Category: General

Plan International Ghana has equipped artisans in four communities in the Akuapim North Municipality of the Eastern Region with start-up kits as part of the ‘Be Smart, Learn, and Stay Protected’ initiative.

Artisans in the communities of Kwamoso, Aboabo, Okorase, and Timber-Nkwanta have been provided with equipment to improve their craft and boost their quality of life.

With funding from Nivea, the initiative has already sparked great enthusiasm as it would offer artisans the opportunity to attain self-sufficiency, create a better future, support their families, and contribute to socio-economic development.

During the presentation at Tinkong, Mr Mahmoud E. K. Nantomah, the Coordinator of the Be Smart, Learn, and Stay Protected Project, said the artisans were grouped into two; young adults who had already acquired skilled trade, and those yet to undergo apprenticeship in bakery.

Those already trained and working as plumbers, dressmakers, and hairdressers received a range of tools and equipment, including d
rilling machine, shovel, pickaxe, industrial sewing machine, knitting machine, hairdryer, hair basin, rollers and gallons of hair conditioner and shampoo.

Mr Nantomah said experts from the Business Resource Centre (BRC) at the Municipal Assembly were invited to provide beneficiaries with a comprehensive two-day training on entrepreneurship and business management.

The artisans received training in marketing, financial management, and bookkeeping to enhance productivity and guarantee sound financial practices in their businesses.

The second group of young adults, who took part in the training session, would soon begin a three-to-six-month apprenticeship in baking and receive support to launch their businesses after completing the programme.

He said a community-level structure, called Champions of Change, and the child protection committee working with the project in the communities would help to monitor the judicious use of the machines presented to the first cohort of the livelihood beneficiaries.

Mr Ble
ss Kofi Vieku, the Project Manager of the Be Smart, Learn, and Stay Protected Project, said it aimed to empower young adults, particularly adolescents, with skills and tools for income-generating activities to reduce their vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence.

The project, which commenced in 2021, currently operates in 20 communities in the Eastern and Oti regions and now in its second phase of implementation, which would end in March 2025, he noted.

Mr Samuel Adjinbaruk, the Deputy Director, Akuapim North Municipal Assembly, on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive, commended Plan International Ghana for the economic empowerment of young adults in the area.

Ms Gifty Sabla, a seamstress, who received an industrial sewing machine, assured the organisation of her commitment to putting it to good use.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Jeroen Verheul, Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana says security agencies must work at winning the full trust of citizens to enhance their fight against violent extremism.

‘If there is mistrust between citizens and security services, they won’t?report suspicious behaviour they notice within their communities. If you want to have an effective campaign, you need to enhance the trust between the population and security services,’ he said.

The Ambassador said this on Wednesday during the launch of the second phase of the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) Project in Accra.

PoVETSA II, the follow-up of PoVETSA I, will continue to respond to threats of violent extremism and terrorism in Northern Ghana by addressing the fundamental causes of these issues while encouraging social cohesion and inclusive peacebuilding among civilians and security actors.

A key finding of the PoVESTA I project was the continued mistrust between citizens and security agencies in the
districts studied.

The study found that 41 per cent of males and 21 per cent of females have mistrust of security agencies.

The second phase of the project is being carried out by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in collaboration with the National Peace Council (NPC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), with funding from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It will place a major emphasis on fostering trust between civilians and security personnel ahead of the December 7, 2024, parliamentary and presidential elections.

It will also target the Fulbe tribe to enhance social cohesion among host communities and trust in national security actors.

The project is part of a long-term effort to develop social accountability systems and create inclusive dialogue towards peace in Ghana.

Mr Verheul urged stakeholders to work together to prevent terrorism from becoming a reality in Ghana.

He expressed worry over the presence of political vigilante groups, saying this suggested that polit
ical parties or election candidates had doubts about the country’s security apparatus.

According to the Ambassador, 62 politically related vigilante groups exist in the Savanah region alone.

He stated that the existence of those vigilante organizations created an opening for Jihadist infiltration, which must be addressed urgently.

In a speech read on his behalf, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant of KAIPTC, said the Centre recognised the crucial importance preventive measures played in ensuring peace and security.

He said that KAIPTC had a long history of commitment to capacity building, research, and collaboration in the fields of peacekeeping and conflict resolution and that it would assist the initiative by offering specialised expertise and assistance for comprehensive capacity building.

The Commandant said the Centre would also contribute to tailored courses that equip defence and security actors and community leaders with effective conflict resolution strategies.

He said no single organi
zation can adequately manage the complex challenges of violent extremism and terrorism, and that alliances would benefit entities in combating emerging threats.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Abed-Nego Bandim, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bunkpurugu, has reiterated the pressing need for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

He appealed to the Government to invest in climate resilience measures as part of efforts to combat climate change.

Dr Bandim made the call in his submission on the floor of Parliament during a debate on a proposal to empower the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help in the fight against the phenomenon.

‘Mr Speaker, I think it is important that in the fight against climate change, we should look at the Government’s own actions and inactions that are detrimental to its fight,’ the MP said.

‘Mr Speaker, there are a number of policies that the Government has embarked upon or continue to embark upon that are inimical to the fight.’

‘Mr Speaker, just about two or three weeks ago, the Government, through the Ministry of Energy, went round; particularly the rural constituencies, to distribute locally made clay C
oal pots for households to use.’

Mr Speaker, the question is, how did they use these coal pots? Obviously, they are going to depend on charcoal, they’re going to depend on firewood in order to use them.’

He said whereas the Government was working with the EPA to combat climate change, the same Government was promoting the use of coal pots in the countryside, encouraging the local folks to continue to fall trees, so that they could be able to survive.

Ghana was an oil and gas producing country but what percentage of the citizens used the gas to survive, he asked.

The MP said the whole of the North East Region did not have a regular supply of gas and the few gas stations there mostly did not have gas to sell to the citizenry.

‘In my constituency for example, Bunkpurugu, sometimes we have to commute to Bawku or Walewale; from Bunkpurugu to Walewale in order to get gas for cooking and for commercial purposes,’ he said.

‘Mr Speaker, the Government needs to double its efforts to make sure that gas is made ava
ilable for its citizens, so that we can stop depending on the felling of trees to survive, because it is adding to the issues of climate change’.

He said the North East Region was closer to Togo and Burkina Faso, and the residents had observed that the Sahara Desert was fast eating into the country.

‘So, it is not enough to just empower the EPA with laws but the Government itself must look at its policies and where it will not help in the fight against climate change should be amended,’ Dr Bandim said.

‘It means, there is no coordination, there is no conversation between Government agencies. I am not sure the EPA is aware that the district assemblies and the Ministry of Energy went round doing all these things (distributing clay coal pots).”

‘I believe they would have advised them and probably given them some alternative measures that could help,’ he said and advocated a national dialogue at addressing climate change.

‘Mr Speaker, if you look at our transportation system, we are only relying on road tra
nsportation. There is no rail, even though the Government some time ago promised even sky trains that have not been made possible.’

He said using railways as a means of transportation between Tema Harbour to the northern part of the country and other neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali would help reduce the destruction of the nation’s roads and the emission of gases by heavy-duty trucks.

‘The stakeholders, while empowering the EPA, also need to ensure they do the right things in their board rooms.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

In a recent announcement, the Minister of Territorial Administration and President of the National Hajj Commission, Atanga Nji Paul has declared the commencement of registration for the Hajj pilgrimage for the year 2024.

This decision comes amide various challenges, including the recent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) in Saudi Arabia, housing shortages, and the soaring dollar exchange rate impacting service costs.

According to a communique released on Thursday, February 29, 2024, Paul Atanga Nji announced that the price for the Hajj 2024 has been set at three million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-two (3.267.942) CFA francs, marking an increase compared to the previous year’s edition.

‘Despite the increase in VAT in Saudi Arabia, the scarcity of housing and especially the high rate of the dollar which has a substantial impact on all services, the price of Hajj 2024 amounts to three million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-two (3.267.942) CFA francs,
a slight increase compared to the 2023 edition,’ MINAT boss stated in the communique.

Pilgrims have been urged to take note that registrations through the Single Hajj Window, operated by Afriland First Bank, are now open and will remain so until March 15, 2024.

However, it is emphasized that if the quota of registered pilgrims is reached before the specified date, the Single Window will be automatically closed.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Zoomlion Foundation, in collaboration with the Accra College of Education, has launched an initiative dubbed ‘Agenda Zero Waste’ as part of efforts to get everyone on board in tackling sanitation challenges in the country.

The initiative is aimed at involving teacher trainees to be champions of environmental education across the country.

Launching the initiative, Mr Robert Kwaku Adjei, the Writers’ Bureau Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, speaking on behalf of the Managing Director of Zoomlion, Madam Gloria Anti, emphasised that the company through the initiative was nurturing a community of passionate individuals who will be actors in the sanitation space in the near future.

He said the initiative also signified a momentous move to address waste management and climate change in the country.

The event, which was on the theme: ‘Achieving Zero Waste: The Role of The Teacher Trainee in Combating Climate Change’, was also used to unveil the Green Generation Champions, an environmental club for tertiary insti
tutions.

The Principal of Accra College of Education, Prof Samuel A. Atintono, said the sustainable management of waste was a critical component of global efforts to mitigate climate change, preserve and present the planet for future generations.

‘The time is up for all, especially our young teacher trainees, to rise up to work towards achieving zero waste in order to recover the negative impact of climate change,’ he said.

