Hohoe (V/R), Jul. 27, GNA – The Ho Catholic Diocese, has released pastoral guidelines for funerals in the Diocese to reflect the Catholic faith after a careful study of the draft policy.

 

The approved policy includes the burial of a deceased Catholic, which shall take place within three months from the day of demise.

 

“Generally, Catholic funerals shall be simple and less costly, private collection of the corpse from the mortuary without funfair, no vigil or wake keeping, and the Celebrant shall ensure simple and short burial Mass or Service not more than two hours.”

 

Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Catholic Bishop of Ho, who signed the circular and sighted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), disclosed that death for Catholics was a gateway to the beatific vision, where they encountered the Lord face to face and was therefore important that deceased brothers and sisters were offered a quick and honourable passage from the world after their demise.

 

“As Catholics, we are enjoined by the tenets of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to bury the dead and pray for the repose of their souls and so we understand that the funeral Mass or Service is an important event in the life of the Church which provides an opportunity to worship God who is the creator, provider and sustainer of life.”

 

“For some time now, we have been holding discussions about the way we celebrate funerals in Ghana, particularly in the Ho Diocese. In order to know how best to respond to concerns raised, we initiated a dialogue which started from the deanery level.”

 

The Circular stated that as part of the policy, that there shall be moderate preparations for food and drink, moderate undertaking and decoration respecting the dignity of the deceased person while expensive coffins for burial, expensive brochures and customised or common cloth were highly discouraged.

 

It said Parishes and Churches shall always liaise with the family or the traditional authorities in fixing dates for burial to avoid conflict and on “no occasion and under no condition shall the Priest or Catechist allow a common burial Mass or Service for a deceased Catholic with other denominational church or churches.”

 

The Circular admonished all parishioners and Church choirs to attend burial Mass or Service of a deceased member adding that a biography and two selected tributes shall be read after the “Post Communion Prayer” and if there was more than one corpse, the tribute may be reduced to one each depending on the time available while other tributes may be read before the Mass or Service.

 

It said the first collection during burial Mass or Service was “Offertory for the Church” and the second collection was for the bereaved family or families but if during the burial Mass or Service, more than one deceased body was brought, the second collection shall be shared equally among the bereaved families and must be done on the same day in the church.

 

The Circular said there shall be “NO Fund Raising” during burial Mass or Service while noting that the payment of arrears of Church dues and levies shall not be a condition for burial.

 

It said a Catholic Priest or Catechist may conduct a prayer service at the home and graveside of a Protestant or Non-Catholic provided the Protestant Minister or Non-Catholic Pastor cannot be present or the church the deceased belonged to is not in the town or village.

 

The Circular said a Catholic Priest or Catechist may conduct a prayer service at the home and graveside of a Protestant or Non-Catholic provided the relatives of the deceased or the bereaved family asked for the presence of the Catholic Priest or Catechist.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Apimanim (W/R), July 27, GNA-Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has urged workers manning the weighbridges in Apimanim and Awaso to exhibit professionalism and accountability to ensure accurate recording of data.

 

“The Mineral Resources of our country remain the property of the people of Ghana, and the government of President Akufo-Addo, is committed to a proper and efficient utilisation and management of these resources for the benefit of the citizens,” he indicated.

 

Mr Jinapor who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, gave the advice when he commissioned the weighbridge in Apimanim in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.

 

He noted that, “This bridge we have commissioned, does not only inure to the benefit of government, but also the mining companies and communities in the catchment areas of the mine; for an accurate, industry proven, and reliable weighing system, is essential for operational efficiency, cost control, regulatory compliance and profit management.”

 

The Minister expressed appreciation to Minerals Commission, Ghana Highway Authority, Ghana Manganese Company, Ghana Bauxite Company, Mineral Haulers Association, traditional authorities, host communities and those who made their land available for the project.

 

Mr Jinapor added that, in the medium to long term, the government was committed to ensuring that they added value to these minerals to reap their full benefits.

 

“Through its Four Project Agenda, the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), is working to add value to our bauxite and build here in Ghana an integrated aluminium industry,” he announced.

 

“This will see to the expansion of the Awaso bauxite mine together with a refinery, the development of new Mines in Nyinahini and Kyebi together with refineries, modernisation and expansion of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) to smelt alumina refined here in Ghana”.

 

He revealed that the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), was working assiduously to add value to their manganese deposits to build an integrated iron and steel industry, saying, “Pending these far-reaching measures, we must ensure that we get value for what we produce”.

 

Mr Jinapor mentioned that the vision of the President was to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources would continue to adopt and implement policies necessary to achieve this goal.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 27, GNA – Dr Cadman Mills, brother of the late former president Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has said that their family will take legal actions against the Atta Mills Institute to stop it from operating.

 

Dr Mills, who was speaking at the 10th Anniversary Commemorative Lecture of the former president who died in office in 2012, said the Institute which was founded and led by Mr Koku Anyidoho, a former aide to Prof Mills was “self-seeking’ and did not promote the legacies and values of the former president.

