Day: December 27, 2023

The Ghana Navy’s Riverine Command in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and the Police has impounded 81 sacks of suspected marijuana and arrested six suspects.

A press release signed by Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Marteye for the Director General of the Department of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces, and copied to the GNA, stated how the Ada Foah Detachment of the Navy became successful in the intelligence -led operation.

‘The suspected narcotics were being loaded at a dilapidated warehouse at the Ghana Highways Authority premises in Ada along the banks of the Volta Lake. The Team proceeded to the location and arrested the six suspects believed to be involved. A total number of 81 sacks suspected to be containing marijuana were confiscated,’ the statement said.

The confiscated exhibits were transported to the NACOC Headquarters in Accra for further investigations and necessary action.

The Navy assured the public of its unwavering commitment to preventing illegal narcotics trade
within Ghana’s maritime domain to ensure national security.

It encouraged all to volunteer information that would help the cause.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Rev (Mrs) Grace Ekua Quansah, the Minister in charge of the Ebenezer Methodist Church at Ekwamkrom in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region, has presented a baptism font to the Church as a show of love for the festive season.

The donation coincided with the baptism and confirmation of children and youth of the church, respectively, to become fully-fledged members.

The Minister, who presented the font with her family, consecrated it by using it to baptize 13 children and confirm 10 youths.

She advised the youth not to attend church services only on festive occasions but to be regular members and use their endowed talents to serve God and mankind.

Rev Mrs Quansah exhorted the new confirmants as well as the entire congregation not to perceive Christmas only as a season for merry-making but to demonstrate charity to the needy in society.

The Steward of the Church, Mr Emmanuel Sam, who received the gift, commended Rev Quansah for the gesture and appealed to other individuals, philanthropists and o
rganizations to remember the needs of the Church and go to its aid.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The price of gutted fresh tilapia has shot up months after the flood occasioned by the spilling of excess water from the Akosombo hydro dam in the Eastern Region, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) has observed.

The spillage has destroyed tilapia farms and caused hikes in pricing by value chain actors associated with the farm-to-fork of tilapia, a delicacy for many people especially during festive seasons.

At least at five popular tilapia grilled joints at Osu, North Kanashie, Nungua, Lapaz, and East Legon, in Accra, have seen about a 100 per cent increase in all the sizes.

A table size tilapia is selling at GHS 140.00, a jump from GHS 70.00 post the floods, at Osu.

Asked why the price had doubled, Daavi, a caretaker of the Osu joint, said there had been a decline in the supply side and that limited stock was expensive.

‘…Now, two people buy one fish and share compared to months before where they would buy two fishes.’

Checks by the GNA indicate that farms at Asutsuare, a town along the Lake, in the Eastern R
egion, were selling the 50 kilogramme (kg) of medium size tilapia at GHS 2,150 for average size of tilapia.

Mr Jacob Adzikah, CEO of the Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana, said research had found that a kilogramme of tilapia which used to sell at GHS 31.00 at the farm gate had gone up to GHS 41.00 after the spillage.

The research unit of the Chamber of Aquaculture told the GNA that they had observed a slight price increase of about GHS 10.00 at the farm gate.

He projected that the trend might cause the commodity to be more expensive in the coming days.

Mr Adzikah said fish farmers along the Volta Lake lost fish stock worth about GHS 58 million due to the spillage.

He appealed to state agencies, especially the Fisheries Commission to provide some support to affected fish farmers.

None of the affected farmers, he said, had subscribed to aquaculture insurance, hence the huge loss in the industry after the flood, which displaced an estimated 35,857 residents.

‘There are limited aquaculture insurance products in
the sector, but many fish farms do not subscribe because they do not appreciate the importance of aquaculture insurance,’ Mr Adzikah stated.

‘This is a huge concern because if farms appreciate the importance of aquaculture insurance and conforming to best biological practice, it will ensure sustainability in the sector,’ he added.

Some farms like China Fujian Fishing Limited are reconstructing fish cages after losing several thousands of fish stock.

Another farm Maleka Farms was seen undertaking repair works and preparing to scale up opoperation when the GNA visited.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Natural Resource Department (NRD) early mid- December commenced an on-site exercise to assess the impact of the recent floods on aquaculture farms at Akuse and Asutsuare.

The fact-finding mission, conducted by technical directors of other departments sought to learn about the extent of infrastructural damage, losses of livelihood, and make recommendations.

Ms Helina S. Dodd, a Principal Programme
Officer at EPA-NRA, told the GNA that the visit undertaken under the instruction of the Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Directors of EPA, afforded them the opportunity to interact with farm owners.

She said they held discussion with operators of fish farms and discussed avenues for technical support.

Ms Dodd stated that the team was looking into the issue of illegal fish farm operators and collaborating with other agencies to deal with the situation and ensure sanity.

She said preliminary outcome showed that many farmers had their infrastructure damaged extensively, while thousands of fishes were lost/escaped during the floods.

The Akosombo Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River that generates electricity, exceeded its water level operational capacity and had to spill excess water in October.

The spillage resulted in flooding at low-lying communities.

North and Central Tongu districts were the most hit, with communities such as Mepe, Battor, Sogakope, Mafi, Adidome and Ada inundated.
Source:
Ghana News Agency

Court users who are physically challenged or aged find it difficult to access the Kaneshie District Court.

This is because it is disability unfriendly.

Consequently, such people are often carried to the Court to seek redress.

Judges, occasionally descend to use a different room in the building for cases involving physically challenged persons.

The aged, some, very weak, have the difficult task of climbing the first or second floor of the building to access justice.

The staircases on the building have long intervals, making it impossible for people with severe disabilities to access the courtrooms.

Ghana’s Constitution demands that justice delivery should be granted to all without leaving anyone behind just as the Sustainable Development Goal Nine.

The United Nations adopted the SDGs or global goals in 2015, as a universal call to action to end poverty, hunger, and discrimination against the vulnerable, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, everyone enjoys peace and prosperity.

The goals, which
are 17, are intertwined and their actions affect each other’s outcomes and their development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Among the goals are one-poverty reduction, nine-industry, innovation and infrastructure, 10-reduced inequalities as well as goal 16-peace, justice and strong institutions.

Under goal nine, resilient infrastructure is supposed to be built, promote inclusive, that is, the global fast-growing economy and increasing inequalities, sustained growth must encompass industrialisation that will make opportunities accessible to all as well as resilient infrastructure.

To achieve this, government and other stakeholders must invest in buildings or improve structures accessible by all and sundry such as the aged, people with disabilities, and the sick.

Goal 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building affection accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

People everywhere should be free of fear from
all forms of violence and feel safe as they go about their duties irrespective of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or physical status.

However, unfriendly court structures, for instance, that of the Kaneshie District Court, is an impediment to achieving peace and justice for all- aged, people with disabilities.

High level civil conflicts as a result of people taking the law into their hands because there is lack of access to the law court would have negative impact on Ghana’s development.

Equal access to justice is important in protecting individual rights, resolving conflicts and ensuring that the vulnerable- physically challenged or aged, are not marginalised or discriminated against.

The court would be crippled in delivering public service to all in a short time without delay if these issues are not addressee.

To side-line or discriminate against the minority such as people with disabilities in justice delivery violates their human rights, and can lead to violence.

Action is needed to resol
ve structural injustices to restore trust in the court for justice delivery towards ensuring sustainable peace.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), through its Foundation, has presented hampers to babies born on Christmas day at two health facilities in Koforidua.

Twenty-five mothers, who delivered on Xmas day at the Koforidua Regional Hospital and the Seventh Day Adventists Hospital, received the gifts.

On December 26, every year, MTN Ghana Foundation visits hospitals across the country to present hampers and some airtime to mothers who gave birth on the 25th and 26th of December, as part of a cherished tradition.

This year, 500 baby hampers were distributed in all the 16 regions of Ghana.

Mr Ransford Gyan, the MTN Area Sales Manager in charge of Eastern, Volta and Oti, who made the presentation, said it was to show love to the newborns and their mothers.

Madam Mary Ahorlu, Staff Midwife at the Eastern Regional Hospital, on behalf of the mothers, expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana for the gesture.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Sunyani Teaching and the Sunyani Municipal Hospitals celebrated the arrival of nine newborns on Christmas day, with six females and three males.

The Teaching Hospital welcomed four deliveries, while the Municipal Hospital had five, but the births at the former included three cesarean sections.?

The Teaching Hospital’s first delivery, a female occurred at 0640 hours on Monday, December 25, while the last delivery occurred at 1220 hours (about 1 month 3 weeks).

But the Municipal Hospital’s first birth, a male happened at 1225 hours and the last birth was recorded at 1405 hours.

As of 1130 hours?on Sunday, December 24, the Sunyani Teaching Hospital had recorded four births whereas at about the same time on Tuesday, December 26, three deliveries had been recorded.

The Municipal Hospital, however, had one delivery on Sunday, December 24 and three deliveries as of 1215 hours on Tuesday, December 26.

Mrs Vivian Kumah, the second-in-charge at the Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery (SVD) ward of the Sunyani Teach
ing Hospital in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) advised pregnant women to cooperate with the midwives to ensure successful deliveries.?

She emphasised the importance of confiding in the midwives and nurses regarding any concerns during pregnancy.

In a related interview, Mrs Akosua Nkansah, a staff Midwife at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital, gave the same advice and urged pregnant women to prepare adequately for their hospital visits.

She underscored the need for them to have basic delivery items to avoid any inconvenience during and after delivery.
Source: Ghana News Agency