The opening ceremony of the 13th African Games, Accra 2023, came off Friday, March 8, 2024 at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
Source: Ghana News Agency
John Mahama congratulates Akinwunmi Adesina
Former President John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer, National Democratic Congress (NDC), has extended congratulations to ‘his dear brother and friend’, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, as the recipient of the 2024 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.
A statement issued by the Office of the former President, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said it was a great opportunity for the former President to be invited to the ceremony to present Dr Adesina with the prize.
It said the extensive array of distinguished persons from across Nigeria, Africa and the entire world, who gathered in Lagos for the ceremony bears testimony to the impact of your leadership over the years.
‘As the President of the AfDB, Dr Adesina has been a driving force behind initiatives that have promoted inclusive growth and development across the continent,’ Mr Mahama said.
‘Awolowo’s emphasis on education, infrastructure development, and economic empowerment resonates with the work that Dr Adesina is leading a
t the AfDB, highlighting the enduring relevance of his principles and ideals.
‘Congratulations.’
The Black Stars of Ghana will face the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly on March 22, 2024 in Morocco.
The Nigerian Football Federation made this announcement after reaching an agreement with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Tagged as the ‘jollof derby’, the last time the two sides met in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where Ghana triumphed over the Super Eagles in a two-legged encounter.
The Black Stars, after the game against the three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions would lock horns with Uganda on March 26,2024.
The team would use the two games to prepare themselves towards the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Ghana Football Association is currently on a hunt for a coach to lead the team to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup.
The newly appointed gaffer for the senior side would be announced in the coming days.
Source: Ghana News Agency
African Games: I am satisfied with my team’s performance-Black Satellites Coach
Desmond Ofei, Head Coach of Ghana’s U-20 side, Black Satellites says he is impressed with the performance of his men in their opening game against Congo.
Ghana failed to snatch all three points from the Small Leopards who managed to settle on a 0:0 draw at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.
The gaffer speaking during a post-match interview said ‘We are satisfied. This is our first game in the tournament, and we were a bit anxious in the game. We dominated play but could not get all the points’.
He said his side had enough confidence and quality to defeat Congo, who were missing throughout the game.
Coach Ofei showered praises on Dream FC’s darling boy, Abdul Aziz Issah, following his impact and contribution to the team’s success.
‘I don’t think a lot will change in our next games against Gambia and Benin. The game plan will stay the same. We are not going to adapt to our opponent’s play rather, we will play our own style’, he said.
The Head Coach said untimely runs by his players was a key factor in th
eir failure to find the net on several occasions.
He urged Ghanaians to rally behind the Satellites as they journey towards winning their second African Games title.
‘Evidently making it out of the group stages will be a success for everyone who has the national team at heart l. We just have to prove that we are one of the best in Africa,’ he added.
The one-time champions after the game against Congo, would face against Gambia and Benin in Group A.
Source: Ghana News Agency
African Games: South Africa’s Hayley secures gold in cycling
Hayley Preen has given South Africa their first gold medal in the ongoing African Games after finishing in a time of 2hrs, 41mins, 53secs in the Women’s Road Race event at Ablekuma Olebu in Accra.
The first two laps were simply unpredictable with participants focused on beating the odds for the top prize.
Hayley maintained composure throughout to end her assignment with an impressive solo finish, giving Halbwachs Aurelie, Houli Nesrine and Bamogo Awa a difficult task to accomplish in a competition which started with 50 riders.
Her success in the women’s event meant South Africa had now secured one gold medal and three bronze medals throughout the competition.
Also, 16 Cyclists abrogated the Race including all the Ghanaians, Erica sedzro, Abigail Tetteh, Marjorie Quaye and Agana Rebecca.
The event enters yet another unmissable day tomorrow as the men’s Road Race takes center stage.
Source: Ghana News Agency
Douala: Some women give reasons for snubbing Women’s Day celebrationEnvironmental Protection Agency Bill caters for youth interest
While millions of women all over the country nursed interest over the years to celebrate March 8, annually, some find no interest and simply ignore it for one reason or the other.
In Douala, such women were seen carrying out their business and other activities normally. Seeking to know why they were not on the celebration train, one said «To me celebrating women’s day is completely useless because Cameroonian women suffer a lot. Today they play the role of head of the family. Work money to feed the family. They do everything. Vendors like me find difficulties in generating income because of economic hardship. Everything is expensive and customers rarely come to buy ».
To another woman, the government’s silence on the high rate of femicide in the country does not motivate her to celebrate. « I remember the little girl kidnapped, raped, and killed in Yaoundé recently. My elder sister was raped in Yassa and her body was decapitated. The government has done nothing to render justice. Why should I go celebrating
Women’s Day? »
Discrimination or gender inequality hurts others and they blame the government for not doing anything to treat men and women equally.
« There are women who can do more of what a man does but they are given inferior positions or even sent to the kitchen. Women are marginalized whereas they are the backbone of society. » A lady points this as her reason for not having an interest in any form of women’s day celebration.
Despite the aforementioned reasons and others not evoked, the majority of Cameroonian women celebrate happily as if all is well.
Women who snubbed Women’s Day told CNA that they can join their fellow women if they stand to protest against femicides, rapes, gender-based violence, inequality, discrimination, the current economic hardship, and so on.
Source: Cameroon News Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Bill 2023 will include dimensions that capture the interest of the youth.
The move is to enrich the Bill, make it more relevant and ensure smooth implementation, when passed.
Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, said this at a public consultation organised by Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA) in Accra.
The event sought to assist in the content revision and to propose specific amendments that will address needs of youth, and vulnerable groups, including People living with Disabilities around climate adaptation and use of climate change funds that will be established as a provision of the Bill when enacted.
It also served as a platform to create awareness, engagement, and climate literacy among young people.
Dr Jasaw said the timing of the amendment to the Bill was right because, ‘it is currently at the second consideration stage and open for input to make it solid.
‘
He noted that the Bill was seeking to elevate the Environmental Protection Agency as an Authority to be empowered to regulate, protect, and exercise general oversight and co-ordination over all matters relating to the environment and climate change.
He said the Bill, when passed, would consolidate the various dispersed Environmental Acts; the Environmental Protection Act, 1994 (490), the Pesticides Control and Management Act, 1996 (Act 528) and the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act (917) under one Act.
The Bill under review was enacted twenty-nine years ago to regulate matters that affect the environment and to coordinate the activities of bodies that deal with the practical and technical aspects of the environment.
Mr Assan Ng’ombe, the Head of Resilience at AGRA, said Ghana had a large youthful population of which 73.7 per cent of them were below the age of 35 years.
‘However, youth participation in public and private processes remains low. For example, less than two per cent
of the 275 Members Parliament fall in the 21-35 age range,’ he noted.
The situation, Mr Ng’ombe said had, created gaps in national laws and programmes in effectively responding to the needs of the youth.
He said Ghana just like other global south countries was vulnerable to rising sea levels, droughts, increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall which adversely impacted infrastructure, hydropower production, food security and coastal and agricultural livelihoods.
Mr Ng’ombe noted that the youth had a role to play in helping the implementation of the country’s climate adaptation and mitigation measures hence the need for their inclusion.
Source: Ghana News Agency
We will not be in a hurry to start new projects – Former President Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama says a new NDC government will not rush to initiate new projects if it is voted into power in 2024.
He said his government would rather invest the available resources to complete stalled and ongoing projects.
‘I have said that we are not going to be in a hurry to start new projects. Whatever resources that we have, we are going to use it to continue and finish abandoned and ongoing projects so that we can start making use of them,’ he said.
Mr Mahama said this in Wa at the weekend when he addressed scores of people, including labour unions, at a townhall meeting as part of his two-day ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ tour of the Upper West Region.
The statement was in relation to some abandoned projects at the SD Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), which he promised to complete if he became president in 2025.
Mr Mahama said the late President John Evans Atta Mills promised the then Wa campus of the University for Development Studi
es (UDS), three key projects before he died.
They were an ultra-modern library, a lecture hall complex, and a students’ hostel facility.
According to him, he started those projects when he became president in 2013 but they had stalled.
‘I know that all these projects are very important to facilitate teaching and learning in that university.
And so, when we come we will continue those projects and complete them so that you can make use of them,’ he said.
Talking about road infrastructure, former President Mahama indicated that ‘it is a shame’ that the Wa-Tumu-Bolgatanga road was not yet constructed after it had passed through the hands of successive governments.
He indicated that it was a prime road because it linked two regional capitals, serving as a short route for people travelling from Wa to Bolgatanga and vice versa and promised to construct it when he became president.
On the Wa-Bole-Bamboi road, Mr Mahama acknowledged that it was in a very deplorable state with potholes that served as death trap
s because it had not been maintained for many years after it was constructed during the former President Jerry John Rawlings’ regime.
He emphasized that it was in his interest to rehabilitate the Wa-Bole-Bamboi road to make it easier for people to transport patients from Bole to the Upper West Regional Hospital, which served as a major referral centre for health facilities in Bole.
As part of his visit to the region, the NDC flagbearer for the 2024 general election is expected to interact with the clergy, labour unions, traditional leaders, farmers, and leaders of some tertiary institutions.
Source: Ghana News Agency