Carlo Ancelotti’s side eased to a 3-0 win over Cadiz earlier on Saturday, which meant the Catalan club had to win at the Estadi Montilivi.
Barcelona led 2-1 at half-time, but three second-half goals from Girona left Real with an unassailable lead at the summit with four matches of the season remaining.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been a key figure in Real’s success, having scored 18 goals in 26 La Liga games in his first season with the club.
The 20-year-old joins Laurie Cunningham (1979–80), Steve McManaman (2000–01 and 2002–03), David Beckham (2006-07) and Kieran Trippier (2020-21) as Englishmen to win La Liga.
Los Blancos have lost just one league game this season and could potentially finish the campaign with 99 points, which would be their second-highest total ever.
It is Ancelotti’s second La Liga title as Real coach, having previously won it in 2021-22.
Cole Palmer has scored 10 goals in his last five appearances
Chelsea strengthened their chances of securing European football next season, cruising to victory against West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
It took just 15 minutes for Chelsea to get their noses in front with Cole Palmer reacting quickest to meet a loose ball in the West Ham box.
West Ham almost hit back immediately when Jarrod Bowen’s header crashed back off the crossbar, but it was one-way traffic from then on.
Chelsea doubled their lead on the half-hour mark through Conor Gallagher before Noni Madueke headed in the third six minutes later.
Nicolas Jackson struck twice in the second half to round off a wholly positive afternoon for the Blues.
With just three games left to play, Chelsea’s season seems to be heading for a strong finish as they have climbed up to seventh and sit just two points shy of sixth-placed Newcastle, while West Ham, who have two games remaining, stay ninth.
The Appiatse town in the Western Region, which was razed down after an ammonium nitrate explosion on January 20, 2022 has been rebuilt.
On Thursday, May 2, 2024 the Akufo-Addo government commissioned 124 new housing units for the victims of Appiatse, at a colourful event with chiefs and people in attendance.
The reconstruction was done with funds and support from the general public and private sectors, with the government investing in the road infrastructure.
PHASE ONE
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, commissioned the 124 housing units, that made up Phase One of the Appiatse reconstruction project.
Veep Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cutting the tape to commission the new Appiatse township
Phase One is made up of 124 housing units, consisting of one-to-seven-bedroom houses, a school block with sanitary facilities and the construction of inner roads within the community.
It also includes the provision of markets, electricity, water, extensive street lighting and a green landscape.
PHASE TWO
Phase two of the project, which the government says was the repair and rehabilitation of buildings partially impacted by the incident, has also been completed.
The government said that payments have been made to some 50 affected individuals to carry out the repair and rehabilitation of their buildings, after the affected buildings had been assessed and valued by professionals.
After the commissioning of the 124 housing units yesterday, the Vice President cut sod for the commencement of work on Phase 3.
The third phase will see to the construction of 67 additional buildings and other facilities on the peripheries of the new community.
GRATITUDE
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, expressed gratitude in his commissioning address to all who contributed in diverse ways to ensure the revival of the community that was razed down by fire.
The Appiatse community
According to him, the new structures, “once mere blueprints, now stand as symbols of hope, unearthing a brighter future from the ashes of our past.
“We are grateful to all who offered support in our time of need, whether through words of comfort, a listening ear, the provision of a need or a temporary place of abode, or a contribution thereto; but very importantly, to all—both corporate and individual Ghanaians – who, out of the generosity of their hearts contributed in cash and kind to support the rebuilding of the new Appiatse we commission today. It is my prayer that the Almighty God will abundantly replenish whatever you sacrificed,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia paid a glowing tribute to President Akufo-Addo, saying that his boss’ commitment and tenacity led to the construction of this new community.
He reiterated that the President was the first person to donate to the Appiatse Support Fund and directed that $5,000,000 of the $6,000,000 fine imposed on the mining company be paid into the fund.
A symbol of the disaster
The Vice President also thanked the Appiatse Support Fund, the Appiatse Implementation Committee, the experts, consultants and contractors for their dedication to the course.
He pledged on behalf of the government to ensure that no family remains displaced, no child sleeps without shelter, and no elder faces uncertainty.
NEW MEASURES
The Vice President said he learned about the new measures that had been put in place by the Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources, not only for the transportation of explosives, but to ensure health and safety in the entire mining industry.
He said that the enhanced safety protocols must be the nation’s unwavering priority, adding that Ghanaians owed it to the victims of the incident, their families, and the entire nation to prevent such tragedies in the future.
“We must, therefore, continue to invest in robust infrastructure, stringent regulations, and comprehensive training for those handling explosives or any other hazardous materials in all sectors of our socio-economic lives. Let us resolve to make the rebirth of Appiatse a testament to our determination to protect lives and safeguard our communities,” he remarked.
GOOD CARE
A day before the commissioning, a candlelight vigil was held at the new Appiatse community to commemorate the souls that were lost due to the explosion.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in his address, remarked that the reconstructed Appiatse Community, “meticulously crafted, embody our commitment to healing and bringing solace to families who have endured displacement and pain. This is, truly, a gesture of a caring government.”
However, he urged the beneficiaries of the facility to take very good care of them and ensure that it becomes a lasting legacy to bring relief to the affected, joy to the community, and ease the pains of January 20, 2022.
FUTURE
He pledged that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will rigorously enforce the enhanced safety protocols adopted, educate communities, and hold accountable those entrusted with responsibility for explosives, as well as other hazardous materials, to prevent the recurrence of this unfortunate incident.
BACKGROUND
The Minister for Lands said that six days after the incident, on January 26, 2022 on the instructions of the President, he led a government delegation to carry out a preliminary assessment of the destruction and determine the right strategy to rebuild this community.
They launched the Appiatse Support Fund to raise money to, among others, support the victims of the incident and reconstruct the community.
A five-member committee, chaired by the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, was inaugurated to manage the fund.
Two days after the launch of the Fund, the President GH¢100,000.00, followed by the vice president and several other Ghanaians, including the First Lady, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, corporate Ghana, and individuals, among others.
They also received several donations in kind, including building materials from various institutions, both public and private.
Minister Jinapor told the gathering that, to effectively execute the commitment to rebuild the community, an Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Committee (ARIC) was constituted to oversee the design and construction of the community into a modern, green, and sustainable township.
YEA and GES officials exchanging documents after signing the MoU
The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to recruit 10,000 qualified persons to serve the Secondary, Junior High and Primary schools across the country.
These 10,000 personnel, who will be recruited under the MoU, would serve as Kitchen Assistants, Security Guards and Teaching Assistants to augment and fill the gaps within the GES.
Giving a short address on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YEA, Deputy CEO in Charge of Operations, Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim, said the current agreement is the third MoU the Agency is signing with the GES.
He mentioned that the YEA in 2015 and 2018, signed MoUs with the GES and having good working relations as far as those agreements are concerned.
According to him, the latest agreement will enable the YEA to recruit 4000 kitchen assistants, 4000 security guards and 4000 teaching assistants in bid to beef up staffing situation in schools across the country.
“This MoU is for the YEA to assist the GES to run educational services effectively; and in doing so, they need requisite staff, hence the YEA is coming on board to assist the GES in some respective areas by recruiting teaching assistants, kitchen assistants and security guards for schools,” he said.
Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim noted that persons who would be recruited as teaching assistants in the Senior, Junior and Primary schools must have a minimum qualification of Diploma certificate.
This set of personnel, according to him, shall receive monthly allowance of GHC 1,000.00.
He averred that the YEA has recognised the qualifications within the GES and decided to follow that to recruit the teaching assistants under the program.
For both the Security guards and Kitchen staff, they will receive GHC500 as monthly allowance.
He explained that the YEA is supporting the GES with part of its entitlements under the GET Fund and called on prospective applicants to apply for any of the vacancies listed above.
On his part, Mr Stephen Kweku Owusu, Deputy Director General (Management Service) expressed gratitude to the YEA for assisting the Service in that regard.
According to him, the 10,000 personnel when recruited will go a long way to help the GES augment its staff and reduce the pressure on already existing staff. This, he said, will boost teaching and learning for better results in our schools.
Mr Wilberforce Andrews, independent presidential candidate for the 2024 elections
An independent presidential candidate for the 2024 elections, Mr Wilberforce Andrews, says he will prioritise sports and its various disciplines to create massive employment for the teaming youth in the country if he wins.
The various disciplines of sports, he said, were critical areas that have not been properly harnessed in the country’s quest to find a workable solution to the disturbing figures of unemployment among the youth.
This was contained in his statement of ambition and areas of priority to overcome the challenges of youth unemployment, as far as his pursuit to lead the country as a president was concerned.
Explaining further to The Chronicle, Mr Wilberforce hinted that Ghanaian youth were naturally endowed with enviable talents in all the sporting disciplines, but there was no systematic push from the government.
