President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has commissioned a 600-bed Konongo Municipal hospital constructed by Euroget at the cost of GH¢358,000.
According to the president the project is part of Ghana hospitals projects initiated by the former President John Agyekum Kufuor. It is the sixth hospital he has commissioned since he assumed office in 2017.
He said there would be ultrasound machine and patients monitoring equipment with air condition system, as the government is determined to enhance healthcare to drive the universal healthcare.
Nana Akufo-Addo stated that, the government has initiated some 32 hospital projects in the Ashanti region with 16 hospitals under the Agenda 111 project besides the construction of a psychiatric hospital at Onwe in the Ashanti region.
The president disclosed that the 250 capacity Ashanti regional hospital would be completed next year with the Children and maternity ward at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), while two district hospitals would be constructed at Offinso and Effiduase with a trauma hospital at Obuasi.
He pleaded with the management of the Konongo Municipal hospital to ensure maintenance culture.
Nana Dr. Awuah Abedimisa II, Konongohene commended the government for commissioning the project to serve the health needs of the people and pleaded with the president to ensure that a fence wall is provided to prevent encroachment and enhance security as well as a sustainable water supply system for the facility.
The new Konongohene also appealed for the construction of Konongo Town roads and around the Konongo enclave.
The Chronicle, last Friday, published that the government, as part of its renewed fight against the illegal mining menace, had re-deployed Operation Halt II, made up of soldiers tasked with ridding the country’s water bodies off illegal miners.
According to the publication, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the Military High Command, which is in charge of Operation Halt II, has authority from the President to deal with all matters that would arise during its operations. He said the group had been charged to be blind to all manner of considerations that would arise from the political, business, traditional or religious spaces.
The Minister saw this directive as sufficient to empower the Military High Command to work in the interest of the nation, and not fail in the fight.
It must be noted that the previous deployments made in May last year suffered some challenges.
We are told by the Minister that the reason the government resolved to allow the military a free hand to operate this time is borne out of complaints it received from the military, alleging interference from politicians, businessmen and all classes of people, which consequently affected the fight.
We view the situation as very worrying, especially coming from the very people whose roles are key to building the nation. We wonder what motivates them to interfere with the work of the soldiers, who are only protecting our lands and water bodies from destruction.
Everyone acknowledges the devastating effects of illegal mining on the country. The amount of money the Ghana Water Company Limited, for instance, wastes to treat water is mind-boggling.
The Christian Council of Ghana recently toured the illegal mining sites on a fact-finding mission to observe at first-hand the level of devastation perpetrated by the galamsey operators, and to seek God’s intervention to end the menace. This speaks volumes of the colossal effects of galamsey in the country.
We are, therefore, encouraged by the decision of the government to re-deploy Operation Halt II. It is our hope that the Military High Command will continue to hold the country and their duty in high esteem.
As the Minister said, in order to ensure nothing impedes their operation, issues of funding and logistics have been addressed. They should not in any way compromise their work in the field.
It is necessary, however, to urge the Taskforce to use its mandate in the spirit of truth and fairness.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, could not have said it any better when he indicated that the wrong people were being arrested at these galamsey sites.
We agree with him and others who have said that the real culprits are the financiers and not the poor labourers covered in mud who are often apprehended by the operation team. That must be looked at otherwise the fight will be a sham.
We are hopeful that, together, the fight can be won, but let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be genuine to the cause.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, described as the prayer house of the church, has honoured Founding members and past leaders from various professions who had contributed immensely to the growth of the church over the past 50 years.
The personalities, including Lawyer Francis Obuor and Dr. George Amofa, now retired and retired Deputy Director General of Public Health respectively, were honoured at the annual Provincial Congress at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) at the Our Lady of Grace Parish on the theme: “Return to Your First Love.”
Other personalities honoured at the occasion were Archbishop Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, Bishop of the Kumasi Metropolis, Bishop Afoakwah of Obuasi Diocese, and past leaders Mr. Osei Assibey Mr. Osei Tutu Nana Agyenim Boateng, Chief of Atwima Mim, Mr. Afrifa, Mr. Gyan, Mr. Matthew Amoako, Mr. Lartey, Mr. Leo, Mr. Opoku Afriyie, Mr. Gyan, Mr. Frank Boakye, Ms Henrietta Aba Whyte, and Mrs. Emma Amoateng Mensah.
Mr. Emmanuel Adu Sarkodie, current Coordinator and Leader of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, disclosed that, the gesture was to show appreciation and say thank you to them for using their entire lives to contribute their quota to the development and growth of God’s vineyard.
He expressed the hope that the gesture would encourage the up and coming youth and generation to emulate the shining examples of the personalities through which people of God would build society.
The youth of Ahwiaa in the Kwabre East Municipality, on behalf of the chiefs, Zongo chiefs, and the entire Zongo community, have kicked against the decision of the Kwabre East Municipal Assembly to take over the management of the community’s revenue generating facilities, including Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP) toilets, refuse dump sites, and mechanised boreholes.
The Assembly’s move follows the formation of an Interim Management Committee by the leadership of the community for three months, as a form of assessment of Ayuba Sawadogo, the Assembly Member, and the Unit Committee.
The three month tenure of the interim committee which started from August 1, 2022 is expected to elapse on October 30, 2022.
Before the expiry of the tenure, the Municipal Assembly had asked the community to hand over the revenue generating facilities to the Assembly to manage, quoting the Local Government Act to the effect that the community had breached the law by forming an Interim Committee to handle the facilities.
But the chiefs and the youth have kicked against the request with the explanation that the Assembly had not rendered proper accounts to the community since it (Assembly) took over the facilities in 2010.
At a press conference on Friday, Bilal Sulemana, Youth Leader and Spokesman for the community, threatened that the youth were bent on resisting any attempt by the Assembly to take over the management of the revenue generating facilities.
The Spokesman explained that the community had not breached any law, as claimed by the Assembly, because all the facilities were built by the community without any support from the Assembly.
Sulemana claimed the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Agyemang, the Presiding Member, R. George, and the Anyinam Zongo Assembly Member were those behind the decision of the Assembly, which would infringe on their rights.
The youth cautioned that they would hold the MCE, PM of Kwabre East Municipal Assembly, and the Assembly Member of Anyinam Zongo responsible should the unrest lead to anything untoward in Ahwiaa Zongo.
They petitioned the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, to call the MCE and the PM to order before the unexpected happened to destabilise the current calm and peace prevailing in the community.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, has disclosed that 21 factories have been completed and operating under the ‘One District, One Factory’ (1D1F) initiative in the region.
Some of the functional factories, the Minister mentioned, are Boris ‘B’ Farms and Vet Supplies Ghana Limited, a Bantama-based company that deals in poultry and poultry feed, Aspee Pharmaceuticals Limited at Ejisu, Darko Farms Group at Akropong, which is into the processing of poultry, and Anok Gyes Farms Limited at Agona Wiamoase, producers of pig feed.
According to the Minister, 30 more factories were being constructed under the initiative in the region.
Minister Osei-Mensah, who was addressing the 23rd Regional General Meeting of the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Kumasi over the weekend, said these factories, which were at various stages of completion, would soon be completed.
He explained that these factories were hardware companies, food processing and alcoholic beverage industries, and mentioned others as Adonko Bitters Limited, Beacon Hills Industries Limited, Agro Africa Limited, Best Fertilizer Limited, IM Trucks and Heavy Equipment Limited, Ababio Express Limited, and Jomex Limited.
Mr. Osei Mensah further noted that the government had made huge investments in transforming the economy from one that imported and exported raw material into a production economy.
He also said the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the AGI had been collaborating with the private sector to implement projects that were geared towards promoting business in the region.
“Currently there is a proposal to organise a fair at the end of the year,” Minister Osei-Mensah hinted.
Over 20 educational partners have commended the Minister for Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, for a successful national education week which brought together partners to review and access quality of teaching, learning and policies of government in the education sector.
The National Education Week (NEW) 2022, brought together over 600 policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to share rigorous evidence that has been collected about the impact of policies and interventions in education aimed at improving service delivery and learning outcomes in Ghana likewise, identify ways in which evidence can be used to drive the implementation of education policies and programmes to facilitate better decision-making processes.
Over 600 officials were drawn from the education ministry, officials from agencies, regional directors of education, district directors, heads of schools, representative from other ministries, development partner’s, academia, teacher unions NGOs, CSOs and the private sector.
Speaking on day three of the conference, Dr. Osei Adutwum assured that the government of President Akufo-Addo is determined to bring massive transformation into the educational sector.
“Ghana under President Akufo-Addo is changing because many things are changing in the educational sector “.
