Day: January 7, 2024

The Board Chairman of Brakwa Breman Rural Bank (BBRB), Mr Alexander Koomson, has expressed gratitude to the founders, dedicated staff, loyal customers and the community for their trust and support driving the Bank’s success story.

He was speaking at a durbar to commemorate the celebration of the Bank’s 40th Anniversary at its head office at Brakwa, a community in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa (AOB) District of the Central Region.

The event was an opportunity for the management of the bank to reaffirm its commitment to its guiding principles of integrity, transparency, and dedication to meet the financial desires of its community.

A total of 50 persons, including promoters, founders, women in development groups who started the bank, ex-directors and the Chief Executive Officer with largest deposit and shares with the bank were awarded at the events for their immense contribution to the success story.

Mr Koomson stated that while celebrating the 40th Anniversary, they must recommit themselves to the ideals whi
ch defined them as a Rural Bank and forge ahead with confidence into a future filled with promise and prosperity.

He said 40 years ago, a group of visionaries came together to mobilise finances with the aim of empowering their community and amidst challenges, laid the foundation, which had become a beacon of hope and support for their people.

Mr Koomson named the promoters of the bank as Mr Emmanuel Kingsley Aye Obeng (Snr), Mr Peter P. Kofi Fosu, Mr Emmanuel Stephen Brakye, Mr Johnson Ofori, Madam Mercy Fuah all of blessed memory.

He said they mobilised shares throughout the AOB District and beyond after mooting the idea to establish a Rural Bank.

According to him starting from the early 1980s, the required total share capital base of GHc12.50, in current terms (C125, 000.00) was raised.

He informed the gathering that Brakwa Breman Rural Bank was granted Business Commencement Certificate on August 4, 1983, by Bank of Ghana and the Registrar Generals Department.

‘We are happy to have one of the pioneeri
ng working team members of the bank, Nana Osafori III, the current Odikro of Brakwa (formerly known as Mr Solomon Kofi Dede), here.’

‘He collaborated so dutifully with the late Emmanuel Kingsley Aye Obeng (Snr), in shares mobilization efforts during the set up of the Bank,’ he stated.

Mr Koomson further noted that over the years, they had weathered economic storms, embraced technological advancement, and adapted to the changing regulatory landscape to provide their customers good financial services which have catalysed growth, uplifted livelihoods, and built a stronger, more resilient community.

On achievements, he said their prudent financial management, unwavering commitment to customer service and community-centric approach have set them apart to flourish and expand their reach and impact.

On finances of the Bank, Mr Koomson announced that in 2019, the bank’s net profit before tax was 42,076.00, GHc101,977.00 in 2020, GHc363,580.00 in 2021 and GHc421,276.00 in 2022.

By November ending 2023, the net pr
ofit before tax stood at GHc1,100,000.00.

‘We have a vision in future where our bank will play a pivotal role in sustainable development, fostering entrepreneurship and contributing to the overall well-being of our community and beyond as we envisage to have our presence at places like Kasoa, Akim Oda and Mankessim,’ he added.

Mr Felix Dompreh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank stated in his address that he was filled with profound sense of pride as he reflected on the journey that had brought them to that significant point.

He expressed gratitude to all the customers, stakeholders and community members who had been instrumental in the bank’s success saying their trust and support were the driving force behind their achievements and they were grateful for their partnership.

The President of Rural Banks Association was among others who presented their solidarity messages to the bank.

Later a cake was cut to symbolise the celebration.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Commercial activities are slowly picking up at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of Bono Region after the yuletide.

Some barbering shops, retail and wholesale stores, groceries shops and printing/business centres operators had begun operations with the expectation that the general public would patronise their products and services.

The Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), Stanbic Bank, the Dormaa Area Teachers Cooperative Credit Union (DATCCU) and Brong-Ahafo Catholic Cooperative Credit Union (BACCSOD), the four main financial institutions operating in the town started brisk businesses since Tuesday, January 2, this year.??

