Day: May 24, 2024

Ms Tharzia N. Akwetey, the New Juaben South Municipal Director, Department of Agriculture, Eastern Region, has encouraged farmers to embrace Climate-Smart Agriculture to ensure food security.

Climate-Smart Agriculture is an integrated approach to managing any type of farming to address the challenges of food security and climate change.

Ms Akwetey told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the 2024 vision of the municipality and achievements in the first quarter of the year that the Department was concerned with climate change due to the current weather conditions and its impact on agriculture,

The effects of climate change including drought, heat, excessive rain causing flooding, and new pests and diseases negatively affect farming hence resulting in food insecurity.

Therefore, the Department was promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture, which focused on innovative urban agricultural practices including bottle drip irrigation, storing rainwater in reservoirs and the use of extracts from Neem leaves and se
eds to treat diseases, deter pests and act as a mosquito repellant, she said.

‘Bottle drip irrigation’ involved the creation of a tiny hole on the lid of an empty bottle, tying it to a stick as support and filling it with water to directly irrigate plants,’ Ms. Akwetey explained.

‘The water in the bottle can irrigate the crop for a very long-time preventing wastage. The farmer can travel for some time without thinking of watering the farm in the dry season with this method of irrigation.’

She noted that Climate-Smart Agriculture made farming fun, easy and less stressful through simple but effective innovative methods, and encouraged farmers to adopt it, while urging the youth to embrace agribusiness.

In respect to the Department’s achievements, she said in partnership with the Minerals Commission, it distributed 9,732 palm seedlings to farmers in the first quarter of 2024.

This translated to more than 90 per cent of the 10,000 oil palm seedlings expected to be distributed for the year to support the Plan
ting for Export and Rural Development programme.

Ms Akwetey said about 300 five-week-old hybrid birds, called the Saso birds, were disbursed to poultry farmers to improve local breeds, adding that new birds were being bred for another disbursement.

‘Poultry farmers testified that the birds were doing very well. Some have requested more so we are breeding new sets to be distributed. The hybrids are strong, and their meat is hardy unlike the foreign broilers.’

The Department also harvested some bags of spring onions it cultivated at its backyard purposely for training and demonstration.

Despite the achievements, Ms. Akwetey said financial challenges made it difficult for the Department to perform duties as required of it, adding: ‘We are also understaffed. Officers are overburdened with a lot of duties.’

She appealed for government’s support in terms of finances and posting of more staff to replace the retired ones and help renovate the staff quarters and bungalow.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Divine Bosson, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ho, has feted children with special need in the Municipality, as part of activities to celebrate his 50th birthday.

A special dinner was organised for children of the New Horizon Foundation for the Blind in Ho at the official residence of the MCE, who together with his family hosted them.

Other officials from the Assembly joined the event, and so were some executives of the Ghana Journalists Association in the Region.

Mr Bosson shared with the children and their teachers his personal life journey to encourage them, saying it was important for physically challenged persons to consider themselves specially made and not be limited by their circumstances.

‘The physically challenged is a special creation of God. God’s light should be their light and they must always make themselves available for God to use them,’ he said.

Mr Eric Ofori, Director of the New Horizon Foundation, expressed appreciation for the attention the City’s chief executive gave the inst
itution, and said his efforts to develop roads and other needs were known to them.

He said the MCE became the first in the history of the Foundation to invite them to such a feast, and that the experience was sure to remain in their hearts.

‘We are praying to God to continue to bless you to continue to bless humanity. We call for more insight from God to do more,’ the Director said.

The children offered special songs and performances to appreciate the MCE who personally handed out sweets and interacted with them.

The MCE had earlier visited the Ho Central Prisons and donated food, clothes and other basic needs to the inmates.

Mr Bosson encouraged the inmates along the path to restoration and was hopeful society would benefit from their transformed lives.

He replicated a similar feat with the inmates of the Ho Central prison to mark his anniversary.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), in collaboration with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and the Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), has organised a four-day training for maritime agencies on professional ethics, integrity, and corruption risk assessment (CRA).

The training funded by the Danish Government and their development cooperation programme (Danida) is to strengthen collective action and embed transparency, integrity, and accountability at Ghana’s ports, which serve as a crucial maritime gateway for several landlocked countries in West Africa.

Madam Maria Gowon, the Programme Manager for the Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that issues such as inefficient port operations related to vessel and cargo clearance, along with the corruption and compliance risks arising from these processes, pose significant challenges to establishing Ghana as a regional maritime hub.

She said that senior port officials from each Ghanaian maritime agency participat
ed in the training to support the government’s efforts to improve compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and increase transparency and accountability in port operations.

She added that leaders from recognised civil society organisations (CSOs) participated, noting that those trained would subsequently lead a corruption risk assessment covering all the port agencies in Ghana, while the CSOs would provide independent oversight to ensure transparency and objectivity in the process.

Mr. Kasper Nielsen, an Associate in charge of Collective Action and Seafarer Engagement with the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a Denmark-based organisation, said the port had seen a significant reduction in corrupt activities and an improvement in operational efficiency through collaborative efforts and stringent anti-corruption measures put in place.

‘The success we’ve achieved in Nigeria has been remarkable. We’ve implemented transparent processes and have worked closely with Nigerian authorities to ensur
e that corruption is no longer tolerated in the port,’ he stated.

He said that the network has partnered Ghanaian authorities to replicate the success seen in other countries, including Nigeria, at the ports of Tema and Takoradi; stating that early reports indicate a promising start with cooperation from local authorities and a growing culture of transparency.

He disclosed that MACN plans to extend its anti-corruption initiatives to other West African countries, with the aim of creating a ripple effect, where each new success story inspires further commitment to eradicating corruption across the region.

‘As MACN continues its fight against corruption, the global community watches closely. The network’s efforts not only promise cleaner and more efficient ports but also serve as a powerful example of what can be achieved when businesses and authorities unite against corruption,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has distributed 60,000 high yielding oil palm seedlings to farmers in six districts in the Adansi enclave.

It is part of the Climate Resilience Oil Palm Plantation (CROPP) project, which is being undertaken by AngloGold, in partnership with Solidaridad West Africa.

It aims at supporting farmers in the Adansi enclave through oil palm production to improve their livelihoods, while contributing to the deforestation mitigation targets through agro forestry.

The beneficiaries are farmers from the Obuasi Municipal, Obuasi East, Adansi North and South, Adansi Asokwa and Adansi Akrofoum districts.

The company in 2023 distributed 30,000 seedlings under the project to farmers in the districts.

Mr Daniel Arthur-Bentum, Economic Development Superintendent of AngloGold Obuasi Mine, speaking at the presentation ceremony, said most arable lands in the Adansi enclave had been significantly depleted due to illegal mining activities.

This had caused rising temperatures, increased inconsiste
ncies in rainfall patterns, reduced suitable areas for farming, and reduced farm yield.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has told the Director of Communication of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, that he should have been prosecuted for voting in the 2020 general election.

According to Sammy Gyamfi, not only did the NPP communication officer commit a crime by voting in the 2020 election when his name was not on the voters’ register, but he has also confessed to the crime in public.

He said that the country’s electoral laws clearly state that no person should be allowed to vote if his or her name is not on the voters’ register.

“This is a very serious matter. It doesn’t only border on the commission of a crime; it borders on a confession by Richard Ahiagbah that he has committed a crime… Voter registration in Ghana is governed by law. You cannot engage in registration and voting per your own whims and caprices.

“He himself has confessed to voting in the 2020 elections, both the presidential and parliamentary, when his name was
not on the voters’ register. He said that he turned up at the polling station to vote on 7th December 2020, but his name was not on the register. In Ghana, you can’t vote in any public elections unless your name is on the voters’ register,” the NDC national communications officer said during a panel discussion on the Good Morning Ghana programme on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

He added, “If you check regulation 32 of CI 127, this is what it says: ‘(1) A polling assistant may, before delivering a ballot paper to a person who is to vote at the election, require that person to produce a voter identification card in order to establish that the person is the registered voter whose name and voter identification number and particulars appear in the register. (2) In the absence of a voter identification card, the polling assistant shall identify the name and particulars of the voter as recorded in the Names Reference List… If your name is not on the register, then it means there is no remedy for you; it means your card c
annot be authenticated. It is useless. You are not entitled to vote.'”

Sammy Gyamfi said that the law states that Ahiagbah should have been imprisoned and/or fined and banned from voting for five years after serving his sentence.

Background:

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Neat FM on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Richard Ahiagbah confirmed reports that even though he had a valid voter identification card, which was issued to him after he completed his voter registration in 2020, his name was not on the register when he went to vote.

“I voted in the 2020 election. You have to ask officials of the EC why I was able to vote even though my name was not on the register.

“Because I have a voter’s ID card which bears my name. I got it in 2020 when we were asked to register for a new voters’ register. I have the card, and it has the polling station number where I have always been voting,” he said in the Twi dialect.

He added, “I went to queue to vote on 7th December 2020, and when it got to my turn, the offi
cials said my name was not on the register. So, I asked why my details were not on the register and showed them my documents.”

The NPP communications director added that the EC official on election day agreed that he should be allowed to vote, but he does not know why they allowed him to vote even though his name was not on the voters’ register.

Source: Ghana Web

All is set for the 20th edition of Mission Africa Incorporated’s annual African Union (AU) Day Prayer Conference, scheduled for Saturday, 25th May 2024 in Accra.

Dr Kodjoe Sumney, the Founding President of Mission Africa Incorporated, said the conference would be in two parts.

The first part, to be held on May 25, will commemorate the AU Day celebrations, and will be on Zoom and the Facebook pages of Mission Africa as well as other social media platforms.

The second part, which is in the form of prayer festival, will be held at the forecourt of Ghana’s Parliament in late November 2024.

‘The prayer festival in November 2024 will bring together some renowned African American pastors, to join their Ghanaian counterparts to pray for the African continent and Ghana especially as the country prepares for her presidential and parliamentary elections in December,’ Dr Sumney told journalists during a briefing in Accra on Friday.

The theme for the Zoom event is: ‘Solutions for Peaceful Elections, Graduates and Yo
uth Unemployment Evidence for Reparation,’ while that for the November edition is: ‘Peaceful Elections and African economic development …Bridging the gap between the Diaspora Returnees.’

The November edition is geared towards promoting the Government’s dual citizenship agenda and also for easy facilitation of Ghanaian-American citizens coming home to participate in the upcoming general election.

It will be chaired by Mr Peter Kwesi Terkper, the Chief Executive Officer of 3T Aromatic Services Ltd.

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is the keynote speaker with other speakers including the Founder of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Dr Lawrence Tetteh; and Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye, Chairman of Church of Pentecost.

The others are Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Mr Emmanuel Bedzrah, Chairman of Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, Dr. Kodjoe Sumney.

The rest are Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, Founder of Salt and Light Ministries; Apostle Ab
raham Lamptey -Founder of Believers House of Worship International; Nene Kukrubour T. K. Agyemang, Chief of Dodowa; and Dr Mrs Akosuah Sumney, Vice President of Mission Africa Inc.

Dr Sumney called on the public to participate fully during the two activities to pray for the most prosperous continent in the world but yet the poorest in terms of its human and economic development.

He said Mission Africa’s strong advocacy, presence, and network abroad, especially in the USA, was paying off as most people of African origin were returning home, especially in Ghana.

‘The promotion of the Year of Return and Beyond by the Mission has helped motivate some sons and daughters of African origin who have returned home to help develop the continent of their birth’.

Ghana, for instance has witnessed remarkable inflows from the diaspora through investment, humanitarian work, building churches in remote areas and schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency