Day: March 20, 2024

Ghana’s Black Satellites to face Uganda in men’s football finals


The Black Satellites of Ghana will be in contention for gold in the men’s football competition as they face Uganda in the finals on Friday, March 22, 2024.

The Black Stars recorded a crucial 1-0 win against the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal in the semi-final encounter played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Substitute Michael Ephson produced a close-range finish in the late stages of the game as Ghana booked a spot in the finals of the men’s football competition.

It was a tough encounter for coach Desmond Ofei’s side, especially coming up against a formidable Senegalese side who were considered one of the strong favourites.

But the Satellites demonstrated their resilience and prevailed at the end of 90 minutes, replicating the final berth achieved by their female counterparts, the Black Princesses.

Ghana’s opponent in the men’s final football competition, Uganda, were ruthless in the semi-final encounter, beating their Congolese counterparts 4-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The final of the men’s football
competition will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.

Our coverage of the 13th African Games is brought to you by Bethel Logistics Co. Ltd. Bethel Logistics, Experts in Shipping Logistics.

Source: Ghana News Agency

13th African Games: World-record holder Oluwatobiloba cruises in 100m hurdle heats


Reigning women’s 100m hurdles record holder Amusan Oluwatobiloba finished first with a time of 13.03s in heat two of the women’s 100m hurdles.

Nigeria’s Amusan, who is also the reigning African Champion, was remarkable in her heat event as she dominated the race held at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana.

The two-time African Games champion was off her blocks in blistering fashion and never gave up her lead, with her opponents far behind.

The closest to her was Mozambique’s Guame Cecilia, who placed second with a time of 14.00s, while Ashley Tinashe grabbed the third automatic qualification spot.

Unfortunately for host Ghana, Mensah Doris couldn’t progress to the finals after she placed eighth with a time of 16.89s.

Amusan Oluwatobiloba looks a favourite to retain her crown in the finals events set for Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 17:30 GMT.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Veteran Highlife musician George Darko dies aged 73


Ghanaian Highlife legend George Darko has died at the age of 73. The news of the ‘Akoo te Brofo’ hitmaker emerged on Wednesday morning, with the cause of death still unknown.

Popular music producer Fred Kyei Mensah announced the death of George Darko and wrote this on Facebook, ‘I just heard of your demise this morning, legendary George Darko of ‘Ako te brofo fame. You blazed the trail in Ghana’s music with the introduction of Burger Highlife.

‘It was nice that I worked with you on a number of projects, especially the provision of a rehearsal place and instruments for your live performances. How are the mighty falling? He was the head of my wife’s family in the Akropong Osaebrom family. Rest well. Still, good beads don’t rattle,’ he wrote.

George Darko, who is often regarded as the ‘King of Highlife,’ was an amazing guitarist who brought a contemporary feel to Ghanaian Highlife music in the early 1980s.

The composer and songwriter helped form the popular Bus Stop Band but went solo in 1988, having release
d numerous albums. The Highlife circles have been dealt a huge blow with the recent passing away of another legend, KK Kabobo, last week.

Source: Ghana News Agency

NHIA working to curtail illegal payments in health facilities ?


The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is working to stop illegal payments, popularly known as ‘copayment’, charged to clients with the Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at some health facilities.?

The conduct by some health service providers, as alleged by clients, in charging for services covered by the NHIS deemed as co-payment was illegal, and the scheme has issued warning letters to some of them while working closely with stakeholders to abort the practice.

‘Some of our members have expressed concern that they still pay for some services covered by the NHIS,’ says Mr Mohammed Awudu, the District Director of the NHIA in charge of Talensi and Nabdam, Upper East Region.

‘…And we are working to stop those illegal payments that are happening at some of the hospitals because it is affecting our members.’

‘The agreement we have with the service providers is that under the benefit package, they should give us 100 per cent of the services that we have agreed with them, and under no circumstances should they cha
rge for any services we have contracted with them’.

Mr Awudu revealed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a data validation forum of research conducted by the Rural Initiative for Self-Empowerment Ghana in the Nabdam and Talensi districts.?

The research was to assess the utilisation of NHIS by pregnant women for Antenatal Care (ANC) services in the two districts.

Among the findings were that 17.3 per cent of pregnant women at Nabdam and 38.0 per cent at Talensi expressed concern over co-payments.

Also, 18.7 per cent in Nabdam and 5.3 per cent in Talensi were said to have limited knowledge of the NHIS policy coverage.

It revealed that 51.3 per cent of pregnant women in Nabdam and 33.3 per cent in Talensi were faced with the challenge of limited medicines using NHIS for antenatal care services.

More than half of the respondents (68.80%) were generally satisfied with services under the Scheme at Nabdam while 50 per cent at Talensi expressed satisfaction with accessing ANC se
rvices under the Scheme.

Mr Awudu said: ‘With regards to the limited knowledge on the NHIS policy coverage, what actually happens is that when we go to the community we carry out a holistic sensitisation and we don’t target only the pregnant women.’

‘What we do is that we sensitise the service providers, the midwives and the nurses who then educate the pregnant women during their ANC.’

He reiterated the Authority’s efforts at addressing the concerns and called on Ghanaians whose NHIS were inactive to renew while urging those yet to register to do so in order to enjoy the benefits.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ho-Dome Queen Mother donates to HTH Emergency Unit


Mama Attrato II, Queen Mother of Ho-Dome in the Volta Region, has donated some items to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Ho Teaching Hospital.

The donation, which included packs of soft drinks and bottled water, was a way to thank the doctors and nurses at the ward for their dedication to saving lives.

Mama Attrato told Ghana News Agency during the donation, that, the ward’s doctors and nurses played a crucial role in saving the lives of accident victims and other emergency patients.

She Noted that showing gratitude for their work was essential to inspiring them to keep giving their all in providing the public with high-quality healthcare services.

The medical professionals expressed their gratitude to the Queen Mother for acknowledging their efforts and providing support.

They promised to keep discharging their duties as effectively as possible to save lives.

Source: Ghana News Agency

POJOBA 2000-Year Group to construct Innovation Centre for alma mater


The 2000-Year Group Old Students of Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary (POJOBA 2000), has cut sod for the construction of a state-of-the-art Innovation Incubation Centre for their alma mater.

The Centre, to be built on the school’s campus in Koforidua, would be a two-storey complex, estimated to cost $250,000, and become a hub to nurture the entrepreneurship skills and talents of students.

It would host modernised facilities including a video conferencing room, digital library, Artificial Intelligence and coding centre, and a laboratory.

Mr Kojo Asante, President of the Year group, said the Centre would nurture students to be innovative and creative in their thinking, and build their entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills in science, technology, engineering and arts related fields.

‘We believe this will serve as a springboard in harnessing a new phase of Ghana’s human resource potentials towards national development with graduates of Pope John Secondary School and Junior Seminary dominati
ng the scene,’ he added.

Mr Asante said they decided to undertake the project as a group to equip the students with 21st century digital and technological education and training as well as change the phase of the school.

He said they had acquired 30 per cent of the funding capital for the project, and were hoping to complete the construction in 2025 to commemorate their 25th anniversary since leaving school.

‘The POJOBA 2000 Members will be keenly interested in the progress of this Project after today’s sod-cutting and will certainly scale up the financial muscle to complete this iconic edifice within the stipulated period,’ he said.

Reverend Father Benjamin Ohene, Headmaster of the School, commended the year group for the initiative, and committed the school’s authorities support to the project.

‘As a school we are delighted with the construction of this project which will not only bring benefits to students but teachers, also, who will have the opportunity to equip themselves with digital studies,’ he
added.

The Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary currently has a student population of 2,636 with 137 teaching and 76 non-teaching staff.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kosmos Innovation Centre signs MoU with CKT-UTAS


The Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Clement Kubindiwo Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) to nurture ‘Agripreneurs’.

A statement from the University’s Public Affairs Directorate, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said the MoU marked the commencement of partnership to support start-ups within the agriculture value chain.

Mr Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, the Executive Director of the KIC and Professor Samson Abah Abagale, the Acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the CKT-UTAS, in the company of Mr Gilbert Ansoglenang, the Acting Registrar, signed the MoU in Accra on March 18, 2024.

Prof Abagale, at the signing of the MoU, emphasized the importance of the initiative as it would primarily tackle post-harvest losses as one of its goals, the statement said.

‘It is widely known that in Northern Ghana, vegetables and perishable foods often spoil on the farms, therefore, we are committed to developing innovations that will extend the sh
elf life of these products,’ he was quoted as saying.

The statement said the partnership between the KIC and CKT-UTAS would help address youth unemployment as it would involve community members in the project and create employment opportunities.

It explained that at a Council Chamber meeting of the University on February 5, 2024, a proposal was presented to management of the University by a team of officials from the KIC, led by Mr Titus Michael Beyuoh, a Business Development Manager.

‘The team presented a plan to forge a partnership with CKT-UTAS to roll out some programmes focusing on the agriculture value chain within its catchment area and serve participants within the North East Region,’ the statement said.

The University’s management welcomed the proposal by the KIC team and discussions to initiate the implementation of the initiative on campus began, with the consideration to, among other things, encourage and empower women’s participation in the competition.

‘With this partnership now solidified,
the stage is set to run programmes such as the AgriTech Challenge Classic and Pro for participants to pitch their innovative ideas that will revolutionise the agriculture value chain,’ it said.

With the initiative, CKT-UTAS would join 15 other Universities and Colleges of Agriculture across the country in a competition aimed at cultivating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among individuals aged 18 to 35 with a passion for transforming the agricultural value-chain.

The choice of CKT-UTAS as the host institution for the ‘AgriTech Challenges’ was deliberate, considering its strategic positioning and capacity to also serve as a beacon of excellence for the North East Region, the statement said.

The participants in the challenge would not only vie for significant cash prizes, which ranged from US$10,000 to US$50,000, but also gain access to invaluable mentorship through an intensive incubation programme designed to nurture and scale their ventures.

Mr Beyuoh expressed confidence in CKT-UTAS’s abili
ty to drive meaningful change through the collaboration, saying ‘CKT-UTAS embodies the spirit of innovation and academic excellence.’

‘By participating in the AgriTech Challenge Classic and Pro programmes, we aim to empower a new generation of ‘Agripreneurs’ who will lead sustainable development in the Region and beyond.’

‘Thus far, what began as a proposal presentation in February has now evolved into a promising partnership between CKT-UTAS and KIC, set to empower young innovators and entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain through the establishment of an innovation centre on campus,’ it added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Use genuine motor oils to stop unwarranted particle build-ups


Mr Kohji Yanaka, Managing Director, Toyota Ghana Company Limited (TGCL), has urged car owners, especially users of Toyota cars, to desist from using unsuitable motor oil during servicing.

He said using motor oil unsuitable for Toyota vehicles created unwanted particle buildup in engines, causing engine oils to deteriorate faster and reducing the engine’s overall life.

The Managing Director said this during an engagement with stakeholders and the activation of its Genuine Motor Oil on the theme: ‘Nothing makes your Toyota happier than Toyota Genuine Motor Oil.’

Mr Yanaka said the engagement was to exchange ideas with stakeholders and learn better ways to improve their businesses for mutual benefits.

He said the lifeline of an automobile was clean lubrication, and that the longevity of one’s car’s engine was greatly assured when using a genuine engine oil recommended by the manufacturer.

The Managing Director said Toyota wanted its customers to keep their vehicles functioning optimally, so its Motor Oil wa
s specifically developed.

‘Since the introduction of the Genuine Motor Oil into the Ghanaian market, we have seen tremendous growth in its usage. However, we believe there are still more Toyota users who do not know about it,’ he said.

Mr Charles Aglago, Marketing Manager, TGCL, said this year the company aimed to expand its market to external channels through collaborative partnerships.

He said they would also expand the retail channel base through onboarding, run promotional campaigns to increase awareness and develop channel incentive programmes for retailers and distributors.

The Marketing Manager said the partnership with identifiable retailers within the market gave them the leverage to expand and reach the unreachable, stating that, ‘when you partner with Toyota Ghana, you become part of our big family of winners.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

We remain committed to ensuring access to safe water for children- World Vision


Ahead of the 2024 World Water Day celebration, World Vision Ghana has renewed its commitment to ensuring that every child has access to safe water.

Mr Joshua Baidoo, Director for Integrated Programmes of World Vision, Ghana, said Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) played an essential role in ensuring children enjoyed life to the fullest, hence the commitment.

Mr Baidoo was speaking at a press soiree organised by World Vision Ghana in Accra on Tuesday.

The event was for World Vision Ghana and media organisations to bond well and pool resources and expertise together to drive and accelerate community and national development.

He said World Vision Ghana understood the issues of WASH and had prioritised the provision of safe drinking water in its programming for decades.

