of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), will begin today, Friday, November 11.
The exercise is expected to end on Sunday, November 13.
Ahead of this, the party’s Elections Committee has urged all delegates to fully abide by all directives.
In the Greater Accra Region, the delegates are scheduled to vote for the positions of youth organiser and women organiser today at the Du Bois Memorial Centre.
The exercise will then continue on Sunday at the Tema Sports Complex.
At the venue, the delegates will elect a new Chairman, Secretary, and Organizer among others for the Greater Accra Region.
The incumbent Regional Chairman, Ade Coker is being challenged by three others.
The three are a former Member of Parliament for Adentan, Nii Ashie Moore, a former parliamentary aspirant for Ningo Prampram, Michael Kwetey Tetteh and Greater Accra Regional Youth Organiser Thomas Mustapha Ashong.
Ghana’s framework on energy transition has been out doored by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
This was done on the sidelines of the ongoing COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
While outdooring the document, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said that it has become imperative for Ghana to develop plans and strategies toward the creation of a net-zero energy sector, whilst aggressively pursuing the nation’s economic development.
In preparing the framework, all existing policies and the programmes that are being implemented towards achieving Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions were considered.
The transition will mitigate 200 million tons of carbon dioxide of greenhouse gas emissions, minimising energy-related indoor air pollution and associated diseases. It is estimated that forty-eight thousand, two hundred and eighteen (48,218) premature deaths will be avoided annually due to the improvement in air quality, resulting from the impact of the transition.
The National Energy Transition Plan is the major component of a Climate Action Plan (CAP). They both seek to reduce energy usage through energy efficiency measures because that is the most cost-effective way of reducing carbon emissions.
Read Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh’s Statement Below:
On the sidelines of the ongoing COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presented Ghana’s framework on energy transition at a High-Level Event organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies on Sustainable Energy for All.
In December 2021, I inaugurated the National Energy Transition Committee and tasked them to engage all relevant and related stakeholders across the length and breadth of our country.
My team and I were all delighted to witness the outdooring of the framework yesterday.
With Ghana being a signatory to the Paris Agreement and other international conventions, which require the country to reduce her carbon dioxide emission levels, President Akufo-Addo indicated that it has become imperative for Ghana to develop plans and strategies toward the creation of a net-zero energy sector, whilst aggressively pursuing the nation’s economic development.
In preparing this framework, all existing policies and the programmes that are being implemented towards achieving Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions were considered.
The transition will mitigate 200 million tons of carbon dioxide of greenhouse gas emissions, minimising energy-related indoor air pollution and associated diseases. It is estimated that forty-eight thousand, two hundred and eighteen (48,218) premature deaths will be avoided annually due to the improvement in air quality, resulting from the impact of the transition.
My ministry will continue to work hand-in-hand with other stakeholders to ensure that we are able to meet our energy transition targets and help improve the quality of life of Ghanaians.
A former Director of Elections of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has called on NDC delegates to vote for him to become the party’s next general secretary.
Afriyie Ankrah, who made these remarks while filing his nomination for the position at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Wednesday (November 11), intimated that he is the only person among the other candidates who can ensure that the party is not robbed of its predestined victory in the December 2024 elections.
He added that the party’s delegates know this fact, and his prayer is that they will make him the replacement for Johnson Asiedu Nketiah come December 17.
“I love this party! I know you all do. If I thought for a split second that what I am doing would be tantamount to danger for this party, I would gladly excuse myself; however, I know, you know, and the delegates know that for this election of 2024, I am the best person for the job and it’s for that reason why I came to submit my form to contest the position of General Secretary to help organise the party for battle and victory in 2024.
“I have always believed that when a man gets into his head to do something, and when he exclusively occupies himself in that pursuit, he must succeed, whatever the difficulties. We will win 2024 by all means, but first, I appeal to the best in you delegates to vote massively for me as your next General Secretary,” he said.
Afriyie Ankrah is expected to face stiff competition from the ex-Deputy Minister of Finance and former Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey and the current Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor.
Over 63 percent of participants in a poll conducted by GhanaWeb in October 2022 said that the current Director of Elections of the NDC should be the replacement of the outgoing General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has referred the impasse between the government and the striking unions to the National Labour Commission.
This comes after a second meeting between the parties involved on Monday to find a common ground ended in a stalemate.
The teacher unions declared a sit-down strike on November 4, in protest of the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.
