Day: December 20, 2023

A 53-year prisoner who went to the Supreme Court to appeal against three different sentences in three robbery incidents, nearly missed a heartbeat.

The five-member panel with Justice Paul, presiding, expressed the opinion that he should be given an enhanced sentence because the crimes he committed were ‘heinous.’

But the convict raised his hands in the air, pleading that the panel should take a second look at the various sentences.

The GNA gathered that he was serving 15 years on the first robbery incident, in the second robbery incident he was given 20 years and in the third robbery incident he was given 30 years by the same court.

His lawyer, Peter Nimo, filed an appeal against the sentences at the Supreme Court on the grounds that in all the cases he was a first-time offender, hence a reduction in the sentence.

The convict at the Supreme Court pleaded that he had left behind his children in the house, and he did not want them to become wayward and a burden on society.

He therefore pleaded that his s
entence be reduced.

Although the Judges had earlier said he deserved an enhanced sentence, they later thought that the sentences should be maintained and same should not be disturbed.
Source:Ghana News Agency

The Police are pursuing some suspects in connection with a violent disturbance during the District Assembly Elections at Senya Electoral Area in Accra.

A news brief from the Police said the suspects caused damage to electoral materials and injured one person in the process.

It said a Police reinforcement team took control of the situation and restored order.

The brief said, however, as a result of the incident, the Electoral Commission decided to suspend the process and announced a new date for the election in the area.

It assured the public that the Police would surely get the perpetrators arrested to face justice.
Source:Ghana News Agency

Mr Moses Foh-Amoaning, Executive Secretary, the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, says the best cathedral President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo can leave for Ghanaians with is an anti-LGBTQIA+ law.

He said in modern Christian theology, the human body was regarded as the temple of God, as such, he should ensure that the bill became law to prevent the propagation of LGBTQIA+ which could destroy humans and societies.

LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Mr Foh-Amoaning made the comment during the 10th Anniversary Family Values Lecture of the Coalition in Accra.

He noted that the bill on the promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values was not a hate bill.

The object of the Bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values; proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activitie
s; proscribe propaganda of advocacy for or promotion of LGBTTQQIAAP+ and related activities; provide for the protection of and support for children, persons who are victims or accused of LGBTTQQIAA+ and related activities and other persons; and related matters.

Mr Foh-Amoaning, also a legal practitioner, said the Coalition existed not to promote the beating of such people but to address the phenomenon through the use advocacy and most importantly, prayer.

He urged politicians to boldly declare their stance on the bill, adding that, any political party or individuals who stood against the bill would attract political consequences in the 2024 elections.

Dr Isaac N. Arthur, Medical Doctor and Clinical Psychologist, in a presentation, said no one was born gay or lesbian or born in the wrong body.

He said the phenomenon had physical, mental, social, and spiritual implications such as anal cancer, faecal incontinence, HIV, depression and anxiety, attempted suicide/ suicide, guilt, shame and identity crises.

Ot
hers are breakdown of family systems, domestic violence, unfaithfulness, non-disclosure of HIV status, multiple sexual partners, breakdown of relationship with God and demonic oppression.

Dr Arthur urged Ghanaians to feed on the right information and advised those involved in the act not to shy away from seeking help.

He also called for the enactment of laws to protect innocent citizens and victims and preserve societal norms and values.
Source:Ghana News Agency

The Upper West Regional Early Childhood Care and Development Committee (ECCD) has urged fathers of newly born babies to participate actively in supporting their wives in the feeding of the babies.

The Committee noted that as fathers they could endeavour to make the feeding processes ‘a playing and joyful time for the baby to feed well without resistance’.

The committee noticed that fathers had always given the feeding of their newly born babies to mother and caregivers alone, which in a way affected the wellbeing of the babies because most caregivers were adolescents and unable to detect early signs of illness among babies.

It said children’s nutrition and their growth was important and encouraged mothers to embrace exclusive breast feeding as their top priority to ensure good health for their babies.

Pognaa Rosemary Bangzie, a Public Health Nurse at the Regional Health Directorate in a presentation, at first and second joint meeting of the Committee, urged pregnant women to visit health facilities for e
arly medical attention.

She said some pregnant women stayed at home and only visited health facilities when the pregnancy had been six to eight months old thereby making it difficult for health professionals to provide adequate healthcare services to reduce maternal and child deaths.

Pognaa Bangzie, who is also the Regional Adolescent School Focal Person urged pregnant women to patronise the health facilities during pregnancies and endeavour to deliver in those facilities under the care of a trained service providers to ensure safe delivery of babies and promote good health and wellness of both the babies and their mothers.

‘Deliveries at home denied the babies the first vaccination, especially ‘Vitamin A’ vaccination and more attention must be paid to vaccination to help reduce the incidents of preventable diseases in babies’, she said.

She appealed to partners, especially husbands and community members to equally champion the crusade by raising awareness and supporting pregnant women to get quality heal
thcare and safe delivery of newly born babies in health facilities.

