Day: May 13, 2024

The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has announced the passing of Richard Slayman, the first man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, two months after the surgery.

Before the procedure, Slayman had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.

Though the cause of his death is yet to be determined, MGH has clarified that there is no evidence suggesting it resulted from the transplant.

In addition to kidney disease, Slayman also struggled with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

He underwent his initial transplant, a human kidney transplant, in 2018, which initially succeeded but began to decline after five years.

‘Mr. Slayman will forever be regarded as a beacon of hope for countless transplant patients worldwide, and we are profoundly thankful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,’ MGH stated.

While previous attempts to transplant other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed, Slayman’s operation was celebrated as a historic breakthrou
gh.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his medical team confirmed that he no longer required dialysis, indicating that the new organ was functioning well.

Source: Ghana Web

The rich culture and tradition of Asanteman were on full display on Sunday at the Silver Jubilee Anniversary durbar of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The revered king ascended to the Golden Stool in 1999, and Sunday’s colourful ceremony marked 25 years of his ascension to the throne.

People from all walks of life turned up in large numbers for the occasion, which also celebrated Akwasidaekese, a sacred festival in Ashanti tradition.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was among the distinguished dignitaries present. He led a powerful government and NPP delegation, which included Ministers of State, MPs, and the National Chairman of the NPP.

On a day when culture and tradition were fully displayed, Dr. Bawumia was not to be left out, as he donned a full traditional regalia.

Clad in a beautiful kente cloth with matching ahenema (sandals), Dr. Bawumia was accompanied by his wife, Samira, who was also dressed in a beautiful kente.

Colourfully, all the government and party officials accompanying Dr.
Bawumia also wore kente clothes befitting the occasion.

As Dr. Bawumia’s bus arrived at the grounds, it attracted instant cheers from the crowd as they tried to catch a glimpse of the NPP flagbearer.

Dr. Bawumia and his entourage had to disembark from the bus and walk through the thick crowd.

Dr. Bawumia was also one of several dignitaries who attended a dinner at the Manhyia Palace in honour of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Many traditional rulers from across the country, including the Ga Mantse, joined the Asantehene and Asanteman to commemorate his Silver Jubilee.

Source: Ghana Web

Host of Kokrokoo on Peace FM, Kwame Sefa Kayi, has called on security agencies to arrest and investigate former New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Hopeson Adorye for claiming that the ruling party used dynamite to intimidate voters in the Volta Region during the 2016 general elections.

During a panel discussion on the show on Friday, May 10, 2024, Sefa Kayi, who expressed doubts over Adorye’s claims, said he should be arrested and investigated.

“Tweaaa, Kwesi, have you seen dynamite being blasted before? When the Tetteh Quarshie interchange was being constructed, they used dynamite… and when the dynamite was to be set off, they announced it about a week ahead, giving a specific time and date. Those of us living within about a two-kilometer perimeter from the blast could feel the impact,” he said.

“You can’t joke with even the smallest of dynamites, and he’s claiming to have set off dynamite.

“He should be arrested or called to show where he set off the dynamite; where did you get it? Did you buy it? Was i
t given to you?” he added.

Kwame Sefa Kayi’s reaction was in response to a submission by Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., who called on security agencies to investigate recent claims by Hopeson Adorye.

During an interview on Accra FM, Hopeson Adorye, who is now the director of special duties for Alan Kyerematen’s Movement for Change, said the blasting of dynamite in the Volta Region during the election was to scare away voters in the opposition stronghold.

TWI NEWS

“Prior to the elections, we blasted dynamite in parts of the Volta Region, and that scared a number of people. When I finished casting my ballot in Tema, I drove to the Volta Region, and when I asked for the number of people who had voted and the expected number of voters, it turned out people did not come out to vote,” he stated.

Source: Ghana Web

The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered 454 new voters in the Anloga District of the Volta Region within the first four days of the ongoing Limited Voter Registration Exercise.

The majority of the applicants, who had just turned 18, included four individuals whose ages were challenged on the assumption that they were minors.

Felix Hommey, the Registration Officer, shared this information with the Ghana News Agency after the exercise concluded on Friday.

“On the first day, we registered 41 people, 82 on the second day, 175 on the third, and 156 on the fourth,” he stated, expressing satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the exercise and the cooperation of the political party agents.

“Despite network challenges, the process has been very smooth so far, both at the district center and in the hard-to-reach areas,” Mr. Hommey remarked. “The party agents are cooperating with us, and everything has been running smoothly.”

He expressed optimism for the remaining days of the exercise and noted that the mobi
le team would move to Agortoe from May 11 to 13, to Azanu on May 15 and 16, and to Bleamezado on May 17 and 18.

Source: Ghana Web

On Friday, May 10, 2024, Lt Col Justina Frimpong, the trailblazing first female Commanding Officer of the Transportation Battalion Unit of the Ghana Armed Forces, made a significant contribution of 100 desks to Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua.

A proud native of Koforidua Oyoko in the Eastern Region and an alumna of Ghana Senior High School, Lt Col Frimpong pursued higher education in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Green Hill College and furthered her studies at GIMPA.

Responding to a request from the school’s authorities during her visit on the 67th Independence Day Anniversary, Lt Col Frimpong was moved by the school’s furniture shortage and resolved to provide support.

In her heartfelt remarks, Lt Col Frimpong, reflecting on her time at the school, acknowledged the profound impact it had on her life and pledged to rally her peers from the class of 1999 to further aid the institution.

Expressing gratitude, the Headmistress, Mrs. Diana Akosua Mintah, on behalf of the school’s management,
lauded Lt Col Frimpong for her generous act. She emphasized that the donation of the mono desks would significantly alleviate the school’s furniture scarcity.

Seizing the moment, Mrs. Mintah called upon other alumni, philanthropists, NGOs, and particularly Lt Col Frimpong and her contemporaries, to assist in refurbishing the school’s assembly hall roof and the girls’ dormitory bathrooms.

Source: Ghana Web

Twelve innovative companies have been selected for the maiden edition of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Ghana.

Powered by MEST Africa, the fellowship seeks to empower promising EdTech companies across the continent to tackle issues affecting communities.

The companies selected for the fellowship include Perbi Cubs, Inspiring Teachers Ghana, Dext Technology Limited, Loozeele Excellence Academy, Ayaprep and Qknow Edtech.

The others are Wonderspaced, DeafCanTalk, Firefly IO, Coral Reef Innovation Hub, eCampus and Alpha Virtual Academy.

The selected companies are involved in a wide range of innovative solutions, including using digital tools to address poor reading skills, developing user-friendly and affordable tools for effective learning of basic STEM education and revolutionalising accessibility to deaf students with assistive technology.

Participants in the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship will receive mentorship from experts in education innovation, sustainability, impact and sca
le, as well as pedagogical evaluation through course access.

The launch was graced by several dignitaries, with the Minister for Education Dr. Yaw Adutwum and the Osu Mantse, Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, in attendance.

Also present were the Executive Director for the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), Nana Gyamfi Adwabuor and UNICEF Deputy Representative, Fiachra McAsey.

The Education Minister emphasised the need to invest in EdTech and said the government was committed to ensuring that kids in every part of the country become more tech-savvy through their education.

The Program Manager at MEST Africa, Angela Duho, also congratulated the selected companies and expressed hope that their learnings from the fellowship would help to transform education in Ghana and increase access to quality and relevant learning through locally developed technology-enabled solutions.

Source: Ghana Web

Michael Abuah has made a strong case for Ghana’s future in STEM education. Many of these references come from his strong advocacy, suggesting that Ghana’s investment in STEM education is proving to be good leverage in efforts for environmental protection.

Students in STEM fields are now enrolled in an assertive curriculum that encourages innovativeness and critical thinking skills to solve problems in society.

This is evident in the creativity of students at Afia Kobi Ampem Girls’ SHS in developing autonomous rescue watercraft. Michael Abuah asserts that this is a major milestone in propelling innovations to deal with Ghana’s environmental challenges.

In recent years, Abuah has strongly advocated for effective policies for environmental protection, many of which can be referenced in his open letters to the president of Ghana on World Environment Day 2023 and Earth Day 2024.

It is not so surprising, as he is presumed to be following in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Theophilus Abuah, a renowned metallurg
ist and environmental safety expert with over 35 years of experience in the mining industry.

Currently, Michael Abuah works at the Ministry of Education and is the youngest member of the Ministry’s Technical Working Committee, finalizing Ghana’s first-ever STEM Policy.

Source: Ghana Web

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament says it strongly protests the appointment of Mr. Tweneboah Kodua Fokuo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Manso Nkwanta, as the new Managing Director for the National Investment Bank (NIB).

According to the group, this appointment raises serious concerns about the politicization of State-Owned Enterprises, adding that the ignoble thinking behind the appointment must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians.

The opposition MPs argued in a statement that, “The National Investment Bank is distressed and on life support; thus, it is in dire need of a management team with the requisite skills and competencies to engineer and manage a recovery program of a medium-term nature. To appoint a parliamentary candidate six months into an election beggars belief. The integrity, or the lack thereof, in this appointment is a clear sign that the Government and the Bank of Ghana have no desire to resuscitate the ailing bank but are only i
nterested in milking the dying cow.”

The caucus consequently urged the President and the government to reconsider this appointment and prioritize the integrity and business sustainability of the National Investment Bank. “The appointment of a Parliamentary Candidate to a key banking position like this undermines public trust and confidence in the government’s ability to manage our national resources effectively.”

Below is the full statement:

The NDC Minority in Parliament strongly protests the appointment of Mr. Tweneboah Kodua Fokuo, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Manso Nkwanta, as the new Managing Director for the National Investment Bank (NIB). This appointment raises serious concerns about the politicization of State-Owned Enterprises. The ignoble thinking behind the appointment must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians. The National Investment Bank is distressed and on life support; thus, it is in dire need of a management team with the requisite skills and competencies to engineer and mana
ge a recovery program of a medium-term nature. To appoint a parliamentary candidate six months into an election beggars belief. The integrity, or the lack thereof, in this appointment is a clear sign that the government and the Bank of Ghana have no desire to resuscitate the ailing bank but are only interested in milking the dying cow.

The Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612), mandates the Bank of Ghana to approve all senior bank appointments. Specifically, Section 27 of the Act states, “The Bank shall have the power to:

(a) approve the appointment of directors, chief executives, and other principal officers of banks.”

Assuming the President is misled by advisors for obvious political considerations, the Bank of Ghana, in its regulatory role, has a legal responsibility to halt this aberration of an appointment.

We urge the President and the government to reconsider this appointment and prioritize the integrity and business sustainability of the National Investment Bank. The appointment of a Parliamentary Can
didate to a key banking position like this undermines public trust and confidence in the government’s ability to manage our national resources effectively.

We demand the reversal of this appointment and a more transparent and impartial selection process that prioritizes merit and competence over political affiliation.

Kwabena Donkor, Ph.D., FCMI, FRSA, MIEn. R, Ranking Member, Committee on Employment, Social Welfare, and State-Owned Enterprises

Source: Ghana Web