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Kwadaso Assembly partners Neu-Isenburg to mitigate Climate Change

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The MCE and the guests in photograph with some traditional leaders of the Municipality
The MCE addressing the forum

A programme on Municipal Climate Partnership between Kwadaso Municipality Assembly and Neu-Isenburg in Germany on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation ended on Monday at the New Administration Block of the Kwadaso Assembly at Edwenase in Kumasi.

Unlike any other sister-city programmes, the Kwadaso-Neu Isenburg project, which was started in 2019, is purely on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, with the focus on afforestation, renewable energies, sensitisation on sustainable waste management, and the establishment of fair trade.

Mr. Richmond Agyenim-Boateng, Kwadaso Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), in a welcome address, explained that Kwadaso as one of the newly-created municipal assemblies, needed to identify relevant partnerships elsewhere to ensure rapid growth and accelerated development for the Municipality.

He said the Climate Change Partnership project was an agreement between Neu-Isenburg and Kwadaso Municipal Assembly with support from Global Engagement Germany to “provide assistance to the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly to go into tree planting, solar energy, waste management, and export.”

Mr. Agyenim-Boateng said a total of €5,000,000 had been proposed for the ten years (2019-2027) project, out of which GH¢1,350,000 had been released to the Assembly to support the tree planting exercise, supply and installation of 700 foot pressed hand washing facilities in basic schools, health facilities and other institutions.

So far, over 10,000 trees have been planted and is expected to be increased to about 15,000 by the close of 2022, and the plan to supply and install solar panels to public institutions to reduce electricity costs, and also to establish solid waste sorting centres at some selected transition stations where refuse is gathered which can also create employment for the youth.

Mr. Dirk Gene Hagelstein, Mayor of Neu-Isenburg in Germany, said Ghana, unlike Neu-Isenburg, was blessed with lots of sunshine and wind, therefore, the people of Kwadaso should take advantage of renewable energy, afforestation, and solar/wind energy to avoid unnecessary spending on gas and electricity.

The Partnership Co-ordinator, Mr. Osei-Tutu Karikari, together with Mr. Dirk Wolfing, Member of the Council of Neu-Isenburg responsible for climate protection and greening, jointly did a presentation on the project.

Mr. Osei-Tutu Karikari disclosed that some 40,000 economic trees were being planted within the Kwadaso Municipality, mainly around basic schools, road shoulders and medians, as well as catchment areas of river bodies within the Municipality.

The Kwadaso-Neu Isenburg Partnership has already provided three solar powered boreholes to the Edwenase Rehabilitation Centre, Denkyemuoso community, and the Methodist Technical Institute (MTD).

From Thomas Agbenyegah Adzey, Kumasi

Hamid advocates development of petroleum infrastructure across Africa

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Dr Mustapha Hamid speaking at the conference

The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has stressed the need for Africa to consider developing petroleum infrastructure networks across Africa, if the continent is to address fuel distribution challenges and also aim to end energy poverty by 2030.

According to him, ending fuel poverty in Africa is not just about establishing either large or modular refineries but rather having an efficient fuel distribution network across the continent that makes it possible to transport fuel from one country to the other.

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid made the call during a panel discussion on the 3rd day of the just-ended Africa Energy Week 2022, held in Cape Town, South Africa, from October 18th to 21st, 2022.

The panelists were Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, CEO of NPA; Alex Cole, General Manager/Head Business Development Sahara Group;Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary, African Refiners & Distributors Association and Robert Meza, CEO of Trinity Energy.

The panelists sought to find solutions to Africa’s fuel demand and more especially solutions for new regional exporters.

Setting the stage for the discussion, AniborKragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners &Distributors Association (ARDA) told the energy sector players across Africa that the continent’s total refinery capacity is about 3.3 million barrels per day from about 20 countries.

He continued that, “ten years ago, the utilisation of the refineries across Africa was about 75 per cent but now it is between 50% and 55%.”

In his view, there was the need to first bring back the continent’s refinery capacity to 100 per cent, before “we look at other factors, if the continent should have self-sufficiency of fuel.”

Answering a question on what should be done to attract investments for refineries, Mr Humphrey Nwugo, Regional Chief Operating Officer for Southern Africa, Afreximbank, noted that there has been a decline in the capacity of refineries in Africa. He blamed the situation on a lack of maintenance and investment.

To address the problem, he said the bank and other partners are setting up a US$3 billion infrastructure fund to support the development of petroleum infrastructure networks in Africa.

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid told the gathering that Ghana has taken a bold step to address insufficient petroleum infrastructure in the country by establishing the Petroleum Hub Development Authority (PHDA) to establish a petroleum hub in the Western Region.

The project, which is private sector-led, is expected to have three refineries, storage tanks, water treatment plants and other facilities.

The $60 billion project is intended to serve West Africa upon completion.

Citing the West African Gas Pipeline Project which passes through Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria and allows the aforementioned countries to supply gas for power generation, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said it should be possible for countries within the southern belt of Africa to develop a network pipeline infrastructure and for those in the northern part to do same and then tie all of them together for African nations to be able to trade among themselves.

He, thus, called for collaboration between regional blocks within Africa notably ECOWAS, SADC and EAC.

 

“If we have an integrated pipeline for SADC, EAC,  North Africa, then when we have done all that, you will see that it will be easy to tie them together to have a continental-wide petroleum infrastructure of feeding the entire continent,” Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid posited.

Assemblywoman petitions Otumfuo on behalf of Aggrieved Kwaso farmers

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ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Hon. Mercy Serwaah, Assembly woman for Kwaso addressing the media
A confiscated farmland by an estate developer

Aggrieved farmers at Kwaso in the Ejisu Municipality are pleading with the Asantehene,Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to come to their rescue.

Madam Mercy Serwaah, Assembly woman for the Kwaso electoral area, who made the call at a press conference, disclosed that a number of farmers in her electoral had called on her to intervene on their behalf, in order not to lose their farmlands.

According to her, there are reports that a faceless authority is taking their Cocoa, Palm and Plantain farmlands from them, without their consent or any compensation.

Madam Mercy Serwaah said the matter has been reported to the Assembly and the Member of Parliament but to no avail, hence the appeal to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Ejisu Municipal Divisional Command of the Ghana Police Service to intervene and come to their aid.

Madam Akosua Krah and Akosua Fosuah, 75 and 85 years old respectively, whose farmlands have forcibly been taken away from them by the faceless authority.

They indicated that the farmlands are the only source of their livelihood and losing them would be a disaster to their dependants.

They claim that their private investigations have revealed that their seized farmlands had been sold to an Estate Developer without their knowledge.

They are, therefore, pleading with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the police and the Ashanti Regional Minister to intervene.

Internet Society of Ghana creates awareness on online security

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AGNES ANSAH
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Mr Francis Acquah Amaning, President, ISOC Ghana and Mr Samuel Nattey George , MP, Ningo- Prampram

The internet Society of Ghana (ISOC) last Friday organised a workshop to sensitise people on the need to protect online data, as internet threats keep growing.

The workshop was in commemoration of the Global Encryption Day and was under the theme: “Encryption: Privacy versus National Security”.

It was in line with the ISOCs mission of supporting and promoting the development of the internet as a global technical infrastructure, as well as a resource to enrich people’s lives and a force for good in society.

Addressing the audience who gathered at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE), President of ISOC-Ghana, Mr Francis AcquahAmaning,noted that Ghana has witnessed tremendous changes in the growth of internet usage since its emergence in the 90’s.

He, however, observed that as the growth occurs, cyber threats is inevitable, hence the need to attach much importance to data privacy.

“As the internet begins to grow, the threat or internet attack also begins to grow. So how do we secure the internet,” MrAmaning quizzed and called on people to take issue of encryption serious.

He indicated that encryption helps secure most of the services that we seek online and without it most people would be afraid to transact business online.

“This is why organisations such as the Data Protection Agency, Cyber Security Authority and other regulatory bodies are very important and must be given the necessary resources to carry out their mandate,” he said.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Mr Samuel Nattey George, on his part indicated that the legislative arm of government is doing its best to get laws that will ensure people’s security online are enacted.

He, however, expressed surprise as to why Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs) are not engaging the government more on online protection and security.

According to the MP, cyber security is a national security issue and the state has a critical role to play in it.

He noted that protection against online gender base violence, child online protection, security for online banking among others are protections that the state is mandated to provide for it citizens, and so people must demand for it.

He indicated that parliament would do its part, but said he would want to see CSOs engage government institutions which have been given the mandate to ensure the protection of citizens’ security online.

The Chief Operations Manager at Africert, Mr Markus K.G. Adomey, on his part noted that there exists the Electronic Transaction Act (Act 722) and the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which mandates the state to put in place key measures that would enable people feel safe online.

MrAdomey said he has not seen those measures being put in place and, therefore, called on the state to act swiftly to ensure that such measures are in place.

He observed that the “bad guys” in the system keep increasing in number, so the state must also act fast, since internet has become an integral part of society today.

YEA Recruits 15,000 Community Protection Assistants 

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The YEA recruits

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) is recruiting 15,000 unemployed Ghanaian youth nationwide as Community Protection Assistants (CPAs) in close collaboration with the Ghana Police Service.

This is in pursuance of the Agency’s mandate to create jobs for the unemployed youth of the country, as well as, assist the Ghana Police Service in preventive and social community policing.

The CEO of YEA, Mr. Kofi Baah Agyepong, who is championing an agenda to make the agency the base of employment among all sectors of the economy, believes that empowering young people, through the creation of stop-gap measures, promotion of skills training and entrepreneurship is a major means of reducing unemployment while ensuring economic growth.

On Wednesday (26 October), the agency began a national physical examination exercise across all the district offices of the country as part of a process to shortlist the first batch of 5000 applicants into the module.

Scores of young men and women who had trooped to the YEA district offices in all regions were seen going through assessment of their heights, visual examination, and physical appearance amongst others.

Mr Agyepong, who embarked on a tour of some examination centres together with some members of his management team, said this is an opportune time to be recruited as a beneficiary of the YEA.

He gave assurance to the beneficiaries of the consistent flow of their stipends at the end of the month, hinting of a possible increase.

What is more exciting for Mr.Agyepong and to the beneficiaries is his commitment to ensure that most of the beneficiaries with the requisite certification, skills and knowledge will be drafted into the mainstream police service during their enlistment.

“You are undergoing screening for body selection and physical examinations as part of the eligibility criteria for the recruitment exercise because, this time around we want to ensure that those of you who will perform will be absorbed into the Ghana Police Service as the official quota of the agency,” he told the potential beneficiaries.

The screening exercise will be followed by a training programme to be rolled out in three phases for the 15,000 successful applicants.

Each phase will have a batch of 5,000 successful applicants undergo the mandatory three weeks intensive training by the Ghana Police Service at the various Police Training Colleges across the country.

Recruitment of these 15,000 Community Protection Assistants is coming on the heels of the passing out of 6,000 youth under the Community Health Workers (CHWs) module a fortnight ago.

For Mr Agyepong, creation of sustainable programmes and jobs was top on his agenda as CEO of the YEA, and especially in this period of economic hardships.

He said it is his vision to reduce the burden of Ghanaians by creating a lot of jobs to solidify President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s ‘One Million Jobs Agenda’.

He also hoped to collaborate more effectively with the private sector in pursuit of making YEA the pivot of job creation in Ghana.

Blakk Rasta ordained as Pastor

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NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Bishop Osei Tutu ordains Blakk Rasta

Ahmed Abubakar, popularly known as Blakk Rasta, a Ghanaian reggae musician cum broadcaster has been ordained as a pastor after graduating from Breakthrough Family Chapel Bible School.

The presenter confirmed the news saying: “It’s true. I completed Bible School and got ordained as a Minister of God at the Breakthrough Family Ministries International last Friday.”

Blakk Rasta has over the years been very critical of most religions, including Christianity, so it appeared as a surprise to most of his followers on social media. He even alleged that the Bible’s text had been changed because the original manuscripts had been destroyed in the past.

Black Rasta was raised in an Islamic family and eventually abandoned Islam in favour of Rastafarianism.

Later, he confessed his Christian faith and registered for a Bible school.

The controversial reggae presenter recently got married to a new wife, years after he lost his first wife.

Kanye West loses billionaire status after 3 top companies cut ties with him

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NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Kanye West

During Paris Fashion Week, American Rapper and fashion designer, Kanye West wore a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt, which didn’t sit well with the Black people, who felt it was an attack on Black Lives Matter.

In a now-deleted tweet, he said, “When I wake up, I’m about to go Death Con” on Jewish people.” Since then, many companies have been dropping him like flies.

Balenciaga

Balenciaga has had a long-standing relationship with Kanye, he even walked their runway during the Paris Fashion Week last month, but they were one of the first companies to cut ties with him.

“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” the brand’s parent firm, Kering, said in a brief statement.

Adidas

Kanye has accused Adidas of stealing his designs and it seemed like he wanted out of the contract.

Adidas announced conducting a “thorough evaluation” of the relationship, they declared on October 25 that its collaboration with Ye was over and that they will no longer sell Yeezy or pay any money to Kanye and his companies.

“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” They said in a statement.

Gap

Although West and Gap broke off their partnership in September after West claimed the company had violated their contract, the retailer said on Tuesday that it has now shut down its Yeezy website and is “taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores” because “antisemitism, racism, and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values.”

Apart from these companies, many others have disassociated themselves from Kanye. Jaylen Brown and Aaron Donald of Donda Sports – professional athletes signed to Kanye’s sports brand, Footlocker, a shoe distribution company, Kim Kardashian, Def Jam records (though, he is no longer signed to them), CAA – a talent agency that represent him during touring and last did so in 2016, Anna Wintour of Vogue, JP Morgan, his lawyers have all cut ties with him. All his social media accounts have been suspended.

Forbes reported that he is no longer a billionaire. It seems like Kanye has been effectively cancelled.

A Tale of Two Voices from a Chief and Members of the House

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Opinion

The final week of October, 2022 will be remembered for two contrasting voices which cut across the nation bringing out, disbelief and in the case of the last voice, the assurance that separation of powers in our democracy has now arrived.

First, to open up the week was the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panyin II, Paramount Chief of Akyem Abuakwa. Obviously not happy at all about the way H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was been verbally lashed by some Ghanaians, the chief decided to come out with an advice, reminding Ghanaians that in our sacred culture, elders are not to be insulted.

He then went on to tell us that those who insult the president are villagers, witchesand wizards.

With his first statement, if Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panyin were in court, the lawyer at the other side would have pleaded that Nana is not credible witness. Is Osagyefuo actually advising Ghanaians to respect elders, when he had on at least two occasions, insulted Asantehene and the entire Asanteman, by physically attacking the king’s representatives at funerals.

With his misconduct towards a traditional leader who is much higher than him, he surely impacted into the youth that it was okay to insult elders, so what is he saying now?

The Asantehene traditional leader and king for that matter, whose jurisdiction is an empire of seventy paramountcies, that expands from Ashanti region into at least two regions and into two sovereign countries in West Africa. Some of these paramountcies are more powerful and more resourceful than Akyem Abuakwa, which is Nana Amotia’s jurisdiction. And yet he decided to disrespect this great overlord of this internationally acclaimed kingdom. And today, Okyenhene is entreating us to respect our elders. What has changed?

I am not in anyway in support of people who insult others, much more the elders. But I cannot imagine Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panyin who is guilty of such misconduct to come to entreat us to respect elders and never to insult them. We need someone better to advise on how to relate with our elders.

His second utterance that those who insult the president are villagers, witches and wizards is an insult to the good people of Ghana. And again, I will not suggest anyone insults the president of the republic, however in politics, comes insults. People who cannot qualify to dust your shoes can come out with utterances that will bring down your reputation in the most demeaning manner.

Mr Odoi Sykes, a strong UP person and an NPP National chairman who led the party to win the 2000 General Elections was alleged to have said that it was until he joined politics that he released he was a hunchback.Of course, Mr Sykes is not a hunchback, but he was insulted as being one.

For Nana Amotia to describe people who rudely insult the president, as villagers, witches or wizards which is a very derogatory statement in Ghana, by his misconducts against the Asantehene and Asanteman, he places himself in the same class of people, who insult by heart.

The best thing he should have done was to appeal to people not to insult the president, but to insult back, is not the best, and as a chief, he should be aware.

The other voice which resounded through the foundations and pillars of this country was when eighty plus out of the one hundred and thirty-seven NPPMembers of Parliament came out with a statement that made a lot of Ghanaians to wonder whether this is truly Ghana.

For the first time in this Fourth Republic, MPs from the ruling party have stood up against their president and even went further to serve notice that they will not do business with government unless the president does their wish and that is to remove and replace his finance minister and the minister state of finance.

In an era when Ghanaians are calling for a total overhauling or complete replacement of the 1992 Constitution, we have some Members of the House, dismantling parts which make the president have a hold on Parliament.

These MPs went to interact with their constituents during their recess and they were told the truth. It was their constituents who put them in the House and so they felt they owed them allegiance and should do their biddings. So, they served notice to the president that the good people of Ghana did not like the way the economy was being run and they strongly desired that the finance minister and the minister of state of finance should be replaced as soon as yesterday.

Two loud voices from respectable sources, one from a chief who is saying,only villagers, witches and wizards will condemn the president and another voice which came out to condemn the president about the way his finance minister and minister of state of finance were mismanaging the economy and demanding that he replaces them or they will not do business with him.

By Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panyin’s standard, the MPs are villagers, witches and wizards and by the MPs standards the likes of Osagyefuo Amotia cannot manage the affairs of his own people.

In all these, Ghana has become a sweet and enjoyable place, in the midst of such economic hardship. God has indeed blessed this homeland of ours.

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

Return Nnamdi Kanu to Kenya –Court orders govt

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Nnamdi Kanu

A Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, has ruled that the extraordinary rendition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, was against his fundamental rights.

The court gave the judgment while ordering that Kanu be restored to the state he was in before he was arrested and subjected to extraordinary rendition in June 2021.

Recall that Kanu was arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria last year.

The Nigerian Government was accused of subjecting the IPOB leader to extraordinary rendition last year.

Upon his return to Nigeria, Kanu was locked up by the Department of State Services, DSS, while subjecting him to legal tussles.

To this end, Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, instituted a legal action against the Nigerian Government.

On Wednesday, the court granted all the seven prayers sought by Ejimakor.

In a tweet, Ejimakor wrote: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu WINS at Federal High Court, Umuahia. Court ruled that the Extraordinary Rendition is a violation of his fundamental rights. All 7 prayers sought from the court granted, including restoring him to his state of being as of 19th June, 2021 & halting his prosecution.”

Credit: dailypost.ng

Central Bank to launch new Naira notes December

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Naira notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday said it will redesign the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this during a special press briefing in Abuja.  The new design and issues will be effective from December 15, 2022.

The action was taken in order to take control of the currency in circulation, according to the CBN boss.

The apex bank, Emefiele stated, has secured the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to roll out new notes to replace the existing currency in circulation.

“In line with the provisions of Sections 2(b), Section 18(a) and Section 19, Seb section(a) and (b) (2007), the management of the CBN has sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to redesign, produce, release and circulate new series of banknotes at N200, N500 and N1,00 levels,” he said.

“In line with this approval, we have finalised arrangements for the new currency to begin circulation from December 15, 2022 after its launch by President Buhari.

“The new and existing currencies shall remain legal tender and circulate together until January 31, 2023 when the existing currencies shall cease to be a legal tender.”

Once the new notes are designed Nigerians are expected to take old notes to banks for the new notes.

The CBN Governor is also concerned about how Nigerian currency is being stored currently.

According to him, the bulk of the nation’s currency notes was outside bank vaults and the CBN would not allow the situation to continue.

Emefiele added, “To be more specific, as of the end of September 2022, available data at the CBN indicates that N2.7 trillion out of the N3.3 trillion currency in circulation was outside the vault of commercial banks across the country and supposedly held by members of the public.

“Evidently, currency in circulation has more than doubled since 2015, rising from N1.46 trillion in December 2015 to N3.2 trillion as of September 2022. I must say that this is a worrisome trend that must not be continued to be allowed.”

Credit: channelstv.com

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