Day: November 5, 2021

Tema, Nov. 5, GNA – Professor Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, has called on the Church to join in the fight against corruption.

He said corruption had become a major concern globally and that all and sundry must rise to fight against it.

Prof. Antwi-Danso made the call at the annual National peace project workshop organised for Presbytery Directors of Ecumenical and Social Relations (ESR) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

Prof Antwi-Danso noted that corruption was seen ironically to be associated with politicians and people of high repute, however, corruption went lower to even the poor person.

“Wherever we see corruption, we see a big gap between the rich and the poor,” he said.

He said corruption included bribery, extortion, fraud, money laundering, nepotism, and influence peddling, among others and globally, there was a general concern to this increasing levels of corruption in the society.

He noted that, in Ghana, it seemed that corruption had become a tool to demonize political opponents and that political opponents would always want to take advantage of the other if there was any alleged corruption in the system.

According to Prof Antwi- Danso, corruption can increase criminal activities in the community, thereby destabilising the peaceful democracy of the people.

He said the Church seemed to have been corrupted also by the action of some Reverend Ministers.

That actions and deeds showed that the Christian community was also slowly getting more corrupted day in and day out and there was the need to rise and salvage the image of the Church as far as corruption was concerned, he said.

He charged the Church to fight corruption from within its fabric to serve as a liberating power for the nation.

He said, “if the Church was to fight corruption, then a lot of their practices and actions today would need to be re-examined, the activities of Prophets, Evangelists, Bishops, Apostles and some ministers of today leave much to desired.”

“Since corruption had found its way into the Church, it must be chased out to make the Church and Christianity light to the world,” he said.

Prof Antwi- Danso called on all citizens, the church, leadership at all levels to rise and fight corruption.

He added that institutions of the state must be autonomous to seriously fight corruption.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Former President John Mahama has donated GHS100,000 to management of Radio Gold to help the private FM station resume operations after the restoration of their licence recently by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

The donation of the money was made on behalf of the former president on Wednesday, 5 November 2021.

The governing board of the NCA, the spectrum regulatory agency, under the chairmanship of Mr Isaac Emmil Osei-Bonsu, approved new radio licence applications for Radio Gold, Radio XYZ and over 131 others recently.

A statement released by the NCA said a decision has been taken by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to have the licences for the closed radio stations renewed.

The two stations, which are aligned to the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), were among scores of others shut down by the Akufo-Addo government for not paying their operating licence fees for several years and flouting other obligations in line with their licences.

The decision was seen by the NDC as discriminatory.

The party, thus, questioned the governing party’s commitment to press freedom.

The NCA, in 2017, insisted that freedom is best protected when rules of the game are respected by its key players.

The authority defended the closures as being “in line with Regulations 65(1) of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011, L. I. 1991”, which states that: ‘A person shall not use a radio frequency without authorization from the Authority’.

The National Communications Authority argued that it was simply enforcing its legitimate powers by shutting down FM radio stations that were operating without authorisation.

Source: Modern Ghana

The four-day event which is being organized by CSDS Africa in collaboration with INTERPOL, the Security Governance Initiative (SGI) Secretariat of the Ministry of National Security2, the Association of Private Investigators, Ghana and Lex Mundus and Cencla aims at up-skill the capacity of security professionals, lawyers, judges, forensic and cybercrime investigators within the ECOWAS region to investigative and prosecute e-crimes, for more secure and safer cyberspace.

The event which coincides with the 2021 SGI Week (8th Nov – 13th Nov 2021) focuses on issues in cyberlaw, incidence response, mobile and digital forensic investigations, and international cooperation for effective investigation and prosecution of cyber and terrestrial crimes in ECOWAS.

This year’s SGI Week focuses on Cyber Security and Cybercrime. Previous SGI Week Celebrations have focused on Border Security (2019) and Maritime Security (2021).

Participants attending this year’s event include the Bank of Ghana, ABSA Bank, the Liberia Cyber Crime Prevention and Mitigation Agency, the Computer Forensics Institute, Nigeria, IFW Global, INTERPOL, Lex Mundus and Cencla (International Law Firm), NIB Bank, Ghana Immigration Service, GCB Bank, Dos Lunas, Kimathi & Partners, Adu-Kusi PRUC, the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Association of Private Investigators, Fidelity Bank, Ministry of National Security, Western Sydney University, Ghana Shippers Authority, Ghana Armed Forces, Economic and Organized Crime Bureau, Cal Bank, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Invectec Global, Free Zones Board and Access Bank, among others. The Conference delegates include participants from Singapore, Liberia, Australia, the United States, Nigeria and Ghana.

The keynote address for the Conference will be delivered by Justice Prof. Emmanuel Nii Ashie Kotey, Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.

Source: Ghana Web

The Embassy of Mexico in Ghana on Monday 1st November 2021 celebrated one of Mexico’s top festivals known as Día De Muertos (Day Of The Dead) at the Mexican Embassy in Accra.

The festival, a fusion of prehispanic rituals and Catholic religious rites is celebrated as a holiday in Mexico and beyond to honor life. During the festival, Mexicans visit cemeteries, decorate the graves and spend time there, in the presence of their deceased friends and family members.

In addition, people elaborately decorate altars (called ofrendas) in their homes to welcome their beloved ones. Mexico’s Día De Muertos (Day Of The Dead) was recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2008.

The event also witnessed the screening of the Mexican short film, Ramona, Giovanna Zacarías. 2014. Ramona, an 80-year-old peasant, announces that she was about to die. Her son Carmelo asks her for more time to raise the money for the coffin. The news traveled around the town and many people came to bid her farewell and, in passing, gave her messages to their deceased.

Just like Mexico, Ghana has a special approach towards Death and a way to honor our beloved ones. Ghanaian funerals stand out as one of the most important social and cultural elements.

Traditionally, funerals take place on Saturdays. For a Ghanaian funeral, it is traditional for members of the community to wear clothing in black, black, and white or red. The black-and-white or red dress code symbolizes giving thanks to God and an end to the initial mourning period.

In recent times, what is becoming most notable about Ghanaian funerals is the creation of fantasy caskets. Professional casket-makers carve and paint elaborate coffins shaped like items that the deceased loved in life. It is a belief that the casket will transport the deceased to the next level of existence. The sky is the limit for imagination and creativity, multiple shapes and colors are available to create fantastic coffins and it serves as a colorful transition for souls.

Source: Ghana Web

From 25 to 27 October 2021, the 4th International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration was held in Abuja, hosted by the Government of Nigeria, together with the Governments of Argentina, Norway, Spain, as well as the African Union Commission and the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).

The three-day Conference was an opportunity for states to galvanize action on protecting education in armed conflict by taking stock of progress by states in endorsing and implementing the Safe Schools Declaration and its related Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, sharing good practice in advancing the commitments in the Declaration, and encouraging greater collaboration across borders to ensure that all students and educators can learn and teach in safety. A major outcome of the Conference was the adoption by the UN Security Council of a first of its kind resolution – S/RES/2601(2021) – strongly condemning attacks against schools and urging safeguarding of right to education.

In preparation for the conference, the Regional Education in Emergencies Working Group prepared an Advocacy Note on Attacks on Education in WCA, providing a comprehensive overview of the regional situation, the impact on schooling and learning for children and youth (host community, internally displaced and refugee children) and outlining a number of recommendations to improve the protection of education and the continuity of learning in conflict situations.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Ghana Football Association [GFA] president, Kurt Okraku has reassured that persons involved in match-fixing will be punished severely.

Ashgold and Inter Allies are facing charges of match manipulation after match-fixing claims surfaced in the aftermath of Ashgold’s 7-0 win during the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League.

Allies defender, Hashmin Musah scored two own goals to help the Miners record the cricket scoreline.

Despite the full details of the investigation yet to be made known, Mr Okraku has reassured that in his interaction with the IGP, COP George Akuffo Dampare, the perpetrators will be brought to book.

“In most recent times, match-fixing has also reared its head in our football ecosystem. Last year we had some bad incidents and I remember making my way here to meet the CID boss and I’m happy to say that we had a good engagement,” Kurt Okraku said as reported by Citi Sports.

“Investigations are ongoing to ensure that people who joke with our businesses, people who go wayward are brought to book,” he added.

What happened?

Ashgold’s seemingly routine win over already-relegated Inter Allies sparked controversy after footage of Allies’ Hasmin Musah scoring two deliberate own goals went viral.

Musah netted two own goals in the space of four minutes, with 12 minutes to play in the final match of the season.

Musah said afterwards that his technical team commended him for his actions after the game.

“After the game, my technical team commended me for spoiling the bet they had staked,” he said.

I promised my coach that if he allows me to play from the bench I will spoil the bet. And after the game, my team congratulated me.”

The player also justified his actions, stating in an interview with Kumasi FM that he put the ball past his own goalkeeper twice to ruin an apparent bet that had been made prior to the game, predicting a 5-1 scoreline.

