Day: May 13, 2024

Teacher unions at the pre-tertiary level of education in the Eastern Region have announced plans to demonstrate against the government’s failure to address the concerns of their members and improve their conditions of service.

The unions are seeking to draw attention to concerns about salary levels, working conditions, and overall support for teachers to push for meaningful change and ensure that Ghanaian teachers are respected and adequately compensated.

The unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana.

They intend to deliver a petition to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, on May 15, 2024, during the demonstration.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Peter Danquah Kpakpo-Atsem, the Eastern Regional GNAT Secretary said about 200 teachers were expected to participate in the protest.

‘The demonstration is scheduled on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 08:
30 hours to 11:00 hours.

The converging point for the participants is at the SIC building through B Foster traffic light, central market, the municipal assembly and to the minister’s office,’ he outlined.

He said the police have been duly informed per the Public Order Act 1994 (act 491), which provides for the maintenance of public order, and related purposes.

On May 6, 2024, the Eastern Regional Teacher Unions at the pre-tertiary level held a news conference in Koforidua to outline the grievances of teachers and called on their employer, the government, to respond to concerns about their allowances.

The unions added that although they were faced with a lot of challenges and had previously negotiated 17 concerns, they had now reduced their concerns to four in the hope that the employer would address them promptly.

However, in recent years, the Government has failed to either address or respond to their requests as they rightly deserve.

Therefore, they gave the Government until May 13, 2024, to address t
heir concerns.

Should the government fail to do so, according to the unions they would take their next action.

The news conference followed a first strike action of teachers on March 20, 2024, which was called off with the hope that their employer would address their concerns.

However, the Government failed to show interest in the issues raised by not addressing or responding to them.

Therefore, the scheduled demonstration is aimed at further drawing attention to these issues.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Police Service has expressed concern over isolated violations of the law in several Voter Registration Centres during the ongoing Limited Voter Registration exercise.

It has thus advised the public to comply with the regulations guiding the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

‘We would like to caution the public to exercise maximum restraint and act in accordance with the laws governing the registration process,’ a statement issued and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs said.

It condemned the unfortunate incidents that occurred in some registration centres, including Cape Coast, Central Region, Kukuom, Ahafo Region and Adugyama, Ashanti Region.

The Police said they made several arrests as investigations continued.

The statement reminded the public that registration was a civic responsibility that ought to be handled civilly.

It warned that the Police would not accept any contempt for the law and that any person(s) who committed su
ch acts would face appropriate consequences.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Police, with the assistance of the New Juaben South Municipal Electoral Commission, have apprehended two students for attempting to register for the voter’s identification card a second time during the 2024 Limited Voter Registration exercise.

Mr. Kofi Asante-Owusu, the New Juaben South Municipal Registration Supervisor for the 2024 Limited Voter Registration, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency that two students- a male and a female-were arrested for attempting to register for the voter’s ID card a second time.

He said it was easy to detect such attempts through online registration, as opposed to manual methods used in past years.

Despite internet challenges interrupting the registration process, he said 658 persons had been registered so far.

He said recruited officials to oversee the registration process numbered 12 consisting of two stationed teams, one mobile team and two technicians.

The two teams and the mobile team included two registration supervisors, three registration officers, three data
entry clerks and two laminators.

According to Mr. Asante-Owusu, registrants were of good behaviour and observed the registration process rules making the work easy and smooth.

Mr. Benjamin Amankwah, Electoral Officer and the 2024 Registration Supervisor of the Akuapim South Municipality said a total of 238 were registered from May 7 to May 9, 2024.

He said the first three days were tough as the system for online registration was interrupted due to network challenges.

Efforts by the Ghana News Agency to obtain the overall regional tally of registrants from the Eastern Regional Electoral Commission from May 7 to May 9, 2024, as well as details on the recruitment of officers for the 2024 Voter Identification registration, were unsuccessful.

Nonetheless, recent reports indicated that the initial challenges that faced the system had been rectified, raising hopes for uninterrupted registration procedures in the following days.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Cape Coast Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has commended GCB Bank PLC (GCB Bank) for the recent support towards the Kwaman Methodist School in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District of the Central Region.

