Day: December 11, 2023

Lack of access routes in the Kumasi central market has been identified as the major obstacle to firefighting in the market.

Mr Rashid Nisawu, Deputy Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, who stated this said the extreme congestion in the market made it problematic for firefighting in the area.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after bringing down the raging fire which razed through the French-Line section of the Kumasi Central market on Sunday morning, under control, he said the fire fighters had a hectic time controlling the fire.

Mr Nisawu pointed out that lack of access routes and poor setting up of shops and structures for trading activities at the French-Line section of the market made the fire spread faster from one shop to another.

Many merchandize items such as clothes, phones, locally made sandals, herbal medicinal products, and others, were destroyed in the fire outbreak which started around 8 am at the French-Line section of the market on Sunday.

A quick response from the Ghana National Fire Servi
ce, helped to prevent the fire from spreading further to other areas of the market.

The cause of the fire was still unknown at the time of filing this story.
Source: Ghana News Agency

About 300,000 Ghanaians are projected to directly benefit from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), being implemented by the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) with funding from the World Bank.

The five year-project, which seeks to address common natural phenomenon impeding food production in the sub-region, has been launched in Kumasi with a call on stakeholders to join forces to promote food security.

The Regional Body having identified floods, droughts, pests, livestock diseases among others, as factors militating against food production, have found it expedient to coordinate efforts among its member nations to strengthen food system risk management in the sub-region through the FSRP.

Increasing preparedness against food insecurity and building resilience of food systems in participating countries is the development objective of the programme, which is being implemented in Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).

The project will roll out a c
ombination of adaptive, innovative, and sustainable interventions that will arm vulnerable households, families, farmers, and communities, to withstand uncertainty and shocks in food production and supply in the sub-region.

Mr Osei Owusu-Agyemang, the Project Coordinator who gave an overview of the project, said about 700 hectares of inner valleys in Ashanti, Bono, and Eastern Regions, would be re-engineered to enhance rice production as part of the programme.

He said this would come with the provision of irrigation facilities to achieve all-year water availability, construction of drying platforms, supply of improved climate smart seeds, and the mobilisation of farmers into Farm Based Organisations.

He also spoke about the rehabilitation of some agricultural facilities including laboratories in institutions such as the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute at Bunsu, Veterinary Services at Dormaa Ahenkro and Accra, and that of the Crops Research Institute in Kumasi.

Other facilities are the Grains an
d Legumes Board Laboratory in Kumasi, Wheta Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region, Savannah Agric Research Institute, Tanoso Irrigation Scheme, Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bongo District as well as laboratory facilities at selected border posts.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang also disclosed that a Grievance Review Committee made up of reputable figure heads in society had been put together to handle disputes as and when they arose.

The decision of architects of the programme to focus on sustainability as a critical element, was to ensure actual adoption and adaptation which transcended the duration of the programme, he said.

‘We should not fail to pinch ourselves every day that, families and communities far and near and of varying economic statuses are looking up to us to lead the way in the defense against uncertainties, risks and production, distribution and dishing of food, from soil, to sale, to soup,’ he emphasised.

Dr Bryn Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, in a speech read for him, said the agr
icultural sector remained a key driver of Ghana’s economy, employing 38.3 per cent of the total workforce and accounting for 20 per cent of the national Gross Domestic Products (GDP) for the past six years.

He said the sector, despite all the success chalked, still experienced several challenges that hampered food systems resilience, saying that COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war made it imperative to shore up resilience of the country’s food systems.

‘The successes of previous collaborative regional agricultural programmes like the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) have demonstrated the strength we derive from unity and shared goals,’ the Minister stated.

He said resilience afforded farmers and their households the ability to withstand shocks that may affect their agriculture enterprise and recover from such shocks.

A statement read for the Country Director of the World Bank, Pierre Laporte, highlighted global food and nutrition crisis triggered by high prices thereby driving milli
ons into extreme poverty, magnifying hunger and malnutrition, and threatening to erase hard-won gains in development.

‘This is the time to take urgent action to ease the impact of higher food prices and ensure the most vulnerable have access to food, while at the same time building resilience,’ he said.

He said there could be no food security unless Ghana’s food system was transformed.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Kadjebi Diaspora Association (KADA), in partnership with the Chiefs and Kadjebi District Assembly and the Ghana Tourism Authority, has officially launched the Kadjebi- Akan Homecoming, 2023, in Accra.

The Homecoming is on the theme: ‘Kadjebi-Akan Homecoming for development: Your contribution and support for development and progress.’

Nana Kwaku Duah, Kurontihene of Kadjebi- Akan traditional area, said the initiative was aimed at raising funds to construct an ultramodern community centre for Kadjebi.

He said the idea was mooted by natives of Kadjebi living in the diaspora and it was wholly embraced by the people back home as a good thought to revamp and develop the community, hence the celebration.

‘History reminds us of how we had lost Kadjebi as being the great pillar for business and leisure and this has motivated us to bring indigenes and their resources together to make Kadjebi a great home again.’

He said the development of every community was the responsibility of everyone and urged indigenes
both home and abroad to participate in the event and contribute their quota to achieve their goal.

Mr Kofi Adjei Ntim, C.E.O of Gratis Foundation and a native of Kadjebi, said the impact of the project would be the catalyst of a positive change and also touch the lives of the community and generations to come.

He said the success of the project would be based on commitment and collaboration among themselves and encouraged all indigenes to actively participate, engage and contribute to the success of the initiative.

‘It is important for us all to come with their resources, time, treasure and talent together to build the centre of convergence for the community. We can also take advantage of the collaboration with the District Assembly to benefit from Government interventions to support the development of the community,’ he added.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Western Nzema Youth League, an advocacy group, has lauded the 24-hour economy being proposed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

It said the initiative had the tendency to maximize production and improve the Ghanaian economy from its current state.

This was in a statement issued and signed by Dr Patrick Ekye Kwesie, Leader of the Western Nzema Youth League, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Takoradi.

‘We fully support the 24-hour Economy proposal because we believe that creating an all-inclusive country that never sleeps will mean prosperity for all’, the statement said.

The statement said cities must be proactive in creating quality spaces for socializing and for work throughout the day and night with the aim of creating wealth for all, adding that all sectors of the economy would see significant improvement.

‘At its core, the NDC’s objective is to create a 24-hour economy that is world-renowned for its vibrancy, diversity, safety and access to amenity right throughout the day and night
to compete on the world stage and create jobs, and we commend the party for such an idea’.
Source: Ghana News Agency

As part of preparation towards this year’s ‘December In Ghana’ events, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in partnership with the ‘Beyond the Return’ Secretariat, and the Ministry of National Security, has engaged event organisers to address security concerns during the events.

The engagement brought together key stakeholders of the events to discuss the safety and security aspects of the upcoming events.

Mr Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said it was important to ensure a safe and secure environment for all events associated with ‘December in GH’ events, saying ‘in as much as these events must happen, they must happen in a safe and secure environment’.

He said December was a busy month for event organisers in the country, and it was important to pay attention to anything that would ensure the smooth execution of all planned events for the period.

Mr Agyeman noted that the country was ready to receive tourists and vacationers for events, and urged event organisers and all stakeholders
to collaborate with the authorities as well as the ‘Beyond the Return Secretariat’ to ensure all activities were carried out safely.

He said the authority had engaged the Department of Urban Roads and the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service on how to ease traffic flow during the festive period.

Mr Marvin Obeng Antwi, Administrator, Counter Terrorism Unit, Ministry of National Security, said event locations were soft spots and targets for criminals and terrorists due to the large number of patrons.

He said in West Africa, this year, there had been 2,122 terrorist attacks which led to the death of 1,292 compared to January to September 2022, where there were 959 attacks and 7,501 deaths.

‘There are a lot of vulnerabilities and we are not immune to these terrorist attacks. There have been a lot of attacks on hotels and event locations, so these events are not exempted,’ he said.

He said event organisers must be cautious and not overlook certain suspicious acts. They mus
t engage more security staff, provide multiple exits to events, access to parking spaces, and conduct through screening of patrons to events.

Mr Antwi noted the Ministry and various stakeholders were working hard to ensure a conducive environment for businesses and event organisers to operate during the period and urged them to also be ready to provide reliable information to the police, invest in security measures and cooperate with the security agencies.

Madam Akosua Danquah Ntim Sekyere, Head of Client Services Unit, Ministry of National Security, assured event organisers that National Security personnel would be at some of the events to observe developments.

She added that security was a shared responsibility and that event organisers must not hesitate to contact the police to share information on suspicious activities of persons.

‘The threat of terrorism is real, necessitating heightened security consciousness, especially during the ‘December In GH’ events and event organisers and patrons must be vig
ilant in identifying any suspicious activity or individuals that may pose a threat.’
Source: Ghana News Agency

Zenith Bank Ghana, as part of measures to beautify the City of Accra, has lighted up its Head Office, Zenith Heights on the Independence Avenue as well as the Big Six Roundabout.

The Bank also lighted the Airport Medians, and the Terminal 3 Roundabout all in the Airport Enclave.

An initiative birthed by the Bank in 2018, the lighting up of the cityscape has been adopted by several other institutions and has since then become a national agenda during the festive season.

Prior to the light-up ceremony, staff of the Bank thrilled guests with various renditions of Christmas Carols as well as bible readings on the birth of Christ.

Mr. Henry Onwuzurigbo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Ghana, speaking at the event said, ‘In the glow of these lights, let us reflect on the resilience that defines us as a bank and as individuals for we have not only weathered the storm but illuminated the path for more growth and success.’

He added that the lights of the cityscape on the Independence
Avenue and at the Big Six Roundabout, its medians as well as at the Terminal 3 Roundabout in the airport enclave should be a reminder of the bright future we continue to build together as a bank and as a nation.

On the Bank’s financial performance, the MD/CEO indicated that 2023 had been a very remarkable year for the Bank as they had achieved feats never seen or recorded in the history of the bank’s financial performance. 

‘We made our best unaudited pre-tax profit ever with a growth of 82 per cent from 403 million cedis in September 2022 to 735 million cedis in September 2023.’ 

He added, ‘Our Bank’s total assets grew to GHS12.03 billion, a 14.57 per cent increase from the GHS10.5 billion recorded during the comparable period of the third quarter of 2022.’

‘When we thought our customers business with us would decrease, instead, we saw an increase in total deposits by 22 per cent which amounted to GHS 10.2 million, from the previous year’s figure of GHS8.4 million.’

The MD/CEO informed guests that the B
ank had recently moved its Achimota branch to a new and more friendly business location and were on the verge of expanding its business locations to other jurisdictions within the first quarter of 2024.

‘These are successes chalked, despite the challenges and uncertainties that rocked the Banking industry in the early part of 2023,’ he added.

Mr. Onwuzurigbo said with this performance so far, they were determined, motivated and confident as a bank to exceed its 2023 end of year financial targets.

He said as an attestation of the leading role they continued to play in the Ghanaian Banking Industry, the Bank has won many awards.

These include, Best Banking Group, Ghana – World Finance Magazine, Best Corporate Governance Company, and Best Retail Bank for Customer Service – Global Brands Awards, Bank of the Year, Ghana – Global Excellence Awards.

Others are Financial Institution of the Year Award – Ghana West Africa Business Excellence Awards and Trade Finance Bank of the Year – Ghana Credit Excellence Award
s.     

He said the successes would not have been possible without the commitment and collective efforts of customers, whose unflinching support and continuous loyalty have kept them in business.

He also commended the Board of Directors, whose strategic oversight continued to guide the Bank’s operations and management and staff for their commitment to ensuring full attainment of the Bank’s vision.
Source: Ghana News Agency