River flows in Ghana to reduce in 2020

River flows in Ghana to reduce in 2020

By Mohammed Awal

A Study by the Water Resource Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-WRI) on climate change and water resources has revealed that there would be a general reduction in annual river flows in Ghana   by 15-20%   in the year 2020, and 30-40% in the year 2050.

Also, according to the study, there would be a reduction in groundwater recharge from 5-22% and 30-40% in 2020 and 2050 respectively. It further noted that there would be increase in irrigation water demand of 40-150% and 150-1200% in 2020 and 2050 respectively.

These statistics was made known to the media at a workshop organized by the Development Institute (DI) in Accra yesterday under the theme: “Up-scaling of ADAPTS project in Ghana And Are riparian communities in Ghana benefitting from water resources and climate funding?”

By the year 2020, all river basins will be vulnerable and the whole country will face acute water shortage, according to the Development Institute (DI). Under climate change, they noted “the quality of freshwater in rivers, and other water bodies will also be impacted negatively, as expected increased floods would carry pollutants into water bodies, restricting their use and putting further constraint on water availability to meet growing demand.”

Climate change is expected to result in gradual changes in temperature, rainfall patterns and sea level rise.  Also, increased climate variability and extreme events; threatening water availability and food security for millions of poor people.

Rainfall, according to the DI, is decreasing; with droughts more prolonged and flood and water bodies drying up and deforestation is more acute. 

In view of these worrying phenomena, the DI introduced a project called the Adaptation Strategies for River Basins (ADAPTS) in Ghana to help riparian farming communities to switch from  unreliable rain fed farming to small scale irrigation  farming.

The ADAPTS   approach was developed  in the Netherlands  by a Non-Governmental Organization  (NGO), Both Ends, the research Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)  of Free University in Amsterdam and consultancy ACACIA Water, and was piloted in 2008 and 2011 in four river basins in Ghana, Peru, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

The ADAPTS approach, according to the DI was designed to increase developing countries’ adaptive capacities by achieving the inclusion of climate change and adaptation considerations in water policies, local planning and investment decision.

The ADAPTS project was built on the premise that by “building on local  knowledge, priorities and  initiatives and by including local actors in relevant decision-making processes, more effective and sustainable adaptation to climate  change can be achieved,” according to the DI.

The initiative, the Institute note was designed to strategically move from the overdependence on rain fed farming to small scale irrigated agriculture, up-scaling of agro forestry, and the introduction of buffer zones and drought-resistant high value crops as a means to cope with the erratic nature of rainfall in Ghana.

TOBINCO DENIES IMPORTING FAKE DRUGS … Runs to Mahama for succor

TOBINCO DENIES IMPORTING FAKE DRUGS

… Runs to Mahama for succor

By Mohammed Awal

The management of Tobinco Pharmaceutical Limited (TPL) has denied claims by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) that they have been trading in substandard pharmaceutical products on the Ghanaian market, arguing that the FDA’s claims were not based on any thorough clinical test to scientifically prove their assertions.

“The FDA has not brought any scientific proof on the assertions that it has made regarding Tobinco’s product,” management noted. “To Tobinco, therefore, there was no scientific basis for FDA’s declaration of its medicines as ‘fake’.

The Head of Communication at TPL, Dr. Peter Ebo Tobbin, made this known to the media at a press conference to brief the media about the latest development on the impasse between TPL and FDA.

Reiterating, TPL’s commitment to public health safety, Dr. Ebo Tobbin said that the health and priority concerns of the nation would continue to be their priority adding that TPL would continue to contribute its quota through the provision of quality medicines. “We will continue to maintain the quality, safety, and efficacy of our products,” he added.

MISJUDGEMENT

According to Dr. Ebo Tobbin, the assertions by the FDA that TPL imported into the Pharmaceutical market fake, substandard and unregistered drugs has been a misconception and judgment.

“What has led to the recent state of fairs about registration of products with the Food and Drugs Authority is a misjudgment and a delayed action on our part, and has nothing to do with the integrity of our products,” he revealed.

Dr. Ebo Tobbin further added that the fact that TPL has circulated millions of doses of anti-malaria medicines over the last three years without any reported treatment failures, does to some extent, attest to the efficacy and safety of its products.

Facts of The Impasse

The FDA and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited have, for the past months been engaged in a media war, accusing each other of wrongful acts in the importation of fake drugs from Bliss GVS Pharma of India into Ghana by the latter.
While the regulator insists there have not been any clinical trial studies to justify the use of the anti-malaria drug, Gsunate Plus Suppositor, as well as register it in India and Ghana, and so was right to destroy the said product, the importer argues that there was no basis to warrant such an action, since the FDA had not conducted any scientific tests on the product to prove otherwise.
According to the FDA, since Tobinco had not met the requisite regulatory requirement to ascertain its efficacy level, it had no authorisation to use the drug on Ghanaian children as clinical subjects.
But Tobinco insisted that even though the Gsunate Plus Suppository drug was not registered by the regulator, they were not fake, and that they, and their Indian partner, Bliss GVS Pharma, produce and distribute quality medicines.

