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Let’s create a campus free from harassment – UENR VC.

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Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice Chancellor of the University for Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), has called on the institution to work towards creating a campus free from sexual harassment.

He said sexual harassment was a widespread issue with serious consequences, including creating a hostile work and learning environment, lowering morale, and exposing the university to legal and financial risks.

The Vice Chancellor said sexual harassment violated human dignity and caused significant harm to victims.

Professor Asare-Bediako made the call during a launch and awareness creation on sexual harassment and the development of anti-harassment initiatives at the University.

The workshop, organised by UENR with support from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, aimed at educating staff and students on how to recognize and respond to harassment effectively by becoming proactive bystanders and advocates of a harassment-free environment at the campus.

Prof. Asare-Bediako explained that many people at the university may not understand what constituted harassment or how to address it, saying lack of awareness allowed unacceptable behavior to persist unchecked.

He emphasised the importance of confronting harassment through a collaborative effort to create a campus where everyone felt safe, respected and empowered to succeed.

Addressing the issue of harassment, Prof. TheresahPatrineEnnin, Associate Professor in the Department of English and former Coordinator at the Centre for Gender Advocacy and Documentation at the University of Cape Coast, stressed the need for the university implementing an anti-harassment policy.

She suggested establishing a harassment committee to oversee the policy’s enforcement and a counseling unit to support individuals affected by harassment.

Additionally, she highlighted the need to equip the University’s health facility to address harassment issues effectively and to provide training for the campus police to handle and respond to incidents of harassment.

Prof. Yaw Ofosu-Kusi, Department of Entrepreneurship and Business Sciences at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, UENR, mentioned a study published in 2023 by Athanasiades and others where 2,134 students, predominantly females, were examined through self-reported online questionnaires.

He said, the research revealed most common forms of harassment experienced by the women included offensive comments, jokes, stories, inappropriate remarks about one’s body and appearance, as well as lewd staring, gestures, and exposure of body parts causing embarrassment.

Dr. Mrs. Abena O. Adjapong, a Lecturer and Project Lead at UENR said the initiative served as a reminder for all to remain vigilant, support those who speak out and confront behaviors and attitudes that contributed to harassment.

She said merely raising awareness was insufficient, however individuals must commit actions to address the issue.

Ghana on brink of revitalising SME ecosystem, – President Akufo-Addo.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched a landmark small-scale and medium enterprise (SME) agenda to boost Ghana’s economic growth and job creation. 

Dubbed, SME Growth and Opportunity Programme, the GHS8.2 billion project provides the platform for sustainable capacity-building, technical support, access to finance and developing innovative ideas to strengthen the private sector. 

“I believe that with this Programme, we can lay the foundation for a stronger economy underpinned by strong Ghanaian enterprises, creating jobs and delivering opportunity for our people,” the President said at the launch of the Programme, in Accra on Tuesday. 

It is expected that the project will contribute to building a future economy shaped by enterprise and innovation, where the people could witness their ideas becoming a reality. 

“That is the scale of our ambitions,” the President noted. 

SMEs in Ghana account for some 92 per cent of existing companies, 85 per cent of manufacturing jobs and 70 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI). 

In line with the vision to foster the country’s economic viability anchored on the SMEs being competitive, innovative and expanding into the broader African market, the Government is envisaging to break all barriers inhibiting the growth of the private sector. 

President Akufo-Addo emphasised the critical role SMEs played in Ghana’s economy, saying the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ghanaian had always been the driving force behind Ghana’s economic transformation. 

“Our SMEs are the backbone of our economy, and it is imperative that we support them to overcome the barriers they face,” he said. 

The President stated that the Programme, being supervised by the MoTI and Ministry of Finance, was in sync with the policy measures to address structural weaknesses as pertained to the growth of the private sector. 

He said the Ghana Enterprises Agency and African Development Bank would support the beneficiaries with targeted training encompassing financial management, regulatory compliance, digitalisation in business, as well as business development. 

