Day: January 3, 2024

The Gwira Traditional Council has expressed its readiness to unite and fast-track development in the area.

Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan, President of the Council, said it was incumbent on members of the Council to lead the charge to bring the needed development for the people in their respective areas.

He said this when the Council met at Bamiango in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region to review activities of the past year and look at prospects for 2024.

Awulae Tu-Agyan, who is also the Vice-President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, spoke on the illegal mining activities that threatened the socio-economic development of the Gwira Traditional Area, including degrading the lands, and polluting water bodies and the environment in general.

He called on the chiefs and people in the area to clamp down on the ‘galamsey’ menace in the area to help preserve the lands and water bodies for posterity.

He said: ‘What we do not know is that the effects of galamsey and spraying of chemicals
on the land cause diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, hypertension among others, so anyone, including traditional rulers, found culpable of the galamsey menace will be severely dealt with by the Traditional Council.’

On education, Awulae Tu-Agyan noted that the Traditional Council was ready to assist brilliant but needy students with bursaries and scholarship schemes to pursue tertiary education.

He indicated that two students had already been awarded scholarships to further their education at the tertiary level.

He, however, expressed worry over situations where some parents had refused to enrol their children at the Gwiraman Senior High School (SHS) at Bamiango but preferred schools outside the area.

He said the 2023 candidates performed creditably in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and appealed to parents to enrol their children in the only SHS to help promote education in the area.

The President of the Gwira Traditional Council said as part of the Council’s New Year reso
lution, they would take advantage of the government’s agricultural flagship programmes to advance agribusiness in the area.

Awulae Tu-Agyan said agriculture was a viable source of livelihood and encouraged his people to venture into climate-smart agriculture to produce more organic foodstuffs to feed themselves while creating employment opportunities for others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has urged the government to ensure that the economic stability gained in 2023 is made stronger in 2024.

That, Dr Joseph Obeng, President, GUTA, said would help make businesses buoyant and expand to employ more youth, which would ultimately bring relief to Ghanaians.

He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, January 3.

He said once there was economic stability, traders would pass on the gains to consumers by making things in the market affordable.

‘The 26.4 per cent inflation rate for November 2023 should not only be maintained, but improved, and the stability of the local currency sustained,’ he said.

He said the business community would not want to experience the conditions of businesses in the last quarter of 2022, ‘because 2023 was comparatively good, as the currency was fairly stabilised and inflation reduced.’

‘When that happens, businesses will recover speedily from the losses from the previous years, then we’ll boom and tr
ansfer the gains through the pricing we make, then the consumer can also have some respite,’ he said.

Dr Obeng also urged government to increase efforts in getting the second tranche of US$600 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support the stability process.

‘We’re hoping that the second tranche of the IMF money will also come through to sustain the stability,’ the GUTA President said.

He called for a conscious effort to invest and ensure that industries operated in an environment that would make them produce more at affordable prices and competitive for both local consumption and export.

Dr Obeng said achieving that would require that taxes were made business-friendly, and mechanisms put in place to reduce the cost of doing business in the country.

In addition to that, there should be retention policies to control repatriation of profit by foreigners in the Ghanaian oil and gas, mining, and communication industries, he said.

‘We can keep about 40 per cent in the country as equity so
that they don’t sell all their money away. When we do this, we would be able to control the depreciation of the Cedi as well as inflation,’ he noted.

On the upcoming General Election, he advised the government to ‘be mindful that 2024 is an election year, therefore, we must control our expenditure. If we’re unable to do that, we shall experience a much bigger problem.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

?The Volta Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has donated some relief items to the flood victims in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.

The Command was part of the rescue operations in the area when the Akosombo Dam spillage occurred, which led to the destruction of livelihoods and displacement of people.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer One (ACFO 1) Mr Joy Ayim Ameyibor, the Volta Regional Commander of the Service, said the donation was to support the restoration of the livelihoods of the victims.

He said when the Command witnessed the extent of the destruction during the rescue operations, it was right to provide assistance in an effort to lessen the pain of the impacted individuals.

The Commander told the Ghana News Agency that the officers at the Command as well as a few other people contributed the relief items.

ACFO Ameyibor thanked the officers and persons whose efforts made the presentation possible and advised the recipients to make good use of the items.

Mr Seji
Saji Amedonu, the Deputy Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), who received the supplies expressed gratitude to the Command for its assistance.

The items included sacks of rice, assorted goods, and 500 bags of sachet water, to ensure access to potable drinking water for the affected persons.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Little Angels Trust, a Charity Organisation, has donated assorted items to four children’s hospitals in Accra.

The hospitals are Korle-Bu Hospital, Mamobi Hospital, St Princess Marie Louie Children’s Hospital in and Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The organisation in 2018 adopted and inaugurated a playground for patients of the Accra Psychiatric Children’s Ward.

Christened ‘Respite Centre,’ the facility comprises a serene environment with artificial green grass and play games to serve as entertainment and relaxation dais for the children.

The Ghanaman Community Reinvestment Grant Trust, Ghana, and St Mark’s Church, Kennington Oval London, United Kingdom funded it.

Mrs Lavinia Enim Amui, the Founder of the Trust, said her passion and desire for terminally-ill children, drove her to donate to them and put smiles on their faces.

She said the playground would form part of the children’s well-being and aid their healing process.

The Founder said the organisation worked primarily by raising funds to support fam
ilies to pay for cancer treatments, especially parents who cannot afford to pay for their medical fees.

Ms Bridgit Ayatey, Ward in-charge, Accra Psychiatric Children’s Ward Commended the NGO for the gesture and called on other organisations for support.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The 37 Military Hospital has asked the public to assist in identifying a middle-aged man on admission.

‘The assistance of the media and public is humbly requested to help identify the patient and bring his status to the notice of his family,’ a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Amarteye on behalf of the Director-General, Department of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces, said.

It said on Monday, November 13, 2023, a good Samaritan brought a middle-aged man to the 37 Military Hospital in an unconscious state.

The statement said the man was allegedly knocked down by a vehicle on the Tema Motorway.

It said the patient was currently stable and receiving treatment at the Neuro Ward at the 37 Military Hospital, however, the Hospital had not been able to identify him or trace any family member.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana National Fire Service recorded a total of 656, 591 prank calls from the public in 2023.?

The incidents, which overstretched?the operations of the Service happened between January and November 2023.?

This was revealed at the Thanksgiving Service of the Service’s 60th Anniversary Celebration where senior officers, who just retired were awarded for their selfless contributions to the Service.?

Mr Julius Kuunuor, Chief Fire Officer (CFO), said the prank calls had put the rescuers’ lives in danger and created room for wastage of fuel.?

‘When we engage in prank calls,?we put incident responders at risk and waste fuel also,’ he said.?

Mr Kuunuor urged the public to desist from such practices because the Service would not entertain such deviant behaviours in 2024 and beyond.?

Fire outbreaks also reduced by 4.92 per cent for the first eleven months of 2023 with 5256 incidents recorded as compared to 5,530 incidents recorded in the same period in 2022.??

The Chief Fire Officer attributed the reduction
?to the extensive Public Fire Safety Education carried out nationwide.??

‘Through the timely intervention of the Service, property worth millions of cedis was salvaged,’ he said.

The Service intended to build clinics in all the regions and would start the construction of a Fire Trauma Hospital to provide adequate healthcare for personnel and the public this year.?

It is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with some universities to train?Fire personnel in the relevant fields from undergraduate to postgraduate programmes.

The University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and University of Energy and Natural Resources are being engaged for the training.

‘The Service in collaboration with the Government is in the process of procuring Fire Appliances and Equipment, including Dual Purpose Tenders, Water Tankers, Rapid Intervention Vehicles and Utility Vehicles and Command Vehicles in 2024,’ Mr Ku
unuor said.

The new appliances would replace the obsolete fire appliances at the Fire Stations and also ensure the opening of more Fire Stations to improve response time.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Drivers have been advised to be prepared for potential threats on the road to enable them to react promptly to any such threats and mitigate the risks of accidents for a safer journey.

Mr David Rogers, an instructor of the Ashaley Botwe branch of the Freight Masters Driving and Bussiness Institute, underscored the importance of concentration, urging drivers to focus and steer clear of distractions, particularly when using mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving.

Employing all the senses helped the driver to create a comprehensive approach to navigating the complexities of driving, he said.

Mr Rogers stated this during the launch of the Tema branch of the Freight Masters Driving and Business Institute and asked drivers to strictly adhere to driving edicts; ‘Concentration, Observation, Anticipation, and Tolerance (COAT)’.

He said ‘Concentration’ was very important as it prevented the driver from distraction, while ‘Observation’ ensured a comprehensive approach to navigation.

‘Anticipation
‘ is the bedrock of defensive driving,’ he said, and that ‘Tolerance’ enhanced patience with fellow road users, fostering a harmonious and secure driving environment.

‘Defensive driving is a holistic strategy encompassing the protection of oneself, the vehicle, passengers, or goods, and respecting time commitments,’ Mr Rogers added.

By adopting the ‘COAT’ attitude, drivers could play an active role in making the roads safer for everyone, he noted.