FDA’s Actions Illegal

Questioning FDA’s banning of TPL’s operations, Dr. Tobbin said the FDA’s actions was illegal and  a breach of section 116 of the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851, arguing that  “it is only the Minister who  may, by executive instrument, prohibit  the importation, manufacturer, exportation, advertisement or sale of a drug.”

Registration

The TPL said it wrote to the FDA to seek approval for extension of the re-registration of its medicines in view of the planned opening of the ultra-modern pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Ghana.

According to TPL, the FDA, being aware of the progress of the manufacturing plant, granted Tobinco a waiver and extension on the re-registration until the factory was completed.

However, the TPL noted the plan for commissioning of the plant has been delayed due to their quest to meet international quality standards.

“It is worth noting that for these registration issues, a fine of GH¢40.000.00 was imposed on Tobinco,” which it duly paid, stated Dr. Ebo Tobbin. He further revealed that their suppliers, GVS Bliss, paid an amount US$ 57.000 for re-registration of 28 medicines in 2011 to FDA account.

Unfortunately, according to TLP, cracks in communication between it and FDA around that time delayed the submission of the supporting documents and samples of the medicines to expedite the re-registration process.

 Forced to Apologize and Threats

TPL accused the FDA of forcing its CEO, Dr. Samuel Tobbin and the CEO of Bliss GVS to sign the letter of apology. According to Dr. Ebo Tobbin, the letter came about through the insistence of Dr. Stephen Opuni, boss of the FDA. 

According to Dr. Ebo Tobbin, Dr. Stephen Opuni further insisted that: “I sincerely apologize for importing fake (Gsunate plus) anti-malarial into the country,” be included in the apology letter.

Dr. Ebo Tobbin, further alleged that the FDA boss threatened to bring down TPL. He quoted Dr. Opuni as saying that: “You wait, I am not done with you yet, if you do not know, I am a merciless being and will bring Tobinco down.”

He further accused the FDA boss, Dr. Opuni, of using communist inferior tacticts to frustrate the  efforts  of Tobinco in resolving the impasse at stake.

On several occasions, he stated that Management of TPL approached the Dr. Opuni for peaceful resolution of the issue, but the latter declined.

Tobinco further alleged that the FDA, with the support of EOCO, embarked a further onslaught on Tobinco by locking up its warehouses, and in the process physically assaulting staff members of the company.

TPL, therefore, called on the Mahama government to intervene to protect indigenous companies. “We are, therefore, appealing to the President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to use his good offices to intervene in this matter.”

GOV’T LAUNCHES NATIONAL WASTE SEGREGATION PROGRAMME

GOV’T LAUNCHES NATIONAL WASTE SEGREGATION PROGRAMME

By Mohammed Awal

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has launched a National Waste Segregation Programme (NWSP) aimed at separating waste materials from source, to help improve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery by waste management companies.

It will be done through the minimization of the amount of waste that is to be land filled and also to gain value from secondary raw materials.

Speaking at the NWSP launch in Accra on Thursday, the Executive Director of EPA, Mr. Daniel Amlalo said that the issues of solid waste management “is a challenge”, not only to developing countries but also to the “developed and well endowed.”

According to Mr. Amlalo, available statistics reveal that the per capita waste generation per person per day in Ghana is about 0.54kg. With a population of over 24 million people, approximately 12,960 tons of solid was being generated daily nationwide, he noted.

Again, he added that out of this quantum of waste generated daily by the nation, “only 60% is collected” and in “effect safe disposal remained a major challenge.”

Waste Recycling to fetch Ghana GH¢1.2b

To Mr. Amlalo, waste should be viewed as raw material for making economic gains, rather than merely waste material. 

According to him, a study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) reveal that the Ghana could make about GH¢1.2 billion per year if waste was effectively recycled.

Besides the cash, it would also create employment opportunities, he added. The agency, he revealed, was committed to the initiative of waste recycling and for organic manure production for agriculture and landscaping.

Way forward and Efforts

The way forward, Mr. Amlalo noted, should be “a clear paradigm shift from ‘use and throw’ to ‘reduction generation, reuse and recycling’ that is value addition.”

According to him, waste recycling has become a viable economic option in the country despite the considerable “cost of collection.”

EPA, he said, has over the years made various interventions towards sustainable waste management through the development and publication of waste management guidelines.

He further noted that together with MESTI ‘Plastic to Cash’, the programme was launched as a way of creating awareness on waste as an economic resource.

The programme, he said, promoted the segregation, reuse, recycle of waste at households levels. Papers, plastics, glasses, organic matter and metal, he added, were recycled to usable materials under the ‘Plastic for Cash’ programme.

Effective segregation of this waste, he noted, would help conserve resources, foreign exchange, extend the life span of land fill sites and also reduce the cost of waste management and protect the environment from pollution.

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Joe Oteng Adjei, in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Sylvester Aminama, Chief Director MESTI said the NWSP would be implemented nationwide.

The first phase, he said, would commence in some selected schools and within the Ministry area in Accra.

He further added that the NWPS programme was a fulfillment of government’s national environmental policy in addressing the solid waste menace in the country, explaining that waste segregation “is an efficient and environmentally sustainable way of managing waste.

“It is envisaged to help reduce the amount of waste to be land filled and also to provide additional value from secondary raw materials which can be recycled into useful products to support economic  development,” he added.

Cost of waste collection weighing heavily on government resources

According to the Minster, cost of waste collection and disposal has been weighing hugely on financial resources of government.

Many Metropolitan and Municipal Assembles, he revealed, spend in excess of 60% of their financial resources on waste management, adding that “this leaves little for social and economic development projects”.

This, he said, necessitated the introduction of the “Polluter Pays Principle”, for people to contribute to pay for the collection and disposal of their daily waste.”

Media too powerful for novices –Chief of Staff

Media too powerful for novices –Chief of Staff

By Mohammed Awal

The media is too powerful a tool to be left in untrained hands, Chief of Staff, Mr. Prosper Douglas Bani said, during the 7^th congregation of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), held in Accra.

 “We cannot downplay this point if we are to keep cohesion and survival of our nation. It is important to stress that this emerging culture will not augur well for our nation,” he reiterated.

He made this call at the 7^th congregation of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) on Saturday, held under the theme: “Communication; a Vehicle for National Stability and Peaceful Development”.

According to him, “if media owners’ resolve were to give priority in their recruitments to non-professional journalists, they should immediately arrange for them to be taken through media training and capacity building programmes that will better prepare them for their roles,” he pleaded.

Mr. Bani further added that it would be in the interest of media owners to pay heed to this call, as recent reports of huge damages in defamation were awarded against media houses by the court.

This situation, he said, could have been avoided if they (the media) had allowed trained and professional journalists to bring their knowledge of the ethics of the profession to bear.

Journalists’ responsibilities

Communication, according to Mr. Bani, should be seen as a very important resource, comparable to the central nervous system of the human anatomy.

The media, according to him, has been a crucial cog in the communication chain, adding that “it is a vital organ for the development and nurturing of peace and stability.”

Its potency in the public sphere meant that it ought to be used with sobriety by the wielders, in order to maintain the peace and stability of the nation, mentioned the Chief of Staff.

The Journalist, as a professional, he added, has a responsibility to safeguard the peace of Ghana by applying his or her moral compass to the factors which unite us, rather than “the pursuance of divisive tendencies.”

Advice to journalists

Mr. Bani adviced the new graduates against complacency and challenged them to brace up for the ups and downs ahead, and to learn from history, so that together they help to make Ghana a better place.

He further entreated them (the Graduants) to be guided at all times by the ethics of the profession which they had been taught as part of their training and “as spelt out by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR).”

He urged journalist to be diligent, critical and tactful at all times to avoid breaching the laws of the country or ethics of the profession, as they go about their duties.

“As you graduate today, the mantle has fallen on your shoulders as part of the new generation of students to shine and light the path of Ghana’s democratic development in a stable environment.

“You must see yourselves as part of the new beginning to re-energise the national consciousness and also keep aloft Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s banner of an African Journalist or communicator who would use his pen for the emancipation of the African continent.”

He further called on them to be addicted to the truth, fight poverty and assist the state to rid the society of indiscipline, disease and ignorance, saying “you have the onerous task of watching over political environment.”

In this way, he said, “the responsibility of the media as an active agent in breaking down the barriers of secrecy and silence becomes more arduous.”

The Rector of the Institute, Mr. David Newton said this year’s congregation was very significant and historic in the sense that: “this is the first time the institute is awarding its own degrees to its own students, following the award of a Presidential Charter in 2009.”

Content with the Institute’s progress, Mr. Newton said “I can now look back with pride and give an account of our numerous achievements over the past fifty-four (54) years of the existence of the Institute.”

From a humble beginning as a Diploma awarding Institute under the Ministry of Information, the Institute, he gladly noted, has grown and matured into a fully-fledged University with its Charter to award Degrees and Certificates.

After two decades of multiparty democracy in Ghana, Mr. Newton felt the time was ripe to consolidate the gains of “our democracy”, tasking the media discourse to be devoid of “hatred, personal attacks and acrimony.”

The media, he pleaded, should contribute to the building of a new democratic culture based on tolerance, trust and respect for one another. The media, he further suggested, should encourage frank and open discussion of national issues devoid of partisanship.

In all, a total number of 404 students, both from diploma and degree programmes respectively, successfully completed.

In the degree programme, 23 students obtained first class honours, 93 obtained second class upper division and 64 second class lower division.

With respect to the Diploma programme, out of 256 students who sat the final diploma examination, 224 passed, while 32 fell short of the requirements for the award of diploma.