Day: January 5, 2022

Hohoe (V/R),– The Hohoe Municipal Hospital has established a Herbal Medicine Clinic to provide herbal medicine services to patients in the Hospital’s catchment areas.

Dr Ahmed Habib, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, in a release, noted that the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) created the clinic to offer the population an alternative.

He said the Clinic became operational on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, and would be operated by a trained and qualified Medical Herbalist (Herbal Doctor).

Dr Ahmed said patients could self-select or request herbal medicine services on attendance at the hospital.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Akpo (E/R)– Many communities in the Yilo Krobo Municipality have appealed for potable water facilities to help address longstanding water supply shortages hampering their social lives.

The communities that include; Akpo Sla, Akpo Susie, Akpo Akuapem, and Okper Terpursi, made the appeal after the Pentecost Church provided mechanised borehole to one of them at Akpo.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Alfred Teye Hogah, Dademankye of Akpo- Bunase community expressed gratitude to the Pentecost Church but called for extension to the surrounding communities.

He said the Pentecost Church had provided the community a mechanised borehole, and prayed it could be extended to the surrounding villages to help the people there have access to potable water.

He recounted how water crisis worsened during dry season some years back and said residents jostled to fetch water at the river side.

The crisis, he said also led to an alarming rural-urban migration among the youth, who could have stayed in the community to farm for a living and support the weak.

Akpo is a farming community located on a hilly area near Huhunya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of Eastern Region.

For the past decades, people depended on polluted streams for drinking and domestic use, exposing them to water borne diseases.

Dademankye Hogah, noted that attempts made by several organisations to drill boreholes in the area had proved futile due to hydrological challenges.

He highlighted some challenges the Pentecost Church encountered when drilling the mechanised borehole for Apko and explained that the hydrology caused damage to the drilling equipment, but the church endured it and continued till the completion of the borehole.

The situation went with a lot of cost the church did not expect, he added and appealed to the Municipal Assembly and non-governmental organizations to support the communities have access to drinkable water.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi, Jan.5, GNA – The Western Region has recorded two deaths and 400 new infections of COVID-19 cases after Christmas.

The affected are mostly people who have not been vaccinated over the period.

Dr Gifty Amugi, the Western Regional Deputy Director of Public Health, announced this on Wednesday in Takoradi.

She has, therefore, encouraged residents to take the ongoing vaccination exercise in most health centres across the Region seriously to avoid any more surges.

The Deputy Director of Public Health said the Regional Health Directorate was hopeful to vaccinate about 50 per cent of the Region’s population by the end of the first quarter.

Dr Amugi also advised that people should not take common colds and flu lightly but report to clinics and hospitals for immediate attention and treatment.

She said, “Common colds and flu are viruses in themselves and we don’t want the COVID-19 virus to hide under them and cause havoc.”

According to her, “the Region has enough vaccines and encouraged the public to take advantage… new variants are coming from France and Europe and we should also be on the lookout and protect ourselves.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Alhaji Arafat Gyabeng, the Chief Executive Officer of “The Arafat Organization” which deals in freight forwarding has revealed that the removal of the benchmark values is likely to collapse businesses.

He noted that businesses are struggling to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic and must be given enough time to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Alhaji Gyabeng in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema, on the removal of the reduction in benchmark value on some items by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) stressed that it would worsen the plight of industries.

He expressed concern that it would also result in an increase in freight, which may affect the cost of shipping within the ports; due to all these challenges, the number of days for detention and demurrage had been reduced which means importers had less time to prepare and clear their goods.

The Arafat Organisation Chief Executive Officer stressed that failure to adhere to the clearing mandate importers are forced to pay about $150.00 a day for overstay.

He added that the removal of the benchmark values would mean that importers have to pay more on duty for most selected items; “This is going to affect businesses and finally create hardship for the final consumer”.

Alhaji Gyabeng said it would also increase smuggling through the ports and under declaration of the imported items.

He suggested that the Government consider a round table discussion between various stakeholders such Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) on specific issues in order to arrive at a much favourable conclusion.

He said this would help unify and improve the working environment within the Ghana Ports.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has also said that the removal of the reduction in benchmark value on some items as announced in the 2022 Budget would worsen the plight of industries.

