Day: November 28, 2023

Mr Dramani Yakubu, the Western Regional Technical Coordinator for HIV and AIDs, says Intergenerational sex and ‘hook ups’ have become a major avenue for new infections in the Western Region.

Currently, the Region has 1,101 new infections, and 23,004 people living with HIV and AIDS while, defaulter rate stood at 40 per cent.

Mr Yakubu told the Ghana News Agency that the Region’s prevalence rate was 1.63. slightly below the national prevalence of 1.66.

The figures, he hinted, had 66 per cent of the affected been females while, 34 per cent were males, increasing women’s vulnerability.

The HIV and AIDs Technical Coordinator said, ‘We also suspect intergenerational sex where older men who are exposed to the virus are dating much younger women and passing it on to them.’

He said young girls between the ages of 15 and 24 were the most affected adding, ‘They are becoming very vulnerable people and the number of those infected is getting higher.’

Another challenge, he noted was the new style of ‘hook up’ cultur
e where people just meet and have sex without taking any preventive measures like using condom or other protective precautions against viral infections.

Mr Yakubu said more people were becoming complacent since the disease now presented no physical symptoms of skinny and dying persons.

On targets, he said, the defaulter rate coupled with other factors were hampering the achievement of viral suppression and the 95, 95, 95 goal.

The goal, he said, sought to have 95 per cent of people tested to know their status, 95 per cent placed on medication, with 95 per cent achieving viral suppression.

Meanwhile, people who stopped medications also posed a huge challenge to the undetectable, untreatable number of infections, adding, ‘They stop the medication, the virus multiplies again, and they can transmit,’ he said.

Mr Yakubu lauded the contributions of Life Relief Foundation, an HIV and AIDS centred NGO, for working closely with the Ghana Health Service to bring back those who had defaulted in their treatment regi
men.

The 2023 theme for the National AIDS celebration, he mentioned was, ‘Let Communities Lead.’

He said community initiatives, built trust, helped in holding people and service providers accountable, preventing stigmatisation against persons living with HIV and AIDS.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Apostle Dr. Kadmiel E. H. Agbelanyoh, the Founder and Leader of the Seventh Day Theocratic World Congregation has appealed to Ghanaian political leaders to continue to work on developmental projects left by their predecessors to save the country from external debts.

He said since Ghana attained independence, successive governments after gaining power turn their backs to projects initiated by their forerunners leading the country to suffer both financial and infrastructural deficit.

Apostle Dr. Agbelanyoh made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the Congregation had held service at Shalom – Otiakrom near Aburi in the Eastern Region on Saturday.

He said projects like the Asutuare Sugar Factory, Kumasi Shoe Factory, Aboso Glass Factory. Komenda Sugar Factory and some roads both in the cities and rural areas, hospitals, schools, markets and many more had been neglected by successive governments.

Apostle Dr. Agbelanyoh called on political party leaders to ensure that projects left behi
nd by their predecessors were tackled for Ghanaians to benefit from monies borrowed for such contracts.

He urged governments that go out of power to cooperate with their successors for meaningful provision of social amenities to improve the lives of the citizenry.

Apostle Dr. Agbelanyoh said the Congregation was praying to God to choose the rightful leader for the country in 2024 and urged the party leaders to be decorous during their campaign while ensuring that their messages attracted voters.

He admonished the parties to desist from influencing the youth with money to cause mayhem during elections while advising the youth to reject any inducement by the politicians, who would flee the county in case of any trouble.

‘As youth, you are the future human resource for the country because after schooling some of you are going to become members of parliament, doctors, assembly members as well as presidents so do not allow anybody to destroy your future with money, rather concentrate on your books and leave po
liticians alone’, the Apostle said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana has consistently fallen below 50 points on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) table despite the relentless advocacy of anti-corruption bodies.

Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, Executive Secretary, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), who said anti-corruption stakeholders were concerned about the apparent stagnation of the fight against corruption.

Mrs. Narteh made the observation in an engagement with the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office as part of a project dubbed ‘Is the fight against Corruption in the fourth republic a mirage or reality?

She stressed that this year’s African Union Anti-Corruption Day centred on sensitising and training the youth to increase their knowledge on corruption and their role against corruption.

She said that as part of the effort to upscale the fight, the GACC also seeks to harness public advocacy towards the International Anti-Corruption Day slated for December 9th.

The event seeks to raise awareness of corruption and the role of the Convention in combating and
preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005.

She explained that the GACC, in collaboration with its Local Accountability Networks (LANets) and with funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, commemorated 2023 African Anti-Corruption Day in 31 districts across 14 regions in Ghana.

She shared a perspective on the GACC project dubbed ‘Building Evidence for Increased Accountability in Ghana through a Multi-Stakeholder Accountability Initiative.’

She said until all stakeholders commited holistically to the fight against corruption, all efforts would amount to only scratching the surface of corruption instead of winning the fight against it.

The CPI data clearly indicate that the corruption fight in Ghana is not advancing.

‘I am embarrassed to say that currently we have normalised corruption in a way. If you look at the CPI, we have not done well. If we were students, we would have been seen as average students,’ she stated.

She urged the youth to rise against the men
ace, as they would be the future bearers of the current corruption that had been piled up, stressing that the youth needed to be active citizens.

She also called for proactive leadership and commitment in the fight against corruption, stressing that the move needed to be backed by resources and prosecution to clearly make the fight feasible.

The Executive Secretary of GACC said that although people claimed the CPI was not actual, the results of other surveys and research still portrayed that the country was slacking back in its efforts.

She lamented that the selfish attitude of some Ghanaians would not help in the journey of fighting corruption in the country because corruption happened because citizens were also happy when they were beneficiaries of the corruption act.

‘So, when I benefit from it, it’s not corruption, but if she benefits from it, it’s corruption,’ she said.

Mrs. Narteh mentioned that prosecution had always been a major challenge in the country because there had been reports of corruptio
n, but jailing offenders is rare.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Former President John Dramani Mahama has promised the chiefs and people of the Avenor Traditional Area, that he will complete all abandoned infrastructural projects in the area if he wins power in 2024.

He made the promise while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at a durbar to mark the Avenortutudo festival at Akatsi.

‘I know we are going to inherit a difficult economy and that is why I have said we will, as a priority, complete all abandoned projects before we start new ones and I’m very much aware of abandoned projects in this district.

Therefore, we shall complete the Akatsi Kpodzivi Ave-Dakpa Road, Akatsi Suife-Hatorgodo Road, Akatsi Have-Glime, Avenorpeme, Dagbamate Road, and the phase two of Akatsi Township roads,’ he said.

The 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer touted himself with projects executed within the area during his tenure.

‘We built and completed the Avenor Community Day Senior High School, completed the Akatsi-Ziope, Akatsi-Tadzewu, the Akatsi by-pass roads, and A
katsi-Gefia Road respectively, and also the phase one of the Akatsi Township roads all before we left office seven years ago,’ Mr Mahama said.

Mr Mahama also touched on the Akatsi South Municipal Hospital Expansion Project which had stalled for the past six years saying, ‘I’m aware of the expansion of the Akatsi District Hospital project which was 90 per cent completed before we left office in 2016.

Unfortunately, though it has been abandoned by the current administration, I want to assure you that the next NDC government will complete the hospital expansion project,’ he said.

The former President donated an amount of GHS20,000.00 and some assorted items to support the festival.

Avenortutudoza, which is in its fourth year of celebration is a socio-cultural and economic development festival of the chiefs and people of Avenor in the Volta Region, not only to showcase their cultural heritage but to serve as an avenue to promote the economic assets of the area to the world.

Other dignitaries in the company o
f Mr Mahama were Mr Fifi Fiafi Kwetey, the General Secretary, NDC, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, Madam Dzifa Abla Gomashie and Dr James Klutse Avedzi, Members of Parliament for Akatsi South, Ketu South, and Ketu North respectively, as well as Mr Mawutor Agbavitor, the NDC Regional Chairman and Mr James Gunu, the Party’s Regional Secretary.

There were other dignitaries including Mr Martin Kofitsey Nyahe, the Municipal Chief Executive for Akatsi South, Mr Leonelson Adzidoga, the former Municipal Chief Executive for Akatsi and a member of the festival planning committee.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has expressed optimism that implementing a 24-hour economy policy has the greatest potential to revolutionise the local governance landscape in Ghana.

