Category: General

Accra: Hajia Samira Bawumia, the wife of the Vice President, has launched a ‘Wear Ghana Everyday’ campaign as part of efforts to promote made-in-Ghana fabrics.

At the launch of this year’s ‘Wear Ghana Festival’ in Accra, Mrs Bawumia, who has dazzled Ghanaians over the years with her breathtaking and bespoke Ghanaian designs, advocated an increased patronage of locally produced textiles and designs.

She said everyday should be a ‘Ghana Day’ and not only on Fridays, adding; ‘Let us infuse our daily lives with the vibrancy of our culture. Whether in the office, at school, or during leisure. Our clothing is a canvas that tells the story of our nation’.

She appealed to employers to allow their staff to wear Ghana every day to express their patriotism and contribute to the growth of the Ghanaian economy.

‘Let us create a workplace culture that celebrates our identity,’ she added.

The event was organised by the National Commission on Culture, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in p
artnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority.

The ‘Wear Ghana Festival’ is an annual event instituted to promote national identity and encourage the patronage of local fabrics.

The Second Lady received a citation jointly presented by the leadership of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association, and the Ghana Association of Beauticians and Hairdressers for her outstanding contribution to the growth of the fashion Industry.

They said the fashion industry had seen remarkable growth since 2017.

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority valued Ghana’s export revenues from the fashion industry hovering around $43 million in 2020, which is a huge increase because the industry was nearing collapse due to excessive importation of second-hand goods and influx of cheap replica fabrics.

The Queenmothers’ Foundation, led by Nana Serwaa Bonsu, Queenmother of Offinso-Kayera, also named the Second Lady as ‘Dwabisohemaa Adwoa Adepa’ in recognition for her distinct role in promoting Ghana’s culture through fashion.

N
ana Serwa Bonsu said Ghana’s Kente and local prints had seen increased patronage since the Second Lady assumed office in 2017.

Mrs Bawumia has been celebrated widely for her fashion statements, particularly on Independence Day celebrations.

She skilfully blends locally sourced fabrics to produce intricate designs that become signature pieces being replicated across the country and internationally.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Maize sellers in the Sissala area of the Upper West Region are crying for buyers of their produce weeks after harvest, with all known off-takers not in sight, forcing them to sell at lower-than-expected prices.

This came to light when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) interviewed some maize sellers who have been unable to sell their stock whilst those in dire need are being forced to sell at prices below the standardized ones.

Alhaji Maize Adinan Bajin, a maize dealer, said in December 2023, a bag of maize was sold at GHS370.00, went down to GHS365.00, later to GHS320.00 and currently being sold at GHS300.00.

In the past, after Christmas, a lot of buyers went to the Sissala area to buy maize but the prevailing situation had been different as there were no buyers, leaving the space for only one company to buy at a reduced price.

‘We can’t get buyers and as farmers, we need to sell and clear our new fields, buy fertilizer and prepare our new fields, but we are at a standstill and stranded,’ Alhaji Bajin sa
id.

‘More challenged are the smallholder farmers and women who are having difficulty selling their maize due to the fewer buyers.’

‘Looking at the amount of inputs that were used in producing the maize, it’s now difficult to break even, and this could make us indebted to our suppliers.’

He said he currently has 5,000 mini bags of maize that he had not been able to sell and called on the Government to intervene by regulating the price as they feared reducing their farm sizes next season if there was no support.

A woman maize farmer said: ‘I had to carry my two Maize bags to the WARC shop, a maize aggregation company, to sell but I was told I would receive my money the following day since the company`s mode of payment was mobile money and that had to be done next day’.

‘A few years ago buyers would trace to my house and even buy the maize and pay me cash, this situation is affecting us.’

Mr Nabong Ayie, a farmer, said: ‘I have tried selling 2000 bags for the past two weeks and nobody is calling to buy, I
need money badly to do other things and now I have to wait until a buyer calls’.

Mr John Dimah, a former National Best Maize Farmer, bemoaned the absence of buyers, saying:,’This year we are stranded, I still have some 15,000 mini bags of maize unsold hoping to get a buyer’.

He blamed the situation on the disturbances around the Sahelian region, the good season from the Middle belt of Ghana, the possible influx of foreign maize flooding the market.

He called on farmers to diversify farming to other crops like sorghum, sesame, and soya bean.

The WARC is the only company currently buying maize in the Sissala area where the price of maize has dropped from GHS370.00 in December last year to Ghc300.00 per 100kg bag currently.

It has employed some 70 women aggregating maize at various communities at a price most farmers felt cheated by due to the lack of competitors.

However, the Company has plans to buy about 600,000 bags of maize.

Mr Samuel Akuetteh, a Municipal Officer in charge of Crops said the Departme
nt of Agriculture was aware of the situation and had created market linkages to enable smallholder farmers could sell their produce.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: FactSpace West Africa, an NGO, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has held a capacity-building workshop on fact-checking for journalists and media professionals.

It was also to introduce them to basic digital tools to tackle misinformation and disinformation.

It was on the theme: ‘Adopting Local Perspectives to tackle the Weaponisation of Misinformation and Disinformation: Reflections by Newsrooms and Fact-Checking Desks across the Five Regions of Northern Ghana’.

The participants included reporters, editors and managers of media houses drawn from the Northern, North East, Upper West, and Upper East Regions.

They were taken through conflict resolution, extremism reporting and fact-checking.

Mr Rabiu Alhassan, West Africa Director and Team Lead, FactSpace West Africa, speaking during the day’s training in Tamale, said it was to empower participants with the tools and knowledge to detect truth from falsehood since the world was increasingly recording
information disorder.

He said fact-checking, conflict, and violent extremism were challenges that required collective attention and action adding the training would help in promoting peace, countering extremism, and fostering a more informed society.

He emphasised that ‘In recent years, we have seen how misinformation and fake news can fuel conflicts and exacerbate violent extremism. We all witnessed the devastating impact of extremist attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso with many victims seeking refuge in Ghana. It is, therefore, imperative that we equip ourselves with the tools and knowledge necessary to combat these threats effectively.’

He urged the participants to commit to the principles of accuracy, integrity, and responsibility in reporting adding ‘Let us work together to build a more informed and resilient society; one that is capable of resisting the destructive influence of misinformation and violent extremism.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on h
is behalf, commended the partners for organising the training expressing optimism that it would complement the efforts of the government to combat misinformation and promote peace in the regions in the north.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Master Theodore Akuamoah, a past student of Artcom Academy, a private school in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, has received this year’s Presidential Independence Day Awards for excellent academic performance.

Master Akuamoah, who is currently a first-year student at Mawuli Senior High School in Ho, received the recognition in Accra on Friday, March 1, 2024, together with 45 other students who excelled in the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in an address during the event, congratulated the award recipients.

He said education must not be a privilege but a fundamental right and that all must reflect on the crucial role of education ‘because the success of the youth depends on a solid educational foundation.’

Mr Georgios Badaro, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana Limited, reiterated his firm belief that the move to award students would also inspire others to reach higher heights.

The awards ceremony, which was held at the A
ccra International Conference Centre, was attended by ministers of state, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, heads of departments and agencies, parents of awardees, teachers as well as other students.

It was in collaboration between Nestlé Ghana Limited and the Ministry of Education as part of their commitment to boosting academic excellence at the basic level.

The students, including those visually impaired and hearing impaired were selected from public and private schools across the country.

Master Theodore Akuamoah

Mr Mawuko Noah, Proprietor of Artcom Academy, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that for his school to be among the ten selected private schools across the country, was as result of hard work by the school’s management body as well as the entire teaching staff.

He said the school, since its establishment in 2003 and with a current pupil’s population of over 700, also grabbed a similar student award in 2017.

Each student received a laptop, a plaque, Nestlé souvenirs, and o
ne year supply of Nestlé products as well as a signed certificate by the President of the Republic of Ghana.

The students also engaged in exciting activities including a tour of the Nestlé factory in Tema, a visit to the Jubilee House, the Ministry of Education, and an air-experience at the Air Force Base in Burma Camp prior to the official awards event.

The 67th Independence Anniversary is on the theme: ‘Our Democracy, Our Pride.’

Since its inception in 1993, the President’s Independence Day Awards, continues to reward excellence in academic performance.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Cee Nortey and Helena Hommasi have emerged victors of this year’s under-16 Diplomatic Ball Tennis Tournament at the Accra Lawn club. 

15-year old Nortey defied all odds to top the boys category with over 46 participants, whereas Hommasi also stood tall to conquer the female category. 

The tournament, organised by Ambassador Sena Siaw-Boateng, was to imbue in the youth, leadership skills, capacity to settle conflicts and team building as well as the opportunity to network and grow the sport of tennis. 

Hundreds of tennis fans who trooped to the venue to catch a glimpse of some good tennis artistry from these young players were also engaged by selected members of the Diplomatic Corps. 

Cee Nortey, who enjoyed some impressive runs in the competition, came very strong in the finals to beat his opponent Desmond Amartey with a 6-2 score whereas Helina Hommasi also told her side of the story in a beautiful way as she smashed Grace Nortey into a 6-3 defeat. 

The event also witnessed an exhibition match as
the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Grace Mason and Ambassador Sena Siaw-Boateng teamed up to beat top players Dorcas and Sedem. 

Ambassador Siaw-Boateng after the competition expressed excitement having seen such skills exhibited by the young tennis players. 

As a sports enthusiast, she said Ghana was on the right path in grooming players who would represent the continent at the global stage. 

She urged the players to be committed and focused in their journey to become professionals in tennis. 

Madam Grace Mason also promised to use her outfits to support the growth of sports, especially tennis. 

Each winner took home a racket , tennis balls, exercise books, one thousand, five hundred cedis and a trophy. 

For placing second, Desmond Amartey and Grace Nortey received rackets, tennis balls and one thousand cedis each. 

Quarter-finalists and Semi finalists also pocketed five hundred cedis and eight hundred cedis respectively. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has donated 100 pieces of roofing sheets valued at GHc12,000 to assist the chief and people of A.B Bokazo complete the construction of the chief’s palace.

The donation was in response to a letter written by the Queen mother of the town, Nana Assuah Eba II to the MP’s office.

Making the donation, Mr Buah said he had always responded to the calls and needs of the town.

The MP assured the community of his avowed commitment to bringing more development to the town.

The Caretaker of the town, Nana Ebi Nyameke, expressed gratitude to Mr Buah for his support to the traditional council when the chief passed on recently.

He prayed for God’s blessings for the MP for his swift response to the needs of various towns in Ellembelle.

Nana Ebi Nyameke assured the MP for more votes for him in the upcoming general elections, because of his selfless leadership.

Queen mother of the town, Nana Assuah Eba II, appealed for 50 plastic chairs plus ot
her items for the Community Health Planning Scheme (CHPS) compound.

Mr Buah promised to assist in that direction.

Source: Ghana News Agency