He said his actions were a result of his derision for gambling.

“I heard it in our hotel that a bet had been made for a correct scoreline of 5 goals to 1 against my club Inter Allies.

“I decided to spoil that bet because I don’t condone betting,” he is quoted as having said in the interview.

The Ghana Football Association launched an investigation into the incident and notified the police to commence a criminal probe as well.

The two clubs have since been charged with match manipulation.

Ashgold issued a statement, denying the claims, insisting that their players were professional during the game.

Source: Modern Ghana

Juaso (Ash), Nov. 5, GNA – Stakeholders in the Asante-Akim South Municipality have advocated a skills training programme for adolescent girls as a strategy to curb teenage pregnancy in the Municipality.

They believe that equipping young girls with employable skills would empower them to be economically independent and reduce the reliance on men for survival.

The stakeholders shared these opinions during a meeting on an adolescent health communication project being piloted in the Municipality with funding from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The project dubbed, “Medaakye Nti” seeks to engage relevant stakeholders on adolescent sexual reproductive health issues with the ultimate goal of tackling teenage pregnancy in the Municipality.

As part of the implementation, adolescent champions and peer support service providers would be identified and trained by the Municipal Health Directorate to lead the advocacy.

Representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), traditional leaders, media, municipal assembly, education directorate, clergy and the municipal health directorate attended the meeting.

Mr Reuben Osei Antwi, the Municipal Director of Health Services, said the selection of Asante-Akim South for the pilot did not mean the Municipality had the worst cases of teenage pregnancy but due to the activeness of stakeholders in health issues.

He said teenage pregnancy was not only a health issue but also a social issue that required the involvement of all stakeholders to address.

Addressing factors that lead to teenage pregnancy at the community level, he said, was critical to the fight against the menace and called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in that regard.

He said the Health Directorate had over the years rolled out various interventions to promote adolescent health but a lot more needed to be done to achieve the desired results.

The participants resolved to work together with the health authorities to sensitise young girls in the various communities to the effects of teenage pregnancy as part of the adolescent health communication project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Member of Parliament for Juaben Constituency, Ama Pomaa Boateng has rubbished accusations that she is the brain behind the outright rejection of the President’s nominee for Chief Executive Position at the Juaben Municipal Assembly, Mr. Alex Sarfo Kantanka.

This follow reports that the twice rejected nominee and his cronies have started blaming the MP, Ama Pomaa for their woes.

The MP who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Communication and Digitalization claim she has survived several clandestine attempts by the rejected nominee and his cronies to make her lose her seat.

Her calmness, she noted, is due to the great respect she has for the President, Nana Akufo-Addo whom she has about 40years of relationship with and the revered Juabenmanhene, Daasebre Otuo Siriboe.

In an interview with journalists, the MP noted that the nominee had worked against her for the past eight years. Even though he was not her favorite due to the “crude ways” towards her parliamentary bid, she had to let go of everything for the sake of peace in the party.

“It’s common knowledge that the nominee was not my favorite but since the President had nominated him everyone in the NPP party had to support to ensure he was confirmed even though only Assembly Members had the power to decide the fate of the nominee’’, Hon Pomaa explained.

According to her, she had met all the Assembly Members to persuade them and settle any issues that lied between them and the nominee.

This she said, is making her wonder why some people would want to blame her for the rejection of the President’s nominee.

She said prior to the first confirmation ceremony where the nominee got 6 ‘YES’ votes and 20 ‘NO’ votes, she was present at the hall where the exercise took place.

She continued that in the second election, she had to cut short her business trip abroad and rash back to Juaben only to be told the nominee did not appear for the exercise.

The Juaben MP further recounted that the third exercise was also called off due to the presence of some strange military persons.

According to her, a fourth exercise was held where the nominee was rejected the second time.

“So what again could I have done in all the scenarios narrated to get the nominee elected when I had no voting rights or power to force the Assembly members to do what I had asked them in an earlier meeting to do. And the media were there when I met them.

“My brother I do not have voting rights or the power to force the will of these enlightened adults who by virtue of their positions are the ones to either confirm or reject the President’s choice so I am surprised they make me an easy target for blame,” she stressed.

Hon Pomaa promised to do her best just as she did for the previous nominee, to get whoever would be renominated by the President confirmed.

“My interest is to make sure that the party’s base still stay united and attractive after this process and just as in the previous,” she emphasised.

Source: Modern Ghana