Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, is certain that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, would select the best candidate to join him in the December elections.
Dr. Acheampong claims that Dr. Bawumia would choose the finest candidate to serve as his running mate.
Addressing reporters amid rumours that he may be Dr. Bawumia’s running mate, the Abetifi MP stated that the NPP flagbearer will choose a good candidate in the best interests of the party.
“The only leading candidate that we know is in the mind of Dr. Bawumia. I am serving now but I was doing very well in business, if you know me. But I am serving now, so I am not a leading candidate for Dr. Bawumia.
“Everything is in his head. He will choose, he will make the best decision for the party, and the party will rally behind that candidate.”
The 2nd Edition of the annual May Day Corporate Walk will be held on Wednesday, May 1, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The annual Corporate Walk is a collaboration between Medivents Consult – Media, Public Relations, Marketing, Events Planning and Management outfit and Ghana Digital Centers.
It is part of activities marking the annual May Day celebration- a day reserved for workers.
A statement from Medivents Consult said the walk would commence at the Accra Sports Stadium, through the Ministries, AMA Head Office, Cathedral Square to Osu Castle Road and end at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Over 500 [participants drawn from different corporate bodies are expected to participate in the 5-kilometer race.
Mr. Micheal Attitsogbui – Events Coordinator said they were seeking to improve upon the maiden edition of the walk by increasing the umber of participants and ensuring that patrons have adequate fun.
He said plans were in place to give participants adequate safety during the 5-kilometer walk.
He urged corporate bodies, and individuals to join the walk to keep fit and also
network.
The May Day Corporate Walk was an initiative of Medivents Consult and supported Ghana Digital Centers.
Professor Titus K. Beyuo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Lambussie Constituency, has presented vehicle tyres, two brand new batteries and a new water pumping generator to the district ambulance and fire tender at a total cost of GH¢ 20,500.00.
The Lambussie District Ambulance Service received brand new tyres while the District Fire Service also received a fire tender and a brand new generator for water pumping.
The presentation became necessary following a request to the candidate by the two emergency service providers for support.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mr David Boon, the NDC’s Lambussie Constituency Organizer, during the donation, Prof. Beyuo said it was unacceptable for an ambulance to be grounded for an extended period, jeopardising the lives of those in need of urgent medical attention.
According to him, the provision of the new tyres was a significant step towards restoring emergency services to full operational capacity.
The NDC PC called on the two agencies in the district to make judicious use of the resources to ensure that the machines were equipped to respond promptly to any future emergencies that might arise in the district.
He reiterated his unflinching commitment to supporting the development agenda of the constituency.
“I hold on to my agenda of moving my people to another level in terms of development and so I will continue to make my interventions. Let us stand united in our commitment to safeguarding our constituency and providing the support and assistance needed in times of crisis.
Together, we can strengthen our resilience and ensure the safety and well-being of all our constituents,” said Prof. Beyuo.
For more than three months, the only ambulance and the fire tender in the Lambussie District had been grounded while the ambulance had its tyres worn out, the battery for the fire tender had been damaged.
The impact of the grounded fire tender was felt when a devastating fire swept through a compound house in Suke, a community in the Lambussie district, affecting 14 rooms and leaving many families in a state of distress.
The victims sought assistance from Nandom in the Nandom Municipality, but due to the distance by the time the fire tender arrived at the disaster scene the harm had been caused.
Also, as a result of the grounded ambulance, a recent road traffic accident on the Lambussie-Piina road, resulted in the loss of two lives as the accident victims couldn’t be taken to the hospital on time for attention.
The Paramount chief of the Lambussie Traditional Area, Kuoro Issaka Tengie II, received the items and subsequently handed them over to the respective district officers.
Receiving the items, the District Fire Officer, Mr Alhassan Braimah, Head of Ambulance Service in the Lambussie District, expressed profound gratitude to Prof. Beyuo for the swift intervention and asked for God’s blessings for him in his endeavours.
The District Manager of the National Ambulance Service also expressed delight in the timely and critical intervention, stressing that Prof. Beyuo had demonstrated that he appreciated the importance of emergency services in the district.
A respected medical doctor, a scholar, a community leader and the immediate past General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Prof. Beyuo has shown commitment to the development of the constituents in various areas.
Over the past eight years, he has been providing assistance to constituents through various initiatives including healthcare support, education programmes, and youth empowerment among others.
Volta Region has witnessed a total of 127 traffic crashes from January to March 2024, compared to 92 during the same period in 2023.
Madam Joana Fafa Ayer, the Volta Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority who revealed this to the Ghana News Agency, said this indicated a 38 per cent rise.
She stated that a total of 20 deaths were reported during the period under review, as against 23 deaths reported during the same period in 2023, representing a decrease of 13 per cent.
