Category: General

Pastor Maxwell Ntim-Antwi, the Ahafo Area Head and President of the Green-View Ghana Conference, Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, has called on Christians and gospel musicians to use music to preach peace to strengthen social cohesion and facilitate incident-free general elections.

He said good music and songs converted, healed, delivered and restored the grieving soul, hence the need for musicians to compose healthy songs that inspired the soul.

That, he said musicians could do that if they remain prayerful and spirit inspired.

Pastor Ntim-Antwi stated this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the 4th Biennial Music Rally of the Church at Bechem in the Tano South Municipality of the Ahafo Region.

To witness through music, the Area Head said, required ‘authentic and fervent prayers for God’s direction’ to impact lives.

Pastor Ntim-Antwi added his voice to calls by the SDA church on the need for the Electoral Commission (EC) to review and change voting days for the Gene
ral Election.

‘I think a week day, (Tuesday-Thursday) in the first week of November is more suitable for both Muslims and Christians than a weekend of Friday, Saturday and Sunday in order not to disenfranchise any eligible voter,’ he stated.

Pastor Ntim-Antwi urged the followers and supporters of the NDC and NPP to remain decorous in the electioneering to facilitate peaceful and violent-free election.

He called for an incessant prayer for God to sail the nation through a peaceful election, saying ‘we also need divine guidance in choosing God-fearing President to lead the country.’

Pastor Emmanuel Kusi-Appiah, the Ahafo Area Music Director of SDA church, urged the youth to channel their energies, exuberances, intellects, time and talents for productive activities, instead of allowing politicians to use them as agents for political violence.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has urged the government to address the delays in the payment of pension contributions of workers to improve their welfare during retirement.

This was contained in a statement by the trades unions and read by Madam Felicia Kraja, Northern Regional Secretary of TUC at this year’s May Day celebrations in Tamale.

Madam Kraja said government owed the public sector second-tier schemes pension contributions to the tune of almost one billion Cedis as well as the first-tier contributions to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust

This year’s celebration was on the theme: ‘Election 2024: The Role of Workers and Social Partners in Securing Peaceful Election for National Development’.

Madam Kraja urged the government to come up with a way forward to address the situation.

She further urged the government to address the current intermittent power outages, which he indicated was affecting workers productivity and the country’s economy.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern R
egional Minister, urged labour unions to devote more time to their work to improve productivity to better the conditions of service for their members.

He advised workers to avoid lateness, absenteeism, pilfering and laziness, and said such acts affected productivity and the country’s development.

He gave assurance that the government was working together with the Security Services and the Electoral Commission to ensure fair, transparent, and peaceful elections this year.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Hundreds of workers in the Upper West Region have marked this year’s May Day with calls on the government to take steps to improve the living conditions of workers in the country.

Addressing the celebrants in Wa on Wednesday, Mr Ibrahim Wemah, the Upper West Regional Chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), called on the government to resolve the challenges in the labour front immediately or face the wrath of organised labour.

‘If you fail by the May 6, this year, 2024, if organised labour doesn’t receive any message from you, we will advise ourselves.

And if you don’t stop us, and our brothers in the education sector take the lead, by the 7th of May, if there is a strike, organised labour will join, and if we are joining the strike, our message will be two, one to the National Labour Commission and the other to our employer,’ he stated.

Mr Wemah explained that they would strike against the National Labour Commission for failing to act to resolve the friction between the organised labour and their em
ployer, the government and to also strike against the government for failing to follow the roadmap to solve their challenges.

He indicated that when organised labour eventually strikes, it would not call off the strike for negotiations but would continue to strike until their challenges were resolved.

Mr Godwin Gariba, the Upper West Regional Secretary of TUC, identified wrongful termination and dismissal from work, denial of employees’ right to form or join trade unions of their choice, workplace injuries and death and denial of justice of employees in disputes with their employers as some challenges workers in Ghana faced.

‘Wages are so low that you wonder how the employers who pay such wages feel when their employees earn such slave wages.

Because of the low wages many retirees are receiving monthly pensions that are so low that they cannot meet even the very basic necessities of life,’ he added.

Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Minister, commended the leadership of organised labour and the
working class for exercising restraint in dealing with some of the labour issues despite occasional strike actions that raised concerns.

He observed that the invaluable services workers rendered, sometimes at high risk, had led to the growth of the nation’s economy and sustained development in all sectors over the years.

Mr Yakubu urged the workers to continue to exhibit the dedicated spirit of service to further enhance the growth and development of the country.

‘Workers’ agitations have centred on securing a living wage and better conditions of service and I would like to assure you that this Government remains very much committed to achieving this goal.

Leadership of organised labour should focus more on dialogue and negotiation rather than strike or other violent means,’ Mr Yakubu explained.

Mr Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, acknowledged the importance of a peaceful working environment in attracting investments, promoting entrepreneurship, and advancing social justice.

He
said creating a peaceful working environment was, however, not without challenges and encouraged the people to employ open dialogue and tolerance in dealing with such challenges including political divisions, economic disparities, and social tensions.

This year’s May Day celebration is on the theme: ‘Election 2024: The Role of Workers and Social Partners in Securing Peaceful Elections for National Development’.

It was observed in the region with a route march across some principal streets of Wa and climaxed at the Jubilee Park in Wa with a glamorous performance of the Dagaare traditional dance (Bawaa).

Some deserving members of the unions were acknowledged with citations and electronic gadgets such as television for their dedication to work and contribution to the growth of their respective unions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Reverend Patricia Akpene Tegbe-Agbo, National Coordinator for the Women’s Ministry, Global Evangelical Church, has urged women to pursue economic independence through productive ventures.

She said women were the backbone of society, therefore, they must work hard and be innovative in using their marketing skills for sufficiency.

She said by doing so, women would not only empower themselves, but also become catalysts for the prosperity of the nation and the advancement of the church.

She said this in a news statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra to commemorate this year’s International Labour Day.

Mrs Tegbe-Ago called for every worker, especially women, to continue striving for excellence and aspire to be the best versions of themselves.

She said they must constantly seek ways to add value and make meaningful contributions.

‘Gone are the days when women were merely passive participants in their own destinies. Today, men seek partners who can stand beside them as equals, contributing not only
to the family but also to the progress of our nation’, she added.

She congratulated church members for their dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment. ‘Your contributions, both big and small, have propelled our nation and our church to greater heights’.

‘Today, as we celebrate the labour of our hands and minds, let us take a moment to reflect on the significance of our individual efforts. Each task completed, each service rendered, and each sacrifice made has played a vital role in shaping the fabric of our society and our faith community,’ she said.

She encouraged members to draw inspiration from the timeless wisdom of Psalm 90:17, which reminds us of the importance of God’s favor upon our endeavours.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Department of Agriculture in the Krachi West Municipality of the Oti region, has sensitised farmers and stakeholders on the second phase of government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.

The second phase involved the cultivation of 11 crop varieties that the government will supply to farmers in addition to NPK and urea fertilisers.

Mr Atta Adusei, Krachi West Municipal Director of Agriculture, addressing the durbar, said the sensitisation aimed at educating the farmers and other stakeholders about the new policy of the Government of Ghana.

He said the second phase of the PFJ programme required that all the farmers needed was land for cultivation because the government was ready to assist them with inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.

Mr Adusei noted that 11 commodities government intended to give to farmers were maize, rice, soya bean, pepper, onions, tomatoes, cassava, plantain, sorghum, and millet seeds adding that ‘government will also supply fertilizers such as NPK and urea to farmers’
.

He said the government would also support farmers with tractors during the period and encouraged all the youth to take good advantage of the policy of the government.

Mr Adusei also advised all interested persons to utilise the opportunity since everything would be on credit while Agric officers in the Municipality were ready to assist farmers with all their agronomic practices.

He said farmers needed to register with the Department of Agriculture, adding officers would go to their various houses to undertake the registration processes.

The farmers were elated about the second phase of the programme and believed with the assistance of the government and the Department they would benefit from it as well as yield bountifully.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting incident at Millenium City, Kasoa, in the Central Region, leading to the death of a soldier.

A statement issued and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, said preliminary police investigation established that the suspect, Benlord Ababio, allegedly shot the soldier at Millenum City Kasoa on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at about 1620 hours.

It said the victim sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Mother and Child Hospital at Kasoa for medical attention.

However, he was later pronounced dead by the medical authorities.

The Police said Benlord Ababio was currently in custody assisting Police investigation.

It said the leadership of the Police Service was in touch with the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces as investigation into the incident continued.

Source: Ghana News Agency