Month: December 2023

No rule bars Controller and Accountant-General from contesting NPP Parliamentary primaries – Richard Ahiagbah


Mr Richard Ahiagbah, the Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has downplayed calls for the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, to resign before contesting the Party’s parliamentary primaries.

He said there was no specific rule currently that barred the Controller and Accountant-General from contesting a political office while holding on to his current position.

Mr Kwaning-Bosompem is seeking to lead the NPP as its Parliamentary Candidate in the Akim Swedru Constituency in the Eastern Region in the coming 2024 General Election.

However, since news of his decision to contest the seat broke, there have been many calls from some political parties, political commentators and civil servants, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), for him to vacate the position as the Controller and Accountant-General.

Speaking on Accra-based TV3’s ‘The Key Points’ programme, on Saturday, Mr Ahiagba rejected such calls, indicating that, the posi
tion of the Controller and Accountant-General was a ‘unique’ one.

According to him, the current Controller and Accountant-General was ‘not a civil servant in the true sense of the word’ because he was a government appointee.

Therefore, Mr Ahiagba insisted the Controller and Accountant-General needed not to resign before contesting for any political position.

‘There is no doubt about rendering the position of the law, I think there is no dispute about that, but what I’m saying is that we have a unique situation in this Controller and Accountant-General position where technically, he was out of the civil service and brought back in. All the examinations that we are talking about, non of them conform to his particular situation.

‘If anybody wants to parallel what ruling exist to say that, therefore, he resigns, I’m saying that there is a unique instance. Perhaps, the Supreme Court can give a ruling,’ he said.

Mr Ahigbah added that ‘he (Controller and Accountant-General) has gone out (of civil service) and c
ome in by an appointment. So, technically, he is not a civil servant in the true sense of the word, he is a government appointee on the basis of that.

‘There is no rule currently that deals with his position in terms of any ruling.’

Mr Bobby Banson, private legal practitioner, on the same programme, insisted that the Controller and Accountant-General’s continuous stay in office while vying for a political position amounted to breaking the law.

Article 94(3)(b) of the 1992 Constitution states that; ‘A person shall not be eligible to be a member of Parliament if he is a member of the Police Service, the Prisons Service, the Armed Forces, the Judicial Service, the Legal Service, the Civil Service\the Audit Service, the Parliamentary Service, the Statistical Service, the Fire Service, the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, the Immigration Service, or the internal Revenue Service.’

Mr Banson, therefore, urged the NPP to disqualify the Controller and Accountant-General from contesting the Party’s parliamen
tary primaries if he failed to resign from his current position.

Dr Rasheed Draman, Executive Director, African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, warned against any action that could lead to the politicisation of both the civil and public service.

‘There are very good reasons why we want to keep our civil and public servants away from politics, and I think the parties must do all in their power to make sure that we don’t get to this level,’ he stressed.
Source: Ghana News Agency

We are tackling water situation in Hohoe – NDC Parliamentary Candidate


Mr Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate, says the Party has begun solving the water-related problems that affected communities in the Hohoe Constituency in the Volta Region.

Daily access to water remained a problem in the constituency, while some communities had dysfunctional boreholes, which needed repairs.

Mr Tsekpo said this after tours within some areas in the Constituency revealed the lack of potable water, which the NDC had taken upon itself to resolve.

He said the ‘Water is Life’ project would provide safe drinking water to communities including Alavanyo Agorxoe, Kitikpa, Gbi Avega, and Akpatanu.

Mr Tsekpo said communities such Alavanyo Kpeme, Hohoe Paloma and Gbi Akplamafu had their boreholes and polytank malfunctioning, which were tackled.

He said from 2024, two boreholes would be drilled monthly for some communities that continued to suffer the lack of safe drinking water.

The water project per a supply ranged between GHS25,000 to GHS30,000, w
hich were contributions from the party executives and members in the Constituency.

The Party recently gave a face-lift to the Hohoe Market Abattoir to ensure meat was sold under hygienic conditions, he said.

Mr Tsekpo said the NDC had plans to upgrade educational infrastructure in the constituency to boost teaching and learning.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Africa Centre for Education and Community Development breaks ground for pre-school block


The Africa Centre for Education and Community Development (ACECD), a non-profit organisation, has broken the ground for the construction of a modern pre-school block for the Apesokubi DA/RC Primary School in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region.

