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Tag: simon osei mensah

  • REGSEC to rid Kumasi of stray cattle

    REGSEC to rid Kumasi of stray cattle

    The Ashanti Regional Security Council has taken decisive steps to tackle the issue of stray cattle on the streets of Kumasi by establishing a dedicated task force.

    Announcing the initiative during a press briefing, Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah stated that the objective is to reclaim the city from the intrusion of these animals.

    Following an inspection of newly planted trees as part of the Green Ghana Day initiative, the Regional Minister emphasized the negative impact of roaming cattle on the region’s greening efforts.

    Recognizing the challenge of restraining cattle, Mr. Osei Mensah explained the rationale behind forming an external task force. He mentioned that task force members would be compensated for their services and entrusted with protecting the planted trees from cattle interference.

    Mr. Osei Mensah assured that the allocated budget would cover the task force’s expenses for an initial one-year period and could be renewed based on resource availability.

    “You know, it is not easy to catch a cow. It is extremely difficult, so we are going to get some of those people who are good at it to do the work for us. We are going to engage them, we will pay them, and it will be their responsibility to ensure that the trees that we planted will not be consumed by or destroyed by the cattle.

    “We will pay them during the period that is for a whole year, and if it is possible to have adequate resources to sustain it, then we sustain them the following year too.”

  • I’ll lead a protest against ECG, GRIDCO – Ashanti Regional Minister over dumsor

    I’ll lead a protest against ECG, GRIDCO – Ashanti Regional Minister over dumsor

    The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, is contemplating leading demonstrations against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) due to the ongoing erratic power supply in the region.

    Osei Mensah expressed frustration over the recurring power outages without clear explanations and revealed his intention to meet the Ministry of Energy for answers.

    In an interview with Angel FM, he warned that if the responses are unsatisfactory, he will organize demonstrations against the two companies, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring the people of his region have consistent electricity.

    “The word of caution I’m sounding to the ECG and GRIDCO is that if I don’t get a satisfactory explanation after listening to the Ministry of Energy with their response, I’ll demonstrate against them,” he threatened.

    “I’m saying this, and everybody should put on record, I’ll be the first government appointee, the first regional minister to lead a demonstration in this region if they are not able to give a reasonable explanation”, Osei Mensah told Kwame Tanko in his interview.

    “I’ll lead a demonstration in the region, and when the time comes, nobody should come and stop me,” he added.

    Despite being a part of the government, Mr Osei Mensah emphasized his readiness to lead protests if the power supply issue persists in the Ashanti Region while other regions remain unaffected.

    The threat comes amid concerns over frequent power outages in Greater Kumasi, sparking discussions about the return of “dumsor.”

    Residents have called for a timetable from ECG. If the minister proceeds with the demonstrations, he would become the first government appointee to lead a protest against his own administration.

  • Contractor for phase 2 of Kejetia market has abandoned the site – Ashanti Regional Minister

    Contractor for phase 2 of Kejetia market has abandoned the site – Ashanti Regional Minister

    Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has confirmed that the the contractor responsible for the phase 2 of the Kejetia Market has abandoned the site.

    In an interview on Hello FM, Simon Osei Mensah explained that the contractor is no longer at the site due to financial constraints.

    He made this known while revealing why he holds the assertion that President Akufo-Addo has not failed the citizenry.

    According to Simon Osei Mensah, he is unhappy the project is at a standstill, but not much can currently be done due to the “hardship” in the country.

    “So I will not stand anywhere and say President Akufo-Addo has failed. Because if he has failed, so have I. I am a Regional Minister. I am supposed to chase projects for the region, so now that there is hardship and the contractor for Kejetia Market Phase 2 has left the site, which I am not happy about, but due to circumstances, then I say I am the cause of the problem. Am I the one who brought the hardship?” he added.

    Traders in Kumasi are growing increasingly agitated over the seemingly abandoned phase two of the Kejetia Central Market redevelopment project.

    They have thus warned of an imminent demonstration to compel authorities to resume work on the project.

    Emilia Kwofie, secretary of the combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union, in an interview with Citi News, stated that they are demanding authorities to prioritize this project, adding that they will embark on the demonstration once they finish going through the process with the police.

    “We have been to the mayor’s office a couple of times to inquire, because you just can’t demonstrate when you don’t have any concrete information. We were assured that if the IMF money comes, work will commence. Unfortunately, we have realized that even though the IMF money is in, no work is done. There are quite a number of us who were evacuated from the place.

