Day: June 10, 2021

Accra,- Madam Karen Ellemann, Member of Parliament (MP) for The Liberal Party of Denmark, says a nation’s democracy can thrive if it is centred on education and youth development.

She said investments in education should be focused on grooming the youth in skills acquisition, as well as, consciously bringing them up as members of a democratic society.

Madam Ellemann made the remarks on Thursday during a webinar held on the theme, “Strengthening Inclusive Governance in Denmark and Ghana – Challenges, Progress and Opportunities.”

It was organised by the Embassy of Denmark, the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

Madam Ellemann said in order for the youth to develop as members of a democratic society, a conducive environment needed to be created for their voices to be heard.

“We can begin by creating representation for our students in the various schools to contribute to government policies and other issues in the country. Living in democracy takes hard work to maintain it,” she added.

Madam Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korle, said polarisation due to partisanship politics encouraged the “winner takes all attitude” which excluded many people from the benefits associated with democracy.

This, she said, had undermined the chances of especially women and the vulnerable in society to have equal access to opportunities.

“Over the years, there has been lack of inclusiveness not only for women or the vulnerable in society but also the norm is that once you do not belong to the Government of the day, you are left out,” she said.

The MP said democracy was a culture that must be practiced; thus, she called for transparency and accountability both on the part of Government and citizens.

Madam Sheila Bartels, MP for Ablekuma North, said Government’s flagship programmes including the Free Senior High School initiative had allowed many girls to have access to education.

In effect, she said it would push more females into higher offices, not only in politics but also the coperate world.

She said in order to shift away from the notion that one can only make it by joining politics, Government should increase investment in the private sector to create more avenues for citizens to be financially independent.

Madam Bartels said over the years, the educational system promoted rote learning which only produced “illiterate literates” who could not think outside the box.

However, she said the current changes and improvements in education made by Government in areas such as vocational training would promote creativity and speed up prosperity in the country.

Mr Jacob Robsøe, Chairman for Danish Social Liberal Youth, said democracy should not be static but needed to develop and change over time.

He advised that focus should be on the next generation to create a sustainable future for democracy.

Mr Robsøe said this could be done by creating mentoring programmes that would create the avenue for many young people, especially women to participate in politics and democracy.

Also, he said the mentoring programmes would provide them with a better understanding on the subject and what to expect before they ventured into it.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dutch born of Ghanaian descent, Timothy Fosu-Mensah has explained the reason behind his decision to leave Manchester United during the winter transfer window.

The defender joined Bayer Leverkusen from the Premier League giants.

The 23-year-old disclosed that his decision to leave the club was to get more regular football action after being relegated to the bench.

“I left Manchester United because I wanted to play football regularly. For me, the most important thing is to play but I wasn’t getting that,” Fosu-Mensah told Accra based Happy FM.

“Manchester United was even prepared to offer me a new contract and wanted me to stay.

“I had to make that tough decision and it wasn’t an easy one to make,” he added.

Fosu-Mensah went on two loan spells from Old Trafford with Crystal Palace and Fulham before injury ruled him out for a longer spell.

He left Manchester United in the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee.

Source: Modern Ghana

Ho,- William Ocloo, a 54-year-old farmer, has been remanded into police custody by a Ho Circuit Court for allegedly setting ablaze a business centre, belonging to Mr Daniel Esigie.

Ocloo was charged for causing unlawful damage and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Court presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor remanded him into police custody to reappear on June 23, 2021.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Agnes Ahiable, told the Court, the complainant rented a parcel of land from the accused along CK Road, a suburb of Ho, where he established a graphic design business in a metal container shop.

Inspector Ahiable said in 2019, a misunderstanding ensued between the accused and the complainant over the rent of Gh¢80.

The accused disconnected the complainant’s electricity line and threatened to burn the container.

The prosecution said on August 23, 2019, at about 2030 hours, the complainant had a call that his container was torched.

She said the complainant rushed to the scene and with the help of the Ghana National Fire Service brought the fire under control.

