Day: November 19, 2023

Mr. Justin Frimpong Kodua, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, have donate GHC 200,000 towards the renovation of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

This follows the launch of a campaign dubbed, ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to raise $10 million dollars to renovate the 70 year-old facility.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to present the cheque, Mr. Kodua said they followed proceedings during the official launch of the renovation project two weeks ago and decided to contribute their quota knowing that it would take a collective effort to prosecute the agenda.

‘To have seen our King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II lead the charge for this laudable initiative, we the direct beneficiaries of the project and indigenes of Asanteman could not sit aloof but had to come here this morning and pay our due so that we can also help Prof Otchere Addai-Mensah to give this place the befitting facelift it deserves,’ the General Secretary staed.

He expressed his commitment towards the project and noted that he would impress upon members of the NPP as well as government appointees to donate towards the Project.

The NPP as an organisation, he disclosed, would soon donate, adding that the Vice President who leads the party would be briefed about the project to ensure they showed up big time.

‘I would suggest that the CEO initiates a Scheme so that people in the region and indigenes elsewhere could contribute monthly so as to enable KATH carry out its own retooling and maintenance to keep the hospital in shape,’ he suggested.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of KATH, Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah said the Board and Management were grateful for the generous gesture by the two individuals.

He noted that referrals from 12 regions of the country were brought to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital daily.

He indicated that the situation often stretched the hospital to its limits of having to attend to all these cases and maintain the facilities at the same time
.

‘Government cannot do these renovations and maintenance alone and so we were glad that the Asante King decided to lead this Heal Komfo Anokye initiative so we can get KATH in a proper shape to respond to cases more confidently and provide the best environment for visitors and staff’,’ the CEO stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Upper West Regional chapter of Curious Minds (CM) Ghana has advised children to refrain from drug abuse as that could deny them the opportunity to enjoy their rights to development and realisation of their life aspirations.

It also entreated children to take their life and personal development very seriously to enable them to develop into responsible citizens to contribute to national development.

‘You have to take the responsibility to safeguard yourselves as children and one of such responsibilities is for you not to indulge in drug abuse.

If you take to drug abuse, by the time you grow up, the drugs have already destroyed you, so please desist from drug abuse’, Miss Leenat Abdul-Rahaman, the Upper West Regional Programmes Manager of CM Ghana, said.

She was speaking at an event organised by CM Ghana, a youth-led advocacy group, at the weekend at Dignafuro in the Wa Municipality to observe this year’s World Children’s Day.

It brought together about 200 children from the Dignafuro Islamic and Kaggu
Basic School as well as some opinion leaders and parents from the two communities to celebrate the children.

The celebration was characterised by drama and poetry performances against drug abuse by school children from Kaggu Junior High School.

The United Nations (UN) set aside November 20 each year as World Children’s Day to promote international togetherness, and awareness among children worldwide, and improve children’s welfare, with this year’s celebration on the theme: ‘For every child, every right’.

Miss Abdul-Rahaman said CM Ghana prioritised the development, well-being and protection of the rights of every child and saw drug abuse as inimical to children’s development and the enjoyment of their rights.

She said as part of efforts to secure the future of children, CM undertook advocacy activities that would lead to meaningful development of children.

She observed that aside from drug abuse that could deny children their right to education and development, socio-cultural norms and practices such as
child marriage also denied the girl child her rights.

Miss Abdul-Rahaman said CM Ghana would also hold radio discussions with children to give them a platform to advocate their rights to mark World Children’s Day.

Mr Mulumba Ngmenlabagna Songsore, the Executive Director of Necessary Aid Alliance, told the children that drug abuse could lead them to develop health complications such as kidney failure, stroke and mental health issues.

He said that could affect their education and hamper their holistic development and realisation of their life dreams hence the need to desist from that act.

Mr Francis Soriye, the Assembly Member of the Dignafuro Electoral Area, also urged the children not to defy the teachings of their parents and elders to enable them to grow in the right way.

He advised them against the ‘get rich quick’ mentality as that could lead them to engage in social vices against wellbeing.

Mr Soriye thanked CM Ghana for holding the World Children’s Day event in that community as that had exposed t
he children to critical information necessary for their proper growth and development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), has called on engineers to be tech savvy and innovative to combine knowledge and application of science with smart systems to improve the livelihood of the citizenry.

‘The world is constantly evolving and as engineers, you must evolve with it and bring change and see it as an opportunity to grow.

The modern engineer is expected to have leadership and good communication skills, high emotional intelligence and to understand modern trends in performance and human resource management, ‘ he observed.

Addressing graduates at 57th graduation of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for the College of Engineering, he indicated that ‘Ghana and the world is going nowhere without engineers and therefore engineers who shut their eyes to the realities of the world will become dinosaurs of our age. ‘

Ghana, he noted, like many parts of the world, was in the midst transformation and thriving for sustainable and
reliable engineering solutions to meet the needs of the growing population and a booming economy.

Mr Essienyi mentioned that digitization of the economy going forward was a must, adding that was where engineers’ expertise come into play to unlock new and sustainable emerging solutions, improving infrastructure and innovating in ways that could uplift communities.

He expressed concern about why there were still unreliable electricity supply, water shortages, flooding, unmaintained roads, faulty traffic lights with the educational level of Ghanaians and connectedness to the world.

He believed it was time engineers lived up to their duties and solved such problems in Ghana.

Mr Essienyi suggested that in taking transformational efforts, the youth must be empowered, educational systems strengthened and embracing home-grown solutions for Ghanaians.

The College of Engineering presented a total of 1,655 graduates for the 2023 ceremony.

Of this number, 1,294 are males and 361 females.

Professor Kwabena Biritwum
Nyarko, Provost, KNUST College of Engineering, said the College had maintained a reputation for being at the forefront of preparing manpower to support the technological and engineering advancement of Ghana and beyond.

The college established three programmes in the Gambia Technical University which is now being transformed to the University of Applied Science Engineering and Technology with funding from the World Bank.

He said the first cohort was in the third year.

Pof. Biritwum mentioned that in support for early career academics, the College with funding from the KNUST Engineering Education Project, had supported six early career academics to spend time with some collaborative universities in the United States and India to deepen their research skills and explore collaborative research opportunities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Denmark has pledged to mobilise more resources to support Ghana to undertake strategic projects in the water and waste management sector to boost the West African country’s climate resilience.

The two countries in 2019, signed a Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) agreement aimed at improving water supply and wastewater management in the Tema Municipality and creating a more effective maritime sector in Ghana.

Mr Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, pledged additional funding to address critical wastewater management challenges when he toured the Tema Municipality on Saturday.

The purpose of the tour was to witness the problems in Tema at first-hand ahead of the implementation of the second phase of the SCC agreement and implement measures to make the industrial city climate resilient.

Mr Jørgensen, together with Mr Yohane Amarh Ashietey, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, unveiled a mural at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to mark the successful im
plementation of the first phase of the cooperation from 2019 to 2023.

The second phase of the Cooperation agreement, which would be implemented from 2024 to 2026, was signed in October this year.

The agreement was signed between the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and the city of Aarhus, Denmark, as well as the Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL) and the Aarhus Vand A/S, the Danish water management company.

The second phase of the cooperation agreement is expected help to reduce non-revenue water, build local capacity and roll out a climate adaptation plan, which was developed in the first phase of the cooperation agreement.

It is estimated that Ghana would require between US$ 9.3 and US$ 15.5 billion of investment to undertake climate interventions from the year 2020 to 2030 – and access to clean water is one of the critical areas being prioritised by the Government.

Mr Jørgensen was worried about the biological death of the Chemu Lagoon because of a lack of proper wastewater management from industrial sources –
turning the lagoon into an environmental health threat.

