Day: June 19, 2024

Nana Obrenpong Kanya III, President of Nchumuru Traditional Area has appealed to the government for the provision of Telecommunication networks, road and education facilities to increase economic activities in area.

He said the poor nature of the roads linking Borae No2 to Chinderi, the District capital through to Grubi, Akaniem, Banda and Anyinam, the people, who are predominantly farmers have to walk long distances with their farm produce to marketing centres.

‘It is sad that pregnant women in the area have to be carried on shoulder to seek medical attention at Chinderi, Banda and Borae No2’.

In an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Paramount chief gave assurance that they were ready to provide communal labour to support any developmental projects that the government would extend to the area and expressed concerns over the poor telecommunication networks in the district.

He confirmed to the GNA that teaching and learning had been affected because students and teachers must trek lo
ng distances to access stable internet service.

Nana Kanya again appealed to the government to provide educational infrastructure for students of Krachi Nchumuru District.

He said most of the students attended classes in a dilapidated mud structures which was affecting teaching and learning in his locality, he added that, considering the high increase in population, it was crucial for the government to consider building school blocks for both junior high and primary levels to save the students from traveling far to attend schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms. Mary Kupualor, the Head of the Horticulture Department, Tema Metro, says planting, nurturing, and sustaining trees have become a challenge due to the presence of cattle and other stray domestic animals in the metropolis.

She said: ‘Here in Tema, one of the challenges that we have encountered over the years, especially last year and this year, is animals, especially cattle; they are everywhere, all over the Metro, and you ask yourself, ‘where are the owners?”

Ms. Kupualor, who doubles as the Metro Landscape Designer, said the inability of herdsmen to keep cattle in their kraals had become a major hindrance to their efforts, adding that the issue needed urgent attention as the animals roamed freely, destroying things with nobody being held accountable.

She told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that there had been several instances where cattle invaded the Horticultural Department and destroyed plants and other things, and there was nothing they could do but try to find a way to move them out.

She added that the Assembly alone could not control the animals; therefore, it was important for individuals in the metropolis to join the agenda of planting, preserving, and protecting trees being planted for human survival.

The horticulturist added that even though protectors were used for the plants to a certain stage before being lifted, the animals always found their way to destroy the plants, and therefore cautioned the herdsmen against allowing their animals to stray without any control in their attempt to graze.

She said the assembly had built a pond to catch animals straying there; however, it would require collective effort and a change of attitude to make Tema shine again.

Meanwhile, some residents of Tema and Nungua have called on government to make the various metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) account for the Green Ghana Project.

They said even though the project was important in creating habitat for wildlife and preserving vegetation, it was equally prudent to account
for the trees planted so far to ascertain if the project was yielding the expected results or not.

They told the GNA in a random survey that planting trees was important in combating climate change and other environmental destruction; however, they cannot identify fruits or ornamental plants purported to have been planted over the years under the project.

They were of the view that parts of the money being used for the planting could be channeled to other sectors of the economy that were in need.

‘I will suggest they champion the tree planting at the galamsey sites so that we can increase agriculture production in the country; look at what the sites have turned into death traps for people,’ Mr. Arnold Tay, a shoe dealer, said.

‘Tema cannot boast of a single tree planted since the project began; the project is good, but steps are not taken to ensure that it yields results. We can’t see any trees around, but every year they keep pumping money into it,’ Ms. Mary Asamoah, a beautician at Tema, stated.

Sourc
e: Ghana News Agency

Ethiopian coffee has been rapidly gaining traction in the Chinese market in recent years, with sales growing at a staggering rate of 27 percent annually.

This rapid growth has been significantly boosted by platforms such as the China International Import Expo and cross-border e-commerce, which serve as effective gateways for overseas brands to enter China and present numerous opportunities for Ethiopian businesses.

One standout success story is the Ethiopian coffee brand Gera, which showcased roasted coffee beans at the third CIIE. During the expo, the brand’s Yirgacheffe and Sidamo coffees were signed up to a prominent cross-border e-commerce platform, immediately available for consumers.

During the fifth CIIE, Ethiopian highland coffee with vibrant orange packaging was drawing eyes. After being showcased in an e-commerce livestream during the expo, 17,000 boxes were sold in just one evening. Online sales of Ethiopian coffee surged 300 percent during the sixth CIIE.