    So our people keep pushing that if we want to go diplomatically and the government is not listening to us, then we will have to take it to the streets. So that somebody sees us and nobody hears us. As we talk to you now, we are still talking with the police to give us a date when we can demonstrate. All we want is for work to resume so that we can start our businesses; we can’t stay in the house forever.”

    They are also asking the government to provide clear timelines for the project.

    Since December last year, several critical projects in Kumasi, including phase two of the Kejetia Central Market redevelopment, the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), phases two and three of the Kumasi International Airport expansion, and some Sinohydro projects, have all been put on hold due to lack of funding.

  • Akufo-Addo has not failed and disappointed Ghanaians – Ashanti Regional Minister

    Akufo-Addo has not failed and disappointed Ghanaians – Ashanti Regional Minister

    Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, is of the assertion that President Akufo-Addo has not let Ghanaians down in his seven years of government.

    OccupyGhana and other CSOs and individuals have expressed their concern during these challenging times when Ghana’s economy is facing significant challenges, leading to considerable hardships for the population.

    They have voiced their disappointment, stating that President Akufo Addo has not demonstrated effective leadership in managing the country’s affairs.

    But when asked during an interview on Hello FM whether he believes that President Akufo-Addo has failed Ghanaians, Simon Osei Mensah said, “No.”

    He argued that the government is not to blame for certain happenings such as COVID-19, but has done its best to check the problem.

    “If you are there, and all of a sudden you fall ill. Everyone knows that this is your size and structure and you fall ill and as a result of the sickness, the person has lost weight. Do you say it is the person’s fault that he or she is sick.”

    “Not everything is faith and it is not everything you can avoid. I don’t think China even knew how they contracted the virus. As we speak, there are several theories.”

    According to Simon Osei Mensah, admitting that the president failed would be tantamount to his own failure.

    “So I will not stand anywhere and say President Akufo-Addo has failed. Because if he has failed, so have I. I am a Regional Minister. I am supposed to chase projects for the region so now that there is hardship and contractor for Kejetia market phase 2 has left the site, which I am not happy about, but due to circumstances, then I say I am the cause of the problem. Am I the one who brought the hardship?” he added.

    Former President John Dramani Mahama, on this matter, has said he is not happy that President Akufo-Addo’s government has failed to deliver.

    He said this government “has been clueless and, in many ways, callous.”

    “We are saddled with debt, and we have been downgraded by every rating agency, and inflation has gone off the roof, sending people into abject poverty,” he added whilst launching his campaign bid to contest for the flagbearer position of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ho in the Volta Region on March 2, 2023.

  • Ashanti Regional Minister blames ‘lazy’ MMDCEs for stalled Ashanti Greening and Beautification project

    Ashanti Regional Minister blames ‘lazy’ MMDCEs for stalled Ashanti Greening and Beautification project

    Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has criticized several heads of local assemblies within his jurisdiction, accusing them of mismanaging a project initiated by the Regional Co-ordinating Council.

    The project aimed to clean and enhance the aesthetics of road medians in the region.

    Mensah expressed his disappointment with the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), attributing their lackadaisical and indifferent attitudes as the primary reason for the abrupt discontinuation of the Ashanti project. The initiative had commenced five years ago but was halted due to the negligence of the MMDCEs.

    The concerned minister voiced his concerns during a meeting with the MMDCEs in the Ashanti Region.

    “I say with some regret that this project was originally launched in 2018 but was stalled due to the lackadaisical and uncaring attitudes of MMDCEs in the piloted areas. This time it should not fail,” he said.

    Some 5,000 Royal Palm trees are expected to be planted in medians of the city’s ceremonial routes while sand and weeds will be cleared.

    “These tree seedlings are being caged to prevent destruction by animals and pedestrians. The medians and road shoulders are also being cleared of sand and weeds that have accumulated over the period,” said the Minister.

    The Sustainable Cleaning, Greening and Beautification project is being implemented in collaboration with Zoomlion Company Limited.

  • Our current circumstance has made us miss Otiko Djaba – Aggrieved School Feeding caterers

    Our current circumstance has made us miss Otiko Djaba – Aggrieved School Feeding caterers

    The inability of government to pay arrears owed to caterers with the Ashanti Regional Division of the National School Feeding Programme has led to the reminiscing of past leadership.

