Day: December 9, 2023

Former President John Dramani Mahama, the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said his 24-hour economy proposal, outlined in the manifesto for the 2024 general election, will be a game-changer for Ghana.

It would also go a long way to boost business growth and employment of many job seekers, especially the youth.

Mr Mahama said this at the Ninth Ghana CEO Network Business Cocktail in Accra, on the theme: ‘The CEO Imperative: How are CEOs Responding to the New Economic Reality?’

He noted that a future NDC Government would vigorously pursue the policy, amongst many other initiatives, as part of its broader vision and determination to increase economic growth, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of Ghanaians.

‘We shall work with you to build the Ghana we want together,’ Mr Mahama said.

The next NDC administration would pursue projects and programmes to transform Ghana into a fully-fledged 24-hour economy by optimising available resources, he said.

‘I acknowledge the massive supp
ort for the initiative by the Trades Union Congress, civil society organisations, journalists, lecturers, labour consultants, CEOs and captains of industry, personnel from the creative arts industry, drivers, traders, and the teeming unemployed youth of Ghana.’

‘God willing, from January 7, 2025, we shall implement a series of transition measures to address the economic decline and set Ghana on the path to recovery.’

Mr Mahama said the proposed policy forms part of the NDC’s vision ‘to build the Ghana We Want’.

‘To build the Ghana we want together with the people will be premised on building an industrialised, inclusive, and resilient economy that creates well-paying jobs and creating an equitable, healthy, and prosperous nation.’

He mentioned developing well-planned, safe communities while protecting the natural environment; building effective, efficient, and dynamic institutions for national development; and strengthening Ghana’s role in African and international affairs as part of the proposal.

‘This
might be classified as an idea whose time has come due to Ghana’s self-inflicted economic crisis today because the 24-hour economy initaitive was well-thought-through and captured on page 105 of the NDC’s 2020 People’s Manifesto.’

Its roots emanated from the 40-year National Development Plan of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) put together when he was President, Mr Mahama said.

‘Unfortunately, the present government discarded the 40-year plan and replaced it with a Ghana Beyond Aid plan that has turned ‘Ghana into a beggar nation’.

He said stripped to the essentials, the 24-hour policy would be a three-shift work schedule in many sectors with an intent to transform Ghana into a self-sufficient and export-led economy.

Source: Ghana News Agency

In commemoration of Human Rights Day 2023, Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a media and human rights advocacy group has denounced human rights violations.

This year’s theme is ‘Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All.’

The celebration of World Human Rights Day 2023 serves as a critical moment to address pressing human rights challenges the country was facing.

A statement signed by Joseph Kobla Wemakor, Executive Director of HRRG and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said Ghana faced growing threats to freedom of expression as journalists and activists encountered censorship, harassment, and restrictions.

‘Secondly, instances of police brutality and excessive use of force raise concerns about citizens’ safety and their right to live free from arbitrary violence. Comprehensive police reform is essential to ensure accountability, transparency, and the protection of citizens’ rights’.

It said discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, and other factors persisted, hindering the realization of a tru
ly inclusive society.

The statement said child labour remained a pervasive issue, depriving children of their right to education and a proper childhood.

‘We therefore call for a renewed commitment to eradicating child labour through comprehensive policies and robust enforcement.

‘Additionally, we emphasize the importance of prioritizing initiatives that ensure every child has the opportunity to receive a quality education, breaking the cycles of poverty and inequality’.

The statement said disparities in healthcare persisted particularly in rural areas and called for concerted efforts and a commitment to ensuring universal access to quality healthcare.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, has urged Ghanaians to seek indigenous solutions to overcome challenges confronting the country.

He said the citizenry should not succumb to the current national economic challenges but the situation should serve as an opportunity to unleash the entrepreneurial capabilities to drive change.

Speaking at the Group’s Annual Thanksgiving Service, in Accra, on Friday, the Executive Chairman said he was confident that the nation would overcome the current predicament if it utilised its local resources and expertise.

‘Just as the lepers (reference to 2 Kings 7:8 in the Bible) relied on their own initiatives, and they succeeded; if we are determined to use whatever strength and limited resources God has bestowed on us, we shall succeed,’ Dr Agyepong said.

‘It is imperative that we seek indigenous solutions to diminish our reliance on foreign products,’ he added.

Dr Agyepong rallied the nation to make a conscious effort to consume local produc
ts to limit dependency on foreign goods.

That, he said, would help to grow indigenous businesses, boost job creation and contribute to the stabilisation of the local currency.

‘The time has come for us to bolster our domestic production, ensuring that we prioritise consuming what we manufacture to alleviate the persistent strain on the cedi. With a steadfast belief in the Almighty’s grace, I am confident that prioritising localisation will lead us to emerge victoriously from these challenges,’ Dr Agyepong said.

Dr Freda Prempeh, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, assured that the Ministry would continue to support the private sector to keep the country clean.

She commended the Jospong Group for gaining Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMO) authorisation, an achievement she said should inspire other local businesses to grow.

‘Together we will overcome sanitation challenges and grow from strength to strength,’ she said.

Apostle Dr Aaron Ami-Narh, the President of the Apostolic C
hurch of Ghana, preaching on the theme: ‘Be grateful enough to return’, applauded the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group for sustaining its annual-week long thanksgiving service.

‘It takes a level of thankfulness to return to be grateful,’ he said.

Dr Ami-Narh prayed for a peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024.

The Swiss Government recently signed an authorisation document conferring the Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcome (ITMO) credit on the Integrated Waste Recycling and Compost Facilities of the Jospong Group.

The granted ITMO status, which encompasses four out of the 38 waste treatment plants belonging to Zoomlion Ghana, a subsidiary of JGC, was signed at the ongoing 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.

The four treatment plants were selected for the initial phase of the project aiming to generate approximately 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide valued at US $20 million from the present until 2030.

Ghana has
decided to explore the opportunities in carbon market as one of the means to unlock investments to meet Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), create green businesses and jobs.

Carbon markets are trading systems in which carbon credits – a permit acting as commodity- are sold towards sustainable development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The University of Ghana Alumni Association (UGAA), in collaboration with alumni from various Ghanaian universities, Saturday held a unity health walk in Accra to raise awareness about the importance of partnerships to achieve common goals.

The alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Methodist University, the University of Cape Coast, and Central University participated.

The 10-kilometer walk, dubbed; ‘Alumni Connect’ aimed at strengthening unity, networking among graduates and enhance steps towards collective national development.

The participants converged at the UG Alumni Office and walked through some principal streets of Legon.

Madam Doris Ansah, the Chairperson of UGAA, told the Ghana News Agency that the exercise was the first to be organised by the Association to contribute towards Ghana’s developmental agenda.

It aimed to bring all alumni of the various universities together to network and share ideas to achi
eve common goals, she said. Mr Francis Dadzie, the President of the UPSA Global Alumni, said aside politicians, the professionals must also have a forum to speak on national development issues and measures to be adopted to solve Ghana’s challenges.

‘We must have professionals who can offer independent ideas,’ he said.

Madam Jemima Owusu-Baah, the Global Executive Member of KNUST Alumni, said the KNUST ‘Day of Giving’ was recently launched, in collaboration with other alumni, to provide a 2000-bed hostel facility to address the accommodation challenges.

‘We also have our Endowment Fund, which we are contributing to it, there are other projects the school is embarking on and the Alumni want to be part of it; to give back to our alma mater’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Samuel Marfo, a Professor of Conflict Resolution, SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, has called for a global war against hate speech before it destroys the peace of the world.

He said this must start by sensitising people to eschew tagging of others on ethnic, tribal, and religious lines among others and avoid name-calling that could lead to conflict.

Prof Marfo, also a Member of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, was speaking during a community sensitisation programme on hate speech and negative counter narratives at Lambussie in the Upper West Region.

It was organised under the Atlantic Corridor Project, being implemented by the National Peace Council and sponsored by the Danish Embassy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) across communities in the Lambussie District.

Targeted at resolving the broken peace between the Sissala and Dagaaba people in five communities (Lambussie, Koro, Dindee, Chognour, and Bognour) in the district, Prof Marfo c
alled on both sides to avoid hate speech and endeavour to respect the beliefs, cultural norms, and traditional governance structures laid down by their forebears to ensure a peaceful coexistence.

He encouraged the people to deal with individual and family problems appropriately and avoid making them the problem of the entire Dagaaba or Sissala people, which could spark conflicts among the two tribes that had co-existed peacefully for decades.

Hate speech could come in the form of words, images, and cartoons, which had destroyed the peace among people globally, Prof Marfo said.

‘The seed that you sow, you will reap the same fruit. Violence has never solved any problem in the world. So, we must guard against hate speech by watching our words and our actions because they can destroy even more than coronavirus,’ he added.

Mr Emmanuel Danyomah, the Upper West Regional Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, pleaded with the people to respect each other, be vigilant to pick early warning signs of hat
e speech, and deal with them appropriately before they escalate.

‘We don’t need to see violence before we learn a lesson. Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, it can be solved with the right approach.’

He said the Peace Council was to ensure peace and urged the people to have faith in its work and adhere to its advice.

The Reverend Father Dr Moses Banungwiiri, the Archdeacon of the Anglican Church in Wa and the Chairman of the Regional Peace Council, admonished the people to love one another and be careful how they boxed people together and treat them as one, noting that such actions had the potential to cause conflict.

Living in disunity could affect the development of the area and further impoverish the people, hence the need for the chiefs and opinion leaders to trust the peace process and contribute towards helping to achieve the desired results.

Members of the Peace Council also held a radio sensitisation programme on Nandom FM to drum home the message on the avoidance of hate speech and its re
lated consequences for peaceful co-existence to prevail in diversity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The approximately 49.9-kilometre Winneba-Mankessim stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway is the deadliest road in the Central Region, the Regional Police Command has said.

It said the quality of the road and the rampant accidents along the 48-minute drive on the stretch was mind-boggling due to drivers’ non- adherence to road safety regulations.

That was besides the sustained road safety education by stakeholders, speed checks, and police snap checks at vantage locations.

‘Our challenge is that anytime Christmas is approaching, people are hesitant and afraid to travel because of road accidents,’ Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Kofi Adu, the Central Regional Commander, said.

‘Our problem in the Central Region has been the stretch between Apam-Mankessim that has become accident-prone area.’

DCOP Adu said this in a speech read on his behalf at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting to take stock of events and strategise for accelerated development.

It was attended by metropolitan
, municipal and district chief executives, presiding members and heads of decentralised departments, and agencies, traditional and religious authorities, security agencies and the media.

He, however, assured that the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) in Cape Coast and Mankessim had intensified patrols to curtail the situation.

The Command has also initiated a road safety management strategy dubbed: ‘Traffic Check Ghana,’ to scale-up road safety education among commuters.

‘Police officers will be on duty, particularly along the stretch before, during and after the Christmas festivities to maintain law and order,’ he said.

DCOP Adu said the police would focus on deploying personnel to commercial centres and other public places, as well as monitoring state assets.

That was to ensure the safety and security of humans, communities, institutions, marketplaces, commercial centres, beaches, the streets, churches, recreational centres, and the hospitals, among other areas.

‘There will be police phys
ical presence at all the places to deter criminals. We are using foot and mobile patrols day and night,’ he said.

‘The police have made public safety a top priority and will go all out to ensure that people feel safe as they go about their legitimate businesses during the festive season.’

DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, the Central North Regional Commander, described the Assin Fosu area as ‘relatively peaceful’ and urged all to celebrate the festivities with caution.

He said police interventions were effective with public support, bearing in mind that effective crime prevention and detection were anchored on a shared responsibility by the police and the public they served.

‘While the police, with the support of the other security agencies, strive to guarantee the safety and security of everyone, it is important to note that personal security is the responsibility of every individual,’ DCOP Teye-Cudjoe said.

‘Individuals are to be alert and conscious of happenings in their environment and neighbourhood. Neighb
ours must be one another’s keeper and report every suspicious criminal activity to the police for prompt action.’

For the Central East Command, DCOP Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Commander, said the security myth surrounding Kasoa ‘as a crime prone area’ had been demystified with strategic security interventions.

Though he said the area had been battling chieftaincy and land guard issues for years, the situation was under control and urged residents to live in peace as the police carried out its routine duties to enhance security.

Source: Ghana News Agency