 

Describing the Institute as unauthorised, unapproved, unsanctioned and unwelcome, Dr Mills said the family would also leave the matter to the court of public opinion.

 

He said even though it was not going to be an easy task, the family would explore all avenues available to them to safeguard the legacies of the late Prof Mills.

 

Meanwhile, information on the Atta Mills Institute’s website describes the Institute as non-governmental and non-profit policy brainbox with a social democratic orientation.

 

It is focused on creating a centre of research, learning and information dissemination anchored to the ideas and ideals that defined the human existence of Prof John Evans Atta-Mills.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Accra, July 27, GNA – The Chief Fire Officer, Julius Kuunuor, says the Service is working to reduce fire outbreaks by 60 per cent this year.

 

He has, therefore, charged fire inspectors to buckle-up and take fire safety to the “next level.”

 

Mr Kuunuor said this at a workshop by the Safety Department of the Service for fire inspectors from across country, under the theme: “Strategising to further reduce fire occurrences in the country.”

 

Mr Kuunuor asked the inspectors to intensify fire safety education, as well as “regular and meticulous inspection,” and expressed appreciation to the Director Fire Safety, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong, for the foresight.

 

DCFO Ntow Sarpong said the workshop was in line with the Chief Fire Officer’s five-year strategic document aimed at improving fire safety in the country.

 

She said the goal of the workshop was to help the Directorate take a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT) analysis of fire safety activities across the country, and to help identify opportunities and gaps for an improved service delivery.

 

“At the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to impact same in their home regions,” she said.

 

“…The success of this workshop is in our ability to deploy personnel equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills across the country to expand public education, conduct risk assessments, surveillance and respond to emergencies aimed at protecting the citizenry, households, strategic installations and business infrastructures in the country.”

 

She noted that there was a decline in fire outbreaks in the year 2020-2021, which meant that millions of Ghana cedis had been saved through fire safety education and heightening of fire safety consciousness.

 

DCFO Ntow Sarpong said there had been a drastic decline in fire outbreaks from January to May this year, a huge achievement for the Service.

 

She said the workshop would come up with a strategy to further reduce the number of fire occurrences through the activities and programmes of the Service.

 

DCFO Ntow Sarpong said the Department would soon embark on a nationwide education exercise as well as safety audit, especially at public places and charged the inspectors to share their knowledge and experiences.

 

“I employ you to move from the need to know to the need to share and let us feel free to share our experiences…to eradicate fire outbreaks, if possible,” she said.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Accra, July. 27, GNA – Captain Jamaldeen Tonzua, a Ghanaian Military Officer and an International Law Practitioner has urged Member States of the United Nations (UN) to contribute resources to sustain the flagship international law capacity-building programme of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

 

He made the call when he addressed the United Nations International Law Commission at a High-Level event of the UN in Geneva.

 

Captain Tonzua, who is currently studying Public Policy at the University of Oxford recently received the prestigious fellowship of the United Nations International Law Seminar, which is running concurrently with the 73rd Session of the International Law Commission.

 

The recent fellowship is the third in a series of three United Nations Fellowships that he has received in three years.

 

Captain Tonzua gave his address in three working languages of the United Nations, on behalf of the 29 participants (international law scholars and practitioners) of the 56th Session of the International Law Seminar who appointed him as their spokesperson.

 

He noted that the participants of the International Law Seminar were highly fulfilled about the extraordinary value that they gained from the 73rd Session of the International Law Commission and the 56th Session of the International Law Seminar.

 

Captain Tonzua stated that the participants had acquired invaluable knowledge and imbibed great values that will advance their international law careers.

 

He assured the United Nations International Law Commission that he and his colleagues will leverage the intellectual and professional resources of the International Law Seminar to contribute to the strengthening of multilateralism and the advancement of international law.

 

Captain Tonzua in 2020 upon his completion of his postgraduate studies at Georgetown Law, received the Dorothy M. Mayer Award and the Thomas Bradbury Chetwood, S.J. Prize for achieving the rank of distinction and the highest LL.M. academic average in Master of Laws in Environment and Energy Law.

 

In addition to the current international law fellowship, he is a fellow of the Global Leadership Initiative of the Oxford Character Project, at the University of Oxford.

 

He has keen interests in international affairs and diplomacy.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Accra, July 27, GNA- MTN Ghana is enhancing its strategies to ensure that the millions of unregistered subscribers are registered before the July 31, 2022, deadline.

 

 

 

The Company has started sending urgent messages to customers, who are not fully registered to do so before the deadline or risk having their SIM cards disconnected.

 

A statement issued in Accra by Nana Kofi Asare, the Acting Chief Corporate Services Officer, MTN, said the Company had also launched an internal campaign dubbed: “GRAB, CHECK AND ACT (GCA).”

 

The campaign is to encourage all staff, irrespective of their role to assist with the registration of customers.

 

It said with the campaign, all MTN Staff had been tasked to check the registration status of customers they interacted with so that unregistered customers could be assisted to do so.

 

The statement said in addition, MTN had deployed its field agents to communities with lowest registration numbers to get the customers registered.

 

Mr Shaibu Haruna, Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN Ghana,  said: “We are nearly at the finish line and so we have intensified our efforts to reach out to all our customers.”

 

He said they  could not afford to lose customers due to non-registration and, therefore, encouraged all its customers to ensure their data/internet SIMs in their modems and other smart devices were fully registered.

 

“We have created many channels (including our online portal – simregistration@mtngh.com) to ensure our customers register with ease. We are encouraging them to use the available channels that are convenient for them to speed up the registration process,” he added.

 

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization announced the mandatory registration of all SIM cards in Ghana in October, 2021.

 

The registration exercise which started in October 2021 is scheduled to end on July 31,2022.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 27, GNA – A Businessman, who allegedly took GHS317,149.25 from one Mr Kelly Kotei, under the pretext of securing him six cars of various brands, but failed has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

 

Mr Richmond Asante, charged with defrauding by false pretense, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

 

The Court, presided over by Mrs Patricia Amponsah, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GHS100,000.00 with two sureties.

 

The Court ordered one of the sureties to be justified.

 

The case has been adjourned to August 18, 2022.

 

Assistant Superintendent of Police Evans Kesse, prosecuting, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Kelly Kotei, was a Radiographer and a Businessman whilst the accused person was also a businessman and resided at Tema Community 18.

 

The prosecution said in 2019, the witness in the case introduced the complainant to the accused person as someone who dealt in second-hand cars from overseas.

 

Mr Kesse said the complainant met the accused person and he showed him a number of cars he wanted to buy.

 

The prosecution said the complainant indicated that he had 2014 Toyota Corolla, 2015 Toyota Corolla, 2016 Honda Civic, 2013 Ford Fiesta, 2020 Hyundai Santafe and 2017 Mercedes Benz, all amounting to GHS317,149.25.

 

The prosecution said the accused person gave his Ecobank and Fidelity bank accounts at Tanoso and Haatso branch respectively, which the complainant and the witness transferred the money into.

 

Mr Kesse said after the accused person had received the money, he promised the complainant that in six months, he would deliver the said cars to him but failed.

 

The prosecution said the complainant’s father met the accused person’s father at his residence at Tepa in the Ashanti Region and had a discussion, but all yielded nothing.

 

On May 20, 2022, the complainant reported the case to the Police and the accused person was arrested.

 

During interrogation, the accused person admitted the offence in the presence of an independent witness.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tamale, July 27, GNA – SEND GHANA, a civil society group, has held a national dialogue to deliberate on findings of its citizen-led monitoring of infrastructure delivery in the country.

 

The dialogue, held in Tamale, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) and other stakeholders to discuss infrastructural delivery issues that required national attention.

 

The event formed part of the two-year Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project being implemented by SEND GHANA with funding support from Integrity Action.

 

It was dubbed: “National Policy Dialogue on Findings of Citizen-led Monitoring of Infrastructure Delivery at the Local Leve.”

 

The M4FS project, which sought to empower citizens to monitor the delivery of infrastructure projects, saw the monitoring of how District Assemblies delivered projects in the areas of health and education.

 

The year-long monitoring was carried out in the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Tolon District Assembly, West Gonja, Savelugu and Yendi Municipal Assemblies.

 

Findings of the monitoring showed that there was a delay in the release of resources from the national level for projects and weak collaboration between district and regional level actors in implementing national level projects.

 

The findings further indicated weak transparency in project delivery. Meanwhile, 59 per cent of community members surveyed were unsatisfied with the projects’ delivery even though they were helpful.

 

Mr Jonathan Dery, Project Officer at SEND GHANA, who presented the findings, said 40 local monitors were trained on infrastructure monitoring, advocacy, and communication to enable them identify strengths and weaknesses in the projects.

 

He said a four member Loca, and Monitoring Groups was also trained in project management in communities and issued with identification cards, who reported through the Development Check application.

 

He noted that the projects were monitored by identifying problems, fixing them and seeking information from community members.

 

Mr. Mumuni Mohammed, Northern Regional Programme Manager of SEND GHANA said the project found out that there were projects awarded at the national level by the MOF and GETFund that District Assemblies did not have control over.

 

He said this made monitoring difficult and affected accountability of contractors of such projects to the Assemblies and citizenry, who required certain information from the Assemblies.

 

Mr. Richard Ebo Amuah, Head of Fiscal Decentralisation Unit at the MoF said the Ministry did not deliberately withhold the release of District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

 

He said: “There has been improvement in release of the DACF since 2017 but the fiscal environment currently is such that it is not that easy for us to release funds even though we have released up to the first quarter.”

 

He urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to engage with project contractors to seek necessary information, adding that MMDAs had the overall responsibility for the development of districts or municipalities they headed.

 

Mr Rufai Mohammed, Savelugu Municipal Coordinating Director called for the involvement of District Assemblies in award of projects through circulars or letters to keep them informed about the projects.

 

Madam Esther Tetteh, Senior Programme Officer at MLGDRD said the Ministry was always available to provide information to members of the public.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency