Day: November 6, 2023

The Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmadu, has urged procurement officers to ensure integrity and transparency in their procurement dealings at all times.

In a statement issued by Janet McDickson, BPP’s Head of Media on Monday in Abuja, Ahamadu made the call while addressing participants of 2023 Continuous Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme (CPCDTP).

He commended the zeal they exhibited during the three weeks capacity training and urged them to use the knowledge they acquired to impact positively in their different organisations.

According to him, that will enable them get better results in procurement process and improve the economy.

He also urged them to use and comply with the exam guidelines document given to them.

Earlier, the Director, Research Training and Strategic Planning in the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, cautioned the participants against any improper behaviour or any action inimical to the exam guidelines.

Adedokun advised them to strictly apply what they had learnt during the training in the discharge of their duties.

According to him, the examination serves three purposes.

“To prepare them for their roles and responsibilities as procurement officers in achieving the strategic objective of their organisations.

“To test the knowledge of their understanding of the procurement process; and to formerly absorb them into the procurement cadre.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Stephen Akpabli, the Ho West Assistant Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on the party faithful to rally behind Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the party for victory 2024. He said the victory of the Vice President as the flagbearer of the party was a win for the entire NPP, so there was the need to put all differences behind and work in unity towards victory in next year’s general election. Mr Akpabli, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ho, congratulated the Vice President on his victory. The Assistant Secretary also thanked all and sundry who believed in the vision of Dr Bawumia. He said the Vice President was the best candidate to lead the NPP into victory come December 2024, and that was exactly what reflected in the votes during the primary on Saturday. Mr Akpabli implored the party faithful not to allow the result of the primary to bring division among them, adding that the result was the verdict of the people. He reminded the party faithful that the primary was just an internal election, and they should therefore accept the result and unite for the bigger work ahead.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the Volta region had seen unprecedented road infrastructure under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. He said the government had constructed 432 kilometres of road since assuming office in January 2017. President Akufo-Addo said these when addressing chiefs and people of the Anlo State at a durbar in Anloga to mark the 2023 Hogbetsotso festival, under the theme: ‘Climate Change, a Challenge to Lands below Sea Level, a Concern of the Anlo State and the Stakeholders.’ He said the roads include the completion of the dualisation of the 22km Ho main road. He said others were the 30km Have to Kpando road, the upgrading of the Golokwati -Wli road, resealing of the 15km Asikuma junction to Ho Road, regravelling of the 30km Frankadua to Adidome road and the surfacing of the 17.8km Matse-Klave and Lume Atsiame-Avetokoe roads. President Akufo-Addo said other roads were asphaltic overlay on 15km of town roads in Hohoe; bitumen surfacing of the 15.6km Akwetey-Adaklu-Waya feeder road and bitumen surfacing of Bume-Danyigba-Anfoega road. He mentioned the Danyigba Town Roads, Dra-Sabadu road, and Bume-Agata road; bitumen surfacing of the 12km Yorkitikpo-Kpoviadzi-Trepe road. President Akufo-Addo said the rest were the bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Mafi-Adadepo, Wute/Yorkitikpo and Kpoviadzi feeder roads; bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Liati Agbonyira-Fodome-Ahor road; and the upgrading of 2.5 km Klefe town roads. He said work was also steadily ongoing on the 5.3km Ho By-Pass dualisation project which was 37 per cent complete, as is work on the upgrading of 8km of selected roads in Ketu South, which is 48 per cent complete. President Akufo-Addo said construction work on the Eastern Corridor Roads had progressed in sharp contrast to what had been done at the end of 2016, which saw only 135km of the roads, representing 27 per cent in good condition. ‘As at the end of 2022, 366 km, that is 74 per cent of the Corridor had improved from poor to good state. This has had a positive impact on the movement of goods and people along the corridor.’ He said government had cancelled the contracts awarded to contractors working on the Aflao to Denu to Dzodze to Ave Afiadenyigba to Ave Dakpa to Ho Road. President Akufo-Addo said contracts of contractors on the Denu to Havedzi to Keta Road, Srogbe to Anyanui road, Agortoe Junction to Tregbui to Adutor road, Anyako to Seva road and the Weta to Metsrikasa road had also been terminated since most of the contractors failed to carry out the works. He said the Ministry of Roads and Highways had decided to terminate the current contracts and re-package them for the award. President Akufo-Addo said in the short term, the mobile maintenance unit of the Ghana Highway Authority would be deployed to undertake emergency maintenance of the very critical sections of the roads. He said the government had also secured funding of 89 United States million dollars from the African Development Bank towards the construction of the 29.35 km Asutsuare Junction to Volivo road. President Akufo-Addo said other roads to benefit included the 39.2 km Dorfor Adidome to Asikuma Junction Road, the 23.9km Asutsuare Junction to Aveyime road, and two interchanges at Dorfor Adidome and Asikuma Junction. He said procurement processes were underway to start the roads by the first quarter of 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kofi Materim, a 34-year-old farmer is in urgent need of Gh?50,000 to undergo a total hip replacement surgery to improve his movement. The man, who is a resident of Nangdam in the North East Region, has been diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the left hip, which makes him experience excruciating pains daily restricting his mobility. A medical report from the Ultima Platz Hospital in the Bolga East District signed by Dr Abel Benjamin Tunni, a Trauma/Orthopedic Surgeon at the hospital, said ‘An x-ray revealed avascular necrosis of his left hip. The cost of the surgery is Gh?50,000, which is not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.’ The report indicated that the hip replacement surgery was necessary to restore his ability to walk pain-free. Mr Materim, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said feeling pains constantly had incapacitated him making him a burden on family and friends. He stated that he relied on pain relievers for several years as the healthcare facilities he had been visiting prescribed them until earlier this year when he was referred to a specialised hospital. He appealed to members of the public to come to his aid to enable him to undergo the surgery. He added ‘I was farming until the pain got severe and now, I can’t do anything for myself. I don’t have the amount of money needed for the surgery.’ Mr David Maffin, a cousin to the patient, told the GNA that the sickness had rendered Mr Materim destitute, adding he was dependent on his wife and two children, who were helpless too. He appealed to philanthropic individuals and organisations to donate towards his cousin’s surgery. Members of the public who are touched by Mr Materim’s plight and want to donate may contact him or send MoMo to the number below.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The 2021 VGMA Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year, Epixode, says dancehall in Ghana has evolved over the past few years, with the original genre not necessarily fading away, as some music fans assert. According to Epixode, who is undoubtedly one of Ghana’s dancehall maestros, there has been a fusion of dancehall and Afrobeats in recent times, with many artistes exploring that particular sound. Epixode, in an interview with GNA Entertainment, said, ‘We should understand that genres will always be with us, but they will evolve as time goes on. There is no doubt Ghana is one of the leading forces of dancehall music in Africa, but the system has changed a bit because more attention is now being given to Afrobeats. ‘So for me, I see it as a fusion of Dancehall and Afrobeats because it is very rare to see artiste drop a raw dancehall vibe like five years ago, but not to say that dancehall is dead; it will always be with us.’ Epixode also explained that he drifted a bit from hardcore dancehall music because he wanted to explore the indigenous Ghanaian sounds. ‘For me personally, exploring the Highlife genre demonstrates my growth as a musician, but it would certainly have a fusion of dancehall. My next single is a good example of the blend I am taking about, and fans should await something good,’ he stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Luanda – The National Assembly (AN) Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, on Monday in Luanda highlighted the capacity and excellence of the domestic business community in carrying out the most varied tasks and missions.

