Dignitaries and participants of the training in a group photo
The Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has called on the Ghanaian media to work towards building a media landscape that reflects the needs of the country’s citizens.
She made this appeal while delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the third cohort of the Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP) on Tuesday, 10th September, 2024.
“We can work together to build a media landscape that is both strong and advances the needs of Ghanaians”, the Minister urged. The minister noted that the MCEP, which aims to equip journalists and media practitioners with essential skills, is a vital part of this effort.
The Minister expressed her appreciation for the foundation laid by her predecessor, who initiated the MCEP under the theme: “Equipping the Media to Play an Effective Role in Nation Building.”
She lauded the programme’s progress, stating that it has inspired similar initiatives, including collaborations with the UNDP and the British High Commission.
The Minister encouraged participants to fully engage in the programme, highlighting the significance of the media in fostering a well-informed society.
“A flourishing democracy is built on the foundation of an informed and capable media,” she said.
The MCEP, first launched in January 2022, aims to equip media professionals with the skills necessary to advance the nation’s development.
The participants, including reporters, producers, social media executives, and media critics, were selected by an independent working committee. Over 100 journalists have benefitted from the training in previous cohorts.
Participants are expected to engage in interactive discussions and learn from experienced facilitators.
The opening ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, the Chairperson of the National Media Commission, representatives from media associations, and various partners.
The four-day programme is supported by the Volta River Authority and MTN.
As the third cohort kicks off, participants are expected to take full advantage of the training, which would contribute significantly to their career development and the media landscape in Ghana. The MCEP is set to end on Friday, September 13, 2024.
The Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, on Monday filed his nomination to contest the 2024 Parliamentary election, as the candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), at the Electoral Commission office at Kuntanase.
Accompanying the MP, who is also the Minister for Education to file the nomination, were the Executives of the NPP in the Bosomtwe Constituency, supporters of the party and other family relations.
Dr Osei Yaw Aditwum going through the filing process
Notable among those who accompanied the MP were; the District Chief Executive for Bosomtwe, Mr Joseph Kwasi Asumin, the Constituency Chairman for Bosomtwe, Mr Aikens Addai-Poku and a host of other dignitaries.
The submission of the nomination forms gives him the opportunity to contest as the party’s parliamentary candidate for the third time during the upcoming general election.
After inspecting his nomination forms, the Returning Officer of the EC in the Bosomtwe Constituency, Mr Lawrence Essien, received his completed forms and all the necessary documents and the bank draft.
Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum
Speaking to the Media, after submitting the nomination forms, Dr Adutwum thanked the leadership of the party in the constituency for their support and the trust they have in him.
He pledged to work very hard to retain the seat and also increase the votes for the Presidential Candidate for the party, Dr Mahamoud Bawumia, for the party to “break the eight”.
Dr Adutwum urged supporters of the party to remain united and focus on putting in place the right measures and strategies that would help them defeat the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the election.
The National Chairman of NPP, Stephen Ayensu Ntim addressing the media
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced the decentralisation of the issuance of its membership cards to the various constituencies and regions.
According to the party, the move has become pertinent considering the huge expression of interest by the public in joining the ruling NPP, thereby increasing the pressure on the headquarters to print membership identification cards.
Addressing journalists at the Asylum Down Headquarters of the NPP, Accra, on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the National Chairman, Stephen Ayensu Ntim, said the decentralisation is to enhance the acquisition of the party’s membership card.
He said that “due to the increasing popularity of the NPP and the bold solutions being championed by our presidential candidate, more Ghanaians are expressing interest in joining the New Patriotic Party.”
He continued that, “In view of the high demand for the party card, the national leadership of the party has resolved to decentralise the issuance of the party cards at the constituency and regional levels to enhance the acquisition of the party cards to boost dues payments, as part of our resource mobilisation effort.”
VENDORS
The NPP has also called for private vendors to implement the party’s ID card issuance system.
“We are, therefore, inviting private vendors to come on board as far as this vendoring of the party cards and the decentralisation process are concerned,” Mr. Ayensu Ntim stated.
He opined that the partnership with the private vendors will increase membership drive, since there will be easy access to the acquisition of the cards.
PROCESS
The National Treasurer, Dr. Charles Dwamena, giving details said the NPP ID card vendoring system is open to all, adding that interested vendors should reach out to the party.
“You can do so either by calling to express your interest or by walking to the party headquarters to pick up a set of registration forms.
“After picking up the set of registration forms, we will take you through some processes and give you access to the relevant portions of our database.
“We will then accredit you to a particular constituency in a particular region so that you can begin your work. That will also go with some sort of identification. You will be given identification cards to make you known to the party people you will be working with,” Dr. Charles Dwamena stated.
He continued that, “You will also have to liaise with the respective party officers at the respective levels, be it at the constituency level or at the regional level. For those who are interested in becoming party vendors, the number to call is 055-032-6221.”
WALEWALE
On the party’s preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls, the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong addressed the electoral disturbance at the Walewale constituency.
The General Secretary of NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong addressing the media
According to him, the National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet today and take a decision on the way forward for the Walewale constituency, as the re-run on Monday was unsuccessful.
On Monday, September 9, 2024 the NPP held a re-run of the Walewale constituency primary in accordance with the directive by the High Court in Tamale.
Chaos erupted in the course of collating the results after votes had been cast, compelling the returning officer of the Electoral Commission to declare the election null and void.
“I want to assure you, the media and good people of Ghana, that the new patriotic party will take a firm decision [today] at our NEC meeting,” the NPP General Secretary said.
He also used the opportunity to commend the Ghana Police Service “for their swift intervention in ensuring law and order at Walewale.”
He said the NEC will take a decision today after accessing the reports the party elections committee, the electoral commission, and other stakeholders will submit.
Meanwhile, the period for filing nominations to contest as president or parliamentarian ends on Friday, September 13, 2024.
WITHDRAW
At the time of going to press last night, the paper received a letter from the office of the Member of Parliament for the Walewale constituency, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, who was seeking a re-run.
In the letter dated Tuesday, September 10, 2024 and addressed to the General Secretary of the NPP, the MP, who contested in the primaries in contention, announced her decision to withdraw from the race.
“I have decided that in the interest of the greater good of the New Patriotic Party and peace and unity in the Walewale constituency, I will no longer be a candidate for MP in the 2024 elections. I am, therefore, formally withdrawing from the contest,” she said.
Mr. Isaac Addo, Chairman of the Madina SDA Primary School addressing the media.
The parents of the Madina Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Primary school have sent a distress call to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, urging him to facilitate the immediate demolition of a private property within the school’s premises, which is hindering learning activities.
Despite repeated appeals to the property owner to relocate, he continues to expand and renovate the property, indicating his refusal to vacate the premises.
Furthermore, several warnings from the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Education Directorate have been ignored, leaving the parents with no choice but to seek the President’s intervention.
At a press conference held at the school premises on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 the Chairman of the PTA, Isaac Addo emphasised that the presence of occupants of the private property, located in the middle of the school, poses a significant threat to the safety and security of the pupils.
“About three months ago, a warning was issued by the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly to the owner of the private property to relocate the building. The owner of the property spoke on TV3 assuring that he will relocate.
“So, we were thinking that by the time the school returns from vacation, the owner of the property would have relocated to a different place. However, such is not the case,” he noted.
He added “The continuous presence of the private property in the middle of the school poses a threat to the children.
“We are appealing to President Akufo-Addo to intervene in this regard, since all efforts to get the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly to ensure that the private property is relocated have proved futile.”
Some of the parents also recounted the risks the presence of the private property and its occupants poses to the children, an issue they said should be immediately addressed before any tragedy occurs.
“We don’t want such a compound house in the middle of the school. We are also pleading with the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly to redeem the pledge they made to us by removing the building from the precincts of the school, so that our children can learn,” one parent recounted.
Another parent also noted, “You can’t have residence within a school. It is very dangerous. The Assembly came here about three months ago to issue a removal notice to the owner. However, nothing has been done about it. We are pleading with the government to intervene.”
In June 2024, the PTA initiated a similar move, appealing to the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly to intervene by ensuring the relocation of the private property, to enable them expand the facilities at the school.
“We have the numbers but in terms of infrastructure, we are deficient. We are running the shift system in the municipality which is not good.
“This means that we are losing a third of the contact hours because people are running away from 8am –12pm and we are doing 7am–12pm.
“If we are able to improve on the infrastructure in the municipality, then it will improve education outcome,” Mr. Addo lamented.
The Head of the La Nkwantanang Municipal Education Directorate, Kean Adjei Appiah, noted that the issue has been pending for long, acknowledging that it was about time the private property is relocated.
Cocoa is regarded as the mainstay and cornerstone of the Ghanaian economy. Cocoa alone generates about $2 billion in foreign exchange annually for Ghana. It is also the major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Ghana’s ability to produce quality Cocoa has awarded her the second-largest cocoa-producing country in the whole world. Hence, the economic reward for Cocoa is enormous and can never be ignored.
Illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ has been recognized as the biggest threat to Cocoa production in Ghana over some years now. The adverse impacts of ‘galamsey’ include aggravated soil erosion, chemical contamination of surface and underground water, air pollution, physiological disorders in crop plants and low yields, food price hikes and high cost of living, displacement and general increase in air and water-borne diseases.
‘Galamsey’ has a significant impact on cocoa farming in Ghana. The practice of ‘galamsey’ leads to various challenges among cocoa farmers, including labor shortages, water pollution, competition for land, and reduced crop production. It operations near cocoa farms result in flooding which leads to the spread of diseases and stunted growth of cocoa plants, ultimately reducing the output of cocoa farms.
Additionally the contamination of freshwater sources by ‘galamsey’ activities affects the quality of water used for irrigation, further impacting cocoa farming. These negative impacts on cocoa farming have a direct impact on the income and livelihoods of cocoa farmers, as cocoa farming is their primary source of income.
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on 7th June, 2021 admitted that ‘galamsey’ destroys at least 20 acres of cocoa farms in the Sefwi-Wiawso, Juaboso, Bia and Akotombra areas in the Western North Region, an area that constitute the largest percentage of Ghana’s cocoa production.
The Ghanaian media have consistently disseminated information on the high rate at which cocoa farmers sell their farms to ‘galamseyers’ for some amount money. Other farmers do not sell their farms but rather have their farms forcefully taken away from them by these same ‘galamseyers’.
As a result, Ghana’s cocoa output for the 2023/24 season is almost 40% below a target of 820,000 metric tonnes when global cocoa prices hit US$ 10,000 per tonnes. In the first four months of 2024, Ghana’s trade balance narrowed after cocoa exports dropped. On a year-on-year comparison, cocoa output fell by about 50%. This information is sourced from Citi Newsroom on June 24th,2024.
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) have already prophesied that, Ghana could lose its enviable position as the second leading cocoa producer in the world if stringent measures are not taken to protect cocoa farms from illegal mining activities. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has also painted a gloomy picture of the potential loss of Ghana’s premium position in the international cocoa market due to activities of illegal mining.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have disclosed that, more than 81 and 74 percent of cocoa farmlands had been affected by ‘galamsey’ in the Eastern and Western regions respectively. More than 68 percent of cocoa farm areas have been affected by ‘galamsey’ activities in the Ashanti region.
They further stated that, illegal mining has moved beyond destroying cocoa trees and farmlands to the early dropping of pods, wilting, yellowing of leaves, and the generally low yield on cocoa farms which threatens the sustainability of the cocoa sector.
‘Galamsey’ activities have moved from bad to worse and Ghana as a country finds no commitment to fight the situation. How would Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) survive without incomes from Cocoa production? Have we ever imagined how the Ghanaian economy would look like when we afford to lose incomes associated with Cocoa production? It’s about time we raise up and take our positions as Ghanaians to fight against galamsey.
We can’t continue like this as a country. No! We can’t allow few people to ruin the lives of millions. Our national anthem in Twi sings, “yen ara yen asaase ni”, which means Ghana is ours so we are obligated to protect, preserve and make it comfortable for us to leave in. The time to take action is now, remember, tomorrow waits for no one.
By: Rachael Agyemang Kudzonu
University of Media Arts and Communication – institute of journalism(UNIMAC-IJ)
It is an undisputable fact that Ghana is one of the football giants on the continent of Africa. Indeed, it is the only country on the black continent that has won both FIFA Under 17 and Under 20 football world cups. Not even Egypt and Cameroon, who have won the African Cup of Nations tournament seven and five times respectively, have managed to achieve this feat.
Unfortunately, despite all these laurels the country has achieved on the international stage, facilities for the game of football in Ghana are nothing to write home about. It is, therefore, not surprising that most Ghanaian soccer fans nowadays prefer watching the European leagues to the Ghana Premier league.
Apart from the bad pitches, which make the game unattractive, the coverage of these games can best be described as amateurish. The Chronicle is, therefore, not surprised that Ghanaian football league champions always fail to impress when they go to Africa.
Though the government in an attempt to reverse the trend constructed two new stadia some years back and also renovated the popular Baba Yara and Accra Sports stadia, we are not seeing any significant improvement in the game. Karela United and Real Tamale United are both based in Tamale, but they played their home league matches in faraway Nalerigu, during the last league season, due to the bad nature of the pitch at the Tamale Sports Stadium.
The pitches at both Baba Yara and Accra Sports stadia are also nothing to write home about, but because we have set low standard for the game in Ghana, we do not see any wrong with that. Regrettably, despite the clear danger starring at us, the National Sports Authority (NSA), which has the mandate to manage state owned stadia in the country are exacerbating the situation.
Under the guise of raising internally generated revenue to take care of these sporting facilities, the NSA has been renting Accra, Kumasi and Tamale stadia for musical concerts and church activities. But instead of protecting the pitches, a wholesale access is given to the people who have rented the facilities. At the end of the day, they destroy the pitches, making it impossible for the players to properly control balls when they are playing.
Though members of the public have severely criticised some of these decisions, the NSA remains adamant. Now the coach and players of the senior national team, the Black Stars, are complaining bitterly about the standard of the pitch in the Kumasi Sports Stadium. According to them, the bad pitch contributed to the one nil loss they suffered at the hands of their Angolan counterparts.
Truly it is not only Otto Addo, coach of Black Stars that complained about the pitch. His Angolan counterpart also said the same thing. This development came about because a few weeks to the match, the NSA decided to rent out the stadium for church activities, which completely destroyed the green grass.
But instead of accepting the criticisms about the bad nature of the pitch in good faith, a deputy Director of the NSA decided to muddy the waters. “Are they suggesting that the Angolans were playing in the sky? They are all footballers and both teams played on the same pitch. CAF inspected and approved the pitch for the game, so let’s focus on what happened on the field,” this officer was quoted as saying.
This arrogant posture is one of the things that is retrogressing Ghana football. The frustrations of soccer fans after Ghana lost to Angolan should have pricked the conscience of this NSA official to respond to the criticisms in a mature way, but alas that did not happen.
The last time we checked, this man was still at post when his decision to rent out the stadium and subsequent destruction of the pitch could have plunged this country of ours into chaos, judging from the way some of the fans behaved after the match had come to an end. In our view, if Ghana is to bounce back when it comes to the game of soccer, our government would have a crucial role to play.
The Chronicle is, therefore, appealing to the president and his sports ministry to sit up by addressing the issue of bad pitches in our stadia. Whether we like it or not, football has serious implications when it comes to national security. So if somebody is destroying our pitches in the name of raising funds and thereby destroying the beauty of the game, the end result could be violence.
Football stadia are built for the game of football and other sporting activities. They are certainly not meant for churches and artistes to perform on the pitches and destroy them. Unless the government is happy with the current state of football in Ghana, drastic measures should be adopted on how to improve upon our pitches.
A cross-section of members at the annual Sabbath school celebration
Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana has marked its annual Sabbath school celebration to commemorate and acknowledge the effort of children in the Eastern region, under the theme: “Cultivating the ‘can-do spirit’ and nurturing the child to meet the challenges and the benefit of the 21st century”.
Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, the Eastern Region (A) Chairman of Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana, Pastor Osei Kwadwo, disclosed that the celebration was to empower, appreciate, motivate and demonstrate the doctrine of the church by children.
According to him, the church was committed to nurturing the children to overcome life challenges, which could go a long way to help them realise their dreams and visions on earth.
He added that it was a platform for the young generation to demonstrate what they have learned in the past years, as the church is focused on deepening the minds of all individuals and directing them towards the right path to salvation.
Pastor Osei Asiedu articulated that the celebration would help the leaders of the church to assess the children’s performance on the doctrine of the church and portray the good works of Apostle Safo Kantanka.
The youth of Akyem Asuom in the Kwaebibirem Municipality of Eastern region have angrily stormed five illegal mining (galamsey) sites located within their community to stop illegal mining activities that have polluted all their water bodies, crops and farm lands.
The Krontihene of Akyem Asuom Nana Boadi Amponim Abodade III
According to the youth, several warnings to the illegal miners (galamseyers) to halt their activities fell on deaf ears.
They argued that if the illegal miners are not stopped in their tracks, they would not only lose their fertile lands but would destroy the economic future for Akyem Asuom as well.
The youth alleged that all the mining companies causing destruction in their communities are holding only prospecting licenses, which do not permit them to mine, but they have mined without anyone being able to stop them.
They further alleged that the influence of some of their traditional leaders, some of whom are allegedly being bribed, is thwarting the fight against illegal miners.
The youth at the sites
They have, therefore, called on the government to step in and halt the unlawful activities of the galamseyers in the Akyem Asuom community and to protect their future.
The youth cautioned that should the government fail to stop the galamsey activities in their community, they would find their own way and force the galamseyers to move out from their community.
One of the sites
Meanwhile, the Krontihene of Akyem Asuom, Nana Boadi Amponim Abodade III, has backed the call on the government to halt the galamsey activities in their community because of the huge destruction to their water bodies and farm lands.
The Akuapem South Municipal office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has charged stakeholders to diligently discharge their constitutional mandate ahead of the 2024 general elections.
According to the NCCE, there is no other country than what we have, and that it behoves on every Ghanaian to ensure peaceful elections.
This came to light during a meeting held by Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC), which consists of political actors, the electoral commission, security agencies and traditional leaders at Aburi, last week Friday.
This is to enhance political, economic and social progress, with the main aim of promoting and sustaining Ghana’s democracy.
The Akuapem South Municipal Director for the NCCE, Mr. Alex Owusu Akyaw, underscored the NCCE’s commitment to deepening and consolidating democracy in the country.
Highlighting the importance of peaceful co-existence in Ghana, Mr. Owusu Akyaw explained that the inter-party dialogue committee would help resolve disputes and violence-related incidents during and after the elections.
He continued that the committee will serve as a platform for political parties to deliberate on peaceful matters and ensure peaceful and transparent elections in the December polls.
Mr. Owusu Akyaw called on political parties to uphold supremacy of the constitution and project their good policies to the public, with peaceful campaigns.
The Akuapem South Municipal Director for the NCCE assured the electorate of his office’s commitment to creating a safe environment with security agencies to safeguard their lives in the municipality.
The Municipal Director for the Electoral Commission (EC) in Akuapem South Municipality, Mr. Benjamin Amankwa, said that the commitment of the Commission to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections would not be compromised.
The Akuapem South Constituency Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Henry Essandoh applauded the NCCE for taking such bold steps, ahead of the elections, adding that the committee would serve as a watchdog for the political parties.
According to the Secretary, conflicts, misunderstandings and violence are not tools for winning elections and that the introduction of the inter-party committee would enable the parties to deal with issues in a civilised way.
Mr. Ernest Owusu Gyasi, Akuapem South Constituency Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), prayed the committee to work effectively to achieve its vision in the municipality.
He also urged Ghanaians to support and accept any political party that will be declared a winner in the elections.
Akuapem Adonten Sanahemaa, Nana Yaa Oparebia,warned parents to advise their wards, particularly the youth, to refrain from violent conducts during the elections.
The General Officer Commanding, GOC, 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. J H Abdusallam has vowed that the Nigerian Army will continue to conduct operations in Okuama community, Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, until its equipments and arms which were allegedly carted away by hoodlums are recovered.
“We will continue to conduct operations until our equipments and our arms that were carted away are recovered,” the GOC declared while addressing journalists on Tuesday.
He remembered with sadness how troops were brutally murdered in Okuama community in March 2024.
Abdusallam denied reports that the Army invaded the community on Monday.
“This is nigeria. I don’t understand when you say Nigerian Army invaded a place. When Nigeria Army go to operations in a place it is called operations. Why do you say it’s invasion?
“If we are conducting normal military operations in other places, it’s normal military operation not invasion. So it’s normal military operation that the military went to conduct in Okuama not invasion.”
