Day: February 26, 2024

Tema: Mr Edward Kareweh, the General Secretary of Ghana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), has said they expect President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to update the nation on the government’s contribution to irrigation in agriculture during the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Mr Kareweh said, ‘We need him to tell us how much irrigation systems have been added to the agricultural sector in the face of this growing climate change.’

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the current climatic condition had a huge impact on the agricultural sector, which must not be taken for granted.

He expressed regret that the Pwalugu multipurpose dam had not seen any improvement despite the government’s promise to revamp it to help solve some needs of the sector.

Mr Kareweh said it was sad that the inadequacy of irrigation dams and non-completion of the government’s ‘one village, one dam’ policy, negatively impacted farming activities in the country, especially during the dry season.

He mentioned
the issue of ‘galamsey’ as a major contributor to the challenges of agriculture in Ghana, and the government’s inability to deal with it was very disappointing.

‘Galamsey is not only about lands that are lying fallow; it is about lands with crops and trees on them, which are all being destroyed,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A workshop dubbed: ‘Managing the Agropastoral Sector in the Cross-border Area between Burkina Faso and Ghana: Harmonising Mechanisms and Tools’, has been held to discuss the best way to manage cross-border movement of people and herds from Burkina Faso to Ghana.

The two-day workshop, which ended in Tamale, was attended by key stakeholders in the livestock sector from Burkina Faso, including local assemblies from Burkina Faso and Ghana, whose territories receive herders on daily basis, representatives from the Fulbe community, traditional authorities, whose communities receive herders amongst others.

It was organised as part of the phase three of the Supporting Agropastoralism to Reinforce Social Cohesion in the cross-border territories of Ghana – Burkina Faso (SAPSOC) project, which is being implemented by Acting for Life, RECOPA and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office using the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

Mr Lukman
Yussif, Director, CLIP, speaking at the workshop, said although the movement of people and herders to Ghana presented some challenges to the country, there was need to put in place mechanisms to take advantage of the opportunities it presented as well.

Over the past five years the security situation in Mali and Burkina Faso has destabilised the whole West African region particularly the cross-border zone between the Sahel and coastal countries.

The expansion of extremist armed groups maximising on pre-existing local tensions has created an environment of fear and mistrust amongst communities, who have been pushed into urban zones or further south over the border into neighbouring countries in search of refuge.

The past six months have been marked by a further decline in security particularly in the Eastern Region in Burkina Faso where the livestock market at Fada N’Gourma is currently saturated by local communities destocking their herds.

The cross-border zone between Burkina Faso and northern Ghana has b
ecome critical as the closure of borders with Bénin and Togo has forced herders and refugees to concentrate on Ghana as a safe space to provide vital resources for their livestock and lodging for their families away from threats and attacks.

It was against this background that the workshop was organised to assess the general insecurity situation, especially in the Sahelian region

Mr Yussif said, ‘We are enjoying peace and in relation to transhumance, Ghana as a country, we face a huge deficit in our meat requirements; majority of the livestock is from the Sahelian countries.’

He added that ‘And so, if there is any opportunity that brings more livestock from Sahel into Ghana, we need to look at the economic aspect; we know that as they come in, they bring quality breeds that we can use to improve our local breeds.’

He said, ‘Again, there is evidence in some key areas for example in the Salaga area where the presence of transhumance has resulted in the creation of a livestock market and we know that where t
here is a livestock market, there is a huge employment opportunity because of the numerous people engaged in the livestock value chain.’

He said there was need for the country to put in place the relevant internal structures and mechanisms to better accommodate transhumance herders and to prepare the ground in a way that they lived peacefully with host communities.

Amir Osman Bin Ahmed, National Vice President of Fulbe Chiefs and Member, Ghana Cattle Ranching Committee, said the influx of people and herders from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to Ghana had advantages and disadvantages expressing need for authorities to put in place measures to identify the herders and owners of the cattle and the quantities of cattle brought into the country.

He said, ‘If we do our work well, the assemblies can gain more in terms of revenue; their coming will lead to opening of more markets, increase meat, and milk supply in the country.’

Annabelle Powell, Programme Manager of Acting for Life, a French organisation, also rei
terated the need to maximise the economic opportunities presented by the movement of herders to districts in the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Hungary’s parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Monday, clearing the way for the Nordic nation’s accession to the alliance after nearly two years of intense negotiations and dealing a geopolitical blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Getting approval from the Hungarian parliament was the final hurdle for Stockholm joining NATO. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visited Budapest on Friday to discuss defense and security cooperation with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban. The two sides appeared to reconcile, agreeing on a deal that would see Hungary acquire four new Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.

Of the 194 members of parliament who voted, just six rejected Sweden’s accession.

‘Today is a historic day,’ Kristersson said on X shortly after the vote. ‘Sweden stands ready to shoulder its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security.’

Sweden will formally join the alliance after it submits its instrument of accession with the United States government, which is th
e depository of the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed Sweden’s will become a member of the block now that all allies have approved its bid to join.

‘Sweden’s membership will make us all stronger and safer,’ he said

Source: Ghana News Agency

Residents of six communities in the Agona West Municipality have expressed grave concern about the poor road networks and lack of potable drinking water in the area, which was having a negative impact on them.

The residents, predominantly farmers, expressed their displeasure about the bad nature of the road networks and said efforts to bring farm produce to market centres were being hindered.

The distressed communities are Agona Otsenkorang, Agona Ahomadonko, Nsuansa, James Nkwanta, Lower and Upper Bobikuma and Bronikrom.

Speaking to the media at Otsenkorang, Madam Adjoa Duoduwaah, said the road from Agona Otsenkorang to Agona Nyakrom was horrible and had caused severe pains and agonies to market women and other road users who plied the road.

She said vehicles got stuck in the mud during rainy seasons sometimes compelling them to alight and push before they could reach their various destinations.

Madam Duoduwaah said the Otsenkorang road construction slated under the cocoa roads project had been abandone
d the contractor had left the site and no one knew when they would come back to continue the work.

She said market women and farmers had made many appeals to the siting MP of Agona West and Minister of Roads and Highways to intervene, but to no avail and had decided not to vote in the 2024 polls because of neglect far too long.

Madam Efua Adobea, a resident of Bronikrom near Agona Nyakrom, appealed to the government to fix the road to ensure the free movement of vehicles to enhance trade and commerce.

She said the road from Bronikrom to Nyakrom had been in a deplorable state for many years and got worse during the rainy season.

Madam Adobea said Bronikrom residents were also Ghanaians who deserved to receive their fair share of the national cake.

At Agona Ahomadonko, Abusuapanyin Kofi Ackom told the media, that an epidemic outbreak was looming in the town because of a lack of potable water, which had become a major problem for the inhabitants

According to him, the residents were going through hell becau
se the boreholes which served as the only sources of water were broken down and the chiefs and elders were finding it difficult to repair them due to financial constraints.

School children, he noted, walked long distances in search of water and this was affecting quality teaching and learning, therefore, appealed to the government to intervene.

At Lower Bobikuma, Mr Kwame Tawiah said potholes at the outskirts of the town had developed into manholes, making it extremely difficult for vehicles to ply the road and appealed to the MP and Agona West Municipal Chief Executive to fix it.

He said the bad nature of the roads was causing disaffection for the authorities in the Agona West and the country at large.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema: The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to update fishers on the status of premix fuel supply and distribution when he delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, the President will deliver an address on the state of the nation through Parliament in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, during which the citizens will receive reports on the status of the country and the government’s agenda for the coming year, among others.

Nana Kweigyah, President of CaFGOAG, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on fishers’ expectations, said their request was in line with what the finance minister presented to parliament on the issue in the 2024 budget.

He said: ‘In paragraph 112 of the 2024 budget, the government indicated providing 110,700,000 litres of premix fuel for artisanal fishers, but we currently do not have premix fuel.’

He said the fishers would therefore like to know
the state of affairs in that regard and the government’s plans on improving premix fuel supply and distribution to aid fishing activities in the coastal regions.

He said they would also want to hear something about the closed season and the proposed cash transfer to fishers during the period, stating that in the closed season, there is a temporary loss of fishers’ income and food, resulting in short-term costs to fishers.

Nana Kweigyah described the situation as a serious human rights issue, in that it affects fishers’ rights to social protection, an adequate standard of living, and the highest attainable standards of physical and mental well-being.

He said the distribution of food items during closed seasons suffers discrimination and inequality due to the methods of delivery, and the authorities’ inability to recognise that the food items were adequate and appropriate.

‘It is proposed that unconditional cash transfers to fishers, as inclusively as possible and without spending restrictions, will be
the fastest and most effective way to assist people during the closed season,’ he added.

On the blue economy, he said they expect the president to make known the progress on Ghana’s Blue Economy Policy and Strategies, focusing on the priorities and what support is available for artisanal fishers to participate effectively in the process.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tarkwa Circuit Court has convicted a mason to 15 years Imprisonment for defiling a primary four pupil in an uncompleted building at Himan-Prestea in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.

Thomas Aboagye, alias Mfantse, pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and the presiding judge, Mrs Hathia Ama Manu before sentencing accused to fifteen years imprisonment in hard labour, warned him never to repeat such shameful act.

Prosecuting, Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie, said the complainant, is a farmer and grandfather of the victim, who is ten-year-old.

She said the complainant, victim and Aboagye lived in the same vicinity at Himan-Prestea.

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said on Thursday February 1, 2024, around 1730 hours Aboagye gave the victim GHS10.00 and lured her into an uncompleted building in the neighborhood and defiled her.

According to the prosecution, a witness in the case chanced on Aboagye, while he was having sexual intercourse with the victim and managed to arrest
him.

She said the case was reported at the Prestea Police Post where the convict was detained and during interrogation he admitted the offence.

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said a medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim, and it was later returned to the police fully endorsed.

Source: Ghana News Agency