L' Observateur Burundi

A total of 70 fire outbreaks were recorded across the country during the Easter festivities as against 61within the same period the previous year, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has disclosed.

The incidents recorded from March 29 to April 1st resulted in the death of three persons and two injuries.

The fires, recorded from Good Friday to Easter Monday were domestic, electrical, vehicular, bush, commercial, industrial, institutional fires.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Grade I (ACFO) Timothy Osafo-Affum, the Head of Public Relations of the GNFS, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

He said there was a slight increase in bushfires due to the extended dry season as well as vehicular fires because of the transportation activities during the period.

He said fire management was a shared responsibility and urged the public to play their respective roles to drive down the incidents of fire and destruction.

‘Should we take all the precaution necessary, and the emergency still occurs, we shoul
d not hesitate to call the Fire Service,’ he added.

ACFO Osafo-Affum urged the public to always remember to switch off their electrical gadgets and unplug them when leaving the house or workplaces.

‘Do not forget to call the Fire Service numbers 192 and 112 during an emergency,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Steve Manteaw, Workstream Technical Advisor, UK-Ghana Gold Programme, says there is a need to devise ways to create access to funding for Small Scale Miners in Ghana.

He said Ghana was Africa’s leading producer of gold and that looking at the national production, a substantial portion of about 35 to 40 per cent was contributed by the Small-Scale Mining Sector but their contribution to the mining sector revenue was less than 2 per cent.

Dr Manteaw said this during the Launch of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners’ (GNASSM) Documentary and Policy Brief on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Reforms Research in Ghana.

The study was commissioned by the Third World Network – Africa (TWN-Africa), under the Power of Voices Partnerships (PvP) in Fair4All project in Ghana with funding from the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry.

PvP intended to explore the impact and challenges of post – the 2017 ASM Reform effort to assess the gaps and weaknesses within the current regulatory frameworks governi
ng the ASGM sector in Ghana and outline key reforms necessary to enhance regulatory quality.

The event was on the theme: ‘Improving ASM Policies, Regulations and Practices based on Lessons Learnt from Recent State Interventions in the SM Sector.’

Dr Manteaw said this raised serious concerns about smuggling because as a country ‘we had not invested in the Small-Scale Mining Sector, and that we had created opportunities for some foreigners to finance small scale mining operations.’

‘So, our Small-Scale Miners take out the gold and give it to the financiers, who usually will smuggle the gold and avoid the payment of taxes to the state,’ he added.

Dr Manteaw said with the export of gold, the assay laboratory at the Kotoka International Airport put up by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) was the only checkpoint, allowing for smuggling of gold through other borders.

He called for support for PMMC to also be present at various border posts to set up assay laboratories to check the value of gold bei
ng exported for the payment of required taxes.

Mr Godwin Amarh, General Secretary, GNASSM, said the study revealed that ASM had grown in scale, complexity, and informality in Ghana.

He said while a substantial part of operators in the sector was driven by poverty, the sector had also seen an unfettered intrusion of ‘big capital’ foreign investors who had conspired with the local elite to take advantage of regulatory lapses in the sector to engage in illegal acts.

Mr Amarh said the biggest source of informality and illegality in Ghana’s ASM sector was the weak enforcement of regulations, which resulted from a combination of factors, including inadequate capacity of regulatory institutions, and political interference, among others.

He said the study revealed that the ASM licensing process remained one of the most important regulatory challenges in Ghana’s ASM sector, adding that not only was the process complex but also expensive and generally out of reach for most of the operators in the sector.

The Gener
al Secretary called for the abandoning of the military approach to reforming the sector, stating that ‘it must be clear that the militaristic approach to dealing with illegal mining does not work and must be completely avoided as a strategy for regularising the ASM system.’

He said instead of the military approach there should be more investment in strengthening the regulatory capacity of the relevant state institutions and grant them sufficient operational autonomy.

Mr Amarh said the State must prioritise and invest heavily in creating designated mining zones for ASM operators, and that this would require committed capacity building for the Geological Survey Department.

‘To address the compounding effects of the ASM sector on the country’s major hydrological resources, the state must begin to contemplate abolishing alluvial mining as a matter of general mining policy,’ the General Secretary added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo says a Court complex in the Adaklu District has not been officially handed over to the Judiciary.

‘The Adaklu Court complex has not been handed over to us. Work is not done, the outside looks good, but the inside is not done. Until it is done and the keys are handed over to us, we cannot use it. The security systems are not yet in place.’

The Chief Justice said this during an interaction with the Judicial Press Corps at the Law Court Complex in Accra.

She was reacting to calls on the Judiciary to commission an abandoned court complex in the Adaklu District by some residents.

Media reports indicate that the Court Complex was constructed in the year 2020 and despite its completion, it has been left unattended, with weeds and rodents taking over the premises.

The Chief Justice urged the media to cross-check information before publication.

Justice Torkornoo said the country had about 439 courts nationwide.

Additionally, she said there were over 100 new courts being c
onstructed out of which 70 had been commissioned.

On the use of judges as Registrars of some courts, the Chief Justice said it was best practice to have judicial staff obtain legal training to best deliver on their duties.

She said the practice was done in Tanzania, and Uganda, adding that the lack of legal training for staff, had been one of the weaknesses of the country’s judicial system.

On the Court Shift System, which was rolled out on March 25, 2024, she said the system was to reduce caseloads on some of the courts, which had between 600 to1000 cases.

The Chief Justice said the Judicial Service would in four months’ time evaluate the shift system for it to be replicated in other regions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

SparkLife International has demonstrated its commitment to education by supporting and donating learning materials to five children at Mepekope Basic School in the Oti Region.

The support effort targeted four females and one male, emphasizing the organization’s dedication to gender equality and education for all.

Mr Destiny Serlormey, the Founder of SparkLife International, said the success of the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration was a testament to the collective effort and commitment of individuals and partners to the Organisation’s mission.

He said the theme for the 2024 Celebration was ‘Supporting Women and Female Children to Become Leaders of Change in Our Societies,’ and aimed to empower women and girls through targeted initiatives.

He said in line with the theme, SparkLife International recognized and honoured seven outstanding women in the Oti Region.

These women represented diverse fields, including a girl Prefect from Oti Senior High School, a dedicated member of the Ghana Fire Service
, a contributor from the Ghana Education Services and a representative from the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

The Organisation also recognised an Officer from the Ghana Police Service, a dedicated professional from EP Clinic, and an industrious porridge seller.

He said these honorees showcased the potential for women to lead and make positive contributions across various sectors.

The Founder said the celebration organized by SparkLife International not only emphasized the importance of education but also highlighted the achievements of women in diverse roles.

‘By fostering a supportive environment and acknowledging the contributions of women, the organization took significant steps toward empowering women and female children to become leaders of change in the Oti Region and beyond,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Asare Konadu Yamoah, President of the Ghana Publishers Association, has urged members of the Association to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to market their materials.

‘AI should not be seen as a replacement of human creativity but a tool that changes and improves what we can create, making it easier, more efficient and opening opportunities for transformational innovations that were previously unimaginable.’

The Chairman of the Ghana International Book Fair said this at the public launch of the 21st Ghana International Book Fair under the theme ‘Books and Culture in the Era of Artificial Intelligence’.

Mr Yamoah said the launch was expected to initiate the process of discussing how AI would not disrupt the activities of the industry.

He, therefore, called on stakeholders such as lawmakers, copyright and intellectual property regulators, researchers, and journalists, among others to join the discussion between August 8 and 11, 2024, at the Accra International Conference Centre to advance
creativity and culture.

‘Every year, the Ghana International Book Fair offers the stakeholders in the book industry an opportunity to learn about how trends and experiences are changing the publishing landscape,’ he said.

Mr Yamoah said: ‘Our culture is being challenged to exhibit a variety of adaptable options, and books are not exempted, thus as publishing professionals, looking far beyond what persists currently is not enough for our business practice and survival.’

He said publishers and other content creators must have answers to protecting intellectual property rights in the new age of AI, strengthening data protection measures, and improving how AI users could ensure that content accessed was accurate and reliable.

They needed to as well know legal remedies were put in place to promise accountability and reduce the ability of the AI to harm individuals and other intellectual property rights holders, he added.

Madam Emily Fiagbedzi, Director of Training, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technolo
gy (MEST), called on writers to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) because it was a helpful tool.

She encouraged them to focus on honing their craft and leveraging their unique strengths to create meaningful content that resonated with readers.

The Director of Training said in 2023, Artificial Intelligence transitioned from being a cutting-edge and somewhat underground tech interest to a public interest, a buzzword, and digital tools integrating into everyday life.

Although AI became a buzzword in the past year with the introduction of chatbots like ChatGPT, its solutions had been around for years but the technology had become smarter and more easily integrated into already tech-powered lives, she said.

She cited some AI as virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri on the iPhone or Google Assistant on Android phones, recommendation systems, including what to watch next on Netflix or Youtube, personalised advertisements, a product most looked up online and shown on the sidebar of several websites.

The AI-dri
ven tools which were now part of everyday life were not considered cutting-edge anymore, she said, adding that just as many innovations, AI tools were evolving, catching interest, being explored and incorporated across industries.

However, the human touch with its depth of understanding, empathy, and storytelling ability, was irreplaceable, she said.

Madam Fiagbedzi said instead of Ghanaian writers and publishers fearing that AI would lead to joblessness, they should consider the unique human touch and connection the authors had with their target audience in telling and sharing Ghana’s rich culture, which could not be replaced by a machine.

Mr Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, Country Director, UNESCO, Ghana, the Chairman for the occasion, said African cultures and civilisation must be reflected in writings.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Barima A. Sarpong Asiedu Larbi, the Municipal Chief Executive of Akuapem North, has urged stakeholders to use Heritage Month to promote self-awareness of the unique identity of Ghanaians through cultural and historical innovations.

The month of March has been set aside on a yearly basis to observe and promote Ghanaian heritage.

He said Heritage Month should serve as a vehicle to deepen our knowledge of the cultural values, beliefs and norms that are related to our cultural diversity as Ghanaians.

Mr Larbi gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly celebrated Heritage Month at Akropong in the Eastern Region.

The event saw staff of the assembly dressed in traditional clothes during which local foods and drinks such as (apapransa, tuo zaafi, fufu) among others were served alongside local drinks like (pito, asaana, lamujin, soobolo and others were also served.

Mr Larbi said the Ghanaian history was integral to the people for which reason it must be al
ways guarded jealously.

He said there was a set of Ghanaian cultural values and norms handed down by the forefathers which we needed to firmly hold on to as a people, adding that there was the need to sustain these values which bonded us.

The MCE indicated that as a national project, it was worth celebrating as it rekindled the spirit of patriotism and unity among the people and educated the younger generation and that it would help instil a sense of pride in the Ghanaian.

‘Everything Ghanaian is the best as such we should all rally to promote made-in-Ghana brands and respect anything with Ghanaian origin,’ he stated.

Mr Larbi encouraged the inhabitants to respect sanitation bylaws to ensure that the municipality maintains its image as the third cleanest in the country in the latest ranking of the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies on Sanitation.

He prevailed on the people to vote massively for the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the parliamentary candidate
for Akuapem North, Mr Sammy Awuku, saying that the two were astute politicians who would deliver on their mandate to uplift the fortunes of the area.

Giving a brief history of Akuapem, a Personal Assistant to the Krontihene of Akuapem, Osahene Boafo Ansah III, said the name Akuapem was the corrupted form of the original phrase ‘ekuw apem’ meaning a thousand troops which referred to the aggressor groups who launched an attack on the Guans and Aduanas.

He said the Guans were the first settlers of Akuapem land who were later joined by the Aduanas and other groups who joined forces to fight a common enemy, the Akwamus.

According to him, the Akuapem people have contributed immensely to the development struggle of the country, adding that the major development challenge of the area was the issue of chieftaincy dispute.

On his part, the Nkobeahemaa of Tutu, Nana Abena Oforiwaa Amanfo Takyi-Addo, emphasized that the day was important because we seemed to be forgetting our heritage by the day and on that basis, th
e celebration of the month would serve as a catalyst to promote our unique customs and traditions.

She said the consumption of local foods would also help curtail the over-dependence on foreign food and change the narrative with time.

As part of the celebration, there was a brief lecture on Akuapem history and history of Ghana while the staff of the assembly participated in games such as ludo, Oware, and Chess, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency