Day: December 23, 2023

By Solomon Gumah, GNA

Zagyuri (N/R), Dec 23, GNA – The management of Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme, (MABCDP), a local NGO, has organised separate Christmas parties for about 1,500 children in the Northern region to put smiles on their faces.

The children were treated to music, food, and assorted beverages, and engaged in various fun games including egg race, sack race, dancing round the chair, and fill in the bottle race.

The event, held separately at school clusters in the Kumbungu District, Sagnarigu and Gushegu Municipalities in the Northern Region, was in partnership with Children Believe, as part of its activities to mark the end of the 2023 fiscal year.

Mr Joshua Sayibu, Programme Manager, MABCDP, speaking at the party at the Zagyuri Anglican School in the Sagnarigu Municipality, said it was an annual event, which sought to educate the children on the essence of Christmas celebration and how they could conduct themselves during the festive season.

Mr Sayibu said it was fur
ther to afford children the opportunity to have fun and entertain themselves to remain healthy.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Fire outbreaks recorded nationwide in 2023 have reduced compared to figures in 2022, the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has said.

Mr Julius Kuunuor, the CFO, said the fire outbreaks declined by a margin of 274, representing?4.92 per cent for the first eleven months of 2023 as the Service recorded 5256 incidents compared to 5,530 recorded in the same period of 2022.

‘This is due to the extensive Public Fire Safety Education carried out nationwide. Through the timely intervention of the Service, property worth millions of cedis were salvaged,’ he said.?

Mr Kuunuor said this at the Service’s festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and its 60th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service where distinguished fire officers who had just retired were Awarded.

Some young service personnel were also honored.

The theme for the occasion was: ‘Reflect the qualities of God our Maker’, which aimed to encourage the Service men to emulate the qualities of God as a Rescuer?

He said the Ghana
National Fire Service attended to 532 road traffic accidents from January 1, 2023 to?November 30, 2023 and recorded a total of 2,557 injuries and 263 deaths.

The Chief Fire Officer said the Service also performed 177 rescue duties and recorded 129 injuries and 40 deaths.

Those operations include drowning in wells, rivers, dams, bees attack and people trapped in elevators.?

The Service also undertook 17,877 Fire Safety Education in Public, Private institutions and other places such as markets, churches, mosques and schools in various languages nationwide.

In terms of Human Resources Development, 1, 000 recruits and 339 Officer Cadets were trained at the Fire Academy and Training School at James Town, Accra, however,?the Service had lost 37 of its personnel in the course of the year (18 Senior Officers and 19 Junior Officers) as at?November 30.?

Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister for Interior, commended the GNFS for the dedicated service and unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of communit
ies.

Speaking on his behalf,?Mrs Doreen Annan, Acting Chief Director, Ministry of the Interior, said: ‘Let us embrace the spirit of gratitude, unity, and commitment as we look forward to a safer and more secure future for our beloved nation.’

Mrs Annan urged the public to install smoke detectors in homes and workplaces, regularly check and maintain electrical appliances, exercise caution when using open flames and educate families on emergency evacuation?procedures.?

Senior retired officers, including DCFO Gilbert Wiafe, DCFO Obeng Dankwa Dwamena, DCFO Paa Kwasi Adutwum amongst others were awarded for their selfless service and dedication.?

They took home Smart TVs, a plagues and citations.?
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition has called for the establishment of a specialised anti-corruption court to strengthen the fight against corruption.

This was part of several recommendations from the GACC contained in its Corruption Report 2023, ‘Reflections on the State of Corruption in Ghana,’ which was launched as part of activities to mark the 2023 International Day Against Corruption and made available to the Ghana News Agency.

The GACC is a coalition of 13 organisations, made up of seven civil society organisations, five state actors, and one private sector body, with the vision of a corruption-free Ghana.

It added that the state anti-graft agencies and the judicial arm of government must deepen their collaboration to ensure that perpetrators of corruption and corruption-related offences were adequately punished.

‘There is a need to be more radical in our efforts to achieve results.

in the short term if Ghana is to deliver a big blow against corruption.’

It added that to achieve these, an
other important recommendation was for the passing of a Corrupt Practices Act and a Conduct of Public Officers Act.

GACC indicated that it agreed with the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) that ‘legislative measures are essential for the establishment of a stronger legal framework and more effective mechanisms to combat and penalise corruption and corruption-related offences.’

The GACC also called for a holistic approach to the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP II) to ensure the availability of the requisite buy-in and resources, both financial and non-financial, to ensure effective implementation.

It stated that regulatory reforms must be made to ensure that public officers found culpable of audit offences are prosecuted, especially in the wake of wanton disregard for the Auditor-General’s recommendations for administrative and audit reforms.

‘State institutions must compulsorily create, strengthen, and work with internal audit units to perform oversight functions internally,’ it added.

