Day: September 20, 2021

Gambaga (NER),- The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called on Ghanaians to support the Security Agencies to effectively and efficiently fight crime and maintain peace.

Mr Wilberforce Zangina, the North East Regional Director of the NCCE who made the call said the emergence of violent extremists and terrorists in neighbouring countries were a threat to Ghana and the world at large and people needed to accept that it as a shared responsibility and support the security apparatus to ensure peace.

The Regional Director who was speaking to youth activists at Gambaga in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region said when citizens provided relevant information to the security agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, they would strategize to fight crime.

The youth engagement dubbed, “Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana (NORPREVSEC) Project”, was organized by the East Mamprusi Municipal Directorate of the NCCE with funding support from the European Union (EU).

Mr Zangina urged the citizens to act as watchdogs in their respective communities and report any suspicious characters to the opinion leaders and law enforcement agencies.

Mr Danladi Abdul-Nasir, the Acting Municipal Chief Executive for the area explained that violent extremism was a global and interrelated trend and urged the youth to be watchful and disassociate themselves from such violent groups.

He said peace was essential to ensure accelerated and sustained development and therefore called for equitable distribution of state resources as one of the keys to maintaining the prevailing peace and democratic governance.

Mr Abu Nassam, the East Mamprusi Municipal Director of NCCE, said the project was meant to equip the youth with the relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism so that they will eschew any form of violence.

He said peace was a pre-requisite requirement of any meaningful development and urged the youth to be law abiding, respect one another and cultivate the culture of co-existence among others.

The engagement brought together youth leaders and youth groups, including; political party activists, opinion leaders, persons with disability, women groups, Assembly members and religious groups among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Salaga (S/R),- The East Gonja Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged influential youth leaders among other stakeholders in the area on preventing violent extremism in the municipality.

The day’s event, held at Salaga, formed part of the Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana project funded by the European Union to among others counter violent extremism in the country.

The engagement was to enhance participants’ understanding of peacebuilding mechanisms, community-based mechanisms for countering violent extremism, identifying early warning signals, community surveillance and basic community-based strategies for countering arms proliferation.

Participants included; representatives youth groups such as Gonja Youth Association in Salaga, Konkomba Youth Association amongst other stakeholders including; barbers, hairdressers association, Christian Youth Association, Moslem Youth Association, political parties, traditional leaders, religious leaders, some influential leaders in the municipality, Heads of Department, and security agencies.

Mr Sato Gariba, East Gonja Municipal Director of NCCE, took participants through what violent extremism was, causes/drivers of violent extremism, actors involved in violent extremism and how to prevent violent extremism in communities and the country as a whole.

Mr Sato said issues of security were the responsibility of every citizen urging community members to be alert and report suspicious characters to the Police for necessary actions to be taken against them.

He advised the participants especially the youth not to fall prey to activities of violent extremists.

Chief Superintendent Yelisong, Salaga Divisional Police Commander, took participants through the Public Order Act and other violent extremist related security issues cautioning the youth to desist from acts that would cause insecurity in the municipality.

Reverend Fr Nerius Dong-Yeru of the Catholic Church at Salaga, took the participants through peacebuilding mechanisms and coexistence advising the youth to tolerate one another and respect each opinion to promote peace.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- Huawei Technologies Ghana Limited, a leading global information and communication technology (ICT) solution provider, is partnering government to build the capacity of management and staff of Information Services Department and the Information Ministry on efficient use of technology to deliver smarter public services.

The training is being implemented through the Information, and Communication and Digitalisation ministries.

A total of 10,000 public servants, especially frontline workers in government institutions are expected to be trained by 2024 in efficient utilisation of ICT tools to render world-class services.

The week-long workshop, opened by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in Accra, on Monday, was in sync with government’s digitisation agenda of ensuring quality delivery of services by the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the nation would not be left behind in using digitisation to deliver efficient services, hence the government’s determination to form useful partnerships to build the competencies of its human resources towards achieving its objectives.

He cited the recent unveiling of the Ghana.Gov portal as a classic example of government’s digitisation efforts to deliver quality services.

He also cited the Ministry’s use of ICT tools for collating reports from government’s public relations units nationwide as well as the Access to Information Unit and Media Division of the Information Services Department in delivering quality services to the public.

Mr David Appiah, the Public Relations Manager of Huawei Technologies Ghana, in his welcome remarks, expressed the company’s commitment to partnering government to train frontline staff of the various public institutions in digitization programmes to make Ghana globally competitive.

Participants will be taken through topics such as Digital Economy, Digital Governance, and Digital Transformation.

Mr Appiah said ICT experts from South Africa, United Kingdom and China would provide indepth explanation on the aforementioned topics.

He, therefore, entreated them to take active part in the lessons and practicalise the knowlege and skills to be acquired in their daily operations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

aYo Intermediaries Ghana Limited, a leading microinsurance company has increased its maximum premium from GH¢4 to GH¢6 to give more to its existing and potential customers.

The move is to enhance customer experience.

Announcing this change, which took effect in August 2021, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of aYo Ghana, Francis Gota, said: “We also want to give the customer the flexibility to choose the maximum they want to be deducted from their airtime each month”.

The new changes would enable existing and new Recharge with Care customers, low to middle-income earners, and MTN subscribers between the age of 18 and 65years to accumulate benefits up to a maximum of GH¢6,000.00 for life and GH¢120.00 for hospital cover each month. Additionally, existing and potential customers would receive more coverage and make insurance accessible and affordable to every Ghanaian.

Mr. Gota added that new customers would have the ability to choose the maximum premium when setting up an auto boost feature, while customers would choose from either GH¢4.00 or GH¢6.00.

“Existing customers will have the ability to set up their maximum from the aYo USSD menu. The current maximum sum assured on MyHospital to be increased from GH¢100.00 to GH¢120.00”, he said.

aYo Ghana a reliable partner in a period of uncertainty

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of the microinsurance sector’s role in the economic resilience of low-income households. For customers of aYo, this past year has been one of their best years in spite of the uncertainties.

Through tailor-measured policies, aYo has become a most reliable partner to many households offering relevant, accessible, and easy-to-use insurance solutions that give absolute peace of mind to Ghanaians and their financial wellbeing.

In line with aYo’s promise to guarantee the safety of its customers in case of any eventualities, a total of GH¢2,421,787 claims have been paid to more than 8,000 people since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 alone, 8,405 customers received a total of over GH¢2.5million funeral and hospital cash benefits.

Since its inception, aYo Ghana has leveraged the wheels of technology: through the use of mobile phones and tailor-made insurance products to penetrate the insurance market which has persistently had a low penetration rate to make insurance accessible to all classes of people, including low-income earners, underserved communities, among others in Ghana. Over six million MTN subscribers are now covered by aYo.

With its two main products, namely, Recharge with Care and Send with Care, aYo Ghana provides hospital and life insurance cover to MTN customers who sign up for any of these insurance policies.

How to sign on and file a Claim

To sign up to the Recharge with Care, dial *296#, select option 1, and then follow the prompt. Customers can either sign up for MyLife or MyHospital or both and pay a premium of GH¢6.00 valid for 30 days.

To file claims, dial *296#, select option 1, and from the drop list option 7, followed by the prompt. Subscribers with valid claims will be paid directly to the claimant’s mobile money wallet.

MTN MoMo subscribers can send MoMo through aYo Send with Care by dialing *170#, select option 1 (transfer money), and then option 3 (Send with Care) on the mobile money menu to get up to GH¢30,000.00 hospital and life insurance cover and up to GH¢3000.00 life cover for their family members (receiver of the Momo).

Instructively, aYo intermediaries Ghana Limited is a registered microinsurance company incorporated under the companies’ code of Ghana and a subsidiary of aYo Holdings (Based in South Africa), a joint venture between MMI Holding and MTN Group.

Established to distribute insurance solutions to MTN subscribers in Ghana and Africa, our operations are regulated by the National Insurance Commission of Ghana and underwritten by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Ghana.

aYo offers hospitalization and life insurance covers to customers through its two insurance products- ‘Send with Care’ and ‘Recharge with Care’.

The Recharge with Care and ‘Send with Care’ offer life and hospital insurance cover every time customers recharge their MTN airtime.

Customers can get up to GH¢120.00 for each night they are admitted at the hospital to support hospital admission bills and up to GH¢6,000 life cover for themselves and one family member who is registered on the policy.

Source: Ghana Web

Kunsu (Ash),- Participatory Development Associates (PDA) a human-centred organization working to empower communities, has planted 200 tree seedlings to launch its 20th anniversary at Kunsu and its environs in the Ahafo Ano South West District.

The exercise, which was done in collaboration with the Ghana Forestry Commission, was in support of the government’s “Green Ghana Project”, to restore the country’s degraded forest reserves.

Among the tree species planted were teak, royal palm, coconut and others.

Mr Edem Agbe, Managing Director of PDA speaking at a ceremony to commence the exercise said PDA was a wholly Ghanaian human-centred organisation working with communities, governments, local and international organisations to empower grassroots people and communities to take control of, and lead their own development processes.

He said the tree planting exercise formed part of the activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the organization, which was being held on the theme “Twenty years of Galvanizing Action and Research”.

Mr Agbe said promoting tree planting had become one of the most critical human activities to deal effectively with, especially with the prevailing threats of climate change.

He said trees were a unique creation of God that played an important role in the existence of mankind, so “we took it upon ourselves to plant 200 tree seedlings to launch our 20th anniversary”.

“Without oxygen, mankind will not survive,” Mr. Agbe, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after planting a symbolic tree at Potrikrom D/A Primary school to commence the exercise.

He said PDA aimed at working with communities, organisations and individuals to reflect, learn and to bring about a transformation in their present situation.

Mr. Agbe said PDA over the years worked with government, non-government and private organisations, and multilateral and bilateral organisations in areas such as decentralisation, policy analysis and advocacy.

Other areas were poverty and social assessment, reproductive health, including; HIV/AIDS, gender and development, child protection, issues of governance in education, health, agriculture and forestry, organisation development with NGOs and other civil society organisations, as well as monitoring and evaluation.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, he said, a workshop for knowledge sharing on child protection would be held in Accra, on November 25, this year.

Again, it will share knowledge of 20 years of community engagement and research work, and organize PDA Appreciation Day as part of the celebrations.

The Managing Director, acknowledged the contribution of its partners such as the Overseas Development Institute, Beyond Beans, Solidaridard, UNICEF, EdTech Hub, Root Capital, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Sustainable Trade Initiative, and Bath Social Development Research.

As part of the launch, PDA also donated some books and stationery to Kunsu, Potrikrom and Asuadee D/A Primary and Junior High Schools (JHS) to help improve teaching and learning.

Mr Alfred Kwadwo Boateng, the Director of Ghana Education Service (GES) at Ahafo Ano South West District, who received the items, commended PDA for supporting them.

He said the items would help improve teaching and learning in the schools, and pledged that his outfit would do everything possible to support them.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi,- The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis will play host to the “#Fix TheCountry” team to drum home the need to work on developmental challenges in the Western Region.

The #FixTheCountry tagline has raised awareness among the authorities and the public on how citizens could stand up to demand the fixing of socio-economic challenges.

Mr Ernesto Yeboah, a leading member of the group, told the media that the demonstration in Takoradi would raise awareness of the authorities on the need to fix the deplorable roads, and check the destruction of water bodies due to ‘Galamsey’ and unemployment.

He said the time had come for the citizens to be full participants in matters that affected their welfare and development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) nominee, Madam Elizabeth Dorcas Amoah to use her office to unite and promote peace when approved.

According to the group, the nomination of Madam Elizabeth Dorcas Amoah is not only welcoming but a step in the right direction.

“Her appointment is indeed a step in the right direction especially, in the political and developmental dispensation of our municipality as the first woman MCE for the area,” part of a press release signed by John Abugri, Secretary of the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira NDC has said.

The party in an appeal has urged the MCE nominee to ensure transparency and accountability in all her duties towards the advancement and well-being of the people.

They also want her to “use her good office to unite and promote peace among the entire people of the municipality as a mother to help fight for the common goal for all instead of a centered political interest.

“We once again wish her well in her new endeavours and pray for good health and divine leadership skills to move our municipality which is hobbling for the past four years into a more rapid development hub in the Western Region,” the statement emphasised.

Below is the release in full;

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (EVALUE-AJOMORO-GWIRA)

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATED SUNDAY 19, SEPTEMBER, 2021

APPOINTMENT OF MADAM ELIZABETH DORCAS AMOAH AS FIRST FEMALE MCE FOR NZEMA EAST, A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION

The Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to congratulate Madam Elizabeth Dorcas AMOAH on her appointment by His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo as the first female Municipal Chief Executive(MCE) for the Chiefs and people of Nzema East.

Her appointment is indeed a step in the right direction especially, in the political and developmental dispensation of our municipality as the first woman MCE for the area.

The NDC in Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira will also use this medium to urge her to ensure transparency and accountability in all her duties towards the advancement and well-being of the people.

We encourage her to collaborate with all respective developmental stakeholders within the municipality especially, the member of Parliament of the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency, Chiefs, Assembly members and agencies to herald the larger interest of all.

We also call on her to use her good office to unite and promote peace among the entire people of the municipality as a mother to help fight for the common goal for all instead of a centered political interest.

We once again wish her well in her new endeavours and pray for good health and divine leadership skills to move our municipality which is hobbling for the past four years into a more rapid development hub in the Western Region.

Source: Modern Ghana

Likpe (O/R),- A group known as the Guan Development Association (GDA) has said citizens of the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) Traditional Areas were satisfied with government’s effort towards the inauguration of the Guan District.

The Association noted that the creation of the Oti Region had created some “crisis which were avoidable.”

A release signed by Mr Michael Osibo, President, GDA and other executives copied to the Ghana News Agency, disclosed that “we are encouraged by the Government’s effort to rectify the anomaly within the shortest possible time.

“The Guan District Local Government (Guan District Assembly) Instrument 2020 came into force on November 9, 2020 and had subsequently been published in the gazette. Hitherto, the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization has been engaging our chiefs and opinion leaders in stakeholder consultations for the inauguration of the Assembly contrary to opinions of neglect by the Government.”

Mr Osibo said they were happy to see officials from the Ministry coming to inspect facilities earmarked for the full administrative operations of the Assembly in the interim, while they awaited the construction of the Assembly and its ancillary facilities.

“It has never been lost on us that the region we demanded through several petitions until it was granted by the Akufo- Addo led government would be frost with challenges. However, we believe it is not beyond the government to resolve our challenges.”

The President noted that the chiefs and people of GUAN were in an expectant mood to see “this done within the shortest possible time in order to give meaning to our developmental aspirations.”

Source: Ghana News Agency