Japan boosts healthcare delivery in Keta Municipality

Japan boosts healthcare delivery in Keta Municipality

By Mohammed Awal

The government of Japan, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme has provided an amount of $121,914 for the construction of Community-Based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound for Agortoe CHPS zone in Keta Municipal Assemby in the Volta Region.

The Agortoe CHPS zone comprises of nine settlements in the catchment area, namely Agbatsivi, Kpordui, Hadota, Salo, Sokutime, Sodzi, Vorvornukope, Aflanto and Sukladzi.

The project consists of the construction of a clinic block, nurses’ quarters and procurement of medical equipment and furniture. And it was estimated to benefit not less than 3,500 inhabitants in the Agortoe CHPS zone.

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Naoto Nikai told the media at a signing ceremony for grant assistance between GGHSP and the Keta Municipal Assembly in Accra Tuesday that when completed the CHPS compound would bring basic health care service delivery to the door steps of the people in the area.

The inhabitants of the area commute several kilometers to other health stations just to seek health care, according to him.

The problem he said intensifies during the raining seasons when feeder roads were being rendered unmotorable for residents seeking medical care.

“Unfortunately, patients who are not able to commute to health facility face serious health implications which tend fatal”, the Ambassador lamented.

His government, he said, would do all it could to revert these phenomena, promising: “The government of Japan is more than willing to be able to extend its assistance to improve the health profile of the Agortoe community and its surroundings”.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), of the Keta Municipal Assembly, Sylvester Edah Tornyeavah congratulated the Japanese government for its gesture noting that the gesture would undoubtedly go a long way in easing pressure on the already stressed limited health outlet in the municipality.

“There is a remarkable deficit in health centers within the municipality. In juxtaposing with the total population, the number of recognized quality health centers is not woefully discouraging.

“The construction of the CHPS compound within the municipality is, therefore, a great opportunity for people within the community and beyond to have access to quality health care without having to traverse long distances,” he noted.

Japan supports Construction of Boreholes in E/Region

Japan supports Construction of Boreholes in E/Region 

By Mohammed Awal

The government of Japan under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme has given an amount of $119,964 to the Hunger Project-Ghana (THP-Ghana) to construct 10 mechanized boreholes in 10 epicenter clinics in the Eastern Region.

The ten(10) epicenter clinics to benefit from this goodwill are located at Kwakyekrom in Akwapim District, Aworasa in West Akim, Adonkwanta in East Akim, Kwaboadi in Akyemansa,Tweapese in Birim North, Atuobikrom in Kwahu south, Konkoney in Upper Manya Krobo, Anyansu in Asuogyaman, Akpo-Akpamu and Obenyemi, both in the Yilo krobo Districts..

The project was aimed at providing safe water to improve sanitation and delivery of quality health in these selected epicenter clinics within these communities.

 The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Naoto Nikai told the media at a signing ceremony for grant assistance between GGHSP and the THP-Ghana in Accra Tuesday.

Mr. Nikai added that the project is estimated to benefit about 55,056 people in these selected communities of the Eastern Region.

Mr. Nikai further revealed that, THP-Ghana’s ‘Epicenter Development Strategy’ would be pursued with a lot of commitment and determination as it has been done since 2001, to ensure the total wipe out of hunger and poverty in rural communities in Ghana.

The development strategy he said, would position THP-Ghana to contribute significantly to the attainment of all the (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Ghana.

The strategy he noted would adopt an integrated participatory and decentralized grassroots approach to poverty reduction and development.

The Country Director of THP-Ghana, Mr. Samuel Erasmus Afrane on his part assured the beneficiary communities that, from now on issues of lack of safe water that has bedeviled them for decades would now be a thing of the past.

Law on Contempt must be codified for Clarity

Law on Contempt must be codified for Clarity

…Argues Prof. Karikari

By Awal Mohammed

The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari, has called for a clear codification of the law on contempt in order to ensure clarity. This, he said, should be done in a manner that does not criminalize speech or media expressions.

Speaking at a public forum organized jointly by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) in Accra was concerned about the contempt issue and the criminalization of speech, for which reason participants at the forum were to deliberate on some key questions for consideration.

According to him, the procedure of allowing the very court which has been scandalized or interfered with, to punish the interference itself, seemed "to fly in the face of the cherished principles on natural justice, especially the audi alteram partem rule, and thus creates an anomaly in our judicial system.”

He observed that the contempt cases at the Supreme Court (SC) had raised numerous questions about the rights to free speech, media (press) freedom and wondered whether there were or should be limits and what limits there should be to these freedoms.

Professor Karikari further added that; "in a country with a written constitution and written criminal and penal codes, its citizens can ill to live in the realm of uncertainty in respect of the all important offence of contempt of court."

Touching on the arguments raised by a section of the public in recent times in connection with whether the decisions of the Supreme Court on the contempt cases threatened free speech, he noted that the cases were likely to affect the media and the general public's comments on the work and outcomes of the work of the judiciary.

By hindsight and a possible way of substantiating his point, he cited the summoning of Mr. Sammy Awuku, Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party and the subsequent convictions of Mr. Stephen Atubiga, a National Democratic Congress Communicator and Mr. Ken Kuranchie, Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, as having equally raised loud questions about the professional and ethical weaknesses and malpractices of the media in Ghana.

"The contempt cases again highlight relief disturbing questions about the responsibilities of political leaderships and their commitment to promoting an enlightened culture on the conduct of public discussion on public affairs," he asserted.

Professor Karikari further shed light on how the two leading political groups—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)—consistently appeared to be encouraging the use of the media to foment animosity and needless polarization of society.

He therefore cautioned all political parties and their activists to rethink their attitudes to media usage and also called on their leadership to publicly reprimand members who insulted the public’s intelligence by making reckless and irresponsible expressions.

A lecturer at the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, on her part pointed out that because of the infant nature of the Ghanaian democracy and the fact that her populace had had a long history of authoritarianism coupled with the culture of silence and the suppression of free speech, the court should be moderate in dealing with these cases in order to deflate fears that characterised those horrific days they once experienced.

She called on the courts to be circumspect in responding to such a nebulous issue as contempt of court. The request for public education on these matters as the best way on drawing attention to the ambit of the concept did not skip her lips.

Hansol And Affiliate Companies Accuse DCE Of Extorting 70,000 Ghana Cedis From It To Protect It From The Activities Task Force

Hansol And Affiliate Companies  Accuse DCE Of Extorting 70,000 Ghana Cedis From It To Protect It From The Activities Task Force

By Awal Mohammed

Hansol and Affiliate companies have  accused the DCE, of Asankragua of extorting an amount of 70,000 Ghana cedis from it through the NDC Chairman of Asankragua under the pretext of safeguarding their operation area from the activities of a inter-ministerial task force.

According to Mr. Edward Kwasi Akuoko who is In-Charge of Public Relation for Hansol, there were some unscrupulous persons within some of the state security agencies who have no role in the Inter-ministerial task force have taken undue advantage of the exercise to rob its sites all in the name of a national exercise.

He also noted that just recently an official, who claimed to be working with the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) by name Otuo Acheampong visited the Company CEO's house in the Bosomtwe district of Ashanti at about 7:00pm, and told residence that he has been authorized from 'above' to set its two excavators ablaze if he is not shown documentation covering their operation.

"The task force on 18th March, 2013 raided our sites in the Ashanti Region, made away with some kilos of gold worth $450,000, some cash, and 10 pick-up vehicles and finally set some equipment including two excavators ablaze" he said. Although they reported the matter to the police, nothing concrete was heard from them he noted.  "A petition to that effect was subsequently sent to the government through the Attorney General, and copied to other relevant Ministries by  our solicitors, but no avail" he said.

Mr.Akuoko also asserted that about a week ago the task force led by the District Chief Executive of Asankragua raided the Akonta Mine site which is a large mining concession where Hansol is providing service support and made away with cash running into millions, ceased equipments and pick up vehicles and finally torched the structures. " This followed an extortion of 70,000 Ghana cedis from the company" he reiterated.

He  also lamented how the task force's activities and excessive use of force has generally led to the perceived demonization of the industry without any mention of the benefits to the state thus drawing no line of distinction between Galamsey ( considered illegal) and small scale operations ( considered legal).

 "Such unilateral display of excessive force and needles exuberance used during such operations has generally led to a perceived demonization of the industry in the eyes of most Ghanaians and International community without any mention of benefits to the state" he pointed.

According to him their company ( Hansol and affiliate companies) has contributed immensely towards employment generation in Ghana and the overall development of the state, as they continue to build new schools and renovate old ones, construct  bore-holes, feeder roads, hospitals among other things for their host communities.

The task force was inaugurated by the President on the14th of May,2013 is a five-member inter-ministerial taskforce to fight against illegal small scale mining (galamsey) throughout the mining areas of the country. The members are made up of: Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Chairman; Mr Mark Woyongo, Minister for Defence, member; Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister for Interior, member; Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, member and Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Foreign Affairs, member.

The taskforce would among other responsibilities seize all the equipment the illegal miners use, arrest and prosecute both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians engaged in small scale illegal mining, deport all non-Ghanaians engaged in the practice and revoke licenses of Ghanaians who have sub-leased their concessions to non-Ghanaians.

They would also hold Metropolitan, Municipal and District chief executives and district security councils accountable for any illegal mining activity in their areas of jurisdictions among other responsibilities.

MOHAMMED AWAL: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

MOHAMMED AWAL: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year By Awal Mohammed According to the United Nation’s (UN) Food and Agriculture 1.3 billion ...

1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

By Awal Mohammed

According to the United Nation’s (UN) Food and Agriculture 1.3 billion tons of food is being wasted every year. It also noted that the amount of food wasted was equivalent to what is being produced in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that there were many instances where food that society produced were allowed to go waste without thinking about the effects it would have on the resources that went into its production.

“Some of us have developed consumption lifestyles that we cook more than we can eat and throw the leftovers into the dustbins” he lamented.

He said this on the celebration of the World Environment Day at EFUA Sunderland Park, Accra on the 5^th of June, 2013.

On the national front, he lamented how a lot of foodstuffs were lost especially during bumper harvest due to what he described as “lack of storage facilities and poor transportation network. Ghana like many other developing countries experience food wastage and losses he asserted.

These wastage and losses as it was being experienced in Ghana and the world occurred mainly; at the early stages of the food value chain due to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and food preservation.

To effectively avert this worrying trend, he noted that, the supply chain should be strengthened by supporting farmers with investment in infrastructure, transportation, as well as an expansion of the food and packaging industry. With these supportive mechanism, “we inevitably would also reduce waste materials transported to the cities” he said.

He noted that, all the resources and inputs used in the production of food that is wasted are also lost.