He made this known during an interview during the 2022 NEW held in Accra at the Accra International Conference Centre on the theme; “Re-Assessing Educational Policies for Effective Service Delivery and National Transformation.”
According to the minister, his outfit will continue to drive the transformational agenda of education in the country but said, even though, Ghana was doing better than other countries in terms of transformation in the educational sector, “we still need to our best to go high.”
“We have to change the way we do business. We are not close to where we can celebrate”.
Ghana, he indicated, is blessed with many talented young men and women to transform and change the fortunes of the nation and the world in general.
Talking about the current lack of engineers in the country, Dr. Osei Adutwum said the educational sector can produce about 30,000 engineers a year in Ghana instead of the current 6,000 that it was producing.
He revealed that better days were ahead of the country and therefore, Ghana can do better than what it had done in the past 60 years, urging all Ghanaians to support the transformation agenda in the educational sector.
Graduate unemployment in Ghana, the minister indicated, was something that the educational sector can take care of.
“We should produce graduates that their services are needed for. When the education sector produce graduates whose services are not needed, they have to be blamed,” he noted.
IMF NEGOTIATIONS
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the Akufo-Addo government will never cancel the Free Senior High School policy which has benefited a lot of Ghanaian children despite negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to seek economic bailout.
According to him, the Free SHS has promoted access to secondary education, adding that its enrollment increased from less than 900,000 students in the 2016/17 academic year, to more than 1.2 million in 2020/21.
The vice president made this known in a speech read on his behalf by the Senior Advisor to the President, Yaw Osafo Maafo, at the 2022 edition of the annual National Education Week.
“This administration spent an average, between 4.5% – 4.6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and between 17.6% – 24% of its national budget on education from 2019 to 2021.
The share of government expenditure in education increased marginally from 73.4% in 2019 to 74.0% in 2020”, adding that the debate should not be whether our public expenditure was too high or too low, but instead whether or not these programmes contributed to the welfare of Ghanaians and are essential for our national transformation,” he said.
Deputy Education Minister, John Fordjor, in a brief remark, stated that his outfit had the sole responsibility of contributing to the desired national transformation by recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the current system.
Inspector John Bosco Ayisala receiving the items from an executive of the Fellowship
The Women’s Fellowship of the Trinity United Church, Legon, yesterday extended a helping hand to the Legon hospital and Police station. At the hospital, the women, numbering 25, donated bed sheets, toilet rolls and detergents. The police and the cell inmates on the other hand received food, bags of sachet water and toilet rolls.
The President, Madam Patience Anim-Hughes ( 2nd left) in a group photograph with other executives of the Fellowship
The group also prayed and shared the word of God with the inmates and encouraged them to have faith in God and believe that they will get out of cell and become prominent persons in society, just like the story of Joseph in the bible.
According to the President of the Women’s Fellowship, Madam Patience Anim-Hughes, the decision to extend a helping hand was based on the Fellowship’s motto, which reads ‘Let your life radiate that of Jesus Christ’.
Madam Patience Anim-Hughes said “per the motto, we ought to show concern, we ought to show love and we ought to show compassion for those who are sick, for those who are in cells and others.”
She also noted that they chose to donate the items to the two institutions in Legon because the church is situated in the community where these institutions are also located.
“…The church is situated within Legon community, and as community members when we are sick we need to visit them,” she said.
She continued that, their purpose for choosing the maternity ward was due to the fact that they are mother’s themselves and have an understanding of how motherhood is.
“…you know, since we are women, we are mothers too, so the place to go in a hospital is the maternity ward where we have mothers delivering; mothers who have come for postnatal, mothers who are on antenatal and mothers who need encouragement….”
On the need to donate to the prison cell, Madam Anim-Hughes indicated that there is the need to imbibe the word of God in the inmates so that when they are set free, they will not go back to commit crimes that will put them in jail.
Madam Anim-Hughes indicated that the donation was not the first. She stated that places like Nsawam prison and Psychiatric hospital at Asylum Down have all been beneficiaries of the Fellowship’s benevolence. She assured that the group will continue to extend a helping hand to the needy in society.
The Head of Maternity at the University’s Health Services Directorate, Madam Saidatu Abubakar, who received the items at the hospital thanked the group for the donation and prayed for them to get more resources so others can benefit from their kindness.
Inspector John Bosco Ayisala, the officer who received the items on behalf of the East Legon Police Station expressed his appreciation to the group.