Traditionally, Ethiopian coffee grower
s and processors only accounted for less than 10 percent of profits in the export trade, with the majority of profits lying in distribution and sales. Leveraging the CIIE for cross-border e-commerce sales has effectively reduced trade costs, benefiting Ethiopian coffee farmers and allowing Chinese consumers to enjoy premium coffee beans at more affordable prices.

Witnessing the growing popularity of Ethiopian coffee among Chinese consumers, Tefera Derbew Yimam, Ethiopian ambassador to China, expressed great delight. He noted that China has become one of the primary importers of Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopian coffees have received rave reviews at the CIIE over the years, prompting many businesses to showcase their products at the event. ‘The embassy will continue to facilitate Ethiopian business participation in the expo,’ Yimam said.

Coffee trade is just one aspect of the trade relationship between China and Ethiopia. Products like sesame seeds and green beans from Ethiopia have also made their way to supermar
kets, stores, and retail markets in China.

At the sixth edition of the expo, Ethiopian sesame trader Duka Engineering and Trading Plc reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Shandong’s Ruifu Sesame Oil Co Ltd, which would purchase 6,000 metric tons of sesame seeds.

In October 2023, Ethiopia and China upgraded their bilateral relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership. In a joint statement, China expressed its desire to continue encouraging and supporting Ethiopian exports to China, including agricultural and food products.

With the Chinese market serving as a key driver of Ethiopian exports, Ethiopia’s distinctive offerings are expected to make a splash at this year’s expo, presenting vast business opportunities for its enterprises.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ten international and local companies have expressed interest in completing the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Works and HousinPolg, has disclosed.

He said the 10 companies had been taken to the project site and that they had had the opportunity to inspect works that had been left there so far.

He noted that the companies were putting together their proposals, and that according to the work plans that the Ministry had put together, by the 8th of July, they expect to formally receive all proposals from the companies.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah, who made the disclosure at a press conference at Parliament House in Accra, said after the Ministry had taken possession of the bids, they would be handed over to an independent evaluation entity, which would give them an evaluation report and then based on that evaluation report Government would proceed to select one of the bids, which might be a single entity or a consortium of entities.

He said the Ministry had announced a proc
ess through which the Government would select a private developer or a consortium of private developers to complete the uncompleted Saglemi Affordable Housing Project and operationalise it.

The Minister recalled that Government initially took a loan of about $200 million dollars to build five thousand housing units, a 1,506 were partially completed and that was what one would often see at Saglemi.

He noted that three major components that were missing – water, electricity and sewage works-and that when the Ghana Institute of Surveyors did their assessment, they said the Government needs about a hundred million dollars to complete this 1,506.

He said the Government took a decision within the difficult financial constraints that it was very difficult to find an extra one hundred million dollars after two hundred million had already been spent.

‘So, Cabinet took a decision that we should select a private developer or a consortium of private developers and let them make investment in it, so that we can operat
ionalise it,’ he said.

He said that when that selection was done, they would get the necessary cabinet approval, sign a contract with the selected entity and handover the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project to this entity to complete and operationalise it; saying ‘So, that is where we are now.’

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said they were also going through the process of selecting an independent evaluation organization, and that they would be going before PPA to get the one to be selected and then they would do the evaluation and based on that they would make a decision.

He underscored that the Government was going through an opened transparent process to get a developer to complete the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project

‘We are fair in our minds about doing everything and above all in accordance with law, we expect that whoever is putting in a bid is also going to do the same, and then in the end we should be able to stand within the scrutiny of time,’ he stated.

‘We are committed that every single bid that we are
receiving, eventually we will publish every single bid, we will also publish the evaluation report, so that you see for yourselves how the various bids were evaluated.’

He said they would publish the decision taken and the final contract; declaring that, ‘So, everything is being done above board, so, everybody can have confidence that it will stand the test of time.’

The Minister said the Government was making efforts to complete another housing project in Koforidua, which was one of President John Agyekum Kufuor’s Affordable Housing Projects from before 2008, which was still out there.

