Day: April 13, 2024

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnic (SSANIP), Yabatech Chapter has commended Alhaji Tunde Fanimokun, a philanthropist, for donating N3.5 billion to build an Entrepreneurship Centre for the college.

The Chairman of SSANIP, Yabatech Chapter, Mr Jason Ayodeji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the donation was a welcome development that would add value to the students’ career paths.

NAN reports that the groundbreaking event, which held on Tuesday at the Yusuf Grillo Hall of the college, was in commemoration of Fanimokun’s 80th birthday.

Ayodeji said that the Union was delighted with the donation, which was in honour of late Wahab Folawiyo, the Founding Father of Yinka Folawiyo Conglomerate.

He said that the building which would be named ‘Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre’, would provide an enabling environment where students could be taught crucial life skills that would help them navigate the future.

According to him, an entrepreneurship centre plays a critical role in
shaping the future of students.

He said that such centres fostered innovation and creativity among the students, whereby they explore and grow their entrepreneurial skills.

‘This is a laudable step, we are happy and express our gratitude to Fanimokun.

‘The Entrepreneurship Centre will provide the necessary resources, guidance and networking opportunities that will turn students’ ideas to successful ventures.

‘The centre will be a distinguished four-storey building having four lecture theatres, with 320-sitting capacity in each; another with 500-sitting, 19 classrooms, office spaces for staff, various areas for vocational activities, and ample parking facilities,’ he said.

The SSANIP chairman said that the union had noted efforts being put in place by Dr Ibraheem Abdul, the Rector, Yabatech, in securing such a significant endowment for the institution.

‘The present administration under Dr Abdul has been doing a great job, this is another feat and we will continue to support his good work and activities t
o take the College to the next level,’ he said.

The philanthropist, Fanimokun, retired as a Permanent Secretary with the Lagos State Civil Service before being employed as Executive Director, Projects, by late Folawiyo.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Two men were reported dead and three injured when some Kplejoo groups clashed with the Navy at Tema Newtown during the final procession of the Kplejoo festival.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that as part of the festival, the groups on the evening of Friday, April 12, 2024, went on their usual annual procession throughout the streets of Tema Newtown.

The groups, who were allegedly stopped from using the street in front of the Eastern Naval Base, defied the orders of the Navy and took that route.

This, the GNA learnt, led to a clash between the two, during which some members of the youth group started throwing bottles, and the Navy counterparts responded with some gunshots towards them.

The shooting, however, led to the deaths of the two, whose bodies have been deposited at the mortuary, while the three are on admission at the Tema General Hospital.

Mr. Adjei Tetteh, one of the injured victims, told the GNA at his bedside that he was part of the Asafo group and was in charge of the barrier mounted a
t the Tema Newtown bridge area.

He said per instructions, they were supposed to send the metal barricades to the naval base junction when it was 20:00 hours so that, those going towards community one could easily get transportation without any problem.

He indicated that upon reaching the naval junction, he could hear some gunshots from afar, and the navy personnel were preventing people from using the road in front of the base, adding that the gunshots became intense, so, he decided to run away, only for him to realise that his feet had become stiff with blood oozing out.

Meanwhile, the Navy has assured that it will soon issue a press release on the issue as indicated by officials at the base.

Source: Ghana News Agency

As the world continues to face issues of carbon emissions, exacerbating the impact of climate change, a cyclist has ridden 815 kilomentres from Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital to Accra, Ghana’s national capital, as part of efforts to advocate for the adoption of green transport systems.

Mr James Kumbeni, the 28-year-old Information Technology person, who began his journey on Tuesday, April 9 and reached his final destination in Accra on Friday, April 12, 2024, wants to encourage the world to adopt bicycles as climate-smart and green alternative means of transport, to reduce air pollution on the environment emanating from fuel powered vehicles.

The initiative was also part of a campaign to advocate for the rights and safety of cyclists on the road and influence policy direction to create specific lanes for cyclists during road construction.

After completing his journey, Mr Kumbeni told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that carbon emissions from vehicles continued to pollute the air making i
t unclean for human health as well as increased the challenges of climate change.

He said the threat of climate change on all sectors of economies worldwide particularly Ghana was more pronounced and the transport sector which played a critical role in the growth and development of the economy contributed significantly to its effect through air pollution.

He said it was about time people made a paradigm shift from carbon emission generated vehicles to greener transport systems such as bicycles for journeys especially intra-community and regional movements to reduce environmental pollution and promote cleaner air.

‘We all need clean air to breath and green transport is the way to go,’ he said, adding ‘if we encourage more people to ride bicycles, we are actually going to cut down the carbon emission on our environment and I wanted to demonstrate that it was possible by riding from Bolgatanga to Accra.

