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Pupils schooling under trees in Yilo Krobo Municipality

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ISAAC AKWETEY-OKUNOR
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A teacher preparing the under tree classroom for teaching and learning

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, an American political figure, diplomat, and activist, once observed that the future belonged to those who believed in the beauty of their dreams, but this is not so with the pupils of Akpo-Yiwase Municipal Assembly (M/A) Primary School in the Yilo Krobo Municipality seem to be fading out.

The young girls and boys will not forgive the school authorities if their current place for teaching and learning is not looked at properly.

The school, which was started in 1943, has suffered many setbacks following a lack of a proper school building, resulting in lessons being conducted under trees.

The uncompleted GETFUND school building

The leaders of the community, in an interview with The Chronicle newspaper, said the pupils had been taught under trees at Yiwase M/A Primary School for the past eight years, after part of the school building was totally destroyed by a heavy rainstorm.

One of the leaders, Mr. Jacob Teye, indicated that “we have approached the Regional and the Municipal Education Office and tried to negotiate with them so they could come up with a plan for us, but nothing positive came out of it.”

He expressed disappointment in the authorities of the country for failing to ensure that there was safe and adequate infrastructure at the school‚ a situation which violated the rights of the pupils and staff.

The Yiwase opinion leader continued that the teachers needed to close abrogate children whenever it rained, a situation that was de-motivating the children from going to school.

Even the uncompleted school building, which was allegedly funded by Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has been abandoned and become dilapidated posing a threat to the safety of the pupils.

Mr. Christian Ashimaty, the school head, passionately called on the government, individuals, stakeholders, and philanthropists to come to their aid with social amenities, including a school building, desks, teacher’s bungalows, and potable water.

He further stated that many of the children had stopped schooling due to a lack of classrooms, and furniture, and have to bring their own chairs and other learning materials to use, a situation which is seriously affecting teaching and learning.

“Many teachers get discouraged when they are posted to work in the community as a result of the poor road network, network invisibility, access to potable water, and many other challenges,” said the teachers.

Madam Ophelia Nartey, School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) for Huhunya Circuit in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, stated that the situation was affecting learning in the community, for which the government, individuals, stakeholders and philanthropists needed to intervene.

Bell Pepper Juice and its amazing Benefits

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admin
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Bell pepper juice

Bell pepper is a fantastic fruit widely served on our tables in various forms. Because of its build, which is over 90% water, bell pepper can be juiced without any doubt. Let’s include this super healthy, low in calories, and free from fat juice into our diet. It can be a nice change to the dishes we usually use the bell pepper in. It’s high time to try different colours of bell peppers in our juicies.

  1. How to make bell pepper juice?

Bell pepper is a very juicy fruit. That is why it is a great choice when it comes to juicing. It tastes very good combined with both vegetables and fruits. That makes bell pepper a perfect companion in multiple combinations of juices.

To name only a few ideas, you can juice bell pepper not only with carrot or tomato but also with orange, watermelon, mango, or cantaloupe. It all depends on your preferences and the supplies you have got in your kitchen. Feel free to improvise to get new tastes of your daily refreshing juices.

To juice any bell pepper, you need to have a juicier. The best choice will be the masticating juicer which keeps the nutrition value of fruits and vegetables in the juice.

All you need to do is wash the bell peppers and cut them into smaller pieces. First, it is better to cut pepper in halves and then remove all the seeds from the inside and the green steam. Do not remove the white films from the inside of a fruit. They are very rich in nutrients. When eating bell pepper raw, the membranes can taste a bit unpleasant. However, in juice, they do not change the taste and are undetectable. The next step after cutting the bell pepper is finally juicing. .

Juicing tip: White parts (membranes) inside the fruit are very high in nutrition value. Do not remove them when you prepare the bell pepper for juicing.

If you wonder how much juice is in one bell pepper, the answer is:

One average size bell pepper will give you around 2 oz / 60 ml of juice. The color of pepper you use doesn’t matter because each consists of over 90 % of water (green bell pepper – 93%, yellow – 92%, red – 92%).

  1. Bell pepper juice benefits

Due to valuable antioxidants, especially carotenoids, bell pepper juice boosts the body’s immune system and prevents diseases. The great advantage of this juice is that it is very low in calories. That can be a vital issue for those on a diet and precisely count the number of calories they provide the body each day. In 100 ml / 3.38 oz of green bell pepper juice, there are only 20 calories; in a yellow bell pepper – 27 calories. The red pepper juice contains the most – 31 calories. We can notice that the more mature fruits are, the higher in calories the juice is.

The bell pepper juice works anti-inflammatory, lowers the bad cholesterol level, and regulates blood pressure. It also helps to maintain the good condition of eyes, skin, and hair. Drinking bell pepper juice can significantly lower the risk of various forms of cancer diseases.

The number of vitamins and minerals in various types of bell peppers is varied. The highest in Vitamin C is the yellow bell pepper. The winner when it comes to vitamin A level is red pepper, but the richest in Vitamin K is green pepper. In the tables below, you can see the comparison of the content of minerals and vitamins in red, yellow, and green bell pepper juice.

  1. Which color bell pepper is the healthiest?

Bell pepper goes in a whole range of colors, there are purple, white, and even brown peppers, but the most popular and widely available are red, yellow, orange, and green.

While the green pepper we can get in a grocery shop is usually the red pepper on the former growing stage, the yellow and the orange bell peppers are entirely different plants growing up from the other seeds. As some used to think, it is not true that all bell peppers are the same vegetable on a different stage of ripping.

Let’s get back to the question, which of them is the healthiest one?

The green bell pepper is packed with nutrition value but in the red, orange, and yellow peppers, the vitamin C level is almost twice that high. They also contain way more beta-carotene than green bell pepper. It can be up to ten times more. The healthiest and rich in nutrition are mature

  1. Can you drink too much bell pepper juice?

The impressive list of bell pepper juice benefits proves that drinking it regularly can significantly improve well-being. If you ever asked yourself, is bell pepper juice good for you – it definitely is. However, the excessive consumption of bell pepper juice can make you gassy and bloating.

The recommended dose of bell pepper juice is around 5 oz / 150 ml per day. To avoid unpleasant flatulence or stomach ache, it is not advisable to exceed this amount for those whose digestive system is sensitive.

If the topic of juicing the unordinary fruits and vegetables interest you, here are a few articles on this theme to inspire you for experiments with the ingredients of your daily juice:

Source: bestjuicerplace.com

Feature: The NDC and the NPP, Comparing the Bad and the Ugly (2)

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admin
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Feature

Who Is the Greatest Liar, JEAM/JDM or Bawumia?

H.E. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in opposition days spoke for his party against things the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, did. During such fiery moments he promised that when voted into power, he will arrest the dollar, stabilise the cedi and will never borrow to manage affairs of the country.

In 2017, he was sworn in as vice president and to date, all three vows he took, were never honoured. For this he is called a liar, by the NDC.

But this was not the first a politician had made promises he could not keep. In 2008 when world market price of crude oil went up to $120.00 a barrel, President Kufuor pegged the ex-pump price even as the world price continued to rise and settled at $147.00 per barrel.

Prof. John Evans Atta Mills (JEAM), the flagbearer of the NDC, kept making a campaign promise and swore that when elected president, he would reduce the ex-pump price drastically. When he became president, JEAM rather increased ex-pump price of fuel by 70%, even though the world market price was down from $147.00 to $80.00 per barrel. So, what was John Evans Atta Mills?

Today, he is been branded a liar and has twenty-five things listed against him which are used to describe him as such.

These are, fights against galamsey and corruption; medical drones and 350 new SHS and one village, one dam; one district, one factory and $1 million per constituency; free bank account for every civilian; protecting the public purse and toilet facilities for every village; water for all villages and Accra becoming the cleanest city in Africa; job creation and promise to operate a lean government; zero tolerance for nepotism and developing Ghana without borrowing; punishing corrupt government appointees; one constituency, one warehouse and a hot meal and chocolate for every child; Reducing electricity and water tariffs and reducing fuel prices; the Ghana Post GPS system, stabilizing of the Ghana cedi and reducing cost of living.

The president’s resolve to fight galamsey has been implemented, however, the very people who will benefit directly from the exercise, have rather joined with other violators, to sustain galamsey. So, can the president be blamed if the fight against this evil act is not being successful.

As for the case of corruption, the NDC should not just go there. What went into the construction of Terminal 3 to make it cost over $250 million, while an airport built from scratch in Ethiopia, which will have a terminal like our Terminal 3, cost $27 million? If not gross corruption, then I do not know what to say.

I willpick six others and prove that the opposition NDC loves pulling dust in the eyes of Ghanaians just to attack NPP policies that are hurting their bid to come back to power.

Ghana is recognised as the leading country in the world, when it comes to using drones for medical deliveries and this is something the NDC is finding it very hard to accept. Zipline in Ghana has made the country, the hub of medical drones in the world.

With Free SHS, as at 2020, out of a total of 1,119 SHS infrastructural projects begun by the NPP government in 2017,539 were completed. This exceeded the 350 projects the NDC is saying had never been done.

The 1D1F Initiative is one project which is certainly disrupting NDC’s chances at the polls in 2024, so in whatever way, it must be bastardised. Based on this the NDC is saying the Initiative had flopped because government has not put up a single factory. Does the law on 1D1F agree with them?

Presenting a statement on the 1D1F Initiative on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday July 21, 2023, the then sector minister, Hon Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, stated among the initiative’s core principles that 1D1F companies are not state enterprises but are privately owned companies actively supported by government.This was made known to MPs in Parliament and they accepted it, so what is wrong with the NDC, now.

From 2017 to date, out of the 296 1D1F projects initiated, 126 companies are operational, 143 are under construction and 27 are in the pipeline. So, how could the NDC say that Dr. Bawumia is a liar and he is spreading untruths about the 1D1F?

Calling Dr. Bawumia a liar for failing to create jobs for the youth in this country, is one fallacy. Statistics have established that NDC’s Mills/Mahama government inherited an unemployment rate of 4.98% from the NPP Kufuor administration and after eight years, it handed over at 5.11% to the Nana Addo administration.

In 2017, the unemployment rate was reduced to 3.37% and has remained in the three-percentage digit to date. So, how can the NDC say Bawumia lied about reducing unemployment in Ghana?

Talking about lean government today, can the NDC truly say the current NPP government is bloated? H.E. John Mahama had a total of eighty-six ministers, including their deputies. And that was when Ghana had ten regions. During his second term, Nana Addo at one point had a maximum of eighty-two ministers and deputies, and this is when Ghana has sixteen regions. Clearly, it is obvious which party operated a bloated government when it was in power.

Dr. Bawumia led the digitalisation drive in this country, putting Ghana among the nations who nationals can apply for passport, driving license and even employment, online. The technology has arrived in Ghana, where one can pay utility bills online.

And this is what the NDC is saying was never been made manifest when it attacked Bawumia for allegedly lying about the Ghana Post GPS system. Ghanaians are amazed about NDC’s condemnation of this system, because, today, not only are places easily accessed through this system, but one could also know the digital addresses of places.

If the NDC is saying that not being able to fulfil any campaign promise makes the occupants of the presidency liars, then John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama are the greatest liars.

One of the main weapons these gentlemen used in 2008 was that when the NDC came to power, they would implement a one-term-premium for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

When JEAM/JDM became president and vice president in 2009, nothing was mentioned of the NHIS one-term-premium, which the poor and needy were anxiously looking forward to. They got. very disappointed when not only was the one-term-premium a mirage, but the NHIS was collapsed.

Secondly, H.E. John Mahama promised to build 200 Community Day Schools (CDS), but in presenting the 2016 budget statement, his own finance minister said only nine CDS had been completed. And as at October 2016, the then president commissioned only 13 CDS projects. Thirteen out of the promised two hundred.

Thirdly, President Mahama promised to build ten colleges of education but could not put up a single one before he left office.

Fourthly, in the NDC’s manifesto, JDM promised that under his watch, the average GDP growth rate would be at least 8% and there will be single digit inflation. However, the closest to 8% our GDP growth recorded under John Mahama’s reign was 7.3% in 2013. As for inflation rate, under John Mahama, 2013 recorded the lowest with 11.67%. By 2016, the country’s inflation rate was up, at 17.45%.

The NDC government promised Ghanaians in Parliament that it was going to build 5,000 housing units in Saglemi with $200 million, at $40,000.00 per unit. In the end, only 668 units were built with the NDC costing it at $196 million or $294 000.00 per unit as against the real value of $ 64 million or $95,810,00 per unit.

So, in effect out of the Parliamentary approval of a loan $200 million to built housing units for Ghanaians, the NDC under JDM took $136 million for themselves. And here, readers, by the NDC’s own computation, Terminal 3, cost more than a 5,000-housing unit. Is this for real?

The Presidential Oath of Office, states among other things, that the president would “at all times preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; and dedicate himself/herself to the service and well-being of the people of the Republic of Ghana….”With emphasis placed on the above, the president is mandated to protect public interest.

Therefore, it was very wrong for the then AG, representing the president and the government of the NDC, to have allowed Woyome to walk free after he stole $35 million equivalent in Ghana cedis. But wait, Woyome finances the NDC, so did he finance the NDC’s new office block?

Before, I sign off, let me bring in the trustful and whole hearted relationship Rawlings had for his PNDC/NDC. He picked many from the “gutters” and made them top class citizens. He so much loved JEAM, who was nowhere in the tough days of the revolution. He forced him upon the party and stood resolutely beside him until he became president.

With Rawlings out of power, JEAM and the others relegated him into the pits and even he was called a barking dog whenever he complained about their unrighteous deeds. Pretence is another form of lie and JEAM, Mahama, Asiedu Nketia and others, lied big time to Rawlings; lies that put Rawlings in great depression until he passed on.

Readers, H.E. Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, is being wrongfully branded as a liar. Looking at the reasons why he is said to be a liar, it will be safe to say that the deeds of NDC’s Mills and Mahama places them as the greatest liars.

Hon. Daniel Dugan.

Premier League signings hoping for immediate impact

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admin
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Moussa Diaby

The Premier League starts next week and there will be a lot of new signings looking to make an early impression.

BBC Sport looks at six new imports to English football who could hit the ground running and have a real impact.

Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa pulled off a coup by signing Bayer Leverkusen and France winger Moussa Diaby, 24, for a reported club record £51.9m. Diaby, one of the quickest players in Germany, can play anywhere across the front line; he scored 49 goals and made 48 assists in his 173 games for Leverkusen.

Last season, he was involved in more Bundesliga goals than any of his team-mates, scoring nine times himself and providing eight assists.

Nobody created better chances from open play in the German top flight than Diaby in 2022-23. He assisted shots with an expected goals value of 7.92, more than one point clear of anybody else.

Diaby – who has 10 caps for France – has two goals for Villa in pre-season. But boss Unai Emery admits he and his staff still have to work out Diaby’s best position.

Mahmoud Dahoud (Brighton)

Deep-lying playmaker Mahmoud Dahoud, 27, joined Brighton on a free transfer this summer after leaving Borussia Dortmund. He will play in a potentially new-look Albion midfield, with James Milner joining from Liverpool, Alexis Mac Allister going to the Reds and Chelsea trying to sign Moises Caicedo.

Mahmoud Dahoud

Dahoud won two caps for Germany, both in 2020, and played 141 times for Dortmund, although just 10 of them came last season following shoulder surgery.

In 2021-22, the last season during which he played regularly, he had more attacking sequence involvements per 90 minutes than any other Dortmund player in the league – 4.9. That includes shots, chances created and build-up.

Dahoud was much sought after when he left Borussia Monchengladbach for Dortmund in 2017 and has put in some impressive performances for Albion in their pre-season fixtures in the USA.

Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea)

France forward Christopher Nkunku could be one of the Premier League’s standout players this season after signing from RB Leipzig for £52m. The versatile 25-year-old scored 58 goals for the Bundesliga club in the past two seasons and the Blues will hope he is the answer to their striking problems. Despite missing nine games with an injury that kept him out of the World Cup, he still finished joint top scorer in last season’s German top flight with 16 goals.

Christopher Nkunku

The previous campaign he was named the Bundesliga’s player of the year despite being outscored by Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland. He was a winger or number 10 when he joined Leipzig from Paris St-Germain in 2019 but has been used as a striker in recent times, and Mauricio Pochettino may well see that as his position at Stamford Bridge.

The former PSG forward has scored three goals in pre-season for Chelsea, finding the net once against each of Wrexham, Brighton and Fulham.

Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)

Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai, 22, will be a key part of the Reds’ new-look midfield this season along with Argentina World Cup winner Mac Allister. With captain Jordan Henderson and defensive midfielder Fabinho moving to Saudi Arabia and Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving on free transfers, the centre of the park has undergone a full overhaul.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai, a £60m signing from Leipzig, played as a winger for most of his time in the German Bundesliga, but is more likely to play as one of the attacking midfielders at Anfield.

Only two players created more chances in open play than Szoboszlai’s 47 in the Bundesliga last season.

Hopefully his new club learn to spell his name soon – as his shirt had the name ‘Szosbozlai’, putting the middle ‘s’ in the wrong place, during a friendly against Bayern Munich played in Singapore.

Andre Onana (Manchester United)

Manchester United’s £47m signing of Amadou Onana, 27, marks a huge change at the club – the Cameroonian becomes only their third first-choice goalkeeper since 2005.

Andre Onana

David de Gea, who has left the club on a free transfer, had been the number one for the past 12 years. Edwin van der Sar had been their first choice for the previous six years.

Onana, who played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, is the Dutchman’s preferred style of goalkeeper; good with his feet and willing to come off his line.

He completed 10 more passes per 90 minutes than De Gea last season.

Onana has already made a mark at United, creating headlines with a furious rant at Harry Maguire in a pre-season game against Dortmund.

Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United)

Newcastle United made midfielder Sandro Tonali, 23, Italy’s most expensive footballer when they signed him from AC Milan.

Sandro Tonali

Tonali helped Milan win Serie A in 2021-22 and was part of the side that reached last season’s Champions League semi-finals.

A battling but technically gifted player, he is capable of playing as an attacking or a defensive midfielder. He created more chances in Serie A than any of his Milan team-mates last season (62). Tonali has already caught the eye in some of the Magpies’ pre-season games.

Credit: bbc.com

27 immigration officers interdicted over alleged visa fraud, recruitment

By
MAXWELL OFORI
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Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has interdicted 27 of its officers over alleged recruitment, and visa fraud.
The interdiction, which took place on Monday, July 31, 2023, involved three Senior Officers and 24 Junior Officers.
The offences relates to bringing the name of the Service into disrepute, a statement issued by the Service has said.
In a circular signed by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi, the interdicted Officers were alleged to be involved in offences including recruitment and/or visa fraud, among others, contrary to Regulation 138 (1)(a) and (k) of the Immigration Service Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2245).
The Officers, the GIS say have been interdicted to “allow for thorough investigations into their cases, in line with internal disciplinary procedures after which they will be prosecuted where necessary.”
According to the statement signed by C/Supt. Michael Amoako-Atta, Head of Public Relations, the interdicted Officers are Chief Superintendent Philipson Adeti, Superintendent Dominic Eshun, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Marvin Essandoh, Senior Inspector (Snr. Insp.) Augustine Nuamah, Snr Insp. Martin Owusu, Inspector (Insp.) Stephen Kofi Acheampong, Insp. Patrick Asante, Insp. Benjamin Darko, Assistant Inspector (Asst. Insp.) Victor Donkor, Asst. Insp. Daniel Danso Ntiamoah, Asst. Insp. Wisdom Ahorlu, Asst. Insp. Wisdom Elorm Addo, Asst. Insp. Hamdiya Abass, Asst. Insp. Elizabeth Quainoo, Asst. Insp Isaac Dzihlornu, Asst. Insp. Edmund Agbotey, Asst. Insp Mary Agyemang Duah, Immigration Control Officer (ICO) Iddrisu Adam, ICO Christopher Torgbenu, ICO Joseph Ampomah and ICO Francis Dabi.
The rest are Assistant Immigration Control Officer I (AICO I) Cosmos Dakora, AICO I Ebenezer Azumah, AICO I Bright Buabeng, AICOI I Collins Nyarko, AICO II Solomon Koney Laryea, and AICO II Samuel Kuranchie.
“Members of the public who have fallen victim to the alleged acts of these Officers are to provide information to the Service to assist in investigations.”

I’ve no candidate in NPP presidential primary –Akufo-Addo

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MAXWELL OFORI
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has declared that he does not have a candidate in the upcoming flag-bearer contest of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He has also refuted allegations that the government machinery is supporting the candidature of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to become the next leader of the party.

According to the President, those allegations are “false and malicious narratives,” adding that there is no one in the Party who can say that he, President Akufo-Addo, has asked him or her to support a certain aspirant.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 during a meeting with party communicators held at Jubilee House, Accra.

“I have not set out to dismiss any MMDCE or political appointee from office for supporting any particular aspirant, no Minister or deputy Minister has lost their job or been threatened for openly campaigning for their preferred presidential aspirant, neither has any caveat emanated from Jubilee House to the party across the length and breadth of the country, demanding that Candidate A be supported over Candidate B. I, better than anyone in the party, knows that this is not the way to go,” he stated.

However, being eligible to cast a vote in the internal contest, he said that he would definitely vote for a candidate competent enough to ensure the third defeat of John Mahama, the candidate for the opposition NDC.

Addressing the issue at stake, the President remarked that whoever becomes the presidential candidate “will be chosen freely and transparently by an Electoral College of some two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) people and not by President Akufo-Addo. I have just one vote, the same as any polling station executive anywhere in the country.

“I will cast that vote for an aspirant who, I believe, can best unite the Party and, above all, who can win the presidential election of December 7, 2024 and inflict a third successive defeat on the perennial NDC Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama,” he added.

NO PRESIDENT 

Referring to the history of the NPP, President Akufo-Addo opined that no President can foist a candidate on the party against its wishes.

He explained that the culture of the party has never subscribed to a cult of personality, citing the instances where keen contest elected former President Kufuor to lead the party, before him.

The NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, stated in relation to the party’s conduct in next year’s election that President Akufo-Addo cannot afford to allow what happened in 2008 to reoccur in 2024.

INVECTIVES

The President, however, raised concerns about the manner in which the various campaigns are taking place. According to him, some actions by a few members of the party are making the front pages for the wrong reasons.

He told the party communicators that energies were being expended hurling invectives at each other, instead of at the opponents and in the process, taking digs at the government.

He warned against certain actions of yesteryear, which contributed to the party losing in 2008, being repeated.

“We cannot afford an internal campaign based on ethnic or religious considerations,” he stated.

VICTORY 2024

Acknowledging that the economy was not in good condition, President Akufo-Addo reassured the gathering that victory for the NPP in the 2024 election and handing over to an NPP Presidential Candidate so elected as President by the Ghanaian people is what he is working for, and he expects all members of the NPP to share the same goals.

He indicated that regardless of the challenges, the party and the government, for the next 15 months, have the opportunity to put things right to win the hearts of Ghanaians for an NPP third consecutive term in office.

“I assume that we all want our party to win the 2024 elections decisively, our parliamentary candidates to win again the majority of seats in Parliament and our flagbearer to become the President of the Republic.

“I expect and accept arguments on how we prosecute this agenda. But I do not expect and do not accept that party members would do anything to jeopardise the goal we have set ourselves of winning the 2024 elections, and I will work with all who seek this objective,” he added.

Afriyie Akoto receives more endorsements

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In a show of overwhelming support, many Constituency chairmen in the Greater Accra Region have endorsed a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, in his bid to become the leader of the party in next year’s presidential and parliamentary election.

The constituencies, including Ashaiman, La Dadekotopon, Shai Osodoku, and Prampram, have publicly and unreservedly shown their unwavering support for Dr. Akoto’s candidacy.

They openly pledged their support for him when he embarked on a tour of the Greater Accra Region. According to the Constituency chairmen, they believed that the former Minister of Agriculture was the best candidate by all standards to lead the party to retain power in the 2024 elections.

“A word to the wise is enough. Look at your present living condition and vote for a candidate who, when he becomes president, will create the needed conditions for you to add value to your life.

That leader is no other than Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto. In the upcoming Special Voting exercise, I, as the Chairman, will do as you, the delegates, say. Once you say I should vote for Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, I will. I believe in his competence.

Therefore, he will have my vote. As you’ve asked me to vote for Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, on 26th August 2023, I also urge you to vote massively for him during the National Congress come November 4, 2023. He’s the right man to lead the NPP to victory,” the La Dadekotopon Chairman, Kingsley Samuel Addison, said.

“Honourable, what the delegates in Ashaiman are saying is that, just as the Bible says, God can do all things except to praise himself. In the same way, we believe you, and we know you can do everything but not to praise yourself.

So, the delegates in Ashaiman say I should tell you that they will praise you for all you have done for the party and Ghana, on August 26 during the Special Congress and at the main election on November 4, 2023,” the Ashaiman Constituency NPP Chairman, Gbeku Amanor, said to a thunderous applause from the delegates.

On his part, the Shai Osudoku Chairman, Francis Kwabena Martey, said: “Dr. Owusu Afriyie has demonstrated beyond doubt that he’s more than capable of leading this country to the land of prosperity. We can’t get it wrong with this election.

The right candidate to lead the NPP to break the 8-year governance cycle is Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto. He has a great vision for Ghana, and the little we can do to support him is to vote massively for him to win the Flagbearer race.

I will vote for him during the Special Delegates Congress, and I urge you to also do the same come November 4, 2023.”

A total of 10 aspirants are contesting in the flagbearer race have successfully gone through vetting and gone ahead to ballot for their positions on the ballot paper for the election.

They are a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; former Minister of Energy, Mr. Boakye Agyarko; former NPP General Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong, Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh; a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku.

The rest are Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Joe Ghartey; energy expert Mr. Kwadwo Opoku, and Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

A Special Delegates Congress will he held on August 26, 2023, to select five presidential aspirants. The top five aspirants will then contest for the flagbearer slot on November 4, 2023, to elect one to lead the party in the 2024 General Elections.

By Stephen Odoi-Larbi 

Gov’t invests $1.4bn in water & sanitation sectors

By
INUSAH MUSAH
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Pres Akufo-Addo being to the grounds by Freda Prempeh, Sanitation minister

President Akufo-Addo says government has invested about US$1.4 billion to improve the water and sanitation challenges in the country. The investment, Nana Addo explained, has increased and improved access to clean water and sanitation, especially in peri-urban communities.

The treatment system

“The huge investments the Akufo-Addo government is making is geared towards the ‘Clean Ghana’ agenda which is aimed at seeing all the citizens having access to clean, potable water and ‘one household one toilet’ in especially low-income communities,” the President said at Ashaiman, where he commissioned the Ashaiman and Bankuman Sewerage Treatment Systems on Wednesday.

“My government purposely created the Ministry of Water and Sanitation for the special purpose of helping my government realise the ‘Clean Ghana’ agenda and I am happy to say that the ministry is living up to my expectations,” the President added.

The two systems, constructed under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) water and sanitation projects, with funding from the World Bank, are targeted at poor and low-income urban communities where over the years, unresolved challenges in the provision of toilet facilities have resulted in several health-related issues, including cholera and typhoid.

The two refurbished sewerage treatment systems, hitherto, served only a few households at the Ashaiman TDC Quarters and Tema Industrial areas, near Bankuman, East Tema.

Given these, most people in households with no toilets either queue at the public toilets or practise open defecation.

Nana Addo unveiling a plaque

Over 7,000 households would benefit from the two refurbished existing treatment systems in the two communities, which the president said are examples of sanitation projects across the country.

While he charged Ghanaians to have a positive attitude towards their environment, Nana Addo tasked the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and GAMA, as well as the two assemblies, to intensify their campaign for behavioural changes.

“Again, all stakeholders must ensure that these facilities are properly used and maintained very well,” he advised.

Parts of Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, are also beneficiaries of the systems and Nana Addo said they are the beginning of the transformational journey of Ghana’s clean environment.

The Ashaiman sewerage treatment system covers a 23.9km condominium and street sewer network with a treatment capacity of 1,800m³ per day to facilitate 5,455 household connections in Ashaiman Newtown and household connections in the TDC Quarters.

The Bankuman sewer network covers 7.75km with a treatment capacity of 1,600m³ per day, to facilitate 3,600 individual household connections to serve about 17,740 low-income beneficiaries.

Agornyrah wows to defeat Okudzeto if he wins NPP primary

By
SAMUEL AGBEWODE
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The North Tongu NPP Parliamentary hopeful, Mr David Nkegbe Agornyrah (middle) with the form

A 47-year-old businessman and public servant, Mr. David Nkegbe Agornyrah, has picked and submitted nomination forms to contest the North Tongu primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with a call on delegates to vote massively for him to wrestle the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto- Ablakwa.

Mr. Agornyrah said history was about to be made in the North Tongu Constituency, because he had been encouraged by the electorate, including the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and sympathisers of the NDC, to participate in the primary for them to vote for him.

Addressing the media at Battor, Mr. Agornyrah stressed that all indications showed that victory awaited him and the NPP, as the party would occupy the seat for the first time in the political history of North Tongu Constituency when the delegates give him the nod.

He said it was important for the NPP to capture the North Tongu seat, saying, a change was imminent, because there were clear indications that the constituents wanted change.

He noted that a win for him at the primary should be seen as victory for North Tongu, because the 2024 general elections were about ideas and how to transform the constituency.

Mr. Agornyrah stressed that modern politics was all about numbers and feasible ideas that would help improve upon the living conditions of the people and eliminate poverty, adding that even before he picked the nomination form, he had viable development plans for the area.

He said the 2024 general election called for a dynamic candidate who could lead the NPP to victory, as the electorate have resolved to change their current lawmaker.

According to the young politician, when given the nod at the primary, he would definitely defeat the NDC and provide relevant development that had eluded the people over the years. According to him,  he was born and brought up in the area and therefore in position to understand  the development concerns and the problems confronting the people better.

Mr. Nkegbe appealed to party delegates to contribute meaningfully towards development of North Tongu by voting for him to lead the NPP to victory, saying even though MPs were basically lawmakers, they also contributed largely to the development of their constituencies as experienced in some parts of the country.

Mr. Agornyrah holds MPH in Public Health from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), a mechanical engineer and held various positions in the NPP branch of the United Kingdom and Ireland branches as well as the North Tongu Constituency Secretary of the NPP among others.

Akufo-Addo’s appointees feel too comfortable -Ebo Quansah

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admin
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President Akufo-Addo

Veteran Journalist and General Manager of The Chronicle Newspaper, Ebo Quansah, has cautioned President Akufo-Addo to sit up and demand results from his appointees, for they feel too comfortable and unresponsive to the people.

He says one of the justifications the late former President Jerry Rawlings gave for staging a coup to topple a constitutionally installed government was that the government was not responsive to the people of Ghana, and that things had gone astray.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show programme (Editors’ Forum edition) on Monday, July 31, and responding to how his newspaper broke the controversial story of the former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s stolen millions, Ebo Quansah said the story brought back memories of the past.

First, he recalled a similar situation when the Chairman of the then ruling National Democratic Congress, Dr. Yao Obed Asamoah, had huge sums stolen from his home, of which theft, two policemen were accused.

“It also reminds me of the whole coup scenario, because Jerry Rawlings, in his coup statement, said that, the government was not responsive to the people of Ghana, and that, things had gone astray, and from my point of view, if we don’t take care, things might go astray as well.”

Ebo Quansah explained that Cecilia Dapaah’s case was interesting in many ways and needed to be brought to public attention, as well as the President’s attention “that all may not be well with his ministers.”

Minister Cecilia Dapaah resigned recently, following public outcry over millions of cash said to have been stolen from her home.

Court documents had indicated that as much as US$1 million, €300,000 and an undisclosed amount of cedis, running into millions, as well as prized jewellery and other personal effects belonging to her and the husband had been stolen by two domestic workers who were standing trial for the theft.

Ebo Quansah wondered if Cecilia Dapaah’s home was a bank for her to keep all that money there.

He said there hadn’t been many changes in President Akufo-Addo’s appointments, and it was good that this story came out for him to reflect and decide whether or not it was time for changes, “because, when people remain at a particular place for quite a time, they become too comfortable and tend not to follow the rules and regulations of this country.”

He said: “The President needed to know, reflect and put his foot down, because things are not what they should be.”

Ebo Quansah also said that President Akufo-Addo could have better responded to Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation by toning down on his praises for her service to his government, given that she was bowing out on a not too good note.

“Praising her for all that she has done, and that sort of thing, I think the praise should have been mellowed a bit because of the circumstances under which she resigned.”

Asked if he had any inhibitions publishing the story, Ebo Quansah said he had no inhibitions at all, besides it was a court story and open to all other media platforms.

He explained that given how much money was involved, and the fact that the Minister herself took the matter to court, there was no inclination to hide it, more so, when it was of public interest.

Insisting that the President’s ministers were getting too comfortable on the job, Ebo Quansah said while a number of them were his friends and share the same political ideology as Liberal Democrats, besides being in exile with a number of them during Jerry Rawlings’s revolution days, he felt a number of them were not very responsive to issues.

“Sometimes it baffles me that I, sitting here and they being my friends, sometimes when I call them most of them won’t respond. And if an editor calls a minister and he won’t respond, how responsive will he or she be to the ordinary people of Ghana?

“So these issues need to come out for themselves, the ministers, to re-examine the way they are conducting affairs of state and for everybody to know what is happening … and stop behaving as if they are above the ordinary Ghanaian.”

He insisted that the ministers had become too comfortable, because there was no pressure on them since they knew the President would not change them no matter what happened.

Source: myjoyonline.com

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