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$1m, €300k, and millions of cedis in a Ghanaian Minister’s home is scandalous! -Mahama

By
RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
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Former President John Dramani Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has described as “scandalous” monies said to have been stolen from the residence of the Minister for Water and Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

His comment, contained in a tweet, followed a publication by The Chronicle that the court had been told that the house help of Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband had stolen some huge sums of money from their bosses.

According to former President Mahama, granted that the money in different currencies was genuinely earned, it should not have been kept at home.

“Even if genuinely acquired, why keep millions of hard currencies at home?” he asked, and took a swipe at President Akufo-Addo, asking if he would “ever set a good example for public office holders in his administration?”

$1m, €300k & millions of cedis stolen from Cecilia Dapaah’s home at Abelemkpe, Accra – Court told

According to the story first published by The Chronicle today, $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis and other valuable items have been stolen from the Abelemkpe residence of the Owusu Dapaah, who at one point in time served as a caretaker minister at the ministry for Gender and Children Affairs.

The tweet by former President John Mahama

 

Ghana, Italy renew ties of co-operation

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admin
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President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella

Ghana and Italy have renewed their commitments to deepening the ties of co-operation and the bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries, as well as to continue to explore areas of mutual interests for the benefit of their respective populations.

This was made known on Friday, 21st July 2023, when the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, held bilateral discussions with the President of the Republic of Italy, His Excellency Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinal Palace, in Rome, Italy, as part of the President’s 4-day official visit to that country.

Welcoming President Akufo-Addo, his Italian counterpart lauded Ghana’s continued adherence to the tenets of democracy, good governance, the rule of law and to the principles of democratic accountability, all of which, he said, have made Ghana a beacon of democracy and stability not only in West Africa, but also on the continent of Africa.

President Akufo-Addo, on his part, noted that Ghana and Italy have had strong relations spanning several decades, which have resulted in many Italian companies being successful in their operations in Ghana, citing the Italian engineering firm, Impregilo, which constructed the Akosombo Dam, as an example.

Reiterated Ghana’s commitment to working with Italy, the President thanked the Italian President for the support given to Ghana by Italy, a member of the Creditor Committee for Ghana under the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments, in the restructuring of Ghana’s finances, which helped her secure a $3 billion Extended Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund.

Collaboration with Italy in the development of the Ghana’s pharmaceutical and agro-based industries, President Akufo-Addo said, is high on the agenda of his visit, and indicated that it will be one of the matters he will bring up in his discussions with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, 24th July 2023.

Both leaders agreed that the quest for the development of their respective economies will not be possible in conditions of chaos and armed conflict. To this end, President Mattarella applauded the role being played by Ghana in helping to confront the jihadist and terrorist threat in the Sahel.

Describing the Accra Initiative as “commendable”, the Italian President pledged the support of his country for its success, because, in his own words, “the stability of the Sahel is important”. In addition to this, President Mattarella also pledged the support of Italy in helping to confront the menace of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

On the issue of redesigning the global financial and economic architecture, President Akufo-Addo indicated that this was imperative so as to ensure that systems of injustice and inequity in the global financial sector are corrected, a statement which was corroborated by the Italian President, who noted that the current set-up of the global financial architecture must be more responsive to the needs of the world.

President Mattarella and President Akufo-Addo were unanimous in their call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, which, in the words of the Ghanaian leader, is long overdue.

“We are anxious that the matter of UN Reform be given priority on the global agenda. It is time to correct the longstanding injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN Security Council represent for the nations of Africa. We are encouraged, though, by the attitudes and sentiments of two (2) leaders of the five (5) Permanent Members of the Security Council, that is President Joe Biden of the United States of America and President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic. Both of them are the first leaders of their respective countries to call publicly for reform. We look forward to the leaders of the three (3) other Permanent Members also throwing their support behind the reform process,” the Ghanaian President said.

Whilst in Italy, President Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver the keynote address at the 4th ECAM Summit in Rome, which has been organised as a sideline event to coincide with the Coordination Hub of the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment in Rome. The Summit will discuss challenges and opportunities in the fields of healthcare and food safety in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

$1m, €300k & millions of cedis stolen from Cecilia Dapaah’s home at Abelemkpe, Accra – Court told

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Dollars and Euros

Two house helps of Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, are before an Accra Circuit Court, for allegedly stealing monies and items running into millions of Ghana Cedis.