The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, recently announced his intention to institute a 24-hour economy policy in Ghana if voted for during the 2024 general election.

ChaLoG, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, responding to the announcement, said after analysing its potential impact on the revenue generation drive and the corresponding improvement in the public service delivery by district assemblies, it had endorsed the said proposal.

‘ChaLoG wishes to endorse the 24-hour economy policy in its entirety as well as agree totally with the Ghana Trades Union Congress’ (TUC’s) description of the policy as a game changer.’

It noted that apart from revolutionising the local governance landscape, it would also give true meaning to the concepts o
f decentralisation and citizen participation.

It believed the policy, if fully implemented, would improve local economic development by creating more income-generating activities, adding that it would also lead to an increment in the total revenues collected by the central government, which would lead to an automatic increment in the five percent share of total revenues collected and deposited into the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for MMDAs to undertake more developmental projects.

The Chamber added that the 24-hour economy would increase revenue generation through the collection of night tolls, which had currently become difficult to collect as the Assembly Task Forces do not work beyond 1700 hours across the country.

ChaLoG added that it would facilitate the easy collection of property rate taxes, as currently, due to the closing time for officers of the assemblies, revenue collectors do not get to meet most rate payers at home, as most of the rate payers too were at work.

It noted that other
benefits of such a policy included MMDA’s being able to execute proper development control, promote greater security for local citizens, improve sanitation and waste management, and also create more informal jobs.

‘ChaLoG is convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the policy is sound and properly thought through.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Residents in the Gwira Traditional Area in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region have embarked on a demonstration to express their displeasure at the deplorable state of roads in the area.

According to them, the poor nature of the roads connecting the various communities was making life difficult and unbearable for residents in the area.

Clad in red, the protesters walked from Gwira-Eshiem through to Asuawa and Amgbrazee to Bamiango and ended at Gwira-Aiyinasi.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, Mr Adjei Daniel, a former Assembly Member for Bamiango, said the deplorable nature of the roads were affecting progress in the area.

He said the situation had compelled commercial drivers to charge astronomical fares from passengers.

Nana Addae Blay V, Tufuhene of Asuawa, said they embarked on the demonstration to draw the government’s attention to the need to fix their roads.

He said: ‘This demonstration is a tip of the iceberg and if no concrete action is taken by the government and compa
nies in the area to put the road in good shape, we shall organize a massive demonstration to demand our fair share of national development’

Nana Blay V lamented that despite the Gwira area’s significant contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with massive cocoa production and rubber plantation among other food and cash crops, little development was seen in the area.

He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to extend development projects like good roads to the area to help improve upon their socio-economic activities.

The Queen Mother of Asuawa, Obahyema Favour, said the poor nature of the roads had given rise to maternal mortality in the Gwira area.

She said the nature of the roads made it difficult for pregnant women to access health facilities, saying the situation resulted in some losing their lives during emergencies.

She also called on authorities to institute measures to help resolve the challenge to help bring relief to the people.

Nana Djukom II Chief of Gwira-Wiawso, said
his area had been plunged into darkness the past days, and appealed to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to resolve all underlying challenges to restore power in the community.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Women Development Foundation (WDF), a non-governmental organisation, has partnered with Archbishop Kofi Adonteng Boateng, founder and overseer of Divine Word International Ministries, to support and empower marginalised women in Ghana.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed to formalise the partnership between Ms. Catherine Noble Anowah Coffie, Founder of WDF and Chief Executive Officer of Anowah Afrique, and Archbishop Boateng, a Ghanaian American-based theologian, preacher, and philanthropist.

The MoU signing, which happened at the same time as the relaunch of WDF, seeks to provide comprehensive education and vocational training to over 3000 marginalised women, primarily recruited from the streets of Ghana’s capital city, Accra.

Ms. Coffie, while addressing the attendees, urged women and young people who were having difficulty in life and business not to give up but rather to continue to persevere with determination in their dreams of attaining a better life in the near future.

She stressed tha
t women and girls should work hard to learn the skills development programmes and that they should not give up or take glory in staying in their poverty.