This was communicated through a letter issued by the Cape Coast Diocese on behalf of the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana to the Bank.

On the 4th of April, 2024, GCB Bank handed over to the Kwaman Methodist School, a newly constructed 4-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities.

In addition to the classroom block, the Bank also handed over a library, two overhead water tanks, refurbished washrooms and computers with accessories to the School which has a population of over 280 students and 10 teachers.

The letter from the Methodist Church’s Cape Coast Diocese conveyed the ‘Church’s profound gratitude to you (GCB Bank) for the construction and the handover of the four-unit classroom block and ancillary for the Methodist School at Kwaman, as part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Resp
onsibility (CSR).

The Methodist Church believes in the total development of the child which education plays a key role in. The Church appreciates your contributions and asks God to bless you.’

With a mission to serve communities throughout Ghana and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Methodist Church Ghana is a dynamic, inclusive, and varied Christian organisation.

With a rich history spanning close to two centuries, the Church is unwavering in its commitment to advance social justice, spiritual development, and holistic growth.

GCB Bank’s generous donation, therefore aligns with the Church’s education agenda and significantly enhances the capacity of the Methodist Church to impact the lives of the people of Kwaman through quality education.

The remarkable commitment of GCB Bank to improving communities around Ghana is noteworthy in an era where CSR is increasingly vital.

As Ghana’s leading indigenous bank, GCB Bank used this as another opportunity to reaffirm its dedication to providing communiti
es with amenities and services that contribute to an improved standard of living. 

Commenting on the donation, Mr. Emmanuel Odartey Lamptey, GCB Bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Operations, said that ‘GCB Bank’s support to the Kwaman Methodist School which was setup by the Methodist Church Ghana is a prime

illustration of what can be achieved when organisations work together towards the shared objective of enhancing societal well-being. It is through cooperative endeavours like these that significant and enduring impact can be achieved.’

Through a host of education focused initiatives aimed at fostering academic excellence, expanding financial literacy, and enhancing educational facilities, GCB Bank has had an impact on Ghana’s educational system.

The initiatives ranging from donations, construction and refurbishment of educational facilities, provision of scholarships, sponsorship of educational programmes have contributed to the development of Ghana’s education system.

The beneficiaries in recent times
include Bomaa Roman Catholic Junior High School, Acherensua Senior High School, Teshie Presby Senior High, University of Development studies, University of Health and Allied Sciences and University of Cape Coast.

Since it was established in 1953, the Bank has been identified as a systemic bank that has made substantial contributions to Ghana’s development across a number of industries, including trade, agriculture, oil and gas, and others.

With regard to its CSR activities, the Bank is guided by its four CSR pillars, which deliver environmental contribution, social contribution, economic contribution, and governance contributions.

The Bank’s choice of selected areas to implement CSR programs are informed by its philosophy of making a meaningful and measurable impact in the lives of economically, physically, and socially challenged communities of the country with emphasis on areas or communities the Bank has an operational presence.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Defence for Children International-Ghana (DCI), an organisation committed to the promotion of the rights of children, has organised a refresher training for girls and young women in Kumasi.

The training, which focused on the re-entry policy for teenage mothers as well as time diary and community scorecard tools, formed parts of the ‘She Leads Project’, being implemented by DCI-Ghana in partnership with other community-based organisations.

‘She Leads Project’ is a five-year initiative with a strategic objective to increase the sustained influence of girls and young women in decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.

In line with the objectives of the project, the refresher training also sought to equip participants to promote the rights of girls and young women and their inclusion in leadership and decision-making processes.

Participants were drawn from all the implementing districts as well as partner organisations, including Rights and Responsibilities
Initiatives Ghana (RRIG), and Erudite Women Empowerment Foundation (EWEF).

Among the topics discussed were the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, Equitable distribution of household chores, Registration of minors during voter registration, and the Protection of girls during political party campaigns.

Some selected participants expressed their views on these topics as a panel by highlighting challenges facing girls and young women in society.

They proffered various solutions and strategies that could be adopted to protect girls and young women and also amplify their voices in decision-making at all levels.

They unanimously called for deliberate policies that promote inclusivity and participation of women, the marginalised and the vulnerable to ensure no one was left behind in the development agenda as a country.

Ms. Vivian Boateng, Project Officer for DCI-Ghana, said the training was a routine exercise held periodically under the ‘She Leads Project’ to empower girls to actively participate in decisio
n-making.

She said the goal was to build their confidence to be able to step forward and contribute to issues that go into decisions at all levels of development.

‘We want to change the narratives about how girls are overburdened with household chores while their male counterparts have the luxury of time to attend to their books,’ she noted.

She underlined the need for women to be given equal opportunities to reach their potential so they could contribute meaningfully to national development.

Ms. Boateng encouraged the media to advocate for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, which she believed would fundamentally address most of the issues hindering the progress of women.

Madam Aba Oppong, the Executive Director of RRIG, who took the participants through the re-entry policy for teenage mothers, explained that having sex with a girl below 16 years was defilement even when it was consensual per the Children’s Act.

She called for a review of the re-entry policy to address the gaps identified after
seven years of implementation.

According to her, despite parents committing to bring back their wards after they got pregnant, most of them failed to return to school.

As part of the review, she proposed the construction of facilities where teenage mothers could keep their children while in school, saying that most parents were not ready to take care of their grandchildren to allow the girls to go to school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Three police officers have been interdicted for failure to carry out their duties professionally during the ongoing Limited Voter Registration Exercise.

The affected officers are Inspector Michael Addo, General Constables Eric Boakye and Michael Gyan.

According to a police report, on May 11, 2024, the trio failed to perform their duties as security officers at the Electoral Commission Office in Adugyama, Ashanti, when some people attempted to disrupt the ongoing Limited Voter Registration Exercise.

It said that the interdicted policemen would be subjected to the appropriate disciplinary process of the Police Service.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, a Research Scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), says at the time the alleged sample of Cocoa Nti was delivered for testing, he was not in the institution’s employment. 

He told an Accra High Court that he never worked on the Cocoa Nti fertiliser as a scientist of the Soil Science Division of CRIG. 

Mr Dogbatse, a subpoenaed witness for Mr Seidu Agongo, was speaking in his further cross-examination in the trial, involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, led by Mr Samuel Cudjoe. 

Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act. 

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognizance bail each. 

He said he was not part of any team that worked on the scientific report on Cocoa Nti sent to COCOBOD, but rather he only
reviewed the report.

The witness confirmed the statement of Dr Alfred Arthur, a Prosecution witness, which indicated that he received a verbal communication from Dr Adu-Ampomah, a former Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in Charge of Agronomy and Quality Control to receive 30 bags of Cocoa Nti in 2013.

‘As to whether Dr Adu-Ampomah gave the directive for Dr Arthur to receive 30 bags of Cocoa Nti for test in 2013, l am not aware,’ he added.

He confirmed to the Court that he did not apologize personally to the Committee to investigate the unauthorized testing of Cocoa Nti because he was not part of the team that allegedly tested the fertilizer. 

The witness said he advised Dr Arthur to apologise if it had come out that the product was not tested.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National President, Retired Army Navy and Air Force Officers Association (RANAO), retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulhafeez Adewuyi, said the association has made progress in enhancing the welfare of its members.

Adewuyi said this at a news conference to mark the association’s 36th National Annual General Meeting (NAGM), on Monday in Abuja.

He said the decision to form the association was informed by the situation the pensioners found themselves in the 70s and late 80s.

According to him, once an officer retired from service, he goes into oblivion. Nothing is ever heard of him again.

‘Those who had health challenges died without any idea on how to seek help. It was like ‘to your tents O Israel’.

‘The objective of forming RANAO Association where officers come together, once every month to discuss issues affecting their welfare has been substantially achieved.

‘It has continued to foster the spirit of togetherness, espirit de corps, brotherhood and camaraderie.

‘Retired officers who spent a better part of their y
outhful life in the military use it to recharge their batteries,’ he said.

Adewuyi said the association organised into three tiers of administration, had its national headquarter in Abuja with seven zonal headquarters similar to the six Geopolitical Zones of the federation and FCT.

He said the former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, had described RANAO as an outstanding organisation that every retired military officer would aspire to join with pride.

According to him, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, confirmed that his pension was enhanced through the effort of RANAO and regretted he had not joined the association.

‘Today, we are here essentially to conduct the association’s 36th NAGM.

‘It is a culmination of all activities of the association, ranging from Chapter, Zonal and HQs activities, RANAO Day celebration, PSOs Meeting, BOT implements in the Association activities and so on.

‘NAGM fosters the reflection and loyalty that you feel for people with whom you have spent the b
etter part of your life,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Department of Development Control, FCT Administration (FCTA) has served 24-hour demolition notices to operators of illegal markets and shanties along Karmo – Dei-Dei Road corridor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 500 illegal structures and shanties, sitting on the road corridor have been marked for demolition.

Mr Garba Jibril, the Sector Monitor and Assistant Director in the department who led the exercise in Abuja on Monday, said that the affected owners have been served with several notices.

Jibril added that the Director of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, had held a sensitisation meeting with the stakeholders.

He explained that demolishing the illegal structures was necessary because they constituted nuisance on the road in addition to heavy traffic, especially on their market days.

He added that their activities were equally emitting environmental hazards, which the FCT Administration frowned at.

The team lead also disclosed that the FCTA had awarded a contract for t
he construction of Life Camp – Dei-Dei Road.

He, however, said that the traders’ continuous stay on the road corridor was preventing the contractors from moving to site.

According to him, the 24-hour notice is not to be played with and those who refused to comply will have themselves to blame.

He also said that the traders have been asked to move to the designated market called Karmo Market, adding that the market was fully developed and equipped with necessary facilities.

‘But the traders have been reluctant to move.

‘We have had several meetings with the relevant stakeholders including traditional leaders in the area to get them to move but they remained adamant.

‘We equally held a meeting with the traders and the new market operators, who promised to give the traders some incentives to be able to accommodate them in both the informal and the main shops.

‘We are hoping that after the demolition, there will be a successful relocation from the road corridor to the main market.

‘This will not only main
tain a serene environment, but also ensure free flow of traffic in the area,’ Jibril said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, says there is need to keep adversaries in the dark in planning and launch of operations to protect troops from harm during operations.

Nandap said this at the opening of the Leadership Course in Operations Security and Force Protection 3 (LCOSFP3), organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), on Monday in Abuja.

She was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in Charge of Human Resource Management, NIS, Mr George Didel, at the event.

According to her, in today’s complex security environment, achieving those objectives is more important than ever.

She said that synergy between security agencies and the military was not just about rhetoric but recognising that their collective efforts were necessary to achieve their shared goals of protecting the nation and its citizens.

The NIS boss said the Nigerian Army and NIS have a critical role to play in the effort to secure the country and pledged the commitment of NIS to play
complementary role in securing the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

She said there were immigration personnel serving in the Joint Task Force combatting insurgency, adding that protecting the lives of the personnel was a fundamental obligation.

‘We recognise the risks they face, and are dedicated to supporting them in every way possible.

‘By keeping our borders safe from indiscriminate entry of all who may constitute adversaries and pose a threat to Nigeria, we are also protecting the lives of our personnel and ensuring that they can carry out their duties effectively.

‘We will continue to work tirelessly to prevent the influx of individuals who may seek to compromise our National Security.

‘I encourage each participant to approach this course with an open mind, willingness to learn, and commitment to excellence.

‘By the end of this course, participants will be better equipped to keep our adversaries in the dark, protect our personnel, and defend our territorial integrity and citizens,’ she said.

Dire
ctor General of NARC, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, said the course was meant to bring practitioners from different services, agencies and organisations to understand their various strengths and weaknesses.

Wahab said the objective of the course was to ensure that when personnel from different agencies meet on the field it would be easier to collaborate, cooperate and work as a team.

According to him, it is about networking, socialising, getting to know each other, getting to know strengths and weaknesses and working as a team.

He said the large of participants in the third edition was the feedback that the previous editions had great impact on the personnel who participated.

According to him, the participants are drawn from the military and various security agencies as well as one or two private security organisation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria