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Chief Thanks President For Not Coming By Air

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President Akufo-Addo has been applauded by the Chief of Sankore in the Ahafo Region, Nana Ogyedom Appiah Kubi Pabo Katakye IV, for visiting the area by road.

The chief’s sarcastic remark comes against the backdrop of former President John Mahama making such trips by air during his tenure.

It would be recalled that in the dying months of the previous administration, the head of state told then-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo-Addo that he was not appreciating the good roads constructed in the country because he was always sleeping on his trips.

According to the Chief of Sankore, “It’s rare for a sitting President to defy the terrible conditions of our roads to be here with us. The President could have decided to end his tour in Goaso, but for his love and fervent regard for the people of Sankore, he decided to begin his tour of Ahafo here.”

The chief made the remarks during a durbar held in honour of the President as part of his two-day tour of the Ahafo Region which ended on Saturday.

Petty Gossips

The Sankore Chief said: “You have done a lot in only two years. We have heard and have seen. Even if we are blind, we are not deaf. Continue on this path.”

“The chiefs and people of Sankore are solidly behind you in whatever you will do to ensure progress and development for Ghana. Pay no heed to petty gossip. It takes courage to run a government, and you have it. Sankore is behind you,” he added.

He also expressed gratitude to the President for creating the region he and his people have demanded for many years.

“We said we wanted our own region, we had knocked on all doors, sent petitions to wherever it is required, way before I was born. But when the President came, he checked the books and agreed with us that indeed we need our own region. Only Akufo-Addo will do this for us. We are grateful,” he added.

The chief bemoaned the terrible state of roads in that part of the country, which is known for cocoa production.

“Over the years, I can guarantee that no matter the number of years you wish to be President, we will help you to achieve that.”

Political Violence

President Akufo-Addo said the cycle of politically related violence and vigilantism in Sankore in the Asunafo South Constituency of the Ahafo Region would soon end.

His assurance is steeped in the current introduction of Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill to Parliament, which when passed, would effectively deal with those flouting the law across the country.

“The Bill, when passed, will ensure that not only the people who are inciting the violence will be punished, but also the powerful people behind them will face the full extent of the law.”

The President presented eight vehicles to the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council during the two-day tour of the newly created region.

He also cut the sod for the construction of the Regional Coordinating Council building.

President Akufo-Addo also inspected the brick and tile factory under the ‘One District, One Factory’ programme at Tanoso in the Tano North District.

The factory, Rhovanni Royal Limited, would employ about 1,800 youth from the area and has the capacity to produce 125 tons of clay products per day.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Carl Loko, briefed the President on the progress of work so far and assured him that production would begin in November.

By Daniel Yao Dayee, Sankore, DGN

 

Free SHS Taking Many Students -Mahama Weeps

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Former President John Mahama appears to be unhappy with the opportunity given to tens of thousands of Ghanaian students, especially those from poor homes to access education under the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

He expressed frustration with the large intake of students under the programme once again, even though poor students are mainly benefitting from the laudable initiative of the current Akufo-Addo administration.

He said that the huge influx of students would affect the quality of public schools.

Speaking at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in the Central Region on Thursday where the NDC organised a lecture on the state of education in Ghana, Mr. Mahama stated that “what we are doing with this huge influx into the secondary school system [due to the free SHS programme] is going to affect the quality of the public schools.”

He went on to predict doom for the pro-poor policy, saying, “and soon we are going to find a system where people lose faith in public schools and everybody will pay to take their wards to private secondary schools. That is the danger we are talking about.”

Many students have gained access to secondary education since the current Akufo-Addo administration started the implementation of the programme in September 2017.

The first year of the programme recorded an upsurge in enrolment, with about 400,000 students starting school in the 2017/18 academic year.

The large intake forced government, through the Education Ministry, to introduce the Double Track System to give many students the opportunity to benefit from the Free SHS policy.

The government earmarked GH¢1.682 billion for the implementation of the Free SHS programme in the 2019 budget.

This means that the number of enrolment would increase exponentially.

Anger

But Mr. Mahama appears to be unhappy with the high financial investments the government is making to educate Ghanaian children.