    Speaking to the media, a member of the aggrieved party noted that they miss the administration of former Gender Minister Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba.

    This comes after the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, chastised and disregarded caterers under the school feeding program who besieged the Regional Coordinating Council.

    The caterers picketed at the premises demanding payment of unpaid arrears in the second term of the previous academic year.

    However, the Minister turned his back on the women because he did not like how the caterers responded to his plea for calm.

    Reacting to this development, Madam Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, one of the caterers stated that their concerns were never disregarded by Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba.

    She lauded the former minister for her proactiveness and great communication in dealing with matters concerning the School Feeding Programme.

    “We miss Otiko, let me mention it. When Otiko was there, School feeding was not like that. Otiko, the former Gender Minister, She will pay even when you have twenty or thirty days. She will pay when the money comes and tell you that this is all we can pay now… as soon as the money comes, this woman will settle everybody… we miss Otiko”, she said.

    Madam Dorothy also shared her disappointment in the inability of the Regional Minister to meet them when their petition was submitted.

  • Don’t dry your cocoa beans on the roads – Minister urges farmers

    Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister has appealed to farmers in the Atwima-Mponua District to desist from using the newly constructed feeder roads in the area, to dry their cocoa beans and other foodstuffs.

    He said the use of the roads to dry cocoa beans and other foodstuffs could not only cause accidents but would deteriorate the roads constructed by the government to open the area and facilitate the transportation of their farm produce to the marketing centres.

    Addressing farmers and community members at Adobeewura, near Nyinahin, Mr Osei Mensah said they had the responsibility to protect the roads and other infrastructure built by the government in the area to help improve their living conditions.

    Mr Osei Mensah was on a tour of the district to inspect ongoing feeder road projects being constructed in the area under the Sino Hydro project.

    The government of Ghana on September 2018, entered into a $2 billion Master Project Support Agreement with the Chinese State-run Sinohydro Corporation Limited.

    The agreement is for the Sinohydro Corporation to build infrastructure projects in Ghana in exchange to have access to sites to mine bauxite.

    The construction of road projects in the Atwima Mponua District is part of the agreement to open up the area which had huge deposits of bauxite.

    A total of 65 kilometres of roads, including the Nyinahin town roads, are under construction in the district.

    Among the roads the Minister inspected were the eight-kilometre road from Nyinahin to Akonfre and the Nyinahin to Esreso forest junction roads, which are almost completed.

    Mr. Osei Mensah also inspected the Adobeewura to the Forest junction to Esreso-Nkwanta road which had been completed.

    He expressed appreciation at the level of work done so far and appealed to the people to take good care of the roads to help prolong their lifespan.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb 

  • Simon Osei-Mensah orders arrest of man challenging order to remove cocoa dried on road

    Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, could not hold his frustration when he came across cocoa beans being dried on a road during his maiden tour of roads in Atwima Mponua, a suburb of his region.

    A viral video sighted by GhanaWeb showed the minister ordering some men, purportedly the farmers who dried the cocoa beans, to remove them from the road.

    The order of the minister did not sit well with one of the farmers, who said they had done nothing wrong and suggested that the minister should rather focus on fighting the menace of galamsey.

    This infuriated Simon Osei-Mensah, who then threatened to arrest the farmer.

    “You think Ghana belongs to you, right, Hurry up and remove these cocoa beans from the road. When have you seen people drying cocoa on the roads?

    “You’re telling me that this is not galamsey. If you’re not careful, I will order your arrest,” he said in Twi.

    The farmer retorted: “If you arrest me, I will be released soon”.

    This further infuriated the minister, who ordered the arrest of the farmer despite several pleas by onlookers.

     

  • Furious Minister goes off on man for drying cocoa beans on highway

    A newly-constructed road at Ntobroso in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region was used by some farmers to dry cocoa beans.

    In a video on social media, one side of the tarred road was covered with cocoa beans.

    “Since when did we start drying cocoa beans in the middle of the road?” the Ashanti Regional Minister questioned.

    He was inspecting ongoing feeder road projects in the area with some government officials.

    After chancing on the development, Simon Osei-Mensah was irked and ordered that they are removed immediately.

    One of the residents on the scene complained that they would not remove the beans because the road is not being used for illegal mining to warrant such a directive from the Minister.

    Oddly enough, he went ahead to state unequivocally that even if they remove them, they would still dry the cocoa beans again after the Minister and his team had left.

    “Is this act not worse than galamsey? We will arrest you if you don’t take care,” Mr Simon Osei-Mensah is heard saying in the video.

    But the gentleman swiftly replied to the Minister and said that even if he is arrested, he would be freed, eventually.

    It was an interesting exchange as the Regional Minister ordered the security to arrest him for his unfortunate utterances.

    Some residents and the Assemblyman began pleading on his behalf. They suspected the man in question was drunk.

    The man believed to be in his early 40s snubbed the Ashanti Regional Minister and refused to apologise.

    “This man standing there, what shows he is drunk? He is just being foolish. What is the sense in this? Arrest him and let’s see if he could come back as he’s saying,” Simon Osei Mensah directed.

    Source: Complex.com

     

  • Akufo-Addo is the most caring political leader in Ghana’s history – Simon Osei Mensah

    The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah says President Akufo-Addo is the most caring political leader in the history of Ghana.

    According to him, doting measures by President Akufo-Addo to protect the citizenry from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic clearly show how his government cares about Ghanaians.

    Addressing journalists during a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, November 4, 2022, Hon Simon Osei Mensah explained that the government’s decision to give out free electricity and free water and pay workers who were not working, among others would go down in the history books as one of the most charitable presidents.

    “Have you ever wondered why President Akufo-Addo has gained admiration from across the African continent and beyond? If you ask me, I will tell you it is due to how he handled the pandemic with utmost human face leading to one of the lowest mortality rates Covid-19 recorded in any country after the Covid-19 outbreak “.

    Appreciation to the President

    Hon Simon Osei Mensah eulogized President Akufo-Addo over his four-day tour of the Ashanti Region.

    The tour, he believes, was a huge blessing to the good people of the Ashanti Region as it saw the commissioning and sod cutting of major landmark projects in the region.

    Hon Simon Osei Mensah explained that President Akufo-Addo’s visit had dismissed claims that the NPP government has neglected the region in its developmental agenda.

    He added that some projects inspected by the president, such as the Maternity Block at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the second phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment project, Boankra Inland Port project, among others, are a clear testimony that the Ashanti Region has also benefited from the current NPP government.

    Source: otecfmghana.com

  • We will prove Akufo-Addo hasn’t abandoned Ashanti Region – Regional Minister

    Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah has said that claims that President Akufo-Addo has abandoned the Ashanti Region are false.

    According to him, Akufo-Addo is embarking on many projects in the region and people who have made such claims will be exposed in due time.

    Speaking on Okay FM’s Adeakyeabia show, he said, “… Akufo-Addo will commission some projects under Agenda 111 during his tour in the region today, so if anybody sits somewhere to say Ashanti Region has been abandoned in regards to developmental projects, it’s false, and we are going prove them wrong. We are deliberately quiet, and because some contractors have abandoned their sites due to hardship, we are quiet. We are going to expose them big time.”

    President Akufo-Addo has commenced a four-day tour of the Ashanti Region.

    He arrived in the region on 16th October 2022, where he will commission projects, inspect ongoing ones, and confer with traditional leaders of the area.

    On Sunday, 16th October, President Akufo-Addo visited the Manhyia Palace to interact with the Asantehene and Asantehemaa.

    He is expected to inspect the Boankra Inland Port Project and proceed to commission the Konongo Municipal Hospital in the Asante Akyem Central Constituency.

    He will later inspect the Agenda 111 Hospital Project at Kokoben and commission the 30kv Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission line.

    Day 2 of the tour will begin with a radio interview on Otec FM and the commissioning of a residential complex for Appeals Court Judges at Nhyiaeso.

    He will depart to inspect the Kejetia/Central Market Phase II Project, the Maternal and Children’s Block Project at KATH and the commissioning of the ECG KATH 33/11kv Primary Sub-station, all in the Subin Constituency, among others.

  • Kumasi: Adum traders re-open shops after meeting

    Traders in Adum in the Ashanti Region have reopened their shops following a meeting with the government to discuss concerns with the implementation of tax policies.

    The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, after engagements with the leadership of the traders, said there would be a plan in place to address the grievances of the traders.

    “In all, we have settled some of the issues. For others, we have drawn a road map, and we are going to address all of them.”

    “It is not everything I can address at my level. Some will have to move to the ministerial level for consideration. Some might even have to be as far as Parliament if need be.”