Mr. Abraham Koomson, GFL Secretary-General, reacting to the demand for the removal of the benchmark value, told the Ghana News Agency that it would lead to an increase in production cost for industries and appealed to the government not to heed the request.

Mr. Koomson revealed that policies to stimulate the growth of local industries and to create jobs was dashed when the GRA preceded with a directive to remove benchmark values on essential commodities imported to augment production in the country.

The local manufacturing sectors that would be adversely affected by the removal were the pharmaceutical industry, shoes, sandals and leather-wear as well as textiles.

He explained that some important raw materials such as clinker for the production of cement which was not available in Ghana and had to be imported by the cement manufacturing companies.

Touching on the peculiar effect of the textile industry, he said, “currently cotton production or farming in the country is non-existent and the industry depended on imported raw cotton and grey baft, chemicals and dyestuff are also imported.”

Mr Koomson said the benchmark value removal from machinery was not the best, explaining that local manufacturing plants were routinely maintained using imported spare parts and other accessories.

Source: Modern Ghana

Accra,– Some medical doctors are attending to critical surgical cases in hospitals in Accra despite the nationwide strike by the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anesthetists (GACRA).

Members of the Association began the industrial action on January 1, 2022, over the expiration of their license and title change.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Ridge Hospital, it noted that a few anesthetists were at post and assisting medical doctors to attend to critical cases.

Dr Theodore Boafor, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, told the GNA, because the Hospital was a referral facility, they were attending to both emergency and elective surgical cases, hoping that the issue would be resolved soon.

“So, the effectiveness of the strike is not being felt here that much but at the district health facilities,” he stated.

At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), there was no anesthetist at post, but doctors and nurses were seen busily attending to emergency surgical cases.

Mr David Anaafi, a Cashier at the Anesthesia Department, said many clients were turned away due to the industrial action.

“Everything looks normal in the Anesthesia Department. If there is any impact of the strike, it should be on the clients at the theatre”, he said.

The Association said it would not back down on its quest to have government, through the Health Ministry address the impasse between it and the Medical and Dental Council over the expiration of their license and title change.

Each year, members of the Association are expected to renew their license with the Medical and Dental Council.

However, the Association claimed it had parted ways with the Medical and Dental Council for its “failure to champion the course of anesthetists over the years.”

The Association wants its own Council to develop career pathway for practitioners in line with international standards.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ajumako (C/R),-Mr Ransford Kwesi Nyarko, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, has expressed disquiet over the exodus of job-seeking youth in the district to urban centres for non-existent jobs.

Describing the situation as a mindset problem, he said most of the people were obsessed with landing formal jobs, instead of taking advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities provided by the Assembly.

“We all know that the formal sector cannot absorb all our people. So, what we also try to do is to provide the requisite skills such as bee keeping, soap making and gari processing needed for being an entrepreneur and we do that through the Business Advisory Centre, now Ghana Enterprises Agency.

“But it’s been a challenge because of the mindset. Everybody wants formal employment and so they would rather travel to the cities. I’m not happy about it,” he bemoaned.

He observed that most of the people who took the training seriously were doing well in snail rearing and honey making and gari processing and agencies like the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JiCA) were buying from them.

Mr Nyarko therefore appealed to the youth to look within the district for opportunities and stay back to develop the area.

The Assembly would intensify its entrepreneurial drive to train more people to achieve financial freedom and to boost the local economy.

“We will continue to take people through basic skill sets needed for getting themselves some income generating activities,” he stressed.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Zambia say they are on standby to play at the Africa Cup of Nations should Zimbabwe be banned by football’s world governing body ahead of Sunday’s start of the competition.

Last month, Fifa said a ban “may have to be imposed on” Zimbabwe unless the elected FA regained control of the sport from a government-appointed organisation by 3 January.

This has not happened, meaning Zambia are theoretically in line to contest the finals since they finished behind Zimbabwe in their Nations Cup qualifying group.

“We have followed keenly the development in Zimbabwe and have always remained open to being part of the Nations Cup if Zimbabwe is banned,” Sidney Mungala, the Zambian FA’s media officer, told BBC Sport Africa.

“Given the length of the time before the tournament kicks off, we would have hoped that this matter would have been resolved by now.”