The Ghana News Agency (GNA), however, observed during rounds within the town that though shops had opened for businesses, patronage of their services and products were not much encouraging, as compared to what usually happened during typical business days.

That notwithstanding, businesses, particularly those operating in containers along the road sides within the centra
l business district had started to get their fair share of customers’ patronage.

‘We are gradually warming ourselves into the new month of January and with time business activities would return to normalcy,’ a grocery shop operator told the GNA on condition of anonymity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Faith Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Madina Estate, has held its 30th anniversary, urging politicians to refrain from using religion as a campaign tool to divide the nation.

It called on the clergy to educate the congregants to be vigilant and discerning to avoid being used by politicians to achieve their parochial interests as the country goes to the polls in December.

The Reverend Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, Clerk of the General Assembly, PCG, and the guest speaker, made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He admonished Christians not to exchange their electoral power for tokens from ‘power-hungry politicians,’ which would defeat their judgements in making the right decisions.

Rev Dr Odonkor said Ghanaians must ensure they play their civic, political and social responsibility roles very well to achieve the desired outcomes as a people.

‘We should all refrain from utterances or acts that will throw the country into violence or chaos and destroy the relative
peace we’re enjoying in Ghana,’ he said.

The Clerk of the General Assembly encouraged the Church to continue to pray for peace and a successful conduct of the 2024 polls.

He urged the Church to make the youth the centre of church life to give them hope in the religion where they would constantly go to fellowship.

Rev. Dr Odonkor commended the pioneers of the Faith Congregation, who envisioned its establishment in the community and those who nurtured it to grow in the past 30 years for its tremendous achievements.

‘The church is a model of a community, practising Christianity in actual life, serving the community with a school, a street, and other social amenities,’ he stated.

‘The church, having achieved this milestone must look beyond the next decades of anniversary knowing that Christ, who brought them this far will take them thus far.’

The leadership must add more value to the congregation and engage in social and political advocacy to empower members and the immediate public to improve their livelih
oods, he added.

Rev Solomon Nii-Mensah, the Acting Ga Presbytery Chairperson, who delivered goodwill messages from the Jubilee House and the Ga Presbytery, congratulated the leadership of the Church for sustaining it through COVID-19 to date.

He encouraged members to continue educating the youth to avoid behaviours that would jeopardize their safety before the elections, saying all congregations should establish peace clubs to help achieve that objective.

He urged Christians to ask God for the spirit of discernment to choose the right political candidate.

As part of the event, Mr Samuel Ofori-Offei, the Chairman of the Board of Local Credit Union and a former Senior Presbyter, cut a tape to inaugurate an infirmary to provide first-aid medical services to the congregants.

He said the facility was funded by collections from members of the then-local credit union, which was later merged with the District Credit Union and asked for God’s blessing over everyone.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Pastor Borngreat Selasi Amedeka, Resident Minister of the Pentecost International Worship Center (PIWC) in Takoradi has called on Christians not to put their needs ahead of Christ Jesus.

He said Christians should rather put Jesus ahead of their needs since Christ was able to give them rest from their problems.

He quoted from Luke 5:1-11 and ‘said Peter chose to put Jesus ahead by offering his boat to be used, which led to a bumper catch hitherto they could not catch anything’.

Pastor Amedeka made the call when speaking on the topic ‘Cast Your Net into the Deep’ at a church service to usher the members into the new year.

He hinted that though Jesus was a carpenter’s son and probably a carpenter without knowledge of fishing, however, Peter chose to listen to Jesus.

He said Christians could be victorious in all the things they do if they can ignore human methodologies and follow the leadings and promptings of Christ.

He stressed, ‘We will receive our miracles in 2024 if we will put Jesus before us.’

Acco
rding to him, the surface-scratching Christian would always get surface results but when delved deep into the things of God, you would experience comfort.

He noted that the depth could sometimes be frightening and life threatening but no height was achieved without risk.

Pastor Amedeka added that there was enough space at the deep for people to navigate which could position one away from unusual competitions.

