Day: June 4, 2024

Mr Thomas Fynn, a world-renowned and ace Ghanaian photographer, is in California, United States, to showcase the culture of Ghana and Africa to the world.

His photographic exhibition, dubbed ‘Spirit Possession: Celebration of Ghanaian faces, African Culture and Heritage,’ features diverse themes from ancient historic monuments through ecotourism to ethno-cultural presentations.

Through the exhibition, Mr Fynn seeks to cast the spotlight on Ghana as a preferred tourist destination in the world, and to promote cultural appreciation and boost Ghana’s economic growth.

The event is in collaboration with Mr Thomas Appleton Lamb, a landscape and ethnographic photographer based in the United States, and Allyson Allen, a master African-American textile artist and culture bearer.

The exhibition highlights and contrasts traditional Ghanaian fabrics with Allen’s contemporary hand-created textiles.

Taking place at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) in Santa Ana, California, ‘Spirit Possession’ star
ted on Saturday June 1 and would continue till June 29, 2024.

The opening reception, held on June 1, drew about 650 people.

The month-long art walk and photographic exhibition also forms part of the Juneteenth Celebration.

Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States, is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery.

Prior to the ‘Spirit Possession’ event in California, Mr Fynn and Mr Lamb in collaboration with the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) mounted the exhibition in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, from April 22 to April 26, 2024.

The Accra event, which took place at the forecourt of CLOGSAG National Secretariat, Ministries, was patronised by several attendees, including CLOGSAG members, Ministries, Agencies and Departments, traditional rulers, the Media, photo artists, artistic performers, lovers of arts, and the public.

Mr Fynn, a native of Moree in the Central Region of Ghana, is a documentary photographer and the Executive Director of FYNNe
xhibits.

His works are dedicated to preserving and promoting Ghana’s rich cultural diversity, natural beauty, and heritage.

He has won several awards, including the World Master Award in Arts and Culture 2010 at the Jeollanam-do Festival in South Korea.

Mr Fynn and Mr Lamb have collaborated for over 30 years.

Their partnership began in 1990 when they were commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to conduct a foundational photographic survey for the establishment of Kakum National Park as a tourist site in Cape Coast.

Mr Lamb has participated in numerous ecotourism projects in Ghana and several other countries.

He has dedicated his life to not only creating, through the art of storytelling, memorable photographs, but also championing environmental awareness.

As part of preparations to mark the 2024 OCCCA exhibition in California, Mr Fynn and Mr Lamb embarked on a 14-day tour of six regions of Ghana in June 2023 with assistance from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and
Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority and CLOGSAG.

The regions were Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Central, Western and Eastern Regions.

Allen has been recognised for more than three decades as an award-winning Master African-American Quilt and Doll Artist by the state of California.

She uses traditional materials to create unique, dimensional textile art and quilts.

For thirty years Allen has been exhibiting and teaching quilting, doll making, and altered book art. Her works have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and embassies around the world.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has appealed to government to create a congenial working environment for members of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) in the practice of their profession.

Mr Morgah Ayawine, General Secretary, ICU, who made the appeal, urged government to be measured in the tax assessment for members of GHABA to enable them stay in business.

He was speaking at a national delegates conference held by GHABA in Tamale.

The conference, which was the seventh, was on the theme: ‘Leveraging Modern Technologies to Drive a Positive Change in the Hair and Beauty Industry’.

It brought together the leadership of GHABA to account for its stewardship, review the association’s activities, revise its constitution, and elect different leaders to carve new pathways.

Mr Ayawine’s appeal followed complaints of harassment over tax issues and persistent relocation of kiosks of members of GHABA by officers of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

Mr Ayawine
highlighted GHABA’s significance and said it continued to contribute immensely to the growth and development of the informal sector through training of its members and impacting them with practical skills in the beauty industry to reduce unemployment in the country.

He said, ‘The impartation of knowledge in the hair and beauty industry to the youth, especially females to acquire employable skills has saved many from the temptation of waywardness and lessened the unemployment stigma plaguing the country.’

He said the conference was a progressive move as GHABA prepared to implement modern techniques in its public services.