She noted that their struggle would eventually lead them to break away from poverty and, therefore, encouraged them to take their training seriously to help them establish greater employment opportunities.

She stated that the organisation has modern facilities and equipment for skills development training and called for more partnerships to help provide a wide range of education and vocational training programmes to many other vulnerable women and girls in Ghana.

These partnership initiatives would contribute to improving women’s abilities and broadening their prospects for work and quality of life, while also empowering them.

Archbishop Boateng expressed optimism that the partnership would greatly benefit numerous vulnerable Ghanaian women and girls, making a significant difference in their lives and overall welfare.

He called on the government and oth
er organisations to provide support to the WDF to effectively introduce and implement vocational skills programmes that respond to the pressing needs of women and girls.

Mr. Prince Kofi Amoabeng, a businessman and co-founder of the now-defunct UT Bank, said that it was a divine intervention that the founder of WDF had been linked to Rev. Archbishop Boateng.

He made this observation after noting that the creator of WDF had endured a number of challenges and prayed that the Lord would ease her load of challenges and give her the strength to assist more needy women in climbing out of abject poverty.

He described Ms. Coffie as a lady with ‘noble ideas’ and ‘resilience,’ saying that she was someone who needed all the support and encouragement to help disadvantaged women.

The Women Development Foundation was founded a decade ago with the goal of providing training to underprivileged women.

Over the past five years, it has been able to empower and support numerous women and young girls, helping them to overcome
poverty with the use of state-of-the-art machinery and cutting-edge programmes.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Patrick Lumumba Asare, the Caretaker in charge of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Faith Congregation-Afienya, has encouraged the youth to respond to the call to serve both the church and the nation for transformation.

The Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Faith Congregation-Afienya, is headed by the Reverend Dr. Benzies Isaac Adu-Okoree.

Speaking on the topic ‘Called to Serve’ at Faith Congregation, Afienya Mr. Asare underscored the significance of answering one’s calling to serve both God and country and stressed the need for the youth to surrender to the call to duty.

He emphasised the transformative impact that answering one’s call to serve God and others could have on both individuals and the community at large and outlined both the physical and spiritual rewards that come with answering to serve and serving diligently as well.?

He stated with reference to Matthew 25 that every act of kindness extended to others is, in essence, an act of service to God and would be met with rewards when the time is
ripe.

He stated that we unlock the door to a profound sense of joy and tranquility that serving others brings. Also, through acts of service, we uncover and develop the gifts within us.

Going beyond mere encouragement, Mr. Asare motivated the congregation to engage in various service initiatives, from local outreach programmes to global missions.

As he concluded his sermon, he said the theme should not only stir renewal and commitment to benevolence but must also spark a collective determination to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Sheila Minkah-Premo, Convener of the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB) Coalition, has charged gender rights advocates to intensify the advocacy for the swift passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.

The lawyer, at the Regional Consultative Forum in Accra, which served as a platform to garner commitments from key stakeholders for the smooth passage of the bill, pointed to the need for the intensification of advocacy efforts by stakeholders at all levels.

She said the bill, presented to Parliament since 31st October 2023, had gone through the first reading and was currently under a certificate of urgency hence, more commitment was needed from women’s rights organisations and other stakeholders to justify its passage.

‘This is the time advocates need to intensify advocacy, come together and write a strong worded letter to parliament justifying the urgency to pass the bill into law,’ she said.

The consultative forum on the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, was sponsored by the Government of Canada and
five other Gender rights groups namely, the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Ghana, Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, Plan International and Women’s Voice and Leadership in Ghana.

Madam Afua Brown Eyeson, the Chair, National Executive Committee, WiLDAF Ghana, said her organisation, together with other organisations were working to strengthen the political will to pass the AA Bill into law.

The bill, she said, would help provide accountability framework to measure gender equality, empowerment of women among other things by the Executive, Judiciary, the public and private sector.

It will also give a boost to women’s quest for adequate representation on all levels of decision making as stipulated in the Maputo Protocol of 2003, Beijing Platform for Action and other AU and ECOWAS Protocols on Gender Equality ratified by Ghana.

Madam Faustina Acheampong, the National Director, Department of Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Pro
tection, said the Ministry would collaborate with all the stakeholders to facilitate the swift passage of the bill.

Gender Advocates say the Affirmative Action Bill, a proposed law, that if passed, will legally address a history of systematic discrimination, stereotypes, traditions, religious dogmas and practices that impede the socio-economic, socio-cultural rights and freedoms of women and girls.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, has directed the Minister of Trade and Industry to submit to Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee the revised copy of the draft Legislative Instrument (LI) seeking to restrict importation of certain commodities.

He gave the directive on Tuesday after a pre-laying debate was held on the LI.

He further directed the Committee to ensure that the amendments proposed by the House were incorporated into the revised LI and report on same to the House.

On Thursday, November 30, the Instrument, if cleaned up, should be laid before the House, which could then assess the situation, the Speaker said, adding that he did not want any further delays.

Speaker Bagbin said he raised the issue on the floor of the House because Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Trade and Industry Minister, presented his case to him and after hearing him, he was convinced.

However, he had not heard from the House, so he had to put it across to enable the members to make inputs for the best deci
sion to be taken.

‘There’ve been a number of attempts to lay the instrument here and there’ve been objections, but I didn’t know what was happening, so he came to give me his side of the story, and I agreed with him. But before I could permit him to lay the Instrument, I wanted to hear from the House what the challenge is,’ he said.

At the end of pre-laying debate, the Speaker reiterated his concern to getting the business of the House going, after ironing out all differences.

‘Clearly what has been made available to me does not include cement, cement is not there. So, it means that this Instrument is not the initial one that come before the Committee, what I can say is that Minister, kindly make available copies of this new draft to the Committee.’

When the instrument was laid one needs two-third votes of the House to annul it ‘and the partisan nature of the House is such that you scarcely get such two-thirds majority to annul such instruments,’ the Speaker said.

‘And what many of you don’t know is that
some of these instruments have led to holders of public office being imprisoned….’

‘As a Leader, I had the opportunity of advising ministers and public servants on some of these instruments and they did not listen to me, they were laid and passed and at the end of the day, those instruments caught up on them.’

The Speaker said it was during the implementation of the instruments that some offences were committed and those in charge were prosecuted and convicted.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, said he thought the House was making progress with the LI and was taken aback by the sudden resurrection of the issue.

He urged the House to build consensus on it to ensure its passage before it adjourned for the Christmas break on December 22.

Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Leader, recalled that on Friday, November 24, his side objected to an attempt by the Trades Minister to lay the LI before the House.

However, the Maj
ority Leader came in with some amendments, which assured that they would be incorporated into the draft LI and then presented to the House before it would be laid.

‘Mr Speaker, as we speak, we have not seen the changes that he (the Majority Leader) promised to effect in the draft Regulation. Mr Speaker, I am at a loss because he wants to lay the same Regulation today.’

Dr Forson raised concern over the non-accompaniment of a Fiscal Impact Analysis to the LI, as sated by the Public Financial Management Act, which demands an estimated effect on revenues and expenditures for the financial year in which the legislation?was expected to come into effect.

Dr Dominic Ayine, the Chair of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, and NDC MP for Bolgatanga East, said the Committee, after considering the original draft LI, concluded that the Minister had not exceeded his powers under the Act and that they also evaluated it against the Constitution and came to a similar conclusion.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the NDC MP of Tamale
South and a former Minister of Trade and Industry, said the principle to protect infant industries was important and that the House must build consensus on it.

He cautioned the Minister that he might, by this legislation, be inviting retaliatory measures by other countries.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Deputy Minority Whip and NDC MP of Banda, said various trade unions such as the Ghana Union Traders Association, had petitioned the House to express their concern over the LI

Mr Hammond, on his part, said the LI made provisions for a 13- Member Committee, which would be making decisions with regard to restricted imports and that anyone having an issue with its decisions would have to go to court for redress.

The LI seeks to restrict the importation of 22 commodities such as rice, sugar, diapers, poultry and intestines (yemuadie).

However, it makes provisions for exceptions, such that those who want to import such commodities would have to go to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to see a committee for a permit.

Source: Ghana News Agency