He said the resources that were needed for the next level of one’s assignment reside in the deep, hence the need to delve deeper.

‘Some of the ways to go deeper are our faith in God, our prayer life, our offerings and sacrifices, righteousness, and holiness.’

Others are our business and professional adventures, and our commitment to church, marriage, and family relationships.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Eco Impact Network, an environmentally focused Non-Governmental Organisation has launched a policy to influence the younger generation through environmental consciousness and sustainable living practices.

The group seeks to create a healthy society and recognises the vital role that education plays in shaping the future of young individuals.

Executive Director of the Network, Mrs Gifty Ofori-Yeboah, speaking at the event said her organisation was keen on influencing younger generations through their policies.

She said instilling a profound understanding of the environment and its crucial role in sustaining life on earth in these individuals would go a long way to contribute to the environmental growth of the country.

She said the project was focused on various schools, especially in the Krowor Municipality and other deprived areas in the Greater Accra Region and beyond.

She urged all age groups to grasp the significance of protecting the environment, which motivated awareness.

‘We call on all Ghanaians
to come on board to help safeguard our environment. In view of this, we will partner with various religious organisations, such as The Church of Pentecost, which has initiated annual environmental care campaigns and key industry leaders like Zoomlion Ghana Limited to help mobilise strategies and logistics in pursuing our agenda.’

Mrs Lilian Adu-Kumi, a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that industrialisation had contributed to the economic growth of Ghana.

She said even though industrialization had yielded benefits to Ghanaians, it had also caused more harm, leading to severe pollution of the environment.

She said the mission of Eco Impact Network was in connection with EPA, hence the need to rally behind them and support the initiative.

‘Young people are important stakeholders in addressing environmental issues because the future is theirs and equipping them with environmental knowledge will place them in a better position to appreciate environmental discourses and be pa
ssionate about contributing to protecting our environment,’ she said.

Mr Emmanuel Younge, a representative of the Environmental Health Department of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly praised Eco Impact Network for its efforts in initiating this policy which seeks to transform Ghana’s environmental fortunes.

‘We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to discuss potential collaboration and explore ways in which TMA and other government agencies can synergise efforts toward this noble cause,’ he said.

The project focuses on reintroducing Cotten bags, environmental education programmes, environmental clubs, tree planting campaigns and many others.

The event was graced by some high-profile dignitaries from various organisations and agencies.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Cultural Village in the Afadzato South District of the Volta region says it is expecting an increase in patronage of the Site this year.

The patronage is also expected to result in increased revenue generation by the Site above the previous years.

Mr Francis Acquaye, Manager of the Site disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they hoped to also come into contact with investors to invest in areas of accommodation, tree planting and creation of artificial sites to add value to what already existed.

He said patronage for 2023 was the best since the introduction of the Site back in the 1990s.

‘Close to 12,000 visitors consisting of both foreign and local attendees, visited the site last year.’

Mr Acquaye said the 2023 Christmas era alone recorded 700 visitors, comprising both foreigners and locals.

He said some challenges of the Site included accommodation, restaurant, bar and inadequate sightseeing activities in the Tafi Atome community.

Mr Acquaye said monkeys t
ravelling very far away to eat farmers’ crops on farms was also a challenge for them.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chain in the Eight Year Cycle is a creature of the 1992 constitution and remains an enigma whose disconnect is yet to be manifested in the history of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

The manifestation since 1992 is how both major political parties(NPP and NDC) need always to break the chain in the eight to retain power, come to power, or remain in opposition.

The beginning

It is not out of nothing that the late former President Jerry John Rawlings still remains very fresh in our minds as if he just travelled outside the country.

His ardent political opponents throughout his political history to date have found favour in his wisdom that laid down the very structure and foundation of the 1992 constitution.

Beneath this constitution lies the secret of unquestionable power to the effect that Politicians from both major parties enjoy it when in power and oppose it when in opposition.