Madam Gandah Olivia, Regional Early Childhood Coordinator at the Regional Education Office, who made a presentation on the early childhood school situation in the region, said there were 1,200 communities in the region and about 728 public kindergarten schools.

She said about 300 communities were still without kindergarten schools and appealed for more facilities to be provided to take care of children who were at the right ages to be enrolled into school.

Madam Gandah said some of the KGs had no adequate furniture and classroom facilities, as well as teaching and learning resources to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
Source:Ghana News Agency

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information, has urged Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to embrace technology for resilience and expansion as they strive to be competitive globally.

He said innovation and ingenuity had become a necessity for all contemporary enterprises that wanted to survive in a world characterised by competition, technological change and recurring crises.

He said this at the closing ceremony of a project dubbed ‘ACP Digi project in Ghana’, it was on the theme: ‘Our Journey to Building the Digital Capacity of MSMEs In Ghana Post COVID’.

Mr Nkrumah said MSMEs formed part of the subsectors of businesses in Ghana, therefore MSMEs must be prioritised for efficiency and sustainable development.

‘It is gladdening to note that MSMEs have embraced the idea and are now using technology in their businesses and are beginning to adopt measures and strategies to cope with the new normal,’ he added.

He called on all to use the digital platforms to create market avenues for their prod
ucts, to help increase sales and improve productivity.

He said with increased demand and ready markets through online activities, it was expected that businesses would be able to increase their output, attract the needed funds to expand and upgrade the quality of their services to the acquired taste that we are all used to.

Mr Tsonam Akpeloo, Chief Executive of Suku Technologies Limited, said digital innovation was a potential solution that could introduce efficiencies into MSMEs to strengthen them.

He said in both developed and developing economies, SMEs were considered as an engine for economic growth, and they did not only contribute to the growth of national GDP but also contributed to the reduction of unemployment.

He said the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic reduced physical contact and forced many to resort to online working systems, reduced the cost of labour in certain organisations while the needed results were still met.

Speaking on businesses adopting digital transformation, he said it w
ould help business owners use virtual solutions in their meetings, use electronic-commerce with regards to their marketing activities and take advantage of electronic-transactions, while tapping into security systems to scale up their businesses.

Speaking on the training, he said participants had tools, which allowed them to sell their products through online portals, payments applications and social media.

He said over 1,071 business owners benefited from the training, equipping them to be tec

Mr Akpeloo encouraged MSMEs to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to enable them trade across other African countries.

He called on stakeholders to invest in training the youth on digital media technology to enable them to create jobs for themselves and contribute to improving the local economy.
Source:Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into police custody two persons for allegedly causing damage to a three-storey uncompleted building at Roman Ridge, Accra.

The accused persons are Bernard Arhin, a 68-year-old driver and Paul Quansah, a 51 year a wheel loader operator.

Two of their accomplices, namely Kwabena Boateng Aidoo aka Commander and one Gado are said to be at large.

Charged with conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry and causing unlawful damage, Arhin and Quansah have pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah ordered them to reappear on December 28.

Prosecution led by Superintendent of Police Augustine Yirenkyi said the complainant Richard Kpakpo Allotey is the Managing Director of an Estate Agency and a resident of Tantra Hills, Accra.

The two accused persons are residents of Amanfrom and Tema Community 24.

Prosecution said in the year 2019, the complainant’s company purchased a parcel of land from Savana Estate at Roman Ridge, Accra.

According to the prose
cutor, in April 2019, the complainant’s company obtained land title certificate from the Land Commission and in November 2019, he (complainant) obtained building permit from the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly.

Prosecution said on September 8, 2023, the complainant realised that some unknown persons had trespassed on the land and locked up the main gate to the property and kidnapped the caretaker.

It said a report was made to the Police at Kotobabi and the Police visited the scene and met one Kwabena Boateng Aidoo aka Commander, the Manager of Big Omen Company Limited, who also claimed ownership of the land and allegedly locked up the property.

Prosecution said Aidoo was invited by the Police, but he failed to show up.

It said on November 30, 2023, Aidoo allegedly organised land guards and they entered the land and demolished portions of the uncompleted storey building on the land and assaulted the security man on duty.

Prosecution said Aidoo on December 3, 2023, mobilised Military and Police personnel a
nd some officials from the land Commission who ‘invaded’ the land.

The complainant petitioned the Greater Accra Police Command about the act.

Prosecution said William Hanson was arrested by the Police and said Kwabena Boateng Aidoo engaged him.

On December 15, 2023, the prosecutor told the court that Arhin and Quansah recruited one Gado together with 10 land guards, two soldiers, five motorbikes, a vehicle and wheel loader and at about 12:05 am damage was caused to the property.

At about 1:00am, the complainant received information in relation to the damage caused and Arhin and Quanah were picked up by the Police, but their accomplices escaped.
Source:Ghana News Agency