Category: General

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, and First Lady Linda Ramkalawan, have been invited to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, according to a press released from State House on Saturday.

The two ceremonies will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6.

“During his mission in the UK, the President will also participate in various events on the sidelines of the Coronation, namely the Commonwealth Leaders High-Level event and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) side event,” said the press statement.

Furthermore, President Ramkalawan will also meet with some members of the Seychellois community living and working in the United Kingdom.

Other heads of state and government who have confirmed their attendance to the coronation so far are Emmanuel Macron, President of France, Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia, Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, Mary Simon, Governor-General of Canada, Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus. U.S. President Joe Biden will not be in attendance but will be represented by First Lady Jill Biden.

Also, royal attendees will include Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, King Carl XVI Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, King Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai of New Zealand, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan and King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Professor Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has applauded the university’s commitment to academic excellence that had culminated in its recent giant academic strides.

Regardless of the institution’s enormous challenges, he said it had chalked enormous successes in academic innovation, technology, human resource, and infrastructure development.

Others are renewed partnerships, collaborations, and health improvements that had set the institution apart among its co-equals in Ghana and West Africa.

Prof. Owusu-Sekyere disclosed this at the 19th Congregation of the university, which saw a total of 1,280 students graduate with various Degrees and Diplomas.

Of the total, 336 students comprising 26.25 per cent graduated with Bachelor of Technology degrees as 525 students representing 41.02 per cent were also honoured with Higher National Diploma whilst 419 students making 32.73 per cent received Professional Diploma certificates.

Highlighting the gains, Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said the Department of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship had developed an innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum aimed at enhancing practical knowledge and employable skills in the field of entrepreneurship and agribusiness.

It involved the establishment of a Business Incubation Centre, which provides students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting through support, planning, and tools to succeed.

Through that, he said the Department of Construction Technology and Management had won a GHS1.3 million grant from the Ghana Skills Development Fund to aid their activities.

Relatedly, he said the Engineering Design and Innovation Centre had also commenced its novel ECORIDE Project, which seeks to offer CCTU students and staff an environmentally friendly and commercially viable transportation system.

It seeks to provide an alternative means of transportation while serving as a source of internally generated funds to the University.

In addition, work had began on the ECOBUS project-a mobile classroom for experiential learning with a conference room on wheels and a standby generator.

It is equipped with solar panels and a battery bank system to supply energy to the bus for the lighting and powering of all electrical or electronic systems on the bus, and a charging centre for the solar trikes during power outages.

For agricultural innovation, Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said CCTU had started designing and fabricating equipment suitable for mechanizing the production and processing of commercial crops.

They include cowpea, soybeans, sugarcane, maize, carrot, and cabbage.

Furthermore, it had designed its first seed planter which he said was undergoing testing and evaluation to improve its functionalities to be unveiled this year.

Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said CCTU had embarked on an initiative to upgrade at least one innovative student project with commercial viability each year.

For that matter, CCTU has selected an automatic drink bottling machine designed and fabricated by Mechanical engineering students to be upgraded and powered by solar.

The equipment scheduled to be unveiled this year, will be useful to local drink makers in both urban and rural areas where electricity remained a challenge.

For the Department of Tourism Management, he said CCTU has also won a grant of GHS200.044.00 for the training of the staff and the purchase of various equipment for teaching support.

Prof Owusu-Sekyere said the institution had increased its programme offerings from 30 in 2019, to 70 and were duly accredited by the Ghana Education Commission (GTEC).

They include; two M-Tech, 22 four-year B-Tech, 14 B-Tech topup, 14 Higher National Diploma and 20 Diploma programmes.

For human resource development, he said 35 staff were persuing doctoral studies, six on MPhil programmes, 11 pursuing bachelor’s degrees and nine staff pursuing HND, among others.

For his part, Prof Harold Amonoo-Kuofi Council Chairman, advised the students to put their skills to good use and support their alma mater.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to address this year’s May Day celebration in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital.

Annually, May 1 is celebrated as Labour or Workers Day across the world to recognise and appreciate the contributions of labour in nation building across the globe.

This year’s celebration would be on the theme: ‘Protecting incomes and pensions in an era of economic crisis: Our responsibility.’

Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, who confirmed the President’s participation in the celebration to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, said ‘All is set to receive the President for the occasion.’

He noted that the President had frequently visited the Region, and it was therefore not a surprise that the Upper East Region was chosen for the National May Day celebration, adding that the tourism industry would be boosted.

‘All our major hotels in the Region are full, and that will increase incomes of the business community. In fact, apart from the May Day celebration, since I became Minister, the Region hosted National conferences of the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana Medical Association, the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union among others,’ he said.

Mr Yakubu reiterated the need for residents in the Region to live in peace to attract more conferences and National events to boost tourism and businesses.

Leaderships of some labour Unions, especially the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) made appeals and shared their expectations from government in this year’s celebration.

Mr Samuel Alagkora Akolgo, the First Vice President of the GRNMA, appealed to government to reconsider its decision to rope in pension funds onto the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

He said the Social Protection system in Ghana, especially for the aged was not the best, ‘So if people save their money with the hope that they will use that to sustain their lives, and this programme will affect them, we do not think that is fair.’

Mr Akolgo appealed to the President to assure the people that pensioners who had been complaining about their locked up investments would be exempted.

He said the cost of living and taxes had increased after labour negotiated the salaries of workers for 2023.

‘Obviously, these were not factored into the negotiation and now that some of these things are coming up, we expect government to work out a package to compensate workers for the introductions of some of these taxes,’ he said.

He said it was the expectation of the Association government would address inflation rate in the country which he noted affected market prices of items.

‘A lot of workers spend their money mostly on food, so inflation influences the food component so much. This means the purchasing power of the ordinary worker will be reduced.

‘So we expect the President to announce measures that will curtail the high inflation we are experiencing now. From the data, we are hovering above 40 per cent, which is not good for planning,’ Mr Akolgo said.

Mr Charles A. Ateem, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chairman of GNAT said ‘For us as Teachers, we need better conditions of service. We expect the President to tell us what the government is doing to better our conditions of service.’

On Housing Scheme for Ghanaian workers, Mr Ateem recalled that President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of a 120 affordable housing unit to ease the housing deficit in the Region, and said ‘We expect to hear from the President the state of that project.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management (CISCM) has held an induction ceremony for 96 members as part of efforts to develop and grow the supply chain industry.

The event, which was a climax of the celebration of the World Supply Chain week, appreciated the efforts of these individuals for their continuous support to the industry.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Kofi Osei Frimpong, a Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management, said there was the need to prioritize the supply chain industry due to its contribution to national development.

He said businesses in Ghana would have collapsed if authorities had no idea on supply chain management and its benefits.

According to him, the country’s inability to understand the supply chain had led to the borrowing of huge sums of money from the International Monetary Fund.

Professor Frimpong again explained that importation of goods to the country had caused more harm than good and encouraged that there should be more exports which would yield profits for Ghana.

‘I urge you all to be up to date and broaden your scope in the supply chain industry in order to understand certain things that are happening in the business side,’ he noted.

He urged the various companies to produce local content to help boost Ghana’s economy in these difficult times.

Mr Awuku Sam, Vice President of CISCM, also congratulated all 96 inducted members of the institute and urged them to give their best to see the growth of the Supply Chain Industry.

He lauded the commitment of the Chartered Institute of Supply Chain management in contributing to the growth of Ghana’s economy.

Some notable names among the inductees were Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, Professor De-Graft Owusu-Manu, and Professor Aaron Lawson.

The weeklong celebration saw engagements with Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company Limited, Tullow Ghana and other companies.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Reverend Dr Komi Hiagbe, Rector of the Global Theological Seminary (GTS), Centre for Capacity Building and Continuing Education (CCB and CE) has called on Christian leaders and church workers to remain committed to their calling.

He said it was important to remind ourselves of the call to serve God fully in all situations.

Dr Hiagbe made the call when he addressed GTS Akatsi Campus students at their maiden graduation ceremony held at Akatsi in the Volta Region.

He called for the commitment in doing God’s work regardless of any challenging moment that may occur along the line.

‘Under whatever condition, let us not be found wanting in doing God’s work. Know that you are serving God,’ he said.

Dr Hiagbe who was also the guest speaker during the short graduation ceremony which saw 20 graduands, commended them on their resolve to enhance their knowledge in doing God’s work.

He urged the graduands to move to higher heights after attaining their initial excellence in Christian Ministry courses.

Reverend Forestone Tsagli, the Akatsi Presbytery Chairman, disclosed that the school was recommended for Catechists, Church Elders, Deacons, Administrtors, and other church workers who desire to be equipped for effective ministry.

The ceremony, which was held at the GEC’s Shalom Chapel auditorium, under the theme, ‘Christian Ministry as Service to Christ and His Kingdom,’ was part of the climax of this year’s Presbytery Representative Conference of the Church, Akatsi Presbytery.

Certificates were presented to all graduands who took part in the mandatory nine-month Ministry Course.

The ceremony brought together some governing council and management members of the school such as, Professor Sampson Agbozo, Council Chairman, Reverend Dr Michael Alloteh Iiamofig, Vice Rector, Dr Hayford BK Kwashie, Registrar, Reverend Forestone FK Tsagli, Presbytery Chairman, Akatsi, Rev. SK Agbeyome, as well as Pastors and Church workers.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Bright K. Lenwah, the Municipal Chief Executive of Nkwanta South in the Oti Region has paid a familiarization visit to some communities in the Bonakye North Electoral area.

The communities visited were- Bugna, Jumbu Cheri and Alege-Akura.

His visit was to ascertain the challenges of the chiefs and people of these areas and find immediate solutions to them.

Mr David Yatima, the Assemblyman for Bonakye North Electoral Area, highlighted challenges confronting the communities, which included bad road networks, poor school facilities, lack of potable drinking water, lack of telecommunication network, lack of electricity and poor health facilities.

He commended the MCE for the initiative and hoped that measures would be put in place to address them.

Mr Lenwah, responded to the various issues raised by the communities, and promised to deal with the issues, especially those directly under his jurisdiction and refer those that were not under his immediate control to the appropriate quarters for redress.

He called for continuous support to government policies and interventions regardless of their political affiliation and to live in peace and harmony with one another as the only way to derive development.

The people in the communities visited expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the MCE for his visit saying that, this is the first of its kind a face-to-face meeting was held to ascertain their challenges, which had boosted their hope and confidence in him and his government.

They encouraged him to continue his good works for the people of Nkwanta South and assured him of their support whenever he called on them.

Source: Ghana News Agency