Day: December 15, 2023

The Rotary Club of Accra West, ahead of this year’s Christmas and New Year, has organised its annual party for children with special needs, with an encouragement to the children to press on to great heights.

The club also urged society to tap into hidden talents waiting to be explored in the children.

‘Children, don’t lose hope. There’s a beautiful end at the end,’ Mrs Mercy Araba Sika Tobin, Executive Director of the Tobinco Group, a pharmaceutical conglomerate, said.

In an address on her behalf by Lady Pastor Pathula Kwaw-Ntoso, Executive Director of Beautiful Life Foundation, Mrs Tobbin told the children, that, ‘there’s a lot in you that, the world’s waiting for to explore.

‘Take over this world and be great people one day.’

The children were drawn from New Horizon Special School, Cantonments-Accra; Osu Children’s Home; Dzorwulu Special School, Accra; Demonstration School for the Blind at Akuapem-Akropong in the Eastern Region and Mampong Special School, in the Ashanti Region.

At the party, an annua
l event that the Rotary Club organises for the five schools, the children, including teenagers, dressed nicely, and were decorated by the Rotarians with Santa hats, ate and drank, made merry and danced to music of different that played at the Yire Lodge, at the University of Ghana, Legon.

With reference to Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Tesla and SpaceX communication giants, described ‘as the world’s richest man,’ Mrs Tobbin said there is still hope for children with special needs as their inborn and natural talents could be harnessed for personal, corporate and national prosperity.

Musk has long been a subject of fascination for many people, as he is reported to have autism.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction. People with autism often have difficulty with social cues, may struggle with verbal and non-verbal communication, and may have repetitive behaviours or interests.

Musk in 2022 admitted to having Asperger’
s syndrome.

It is the former name of a developmental disability that affects how people behave, see and understand the world and interact with others.

People with this developmental disability may have special interests, repetitive behaviours and under or overreact to sensory input.

According to the World Health Organisation, autism – also referred to as autism spectrum disorder ? constitutes a diverse group of conditions related to the development of the brain.

Worldwide, an?estimated 44 million people?have Asperger’s syndrome

Scientific evidence suggests that many factors make a child more likely to have autism, including environmental and genetic factors.

Characteristics may be detected in early childhood, but autism is often not diagnosed until much later.

The abilities and needs of autistic people vary and can evolve over time. While some people with autism can live independently, others have severe disabilities and require life-long care and support.

Evidence-based psychosocial interventions can
improve communication and social skills, with a positive impact on the well-being and quality of life of both autistic people and their caregivers.

People who previously were diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome have since 2013 been diagnosed as having a high-functioning form of?autism spectrum disorder. There is no longer a separate diagnosis for Asperger’s syndrome, although some people may prefer to keep using this term.

Dr Victoria Esinam Assah-Ofei, President-Elect of the Club, who is also a clinical psychologist, said the Club would continue to keep an eye over the selected schools for children with special needs.

She announced that the Club was engaged in some legacy projects, including water for the benefit of the schools.

Apart from enjoying the meals, the children had fun dancing and playing in a bouncing castle named Jachinboaz Home.

The Club also donated undisclosed amounts of cash to each of the schools.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Madam Gifty Nartey, Caregiver at Osu Children
‘s Home, appealed for individual and public support for the home in terms of diapers, food items and vehicles.

The Home, she said, was also in dire need of medicines, disinfectants, furniture, textbooks and other stationery items.

She said the Home had 139 children, including babies, toddlers and teenagers.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Gerald Forkuor, a Climate Change Lead Person for Feed the Future Ghana Policy LINK, has emphasised the need for climate change actions to be decentralised to the local level to reduce its impact.

He said local actors contributed to climate change impact through deforestation and bushfires, among other practices, most of whom were unaware of the impact of their actions on the environment.

Dr Forkuor said this at a sensitisation durbar on climate change at Tilli, a community in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, on the theme: ‘Mobilising Communities for Climate Action: Building Resilience Together’.

Feed the Future Ghana Policy LINK organised the durbar with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and brought together officials from the Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Food and Agriculture, and opinion leaders, among others.

Policy LINK is a project under a bigger programme, Feed the Future, with several acti
vities and objectives, funded by USAID.

‘We are doing this kind of sensitisation to make people aware of sustainable practices that they can adopt, and in turn, reduce the impact of climate change on them,’ Dr Forkuor said.

He said the timing for the durbar was important as it came after world leaders had met in Dubai to discuss climate change action.

‘Climate action should not only be at the national level but more importantly at the local level, where local actors are,’ he added.