The Director stated that 206 vehicles were involved in the crashes, compared to 137 during the same period in 2023, indicating a 50.4 percent increase.
She said the number of persons injured in the collisions during the period rose from 86 in 2023 to 93 in 2024, an increase of 8.1 per cent.
Meanwhile pedestrians knocking reduced by 32 per cent from 25 in 2023, to 17 in 2024.
Madam Ayer said road safety was a shared responsibility, and as such, the public should assist the Authority in maintaining sanity on the road.
She said they would keep raising awareness of the need for drivers and other road users to follow traffic safety procedures and heed traffic signs to prevent accidents.
The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly is in the process of preparing a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) master plan to improve the environmental needs of the citizens.
As part of the process, the Assembly, in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has organized an inception meeting to update stakeholders on the objectives and processes for the plan’s preparation.
The forum was also used to share information on planned activities, budget, and performance of the assembly to stakeholders present.
Addressing the stakeholders in Akoon, the Director General, NDPC, Mr Kodjo Essien Mensah Abrampa explained that NDPC was mandated to make provisions for coordinated problems of economic and social development policies.
He said the NDPC was using the WASH plan to support ten districts within Ghana to have access to safe water, good sanitation, and a better hygiene environment, stressing that Tarkwa Nsuaem municipality was included to benefit from it.
Explaining more on the programme, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Tarkwa Nsuaem Assembly, Mr Benjamin Kessie said WASH master plan served as a blueprint, guiding the development and implementation of initiatives that could transform communities by improving their water and sanitation infrastructure, promote hygiene education and foster sustainable practices.
He said it involved a comprehensive approach that encompasses the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of water, sanitation, and hygiene management
“As an assembly we have done much better in the area of water and sanitation however, we have not been able to do relatively well as citizens in the area of proper hygiene practices.”
This, he said, underscored the urgent need for strategic planning and coordinated action to address the challenges effectively and consolidate the gains chalked in the provision of access to potable drinking water and sanitation.
In developing a WASH master plan, the MCE said they had assessed the existing water and sanitation infrastructure, identified areas that lacked access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities, and the prevailing hygiene practices in their communities.
“This assessment serves as the foundation upon which the WASH master plan is to be built. Once we understand the current situation, we then outline and produce the goals of this plan.
Our vision which is subject to your review and approval will be to ensure that every individual in the municipality has access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation facilities and the knowledge and resources to practice good hygiene” Mr Kessie noted
Additionally, he said they have prioritized the integration of water, sanitation and hygiene efforts across all sectors by coordinating with relevant departments such as health, education and the planning unit to ensure that their initiatives aligned and complement each other, added that “by adopting a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, we can maximise the impact of these interventions and create lasting change”.
The MCE Indicated that although climate change and environmental degradation posed significant threats to water resources and sanitation infrastructure, the WASH master plan has strategies to mitigate these risks, such as promoting water conservation, exploring eco-friendly sanitation solutions, and raising awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will commission the first phase of the reconstruction of the Appiatse community in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region on Thursday May 2, 2024.
The project which started two years ago consists of 124 housing units ranging from two to seven-bedroom houses, kindergarten, six – unit classroom block with sanitation facilities and the construction of roads within the community.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr Isaac Dasmani, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said each of the houses would have access to electricity and potable drinking water.
He reiterated that the Vice President would come and symbolically hand over the keys and then time would be taken to allocate each of them before the beneficiaries finally move in.
He said “the explosion affected about 124 thatched houses, and we have taken care of that. The second phase of the project includes those who had the roof of their buildings affected. Government has given each of the victim’s money to do their repairs”
Due to the new expansion, a third phase of the project has emerged because about 68 people got affected when the contractors graded the area to make way for the project.
Work on the third phase would soon commence as the contract is being awarded”
Dr Dasmani said to ease pressure on the assembly, after the commissioning some of the victims would be moved from their temporary accommodation back to the community, and then the 68 victims would be taken to the camp as they await the completion of their buildings.
He expressed his profound appreciation to the government and all stakeholders for the massive support given to the residents of Appiatse since they recorded the unfortunate incident.
So far sixteen people have died from the accident, with twelve others having metals lodged in their bodies, but medical professionals have explained that they would eventually recover, said the MCE
The Appiatse community was razed down on Thursday January 20, 2022, when a truck carrying explosives to a mining site exploded in the community.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, after conducting investigations into the matter, imposed a fine of six million United States dollars on Maxim Ghana Limited, the company responsible for the transportation of the explosives.
The government also pledged to reconstruct the Appiatse community into a modern, green, and sustainable community as a model for rural development.
An Appiatse support fund was therefore established to, among others, support the reconstruction of the community, while temporary accommodation was provided for the victims who were affected by the accident.
The Akatsi South Municipal Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) would hold a simulation exercise to mark this Year’s ‘International Fire Fighters Day.’
The exercise, slated for Thursday, May 2, would see other fire-related educational events within the entire week.
Divisional Officer Grade lll, Mr Saviour Coffie, the Akatsi South Municipal Fire Commander made the disclosure to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) ahead of this year’s commemoration.
D O III Coffie further revealed that the event, to be held at Akatsi 4-Junction, would be opened to everyone to experience how they handle cases relating to emergencies.
“There will be rescue displays including the use of Breathing Apparatus (BA), how to handle cases involving bulk distributor tanks, and others.”
International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is observed on May 4, to honour firefighters for their service internationally, remember firefighters who lost their lives during service, and commemorate firefighters killed in the September 11 attacks.
The Day was established after a proposal by an Australian firefighter, JJ Edmondson, was made on January 4, 1999, following the deaths of five firefighters fighting a bushfire in Australia on 2 December 1998.
The simulation exercises were conducted to evaluate an organisation’s ability to execute one or more portions of its response.
Many successful responses to emergencies are attributed to previous simulation exercises.
Mr Maxwell Lugudor, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South Municipality in the Volta region, has commissioned an ultra-modern state-of-art toilet facility and bathhouse at Aflao border VIP station.
The facilities were aimed at addressing the sanitation challenges within the Municipality and to provide a hygienic environment for users.
Mr Lugodor, in an address during the commissioning ceremony at Aflao, indicated that the facility, which contained 20-seater ultra-modern toilets, would mark a significant step to improving and promoting sanitation infrastructure in the region.
“Our government is committed to enhancing a better sanitation environment in Ketu South and these facilities are the testament of steps to ensure the target is achieved.”
Mr Lugudor further added that the facilities were equipped with modern amenities and materials to give proper and better solutions to hygiene and sanitation challenges in the area.
He said with the bid to address sanitation and health challenges in the area, the Ketu South Municipal Assembly would initiate several plans to provide adequate solutions to the reigning environmental health challenges.
This, he said, the Municipal Assembly had taken some significant steps to tackle the challenges to promote public health in the area to improve better living conditions.
Mr Lugudor also stated that “the commissioning of the facilities has come at a crucial and right time to solve the concerns of hygiene and sanitation challenges that have heightened in the area.”
He urged the public to always protect the environment and practice proper personal hygiene to drive communicable and other diseases away to save lives.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by some Chiefs and elders of Aflao, Heads of Institutions, and several others.
Meta (META.O), which opened a new tab on Tuesday, defended its risk mitigation procedure after the European Commission began an inquiry into Facebook and Instagram for failing to combat misleading advertising and misinformation ahead of the European Parliament elections.
“We have a well-defined approach for detecting and managing risks on our platforms. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the European Commission and providing them with further information on this effort,” a Meta representative said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during an event titled "Microsoft Build: AI Day" in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia — the single largest investment in Microsoft's 29-year history in the country — Nadella said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Mass Image Compressor Compressed this image. https://sourceforge.net/projects/icompress/ with Quality:80
Microsoft (MSFT.O) will invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in Indonesia to grow cloud services and artificial intelligence, including data centres, according to visiting CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday.
Jakarta is Nadella’s first stop on a journey to Southeast Asian countries to promote the US company’s generative AI technology. He will travel to Malaysia and Thailand later this week.
Microsoft’s investment will “bring the latest and greatest AI infrastructure to Indonesia,” Nadella said.
“We’re going to lead this wave in terms of AI infrastructure that’s needed,” he added.
Nadella met outgoing President Joko Widodo and his cabinet ministers earlier on Tuesday to discuss joint AI research and talent development, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told reporters.
Widodo suggested Microsoft base its data centres on the resort island of Bali or in the new capital city Nusantara, which is still under construction in the jungle of Borneo, the minister said.
Microsoft will train 2.5 million people in Southeast Asia in AI use by 2025, Nadella said, including 840,000 in Indonesia.
Microsoft is trying to expand its support for the development of AI globally, including with a $2.9 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure in Japan and a $1.5 billion investment in UAE-based AI firm G42.
Nadella’s Jakarta visit comes two weeks after Apple Inc (AAPL.O), opens new tab CEO Tim Cook met Widodo and said he would look into building a manufacturing facility in Indonesia.
Indonesia has a huge, tech-savvy population, making the Southeast Asian nation a key target market for tech-related investment.
Last week, Microsoft beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter revenue and profit, driven by gains from adoption of artificial intelligence across its cloud services.
