Day: November 24, 2023

Ghana’s review of the effectiveness of its adaptation and mitigation measures against climate change will be facilitated by its participation in the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, speaking at a Pre-COP28 Event in Accra, on Thursday, said the Conference would provide a distinct and unprecedented opportunity for Ghana to showcase its impactful and meaningful contributions to the global fight against the adverse effects of climate change.

The COP28 is scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023, at the Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It holds significant importance in the ongoing global efforts to address climate change challenges.

Mr Jinapor expressed Ghana’s preparedness for the conference and underscored the vital role that platform would provide in amplifying its commitment and efforts to combatting climate change.

‘This year’s Co
nference is unique, and its importance cannot be over-emphasised. Article 14 of the landmark Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, provides for a Global Stocktake to, periodically, take stock of the implementation of the Agreement to assess progress towards achieving its objectives, and COP28 will serve as the first Global Stocktake since the adoption of the Agreement,’ he said.

It would also help in the nation’s assessment of climate financing and the Nationally Determined Contributions, with the aim of updating them, Mr Jinapor said.

After taking stock of the key activities and benefits Ghana derived from previous sessions, the Minister said the Government had played a pivotal role in the global fight against the phenomenon.

He explained that Ghana’s climate change efforts was anchored on forest and natural solutions and was confident that by the end of the conference, there would be a consensus on upscaling forest-oriented solutions to mitigate climate change effects.

Like the previous editions the Ministr
y had secured a pavilion, which would serve as the hub of activities marking Ghana’s participation in the COP28.

These activities include the Presidential Event, where President Akufo-Addo would host heads of states and governments, and the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy on Climate, Secretary John Kerry, on the theme: ‘Leveraging Nature-Based Solutions Towards 1.5°C: Monitoring Progress.’

He would also announce Ghana’s package, dubbed: ‘Resilient Ghana: Advancing Climate Action for Prosperity.’

Mr Jinapor announced that the Ministry was partnering with the Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC) Secretariat, under the leadership of Mrs Samira Bawumia, to host a high-level event at Ghana’s Pavilion on the implementation of the communique actions and roadmap of AFRIWOCC.

Other events are knowledge sharing on the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme, a roundtable on the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI), and a forum on: ‘Safeguarding Women and Children in REDD+ Processes: Financing What Work
s,’ to be held in partnership with Hands Across the Oceans Foundation (HATOF) among other things.

Ghana will also partake in other events organised by partners such as the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative, the Food and Land Use Coalition, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

He appealed to all stakeholders to rally behind the Ministry to help it deliver effectively at the Conference.

Mrs Bawumia, who wasd the Guest of Honour, expressed concerns about the adverse impact of climate change on the socio-economic development of the country.

She noted that the effects of climate change on women and children were glaring and assured of her commitment to continuing to work closely with relevant stakeholders to combat it.

She called for women and children to be factored into climate change conversations and policy implementation to achieve the desired outcome.

Source: Ghana News Agency

AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, has been honoured with seven remarkable awards at this year’s Sustainability and Social Investment (SSI) Awards.

Held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the awards, which was the 7th in the series of SSI, showcased AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment to innovation, health initiatives, social investment, sustainability, and community development.

The awards received included Company/Foundation of the Year 2023; Innovative Project of the Year 2023; Best Company in supporting Health Institutions 2023; SSI Team of the Year 2023; and SSI Project of the Year (Health) 2023.

Additionally, two distinguished personality awards were presented to individuals of the company who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication in their respective roles.

They were Ms Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei, the Social Development and Gender Superintendent of the Obuasi Mine, who was honoured with the 2023 Sustainability Rising Star of the Year award, as an emerging leader in the Sustainability space in Ghana,
showcasing ongoing and exceptional growth and contribution to the Sustainability profession and increased levels of leadership, responsibility, and sphere of impact.

Mr Emmanuel Baidoo, the Senior Manager, Community Relations – Africa, was also recognized as the Community Development Leader of the Year for his outstanding contributions to social investments in the community and sustainable development.

A statement issued by the company and made available to the Ghana News Agency expressed the company’s joy over the awards.

‘We are immensely proud of the recognition received at the Sustainability and Social Investment Awards event,’ said Emmanuel Baidoo, Senior Manager, Community Relations – Africa and one of the SSI award winners in the statement

‘These awards demonstrates the AngloGold Ashanti team’s dedication to promote sustainable practices and our unwavering commitment to excellence, while making a positive difference in the communities we operate in.

‘We dedicate these awards to the entire AngloGol
d Ashanti Obuasi Mine family and express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for their dedication and hard work, which contributed to our winning the awards,’ he added.