“If you monitor the Schools and Colleges Games, you realise that talents in all the disciplines are abound across the country, but there are no deliberate plans to always nurture these talents and this is one area that is dear to my heart.
“I will prioritise sports in the country, build massive infrastructure for same and institute scholarship packages for the youth who are interested in sports and desire to pursue same as career,” he added.
Sports, particularly football, he said was a big investment that could be explored in addition to farming to improve the socio-economic fortunes of the country and the youth in particular.
Mr Wilberforce has, therefore, promised to commercialise football in the country, where his government would assist clubs to pay their players appreciable monthly wages, so as to improve the plights of footballers.
Introduction of integrated identity system
According to Mr Andrews, a government under him would build a robust data system that would be integrated with the old one to give Ghanaians one Identity Card at no cost to the holder.
This system, he said, would consist of voter, NHIS and Ghana Card, as well as any other card that a Ghanaian is supposed to have and would be fully synchronised with a centralised data base.
A well-coordinated centralised data base, he explained, would go a long way to assist in the fight against cyber related crimes, clean up all government institutions and rid them of “ghost names”.
“We annually hear of how ghost names strangely invade government payroll systems and how much the tax payers’ money is wasted on such highly avoidable situations.
“With my proposed integrated system, which will be linked to a centralised data base, those ghosts will not be able to find their names into payroll systems in the country again,” he explained.
He, therefore, called on the electorate to shift away from the traditional voting patterns that have charactarised the inception of the 4th Republic where no Independent Presidential Candidate has survived the dominance of both NDC and NPP.
Vision for other professionals
According to Mr Andrews, a government under him would use the National Vocational Training Institute to train more youth whose expertise would be needed both in Ghana and other countries. “There are other areas that Ghana, as a country has the comparative advantage to produce more professionals because we have a very active population who are eager to work.
Many youths can be trained as carpenters, block layers, electricians and welders and these youth could be assisted to travel outside the country to seek greener pastures”, said Mr Andrews.
Profile of Mr Wilberforce Andrews
Mr Wilberforce Andrews works as International Coordinator for Africa Awake Foundation for Ghana, South Africa and South Korea and the Chairman for the Group of Human Rights Research and Advocacy Team on Rights Abuses.
He was appointed to conduct research on Suspects’ Rights by Youth for Human Rights Africa in 2017, where he reported about suspect abuses and unlawful detentions in various police stations in Central Region.
He was a Director – in Charge of Operations for United Nations Youth Association of Ghana (UNYA-GH) in 2013.
He was later appointed as Central Regional President for United Nations Association of Ghana (UNA -Gh) in 2017and now the National Treasure.
He is the BUSAC (IMF) Local Facilitator and once worked at Enyan Denkyira Rural Bank Limited in 1994. He is a Farmer and an Entrepreneur.
NPP Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia addressing the industry players
The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has unveiled plans to deepen the involvement of traditional leaders in mining licensing regimes, should he emerge victorious in the upcoming presidential elections.
The proposed move, according to him, is aimed at involving traditional rulers in the Mineral Licensing process, ensuring their participation before any mining activities commence in a specific area.
Dr. Bawumia made this announcement during his Western Regional Campaign Tour, while addressing the Western Regional House of Chiefs on Thursday.
The Vice President highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in the decision-making process, concerning mineral resources and their impact on local communities.
Explaining further, Dr. Bawumia said the policy seeks to incorporate Chiefs into his broader mining industry formalisation program, in recognition of their influence and important role at the local level.
The proposal, Dr. Bawumia maintained, will help streamline the mining sector and ensure that Chiefs play a significant role in the licensing of miners.
The Vice President pointed out that involving Chiefs in the Mineral Licensing process would foster greater collaboration between the government, mining companies and local communities.
He also emphasised the need for a more inclusive approach that considers the interests of all stakeholders, particularly Chiefs, who he noted, represent their community’s interests.
“We want to formalise small-scale mining, but we cannot be successful without the participation of Chiefs. The Chiefs have to be part of the licensing of miners in their locality.
“They have to be part of the whole process. And so, we have to make the necessary amendments to the Mining Act to do all of this.
“Decentralise the Mineral Commission to be in the various districts and also decentralise the Environmental Protection Agency.”
The Melcom Group of Companies has launched a Grid-Tie Rooftop Solar PV system, through a loan facility of over GHS13 million provided by Societe Generale Ghana.This includes the construction and installation of a 1,262KWP Grid-Tie Rooftop Solar PV system.
Addressing the gathering, the Managing Director of Societe Generale Ghana, Mr. Hakim Ouzzani, emphasized the significance of the project in advancing Ghana’s transition towards clean energy solutions.
The solar project, expected to reduce the electricity costs of Melcom’s Spintex Branch by up to 35%, which represents a substantial investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
Highlighting the environmental benefits of solar energy, Mr. Ouzzani underscored its role in mitigating the adverse effects of conventional energy sources on the environment.
He expressed Societe Generale Ghana’s pride in supporting initiatives like Melcom’s solar project, aligning with the bank’s commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible investment.
The Solar Panel
Mr. Ouzzani reiterated the bank’s dedication to expediting the adoption of clean energy technologies through innovative financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships.
“Moving forward, SG Ghana remains steadfast in its commitment to aiding our clients in achieving their sustainability goals and fostering positive environmental change. We understand that combatting climate change necessitates concerted efforts, and we are privileged to contribute our part towards sculpting a more sustainable future for forthcoming generations”, he concluded.
The Business Development Manager, Hala Jurf of SNS Construction and Trading, the company that installed the Solar system for Melcom, emphasized the project’s magnitude and impact on sustainability.
“The installation spans three locations, collectively boasting a capacity of 1.6 MWp. Notably, the Melcom Mall in Spintex hosts the largest portion, with 1.26 MWp, showcasing Melcom’s commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship”, Madam Hala explained.
Madam Jurf highlighted the collaborative effort and expertise of SNS’s team, acknowledging key individuals whose dedication drove the project’s success.
“This project represents the pinnacle of months of planning, design, and hard work by SNS’s team. Their expertise and passion have been instrumental in turning this vision into a reality. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of them for their tireless efforts.”
The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, in his 2024 May Day address in Accra, this week, made a clarion call on Ghanaians to reduce imports and consume Ghanaian goods.
In his view, reducing our taste for foreign products was a major step towards stabilising the cedi against major international currencies.
The TUC Secretary-General opined that the living standards of Ghanaian workers had adversely been affected, owing to the depreciation of the cedi since 2016 to date, pegging the decline in percentage terms at about 250 percent.
Dr. Baah observed that the current exchange rate of GH¢14 to $1, compared to about GH¢4 to $1 in 2016, meant that workers who earned a monthly salary of GH¢1,000 in 2016 were taking home the equivalent of $250 in 2016, but today the same GH¢1,000 is $71.
We agree with Dr. Yaw Baah that Ghana should reduce its taste for foreign goods. This is because the prices of these imported goods are directly affected by the exchange rate.
This means that any depreciation of the cedi against the major international currencies, such as the US dollar and the UK pound sterling, will adjust the prices of those goods upward.
Importers will then have to spend several cedis to purchase dollars, pounds sterling or the euro to be able to import their goods to Ghana. The effect of that is the hoarding of international currencies, particularly by people in the black market.
We are not saying that Ghana should completely stop imports. This, in our opinion, is not even possible, considering that we are not self-reliant. We anticipate a day in Ghana where most goods produced here find their way onto the international markets in order to strengthen our local currency.
We cry about the several dollars the Oil Marketing Companies require in order to import crude into the country. It was the burden of always looking for scarce dollars for the OMCs that birthed the Gold for Oil policy by the Akufo-Addo government.
There is no denying the fact that some commodities will be imported because we do not have the capacity to produce them here.
But we cannot be convinced about why Ghana should continue to import used clothes, for instance, as COVID-19 opened our eyes to realise that we could produce more items locally.
The ingenuity of the Ghanaian was at play when we produced scrubs, nose masks and other personal protective equipment locally.
With the lesson learned from the geo-politics around the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by the western world, Ghana and some African countries, including Rwanda, have set out to produce their own malaria and other vaccines.
Our position is that we cannot have our cake and eat it. If we over-rely on foreign goods at the expense of local production, then we must be prepared to always resuscitate our ailing currency forever.
In the late part of 2023, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, sent a government policy to Parliament for approval, to ban the importation of some 20 goods, ostensibly to deal with the rising dollar issue and also boost local production.
The government’s justification was that the country had to put in about $164 million towards the importation of items like rice, fruit juices, fish and cement, though they can be produced locally. The bill has been suspended as the House was not convinced about some provisions in the policy.
Our neighbour, Nigeria, took a bold step to ban the importation of rice and today, majority of the rice consumed in that country is locally produced.
We reiterate that the call by Dr. Yaw Baah is a good one and the government, for instance, should consult broadly on the subject and implement it, not losing sight of the ramifications, which may include the loss of jobs for those importers.
Ghana hosts the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and must take advantage of this to see which countries on the continent can supply the items we import abroad. This will help in stabilising the currency, because intra-Africa trade will not be as expensive as the alternative.
Dignitaries present at the news briefing in a picture
The President of Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has announced that Ghana will host the 3rd Africa Media Convention (AMC) in Accra. He made the disclosure at a press briefing at the Ministry of Information early this week.
He mentioned that the conference was a fast-growing platform that would generate a coalition of ideas, support systems, and actors to shape the future of media in Africa and hopefully around the world.
“It is important to state that, the AMC is a fast-growing platform that I believe will generate a coalition of ideas, support systems and actors to shape the future of media in Africa and hopefully around the world”, the GJA President said.
He described Ghana as one of Africa’s fast-growing conference destinations citing the World Press Freedom Day Celebration and several ECOWAS and AU Heads of State summits as examples.
According to Mr Dwumfour, the conference was expected to discuss how to promote a positive African narrative globally and how to combat misinformation on the continent’s social media platforms.
“Additionally, it will focus attention on how to combat misinformation on the continent’s social media platforms, especially in the face of threats to democracy,” he added.
The GJA President appealed to interested media personnel who would like to be part of the conference to register via online (www.3rdafricanmediaconvention.com) or contact this number: 02566622583.
Background
The 3rd Africa Media Convention is scheduled for May 15-17, 2024. It is an annual media convention with a collaborative effort supported by African media stakeholders, to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate fundamental principles of press freedom and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedom, promote access to information, the safety of journalists and media visibility in Africa Union member states.
Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah, together with other speakers who attended the function.
An expert in Agribusiness, Mr Abraham Dwomah Odoom, has stated that pesticides and herbicides (Chemical fertilisers) are destroying Ghanaian farm lands.
According to Dwomah Odoom, the European Union (E.U) had already warned Africa about the dangers associated with the chemical fertilisers. The usage of chemical fertilisers, he disclosed, is having a toll on the health of unsuspecting Ghanaians.
“I will tell you, most of the youth who are dying today is all because of this residue, because it affects your kidney and lungs.”
Mr Abraham Odoom said this in an interview with the media at the second version of the ‘Youth in Agribusiness Festival 2024’, an offshoot of the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation.
A section of the participants seated at the 2nd Edition of the John Agyekum Kufuor Agribusiness Festival 2024.
Held under the theme: “Agribusiness Modernisation: A tool for Sustainable Youth Employment in Ghana”, young agri-business entrepreneurs shared their success stories.
According to Odoom, per global parings, Ghana and Africa have the largest arable lands available for agriculture.
However, the usage of chemical fetilisers was posing a challenge to the future of agriculture in Ghana and Africa at large.
“Meanwhile, Africa has the largest land available for agriculture and I will tell you, most of our lands now have been degraded by the constant use of pesticide and herbicides.”
The repercussion, the agribusiness expert noted, was that poor farmers would have to look for huge sums of money to improve upon the fertility of the land.
“But the lands are no more fertile. You plant and you do not get the yields. At the end of the day, the land development is costly than the profit that would accrue from agriculture. This discourages the youth to venture into agriculture.”
Nevertheless, he charged the youth to take advantage and sign up to the Agricultural Economic Enclaves, which are being created by the government and other private firms.
According to him, the initiative would take off the burden of seeking for factors of production for farming such as land, water and tools among others.
Under this policy, he continued, the youth would only have to express interest in farming by signing a contract concerning the number of years that they would like to farm.
This, according to Abraham Odoom, is a way of getting jobs for the youth.
“Most of the youth do not need to go into formal job because they are talented. We need to encourage the youth and stop importing everything,”
On his part, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie South, Clement Opoku Gyamfi, noted that the agribusiness event aims at celebrating the relentless spirit of entrepreneurship among the youth.
“Today, we carry on his legacy by empowering the next generation with agribusiness skills.”
The Chairman for the occasion, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, in his opening remarks, noted that the John Agyekum Kufuor youth in agribusiness aims to conscientise the Ghanaian youth about vast opportunities in the agriculture sector.
Agriculture in Ghana, according to the former U.N staff, had largely been dominated by the elderly who are steadily leaving the scene.