They believe Dr. Nkansah does not have a satisfactory teaching background.
The three unions on strike are the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT) have been on strike since November 4, 2022.
The strike has generally disrupted academic work at pre-tertiary institutions.
Speaking to Citi News on the referral of the matter to the National Labour Commission, the Secretary for the GNAT, Thomas Musah said the gesture does not show good faith.
According to him, the development was unexpected because “the understanding social partners at the table had yesterday was that we would meet today at 2 pm to continue where we left off.”
“For the Ministry of Labour Relations to refer this matter to the National Labour Commission simply means they have declared a deadlock.”
A meeting between the leadership of three striking teacher unions and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to deliberate on a decision by the unions to lay down their tools ended inconclusively on Monday.
This is the second time the two parties have failed to reach a consensus over the impasse.
The meeting is expected to be held later today, Tuesday, November 8, 2022, to address the concerns of the teachers.
The unions including the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers have laid down their tools following the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Meanwhile, some students want government and teacher unions to immediately resolve the stalemate for academic work to resume.
The teacher groups say, they will not call off the strike until government addresses their concerns.
Since the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah on October 19, the unions have opposed the move, arguing that the new GES Director-General does not qualify to occupy the position.
But the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum had defended the appointment saying that the accusations of the teacher unions were unfounded.
The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has started engagements with the teachers to end the strike.
Their meetings have so far been unable to resolve the teachers’ concerns.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first G7 leader to visit Beijing since the Covid-19 pandemic.
But his trip has sparked controversy in Germany and concern elsewhere in Europe.
It follows an extraordinary and bitter row within the Berlin government.
It had emerged that a Chinese company was poised to buy a significant stake in a part of the port of Hamburg.
No fewer than six government ministers reacted furiously.
The deal, they argued, would give China significant influence over critical German infrastructure. Germany’ssecurity services also urged caution.
But the German chancellor appeared insistent the deal should go ahead. He reportedly pushed through an agreement, albeit one that limited the size and influence of the stake, reducing it to 24.9%.
No-one is quite sure why he seemed so determined. A former mayor of Hamburg, Mr Scholz remains close to the city authorities who argued that the deal represented vital investment.
But plenty of other commentators suspect an ulterior motive; that Olaf Scholz did not want to turn up in Beijing without a “gift” for Xi Jinping.
That has raised both eyebrows and concerns.
Reuters
We will seek co-operation where it lies in our mutual interest, but we will not ignore controversies… When I travel to Beijing as German chancellor, I do so also as a European
As has the chancellor’s decision to take with him a delegation of German business executives. That was standard practice for his predecessor, Angela Merkel, who pursued a policy of “Change through Trade”, believing that economic ties could influence political relations with countries like China and Russia.
The chancellor’s visit comes hard on the heels of the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, at which President Xi tightened his grip on power and raised concerns in the West about his intentions towards Taiwan.
“The signal that’s being sent is that we want to extend and intensify our economic co-operation – that must be questioned,” says Felix Banazsak, a politician from the Green Party, a partner in Mr Scholz’s coalition government.
The Greens have long sought a tougher line on China. Just a few days ago the party’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, sternly and publicly reminded him that his government came to power promising to readjust its China strategy.
Mr Banazsak says his country must learn from its previous dependence on Russian energy: “We must make ourselves as independent as possible from individual states, particularly if these are states which do not share our values.”
But Olaf Scholz will be painfully aware of the complexity and depth of his country’s ties with China, which remains Germany’s largest trading partner, although Germany imports more than it exports.
More than a million German jobs depend on that relationship. Take as an example car giant Daimler, which sells more than a third of its vehicles in China.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,German company Daimler is expanding its resources in China
In the first half of this year, German businesses invested more in China than ever before. Chemical company BASF has just opened a new plant in south China and expects to invest €10bn (£8.6bn; $9.9bn) in the site by the end of this decade.
On the eve of the visit, the head of the German Automotive Industry Association pointed to Germany’s reliance on China for raw materials and warned that “de-coupling” would be an economic and geo-strategic mistake.
Her counterpart at the Association of Small and Medium Businesses also advised against a sudden change in course, saying “the advice can only be not to smash any Chinese porcelain now”.
Chancellor Scholz will spend less than 12 hours in Beijing. His aim, he said ahead of his journey, was to find out how much co-operation was still possible – because “the world needs China” in the fight against the global pandemic and climate change.