He said the State Housing Company, based on the instructions the Government gave, was also going through a process rewarding contract for that project to be completed, so they could complete it too.

He reiterated that the Government wants to see to it, that works on that outstanding Affordable Housing Project of President Kufuor in Koforidua was completed.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the TDC Company had done over a thousand h
ousing units between 2020 and now, and that they were just about to break ground for another housing project of about 800 housing units.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a self-acclaimed chief and businessman to 15 months imprisonment for fraudulent land transaction.

Nii Kotey Susubribi, aka, Nii Isaac or Kotey Nii Quaye, who claims to be chief of Abehenase, near Amasaman, has been found guilty on the charges of threat of death and fraudulent transaction.

The Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah sentenced him accordingly.

The convict shed tears as he awaited police officers to escort him to prison to start his sentence.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, said the first complainant Alfred Abosu was a businessman resident at Achimota while the second complainant, Freeman Kofi Owusu was a businessman resident at New Achimota, Accra.

ASP Frimpong said in 2003, Mr Abosu, the first complainant, acquired 1.869 acre of land at Abehenease from Amah Asor Family, then lawfully presented by the accused person’s late senior brother, Kotey Nii Kwei.

The prosecution said Mr Abosu subsequently obtained
Land Title Certificate No GA 22047 dated December 2005 covering the land.

According to the prosecution, Mr Abosu put up two single rooms on a portion of the land and gave it to his caretaker Korsi Tondey.

The court was told that Mr Abosu was never harassed until on February 21, 2015, when the accused person, now convict, started interfering with Abosu’s land claiming ownership of the same land.

The prosecution said in March 2015, the convict and his group of thugs consistently threatened Mr Abosu’s caretaker, Korsi Tondey to vacate the land or face death.

‘The caretaker for fear of his life, packed his belongings and left the land. The accused person then fraudulently sold portion of the land to the unsuspecting public, including the second complainant, Freeman Kofi Owusu at GHC42,000.’

The prosecution said a search obtained from the Land Registration Division of the Land Commission, Accra, confirmed Mr Abosu’s title to the land.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Sandra Kyere, the Chief Executive Officer of Women in Water Sanitation and Climate Change , has advised the public, especially urban dwellers to embrace waste segregation.

She said the practice would prevent the leaching of waste into aquatic bodies.

The CEO explained that materials, including plastics, organic waste, and hazardous materials were resources that could be reused and that segregating them from general waste at the source would facilitated recycling.

‘It is also crucial for environmental protection, efficient resource management, economic benefits, public health, and fostering a sustainable future,’ she added.

Madam Kyere was speaking at a clean-up exercise at the Laboma beach as part of activities to celebrate the World Oceans Day (WOD), which was under the theme, ‘Awaken New Depths’.

The beach clean-up exercise was organised by the women in sanitation and climate change, in collaboration with its partners.

The United Nations General Assembly designated the day (WOD) to inform the pu
blic of the impacts of human actions on the ocean and promote public awareness on the importance of the ocean for all life forms on earth and actions for a sustainable ocean management.

She noted that the source of the waste seemed to be coming from communities upstream and that they were encouraged to show the way in contributing to ‘ocean free of pollution’.

‘So, this is a continuous process, creating awareness to everybody in Ghana, to be able to segregate our various waste streams and to be able to give our waste to the various waste collectors and not dump them anyhow, to cause the issues that we are facing here now…’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tahiru Ahmed, the mason who is on trial with three other defendants in the Amasaman Circuit Court for allegedly stealing a car, Tuesday asked the court to vary his bail condition.

Ahmed, who faces charges of trying to sell a stolen Toyota RAV4 vehicle, was granted GHC200,000.00 bail with two sureties to be justified by a landed property, told the Court that he was still being held because his family was unable to meet the bail conditions.

The court presided over by Ms Enid Marful-Sau advised him to seek that relief in a higher court.

Meanwhile, Justice Ekow Annan Mensah, alias Nicholas Kofi Gyan or Ike-Naza, whose pleas were not taken on his initial court appearance, because he could only communicate in Fante, had his plea taken on Tuesday when the court found an interpreter.

The rest of the accused who are facing trial are also on remand.

They are facing varied charges including conspiracy to defraud, defrauding by false pretense, conspiracy to forge official documents and forging official documents, wh
ich they have pleaded not guilty to.

They will be brought before the Court on July 2, 2024.

Eric Yaw, another accomplice, is still on the run.

Police Sergeant Faustina Asamoah had earlier informed the Court that the accused persons all belonged to a syndicate whose strategy was to rent a car, steal it, sell it for less money, and then go into hiding.

She said they were arrested on a tip-off when some of them tried to sell a 2016 Toyota Rav4 with registration number GS 9947-22, valued at GHC170,000.00, which they were offering at GHC50,000.00.

According to Sergeant Asamoah, on April 28, 2024, Mensah consented to join the syndicate after Yaw Eric, who is currently at large, contacted Mensah and Abban and shared their money-making method.

The prosecution said that on April 29, 2024, Abban used an image of Mensah to forge a driver’s license and an ECOWAS Identity Card (Ghana Card) under the false Gyan Nicholas Kofi.

Yaw Eric then went to Trust Point Consult and Trading Enterprise; a car rental firm locat
ed at Teshie First Junction-Century Road and used that identity to get a 2016 Toyota Rav4 with the registration number GS 9947-22.

Abban had also sent transport fare for Ahmed to travel from Cape Coast to Buduburam, their hideout.

The Court was told that on that same day, Abban, Yeboah, Mensah, and Yaw met at Pokuase ACP and rented an overnight apartment, which they then presented to the victim, Eric Appiah, as Mensah’s place of abode.

Sergeant Asamoah said Mensah used the fake driver’s license and Ghana Card to rent the Toyota Rav4 and paid GHC1,400.00 to the victim to use the car two days to use it to pick up his brother, who was arriving from abroad at the Kotoka International Airport on the evening of April 29, 2024.

She said as soon as the victim left, Abban, Yeboah, Mensah and Yaw got together and planned to sell the vehicle for GHC65,000.00.

Yeboah then contacted Ahmed, informed him about the vehicle, and asked for a buyer.

The prosecution said Ahmed arranged for the buyer to pick up the vehicle
the next day after they decided to sell it for GHC50,000.00.

Sergeant Asamoah said the PID/Accra Region received intelligence regarding the plan and foiled the attempt to sell the stolen vehicle by apprehending Abban, Yeboah, and Ahmed at the Odogomor Senior High School point of sale after they attempted to escape.

The court heard that Abban, who was driving the vehicle crashed into a motorcycle that the PID had been using for the operation and tried to evade arrest by speeding away. However, the PID fired live bullets, immobilized the vehicle, and arrested Abban and Yeboah.

The prosecution said that both Abban and Yeboah were taken to a hospital after suffering injuries of varying degrees.

Abban was treated and discharged but Yeboah is still on admission.

Sergeant Asamoah said Abban later led PID/Accra Region to a guesthouse at Buduburam where Mensah was lodging, and he was also arrested in his hotel room.

She said the victim, Appiah, was later traced and invited to the station to assist in investigati
ons.

Efforts have been intensified to arrest other members of the syndicate; the Court was told.

The Court asked the prosecution to serve the accused persons with disclosures before their next appearance.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The residents of Babile in the Lawra Municipality have expressed worry about a newly constructed fire service post in Babile, which is collapsing less than four years of its construction.

A visit to the newly constructed structure by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed a part of the wall of the building had collapsed destroying the inner ceiling, while visible cracks were seen on the walls, pillars and beams of the structure.

Speaking to the GNA in Babile, Mr Kadoe Dapilah Vitus, the Regent of Babile, said the fire service post was constructed at the end of 2020 but expressed concern that the building had started collapsing.

‘I am surprised that the wind has pushed the wall down leaving the roof hanging. Is it that the roof of the building was not bonded to the wall? It is surprising,’ he lamented.

The Regent explained that accessing emergency services from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the community was difficult and the operationalisation of the fire service post in Babile would help save l
ives and property during fire disasters.

He explained that the current state of the facility was inhabitable for the fire service personnel since it was not connected to the national grid and had no source of water.

Mr Kadoe said the Lawra Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Jacob Dery, had not been able to explain why a borehole, which was part of the contract had been drilled at the fire service office and why it had not been connected to electricity.