The project is dedicated to advancing education and social development in the community, which forms part similar projects the organisation started in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012.

Reverend Father Dr Richard Akrofi Baafi, the Executive Director, ACECD, said the school made a request for a kindergarten but after a total assessment, the organisation decided to provide a pre-school.

The school block, expected to be completed in three months, includes kindergarten one and two with ancillary facilities as well as a canteen and kitchen to help the school run the School Feeding Programme.

Rev Dr Baafi said the Organisation would also undertake a complete renovation of the primary school block and replace an existing KVIP with an eight-seater water closet for the prim
ary school.

Drainage systems would also be provided to help to manage the flooding situation at the school, he said, and called on the community to support the project to meet the deadline.

Okogyeaman Asiedu Koram II, the Paramount Chief of Apesokubi, said the project would improve education delivery in the area and the district as a whole and commended the organisation for the support.

Parents would also be free to go about their activities since their children would be in school and be taken care of while acquiring knowledge, he said.

Mr Anthony Asamani, the Assemblyman, Apesokubi Electoral Area, said he would ensure that the project met its deadline and appealed to the District Education Directorate to work on the staff inadequacy affecting schools in the community.

Mr Benjamin Owusu-Sarpong, Public Relations Officer, Biakoye District Assembly, commended the efforts of the Organisation to enhance education outcomes.

Mr Samuel Kofi Danso, the Headteacher, Apesokubi DA/RC Primary School, said the proje
ct would help increase the school’s population and that other projects would be tackled to improve the hygienic conditions of the staff and students.

The pre-school will have a playground, kitchen, canteen, potable water supply, and a place of convenience.

It is under the sponsorship of J.E. Kearney Memorial RC School alongside other donors.
Source: Ghana News Agency

UHAS Basic School pupils support peers in flooded communities


School children of the University of Health and Allied Sciences Basic School (UBS) in Ho have donated some items to pupils affected by the recent flood devastation in the lower Volta area.

The donation was made possible through contributions by parents of the pupils who responded to a call by the school’s management to support the children in the flooded communities.

The items included clothing, food, books, and other educational materials.

Mr Seth Korgah, the Head of the Basic School, presented the items at Mepe in the North Tongu District, supported by Mr Collins Nunyoame, the Chairman of Parent-School Conference.

He told the GNA that the giving culture inculcated into the children would transcend their generation.

‘Our mission is to train future leaders who have high sense of excellence, brotherhood, integrity, innovation, service and leadership, which are the core values of the school,’ he said.

‘The world is coming to a level where people are inward looking but children should show to the world th
at just as God gave Christ to the world, they must also share with the underprivileged’.

‘We know that most of the children lost their dresses, books and other belongings, and we have collected a number of items to help them.’

Led by staff of the School, the children and some parents made a trip to the hardest-hit areas of Mepe and Battor, encouraging children and adolescents there to be resilient.

Mr Nunyoame, the Chairman of the Parent-School Conference, said the parents shared the loss of livelihoods due to the floods, hence the gesture.

Mr Mensah Dekpe of the Presbyterian school and Mr Kumah Agboe of the Holy Christ School, received the items.

They commended the UHAS Basic School for showing leadership and concern and assured that the items would be put to good use.

The Basic school earlier held a carols ceremony and fashion show at the courtyard of its plush campus in Ho to mark the Christmas celebration.

It was chaired by Senior Architect Ruth Xoladem Ayittey, the Director of Works and Physical D
evelopment of the University, and attended by Prof Margaret Gyapong, Director of the Institute of Health Research.

The first batch of the Basic Education Certificate Examination candidates of the school were commended for their exceptional performance.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Project begins to create awareness on tuberculosis


Inspire To Act in collaboration with Dawah Academy has begun the implementation of a project to educate members of the public on tuberculosis (TB) targeting a total of 16,000 family members in six districts in the Northern Region.

The year-long project being implemented in Tamale Metropolis, Sagnarigu, Nanumba North, Gushegu, Yendi and Karaga Districts will train some 120 faith-based actors, and an additional 120 clinical and non-clinical staff of the Ghana Health Services to intensify awareness of TB.