He told journalists after the tour that Denmark was exploring the possibility of finding additional resources to support Ghana in addressing the environmental challenges identified.

‘A lot of progress has been made. A lot of people are getting clean water every day as a result of this project. But it is also clear that there are still a lot of challenges.

‘We from the Danish side will help as much as we can, and we are also looking at possibilities of finding even more resources in future because you can see behind me there is really a lot to do.

‘Water needs to be cleaned and the efficiency of the water needs to be better,’ Mr Jørgensen said.

Mr Ashietey said the first phase of the project had helped the TMA to build the capacity of its engineers who work on wastewater to fix some of the problems in the city internally.

‘We have developed the Climate Adaptation and Wastewater Management Plan. This is a framework which has been passed by the Assemb
ly and we are following the framework to ensure that Tema becomes a climate-resilient city,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

CARE International Ghana has recorded tremendous strides in tackling forced and child labour, including all forms of exploitative work among girls, women, and other vulnerable populations in the cocoa-growing Western North, Central, and Ahafo regions.

Within five years, the percentage of child labour among child participants dropped from 68.4 per cent to 42 per cent, and hazardous child labour fell from 67.2 per cent to 19 per cent.

These positive changes were recorded after the organisation successfully implemented a five-year (2018-2023) Adwumpa project in 80 communities in the regions, supporting 500 vulnerable girls aged 15-17 and 2,500 vulnerable women.

It was implemented in collaboration with Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa, Child Rights International, and Olam Food Ingredients, with funding from the United States Department of Labour, Bureau of International Affairs.

The initiative aimed to minimise the risk of child and forced labour, as well as other exploitative labour practices,
by improving the economic participation and empowerment of women and girls in Ghana’s cocoa supply chain.

In a speech read on his behalf during the close-out session in Accra, Mr. Bright Wireko-Brobbey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, expressed satisfaction with the remarkable accomplishments of the Adwumpa project.

‘It seems that the project exceeded almost all its targets, which is very impressive,’ he said, adding, ‘I hope that the valuable vocational skills, income-generating activities, and spirit of savings, among others, provided for the project participants will go a long way towards improving lives in the project communities.’

He highlighted the importance of establishing operational structures and systems to maintain the long-term success and impact of the project, citing previous instances where it was challenging to track the positive outcomes in project communities.

He urged the implementing partners to maintain strong cooperation with government structures at the Metropol
itan, Municipal, and District Assemblies.

Notable headways were made in advancing child and labour rights, promoting economic empowerment for women and girls, strengthening community and district systems, transforming gender and social norms, and fostering public-private partnerships.

Amidst a long list of milestones, a total of 2,716 girls received training in life skills, while 1,201 girls aged 15-17 were enrolled in vocational skills training programmes. Also, 41 right-based educational clubs were established, drawing 1,509 members.

Similarly, 421 children were able to return to school, while 27,565 community members were reached with information on labour rights and protections. Besides that, 3,780 vulnerable women and girls received support to start their businesses.

Ms. Rose Tchwenko, Country Director of Care International Ghana, praised project partners, government agencies, local authorities, and participants, for their firm collaboration and partnership, saying that without their dedication and c
ommitment, this achievement would not have been possible.

She noted that the national close-out event was not the conclusion of the Adwumpa project but rather a time to take a break and contemplate the positive impacts and lessons learned from its achievements.

‘This close-out is not an end; we are pausing to observe, reflect, and learn, but more importantly, to celebrate the incredible work that has been achieved,’ she said.

She added, ‘When you look at the data bringing hazardous labour to as low as 19 per cent from over 60 per cent from the start of the project five years ago, something we are extremely proud of,’ she told journalists on the sidelines of the close-out ceremony.

Various notable organisations, both local and international, including Cocobod, the Complementary Education Agency, and the ILO, shared complimentary messages of solidarity.

While stakeholders and project participants, mostly girls and women, from Tano South (Ahafo region), Asunafo North (Ahafo region), Bibiani-Ahniaso-Bekwai (
Western North), and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa (Central region) municipalities provided testimonies highlighting a litany of achievements of the adwumpa project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

This year’s World Toilet Day has been marked in Tumu in the Sissala East Municipality with a street procession by school children amidst brass band music to draw attention to hygienic toilet use.

Over sixty participants drawn from three basic schools in the municipality and other officials of the Sissala East Municipal Assembly, marched through some principal streets of Tumu and converged at the Sissala East Municipal Assembly premises where the Global Communities, an NGO addressed them.

Mr Martin Sumbo, the Social Behaviour Communication Specialist of Global Communities, in a speech on the theme: ‘Accelerating change,” said there were currently about 3.5 billion people living without safe toilets, out of which 419 million still practised open defecation.

He said that led to the spread of diseases killing about 1,000 children under five years every day.

‘This global crisis also poses a threat to nature and everyone’s health, particularly women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

‘Your action, however,
small will help improve toilets and sanitation systems and protect nature,’ Mr Sumbo explained.

He said the countdown had begun with just seven years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6), which demanded safe toilets and water for all by 2030.

Mr Sumbo noted that Global Communities, together with other development partners across the World, was marking World Toilet Day 2023 by accelerating change.

Some of the participants held placards that read, ‘We all deserve clean and new toilets’, ‘Never underestimate the importance of having a toilet by keeping your toilet clean’, and ‘You can take a step towards better health, don’t neglect your toilet, keep it clean’ among others.

The World Toilet Day was celebrated under the USAID Enhancing Wash Activity led by Global Communities.

The World Toilet Day is traced to 2001 when the first one was marked in Singapore by the World Toilet Organisation and recognised as an annual United Nations initiative.

Madam Portia Zumawelle, the Health Promotion
Officer at the Sissala East Health Directorate, emphasised the need for homes to have household toilets and keep them clean.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) spoke to some residents of Tumu about the toilet situation, Mr Allos Danlardi said: ‘Some of them have built toilets in their homes.’

He, however, said the vehicle to dislodge and discharge the toilet had to come from Wa, which was causing some of the people to go back to open defecation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Banasco Seidu Nuhu, an aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has made donations to students and persons with disabilities in the constituency.

Items donated included school uniforms, wheelchairs, white canes, crutches, books, pens, as well as laptops and desktop computers to furnish computer laboratories in the constituency.

Mr Nuhu, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the donation and earlier initiatives seeking the welfare of the constituents were to address their immediate needs, as well as to set the groundwork for a sustainable and thriving constituency.

He said he had initiated 17 computer laboratories, which were strategically placed across the constituency to facilitate ICT learning.

He indicated his commitment towards progress of the people in the Sawla-Tuna- Kalba Constituency, adding that his commitment was evident in the numerous interventions that had earned unwavering support of communities to his side
.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A businessman who allegedly assaulted an employee of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over a meter has been granted GHC50,000 bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

Habib Shaibu was admitted to bail by the relieving Judge, Mr Isaac Addo.

He is expected to reappear in court on December 8, 2023.

Shaibu is facing charges of causing harm, intentionally interfering with the ECG distribution system, and stealing unspecified electricity power.

He has, however, denied the charges.

The case of the Prosecution led by Mr Paul Asibi Abariga, a director of ECG in Charge of Prosecution said the complainant, Frank Afako, was a staff of ECG Revenue Protection Unit, while the accused person, Habib Shaibu was a businessman residing at Agyiringanor in Accra.

The prosecution told the court that Shaibu owned a mobile phone shop at Ashalley Botwe, Accra.

The Prosecutor said on January 4, 2023, Afako and his team visited Shaibu’s shop and inspected his ECG meter.

After Inspection, the team detected that Shaibu had allegedly
used a 2.5 cable to tap power before the ECG installed a prepaid meter in his shop.

It said Afako then disconnected the power and issued a summons for Shaibu to report at the ECG’s office at Legon, but he failed to do so.

