Day: May 6, 2024

Habib Munkaila, a 33-year-old man, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for defrauding a trader of GHC120,000.

Munkaila is alleged to have collected the money under the pretext of changing it into 6,855,000 CFA Francs but failed.

Charged with defrauding by false pretences and dealing in foreign exchange without license, Munkaila has pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah has admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GHC100,000 with three sureties.

The matter has been adjourned to May 7, 2024.

Inspector Shiela Tetteh, who held brief, narrated that the complainant Cecilia Ahemah is a trader who ply her trade between Accra and Lome.

Prosecution said Munkaila was a foreign exchange dealer who operated on the ‘black market ‘at Tudu.

The prosecutor told the court that in September 2023, the complainant needed CFA Francs to purchase goods from Lome in Togo.

According to prosecution, the complainant contacted the accused person who assured her that he could change
the money for her.

Prosecution said the complainant gave Munkaila an amount of GHc120,000, equivalent to 6,855,000 CFA Francs.

After a week, the prosecution said the complainant went to the accused person to collect the money so she could travel to Lome to purchase her goods.

Prosecution said the accused person told the complainant to proceed to Lome and that he had transferred the money to one Mohammed in Lome to be given to her.

On reaching Lome, the complainant met Mohammed who told her that he has not received any money from Munkaila.

Prosecution said the complainant returned to Accra and Munkaila informed her that there was shortage of CFA Francs on the market, and that he had given the money to one of his clients to get the CFA Francs within one week.

The court heard that the accused person failed to give the complainant the money as promised and kept postponing the delivery date.

Prosecution said the complainant after waiting for six weeks, reported the matter to the Police and the accused perso
n was arrested.

The court was told that the accused person during investigation stated that he had invested the money into a business but declined to disclose the said business to the Police.

Prosecution said the accused person refunded GHC30,000 to the Police which had since been released to the complainant.

The prosecution said during police investigations, it became known that the accused person did not have a license to trade in Foreign Exchange.

Source: Ghana News Agency

 New restaurants, offices and shopping centres in England will be required to provide single-sex toilets under changes to the law ministers say will ‘alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns.’

Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said the move will end ‘the rise of so-called ‘gender-neutral’ mixed sex toilet spaces, which deny privacy and dignity to both men and women.’

The legislation will mean that new non-domestic buildings must install separate toilet facilities for men and women, or, if there is not enough space, self-contained universal toilets, which are a fully-enclosed toilet room containing a sink and hand dryer.

Ministers said a consultation on the proposals showed 81% agreed with the intention for separate single-sex lavatories, while 82% agreed with the intention to provide additional universal toilets where space allows.

The regulations will also apply to businesses and hospitality venues undertaking ‘major refurbishment.’

There will be exemptions for schools, residential homes
and premises used mainly for early years provision.

In schools, separate toilets for boys and girls aged eight years and over must already be provided.

Last week, Badenoch appeared to suggest gender-neutral toilets at a school could see young girls avoiding using those shared facilities and ending up with urinary tract infections.

It came after Health Secretary Victoria Atkins announced plans to overhaul the NHS Constitution, ensuring hospital patients in England have the right to request to be treated on single-sex wards, with transgender people placed in rooms on their own.

In a statement about the new legislation, Badenoch said: ‘These regulations will guide organizations to design unisex and single-sex toilets, ending the rise of so-called ‘gender-neutral’ mixed sex toilet spaces, which deny privacy and dignity to both men and women.

‘Today’s announcement will also create better provision for women so that our particular biological, health and sanitary needs are met.

‘This is following our work last
week limiting the use of mixed-sex wards in the NHS and demonstrates how this government is committed to ensuring single-sex spaces are protected for all.’

Housing Minister Lee Rowley said: ‘We know all members of society value safety, privacy and dignity, and this new legislation will help ensure the right facilities are in place for everyone.

‘It is vital that new buildings, particularly in public spaces, are serving the community with the right toilet provision.’

Mermaids, a transgender youth support charity, said in response to government proposals: ‘In order to ensure ‘everyone is served fairly’, and that everyone can feel comfortable using public toilet facilities, not only are gender-specific facilities in which trans people can feel safe in using vital, but gender-neutral facilities are also greatly necessary to ensure non-binary people’s experiences with toilet facilities are one of comfort.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has convicted a 30-year-old student for issuing a dud cheque with the face value GHC50,000.00 to the Customer Service Manager of Goil.

Henry Ulsen Alibah, pleaded guilty, and he was convicted accordingly but sentence was deferred till May 9, 2024.

The Court presided over by Mr Isaac Oheneba Kuffour gave the convict the chance to effect payment in lieu of restitution.

Meanwhile, he has been remanded into Police custody till May 9, 2024, for sentence.

Police Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah told the Court that Mr Michelle Frimpong Darbah, complainant, was the Customer Service Manager at GOIL PLC Head office at Accra whilst Alibah, the convict was a student.

He said on December 6, 2023, Aliba went to the head office of the complainant in Accra and registered for a GO-CARD, which he registered for an amount of GHC50,000.00 to be credited on the said card.

Chief Inspector Ofori-Appiah said on February 08, 2024, the convict issued Zenith Bank Ghana Limited’s cheque with the face valu
e of GHC50,000.00 to be withdrawn on February 13, 2024.

He said on February 12, 2024, the said card was duly credited as requested by the convict.

Prosecution said on February 13, 2024, when the complainant presented the said cheque to the above-mentioned bank, the cheque was dishonoured on the ground that the Aliba did not have enough funds in his account.

The Court heard that complainant reported the case to Police which led to the arrest of Alibah.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Training Centre will beginning June 2024 commence a new Youth Apprenticeship Programme as part of measures to reduce unemployment.

According to the centre, this programme is designed to equip young Ghanaians aged 16 to 25 with essential electrical engineering and energy management skills to foster self-employment and support the state’s mission to reduce youth unemployment.

This was in a press release issued by the communications department of the centre and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

The Youth Apprenticeship Programme, it stated, was strategically developed to provide hands-on training and real-world experience in electrical systems, renewable energy technologies, and smart grid applications.

‘By focusing on practical skills and industry knowledge, the programme aims to prepare participants not only to enter the workforce but to innovate within it, potentially starting their own businesses in the energy sector.’

It noted that the 12-weekend programme wa
s a direct response to the growing need for job creation and skill development among Ghana’s youth.

It said with rising unemployment affecting young individuals across the nation, the ECG Training Centre was stepping forward to offer a solution that not only addressed immediate employment needs but also a foundation for sustainable development and innovation in one of Ghana’s most critical sectors.

Meanwhile, Mr. Godfred Mensah, the Director of the ECG Training Centre, said the Youth Apprenticeship Programme was not just about teaching young people to be electricians but rather empowering them to be pioneers of their future and of the energy sector.

He added that they were committed to providing a platform for creativity, entrepreneurship, and growth among the youth.

The participants in the programme would benefit from the expertise of seasoned professionals and access to state-of-the-art facilities at the ECG Training Centre, as well as receive a certificate and support in entrepreneurial ventures and sk
ills for the job market within the sector.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bishop Dr. Richard Owusu Akyeaw, Founder and General overseer of the Living Grace Ministries, has donated assorted items to the Compassion of love home at Yawhima in the Sunyani East Municipality.

The donation forms part of the Bishop’s 60th birthday celebration to thank God for the opportunity to live despite all the physical and spiritual challenges encountered in life.

The items include oil, rice, and provisions, toiletries, clothes, drinks, and sachets of water.

Presenting the items, Bishop Akyeaw said the underprivileged in the society must feel they were loved and not neglected.

He said the poor and the vulnerable needed to be improved to become part of the society, adding that with the Grace and Mercy given to him by God, he saw it necessary to reciprocate by being generous to share the joy and everything with the needy.

Bishop Akyeaw expressed praise to God for giving him a chance to live up to 60 years and was hopeful to live longer to fulfil all his given abilities.

The General overseer was gr
ateful to the church for their support and their persistent encouragement in all his endeavour to become a great and useful pastor in the society

He urged all to be humble in life so that God would elevate them with greatness and long life and advise the society to always put a smile on the face of those deprived by seeking for their spiritual and physical well-being in the communities.

Madam Charlotte Osei, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the home, expressed gratitude to the Bishop and the church for such kindness and wished him healthy and long life.

The 60 years celebration started with worship night on Friday, dinner on Saturday and followed with thanksgiving service on Sunday at the living statuary auditorium.

Source: Ghana News Agency

 Chad holds a presidential election on Monday meant to end three years of military administration and usher in democracy, but which instead appears likely to solidify the interim president’s grip on power.

General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno – who seized power in 2021, suspended the constitution, and was installed as the president of the Transitional Military Council – is the favourite among the 10 candidates.

The 40-year-old became the central African nation’s leader when his father, who had repressively ruled Chad since 1990, died from wounds suffered on the front line as he visited troops in the north battling rebels.

The vast country of around 19 million people has never experienced a peaceful transfer of power since its independence from its former colonial power France in 1960.

Déby promised that his presidency was only a temporary placeholder until Chad had transitioned to a new democratic government. But he has crushed opposition demonstrations, and voters and observers alike doubt that the election
will be fair.

Chad, the fifth largest country in Africa and the fourth poorest in the world is located at an important crossroads in the heart of Africa.

It has also been an important Western ally in a volatile part of the world.

Chad borders Sudan and its Darfur region, which was wracked by ethnic slaughter 20 years ago. Observers say the risk of Sudan’s current civil war, which has been raging for over a year, is at high risk of spiralling into a new genocide in Darfur. More than 600,000 people have fled from Sudan to eastern Chad, with more arriving every day.

To the west and south, the country borders Niger and Nigeria, where Islamist terrorist militias are active. Meanwhile, fighting with rebels from neighbouring Libya is smouldering in the Sahara in the north.

While other military rulers in the region have severed ties with France, Déby retains a relationship with Paris. Last year, France withdrew troops from Niger engaged in anti-terrorist operations and relocated them to Chad.

However, Déby’s vi
sit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in January and a recent letter to Washington questioning the legality of the US military presence in Chad caused a stir.

Preliminary election results are to be released on May 21.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A 19-year-old, Mensah Kwaku Sey, resident of Dambai Lakeside, was reportedly shot dead on Sunday, May 5, following clashes between the police and irate youth at Dambai, the Municipal capital of Krachi East, Oti Region.

Mr Francis Gesaloge Boyesah Okoro, a resident in the community, alleged that the police, who were on night patrol, went to the area to arrest some ‘ghetto’ youth, ‘who were smoking hard drugs at the time.’

He said the youth resisted arrest, which degenerated into chaos with warning shots fired, as a result of which Sey was hit by a stray bullet, and died later at the hospital.

Mr Emmanuel Atali, the Assembly member of Dambai Lakeside, who confirmed the altercation between the police and the youth, said he heard a gunshot on Sunday evening around 2000 hours and followed up to see the deceased on the floor in a pool of blood.

He said he went to report officially at the police station and the body was later taken to the Worawora Hospital for preservation.

That triggered fear in the community
as both residents and pedestrians ran for cover.

Two motorbikes belonging to the police officers were destroyed at the scene by some of the irate youth.

The police have arrested two persons to assist in investigations.

Meanwhile, the police at the Divisional and Regional Commands were tight-lipped on the incident when the Ghana News Agency visited the station to verify the reports.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly has promulgated and gazetted by-laws to guide and regulate the conduct of its residents regarding issues that are peculiar to the area, and for which national laws do not provide clear directions.

The by-laws, which are in line with the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), proscribe acts such as open defecation, building without latrines, building without permit, abuse of children, child labour, children not in school amongst other issues.

People who fall foul of the provisions of the by-laws, are to face punitive sanctions such as either fines or terms of imprisonment, or both.

Mr Issahaku Arimeyaw Somo Lucky Basintale, West Mamprusi Municipal Chief Executive, speaking during the launch of the by-laws at Walewale in the North East Region, said the by-laws were to ensure sanity and discipline in the development of the area.

The launch event, which also served as a platform to create awareness on the by-laws, was attended by traditional authorities, Assembly Members, o
pinion leaders, development partners amongst other members of society.

This is the first time the Assembly promulgated and gazetted by-laws, and it received support from development partners such as Global Communities, Catholic Relief Services, Plan International Ghana, BRAVEAURORA, and UNICEF to do it.

Mr Basintale said: ‘The nonexistence of the by-laws has in many ways militated the efforts of the Assembly to ensure compliance with development controls particularly issues related to sanitation and hygiene practices by communities and the population within the municipality since the laws establishing the Assemblies do not provide adequately for matters related to sanitation and hygiene among others in the municipality.’

He said the by-laws promulgated and gazetted by the Assembly had adequate and punitive measures to ensure that people who fell foul of its provisions were not left off the hook.

He said ‘It is important for me to note that we do understand that because this is the first of its kind, we ne
ed to ensure that we create awareness among the population in the municipality before the by-laws are enforced and we cannot do that without those of you we have brought here today.’

He added that the Assembly would intensify education on the by-laws through the media and reach out to communities to inform and educate them, saying ‘These steps we are taking are to ensure that we do not leave any room for people to find excuse on the basis of ignorance of the by-laws.’

Mr Basintale expressed appreciation to the development partners for their support and said they supported the Assembly right from the conception of the idea to gazetting the document.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, an Economist, has urged the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to implement medium-to-long-term strategies that will sustain Ghana’s macroeconomic stability and inspire market confidence.

The measures, the professor of finance at the University of Ghana, said, should transcend the implementation of the current US$3 billion loan-support programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

That, he said, would ensure a long-term sustainability of the Cedi from free fall against its major trading currency, the Dollar, and keep inflation within a band that would spur economic growth and stability.

