Month: July 2021

Tema, July 30, GNA – Some mobile money vendors in Bankuman in Tema Manhean are allegedly using the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) mobile app to extort monies from unsuspecting customers.

Scores of residents, disclosed this to ECG officials from the Tema main and Tema South District offices during a community engagement to address safety issues and related power matters.

“When we are going to buy the power, we are required to add some amount of money as their charge, for instance if I am buying GH¢50.00 prepaid units I will add at least GH¢2.00,” a resident said.

They indicated that the momo vendors do not issue them with receipts as they write the token number on papers for them to enter on their clou metre remotes if the recharge did not automatically appear on the meter as expected.

Some indicated that they thought the power tariffs were increased, due to the rate at which their power was consumed at, while others blamed the installation of the new clou metres as they claimed they were buying more power than they used to.

The ECG officials however through further questioning realized that the Momo venders who were not authorized vendors of the company were shortchanging them as the residents appeared ignorant and would not demand for a receipt or check the amount that was loaded.

Ms Ruhiya Fuseini, Marketing Officer, ECG, Tema Regional Office assured the residents that the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) had not increased tariff neither the clou metres were the cause of the running out of their units.

Ms Fuseni explained that ECG only deducted the required service charges during the first purchase of each monthly adding that the service per monthly for residential meters was GH¢7.46.

She gave the assurance that the ECG would investigate and bring to book such unauthorized vendors, and also advise customers to buy from only accredited vendors and demand for their receipt to ensure that they received required power equivalent of what they purchased.

She also urged them to download the ECG app on their phones do the online purchase themselves to avoid such extortions which was only enriching the pockets of the vendors.

Mr Christopher Apawu, ECG Tema South District Engineer, said the engagement was necessitated due to some safety issue recorded in the area, saying even though clients used electrical power, some of them did not know the consequences of tempering with their equipment.

He cautioned residents against transmitting electricity from their premises to others as that constituted illegal connection, adding that it was also unacceptable for residents to remove meters from one location to the other.

He said when relocating after buying a meter, they must contact the ECG for the necessary arrangement.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – Professor Peter Quartey, Head, Economics Division, Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, says it is not strange that government did not ask for more money to spend.

He said based on prevailing economic conditions, government could ask for more money to spend or stay put.

Prof Quartey, reacting to the 2021 Mid-year fiscal policy review of the budget statement and economic policy of the government presented to Parliament, said looking at the revenue targets it would be realised that there were some short falls.

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, presenting the budget to Parliament said, “I am not here today to ask for more money. I have not come to ask for more taxes. I have come to update the House on the performance of the economy for the first half year of 2021 and our plans for the unexpired term of the year, consistent with section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act.”

Looking at the provisional fiscal data for Jan-June 2021 on total revenue and grants amounted to GH¢28.3billion, equivalent to 6.5 percent of GDP, against a programmed target of GH¢32.4billion or 7.5 percent of GDP, it shows there was a short fall, he said.

“You cannot spend what you do not have, especially if you have not raised enough revenue in the first two quarters of the year,” he said.

Prof Quartey said based on the sentiments from the business community regarding the already introduced taxes in May, 2021 it was not needed to introduce new taxes, indicating that there was money but not additional money to be spent.

He said “if in May, 2021 new taxes were introduced, government need not ask for more revenue in the pandemic era.’

The Economist said it might take a while to realise more revenue to enable the Minister to ask for more money to spend.

On borrowing, he said it would have been unusual for government to ask permission to borrow, giving the country’s debt to GDP, which was high already.

“In a pandemic, it is unacceptable to borrow but rather you spend,” he said.

He said as a Ghanaian, “I would expect his road to be fixed and other amenities taken care of but in an era of recovery from a pandemic it would take some time,” urging Ghanaians to be modest in their expectations.

He called on government to be prudent in its spending, because the people wanted to see value for their money, urging government to block the loopholes to enable the country get more revenue and minimize wastage and corruption in the system.

Prof Quartey called on Ghanaians to perform more participatory roles and pay their taxes to ensure that revenue came in for spending.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – The General Legal Council (GLC) Disciplinary Committee has charged Mr Kwasi Afrifa, the lawyer at the centre of the Chief Justice’s $5 million bribe allegation, with nine counts of misconduct.

The lawyer, Kwasi Afrifa, is facing a suspension.

He is facing disciplinary proceedings after his client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI, had sought the assistance of the council to retrieve $75,000 from him.

Ogyeedom VI alleged that Mr. Afrifa had asked for $100,000 to secure a favourable court judgement in the case he was handling.