“If China is changing, then our approach to China must change,” he said.
Many in Berlin and beyond will be looking for evidence of that Mr Scholz’s response to a shifting China may yet come to be the defining test of his chancellorship.
The Minority in Parliament has deferred its petition to the House to put on hold the proposed Public Elections Instrument by the Electoral Commission until they have addressed every issue with stakeholders, including the National Identification Authority(NIA).
On the order paper for November 1, the minority was expected to submit a petition to parliament to halt the presentation of the proposed Public Elections (Registration of Voters) instrument (C.I) until the backlog of Ghana Cards, which the National Identification Authority has admitted is cleared.
However, during a press conference, the minority leader said they had to defer the C.I for further consultations with leadership.
“With the petition on the matter relating to the C.I and the Voter register and National Identification, I am deferring it for further consultations with leadership and your good self and not proceeding on it for today until after the consultations,” Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader told the media.
A few months back, the Electoral Commission announced the proposed Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2021 Constitutional Instrument, which seeks to make the Ghana Card the only proof of nationality for its impending limited registration exercise.
They have been strongly opposed as they believe the exercise will disenfranchise Ghanaians as many are yet to acquire their Ghana Cards.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama says the construction of the National Cathedral Project can longer be a top priority, given the existing cost of living crisis in the country.
He maintains, no further attempts must be made to continue committing public funds and the little state resources to the project in these crucial times.
“The public funding of the national cathedral, particularly at this time, must stop”, the former President said.
John Mahama whilst making reference to his Christian values emphasized that resources should rather be channelled to revive the ailing economy, adding that funds already pumped into the construction works should also be subjected to value for money audit.
“Being a Christian myself, and deeply appreciative of the centrality of God in nation building, I agree with most Ghanaians who believe that the project cannot constitute a top priority of government at this moment, warranting further injection of scarce public funds.”
“Because of the non-transparency of the procurements associated with the project, I believe that the project should be subjected to a value-for-money audit in other to open the way for believers who wish to contribute to its construction to do so”, Mr. Mahama added.
John Mahama was delivering a speech themed, ‘Building the Ghana we want’ at the University of Professional Studies, Accra on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is still unwavering in his resolve to build a National Cathedral in Ghana.
“We will surely build the [National] Cathedral,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.
For him, the project is dear to his heart and will ensure that the facility is built to glorify God despite the tough times.
He insisted that the Cathedral is a “priority among priorities”.
“Though the economic hardships are having a toll on Ghanaians, I am very optimistic that things will get better, adding that “these challenges too will pass.”
Recently, a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project, Rev. Joyce Aryee, said she is optimistic Ghana’s economic crisis will not stop donations to the project.
At a press conference to announce a call centre for Ghanaians to seek answers on the project such as how to make donations, Rev. Aryee, said she did not expect the economic hardship to persist in the long term.
Construction work on the National Cathedral was suspended because of a lack of funds.
The $450 million project was envisioned by the government in March 2017 as a physical embodiment of national unity, harmony, and spirituality.
It remains unclear how much has been pumped into the project from donations and government support.
As of June 2022, various church denominations had contributed GH¢2.21 million towards the construction.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) will offer five full university scholarships to five outstanding contestants of the just-ended 2022 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).
As a supporting sponsor of the contest, GNPC will provide the scholarship package as part of the academic scholarships to be awarded to the outstanding contestants of the grand finale of the 2022 edition of the NSMQ.
Five of the nine contestants who competed in the National Science and Maths Quiz grand finale will receive the Full Scholarship, which covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, learning materials, as well as Book Allowance and Dissertation/Project Allowance.
The chief executive officer of the Corporation, Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah an alumnus and former contestant of the National Science and Maths Quiz for the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School speaking at the closing ceremony of the competition at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology underscored the corporation’s commitment to maximizing local participation in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. (STEM)
“Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), as the national oil company (NOC), recognizes the urgent need to maximize local content and local participation for the people of Ghana, through developing expertise in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) within the value chain, for job creation.”
According to him, the National Science and Maths Quiz has proven to be a good project over the years through its promotion of STEM education, hence the GNPC’s decision to sponsor the competition.
“Indeed, the NMSQ is a good project, and that is why the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has decided to join in promoting the study of Science and Maths, which is the bedrock of our very existence as a society. Today, every thriving society is making huge investments in the study and promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).”