The project, ‘Promoting the Human Rights of People with and Affected by TB to Health Services, ‘ is supported by the Stop TB Partnership and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with funding from USAID and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and Tuberculosis.

Alhaji Abdul-Rashid Imoro, Executive Director of Inspire to Act, a youth advocacy organisation, at a consultative stakeholder engagement forum in Tamale to kick-start the project, said it was to build the capacities of some traditional auth
orities, faith-based actors, and other healthcare workers to champion campaigns on the abuse of the rights of persons affected by tuberculosis.

Participants were drawn from the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality including some selected traditional authorities, staff of the Ghana Health Service, tuberculosis champions and other faith-based actors.

Alhaji Imoro said the project was intended to change the negative impression of tuberculosis patients to enable victims to access quality health care.

He urged members of the public not to stigmatise and discriminate against people affected by tuberculosis and said it was discouraging more people from knowing their status, thus leading to surging cases of the disease in the country.

Alhaji Abdul-Karim Ibrahim, Executive Director of Dawah Academy, an Islamic focus organisation and lead implementing partner of the project, underscored the significant role of traditional authorities and other stakeholders towards addressing some of the myths and misconcept
ions associated with tuberculosis.

He appealed to them to use their platforms to sensitise their followers on the disease as well as encourage them to avail themselves of testing and treatment.

Dr Anthony Gingong, Northern Regional Tuberculosis Coordinator, said his outfit, with the support of the health facilities and other NGOs, has intensified their advocacy and case search on tuberculosis, resulting in most of the cases recorded and treated at the various facilities.

He lauded the National Tuberculosis Programme for facilitating the regular flow of tuberculosis medications, which contributed significantly to the detection and treatment of cases in the region.

Bishop Raymond Kassim, Northern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Charismatic Council, commended partners for the project and said tuberculosis was still prevalent in the country.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Yuletide: Road Safety Authority, MTTD embark on education, enforcement to promote road safety


The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Central East Motor Traffic and Transport Department have embarked on a joint education and coordinated enforcement exercise to enhance road safety during and after the Christmas festivities.

The exercise, started on Thursday, December 28, along the Kasoa-YooMart-Liberia Camp stretch, is focused on unprescribed lamps, vehicles with relay drivers and logbooks, among others.

Passengers, during the outreach, also received education and encouraged to ensure that drivers adhered to all road safety rules and report recalcitrant ones to the police.

Miss Catherine Hamilton, Greater Accra Regional Director, NRSA, said the exercise would be replicated on other highways, adding that next year, the NRSA would carry out an exercise to address jaywalking.

Jaywalking is the act of walking across a street in a careless and dangerous way, or not at the proper place.

She said such exercises would help the Authority to make informed decisions and direct future policies gear
ed towards improving road safety.

Ms Hamilton wished Ghanaians a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year and urged them to enjoy the yuletide in moderation.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghanaian Entrepreneur highlights diaspora’s impact on local economy


Ghanaian entrepreneur, Hamamat Beauty, has stressed the tangible impact the diaspora is making on the local economy, contributing to the development of the country.

She said this at the African Diaspora Investment Summit, which aims to foster collaboration with emerging Ghanaian businesses as well as empower their initiatives.

Highly distinguished personalities in the diaspora converged to explore avenues for investment on the African continent while also shedding light on challenges and opportunities.

Hamamat, who was one of the key speakers at the event, highlighted the need to harness the potential of the African diaspora for investment, innovation, and sustainable development.

She noted that the Diaspora had a crucial role to play in using the skills to change the narrative and help businesses on the continent, urging them to increase their investments.

Hamamat shared her perspective on navigating regulatory landscapes and leveraging technology for financial inclusion.

On stage was Forbes Africa He
ad of Digital Media PeaceHyde and Social Media Tycoon, Patricia Bright.

One of the key highlights of the summit was the rich tapestry of cultures and backgrounds represented.

Participants also engaged in dialogues that went beyond the surface, delving into the intricacies of sustainable development and responsible investment.

The summit served as a platform to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit within the African diaspora.

