Month: February 2023

Former President John Dramani Mahama has congratulated Yagbonwura Amonebafe Borenyi I, the new King of Gonjaland.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, he said: “I am proud that the time-tested traditions of Gonjaland, handed to us by the Founder of Gonja, Ndewura Sumaila Jakpa, has once again worked seamlessly and peacefully to install the successor to our late overlord, His Royal Majesty Yiram, Yagbonwura Sulemana Jakpa Tuntumba Boresa I.”

“I wish our new King long life and a successful reign that will deliver tangible development to our people.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Export receipts in 2022 from gold generated $ 6.6 billion dollars to retain its position as the leading source of export revenue, Samuel A. Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has said.

Mr Jinapor at a press briefing in Accra, announced that four new large-scale mining operations would start production within the next two and a half years.

“After reviving the Obuasi mine in 2019, the Bibiani mine, which had been dormant for seven years, has also been revived, with production starting in October 2022 to increase mineral production and government revenue,” he said.

He said discussions were ongoing with Rand Refinery of South Africa, a London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA) referee, to secure certification to easily export and trade refined gold on the international market.

The government, he stated, was planning to establish a Gold Souk, a marketplace for the manufacturing and marketing of gold articles, adding that, “PMMC’s jewellery subsidiary is now producing gold tablets, engrave and plate jewellery.”

The Minister said the Government was reviewing the Mining Policy adopted in 2014 and the Minerals and Mining Act, passed in 2006, to promote more investment in the sector.

On diversification of the mineral resource base, the Minister said the Ghana Geological Survey Authority had intensified limestone exploration activities in the Mamprusi West District to develop limestone mines to feed the cement industry.

  The Authority has, also, identified and evaluated over 1,275 metric tonnes of clay resources at Assin Fosu and its environs in the Assin North and Central Districts of the Central Region, suitable for the production of high-quality assay crucibles, bricks, tiles, and electrical porcelain.

He stated that the Government reduced the withholding tax on unprocessed gold by small-scale miners, which was implemented in 2015, from 5% to 3% to support the sector.

That, the Minister stressed, had resulted in a massive increment in gold exports from small scale mining, from 3,429.91kg in 2021, to 22,158.25kg in 2022.

He stated that the Government was implementing the Minerals and Mining Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2404), to track 4,000 excavators and other earth moving equipment, and that a control room had been established at the Minerals Commission, with 75 excavators installed with tracking devices at various mine sites.

Mr Jinapor said the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, launched in 2021, was being implemented to provide alternative sources of income for communities affected by the fight against illegal mining.

He said the Apprenticeship, Skills Training, and Entrepreneurship module of the Programme would be rolled out this year and was expected to provide training for 5,000 youth in agriculture, technical, vocational, industrial, and mining skills.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has inaugurated a nine-member Reconstituted National Committee to promote the local consumption of cocoa.

He said while Ghana had made remarkable progress culminating in the significant increase in the per capita consumption from 0.5kg in 2017 to 1kg now, more effort was needed to match local consumption with increased annual production.

“Despite the doubling of our consumption rate over the past six years, our best has not been enough. We cannot be producing so much cocoa and remain low on the league table of consumption of chocolates and cocoa based products, expecting that countries elsewhere will consume for us. That is a moral mistake. Charity, they say, begins at home,” he said.

“Whilst pushing forward the agenda of scaling up productivity, there must be a corresponding effort at increasing local value addition to stimulate consumption of cocoa and ultimately better remunerate our hardworking cocoa farmers,” Mr Aidoo said.

The many Productivity Enhancement Programmes being implemented across the cocoa growing areas have led to annual production of around 800,000 metric tonnes on average.

The global chocolate industry, from the bean to the bar, is estimated at between US$130 billion and US$150 billion. However, only between 6 per cent and 6.6 per cent of the projected amount comes to the producers – an indication that the real value of cocoa is in processing and value addition.

He said the government and COCOBOD had, over the past 5 years, made concerted efforts towards pursuing the 50 per cent processing policy to ensure that, at least, half of the annual cocoa output is processed locally.

The COCOBOD AfCFTA Cocoa Consumption Committee has also been working tirelessly with local processors to ensure that we smoothly penetrate the African market, he said.