However, items including Advance Canon copier 5045i colour machine, Canon MF8280 colour machine, three A4 Epson 3 in 1 machine, Laserjet printer 1320, HP Photo smart, one generator, Samsung digital camera, laminator,

One CPU, amplifier speaker, one Vodafone wi-fi, seven HP computers, five plastic chairs, one bicycle, three office tables, two plastic tables, one ceiling fan, all valued at GH¢51,460.00 were destroyed by the fire, she said.

Inspector Ahiable said the complainant reported the incident to the Ho Central Police and told them that on the day of the incident at about 1730 hours, he saw the accused with a used car tyre, and suspected him to be the culprit.

The prosecution said the accused person was arrested and in his investigation caution statement, he denied knowledge of the offence but admitted the misunderstanding between him and the complainant.

She told the court witnesses around the scene, in a statement obtained from them, that they saw the accused holding a used car tyre two hours before the incident.

The prosecution disclosed to the Court that a fire report received from the Ghana National Fire Service on March 3, 2021, revealed that there was a burnt tyre on the ground scene.

The case docket was sent to the office of the Attorney General’s Department (AGs) for advice and based on the advice, the accused was charged, she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,– Mr Stephen Atasige, In-country Coordinator, Preventing Epidemics Programme, has called on government and stakeholders in the health sector to establish a dedicated fund for epidemic control and financing.

He said the fund would help in controlling unexpected epidemics at their initial stages and mitigate the adverse effects.

“COVID-19 has taught us a lesson on the need to have a special fund to handle epidemics before they become devastating,” he said.

Mr Atasige made the call at a forum to collate inputs into the 2022 National Budget Statement and Economic policy on health financing.

The event organised by SEND Ghana was aimed at seeking the inputs of stakeholders into the 2022 budget with a special focus on immunisation, epidemic financing and general health.

Mr Atasige said the fund needed to be decentralized so that health centres at the community and district level could handle epidemics when they occur in their localities.

He said the government could do this by dedicating a portion of the District Assembly and Members of Parliament (MPs) Common Fund into the epidemic fund.

The Epidemic Control Coordinator said there was a need for enhanced infrastructure and facilities at health centres to facilitate the treatment of epidemics.

“In the treatment of epidemics, we need well-resourced health centres that will be capable to contain the spread. Here, we are looking at establishing isolation and quarantine centres across the country,” he added.

Reverend Ebenezer Asiamah, District Director of Health Services, Shai Osodoku District, said health officers relied on Internally Generated Funds (IGF) for transportation during immunization activities, which he described as worrisome.

He said some health facilities did not have cold-chain refrigerating facilities to store vaccines, thereby, making them unsafe for immunization.

The District Health Director said most health officers were unwilling to accept postings to remote areas and this resulted in inadequate health professionals in the rural areas.

He urged the government and other stakeholders to provide adequate incentives to health professionals in rural areas to encourage others to accept posting to such areas.

Dr Emmanuel Ayifah, Deputy Country Director, SEND Ghana, said there was inadequate funding in the health sector, especially with epidemic funding hence the need to advocate for funding in the sector.

He reiterated that epidemics required swift response and reactions, saying, “we need to be proactive as a country to absorb the challenges that come along with them.”

“Epidemics require quick response and reactions as a country and there is the need to be proactive to absorb the shocks that come along with them,” he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Management of Ghana’s leading Media Company, Media General, on Monday 7th June 2021 announced a partnership with EMY Africa, organisers of the prestigious Exclusive Men of the Year (EMY) Africa Awards.

The partnership was made known this morning on the New Day show on TV3 Network and makes Media General the exclusive media partner for this year’s edition of the esteemed awards which seeks to honour and celebrate deserving men across various sectors.

Announcing the partnership, the General Manager for MG Television, Francis Doku said “we are excited to be partnering with EMY Africa for the annual EMY Africa Awards, one of the most prestigious awards schemes we can boast of currently. At Media General, we believe in excellence and always want to be associated with the biggest brands in the country and beyond. It is for this reason that we have decided to partner with a top brand like the EMY Africa Awards to deliver a great awards ceremony this year”.

The Chief Executive Officer of EMY Africa Awards, Kojo Sobboh revealed the motivation for having an exclusive partnership with Media General. “It has taken us about two years to arrive here. The conversation has been ongoing for a while and knowing Media General we are confident this partnership will take us to the next level. Media General is the biggest media conglomerate in Ghana with a track record and it was not difficult to make the decision to have this exclusive partnership”.

In its sixth edition, the annually held EMY Africa Awards is a scheme to honour men who have demonstrated good values, distinguished themselves in diverse fields of endeavor and who are committed to societal progress in Ghana and beyond. The theme for this years edition is Reach For Greatness.

Top of Form

Top of Form

Source: Ghana Web

London,– Countries must work together to “level up” their regions in order to make the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) a success, a former Chief Administrator at Coca Cola turned political leader has suggested.

Alexander B. Cummings Jr, currently the standard bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) in Liberia, said: “International structures must offer nations opportunities to complement and compete with each other and allow the private sector to operate with efficiency.”

He was speaking during the 2021 Horasis Global Meeting, which was held virtually on Tuesday.

In its 15 years of existence, Portugal-based Horasis has been hosting high-level gatherings to offer solutions to global challenges.

Mr Cummings, who spent 20 years at Coca Cola, told the annual meeting of decision makers from business, government and civil society: “Regional economic structures can boost competition with better regulations and anti-competitive rules.

“AfCFTA is a good example of this – if countries allow it to work.

“Its benefits will soon become evident.”

He went on: “Poorer nations must operate on a level playing field with their stronger neighbours, as this rewards innovation and excellence.

“Wealthier countries investing in poorer neighbours pays off for all.

“This spurs economic activity back into the investor country, builds better bilateral and regional ties and builds security and stability.

“This increases equality and generates opportunity on an ever-increasing scale, with a disproportionate benefit to poorer nations,” Mr Cummings added.

He was contributing to the discussion during the session on cooperating while developing national competitiveness, which noted that all nations pursued competitive traits despite differing in their ability to compete in the international arena.

At a later session on Africa as the world’s engine of growth, Mr Cummings’s call for regional cooperation was buttressed by Béata Habyarimana, Rwanda’s Minister for Trade and Industry.

She said regional industries should be established in Africa for countries to take advantage of economies of scale that would be beneficial to the growth of AfCFTA, whose secretariat is based in Accra.

The meeting noted that with Africa having the world’s youngest population, and would soon represent one-fifth of the global population, the continent “is poised to become the world’s engine of growth”.

Drawing on his 40 years of international business experience, Mr Cummings said: “International success starts at home.

“Nations must create the right environment for innovation to thrive and therefore build an internationally-attractive offering.

“By improving and investing in the right areas at home – particularly in strengthening the rule of law and clamping down on corruption – countries can give themselves the best chance of making long-term, significant changes for future generations.”

He emphasised that the rule of law was critical to building confidence and attracting foreign investment, while anti-corruption activities and security were equally crucial.

“Reforms must benefit all, not just urban centres, and education must be placed at the heart of long-term growth.

“Too many countries are being held back by poor leadership and a lack of vision,” Mr Cummings added.

He called for more emphasis to be placed on private sector commercial experience that would be “vital to building long-term economic success”.

He continued: “Nations must look to the private sector to understand competitive advantages and build mutually-beneficial international cooperation.

“Business must fly the flag and be the catalyst for growth.”

Noting that the economic foundation of many countries in Africa was natural resources, Mr Cummings said: “The traditional sectors such as mining and agriculture must receive investment to improve efficiency and provide a base-level of income to fund further development and economic diversification.

“The real asset these countries have is their people and governments must work with the private sector to speed up knowledge transfer and fuel jobs growth.”

He said this could be achieved through tax breaks and other incentives, adding: “Government has the chance to identify and lead on specific sectors.”

Mr Cummings suggested that African governments should focus on working with multinationals on public-private partnership projects, particularly in infrastructure, which had long-term benefits by tackling vital power and communications connectivity problems “that hold poorer countries back from making major gains”.

Mr Cummings said governments should help develop small businesses and support them.

Crucially, he said governments should back “national champions internationally, while ensuring an oligarchy does not develop domestically”.