‘If we don’t transition to green alternatives, in no time, we will be in danger and so apart from using bi
cycles, there are other alternatives, and the government needs to begin to transition to green economy.

‘So, I plan to visit the Environmental Protection Agency and I am looking forward to meeting companies and organizations that are into green transportation so we can look at how to promote green transport.’

On the safety of cyclists, Mr Kumbeni who is a teacher by profession noted that the safety of cyclists on the road had not been prioritised, adding that apart from the need for drivers of vehicles to respect and share the road with bicycle riders, there was the need for dedicated lanes for cyclists during road construction.

‘Once a cyclist is on their lane, he or she knows that they are safe,’ he added.

Mr Kumbeni noted that apart from the health benefits associated with riding a bicycle, as riding was a form of physical exercise, it also helps to reduce the cost of buying fuel.

Apart from that, Mr Kumbeni, also embarked on the journey to support Mr Joel Atinga who is currently attempting to break a
Guinness World Record for the longest grilling of ‘khebab’ in Accra.

He expressed gratitude to all Ghanaians for their support throughout the journey.

Mr Kumbeni is a native of Baare, a farming community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region who teaches at Desert Pastures International School in Bolgatanga.

He is a member of the Keekee Cycling Konnect in Bolgatanga, Ghana Cyclists Association and currently a Master of Philosophy candidate in Computer Science at the C.K Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Daniel Titus Glover, the Greater Accra Regional Minister designate, has called on the youth of Tema Newtown to allow investigations to be carried out by the Police on the shooting of some youth in the area by the Navy.

The incident occurred on Friday night when a clash ensued between the Navy and the youth groups who were on a final procession to celebrate the Kplejoo festival.

Mr Glover made the call after conferring with the Tema Traditional Council on Saturday on the issue that had created tension in the town.

He said, ‘We came here basically to speak to the Traditional Council, console them, and also address the youth. You can see the tension is so high in town because of the killings and the injuries.’

He added that even though the incident was so painful, they want the due process to continue; therefore, the youth should support him, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, and the Tema Regional Police Commander to ensure they are able to address the problem fast.

‘Police are doing their investigations
; the Metro Security Council will sit on the issue from Monday and will be referred to us in the region, then quickly, we will look at them,’ he stated.

He gave the assurance that there would be no recurrence of such an incident in Tema Newtown, stating, however, that, ‘the Navy should know how to comport themselves; I am appealing to them; I was part of the festival; last Saturday I danced with my people; the Police are able to comport themselves, so when they are meeting the crowd, they should at least slow down.’

The Regional Minister designate noted that I was at the Hospital with the Police commander on Friday night after the incident occurred, saying, ‘I saw the two dead and the three seriously injured, one with a pellet inside the thigh and the other two seriously injured. From there, I went to the naval base to meet the flag officer commanding to have a brief discussion.’

He pleaded with the media not to inflame passions with the incident but to help calm the youth.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has cleared 14 out of the 182 containers of medical shipments from the Global Fund stucked at the ports to mitigate HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis for the Health Ministry.

The 14 containers of health commodities, comprising 10 containers of malaria rapid diagnostic tests, one container of malaria injection and three containers of malaria medicine were delivered to the Ministry of Health for onwards transmission to the warehouse.

The supplies, including antiretroviral medications for HIV patients, were held at the Tema port due to non-payment of third-party fees, leading to agitation from the public.

Speaking at a short handover ceremony, the Director of the Revenue Policy Division at the Ministry of Finance, George Winful, said government had earlier paid GHS40 million for the medications, but third-party levy led to delay in the release of the containers.

Also, some stakeholders in the health sector were not aware of the new exemption arrangement, which contributed t
o the delay in clearing the goods.

Mr Winful said to address future delays, an intergovernmental committee was formed by the government after the lessons from the current delays.

The committee include the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and the Ministry of Health.

To guarantee prompt resolutions, he said, the committee will collaborate to handle such issues as they come up.

It is anticipated that the rest of the medications will be delivered to the Ghana Health Service’s warehouses by April 19 at the latest.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Emmanuel Ohene, said the first batch of medical supplies would help in healthcare delivery.

‘I am pleased to report that the first batch of the consignment has been cleared and it is being released to the Ministry of Health for distribution to various health centres across the country.

‘These drugs are vital for the survival of our fellow citizens and I am glad tha
t they are now in the hands of those who will put it to very good use,’ he stated.

He also encouraged stakeholders and ministries to work with the GRA to take advantage of the new exemption law to clear eligible goods since it would help in avoiding charges and penalties at the port.

He clarified that even though the pharmaceuticals qualified for exemption, their lockup at the port was caused by unpaid obligations, such as third-party clearance fees.

Mr. Ohene reaffirmed that the authority would always prioritise the needs of its clients and encouraged anyone in need of assistance to seek out information on specific tax methods.

‘I would want to express our sincere gratitude to the Minister of Finance and all the officials who have contributed to that resolution of this serious national problem,’ Alhaji Hafis Adams, Chief Director Ministry of Health, said, adding that about about GHS17 million would be needed to clear the containers.

Currently, some 185 containers at the Tema Port and Kotoka Internationa
l Airport (KIA) are still waiting to be cleared.

Alhaji Adams said the clearing process was likely to be completed with delivery to the warehouse expected shortly, not later than April 19, 2024.

He denied reports that the Global Fund had suspended delivery of vaccines and medicines to Ghana.

‘Global Fund has not suspended its support to the good people of Ghana and Global Fund has no intention of suspending support to the people of Ghana,’Alhaji Adams added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has closed down KOFAB ICE, a sachet water producing company, for operating without a license at Ntankoful community in the Essikado-Ketan Sub Metro.

This was after the STMA’s ‘Operation Clean Your Surroundings Campaign’ task force undertook an unannounced visit to inspect the sanitary conditions of facilities and households in the community, found the company to be operating illegally.

A statement signed by Mr John Latse, the STMA Public Relations Officer (PRO), and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Company was also found liable to be operating without medical certificates of fitness for its workers, had insufficient space for operation and operating under unhygienic conditions.

The statement said, one Maame Efua Ebaa, a public toilet operator, was also fined for poorly maintaining the facility which had a dilapidated septic tank with dangerous cracks, and insanitary environment producing offensive odour.

Again, three residents of the Ntankoful com
munity, Mr Barnabas Mensah, George, and Eva Mensah, were arrested and fined for connecting untreated effluents from a septic tank to a public drain.

Another offender, Dorcas Ngissah, a Cold Store and ‘Chop bar’ operator, was arrested and fined for lack of medical certificates of fitness, co-operating cold store and chop bar in same space and insanitary drainage on her frontage.

Madam Vivian Morrison, a grocery store operator, and Henry Boahene, operating a Pharmacy shop, were both arrested and fined for insanitary drainage in front of their premises.

The ‘Operation Clean Your Surroundings’ campaign, is an initiative by the STMA and supported by the Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP) to sensitise residents within the Metropolis on the Assembly’s sanitation by-laws, arrest, prosecute, name and shame sanitation-related offenders.

The campaign, sought to change the poor attitudes and behaviours of community members towards sanitation.

In line with the execution of the campaign, a task for
ce undertakes unannounced visits to inspect sanitation conditions at various households, eateries, hotels, pubs and bars, public toilets, transport terminals, and other locations across the Metropolis.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Constant Tchona, the Country Director, Plan International Ghana, has called on government to join forces with relevant institutions to confront the many challenges adolescents face.

In Ghana, while significant strides had been made in improving adolescent health and education, he said adolescents faced a myriad of obstacles such as child marriage and teenage pregnancy, poverty, unemployment and violence, on their journey to adulthood.

Meanwhile, he said the voices of adolescents remained unheard, with their needs unmet, and their potential untapped.

Mr Tchona made the call at a ‘National Advocacy Forum for Adolescents’ organised by Plan International Ghana in Accra on the theme: ‘What Young People Want.’

The forum was a call for meaningful engagement between adolescents and policy makers, to ensure commitment mobilization, and accountability.

It was also an opportunity for decision-makers to listen, learn, and act upon the priorities identified by the adolescent population.

The Country Director said:
‘This is why a forum like this stands as a beacon of hope, a platform where the dreams and aspirations of our youth take centre stage. We gather here not only to listen but to truly hear and understand what young people want for their well-being, their future, and their country.’

By leveraging their expertise, networks, and influence, Mr Tchona said Plan sought to ensure that government commitments translated into concrete actions that positively impacted the lives of adolescents across the country.

Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the Minister Designate of Health, in a speech read on his behalf, said adolescence was a critical period of development, and the experiences adolescents had at that period could have a profound impact on their health and well-being throughout their lives.

He said government’s comprehensive commitment to adolescent well-being, spanning finance, programme, and service delivery, signed by the Minister of Health in 2023 and showcased at the 78th UN General Assembly, served as a testament to it
s unwavering dedication to championing the rights and health of adolescents.

‘It signifies our collective acknowledgment of the multifaceted challenges confronting our young people, including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, HIV, Gender-based violence, substance abuse, and poverty,’ he noted.

Dr Okoe-Boye said government’s commitment to adolescent well-being resonated with the West and Central African Commitment, which underscored the imperative of implementing comprehensive education and information programmes, enhancing sexual and reproductive health services, and addressing gender inequalities and sexual and gender-based violence.

‘These principles align seamlessly with our vision for adolescent well-being in Ghana, and we stand ready to translate them into actionable initiatives. As the Ministry of Health, we pledge to harness the resources and expertise of our ministry to support this noble cause fully,’ he added.

Dr Frank Lule, the Officer-In-Charge, WHO Ghana, in a speech read on his behalf, said
through collaborative initiatives with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, such as conducting training needs assessments to building capacities of service providers, WHO had played a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of quality adolescent and youth-friendly health services.

‘Notably, our partnership with the Ghana Health Service has led to the piloting and scaling of a digital web1 based platform for monitoring the quality of adolescent and youth-friendly health services in 43 senior high schools.

‘This innovative platform has empowered over 30,000 students to provide feedback on their experiences with service provision, thereby shaping the future of adolescent health care delivery in Ghana,’ he said.

Dr Lule admonished them to remember that their ultimate goal was to translate the discussions at the forum into tangible actions, as they deliberated on the priorities and aspirations of young people.

‘By the end of this conference, it is imperative that we establish robust accountabilit
y mechanisms to track the implementation of our commitments. Only through concerted efforts and unwavering dedication can we realize the vision of sustainable development goals related to adolescent health and universal health care,’ he added.

The forum was also attended by representatives of the Ministries of Health, Gender, Children and Social Protection and Education, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and the National Youth Authority.

Students participated from the Labone Senior High School, Accra Girls Senior High, Tema School of the Death and Corpus Christi Senior High Schools, Tema all in the Greater Accra Region.

From the Central Region, students from the Mfanteman Girls Senior High School, St. Augustine’s Senior High School, Cape Coast School of the Death, Assin Manso Senior High School, Methodist High School, Assin North Senior High School and Wesley Girls Senior High school took part in the forum.

The rest were the Aburi Girls Senior High School, Krobo Girls S
enior High School, Ofori Panyin Senior High School and Methodist Girls Senior High School, Mamfe in the Eastern Region.

Established in Ghana in 1992, Plan International has been at the forefront of championing children’s rights and equality for girls for over three decades and worldwide, the nongovernmental organisation operates in over 80 countries, working tirelessly to promote sustainable development and ensuring that every child, regardless of gender or background, can reach their full potentials.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team has reached a staff-level agreement on the second review of Ghana’s loan-support programme, allowing the Executive Board to consider and approve about US$360 million for the country.

This comes following a conclusion of meetings held between Ghanaian Authorities and the IMF staff team between April 2 and April 12, 2024 in Accra on the country’s Extended Credit Facility arrangement.

At the end of the mission, Mr Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, in a statement said: ‘Upon completion of the Executive Board review, Ghana would have access to SDR 269.1 million (about US$ 360 million).’

That would bring the total IMF financial support disbursed under the ECF arrangement since May 2023 to SDR 1,171.9 million (about US$ 1,560 million), the statement noted.

‘This staff-level agreement is subject to IMF Management approval and Executive Board consideration once the necessary financing assurances have been received,’ Mr Roudet said in the statement.

However,
the Mission Chief noted that given Ghana’s strong progress under the IMF-supported programme, the next key step for the country is to reach an agreement with its official bilateral creditors.

‘We look forward to the authorities’ continued efforts to reach an agreement with all creditors in line with programme parameters,’ he said.

On Ghana’s performance under the IMF-supported programme, the Mission Chief stated that most quantitative targets had been met, with good progress made on the key structural reform milestones.

‘The authorities’ policies and reforms to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while laying the foundations for stronger and more inclusive growth are already generating positive results,’ he stated.

Providing some figures to that effect, he stated that the fiscal primary balance on a commitment basis improved by over four percentage points of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023.

Mr Roudet also indicated that the country was on track to achieving a fiscal primary surpl
us of 0.5 per cent of GDP in 2024.

‘Spending has remained within budget limits, while the authorities have significantly expanded social protection programs to help mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable,’ he stated.

‘Ghana has met its non-oil revenue mobilisation target, while making progress in implementing ambitious structural fiscal reforms to bolster domestic revenues, strengthen public financial and debt management, and enhance transparency,’ he noted.

Mr Roudet also stated that Ghana’s external sector has improved significantly, with international reserve accumulation ahead of program objectives, financial stability has been preserved, with banks posting solid profits in 2023.

IMF staff held meetings with Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison, and their teams, representatives from various government agencies, and other stakeholders.

Source: Ghana News Agency