According to him, the onus is on all citizens to improve consumption patterns and adopt sustainable waste management practices that protected the environment through recycling of waste.

The National Coordinator of Zoomlion Foundation, Mr Thomas Narh Korley, said Zoomlion had committed resources to the mobilisation of the youth and children to change the sanitation narrative in the country.

He explained that even though Zoomlion’s public education programmes had achieved remarkable results, they still needed to educate citizens on reducing, re-using and recycling of waste instead of du
mping it on landfills, which resulted in environmental and health hazards.

‘We are therefore drumming home that waste is a resource and we need everyone to appreciate that fact and lean towards benefiting from it,’ he stressed.

He said the Foundation agreed to work with the Accra College of Education because the teacher trainees were key stakeholders in involving children and the youth to impact the knowledge of transforming waste into resource.

‘So when they become professional teachers they would not find it difficult at all to teach children and the youth to transform waste into resources,’ he emphasised.

He said Agenda Zero Waste would be replicated in all tertiary institutions, particularly teacher training colleges in the country.

The President of the Student Representative Council (SRC), Mr Richmond Adjei, explaining the rationale behind the programme, said there was so much filth on campus and to address it they decided to collaborate with Zoomlion to bring a lasting solution to the challenge.

‘
The collaboration birthed Agenda Zero Waste and the establishment of Generation Champions GGC,’ he added.

‘Zoomlion has done a great job for us by offering us a lot of support including the provision of waste bins to promote waste management on campus,’ he noted.

Mr Adjei further added that the SRC would not rest there, but lobby for more support to push forward the agenda.

He encouraged other tertiary institutions to adopt the initiative and institute programmes that would prompt students to promote good sanitation.

Zoomlion is providing training for the Green Generation Champions and resources for the implementation of Agenda Zero Waste Project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Jennifer R. Littlejohn, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, urged the youth, particularly females, not to be discouraged by difficulties and to strive for excellence.

She said the youth’s capacity to leverage their talents in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics would aid in the development of answers to difficult growing global concerns.

Speaking at a seminar organised at the University of Ghana, Legon, as part of her visit to Ghana, Ms Littlejohn said, ‘If we are to address the major problems of our time, we need the best and the brightest,’.

‘You are going to be leaders, thinkers, innovators, and with a lot of hard work…, you may be able to change the world. You should think about what kind of changes you would like to make.

‘It does not matter who you are or where you come from. No career path should be closed to you if you are smart and willing to work hard,’ she said.

The Environmental Diplomat said the story of S
ylvia Acevedo, an American tech executive who had made significant contributions globally despite her modest background and limited opportunities, should inspire the youth, especially females, to pursue careers in science.

She recounted how Sylvia grew up in a house on a dirt road in New Mexico, the United States, and did not fit the typical profile of a college student, to the point where her high school guidance counsellor told her she was unfit to attend college.

‘Thankfully, she did not listen and went on to become a rocket scientist and later a senior executive at toptech company.’

?She has made enormous contributions to her country and her communities.

Ms Littlejohn stated that the United States of America was adopting several measures, one of which was assisting in the development of connections through the Embassy Science Fellows program, which brings government scientists to serve at its overseas embassies.

She stated that during the last eight years, the State Department had reached agreements
for 18 government scientists to work in West Africa, including two in Ghana.

‘As one example of this program, the State Department brought a U.S. expert on biotechnology to Accra to connect with Ghanaian companies on mentorship for young women on research in agricultural sciences,’ she noted.

Ms Littlejohn said the US would continue to partner with Ghana and other countries across Africa on environmental and scientific issues.??

‘And of course, as President Biden said at the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, the United States is all in on Africa and all in with Africa.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has appealed to the Government to fix the ongoing energy crisis, which is affecting socio-economic activities in the country.

Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Yapai Kusawgu, made the appeal during a press conference at the Parliament House in Accra.

He noted that since 2nd February there had been consistent load shedding by the power generating companies, which was getting worse by the day.

‘The very day his Excellency the President was delivering the State of the Nation Address and…., at that very period the utility companies were shedding load, the Ranking Member stated. The situation appears to be exacerbated.’

Yesterday alone, there was some whooping 530 megawatt of deficits, culminating in curtailment of power to La Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and to Togo.

Mr Jinapor said investigations indicated that some of the thermal plants were down; ‘specifi
cally

TAPCO is down, TICO is down and so they are not generating enough power. But more importantly there is a lack of fuel in the system.’

He reiterated that because of the financial constraints, the Government had not been able to procure adequate fuel to fire some of the nation’s thermal plants, culminating in the load shedding being experienced by Ghanaians.

‘One month of load shedding is more than enough. This is not sporadic, this is continuous, this persistent, and we think that the handlers of the power sector should do the onerous thing by informing the people of Ghana, so that they can plan ahead of time.’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency