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Residents of Brukum Trawa, a rural community near Sekesua in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region, have threatened to boycott the 2024 general election due to a lack of social amenities.

The community members shared their grievances with the Ghana News Agency during an interview, stating that they had been deprived of essential services.

Nene George Sangmortey, the Chief of Brukum Trawa, expressed frustration over the years of neglect by the state in terms of community roads, electricity, and telecommunications networks, which were negatively impacting their lives and farming businesses.

He said vehicles were unable to transport farm produce, forcing the residents to find alternative but difficult methods to move their produce to the market centres.

‘We feel we’re not a part of Ghana, as we have been neglected by successive governments,’ Nene Sangmortey said.

‘Vehicles are unable to ply the road to transport farm produce; when we harvest them, we will have to do everything possible to ma
ke the stuck vehicle move, a situation that is destroying our livelihoods.’

Despite nearby villages being connected to the national power grid and having access to telecommunications, the residents of Brukum Trawa had not experienced any such improvements, the Chief said.

Ms Sarah Awatey, a resident, said the poor road conditions had persisted for years without any signs of improvement, and though residents had attempted to organise communal labour to fix the road, erosion during rainy seasons continued to erode their gains.

She said the community had reached out to the District Assembly for assistance, but to no avail.

‘We have been organising ourselves to construct the road through communal labour, but during rainy seasons, erosion has been affecting the road, and we have called on the district assembly to help us, but to no avail,’ she said.

Pregnant women had had their share of complications when being transported to seek antenatal care, Ms Awatey said, citing instances where some in labour gave birt
h on the road while being conveyed on motorcycles.

Ms Dora Awatey, a trader, said the lack of electricity had led to increased snake bites, forcing people to leave their homes.

‘Due to the absence of telecom reception, it is difficult for companies to contact their customers here,’ she said.

‘And market women who also have to travel from Kumasi, Accra, and other regions to buy farm produce from us will wait for our calls before proceeding and so the network has become a bane to our business.’

Mr John Tetteh, another resident, said they would not support any political party in the upcoming elections if their issues remained unresolved.

‘We have informed the chief that we will not attend meetings if political figures invite us,’ he said.

‘Since we are in an election year, they should provide us with electricity, rehabilitate our road to aid transportation of our farm produce, and fix telecommunications networks, otherwise we will not entertain any campaign here.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has outlined his strategic plan to enable businesses from Europe to maximise their profits by investing in Ghana.

The plan, he said, would capitalise on digital technology to further simplify tax administration, enhance traceability, and improve data cross-checking to curb corruption.

He gave this assurance when he met with some Ambassadors from the European Union (EU) together with some private sector executives at the EU Ambassador’s Residence, in Accra.

Those measures, he said, would be implemented to catapult Ghana’s future development by driving economic growth and attracting investment when elected as the President of Ghana.

There would also be a comprehensive plan to enhance governance and tackle key challenges facing Ghana to ensure a predictable environment.

This includes making the energy sector more competitive by reducing monopoly and removing VAT on solar energy.

The Vice President discussed plans for investing in public tra
nsport and electric vehicles, including the imminent arrival of some 200 Honda electric buses for testing in the next few months.

He emphasised the importance of responsible small-scale mining to prevent environmental degradation and industrialisation to generate employment and attract more investment.

He also proposed some land title systems to that effect.

Also, the power of technology would be harnessed to address challenges in agriculture, he stated.

Dr Bawumia expressed readiness to revisit policies, including those related to local content and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, to foster a more conducive investment environment.

While acknowledging the important role of education in nation building, he reiterated his support for implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

He also spoke about the trajectory of education that the government had taken regarding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and other educational programmes to broaden th
e horizon of students.

On peace and development, he assured of Ghana’s continued commitment to maintaining an inclusive democracy amidst instability in the sub-region and advocated for cooperation with neighbouring countries and Europe.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Four people died in a landslide Thursday night, May 2, 2024, in the Florina quarter in Maroua, Far North region.

The deceased persons, three women and a little girl according to locals were extracting rocks to smaller particles on a hill before a mass of earth collapsed and buried them.

It is suspected rock extraction and vibration caused by their crushing activity provoked the incident.

Their bodies were pulled out by elements of the army rescue unit in Maroua with assistance from the population who had already saved two women with injuries before the arrival of the rescue team.

Far North governor and other administrative and security officials descended on the scene to take stock of the situation.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The governor of the Far North region, Midjiyawa Bakary says victims of the May 2nd landslide in Florina in Maroua II failed to adhere to warnings to stop extracting rocks and crushing them into smaller particles on the hill where the incident occured for sale.

He was speaking while on the scene to take stock of the situation.

‘The SDO , D.O , and Mayor have warned the population severally to stop crushing rocks on the hill that collapsed. This was after a little girl of six years helping her parents crush the rocks to sell to construction engineers died of an accident in the process.’ Explained, the Far North governor.

Governor Midjiyawa Bakary regrets that despite this injunction taken, the population violated it and still went on with the forbidden activity.

‘We reiterate to the population of Florina to stop this activity. It is very dangerous. Authorities have found them a settlement. We are looking for means to move them there.’ Governor Midjiyawa Bakary stated.

The chief executive officer for the F
ar North region reminded that the two women who were pulled out alive are responding to treatment in the Maroua regional hospital.

It should be recalled that a mass of earth from the hill, probably provoked by over exploitation of rocks and vibration from the crushing activity killed three women and a little girl.

Relatives of the deceased persons are inconsolable.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

By Charity Nginyu

In commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, Adolphe Lele Lafrique Governor of the North West Region has extended his sincere congratulations to journalists for their unwavering dedication to upholding the principles of a free and vibrant media landscape in the region.

Under the theme ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis,’ Governor Lele Lafrique acknowledged journalists’ significant role in combating climate change disinformation and raising awareness about environmental issues.

He commended their commitment to disseminating accurate information and promoting environmental consciousness, emphasizing its importance in addressing the challenges of climate change.

Governor Lele Lafrique expresses pride in acknowledging the key role that the media plays in fostering transparency, accountability, and democracy. He highlighted journalists’ relentless pursuit of truth and their steadfast commitment to ethical journalism as instrumental in shaping public disco
urse and driving positive societal change.

‘On this day, let us reaffirm our commitment to defending press freedom and supporting the invaluable work of journalists in the North West Region,’ Governor Lele Lafrique urged.

‘Together, let us continue to strive for a better, more informed, and sustainable future for our Region,’ he continued.

In a nutshell, the Governor’s message emphasized the importance of press freedom and the crucial role journalists play in promoting transparency and accountability.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), the wholly-owned Ghanaian bank, has opened a new branch in the Berekum Municipality of the Bono Region, with a pledge to deliver excellent banking services at the doorsteps of the people.

With the Berekum branch, the bank currently has 114 branches spread across 13 regions in the country.

Mr Thairu Ndungu, the Deputy Managing Director, CBG, who made the pledge, said the CBG had prioritised Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs), saying the bank’s presence in the Municipality would create opportunity for the SMEs to flourish.

At a short ceremony at Berekum, the Deputy Managing Director expressed the bank’s readiness and commitment to provide superior banking solutions for all stakeholders.

He said the CBG had a special interest in the SMEs sector and developed a number of products to serve the sector.

Mr Ndungu said key among them was a product dubbed the ‘Collateral-Free loan’ specially designed for the SMEs customers to give them the opportunity to access loans up
to GHS 500,000.00 without collateral.

‘Berekum, without a doubt, is a place of immense significance, known for its significant role in trade, construction, and agriculture and with such uniqueness, CBG is honored to establish a presence here and serve the hardworking people of Berekum,’ he stated.

Mr Ndungu pledged more convenience and trust to businesses in the Municipality, saying ‘We recognise that banking is not just about the numbers but about building relationships and supporting the overall well-being of the community.’

‘That is why we are dedicated to being an active corporate citizen in Berekum and our team is committed to understanding the unique needs of the community,’ saying, the staff would work hard and tirelessly to provide personalised banking solutions for business or personal current savings accounts.

Describing the staff of the bank as ambassadors, Mr Ndungu urged them to work devotedly to raise the image of CBG, saying ‘you are our ambassadors, and it is through your efforts that CBG
will contribute to the growth and prosperity of this community.’

The Most Reverend Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Catholic Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, urged the bank to do more to improve the socio-economic livelihoods of the people, and asked businesses to also transact business with the bank.

Mr Charles Appiah, the Director of Finance, CBG, said customer data and confidentiality were guaranteed and the bank was working hard to achieve its vision of becoming the most trusted institution in the country.

Osabarima Kusi Yeboah II, the Nifahene (Right Chief) of the Berekum Traditional Council, had earlier expressed concern about the insecurity of some customers’ data at some of the banks and financial institutions in the country.

He said these were some of the factors contributing to robberies in the banking sector, with evidence showing that some staff of some banks released sensitive information to robbers to strike.

Source: Ghana News Agency