An online application portal has also been developed to ensure the screening process is fair, transparent, and prioritises SMEs that demonstrate robust growth prospects. 

Additionally, the EXIM Bank officials will be on hand to offer support with packaging and branding to aid the Programme beneficiaries in meeting relevant standards for their products to be ready for export. 

President Akufo-Addo hinted that the Bank would be providing some GHS700 million to offer SMEs with highly subsidised financial support for both capital and operating expenditures. 

“A dedicated window for the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative is also set up to ensure optimal synergies with structural projects,” he noted. 

Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister of Trade and Industry, stated that the government recognises the critical role that SMEs play in the progress of the economy and is committed to empowering and growing their operations. 

Mining company in Talensi raises concern over illegal miners.

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Earl International Group Gold Ghana Limited, a mining company in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, has expressed worry over interferences of illegal miners in its operational areas. 

“We are deeply concerned about the high level of risk and recklessness these illegal miners are undertaking and the disruptions they cause to our operations,” the Company said in a statement on Tuesday. 

The statement, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said some illegal miners attacked and injured five security guards of the company who were called to intervene in an attack on staff on duty underground. 

“While on night duties at approximately 2100 hours on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Shaft Two Level Three underground, our staff spotted illegal miners numbering over 30 who had invaded the mine area to pilfer blasted ore and mine our stopes,” it said. 

“The situation required the intervention of our security guards, who were called upon to flush out the illegal miners and effect some arrests.” 

“The illegal miners, apparently armed with harmful weapons, attacked an expatriate and the security guards deployed underground, inflicting varying degrees of injury on five guards.”  

Three of the illegal miners were arrested, the statement said, adding that the latest incident reflected the daily challenge the company faced in its operations. 

“The unauthorized entry of these individuals into our underground area through illegal pits they construct within our concession is a persistent concern,” it added. 

The statement said the illegal miners had become more brazen and descended into the company’s underground area immediately after blasts or hid in crosscuts or stopes before blasts to pilfer ore. 

“On the night of Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the diligence of our blast man at the same Shaft two averted a potential disaster when approximately 50 people were found hiding underground, just before a blast was scheduled to occur.”  

The company said it would continue to engage stakeholders and regulators to mitigate the “troubling situation.” 

UCC Pro Vice Chancellor proposes two-stage entrepreneurship model for secondary, tertiary schools .

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Professor Rosemond AboagyewaBoohene, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), has proposed a two-stage integrated model for secondary and tertiary education institutions to promote entrepreneurship and small enterprises in Ghana.  

The model is intended to instil discipline, shape mindsets, hone skills, stimulate innovation and build a culture of entrepreneurship among the youth to boost the economy and reduce unemployment.  

Prof Boohene, a Professor of Enterprise Development, was delivering her inaugural lecture on the theme: “Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Practice: Tracking the Pathways.” 

Her lecture connected theory, research and practice supported by practical examples, making a strong case for the need to deliberately support the growth of young enterprises.  

“With the two-stage model, by the time they get to the tertiary institutions, which is the second stage, they have developed business ideas and might have done pitching or presentation,” she said.  

At the secondary level, Prof Boohene proposed “military training,” which will teach students patriotism, ethics, discipline, personal development and leadership.  

The stage will also take students through agriculture training, digital literacy focusing largely on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and entrepreneurship training after which they will receive feasibility study and startup support.  

The second stage of the model will institute a system for savings and crowd funding in tertiary schools to ensure students are provided with startup capital when leaving school.  

They will also be equipped with further entrepreneurial skills and support services.  

Prof Boohene argued that it was imperative to start the entrepreneurship orientation from the senior high and technical schools to build a deeper and stronger foundation before they proceeded to the tertiary level.  

“In the second stage, they are contributing something and saving money to be able to implement their entrepreneurial ventures.”  

“We don’t want them to only wait for people to bring them money; we want them to start something so that the Government or the universities can also support them to start and scale up their business.”   

Fertilizer dealers in Tumuappeal to truck drivers to transport goods from Tema.

