Day: June 17, 2024

On the occasion of the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the International Communication Center of Guangdong Province and British musician Shaun Gibson co-created a new music video, ‘Dragon Boat Races,’ featuring both Chinese and English lyrics.

This MV highlights the enduring and evolving culture of dragon boat racing.

This year’s dragon boat races across Guangdong have been exceptionally lively, attracting large crowds and becoming a top trend both online and offline.

The music video captures this vibrant atmosphere, detailing traditional customs from the awakening of dragons and ancestral worship to village gatherings, competitions, and the dragon boat feast.

The video is fast-paced, blending tradition with modernity, and embodies the spirit of unity, cooperation, courage, and the pursuit of dreams.

It reflects the youthful vitality and cultural confidence of contemporary Guangdong.

‘Dragon Boat Races’ is a unique blend of Chinese and British musical styles.

The song is arranged in a Wester
n folk music style and incorporates traditional Chinese instruments such as the Suona, Pipa, Guzheng, Flute, and Xiao, enhanced with electronic synthesizers.

This fusion creates a contemporary sound that resonates with young audiences, showcasing a successful blend of Chinese and Western music.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Wildlife and Human Resources Organisation (WHRO), an environmental NGO dedicated to building capacity for natural resource protection and conservation, has embarked on a cleanup exercise at Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

The maiden edition of the exercise was organized by the NGO to commemorate World Ocean Day, which is held on June 8 every year to raise awareness of the ocean’s vital importance in sustaining a healthy planet.

The two-day exercise began with a public awareness campaign at the Prampram Vocational and Technical School, where students were educated on the effects of poor sanitation, especially the impact of plastic pollution in the seas, as well as the importance of the ocean in conserving wildlife.

In addition to WHRO staff and students from the University of Ghana, other organizations like the Coastal Association of Neighbourhood, ECOZOIL, and the Prampram District Assembly joined community members to clean the area’s beaches.

Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, Executive Director of th
e Wildlife and Human Resources Organisation (WHRO), said in an interview that the sea provides numerous benefits that have aided the economic development of countries such as Ghana.

He stated that, apart from serving as a tool for economic development, the ocean also regulates the climate and provides jobs for the majority of fisherfolk whose livelihoods largely depend on it.

“We get fish, oil, and gas from the ocean, so conserving its resources is very important, especially at a time when all forms of plastic materials are dumped into the sea. Such negative practices would endanger the aquatic plants and animals,” Dr. Agyekumhene explained.

As an environmental and natural resources expert, Dr. Agyekumhene urged community members to promote and embark on practices that protect and conserve the country’s natural resources for a healthy environment, benefiting present and future generations.

At the end of the exercise, community members thanked the organisation for leading the campaign to clean their commun
ities and promised to adhere to the advice to help sustain the environment.

Source: Ghana Web

The Deputy Protocol Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwabena Frimpong, has stated that Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is the problem solver and visionary leader Ghana needs as President because he possesses unique leadership qualities.

Dr. Bawumia is a generational thinker with innovative ideas that have addressed many of the country’s challenges both digitally and physically.

Mr. Frimpong said, “Dr. Bawumia has demonstrated his problem-solving capabilities through impactful policies. For instance, he identified that many districts and constituencies lacked ambulances for transporting sick or emergency patients to hospitals.

He ensured that every constituency now has ambulance services, which has increased the number of emergency nurses trained and working with the Ambulance Services. Additionally, the Drone Essentials Medical Delivery is another top-notch policy that, together with the Ambulance Services, has saved many lives across the country. The ‘Gold for Oil’ policy also significantly
reduced fuel prices in Ghana.”

“Furthermore, due to Dr. Bawumia’s visionary leadership, the introduction of Mobile Money Interoperability has made Western Union obsolete, allowing seamless mobile money transfers across different networks and from banks to mobile money accounts.”

Mr. Frimpong outlined several policies and projects championed by Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia that have successfully addressed various challenges, including the Digital National Identity System, National Property Address System, digitalization of public services (such as Tema Port, ECG, Passport Office, DVLA, among others), and the distribution of over 300 ambulances to all constituencies.

“Although Dr. Bawumia has never served as President before, his signature projects demonstrate his leadership in solving generational problems for sustainable development.”

Comparing Dr. Bawumia to John Mahama, Mr. Frimpong claimed that Bawumia is more suitable for the presidency due to his track record, competence, and vision.

“Unlike John Mahama, wh
o told Ghanaian youth that he is not a magician to create jobs for them, and couldn’t solve ‘Dumsor’ because Ghanaians own many phones, if striking doctors don’t return to work, he’s going to Cuba to bring in replacements, and he developed a ‘dead goat syndrome’ so Ghanaians can complain, Dr. Bawumia has found solutions to problems, which sets him apart.”

Mr. Frimpong noted that former President Mahama couldn’t find solutions to the problems that plagued his administration, including youth unemployment, corruption, arrogance, abuse of power, and the four-year ‘Dumsor’ (power outages).

He concluded that economically, the data shows that during this 4th Republic, Mahama’s tenure was the weakest in Ghana’s history.

Source: Ghana Web

President Nana Akufo-Addo said the war in Ukraine has negatively affected the economies of African countries and caused high inflation

Nana Akufo-Addo said that the war in Ukraine has an impact on Africa, as it has affected African economies, living standards, and high inflation.

“Ghana is interested in participating in efforts to find a solution to end the war,” Akufo-Addo said this at the end of the Global Peace Summit.

“We are against this idea of colonialism, of domination in the world, but in this context we look at Russian aggression in Ukraine. The consequences of this aggression go far beyond the conflict. Africa became an accidental victim of this conflict, supply chains were disrupted. This has had a terrible impact on our economies, on living standards, on high inflation. Food prices have skyrocketed and these are some of the consequences of the invasion and so we have an interest in participating in efforts to find a solution to this conflict. A solution to the conflict must be based on a comp
rehensive, just, lasting peace based on the principles of international law and the UN Charter”, Akufo-Addo said.

He added that it is necessary to find ways to engage Russia and China in the process of ending the war.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the second plenary session of the Global Peace Summit, said that the participants made the right choice, the choice of two security and one humanitarian item, to start moving towards restoring full security and a just peace. The dialogue has taken place and it is clear that it can have very practical consequences.

Source: Ghana Web

The Vice President and Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged leaders and Ghanaians to be inspired by what he called the incredible sacrifice of Prophet Abraham and to pursue worthy causes for the benefit of humanity and the nation.

Speaking in Accra on Sunday at the national Eid ul Adha prayers, the Islamic festival inspired by Prophet Abraham’s decision to obey God’s instruction to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, Dr. Bawumia said people in leadership positions ought to uphold the spirit of sacrifice in service to make meaningful impacts on the people they serve and the nation.

Dr. Bawumia stated that although it is impossible to replicate Prophet Abraham’s ultimate example of sacrifice, as narrated in both the Bible and the Quran, he urged that in “our own little ways,” we should sacrifice for others and the nation.

“Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) set the ultimate example of sacrifice and obedience, which is impossible for any of us to replicate,” Dr. Bawumia said in his Eid address.

“But i
n our own little ways, we have to emulate the sacrificial spirit of Prophet Ibrahim to help one another, our community, and our dear nation.”

“For us in positions of leadership, it is even more important because as leaders, rendering selfless service to the people who elect us should always be our priority, and that can only happen with lots of personal sacrifices.”

“For the citizenry, patience and sacrifices are also required in our everyday life; in our personal affairs, at home with our families, at our workplaces, in our communities, and in our dealings with our leaders and government.”

With signs of economic recovery following the recent hike in the cost of living, which he said was largely influenced by one of the biggest global economic crises in history, Dr. Bawumia also acknowledged the sacrifices Ghanaians have made over the past few months following the impact of the crisis.

“We appreciate the cooperation and sacrifices Ghanaians have made in the challenging times we have experienced in the pas
t few years,” he said, adding that the government has also made some budget cuts.

Dr. Bawumia urged Muslims and all Ghanaians to be inspired by the principles of Eid ul Adha.

“Fellow Muslims, as we observe the sacred festival of sacrifice, which is inspired by the motherly care of Hajar (Hagar) towards her son Ismael and Prophet Ibrahim’s incredible obedience to God, let us always be inspired by their acts of selflessness and sacrifice by caring for each other and also sacrificing for worthy causes, for the betterment of our families, communities, and the nation.”

Source: Ghana Web