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NPP Manifesto: Bawumia Set To Engage the Media on August 25

By
Ivy Hollys
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Bawumia at NPP Manifesto launch 2024

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is scheduled to hold a media engagement on Sunday, August 25, 2024. 

This follows what has been hailed as the successful launch of the NPP’s manifesto in Takoradi on August 18, a document outlining the party’s vision and key priorities for the nation.

Before the launch of the NPP manifesto,  Mr. Miracles Dennis Aboagye, the Director of Communications for the Bawumia campaign had stated that the NDC and Mr. Mahama were poised to either replicate key aspects of the NPP’s policies or downplay their significance in the upcoming election campaign.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr. Aboagye noted, “All the NDC and John Mahama are seeking to do is wait until we launch our manifesto. Then, on Monday, they will go into a room and start—wherever we say one, they will say two; wherever we say three, they will say four; wherever we say five, they will say six. No genuineness, no ingenuity, no innovation, no creativity.”

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, also criticized the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, for their delay in presenting their manifesto to Ghanaians in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.

According to a statement from Miracles Dennis Aboagye after the launch of the NPP manifesto, the upcoming media engagement will further promote and elaborate on the NPP’s 2024 manifesto.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, New Patriotic Party flagbearer on Sunday, August 18, in Takoradi, Western Region, presented the party’s 2024 Manifesto, ahead of the December polls.

In attendance at the launch were party supporters, executives, MPs, parliamentary candidates, and Ministers of State. Dr. Bawumia, who has been leading the NPP’s campaign efforts, also said he views the manifesto as the foundation for a larger discussion on Ghana’s future trajectory. 

Media houses interested in attending the event are encouraged to send representatives and are required to submit their details via email to: itispossible@bawumia.com by the close of business on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

Amenfiman Rural Bank empowers women and youth-led businesses after GH₵1 billion deposit record

By
Adwoa Afranewaa
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The Amenfiman Rural Bank Plc has announced plans to provide substantial financial assistance to small and micro-scale enterprises.

The bank, which recently achieved a milestone total deposit of over GH₵1 billion, is gearing up to offer loan facilities of up to 400,000 cedis to over 2,500 businesses, particularly those led by women and youth.

Under the innovative “AMERB Donkomi Promo,” the rural bank aims to inject capital into grassroots businesses as part of its commitment to economic recovery and empowerment.

This initiative follows a remarkable 70.03% growth in deposits from June 2023 to June 2024, signaling the bank’s dedication to expanding its client base and supporting business operations.

Dr. Alexander Asmah, Chief Executive of Amenfiman Rural Bank, stated the institution’s focus on empowering the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector to drive national economic growth.

By offering flexible credit facilities with minimal collateral requirements and low-interest rates, the bank aims to bridge the funding gap for businesses, especially those owned by women and youth.

In collaboration with government programs such as the Ministry of Finance’s MSME growth initiative and the Innovate and Grow Fund, Amenfiman Rural Bank is committed to providing financial support to businesses in need.

By prioritizing the economic empowerment of women and youth, the bank seeks to foster peace and stability within households while promoting entrepreneurship and job creation.

Customers of the bank have already experienced the positive impact of financial support, with many reporting increased profits, business expansion, and job creation.

By extending services to unbanked and underbanked individuals, Amenfiman Rural Bank is poised to make a significant difference in the lives of entrepreneurs and communities across the country.

Bagre Dam Spillage: Farmlands In Kubore Submerged

By
Ivy Hollys
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bagre dam spillage

Farmlands along the Kubore River in the Upper East Region have been completely submerged after the spillage of the Bagre Dam, combined with heavy rainfall in the area. 

The annual release of water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso continues to cause widespread devastation in the northern parts of Ghana, particularly affecting the Upper East and North East regions.

Local farmer Akudoku Jeremiah, speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, expressed his frustration over the disaster, lamenting that months of hard work have been destroyed. 

“This Bagre Dam water spillage has come and spoilt all our farms. They don’t inform us early and right now the crops too, it is time for us to harvest them and the water has come and destroyed them,” he said. “They don’t inform us early, and now, just when it’s time to harvest, the water has come and destroyed everything.”

Jeremiah further highlighted the severe impact on local livelihoods. He said the spilling creates significant problems for them, especially with food. He further pleaded with the government to come to their aid. 

He said, “we are pleading with the government to come to our aid and help us. If not, we have nowhere to go.” The community is now urgently appealing for government assistance to recover from the devastation caused by the flooding.

Background

A statement from the White Volta Basin Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission, shared with the Ghana News Agency, warned that the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso had continued to rise, with the water level reaching 232.8 meters. The rising water levels were expected to cause the White Volta River in Ghana to overflow and flood its normal plains.

According to the statement, SONABEL, the Power Utility of Burkina Faso, had notified the Water Resources Commission on Friday, August 16th, 2024, that the water level in the Bagre Dam had been increasing since August 2nd, 2024.

The statement urged residents, particularly those living and working along the banks of the White Volta River, to take precautionary measures to minimize the impact of the impending spillage.

Man Killed By Off Duty Police Officer Over Transport Fare

By
Ivy Hollys
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police officer shooting

A tragic incident unfolded in the early hours of Sunday, August 18, 2024, when a 25-year-old man, identified as Stanley Ahadzi, was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer at Koans Estate near Kuntunse in Accra. 

The officer, General Constable Smith Gyekyi, allegedly shot Ahadzi following a dispute over a transport fare. The incident occurred when Constable Gyekyi, who works with the International Relations Directorate (IRD), was operating a commercial Matiz vehicle with registration number GW 6459-21. 

He had picked up a passenger, Esther Owusua, from Ablekuma Joma, who was headed to the Koans Estate area. Upon arrival, Owusua, unsure of the location, called Ahadzi for assistance.

When Ahadzi arrived at the estate gate, a disagreement reportedly broke out over the fare charged by Constable Gyekyi. The argument quickly escalated, resulting in the officer allegedly drawing his service pistol and shooting Ahadzi.

Ahadzi’s body was found covered in blood and was later transported to the Police Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

In the aftermath, Constable Gyekyi voluntarily surrendered to the police at Amasaman. He was detained, and his service weapon was confiscated for further investigation.

The Ghana Police Service, in a statement, has assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway, and the officer involved will face justice. 

The Regional Command, led by DCOP Mr. Arhin Kwesi Annor, has met with the bereaved family to commiserate with them while investigations and processes to prosecute the suspect continue.

Assin Nsuta SHS clash: Several Injured, Five Hospitalized After Students Clash

By
Ivy Hollys
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Several students of Assin Nsuta Agricultural Senior High School in the Central Region have sustained injuries, with five currently hospitalized, following a violent clash between Form Two and Form Three students.

According to the Assemblyman for Assin Nsuta-Bepokokoo Electoral Area, Bashiru Kwame Amakrah, the conflict began after a Form Three student was caught in a sexual encounter with a Form One student in an uncompleted building on campus.

Sources indicate that the Form Three student reacted by slapping the Form Two student who witnessed the incident.

Three days later, the Form Two students mobilized and launched an attack on the Form Three students, resulting in a free-for-all brawl.

The situation escalated, with students using clubs and knives against each other, until the police intervened to restore order on campus.

Mr. Amakrah, speaking to the media about the issue said, “I was informed about the incident and I quickly rushed to the school. I observed the entire campus was in a mess with properties damaged. I understand that two students were involved in a relationship.

“The relationship was between a form three student and a form one student. The form two student who saw the two almost in the act of having sexual intercourse approached them infuriating the form three student who slapped the form two student.”

“The Form Two later retaliated and it turned into a free-for-all fight where five students have been hospitalised while several other students sustained minor injuries.

“The Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration also sustained injuries. The headmaster took some students to the police station to seek a medical form to the hospital for treatment. It took the intervention of the Police to save the situation.”

Credit: Citinewsroom

CETAG Calls Off Strike: Colleges of Education To Return To Normalcy

By
Ivy Hollys
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CETAG strike

The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has called off its strike. This decision was announced in a statement released on Tuesday, August 20.

The association has given the government up to October to resolve all the issues raised, warning that if the government does not adhere to the agreed road map, the association will resume the strike at the end of October 2024.

The breakthrough agreement comes after weeks of intense negotiations amidst the strike, which started on June 14. The deal, which will be ratified by CETAG’s council within the week, paves the way for the end of the prolonged strike that has disrupted academic activities in all 46 colleges of education.

CETAG initiated the strike in response to the government’s failure to implement agreed-upon arbitral awards and improve conditions of service for its members.

In the statement, CETAG revealed that during an emergency virtual National Council meeting held on August 20, 2024, members unanimously agreed to call off the strike with immediate effect.

Calling Off The Strike

In calling off the strike, parts of the statement read:

1. The frozen July 2024 and August 2024 salaries shall be paid together at the end of August 2024.

2. That the offline migration of the staff shall be completed at the end of August 2024.

3. The offline migration data shall be sent to all 46 colleges of education for verification by individual staff before processing by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) in September 2024.

4. That, payment after migration will reflect in October 2024 salaries, and that the parties shall meet to agree on the payment plan for all arrears immediately.

5. That, the nomenclature to be used for migrating senior members of the teaching staff shall be assistant lecturer, lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, and professor in line with the affiliate universities’ scheme of service.

6. That, compensation for all-year-Round work done in 2022 shall be paid by the end of August 2024, and 7. That, all holders of researched master’s degrees shall be migrated as assistant lecturers,” it added.

The leadership of CETAG is demanding migration to university status, which the government has agreed to do.

According to the leadership of CETAG, they took the decision to call off the strike based on the commitment they received from the office of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

“We are pleased that the government has finally listened to our concerns and agreed to meet our demands.

“We believe this agreement marks a new beginning in our relationship with the government and paves the way for a more collaborative approach to addressing the challenges facing our sector.”

Following nearly two months of strike action, students and staff at Ghana’s colleges of education can now anticipate a return to normalcy.

Irrigation of a Hectare of Farmland Costs $40,000—GIDA

By
Ivy Hollys
-
Irrigation

The Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) has revealed that it currently costs approximately $40,000 to develop an irrigation scheme for a single hectare of farmland. 

Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle, acting CEO of GIDA, Ing. Richard Oppong-Boateng, revealed that it currently costs approximately $40,000 to develop an irrigation scheme for a single hectare of farmland. 

Farmers in the five northern regions are struggling with the impact of the ongoing drought, which has been worsened by over two months of no rainfall. Ing. Oppong-Boateng explained that the current land area that has been irrigated is woefully inadequate compared with the total of 1.9 hectares of irrigable land.

He further disclosed that GIDA is currently undertaking other initiatives in an attempt to increase Ghana’s irrigable land space.

“Per the decree, we are supposed to identify water resources in the country that are suitable for irrigation, and we have done close to 19,000 hectares of irrigable land. We have 1.9 million hectares, but if you add the private irrigation farms, now we have done about 220,000 hectares, which is a little over 12 percent of our potential of 1.9 million hectares.

“Since last year, there has been upscaling, and as I speak now, we are rehabilitating some irrigation schemes, and if you put all that we are doing this year together, we are doing close to 5,000 hectares.” He expressed optimism, saying, “If we keep up with this momentum, I am sure that we will be able to do about 700,000 hectares in the next 5 to 10 years.”

He further reiterated the significant cost involved, stating that it requires about $40,000 to irrigate one hectare of farmland.

Voter’s Exhibition Exercise Begins Today

By
Ivy Hollys
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voter

Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) has launched its nationwide voter exhibition exercise, starting today, August 20, and running until August 27. 

Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, explained during a press conference on Monday, August 19, that the exercise offers voters the opportunity to update the voter register. 

He said, registered voters can request the inclusion of omitted names, object to names in the register, and request the removal of deceased persons.

He urged registered voters to actively participate in the exercise to help the Commission create a credible voter register for the 2024 general elections. The exhibition also allows citizens to object to the names of minors and foreigners, as well as individuals who are not residents in the electoral areas where they registered.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that the nationwide voters exhibition exercise will start from August 20 to 27.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, the exercise is to help voters locate their respective polling stations.

This way, on December 7, he said it would be easier for individuals to go to their centre to cast their ballot, thereby making the process stress-free.

Speaking at a press briefing on August 19, registered voters can request the inclusion of omitted names, objection to names of voters in the register, removal of names of deceased voters from the register, replacement of poor quality or damaged voter ID cards from the register, correction to wrong spelling of names, and amendment to other registration details, among others.

“The exhibition exercise also provides an avenue for qualified citizens to object to the names of minors, and foreigners. By minors, we mean those who are not 18 years old.

In addition, qualified applicants can object to the names of persons who are not residents in the electoral areas where they registered.”

“The commission is again entreating all registered voters, especially those who registered in the 2024 limited registration exercise at the district offices of the commission and selected electoral areas, as well as during the mop-up exercise, to visit the exhibition centres to ascertain whether they were assigned to the correct polling stations or not,” he said.

The Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, also noted that police officers will be deployed to ensure that order prevails at the various voter exhibition centres.

“We urge the public to patronise the exercise. Go there if you are very concerned, and if there is any security concern, speak to our officers on the ground, and we will deal with it humanly in a way that will satisfy everybody.”

We Spent $3m for All Africa Games Coverage—Sports Minister Reveals

By
Ivy Hollys
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13th african games

Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has confirmed that the government has made a full payment of $3 million to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for coverage of the 2024 All African Games held in Accra.

The Minister disclosed this during a Public Accounts Committee meeting on Monday, August 19, 2024.

The confirmation came in response to a query from Samuel George, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, who sought clarity on the state of payments to GBC. “You had an arrangement with GBC to cover the All African Games. 

sam george on african games

Can you share with this committee how much that coverage was for and whether payment has been made?” George asked.

In response, Minister Ussif confirmed, “Yes, GBC was the official broadcaster for the 13th All African Games, and I can confirm that full payment has been made to GBC. The amount was in excess of $3 million.”

Samuel George highlighted the importance of the question, noting that many technicians who worked on the All African Games had yet to receive their payments.

He indicated that the Public Accounts Committee would address the matter with GBC during their next appearance before the committee to understand why the technicians had not been compensated despite the payment to the broadcaster.

GH¢61bn in Loans Given To State Agencies Not Recovered: Auditor General’s Report

By
Ivy Hollys
-
Loan

A recent Auditor General’s Report has revealed a significant issue in the government’s recovery of loans receivables, with an alarming GH¢61 billion still outstanding. 

This represents a staggering 99.93% of the total loan receivables for the year ending December 31, 2023.

The Auditor General’s review identified that, out of GH¢63,384,527,594 in outstanding loans, only GH¢43,450,428.00 representing, 0.07%—was recovered during the review period.

This poor recovery rate has been attributed to the absence of a debt collection strategy and a lack of follow-up actions by the Controller and Accountant-General (CAG) to ensure that these covered entities repay their debts.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Adjei, explained that a committee has been established to oversee the recovery of the debt.

The report further notes that these loans have remained in government books for extended periods without any clear recovery plan or policy in place.

The report further notes that these loans have remained on government books for extended periods, with no clear recovery plan or policy in place. The Auditor General warned that if the government fails to act, these debts could eventually be written off, depriving the nation of vital resources needed to fund its programs.

The report calls for urgent action to create and implement a comprehensive debt recovery strategy to address this pressing issue.

Bank Of Ghana: Loan

Background 

In March this year, banks in Ghana wrote off GH¢4.33 billion as bad debt for 2023. The bad debt was categorized under loan losses, depreciation, and other financial impairments. 

According to the Bank of Ghana, this sharp reduction in 2023 is attributed to banks reporting lower impairments on financial assets during the year.

This number, although high, reflected a significant 79.2% decrease compared to 2022.  In 2022, bad debt amounted to an estimated GH¢20.8 billion.

In 2021, the Finance Ministry was also unable to recover monies given out as loans to some public sector workers ¢11,005,582.

The Auditor-General uncovered this in its report on the country’s public accounts for ministries, departments, and agencies for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Per the report, the Auditor-General directed that the Ministry take steps to recover the said amounts.

Portions of the document read, “We recommended that the Chief Director of the Ministry should liaise with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to have the outstanding amounts deducted from the salaries of the staff involved.” 

In that same year, a total of ¢17.4 billion in financial irregularities were flagged by the Auditor-General in its report, which was submitted to Parliament for the 2021 financial year. 

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