    The minister also said the protesting traders were receptive to the engagements from the government.

    “They have accepted in good faith. It means that they meant well… it is their worry they were trying to pour out.”

    The businesses closed down their shops this past week in protest of the uneven implementation of the VAT on goods sold and payment of the VAT Flat rate.

    They also lamented the pressure to honour payment of income tax, the high cost of store rentals and charges from the metropolitan assembly is eroding their profits.

    Some traders were also upset with the activities of some officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority posted to their shops.

    Source: Citinews

  • How Otumfuo arrived at OKESS 85th speech and prize-giving day

    Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) over the weekend celebrated its 85th anniversary in grand style as it held a colourful speech and prize-giving day to mark the joyous occasion.

    The event was well attended by prominent personalities such as John Ntim Fordjour (Deputy Education Minister), Francis Asenso-Boakye (Works and Housing Minister and Bantama MP), Daniel Okyem Aboagye (former Bantama MP) and a host of other old students of the school of high repute.

    One key personality who attended the event was Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the overload of the Ashanti Kingdom, who also happens to be an old student of the institution.

    Otumfuo arrived at the venue for the program in a convoy. The convoy at least had five Land Cruiser V8s well as a police vehicle accompanying it per video sighted by GhanaWeb.

    On his arrival, the Asantehene was welcomed by Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah and also flanked by some traditional leaders amidst drumming and singing. Otumfuo, who wore a suit to the event, was also seen guarded by a police officer and a soldier.

    Before the Asantehene mounted the podium to address the gathering, a dancer danced to traditional drumming before Otumfuo spoke.

    In a brief address to the gathering, Otumfuo said he was present at the event to inspire students as well as to prove that he is an old student of the school.

    “I came because of the students here. I came here for you to know that I am a past student of this school. I came to inspire you that if I have been able to pass through the school to the level I am now, you also can achieve what you have set for yourself,” he said in Twi.

    The revered king further pledged to finance the construction of a toilet facility for female students of the school. To this end, he has asked the board chairman to furnish him with the estimates for the project on which he intends to embark on.

    Additionally, he asked the board and headmaster of the school to further bring estimates for ICT things the school needs.

    “The board chairman told me the female students do not have a toilet facility. I will ensure that it is constructed for them. There are two ICT things and I have asked Dr. Opoku Adusei, the board and headmaster to bring the estimates so that they come for money for it. This is the beginning just to show that I have not forsaken the school,” Otumfuo stressed.

    Source: Ghanaweb

     

  • Thirty more factories under 1D1F coming up in Ashanti – Regional Minister

    About 30 more factories are at various stages of completion under the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, the Regional Minister, has disclosed.

    The Minister, who was speaking at the 23rd Regional Annual General Meeting of the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Kumasi, said the region was a beneficiary of 21 out of the 125 factories, already in operation under the initiative.

    The meeting, which was on the theme: “Investing in Ghanaian Industries to Leverage Opportunities in the Single African Market,” was held to take stock of the activities of the Association and to chart the way forward by addressing pertinent issues affecting the growth of industries.

    It was attended by representatives of AGI from the four regions and other relevant industry players.

    Mr Osei-Mensah said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in its quest to change the nature of the economy from taxation to production, launched the 1D 1F initiate in 2017 to promote the manufacturing and service sectors through several policy initiatives.

    He said through the GhanaCARES ‘Obatanpa’ Programme, the Government supported many manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries to survive the COVID-19 impact.

    “One of the objectives of the GhanaCARES ‘Obatanpa’ Programme is to support the private sector particularly agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT and digitalisation,” he stated.

    The Minister urged the Association to strengthen and deepen collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and take advantage of the Authority’s work to diversify its export base.

    The location of the Secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Ghana, according to the Minister, offered a perfect opportunity for the AGI to make deliberate attempt to create export-oriented companies to enhance the country’s industrialisation agenda.

    He said the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council had always collaborated with the private sector and that together with the AGI, his outfit was implementing projects that would grow the economy to promote businesses in the Ashanti region.

    Mr Akwasi Nyamekye, Regional AGI Chairperson for Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono and Bono East, called on the Government to take a second look at the current ECOWAS protocols on trade, saying in-spite of the protocols there was no free movement of goods within the sub-region.

    He said the association and its members had the capacity to support all government programmes that fell within their domain.

  • Ashanti RCC to sponsor 2000 children under NHIS – Simon Osei-Mensah

    The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council have signed up to sponsor 2000 children below the age of 18 years in the Ashanti Region unto the National Health Insurance scheme.

    The gesture was in support of an initiative of the Ashanti Regional Office of the NHIA dubbed, “the 1000k for Health Project,”
    meant to court the support of well-meaning Ghanaians, whose donations would pay for the NHIS registration fees of at least 1,000 vulnerable children below the age of 18, in the Ashanti Region. Speaking to the media after CEO of the NHIA, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, paid him a courtesy visit, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah
    remarked that the project is a significant milestone that will aid in addressing a significant problem with access to healthcare in the region and the country as a
    whole.

    The Regional Minister stated that he is aware of the various policies and strategies the NHIA management is putting together for a successful NHIS because he
    served on the Health Committee for eight years while serving as a Member of Parliament. Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, personally paid GH¢6,000 to register the first 1000 children, while the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council also paid GH¢6,000 to help register more children in the region into the scheme.

    He said the intervention was not only a formidable initiative to improve NHIS and increase the numbers, but also marked a milestone in the success story of the scheme in seeking good health for all citizens in the country.

    Mr. Osei-Mensah assured the support of the Regional Coordinating Council and called on all stakeholders to get on board to transform the health sector and build a healthier nation. Dr. Okoe-Boye revealed that the 1,000 for health project is an initiative to augment the government’s support for vulnerable children, of which the enrollment of children with childhood cancer onto the NHIS is key.

    70 years and above to get instant access after registering for NHIS The CEO of the NHIA, Dr. Bernard Oko Boye, also announced to the
    Ashanti Regional Minister that people 70 years old and above who register with the NHIS can access health care on the same day.

    This, according to the CEO, has become necessary due to the frustration some elderly people go through in the bid to access health care.
    The waiting period of 30 days has therefore been waived for subscribers who are 70 years old and above, just as pregnant women. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was established by the government of Ghana in 2003. The program is a form of national health insurance established to provide equitable access and financial coverage for basic health care services to Ghanaian citizens.

     

  • I will create NGO for responsible speech with defamation money Ashanti Regional Minister

    The Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah has indicated he will set up a foundation on peaceful and responsible language with proceeds he will make from a defamation suit he has filed against the Insight News Paper and Strategic Thinkers Network should the ruling go in his favour.

    The Minister is seeking 10 million cedis in damages at an Accra High Court for an August 28, 2020 publication of the Insight News Paper captioned Alleged Ethnocentric Comments: CSOs call for the dismissal of Minister.”

    Speaking at an event organized by the Ashanti Region chapter of the National Peace Council to mark the United Nations International Peace Day, Mr Osei Mensah denied ever uttering the divisive tribal comments attributed to him.

    He averred, “Someone has come out with a tape which the media even says did not come from me but some people still insist it was from me. I have wasted money to file a defamation suit against them.

    “If they are unable to provide evidence to that effect, I will take every penny of damages awarded to me to set up a foundation for peace to teach people to be responsible about making allegations against people from the figment of their thoughts,” he stated firmly.

    Mr Simon Osei Mensah pointed out that the foundation will be a source of reference to remind all persons who choose to make defamatory comments against people, to tread with caution.

    Mr Simon Osei Mensah however expressed worry political parties who were invited to the event did not turn up even though according to him, politicians are to blame for all acrimonies that characterize electoral activities in the country.

    He admitted: “The people disturbing us most in this country are me and my colleague politicians. Because of the quest for power, we will choose to spew all sorts of inflammatory statements to knock heads together and create chaos forgetting that peace comes from God.”

    The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Peace Council Rt. Rev Christopher Nyarko Andam told Ultimate News the council has had course to warn political parties against emerging political violence being perpetrated in pseudo vigilante manner.

    He told reporter Ivan Heathcote Fumador, “All the big political parties were found culpable so we called them and told them that once the president has spoken and parliament has passed the act, it is binding on them.”

    The event saw in attendance the regional chair and members of the National Peace Council, chiefs from the Zango Communities, the Ashanti regional Chief Imam and heads of the various Islamic sects in the region.

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Simon Osei-Mensah reportedly sues newspaper, STRANEK for GH¢10m

    Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has sued Militant Publication Network publishers of the Insight newspaper for defamation.

    Joined to the suit is the acting Acting Editor of the newspaper, Benjamin Akuffo and Nii Tetteh Tettey, Executive Director of Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK).

    The Minister in his writ argued that on Friday, August 23, 2020, his attention was drawn to a defamatory news item on page 5 of the newspaper publication captioned; “Alleged Ethnocentric Comments: CSOs call for dismissal of Minister”, and same published on its website.

    In the suit sighted by Dailymailgh.com, Mr. Osei-Mensah argued that a press conference held by STRANEK, the third defendant, also accused him of making “ethnocentric comments against the people of Northern descent and the full text was carried in the Friday, August 28, 2020 edition of the Insight Newspaper.”

    According to the former Bosomtwe Constituency legislator, the claims made by the newspaper and STRANEK are defamatory and were made without basis, adding that the said publication has completely soiled, damaged, or dented his hard won image.

    Having shot down the allegations levelled against him, he is therefore through his solicitors, seeking compensatory damages in the sum of GH¢10,000,000 for loss of reputation against the defendants together with general damages.

    Among his reliefs, the Minister is also demanding an order of injunction directed at the defendants, agents, assigns, privies from continuing to make a further defamatory publication about the plaintiff.

    The Minister wants another order of the court directed at the defendants to retract the said defamatory publication and render an unqualified apology in the same prominence as the defamatory publication.

    Attached is a copy of the suit:

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Police will continue to arrest those who refuse to wear nose masks – Minister

    Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has warned that the police would continue to arrest recalcitrant persons who refuse to wear face masks as had been directed by the President.

    He said the wearing of face or nose masks was now mandatory and the police together with other security agencies, would ensure that everybody complied with it as part of measures to contain the further spread of the coronavirus in the Region.

    Speaking at the launch of an exercise to disinfect and fumigate all police stations, barracks and security installations in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi, Mr Osei Mensah, commended the regional police command for arresting and committing recalcitrant persons to do community work.

    The police as part of measures to enforce the wearing of the nose masks in the Region, have been arresting those who breach the directive and commit them to undertake community works such as cleaning the drains, weeding, picking of litters in public places, as well as sweeping of streets in Kumasi.

    This action by the police had had positive impact since most people now wear the nose masks and the Regional Minister is very happy about the outcome.

    The fumigation exercise, is being conducted by the Zoomlion Company Limited in over 158 police stations and barracks in the Region.

    It is part of several measures put in place by the government to improve upon environmental health in public places.

    Already, all markets, lorry parks and Senior High Schools in the country, have been fumigated to rid them of micro-organisms, rodents and reptiles.

    Mr Osei Mensah said the government was doing all these with huge financial commitments aimed at containing the further spread of the virus in the country.

    He pledged the support of the Regional Coordinating Council to ensure the success of the exercise in the Region.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr David Agyeman Adjem, Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, said the exercise had become necessary in view of the confirmation of COVID-19 positive cases in some police cells and barracks.

    He asked the officers to cooperate with the Zoomlion officials to ensure the success of the exercise.

    Source: GNA

  • Murder cases: No fears, Ashanti region is safe Minister assures

    The Ashanti Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah has assured that there is no cause for alarm over murder cases that have occurred in recent times in the region.

    According to the Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is working tirelessly to deal with armed robbers and criminals in the region.

    Since January 2019, seven women have been murdered, including a community nurse who was gang-raped and murdered last week at Ayuom in the Ashanti Region.

    The Ashanti Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah speaking to the media in Kumasi said adequate security measures have been put in place by the security agencies to protect law-abiding citizens in the region.

    The Minister explained that though the Region has recorded several cases, armed robbery, murder, and other crimes have reduced drastically with the help of the security.

    “When you start doing swoop and parading criminals, people get frightening that is why nowadays the police do not parade arrested people after swoop. The region is safe because we are putting in much effort to deal with criminals and armed robbers. The most important thing is to reduce it drastically even if we cannot eliminating it” the Minister said.

    “The crime rate in the region has reduced down as compared to the previous. The security agencies are ready to protect lives and properties in the region. There is no cause for alarm” He added.

    The Region Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah revealed that police in the region have commenced serious investigations into murder cases that have occurred in the region especially the nurse who was allegedly murdered at Sewua.

    The Minister, however, appealed to the general public to be security-conscious and also assist the police to fight criminals and armed robbers.

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com