Day: July 30, 2021

Accra, July 30, GNA – Mr Kojo Razak Opoku, a New Patriotic Party Activist has said it is surprising that Ghanaians are supporting the promulgation of laws against the legalization of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer Plus and against contributions towards the construction of a National Cathedral.

“People are vehemently against LGBTQI and went further to initiate a Bill to criminalize the abnormal acts, aimed at helping to protect the laws of God, nature and cultural heritage. Yet, these same people are strongly against a construction of National Cathedral for the same God who they are helping to protect His laws.”

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Accra, Mr Opoku called on Ghanaians to be truthful to themselves and adopt what was good and discard the evils of society.

“Why do you help God to protect the sanctity of His laws against LGBTQI and at the same time kicking against the Construction of God’s Cathedral? Are you not being a hypocrite?

“However, Construction of a National Cathedral for God is equally good as passage of anti-LGBTQI Law. Both initiatives would help to protect and promote the sanctity of God, nature and cultural heritage.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi, July 30, GNA – The Western Regional Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Mr Okatakyie AmanKwa Afriyie has called on the Minerals Commission (MC) to establish offices in the various District Assemblies for surveillance and supervisory purposes in the mining industry.

He said there was the need to create awareness on responsible mining to do away with illegal mining popularly called “galamsey” which could be better achieved at the local level.

Mr Afrifa made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the sidelines of the commencement of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) Week celebration in Takoradi on the theme, “Sustainable Mining for National Development, An All in All Call”.

According to him, the theme and the venue for the national launch was chosen to put a spotlight on the increase in illegal mining in the country and the need to find the best way of mining to protect the environment and create more opportunities.

On the impact of COVID-19 on its operations, he said it had thrown the plans and budget of many organizations out of gear as they either had to lay off or cut down salaries of staff to retain them.

He lamented on the number of rejections of National service Personnel by companies, which resulted in double work for Management who were forced to restart the posting processes all over again.

“Many companies reduced their intake which led to loads of rejections. This circumstance is worrying. Sometimes, you can get the posting but the company might reject your posting and you have to do reposting”, he pointed out.

Mr Afrifa cautioned all applicants of the Scheme to desist from paying people to facilitate their postings, since postings were solely done based on request of organizations.

He noted with concern that national service personnel mostly become disappointed and waste their money in an attempt to get posted to destinations of their choice through a middle man.

Mr Afrifa explained that though request and requirement of organizations influenced posting in a way, and that applicants may try to manipulate the system to get posted to certain destinations of choice, they ultimately get rejected in most cases.

He said it was better to choose an organisation that had correlation with areas of studies to prevent mismatch resulting in ultimate rejection and inconvenience.

“We have had experiences where People come to the office to cry just because an organization had rejected them. Sometimes Personnel will share stories that showed they had offered money to someone else to facilitate their posting.

“The worrying aspect is, you will find a theatre student who is doing everything possible to work with a mining company because many feel they could get the chance to be either employed and paid well, this is a challenge for the scheme and everyone has to be careful, People must choose organisations that match their expertise”, he added.

He admitted that though hackers tempered with their online system at its inception, mechanisms have been put in place to avert the continuous occurrence and that perpetrators caught would be made to face the law.

He in this regard cautioned middle men and potential hackers to stay away from illegal activities around the Scheme’s postings.

“For those who have been duping people, we are collaborating with the National Security to ensure that we weed out individuals who are perpetrating these crimes. I think the best we can do is to publish names of those who are caught duping people”, he pointed out.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ningo, July 30, GNA – Mr Benjamin Abbey, Director of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for Tema Region has donated 10 bags of cement to EL-Chris Truth Academy, a school for underprivileged children near New Dawhenya in the Ningo-Prampram District.

He therefore called on other institutions within the Tema Region to support school as it faced eminent eviction and possible collapse, a situation which would have serious repercussion on the academic pursuit of the under-privileged children.

Mr Abbey donated the cement during a fund-raising event organized by El-Chris Truth Academy which aimed at mobilizing resources and funds to pay for the land and rehabilitate the dilapidated school.

Apostle Chris Mensah Kudzo, the School’s Director and Proprietor during the event, at Tema Community 25 said EL-Chris Truth Academy was the only underprivileged school in the community and called on the public to support the survive.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the fund raising event, Apostle Kudzo called on cement manufacturing companies in the Tema enclave to help them.