‘ The communities we work in now have access to clean and safe drinking water, reducing the incidence of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhoea and cholera, which can sometimes lead to child mortality,’ he said.

Mr Baidoo commended the m
edia as a great partner in raising the voices of the most vulnerable children, their families and communities that were desperately in need of clean and safe drinking water.

The Director said two years ago, World Vision Ghana launched a five-year strategic plan designed to expand its outreach to 3.3 million most vulnerable children with life-saving development interventions.

They are WASH services, quality education, health, food and nutrition, livelihood and income generations, child protection as well as environmental restoration concepts for Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration principles.

He said the strategy named: ‘Accelerating our Commitment to the Most Vulnerable Children’ also entailed systems strengthening at the national and sub-national level to facilitate the effective delivery of essential services for children and their families.

He said the strategy outlined three technical programmes as pillars for achieving the strategic objectives.

These are Healthy, Environment and Wellness (HEAL); Rea
ding, Improvement and Skills Enhancement (RISE) and Livelihood Improvement and Family Empowerment (LIFE).

He expressed the hope that the meeting would strengthen the collaborative efforts with the media and showcase World Vision’s technical competence in the various sectors.

Mr Robe L. Wamisho, Technical Programme Manager, WASH, said 85,200 people in communities were provided with access to safe drinking water while providing 19 health facilities with improved water facilities on-site.

He said 56,492 people gained access to improved household sanitation facilities with 77 communities certified as Open Defecation Free.

‘…38 schools with a total population of 11, 981 pupils were provided with clean water on their school premises and 27 schools also received waste bins for effective waste management,’ he added.

He said 298 water and sanitation management teams and 44 WASH school clubs were formed with 631 faith leaders involved in WASH programme activities.

Mr Samuel Gmalu, Programme Manager, Humanitarian
and Emergency Affairs, said 8,000 Asylum Seekers and host community members were reached with humanitarian assistance through the Burkina Faso Asylum Seekers Emergency Response.

He said 85 partners were trained in peace-building and conflict sensitivity programmes in the Gushiegu and Karaga Areas.

Mr Maxwell Amedi, Programme Manager, Food Security and Livelihoods said 290 new Saving for Transformation (S4T) Groups comprising 6,133 members caring for 15,394 children were formed and trained.

He said 4,792 Saving Group members were trained in financial literacy skills while training 1,072 individuals in additional livelihoods, including beekeeping, Shea, and groundnut processing was ongoing.

He said the LIFE technical programme sought to build and maintain peaceful, inclusive, and cohesive families and communities to promote love and justice for one million vulnerable children by 2025.

Mr Sasu Brako, Acting Programme Manager, RISE, said 4,2652 children were participating in unlock literacy interventions acr
oss World Vision Ghana’s programming areas.

He said 32,450 learners from kindergarten to primary three were reached with improved literacy instruction in 264 schools with 360 early childhood teachers and early grade teachers receiving in-service training in unlock literacy and learning roots methodology.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana records 2.9% GDP growth in 2023


Ghana’s economy grew 2.9 per cent growth in 2023 lower than to 3.8 per cent recorded in 2022, the Ghana Statistical Service said on Wednesday.

The Statistical Service indicated that the last quarter of 2023, recorded the highest real GDP growth rate, which was 3.8 per cent, the same growth rate recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In terms of nominal values, GSS noted that the country’s GDP, including Oil and Gas estimate at constant 2013 prices for the fourth quarter of 2023 was GHS50,645.7 million (about 50 billion) compared to GHS48,796.8 million (about 48bn) in the fourth quarter of 2022.

On sectoral basis, the services sector recorded the highest growth of 5.1 per cent, followed by the agriculture sector at 4.5 per cent, while industry sector recorded a GDP growth of 1.6 per cent.

The Statistical Service noted that this was the first time in about 11 years that four of the 22 sub-sectors (Crops; Trade, Repair of Vehicles and Household Goods; Mining and Quarrying and Manufacturing) have accounted f
or more than 50 percent of Ghana’s GDP.

Meanwhile, Ms Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has challenged the government to work towards achieving a five per cent GDP growth.

‘What we want to see is a dynamic economy; we want to see Ghana back to a five per cent growth or more, and we believe that this is achievable,’ she said, during a media engagement with some selected journalists in Accra.

Source: Ghana News Agency