January 2, 2024 – Senegal Newswire

80 countries participate in Ministerial Roundtable

FMF strengthens the Kingdom’s leadership in enabling the Super Region to contribute to the metals industries of the future

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) announced today that its Ministerial Roundtable, due to be held on 9 January 2024, ahead of the third edition of the Forum, is set to break attendance records. Of the eighty countries so far confirmed to attend, more than forty-five will be sending ministers to take part in discussions with stakeholders in this one meeting, in addition to 20 official international organizations, 30 non-governmental organizations and 13 business associations.

As the highest level gathering on minerals in the world, the Roundtable represents a historic turning point for the global mining and metals sector, the contribution of the Super Region extending from Africa to West and Central Asia, and the Kingdom’s leadership role in this sector and region.

The Ministerial Roundtable is a government-led multi-stakeholder initiative created by Saudi Arabia to enhance international cooperation on producing critical minerals involved in transforming the energy sector. The meeting comes when the mineral sector faces unprecedented challenges driven by the increasing demand for energy transition minerals and metals, where all countries are racing to secure stable supply chains.

Furthermore, the Ministerial Roundtable promotes the importance of collaboration to address this anticipated global challenge.

H.E. Vice-Minister for Mining Affairs, Khalid Al-Mudaifer, highlighted that the number of ministers who had confirmed their attendance at the Roundtable reflects the political and economic weight of the Kingdom and the increasing importance of minerals in recent years, this level of attendance demonstrates that FMF has established itself as a leading global platform for shaping the future of minerals. H.E. stated, “High-level government representation, from countries producing and consuming minerals, means that governments from across the world are now aware of minerals’ importance, as they seek to secure reliable supply chains for them. This is especially relevant to the strategic minerals that are essential to energy transformation programs and projects, and related industries.”

The Roundtable will include discussion of the competition that the metals market is witnessing at international level and how to create room for countries, in the midst of this competition, to reach agreement between themselves.

Media Contact:
Omar Shereen
Omar.shereen@fleishman.com
+966 50 663 0489

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Black Stars Call-up: Mixed reaction by sports pundits in Keta over new squad

Some sports panelists in Keta in the Volta Region have shared different views on the final squad of the Senior National team, the Black Stars ahead of the ‘2023 AFCON’ tournament.??

The squad would represent the nation in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament that would be held in Cote D’Ivoire.?

Mr. Selasi Kpodo, a sports panelist at Keta-based Jubilee radio, in an interaction with the Ghana News Agency, commended the management and the technical team of the Black Stars for the squad.?

‘But am a bit confused on the criteria used in selecting the final 27-man squad since camping was not held for players to justify their inclusion after the announcement of the 55 provisional squad.’?

Mr. Kpodo commended Coach Chris Hughton, for dropping Thomas Partey from the final squad ‘since he has not been playing for Arsenal, his club for some months now due to injury’.?

Mr. Doe Wilson, a football enthusiast, on his part, expressed dissatisfaction about the teams’s final squad for the AFCON.?

‘The coach ha
s no tactical system for the team and he has exhibited that already in some matches he handled, they would just add up to the numbers.’?

Others asked reasons for including Andre Ayew, skipper of the National Team, as he has outlived his strength.?

Meanwhile, Coach Hughton,?on Monday January 1, has announced the final Black Stars squad for the 2023 AFCON tournament during a media conference held at Alisa Hotel in Accra.?

The technical team, after reversing the idea of camping at Kumasi instead of Johannesburg in South African, had announced an international AFCON preparation friendly match for the Black Stars with Namibia on Monday, January 8 at the Baba Yara Sports stadium in Kumasi.??

The Senior National Team were housed in group B together with seven times AFCON trophy winners Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.??

The team would first play group opponent Cape Verde on January 14 and Egypt four days later before Mozambique on the January 22.?

The 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations would kick off
on January 13 to February 11 with some Ghanaians expressing?the hope?that the Black Stars would end their 41-year-old trophy draught after winning the trophy last in 1982.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Keta Central marks new year with community fun games

The youth of Keta Central within the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region have?held?a?community fun games, to?usher in?the new year in a joyful manner.?

The games, held?on Monday, had Fort Football Club, Shine Football Club, WASCO Football Club, and Crystal FC, all within Keta Central?competing.?

Mr. Dzikunu Gabriel Dziedzorm, the Assembly member?of?the area, congratulated the teams after the activities for their display?of?true sportsmanship during the games.?

‘I’m?very much happy with the energy you all portrayed today. It is a sign of a youthful community and am ready to help develop these human resource.’?

Mr. Dzikunu also assured participants of holding a similar event during the Easter festivities.?

After eight rounds of matches, Fort FC emerged Winners after beating Shine FC on penalties and later Crystal FC at the finals.?

Crystal FC came second with WASCO and Shine Football clubs coming third and fourth places respectively.??

The captains of both sides in an address, expressed gratitude to t
he organisers for the initiative and called for more games to keep them engaged during weekends.?

The tournament which was held at the London Park near the main Keta market, was witnessed by hundreds of residents cheering their favourite teams to victory.?