The chief executive officer of GNPC further appreciated the organisers of the competition-Prime Time limited, for sustaining the programme for close to three decades while churning out great leaders through the contest.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank the management of Primetime production for having sustained this project for the past 29 years. Next year will be three (3) decades of the National Science and Maths Quiz, one whole generation of patronizing the backbone of the country.”
The Presbyterian Boys Senior High School won the 2022 National Science and Maths Quiz, thus becoming the competition’s seven-time winner.
Presbyterian Boys’ SHS won the competition in the final round surprising the students from Prempeh College, who had led in previous rounds.
At the end of the contest, the Presbyterian Boys SHS had 50 points, while Prempeh College garnered 41 points with Adisadel College ending the contest with 32 points.
Eni has definitively ended the procurement of palm oil for use at the Venice and Gela biorefineries for the production of hydrogenated biofuels.
The last shipments arrived in the last few weeks, ahead of the declared goal of becoming ‘palm oil-free’ by the end of 2022.
Eni’s biorefineries in Venice and Gela are already fuelled with ‘waste & residue’ raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fats, for more than 85% of their processes, as well as other biomasses regulated by current national and European regulations.
In November, the first load of vegetable oil produced in the Makueni agri-hub in Kenya will arrive at the Gela biorefinery, where castor, croton and cotton seeds are pressed.
These agri-feedstocks, produced by Eni, do not compete with the food chain.
They are grown in degraded areas, harvested from wild trees or are derived from the enhancement of agricultural by-products.
In addition to the country’s agri-feedstocks, whose production will reach 2,500 tonnes of oil by the end of 2022 and 20,000 tonnes by 2023, there is also the collection of waste and residues, including used vegetable oil, collected in Kenya.
The first shipments are on their way to Italy and up to 5,000 tonnes are expected to have arrived by 2023.
In 2014, the biorefinery in Porto Marghera, Venice became the first example in the world of converting an oil refinery into a biorefinery, and today Eni is the first energy major to build a vertical integration model for the supply of its plants, enabling it to promote more sustainable local development in Africa.
Eni’s biorefineries produce hydrogenated HVO biofuels which are destined, either purely or in blended form, for diesel engines, biodiesel for the chemical supply chain, biogpl and biojet for air transport.
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, says challenges with food supplies to Senior High Schools are a result of corruption and fraud that have plagued the National Buffer Food Stock Company.
He says the running of the National Buffer Food Stock Company has become inefficient, thereby questioning its usefulness.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Clement Apaak cited instances of under-invoicing, the distribution of expired and non-certified food items as some of the fraudulent activities being carried out by the Company.
“Some of the Buffer Food suppliers are simply corrupt and fraudulent. There are instances of under-invoicing; where quantities of supplies to the schools are drastically reduced. Expired food items are supplied to schools.”
“Sometimes, heads are compelled by orders from above to sign for quantities of foods they have not received. We sometimes have suppliers dumping items in excess capacity to schools. There were even instances where schools were supplied with products that had not been certified by the Food and Drugs Authority”.
Dr. Clement Apaak was worried that these acts are compounding the problems of the Free SHS Programme.
“All of these things are captured in the Auditor General’s report, so clearly the Buffer Food Stock Company and the role it is playing is contributing to the challenges of the Free SHS policy.”
The National Cathedral of Ghana has established a call centre for the ongoing project.
The centre, according to Dr. Joyce Aryee, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, is to deepen the relationship between the public and the National Cathedral Secretariat.
“As you already know, the project is ongoing and the call centre has become necessary as a way of deepening our relationship with the public. The ultra-modern centre is readily available to assist with information to the public on issues concerning the Cathedral, especially information on those willing to contribute towards the completion of the project,” she said.
She added that there is the need for Ghanaians to support the national project because it will bring great relevance to the country.
“The Cathedral is a historic project with great relevance for all of us as a nation and as many of us as are willing must come together to build this magnificent edifice for God and country,” she added.
The National Cathedral will be a sacred space and infrastructure for formal religious activities of the nation, such as state funerals and presidential inaugural services.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral project, Rev. Joyce Aryee, is optimistic Ghana’s economic crisis will not stop donations to the project.
At a press conference to announce a call centre for Ghanaians to seek answers on the project such as how to make donations, a member of the board of trustees, Rev. Aryee, said she did not expect the economic hardship to persist in the long term.
“Human beings are so resilient. I am 76. I have lived through worse economic times in our country, therefore, I know economic times are as transient as the seasons of life.”
“God has a way of touching our lives in ways that sometimes we don’t understand. We are still going to church, aren’t we? And we are still making donations, aren’t we? But times are difficult and that’s what gives me hope that, never mind how difficult times are, some people will willingly support,” she added.
She further indicated that the call centre is expected to improve the relationship between the public and the cathedral.
Construction work on the National Cathedral was suspended because of a lack of funds.
The $450 million project was envisioned by the government in March 2017 as a physical embodiment of national unity, harmony, and spirituality.
It remains unclear how much has been pumped into the project from donations and government support.
As of June 2022, various church denominations had contributed GH¢2.21 million towards the construction.
The immediate past national chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Freddie Blay, has expressed shock at the backlash he and his firm has received because of their decision to defend some foreign nationals standing trial for alleged illegal mining offences.
Law firm Blay and Associates is the law firm defending the four accomplices of En Huang, popularly known as Aisha Huang, who has been charged with the others for engaging in illegal mining activities in Ghana.
The decision of Mr Blay’s firm to defend these foreign nationals, when his party and government is battling an ongoing galamsey menace has raised eyebrows but the astute lawyer in a radio interview said every accused person is entitled to legal representation.
Mr Blay who is a stalwart of the NPP due to his immediate past position says it is rather unfortunate that he has been subjected to attacks.
Speaking to Joy FM on Wednesday, October 12, Mr Blay said, “My clients are not guilty; we’ve sworn an oath to defend them.
They came to instruct us and we as professionals, we have sworn an oath to defend our clients to the best of our knowledge and ability and that is exactly what we are doing in accordance with the Constitution of this country.
“They are not guilty. They’ve been brought before the court, they’ve pleaded not guilty and are being defended,” Mr Blay said as quoted by Graphiconline.
According to him, the four accused persons may have a relationship with Aisha Huang because in 2017 they bought a supermarket from her.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame has assured Ghanaians that his outfit will not relent in its effort to prosecute all illegal miners in the country, adding that, for Aisha Huang, who has gained notoriety for the galamsey trade she will pay for both her past and present offences.
Godfred Dame was speaking to the press after the now-famous galamsey kingpin Aisha Huang was denied bail on Tuesday, October 11.
“In respect of Aisha Huang, we have filed most of the documents we will rely on. We have filed witness statements with four witnesses, we need about four more. But the Judge in her discretion decided to adjourn to 24th October for us to come and conduct the case management conference and we are ready to conduct the trial on a day by day basis and the Judge has also indicated the inclination to conduct the trial in that manner. So we are happy with the progress of the matter. And it is important to indicate to the world our full commitment to prosecute all these illegal mining offences. It is something that is of utmost importance to the nation.”
Aisha Huang, a Chinese national, previously deported/repatriated for dealing in illegal mining in 2018 was re-arrested this year.
She is currently standing trial with three other Chinese nationals for mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals.
All three were remanded into the custody of the National Investigation Bureau pending the final determination of their case.
Psychological distress, a mental health condition, costs the country about seven per cent (GH¢8.6 billion) of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a clinical psychologist, Professor Angela Ofori-Atta, has disclosed.
She attributed the loss of national revenue to the many hours and days of unproductiveness because workers were in psychological distress.
Presenting a paper at a lecture to commemorate World Mental Health Week by the Department of Psychiatry of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra last Monday, Prof. Ofori-Atta quoted the findings of a research conducted by a group of scholars from the University of Ghana and the Yale University in the US to indicate that 55 per cent of the population reported some form of psychological distress.
“When you calculate the number of days people say they went to work but were unable to do anything — one hour at work lost, half a day lost — when we calculate all this lost productive time, the country is losing at least seven per cent of its GDP to psychological distress,” she said.
She spoke on the topic, “Prioritising mental health and wellbeing for all”, which is the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day.
Survey
Throwing more light on the survey, dubbed: “Ghana health and socio-economic survey”, Prof. Ofori-Atta, who is the immediate past Head of the Department of Psychiatry of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical School, described it as the first national mental health survey.
She said the survey did both economic analyses and psychological measurement of distress and established that the prevalence of psychological distress was 18.7 per cent.
The condition, she noted, was more prevalent among lower-income groups, the less-educated and less-empowered women.
Recommendations
Prof. Ofori-Atta said the country had to improve on its investment in the mental health and wellbeing of the population.
As part of the many interventions, she suggested that the country could adopt cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders.
It focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (such as thoughts, beliefs and attitudes) and their associated behaviours to improve emotional regulation and develop personal coping strategies that target solving current problems.
It also involves communication and healthy lifestyles.
Although it was originally designed to treat depression, its uses have been expanded to include the treatment of many mental health conditions, including anxiety and substance use disorders.
Gross Domestic Happiness Index
Prof. Ofori-Atta said the country could also adopt the use of Gross Domestic Happiness Index (GDHI) which, among others, measured the collective happiness and well-being of a population.
She said it also measured how people felt about their lives, using happiness as the measure of development.
“Gross national happiness was designed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of GDP,” she said.
Prof. Ofori-Atta mentioned the components of the index to include psychological well-being, health, time use, education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological resilience and living standards.
“We have the Ghana Statistical Service conducting the living standards survey over every five years and so it will not be difficult for the country to actually have a happiness index,” she said.
Citing some benefits Bhutan derived from the index, she said the very poor country, based on the adoption of the index, was graduating out of the least developed country category, had been able to track what mattered to its population and gained happiness for its people and wealth for the nation.
“Growth increased between 3.1 and 8.1 per cent between 2011 and 2019. This shows the association between focusing on the happiness of people and the wealth of a nation,” she said.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has urged persons who have claimed that they know powerful forces behind illegal small-scale miners (galamseyers) to expose these people.
In a tweet shared on October 6, 2022, the MP intimated those persons, who have suggested they know the powerful people in galamsey but have failed to expose them, including veteran journalist Kweku Baako Jnr, are accessories to the menace which is destroying Ghana.
“Why are those who know the “powerful forces” fuelling and profiting from illegal mining not telling us who these forces are?
“Kweku Baako, and recently the American Ambassador to Ghana, have referenced these powerful forces. They ought to expose them, if not they are accessories,” parts of the tweet read.
Dr. Apaak also questioned why the national security apparatus of the state has failed to fish out the kingpins behind the menace of illegal small-scale mining.
“Who are these powerful forces we are told are fuelling illegal mining (galamsey)? So powerful the state or its institutions and agencies are incapable of dealing with them? Is it that the nation is powerless or those to take action have been compromised, rendering them powerless?” he questioned.
Speaking in an interview on Joy News’ Newsfile program a few years ago, Kweku Baako Jnr. listed a number of reasons he thinks Aisha Huang appears to be getting away with punitive actions despite her illegal activities as regards mining.
According to him, Aisha has connections with big men in high places and for this reason, she appears rather untouchable regardless of her irresponsible actions.
“This particular Chinese woman, I have it on record – was arrested 3 times during the previous administration. Three times she was released. She is a very powerful woman. Operates more within the Ashanti Region, especially Kumasi.
“She’s got connections from my own checks also in this administration. She appears to be a very smooth operative. She’s built a network across the political divide. She’s got her agents placed in political institutions, particularly the security agencies.
“And she’s able to wriggle herself out of danger or trouble any time she is touched,” he said.
Kweku Baako also noted that his checks indicate that Aisha’s actions are backed by accomplices who are also Chinese nationals. According to him, these women, one of whom he says is called Monica, connive to execute their dubious activities.
Kweku Baako added that Aisha Huang and her team have a group of women who have engaged in sexual activities with some big men in high places and have video and audio evidence of them. According to him, these women blackmail the said personalities with such content and entrap them such that, they are not able to fully implement their expected duties.
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 GlobalEnvironment 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 ResidentRepresentative, 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 NationalCoordinator 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.
The National Sports Authority (NSA) has confirmed the Central Regional town of Ajumako as host of the 2020 edition of the National Cross Country.
The event which is under the auspices of the NSA and Ministry of Youth and Sports is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2020.
Hundreds of athletes are expected to participate in the race that will cover 10kilometres across different terrains in the Ajumako township.
Per the arrangements, athletes are expected to arrive in Ajumako two days before the day of the race. They will have an experience of the route for the race on February 21 and then on Saturday, the competition will commence at 7:30 in the morning.
The National Cross Country is used to mark the start of a new sporting year and also unearth promising talents for the country.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, Director-General of NSA Prof Peter Twumasi, Central Regional Minister Kwamena Duncan and other dignitaries are expected to grace the event.