The said monies were allegedly stolen from the couple’s room in their house at Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, in the Greater Accra region.

18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei allegedly stole the monies and personal effects of the couple, between the months of July and October 2022.

The first accused, (A1) Patience, also has her current and former boyfriends, as well as her father, all being dragged before the same court.

Patience and Sarah (A2), are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing US$1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghana cedis.

Within the same period, Patience and Sarah allegedly stole personal effects of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, which included assorted clothes, valued at GH¢95,000, handbags and perfumes,

The rest are jewelleries valued at US$95,000 from Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

However, Patience alone, within the same period stole six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six set of men suits valued at US$3,000 which are properties of the minister’s husband.

Benjamin (A3), 29 years old, a plumber, has been charged for dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, Kweku Botwe (A4), 65 years, a trader, also dishonestly receiving GH¢50,000 and Malik Dauda (A5), 23 and unemployed, dishonesty receiving GH¢100,000.00.

As earlier stated, the monies mentioned are all properties of the Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, stolen from a bedroom that she shares with her husband.

All five accused persons were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Susana Ekuful on Thursday, July 20, 2023.

Their pleas are yet to be taken, but Sarah has been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with two sureties. The sureties are to deposit their Ghana cards with the registrar of the court.

Her Honour, Susana Ekuful, further stated that the bail condition is subject to review by the substantive judge, as she was serving as a relief judge.

Patience, together with her alleged boyfriends and father, had been remanded into lawful custody.

Sarah was granted bail because she is a breastfeeding mother.

Brief facts

The court was told in the amended charge sheet and brief facts that Patience, also known as Maabena, was a house help of the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The court was further told that Sarah was also a former house help of the complainants.

Her Honour Susana Ekuful was told that the complainants reported the case to the police somewhere in June, this year, after detecting theft of cash and their personal effects.

Preceding the report, Patience was caught to have opened and entered the couple’s room with a duplicate key.

A1 was caught by Mr Kuffour, who returned from town only to find out that their bedroom was opened, as well as hearing an unusual noise coming from it.

The first complainant, Mr Kuffour, entered the room and found A1 hiding behind the door.

It was after this incident that the complainants detected that some of their properties were missing.

A1 was arrested and released on police enquiry bail, but unfortunately, went into hiding with her boyfriend, Benjamin, in Tamale.

While in Tamale, the love birds allegedly rented a 3-bedroom apartment at the cost of GH¢105,600 as well as a store at the cost of GH¢120,000.

The police arrested her upon intelligence and on a spot search conducted in their apartment led to the retrieval of US$40,000 and GH¢72, 619.70.

Patience allegedly bought 3-bedroom house at a cost of US$70,000 at Amrahia and furnished it with the following brand new items – a double decker refrigerator, water dispenser, a television set, washing machine and a chest cooler among others.

She also bought Hyundai Elantra at the cost of GH¢80,000 for Benjamin who also sold it to purchase Honda Civic.

A1 also gave her father GH¢50,000 and GH¢1million to Malik (ex-boyfriend.)

The court heard that A1 implicated Sarah during interrogation that she was her accomplice.

Thus, when they were working together in the complainants’ house, A1 used to keep watch at the main gate to enable Sarah to enter the couple’s room to steal, after which they shared the spoil.

Sarah was arrested at Budumburam and during investigation, it came to light that she used her portion of the stolen money to build 3-bedroom house at where she was arrested.

The case is adjourned to August 2, 2023.

 

Gyakye Quayson trial: You’re 57yrs at the bar, ask proper questions -Godfred Dame tells Tsatsu Tsikata

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Mr Tsatsu Tsikata and Godfred Yeboah Dame, Ghana's Attorney-General and Minister for Justice

Less than two hours after his application to stay proceedings at the High Court had been rejected by the Court of Appeal because it was unmeritorious, Counsel for Mr. James Gyakye Quayson (MP for Assin North), Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, was back at the High Court to have another crossfire with the Attorney-General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame.

