The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Techiman South Municipality in the Bono Region, Mr. Benjamin Yaw Gyarko, has cautioned persons with disabilities (PWDs) to desist from selling items meant to help them become financially independent.
According to him, several complaints had been made to the Assembly about how some beneficiaries sold the items meant for their businesses.
He advised them to use the items to generate incomes to improve their living standards, and added that “the government is committed to stopping PWDs begging for a living.”
The MCE made the call when he presented start-up tools and equipment to 63 PWDs in the area on behalf of the Assembly.
The donated items were funded from the three per cent of the Assembly’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
They included six deep freezers, one fufu pounding machine, and monies for schooling and medical bills amounting to GH¢116,000.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the government for the gesture, and promised to make good use of the items.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa East Constituency in the Bono Region, Mr. Paul Apraku Twum-Barima, has distributed 20,000 palm seedlings to farmers in the District.
According to the MP, the donation was in line with President Akufo-Addo’s agricultural policy to revamp the agric sector.
“The President has put in place adequate measures to revamp the agricultural sector, which is the backbone of the economy,” he said, and added that “the introduction of policies such as ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ and ‘Rearing for Food and Jobs’ has had a positive impact on the country’s economy.”
According to Mr. Twum-Barima, the donation would help transform the economic lives of his constituents.
The beneficiaries thanked the MP for the gesture extended to them.
Wamanafo, Kyeremasu, Akontanim, Kofibourkrom are some of the communities that benefited from the donation.
In an economy where inflation is at its highest, taking a critical look at the government’s spending is something that should be monitored sternly.
Ghana is in a serious economic crisis. In just four months, fuel prices have witnessed rampant increments. As at the beginning of June this year, a litre of diesel was selling at GH¢12.20 while that of petrol was at GH¢10.
Currently, the price of diesel has ballooned to GH¢23.49, almost double the price some five months ago, while petrol has also jumped to GH¢17.99.
As expected, whenever fuel prices increase, the cost of transportation and food items are also affected. From the middle of October to the first week in November, transport fares have seen increases, more than three times.
Many people have started parking their cars and resorted to using public transport, due to their inability to fuel their vehicles.
The usual fights that ensue between drivers, mates, and passengers have toned down a bit, because the Ghanaian commuter is a witness to the incessant increases in fuel prices.
It is a fact that people try to take advantage of situations like this to make supernormal profits. With the current crisis some traders keep increasing the prices of their goods each passing day, and the rate of depreciation of the currency leaves little to be desired.
Many have attributed the hardship to the irresponsible borrowing of the government and have demanded the removal of key people in government.
This is why The Chronicle cannot believe that despite all these agitation from the citizens, the government is still doing business as usual.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, is reported to have said that Ghana would be sending a delegation of over 320 persons to the ongoing 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP27) in Egypt.
According to the Minister, the number of people attending the conference on the ticket of the government is 150, while the rest belong to Non-Governmental Organisations and Climate Vulnerable Forums.
We are of the view that the 150 delegates going on the ticket of the government are too many and must be trimmed down. In our opinion, 20 key people can represent the government and the rest be made to watch the programme virtually, if they indeed have to participate.
Last year, we were told that aside MESTI, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Land and Natural Resources and Energy attended the program.
It is our submission that, MESTI should be made to attend the conference with five delegates, including the Minister, while the remaining three Ministries as well as the Environmental Protection Agency , Local Government and Rural Development and the Media are to nominate two or three persons each to represent them.
We are in an economic crisis and we do not need this wasteful spending of the little money that we have left in our coffers.
Desperate times require desperate measures they say, so let us behave like a country that wants to come out of a crisis by cutting down on some of these unnecessary spending.
Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso, the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) since July 2017, has retired from public service after five years in that capacity.
He is a Consultant, Administrator, Quality health care advocate and Technocrat, Plastic, Aesthetic and Hand Surgeon and Fellow of Ghana College of Surgeons (FGCS) and West African College of Surgeons (FWACS).
The mother, wife and Ashanti Region Minister’s rep, assist the Celebrant to cut the birthday cake, while Board chairman Ambassador Effah Appenteng (left) looks on.
Dr. Owusu-Danso’s tenure as the Chief Executive Officer was characterised by massive implementation of over 30 projects and initiatives, as a result of his conviction that he owed it a duty and personal obligation and divine injunction to leave a positive mark and to make a difference.
Some of the significant projects undertaken during his tenure, with the support of the immediate past and present Boards and the Government included, the reactivation of the maternity and Children’s Block project at a cost of 138.5 million Euros, construction of Paediatric
Intensive Care Unit (PICU), with the allocation of US$112,000 from the Internally Generated Fund (IGF), formalisation and approval of a GHC5 million contract for the construction of the Patient Relatives Hostel project at KATH.
Others are establishment of Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility Unit and the construction of a GHc2 million Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre at KATH, Re-introduction of long service and best staff awards and adoption of KATH Staff Retirees policy,
Reactivation and substantial completion of the Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Expansion project work which stalled for over six years; the completion of construction works on a four-storey 47-flathouse officers block at the cost of GHc4.9 million; Reconstruction and
asphalting of hospital roads and car parks under the government’s Kumasi Road rehabilitation project, among others.
The rest are the establishment of the 24-Hour Pharmacy, a one-stop-shop for medicines and non-medicine items for patients, which does an average of GHC200,000.00 in weekly sales; Improved drug availability from less than 50 per cent to 93 per cent currently for general medicines and 95% percent for emergency and acute care medicines.
Dr. and Mrs. Owusu-Danso at the occasion
The hospital also implemented the “Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) project of the Ministry of Health (MOH) to help computerize the clinical operations of the hospital.
In fact, a personal intervention convinced the Minister to prioritise KATH as part of the pilot
phase (the second after the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and parts of the Central region) ahead of the national rollout which is currently ongoing.
The CEO oversaw the process leading to KATH being the first Teaching Hospital in Ghana to be accredited by the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), coming up tops with the record highest score of 84%and the commencement of construction works on the National Cleft Surgery Centre, thanks to a Two-Million United States Dollar (USD) funding secured from Smile Train International through the Ghana Cleft Foundation, as well as the establishment of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Unit and the construction of a GHc2 million Assisted
Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre at KATH, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
A National Laparoscopic Surgery and Training Centre, in collaboration with the Korean Foundation for International Health (KOFIH), towards the provision of safer laparoscopic surgeries at the hospital and anew Dialysis Centre at the Accident and Emergency Centre close to the Special Ward to ensure the provision of convenient dialysis service to our VIP and ICU patients were established, besides the Establishment of the KATH Endowment Fund to improve on our resource mobilisation efforts.
The health facility, under Dr. Owusu-Danso’s administration made huge investment through the use of IGF, totaling over GHc35 million.
Some of the key equipment included; OPG with Cephalometric X-Ray (GH¢192,888.00), Surgical Implants (GH¢ 1,413,425.00), Steam Steriliser machine for Laundry Unit (GHC 212,500.00), UPS System for C.T. machine (GHC148,030.00), Electric dryer for laundry (GHC135,500.00), Two Oxygen Plants with various accessories(GH¢6, 500,000.00), Surge protector for the Oxygen Plants (GHC717,000.00), Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) machine (GHC246,665.00), Operating Lamps (GHC227,284.00), Two Operating Theater Table (GHC167,660.00), Induction Casting Machine (GHC192,000.00), a 128 slice Siemens C.T. Scan (GHC2,336,555.00), Two C-Arms (GHc852,840.00) and Endoscopic suite for Medicine Directorate(200,000.00 Euros) among others.
At his retirement reception put together by the Board of Directors and management of the hospital in his honour last week, Tuesday, Dr. Owusu-Danso thanked the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, for the opportunity to serve his country and expressed appreciation for the good counsel
of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the support of the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Minister of Health, the chairman and members of the immediate past and present Board, management team members and other partners, as well as members of my immediate family
who assisted in diverse ways.
He called for support of the board, management and staff for his successor to ensure effective healthcare delivery.
The historic event, which coincided with his 63rd birthday, was graced by personalities from all walks of life.
These included; Mrs. Emelia Botchwey, Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Director, Ambassador Nana Effa Appenteng, chairman of the Board of directors of KATH and Board members, Chief Executives of Teaching hospitals in Ghana, Mr. Kofi Jumah, CEO of GIHOC, Mr. Osei Kwame Prempeh, MD for GOIL and former deputy Attorney-General, heads and members of directorate and unit management, team members, friends, members of the business community and immediate and extended family, led by his 96-year-old mother, Madam Adwoa Serwaa.
Prof Peter Twumasi, Director General - National Sports Authority
The Director-General of the National Sports Authority of Ghana, Professor Peter Twumasi, has stressed the need for policy makers to look into the agriculture sector and identify the hindrances and improve upon the conditions in the sector.
Twumasi as a young student farmer
The move, the former Head of Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said would help attract more potential hands to grow our economy and to increase income levels of our energetic youth and students and make them financially self-reliant.
His proposition comes from his conviction that a section of business minded leaders have questioned why student jobs, as well as casual employment for young people do not exist in our country today, unlike our Western and Asian counterparts, hence the need to involve everybody to contribute in addressing what he described as a reasonable concern.
The renowned Biochemist, Author and Professor noted that apart from harnessing energies built up in our youth for the growth of the economy, students’ jobs also provide opportunities for them to earn income to complement support from parents, as well us getting the requisite working experiences to catapult them to bigger responsibilities at work places after graduation and in full employment status.
The NSA Director–General indicated that Agriculture is the area where Ghana identifies its maximum strength to compete with other nations like; The Netherlands, USA, Brazil and Ukraine for food production and exports.
As a result, he has suggested that every aspect of our educational system must direct its attention to the agricultural sector to help utilise the untapped potential of this sector noting that in today’s post-COVID19 era, the nation with food, not gold or machines, is the wealthiest.
According to the Varsity don, students gain confidence at work, build network with colleague workers and business owners and at the same time become efficient with time management, while at school or home and advised that job opportunities based on the priorities, which may vary across various economies, are created and made available to attract and recruit student workers.
He cited the situation in Ghana, where in the agricultural sector, from the farm to harvesting, transportation, sales and distribution, processing and preservation and exports are our hallmark, with competitive advantage over many nations on the globe, unlike in Europe or America, where there are not many job vacancies in our supermarkets, malls, cleaning services, factories, etc.
Prof. Twumasi wondered why students have stopped working on farms (both animals and crops) and get involved in harvesting of food and transportation, participating in food sales, distribution and processing to earn an income or to help contribute to income generation of their families.
Reminiscing his school days, Prof. Twumasi said many of his colleagues took farming work seriously and worked alongside their parents in managing cocoa farms, food crops and animals, sale of food produce, as well as being regularly assigned duties.
He said the practice enabled them to earn direct incomes to support their education or contributed to the overall family income being managed by parents, which practice he later realised pertained in most advanced countries, where students and the youth take up part-time jobs on farms, supermarkets, cleaning companies and others.
Prof. Twumasi also recalled that almost all Ghanaian students abroad perform these extra-duties to support their education and to remit their families back home and revealed that while studying in the Netherlands in the early 2000, his four-hour part-time cleaning and farm jobs enabled him to put up a house back in Ghana, besides the support he gave his family and dependants in Ghana and elsewhere.
The Biochemist bemoaned the situation where students refused to take up laboratory cleaning jobs when he was Head of Department in one of Ghana’s premier universities, despite enormous free time they had to waste in their hostels and halls.
He has, therefore, encouraged the modern Ghanaian student not to financially depend on families but urgently seek to work like their counterparts elsewhere, while the government creates the enabling environment by identifying the hindrances and improve upon the conditions in the sector and thereby attract the youth to venture into the agriculture sector.
A fifteen (15) member delegation from Uganda has commended Ghana for incorporating customary laws and statutory laws in her administration of justice.
The delegation, led by the Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda, Richard Buteera, finds this hybrid system of justice delivery a novelty.
He said most African countries are concerned with practicing what has been handed down to them by their colonial masters, while neglecting their African cultures, which still have some value to offer in several aspects of dispute adjudication.
Speaking in an interview during a 4-day South to South Exchange and Learning visit to Ghana last week, he reiterated that two key takeaway lessons learned from Ghana’s judiciary include the marriage between customary laws and the ones legislated by the government.
The other lesson had to do with the advanced level of court settlements – Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) and mediation- being practiced in Ghana.
“In addition to Alternative Disputes Resolution, I think we are also interested in the idea of incorporating customary law and seeing how it operates together with our statutory laws, which we have inherited from the British…
“These African cultures are useful in many respects. Whereas the customary system has its own good and bad, we think that there are elements of our culture that are useful – the reconstruction nature of our system, the accommodation of people moving together, the use of elders, chiefs, and kings in a resolution of a dispute.”
Aside from these thematic areas consider instrumental for Uganda’s justice system, Justice Buteera stated that the team would also borrow Ghana’s kind of performers’ indicator, which it uses to assess judicial officers.
Impression
“We found out that a lot has been done in the Ghanaian judiciary. If I may say it was amazing to us [that] they had done 101 courts in one year. That is a big milestone,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Justice and his team were also impressed by how their counterparts have managed case backlog system.
According to him, in the case backlog – when a case is old in the system – in Uganda is two years, it is one year in Ghana. This difference in case backlog between these two Commonwealth nations, he said, was a big achievement for their host.
He reiterated that ADR and mediation are part of the areas that they are highly impressed with.
Justice Buteera described the South-South exchange programme as beneficial, as they have learned what practice is in Ghana and how the same can be incorporated to improve their system.
He added that they had the opportunity to interact with Chief Justice Anin Yeboah and other members of the judiciary.
Similarly, they also had the privilege of visiting Kumasi and the Asantehene to learn more about customs and traditional ways of dispute resolution.
He said the team will be looking forward to having Ghana judges visit and interact with their side in Uganda, adding; “I think there is a use in the South-South cooperation. I think we should learn from each other, not that we should be learning from Britain, America and the advanced world, but there is a lot to pick from our neighbours [and] our fellow Africans.
“Pick what they have done and pick from what we have done because the judiciary provides these services of adjudication to the population. If you learn from your neighbour you can always do better.”
Members of the delegation
Justice Buteera led a team made up of Uganda judicial officers, which include Her Worship (HW) Rose Mary Bareebe, Registrar of High Court, HW Flavia Nabakiiza, Registrar, Planning, Research and Development, HW Mary K. Kaitesi, Registrar, Judical Training Institute, HW Jamson Kaemani, Deputy Registrar/Public Relation Officer and HW Alex Mushabe, Deputy Registrar/PLS to DCJ.
The others are; HW Praise Ayebare Tumwbaze, Deputy Registrar to the CJ, HW Patricia AmokoMugumuza, Deputy Registrar/PLS to the CR, Eng. Dr. Christopher Ebal, Commissioner of Engineering and Technical Services, Apophia Tumwine, Commissioner of Human Resource Management, Hirome Sulaiman, Principal Assistant Secretary, David Kikbi, Head of ICT and Simon Peter Opolot, Head of Policy and Planning Unit.
Model Alyssa Scott announced she and the television host are expecting their second child together.
“This is a MIRACLE and a BLESSING,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a sultry photo baring her growing baby bump. In the snap, Scott stands fully nude in the bathtub with her body in profile as Cannon gazes up at her from below.
Scott loved the photo so much, she even had it turned into a painting, writing, “Thank you to my beautiful & talented friend @glorydayyys for recreating and recapturing this very special moment. This will forever be my favorite piece of artwork” in a separate post showing off the art.
In a third post, Cannon is pictured sweetly kissing Scott’s bump while she has her hair wrapped in a fluffy white towel.
Neither Scott nor Cannon have yet to share an official due date for their coming bundle of joy, but the baby will be the couple’s first child since the tragic death of their firstborn Zen, who died last December at 5 months old due to an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Since Zen’s death, his famous dad — who practices “consensual non-monogamy” has also welcomed son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi, daughter Onyx Ice with Lanisha Cole, and 10th child Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell, all in the span of a few months.
American Rapper, Nicki Minaj has extended her condolences to Davido and Chioma following the death of their three-year-old son Ifeanyi.
The rapper took to Instagram to share a photo of Ifeanyi which she captioned “My deepest condolences to Chioma & @davido during this time.”
Also, another American Rapper, Meek Mill tweeted “Prayers to davido and his family also praying for y’all.”
Their condolences come days after the news of the death of Davido and Chioma’s son hit mainstream media.
Ifeanyi is reported to have died in a drowning accident at his dad’s home in Banana Island on the 1st of November 2022. The baby boy who just turned three had been left in the care of his caregivers while his parents were on a trip out of town.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the death of Ifeanyi and that eight people had been brought in for questioning in relation to his death. Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed that anyone found culpable of the child’s death after a thorough investigation would be arrested.
“It is true, the child is dead. About eight people were brought in for questioning and we are investigating the matter. Anyone found culpable in the death of the child would be arrested,” Hundeyin said.
The chef and cook have been detained in connection with his death and may remain in police custody until they are cleared by an autopsy report.
Following the news of Ifeanyi’s death, many celebrities took to social media to grieve with the family.
Davido and Chioma are however yet to address the public on Ifeanyi’s death and have seemingly taken a break from social media.
Contemporary gospel singer and songwriter, Nana Yaw Boakye, professionally known as MOG Music in the gospel music industry, has released his long-awaited album dubbed ‘Koinonia.’
The album is the 6th of his rich catalogue after the popular ‘New Wine’, ‘New Wine Il’, ‘Better Me’, “Xprience with Love and ‘The Experience’ albums.
Recorded at the 9th edition of MOG Music’s flagship annual program, ‘New Wine Concert’ in Accra, Koinonia which features American award-winning gospel artiste, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, has its theme centered on creating an atmosphere where God can fellowship with mortals.
Songs on the album, ‘Your Presence and ‘Nobody’ are already hit in the gospel music industry globally.
Speaking with the media ahead of the virtual album launch, the Vodafone Ghana Music Award (VGMA) two-time Male Vocalist of the Year, MOG said Koinonia was born out of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit adding it will add to worshippers’ array of songs.
“The inspiration is the Holy Spirit, he inspired the writing of the songs on the album,” he said.
MOG said the title, ‘Koinonia’ signifies a safe place for the Christian community worldwide to worship God.
“Koinonia, means a place of fellowship with God. I seek for people to fellowship with God, and be transformed by the power of God,” he added.
He said his focus is to push gospel music and put Ghana on the map for the international markets to see what Ghana is blessed with.
The album is available on all digital music stores worldwide.
‘On God’ hitmaker Shatta Wale has revealed that a lot of gatekeepers who are sabotaging him are those who do not understand him and as a result want to create someone they can use to do businesses.
In an interview on Onua TV, Shatta Wale claimed he has been greatly misunderstood in the music industry since his early days.
Shatta Wale went on to say the sabotaging didn’t start from now but since his Bandana days, a lot of people try sabotaging which he knows that’s why he doesn’t fear mentioning names.
“Yeah I know a lot of people sabotaging me that’s why I don’t fear mentioning names and they know I know them and they should stop because Shatta has been sabotaged since bandana days to Shatta days,” Shatta Wale said.
“And there is this agenda of the industry gatekeepers creating certain artists who they use for business purposes, I am also a businessman if you seat with me and you want to create a good business plan with me, we can package it and build it for 10 years but if you don’t understand me and you want to make the whole thing look like I am a bad person” Shatta Wale added.
According to Shatta, most gatekeepers sabotage him because they don’t understand him when it comes to the business side of him.