The recommendations also included institutionalising a value system that prompts a person whose conduct in public office comes into disrepute to resign or recuse themselves from further administration of the office they occupy.

On the issue of political party activities, they suggested that the government must take measures to forestall abuse of incumbency and electoral corruption during the 2024 general elections.

GACC further recommended that political parties should take responsibility for providing logistical support to delegates during internal elections.

Meanwhile, Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, the GACC Executive Secretary, expressed concern about Ghana’s consistent fall below 50 points on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) table despite the relentless advocacy of anti-corruption bodies.

Mrs Narteh noted during interaction with Ghana News Agency as part of GACC activities to mark this year’s International Day Against Corruption that anti-corruption stakeholders were concerned about the apparent st
agnation of the fight against corruption in the country.

She noted that corruption had negative impacts on every aspect of society and was profoundly intertwined with conflict and instability, jeopardizing social and economic development and undermining democratic institutions and the rule of law.

The 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) highlighted the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development.

She explained that GACC, in collaboration with its Local Accountability Networks (LANets) and with funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, commemorated 2023 International Day Against Corruption in some districts across the country.

She said until all stakeholders committed holistically to the fight against corruption, all efforts would amount to only scratching the surface of corruption instead of winning the fight against it.

Mrs. Narteh mentioned that prosecution had always been a major challenge in the country because there were several repor
ts of corruption, but jailing offenders is rare, hence the call to set up Anti-Corruption Court.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Accra Sports Stadium was nearly filled to its rafters as more than 35,000 fans graced the Bhim Concert-5th Dimension homecoming edition on Friday, December 22, 2023.

The 40,000-capacity stadium came alive with ecstatic performances from some of the finest artistes in Ghana as well as Jamaica in a concert that lasted over 10 hours.

It was never a dull moment with Bhim Nation fans, especially when their hero stepped on stage to deliver an astounding live band performance.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The media family in Bamenda and Cameroon at large is once again bereaved following the passing away of their colleague, Manaseh Vubansi.

According to a press release from the North West Regional Delegate of Communication, Njike Celestine, the journalist died on Saturday December 23, 2023 at the Bamenda Regional Hospital.

Manaseh was practicing with Bamenda based community radio, Ndefcam until the time of his death.

He was first hospitalised at the Mbingo Baptist hospital, where he was diagnosed of a liver problem. On Thursday December 21, he was referred to the Bamenda Regional Hospital, where he was under medication until the time of his death.

His corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary, pending burial program.

Manaseh is noted for his courtesy in language and unproblematic nature.

His death adds to the list of two other journalists, Anye Nde Nsoh, and Gideon Taka who have died in 2023 from the North West region.
Source: Cameroon News Agency

Shoppers are seen walking from Roxy Cinema through to Tudu to Makola and Kantamanto Market as a result of the heavy traffic build up.

Sitting in the trotro is going to be a very frustrating exercise as the Sun, with its heat, gives only one option-a walk through the forest of shops to pick a few things for the Christmas.

The continuous humming of sound, fast movement of people and goods, including ‘Christmas goats’ and ‘fowls’ offer a lively spectacle of Makola and Kantamanto Street or Market in the heart of Accra’s business district, a few hours to Christmas.

The surge in human traffic adds an extra layer of excitement as shoppers navigate through bustling crowds to complete their festive purchases.

The festive period, however, come with its share of challenges.

Price fluctuations are observed as demand peaks during the final shopping hours, prompting shoppers to exercise caution, double-check prices, and engage in negotiations with traders who feel the pressure of the going down of the Sun – closing t
ime.

Cash transactions take precedence during the bustling period, with many traders favouring the efficiency of cash over mobile money.

This preference, while expediting transactions, highlights the need for shoppers to be flexible and adapt to the evolving dynamics of the holiday rush.Security is visibly heightened as police officers from the Accra Regional Command are strategically deployed to the Kantamanto Market area.

Their presence aims at ensuring law and order, managing the crowd, and fostering a secure shopping environment.

Amidst the holiday cheer, the perennial concern of pickpockets lingers. Shoppers are reminded to stay vigilant and safeguard their belongings, even with the visible police presence, underscoring the importance of personal responsibility during the bustling shopping spree.Transportation adds another layer of complexity, with taxis charging elevated fees and online car services proving elusive. Securing a ride becomes a time-consuming task, emphasising the need for shoppers to
plan ahead and exercise patience amidst the traffic situation across the central business district.

In some instances one could spend about 30mins in one spot and not moving.

Commuters are advised to find alternative means of transportation, which is either the use of motor bike with caution.

A number of shoppers are seen adhering to health measures of donning face masks, showcasing a positive response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s educational efforts amidst the harmattan season.
Source: Ghana News Agency