Mr Zola Dabuo, the Assembly Member of the Babile Electoral Area, wondered if the structure could serve its intended purpose since it was poorly constructed and could not stand the test of time.

‘This place they have built for us is now like a flower, beautifying the community. It has started collapsing and we are afraid that if it is not worked on, the wind can take off the entire roof.

‘I informed the MCE, and he came and looked at it and said they will attend to it as and when the assembly gets money but told us that if we think the assembly is delaying, we c
an also work on it,’ Mr Dabuo explained.

He said the youth of Babile, with support from an independent Parliamentary Candidate in the Lawra Constituency, Mr Joseph Baanaa Dabuo, had taken steps to rebuild the collapsed portion of the building.

Emphasising the urgent need for the fire service post in Babile, the Assembly Member said they had been recording fire outbreaks in the community very often with the recent one being a structure at the Babile Polyclinic, which caught fire.

He added that the community had also secured two electricity poles hoping to connect the facility to the national grid.

Mr Dabuo, however, said their hope of connecting the electricity to the facility had been dashed by the Northern Electricity Company (NEDCo) asking the community to pay GH?6000.00 to the Company before it would connect it.

Mr Gregory Tengzu, the Bipola Naa (Youth President) of Babile, also appealed for a fire tender when the facility became operational as the mere availability of personnel in the community could
not serve the fire emergency needs of the community.

‘We are pleading that if the office is opened, the government should give us a fire tender if not will the officers use buckets of water to quench the fire in a case of fire outbreak,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A rainstorm has left in its wake destruction of property worth fortunes at Adokwanta in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region.

The storm, which was characterised by strong winds wreaked havoc in the Adokwanta town and surrounding environs following a 40-minute downpour.

Volta River Authority (VRA) resettlement quarters had its roof ripped up along with some temporal structures in the area.

Nana Agyemang Kwame Obortuo, a sub-chief of the area told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that many people were counting their loses as they no longer had places to lay their heads.

Checks by the GNA indicated that a number of the displaced persons were stranded while some were perching with relatives.

Some of the victims, who spoke to the GNA said they had been left stranded with their families as all their houses had been affected by the disaster.

Speaking to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Charles Gyamfi Boateng said his outfit was yet to receive the devastation and will conduct a thorough assessment
of the situation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

As part of the activities to commemorate World Refugees Day 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) and the Ghana Refugees Board (GRB) have organised a clean-up exercise and free health screening.

The exercise is to create awareness and highlight the resilience and positive contributions of refugees to their host communities.

Mr Stephen Amoani, Protection Officer, GRB, said by engaging in community service, it was a demonstration by the refugees on their willingness to give and integrate into their new environments.

It is part of the ‘Refugees Giving Back’.

The clean-up exercise, which started from the Kwame Nkrumah Overhead through the Ring Road of Accra, was under the theme ‘Solidarity with Refugees’.

Aside the refugees giving back to the society, Mr Amoani indicated that the exercise also created an awareness that refugees were not a burden to the host community, adding that they helped building the country.

He appealed to the public to desist from discriminating against refuge
es saying, ‘they are humans like us…’

According to him some of them were medical doctors, dentists, farmers, and other professionals working to develop Ghana.

Mr David Oppong, Protection Officer, UNHCR, said: ‘This year, we are trying to showcase refugees as assets to Ghana’s development and their contribution to Ghana’s economy.’

Highlighting the health screening, he indicated that Mamobi and Nima environs were selected for the exercise because they were playing host to some refugees.

Residents were screened for Malaria, Blood pressure, Sugar level, Hypertension, among others and drugs were also administered.

Mr Oppong commended the government for including refugees under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

‘Ghana is also doing its best in terms of its obligations to the 51 UN Convention because Ghana is a party to the convention so by way of allowing refugees access to the National Service System is a way of responding to their obligations as a member state to the 51 conventions,’ he added.

Mr Gama
radeen Khatir Ayoub, Sudanese and Zone ‘2’ Leader for the refugees lauded the government for its support and for accepting them into the country.

He said: ‘We are all one and as humans it is important to participate in activities geared at developing the communities in which we find ourselves for the betterment of the nation.’

Source: Ghana News Agency