Category: General

Kayoro (U/E), May 10, GNA – Dr Charles Kwowe Nyaaba, the Executive Director, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), says the cost of food production in Ghana has quadrupled this year as compared to 2021, throwing many farmers out of business and driving up food prices.

He said many business-like minded people, who enrolled onto the government’s flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs), were also dropping out and attributed the cause to the incessant increase in cost of fertilizer, agrochemicals and tractor services.

“The 50 kilogrammes bag of government’s subsidised fertilizer that we used to buy for GH₵53.00 is going for GH₵320.00. The price of agrochemicals has increased from GH₵25.00 to GH₵60.00 while tractor service for ploughing one acre of land also increased from GH₵120.00 to GH₵300.00,” he revealed.

He said, the failure of government to settle the debts of fertilizer importers was one of the major factors of fertilizer shortage in the country as many importers had refused to supply the farmers with fertilizers after several engagements.

“You will not believe that what the fertilizer importers supplied in 2020, government still owes them GH₵86million and this excludes what has been processed to be paid while GH₵260million is owed them for what they supplied in 2021,” he added.

The Executive Director said if the government did not intervene to address the challenge, it could lead to low food production and escalate the rising food prices currently experienced in the country which would compel consumers to pay more in order to survive.

“Farmers are business people, so, if you invest in it and your cost of production goes up, you will also shift the cost to the consumers, so consumers should be prepared to pay more for food come 2023 because as it stands now people are complaining that food prices are high,” he added.

Dr Nyaaba made these known to the Ghana News Agency at Kayoro in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region on the sidelines of the maiden Kayoro Sorghum Farmers Awards ceremony, organised by PFAG.

Dr Nyaaba said the PFAG had several engagements with the fertilizer importers and the Ministry of Agriculture, to help find solutions to the problem but all efforts proved futile.

He said agriculture was the engine of socioeconomic growth and development and had the potential to boost the recovery of the economy from the quagmire it was currently in and appealed to the government to address the rising cost of production by paying monies owed importers to allow them to begin distributing fertilizer to farmers.

“If this is done and the cost of production comes down, we the farmers are willing to produce enough to ensure that we have enough supply to offset the increasing demand,” he added.

Meanwhile, the government had blamed the shortage of the fertilizer on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a rise in the fertilizer at the world market and the recent invasion of Russia on Ukraine.

About 100 farmers from the Kayoro Traditional Area received various prizes including knapsack sprayers, smartphones, PFAG branded cloths and T-shirts for their efforts in the production of sorghum in 2021.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, May 10, GNA-Dr Ahmed Habib, the Medical Superintendent at the Volta Regional Hospital, has called for the right diagnosis for Lupus patients for timely better care.

Lupus, also known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease affecting 5 million people worldwide with about 90 per cent of these cases appearing in females.

It mostly happens when the body produces antibodies that attack its own healthy cells and tissues in addition to producing antibodies to protect against infection and can affect many different parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, and blood vessels.

Dr Habib told the Ghana News Agency in an interview to commemorate World Lupus Day that it was extremely important to make right diagnosis for doctors not to increase their index of suspicion for such conditions.

The Day, on the theme, “Make Lupus Visible” is celebrated on May 10 every year to create awareness on the disease.

He noted that lupus awareness creation was crucial because patients were sometimes misdiagnosed and given other treatments.

He said, “If awareness is given to health workers, then many cases of sufferers of this condition can now be diagnosed rightly and treatment can be given to them on time.”

Some symptoms of lupus include butterfly rash, oral or nasal ulcers, arthritis, serositis as well as other disorders involving heart, kidney, lungs, nervous system, and the skin.

It is primarily diagnosed by rheumatologist who use different criteria such as the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria for diagnosis.

The World Lupus Federation global survey 2022 indicates that 87 per cent of people living with lupus have experienced at least one organ affected by the disease.

According to the survey, majority of patients reported having multiple organs impacted by lupus with an average of three organs affected. The most common organs were skin 60 per cent, bones 45 per cent.