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Fertilizer input dealers in the Sissala EastDistrict of the Upper West Region have expressed concern about difficulties in getting articulator trucks toconveying their input from Tema to Tumu and other food-producing areas.

The dealers told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday that it was becoming impossible to convey inputs ordered from Tema to Tumu, Gwollu and other destinations nowadays because of the deplorable nature of the Sissala enclave roads.

Mr Sule Issifu, owner of Season Plus, an input dealer, told the GNA that he paid for two articulator trucks to bring his goodsbut it was getting to two weeks without any sign of delivery.

“The challenge they tell me is that most of the trucks detest coming down here due to the bad nature of the roads. It’s affecting my sales as my customers are running away and others harassing me for their inputs,” he said.

Mr Sule indicated that the fertilizer application was time bound and once farmers paid up and did notget the goods it brought about conflict.

He said the sad aspect was that articulator owners would collect their monies but played the “delay tactics with us.”

Mr Abdulai Dakui of the Dakui Farms Enterprise expressed how frustrating it had been,saying he bought a truck load of fertilizer from Tema and it took four weeks before it got to Tumu.

“We hear most of the articulators prefer to load to Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger because they stand to make more money from the rise in CFA currency than the Ghana cedi,” he said.

“The painful aspect is that we pay GH¢30.00per bag of 50kg fertilizer from Tema to Tumu and this runs to GH¢30,000 for 1,000 bags, even that it takes weeks to get a truck loaded, something needs to be done.”

Mr Mutal Fuseini,who operates Paapa Enterprise at Pulima in the Sissala West District, said: “For the past 11 days the absence of trucks made me short of supplies. For those 11 days, I could have sold five articulator loads of fertilizer, but I am still hoping my transporter gets a truck,if not farmers hoping to apply fertilizer on their crops may be affected.”

Alhaji Mohammed Daab, the CEO of ModabEnterprise, complained that from the beginning of the year, a truckload of fertilizer from Tema to Tumu cost GH¢22.00 per bag but that it had beenincreased to GH¢ 30.00 and had further been increased to GH¢32.00 just two days ago.

He stressed the need for some of the input such as fertilizer to be brought closer to the northern part of Ghana in bulk for the dealers to pick them upfor farmers.

“Buying a good truck like an articulator costs about GH¢800,000.00 and that’s expensive for a lot of business people like me. Even when you talk to the banks, you don’t get the support….”

In Gwollu, Mr Abu Gommie, CEO of Abu Shaib Company Ltd, an input dealer, said: “I have paid for some quantity of truck of fertilizer in Tema, but there are no trucks to load and bring them to Gwollu and my farmers are getting angry with me.”

Mr Mahama Salifu, the Sissala East Municipal Directorof Agriculture,empathized with the dealers and expressed the hope that the Sissala enclave roads would be done to address the transportation problem.

Five questions for Secret Service after Trump shooting.

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Several major questions have emerged for the US Secret Service to answer in the aftermath of the shooting of Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.

The FBI has taken on the role of lead investigator into the incident, during which one person was killed and two others critically injured – while Trump was wounded in the ear.

As the US demands answers, the Secret Service director has been summoned to testify before a committee of the US House of Representatives on 22 July.

Here are some of the things that security experts are asking about.

It remains unclear how suspected gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks got access to a roof of a building near the rally that was little more than 130m (430 ft) from Trump.

The rooftop was a known vulnerability before the event, according to NBC News, which cited two sources familiar with Secret Service operations.

“Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof,” NBC quoted one of the sources as saying.

As well as the access question, it has been suggested that the line of sight from the rooftop to Trump’s podium area should have been blocked off.

This was “one of the most basic elements of site security, especially (for) a site that’s outside and largely uncontrolled”, according to formersenior law enforcement official. Andrew McCabe, speaking to CNN.

An eyewitness to the shooting told the BBC that he and others had “clearly” spotted Crooks crawling around on the roof with a rifle. They alerted police but the suspect continuing moving around for several minutes before getting shots off and then being shot dead himself, he said.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek admitted it had been “surprising” that the attacker had been able to open fire.

The county sheriff has confirmed that Crooks was spotted by a local police officer, who was unable to stop him in time. Something that remains unclear is whether this information reached the agents around Trump.

Crooks was already on officials’ radar, according to a senior law enforcement official. They anonymously told CNN that officers thought he was acting suspiciously near the event magnetometers. This information was allegedly relayed to the Secret Service.

The gunman fired his shots from what police have described as a “secondary ring”, which was patrolled not by the Secret Service but by local and state officers.

A former Secret Service agent said this sort of arrangement only worked when there was a clear plan on what to do when a danger was spotted.

“When you rely on the local law enforcement partners, you better have carefully planned and told them what you expect them to do about a threat,” Jonathan Wackrow told the Washington Post.

The county sheriff has admitted there had been “a failure” but said there was no single party to blame.

A former chair of the House Oversight Committee has suggested that the Secret Service was “spread too thin”, which compounded the issue that local police would not have been “trained up” to secure an event like Saturday’s rally.

Jason Chaffetz, who has previously reported on Secret Service failures, told the Washington Post there was no bigger “threat profile” than for Trump or President Biden, but that this was not reflected in the security presence in Pennsylvania.

The Secret Service has denied suggestions that a request from the Trump team to beef up the staffing had been rebuffed in advance of the rally.

But the Post reported that it had seen an exchange of messages in which a former Secret Service officer asked colleagues how the suspect had got a gun so close to Trump. He was reported to have received the reply: “Resources.”

The agents who shielded Trump have received praise, including from former agent Robert McDonald, who said they did a “fairly good job” despite there being no exact “playbook” on what to do in such a situation.

But the question has also been asked whether they were fast enough to whisk the former president away into a vehicle.

Footage of the incident shows them rapidly forming a shield around him in the immediate wake of the gunshots, but then appearing to pause as Trump asks to gather his shoes. The former president goes on to pump his fist for supporters.

A Secret Service veteran told the New York Times he would not have waited. “If that’s me there, no. We are going, and we are going now,” said Jeffrey James. “If it’s me, I’m buying him a new pair of shoes.”

Election 2024: We’ll shortly announce a date for a presidential debate—IEA

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According to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a debate including some of the political parties planning to run for office in 2024 must take place before the elections.

The IEA emphasises that such discussions are critical for voters to evaluate both presidential and vice-presidential candidates and make educated decisions.

This stance by the IEA comes amid an apparent dispute between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) about the necessity of hosting debates.

In an interview with Citi News, Professor Alexander Bilson Darku, a senior fellow at the IEA, said that discussions with several political parties had begun to schedule a debate before December 7.

“Let me make this very clear from the beginning. The need for debate is the right of the people. The people of Ghana ought to know what their presidential candidate, and for that matter, the party they represent, have in stock for them and so we are at a very early stage now talking to them [the political parties].

“We have our timetable and very soon it will be known to the public as to the programme that the IEA has outlined to make this all-important presidential debate come on. I don’t think we should go into the specifics, but I am telling you we will have it at a very good time that would be beneficial to the parties involved and the timing that would be beneficial for the nation.”

Professor Alexander Bilson Darku further mentioned that the participating parties and their candidates will be streamlined.

“We are using the Afrobarometer criteria. It has established a threshold, and we will use that threshold to invite the parties that meet the threshold to participate in the debate.

“This might be four or five parties, and their presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates will be invited to participate in the debate.”

Participate in the December polls, Akufo-Addo encourages SDA Church.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church to reconsider its decision not to participate in the elections owing to religious reasons.

The forthcoming general elections are set for December 7, 2024. However, this day coincides with the Sabbath of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, raising worries within the Adventist community concerning their involvement in the voting process.

During his acceptance address at Valley View University, where he received a Doctorate Degree, President Akufo-Addo urged the Church to reconsider its position.

“Today, as I stand before this distinguished assembly, I wish to address a matter of great importance to our nation – the upcoming general elections scheduled for 7th December 2024,” the President said.

He acknowledged the significance of the Sabbath for the Adventist community, recognizing it as a sacred day of rest and worship.

“The Sabbath, as a sacred day of rest and worship, holds profound significance for the Adventist community, and I deeply respect and honour this fact,” he added.

“Our democratic process, much like our religious practices, are fundamental pillars of our society,” he said, referencing the biblical teaching from Matthew 22:21, where Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” to underscore the importance of fulfilling duties to both God and the State.

This teaching, he noted, calls for harmonising spiritual convictions with civic responsibilities, recognising that the fulfilment of both is essential to the well-being of the community.

President Akufo-Addo urged the SDA Church to explore practical solutions that would enable members to exercise their right to vote without compromising their religious convictions.

“I appeal to the leadership of the Adventist Church to explore practical solutions that would enable members to exercise their right to vote without compromising their religious convictions,” he proposed.

Such measures, he argued, would respect both civic duty and religious observance, setting an example of thoughtful and inclusive leadership for the nation.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections on December 7th, reinforcing Ghana’s democratic credentials.

He assured the nation of his government’s unwavering dedication to upholding democratic principles and safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.

“I am determined to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections on 7th December, to reinforce Ghana’s democratic credentials, and solidify our status as a beacon of democracy.

SSNIT Board and Management have done enough to continue in office – Osafo-Maafo

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Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo, Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has defended the company’s board members and management, despite calls for their removal.

According to Osafo-Maafo, SSNIT’s board and administration have done enough to deserve their ongoing stay.

Responding to calls from Organised Labour and other stakeholders for the dissolution of SSNIT’s board following the cancellation of the proposed sale of a 60% stake in four SSNIT-owned hotels to Rock City Hotel, Mr. Osafo-Maafo stated that board members and management deserve to serve their terms.

He highlighted several projects and investments that the Trust has undertaken and executed since 2017 to support his defence.

“Let me make another point that is worth stressing and that is what the board and management of SSNIT have achieved since I have been there since 2017 and I can speak to the track record and changes that have been put in place.

“When we look at the operational improvements that have been brought in, the efficiency of the SSNIT’s operation has been much better. If you look at the legacy issues and the magnitude of what we inherited, we have resolved them positively.

“The contracts that SSNIT went in to do real estate as far back as 2016 involved an investment of $185 million and we are in the process of disposing of approximately 20 percent of those real estate assets and we are continuing to do that. In cost-saving measures, the saving alone that we made on the Westhills Ridge project is $30 million.”

“I can go through other real estate investments that began a few years ago and we have just completed the largest affordable housing project in the country in Kumasi.

“We have also put in a set of investments that will outlive me to put the Trust in the best position,” Mr. Osafo-Maafo told the host, Bernard Avle of the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, July 15.

Paul Amoah selected flagbearer for Team Ghana at Paris Olympics

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Joseph Paul Amoah will be Ghana’s captain and flagbearer at the upcoming Paris Olympics, which will take place from July 26–August 11, 2024.
Amoah, who is making his second successive appearance at the Olympics, would lead his countrymen who have qualified for the Paris Games.

Ghana will be presenting nine athletes at this year’s Olympics, including Fuseini Ibrahim (4×100), Isaac Botsio (4×100), Benjamin Azamati (4×100, 100m), Edwin Gadayi (4×100), and Abdul Rasheed Saminu (100, 200m).

Others include Joselle Mensah (swimming), Harry Stacey (swimming), and Rose Yeboah (high jump).

Some members of Team Ghana are currently in Strasbourg, France, preparing for the games, and would move to the Olympic Village in Paris on July 21, 2024.

Team Ghana would be hoping to improve on their last performance at the Olympics, where they won bronze in boxing.

Ghana has five medals from the Olympics (one silver and four bronze) and will be hoping to win its first medal in track and field.

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