He raised concerns about the investment of GH¢2 billion by the government in free senior high schools alone in the second term to the detriment of other sectors of the economy.

According to him, the high investments in Free SHS have the tendency to negatively affect education and collapse the sector.

The former president, whose National Democratic Congress (NDC) claims to be a socialist party, has been kicking against the Free SHS policy, which is benefitting poor students and their parents.

By Melvin Tarlue, DGN

 

ACCRA RECORDS HEAVY DOWNPOUR

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Accra the capital city experienced yet again another heavy downpour of rain in different parts.

Characteristic is heavy downpours in the city, this one downpour has also led to a record of deaths. News coming in has it that a military vehicle was swept off the bridge it was on.

Seven (7) bodies so far have been retrieved by the national disaster management, NADMO. Four (4) of the retrieved were from the truck which was swept by the rapid tide and the 3 were retrieved at Sakaman.

The stories of loss of life and property in the floods in Accra are not new. The reasons given usually have been the same: choked gutters, building without conformity to city plans or building on waterways, etc.

Every year it seems the country goes through this loss and talks about it only during the loss but quickly forgets after the rains and the burials.

Citizens should be careful not to leave safe buildings during rains. And drivers must not attempt to drive through rains as well.

We need all Ghanaians alive, so we can save ourselves from these losses during our city floods.

 

By: Naa Ode.

Parliament approves €155m loan for completion of KATH projects

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Parliament has approved a €155 million loan for the completion and equipping of the Maternity and Children’s blocks of the Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).  

This was as a result of a deal between the Government of Ghana and Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch.  

The loan (€155,043,352.60) is made up of two components:  €122,543,352.60, UK Export Finance Support Fee and the €32,500,000, for the completion of the project.  

Mr. Kwabena Amankwah-Asiamah, the Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee, who presented the Committee’s Report, said the loan was to help complete the abandoned KATH Maternity and Children’s blocks to enhance healthcare delivery, especially maternal and child health.

He said it also aimed at improving infrastructure, in fulfillment of the government’s commitment to ensuring universal healthcare for all citizens and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal Three.    

 

Mr Amankwah-Asiamah, giving the background of the project, said in 1974, the Kutu Acheampong Administration recognized the need to expand the KATH, and initiated an eight-story 1,000-bed Maternity and Children’s blocks.

 He said the project was awarded in 1976 by the Central Tender Board, Accra, with the construction of the Pediatrics section.

It was, however, suspended in 1979, when it was approximately 70 percent complete, and had since been abandoned.

Mr. Amankwah-Asiamah stated that in 1999, the project was reactivated and all the structural framework foundations in the sub-structure were demolished and reconstructed.

It was included in the Public Investment Programme of the Ministry of Health, but the amount voted, over the years, could not complete it, he said.

Mr. Amankwah-Asiamah said the Maternity and Children’s blocks were identified as critical health infrastructure to prevent congestion.

 Mr. Kwame Agbodza, the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, in supporting the motion, said it may appear as though the cost element was high, but the scope of work to be undertaken was huge.

 He said the contract terms and conditions made Value for Money Audit critical in the execution of the project.

Mr. Agbodza gave the assurance that the various figures in the agreement would be scrutinized to enhance transparency.

He applauded the committee for doing a good job, saying the terms and conditions were good.

Mr. Agbodza urged the government to provide money for the completion of all the abandoned hospital projects in the country, to ensure good healthcare for the people. – GNA

Actress Akofa calls for National Film Authority law

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Veteran actress Ms. Akofa Edjeani has called on the government to enforce the National Film Authority (NFA) Law to ensure that the art industry is imbibed with ethics without adopting foreign culture.

That, she said would promote the creation of a conducive environment for local production, distribution, exhibition and marketing of films as well as preserving the nation’s culture from foreign invasion.

The actress noted that when the law is passed, it would encourage the use of films to project the identity and culture of Ghana and the way of life of its citizens.

 “Now actresses and musicians wear skimpy and body appealing clothes that don’t depict our culture, it is destroying the generation and corrupting the fine system we have,” she stressed.