Zambia missed out on reaching the Nations Cup by a single point, when finishing third behind second-placed Zimbabwe in a qualifying group topped by defending champions Algeria.

Nations Cup regulations state that any team that withdraws “after its qualification in the final tournament, but before its actual start, shall be replaced by the team classified next in the group” (Article 86).

The alternative, which could be pertinent given the late nature of any potential ban, is that “in default, the group to which belongs the forfeiting team shall be composed of three teams” (as last happened in 2010).

The Fifa deadline of 3 January for the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), the body mandated to develop Zimbabwean sport by the government, to hand back control to Zifa has passed without such an event occurring.

Fifa disapproves of governmental interference in the running of member associations and has banned countries from all forms of football as a result in the past.

The next step is for football’s governing body to refer the SRC’s refusal to hand back control to the “Bureau of Fifa Council for consideration and decision” although it is unclear when the council will next meet.

Zimbabwe are set to contest Group B alongside Senegal, who they play on 10 January, ahead of further clashes with Malawi and Guinea.

Zambia, who won the Nations Cup in 2012, could theoretically fill the Warriors’ place but with the deadline for squads having passed, it is unclear what strength of side they could take to the finals.

Without proper call-ups and timely notifications, neither Patson Daka (Leicester City), Enoch Mwepu (Brighton & Hove Albion) nor Fashion Sakala (Rangers, Scotland) are likely to be released by their British clubs in the event that Zimbabwe are indeed banned.

“It would definitely present a challenge but we believe the Caf/Fifa regulations would be able to help us should the situation arise where we become part of the Nations Cup,” he said.

“Additionally, we believe our players would relish the opportunity to represent their country at the continent’s biggest showpiece.”

The 33rd edition of the Nations Cup kicks off on Sunday 9 January when hosts Cameroon take on Burkina Faso in Yaounde.

Source: Modern Ghana

Accra,– A 36-year-old man who stabbed a taxi driver twice in the rib in his bid to rob him of his daily sales and mobile phone, has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by an Adentan Circuit Court.

Seth Tiboah’s victim, however, squeezed his testicles so hard compelling him (Tiboah) to flee the scene.

Due to the pain, Tiboah could not run and was nabbed.

Tiboah, who stabbed the complainant with a pair of scissors, was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on the charge of robbery.

On the charge of conspiracy to commit crime and causing harm, he was sentenced to 15 and three years respectively.

The sentences are, however, to run concurrently, the Court, presided over by Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah, declared.

Tiboah’s accomplice, who is 17 years old, was also found guilty on the charge of conspiracy and is to be sent to a Juvenile court for sentencing.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the Court, although the 17-year-old, a Junior High School pupil, pleaded not guilty to the charge, he was unable to raise reasonable doubt as to his culpability in relation to the charge of conspiracy.

The minor was, therefore, remanded for sentencing.

The Court, in sentencing Tiboah, noted that he was a first offender and he pleaded for forgiveness.

The Court also noted the ascendency of the crime within the metropolis.

Prosecuting, Superintendent Patience Mario, narrated that the complainant, Ernest Addae, was a driver residing at Mom’s, Accra.

The prosecution said Tiboah, a driver and the 17-year-old accomplice, a dispatch rider, were neighbours residing at Ogbojo, near Madina, Accra.

It said on July 19, last year, at about 12:30 am, the accused persons, now convicts, boarded a taxi with registration number GR 1427- 21 from East Legon A and C Mall to Ogbojo.

The prosecution said on their way, the convicts, asked the complainant to stop and he obliged.

It said Tiboah, who was seated at the front, stabbed the complainant with a pair of scissors and ordered the complainant to hand over his money and phone to him.

The prosecution said a struggle ensued between Tiboah and the complainant.

It said in the process, the complainant held Tiboah’s testicles and squeezed them hard as he could.

The prosecution said Tiboah experienced severe pains and sensing danger, he quickly took to his heels with the 17-year-old accomplice following him leaving his phone, sandals, and cap in the vehicle.

It said a report was made to the Police and with the assistance of the complainant’s wife and intelligence gathering, the minor was arrested.

The prosecution said the minor also led the Police to apprehend Tiboah.

In their respective caution statements, Tiboah and his accomplice, admitted the offence.

Source: Ghana News Agency