Mr. Tsikata and the Government Legal Advisor engaged in a serious argument during the various stages of the cross-examination of Richard Takyi Mensah, prosecution first witness (PW1) in the trial of the Legislator, Gyakye Quayson.

The A-G threw the first legal punch when he told Mr. Tsikata that with his 57 years at the Bar, it was important that he asked relevant questions.

Mr. Godfred Dame’s fury emanated from a piercing question from Tsatsu to Richard Takyi Mensah that “between you (PW1) and the A-G who is telling the truth?

“My lady, counsel likes personal attacks… My learned friend goes on the bandwagon and plays to the gallery… 57 years at the Bar? The question, as to who’s telling the truth, makes it subjective. Counsel ask proper questions,” AG responded.

“The witness has made certain statements and we have to know who is telling the truth,” Tsatsu, who had also in the previous sitting of the court, said Mr. Dame was the only A-G in his 57 years experience at the Bar that insults and makes prejudicial remarks about a person standing trial, he shot back.

Mr. Godfred Dame told the court, presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, that Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata liked personal attacks and making references that were not related to the trial.

Meanwhile, the following is the cross-examination conducted by Mr. Tsikata that resulted in the two prominent lawyers to engage in the serious legal tussle.

Q: Where did you get the information?

A: I did my own search and investigations.

Q: Where did you get it?

A: I did the search where I thought I will get the information from.

Q: I put it to you that you’re not being truthful to this court?

A: It is upon the search and investigations that I came across documents.

Q: Do you remember the name of the police officer for which you made the report to?

A: No.

Q: But he is at the CID?

A: Yes.

Q: Before this case, have you been to the CID Headquarters?

A: Yes.

Q: When?

A: That was the day I presented the petition.

Q: Was it the Director General himself who you presented the petition to?

A: I cannot remember; what I know is that I presented it at the CID Headquarters.

  1. Did you present the petition at the compound or in an office?

A-G: Is it the case that during cross-examination the sky is the limit so you should ask any question? The questions must be relevant.

Tsikata: It should be apparent that the credibility of a witness is an important element in the cross-examination exercise. The witness states boldly in this case stated that he presented a petition. He cannot remember whether he submitted to an officer or director. That puts into question whether he really presented a petition.

A: I can’t exactly recall the person I presented the petition to. All I know is that I presented it at the CID Headquarters.

  1. Did you present it in the compound or to someone in an office at the CID Headquarters?

A: It was in an office that I presented it.

Q: Were you contacted after you presented it?

A: Yes.

Q: Who contacted you?

A: One Latif.

Q: But he wasn’t the one you presented the petition to?

A: As I said, I can’t recall who I presented it to.

Q: Did you get to meet Latif?

A: I met an officer at the CID Headquarters, but I can’t exactly recall if that was Latif.

Q: The one that you met after you were contacted was he the person before whom you made…

A: All that I remember is that upon being contacted, I went to the CID and introduced myself. It was there that an officer attended to me.

Q: Was that officer who attended to you the one who contacted you?

A: I have already said the one I handed the petition to I can’t remember.

Q: So the one you met after you were contacted was the same person whom you made the statement to?

  1. All that I remember was that after I was contacted, I went to the CID; it was there that an officer attended to me.

Q: You told this court that you attached documents to your police statement?

A: Yes.

Q: So I must assume that the police statement must…?

A: The real document I have already attached to my petition.

Q: Did you tell the court yesterday that you attached documents to your police statement?

A: I did tell this court yesterday that I did attach the documents that I have, but it could be that there was an omission, and I petitioned CID and when they were done with their investigations, they came out with their own document.

Q: We are not talking about documents. The documents you attached to your witness statement? Speak the truth else perjury will be hanged around your neck.

A-G: Stop harassing the witness with perjury when there is no basis.

Tsikata: Perjury is for the witness to speak the truth.

  1. So you presented your witness statement to the police officer at the CID Headquarters. Is that correct?
  2. I said I did attach documents to my statement and they might have done theirs to come out with their own documents.
  3. From your answer, there is a police officer who had the attachment?

A-G: The question is subjective.

Tsikata: My lady, he is signalling at me.

A-G: My lady, he always attacks me, but I don’t say anything. He tries to personalise… by citing unrelated cases. He is 57 years at the Bar… Ask relevant questions Counsel!

  1. My lady, I had already said I added those documents to my petition, and the petition was presented to CID to conduct investigations. So the CID have conducted their investigations and kept it with other documents.
  2. Can you read the last paragraph of the petition?
  3. “Our copies of the attached documents…”

Q: You stated that you have copies of the documents attached to your police statement, which I stated that there is a police officer who you gave your statement to, and its attachments?

  1. I did present the petition and its attachment.
  2. According to your police statement, you attached documents to your police statement, right?

A: …

Tsikata: My lady, we have not still received any documents attached to the police statement, and that was a subject matter for the application for further disclosure. The prosecution said they have given us what is in their custody. The evidence of this witness indicates that documents were presented to the police officer. It will be unfair to us to complete our cross-examination without these documents. At this point, we need the documents.

A-G: The witness stated that he attached certain documents to his police statement. Those evidence mentioned in Exhibit 1 has been disclosed and furnished to the accused. The document being referred to is a nomination form.

Tsikata: The witness has stated categorically that he attached documents.

  1. You have heard the AG say that there were no documents attached to your statement.

Between you and the A-G, who is telling the truth?

A-G: My lady, Counsel likes personal attacks… My learned friend goes on the bandwagon and plays to the gallery… 57 years at the Bar! The question as to who’s telling the truth makes it subjective. Counsel, ask proper questions.

Tsikata: The witness has made certain statements and we have to know who is telling the truth.

A-G: Counsel, junior was at our office to inspect the documents…

  1. Did you tell the court yesterday that you attached it to your petition?

Q: There’s nothing to hide. The witness has made certain statements, the AG has made another.

Do you still stand by your evidence regarding the police statement?

A: I don’t think I have said anything different from the A-G’s. I’ve always maintained that the documents that I presented; I did attach all the documents I had to the petition to the CID.

  1. I’m asking you for the second time, do you still stand by your evidence that you attached documents to your police statement?
  2. I stated that I attached all the documents in my possession to the petition.

Q: What is the date of the petition?

A: The petition is dated 11th January, 2021.

Q: At the time you wrote the petition did you have the statutory declaration?

A: I had seen it.

Adjourned to 26th at 12.30pm.

Editorial: Kudos to Ghana Education Service, but what about HOTCASS?

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THE CHRONICLE
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Editorial

Yesterday, the Ghana Education Service (GES) interdicted the Headmistress of the West Africa Senior High School (WASS), Mrs. Shine Agatha Ofori, for allegedly collecting unauthorised fees from the students.

The Headmistress has, therefore, been asked to hand over the administration of the school to the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, pending the final determination of the issue by the Regional Disciplinary Committee.

This is not the first time the GES has taken such an action against the head of a second-cycle institution in the country. The GES, this year, interdicted the Headmaster of Fijai Senior High School in Sekondi, Mr. Kenneth Agbomadzi, for allegedly charging illegal fees.

He was, however, reinstated after a committee tasked to probe the issue cleared him off any wrongdoing.

The Chronicle will like to commend the GES for such timely interventions when heads of second-cycle institutions are alleged to have misconducted themselves, as this will serve as a deterrence to other institutional heads.

In order to preserve the sanctity of our schools and maintain the trust of parents and students, it is imperative that such unscrupulous headmasters/headmistresses are interdicted and held accountable for their actions.

This is because such unethical practices, not only undermine the principles of fairness and transparency, but also pose a significant threat to the education of students.

While we commend the GES for a good work done, we also appeal to them to channel that same energy to other problematic issues that crop up in our schools. There are other educational institutions that need urgent attention, just like WASS.

An example is the Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School (HOTCASS), which was once a vibrant school, but has been thrust into distress and uncertainty as its nine-classroom one storey building has had parts of its roof ripped off during a rainstorm about two years ago, transforming it into a potential death trap.

This disheartening sight of a school located in the capital, Accra, not only highlights the dismal state of educational infrastructure in the country, but also raises concerns about the profound impact it has on the students.

Education is the bedrock of any nation’s progress, and Ghana has long recognised the value of investing in its youth. However, with the school’s roof torn asunder and the building left to decay, leaving the students vulnerable to a host of challenges.

Firstly, the physical safety and well-being of the students are at risk. They endure harsh weather conditions during rainy seasons, disrupting their studies and affecting their health.

The dilapidated infrastructure also poses potential hazards, making the school an unsafe environment for learning. Also, the abandoned ripped off roofs send a disheartening message to the students about the value society places on their education.

As the students witness the crumbling edifice of their dreams, it becomes increasingly challenging for them to remain optimistic and enthusiastic about their education and future prospects.

Furthermore, the School’s current condition reflects poorly on the GES and government’s commitment to education. We carried the sorry plight of HOTCASS in yesterday’s issue of The Chronicle and we want to once again use this opportunity to urge the GES and government to take urgent steps to rebuild the school and provide the students with a safe environment to learn and thrive.

Public-private partnerships could also play a pivotal role in tackling the issue of neglected schools. By joining forces, The Chronicle believes government and the private sector can pool resources to develop sustainable solutions for Ghana’s educational needs.

Komenda Sugar Factory an albatross –KT Hammond

By
MAXWELL OFORI
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Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister for Trade and Industry

The Minister for Trades and Industry, Kwabena Tahir Hammond, has said the Komenda Sugar Factory has become an “albatross” around the neck of the country.

According to him, apart from the factory not being properly set up, the company that originally undertook the construction of the factory has returned with a demand of US$7.5 million, though the previous government spent US$34.5 million on it.

“This Komeda sugar factory has been an albatross created by… (he pointed at the minority without saying a word).”

The Minister said this in Parliament on Thursday, July 20, 2023 when he was answering questions on the subject, which stood in the name of the Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi, Yussif Sulemana.

Asked on his behalf by the MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, the main question was why the agreement with Park Agrotech Ghana Limited, the strategic investor for the factory, was abrogated.

The company was approved by Cabinet in June 2019 as the preferred strategic investor for the Komenda Sugar Development Company Limited.

NO CONTRACT

In his answer, the minister stated there was no agreement between the two to have been terminated from the word go.

He explained that there were some conditions precedent that the company could not meet, thereby, not being able to have a contract with the government.

“Mr. Speaker, there was a long delay in concluding the negotiations between the lawyers of Park Agrotech and the Transaction adviser PWC [Price Water House], in respect of the conditions precedent for the lease agreement, under the agreement between Park Agrotech and Komenda Sugar Development Company to come into force,” KT said.

He said COVID-19 further delayed the company from bringing its partners abroad to access the machine and do the necessary maintenance to restart production.

He added that the ministry, after painstakingly working with the Transaction Adviser on the various conditions precedent, issued a directive that August 31, 2021 would be the final deadline, which the investor could not meet.

According to him, the directive was that if no agreement had been reached at that point, “the transaction process was to be terminated. And the management of the company reverted to the board. By the close of business on August 31, 2021 no agreement had been reached between PWC and Park Agrotech and the transaction process was terminated.”

PANDORA’S BOX

The Minister, after the written answer, had a follow-up from the Bole MP, who, while KT was answering the main question, entered the Chamber.

He asked why the government mobilised the chiefs and introduced the company to “them that these were the people coming to start work,” if there was no agreement.

In his response, the minister said that considering the state of the company, “obviously” the chiefs and the people would be interested to know that the company was coming to work in the factory. He cautioned his colleagues on the other side against the move to blame the ruling government, saying that going on that tangent could only open the Pandora’s Box and “you will get extremely uncomfortable.”

In giving an answer to the follow-up question, the minister gave the history of the factory, saying the then NDC government in an attempt to show the world that the company was operational, “a lot of things were rushed through.”

He cited that “when eventually other engineers went there, it was realised that the structure of the plant was so bad [that] no manufacturing activity could take place.”

COST INCURRED

The MP for Bole/Bamboi asked another follow-up question about whether the ruling government had incurred any costs with regards to overhauling, retooling and maintenance, which the minister mentioned, but the minister said he did not have any information about that.

“I do recall that the company that originally undertook the construction of the company has come back to ask for about US$7.5 million. So let me check if some more money has been expended. But I don’t have the information now,” he stated.

The MP then asked about the economic justification for importing semi-processed sugar to be processed by the Komenda sugar factory.

The minister in his response said the company does not import semi-processed sugar, adding that the company is to produce sugar from start to finish to deal with the importation of sugar.

“The company does not import any such material. The Komenda Sugar Manufacturing Company has undergone a comprehensive overhaul, retooling and maintenance to ensure that the factory will have full utiliSation of its production capacity, in respect of cane milling and refining of raw sugar to substitute imports,” he answered.

AI could profoundly disrupt education … But maybe that’s not a bad thing

By
admin
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Opinion

Education strikes at the heart of what makes us human. It drives the intellectual capacity and prosperity of nations. It has developed the minds that took us to the moon and eradicated previously incurable diseases.

And the special status of education is why generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are likely to profoundly disrupt this sector. This isn’t a reflection of their intelligence, but of our failure to build education systems that nurture and value our unique human intelligence.

We are being duped into believing these AI tools are far more intelligent than they really are. A tool like ChatGPT has no understanding or knowledge. It merely collates bits of words together based on statistical probabilities to produce useful texts. It is an incredibly helpful assistant.

But it is not knowledgable, or wise. It has no concept of how any of the words it produces relate to the real world. The fact that it can pass so many forms of assessment merely reflects that those assessments were not designed to test knowledge and understanding but rather to test whether people had collected and memorised information.

AI could be a force for tremendous good within education. It could release teachers from administrative tasks, giving them more opportunities to spend time with students. However, we are woefully equipped to benefit from the AI that is flooding the market. It does not have to be like this. There is still time to prepare, but we must act quickly and wisely.

AI has been used in education for more than a decade. AI-powered systems, such as Carnegie Learning or Aleks, can analyse student responses to questions and adapt learning materials to meet their individual needs. AI tools such as TeachFX and Edthena can also enhance teacher training and support.

To reap the benefits of these technologies, we must design effective ways to roll out AI across the education system, and regulate this properly.

Staying ahead of AI will mean radically rethinking what education is for, and what success means. Human intelligence is far more impressive than any AI system we see today. We possess a rich and diverse intelligence, much of which is unrecognised by our current education system.

We are capable of sophisticated, high-level thinking, yet the school curriculum, particularly in England, takes a rigid approach to learning, prioritising the memorising of facts, rather than creative thinking.

Students are rewarded for rote learning rather than critical thought. Take the English syllabus, for instance, which requires students to learn quotations and the rules of grammar. This time-consuming work encourages students to marshal facts, rather than interpret texts or think critically about language.

Our education system should recognise the unique aspects of human intelligence. At school, this would mean a focus on teaching high-level thinking capabilities and designing a system to supercharge our intelligence. Literacy and numeracy remain fundamental, but now we must add AI literacy.

Traditional subject areas, such as history, science and geography, should become the context through which critical thinking, increased creativity and knowledge mastery are taught. Rather than teaching students only how to collate and memorise information, we should prize their ability to interpret facts and weigh up the evidence to make an original argument.

Failure to change isn’t an option. Now these technologies are here, we need humans to excel at what AI cannot do, so any workplace automation complements and enriches our lives and our intelligence.

This should be an amazing opportunity to use AI to become much smarter, but we must ensure that AI serves us, not the other way round. This will mean confronting the profit-driven imperatives of big tech companies and the illusionist tricks played by Silicon Valley. It will also mean carefully considering what types of tasks we’re willing to offload to AI.

Some aspects of our intellectual activity may be dispensable, but many are not. While Silicon Valley conjures up its next magic trick, we must prepare ourselves to protect what we hold dear – for ourselves and for future generations.

By Rose Luckin

myjoyonline.com

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

Corpnation Foundation empowers market women to drive proper waste management

By
admin
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Executives of Corpnation Foundation presenting bins to the market women

Takoradi’s new market becomes the first to receive Corpnation Foundation’s 4R+ Initiative after sustainable implementation in Ghana Secondary Technical School and Bethel Methodist School.

Launched under the theme: “Empowering Women to Drive Proper Waste Management in Our Markets,” the initiative intends to equip market women with the right knowledge and opportunities in order that they will become practitioners and ambassadors of proper waste management.

At the launch, 20 labeled bins were handed over to the managers of the market to be placed at vantage spots within the market to collect plastic bottles and sachets, which form significant portion of their entire waste generated.

Receiving on behalf of the market authorities, Mrs. Hannah Dadzie, a market woman expressed appreciation to Corpnation Foundation (CNF) and partners. According to her, “the initiative will ultimately boost healthy trading since the market will be cleaner and more conducive attracting more sellers and buyers. It will also mitigate the impact of flooding in the market.”

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) Director for Takoradi sub metro, Nana Yeboah, registered the assembly’s endorsement for the project and readiness to enforce the relevant regulations to attain the project’s objectives.

His comments came after the CEO of CNF recounted that 4.5tonnes of plastic waste have since been recovered at GSTS with the initiative and highlighted on its corresponding internally generated funds (IGF) by the school.

Also present at the launch was the president for Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE), Mr. Richard Addison who promised to donate 10 bins as his support to the project.

As part of the launch activities, students from Takoradi Technical University (TTU), members of Corpnation Foundation’s youth clubs in different communities, joined the market women for an intense cleanup exercise in the new market.

The 4R+ Initiative is one championed by Corpnation Foundation to minimise impacts of improper waste disposal on human life and ultimately, help combat climate change which is under the Sustainable Development Goal 13.

The goal is to expose recipients and host communities to the numerous prevailing opportunities in plastic waste management whilst making them practitioners of proper waste management.

Upper Denkyira West Youth pick nomination forms for Appianim

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Aspirant Appianin thanking the youth for their support

The Concerned Youth of Upper Denkyira West of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) last Sunday picked nomination forms for Mr. Daniel Appianim to contest the parliamentary primary at Diaso, the district capital.

Upper Denkyira West is one of the orphan constituencies of the NPP.

Mr. Jonathan Nkrumah, leader of the Concerned Youth of Upper Denkyira West, explained that their position stemmed from the selfless services of Mr. Appianin, who was concerned about the welfare of the constituents.

Jonathan Nkrumah, Youth leader displays the nomination forms

Mr. Appianin is a staunch member of the NPP and seen as a grassroots person who is capable of annexing the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Mr. Appianin is an astute public servant with over 20 years of working experience.

He worked in the Ghana Education Service as a tutor of Economics and Business Management in various Senior High schools in the country, and rose through the ranks to the position of Assistant Director 1.

He holds a Masters Degree in Port and Shipping Administration and a Bachelor of Education, Social Sciences (B.Ed. Social Sciences).

Mr. Joseph Quansah, Chairman of the NPP Elections Committee, cautioned aspirants to embark on decent campaigns, devoid of insults, because the party was one family.

Receiving the forms, Mr. Appianin promised to work together with the delegates for the benefit of Upper Denkyira West.

He expressed gratitude to the youth for their support, and reminded them of the existing rules and regulations guiding elections.

NPP is opposition bound -Asiedu Nketiah

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Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman, NDC

Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was heading into opposition no matter which of the ten presidential candidates leads the party. “The party would definitely go to opposition,” he insisted.

According to him, all indications show clearly that Ghanaians had already rejected the current NPP administration, because they had disappointed the people.

Speaking to the Nwabiagya South Constituency Executives at the weekend, Asiedu Nketiah claimed the NDC was not driving away the NPP, and that it was rather the Ghanaian electorate who were not happy with the party that had totally collapsed the national economy.

The party Chairman, however, reminded the branch and constituency executives to remain focused and determined towards the 2024 General Elections.

He noted that, elections were not won from the national headquarters, but at the constituency, hence, the need to strengthen their campaign strategies at the constituency level to enable them wins the elections convincingly.

Chairman Asiedu Nketiah stressed that the victory ahead of the NDC could be achieved only when the branches and constituency executives remain united and urged them to remain united and committed for the task ahead.

He reiterated that, his chairmanship was a revolutionary type, and urged all to get involved in wresting power from the NPP.

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