Some dignitaries who graced the event were, Mr Kpodo Edem, the Keta NDC constituency Youth Organiser, Mr Awumee Benard Worlali, President of Keta Youth Association, Mr Kwawukumey Seyram, Adadevoh Charles, and some Unit Committee members.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

AFCON 2023: Baba Rahman defends Black Stars snub

Black Stars left back, Baba Rahman says his decision to turn down the recent call-up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) tournament is as a result of injury concerns.?

This follows the recent squad announcement by Coach Chris Hughton which had raised concern as to why the player was not part of the team.

A statement from the club PAOK defender said ‘I just wanted to say that decision to opt out of the AFCON was solely based on footballing reasons and nothing else.?

‘Playing for my country would always be the highest point of my career and every time I have been lucky to wear the shirt I have given my all.’

He said he had been battling injuries and recovery times which he felt was slowing down the progress of his professional career.

‘The life span of a footballer is very short and sometimes we have to make these tough calls for the general interest of the nation we love the most and that of career to enable longevity,’ he said.?

The former Chelsea man pledged his support for the Black Stars as th
ey seek to end the over 40-year trophy drought.?

Ghana is caged in Group B alongside Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.

Source: Ghana News Agency

We must develop young talents through sports and education – Dr Bitugu

Alhaji Dr Bella Bello Bitugu, the Director of Sports at the University of Ghana, has urged the public to support and develop young talents through sports and education.

This, he said, would held unearth more perishing talents from the various communities in the country to enable them have slots in the various sporting activities for a brighter future.

Dr Bitugu, who is also the Special Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mutapha Yusif, made the appeal during a donation ceremony held at Vodza to support some schools and institutions in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region.

‘Being a sports person, my aim is to support and give back to my community and help bring out the good talents in our future generation through sport and education,’ he stated.

Among the items donated, included a set of football jerseys, computers, and others worth thousands of cedis.

The beneficiary schools include Keta RC school, Keta AME Zion, Vodza RC school, Adzido basic school, Keta Midwife and Nursing school, as
well as the Keta Municipal Assembly.

Mr Gerhard Avudzivi, the Keta Municipal Director of Education, who received the items on be half of the staff and students of the schools, expressed joy for the support and thanked Dr Bitugu and his team of donors for the gesture.

‘We pledged to use the items well for the benefit of our future leaders to unearth the great talent in them.’

Mr Christopher Mensah, the assembly member for the Vodza-Adzido Electoral Area, also thanked the donors for the support.

He appealed to other individuals, philanthropists, corporate entities, and the government to help solve other challenges of the area.

Present at the ceremony where Chiefs, Assembly members, Heads of Institutions, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

One female out of 74, elected as assembly member in Akuapem south

Ms Paulina Agordo of the Otiakrom/Kojokrom Electoral Area in the Akuapim South Municipality has been elected as the only female assembly member in the municipality.

She was among six females and 74 males who filed to contest as assembly members in the Akuapim South Municipality in the District Level Elections.

Mr Benjamin Amankwah, Akuapem South Municipal Electoral Officer said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that Ms Agordo won by 201 votes against two females and a male in her electoral area.

Mr. Amankwah indicated that history had repeated itself as it was done in 2019 where one female was elected as an assembly member during the District Level Elections.

In all, a total of 25 assembly members were elected including a tie, of the 80 candidates who filed to contest in the 26 electoral areas as well as 130-unit committee members consisting of 17 females.

Mr Amankwah indicated that this year, the municipality recorded an appreciating percentage of voter turnouts of 43.61 percent representing 2
0,599 of the 47,237 expected voter population.

‘In 2019, the turnout was about 32 percent, but this year we had 43.61 percent which indicates an increment in the turnout compared to the last four years,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Retaining NPP is the best appreciation for transforming Ghana – Dr Adutwum

The best way to appreciate the massive transformation of Ghana in the last seven years is to retain the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister for Education, has argued.

He said any decision contrary to the retention of the ruling party by Ghanaians would only truncate the transformation agenda which was already yielding positive results in all sectors of the economy.

Dr Adutwum who was speaking at a ceremony to present Christmas gifts to over 500 widows at Jachie, said no law restricted Ghanaians to give their mandate to a party that had performed to continue after eight years in office.

‘One good term deserves another, and I believe you are all witnesses to the massive infrastructural development that this government has undertaken here in Bosomtwe,’ he told the widows.

The Education Minister who doubles as the Member Parliament (MP) for Bosotwe in the last seven years has been showing love to selected widows in the constituency by presenting Christmas gifts to them on New Year’s
Day.

Each of the beneficiaries drawn from all the electoral areas in the constituency received a piece of cloth and a token to enable them to enjoy the festive season.

Dr Adutwum argued that the level of impact that the free senior high school policy had had on every Ghanaian home was unprecedented.

To him, no government could manage and sustain the policy better than the NPP and stressed the need to maintain the party to protect its legacy under the leadership of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

The NPP, according to him, remained the best option to drive Ghana’s development agenda to the desired destination anchored on digitalisation.

He told his constituents to continue to keep faith with the NPP to benefit from more development projects and the completion of ongoing ones across the constituency.

He assured them of the completion of the main road from Kumasi to Kuntanase which is currently at Abidjan Nkwanta to boost the local economy.

The Minister encouraged the women to take keen interest in the education of
their children and grandchildren, reminding them of how their education could turn around the fortunes of their families.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Political parties advised to avoid engaging youth in electoral violence

Political party leaders have been advised to avoid the temptation of misdirecting the energies of the youth into engaging in violent activities before, during, and after the impending General Election.?

Reverend Emmanuel Antwi-Tumfuor, Pastor in Charge of Worawora E.P Church, Ghana, gave the advice during his new year message at a watch night service to usher in 2024.

‘Our enterprising youth should not be carried away to do things that will jeopardise the future of our dear country, Ghana,’ he said.

The Reverend Minister challenged Christians to be the change agents that the country needed by ensuring that there was peace and justice in all engagements with one another.

‘The socio-economic problems of the world should not make us throw our hands in despair, as if all is lost.?

‘No, all is not lost, provided the Church can live up to its responsibility of letting integrity be the cornerstone in every activity,’ he said.

Rev Antwi-Tumfuor charged Christian leaders to take the lead in the campaign of buil
ding a better society, where their actions would reflect what they preached.?

‘It should not be the case that we preach one thing and our lifestyles are the complete opposite of what we preach.

‘If we are to be an inspiration to the rest of society, we have the huge task of letting our behaviours in every sphere of national life promote unity, fellow feeling, and honesty,’ he said.

He urged all to avoid selfish attitudes, corruption, and other social vices that created moral decadence in society.

Rev Antwi-Tumfuor thanked God for preserving the lives of victims of the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillages and called on the government to initiate medium- and long-term measures to deal with such occurrences in the future.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Clergy urges EC to remain steadfast and stand against political influences

The Electoral Commission (EC) has been urged to remain fair and firm in order not to compromise its integrity to affect the credibility of the Election 2024 and disturb the prevailing peace of the nation.

According to some Reverend Ministers in the Sunyani Municipality, the position of the nation’s electoral management body in ensuring free, fair, and transparent general election remained critical in consolidating the gains of the country’s fledgling democracy.

The men of God gave the advice in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), as they led their respective churches to usher in the New Year with night vigils in Sunyani.

They, however, commended the EC for its honesty and efficiency for successfully organising successive general elections which had helped to sustain the prevailing national peace, social and political stability.

‘The destiny and future of the nation lay partly in the hands of the EC, and we expect the Commission to remain resolute and steadfast ahead of the Election 2024
‘, the Very Reverend Dr. Solomon Bruce, the Superintendent Minister and the Synod Secretary of the Sunyani

Methodist Diocese stated.

He said the electorate also had an integral role to play if the 2024 general election would be incident-free and thus urged supporters of the political parties to be decorous in the electioneering and endeavour to make informed choices when they go to the ballot.

Very Rev. Dr. Bruce said Ghana required selfless and God-fearing leaders to transform and turn around the nation’s economic fortunes to facilitate accelerated national development.

He cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians who might approach and use them as tools to foment trouble in the campaigning period.

Apostle Ofori Baffour, the Founder of the Sunyani-based Unique Holy Fire of God Ministry commended Ghanaians for their respective contributions towards protecting the national peace in 2023, saying, ‘we have to do more to make the peace of the nation absolute in 2024’.

He ca
lled on the leadership of the political parties to ensure that their members and supporters eschewed all forms of lawlessness and violence as well as acts that could trigger political violence and social instability.

Apostle Baffour emphasised peaceful co-existence would facilitate the nation’s economic progress in 2024, and thereby make life better for all.

He said mostly children, people with disabilities and women bore the brunt of political violence and advised everybody to contribute to building and strengthening national peace and social cohesion.

Apostle Baffour described 2024 as a year of Ghana’s economic emancipation, but, added, ‘we can’t achieve this in an atmosphere of violence and political turmoil’.

‘Politicians must also learn to be faithful and godly,’ Apostle Emmanuel Sakyi, the Founder and Leader of the Sunyani-based Word of Favour Ministry International advised.

They must also desist from using their political positions and portfolios to deceive the unsuspecting and innocent Ghanaians
just to win their votes, instead of building a better Ghana for all.

Source: Ghana News Agency

NPP constitutes committees to supervise vetting of Parliamentary Aspirants in constituencies

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set up committees to supervise the vetting of Parliamentary Aspirants in constituencies with incumbent Members of Parliament.

The vetting of Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates is expected to be held at all regional capitals from Wednesday, January 3 to Friday January 5, 2024, a statement signed and issued by Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary of the Party, said.

The statement directed all Regional Executive Committees to communicate to their respective Constituencies and Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates, the date, time and venue for the vetting.

It added that, the Party had also appointed some persons as national representatives on the Vetting Committees for the various regions.

Below are the names of the National representatives on the Vetting Committees for the various regions:

Source: Ghana News Agency