The Sustainability and Social Investment Awards, which is organized by Ianmatsun Global Services Ltd, recognizes the most outstanding sustainability, CSR and ESG initiatives in the country and beyond as well as the best teams and individuals who brought them to life.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has raised issues over the Government’s decision to restrict the importation of 22 selected strategic products to Ghana.

Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader and NDC Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, said the decision was in clear violation of international trade practices, and that should not happen.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps at Parliament House on Thursday in Accra, Dr Forson said he was sad to see a draft Legislative Instrument (LI) that the Government intended to lay before Parliament, which would restrict imports and create a Committee under the Ministry of Trade and Industry to grant permits to a prospective importers.

‘What this simply means is that if you want to import rice, sugar, diapers, poultry and a number of items, approximately 22 selected items, you will need to go to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to see a Committee that will be constituted by the Minister before a permit will be give
n to you,’ he said.

‘This, I think is a dangerous practice, it has happened before in this country.’

He recalled that in 1967, a Commission of Enquiry, the Justice Ollenu Commission, was established to identify the corruption and malpractices relating to import licences.

The Commission’s report was clear, that the practice of restricting imports was outmoded and should not be continued because people were abusing its purposes.

‘This Government is taking us back to 1967, once again….I am worried that a time will come, if you are not an NPP (New Patriotic Party) member, you won’t get licence to import something to this economy, that is unacceptable.’

The Minority Leader said Ghana was a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and that the intended practice is frowned upon by the WTO, since it was in clear violation of its rules.

‘We are urging his Excellency the President to have a rethink because this is not a policy that we should encourage,’ Dr Forson said.

‘Unfortunately we all know that Article
11(7) of the 1992 Constitution places a limitation on us as a Parliament, the responsibility is on the President and the Vice President to take action on this matter.’

‘Because from what we have seen, this has received the approval of the President and the Vice President.’

He said during the pre-laying of the LI, the Minority cautioned the Minister of Trade and Industry that the policy was not a good one, declaring that ‘we stand with the importers, we stand with the ordinary Ghanaian’.

‘And if the Government for any reason believes that the time has come for them to ban certain items, let them do and show us reasons why we should ban them. If we have substitutes locally, that should be a government policy’woo

On Monday, November 20, Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Minister of Trade and Industry, disclosed to the Parliamentary Press Corps that the Government intended to lay an LI before Parliament that would restrict the importation of selected strategic products into the country.

‘The 22 items include rice
, tripe (popularly called yemuadie), and diapers.

The Minister said the restriction was part of the Government’s efforts to enhance local production.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some nursing mothers in the North Tongu District have expressed gratitude to Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) and the District Health Directorate for their unwavering support in the wake of the Akosombo Dam Spillage.

Mrs Antoinette Avugble, one of the nursing mothers, shared her ordeal of sleeping on the bare floor with her child in the weeks following the spillage, posing a threat to their health.

She thanked the MP and the Directorate for ensuring that every nursing and pregnant woman in the camps had a mattress to sleep on

Mrs Negble Afi, one of the pregnant women also commended the provision of 24-hour health services at the camps.

She mentioned that the MP and the directorate made it possible for them to access healthcare to the camps.

Mrs Negble also acknowledged the increased availability of mobile toilets and bathhouses in the camps, alleviating tension and improving overall living conditions.

They, however, urged Mr Ablakwa to endeavour to push for their livelihood restor
ation.

Mr Mike Ziggah, the North Tongu District Health Director said the Directorate was poised to working with the Assembly and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that all the flood victims were in good health at all the camps.

He mentioned that Mr Osborn Fenu the District Chief Executive was also playing integral roles to ensure quality health delivery at the camps, adding that his commitment also added to the progress of extending good health conditions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Communities along the Asutuare Junction-Osuwem road have appealed for regular police patrols and a police post to curb robbery attacks in the area.

This follows regular robbery attacks in the communities, with a recent one on the road at Akufokpanya Junction.

On Monday, November 20, at about 2100hrs, one Mohammed Mubarak, a trailer driver whose truck was carrying Banana from Golden Exotic Banana farm to Tema Port, was allegedly attacked and robbed by some armed robbers at the Junction.

Some residents attributed the robbery incidents to lack of police patrol, surveillance and checkpoints on the untarred road and called for the intervention of the Inspector General of Police.

Mr Mubarak, victim of the Monday robbery attack, said when he got to Akufokpanya Junction he slowed down due to a ditch in the middle of the road only to realise that he was under attack.

He said four young men in masks came out of the bush with guns and ordered him to stop.

He said within minutes, four other young men, also in mask
s, came from behind the truck and the eight pulled him out of the truck, subjecting him to beatings.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said they beat him up for about 40 minutes, hitting his chest, waist, knees and nose with the guns.

‘The robbers took GhS130 from my pocket, they used my phone to borrow GhS230 from MTN and transfer it onto their phone and also took GhS1, 800 from my bag,’ Mr Mubarak said.

They allegedly made away with his phone and wallets containing his Ghana Card, driver’s license, health insurance card and SSNIT card.

The location is said to be known for such incidents.

The entire road from Asutuare Junction to Osuwem is not motorable, making it easy for robbers to strike on the stretch, some residents said.

‘We are calling for police barriers, patrols and surveillance. The robbers keep taking people’s phones and monies. We are all in danger. Some time ago, we were attacked, we called the soldiers, they came and rescued us,’ an elderly resident said.

Source: Gha
na News Agency

The Regular Career Couse (RCC) Intake 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces has donated medical equipment worth Ghc300,000 to the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, and the Airborne Medical Reception Station, Bawa Barracks, Tamale.

The equipment, which included a portable ventilator, cardiac monitors, oxygen concentrators, digital sphygmomanometer, oxygen flowmeters, nebulizers, suction machines, digital thermometers and glucometers, and hospital beds, among other sophisticated hardware and supplies, would be given to the emergency units of both medical facilities.

The gesture was a component of the commemoration of their 30th anniversary since graduating from the military academy.

Brigadier-General Prosper Ayibor, Commander of the 37 Military Hospital expressed his satisfaction with senior officers of the RCC Intake 32 for donating the essential medical equipment to the hospital.

The hospital, he said, could no longer rely on outside help, and the gesture by the GAF’s uniformed men would be beneficial.

‘We cannot con
tinue to rely solely on external support, corporate institutions, and well-meaning Ghanaians. It is therefore gratifying to know that many individuals and groupings within the Ghana Armed Forces have come to this realization and doing everything possible to contribute their quota to help the hospital to render the required service,’ he said.

Air Commodore Joseph Mensah-Larkai, President of RCC Intake 32, said that the gesture was in response to the hospital’s repeated requests for support and was a fulfillment of the pledge they made at their 30th anniversary in 2022.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, who also gave 10,000 cedis to buy the equipment, thanked intake 32 for the gesture.

He advised the medical team to take good care of and operate the equipment with care.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A 38-Nigerian businesswoman accused of trafficking five girls from Nigeria to Ghana to engage in prostitution, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Favour Okonkwo charged with five counts of human trafficking, pleaded not guilty.

Favour is said to have taken the victims to a fetish priest to swear by a deity and coerced them to shave their public hair and draw their blood for rituals.

The trial judge, Mrs Christina Cann, has admitted Favour to bail in the sum of GHC300,000 with four sureties.

Four of the sureties should be justified with land title deeds.

According to the court, land title deeds should be in the name of the sureties, and they must be Ghanaians.

It ordered the sureties to deposit their passports and copies of their Ghana Cards at the Registry of the court.

The court asked the prosecution to file witness statements and all documents they intended to rely on and serve defence counsel with the documents.

The matter has been adjourned to February 19, 2024, for the Case Management C
onference.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Stanley Fiotso, said the five complainants (the victims) name withheld were Nigerians residing at Agbogboloshie, Accra.

The prosecution said on November 9, 2023, the Regional Police Command obtained intelligence that a group of young ladies had been recruited and trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana and hiding at AgbogbOloshie.

It said personnel from the Regional Police Investigations Department were deployed to the scene to rescue the victims from some wooden structures to the Regional CID office.

The prosecution said the complainants informed the police that they were recruited and trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana, and that they were promised lucrative jobs.

It said, however, on their arrival in Ghana, the jobs turned out to be prostitution and that the accused person allegedly took them to a fetish priest to swear that they would not disclose the job to anyone and that they would die should they.

The prosecutor said, ‘the complainants alleged the accused
person took their blood samples for rituals’.

According to prosecution, the victims were also told that if they decided to return to Nigeria, they would die.

It said the accused person had asked them (the complainants) to sleep with 10 men each day and render account for work done.

The prosecution said as part of the deal, the complainants were to pay between GHC100 and GHC 200 each a day to the accused person.

It said investigations revealed that the complainants were trafficked to Ghana without the consent of their parents, and that they had been kept in a wooden structure where they had sex with men for money.

When the accused person was escorted by the police to her room, an exercise book with the records of the complainant’s contributions was found.

During interrogation, the prosecutor told the court that the accused person admitted recruiting the girls for prostitution.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Eighty-one aspirants, comprising seven women and 74 men, have filed to contest the district assembly election in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region.

They will be contesting in 29 electoral areas within the Municipality, Nana Oduro Numapau, the Ho Municipal Electoral Officer, told the Ghana News Agency on Friday.

Meanwhile, 171 aspirants, comprising of 20 women and 151 men, have also filed to contest the unit committee election in the area.

Madam Anna Lanyo, an aspirant at Takla Electoral Area, told the GNA that her priority was to stand for women in the area to make their voices heard.

She said she would champion the community’s development by lobbying for investment, which would create job opportunities for the people.

The Electoral Commission has set December 19, 2023, for the district level elections across the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

About 200 smallholder farmers in the Western North Region have undergone entrepreneurial development skill training to empower them to set up alternative businesses to enhance their livelihoods.

They were trained in snail, pig, and fish farming as well as honey production.

At the end of the training, the beneficiaries were given start up kits to enable them to begin their new ventures of their choice.

The gesture was under the Landscape and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) project being funded by the European Union (EU).

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the official presentation of the start-up kits, Mrs Abena Dufie Woode, Senior Project Manager at Rainforest Alliance, said the training was to support farmers to have improved economic livelihoods, that would encourage them to stop land degradation, support climate change issues and help protect forest reserves.

She mentioned that the LEAN project was a four-year project which was in its third year with emphasis on supporting f
armers to have improved livelihoods, hence the idea behind the training and supporting them with start-up kits.

Aside some areas within the Region, the project, according to her, was also being implemented in Offinso, Nkoranza, Techiman, West Gonja, Kasena Nankana and Paga with Rainforest Alliance, Tropenso Ghana, Ecocare and World Vision Ghana as the implementing partners.

Mrs Woode advised the beneficiary farmers to impart the knowledge they had acquired to other farmers to help them become economically stable.

Mr Slyvester Mensah, one of the beneficiaries, lauded the LEAN project implementors for the training, and said it would enable farmers to get additional income especially during the off season to support their farming activities and families.

He, however, appealed for the project to be extended to more areas so other farmers could also benefit from such interventions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Kenneth Connell, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of West Indies, has urged every Ghanaian home to have a blood pressure monitor to regularly check the state of health of all family members.

‘So, when you decide to take the medication or not you can check your blood pressure to know how it is responding,’ he said.

Dr Connell gave the advice during a public lecture and launch of the joint Medical Student Exchange Programme between University of Ghana and University of West Indies in Accra.

He said making blood pressure monitors available in every home was critical because the fact that 50 per cent of patients living with hypertension or high blood pressure were not aware of their status, was a failure of public health.

‘It is also a failure of administrations to address a very present public health enemy, which is elevated blood pressure, claiming a lot of lives silently.

‘To screen for colon cancer, you would have to get colonoscopy done, to screen for diabetes you need to have
a blood test done but to screen for hypertension is just by putting a blood pressure carf on your hand, this is where we have failed as medical fraternity, and we need to address it,’ Dr Connell added.

The lecture was on the theme ‘From Bridgetown to Accra – Hypertension as a

Threat to the Diaspora: Lessons from COVID-19?’

The lecture set the scene of hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a consistent and escalating public health concern for people of African descent and unfolded under a lens of the post pandemic effect of COVID-19.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). It is common but can be serious if not treated.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Hypertension is estimated to affect 33 per cent of adults (1.3 billion) aged 30-79 worldwide with one in every three adults living with the condition.

It is, however, estimated that 46 per cent of people with hypertension are undiagnosed, 58 per cent of people wi
th hypertension are

untreated and only 21 per cent of people with the condition have it under control.

People with high blood pressure may not feel symptoms. The only way to know is to get the blood pressure checked.

Older age, genetics, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, high-salt diet and too much alcohol intake are lifestyles that increase the risk of hypertension.

Very high blood pressure can cause headaches, blurred vision, chest pain and other symptoms.

Dr Connell said to explore indigenous measures to address the problem, there was the need for innovations to improve access to care, such as tele-health and remote blood pressure monitoring.

He stated that it was also important to leverage geopolitical power to ensure that

evidence-based drugs were available to treat people living with high blood pressure.

Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, speaking at the event, said the rise in non-communicable diseases was a worrying trend affecting most especial
ly in low- and middle-income countries.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the overall prevalence of high blood pressure was relatively higher among non-Hispanic black adults compared to non-Hispanic white adults.

‘As a university, which seeks to remain increasingly relevant in addressing national and global issues, platforms such as these are often created to throw spotlight on these health challenges and advocate for preventive remedial measures to curb such.

‘This Lecture thus formed part of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the University

of Ghana and earlier co-hosted an inciteful public lecture with the Harvard University Center of African Studies on combating non-communicable diseases, Africa’s greatest challenge,’ she added.

She said with the advent of COVID-19, the world’s attention largely drifted to infectious diseases with huge resources allocation at the detriment of non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension, hence the lecture to critically assess the
health condition post COVID-19.

Source: Ghana News Agency