This secret of implicit power embedded in the 1992 Constitution is like a double-edge dagger.

This dagger defends the wield
er from the bickering and inequity of his own people, whom he intends to defend, while attacking the assailant at the same time.

This burden that the 1992 Constitution places on subsequent leaders or Presidents of the Fourth Republic was fashioned out to fit the hands of the first President of the Fourth Republic.

Thus, to enable him to meet the security demands of the time and the incidents surrounding his intentions to originally introduce the 1992 constitution.

It was this constitution which enabled him to change from military rule to democracy.

Continuity

This first President of the fourth republic, late Jerry John Rawlings used the same system of laws to prevent continuity of his own military leadership and went ahead to lay down the foundation for democratic rule in Ghana.

This way of arrangement reflects the lessons learnt from the June 4th Uprising, the flaws that led to the success of it, and the lessons of betrayal learnt from the first President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah following his 1966
overthrow.

Hence the first essence of the 1992 Constitution, as was introduced, was to form a shield of the presidency against friends and enemies alike.

And secondly to introduce democracy to the people no matter how relative its effects were to last and in direct comparison to Ghana under the AFRC and PNDC military regimes of Jerry Rawlings.

The experiences under the AFRC, PNDC and the calls for Change all together under former President Rawlings metamorphosed into the democratic political party known as the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Despite a large opposition calling for Rawlings to step down, the NDC became the first Political party and government of the fourth Republican (1992) Constitution.

The eight years

The eight years idea of our democratic experience of change in governance happening between two major political parties is as a result of the system of laws that regulate the entire electoral or democratic process.

Examples include the election year Constitutional Instrument (CI) and
the Rules of Court formulated to determine the aftermath events of electoral disputes.

The opposition of the dictatorship of President Rawlings at the time, equally led to the emergence of a very large political group, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The NPP contested in the 1992 and 1996 elections and lost to the Rawlings NDC.

This turn of things, led to the whole of Ghana divided under these two major political parties.

And since 1992, our electoral system, underpinned by the same laws and same major political actors, has inherited this secretly embedded double-edge dagger.

The political actors use this dagger to their advantage as it secretly awards absolute authority to any political party in power and manifests democracy in name only, right from its foundation.

Furthermore, this absolute authority has implanted in the heart of the nation some kind of political rivalry because of the absolute power clauses of the executive arm of government.

This absolute power appears to be more intense than normal
politics as its adverse effects tend to impact negatively on our economic growth.

The general indication that is predicting more political intricacies in the future is that as the 1992 Constitution was made to convert autocracy into democracy, it does equally have the power to turn a democratically elected leader into an autocratic one based on interpretation and application of the same laws.

Power of President

The power of the President to decide under the 1992 Constitution is unchecked and unmatched such that all the three arms of government are ultimately tilted to the advantage of the President.

The President has the oversight responsibility and final decision making power over all the three arms of government.

As an implicit and ultimate power holder of the legislature, the President must assent to bills before they become laws.

As an indirect and ultimate power holder over the judiciary, the President has the one power of Presidential pardon that only he (she) can exercise.

According to article 5
4(7) of the Constitution, as the leader of the executive arm, the President is not directly accountable for his actions and or omissions.

This epitomises the reversal of the agency theory.

Where the origin of power becomes the subject of the power, the object of the power becomes absolute.

And as the saying goes, ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’.

Otherwise, both article 1(1) and 257(6) of the 1992 Constitution consider the power of the President as trust.

And by article 58(5) all executive appointees act in the name of the President.

Where a trustee becomes an absolute owner of the object of trust, that would surely amount to an absolutely corrupt power.

Accountability

The first sign of this power corruption is lack of accountability in the use of power and the actions and decisions of the person to whom power has been entrusted.

Under article 2 (1)(b) of the Constitution, an act or omission of the President in that case and as the law stipulates, is subject to judicial interpretation or a declar
ation but not to any legal understanding with regards to what kind of act or omission.

Under what bases would the supreme court determine that an act or omission of the President amounts to a violation?

To say the President acted unconstitutionally is not enough, if this unconstitutional behaviour stands to cost the fortunes and future of the nation.

So by article 57(4), the courts implicitly have no capacity to hold the President accountable as consolidated under article 57(5) of the Constitution.

In this, the command theory of law John Austin was taken into consideration in the spirit of but contrary to the letter of the 1992 Constitution.

This theory suggests that there must be one supreme authority who orders everyone in the society and whom we must follow or else be subjected to sanctions.

Well, it is clear that every authority under this constitution holds power in the name of the President, and cannot act contrary to his orders.

So under the 1992 Constitution, the President is not bigger than th
e law, but neither is the law bigger than the President.

This is indicated by the conflict of article 2(1) b and article 57(5).

The conflict is that while the former brings the President under accountability, the latter exonerates him from blame.

This double-edge dagger nature of the law has given ample freedom for leaders to make wild mistakes that have impacted negatively on our economic progress since 1992 as it provides democracy only in name and prevents strict accountability.

While the late former President Rawlings was insisting on probity and accountability in his last days, he knew that by the very nature of our Constitution governmental forces cold not really be held accountable.

Even the supreme court has no ample room to hold the President ultimately accountable.

This post mortem nature of our Presidential laws has been the silent window for the perpetuity of unquestionable dictatorship since 1992.

Therefore, by this nature of our laws regulating our democratic decisions, we the people are
effective in checking governmental forces in name only.

This has opened more room for less accountability especially at times when it really matters most.

Thus breaking the Chain in the Eight is much easier contrary to what the masses may be thinking.

Simply put, the mandate of the supreme court in matters relating to the President and in the conduct of electoral issues has no actual legally accountable basis.

The constitution as a parent law authorises, but the procedural aspect of the issue authorised must be contained in another law.

The supreme court has no law to rely on and impeaching the president on grounds of an act is very hard since the authority conferred on the President by the 1992 Constitution is uncodified.

To prevent the further killing of judges as known in the history of our politics, an implicit master-servant relation would suffice as captured in the spirit of the 1992 Constitution.

The cumbersome, if not impossible, nature of the process of impeachment as laid down in article 69 o
f the Constitution is a justification of the intent to consolidate the power already conferred on the President.

During elections, the Rules of Court set out by the judiciary under article 64(3) and the constitutional instrument issued to regulate the election of the President under article 63 (2) of the 1992 Constitution all come under the influence of the President as powerful as he is.

The appointment of the Chief Justice by the President under article 144, to some extent, and in a wild political environment of rivalry does not only impede the needed justice; it also creates the lack of confidence for justice to be carried out.

So you may hear that the President is acting unconstitutionally but nowhere can you hear that the President has acted ultra vires.

Every other executive member of government can act ultra vires except the President.

So the courts in reality have no power to review the actions of the President.

According to article 125 of the Constitution, the judiciary is independent and free
from the influence of the president.

Any need for change ?

This is the antecedent preceding the laws of the judiciary as captured in the 1992 Constitution.

In order of hierarchy of governmental forces as designed in the 1992 Constitution, the constitution is first, then follows the executive arm, judiciary, and legislature in that order.

Under article 11 of the Constitution, the Parliament is supposed to be the second ranking authority.

But the romance that the constitution has created between the executive and judiciary has indirectly conferred power on the executive arm of government above every other arm of government.

The main essence of this constitutional analysis is the ratio in the case of Martin Amidu v. Kuffour.

Nana Akufo-Addo, our current President was the Attorney-General who raised the issue of original jurisdiction of the supreme court since there are other courts and where the jurisdiction of the judiciary is for declaration of the law.

Of course, and as expected, the supreme court cla
imed it had a mandate, and that no one was above the law.

But by the letter of the law as contained in the 1992 Constitution, the question of jurisdiction, and by the very structure of our system of laws, is relevant.

At the same time, the idea of nobody is above the law sounds like either a maxim of equity or a natural law jurisprudence whose effect is limited to alter the position of the constitution.

Equity surely follows the law but not the constitution.

Hence, the supreme court relying on the maxims of equity to resolve constitutional issues may not resolve the miscarriage of justice.

To say that the supreme court has no jurisdiction to hear someone’s case means the person is above the law.

But this is the unfortunate reality of the 1992 constitution.

The reversal of the Amidu v. Kuffuor case is the case of NPP V Attorney-General when Martin Amidu was the Attorney-General.

The success of this case is that the supreme court has jurisdiction, constitutionality, legality and power of court to place
an injunction.

However, the key issue was that the actions of President Kufuor were not unconstitutional, but were subject to another law that was not inconsistent with the constitution.

So there always has to be a law and the President acting unconstitutionally is not enough to invoke the accountability question.

The general implication of the Constitution in relation to the President’s conduct is that he, the President, must have a specific law to contain his exceptions granted by the constitution.

Such a law should be separate from all laws binding on all citizens so that the President can fall foul within his own jurisdiction.

By the nature of our laws, the President’s actions have no jurisdiction, period!

Thus, under this nature of the 1992 Constitution, the two-party system has been established and the at least fifty percent rule for winning the Presidential election as stated in article 63(3) of the Constitution has divided the nation.

Worst of all, we currently have a hung parliament of fifty-f
ifty on both sides with the speaker being from the Minority side.

This nature of our parliament and our laws has made it possible that the chain in the eight can easily be broken.

What then is this Chain in the Eight?

The Chain in the Eight is within the eight year cycle of change in governance from one political party to the other, namely, change in power between NPP and NDC in every eight year cycle as manifested by the 1992 constitution.

This eight year cycle of change was started by late President Jerry John Rawlings as the first President of the Fourth Republic. His tenure ended in 2000.

From 2001 to 2008, former President J. A. Kufuor, the second President of the Fourth Republic, continued the eight year cycle of change.

He was succeeded by President J.E.A Mills as the third President of the Fourth Republic who also went through the Eight year Cycle.

But during this time, the chain in the eight year cycle of change was broken since the Vice President of the Fourth Republic, John D. Mahama had to
take office by constitutional provision following the unfortunate demise of John E. A. Mills.

This created a fourth President of the Fourth Republic – John D. Mahama.

Thus, through this event, the chain in the eight year cycle has already been broken.

By splitting the eight year cycle to commence his own cycle, John D. Mahama broke the chain in the eight year cycle.

So this created an impasse on the force of the eight year cycle as JM had to secure his lead through triumph at the court following the 2012 Presidential election.

President Akufo-Addo equally in the second term election in 2020 had to consolidate his victory at the court.

Now he has to work with a speaker of Parliament from the other side of the House.

So the force in the eight year cycle is on its deathbed.

This, therefore, means that the NPP can possibly break the eight contrary to the norm.

This is possible because it will reconnect with the twist in the path of the leadership cycle in the spirit of former President John D. Mahama.

T
herefore, and in conclusion, the fourth President of the Fourth Republic and the last of the John’s – John D. Mahama – by aspecting the third President, broke the chain of the John’s within the eight year cycle.

John Mahama converted the three (3) into a four (4), thereby opening the way for the new force with the fifth President under the Fourth Republic who never had the name John.

It is thus an enigma to indicate that at one period of time and in the same political party, there were two Johns at one time being both President and Vice president; the president passed on for the vice president to continue an eight year cycle to completion.

The current President Akufo-Addo, is the new force of our political evolution.

With all this power conferred on him just like Rawlings, who always liked to be President and king maker, President Akufo-Addo is more likely to introduce a new political agenda whose parameters are totally different from the forces that conditioned the 8 year cycle of change under the 1992 C
onstitution.

And in these matters, both the late President J.J. Rawlings and President Akufo-Addo understood/understand this idea of power and justice more than any other Presidents in this Fourth Republic.