The prosecution said on April 4, 2023, Afako and his team revisited Shaibu’s shop and realized that he had replaced the ECG-installed prepaid meter with a postpaid one.

It said when Shaibu was asked the whereabouts of the prepaid meter that he had removed, he could not give an answer.

The prosecution said when Afako removed the meter and went outside the shop, Shaibu became furious and assaulted him physically, leading to blood oozing from the complainant’s mouth.

The court heard that Afako was rushed to Ogbojo Poly Clinic for treatment, but later referred to the Tema General Hospital.

It said the matter was referred to the ECG investigations unit and a police medical form was issued to Afako.

The prosecution said during investigations, the police visited Shaibu’s shop and discovered
that he had reconnected ECG power directly and used the electricity for business.

The prosecution said Shaibu was invited to assist investigations and he reported himself on August 30, 2023, and an investigation caution statement was obtained from him.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Stakeholders in the road safety sector in the Tamale Metropolis have attended a day’s dialogue meeting to deliberate on ways to ensure effective implementation of road safety regulations and their enforcement in the metropolis.

The move was a response to the growing disregard for road traffic regulations in the metropolis resulting in increasing cases of road crashes and their attendant deaths and injuries to residents.

It was organised in Tamale by the Northern Regional chapter of Activista Ghana, a network of young people dedicated to advocating and campaigning for a just, equitable and sustainable world, as part of its Road Safety Campaign, which is supported by ActionAid Ghana, to ensure sanity and safety on the roads in the metropolis.

Participants at the meeting included representatives of National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, National Ambulance Service, transport associations, Ghana Red Cross Society, youth groups, and the
media amongst others.

Mr Abdul-Latif Issahaku, Northern Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, speaking during the meeting, said the organisation’s Road Safety Campaign was to complement ongoing efforts by various stakeholders to ensure safety and sanity on the roads.

Statistics by the Northern Regional office of the NRSA showed that from January to September, this year, there were 60 reported cases of crashes involving motorbikes in the Tamale Metropolis resulting in 19 deaths and 62 injuries.

The statistics also showed that during the period, the metropolis also recorded 12 deaths and 58 injuries through crashes involving vehicles.

Mr Issahaku cited speeding, drug use, non-wearing of crash helmets amongst others as some of the causes of road crashes in the area saying Activista Ghana would embark on sensitisation campaigns as well as engage various stakeholders in the metropolis to play their roles to arrest the situation.

He said the organisation had so far trained 75 young people with a number of t
hem being certified to carry out road safety education in the area, emphasising the need for fixing broken down traffic lights amongst others.

Mr Abdulai Bawa Ghamsah, Northern Regional Director of NRSA, said the Authority was undertaking a number of measures in the area such as encouraging institutions to compel their staff to wear crash helmets when riding motorbikes, training of motor mechanics and riders, collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to inspect crash helmets and mirrors before registration amongst others to enforce road safety regulations.

Mr Ghansah urged motorists to value their lives and respect the regulations to protect themselves and others on the roads in the area.

Chief Inspector Mr Gabriel Kumah, Officer, MTTD, Tamale, deplored the attitude of some motorists in the metropolis with regard to respecting road safety regulations warning that the MTTD would not renege on its duty to strictly enforce the laws.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The 2020 running mate of the NDC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang is in Nairobi, Kenya to attend a forum for African women Educationists.

‘As the Chancellor for the Women University in Africa and board member of the forum, Professor Opoku Agyemang is expected to attend and grace the board meeting and 30th anniversary of the forum’.

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Sunday said the Forum for African Women Educationists is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1992 by five women ministers of education to promote girls’ and women education in Sub Saharan Africa by making sure they have access to schools and are able to complete their studies and fulfil their potential, in line with UNESCO’s Education For All movement.

It said the former Minister of Education is expected back to the country on 25th November, 2023.

Source: Ghana News Agency