Day: March 21, 2024

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commiserated with the family of the late Dr John Kumah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu and Deputy Finance Minister, after being officially informed of his demise.

In his eulogy, the President said the late Minister, whose death was reported on March 07, this year, was a vibrant member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and had the potential to reach the peak of his political life.

He was a truthful and hardworking young man, he said of the deceased, describing his death as painful.

The family of the late Minister, led by Kwasi Owusu Twumasi, the Spokesperson, and accompanied by some NPP executives, on Wednesday, March 20, paid a courtesy call on the President, at the Jubilee House, Accra, to officially inform him of the death.

He was given details of the sudden passing of the Minister as well as the one-week funeral observation, scheduled for March 28, this year, at Ejisu-Onwe in the Ashanti Region.

President Nana Akufo-Addo assured that he would be at
tending the one-week funeral rites of the late Minister.

He had earlier in a tribute to the deceased, posted on social media, noted that: ‘He was a Ghanaian patriot par excellence’.

‘His unwavering dedication to service, his tireless commitment to the betterment of our nation, and his profound passion for uplifting the lives of the people of Ejisu and Ghana were evident to all who had the privilege of knowing him.’

The President said he was saddened by the sudden exit of the Deputy Finance Minister, ‘whose untimely passing has left us all bereft of a bright, energetic light in our midst’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Charity Nginyu

Former Indomitable Lion and football icon, Njitap Fotso Geremie Sorele, has filed for divorce from his wife, Toukam Fotso Laure, daughter of the late billionaire, Fotso Victor, citing a series of distressing allegations that have rocked the public.

The dissolution of their union, according to court documents obtained by our sources, is Toukam Fotso Laure’s alleged deceit regarding the parentage of their twin children. Born on June 5, 2008, four years before their marriage, Toukam presented the twins as her own, misleading Njitap into believing they were their biological offspring.

Shockingly, a paternity test later revealed that the twins were sired by Toukam’s previous partner, forcing her to confess to the deception and urging Njitap to allow visitations with their biological father.

According to Njitap, the marriage, initially promised harmony and excitement, but quickly devolved into a nightmare.

The said document indicates that Toukam resorted to derogatory insults, labeling Njitap
as a ‘low neighborhood furrower’ and subjecting him to verbal abuse, while also barring him from their marital bedroom, compelling him to seek refuge in other parts of their residence.

This high-profile divorce case has captured public attention, shedding light on the complexities of relationships within affluent circles and the painful consequences of deception and emotional abuse within marriages.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

AstraZeneca has introduced its Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) initiative aimed to prevent and control hypertension and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).

The initiative seeks to strengthen local healthcare centres, build resilience and prevention to reduce the higher rate of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD).

Mr Deepak Arora, Country President, African Cluster, AstraZeneca, speaking in Accra said the initiative was targeted at integrating screening, diagnosing of NCDs at the primary level and secondary level for a resilient health system.

He said a many Ghanaians were silently suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and NCDs, therefore, strengthening local healthcare centres and building their resilience on prevention and control would contribute to the reduction of CKD patients reaching the dialysis stage.

He said HHA has over the years screened 9.1 million patients, and this year’s chapter was adding CKD as part of the NCD prevention and easy access to treatment.

Mr Arora said the initiative was to
educate and strengthen patients to improve upon their lives to achieve a resilient health system.

He said HHA would have 25 centres across Ghana both public and private to look into, especially the local healthcare centres to prevent patients from progressing to the complicated stage of CKDs.

‘The centres will have healthcare providers trained to educate and advocate patients to seek early treatments,’he added.

He said early screening, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, diabetes and CKDs were important, calling on the Ministry of Health and professional societies of Ghana to collaborate fight against these diseases.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health, told the Ghana News Agency that the HHA initiative was important and timely because CKD awareness in Ghana was very low, therefore, educating and investing in kidney health promotion would help prevent kidney diseases.

He said it was important to educate citizens to go for check-ups to know their CKD stage for immediate recovery ac
tions.

He said when there was early detection it reduced the number of patients suffering from CKD and released the burden on the country as well.

He urged other stakeholders, private partners and Non-governmental organisations to also partake in such initiatives to help eradicate NCDs and CKDs across the world.

He expressed the hope that the HHA 2.0 initiative would contribute to the prevention and early detection to ensure improved patient outcomes and quality of life for persons living with CKD in Ghana.

He commended AstraZeneca for partnering Ghana Health Service and professional societies in the development of a protocol to manage and prevent CKDs.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Charity Nginyu

Mazebouag Public School in the East Region of Cameroon has been rocked by tragedy and violence following the death of a child and a vicious attack on the school director.