His recommendation follows the recent appreciable containment of the depreciation of the Cedi against its major trading currency, the Dollar, and taming of inflation.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Prof Bokpin lauded the Central Bank for its role in the country’s economic recovery, but noted that the macroeconomic gains being witnessed so far was not strong.

Professor Godfre
d Alufar Bokpin

Prior to securing the IMF loan-support programme, Ghana’s inflation stood at 54.1 per cent in December 2022, but reduced to 23.2 per cent in December 2023, before increasing to 25.8 per cent as of March 2024.

The Cedi February 2023 had seen a cumulative depreciation of nine per cent between February and December 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said during the presentation of the 2024 State of the Nation in February.

However, Prof Bokpin said, the time had come for the Central Bank to have a deep reflection, and begin to fashion out a medium-to-long-term strategy that ensured macroeconomic credibility and trust beyond an IMF programme.

‘The gains made so far is quite fragile, so we must work hard to consolidate it beyond the expiration of the IMF programme by being disciplined and efficient with our expenditure as we’re in an election year,’ he recommended.

Prof Bokpin also called for structural reforms that would guarantee the independence of the Central Bank, citing cases whe
re the Bank opposed some government decisions, yet it had to succumb to government pressure.

‘From the COVID-19 pandemic era, the pronouncement of the Governor showed signals to the market that he was not happy with the way the fiscal side was intruding into the monetary side of the economy, but he succumbed to that political cannibalisation,’ he said.

He also stated that the Central Bank expressed a strong disapproval of the haircut under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and fought against it during the 2023 spring meetings.

Nonetheless, the Bank had no choice than to sacrifice its balance sheet, leading to the BoG suffering a 50 per cent haircut on government’s debt, something the Bank said it did ‘to save the economy from collapsing’.

‘The Central Bank must be bold in saying that the fiscal side is messing us up; when they admit and speak truth to power, without fearing that they’ll be fired, this country will begin to have a turn for good,’ Prof Bokpin said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some women at Kulkpong, a community in the Wa East District, have expressed the hope of gaining improved economic fortunes through a shea project being implemented by the Ghana Chamber of Shea.

The Chamber is piloting the shea project in the Kulkpong community to train women on improved processing of the commodity and link them to the market as an alternative source of livelihood and income for the women.

Madam Awsatu Musah, who participated in the training at the weekend, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she burnt charcoal to sell to earn a living because she had no other alternative livelihood, particularly in the dry off-season.

She expressed the hope that she would produce quality shea butter to gain some income through which she would take care of her children.

‘I have seen that what they taught us today is different from how I used to do it and I hope that at the end of the training, I will be able to produce good shea butter and to get good market,’ she said.

Madam Mufida Marzoni, another par
ticipant, said though many women in that community picked shea nuts, they were not able to process them and expressed optimism that the training would enable them to process the shea rather than selling the nuts.

‘If we form the cooperative, and with the training and the support that we will get from the project, we can process the shea nuts in bulk and sell. With that, we can earn a decent livelihood. The training will help us a lot,’ she explained.

Mr Sumaila Chakura, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Shea, told the GNA that the project aimed to empower rural women to use shea as a tool to elevate their economic status.

It would help to form women cooperatives in the project communities, empower them with the skills and knowledge to produce good quality shea butter and link them to markets.

The Chamber would also seek support from donors to support the cooperatives with equipment for shea picking and processing for the women to add value to increase their profits instead of just
picking and selling the nuts, Mr Chakura said.

‘It is through value addition that they can actually make more money, and their economic status can improve,’ he added.

As the Chamber sought to provide a market for the women to sell the shea products, it would ensure that those buying had value for their money, he said.

The project also sought to create a shea plantation in the communities its success would discourage the women from felling shea trees to burn charcoal.

He encouraged the women to see shea processing as a business and not just an activity for survival.

Mr Abdul Hamid Adams, the CEO of Tondar Ventures, a shea butter processing company in the region, took the women through the safety measures and best practices for shea kennel picking and processing.

He encouraged the women to add value to the shea butter such as the production of soap and body cream, which could fetch them more money.

Ms Portia Dumba, the Founder of Pordu Care Enterprise, a producer of shea butter cream, taught the particip
ants how to form and manage cooperatives.

She said working in cooperatives would help improve their businesses, enhance their bargaining power and networking for their personal and community development.

The ‘Empowering Rural Women through Quality Shea Processing’ project is being implemented by the Ghana Chamber of Shea in partnership with NoniHub, Tondar Ventures, Inspired Legacy, Pordu Care and Nelias Foods.

Source: Ghana News Agency