Nsawam, July 28, GNA -The two hundred capacity Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison has only seventy inmates, including 6 condemned prisoners and those on remand, making it one of the most sparsely populated Ghanaian penal facility.

 

Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Madam Christiana Asiedu, Officer in charge of the Prison, who disclosed this, said the prison, founded in 1973, was not congested due to the tendency for females to commit less crimes.

 

Madam Asiedu was speaking during the donation of items, including sewing machines and computers by Military spouses in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to the Female Prisoners at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

 

She lauded the donors and GAF for particularly gifting the computers and appealed to Corporate Ghana and individuals help the facility carry out its mandate of reforming the inmates.

 

In a short address to the Prison Officers and inmates, Major-General Nicholas Peter Andoh, the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters of GAF, said the gesture was to aid in their reformation process and training skills which would make them useful after serving their jail terms.

 

“We’ve learnt a lot in terms of your reformation and transformation when we came here. We are assured that by the time you are done serving, you are coming back with added value to contribute meaningfully to society.”

 

Major-General Andoh expressed the Armed Forces’ solidarity with the inmates and its readiness to assist them even after serving the jail terms.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Takoradi, July 28, GNA- Hen Mpoano, a Coastal Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) committed to ensuring sustainable management of coastal resource and marine ecosystems has purposed to eliminate all forms of violence against women in the marine fisheries sector.

 

This, they intend to do through the Women in Fisheries Against Violence (WIFVEs) project funded by the European Union (EU) with Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA) as its partner.

 

The three-year project aims to achieve gender equality in fishing by advocating against Gender-Based Violence (GBC), abuse and discrimination in Ghana’s Marine fisheries sector.

 

Mrs Adiza Ama Owusu, Project Manager of the WiFVEs project said the project had been designed to be implemented in 18 Marine fishing communities in the Central and Western Regions.

 

Addressing stakeholders at a validation workshop on a baseline assessment and GBV analysis conducted as part of the project, she indicated that the project would develop the capacity of all including leaders of fisherfolk in preventing and responding to GBV in their fishing communities.

 

She said it would also give entrepreneurship and livelihood skills to women at risk and victims of GBV in the two Regions.

 

Giving a summary of findings of the GBV analysis conducted in the project communities, Dr. Amanda Odoi, a Research Consultant at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) noted that diverse issues of exploitation existed in the fishery industry.

 

This, she said covered issues of physical abuse, verbal, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, extortion, cheating, non-payment for loans and salaries, breach of agreement, among others.

 

She said the phenomenon of sex or relationship for fish and others were normalized in the fisheries industry.

 

Dr Odoi maintained that the drivers of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the fisheries line of work were the same as those present in the general community.

 

To this end, she encouraged the project to design activities to address such issues and help create a conducive environment in the fishing communities for the desired development.

 

She identified power, poverty, lust, harmful social norms, and stereotypes about people as some of the reasons attributed to the presence of SGBV in the fisheries industry.

 

Mr Moro Haruna, a research consultant who conducted the baseline assessment recommended that the process of social engineering should be made community led, adding that opinion leaders and household be used as the anchor for effective mindset changes.

 

He said by 2024, skills of both women and men should be built to develop additional livelihoods especially for men as their main income sources are not sustainable.

 

According to the consultant, leadership of the fishing industry in the various communities should be equipped and introduced formal structures in addressing issues of exploitation in their field.

 

Mr. Haruna further said the project must individually empower fisher folks to settle issues amicably among themselves considering their closed nature and their preference of handling their issues internally and by themselves.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Accra, July 28, GNA – A Beads Designer, who allegedly took GHS200,000.00 from a Fabricator under the pretext of buying items to perform rituals on a cache of dollars for use, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

 

Mr Joseph Nartey Tetteh, 29 years old, was charged with defrauding by false pretense, an offence he pleaded not guilty to.

 

The Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GHS150,000.00, with three sureties to be justified.

 

The Court ordered prosecution to file and serve all disclosures and witness statements within two weeks.

 

The accused person was ordered by the Court to report every two weeks to the Somanya Police Station or any other police station chosen by the Investigator.

 

The case has been adjourned to August 29, 2022.

 

Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Joseph Ababio, was a Fabricator and a resident of Tabora in Accra whilst the accused person claimed to be a Beads Designer and resided at Somanya in the Eastern Region.

 

The prosecution said in 2018, the complainant had a call from the accused person that he had a huge sum of dollars which he needed someone to assist him financially to buy some items to perform rituals on it.

 

Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the complainant became interested in the deal and sent money to the accused person as and when he requested.

 

The prosecution said the complainant later realised that the accused person had made him sent an amount of GHS200,000.00 to him and then went into hiding.

 

The Chief Inspector said whiles the complainant was deliberating on the issue to trace the accused person, he used another number which bore the name Joyce Appiah, which the accused person once made him to send money on it.

 

The prosecution said the complainant started to engage the user in a conversation and asked him to come and meet him in Accra for an amount of GHS8,000.00.

 

Chief Inspector Ahiabor said one Stephen Ogbodjor purported to be Joyce Appiah came to meet the complainant and alerted the Tesano Police.

 

The prosecution said the said Ogbodjor upon interrogation, denied his involvement in the deal, but admitted knowing the accused person as a fraudster and promised to assist the Police to arrest him.

 

Chief Inspector Ahiabor said based on this, Ogbodjor, led the police to arrest the accused person in his hideout at Somanya.

 

During investigations, the accused person pleaded to be granted Police enquiry bail to refund the money, but he failed and failed to report to the Police as instructed.

 

The prosecution said a petition was lodged and the case was transferred to Regional CID/Accra for continuation of investigations.

 

Upon intelligence, the accused person was re-arrested on June 28, 2022.

 

Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the accused person admitted the offence in his caution statement and mentioned one Baba as his accomplice whom he conspired to dupe the complainant an amount of GHS120,000.00 and not GHS200,000.00.

 

The prosecution said the accused person could not assist the Police to arrest the said Baba.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 28, GNA – Prof. Amina Mama, Visiting Lecturer, University of Ghana, says Africa needs more than emancipation; real liberation of its economy as well as culture and politics.

 

She said “we want more than emancipation. We will mark emancipation to remind ourselves that the true path is liberation, and that freedom is not given. Our governments could be doing better but it would only be better if we push them.”

 

“We may be emancipated, but we are not emancipated enough because we cannot protect ourselves or enrich ourselves. We are the richest continent on the planet, with 30 per cent of the world’s mineral sources, and yet we remain the poorest continent.”

 

Prof. Mama, made this observation at the Wreath Laying ceremonies at the W.E.B Dubois Centre and George Padmore Library, to kick start this year’s Emancipation Day celebrations, on the theme, “Our Heritage, our Strength” with the sub theme, “Re-engaging to consolidate our developmental agenda.”

 

She said Emancipation Day commemorated the dates on which emancipation proclamation was announced, and the slave masters re-guided their strategies and concentrated on the African minds, “thus our psychological emancipation must begin again with every generation.”

 

She said “we still have to emancipate our children and inform them about the proud history of struggles that pushed the white people to engage in emancipation, not because they wanted us to be liberated, but because they realized they needed to transform the ways and strategies of domination from brute force to succulent means.”

 

“What that means is they are no longer trafficking our bodies. They’re focusing on our minds, and this is where culture and the way we style our cultural development, and our tourism is very important. We must not style it in a way that perpetuates myths, like the white people freed us. No, they did not.”

 

She said African states had left the most crucial things undone. “There are lots of things to be done by ourselves. We can welcome our diasporans, but they can’t save us. We must together embark on efforts to continue towards liberation which requires economic as well as political and cultural change.”

 

Prof. Mama said the importance of celebrating and remembering the African history was that Africa would never get out of its current problems if they did not work harder and understand the difference between emancipation as a first step, and sovereignty as a necessary step.

 

Mr Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, said the theme reinforced the fact that Africans were one family and should be deeply ingrained to drive the determination to commit to greater integration and create prosperity for all.

 

He said the stalwarts and heroes honoured soared above petty differences and sought the greater good of the bigger African family.

 

Mr Mantey said it was therefore ironic for people who had been traumatized by slavery and suffered discrimination because of racial differences to easily forget their common bond of brotherhood and tragically tear each other apart.

 

He said it was important that Africans had a common mind and strength to support each other and also change their narrative.

 

“We must never lose sight of the fact that many of our African ancestors experienced the most inhumane conditions and were forced to endure cruelty in some of its most horrific forms. In all that we celebrate, Emancipation must be held at the forefront of our minds as a triumph of the human spirit over evil and atrocity,” he stated.

 

Chief Executive Officer, GTA, Mr Akwasi Agyeman, urged Ghanaians to use the celebration to reflect on how Africans could be emancipated from mental slavery.

 

“That mental slavery that holds us down, that makes us think that anything from us, within us, is inferior to what comes from the Western world and also makes us feel that we cannot eat Ghana, wear ghana, see Ghana and feel Ghana, it is time for us to change because the purpose for which we are here is a time for reflection.”

 

He said, “it’s time for sober reflection, so that’s these wreaths that we lay do not just become ceremonies. But really will speak to us on ways that we can engage and reengage for developmental agenda.”

 

Prof. Esi Sutherland Addy, President, Pan African Secretariat, said it was crucial that Ghanaians played a role in keeping alive the flame and protecting the central truth that Africa and its people could best develop by reaching across continents to work together.

 

She said, “the W.E. B Dubois Center, George Padmore Library, and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park as well as others across the country, were sacred sites, and we must make sure that we own them and the values they represent, make them accessible publicly at all times, and devise strategies that make them sacred places.”

 

Activities lined up for this year’s Emancipation Day Celebration include; Durbar of Chiefs and people of Assin Manso and Assin Praso (Central Region), Health walk, Masquerade show, Reverential Night, Candlelight night, Musical show, Healing ceremony among others and is expected to begin from 27th to 1st August,2022.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 28, GNA – Dr Franklin Kwesi Biney, Executive Director, Royal Kingdom Security Network Limited, a private security company, has called for the review of the police training curriculum to be abreast of current trends in crime.

 

“After their six months of training, it looks like our police do not undertake further studies to upgrade and strengthen them to match current crime trends, making it look like our police were falling short,” he said.

 

Dr Biney made these remarks on the side-lines of the unveiling of Royal Kingdom Security Network Limited (ROKSNEL) as an accredited representative of the International Security Organisation (ISO-SEC) in Ghana.

 

The accreditation certifies ROKSNEL as a member of the international body to run courses and trainings in current trends in national and international security.

 

Dr Biney called on stakeholders in the security sector to do more in conflict prevention and improve information sharing on security to the citizenry.

 

He said the country needed to activate its “preventive capacities” to ensure that conflicts were prevented in the first place for peace and security.

 

“The recurrence of violence, robberies, kidnapping, abduction within countries is a clarion call for all of us to do more to build and consolidate peace, security and safety,” he added.

 

Dr Biney entreated the media to dedicate segments on their programmes to educate the public on security issues.

 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwadwo Antwi Tabi, Second-in-Command to the Director General of Private Security Organisations, Ghana Police Service, said though the Police were doing their best, they were restrained by “inadequate” logistics in their operations.

 

He, therefore, called on the public to support the service with information tip offs and logistics in their operations.

 

DCOP Tabi said the Service through partnership with United States of America and United Nations had their personnel being trained in combating current trends in crimes.

 

He said despite their challenges, they were doing their best in maintaining peace and security in the country and assured the public of their commitment to serve them with integrity.

 

The International Security Organisation (ISO-SEC) is an international security organisation headquartered in Switzerland.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 28, GNA – The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has donated food items to the Lante Djan We Clan to support them in the celebration of this year’s Homowo Festival at Ga Mashie in the Greater Accra Region.

 

The items presented were crates of beer, malt, minerals, and Guinness, six bags of maize and six gallons of palm oil, one carton each of schnapps and castle bridge, two bottles of whisky and an undisclosed amount of money.

 

Mrs Elizabeth Kwatsoe Sackey, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the presentation called on the chiefs and people of Ga to ensure peaceful celebration of the festival.

 

She said the government was still determined to eliminate misunderstanding during Homowo Festival and expressed the hope that the people would cooperate to promote development in the area.

 

Mrs Sackey underscored the importance of festivals, which she said offers a platform to deepen good relationships between the elders and the people.

 

She commended the people of Ga Mashie for their peaceful co-existence, saying that chieftaincy disputes had been the bane of community development and it was now time for people to dialogue on the progress of the area.

 

Nii Lantei Otanka II, the Chief of Lante Djan We, who received the donation expressed gratitude to the AMA for the gesture, saying; “We are indeed grateful for this support. It will go a long way to make this year’s Homowo festival celebration a memorable one.”

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Accra, July 28, GNA – The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is a Ghanaian state agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture responsible for the regulation of tourism in Ghana.

 

It is tasked to market, promote, license, classify, research and develop tourism facilities and services in the country.

 

Established in 1960 as the Ghana Tourist Board, it was renamed as the Ghana Tourism Authority in 2011 under Act 817. The Act extended the tasks of the Agency to oversee the implementation of government policies in the industry.