The incident unfolded when a parent, identified as Yekini, son of the village chief, allegedly assaulted Mr. Bruce Mengom, the school’s director, with a machete, before setting fire to the school buildings and fleeing the scene.

The parent’s actions were reportedly fueled by a desire for revenge following the drowning of his child, a student at the school.

However, sources have revealed that the tragic drowning occurred when the child ventured alone into a nearby marsh, unbeknown to the school director.

Mr. Mengom, who sustained head injuries in the assault, is currently receiving medical treatment.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Strategic Communication Africa Limited (Stratcomm Africa) has celebrated International Women’s Day with a special edition of its Women Soaring Higher Achieving Real Excellence (S.H.A.R.E) initiative.

The event was on the theme ‘S.H.A.R.E The Power: Invest In HER, Invest In US.’

A statement issued in Accra by Stratcomm said the theme for the event aligned both with the global call to ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ and the campaign theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’.

It said it was important to invest in women’s empowerment and fostering inclusivity.

Participants in the programme included female business executives, female students, female entrepreneurs, homemakers as well as young females looking for work.

The range of topics discussed included personal and professional experiences, soft skills that contribute to success, work-life balance, building a support system, social impact, investing in oneself.

Madam Barbara Clemens, Country Director for the World Food Programme in Ghana, emphasized the power
of collaboration and unity.

‘Once people isolate you, they diminish your impact, you feel lost and powerless and we must realize what our power is individually and how infinite the power is if we work together,’ she said.

She said identifying and leveraging the right networks and mentorships were crucial for forging strong bonds and ensuring a sustainable support system for women’s growth and advancement.

Madam Rica Rwigamba, Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Ghana, said getting the right networks from different ages, countries, and perspectives, and being able to listen to different viewpoints is vital.

‘Let nobody tell you, you cannot, they are the problem, they know you can. If you fall, you learn,’ she added.

Madam Aisha Ayensu, Founder and Creative Director of Christie Brown, said it was important for collective action in driving progress.

‘Africa has been trampled upon and is behind in so many things. There are so many institutional problems, as well as mindset issues, that have se
t us back as a continent,’ she said.

She said the onus was on every single one of them who knows better or who were in a better position to do something to move the needle a little bit.

Explaining the rationale for S.H.A.R.E., Mrs Sharon Anim, Stratcomm Africa’s Marketing Communication Manager, indicated that SHARE provided a platform for women to connect, share experiences, inspire one another, and develop the skills and networks needed to thrive.

‘We are committed to empowering women to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Partnership For African Social And Governance Research (PASGR) has urged government to support and enable a conducive environment to sustain the entrepreneurial drive of Ghanaian youth to achieve economic growth.

PASGR is an organisation committed to enhancing research excellence in governance and public policy that contributes to the overall wellbeing of women and men.

Dr Thomas Yeboah, Lead Researcher, PASGR, speaking at a dissemination and engagement workshop on youth unemployment in Accra, said government must enable a comprehensive and holistic approach to promoting youth employment in Ghana.

He said the youth must be supported with financial capital to set up businesses by addressing the structural barriers of financial capital, viability of micro enterprises, market linkages and macro-economic instability.

He said efforts must also be geared toward equipping the youth with knowledge and skills in business plans and preparations to enable young people sustain their businesses.

He recommended a tail
ored approach to addressing the diverse nature of economic aspirations of youth in Ghana by creating a favourable macro-economic environment for the youth to encourage their business aspirations.

He said there must be a broad-based growth strategy through an industry policy to address the structural conditions of Ghana’s economy to transform the country.

He said government must create an expansion of formal sector employment by merging both formal and informal sectors to ensure the youth secured professional employment for the future.

Dr Yeboah said government must develop a bilateral agreement with countries, which needed labour assistance to facilitate the youth to work and gain the skills and resources to come back and establish themselves.

He called for social insurance and protection schemes to safeguard the businesses and assets of the youth against any potential future shocks.

He advised the youth to have a business idea and urged stakeholders and industry leaders to create a platform to mentor an
d coach them to be able to generate business ideas.

‘We need to create awareness of financial literacy among the youth to enable them manage their businesses in a formal way’

Dr Yeboah said government must desist from attaching political and social connections to employment, business grants and loans for youth entrepreneurs.

‘Over 60 per cent of young men and women have the idea of venturing into their own businesses, therefore government must secure financial support to the youth to aid in development,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency