Category: General

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of auction sales of vehicles and other goods by the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority.

The period of investigation is between July 1, 2016, and August 15, 2022.

A statement issued in Accra by Mr Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, said on August 19, 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed the Commissioner of the Customs Division to produce some documentation to the Office of the Special Prosecutor on or before September 30, 2022.

The documents are the particulars and clear description of all auctioned items, the quantity of all auctioned items, the prices at which the items were auctioned, the date of each auction sales, the full names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the successful bidders at all the auction sales.

It said the Special Prosecutor further directed the Commissioner of the Customs Division to immediately halt and discontinue all auction sales till the investigation was concluded.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Overlord of the Waala Traditional Council, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo, has appealed to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council and other relevant authorities to provide streetlights for the municipality to help ward off criminal activities in recent times.

He said even though the security agencies were trying hard to secure peace and reduce crime waves in the municipality, their efforts were thwarted, as most of the streets in the Wa Township remained dark, giving cover to criminals to commit all sorts of criminal acts against residents.

He said the recent three murder cases in the township was a worrying matter and urged the authorities to consider the provision of streetlights as urgently as possible to enable the security agencies to give adequate protection to life and property.

The Wa-Naa Seidu Pelpuo made the appeal when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him at his palace to begin his three-day working tour of the region to inspect government development projects.

He drew the attention of the President to the construction of the Wa-Manwe-Bulenga Road, which he said was abandoned by the contractor who was no more on site.

He said the absence of the contractor had caused the road to deteriorate gradually, which was likely to increase the cost of the project when the contractor returns to site.

The Wa- Naa urged the government to provide a dual carriage road from the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) stretch to the Wa Airport to help ease traffic congestion with vehicles coming into the municipality from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali.

He commended President Akufo-Addo for dedicating the Youth Resource Centre under construction to Alhaji B.K Adama of blessed memory and the elevation of a son, Mr. Julius Kunoor as a Chief Fire Officer at the Ghana National Fire Service.

The Overlord of the Waala Traditional Council also applauded President Akufo-Addo for fulfilling some of the requests he made to him during his previous visits to the region.

He mentioned the allocation of a bus and a pickup vehicle to the Wa Senior High School, as some of the fulfilments of the requests.

Naa Seidu Pelpuo again appealed to the President to consider providing a bus and pickup vehicle to the Wa Islamic Senior High School while a multipurpose hall was also made available to the Wa Senior High School to enhance administrative activities and reduce congestion among the students.

He pleaded with the President to provide a fence wall for the Jamiat Islamic Girls Senior High School, hostel accommodations for the Dr. Hilla Liman Technical University and some classrooms for the Palace Basic School.

On health, the Wa- Naa requested for polyclinics for Busa and Sing in the municipality to cater for the health needs of the people.

President Akufo-Addo assured that the national cake would be shared equitably and appealed to the people to remain patient for their share of development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The third regional data collection workshop on the development of the second Africa Biennial Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has ended in Dakar, Senegal with a focus on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

Mr. Harsen Nyambe, Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) who represented the African Union Commission pointed out that data was critical in DRR and emphasized that “data is especially important to achieve the implementation of the DRR programmes, projects, and activities at the Commission.

The Africa Multi-hazard early warning and action system (AMHEWAS) programme demonstrates the need for correct and timely data, a working report made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tema stated.

He said the urban resilience programme currently being developed by the Commission was heavily dependent on the availability of data.

Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim the ECOWAS’ Head of DRR and Humanitarian Division, hailed the AU Programme of Action (PoA) on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR as a key agenda for the continent in reducing disaster risk.

He encouraged the participants to leverage their technical expertise in the process for accurate reporting and data compilation.

He cited data collection as a big challenge in DRR and stressed the need for data disaggregation.

Member States also presented their best practices, which ranged from formulation and implementation of DRR policy instruments, equipment upgrades to establishment of a multi-hazard early warning operations centre, among others.

One of the key needs identified towards strengthening data collection and harmonisation in Member States was capacity building for experts, and an uptake and analysis of geospatial information for DRR.

The Member States represented at the event were Niger, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, the Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Senegal. Other entities represented included the Africa Science and Technology Advisory Group on DRR (AfSTAG) and the Africa Youth Advisory Board on DRR.

The workshop followed two workshops organised earlier on the data collection, targeting member states of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and East African Community (EAC) in June 2022, and member states of Unione Mugreb Arab (UMA) and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in July 2022.

The last data collection workshop will focus on Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, which is scheduled for September 2022.

The development of the biennial report is supported by the European Union through Intra-ACP 11th EDF Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, and Kingdom of Sweden through UNDP within the framework of the Sahel Resilience Project.

Mr. Abdoulaye Noba, Director General for Civil Protection, Senegal in an opening address expressed appreciation to the African Union Commission (AUC) for choosing Senegal to host the event.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mrs Stella Mawusi Mawutor, the Volta Regional Director of Social Welfare, has commended Adanu Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, for its development support to many communities in the region.

She said the Foundation was instrumental in the building of libraries, health issues, schools, women empowerment through the provision of resources and capital to engage in income generation activities.

“In the case of Adanu, the 20 years of existence is visibly represented in the communities and in the lives of members of the communities in which they operate.”

Mrs Mawusi Mawutor made the commendations at the 20th-anniversary press launch of the Foundation in Ho.

She said, “any effort by any individual or group to intentionally plan and initiate programmes targeted at human development is worth all the support and encouragement it deserves.”

“Adanu has made itself visible in many Districts and communities in Volta by delivering invaluable human development programmes which have impacted the lives of many communities over the years.”

Mr Richard Yinka, Founder and Chief Executive of Adanu, said the anniversary would give them the chance not to only appreciate their journey as an organisation “but also to look forward to all the opportunities they have envisaged, as we continue to ignite passion in Ghanaian communities across the region.”

He revealed that their approach over the years gave communities a firm stake in major decisions that affect their lives, ownership, and leadership in project implementation.

Mr Yinka mentioned areas such as Anloga, Adaklu, Central Tongu, Akatsi North and South, Hohoe, North Dayi, Ho West and Central, and Afadzato South as beneficiary Districts and Municipalities over the years.

Mr Yinka expressed appreciation to all stakeholders, including the Board of Directors and friends.

A football gala between Avelebe and Wudzrolo schools at Adaklu Waya forms part of the activities of the celebration where the commissioning of a new office complex and a Fundraising dinner event would be held on October 29 to climax the celebrations.

Members of the clergy, Togbega Ayim Adzotoko Il, Paramount Chief of Takla Traditional Area and others, witnessed the ceremony.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has received a rousing welcome to the Upper West Region from government officials, Heads of Departments, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathizers.

The President landed at the Wa Airport at about 1340 HRS and proceeded to the Presidential lounge at the Residency.

Some party supporters and sympathizers who were at the Wa Airport to welcome the President, wielded placards, some of which read: “We are the mothers, Mr President and we are grateful for the FSHS”; “Upper West women say thank you for the Wa Sports complex”; “Mr President, thank you for the Kaleo Solar Plant” and “Upper West women say thank you for the ultra-modern Wa market” among others.

The President, shortly after his arrival, visited the 10th Mechanized Battalion (Wa Military Barracks) where he interacted with personnel from the security agencies in the region.

Dr. Tanko Daniel Dawda, the Upper West Regional Secretary of the NPP, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the mass reception of the President was an indication of the people’s love for him and the party.

“Because people love our party so much in this region and people are ready to work with us, you could see that there was a mass crowd of people at the airport and even in town to welcome His Excellence to Wa. This is what we were all looking for and God being so good He has done it for us. We are grateful.

Dr. Dawda expressed confidence that the work President Akufo-Addo-led government had executed so far in the region and across the country would ensure the party is retained in power in 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Popular Nigerian actor John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu has stated that he is now usually sceptical whenever he is around new faces.

He made the statement after recent reports that he was poisoned.

The actor who has been poisoned on several other occasions is now being conscious who he hangs with.

He told the Sunday Scoop that, “these days, I am usually sceptical because I later found out that it was somebody I had helped in the past who poisoned me.”

Okafor, who is still undergoing treatment in Abuja over the poison in his system added, “If not for God, the result would have been bad. As I speak with you now, I am still being treated somewhere in Guzape, Abuja.” The actor also tasked the government to do more in providing security for filmmakers.

He said, “I expect the Federal Government to act on this. Whether we like it or not, we (actors) are serving the government. The movies we make are for the benefit of the general public. If the government wants to better protect us, they can do it.”

Source: Modern Ghana

The Traditional Council of the Krobo land has called for neutral technical people to assess the prepaid meters to ensure that the old debts have not been embedded in them before they are installed.

Nene Olepeme Sakinor, Chief of Suinso Okwemya in the Manya Krobo explained to Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show that based on past experience with the billing system by the ECG, the residents of the Krobo land cannot trust the ECG to programme the old debts on the new prepaid meters.

To that end, he said, the installation of prepaid meters should be halted for the residents to be well educated on the workings of the prepaid meter.

According to the traditional leader, they are not officially aware of the planned installation of prepaid meters because that is not what they are expecting now.

“We saw a press release that now that the electricity has been restored, the installation of the prepaid meters is going to be resumed. We saw it three days ago,” he said.

He iterated that the people of Krobo land are not opposing the installation of prepaid meters but the ways by which the ECG is using to install the prepaid is what they are against.

Nene Olepeme Sakinor mentioned that residents are pessimistic that the problems of overbilling they faced with the postpaid meters would be encountered again with the prepaid that is why they are opposing it.

“Even though the power has been restored, we still have problems with ECG. We suspect that these prepaid meters would be programmed to still charge us for the old debt” Nene opined.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Health Directorate, Irina Ofei has stated that the installation of prepaid electricity meters in the Manya and Yilo Krobo municipalities is the right way to go since it would enable the residents to budget and regulate their electricity consumption.

She revealed it was difficult for the hospital to operate for several days without electricity and expressed gratitude to the Municipal Chief Executive, Traditional Council and all those who helped to get the electricity restored.

Irina Ofei also urged all stakeholders to cooperate to ensure that a lasting solution to the electricity issues in the municipality is attained.

The ECG took Manya and Yilo Krobo Municipalities off the national power supply from 27 July, 2022 over disagreement on electricity bills. However, the electricity was restored on Friday 19 August around 8 PM after the intervention of the National Security.

Source: Modern Ghana

Accra, Aug 21, GNA — Ghana’s HIV and AIDS Ambassador, Reverend John Kworshie Azumah, has urged government to resume intensive public education about the virus to stem the current rate of infection.

Ghana has seen an upsurge in infections in recent years, especially among the younger population.

Data from the Ghana AIDS Commission indicates that a total of 18,928 new infections of the virus were recorded in the country in 2020.

In all, 5,211 of these infections were reported in young people between the ages of 15 to 24, representing 28 per cent of the total infections recorded that year.

Also, as at the end of 2020, some 346,120 people were living with HIV in the country, with a prevalence rate of 1.6 per cent.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the sidelines of a capacity building workshop for some religious leaders, in Accra, Rev Azumah said immediate and more drastic steps must be taken to reverse the current trend.

He said it was regrettable that the Ghana AIDS Commission and the government had failed to allocate resources to sustain public education about the virus.

“We are having more HIV cases in the country and if you see the Ghana Health Service data, it shows that more people are getting infected and that is a very big worry as a country,” he noted.

He added that: “But why is the education so low? We put it at the doorstep of government because in the past, we saw government being proactive, putting resources together to educate the population and that brought the virus down. Unfortunately, we don’t see some of those things again.”

The HIV/AIDS ambassador warned that more infections would be recorded by the end of this year if nothing drastic was done to curb the situation.

The workshop, orgainsed by International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA+ Ghana), sought to empower the religious leaders to use their power in society to help reduce stigmatisation against affected person, if not eradicate it entirely.

Discussions at the workshop centered on stigmatisation in the religious setting, sexual gender-based violence and mental healthcare for survivors.

It was funded by the United Nations Women Trust Fund.

Rev. Azumah urged religious leaders to help put an end to the persistent stigmatisation against persons living with the virus as that hampered efforts at eradicating the disease.

Rev. Azumah who has lived with the virus for more than two decades advised the public to accept and use the antiretroviral drugs when declared HIV positive, to extend their lifespan.

Mrs Paulina Essel, a Licensed Counsellor, entreated the religious leaders to be extremely careful about the kind of counselling they offered their members.

She explained that, as leaders, they wielded a lot of influence whose advice could either positively or negatively affect people.

Mrs Mercy Acquah-Hayford, the National Coordinator for INERELA+ Ghana, urged the public especially the youth to be self-cautious, abstain from premarital sex or use the condom if the need arose to protect them against the virus.

She also appealed to the government to establish more shelters to house survivors of stigmatisation.

Source: Ghana News Agency