The committee will develop a strategy document for the generic promotion of cocoa

consumption in the country and come out with programmes and activities that would create and increase national awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa as well as identify and implement specific programmes, which will sustain a nationwide cocoa consumption drive.

Mr Aidoo urge the new members of the Committee to give off their best to help create the necessary awareness about the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa and inculcate the habit of consumption in Ghanaians.

Mr Stephen Boafo, the Chairman of the Committee, said there was the need for a policy change and a strong commitment from the authorities.

“We have seen an indication of that commitment and we will at this point seek the full support and sponsorship for the various initiatives the committee will propose,” he said.

“When the industry improves, the benefits will be for all. it shall create employment, bring in foreign exchange, media houses will get adverts, packaging companies will get businesses, transport and delivery companies will not be left out,” he added.

He pledged on behalf of the committee to deliver on the goals to meet expectations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A court in the western Germany city of Cologne, on Tuesday sentenced a man to 14 years and six months in prison for child abuse, in the infamous Wermelskirchen babysitter trial.

The 45-year-old German had offered himself as a babysitter via online platforms, and then came into contact with his victims. The IT expert also recorded the abuse on video.

During the trial at the Cologne Regional Court, he confessed to the acts and described them as “despicable.” The man was charged with more than 120 cases of sexual violence against 13 children from 2005 to 2019. According to the indictment, the youngest victim was a girl about one month old.

As with other abuse complexes in Germany in recent years, the case led to numerous other investigations.

The man was arrested by police in December 2021 in a house he shared with his wife in Wermelskirchen, around 20km northeast of Cologne. During the trial, an officer said the police had wanted to arrest the suspect on an open computer, in order to gain access to videos of the offences and to enable the collection of further child pornography in his possession.

The man had been in a video conference with colleagues, when the arrest operation occurred.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has cautioned chiefs to exercise due diligence on issues pertaining to the sale of lands within their jurisdiction.

They should respect traditional rules, follow due processes and be transparent and fair in their dealings, the King said.

“It is your duty to do the right thing, and to not engage in any malpractices by virtue of your positions, which have the tendency to bring the image of the chieftaincy institution into disrepute,” he told a Kumasi Traditional Council, in Kumasi.

The Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, and Amakomhene, Nana Adu Mensah Asare, have recently been summoned by the Asantehene for embroiling themselves in some land sale controversies.

Regarding the Bantamahene, he was summoned over the alleged double sale of land to one Mr. Amponmsah and a church – creating confusion between the two.

The Asantehene, after resolving the land dispute between the Bantamahene and the parties involved, directed Baffour Amankwatia to release all documents on the land to the said Mr. Amponsah, whom he first sold the land to.

He also directed the Bantamahene to return the money he took from the church within 14 days as he promised before the Traditional Council.

On the Amakomhene, he is alleged to have forcefully seized a piece of land a couple acquired in 1942 and sold the said property to the Church of Pentecost for a Church project over an expired lease.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who did not take kindly to this development, said: “When you ascended the Amakom stool the old woman was living on the land.

“She has been there since 1942, so even if the lease had expired, there was a clear reason to grant her a lease renewal,” he noted.

The visibly angry Asantehene, who spoke through his linguist, Baffour Kantankrankyi, condemned the Amakomhene’s action and his sub-chief, the Abontenghene, warning them of dire consequences, if such practices continued.

The Asantehene reminded the traditional rulers that the positions they occupied remained sacred, therefore, they ought to be mindful of the code of ethics binding them.

“There are clear legal and traditional arrangements for restoring and renewing leases to occupants.

“You do not just eject people from their property immediately you hear their leases have expired.” Otumfuo Osei Tutu cautioned.

Otumfuo sounded a caution to all his sub-chiefs that they were all custodians of their portions of land because he made them swear the oath of Asanteman before him, therefore, must not engage in illegalities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), has appealed to the citizenry to abstain from practices that would escalate the country’s vulnerability to climate crisis.

He said human activities such as cutting down trees, illegal mining, improper waste disposal, emissions from vehicles and industries, and burning of forests released greenhouse gasses that caused climate change.

Speaking at the launch of the 2023 Climate Change and Green Economy Week in Accra on Tuesday, Dr Afriyie said Climate Change remained an “indispensable risk” to all facets of the country’s development.

“These days, the weather has become warmer than in the past. Rainfall is increasingly becoming uncertain…farmers across the country are complaining that they can no longer rely on the mercies of the weather to plan when to plant,” he said.

The Climate Change and Green Economy Week was first observed in Ghana in 2016 as part of the National Climate and Green Economy Learning Strategy.

This year’s week-long celebration would be observed between 27th to 31st March 2023, with a number of activities, including public education, youth dialogue, conference and awards, and dinner night.

During the period, the MESTI and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), together with their partners, would sensitise the public on Climate Change and create awareness on the subject matter.

Dr Afriyie said the Celebration would offer the Ministry an opportunity to provide the public a better understanding of Climate Change and its impacts on livelihoods and development.

“The serious threat that climate change pose to the country now and in future is the reason why the Government wants to embark on public education to serve as a means of providing a better understanding of how climate change, and what actions are being taken to tackle it,” he said.

Dr Afriyie said as part of this year’s activities, the Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Education would initiate the Climate Change Teacher Award as part of the integration of Climate Change and Green Economy into School Curricula programme.

Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Director of EPA, said climate change was one of the biggest threats to livelihoods and the economy of Ghana with wide-ranging effects such as destructive floods, drying of rivers, food crisis, climate induced diseases and bushfires.

He said the Climate Week Celebration would focus on awareness creation to bring to the attention of the public across Ghana and the global community both the causes and effects of climate change, and the need to reduce its impacts on society.

“However, this initiative was to showcase the vulnerability of Ghana on climate change impacts to the global community.” Dr Kokofu said.

According to the United Nations, over 800 million people (11 per cent of global population) are currently vulnerable to climate change impacts and extreme weather events.

The World Bank has also indicated that if climate action is not taken, 100 million people could be forced into poverty by 2030.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A philanthropist has asked the Government to give priority to the elderly by providing for their needs.

He noted that even though individuals and organisations would continue to support the elderly, what was more sustainable was for the Government to give priority to the needs of the elderly and providing the resources, service and support.

Professor Sylvester Jim Bowie, Sacramento State University, California, United States of America (USA) said this during the presentation of assorted items to five Elderly Home Care Agencies by the College of Humanities and the Centre for Ageing Studies (CFAS) of the University of Ghana in Accra.

He said the donation meant a lot to him because it was a critical effort to address a very important component of the life cycle experience.

“These group of people in one way or the other have contributed to the growth and development of the country and so more local effort must be put into supporting them as they age.”

Professor Mavis Dako-Gyeke, Director CFAS, said the donation was to honour the requests received from the agencies by the Centre to support their work.

She said the presentation which formed part of the CFAS’ s outreach programme and was co-sponsored by Professor Sylvester Jim Bowie, Sacramento State University, California USA.

Professor Dako-Gyeke said the items presented included walking sticks, medications, clothing, Zimmer frames, diapers, Oware, and Ludo.

She appealed to other organisations to support the aging group in society as they were the most vulnerable and needed all the attention and care to be able to live longer.

Professor Dan Ofori, Provost, College of Humanities, University of Ghana said the presentation was an opportunity for the Centre to positively affect the lives of people in its constituency, especially the aged.

He said Tobinco Foundation, Naro Aged Care Agency, Larteh Aged Welfare Foundation, Physiotherapy Unit, University of Ghana, and Korle Bu Polyclinic also supported the donation.

He assured that the Centre would continue to partner both internal and external stakeholders to affect more lives and achieve its key mandate.

He said Ghana had a growing elderly population with medical conditions which keep changing over time, hence there was an immense need to understand their need and how to care and work for them.

He urged the Centre, and all involved to continue to grow the relationship and partnership in helping the elderly so that the Centre would be able to achieve its mandate in the long run.

Mr Daniel Opoku, Head, Physiotherapy Unit, University of Ghana Hospital, Legon, on behalf of the recipients, expressed appreciation to the Centre and its donors for the support towards the wellbeing of the elderly.

He said as a country, there must be more interventions to support the elderly for them to be able to function well in their various spheres.

Mr Charles Amo Tobbin, Tobinco Foundation, expressed the hope that soon, the Centre would be expanded to perform further support functions like visiting the elderly in their homes on a regular basis to inspire them.

Source: Ghana News Agency