‘So we are collaborating with local institutions; the District Assembly, the Forestry Commission, the EPA, who are on the ground, to sensitise the communities about climate change, and also come up with solutions that they would adopt to reduce the impact…’.

Dr Forkuor said as community members were advised to stop practices such as felling of trees, they were also sensitised on the importance of adopting tree planting measures to sustain the environment.

‘We are doing it with actors on the ground because we don’t feel that w
e should come from Accra to tell people what to do on the local ground,’ he said.

‘We need to collaborate with institutions that are here so that when we leave, that collaboration would enable the local actors to continue to engage with the community members.’

Mr Eric Maasole, the Regional Manager for Policy LINK, said the durbar was a step towards building community resilience, fostering sustainable agricultural practices and creating a shared vision for a climate-resilient future.

It formed part of a series of initiatives to promote behaviour change at the local level by enhancing community members’ ability to contribute to mitigating the impact on their livelihoods and food security.

‘The programme is designed not only to raise awareness but to initiate tangible outcomes or community-driven solutions to adapt to the changing climate,’ Mr Maasole said.

‘As part of the process, community members will develop action plans to guide them to adopt practices that can protect the environment such as forest co
nservation, sustainable agricultural practices, water resource management, as well as avoid bushfires.’

Mr Tahiru Issahaku Ahmed, the District Chief Executive, in a speech read on his behalf, called for attitudinal change among residents to mitigate the impact of climate change and commended Policy LINK for the initiative to create awareness of the impact.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Friday said the Government’s Lithium Lease Agreement with Barari DV Ghana Limited is the best Ghana has ever had in terms of mineral resources mining.

In his defence of the Agreement with the company, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited, he said in the history of the country, never had any government signed a more profitable deal, which had the interest of Ghanaians at heart.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Accra, Mr Jinapor took time to provide key details about the Agreement in order to dispel the false narratives surrounding it.

He explained that the various clauses within the Agreement signified a departure from the historically exploitative colonial approach to Ghana’s mineral resources.

The Minister said those clauses aligned with the Government’s strategic direction, emphasising value addition in the utilisation of the country’s mineral wealth.

He mentioned the listing of
Bavari DV on the Ghana Stock Exchange, which allows for potential Ghanaian investment through purchasing of shares, the obligation for local participation and the value addition clauses as some of the key components of the deal.

He, thus, assured that the Ghanaian interests reigned supreme in the exploitation of lithium ore in the country.

‘This is the first time that by law, we have made provisions that this company will have to list on the Ghanaian Stock Exchange. They are also required to have a minimum of 30% Ghanaian participation. We already have 19% so we have 11% and it could be more,’ he said.

‘This arrangement is the number one factor, which in my mind, jettisons the colonial term of mining.’

‘The second one is value addition. We’ve always exported raw materials, but this is the first time we have signed a mining lease with clauses, which state that the company will have to retain a significant proportion of the value chain by establishing a chemical plant and refinery here in Ghana.’

‘It has n
ever happened before.’

Noting that he was armed with credible and relevant information from other countries, Mr Jinapor maintained his stance on the lease agreement as the best the country had negotiated.

‘Australia accounts for 52% of global lithium production. Chile accounts for 25%. Zimbabwe is the largest lithium producing country in Africa and their grades are better than ours but when it comes to royalties, Australia pegs it at 5%, Mali pegs its 6% and Zimbabwe at 5%. The Ghana Government has negotiated a 10% benefit, which is twice Zimbabwe and Australia and 4% more than Mali,’ the Minister said.

He refuted allegations that the deal had been shrouded in secrecy, explaining, however, that transparency had been the hallmark of the agreement.

‘The signing ceremony of the lease agreement was done with active media presence, which is an enough indication of the commitment by the Government to comply with the tenets of transparency and accountability,’ he noted.

Whiles welcoming criticism and feedback f
rom the public, Mr Jinapor urged critics to propose alternative and better deals, instead of outlandishly rubbishing the one signed by his Ministry.

He assured Ghanaians of the Government’s continuous pursuits of strategies, policies and commitments that serve and protect their best interests.

On 19th of October 2023, the Government signed the first-ever Lithium Lease Agreement with Lithium Atlantic, an Australian mining firm, to mine the mineral at Ewoyaa in the Central Region.

The Minister dismissed claims by a section of the public that the whole deal was being rushed, noting that ‘government did not rush in signing the Atlantic Lithium Agreement’.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Togbe Kwasi Nego VI, the Mepe Mankralo, has distributed truckloads of relief items to 250 households affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage at Mepe to lessen their plight.

Sanitary towels, detergents, exercise books, sacks of maize, beans, gari, rice, and cartons of cooking oil were among the essentials distributed to the victims.

The items, Togbe Nego said, were received from individuals and organisations and all those in his possession had been distributed to the households to minimise their plight.

He pledged his continuous support to the flood victims until the situation got resolved and called on corporate Ghana to keep extending its assistance.

He appealed to the Government to mobilise for funds to ignite the livelihood restoration agenda for the displaced persons.

Madam Gloria Domtsor, the NADMO representative for North Tongu, received the items and expressed her gratitude to the donors for the gesture and reiterated the need for more support.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister for Works and Housing, says the government is committed to cultivating a conducive environment for the real estate sector to flourish.

He said through projects like the Prestige Project, the government expected the creation of many direct and indirect jobs, fostering economic growth and significantly benefitting the economy.

The Minister was speaking at the grand launch of the residential project to be constructed within the Kotoka International Airport enclave.

The Prestige development is to be situated on 2.88 acres of land adjacent to the Airport Shell Fuel Station and directly opposite the Marina Mall would take three years.

Led by i2 Development Ghana Limited, a private developer, Prestige is poised to enhance the beauty of the Airport skyline, redefine luxury living in Ghana’s capital, and play a pivotal role in boosting the country’s tourism receipts.

Over the past two decades, the Kotoka International Airport enclave in Accra has undergone a remarkable tran
sformation, aligning with the growth in the aviation and hospitality sectors.

The successful execution of the Airport City 1 project by Ghana Airports Company has reshaped the national capital’s skyline, turning Airport City 1 into a hub for architectural marvels and a highly sought-after business district.

He said the project being constructed was a testament to the conducive environment created by the government for private-sector investments in the housing sector to thrive.

Mr Asenso-Boakye said the government would broaden its efforts to implement additional initiatives and ensure that the construction sector and delivery of new homes aligned with sustainable practices.

He assured the Management of i2 Development Ghana Limited of the government’s commitment and support for the Prestige residential project.

He said the innovation, sustainability and inclusivity in the project conform with the government’s vision of a contemporary and equitable society.

Mr Nabil Al-Ahmad, the Chairman and Founder of i
2 Development Ghana Limited, said the Company decided to

construct the facilities in Ghana due to its political and democratic stability as well as peaceful nature.

He said the Company was focused on quality and that would set the company apart from other real estate projects in the country.

Mr Youssef Aitour, Co-Founder and Managing Director of i2 Development Ghana Limited, thanked the government for creating a conducive investment climate for the realization of the Prestige project.

He called for government support for the success of the project, which would provide directly and indirectly through its contractors and subcontractors more than 2000 job opportunities.

‘We would like to further acknowledge the government’s effort in ensuring a safe and stable investment climate that makes the influx of investment like ours possible,’ he said.

The Prestige project’s prime location ensures that all the attractions Accra offers to leisure and business travellers are just a minute away.

The project is poised
to deliver the epitome of luxury living, whether one chooses a studio, one- or two-bedroom or a penthouse.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region has engaged some communities in the upcoming District Level Elections.

The move was to inform the electorates of the rules and regulations regarding the upcoming exercise.

Madam Lina Bensah, the NCCE Director for Keta, in an engagement with residents of Kedzikope community, said the move was to give more education to the public on the basic principles of the exercise.

‘We are teaching and equipping the communities to know that it is their civic responsibility to cast their votes freely during any organised EC election,’ she stated.

She further stated that every registered eligible voter has the right to vote based on their conscience as well as choosing a candidate by secret balloting without any intimation or interference.

She said persons with disabilities could seek assistance from any Electoral officials to exercise their franchise easily.

Mry Raymond Siameh-Carr, the Keta Field Operations officer at NCC
E, told the Ghana News Agency that their major challenge was means of transport ‘since the Commission cannot boast of a single vehicle for field works.

He said their outfit, under the numerous challenges, has visited communities such as Dzelukope, Vodza-Adzido, Kedzi, Mosques, schools, churches, and others for the needed education tour to create public awareness about the district-level elections.

Siameh-Carr further appealed to individuals, philanthropists, corporate organisations, and the government to provide vehicles and other materials to help speed up their activities.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission (EC) at Keta has pledged their readiness to hold the District-Level Elections in all the polling stations on Tuesday, December 19.

The Commission also called on the public to abide by the election rules for a successful and peaceful exercise.

A total of 81 assembly member aspirants consisting of 77 males and 4 females have been cleared to contest in the 22 Electoral Areas within Keta.
Source: Ghana
News Agency