Day: June 18, 2024

The 6 Garrison of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has officially inducted Brigadier General Frank Nartey Tei as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command.

The induction was done at a religious parade at the Air Force Base in Tamale, which witnessed a blend of Christian and Muslim solemn activities and was attended by traditional leaders, personnel of the GAF and the Northern Regional Minister.

Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Chief of Akwamu Traditional Area, was the Special Guest of honour for the occasion on the theme: ‘I Will Be with You Always (Joshua 1:1-9)’.

Brigadier General Frank Nartey Tei swore an oath of service and pledged to discharge duties of the office devotedly.

Officers of the Northern Command also affirmed their dedication to give the GOC maximum cooperation in his tenure of office.

The GOC, until his current appointment, was the Deputy Chief Staff Officer, Operations and Training at the Army Headquarters, Accra.

The Command, after the induction ceremony, cut sod for the construc
tion of an official residence for the office of the GOC, Northern Command.

Apostle Colonel Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode, Acting Director-General of Religious Affairs, who inducted the GOC, urged personnel of the command to accord the Commander the needed cooperation.

He stated that there was a connection between faith and service and indicated that the office of the GOC had spiritual implications just like that of the prophet and advised personnel to respect the Commander so that his leadership could be a blessing to them.

Brigadier General Frank Nartey Tei, the newly inducted GOC Northern Command, in his address, said it was a privilege to serve as the Commander of the Northern Command, describing it as a noble one characterised by outstanding performance in maintaining peace in the region, despite the complex and demanding nature of the operations.

He said ‘I am deeply aware of the weight of the responsibility and trust placed in me by the High Command and all stakeholders. I pledge to lead with integrity
, courage and a steadfast commitment to our mission.’

He encouraged personnel to keep up hard work in supporting the civil authorities and other stakeholders, especially the other services to foster a conducive environment for all as the country approached the general election.

The GOC urged his men to act with professionalism and integrity and to avoid actions that could be perceived as biased and gave assurance that the High Command was actively working to address the logistics constraints of the Command.

He solicited support in building the residence for successive GOCs, referred to as the Eagle Nest.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, in congratulating the GOC on his position, expressed confidence in his ability to lead a good course.

He said the previous GOCs distinguished themselves in serving the Command, adding his relationship with the new GOC revealed that he would not be an exception and urged the Command’s personnel to maintain diligence in their duties, stating that men
in uniform must act with dedication.

He said, ‘What you find yourselves doing is a call to national unity, a responsibility that requires commitment and unwavering dedication to our shared goals.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), says military-civilian relationship in Ghana has not declined despite incidents of violence recorded from both sides in the recent past.

In a written interview with the Ghana News Agency, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Marteye on behalf of Brigadier-General Eric Aggrey-Quashie, Director General, Department of Public Relations, GAF, stated that, the incidents were isolated cases which had no bearing on the progress made so far.

‘The very recent one which happened in Millennium City, near Kasoa was because of a land dispute and currently being handled by the court and it will not reduce the gains made in military-civilians.’

Military personnel, he explained, just like other human beings, also engaged in social activities hence misunderstandings and disagreements were likely to happen.

However, the Military High Command was always committed to educating uniformed personnel and the public to be circumspect in their dealings with each other to mitigate fall outs.

‘GAF constantly advis
es troops to be guided in their dealings with the civilian public as well as demonstrating commitment to maintaining law and order in our communities and urges members of the public to seek peaceful and lawful means to resolve land disputes and to refrain from engaging in acts of violence to prevent unfortunate situations,’ he said.

In response to the question, if the cordial civil-military relationship is being taken advantage of or abused by some civilians, GAF said it sought to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the public, therefore, did not think that the two parties would take advantage of such.

The Military acknowledged that some would think the relationship was being abused but, it was important to note that, the successes of military-civilian programmes outdid the excesses, however, there was still more room for improvement.

On the issue of what the military could do to salvage the situation of the shaky civil-military relationship, it said more efforts had been put in to reach out
to the public through the mass media.

GAF stated that, it engaged the media and public through its Media/Press soirees and West African Soldiers’ Social Activities (WASSA), among others to interact with the civilian population.

GAF said it had, on several occasions, offered clarifications on issues raised by the media, however, they agreed that more needed to be done in this regard.

‘We acknowledge that more needs to be done to educate and sensitise the public to reduce tension between the military and civilian population. Intensifying our activities and ensuring rigorous public engagement will consolidate gains made so far,’ the Military stated.

On the progress made so far as far as military-civilian relations was concerned, he said the Military had embarked on some activities geared towards the building of a strong relationship with civilians.

This included route marches with sister security services such as the Police to assure the public of its commitment to security and development and as a show of
force; through GAF Open Day to allow the public access to military installations to view its weaponries, maneuvers and simulations.

The above was aimed at helping civilians understand military life thus giving a boost to military – civilian relations in the country.

The GAF explained how it helped civilians on several occasions by joining the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Ghana National Fire Service to respond to national emergency situations such as floods and fire outbreaks.

‘This is done by the deployment of the Engineer Unit of GAF to help search and rescue operations to evacuate people. The contributions of GAF during such situations go a long way to save life, property and reduce the burden on NADMO and Fire Service’, they explained.

Hitherto anti-criminal operations such as ‘Operation Calm Life’ by the Ghana Police Service was supported GAF which helped reduced the menace.

The GAF said it had also helped to improve the health and wellbeing of civilians through its numerous
medical outreach programmes for communities with limited or no access to healthcare services.

Additionally, the contribution of Military Hospitals to the provision of general health care of the Ghanaian civilian populace cannot be underestimated especially during strikes by medical practitioners.

‘Military Hospitals continue to treat the increasing number of patients who throng to our facilities during industrial actions. 37 Military Hospital continues to record an increasing number of civilian patients due to the belief that the facility provides faster and more efficient health care service,’he explained.

Moreover, the military said its schools were open to the public without discrimination to contribute to knowledge and skills acquisition for national development and in the process, strengthen bonds with the populace.

Other interventions such as donations to educational institutions and health facilities, constitute humanitarian assistance given to civilian institutions which offers opportunities to em
bark on sensitisation activities.

The GAF, realizing the importance and power of social media, has taken advantage of it to disseminate information to the public. This medium, it said, had afforded an avenue for them to engage the public and receive feedback.

‘The number of people who have patronized our social media pages show public interest in official military information thereby improving in our relationship with the public’, it said.

The Military reiterated its unrelenting efforts to deepen civilian-military relationship, calling on the populace to do same, shunning all tendencies to mar it.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some assembly members of the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) have expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as an insensitive End of Service Benefit paid to assembly members after four years of service. 

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kpone, Mr Richard Tsatsu, assembly member for the Bethlehem electoral area, said the payment of GHS 2,250 to assembly members who served in the third assembly for four years as an end-of-service benefit was insensitive.

Mr Tsatsu, who also served under the third assembly, described it as sad for the leadership of the KKMA to disregard the sacrifices made by the members over the past four years.

He said they needed to be well recognised and appreciated for their selfless dedication and commitment towards the success of the municipal assembly as far as Internally Generated Funds (IGF) were concerned.

According to him, the KKMA, in approving the 2024 budget last year, agreed and approved a certain threshold to be paid as an end-of-service benefit to ass
embly members of the third Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly, but ‘that did not happen.’

Mr Tsatsu explained that the regulations of the Local Government Act 936 Act (2016) spelt out the model standing orders for the various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), saying emoluments, including end-of-service benefits for presiding members and assembly members, must be determined by the assembly and paid out from its IGF.

Mr Peter Yao Glavi, the assembly member for the Kakasunanka electoral area, stressed that the workload of assembly members was enormous, stating that coordinating activities to ensure residents go about their normal duties, is something authorities should not overlook.

He said assembly members most of the time use their savings to solve community problems and pay for other expenses for residents, adding that the KKMA must at least be sensitive to their concerns and welfare. 

‘We pay our utility bills, school fees, and other expenses, so why disrespect us that way?’ he as
ked. 

According to him, the KKMA paid their predecessor assembly members who served in the second assembly GHS 4,000.00 in 2019 as an end-of-service benefit and therefore argued that paying them GHS 2,250.00 in 2024 was unfair, unjust, and blatant disrespect towards them.

The concerned assembly members called on the leadership of the KKMA to reconsider their decision and pay what was agreed in the 2024 composite budget as an end-of-service benefit for Assembly Members of the third assembly.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Major renovation work has begun at the Sunyani residency to put the official residence of the Bono Regional Minister into good shape.

‘We want to turn the residency into a Peduase Lodge annexe’, Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a visit to the residency.

The GNA noticed that the main official apartment of the Regional Minister had been re-roofed and was undergoing essential rehabilitation works.

Mad Owusu-Banahene said the renovation of the facility was necessary because many of the quarters had been left to deteriorate for years.

Describing its beauty as unparalleled, the Regional Minister said, ‘We are determined to add up to make the residency more attractive and welcoming like the Peduase Lodge’.

Mad Owusu-Banahene said other facilities and government quarters within the residency would also undergo some renovation works to put the building into good shape. ‘

Adding up to the beauty and the serene environment will make the residency one
of the best good-looking residencies in the country’, the Regional Minister added.

Mad Owusu-Banahene therefore appealed to the entire business community as well as wealthy natives of Bono, home and abroad to support the renovation of the residency.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The government is negotiating with the European Union (EU) to expand its funding support for the construction of more feeder roads to cover the remaining districts of the Upper West Region.

‘This is important for us because the EU is a strategic partner to Ghana and we hope and we are confident that the EU will understand and appreciate the strategic importance of the region and its development gap challenges and provide additional funding so that the entire region will be covered under the EU -World Bank funded farm road project’, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Finance Minister has hinted.

He said if the request was considered, it would demonstrate the presence of the EU in the region and in Ghana to bring development to the doorsteps of the people.

Dr Adam gave the hint at the commissioning of a 670-kilometre of rehabilitated, upgraded and maintained feeder and farm access roads in the region, which was funded by the EU in the Upper West Region at Daffiama to connect the people in the communities to market c
entres to sell their goods and agricultural products.

He said the achievement marked not only the improvement of infrastructure but also strengthening and extending partnership between the EU and the government of Ghana.

The results of such commitment through improved road connectivity to enhance livelihoods for rural communities, also enhanced interconnectivity between food production areas and market centres, which will help to address critical barriers to economic growth in the rural communities, especially in transportation.

‘The roads are indeed lifelines that connect the farmers to market centres to enable them to sell their products more efficiently and at better prices. The intervention also came to help reduce travel time, improve road safety and enhance institutional management of our transport sector’, he said.

Dr Adam said the government was determined to continue to provide for the needs of the people to improve livelihoods and to bring the development desired to uplift the living standards o
f the people.

He appealed to development partners not just the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Development Bank but all bilateral partners to continue supporting Ghana’s economic development agenda saying, ‘We need to work together to address the challenges and create an enabling environment for development in Ghana’.

The EU’s continued support of Ghana’s development agenda, particularly in the areas of general reforms of public financing management, decentralisation, sustainable agriculture, education, employment creation and social protection was evident in the allocation of 203 million euros under the Ghana 2021-2027 multiannual indicative programme for the 2021-2024 programming period.

He announced that a financial agreement to the tune of 120.1 million euros had so far been signed to commit funds under the three focal areas of green growth for jobs, smart and sustainable cities and good governance and security.

The finance minister noted that the EU’s generous grants of 35 millio
n euros for this project highlight a shared commitment to sustainable agriculture development and poverty alleviation

He assured that the government would continue to work with the people and its development partners to bring development to the region

Mr Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador in Ghana, who graced the occasion, said the EU was committed to supporting the socio-economic transformation of Ghana, particularly in the northern regions.

He said the 35 million Euros roads project was special as it was an important part of the EU Global Gateway initiative, which was the EU global connectivity plan.

The EU was supporting three Global Gateway projects; two of them, which included the feeder roads and the Kaleo Solar Power Plant in the region.

He said large-scale quality and sustainable investments were the bedrock of economic development, driving growth, creating jobs, fostering innovation, generating long-term value and uplifting the communities; that transformative potential was the essence of the EU
Global Gateway.

The EU Ambassador said many of the communities in the region were isolated and could not effectively trade among themselves due to inadequate proper access roads, noting that the occasion was a milestone in EU -Ghana partnership to ensure the socio-economic transformation of the country through improved access and connectivity of roads in rural areas.

Mr Razaaly said the roads were to provide links between areas of agricultural production and market centres to help unlock new economic opportunities for the people, diminish transport costs, shorten travel time, increase the trade of agricultural products and raise the incomes of the farmers.

The intervention also empowered the government with innovative planning, execution and maintenance of its transport investments.

‘Back in 2019 when the EU started, it was the first time that the Ministry of Roads and Highways used the Output and Performance-based Road Contracting (OPBRC) model. This ‘design-build-maintain’ approach had proven to be effi
cient for road assets management and maintenance’, he said

Mr Razaaly said aside from the roads, the project also rehabilitated 16 Community-based Health Planning and Services and provided them with mechanised boreholes powered by solar, and that intervention could not be overstated.

He said with the infrastructure, the EU had empowered the local Communities, promoted socio-economic advancement and fostered inclusive growth in northern Ghana.

The road rehabilitation was only one of the components of the broader EU -Ghana Agricultural Programme EU-GAP 132 million Euro grant to promote sustainable Agriculture in the region.

‘I want to recognise the joint efforts of the World Bank and the EU in the delivery of the project. When we join forces, we multiply the impact. Looking into the future, the EU remained committed to continue fighting poverty in rural areas, notably in northern Ghana’, he said.

An additional 30 million euros in funding support has been allocated to improve food security and support for c
limate change adaptation across northern Ghana for the next three years.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku X, The Paramount Chief of Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area, has expressed concern over the alarming rate of chieftaincy disputes currently prevailing in the area.

He said the rate at which the disputes were unfolding in the area was not palatable and if measures were not put in place to resolve them, it would have negative effects on the chieftaincy institution as well as the development and transformation of the area.

Okofo Nyakoh Eku expressed the sentiment when he addressed the 2024 first meeting of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Council at Nyakrom in the Central Region.

The Overlord of Agonaman expressed disappointment about the growing disputes in the various towns of the traditional area and appealed to kingmakers, heads of clan, elders and other stakeholders to help find lasting solutions to the matter.

The Paramount Chief said the Agonaman Council was doing everything possible to restore the town to its former glory devoid of chieftaincy disputes.

He therefore called for pea
ce and harmony to ensure that development thrived, adding that without peace in the traditional area, it would be difficult to attract investors and get infrastructural development.

He said if the situation had not changed for the better, investors would not invest in the traditional area which had large prospects of gold and other natural resources for job creation and wealth for the inhabitants.

Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku assured that various committees of the traditional council including the standing committee were poised to ensure that all chieftaincy disputes were resolved to enhance development.

The newly installed Omankrado, Nana Tekyi Korkor XI was introduced to the Omanhene as customs and traditions demanded.

Nana Korkor pledged his support for the chief of Agona Asafo, Nana Yamfo Asuako XI and the Omanahene to ensure peace and development.

On chieftaincy cases, Nana Tekyi Korkor called on the kingmakers and elders of families to keep records of stools and their history to help check members who
qualified and those who did not qualify to ascend the throne to avert rampant chieftaincy disputes.

Source: Ghana News Agency