Day: October 8, 2023

Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured that President Bola Tinubu administration would harness the natural resources of Kogi for the benefits of its citizens.

Shettima gave the assurance during a meeting with first Class Traditional rulers at the State Government House in Lokoja on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vice president is in Lokoja to flag off the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign for the Nov. 11 election in the state.

Shettima, who said that Kogi was one of the most endowed states in the country, added that the people of the state have no business being poor.

The vice president, therefore, urged the people of the state to vote massively for the APC candidate in the Nov. 11 governorship election for continuity and consolidation.

“For the purpose of continuity and consolidation Kogi cannot afford to fall into hostile hands certainly it will deprive Kogi of it rightful share in the nation.”

Shettima disclosed that Tinubu has approved funds for the construction of Ganaja road.

” Some of the portions of these roads where awarded 17 years ago, there is a need for us to revisit those contracts and if needs be revoke and re-award those contracts for their prompt execution.”

Similarly, the vice president said that Kogi was lucky to have it own as the Minister of Steel Development, who is not a junior minister.

” We will make the natural resources of Kogi to work for its citizens. I was in Russia for the Russia-African Summit where we began a conversation for the completion of the Ajaokuta and Idah Streel project s.

” The projects are almost 92 to 98 per cent completed. It requires very little to bring it into function but a hostile government in Kogi will finds it very difficult to get into any conversation with the federal authorities.

” We need, for the purpose of continuity and consolidation, an APC government in Kogi state. The Ajaokuta plant can be a game changer for the Nigerian nation.

” It has the capacity to assist us in meeting the Eight points Agenda of the Federal Government with respect to job creation and foreign direct investment.”

He added that Ajaokuta has the capacity to produce components for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of the Federal Government Gas Master Plan to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.

Shettima said that the Ajaokuta Steel Project if completed has the potential to create up to 500,000 jobs.

Earlier, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi said the state cannot afford to fall into the hands of the opposition with its proximity with the Federal Capital Territory and all the APC states sharing boundary with the state.

He assured the vice president that the forthcoming governorship election in the state would be peaceful, free, fair and credible.

Also, the Attah of Igala, Matthew Opaluwa, said “the traditional rulers in Kogi speaks with one voice. As far as security is concern the governor of Kogi is doing his best.

” And for the coming election we pray that it’s going to be free, fair and credible. We assure you sir all the royal father’s in this hall are behind you.”

NAN reports that the vice president, after meeting with the traditional rulers, proceeded to Lokoja Township Stadium and addressed APC supporters who turned out to identify with the party.

Shettima enjoined electorate in the state to ensure the continuation of the APC government in Kogi for improved Federal Government landmark projects in the state.

He, however, emphasised the need for the people of the state to shun all forms of actions capable of causing violence before, during and after the election.

In attendance were the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, Minister of Steel Development Shuaibu Audu, APC Governorship candidate in Kogi, Ahmed Ododo, among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Media Commission (NMC) has expressed concerns over the invasion of the United Television (UTV) Studios Saturday evening by some young men.

A statement signed by Mr George Sarpong, Executive Secretary, NMC, said the Commission was concerned about the increasing use of violence as the preferred method for addressing grievances against the media and journalists.

It said perpetrators of such crimes must realise that violence did not produce better Journalism.

The statement said it was for that reason that the Constitution provided anyone who felt aggrieved by the work of the media the opportunity to seek redress through the complaint settlement mechanism of the National Media Commission.

It said as Ghana approached elections in 2024, it was important for political actors and all Ghanaians to learn that the Ghana envisaged would not be built on the path of violent attacks on journalists.

The statement said in the next couple of weeks, the NMC would be rolling out a comprehensive programme to reactivate with key stakeholders the Coordinated Mechanism for the Safety of Journalists to ensure the media continued to operate without fear.

It assured the public of their cooperation with the Police to get to the bottom of the matter.

A group of young men Saturday evening invaded the UTV studios and disrupted an ongoing entertainment show, United Showbiz.

A news brief from the Police said following a complaint from the Despite Media Group and Ministry of Information about the invasion, personnel were deployed to the venue.

It said 16 persons were arrested in connection with the incidence and in custody assisting investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Police on Saturday evening arrested 16 persons for invading the studios of United Television (UTV).

The arrest follows a complaint from the Despite Media Group and the Ministry of Information.

According to the Police, the 16 persons were in custody assisting investigations.

Meanwhile, the National Media Commission (NMC) in a statement issued by Mr George Sarpong, the Executive Secretary, expressed concerns over the act.

It said the increasing use of violence as the preferred method for addressing grievances against the media and journalists must stop.

The Commission said perpetrators of such crimes must realise that violence did not produce better Journalism.

It said it was for that reason that the Constitution provided anyone who felt aggrieved by the work of the media the opportunity to seek redress through the complaint settlement mechanism of the National Media Commission.

It said as Ghana approached elections in 2024, it was important for political actors and all Ghanaians to learn that the Ghana envisaged would not be built on the path of violent attacks on journalists.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Volta River Authority has awarded scholarships worth GHC1 million to 60 brilliant but needy students offering various programmes at different levels in the various Public Tertiary Institutions in the 2021/ and 2022/223 academic years.

The support was provided under the Authority’s Community Development Programme (CDP).

Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, the Chief Executive of VRA, speakng at the Authority’s Scholarship Awards Ceremony at Akuse, said the current support brought the total number of beneficiaries to 449.

The CDP Scholarship programme is a competitive one, and priority is given to applicants offering programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The Scholarship scheme is aimed at supporting brilliant but needy students as well as the development of the human resources in these communities.

Since 2011, 389 students from the Akosombo, Akuse, Tema/Kpone and Aboadze operational areas have been sponsored under the Scholarship scheme.

He said 234 students benefitted at the Senior High School level, while 155 of them also benefitted at the Tertiary level.

The Chief Executive said VRA was on a digital transformation trajectory in line with its creativity and innovation agenda, and as such the scholarship application procedure had been migrated online.

He said the Authority’s Scholarship scheme had chalked many successes since its inception as majority of its beneficiaries were first generation scholars in their families and in some cases communities.

‘In 2022, 27 students graduated successfully from their institutions and five came out with first Class Honours,’ he added.

They are: from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology: Mr. Emmanuel Tettey Abaitey BSc.Business Administration, Miss Beauty Cooper; BSc.Midwifery and Mr.Robert Tamakloe; B.A Communication Design.

From the University of Ghana, they are Miss. Benedicta Honga currently at the Ghana School of Law for her Professional Programme Bachelor of Laws (LLB) And from Koforidua Technical University: ?Akplobi Afenyo; HND Biomedical Engineering.

He said Mr. Theophilus Narteh Wakemeh and Miss Ernestine Emefa Akorli, who graduated three and two years ago, respectively, were currently pursuing PhD in Electrical Engineering and Master’s in Communications at the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.

The Chief Executive said Mr. Ivan Nyamasekpor, who graduated from the University of Ghana in 2020 had also been invited to the IAU 2023 International Conference in Doha-Qatar, as a Speaker and the only representative from Africa.

Mr Antwi-Darkwa said it was worth noting that the Authority’s past beneficiaries had formed an Alumni Association with the aim of significantly contributing to the development of their communities.?

He said a few have been active participants of the Authority’s flagship Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP) which was a platform for sharing experiences, counseling, and impacting knowledge to students in Public Senior High Schools within our operational areas.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, the National Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has called on media practitioners in the Upper East Region to work with stakeholders to bring an end to the series of conflicts in the region.

She said it was time journalists recognised and delivered on the cardinal purpose of their mandate, which was to help advance human development through responsible journalism and practices.

‘The days of poor journalism which lured the media into peddling information that only strengthened the fire of conflicts have long given way to the current era of peace journalism,’ she said.

Mrs Agyei was speaking at the second edition of the Upper East Regional GJA awards held in Bolgatanga on the theme: ‘Safeguarding the peace security of the Upper East Region: the role of the media’.

The GJA Vice President indicated that the theme for the awards was appropriate considering the recent conflicts that had bedeviled the region leading to loss of lives and properties and undermining the development of the region.

He said the journalists in the region had the mandate and responsibility to the people of Ghana to contribute significantly to creating an environment of trust that allowed the feuding factions to recognise peace as a sustainable alternative to violence.

‘If the different tribes can joke among themselves which I am proud of, why should there be conflicts in this part of the country, it means there is something we all have to acknowledge, so, please, if there is to be an end of conflict in this region and that depends on you the journalists,’ she said.

She disclosed that the GJA with support from government of Ghana and UNESCO would be hosting the Third African Media Convention in 2024 as part of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the Association.

This, she said, would bring together about 1,000 media practitioners and partners from the African Continent and around the world and the GJA was poised to leverage on the Convention to showcase the positive image of the media and journalistic work to the outside world and to enhance media freedom.

Alhaji Yusif Fofana, the Government Spokesperson on Social Services, who represented Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, noted that the role of the media in nation building could not be overemphasised as citizens viewed the media as facts of society.

He said the media practitioners in the region must work to engender trust among feuding factions to help bring peace to conflict areas.

He said the increasing threats of terrorism and insurgencies in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, which shared borders with the Upper East Region put the security of the country at risk and underscored the significant role of journalists, especially those in the region to work to safeguard the peace of the country.

‘Media is the primary source of information, the media therefore has an important effect on perceived public opinion about the reality and we must consciously strive to be ambassadors of peace to promote the growth and development of society,’ he added.

Mr William Jalulah, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA, said the centralised system of communication by the Ghana Police Service was inimical to democratic governance and left journalists to rely on speculations to report on crime and security issues and appealed for a reverse of the decision.

‘I also want to appeal to the national leadership of the GJA to be more forceful in getting the IGP to reverse the directive as it is a major concern to all its members across the country,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Thousands of people have attended the grand durbar of the 2023 Asogli Yam Festival held at the Jubilee Park in Ho.

Shops were closed in the Regional capital and traffic disrupted as a long procession of chiefs spent the Saturday morning leading a mammoth crowd to the Jubilee Park.

The celebration also marked the 20th anniversary of the installation of Togbe Afede and several dignitaries were in attendance, including Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, CEO of Bui Power, who represented the Vice President of the Republic.

There were also Ambassadors, including from Barbados, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, and the Dormaahene, Osaegyefo Agyeman Badu as special guest of honour and Ewe Chiefs from Ghana, Togo and Benin were also present.

Political party heads and parliamentarians and were in attendance at the heavily packed durbar.

Police and other security agencies are helping manage the heavy traffic while scores of businesses and petty traders cash in around the venue.

Several cultural troupes delivered impressive displays and so were acrobatic displays.

The Dormaahene made a great entry with an entourage of close to 100 people.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Anthony Adongo Apubeo, a Chief Reporter of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Bolgatanga Office, has won two awards at the second edition of the Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards.

He won the Best Tourism Reporter and Best Gender Reporter for 2022 for his news features titled; ‘Pikworo Slave Camp: Transit Centre for Chained Africans, and Female Genital Mutilation: a bane to achieving SDGs Three, Five’, respectively.

Mr Albert Sore of Joynews won the Journalist of the Year after winning the Best Human Rights and Best Agriculture Reporter.

Nicholas Azebire of Dreamzfm, who was adjudged the Most Promising Journalist of the Year, also won the Best Disability Reporter and Best Child Protection Reporter.