He admitted that this was a “difficult balance to strike”.

But by harmonising trade policies, goods and services, helped by technology, “countries, regions, and everyone” would benefit, Mr Cummings said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cape Coast,- The Management of the defunct Ameen Sangari Company Limited in the Cape Coast Metropolis has expressed optimism about a $3.

8 million bank support to revamp the factory.

According to the company, negotiations for support were advanced with a leading financial institution in the country and the ‘One District, One Factory’ (1D1F) Secretariat to revive the factory.

Mr Perry Mensah, a Consultant to the Company, said reviving the company’s operations was critical, especially amid COVID-19 where every country was concentrating on their local industries to stimulate job creation to enhance economic growth.

He gave the assurance on Thursday, when Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister toured the facility to assess its state as part of moves to revamp it.

She was accompanied by a team from the Regional Coordinating Council led by Mr Kingsley Adjei Boahen, Regional Coordinating Director, officials of the 1D1F Secretariat, Chamber of Commerce, security and the media.

Mr Mensah said the Lebanese-owned Company, aside from soap and palm kernel oil production, also processed teak trees into electricity poles.

The company which had operated in the Metropolis for close to 10 decades had more than 600 workers, but had to downsize the workforce to 280 due to the high cost of power, pilfering and administrative challenges.

On her part, Mrs Assan expressed displeasure about the closure of the company, considering its huge multifaceted production capacity, investment, job creation and related value-chain benefits.

Nonetheless, she re-echoed the government’s commitment to revive the oldest factory in the area as a manifestation of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s commitment to industrialisation.

Mrs Assan said she would work with the management of the Company and other key stakeholders to promote sustainable development in the region.

That, she said, would materialize if the government’s pledge to shift the country from consumption to production through investments in sectors with comparative advantage to create jobs, reduce trade imbalances and boost the local economy materialised and called for support from all stakeholders.

“Government is going to work closely with the company to make it operational to create jobs for the youth. We need everyone’s support to make it a success,” Mrs Assan said.

She said Ghana’s industrial sector had emerged as a significant driver of growth in recent years as the country leveraged its abundant natural resources to diversify the economy and attract investment.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- The 2001 year group of the Osu Home Junior High School (JHS) Thursday launched its 20 years anniversary.

The launch of the anniversary by the Alumni will kick start planned developmental projects for the school.

Mr Israel Nii Odotei Sowah, President of the Old Students Association, Osu Home Junior High School (JHS) 2001 (HOMESCAN), said the event offered them a platform to start discussions, deliberations towards the projects they were starting.

He said they would continue with the Osu Home JHS vision and mission in providing a student centred learning environment by upgrading facilities such as the library and classrooms.

Mr Sowah stated that their goal as a year group was to construct a state- of—the-art Library to serve the students as well as children in the community.

He added that it would be a learning and research hub that will deliver lifelong learning to the students and children in the community

He said activities to be undertake include Health walk and Screening which would take place on July 31.

He added that the group would donate items to the Osu Children Home on August 14 and on November 13, there would be a fundraising and awards night geared towards the construction of Library.

Mr Sowah said they would climax the anniversary celebration with a Thanksgiving service on December 5th at the Epiphany Presbyterian Church in Osu.

The President of the HOMECANs called on all past students to participate in the projects which was part of their efforts of give back to school and the community.

Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, launching the anniversary, congratulated the 2001 year group for seeking to bring hope and support to the School.

She said she was passionate about education especially the basic level of education in the community and that during her tenure as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), she made sure that education was made attractive to the youth or the students within the Municipality.

Madam Sowah said she was ready to give more in the area of education and that the Library project was one of the promises she made to the people in the constituency.

She called on the pupils to study hard and go higher and later come back to contribute to the further development of the School and the Community.

Mr Nii Boye Doku, a representative of Mr Isaac Frimpong, President of Osu Home School Old Students Association (OHSOSA), pledged the Association’s support to the 2001 year group effort.

He said OHSOSA also had a Fund which focused on the developmental activities of the Schools in the Community and that they were glad the HOMESCANs ideas were in line with the mother Association’s dream.

Source: Ghana News Agency