He appealed to corporate bodies and philanthropic individuals to assist save the school stressing that the school needed about GH¢100,000.00 to pay for the land and other funds for rehabilitation of the structure.

Apostle Kudzo said the current school structure was made of woods and on the verge of collapse and it also lacked basic needs such as chairs, tables, chalkboards washrooms, and a lot more.

EL-Chris Truth Academy, has also re-launched an appeal through the Ghana News Agency in Tema that the date for the eviction ended in May 2021, but they were given a grace period of up to the ending of July 2021, by the landowner.

He appealed to T. T. Brothers Limited, McDan Shipping Company, Electrochem Ghana Limited, and other companies within the Tema enclave to come to the aid of the school.

He said the school was established some six years ago to take care of the children from primary to the Junior High School level who were under-privileged within the new Dawhenya Community as a result they don’t pay fees.

Apostle Kudzo said the total school population stood at 319 who were all from underprivileged homes.

Apostle Kudzo, also a Pastor at the End Time Redemption Church, said he used proceeds from the church to take care of the children.

He said he had informed the Ningo-Prampram District Education Directorate to register the school but it was yet to consider his request.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – Government says Ghana will continue to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative aimed at accelerating intra-African trade and boosting Africa’s trading position in the global market.

Through its Secretariat located here in Accra, and the cooperation of African Union member states, the AfCFTA has successfully completed Phase 1 negotiations, with negotiations for Phase 2 on-going.

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance said Phase 1 Negotiations included protocol on Trade in Goods; protocol on Trade in Services; and protocol on Rules and Procedures for Settlement of Disputes.

Mr Ofori-Atta was presenting the 2021 Mid-year fiscal policy review of the budget statement and economic policy of the government to Parliament on Thursday.

The Phase 2 Negotiations will include protocol on competition policy; protocol on intellectual property rights; and protocol on investments.

The Minister said 54 Member States had signed and 40 Member States had ratified the Agreement as at July 2021, while the Seychelles, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi had expressed optimism to join by September 2021.

“A number of 41 Countries have submitted tariff offers and 33 State parties and non-State parties have submitted their initial offers to the AfCFTA Secretariat,” he added.

He said there was the need to engage private sector actors and educate them on peculiar issues such as customs procedures, clearance of goods, and transportation.

The Minister said much collaboration was needed to spur up sensitisation of AfCFTA activities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tamale, July 30, GNA – Hajia Amina Musah, an educationist has expressed worry over the poor academic performance of some second-cycle institutions in the Northern Region.

She attributed the situation to indiscipline amongst students, parental neglect, some form of community interference in academic activities amongst others.

She, therefore, appealed to community leaders to collaborate with stakeholders to instill discipline in students to curb the menace of poor performance in second-cycle institutions.

Hajia Musah was speaking at a youth education dialogue on the poor learning outcomes consistently recorded in the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

The dialogue, organised by the Northern Regional Youth Network in collaboration with YEFL- GHANA, and OXFAM in Ghana, both non-governmental organisations, brought together key stakeholders in the educational sector and students to deliberate on the fallen standard of education in the Northern Region.

It served as a platform for young people and stakeholders to access the outcomes and trends in academic performance amongst the various Senior High Schools in the WASSCE.

It was to pool the unique energies and expertise of the youth, authorities, and duty-bearers to improve on the poor learning outcomes recorded by the second-cycle institutions.

Madam Ayisha Mohammed, Deputy Public Relations Officer, Northern Regional Youth Network, who made a presentation on education performance, said “According to statistics from the 2019 National WASSCE data on school performance, the best northern schools ranked 139th on the national rankings.

Only about 10 percent of students in the Northern Region passed the WASSCE on average, and in terms of absolute numbers, only 1,387 had passed the WASSCE examinations out of the total number of 15,093 students that sat for the examinations.

Madam Vera Jawol Magan, Executive Director of YEFL – GHANA said the dialogue was to spark a regional debate and action by key stakeholders in the educational sector on the urgent need to improve the performance of students to strengthen the standard of education in the country.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, lauded the efforts of the youth in ensuring that key actors in the sector would prioritise the importance of education to nation-building, and assured them of the government’s commitment to uplift the standards of education in the country.

Master Machante Evans Kwabena, a Student of St Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School in Tamale, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to improve the educational infrastructure in the region to enable students to concentrate on their academic activities to change the current narrative.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nkonya (O/R), July 30, GNA – The Nkonya Wurupong Traditional Area in the Oti Region, has outdoor newly enstooled Adontenhene, Adontenhemaa, and Okyeame.

They are Nana Komla Akpoah II, Adontenhene was known in private life as Mr Moses Appiah, Businessman, Nana Adjoa Kaafie Kodia I, Adontenhemaa, in private life as Madam Rosemary Nkansah, a staff of Frerol Rural Bank and Okyeame Kwaku Deh.

Nana Akpoah who is by his enstoolment, the Warlord of the Traditional Area said he would unite the Area through dialogue and education.

He said he would ‘fight’ for educational issues in the area since most schools became almost empty due to conflicts and the unwillingness of children to go to school.

The Adontenhene noted that he was ready to champion all peaceful efforts to ensure unity between the people of Nkonya and Alavanyo Traditional Areas.

He said he was poised to encourage children to value education and eschew all forms of bad habits.

Nana Kodia, on her part, said her position as a leader would be extended to all communities within the area.

She said her main focus would be on girl-child education since it tended to alleviate poverty in the area.

The Adontenhemaa said she would also train the youth to acquire skills that would help them generate income which was a means of reducing teenage pregnancies.

She noted that peace was a necessary ingredient for development and was ready to educate her subjects on the need for peaceful coexistence.

Nana Kofi Ampadu II, Kyedomhene on behalf of Nana Kwadwo Asiakwa II, Paramount Chief of Nkonya Wurupong Traditional Area, said the installation was in accordance with tradition.

He said the Nkonya Wurupong Traditional Area needed to get leaders to occupy the vacant traditional positions for development.

Nana Ampadu noted that the area lacked developments such as education, roads, infrastructure, and health.

He said there was the need for the upgrade of trunk roads as well as to give the Biakoye Girls Senior High School the necessary attention to make it attractive and patronised.

The Kyedomhene said the Volta lake needed to be put into good use by providing a source of living for the youth through fish farming.

He also said the Area was soliciting for the siting of the District hospital.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – Multiple award-winning Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has released the much-awaited “No Pressure” album, a multi-genre mix of Hip-hop and Gospel.

The 15-track album is a music blockbuster and a well-crafted masterpiece with big names like Wale, Giggs, Oxlade, Harmonize, Cassper Nyovest, Kwesi Arthur, among others complimenting Sarkodie’s delivery with their respective verses.

Some tracks on the album including “No Fugazy”, “Coachella” featuring Kwesi Arthur and “Vibration” with Vic Mensah, which were released prior to the debut of the album continue to dominate the Ghanaian music charts over the past weeks.

Sarkodie who is undoubtedly most decorated Ghanaian artiste of all time kick starts the album with a hard-hitting ‘Intro’ which talks about his journey in the music industry and also sets the pace on what listeners should expect on other tracks.

He follows up with some steady bars on “Rollies and Cigars” throwing shots at some artistes and personalities who have critiqued him over past years and was produced by Kayso.

Midway through the album comes a line-up of intriguing rap artiste with “Jaara” featuring Medikal, “Married To The Game” featuring South African rapper Cassper Nyovest and “Fireworks” a cool mid-tempo hip-hop tune featuring American rapper, Wale.

Sarkodie goes on a soul searching mission with “Don’t Cry” featuring Benerl and “I Wanna Love You” tune featuring Harmonize and these tunes will certainly arouse emotions of music lovers.

Sarkodie finishes off the album with a gospel tune “I’ll Be There” featuring MOG Music, an inspirational and highly spirited song ministration that would draw believers close to their maker.

Sarkodie’s “No Pressure” album is a manifestation of real-life happenings and would certainly, inspire the masses as well as bagging some local and international honours in the coming months.

The “No Pressure” album is the seventh studio album from Sarkodie with other six being “Makye” (2009), “Rapperholic” (2012), Sarkology (2014), “Mary” (2015), “Highest” (2017), “Black Love” 2019.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – Ghana’s Nadia Eke has bowed out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after three unsuccessful attempts in the Women’s Triple Jump on Friday morning at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

The 2016 Africa triple jump champion failed to make a single legal jump having stepped on the red line in all three attempt, scoring an X in the final analysis.

Nadia Eke, 28, was Ghana’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which was rescheduled to 2021 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

She becomes the fourth Ghanaian to exit the competition after boxer Shakul Samir, Abeiku Jackson (swimming) and Kwadwo Anani (Judo).

Source: Ghana News Agency