The others are Joshua Asaah of A1 Radio, Best Reporter, Sanitation and Conflict, Simon Agana Blessing of Wordfm, Best Water and Development Reporter, and Moses Apiah of A1 Radio, Best Education Reporter.

The rest are Castro Senyalah of Assase Radio, Best Environment Reporter, Stephen Ngamgbulam Chidozie of ApexNewsGh, Best Climate Change Reporter and Nelson Jose Abagna of Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation, Best Sports Reporter.

This year’s awards was held on the theme: ‘Safeguarding the Peace and Security of Upper East Region: the Role of the Media’.

Mr William Jalulah, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA, while congratulating the winners, said the theme was strategically chosen to reflect the packets of conflicts experienced in the region, particularly the protracted Bawku chieftaincy conflict.

Although journalists in the region, over the years, had written good reports on conflict, the closure of some radio stations by the National Media Commission was a cause for worry.

He underscored the role of the media in either fostering peace or causing conflict, which called for responsible journalism to enable feuding factions to reach a compromising positions for peace to prevail.

‘The essence of our theme is also to remind us that our neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire had not known peace for some time and coupled with terrorist attacks in those countries, we must, as journalists, know how to report on those security matters without jeopardising our internal security and safety,’ he said.

Mr Jalulah grasped the opportunity to appeal to the Ghana Police Service to reconsider its position of centralised information sharing to ensure that media practitioners reported facts on issues and avoided speculation, which was a threat to the country’s security.

Alhaji Yusif Fofana, the Government Spokesperson on Social Services, who spoke on behalf of Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, said media practitioners must work to engender trust among feuding factions to help bring peace to conflict areas.

The increasing threats of terrorism and insurgencies in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, which shared borders with the Upper East Region, put the security of the country at risk, thus the pivotal role of journalists to work to safeguard the peace, he said.

Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, commended the media for their contributions towards attracting investors to the area, noting that the Government would continue to work with the media to engender development.

He said the series of violent conflicts recently witnessed in the Region did not only cause destruction to lives and property but also led to transfer of essential workers out of the area.

He, therefore, charged the media to work to promote lasting peace.

Source: Ghana News Agency

More than 50 vulnerable children at Ekon in the Cape Coast Metropolis have received support from OVC Connexion- Ghana, a non-governmental organization, with the focus on improving education among vulnerable children and orphans in Ghana.

The donation formed part of the ‘Read, Feed and Learn’ initiative launched by the NGO in April this year and geared towards improving the academics of children from underprivileged families in the country.

In all, 120 children at Ekon, in the Cape Coast Metropolis and Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region would each receive 15 exercise books from the 1,800 books to be distributed.

The Books Distribution Project is being funded with a Grant of GHS 6,000.00 from Family Based Care Alliance (FaBCA) and a donation of USD 250 from Barbara Chieves and her friends in the United States.

It would among others, help the beneficiaries aged between six and 14 in grades one to seven in Public Basic Schools in Oyibi and Ekon communities to learn to Read and have maths tutorials on Saturdays.

Also, a free snack and lunch, and once a month Life Skills sessions would be given with the goal of supporting orphans and vulnerable children to excel in school academically and improve socially.

At a short ceremony to present the books, Mr Isaac Okpoti Tsakley, Regional Coordinator of OVC Connexion,Ghana, said the project would be expanded to help improve education of children from deprived communities.

He called on all stakeholders to work together to help educate vulnerable children in the country.

Mr Tsakley advised parents whose children benefitted to take good care of the books and encourage them to read for the purpose of the project to be achieved .

On behalf of beneficiary parents, Madam Adwoa Awotwe, expressed gratitude to the NGO for the gesture and promised to ensure the books were put to good use.

She appealed to the government and benevolent organisations to support the vulnerable in the society to collectively contribute to national development.

Madam Awotwe advised parents to play their role in the upbringing of children to ensure efforts towards their proper growth yield positive results.

Source: Ghana News Agency