Participants shared their various success stories and insights into how they were contributing to the economic growth of the continent.
Source: Ghana News Agency

NRSA leads coordinated enforcement action to reduce road crashes


The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is leading a coordinated enforcement action aimed at minimising risks associated with travel this festive season.

The Authority in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, has intensified vehicle inspections on major highways in the Ashanti Region.

One such joint operation has been undertaken at Yawkwei in the Asante-Akim South Municipality during a thorough inspection of vehicles and documents of motorists conducted on the Konongo-Nkawaw stretch.

The team inspected the conditions of vehicles to ensure they were worthy for the road and also engaged the passengers on the need for the exercise and reminded them of their roles in ensuring safety on the road.

Motorists who did not have reflectors and other relevant equipment were made to buy on the spot while others, especially heavy-duty trucks with proscribed lamps above the windscreens were asked to remo
ve them.

Regulation 65 of the Road Traffic Regulation (LI 2180) prohibits the use of proscribed lamps which often blurs the vision of other road users.

Mr. Kwame Koduah Atuahene, Director for Regulation, Inspection and Compliance, NRSA, said the three public sector implementing agencies had been conducting such exercises regularly and that it had been intensified in response to the increasing vehicular movements during the yuletide.

He said the Authority had safety inspectors stationed at major lorry terminals whose duties were to ensure that vehicles leaving those terminals met the minimum safety requirements.

‘We have chosen to come to the major highways trying to target vehicles that are not coming from the terminals,’ he explained.

According to him the Authority and its partners conducted an exercise about a year ago to clamp down on vehicles with proscribed lamps which was successful, but the phenomenon seemed to be coming back hence the exercise was also focusing on addressing that practice.

The a
bsence of retro-reflective tapes and fire extinguishers, he disclosed, were the common violations identified during the exercise and stressed a need for motorists to prioritise their own safety and that of other road users.

Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Regional Director of NRSA, underlined the need for drivers to do their own safety inspections on their vehicles every day before hitting the road.

He said the spot inspection by the team served as a second layer of the safety net to help reduce the risks of road crashes with the ultimate goal of saving lives.

The Regional Director reminded motorists that they had a duty to make it a priority to observe all road traffic regulations to make the roads safer for everybody.
Source: Ghana News Agency

New Managing Director of Airports Company pledges commitment to strategic objectives


Mrs Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, the newly appointed Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), has pledged her commitment to maintaining and enhancing relationships with stakeholders to achieve success in the management and operations of the Company.

Mr Opare made the commitment when the Board introduced her to staff at a durbar in Accra.

The Managing Director said she would continue on the solid foundation laid by her predecessors and expressed her willingness to enhance areas requiring improvement and set new achievable goals.

She said in the area of collaboration individual strengths, experiences and expertise tied together would propel the Company to the greatest heights.

She said it was important to capitalize on the strategic location of Ghana to maximize international passenger and cargo traffic as well as increase throughput to domestic airports.

Mrs Opare urged staff to remain focused, and diligent in their work and uphold the values and statutes of the Company.

She expressed e
xcitement about the opportunities ahead and highlighted the need to work together hand in hand with mutual respect, passion and the spirit of excellence to achieve greater success.

Mr Paul Adom-Otchere, the Board Chairman of GACL, commended staff for their unwavering support to the Board and Management of the Company.

He expressed the hope that the same level of support would be accorded the new Managing Director.

Mrs Opare is an accomplished business executive with close to 20 years of quality experience in management positions and engagements.

She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialisation in Operations Management from American Intercontinental University in Illinois, USA.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA after receiving her secondary education at Achimota School in Ghana.

Mrs. Opare’s corporate journey began in the United States, where she had professional work engagements with Fortune 500 companie
s such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Eli Lilly.

She also earned a professional real estate license in the US State of Georgia, excelling in the ultra-competitive US real estate sector and winning the prestigious North American Association of Realtors Million Dollar Sales Club award for two consecutive years in 2006 and 2007.

Mrs Opare later returned to Ghana, motivated by her desire to leverage her wealth of expertise to contribute to national development.

Over two decades, Mrs. Opare has honed skills in key domains of corporate leadership, business development and management.

This includes strategy development and execution, resource harmonisation, human resource management and project management.

Others are operations management, financial management, business negotiation, brand-building strategic positioning and brand portfolio development.

Her leadership competencies and skills also extend into the domains of strategic stakeholder management, corporate governance and diplomacy, gender inclusivit
y, social inclusion and sustainability.

She has built a track record of building and sustaining international business relationships with high-profile multinational organisations, including Schlumberger, Expro Gulf Limited, Lukoil, and Transocean Limited. Across these high-level engagements, Mrs Opare has led organisations to deliver on strategic corporate partnership objectives.

Mrs Opare has demonstrated business development prowess by navigating high-profile business negotiations and successfully facilitating multi-million-dollar business-to-business transactions.

She has also brokered a considerable number of public-private partnership deals to deliver high-impact projects in Ghana.

Mrs Opare’s professional track record includes her tenures as CEO and General Manager of Vantage Real Estate Group and Blackwell Realty Limited, where she led and played leading roles in mainstreaming contemporary business management practices and building a culture of corporate excellence.

She also developed human resour
ce capacity, transformed business operations, scaled capacity, optimised functionality, diversified product and service portfolios, and strategically positioned the organisations for market leadership.

Her expertise in facilities management and project management ensured effective oversight across the developmental life cycle of various infrastructure projects.

She has experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders within complex business ecosystems.

Having built and operationalised a world-class private enterprise that catered for specialised customer segments, Mrs Opare is well-acquainted with the nuances of both entrepreneurship and corporate business. She is experienced in global procurements and has built an extensive global network of trading partnerships with internationally recognized brands such as Duravit, Bosch, Hansgrohe, Ideal Standard, and Villeroy and Boch, among others.

A wife and mother of three daughters, Mrs Opare possesses the perfect combination of personal qualities, professio
nal expertise and leadership competencies required to deliver excellence in impact-driven organisations.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Court stops ‘All White/ All Black Attire Party’ on January 1, 2024


An Adentan Circuit Court has restrained three persons from holding an ‘All-white or All Black attire party’ on January 1, 2024.

The three are Francis Ayenu, Dennis Tawiah and Michael Ayenu.

The police had gone to court to restrain the three persons to avert clashes and disturbance of peace in Adenta, Accra.

The court said: ‘In the interest of upholding and ensuring public peace and order, and in the interest of protecting lives and property, the respondents, Francis Ayenu, Dennis Tawiah and Michael Ayenu; their agents, assigns, workmen, servants and any other person or group claiming through or under them are hereby restrained and or prohibited from organising, holding, carrying-on, executing, throwing or other proceeding with the planned ‘All white/ All white’ event/ party or other event name of description they may give it, and as planned for the Ist day of January 2024.

It also ordered that the owners and or operators of any event centre, location or premises connected to the planned/proposed event /p
arty in issue cooperated with the Ghana Police Service in the full execution of the restraining order.

This is contained in a restraining/prohibition order.

The Circuit Court presided over by Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah granted the ex-parte motion after Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo of the Ghana Police Service moved it on December 29, 2023.

The Police said on December 19, 2023, it received intelligence that two factions namely Francis Ayenu on one side and Dennis Tawiah together with Michael Ayenu were planning to organise an event dubbed: ‘All black Attire wear or All White attire’ on December 28, 2023, and January 1, 2024.

According to the Police, one Francis Ayenu, an interested party, went to the Adenta High Court and issued a writ and also filed an injunction against the other partners to prevent them from organising any event on December 28, 2023, and January 1, 2024.

The Police said, however, ‘even though the processes had been served on the defendant, they went ahead to hold the event on December 28,
2023, in flagrant disregard to the powers and authority of the High Court, Adenta and they are again planning to hold the second event on January 1, 2024, despite the pending injunction.’

It said Police intelligence revealed that Francis Ayenu and his group were also planning to organise the same event at the same venue on January 1, 2024, and use ‘land guards’ to disrupt the event of Dennis Tawiah and Michael Ayenu.

The Police argued that ‘if the planned action is executed, there would be a total breach of peace’.

The Police, therefore, prayed the court to restrain Francis Ayenu and Dennis Tawiah together with Michael Ayenu and their agents as well as any other person associated with the organisers of the event from carrying out the planned event on January 1, 2024.
Source: Ghana News Agency