Speaking with Times Weekend in Accra on Thursday, the actress who also doubles as the treasurer of the Ghana Culture Forum and the Convener of Calabash Arts indicated that culture was the soul of every nation and was therefore relevant in every country’s development hence the need to preserve it to retain the nation’s heritage.

“A country without culture is a generation with no past knowledge of their history, therefore, this generation must be reoriented on the past history of the land,” she added.

Ms. Edjeani further stated that culture should not be idolized but rather be deepened for people to be able to distinguish themselves and their region from others since each region had its own peculiar and rich culture.

According to her, when the NFA law was passed, it would go a long way to monitor the art industry to instill discipline whilst also refining the content they produced to the outside world.

Ms. Edjeani explained that musicians, actors, and actresses are followed by the mass and they have the tendency to change trends, shape and preserve culture, adding that the media should supplement the effort by telecasting 70 percent of the local content and 30 percent of foreign content.

She maintained that the arts and culture sector would be strengthened if the key players come together to promote made-in-Ghana goods to the world and urged parents to speak the local dialect with their wards.

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE

Don’t interfere with police investigations-Pres advises chiefs

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The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cautioned chiefs and opinion leaders to refrain from interceding on behalf of trouble makers in their communities, and allow the law enforcement agencies to carry out their constitutionally mandated duties.

He said he would not countenance the practice where some chiefs interfere with investigations by the police when some of their subjects find themselves in the grips of the law, explaining that such phenomenon has the tendency to draw back the clock of the progress of the country.

The President was addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of Kenyasi in the Asutifi North District, as part of his two- day working visit to the Ahafo Region.

He was accompanied by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asoma Cheremeh; Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; Deputy Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Asenso Boakye; Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Evans Opoku Bobbie, Ahafo Regional Minister and some party executives.

President Akufo-Addo said his government would not sit aloof and allow political parties and politicians to intimidate and put fear in the minds of Ghanaian voters through thuggery and bloodshed, just for the sake of winning political power, stressing that the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill, 2019 would strengthen national peace and social cohesion.

Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, Paramount Chief of Kenyasi number one who spoke on behalf of all the chiefs in the Asutifi North commended the President for introducing the free Senior High School (SHS) and the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programmes, which according to him have brought some relief to the people.

He appealed to the President to ensure the upgrade of the town roads in the area as well as improve on educational and health infrastructure in the district.

The President and his entourage later inspected work on a brick and tile factory under the One District One Factory (1D1F) project by the government at Tanoso in the Tano North District.

At Yamfo during a courtesy call, the Yamfomanhene Nana Ansa Adu Baa II appealed to the President to save the Bosomkese Forest Reserve in the area from further degradation by illegal loggers, chainsaw operators and galamseyers.

According to him officials of the Forestry Commission were “sleeping on duty” and allowing the perpetrators to have their way.

The situation, Nana Baa said needed urgent attention to restore the virgin forest so as to protect the environment and eco-system of the area.

FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, KENYASI

Newspaper Headlines Monday 15th April 2019

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Ebola outbreak ‘not global emergency yet’

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The World Health Organization says the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not yet a global health emergency.

The Ebola outbreak is the second biggest in history – infecting 1,206 people and killing 764. It shows no sign of being contained soon.

Efforts by healthcare workers have been hampered by conflict and rebel attacks.

And experts have warned it will be “very difficult to bring it under control”.

But Prof Robert Steffen, chairman of the WHO’s emergency committee on Ebola, said declaring an emergency would not change anything on the ground.

He said: “It does not mean we can lean back and relax.

“Funds are now needed to avoid a public health emergency of international concern.”

The World Health Organization said it had received only half the money it needed to tackle the disease.

The outbreak started in August 2018 and is still contained within two provinces in DRC – North Kivu and Ituri.

However, the WHO has warned a “rising number of security incidents” has been making it hard to monitor the spread of the virus, vaccinate people and contact anyone who has been in contact with an Ebola patient.

Cases have been increasing in recent weeks and the WHO says the risk of the virus spreading to neighbouring countries is “very high”.

It says the risk of the virus spreading globally is low.

What is Ebola?

  • Ebola is a virus that initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat.
  • It progresses to vomiting, diarrhoea and both internal and external bleeding.
  • People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.
  • Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure.

Most Ebola outbreaks are over quickly and affect small numbers of people.

Only once before has there been an outbreak that was still expanding – and with such a high number of cases – more than eight months after it began.

That was the epidemic in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 which killed 11,310 people.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome charity, said: “The teams in DRC need all our support and resources, including finance, healthcare workers, enhanced security and infrastructure, as well as more international political support.

“This epidemic is at a very dangerous phase in an incredibly difficult environment, and we urgently need the response to evolve to help stop Ebola spreading and save lives.”

Unlike the West Africa outbreak, a vaccine has been available which is being used to protect people at risk – including doctors and people who come into contact with an Ebola patient.

However, there have still been 85 cases and 30 deaths among healthcare workers, which further reduces the ability to deal with the outbreak.

There is also a trial of experimental drugs taking place in Ebola centres in the country.

A “public health emergency of international concern” was declared for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the Zika virus outbreak in 2016.

Dr Rebecca Katz, the director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, said the decision not to declare an emergency was disappointing.

She said: “This is a deeply concerning event, due to the pathogen itself, the total number of cases, the increase in cases just this week, and the difficulty of co-ordinating the response due to conflict – that needs to receive the appropriate level of attention.”

BBC

Assange arrested in London after Ecuador pulls asylum

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s nearly seven-year hideout in Ecuador’s London embassy abruptly ended Thursday when police entered the building and arrested him ahead of possible extradition to the United States.

Footage shot by the Russian video news agency Ruptly showed a frantic-looking Assange — his worn face framed by a large white beard and shock of grey hair — being huddled out of the building by plain-clothes security officers and pulled into a waiting police van.

A Ruptly reporter who shot the scene and requested anonymity told AFP that Assange shouted “UK must resist” as he was being dragged into the van.

Assange has been living at the embassy in London’s plush Knightsbridge district since 2012 when he sought refuge there after being accused of sexual assault in Sweden — allegations that have since been dropped.

Police took Assange from the Ecuador embassy saying his asylum had been revoked

A British police statement said Assange was then “further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53 hrs after his arrival at a central London police station.

“This is an extradition warrant under Section 73 of the Extradition Act.”

WikiLeaks accused Ecuador of breaching international law by withdrawing his asylum.

“Ecuador has illegally terminated Assange political asylum in violation of international law,” the whistleblowing website said on Twitter.

– US extradition risk –

Assange is wanted by Britain for violating prior bail conditions — a minor charge that WikiLeaks fears will be used as a pretext for extraditing him to the United States. There he potentially faces a far more serious case linked to the publication of classified US defence material.

Britain’s Europe and Americas minister Alan Duncan said London was “very grateful to the government of Ecuador under president (Lenin) Moreno for the action they have taken”.

Moreno himself said that he had “asked Great Britain for the guarantee that Mr Assange will not be extradited to any country in which he could suffer torture or face the death penalty”.

Julian Assange

“The British government has confirmed this in writing,” he said in a video message.

The United States applies the death penalty in both federal and state courts. Treason charges are punishable by death in times of war — but Washington has refused to confirm reports that it had indicted Assange on unspecified charges.

Ecuador’s former leader Rafael Correa called Moreno “the greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history”, who has committed “a crime that humanity will never forget”.

– ‘Dark moment for freedom’ –

Assange’s case has opened up explosive debate about security and free speech.

His supporters view him as a crusader who fearlessly exposes injustices such as torture and alleged war crimes committed by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 47-year-old Australian’s critics accuse him of cosying up to authoritarian leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and putting Americans’ lives at risk.

Fugitive former US government contractor Edward Snowden — himself wanted for leaking details of secret US surveillance programmes — called Assange’s arrest a “dark moment for press freedom”.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Britain of “strangling freedom”.

Assange’s mother Christine tweeted that she had been advised that her son faces up to 12 months in a British prison.

Assange was expected to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday

“Our focus is as always to STOP a U.S. Extradition!” she wrote.

Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson also raised the possibility of her client being sent to face US justice.

“Just confirmed: #Assange has been arrested not just for breach of bail conditions but also in relation to a US extradition request,” Robinson tweeted.

Assange is due to appear in a London court later Thursday and Australia has requested consular access.

– ‘Truman Show’ –

WikiLeaks on Wednesday had claimed that it was being blackmailed by “dubious characters” who had obtained security camera footage of Assange inside the embassy.

WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson accused Ecuador authorities of gathering the images as well as copies of private documents prepared for Assange by his lawyers.

Hrafnsson said these had then found their way into the hands of a group in Spain that was demanding $3 million (2.7 million euros) not to publish them.

The documents include thousands of photographs and gigabytes of video footage showing Assange meeting with lawyers and visitors and of him receiving a medical check-up.

“Since (President Lenin) Moreno took power in Ecuador (in 2017), Julian Assange has been living in a Truman Show type (surveillance) situation,” Hrafnsson said

 

Source : AFP

Beating Barcelona tougher than PSG, admits Solskjaer

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Manchester United face an even tougher task to turn around the 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their quarter-final with Barcelona than their miraculous comeback away to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted on Wednesday.

United became the first side to ever overcome a 2-0 first leg defeat at home to reach the last eight with a 3-1 win in Paris last month.

But Solskjaer, who scored the winner when United won the Champions League at the Camp Nou in 1999, believes Barca’s prestigious European history makes beating the Spanish champions a different prospect to PSG.

“Of course the PSG performance away gives us hope and belief we can do it, but we know we are playing against probably the favourites for the tournament,” said Solskjaer.

“It will be a greater achievement winning that one with the history of Barcelona. They are not used to losing at home.”

Luke Shaw’s early own goal was all that separated the sides on the scoresheet, but Barca comfortably edged towards a first Champions League semi-final in four years as United failed to register a single shot on target.

“It leaves a good taste in the mouth to win here, but we know it is not a big enough lead given what happened (with United) in the last round,” said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

Much has been made of Luis Suarez’s Champions League goal drought on the road and while the Uruguayan has still not officially netted an away goal in the competition since September 2015, he had a huge hand in Barca’s winner.

Lionel Messi drifted in behind the United defence and his cross hung up to the back post was headed goalwards by Suarez, the ball flicking off Shaw on its way past David de Gea.

An errant offside flag briefly threatened to spoil Suarez’s delight. However, the goal was quickly given on a VAR review and the former Liverpool striker took extra glee at having the last laugh with a fist pump in front of the Stretford End.

“The value of the goal doesn’t change if another player gets the last touch or not,” added Valverde.

The early goal should have settled the Catalans into their stride as their dominance of possession touched close to 90 percent in the opening stages.

Yet they offered United plenty of encouragement with Sergio Busquets in particular off the pace.

“It is very difficult over the course of a season to always be at the highest level,” said Valverde.

“To win away from home in the Champions League you have to suffer.”

– Messi roughed up –

United defender Chris Smalling had said “bring it on” at the prospect of facing Messi on the eve of the game.

And he left the Argentine bloodied from the nose as he careered into an aerial challenge on the half-hour mark.

Messi was quickly back on his feet and into the heart of the action, but it was Philippe Coutinho who came closest to extending Barca’s advantage before the break with a thunderous low shot that De Gea did brilliantly to repel with his feet.

Moments later United could easily have been on level terms, but the hosts’ best chance of the half fell to the wrong man as Marcus Rashford picked out Diogo Dalot only for the Portuguese to completely miscue his header across goal.

However Rashford also failed to make proper contact with his big chance early in the second-half when Ter Stegen could only punch a cross into his path.

The Red Devils have now failed to score and have lost in four of their last six home Champions League games.

“Those statistics are not bright, we cannot defend not scoring goals at home,” added Solskjaer.

“But away from home we beat Juventus, we beat PSG and we have to go to Barcelona and win that one.”

The result could have been worse for Solskjaer’s men as Suarez fired into the side-netting before De Gea used his feet to good effect once more to deny Jordi Alba.

 

Source : AFP

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