This is why in the 2012 presidential election dispute, the supreme court after hearing of the case simply indicated that its jurisdiction was the declaration of the law and not of the election results; that the presidential election was declared at the polling station.

Hence the court cannot declare the result.

But whether or not the NPP can break the Eight (8) remains an enigma and the unborn child of the 1992 constitution.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Albert Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has charged media practitioners to use their platforms to highlight the challenges and court support for the less advantaged in society.

He said that would ensure that their challenges were made known to the appropriate authorities and benevolent groups to help address them.

Mr Dwumfour made the call when he donated GHS80,000 worth of items to two children’s homes in the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region, over the weekend.

The beneficiary orphanages were the Faith Needy Children’s Home at Awutu Bewuanum and the Countryside Children’s Welfare Home at Awutu Bawjiase.

Items donated included cartons of milk, washing powder, detergents, toiletries, toothpaste, sachets of water, gallons of cooking oil, drinks, bags of sugar, sanitary pads, rice, gari and medicines.

A cash amount of GHS5,000 and GHS6,200 were also presented to the Faith Needy Children’s Home and the Countryside Children’s Welfare Home, respectively.

Mr Dwu
mfour bemoaned the poor conditions under which the people in those towns lived, observing their rejection and dejection, and called for more support for them to alleviate their plights.

‘Look at a town like Bewuanum. This is a location where if you don’t get somebody to drive you in or direct you, you will never find it. There is no way you can locate such persons. These people need us, these people feel alienated, these people feel dejected, and they actually don’t feel part of humans or part of the people (society). They feel ignored and abandoned,’ Mr Dwumfour bemoaned.

He, therefore, charged journalists to highlight the plights of such persons to ensure they received the needed attention.

‘As the president of all the journalists in the country, I call on all media practitioners, especially morning show hosts, that they should give more attention to the less advantaged.

‘As media, our platform is the pen and the microphone. Let’s use these platforms to champion and propagate the plight of the less adva
ntaged in society, those who may have been rejected or shunned by society. Let’s look out for them and ensure help reach them,’ he said.

Mr Dwumfour was accompanied by family members, some members of the Association, veteran journalists, friends and well-wishers.

He said the donation was a directive from the Bible, which required Christians to share love and happiness, especially with the less privileged in society during Christmas.

‘It is written in the Bible that he who shows love to the poor will never be poor because God loves a cheerful giver. And it has also been written in the book of Proverbs that, he who donates to the poor lends to God. So, whatever we have done, it is a directive,’ he said.

‘Per the spirit as Christians, we know that Christmas is a season of love because Christmas is a season of remembrance of the Saviour Jesus Christ. It (Christmas) is a time and period of the season where we all dine with families, and loved ones and also share whatever we have, put smiles on the faces of oth
ers,’ he added.

Mr Dwumfour added that the gesture was just the first of many to come in the years ahead, saying ‘This is not going to be a one-off path, but a path which is going to be an annual ritual, something we are going to do annually, to show love to the needy and to show love to the orphans.’

He appealed to benevolent individuals, groups and corporate organisations, to extend their help beyond the notable orphanages in the cities to reach those in the hinterlands to alleviate their plights.

Managers of the two orphanages thanked the GJA President for the kind gesture and assured him that the donated items would be used for the right purposes for the betterment of the children.

Mrs Mary Acquah, Manager of Faith Needy Children’s Home, said the items would help alleviate the plights of the children beyond the festive period.

She appealed to benevolent individuals and groups to assist the orphanage in improving its infrastructure to better deliver on its mandate.

Mr Ernest Osei Owusu, Administrator
of Countryside Children’s Welfare Home, disclosed that the Home had been blessed with a water treatment plant, which enabled it to produce sachet drinking water in commercial quantity.

However, he explained that the Home was unable to meet the increased demand due to inadequate delivery trucks.

He, therefore, appealed to corporate institutions and individuals to assist it in acquiring additional trucks to enable it to expand its delivery operations and generate more income to fund the operations of the Home.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mrs Emily Adevor, Adaklu/Agotime Partnership Facilitator of Child and Youth Development Centres of Compassion International, Ghana says children should be given the necessary platform and encouragement to develop their innate skills.

‘Let us give our children the platform to identify and nurture their innate talents, skills, and knowledge for them to be self-reliant and useful to society,’ she noted.

Mrs Adevor said this at the closing ceremony of a five-day skills development camp for selected participants from some Child and Youth Development Centres (CYDCs) in the cluster in Ho.

The CYDCs were set up by Frontline Church Partners in collaboration with Compassion International, Ghana (CIG), a Christian Non-profit making organization that releases children from poverty in Jesus’ name and serves as an advocate for children and equipping them to fulfil their God-given potential.

Mrs Adevor noted that as children grow older, they should be offered jobs and entrepreneurial skills, adding that, this would ena
ble those who could not climb the academic ladder to be self-reliant.

She said the total development of children at the various CYDCs was very dear to CIG adding, ‘We want to see results in the four facets of the spiritual, physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of our children.’

She encouraged Child and Youth Development Workers at the various Centres to take Youth programming seriously and make skills training part of their extracurricular activity.

She advised them to introduce what the children learnt at the camp into their Saturday programming to enable those who were not fortunate to participate in the camp meeting to also acquire such skills.

The Project Facilitator said the camp offered the participants the opportunity to learn skills such as bead making, sewing and embellishment.

The children were also taken through topics like personal hygiene and teenage pregnancy, among others.

Mrs Adevor urged participants not to hesitate to always practice what they learned at the camp to buil
d on it.

Master Lawrence Dikro, a participant told the Ghana News Agency that he had gained more insight into why it was necessary to acquire marketable skills as a youth and was grateful for the opportunity offered him.

Ms Jessica Akato, another participant, also said she would now take her personal hygiene seriously as she was now aware of the repercussions of its neglect.

Ms Brilliant Aklamanu, a participant, noted that participating in the Camp had offered her an opportunity to acquire skills in embellishment which she hoped to develop.

Ms Agatha Edinam Ezu was full of praise for the organizers of the Camp and called on them to periodically organize it to benefit others.

She said she had not only learnt other skills in addition to bead making but also gained more insight into the dangers of teenage pregnancy and how to avoid it.

Participants from Adaklu Waya Global Evangelical Church CYDCs entertained their colleagues and guests by performing a choreography.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Management of the Ankaful Maximus Prisons Complex in the Central Region has appealed for logistical support to ease the reformation of inmates.

Reverend Superintendent Adobaw-Ogoe, Chaplain of the facility, said efforts to train convicted prisoners were being hampered by inadequate and obsolete weaving, sewing, electrical and carpentry tools.

Though it has the requisite personnel for teaching and training of inmates to reintegrate ex-prisoners into society, the tools were woefully inadequate.

The Ghana Prisons Service contributes to the maintenance of internal security, using an effective, humane, and secure penal reform system governed by the laws of Ghana to keep a high sentence and high-profile prisoners

Rev. Adobaw-Ogoe made the appeal when Mount Carmel Prayer Center at Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem presented assorted food items to the facility.

The items were 1000 packs of hot meals, 60 bags of sachet water, 55 packs of soft drinks and pastries worth GhS6,000.00.

Rev. Adobaw-Ogoe lauded
the religious group for its continuous support to the facility for the past six years and called on others to emulate the gesture.

Prophetess Esther Acquah, the Patron of Mount Carmel Prayer Center, said the gesture formed part of its biblical teachings of assisting the less privileged, particularly prisoners.

She said when incarcerated people were given the right empowerment and support, they could improve themselves and become useful members of a healthy society.

Prophetess Acquah however advised the youth to desist from misdeeds that could derail their future ambitions.

The Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons complex consists of three other prisons namely, Contagious Disease Prison, Main Camp Prison and Ankaful Annex Prison.

Source: Ghana News Agency