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League title ambition still on course – Hearts coach

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ Samuel Boadu, Head Coach of Accra Hearts of Oak

Samuel Boadu, Head Coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, says their quest to win the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) remains on course despite their recent setback.

Hearts suffered a painful 2-0 at the hands of Dreams FC in a match-day 22 encounter played at the Theatre of Dreams in Dawu on Sunday.

The results saw Hearts slip into fourth on the league table on 34 points five points adrift off leaders Medeama who have amassed 39 points with 12 matches remaining.

Speaking at a post-match presser, Coach Boadu said Nuru Sulley’s red card early in the second half affected their game but was hopeful the team would recover in their next match.

“We have lost by 2-0, so have to go back and work on our tactics for the next game and win as well,’’ he said.

Coach Boadu when asked whether the defeat does ruin their chase for the league title answered, “We are still on course and nothing is too late”.

Hearts after getting a draw and losing a game in their recent two away matches will host struggling side King Faisal at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

European Union summons Russian ambassador in diplomatic spat

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ European Union

The European Union has summoned the Russian ambassador after Moscow barred eight European politicians from entering the country.

“We will convey to him strong condemnation and rejection of this decision,” European Commission foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels.
Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov would be received by senior EU officials in a meeting expected to take place later Monday, he said.

Russia last week banned the politicians in response to sanctions issued by the bloc, which Moscow deems “illegitimate unilateral sanctions.”

Among those banned from entering Russia are European Parliament President David Sassoli and European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova.

The EU and United States have taken a flurry of measures against Moscow recently, from the expulsion of diplomats and entry bans to economic sanctions.

Ties between the EU and Russia have become increasingly tense, with EU diplomats accusing Russia of serious human rights breaches and Russia, in turn, blaming the bloc of political interference.

Stano condemned Russia’s actions as “groundless,” as there was “no legal explanation for such a decision whatsoever.”

“This all shows that Russia is determined to continue the hostile track of confrontations,” Stano said. “The EU will be reacting to it.”

U.S. manufacturing growth unexpectedly slows in April

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/

Growth in U.S. manufacturing activity unexpectedly slowed in the month of April, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Monday.

The ISM said its manufacturing PMI slid to 60.7 in April after jumping to a more than 37-year high of 64.7 in March.

While a reading above 50 still indicates growth in manufacturing activity, economists had expected the index to inch up to 65.0.

“Worker absenteeism, short-term shutdowns due to part shortages, and difficulties in filling open positions continue to be issues that limit manufacturing-growth potential,” said Timothy R. Fiore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

The unexpected pullback by the headline index came as the production index tumbled to 62.5 in April from 68.1 in March and the new orders index fell to 64.3 from 68.0.

The employment index also slumped to 55.1 in April from 59.6 in March, indicating a slowdown in the pace of job growth in the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, the report showed the prices index jumped to 89.6 in April from 85.6 in March, reaching its highest level since July of 2008.

“Aluminium, copper, chemicals, all varieties of steel, plastics, transportation costs, wood and lumber products all continued to experience price increases as a result of product scarcity,” said Fiore.

On Wednesday, the ISM is scheduled to release a separate report on activity in the service sector in the month of April. The ISM’s services PMI is expected to inch up to 64.3 in April from 63.7 in March.

Sweden to donate 1 million doses of unused AstraZeneca vaccine to India

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ A health worker holds a vial of AstraZeneca's Coronavirus vaccine at the vaccination centre at Messe Dresden convention centre during a vaccination campaign. Photo: Robert Michael/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

The Swedish government is donating 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to poorer countries through the COVAX initiative, Development Minister Per Olsson Fridh said on Monday.

Fridh said that the vaccine from the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company is no longer needed in Sweden, reported the TT news agency.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to blood clots in very rare cases, which is why Sweden administers it only to people older than 65.

However, as the country is still expecting a large delivery of the vaccine that won’t be used, said Fridh, “it’s important we don’t sit on them and keep the doses when the whole world needs vaccines.”

The World Health Organization-backed COVAX programme is a global initiative aimed at providing equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines that many poorer countries rely on.

Denmark, which has completely stopped administering AstraZeneca jabs, has not yet decided what to do with its excess supply.

The Danish health minister is trying to trade the AstraZeneca doses for vaccines from another manufacturer. In April, the neighbouring German state of Schleswig-Holstein was “lent” 55,000 doses.

Denmark rejects Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ Baden-Wuerttemberg, Stuttgart: Ampoules containing the Corona vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson stand on a metal plate in a pharmacy at the Stuttgart Hospital. Photo: Bernd Weißbrod/dpa (Photo by Bernd Weissbrod/picture alliance via Getty Images) DPA/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Denmark has decided not to use the Covid-19 vaccine made by US firm Johnson & Johnson, its health authority said on Monday.

The reason for the decision is fears that the jab, also known as Janssen, could lead to blood clots in rare cases.

“As the Covid-19 epidemic in Denmark is currently under control, and the vaccination rollout is progressing satisfactorily with other available vaccines, the Danish Health Authority has decided to continue the national vaccination campaign without the Covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson,” a statement said.

The Danish Health Authority said it was following a European Medicines Agency (EMA) conclusion that there is a possible link to rare cases of blood clots.

For the same reason, Denmark had previously withdrawn the AstraZeneca vaccine from its programme.

Since only one dose of the Johnson & Johnson jab is needed, Denmark had ordered a particularly large quantity, according to the news agency Ritzau.

The director of the Danish health authority, Soren Brostrom, has pointed out that not using Johnson & Johnson could lead to healthy, young people between 20 and 40 having to wait a longer for their vaccination.

Authorities in the United States last month lifted a pause regarding the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine following a “thorough safety review” triggered by the reports of serious blot clots in a handful of instances.

Minister lobbies Korean Scholarship for Ghanaian Students

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Mr George Yaw Boakye, the Ahafo Regional Minister, has appealed to South Korea to provide scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students to study in that country.   

As a developed nation, he stressed Ghana had a lot to learn from South Korea in the areas of high technology, vocational and skill training to advance the process of development.   

Mr Boakye made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on Mr Lim Jung-Taek, the South Korean Ambassador to Ghana in Accra.   

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) explained the minister’s visit was part of efforts to sell the economic potentials of Ahafo and attract investment opportunities into the area. 

Accompanied by other key staff of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Boakye said Ahafo had huge economic prospects and expressed optimism that the Embassy would develop interest and woo South Korean investors into the Region. 

On his part, Mr Jung-Taek expressed appreciation to the Minister for the visit, which would go a long way to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ghana and South Korea for the benefit of the two countries. 

The Regional Minister also paid similar courtesy on Mr Oyama Hiromoto, the Japanese Deputy Ambassador to Ghana at the Embassy in Accra.   

Discussions were centred on economic and investment opportunities, Ghana-Japan cooperation as well as the growing trend of education, trade and health between the two countries.   

Mr Hiromoto highlighted on several scholarships, educational and health projects the Embassy had provided in the Ahafo Region for the past years, and thanked the Regional Minister for the visit, hoping it would help deepen the Embassy’s relationship with the people of Ahafo.   

Mr Boakye said the Region had signed several agreements with the Embassy, which had led to the construction of Community-based Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compounds in many deprived communities Ahafo. 

He said the Region still lacked educational and health infrastructure and appealed to the Embassy to come to their aid. 

Also present at the meeting were the First Secretary Head of Economic and Development Corporation, Mr. Shohei Sonoda and the Coordinator for Economic Cooperation at the Embassy, Mr Azuma Nozomi.

We are ready for the rains – Korle Klortey NADMO

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Mr Daniel Odei-Appiah, Korley Klottey Director, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), says the Organization has put measures in place to reduce the impact of floods ahead of the rainy season.

He said his outfit had embarked on education and sensitisation engagements with stakeholders and communities prone to flooding to save lives and property.

Mr Odei-Appiah, who was addressing a press conference on the Organization’s disaster preparedness, said his team had visited Odorna, Sahara, Osu-Doku, Osu-Alata and taking steps to protect them against flooding.

He said the dumping of refuse in drains had been a major cause of floods over the years and that a team had been assigned to ensure that all domestic drains were desilted.

Mr Odei-Appiah said the Odor River, a major channel for the passage of rain water into the Gulf of Guinea was being dredged by “Dredge Masters” and optimistic of an event free season.

He said plans were in place to remove all structures along water ways and that, that exercise would be preceded by a house to house sensitisation on safety during the rainy season and called for the support of all.

ECOWAS urged to invest in quality data production

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Commissioner of Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, ECOWAS

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, the Commissioner of Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, ECOWAS, has encouraged member states to invest in accurate and quality data production to facilitate rapid socioeconomic growth.

He said the development of new and non-traditional data sources, including big data, would improve the provision of official statistics to leverage advances in new technologies that would make data production easier and more cost-effective in the region.

Dr Apraku said this on Monday at a three-day ECOWAS Regional Statistical Coordination Meeting in Accra.

It was to discuss the implementation of the World Bank project on: “Harmonising and Improving Statistics in West Africa (HISWA),” and solicit the beneficiary countries’ commitment for the effective implementation of the project.

The meeting was also to validate the Regional Framework and User Guide for compilation of National Accounts for the region and the Regional Framework and User Guide for compilation of Government Financial Statistics.

The ECOWAS Commission and the African Union have received a grant of 379 million dollars from the World Bank to implement the Project.

Dr Apraku said, over the years, financial resources had been a major challenge for the production of requisite statistical data needed for the ECOWAS Integration Agenda.

He said the Commission had been involved in resource mobilisation from various development partners for the implementation of its Regional Statistical Programme at the national and regional levels for statistical development.

That, he explained, was to sustain the effective functioning of the regional and national statistical systems through adequate human, material and financial resources.

The project would support the national and ECOWAS regional statistical systems in the production of up-to-date, reliable and harmonised statistics covering the social and economic sectors, Dr Apraku said.    

Other areas participants would look at include issues on the implementation of the HISWA Project start-up activities and arrangement, key components and sub-component of the project and how ECOWAS Commission will coordinate the process.

They will also discuss the country-specific component and the regional component in terms of methodological guides, result monitoring framework, procurement and financial management procedures.

The meeting will articulate the Financial Management and Payment Mechanism, Budget Operation Manual, Result Framework and Grievance Reporting Mechanism of the project.

Dr Apraku expressed ECOWAS’ appreciation to the World Bank for supporting the project, and said the grant was a clear manifestation of the Bank and Africa’s commitment to the development of statistics in the Sub-region.

Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, the Government Statistician, said there was the need for benchmarking and rating of the operations of National Statistical Offices to engender high response of engagement and peer-learning.

He urged member countries to be guided by the discourse on data, being the new oil, with reference to the uniqueness of a digital economy as well as the capacity of data to determine the outcome of global, regional and in-country competition.

CSOs receive mental health/disability inclusion grants

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ Recipients of the grant include nine civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country

A Ghana participation programme, known as the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, has awarded evidence and effectiveness grants for mental health and disability inclusion to nine civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country.

This is to ensure that persons with disability, including mental health disabilities, are in the lead on approaches to improve their wellbeing, socio-economic outcomes, and rights.

A statement issued by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the grants, totalling almost GHS 7,000,000, were funded by the United Kingdom Government through UK Aid.

It is made up of four large grants receiving up to GHS 600,000 per year for nearly three years, and five small grants of up to GHS 200,000 each for 12 months.

The statement said awardees would provide support and empower persons with disability (PWDs), including mental health disabilities, to participate fully in their communities and have their voices heard and incorporated in policies and programmes that affected them directly.

It said the nine recipients were a selection of organisations of PWDs, self-help groups and other CSOs working in the disability and mental health space in Ghana.

The statement said the support was in line with Ghana’s call for better disability inclusion and greater investment in mental health.

It said the new grant was expected to support in removing the barriers, which prevented PWDs, including people with mental health conditions, from reaching their full potentials.

The Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is a four-year programme with a specific focus on mental health, run by an Options’ led consortium consisting of BasicNeeds-Ghana, Kings College, London, Sightsavers International and Tropical Health.

It focuses on four key areas, two of which are; promoting stronger policies and systems that respect the rights of people with disability, including people with mental health disabilities, and scaling up high quality and accessible mental health services.

The other two are reducing stigma and discrimination against PWDs, including mental health disabilities, and generating evidence to inform policy and practice on the effectiveness of disability and mental health programmes and interventions.

Thanksgiving, a highway to multiplication – Apostle Tsey

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Apostle Dr. Peter Etsey, in-charge of Assemblies of God Church, Salvation Congregation, Adaklu Kodzobi, at the weekend said thanksgiving was a highway to multiplication and glorification for Christians.   

He therefore advised Christians, especially to develop the culture of appreciation and thanksgiving in order to receive more blessings from God. 

Apostle Dr. Etsey gave the advice in a sermon he delivered on the theme, “benefits of thanksgiving” taken from Psalm 100 at Adaklu Kodzobi in the Adaklu District. 

He said the benefits of thanksgiving were many, saying it opened the doors of abundant grace and was also a tool of deliverance against the day of trouble. 

“Thanksgiving also connects us to the goodness and mercy of God,” Apostle Dr. Etsey said. 

He said “God cherishes thanksgiving offerings very much so it therefore behoves on us to always offer our thanksgiving to him”.     

He therefore called on Christians to honour God with thanksgiving adding that the identity Christians could carry to God is thanksgiving.

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