He said the items will enable them cater well for the inmates in their custody. He indicated that the fact that the inmates have found themselves on the wrong side of the law does not mean they should not be catered for.
He, therefore, called on other organisations to emulate the donation by the Women’s Fellowship of the Trinity United Church, Legon, to help them take care of the inmates.
Farouk Mahama and the Moroccan ambassador at the exhibition
H.E. Imane Quaadil
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama has passionately appealed to the Morocco Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Imane Quaadil, to facilitate an arrangement to expose the vast investment opportunities in Yendi to the business community of Morocco.
According to the MP, “Yendi is a commercial hub endowed with vast resources, including vast arable lands for agriculture, skilled-youth, mineral wealth, human resources, tourism, and arts and culture.
It has one of the best cereals and tuber produce which can meet the interest of investors from Morocco and other parts of the world”.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama made the call at the skills exhibition fair held in Yendi as part of the official visit by the Morocco Ambassador to Ghana.
The exhibition is a prelude to a planned establishment of a state-of-the-art skills development centre in Yendi by the MP and the Moroccan Embassy in Ghana for the transfer of knowledge, skills and exchange of technical cooperation.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama who is also the Board Chairman of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation said, Yendi and its environs host a large percentage of iron ore in commercial quantity, ready to be harnessed to create the needed employment opportunities for the hardworking youth of Ghana and to boost the industrialization drive of the Government.
He expressed the confidence that the bond between Yendi and the people of Morocco would explore issues of mutual interest such as sustainable agriculture, skills-development, education, essential minerals, human resource, tourism, arts and culture among others.
The Ambassador said Ghana and Morocco have come a long way and that she will ensure that the Moroccan Business Community will take advantage of the business opportunities Ghana is endowed with, especially the Yendi Constituency.
NdanYa-Na said the high rate of youth unemployment was a major concern to the people of Yendi which needs urgent attention and that the youth unemployment is attributed to inadequate skills development for the youth and low ICT education.
Photograph of breast cancer survival Hajiah Zainab Mahammed (in Africa print) with officers of the Ghana Armed Forces and the 37 Military Hospital
Reports from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and 37 Military Hospital indicate that the late reporting is the leading cause of death among women affected by breast cancer.
The health institutions, while marking Pink October – a mother dedicated for creating breast cancer awareness at the Burma Camp last week, said about 60 per cent (%) of all breast cancer related cases are reported at their advanced stages.
The 37 Military Hospital in Accra
According to them, when such cases arrive at the centres, instead of giving the patients treatment, the health professionals are left with no option but to remove the cancerous breast or just manage the case, since the tumour has already affected other organs of the body.
The Chief Nursing Officer in-charge of the 37 Military Hospital, Colonel Patience Owusu Aidoo, speaking on the theme: “Early detection is key,” said breast cancer is not a terminal disease if reported early.
She said treatments available include Surgery; Lumpectomy (removal of tumour and some tissues) and Mastectomy (removal of the breast); Radiation therapy (killing of the cancer cells that were missed) and Chemotherapy (drug to attack the cancer cell).
However, she noted that many women after discovery of unusual lump in the breast or armpit would result to self-medication, traditional treatment and spiritual healing, and by the time they report to the hospital, it is too late.
According to her myths that men sucking women’s breast can prevent breast cancer has no scientific basis.
Col Aidoo indicated that although one-in-hundred men can also develop breast cancer, women are at high risk of having the tumour, especially after age 40 or using contraceptives after age 35, or being obese.
The Chief Nursing Officer added that although what causes a tumour to grow in the breast has not been discovered yet, some of the risk factors are abuse of alcohol and tobacco, hereditary and exposure to excessive radiation.
Her worries were that while there are about 4,500 cases of breast cancer in Ghana, stigma, reluctance to seek health attention, low education and awareness of the disease are pushing about 40% of the patients every year into their early grave.
While she advised the general public to develop habits, such as eating healthy and exercising, they must also “desist from looking for help from prayer camps and herbalists, instead of visiting the hospital for medical attention.”
Col Aidoo urged woman to pay attention to their breasts when it develops new lump on the breast or the armpit, the size changes, blood or odour liquid discharge, pulling in nipple, irritation or dumpling of breast skin and pain in the area of the breast.
Director of Clinical Psychology, Lt. Col A.F.K Tenteh added that since it is on record that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women, there is the need for all hands to be on deck to fight its stigmatisation.He said patients must be encouraged to seek treatment to enable them survive the disease.
Lt. Col Tenteh thanked the government for adding cancer treatment to the list of the National Health Insurance, but pleaded that the gesture must be extended to mental health.
He said mental health cuts across all the health disciplines, for instance cancer patient needs to be mentally prepared before taking any decision with regard to treatment.
The annual breast cancer awareness programme is organised for personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces and their spouses.
This year’s event had other speakers addressing their audiences on topics, “Living beyond breast cancer, together we stand” and “Closing the curve gap.”
Delta Airline, BCI lead breast care campaign
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines, in collaboration with Breast Care International (BCI) is offering a screening programme for women in Ghana, under the banner: ‘Kick out Cancer’ Campaign.
The campaign is designed to provide breast cancer education and screening to women, aged 20 and over, in communities across the country.
Persons whose diagnosis will prove positive would be offered treatment at hospitals, including BCI’s Peace and Love Hospitals and supportive counselling.
“Healthcare provision is one of the pillars of our community engagement strategy,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president EMEAI.
“We’re proud of the work we have done with BCI over the past six years and look forward to raising more awareness and facilitating treatment for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana over the next 12 months,” he added.
BCI has organised community outreach programs in communities since 2002 to educate and improve knowledge, change attitudes and promote the importance of early detection of breast cancer.
Breast cancer screenings by way of clinical breast examinations are also offered free of charge at each screening session.
“Our partnership with Delta Air Lines to organise free countrywide breast cancer awareness program, is to rid low-income earning communities of the intolerable levels of breast cancer cases,” said Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Executive Director of Breast Care International.
“This initiative, which supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ‘Good Health’ is driven by a passion for women in these communities to receive the much needed breast care education, and by extension counselling and treatment.”
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that at 2.26 million, there were new cases of breast cancer worldwide in 2020 than any other type of cancer.
The WHO’s Globocan 2020 study found that breast cancer was also the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ghana with more than 4,400 new cases. This was 18.7% of all cancer diagnoses.
His Royal Majesty (HRM) Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, the Okuapemhene, has finally been gazetted almost seven (7) years after the demise of the former Okuapemhene, Oseadeeyo Nana Addo Dankwa III.
A certified true copy of the gazette, which was signed by the Registrar of the National House of Chiefs (NHC), Mr.BaafiNsiah and dated Friday October 7, 2022 has been sighted by The Chronicle.
There was spontaneous jubilation at Akropong, the traditional capital, when they received news that His Royal Majesty (HRM) Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, the Okuapemhene, has finally been gazetted.
Speaking to the media at a press conference organised by a group calling itself Akuapem Youth for Development (AYD), at Akropong on Sunday, Mr. A.S Nana Addo-Aikins Jr., leader of the group, called on both factions to let peace reign after the gazette.
He further appealed to the factions to immediately cease the insults and insinuations and rather join in the development of the area.
The spokesperson for AYD indicated that it is time to reflect on the loss Akuapeman has suffered and come together as one people to move forward peacefully and work hard to reinstate the peace and unity they stand for.
“A call for peace is paramount since it is clear beyond any doubt, considering the evidence and ruling by the RHC and NHC that there is a legitimate King sitting on his throne – His Royal
Majesty Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, OKUAPEMHENE”, he stressed.
On the other hand, Odehye Kwasi Akuffo (Joe Farrell) who was the main candidate of Okuapehemaa, Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II, confirmed the gazette of his main contender when contacted.
He explained that he has sighted a certified true copy of the gazette which was signed by the Registrar of the National House of Chiefs (NHC).
Notwithstanding that, he directed this reporter to his lawyer, AnsahAsare, for further interpretation of the issue and next action they intend taking after the gazette.
All efforts, however, to reach the lawyer proved unsuccessful because his cell phone was off.
Background
It would be recalled that His Royal Majesty Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III passed on to glory on August 3, 2015 and just like every great kingdom, when a king dies, there are customary laws, which are followed in selecting the right royal for the throne.
Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, the Okuapemhene, known in private life as Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi arrived in Ghana in January 2016 and was nominated to go through the process of selection and installation to be King.However, due to internal family disputes and other contentions, this process took another two years.
Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi was contested by Odehye Kwasi Akuffo, popularly known as Joe Farrell, who is the nephew of Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi.