 

The Act also makes the Authority a fully-fledged income generating authority by establishing a fund to which every tourism business is required to contribute one per cent (1%) of its revenue to tourism development.

 

Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs, said since its establishment 62 years ago, the GTA had delivered on its mandate of promoting and marketing tourism both in Ghana and abroad, including the publication of tourism publicity and promotional materials, participation in fairs and exhibition and special events.

 

It has received numerous recognitions both home and abroad, despite the numerous challenges that came with it.

 

MANDATE

 

As the key-implementing agency of tourism policies, the GTA, among other things, is responsible for regulating tourism enterprises, namely accommodation, catering, travel and tour and charter operations through registration, inspection, licensing and classification.

 

It also carries out research and studies on trade in the tourism industry both home and abroad to aid decision and policymaking and facilitate the development of tourist facilities and products.

 

Its vision is to be the main driver for the growth and to see Ghana become the leading sustainable Tourist Destination in West Africa by 2026.

 

Mr Kusi said “as part of our values, we are committed to, service excellence, building a highly motivated and dedicated staff, responsible tourism, fairness, transparency and accountability, stakeholder partnerships, and preserving Ghana’s Cultural Heritage.

 

He said the GTA’S goal is also to ensure sustainable development of tourism through, deployment of the best technology and ICT, effective regulation and standardization, strengthening partnerships, aggressive marketing and robust investment promotion, uplifting industry service, safety and health standards, and enhancing accountability and shared responsibility.

 

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES

 

The major flagship programmes of the Authority include the National Chocolate Day Celebrations, PANAFEST and Emancipation Day, Paragliding festival, December in GH, UNWTO World Tourism Day, National Tourism Awards.

 

Mr Kusi said the plan to make Ghana the number one tourism destination in ECOWAS and the most attractive tourist destination in West Africa saw the birth of great initiatives and implementation of many projects by the Ghana Tourism Authority.

 

Some of which include Domestic/Regional tourism campaign, making Ghana the preferred MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) destination, Marketing Ghana at the Dubai Expo, Destination Ghana, Year of Return, Beyond the Return, Center of the world, among others.

 

“Another step to achieve this goal was for Tourism stakeholders such like TOUGHA, TORGAG, CRAG, and Hotels Association to give discount and rebate to groups and individuals. This will encourage them to travel and see the natural beauty of our attractions.”

 

He said the Authority’s activities in recent years such as the renovation of most of the tourist sites across the country, was a brilliant way of marketing destination Ghana, saying “Ghana alongside it’s rich and unique resources as a number one destination for tourists and investors also launched year of return, beyond the return and destination Ghana. This is being done meticulously to give the Economy a massive boost, aid development in the country and attract tourist around world.”

 

“With ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding globally, the Tourism Ministry is keeping to its target of bringing in two million international tourists by 2024. The GTA and Tourism Ministry are keen on implementing the Domestic and Regional Tourism Campaign that was launched in June 2021 to stimulate the local tourism industry.”

 

Mr Kusi said the 18-month long campaign also targets an ambitious increase in domestic tourist arrivals to 600,000 by end of 2022, and to one million by 2024.

 

ASSOCIATION UNDER THE GTA

 

Associations under the Authority, include the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Ghana Progressive Hotels Association (GHAPROHA), Car Rentals Association of Ghana (CRAG), Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), Ghana Traditional Caterers Association, Chefs Association of Ghana, Ghana Drinking Bar Operators Association (GHABOA), and National Drinking Bar Operators Association (NADBOA)

 

Others include Tour Guides Association of Ghana (TOUGAG), Tourism Society of Ghana (TOSOGHA), Skal Club Ghana, Indigenous Caterers Association of Ghana, Bar Tenders Association, Tourism Aid Ghana, Athena HR Solution, Ellaven Consult, Ghana Barbecue Association, Bar Tenders Guild Association, Event Vendors Association of Ghana, and Heritage Food and Drink Association of Ghana.

 

The rest are the Institute of Hospitality, Service Excellence, Ghana Association of Forex Bureau, Women in Business and Tourism, Shebra Musical and Dance Group, Memories 360 Tours, Kids In Tourism, Jufia Nsurom Folk Music and Dance Foundation, Ghana Association of Tourism Students, African Travel and Tourism Association of Ghana, Night Club and Restaurant Association of Ghana.

 

To register with the GTA, the association must have Certificate of Incorporation, registered office, and personnel.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency