Ing. George Asiedu, GAMA Sanitation Project Coordinator
Engineer George Asiedu, the Coordinator of Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area GAMA/GKMA Sanitation Project has stated that the project currently provides about 1,400 household Toilets monthly in its areas of operations in Accra and Kumasi.
The project, he said, is geared towards the achievement of universal access to Sanitation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030.
Dignitaries, KNUST students at the Professorial Inaugural Lecture
According to him, achieving the SDG 6 is possible should the GAMA Sanitation Project continue with the momentum and urged the government to support them to ensure that they quickly embark on the programme nationwide to ensure that Ghanaians have universal access to sanitation as a country.
Ing. Asiedu was speaking at the Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic: “Universal Access to Water and Sanitation Services: A myth or Reality” at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
According to him, universal access to sanitation is possible through the GAMA Project, which has over the years shown the way that it’s possible to increase access to sanitation and household toilets.
He is of the view that if the project gets a financing support from the government, over the next six years we would be able to do that as a country for everybody to realize that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 is not a Myth but Reality.
Ing. Asiedu also appealed to the government to ensure that there is adequate financing to support their vision and what they have been doing over the years.
He stressed that, GAMA Sanitation Project is on the path to ensure that they increase access to sanitation and water.
He entreated residents in Accra and Kumasi without household Toilets to visit the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and seek for the GAMA/GAMA Sanitation Project to assist them with affordable household toilets between GH¢700.00 to GH¢1,200.00.
The Lagos State has said it is receiving additional support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as it now battles an outbreak of cholera at the Kirikiri prison. A statement released by the Director, of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, on Sunday, quoted the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, as saying an outbreak of 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis caused by Cholera occurred at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison, adding that urgent medical and environmental intervention measures have been implemented with success.
“We were able to supply Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention and other health consumables. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals which have been delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required. Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected and there are ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the State,” the Commissioner said.
The Lagos State Government also announced a significant improvement in daily cholera cases from the spike reported two weeks ago. It, however, acknowledged evidence of ongoing low-grade community transmission, because few cases are still presenting to hospitals across the state.
While providing further updates on the cholera outbreak following the “One Health” Inter-governmental agency strategic meeting held over the weekend, Abayomi revealed that although no new cholera-related deaths have been reported in the last 72 hours, the government was intensifying countermeasures to eliminate transmission.
In a tragic incident early Monday morning, a fatal road crash at Dangwaro Flyover along Kano-Zaria Road has claimed the lives of 25 persons, leaving 53 others injured. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS1.2 Kano Sector Command, confirmed the tragic event which occurred around 3:30 am.
The accident involved a trailer (IVECO) with registration number KMC 311 ZB, which reportedly lost control due to overspeeding. The trailer was carrying 90 individuals, resulting in significant casualties and injuries.
Fortunately, 12 people were rescued unhurt.
The Sector Commander, CC Ibrahim Abdullahi stated, “Preliminary investigations suggest that the probable cause of the crash was due to overspeeding and loss of control by the driver of the trailer.”
Rescue operations were promptly initiated by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other emergency response agencies.
Items recovered from the scene included six motorcycles, ten mobile phones, animals (rams and goats), maize, and the sum of four thousand naira. The items are now in police custody.
“All victims of the road traffic crash have been swiftly transported to Murtala Specialist Hospital Kano for urgent medical attention,” said CRC Abdullahi Labaran, SPEO/PRO FRSC RS1.2 Kano Sector Command.
In light of the incident, Sector Commander Ibrahim Abdullahi has issued a stern warning to drivers and motorists.
“Transporting animals, goods, and human beings concurrently is an unsafe practice that not only endangers lives but also contravenes traffic regulations designed to ensure road safety,” he emphasised.
The FRSC urged all road users to adhere strictly to traffic laws and regulations to prevent further tragedies on Nigerian roads.
Nigeria’s N1.3 billion worth Zungeru Hydro Electricity in Niger State has been reportedly hit by an explosion.
DAILY POST gathered that the explosion occurred at the earlier hours of Monday.
However, Siraj Abdullahi, the Managing Director of Penstock, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited said, “we are fine in Zungeru; nothing happened and we are on the grid.”
Adebayo siad Nigeria’s electricity increased to 4,800MW from 4,200MW for a population estimated at over 200 million.
Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station is a 700 megawatts (940,000 hp) hydroelectric power plant under construction in Niger State, Nigeria. When completed, as expected, it will be the second-largest hydroelectric power station in the country, behind the 760 megawatts (1,020,000 hp) Kainji Hydroelectric Power Station.
The power station is located across the Kaduna River, near the town of Zungeru, in Niger State, in northwestern Nigeria.
The Abuja Federal High Court on Monday dismissed the one billion naira suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Nigerian Government and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Justice James Omotoso held that Kanu failed to show evidence that his conversations with his lawyers were bugged by the DSS.
The judge said Kanu’s lawyers also failed to show that the DSS stopped them from taking notes during their conversations with him.
Omotoso further noted that there was no evidence to show that Kanu’s lawyers were denied a fair hearing as claimed in the suit.
Consequently, the judge dismissed the suit for lacking merit.
In the suit filed by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2023, the IPOB leader sought one billion naira for the enforcement of his fundamental rights while in detention.
In the originating motion dated and filed December 4, 2023, the applicant sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the DSS, and its Director-General as the 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.
The suit was filed pursuant to Order II, Rules 1 & 2 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009, among others.
In the motion, the detained IPOB leader prayed for a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcibly seizing and photocopying confidential legal documents pertaining to the preparation of his defense, which were brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to a denial of his right to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.
He also sought a declaration that the respondents’ act of refusing or preventing his counsel from taking notes during professional discussions/consultations with him at DSS detention amounted to a denial of his right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defense by legal practitioners of his own choice.
Four people are before court for allegedly stealing Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) cables valued at GH¢95, 000.
The accused persons, Lucky Grayson Eseche, 34 a trader, Obi Innocent, 37 a businessman, Esther Sebi, 36 a sales manager and Malvin Kwame Tamakloe, 22 a sales attendant.
They were put before an Accra Circuit Court presided over Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, last week and charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and stealing.
The four pleaded not guilty to the offences and have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000,00 with two sureties each.
Mr. Acquah ordered that the sureties should be either Nigerian or Ghanaian nationals while the accused persons deposit their traveling documents with the Registry of the court.
According to the facts of the case, the complainants are Detective Insp. Simon Nastakang, Detective Insp. Louis Mensah and Detective Sargent Joseph Oteng – all Policemen attached to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Accra East Office.
The court was told that on June 21, 2024 at 6:45 a.m. the complainants reported at work and detected that the drums of ECG cables valued GHC95,000.00 have been stolen.
On the same day, the complainants received intelligence that an electrical shop in Tema Community ‘1’ was offering ECG cables for sale.
Investigations revealed that the shop belongs to Obi Innocent and with the information at hand, the complainants proceeded to the scene.
The complainants upon arrival saw Innocent spraying on the ECG signs on the cable drums to conceal the identity and was immediately arrested.
The team commenced a search in the said shop and found unspecified yards of cables belonging to ECG in the shop.
During investigations, Innocent mentioned Lucky as the owner the drums of cables and gave his number to the complainants to contact him. Lucky was directed to report the ECG office after several calls were placed to him, but failed.
On June 24, 2024 the complainants applied a persuasive based intelligence and Lucky reported to their office and was arrested.
On the same day, the other accused persons who have been selling the ECG cables on behalf of Lucky were also arrested.
During interrogations, they all admitted the offences and mentioned that one Lord is the one who sold the cables to them. Further Investigations are being conducted to identify other members of the syndicate and locate other ECG cables in possession of the accused persons.
Enam Sogbey, speaking to the media at Amakom, Kumasi.
The demand for arrears from the defunct National Builders Corps (NABCo) continues unabated, as a single Trainee in the Ashanti region, Ms. Enam Sogbey, protests against government’s inability to pay their eight months’ salary arrears, having worked for the state.
Her protest is also a call on the government to provide permanent jobs for the teeming Ghanaian youth.
Wearing red and black attire over white athletic shoes, the disappointed NABCo trainee, who started her single protest from Anloga junction, walked through the principal streets of Kumasi before ending her protest at the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), where she handed over her petition to the regional minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah.
Enam Sogbey, protesting along the Kumasi-Accra Highway
Aided by a mega phone, Sogbey held a placard with inscriptions like; “Pay us now! B4 we die”and “We need permanent jobs!” among others. She was seen sitting on the floor lamenting about the hardship NABCo trainees are going through.
Addressing the media at the entrance of the Ashanti regional Co-ordinating Council, Enam Sogbey stated that she embarked on the demonstration because NABCo trainees are suffering.
Sogbey appealed to authorities to step in before the untoward happens.
“Look, I have walked all the way from Anloga junction to this place. Ghanaian leaders should give us a hearing. Why should we work without paying us what is due us? Why should this happen? Do you want me to commit suicide? Some of my colleagues have resorted to suicide owing to these financial challenges”
According to her, she worked for NABCo but her eight months stipend was never paid, a challenge she disclosed is not only associated with her alone, but her entire colleagues who were recruited into NABCo.
“The money has not been paid and we are suffering, in the sense that we are unable to afford basic essentials such as food, water and rent among others.
Enam Sogbey also mentioned that in this era in Ghana, women who are seeking for job are being asked for sex before the job can be guaranteed.
The lone protester asked: “What shows that if I yield to such demands, I am going to be respected in such working environment? Please when we come to you for jobs, do not ask for sexual favours”.
Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, and her Deputy, Slvester Tetteh arriving in the Chamber in a joyful mood
Twenty-three (23) public institutions that failed to comply with the Right To Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), have been slapped with fines amounting to GH¢1,000,000.00 by the Right to Information (RTI) Commission.
The fine was recorded during the 2023 reporting year. It was considered administrative penalties by the RTI Commission, an action meant to deter public institutions for non-compliance with the RTI law.
Inthe said year under review, the RTI Commission also made recoveries of administrative penalties, amounting to GH¢2,043,571.44.
This includes administrative penalties imposed in the preceding years of 2022 and 2021.
Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, addressing Parliament on the RTI implementation
This was contained in the report on the implementation of the RTI Act, 2019 (Act 989) for the year 2019, which was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, ESQ. on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Her presentation to the legislature on the activities of public institutions and the Right to Information (RTI) Commission for the period January to December 2023 was in accordance with Section 77(4) of Act 989.
She told the legislature at a plenary sitting that the successful implementation of the RTI law in Ghana partly depends on the demand for access to information by individuals, institutions, or groups. However, in some limited circumstances as outlined in Section 5 to 17 of Act 989, public institutions also have a right to exempt some classes of information from access under the RTI law.
“The RTI Act, 2019 has clearly identified and classified some information as exempt which calls for safeguards, including those related to national security, public safety, and / or individual privacy. The RTI Commission, however, as an independent and impartial body, has also been resourced to deal with any unwarranted denials by public institutions”, she noted.
During the year under review, 322 out of an expected 683 public institutions submitted annual reports to the RTI Commission. That means a majority of 361 public institutions failed to comply with the provisions of the RTI law, a situation the Minister considers “totally unacceptable”.
“The Ministry of Information strongly urges the RTI Commission to impose administrative penalties against public institutions that failed, according to Section 71(2)(6) of the RTI Act, 2019”, she advised.
She noted that of the complying 322 institutions, 173 received applications for 1,749.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), she added, processed the highest number of requests, amounting to 115.
“Out of the 1,749 requests received by the various public institutions, 1,225 were approved by the information officers of the public institutions representing 70% of the total number of applications received. The total number of applications rejected for varied reasons by the various public institutions was 281, representing 16% of the total requests for information”, she narrated.
Key among the reasons for rejecting applicants were exempt information; information not in the custody of the public institution; and number of applications transferred, referred and deferred.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with an additional responsibility of the High Court, has signalled that the court will no longer entertain repetitive evidence by Michael Nyinaku, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Beige Group Limited.
According to the judge, the 15 of 61 witnesses called by Mr. Nyinaku to defend his case have adduced collaborative evidences, which clearly explained the issues about funds transfer, transition of Beige from savings and loans to a universal bank to the court.
BEIGE Capital
At yesterday sitting, Her ladyship Afia Serwah urged Kwame Yaw Appiah Kubi, holding brief for Thaddeus Sory to rationalise the number of witnesses they intend to call in defence of the accused, and if their testimonies are collaborative, they should bar them from coming.
However, if they fail, the judge said: “If anybody comes in here to repeat what had already been said, I will strike out the evidence and discharge the witness.”
The accused, during Case Management Conference (CMC), indicated that he will be calling as many as 61 witnesses in defence of the 43 charges including stealing, fraudulent breach of trust and money laundering, and has been admitted to bail.
Her Ladyship Afia Serwah had always raised concerns over the number of witnesses the defence is calling.
She had stated that throughout her years of practice, this the highest number of witnesses on record intended to be called by an accused.
Background
The accused person was the Chief Executive Officer of The Beige Bank Limited (Beige Bank). On 1st August, 2018 the Bank of Ghana (BoG) revoked the banking licence of Beige Bank and placed it in Receivership.
A review of the financial and other records of the Bank conducted by the Receiver and his team identified a number of suspicious and unusual transactions which were subsequently reported to the law enforcement agencies for investigations.
Investigations revealed that between 2015 and 2018, the accused person, as CEO of the bank, used various means to transfer huge sums of money to companies related to him for his personal benefit. The funds transferred were depositors’ funds lodged with Beige Bank.
Between 2017 and 2018, the accused person caused the transfer of 10,071 fixed deposit accounts held with Beige Bank, in which various customers placed a total of GH¢448,636,210.21 to Beige Capital Asset Management Limited (BCAM), without the knowledge and consent of these customers.
BCAM is a limited liability company wholly owned by The Beige Group Limited (Beige Group), an entity which in turn is wholly owned by the accused person. Investigations also revealed that the accused person, between the years 2017 and 2018, caused the transfer of 35 fixed deposit investments of 23 customers of Beige Bank, totaling GH¢141,042,348.92, to the Beige Group, a company wholly owned by the accused, who is the majority shareholder of Beige Bank.
Investigations further revealed that sometime in March 2018, the accused person caused a fictitious second account to be opened in the name of First Africa Savings and Loans (FASL), an existing account holder with Beige Bank, without the knowledge of the Board and management of FASL.
The accused person then caused the transfer of the sum of GH¢320 million from the accounts of various Beige Bank customers into the bank account of BCAM held with Beige Bank.
The GH¢320 million was, subsequently, transferred from the BCAM account held with Beige Bank into the fictitious FASL account that had been opened in Beige Bank’s books on the instructions of the accused.
Between March 2018 and August 2018, GH¢21,123,270.96 out of the GH¢320 million was transferred from the fictitious FASL bank account to some two individuals and 10 companies, nine of which are related to the accused person, on the instructions of the accused person.
Again, between 2015 and 2017, the accused person, through the use of payment vouchers, caused the sum of GH¢1,465,000.00 of depositors’ funds lodged with Beige Bank to be paid to himself and other persons.
These transactions were recorded in a general ledger account of the bank, described as Directors Account. Investigations also revealed that the accused person, through the use of payment vouchers, emails and memos, caused a total amount of GH¢20,599,052.58 of depositors’ funds lodged with Beige Bank to be transferred to a number of companies and individuals for his benefit.
These transactions were recorded in a general ledger account of the bank described as Shareholders Account. Additionally, between 2016 and 2017, the accused person, through the use of payment vouchers, caused a total amount of GH¢141,742,087.70 of depositors’ funds lodged with Beige Bank to be transferred to a number of companies and individuals for his benefit.
These transactions were recorded in a general ledger account of the bank described as Prepayment: Project Works Account.
Between 2017 and 2018 the accused person, through the use of payment vouchers, emails and memos, further caused the sum of GH¢118,076,813.09 of depositors’ funds lodged with Beige Bank to be transferred to a number of companies and individuals for his benefit. These transactions were also recorded in a general ledger account of the bank described as the Beige Group Account.
Investigations have established that the money dishonestly appropriated by the accused from Beige Bank remained unpaid as at 1st August 2018 when the Bank’s licence was revoked by Bank of Ghana (BoG)
Dr. Joseph Kojo Tambiri, Medical Director-Effia-Nkwanta Hospital
The only referral hospital in the Western Region, the Effia-Nkwanta Government Hospital, has been badly hit by the brain drain syndrome, as large numbers of medical and nursing staff have deserted or are deserting the facility.
For the last 12 months, 40 staff, including medical doctors, Nurses, laboratory staff and Pharmacists have reportedly left the facility.
The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Joseph Kojo Tambiri, who disclosed this to the media, added that currently 100 staff have applied for leave without pay.
Applying for leave without pay, according to the Medical Director, was a strong warning that they might not come back.
This situation, he noted, was denying the health facility staff and skill needed to offer best of services.
“For now, there is very little management can do about it so we ask the media to help save the healthcare sector”.
Management of Effia-Nkwanta hospital addressing the media
The Medical Director, underlining the rationale behind the media engagement, indicated that looking at the lofty ideas the hospital is looking forward to implement, it was important that they engaged the media for them to communicate their message to the public.
“We are doing a good job and we can’t achieve everything if we don’t have support of the media,” he said, adding that “we need to also educate the public about our work. So we need the media to do this education on our half and understand the context within which we work”.
According to Kojo Tambil, the hospital is currently being redeveloped into a regional hospital, but they are currently facing financial challenges and cannot, therefore, tell whether the 2025 deadline would be met or not.
He, however, mentioned that works on the Regional Infectious Centre (RIC) was 80% complete and that plans were far advanced for procurement of equipment to furnish it. According to him, a number of Oxygen plants sponsored by UNICEF had been procured and that the machines would soon be fixed.
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU)
Medical Director Tambiri also told the media that Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been established at the facility and is currently working. But for the ICU, the Medical Director added, the recent premix explosion at Ngyiresia could have taken a number of lives. “It’s a good thing but we have challenges with staffing and equipment”.
According to him, Referral Call Center has also been established to handle all referrals in the region. The idea is to take first-hand information before patients arrive, plus information on cost of the use of the facility.
Dialysis Services, he mentioned, were still available at the facility and that a new state of the art machine had even been acquired and would soon be installed.
FUNDING PROJECT
Dr. Kojo Tambiri further revealed to the media plans management of the hospital have to restructure the maternity ward. The idea is to divide the ward into cubicles so that pregnant mothers would safely deliver in the presence of their family.
He also mentioned VIP Ward and Stroke unit that the facility has plans of establishing. These projects would need money to execute.
As a result, he called on philanthropists, corporate Ghana and indigenes of the region to buy into the idea and sponsor the projects.
The media engagement was attended by Michael Danso, Head of Administration, Dr. Edward Amihere, Clinical Coordinator, Esther Assabil, Deputy Head of Nursing amongst others.