Other top impacted organs include kidney 36 per cent, Digestive system 34 per cent, eyes 31 per cent and central nervous system 26 per cent.

The Medical Superintendent stated that though there was no known cause of the sickness, it is believed that exposure to certain environmental conditions, infections, certain medications, genes as well as hormones contribute to triggering lupus in people.

Dr Habib called on persons with such symptoms to visit the hospital for proper attention.

Mrs Emma Wilhelmina Halm Danso, the Executive Director of Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation, speaking to the GNA, also called for the need to make lupus visible because even the “normal or healthy” person could not tell whether he or she was susceptible to the disease.

She said 90 per cent of lupus patients were women within their child-bearing age.

Coincidentally, Lupus Day is celebrated each year alongside Mother’s Day.

“I want to use the occasion of World Lupus Day 2022 to particularly celebrate the wonderful mothers who put part of their lives on hold to care for their children and loved ones suffering from lupus. They give care with love and fight with us through faith,” Mrs. Danso stated.

She appealed for more support from leaders, corporate society and Ghanaians for lupus and autoimmune diseases in Ghana.

She pledged Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation’s continued commitment in advocating and raising awareness about lupus through its Lupus Awareness Campaign.

Mrs Danso also called for accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment for persons with the condition to ensure that the impact of lupus on patients would be minimized.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ho, May 10, GNA- The Ho Municipal Health Directorate has launched its 2022 Child Health Promotion Week celebrations in the border community of Shia.

 

 A durbar held at the Shia Health Centre, which Togbe Dadzawa III, Paramount Chief of the area, chaired, gathered the entire community on the theme, “Child Safety and Security,” and featured various stakeholder organizations associated with health and safety. 

 These included the Social Welfare Department, the Ghana Red Cross Society, the National Road Safety Authority, and the security agencies, and who took turns to sensitize children and their parents on various safety considerations. 

 Ms Morkporkpor Zottor, a representative of the Regional Health Directorate, said a child’s health should be secured as early as the pregnancy stage, and which would require the support of male partners. 

 She encouraged parents to continue prioritizing immunizations and other services, which remained crucial to the good health of children, and to also consider the strict use of insecticide treated bed nets in keeping clear of malaria. 

 Launching the celebrations, she noted that the theme considered broadly, the safety precautions needed within the modern child environment, and called to be mindful of the use of electricity and other hazardous elements including household chemicals that could be mistaken for edibles by the naive infants. 

 The efforts of men who support the neonatal healthcare were commended, and two from the community were awarded certificates and prizes among exceptionally committed nursing mothers honoured at the launch. 

 Ms Shine Gavey, Ho Municipal Health Promotion Officer, who coordinated the programme, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that the Directorate is resolve in tandem with the Ghana Health Service to encourage fathers to support maternal care, and that the recognition was expected to help sell the concept. 

 She said a downward trend in maternal deaths and infant mortalities gave credence to sustained health promotion and sensitization programing including the annual child health week celebrations. 

 Mrs Victoria Kpelly, Ho Municipal Director of Health Services, in a speech, said the maternal and infant mortality rates continued to diminish, and that concerted efforts placed the municipality on course towards a zero rate. 

Children of the community held a float through the principal streets to herald the event, and later delivered a drama skit at the launch focused on encouraging both parents to prioritize child health services. 

Togbe Dadzawa, appealed to stakeholders to provide the health center of the community with the needed tools and personnel to help meet the expanding care needs. 

The weeklong celebration would be marked in all health facilities, and would be distinguished by community durbars, street processions, dedicated child health services, birth registrations, radio sensitization and house visitation activities among others. 

 NGOs including child-focused Hope for Future Generations, and the Coalition of NGOs in Health joined forces with the Municipal Health Directorate on the event, which also received support from the Electricity Company of Ghana, as well as some notable businesses in the Municipality. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Lynx Entertainment signee, KiDi has taken a swipe at critics to refrain from linking his recent achievement to his label boss, Richie Mensah.

KiDi emerged as the ultimate winner of this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards and speculations have it that his win comes as a result of the fact that his label’s boss, Richie Mensah is a member of the award scheme’s board.

The ‘Touch It’ hitmaker in an interview on Joy FM stated that he gets hurt when he comes across such comments.

“It’s crazy that every VGMAs night when I go on social media, I always see comments like, ‘as for KiDi and co they are winning because Richie is on the board. A lot of things don’t hurt me, but I feel like sometimes that statement hurts me,” he said.

He said there is a campaign within the label where inmates are charged to help promote projects of one another.

“There is a campaign and it’s not just me. Every member of the team comes on board to join the campaign. It’s like a flock in the church doing evangelism everyone is going to preach the word about KiDi; that’s KiDi’s been nominated, so make sure you vote for him,” he disclosed.

The father of one added that people attribute his win to his label boss’ affiliation with the VGMA board undermines his hard work as an artist.

“People who do that are trying to say that all the hard work does not count because Richie is on the board, but sometimes I don’t even know who is on the board,” he said.

On that night, KiDi bagged five awards.

Source: Modern Ghana

The first semi-final clash of this season’s MTN FA Cup will be staged at the Accra Sports Stadium, a new communiqué from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said.

The contest between the two Ghana Premier League clubs was previously scheduled to be staged at the El-Wak Stadium.

However, after some consideration, the competition organizers have decided that the game should be played at the home grounds of Accra Hearts of Oak.

“The MTN FA Cup semi-final match between holders Accra Hearts of Oak and Dreams FC has been moved to the Accra Sports Stadium.

“The match was originally scheduled for the El-Wak stadium will now take place on Saturday, May 14 at 3pm at the Accra Stadium,” parts of a release on the website of the GFA have said.

Meanwhile, the second semi-final match between Bechem United and Aduana Stars will go ahead as planned on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at the Golden City Park in Berekum.

Source: Modern Ghana

The National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South Constituency in the Upper East Region has advised the Methodist Bishop of the Obuasi Dioceses in the Ashanti Region, Rt Rev. Stephen Richard Bosomtwe-Ayensu to remove his cassock and join the political fray to be properly identified.

The Methodist Bishop over the weekend took former president John Dramani Mahama to the cleanest for claiming to repeal the controversial Electronic Levy also known as E-levy if he so wins the 2024 general elections.

He said Mr Mahama was not going to win any election for him to repeal the levy.

According to the MP, the Methodist Bishop falls short of the description of a man of God.

Mr. Cleament Apaak who is the Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament explained that the Bishop lacks integrity.

He said the Bishop is just a politician wearing a cassock hence the need for him to remove the cassock for him to be identified as such.

He noted that the Bishop has not been truthful to the pulpit over the years.

“What has somebody’s intention of repealing an obnoxious Electronic Levy got to do with the church for it to be championed by a Bishop,” Dr Apaak queried.

In his view of this, Rt Rev Bosomtwe-Ayensu is a politician hiding behind the cassock to do the governing New Patriotic Party’s propaganda.

“He (the Bishop) should remove his cassock for us to properly identify him as such,” Dr Apaak said adding “there are so many ills happening in the society under the administration of the NPP and none of these bothers the Bishop’s mind except a promise made by the former NDC flagbearer”.

Dr. Apaak said these in an interview on Accra-based Okay FM on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church Ghana has in a statement said the Presiding Bishop is the official spokesperson of the church and has, therefore, appealed to the media not to drag the name of the church into the alleged statements made by Rt Rev Bosomtwe-Ayensu.

The Methodist curch said it continues to stay unaligned to any political party

Source: Modern Ghana

The Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, John Jinapor has said the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) losses moved from 22 per cent to 30 per cent.

The ordinary consumer should not suffer for the inefficiencies of the ECG, the member of Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament said.

Speaking on the News @ 10 on TV3 in relation to the proposal by the ECG to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for upward tariff adjustment, Mr Jinapor said “Why are they going back to 2019 and 2020? We cannot adjust prices for those years and go back again.

“Moreover, ECG’s losses has increased from 22 per cent to 30 per cent. these inefficiencies cannot be passed onto consumers . The other thing that is leading to this proposed increase is the exchange rate , the fall of the cedi is due to the bad management of the economy. the ordinary Ghanaian must not suffer.”

The Africa Centre for Energy (AECP) has also said that the government is spending too much money in making the ECG efficient.

Executive Director of ACEP, Benjamin Boakye says the ECG should be able to generate its own funds from tariffs to manage the operations in order to reduce the dependence on government.

He explained that last year, the government spent ¢1.5billion in making ECG efficient. In 2022 and amount of ¢14billion was spent.

These funds, he noted are more than what was spent on education, road, agriculture.

Speaking on the proposal by the ECG to the PURC for upward tariff adjustment, on TV3’sNews 360, Mr Boakye said ” First of all, these are proposals and as is always done, when there is a major tariff announcement, the utilities will make proposals and PURC will examine the proposals to do further engagements with stakeholders and determine what the optimal tariffs would be. From where we sit we do nit see why the tariff would not go up.

“If you look at the last tariff adjustments and you discount that by just the depreciation of the Cedi, most of the payments are made in dollars, that alone, the existing tariff has got about 32 per cent value.

“That of course, would require that we recover the lost value. Beyond that, the under recoveries of ECG for 2021 was almost 50 per cent of their entre revenue requirement, which means that we need to find ways to recover how much they need to actually survive.”

He added “We needed government to pay ¢1.25 billion dollars just in 2021 to be able to offset the underrecoveries in the space. If you combine that in 2020 under recoveries we are talking of ¢14billion of interventions from the government. That money was far more than we spent on education, infrastructure , in road infrastructure, agriculture infrastructure. we cannot continue to get that support from government when ECG needs to improve its efficiency given the right tariff for them to be able to reduce their reliance on government.”

The management of the ECG has made a proposal to the PURC to increase electricity tariffs by up to 148 per cent covering 2019 to 2022.

The state power distributor also proposed an average increase of 7.6% in tariff over the next four years to cover Distribution Service Charges (DSC).

The attributed the high increase in the Distribution Service Charges

“The result of ECG’s tariff proposal for the next five years shows an approximately 148% increase on the current DSC1 in 2022 and an average increase of 7.6% year on year from 2023 to 2026.

“The high increase in the DSC1 for year 2022 could be attributed to the gap that has developed over the years between the actual cost recovery tariff and the PURC approved tariffs as well as the cost of completed projects”.

“Similarly, ECG’s proposed DSC2 shows a higher increase of 28.4% in first year (2022) while that of the subsequent years’ increases by an average of 2% from 2022 to 2026”, it added.

The management of ECG also indicated that its financial sustainability is important as it impacts on the entire energy sector.

“The financial sustainability of the Electricity Company of Ghana is important as it impacts on the entire energy sector. With the huge investment needs facing the distribution industry over the next five years, it is expected that the proposed tariff increases would inevitably be approved to sustain efficient and reliable electricity service.”

“Over the next five years, the DSC will need to increase consistently (average of 7.6%) to cover distribution cost. It is expected that the approved BGC would correspond with the commercial terms of PPAs (Power Plant Agreements)”, it added.

Source: Modern Ghana

Sefa wins first VGMA award on her birthday

A wonderful birthday celebration it was for Sefa as the songstress celebrated her birthday in grand style winning the popular Afrobeats Song of the year award at the just ended 2022 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

Right after she delivered a live rendition of E Choke and Fever to rave reviews on stage at the VGMA’s, the next few minutes saw her snag her first VGMA trophy presented by the South African High Commissioner H.E Grace Janet Mason.

Being nominated for the first time the ‘E Choke’ hitmaker Sefa beat stiff competition from Davido and Darko Vibes ‘J’Mapelle, Touch It by Kidi, Kuami Eugene’s Dollar on You and more.

Congratulations to Sefa and check out her brand new single ‘Soft Life’ currently climbing trend charts on Tiktok :

Source: Modern Ghana