Mr Richard Nana Amoako, the Chief Executive Officer of Freight Masters, expressed gratitude to the dedicated workers of both the shipping and driving schools, emphasising the importance of their contributions to economic growth.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Chef Failatu Abdul-Razak, by the 40th hour, which was the second day of her cooking marathon, had prepared 39 different local and intercontinental dishes.

? ? ?The local dishes included banku, tuo zaafi, fufu, and rice ball among others with diverse kinds of soup made from local ingredients as well as boiled beans with fried plantain.

? ? ?For intercontinental dishes, she prepared rice with stew, jollof rice, samosa, spring rolls and baked some pastries.

? ? ?They were served in ceramic bowls and disposal plates and shared among the audience by the ushering team of the cooking marathon.

? ? ?Miss Kehinde Hussanat, the Ushering Team Leader, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said Failatu’s energy, even after preparing 39 dishes at the time was commendable vouching that she could hit the benchmark and more.

? ? ?She called on members of the public to rally behind Failatu in her Guiness World Record (GWR) breaking attempt.

? ? ?Some members of the audience, who were impressed with Failatu’s
meals, told the GNA that the taste of the chef’s food was a testament of her being a good cook.

? ? ?Mr Mashoud Kadir said he had tasted almost all the dishes prepared at the event, stating that he planned to stay until the last day to eat more and cheer Failatu on. ?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr John Ansu Kumi, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, and other stakeholders have visited the construction site of an urban development park in the municipality to assess the progress of work.

It is under the implementation of the Phase Three of the Secondary City Support Project in the Sunyani Municipality.

Under the Third Phase, Sunyani is benefiting from a three-acre landfill reclamation urban park development, a 500-metre long storm drain, and a 1.4-kilometre access road.

The implementation of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) credit project, which started in 2019, and spans a five-year period, is part of the Government’s broader urban development and decentralisation programme.

It would help to strengthen local systems and provide the necessary support to the municipal assemblies for effective urban management and service delivery.

To facilitate the project implementation, an age-old heap of refuse dump at the Sunyani Area Two had been evacuated, preventing criminal a
ctivities and drug peddling, which were hitherto common there.

However, the contractors said they were unhappy with the attitude of some residents, who had turned the project site into a place of convenience, slowing down work.

They said that had been the major challenge confronting the project as the area had been messed up, frustrating their efforts to speed up the execution of work.

They appealed to the Sunyani city authorities to help end the practice to facilitate work at the site.

Nonetheless, they promised to deliver quality work, complete and hand over in August 2024, as scheduled.

Excavation works, including clearing and construction of a huge steel bridge were ongoing on the 1.4-kilometre access road linking Petra Hotel and Sunyani Estate to the Sunyani Jubilee Park area when the team visited.

Mr Kumi inspired the contractors, despite the challenges, to speed up work and gave the assurance that the Municipal Assembly would introduce stringent measures to control the open defecation at the area
.

He called on the residents to desist from the practice, saying: ‘You are going to benefit most, and we must all come together and flush out the miscreants whose behaviour is frustrating the contractors and slowing down

the execution of the work’.

?Meanwhile, some of the residents, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, appealed to the Municipal Assembly to construct additional public toilets for the area as the only male and female toilets were insufficient.

They said many of the compound houses had no toilets, hence the occupants depended on the few public ones when the need arose, which contributed to the practice.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of the Anlo State, in his New Year goodwill message to his subjects, has reaffirmed his commitment to remain truthful and rule with self-sacrifice.

‘I promise to rule Anlo in 2024 with truthfulness, love, and self-sacrifice for the progress of Anlo,’ Togbi said.

In a goodwill message shared with the Ghana News Agency, Awoamefia expressed gratitude to his subjects for their successes in 2023.

‘I am personally grateful to my Paramount and wing chiefs, Dufiawo, Agbotaduawo, political leaders, farmers, fisher folks, traders, teachers, nurses, and everyone for laying their life for a successful year amid all problems we faced, problems such as tidal waves disasters, flooding, and chieftaincy issues, overcoming them have tested how resilient and strong Anlos are.’

Togbi Sri called on traditional leadership and natives to be more responsible, saying ‘Be dutiful, hardworking, diligent and disciplined in all endeavours.’

‘Everyone should refrain from things that can ignite violence a
nd confusion to distort the lasting peace we currently enjoy in the state…I pray for God’s grace and protection for you, may all your businesses flourish this year, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.’

Togbi Sri III, the 16th Awoamefia of Anlo, has been ruling for 13 years now since his installation in 2011, an overlord of 36 states, towns of Anlo land, which encompasses the present-day six political districts of Anloga, Keta, Ketu South, Ketu North, Akatsi South, and Akatsi North.

Source: Ghana News Agency