In his response to his client’s claims to the GLC, the lawyer allegedly implicated the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justice has denied the allegation and referred the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service for a probe.

The various charges leveled against the lawyer are misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 9(11) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (LI. 613) as amended.

Particulars of misconduct

The council stated, “That you, having been informed of an alleged unethical conduct in the office of the Chief Justice by your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI, the Complainant herein, failed to protect the sanctity and integrity of the legal profession by failing to disclose the allegation of bribery against the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana to the Disciplinary Committee of the Judicial Council or any other statutory body for an inquiry.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 6(1) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (II. 613) as amended.

Particulars of misconduct

“That you, in a preliminary inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council voluntarily admitted that you failed to issue any receipts to your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI for the payment of legal fees thereby committing a professional misconduct.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 2(2) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (L.I. 613) as amended.

Particulars of misconduct

“That you, in a conversation with your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI about an alleged judicial manipulation by the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, omitted to defend the reputation of the legal profession, and rather facilitated the commission of the alleged bribery offence by refunding to the Complainant legal fees you were legally and duly entitled to thereby failing to uphold the dignity and high standing of the legal profession.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 2(2) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (L.1. 613) as amended.

Particulars of misconduct

“That you, in a preliminary inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council voluntarily admitted that in responding to the complaint brought against you by your former client, Obranu Kwasi Atta VI. you forwarded a scanned copy of the said response which had information relating to your representation of the said client to a third party, via social media platform (WhatsApp), thereby failing to uphold the dignity and high standing of the legal profession.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 9(7) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (L.L. 613) as amended.

Particulars of misconduct

“That you, in your dealings with your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI, did not behave with utmost honesty and frankness when in a conversation with the said Complainant about alleged judicial manipulation by the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, facilitated the commission of the alleged bribery offence by refunding to the Complainant legal fees you were legally and duly entitled to.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 52 (a) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423).

Particulars of misconduct

That you, in responding to a complaint brought against you by your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI, made a reckless statement suggesting judicial manipulation by the Chief Justice, which you knew or ought to have known that it was false.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 89 (c) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423).

Particulars of misconduct

That you, in responding to a complaint brought against you by your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI made a reckless statement imputing judicial manipulation by the Chief Justice, thereby engaging in a conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 61 (b) (ii) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.1. 2423).

Particulars of misconduct

“That you, in your response to a complaint brought against you by your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI, made a reckless statement imputing judicial manipulation by the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, thereby diminishing public confidence in the administration of Justice.

Misconduct in a professional respect, contrary to rule 21 (3) (b) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (LI. 2423).

Particulars of misconduct

That you, in a preliminary inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council voluntarily admitted that in responding to the complaint brought against you by your former client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta VI. you forwarded a scanned copy of the said response which had information relating to your representation of the said client to a third party, via social media platform (WhatsApp), thereby making the information relating to your representation of your former client public.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Akrofuom (Ash) July 29, GNA – Eighteen persons with disability in the Adansi Akrofuom District have received various items to support their business activities to improve their incomes and living conditions.

The items included; Deep Freezers, knitting machines, spraying machines, industrial sewing machines and wheelchairs.

They were presented by the Adansi Akrofuom District Assembly from its share of the disability fund to help the PWDs to expand and improve on their businesses to become financially independent.

Forty-six (46) others were also given educational support, while the national health insurance of 155 others were renewed for them by the assembly.

Mr Maurice Jonas Wood, District Chief Executive speaking at a brief ceremony to hand over the items said they were procured at GH₵17,000.00 from the disability fund, which was part of the district assembly’s share of the common fund.

He advised all persons with disability to register with the assembly to benefit from the gesture.

Adansi Akrofuom currently has 439 registered PWDs.

Mr Ebenezer Douglas Ntiamoah, District Coordinating Director said disability was not inability and advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of their items to cater for themselves and their families.

Madam Sarah Tieku, Secretary of the Akrofuom Chapter of Ghana Federation of Disabled commended the assembly for the support and urged the beneficiaries to use the items for the intended purpose.

He appealed to the government and other stakeholders including the media, to create a congenial environment for persons with disability to have a voice.

The Adansi Akrofuom District Assembly has since 2018 provided such support to PWDs in the district to improve their socio-economic and living conditions.

The event was the sixth time the Assembly was distributing such items to PWDs in the district.

Mr Philip Obeng, a visually impaired cocoa farmer who received a spraying machine, thanked the assembly for the kind gesture and promised to work with it by giving it for hiring for other farmers who would need it for their farming activities.

An immobilized young girl who received a wheel chair also lauded the assembly for coming to her aid to be able to move around by herself.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi, July 30, GNA – To promote Domestic Tourism in the country, the National Executives of Africa Tour Operators Alliance (ATOA) have initiated moves to engage authorities and industry players to create avenues for sustainable promotion of tourism at the local level.

The team made up of the Technical Head of ATOA, Mr Gideon Asare and Events Manager of ATOA, Mr Michael Ako Nai in this regard, called on the Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah to discuss best ways to revamp tourism activities in the Western Region.

Mr Gideon Asare, who is also the Managing Director of Adansi Travels announced during the engagement with the Minister, that capacity building would be carried out by ATOA through periodic training of members, coupled with effective team work to propel tourism in the country.

According to him, the organization would drive the African agenda through tourism whilst leveraging on individual strengths through partnerships, cooperation and effective collaborations.

He mentioned that ATOA would translate the collective efforts of the industry players into results oriented gains for the benefit of all members, the country and the continent.

He said the intent and purpose for the establishment of the organization, primarily revolved around the potential of the tourism industry in Africa which must be strategically tapped.

He indicated that tourism had the potential to deal with the growing phenomenon of unemployment in the Western Region, Ghana and the African continent provided the industry was well harnessed.

On his part, Michael Ako Nai, assured the Regional Minister of the commitment of ATOA to unveil new destination products in the Ghanaian market to improve on the fortunes of domestic tourism in the country.

He called for a concerted effort from stakeholders to achieve the herculean task with the involvement of all travel agents, tour operators, hospitality industry suppliers and Aviation industry managers, who are all keenly working strategically along the value chain of the tourism industry in Ghana and Africa.

He therefore called on those who are industry players, and have been sitting on the fence to join the Africa Tour Operators Alliance.

He said the organization was established in Ghana ostensibly to create a united front, and that a unique platform was required to make available a bigger voice to drive the tourism industry in Ghana with speed and ultimately advance the course of development in the African continent.

The Western Regional Minister, Mr Darko-Mensah, who welcomed the team to the Region, assured them of his commitment to support the Alliance to succeed in an endeavour geared towards transforming the tourism industry in Ghana.

He said, as part of his vision to create employment opportunities in the Region, he would partner relevant organizations including ATOA to change the narrative and introduce Programmes and projects that would project the sector to grow.

He said although his administration, and the Region, had set the target of leading tourism growth in the country, the emergence of COVID-19 out of the blue thwarted that effort.

According to the Minister, in 2019, the Western Region beat the Ashanti Region and became Second Best in the country, while keenly following the Central Region which has since been at the top spot.

He touched on various initiatives carried out by his administration to promote sustainable development of tourism in the Region and the country with emphasis on empirical data to influence performance of all programmes and projects being undertaken by both public and private institutions working together in the interest of the tourism industry.

He said his administration had direct contacts with officials from Spain, France, Canada and Nigeria since last year for closer collaborations to increase inbound and outbound traffic volumes in the Region.

He advised the Executives to partner credible institutions, build new networks in and outside of the country to learn best practices, new techniques, gain experience, secure relevant and necessary information to sustain their operations.

This, he noted, would serve as an anchor for sustenance of the campaign being waged to broaden the tourism industry and that once broadened, the sector would create new opportunities to enhance revenue generation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cape Coast, July 30, GNA -The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has debunked reports in the media that the Accra-Cape Coast highway is the deadliest highway in Africa.

It said available national data on road traffic crashes updated since 1991 did not mirror the Accra-Cape Coast Road or the Central Region as the most accident-prone road/region in Ghana.

The Authority described the reports which asserted that in early 2018, the NSRA disclosed that 60 percent of all crashes in Ghana occurred on that highway as unfortunate and called on the public to disregard it.

In a statement issued and signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Pearl Adusu Gyasi and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the situation made it implausible to describe the Accra-Cape Coast Road as the deadliest in Africa, as the reports suggested.

“The impression that 60 per cent of all crashes in Ghana for 2017 occurred on that road is incorrect. Instead, the fact is that the Accra-Cape Coast section of routes in the Central Region (Kasoa-Cape Coast) accounted for about 60 percent of all crashes in the Central Region (and not Ghana) for the year 2017”, the statement said.

“The 60 percent of all crashes (not deaths or fatalities) in the Central Region for 2017 was 558. For the same year, Central Region’s outlook for crashes, fatalities(deaths) and injuries were 11.9 percent, 12.0 percent, and 12.5 percent, respectively, and this ranked the region as the fourth for frequency of occurrence, fatalities (deaths) and casualties (deaths and injuries), after Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern regions for 2017”, it explained.

The three most dangerous roads in Ghana according to the 2017 statistics on road traffic crashes were the N1 Highway (Aflao to Elubo), N6 Highway (Accra to Kumasi) and N10 Highway (Kumasi through Techiman, Kintampo to Tamale).

The statement said though the Accra-Cape Coast Road was within the N1 Highway, the accident-prone sections were the Accra-Tema Motorway, Achimota Interchange to Mallam Junction to Weija, and Kasoa to Cape Coast.

It assured that the NRSA would continue to deploy multi-faceted approaches and strategies including outreach, enforcement and engineering measures to deal with key causes of issues of Inattentiveness/Distractive Road Usage and Speeding in the Region.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 30, GNA – Mr. Kwame Amporfi Jr, the Deputy Director General (DG), (Technical) of the National Sports Authority (NSA) has commended the Ghana Wrestling Association’s (GWA) President, Mr.

Norbert Amefu for organizing a coaching clinic for its trainers.

Speaking at the opening of the three-day coaching clinic by the GWA for 21 coaches in six regions at the Accra Sports Stadium, Mr. Amporfi, praised the President for the event which is aimed at updating the coaches and instructors on Olympic style of wrestling in Freestyle and Greco Roman Wrestling.

Mr. Amporfi believed Wrestling would be on a pedestal under Mr. Amefu, adding that he had the capacity to promote the discipline.

Mr. Amefu thanked the coaches and admonished them to return to their various regions, introduce and form a regional team to help the regional executives to organize championships at least once every year.

The two resource persons for the propgram are, Mr. Richard Hammond and Cynthia Dotsey who have undergone a course in Wrestling organized by the United World Wrestling (UWW) in Nigeria, Senegal, and Korea respectively.

The GWA is affiliated with the UWW and the Africa Wrestling Federation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema, July 30, GNA – The new Land Act 2020 makes provision for accountability, therefore people put in trust of lands are to take note that they are accountable; Lawyer Timothy Anyidoho, a member of the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, has indicated.

He stated that the Family Accountability Law which existed under PNDC Law already made provision for accountability but was reemphasized in the new Land Act.

Mr Anyidoho disclosed this during the fifth edition of the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office’s monthly stakeholder engagement and workers’ appreciation day seminar in Tema when speaking on the topic: “The role of Licensed Surveyors in Ghana’s Land Act 2020”.

The engagement focused on: the authority in charge of the management of stool or skin, clan or family lands; the role of Customary Land Secretariat; Systems of recording and registering land and interests in land; What is electronic conveyancing; and Procedures under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 201.

Mr Anyidoho explained that the Land Act ensures that family heads account for lands sold, their location, and where they were located and indicated that lack of transparency and fairness in the past resulted in tension which led families to split into smaller groups.

He noted that the Land Act had introduced the establishment of the Customary Land Secretariat to aid stools, skins, clans, and families to keep records.

He stated that all that was needed to establish the Customary Land Secretariat was a decent office, consultation with the Lands Commission for any assistance, acquire the services of a legal person, and find a simple way of recording.

Mr Anyidoho who is also a Senior Staff, Lands Commission, at the Public and Vested Lands Management Division said the establishment of the Customary Land Secretariat would be done based on some guidelines which would make it easier for people to interact with the stool by going to a defined office with staff.

“Now what happens is, you have to meet the Chief in his house, palace, or restaurant and negotiate with him, and you may not know whether he is acting in consent with his elders or not, which had contributed to people being defrauded,” he said.

The Act indicates in Section 16 the structure of staffing of the Customary Land Secretariat, such as the minimum qualification for certain people does not restrict the stools to necessarily to people who are of the same clan.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, GNA Tema Regional Manager explained that the event was a progressive media caucus platform created to allow both state and non-state stakeholders to interact with journalists and address national issues.

It also served as a platform to deepen the working relationship with stakeholders to ensure that the media and corporate world work together towards national development.

Other speakers include Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Programme Manager National AIDS/STI Control Programme who spoke on: “Workplace policy on HIV/AIDS, who enforces it: the legal basis for churches demanding HIV/AIDS test from would-be partners? Role of partners of infected individual”.

Mr Fred Aseidu-Dartey, Head of Freight and Logistics, Ghana Shippers Authority also spoke on: “Emerging trends in Ghana’s maritime industry – the perspective of the Ghana Shippers Authority.

Source: Ghana News Agency