Day: February 6, 2022

Cape Coast, Feb. 06, GNA – A total of 99,744 birds have been infested by the Avian Influenza H5N1 (Bird flu) in parts of the Central Region in the last seven months, Dr Helena Acquah, the Regional Veterinary Officer has confirmed.

Of the total, 78,997 were killed, 20,747 died naturally while 450 crates of eggs and 151 bags of feeds were also destroyed.

Dr Acquah told the Ghana News Agency that Gomoa West, Awutu Senya East, Awutu Senya and Gomoa Central Districts were the hard-hit areas.

Nationally, a total of 701,955-bird mortality has been recorded by the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Of the said number, 555,227 birds had to be destroyed as part of containment measures by the Ministry, while the remaining 143,406 deaths were as a result of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections.

Dr Acquah blamed the high mortality on poor bio-security – preventive measures taken to protect birds from harmful biological agents like viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

She said the affected farmers did not have functional foot baths coupled with poor general hygiene ethics.

“Poultry farmers are entreated to intensify bio-security measures at their farms and report in case of a suspected case to the nearest veterinary office”.

“Farmers must draw boundaries for visitors on farms, limit visitations to other poultry farms, practice sound rodent and pest control programmes, avoid contact with non- commercial poultry or wild birds, and undertake daily inspection of flocks among others,” she said.

Additionally, they should avoid the movement of poultry and poultry products within and from the affected districts to other parts of the country.

Such strict enforcement and adherence to biosecurity measures, she noted, would drastically prevent the outbreak of the rampaging Avian Influenza, protect farmers’ investments, and effectively sustain the poultry industry.

However, she denied rumours that her outfit had refused to pay affected farmers sums of compensation as announced by Government.

“We want to reassure all affected farmers that we are not keeping anyone’s money. As and when we get it, the beneficiary farmers would benefit from what is due them,” she noted.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Hamile (UWR), Feb. 06, GNA – Mr Gabriel Anokye, Senior Revenue Officer of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has bemoaned the dwindling revenue mobilization at the Hamile border due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the coup d’état in neighbouring Burkina-Faso.

     He said though the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of the country’s borders, which affected revenue mobilisation, the recent coup in Burkina Faso had worsened the situation, making it difficult to meet their targets.

     Mr Anokye told the GNA in an interview at Hamile that before the outbreak of COVID-19, about 1,200 long vehicles with goods used to pass through the border monthly but that have reduced to between 700 and 800 and further declined recently due to the coup d’etat in Burkina Faso.

     ”Burkina Faso doesn’t have seaport and they rely on the Tema Port for imports, which we also generate a lot of revenue from. We sometimes get as much as GH¢12,000 from one vehicle depending on the goods in it”, he explained.

     ”Again, because the borders are closed, the Ghanaian and Burkinabe traders are no longer transacting businesses as it were, which obviously has affected revenue mobilisation. The coup d’état has also worsened the situation”, he said.

     He said though there had not been an influx of Burkinabe nationals into the country due to the coup d’état, they were highly alert for any unforeseen circumstances.

     He said security was tight at the border with businesses going on normally and expressed the hope that the situation would normalise to improve revenue mobilisation.

     He cautioned the public against using unapproved routes to cross the border and that the law would deal with them if they do so.

     There was calm at the border when the GNA arrived there with long vehicles in queues to either enter or leave the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cape Coast, Feb. 06, GNA- Reverend Isaac Kwofie, Cape Coast Resident Pastor of Action Chapel International, has cautioned all particularly, Christians to be guarded in controlling temper in all their endeavours.

He said anger, intolerance and impatience were major destruction tools that hinder greater opportunities destined to come their way.

“Put off the cloth of anger because your testimonies and opportunities are placed at the rarest places around your life and if you tread cautiously, you will achieve what you desire.”

He was giving a sermon on the theme: “Put Off and Put on” during the service on Sunday, where he explained the essence of letting anger go and putting on a new cloth of patience.

Reverend Kwofie said patience was the key to open doors of greatness and elevation while anger had taken over and destroyed the lives and joy of many great men and had ripped of opportunities of a lot of people.

“You may see your testimony very near but may never experience it because of anger or intolerance, and so check your character,” he added.

In the same vein, he admonished leaders to be patient with their followers and show love, kindness and tolerance which would be emulated to build up a church full of good characters.

He explained that firms with strong positive reputations attracted many costumers because they were perceived as providing more valuable products.

“Their customers are more loyal and buy broader ranges of products and services, in the same way, it is necessary for church leaders to be very tolerant in other to understand the individual needs of its members,” he said.

Apart from appearance, he said conduct was the second most important aspect of a person people considered to conclude on his or her behaviour.

“Let your character speak, this way, you double your opportunities, be humble and show respect to everyone, show integrity and your works would repay you at a point of your need” Pastor Kwofie added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bawku (UE), Feb. 6, GNA- Women from the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region, trading in outlining villages are being rejected when they travel with their wares for business transactions in some markets in the Municipality and its environs.

The women, coming from the conflict areas, are refused entry into some markets and as a result, offload their goods from market trucks some distance away from the market squares and sell at cheaper prices than it is sold in the markets to enable them return home in good time to avoid breaking the curfew hours imposed on some areas.

At the Atoba market, a village market near Bawku, some shops belonging to the women were burnt down, destroying most of their wares.

At the Zebilla Market, in the Bawku West District, a similar incident occurred when the women and their wares were denied entry into the lorry station and the market which led to the women offloading their goods, mostly vegetables and grains, close to the town to sell.

Meanwhile, an old market in the Bawku Township, which was rehabilitated to enable traders to transact business because the central market is volatile, has been greeted with mixed feelings by a youth movement in the area.

The youth in a press statement said they were against plans by the Municipal Security Council to direct all the traders in the Bawku enclave to transact business at the rehabilitated market and declared it unsafe for business activities considering the fragile security situation there.

In an interview conducted by the Ghana News Agency on challenges of women in the ongoing conflict in Bawku and its environs, Mr Awal Kariama, a development worker and a gender activist, urged the security agencies to ensure the safety of the women in Bawku, and respond quickly to women’s concerns in the area.

He said most of the women were bread winners facing challenges of finding food to feed their families and needed some security and protection.

He said the women were suffering not because of the recent conflicts but the hardship they faced over the years, going through challenges due to instability in the area.

Meanwhile, the recent shooting and killing of a Police woman, Constable Regina Angenu, who was on a visit to the Bawku Municipality last month, has been condemned by some residents in the township.

Some respondents urged the security agencies to investigate and arrest perpetrators of the recent shootings.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Feb. 6, GNA-N’ Adom Darko-Asare, a pupil of the DPS International School, Tema, has emerged winner of the 2022 Spelling Bee National competition.

This was after she correctly spelt the word, “B-A-T-H-Y-P-E-L-A-G-I-C” in the championship round to become the champion.

BATHYPELAGIC, a Greek word, relating to a deep – (also known as midnight zone) or the part of the open ocean that extends from a depth of 1,000 to 4,000 metres (about half the height of Mount Everest) below the ocean surface.

Miss Darko-Asare, as part of her prize, would be going on a trip to Washington DC, USA, to represent Ghana at the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

She would also have $500 spending money, an engraved trophy, a fully installed DStv Explora decoder with a six-month subscription, Indomie products, a gold medal, and GH¢300 Goil fuel vouchers.

Nii Odartey Elorm Manyo-Plange, a 10-year pupil of the Roman Ridge School, was the first runner-up, with Aarna Bhaveshkumar Tailor, 11, from the DPS International Ghana, Tema, being the second runner-up.

The 2022 spelling Bee grand finale began with a total of 115 participants commencing in the first round, with scores falling out in subsequent rounds until the 12th round that had the three finalists spelling their way through.

Nii Odartey and Aarna both missed their final words but fortunately got to be named finalists based on points accrued from their performances.

Miss Aarna Bhaveshkumar Tailor, also won a trip to Nairobi, sponsored by Kenya Airways, $150 spending money, a fully installed DStv HD Zapper decoder with three months compact viewing, Indomie products, a bronze medal and GH¢150 Goil fuel vouchers.

All other spellers were given a certificate of recognition, Indomie products, customised T-shirts, commemorative medals, a customised bag, and novels donated by the PAS-US Embassy, while the top three winners’ schools each received a certificate of recognition, GH¢1,000 fuel vouchers sponsored by GOIL.

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the First Lady, who graced the occasion, commended the children, especially the girls, for their resilience in coming far to the finals.

She expressed joy that Ghana was the first African country to have made it to the US Scripps spelling Bee over the past 14 years, saying the onus was on Ghana to produce the first African winner at the international level.

She urged parents to keep supporting their children to imbibe the act of reading and spelling to improve on their general academic work in school.

Ms Stephanie Sullivan, the US Ambassador to Ghana, speaking at the event, commended the organizers and all children for participating in the competition, adding that, they had proven to be resilient and committed.

The Ambassador said over 8,000 children had benefited from the spelling bee competition and urged the competitors of this year’s activity to be proud of themselves and keep pushing until they reached their potential.

The Spelling Bee -Gh is a literacy programme targeted at primary school children in Ghana. It teaches them how to use the English language effectively.

Over the past 14 years, the Scripps Spelling Bee-franchised programme had been running in Ghana.

It has impacted over 30,000 students throughout the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Feb.6, GNA – The Reverend Dr Kwadwo Bempah of the Holy Hill Assemblies of God Church has urged Christians to give God first place in their lives to experience prosperity.

“Serving God makes one prosperous. Seek God first and He will take care of all your needs. It doesn’t matter what prophesies you have received. If you do not pursue God first, you won’t experience the blessings He has in stock for you,” he said.

Rev Dr Bempah gave the advice on Sunday whilst delivering a sermon titled, “Engaging the law of seedtime and harvest.”

He quoted from Psalm 63:8 saying: “My soul [my life, my very self] clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

He said some ways Christians could make God a priority in their lives were through soul winning, giving of first fruits, financial seeds and being obedient to every instruction from God.

Rev Dr Bempah again quoted from Psalm 119:46 saying: “I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed.”

He said if any Christian was ashamed to talk about God, He would also be ashamed to be associated with that Christian.

Rev Dr Bempah added that, anyone who advanced God’s Kingdom and pursued God’s business, would also have God advancing his life.

He entreated them to always walk in obedience to God because every promise of God became manifested through the law of obedience.

Rev Dr Bempah said Christians must not withhold their financial seeds and offerings from God because every seed sown was an opportunity for them to experience financial overflows.

“God will always give you a seed to see what you’ll use it for. Every seed God gives you is what He will use to meet your need,” he said.

He quoted from Galatians 6:7; “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Feb. 06,GNA – The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, says the National Service Scheme (NSS) will make a great impact as it ventures into low-cost housing.

He explained that with the barrage of expertise at its disposal, the move stood the chance of making a great impact in the construction of low-cost housing especially for teachers across the country.

Dr Adutwum announced this when he visited the NSS headquarters in Accra on Friday.

He used the opportunity to inaugurate a newly constructed supplementary office complex for the national secretariat of the scheme.

The newly constructed ultra-modern office was constructed by some selected NSS personnel who are part of the technical personnel with the technical know-how in the construction industry ready to help the scheme in the national low-cost housing project.

Dr Adutwum assured the NSS of government readiness to support them with the needed resources as well as create an enabling environment for them to operate in the country. 

He also announced plans to bring the various stakeholders together to contribute effectively to ensure that the project became a reality.

Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, the Executive Director of the NSS, said, “we have a team that can put up these houses at an affordable cost. When it comes to building, I know one of the most expensive aspects is labour. Already we are paying for it through national service. We have a backlog of about 1000 service persons in the construction field who can take up any task you give to us.”

He said his outfit had all the know-how and the managerial capabilities to complement the Government’s effort at providing low-cost housing for Ghanaians.

The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) spends a lot of money on classroom buildings but some of them are not in good shape. We are ready to take up these works when given the chance, he added.

He said the the scheme was ready to collaborate with the various stakeholders in the country to ease the burden of Ghanaians in acquiring or building their own houses at an affordable cost.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, in January this year, addressing the 6th quadrennial meeting of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), announced plans by the Government to construct 10,000 affordable houses for teachers within the next two years.

Many people especially teachers hailed the government since it could help ease the burden of teachers in their bid to build their own houses during their working life or during retirement.

The Government has started various processes to give the NSS the legal framework and mandate to undertake the building project.

The NSS has already acquired a two-acre land at Hwereso in the Ejisu Municipality in the Ashanti region to construct its model structures.

The model structures are made up of two, three, four and five-bedroom facilities to be selected by the various teachers per their choice and agreement to the payment plan before construction.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Feb. 6, GNA- Mr Ousmane Diagana, the World Bank Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa region, will on Monday, February 6, be in Ghana for a three-day working visit.

Mr Diagana will pay a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and hold a high-level discussion with key government officials on critical issues relating to the macro-economy, energy sector, COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine rollout.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta will be part of the engagement.

The visit, which is the first since his appointment in July 2020, will afford the Regional Vice President the opportunity to also monitor some World Bank funded projects, including the Ghana Tech Hub and Ghana Innovation Hub at the Accra Digital Centre.

The visit is taking place days after the World Bank Country Director, Mr Pierre Frank Laporte, indicated that the Country’s decision to seek financial support from a fellow Bretton Woods institution, International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not solve its economic challenges in the long term.

At a media engagement, he said the support of IMF would, however, help the Country renegotiate some of its debts, provide economic framework to shore up reserves and provide more loans.

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.

It has been operational in Ghana since 1957 with active portfolios worth $2.9 billion (about $9 per person in the US) across 25 active projects.

Portfolios are spread across several sectors, with 18 per cent in finance and competitiveness, Health, 13 per cent in Nutrition & Population, 13 per cent in social protection & jobs and 10 per cent in urban resilience and land.

With debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio set at 78.4 per cent as of November 2021, the government has announced some expenditure cut measures while working to introduce an electronic transaction levy to shore up revenue and improve its debt situation.

Source: Ghana News Agency