The leader of the Angolan parliament made these remarks during the ceremony to award certificates to the different national entities that supported the holding of the 147th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which the country hosted from 23 to 27 October this year.

For Carolina Cerqueira, “the contribution of the different national institutions in raising the country’s name to the highest levels was proud”.

In front of representatives of companies from the most diverse sectors, such as hotels, tourism, transport, telecommunications, banking, food and health, as well as members of the AN, officials, parliamentary agents and volunteers, she argued that all the success achieved was also due to the firmness, spirit of dedication and selflessness of those involved in the execution of the work.

Likewise, Carolina Cerqueira highlighted the preponderant role that young people had, which gives good indicators for the country, with these being the majority.

With this, she added, Angola has become an example for other countries in terms of organizing this type of event.

The 147th General Assembly, which took place under the motto “Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”, was attended by more than a thousand delegates from all over the world and the election of the Tanzanian MP, Tulia Ackson, to the post of president of the IPU, who will direct the destinies of this world organization for the next three years, took place.

Regarded as the pioneering international political organization, with more than 170 affiliated national parliaments and 12 associated regional parliamentary assemblies, the IPU is now the main parliamentary interlocutor of the United Nations and brings the voice of parliaments into the decision-making processes of the United Nations, regularly presenting its resolutions to the General Assembly, making statements, participating in debates and organizing parliamentary meetings on the main themes of the your schedule.

Source: Angola Press News Agency