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Academic Citycollege partners Israeli Embassy; to create makerspace to address youth unemployment

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Academic City students and staff pose with Reps from Embassy of Israel and MakeLab
MakeLab

Academic City University College, Ghana’s premium institution for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship, has announced a partnership with Makelab and the Israeli Embassy to develop a makerspace to increase youth employment opportunities in the country.

According to reports, Africa’s youth population is growing and is expected to reach 2.4 billion by 2050. This demographic trend has significantly exacerbated the continent’s unemployment situation.

In this regard, the “MakeLab ACITY – Accra” makerspace, which will be located on the Academic City campus, is critical to the fight to improve youth employment in Ghana and beyond.

When completed, the initiative will make a significant contribution to providing more support for youth entrepreneurship, including business skills and connections with financial and in-kind support.

The centre will be open to the public and offer open-source access to the rapid prototyping, testing, and piloting of products and goods, including fabrication labs (fablabs), hackerspaces, hubs, and to some extent co-working spaces.

“We are pleased to collaborate with MakeLab and the Israeli Embassy to bring a world-class makerspace to the doorstep of the Ghanaian youth, which will go a long way towards promoting creativity and innovation and harness the energy of Ghanaian youth and partners to leverage on technology to create sustainable solutions to some of the biggest challenges on the continent of Africa” said Makafui Awuku, Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC) Manager.

“This project will go a long way toward achieving Academic City’s goal of fostering transformational leaders for the continent’s development,” he added. “We look forward to utilizing the centre once it is completed to address local issues in innovative and cost-effective ways.”

Avi Ostfeld, Founder of MakeLab Network, remarked, “We are delighted to be working with Academic City and the State of Israel to establish this second African MakeLab center. This is a great start here in Ghana.”

“MakeLab centers are here to foster creativity, which is the engine of innovation. MakeLab is the platform for everyone to come, use the tools and fabrication means, explore, create, share, and contribute back to the MakeLab Network community and the physical centers – which are being developed by the community itself,” he noted further.

On her part, H.E. Shlomit Sufa, Ambassador of Israel to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, said: “We are excited to begin this partnership with Academic City University College and MakeLab. This project will enable us to share the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship and demonstrate the technological capabilities of Israel in a manner that will benefit innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs in Accra and all over Ghana.”

Uneasy calm at National Sports Authority …Employees call for probe of NSA board

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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Prof. Peter Twumasi, Head of NSA

Sixty-six employees of the National Sports Authority (NSA) have petitioned the President, Nana Akufo-Addo to call the Governing Board of the NSA to order and ensure the smooth operation of the sports agency.

The signatories, headed by Messrs Alexander Tieku and Eric Appiah Jnr., Deputy Chief Administration Officer and Principal Sports Development officer respectively of the NSA, in a petition called for a probe of the actions of the Board, considered to be inimical to the running of the agency mandated to develop, organise and promote sports in Ghana.

The petition, dated November 7, 2022 has also been copied for the attention of the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, Minister of Youth and Sports, the CEO of State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA), the NSA Board Chairman and Director-General, as well as the chairman of the NSA Union.

The petitioners stated that the Director-General is ready to transform the authority but the non-cooperative stance of the new Board and the Ministry of Sports is hampering the day-to-day running of the Sports Authority.

The aggrieved staff of the Sports Authority cited alleged interference from the Board in the work of NSA Director General, Prof. Peter Twumasi and his management team.

They  bemoaned what they called the “unabated interference” of  the work of the D-G by the Board, with the intent to derail the progress of the National Sports Authority, hence the petition to stop the conscious attempt to undermine the administration of the Director-General.

The petition revealed that the NSA is yet to receive any amount of money from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, from the GHc1.4 million realised when Ghana played Nigeria in March 2022, in the World Cup playoff.

The petition emphasised that the Sports Ministry kept all the proceeds generated during the Ghana-Nigeria match at Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi with nothing going to the NSA that organised the match.

The petitioners say the money is needed to offset debt incurred in the organisation of the said match.

“The NSA is the Agency created by law and under the Ministry of Youth and Sports mandated to implement sports policy and programs yet, despite this huge responsibility the Authority is confronted with financial challenges”, the petitioners disclosed.

According to the aggrieved staff, the National Sports Authority receives about eight per cent (8%) of its approved budgets from the Ministry of Youth and Sports but key revenues generated during national matches are not released by the Ministry to NSA for its work, a situation they described as very disturbing.

They alleged that the Board is involved in petitions to the Office of Special Prosecutor and EOCO to remove Professor Twumasi as Director General of NSA.

“It has come to our notice that some members of the Board are behind some disgruntled workers allegations against the Director-General and thus emboldened the workers to report the hardworking Director General to the Ghana Police service, EOCO, CHRAJ, Office of Special Prosecutor and subjecting Prof Twumasi to unhealthy and media propaganda.

“The Board Chairman is known to have written to the Office of Special Prosecutor to investigate the Director General. These allegations which are with no substance are only made to court public hatred for the Director General, which eventually would bring the name of the organization into disrepute,”the petition said.

The allegations come in the face of some transformational achievements to the credit of Prof. Peter Twumasi over the past four years since his appointment.

Some of the achievements were mentioned as the renovation of Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Tamale Sports stadia and construction of over 100 AstroTurf facilities.Whilst the Esipong and Sekondi Sports stadia are being renovated with multipurpose stadia at Wa, Navrongo, Yendi, Dormans Ahenkro, Nyinahin, Koforidua, Dunkwa-on-Offin, Ho, Aximand Kaneshie, being at various stages of completion, among other administrative interventions culminating in the increase in Internally Generated Funds and recruitment of record 250 personnel at the Technical department of the NSA offices across the 16 regions to strengthen NSA’s operations.

Believing that the said allegations are hollow, the staff of the NSA want the President to, as a matter of urgency, investigate the actions of the Board and prescribe appropriate remedies to address the situation for sanity to prevail  for the efficient running of the Sports agency.

I don’t operate with land guards -AkwamufieDabenghene

By
INUSAH MUSAH
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Some damaged sewage pipes and conduits atop the building
Picture of the property of Jam Rock

The Dabenghene of Akwamufie in the Asuogyamang District, Eastern Region, has told The Chronicle that it is never true that he led 15 armed land guards to disturb a private developer at Senchi Amoafokro, near Atimpoku.

Rather, he said, the group he led to the site was a taskforce from the Asuogyaman Assembly, who on the order of the paramountcy was at the spot to stop the developer, Jam Rock, from developing a parcel of land he had allegedly acquired through foul means.

“The said land Jam Rock is developing is a stool land and he has rubbished two different invitations the paramountcy sent to him to come and provide genuine documents covering his acquisition of the land.

“So, yes, on Friday, I led a group of people to the land, which Addo, the owner of Jam Rock is illegally developing without a permit from the paramountcy, but the people I led to stop him from the construction were not land guards. And we went there on the instruction of the paramountcy,” Dabenghene told this reporter on the telephone in a four minutes and three seconds interview.

He said the Akwamufie could mete out strenuous punishment to the developer should he continue to drag the name of the paramountcy into the mud.

“Addo should come to the paramountcy with documents to prove how he acquired the stool land he is developing. This is very simple,” Dabenghene concluded.

Background

Last Friday, The Chronicle picked information that some land guards had gone to assault some workers and destroyed building materials belonging to Jam Rock, a private developer, at a site at SenchiAmoafokro.

According to the developer, that was the second time the land guards, led by Dabenghene, had visited the site to attack his workers and destroy his building materials.

 

One of the damaged sewage pipes and conduits atop the building

So, the next day, The Chronicle visited the site where we saw a one-storey building under construction, which is the property of Jam Rock.

The building is meant for accommodation, according to Addo Jam Rock, the developer.

He told The Chronicle that he acquired the land from the grandchildren of the real custodian, led by one Alex Asante at Jekiti, in the Asuogyamang District.

“And as far as I know, this is a family land but not a stool land. That notwithstanding, Alex Asante and those who matter in this transaction led me to all the people I had to meet to do the needful and so, I do not understand what Dabenghene and the Omanhene want from me again after I have fulfilled all ‘righteousness’ as far as this land is concerned.

“And for Dabenghene to lead some land guards to come and attack my workers and destroy some of my building materials, I do not get it,” Jam Rock narrated to The Chronicle.

He said he had reported the matter at the Atimpoku Police Station but the perpetrators were yet to be arrested.At the site on Saturday was Alex Asante, one of the grandsons of the custodian of the land, from whom Jam Rock acquired the land.First, he refuted the claim by Dabenghene that the lands in Asuogyamang are stool lands.

“The stool does not own lands here. That is point number one. Now, Jam Rock bought this 7.12 acre of land from us, the grandchildren, in 2017, and I led him to the family for the transaction.

He has sorted out all those who matter in this transaction and so, my family and I do not know what Dabenghene and Omanhene want from the developer.

“Jam Rock has the full backing of the family wherever he will take this matter because he does not owe anybody,” Alex Asante told The Chronicle.

Ghana to pilot dual education system next academic year -Adutwum

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Minister Adutwum signing visitors book St the Presby Headquarters

The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has hinted at plans for the country to pilot the dual education system next academic year in some selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the country.

He explained that the dual system would allow TVET students to dedicate almost equal time to learning at school as well as spend time with industry for their internship, so they would be well equipped with the requisite skills before graduating from school.

Dr Adutwum gave the hint on Monday when he visited the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Accra.

The meeting was part of the Minister’s annual interaction with Faith-Based Organizations in the country to share ideas and interact with them on government initiatives on education in the country.

Minister Adutwum interacting with the Presby officials

He mentioned that the Education Ministry and other stakeholders in the sector were doing everything possible to transform the education sector to match the current market demand as well as drive the nation’s transformation drive.

Commendation

The Education Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, praised the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for its role towards the development of the nation’s education and other socio-economic development.

“It is worth noting that we are not only producing students from our schools but training an assertive and critical thinking youth who would soon take over the leadership roles of the country”, he said.

Success story 

Dr Adutwum announced that the nation is winning the war against examination malpractices with the introduction of serialisation by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in all examinations organised by them.

The Education Minister stated that the recently held Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the country had every district writing a different set of questions with the same difficulty and understanding, which he said was one of the ways of winning the war against examination malpractice in the country.

He announced plans to meet all Education Ministers in the West African region soon to decide on the extension of the serialisation system into all examinations organised by the WAEC.

This, according to Dr Adutwum, would help improve the reputation and credibility of WAEC since the fair state of the examination would force students to study hard and they would not have any hope of cheating during the exams.

He spent time recounting the various enumerated the various interventions and initiatives being executed in the education sector towards the transformation of the nation’s development.

Appreciation 

The Right Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, described the Dr Adutwum as a visionary leader who understands the education sector and urged him to continue working very hard towards getting the best for the nation.

He pledged the leadership of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana towards the transformation agenda of the government.

The Moderator appealed to the government to have a second look at how best to engage the services of parents towards the development of education in the country.

Ghana’s education receiving the right

The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has, in another development, announced that the nation’s education sector was receiving the right direction and support towards the transformation of the nation’s socioeconomic development.

He explained that the current retooling of educational institutions, policy directions, expansion of school projects, the building of new schools, introduction of new curricula and the provision of resources to teachers and other staff of educational institutions were among the measures being put in place by the government to get the best for the nation.

Dr Adutwum gave the hint when he commissioned the ultra-modern Accra STEAM centre (a well-resourced facility meant for the teaching and learning of STEAM courses) located at the Accra High School.

The new facility stocked with robotics equipment and other modern electronics devices is one out of twenty such facilities being constructed nationwide by the government.

The Education Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe stated that the government was keen at providing the right direction and resources towards the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related courses which held the magic wand for the transformation of the nation’s development.

Dr Adutwum indicated that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is passionate towards the teaching and learning of STEM-related courses hence the massive boost and support towards the education space.

He called on students to take a keen interest in the study of STEM courses since it could help shape the fortunes of the nation’s future.

The Director General (DG) of the Ghana Education Service (GES),Dr Eric Nkansah, applauded the Israeli government for its support towards the construction of the centre which would go a long way towards the development of education in the country.

He was upbeat that the construction of the remaining 19 other centres would go a long way towards increasing access to the teaching and learning of STEM-related courses in Senior High Schools across the country.

By Felix Baidoo

Mobilise Resources to normalize acidic content in soil for food security -CSRI

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Professor Paul P. Bosu, Director-General of CSRI

Professor Paul P. Bosu, Director-General of the Crop and Soil Research Institute (CSRI) has urged stakeholders, especially in the agricultural sector, to divert more financial and human resources to normalise the over increasing acidity content in the soil.

According to him, the farmlands across the country were becoming more acidic and cannot support crop yields, which situation was a threat to food security, if not addressed urgently.

Dr. Bosu, who was speaking at the 273rd Directors Management Committee Meeting (DMC) 2022 Staff Durbar by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Ghana, stated that, there was an increase of acidic content in the soil from a lot of practices, hence, the need to deal with the issue holistically.

The research scientist said if the problem was not addressed a lot of inputs would be applied in the crops, yet would not be able to give the expected yields.

He disclosed that the institute would be launching an endowment fund next year to enable them generate funds internally from commercial services to support the government research fund in the absence of sustainable funding from donors and other sources.

Dr. Edward Yeboah, Director of the Soil Research Institute (SRI), said the meeting was aimed at addressing challenges confronting members and the institution to enable them get the best working environment and relationships towards lining to soil deficiency.

He disclosed that, currently, the country’s soil was losing the expected content of phosphorus to ensure the viability for crop production or farming. The SRI Director indicated that, every viable soil needs 15 milligrams of phosphorus per kilometer, but currently a research by the institution revealed that, the phosphorus in the soil is between 5.5up to 10 milligrams per kilometer across the country.

He called for a pragmatic effort to increase the level of phosphorus to improve the viability of soil for crops to enhance food security in the country.

Dr. Yeboah stressed that, the emerging of soil acidity needs to be addressed as a nation because the nutrients are not readily available for the crops. He disclosed that, if the nutrients were rather available and the soil is acidic, the crops may not be able to produce the expected yields and suggested that the solution for restoring the phosphorus in the soil is to apply agricultural lining to raise the PH of the soil by 1PHunit of the nutrient.

‘Strong partnership needed for sustainable food system to eradicate hunger’

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Members of DMC 2022 in the group pix after the meeting

Dr. Ruth Peprah of the Crop Research Institute (CRI) in Kumasi has stated that the food system is an important part of our lives, because we are what we eat, and it is one of the biggest drivers of health and well-being.

She said being healthy goes along with eating good and nutritious food, and that: “Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”

Speaking at Women in Agribusiness week in Kumasi on the theme, “Revitalising Partnerships for Sustainable Agribusiness Development,” Dr. Peprah stated that, the food system is hinged on four main stages, which are production, processing, retailing and consumption.

According to her, a sustainable food system was “a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that future generations are not compromised. Hence achieving food and nutrition security today should also contribute to food and nutrition security for future generations.”

She indicated that, any sustainable food system practiced the three main pillars: economic sustainability, social sustainability, and environmental sustainability.

On the economic dimension, she said the activities conducted by each actor in the food system value chain must be profitable and commercially viable, and should generate benefits for all categories of stakeholders, including farmers, processors, wages for workers, taxes for governments, profits for enterprises, and food supply improvements for consumers.

Dr. Peprah noted that there was no better time than now to discuss the all-important topic and to adopt a more holistic and inclusive approach to Africa’s food systems to better tackle hunger and poverty and improve nutrition, while conserving natural resources.

“Policy measures are key in achieving sustainability in food systems, and this we can do by adopting a multidimensional, gender-sensitive and integrated approach in all the stages including transport, storage, processing, wholesale and retail, consumption,” the Researcher said.

She said, as a country, we must align ourselves with a set of principles which includes improving the efficiency of resource used such as land, water, fisheries and forests, protect and enhance natural resources sustainability by reducing environmental externalities of agriculture, such as methane emissions in the air and nitrous oxide in the soil, protect and improve rural livelihoods, equity, women’s empowerment and social wellbeing, as well as enhance people’s, communities’ and ecosystems’ resilience, ensure a responsible and effective governance system, particularly with respect to the use and the protection of natural resources.

She reiterated that achieving sustainable food systems depends on the success of other indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 2 End Hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Madam Fortune Kyei, Project leader of Guzakuza, disclosed that, their organisation represented women in agribusiness, as about 70% of women were into agriculture, hence, the resolve to bring them out in the agricultural base.

She stated that, they had programmes to invite women from other counties, including young intellectuals, to train them to acquire the requisite skills, and train women in the rural communities.

Madam Kyei noted that the challenges of women in agribusiness were funding and the acquisition of farmlands, and pleaded with Nananom (chiefs), land owners and stakeholders to always assist women in that regard to make lands and funds more accessible to women in agribusiness.

Nana Afia Abrefi, Queenmother of Bomso, advised women in agribusiness to be vigilant by ensuring that they acquire their farmlands from the rightful owners to avoid litigation.

Nas’ home burglarized as he celebrated his album release party in NYC

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Nas

The hunt is on for the two men who broke into rapper Nas’ home in Calabasas, California and made off with a number of his possessions.

The break-in happened on the evening of Saturday  12th November, 2022 as the Grammy winner, 49, was celebrating at his album release party back in his hometown of New York City.

Nas’ team only became aware of the crime because the thieves were captured leaving the home on a Ring security camera.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the thieves were able to smash their way into the house through a rear door.

Investigators say the men “tore the place apart and left with at least two bags” of items. So far, there’s no official word on exactly what those items were or how much they’re worth.

His team noticed the break-in that captured on the security camera and promptly alerted authorities.

Once Nas flies back to Southern California, he will be able to do a proper inventory check to pinpoint what’s missing.

Fresh off the release of his sixteenth studio album, King’s Disease III, on Friday, Nas has been on the promotional trail in New York.

The album is the third entry in Nas’ King’s Disease series, and acts as a sequel to his previous two records King’s Disease (2020) and King’s Disease II (2021). All three of the recordings were produced by Hit-Boy, alongside Nas who served as executive producer.

The duo were pictured seemingly arriving for the album release party in some photos that were posted on Nas’ Instagram page, which included another image of them standing in front of a DJ with a microphone in hand.

50 Cent to produce series on Hushpuppi

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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50 Cent and Hushpuppi

American Rapper 50 Cent, born, Curtis James Jackson III, has announced plans to release a movie series based on notorious Nigerian internet fraudster, Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

Abass was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in June 2020, for defrauding over 1.9 million people, majority of whom were Americans.

He was afterwards extradited to the United States for trial on July 3, the same year.

As earlier reported, a United States District Court sitting at the Central District of California sentenced Hushpuppi to 11 years and three months’ after he was found guilty of laundering proceeds of a school financing scam, business email compromise and other fraudulent cyber schemes.

The 37 years old had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him during the trial.

Sharing pictures of the convict, 50 Cent made it known via his Instagram account on Wednesday that he was working on a movie project based on Hushpuppi’s story.

The G-Unit Records founder wrote in the caption, “For my scammers I gotta do this one. Hushpuppi series coming soon! GLG, Green Light Gang I don’t miss. #Bransoncognac #lecheminduroi #gunitfilmandtv.”

Eno Barony and Duncan-Williams’ son to releasenew song ‘Don’t Judge Me’

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Eno and Dee Wills

Once Rapper of the year, Eno Barony, and the son of renowned Preacher, Archbishop Nicolas Duncan-Williams, Daniel Duncan-Williams, musically known as Dee Wills, is set to release a new song ‘Don’t Jude Me.’

The title of the song, Don’t Judge Me, suggests that the duo will reply critics who judge them for taking on the secular stands irrespective of their religious background.

Both Artistes are children of Pastors who are into secular music, a common trait of the two which has divided conversation amongst netizens.

Born Ruth Eno Adjoa Amankwah Nyame Adom at Tema, to father, Reverend Abraham Nyame Adom, and mother Mrs. Rebecca Nyame Adom, whilst Dee Wills’ son of Nicholas Duncan-Williams, is the presiding archbishop and general overseer of the Action Chapel International Ministry, headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

Ghanaians have since taken to social media to register their assertions concerning the song set to be released next week.

Clear visuals will accompany the release of the song on the same day as the official audio.

I wish to see myself on billboard before I die -Fred Amugi

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Fred Amugi

Veteran Actor Fred Amugi says his earnest wish is to see himself on billboard before he dies.

He is therefore charging Corporate Ghana to grant him the wish of having his face on a billboard as a brand ambassador before taking his last breath.

In a trending video on social media, the popular Actor on his 74th birthday said that he doesn’t want his image to be all over billboards after his death.

“Well, one wish I would love to have for my 74th birthday is to see myself on billboards as a brand ambassador. I wouldn’t want to die before I’m mounted on billboards when I wouldn’t see what corporate Ghana did for me,”.

“So, corporate Ghana, here I am, I’m prepared to be a brand ambassador for your products. Use me while I’m alive, not when I’m dead and gone,” he is heard in the video pleading.

Fred Amugi is one of the prominent faces in the Ghanaian movie industry. He rose to prominence for his role in the 1985 television series “Opinto”.

He is most noted for his roles in Judgement Day, Holby City, Beasts of No Nation, and The Cursed Ones.

He has been nominated for and won several movie awards including the Ghana Movie Awards.

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