He said GHABA, despite its checkered history, has remained on course, sustainable and relevant in Ghana’s socio-economic landscape, adding it was a result of resilience, perseverance, and fortitude of its leadership, both past and present, and the unflinching support of ICU-Ghana since its inception in 1972.

He commended the association for its meritorious feat which continued to serve as
one of the examples of what women could do when offered opportunities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has announced plans to plant one million seedlings this year to mark 25 years of his enstoolment.

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, a renowned advocate for climate change and environmental sustainability has chosen ’25 Years of Sustainable Leadership, Service to Humanity,’ as the theme for the Silver Jubilee celebration.

He underscored the need for all well-meaning Ghanaians to support the Green Ghana Project to preserve and protect the forests to safeguard lives and livelihoods.

The Okyehene announced this at Kyebi on Monday when he launched this year’s ‘One Student, One-Tree’ initiative at the Abuakwa State College.

He said even though the country’s forebears were not highly educated on environmental issues, yet they preserved and protected the environment with their souls and spirits because they knew the importance of trees to humanity.

Therefore, he said, it was incumbent upon the current generation to continue the legacy of the forebears to sustain the enviro
nment, adding: ‘Don’t be reckless, irresponsible and greedy about what you’ll gain today to destroy our future survival’.

‘We should not allow our indiscipline, selfish interest and craze for money to destroy our environment.’

The ‘One Student, One-Tree’ initiative formed part of preparations towards the 2024 Green Ghana Day slated for Friday, June 7.

The revered traditional leader said he had also instituted a bye-law within the Abuakwa Traditional Area prohibiting farmers from farming on certain days of the week to replenish the forest.

That initiative, he said, had kept farmers within the traditional area away from the forest for 100 days in a year.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, in his remarks, lauded the Okyehene for the 25 years of visionary leadership and dedication towards environmental sustainability and accepting to host this year’s ‘One Student, One-Tree’ initiative in his Traditional Area.

This year’s Green Ghana Day is on the theme: ‘Growing for a Greene
r Tomorrow’ slated for June 7 at Burma Camp in Accra intended to plant 10 million trees across the country.

The minister said the initiative was aimed at inculcating the habit of tree planting in students and also restore the degraded forest cover.

He charged all headmasters and headmistresses of the senior high schools nationwide to collaborate with the Green Ghana Planning Committee to ensure that every student planted a seedling on June 7 and nurture them to maturity.

Mr Seth Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister, in his welcome remarks, assured of the Region’s readiness to partake in the Green Ghana Day on June 7, and pledged his commitment behind the project.

The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led Government started the Green Ghana Day initiative in 2021 to replenish the degraded forest cover due to illegal mining, timber logging and other harmful environmental practices.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has targeted to plant 10 million trees during this year’s Green Ghana Day.

Since the project
started in 2021 over 42 million seedlings have been planted across the country with more than 70 per cent survival rate.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The consortium implementing the Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) project has advocated the integration and scaling up of the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) approach to restore degraded lands and mitigate effects of climate change.

The FMNR is an evolution of conventional agriculture, reducing water and other input use, preventing land degradation and deforestation, and improving biodiversity and climate resilience.

The LEAN project is European Union sponsored initiative being implemented by a consortium of Rainforest Alliance, World Vision Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana and EcoCare Ghana in three landscapes namely Savannah, Transition and Ghana’s forest zones.

The four-year project aims to support national and local efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, build climate resilience and reduce emissions from land-use changes cross Ghana’s high forest, savannah and transition zones.

The organisations made the advocacy at Bolgatanga dur
ing a validation workshop on the research findings on the impact of the LEAN project on the beneficiary communities.

The workshop brought together stakeholders from some District Assemblies, the Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Agriculture, landscape management board beneficiaries among others.

The organisations called on the government and institutions to mainstream approaches of FMNR into country’s land restoration strategies and the development plans to restore degraded landscapes.

Mr. Nicholas Jengre, Country Director, Rainforest Alliance, explained that the impact of climate change was unbearable and vulnerable rural communities were bearing the worst brunt due to continuous loss of vegetative cover.

He said although several land restoration initiatives, including tree planting, had been undertaken over the years to restore the degraded forest and lands, they had not yielded the desired results.

The FMNR, he said, has great potential to restore lost vegetative
cover and lands.

‘I believe that in the Northern sector where it is difficult to grow trees because of the weather conditions, if we adopt this natural regeneration, working with farmers, stakeholders and donor agencies, we will be able to get the vegetation back in this hard to grow trees landscapes,’ he said.

He said the LEAN project was making significant contributions to the management of natural resources and underscored the need for stringent bye laws to protect the environment.

Mr Francis Gumah, the Northern Regional Operational Manager, World Vision Ghana, said apart from the FMNR approach being cost effective and easy to practice by smallholder farmers, it had the greatest potential to restore soil nutrients and improve agriculture production.

Ghana’s forest reserves continue to deplete annually and when alternative livelihoods interventions were integrated into the approach, it would encourage farmers to adopt the practice and sustain it.

Ms Vassileva Alorvor, Campaigner, EcoCare Ghana, said wi
th project implementation, especially those that had to do with environmental protection and management, there was the need for community involvement and encouraged beneficiaries of the LEAN project to sustain the interventions to make maximum impacts.

Mr Emmanuel Owusu, Manager, Navrongo Division of the Forestry Commission, lauded the consortium for the EU LEAN project for complementing government’s efforts of greening the environment.

He called for sustainability plan to ensure the interventions continued even when the project’s lifespan ends.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kofi Amankwa-Manu, the Deputy Minister of Defence and Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwanwoma, has cut the sod for the construction of a district police headquarters at Atwima Foase in the Ashanti Region.

The project, which is being funded from the District Assemblies Common Fund, is expected to be completed in six months.

Speaking at a brief ground-breaking ceremony, Mr Amankwa-Manu underscored the importance of security as an indispensable tool for sustainable growth and development of communities.

He said the need to improve security in the constituency was in sync with his agenda to develop the area, adding; ‘security is a basic human right in today’s modern world.’

He applauded the police for their relentless efforts in fighting crime in the area and expressed the hope that the provision of a befitting police headquarters would enhance their operations.

The MP called on all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, to create an enabling environment for the contractors to complete the project
as scheduled.

Mr Prince Karikari, the District Chief Executive (DCE), implored the contractor to hire the services of the youth in the area to boost the local economy.

Nana Appiah Ampim Frimpong II, the Chief of Foase, lauded the MP and DCE for ensuring the community benefitted from such an important project and pledged his support to the contractors for a successful work.

Mr Christian Abedu, a representative of Construction Ambassadors, the contractors, gave the assurance that the project would be completed on time.

Chief Superintendent Ernest Acheampong, the Asokwa Divisional Commander, said the police needed the infrastructure to effectively fight crime and commended the two political heads for prioritising security in the district.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tolon District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), with funding support from the European Union, has held its Inter-party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting on preventing and containing violent extremism.

The meeting, held at Tolon, afforded stakeholders the opportunity to deliberate on peace, tolerance and countering violent extremism before, during and after this year’s general election.

It was attended by representatives of political parties, women and youth groups, the District Assembly, faith-based organisations, traditional rulers, security agencies, people living with disability, and the Electoral Commission, among others.

Madam Abdul-Rahaman Hawa, the Tolon District Director of NCCE, speaking during the meeting, said violent extremism and terrorism continued to remain a serious challenge to the preservation of democratic governance.

She said terrorism and other forms of violence, including violent extremism, had the potential to derail the country’s democratic gai
ns, especially as she prepared for the elections.

It was, therefore, imperative that steps were taken to prevent the use of electioneering to perpetuate violence, either by internal or external forces, hence the meeting.

She called on committee members to work hard to prevent political conflict in the region, no matter the outcome of the elections.

Mr Benjamin Teye, the Tolon District Director of the Electoral Commission, who facilitated the meeting, took participants through the electoral processes, and violent extremism and said although the country had never encountered any terrorist attack, the youth should stay away from involving themselves in such activities and desist from electoral violence.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Gladstone Kumekpor, Tolon District Police Commander, expressed the need for more sensitisation of the youth to eschew violence, and rather promote peace, unity and development.

He urged participants to respect the electoral rules and regulations to ensure peace, d
uring and after the 2024 election.

The participants pledged to reject political vigilantes and called for IPDC meetings to be held regularly to design a roadmap to discourage violence and insecurity in the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

At least 11 coal miners died due to suffocation caused by toxic gases in south-western Pakistan, officials said on Monday.

The incident took place some 40 kilometres from Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, on Monday when 11 miners got trapped while working.

”Initial reports say that the miners died due to toxic gases in the mine,’ Shahid Rind, spokesman for the Balochistan government, told dpa.

Rind said that the dead included manager and contractor of the mine.

‘The bodies of all the dead have been recovered,’ Shah Jamal, a spokesperson for the local rescue department, said.

Meanwhile, Rind said that the provincial government has ‘ordered action for not following the safety protocols.’

Poor working conditions inside coal mines in mineral-rich Balochistan regularly claim the lives of miners, but accidents often go unreported.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province and hosts a Chinese-built deep-sea port, part of Beijing’s road and rail corridor known as the China-Pakistan Econ
omic Corridor (CPEC), which is designed to access markets in the Middle East and beyond.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has urged media practitioners not to politicise discussions on Ghana’s nuclear power project.

He said practitioners should provide balanced and accurate reportage on the subject and lead campaigns to ensure that the country’s first nuclear power plant was established, irrespective of which government ‘comes to power’.

Mr Dwumfour was speaking at the opening of a media workshop organised by Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana News Agency (GNA) and Private and Online Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG) on the theme: ‘Media support for Ghana’s Nuclear Project: The Journey so far’.

Stressing the importance of public education, he said media practitioners should highlight the benefits of nuclear power instead of the ‘myth and fear’ associated with the project.

‘It is time for us to educate the public on the vital role nuclear power plays in our transition to a low carb
on future…our growing population and economy demand reliable and sustainable energy sources and nuclear power is the way to go because it offers clean and efficient solution.

‘Let us shun away from politicising everything…We should start a campaign which is sustainable that the nuclear power project must not be politicised…any government that comes should ensure that this project is sustained in the interest of citizens,’ the GJA President stated.

Mr Dwumfour expressed the Association’s support for the country’s nuclear project and urged practitioners to collaborate and ‘harness the power of media for sustainable energy future for Ghana,’ adding that discussions on nuclear power had become ‘more relevant’ as the country dealt with issues of energy security.

Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), highlighted efforts towards the implementation of Ghana’s nuclear power project.

He said two ‘major agreements’ had been reached but NPG had yet to sign a contract with any vendor for
the project.

The arrangements, he explained, included ‘a corporation and framework agreement’ between NPG and China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Limited ‘for the construction of a large reactor project and upgrading Ghana’s grid infrastructure to accommodate additional power generated and ensure efficient distribution across the country’.

Dr Yamoah said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ghana through the Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and the United States to establish ‘a regional welding certification programme’ and a ‘NuScale Exploration Centre’ at GAEC had also been signed.

‘The regional welding certification initiative aims to establish a comprehensive training programme to equip Ghanaian technicians with specialised skills in welding and prepare them for the demand of Ghana’s nuclear power construction project.

‘The new scale exploration centre will offer hands-on training for future nuclear operators and engineers, including the maintenance team and it will also position Ghana as
a regional hub for nuclear education and training to support safe and secure civil nuclear deployments in Africa,’ he noted.

The Executive Director described the agreements signed as ‘a testament to the trust and confidence in Ghana’s nuclear power efforts and the country’s good relations with the vendors,’ and thanked the media for constant awareness of the nuclear project.

Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager, GNA, said continuous training on nuclear energy was relevant as the media played a crucial role in national development.

He observed that reportage on nuclear energy had improved over the years, however, the media needed to intensify education as sections of the public remained skeptical about the country’s nuclear project.

He encouraged practitioners to ‘speak objectively’ about the nuclear project and continue to seek knowledge on nuclear.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Dangmebiawer Clan of the Ada Traditional Area has coronated Mr Theophilus Gadugah, a tutor at the Presbyterian Senior High School (PRESEC-Legon) and a businessman, as the Asafoatsengua (senior warlord) of the clan.

Mr Gadugah, Head of Social Studies, PRESEC, has been given the stool name Asafoatsengua Tetteh Gadugah Osraman VI.

He was accepted by the Ada Traditional Council (ATC) on Thursday, April 4, 2024, under the auspices of Nene Tetteh Lanuer Okumo IV, the Divisional Chief of the Dangmebiawer Clan.

Asafoatsengua Owusie Senakey IV of Kabiawer Yumu (the oldest of all Ada Asafoatsenguahi), swore him into office and welcomed him into the midst of Asafoiatseguamei (warlords) at the coronation.

The event saw representatives of the family, the clan, some members of the Traditional Area, and staff of PRESEC in attendance.

Asafoatsengua Kotoko Debrah V of Kabiawer Kponor urged the stool fathers of the Dangmebiawer Clan to always stand by their new warlord, bemoaning the practice of leaving newly installe
d chiefs to their fate.

He noted that in most cases when a new Asafoatse or Wetsoyi (divisional chief) was installed, many people had the perception that the person was responsible for all the financial burdens of the respective clan.

‘So, when they ask you something and you give but can’t continue to give, it means you are wicked. Then, they act fast and get you off the seat with unnecessary issues to frustrate you,’ he lamented.

He appealed to the newly installed chief to be respectful, loyal, and mature in all dealings with the members of the Traditional Council, his clan, and every native of Ada.

Asafoatsengua Osraman, in his inaugural address, expressed gratitude to the clan, the Council, and all who joined in making the ceremony a success and appealed to the leadership of the Ada State to care for their subordinates, stating that ‘God knows why you are made the leader.’

‘Whether you are the leader of the security, church, clan, school, or an institution, there is a reason God chose you. It doesn’t
make you better or more knowledgeable than anybody else,’ he said.

‘There are instances where people flee because they know the challenge that they will be exposed to. Some also run because of religious reasons, but some of us accepted the title because we felt that there was a reason that God had chosen us.’

Asafoatsengua Osraman urged traditional leaders to protect and fight for the interests of their youth, as well as make their leadership style attractive for generations to inherit, as they would one day account for their stewardship.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Based on the survival rate of seedlings planted from 2021 to date during the Green Ghana Day, 30 million trees had survived out of over 41 million seedlings planted.

Speaking at a news briefing in Accra, on Tuesday, ahead of the Green Ghana Day on Friday, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, said in the maiden edition of 2021, seven million seedlings were planted with 67 per cent survival rate.

In 2022, he said 24 million were planted with 72 per cent survival rate, and in 2023, 10.7 million were planted with 81 per cent survival rate.

Mr Jinapor said since 2021 to date, the Government had disbursed eight million Ghana cedis for purchasing of seedlings.

However, he said, both private and public sector institutions like faith-based organisations and the Ghana Armed Forces had also supported with donation of seedlings and logistics to make the exercises successful.

The Government had targeted to plant 10 million seedlings this year nationwide, with the commemorative tree plantin
g ceremony scheduled to take place at Burma Camp in Accra on Friday, June 7.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will lead the commemorative tree planting exercise with other important dignitaries including Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin, and Chief Justice Mrs Gertrude Torkono.

This year’s Green Ghana Day is on the theme: ‘Growing for a Greener Tomorrow’ with six million trees expected to be planted in degraded forest reserves while four million would go to farms, parks, recreational grounds, along medians of roads and communities.

The Minister said plants such as ornamentals, fruits and multi-purpose trees like Avocado, Royal Palm, Coconut, Mango, Milletia, Tree of Life, lemon, Acacia and Mansonia would be planted across the country.

Seedlings would be available at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and District Offices of the Forestry Commission.

‘We urge you, our friends from the media, to carry the message across, and mobilise our c
ountry in support of this noble undertaking,’ he said.

Mr Jinapor appealed to all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana, revered chiefs and queen-mothers, religious and faith-based organisations, ministers, parliamentarians, judges, public and civil servants, health professionals, students and teachers and civil society organisations, members of the Diplomatic Corps, development partners, artisans, and all persons living in Ghana, to once more, support the Ministry to make this year’s exercise a success.

Trees, he said, were indispensable to the health of the planet and the wellbeing of the citizens.

‘Planting and conserving trees is essential for sustainable development and the resilience of ecosystems and human communities.’

‘The statement that when the last tree dies, the last man dies still holds true today as ever.’

‘Let us, therefore, join hands and green Ghana on Friday, June 7, 2024, the Green Ghana Day.’

Source: Ghana News Agency