Author: lwadmin

At least 13 people died in a road accident that occurred on Thursday February 29 at a location known as Yonkélé in Maroua, Cameroon, L’Oeil du Sahel reported.

The victims were passengers aboard a minibus, according to witnesses present at the scene.

The accident, which resulted in the loss of multiple lives, has shocked the local community. Reports indicate that the minibus lost control, leading to the devastating crash.

Rescue operations were immediately deployed to assist any survivors and recover the bodies of those who lost their lives.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident to determine the exact cause.

This incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of poorly maintained roads and the importance of adhering to safety measures while on the road.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Ghana Wheelchair Tennis Federation (GWTF) in collaboration with Zion Management Africa Limited (ZMAL Sports Agency) has began a three-day Bowl Ghana wheelchair tennis championship at the Accra Sports Stadium Tennis Court.

The event scheduled for 9:30 am to 4:30pm each day, is made up of 25 wheelchair tennis players with seventeen males and eight females.

The male includes; Ebenezer Nti, Ibrahim Omaa Sadick, Isaac Tagoe, Daniel Laryea, Razak Nuhu, Emmanuel Amorbire, Richmond Essel, Samuel Buabi, John Afadzi, Maclean Dzidzienyo, Martin Essuman, Emmanuel Okyere, Bernard Yawson, Sheriff Dini, Evans Allotey, Samadu Sofo, and Yaw Boateng.

The female players were; Stacy Konadu Mensah, Bridget Nartey, Fatimatu Moro (Accra), Wasila Baba, Patricia Nyamekye, Fati Umar, Agnes Chebam, Zinabu Issah.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, Dr. Henry Larbi, Coordinator of the GWTF said winners of this competition would be supported by the GWTF to participate in one of the international (ITF) tournaments this year.

He
urged participants to be disciplined and focus on the game as it would bring changes to some lives.

Mr. David Derhnick Kofi Chief Executive Officer, (Zamack) said the aim was to bridge the gap between the abled and the disabled in the sport.

He said, ‘our aim is to promote the physical challenged people interested in the game of and we want to assist the federation to do that’.

‘Sometime when I pass through the traffic light, I see some of the physical challenged on the streets, I see a lot of talents in them, but they lacked the needed support,’ he added.

He said he would be touring Ghana for after the competition to form a sports academy for the physically challenged.

The competition is sponsored by Special Ice Mineral Water, Multi Pro Ghana (Indomie Ghana), Malcom Group of Companies, Delay Food, EYEL (Eau De Parfum), The Siblings Project, Nhyikaesi Wellness Hospital, Quality Assurance, Devina Herbal Clinic, Kpogas Furniture, Tennis Foundation Ghana and Japan Motors Trading Company Limited.

Source: G
hana News Agency

The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) has said the reduction of rice imports in Ghana as stated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo in the State of the Nation’s Address, is due to smuggling.

Mr Edward Kareweh, the General Secretary of GAWU, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in reaction to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), said the reduction did not mean that there was an abundance of local rice being produced in the country.

Mr Kareweh said the reduction was rather due to an influx of smuggled rice into the country, saying in 2023, most of the local farmers could not sell their produce due to the foreign rice that had penetrated the market.

He said, ‘When we say rice importation levels have come down, it’s not suggesting that we have produced enough; there has been so much illegal importation of rice into this country.’

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during the SONA, said that between 2021 and 2023, rice imports fell by some 45 per cent.

He had stat
ed that in 2021, rice imports amounted to 805, 000 metric tonnes, but reduced to 650,000 in 2022 and a further reduction to 440,000 metric tonnes in 2023.’

The President had assured Ghanaians that this healthy trajectory would continue until the country achieved full self-sufficiency in rice production.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An illegal mining community ‘Dollar Power’ in the Bole District of the Savannah Region is serving as a flourishing hub for criminal activities that threaten the existence of the Bui Power Generating Station (BPGS).

The Bui Power Authority (BPA), Managers of the BGS in the Banda District of the Bono Region, has called on communities around the Dam’s enclave to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to help protect the national asset.

Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the BPA, who made the call entreated the communities to support the BPA to eject and drive away criminals with their unscrupulous activities by providing the military with relevant information.

Mr Dzamesi made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the inauguration of a Forward Operating Base (FOB), a facility to provide support for military operations at Bui around the dam’s enclave.

He said the imminent terrorist threats from the Sahel Region were gradually descending southwards, hence the need to take swift re
sponsive measures to protect the dam.

The BPA invested US$1 million dollars into the construction of the FOB, serving as a logistical hub, command centre and staging area for troops.

It also houses personnel, equipment, supplies and infrastructure necessary to sustain military force in the area.

As a key national asset, Mr Dzamesi explained that the proximity of the dam’s reservoir to the border heightened security concerns and prompted the immediate need for measures to safeguard lives and properties within the Bui enclave.

Besides enhancing security, he added that the FOB remained a significant achievement for the BPA’s corporate social responsibility to increase productivity, reduce logistic costs for the military stationed at ‘Dollar Power,’ generate local employment opportunities and stimulate economic growth in the enclave.

Mr Kofi Amankwa-Manu, the Deputy Minister of Defence, expressed appreciation to the BPA and charged the Military High Command, especially the troops who would occupy the facilit
y, to display the utmost care and the military maintenance culture in the usage of the base.

He said the Ministry acknowledged and recognized its cordial relationship with the BPA in protecting the national asset, and expressed the hope that the relationship would be strengthened for mutual benefit.

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, asked the people to peacefully co-existence for development in the area.

Nana Kwadwo Wuo II, the Chief of Bui, commended the BPA for facilitating the development of the area.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ya-Na Abukari II the Overlord of Dagbon has commended the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for their efforts at educating the citizens on their rights and responsibilities.

He expressed personal gratitude for benefiting from civic education, particularly as his grandson served as the Yendi Municipal Director of NCCE in the Municipality.

Ya-Na gave the commendation when the new Northern Regional Director of NCCE Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed called on him at the Gbewaa Palace at Yendi in the Northern Region.

He said the Yendi NCCE regularly briefed him on the progress of NCCE activities, emphasising the impact of the Commission in the Municipality despite the challenges they were facing in educating the entire municipality.

Ya-Na assured the NCCE of his continuous support and affirmed that his palace doors were always open to the Commission.

He pledged to collaborate closely with them to enhance effective civic education in the region.

Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed for his part indicated that his courtesy
call on Ya-Na formed part of engagement with key stakeholders in the region and to strengthen the collaboration between the NCCE and the key stakeholders.

He said the visit was also to monitor and assess the progress of Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) activities being undertaken by NCCE with funding from the European Union.

The Director said the aim of the activity was to prevent and contain violent extremism by promoting peaceful coexistence and inter-faith tolerance, raising awareness of violent extremism at various locations identifying signs of radicalization and providing strategies to prevent radicalization among youth.

Alhaji Aliyu said the significance of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections emphasising the need to hold political leaders accountable for their actions to ensure peaceful elections.

He applauded Ya-Na for his recent admonishment of political figures such as Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawunia and former President John Dramani Mahama urging them
to conduct clean campaigns.

He expressed his concern about the reckless riding of motorbikes in the region without crash helmets and appealed to Ya-Na to intervene and lend his voice to encourage citizens to prioritise wearing them to reduce the risk of sustaining serious head injuries during accidents.

In a related development in briefing the media, Mr Osman Kassim the Yendi Municipal Director of NCCE said the Commission was faced with a number of challenges to carry out effective civic education in the Municipality.

He said the lack of vehicles and publicity vans were their major challenges and appealed to Ya-Na to intervene and appeal to the government to allocate a publicity van to the Commission in Yendi for dedicated and effective work in educating the citizens on their rights and responsibilities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) will on Sunday, March 10, launch a new version of the Bible in Ho.

The Bible, known as Diglot Bible (bilingual), comprises both the Ewe and English languages.

Mr Joseph Ireland, the Regional Manager of BSG, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in Ho, said the launch would take place at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPCG) Dela Cathedral at Ho Kpodzi.

Right Rev. Dr. Lt. Col. Bliss Divine Agbeko (Rtd), Moderator of the General Assembly of the EPCG, would be the main speaker at the event whilst Dr Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, is the Special Guest.

Mr Ireland said the BSG was mandated to make the Bible available, accessible and affordable to all manner of people irrespective of language.

He noted that the Diglot Bible was easy for cross referencing and would also ease the inconvenience of carrying both English and Ewe Bibles at the same time.

The Bible was easy to use as the Ewe version of every chapter followed immediately the English one.

He
expressed the hope that the new Bible would attract a large patronage.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Judicial Service of Ghana, has since 2005, successfully settled 36,191 cases representing 47 percent of the 77,264 mediated cases through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system.

The Central Regional Office of the ADR handled a total of 1,665 cases in 2023 with 534 of the cases, representing 32 percent, settled.

In all, the region has 17 ADR connected courts consisting of two circuit courts, and 15 district courts.

Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, Justice of the Court of Appeal, announced this at an ADR sensitisation durbar at the Jubilee Park in Cape Coast.

The durbar is a prelude to the ADR Week’s mass mediation exercise slated from Monday, March 18 to Friday, March 22 across the country.

It is being held on the theme: ‘Building the Pillars of Justice through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).’

The ADR Week sensitization train took off from Accra on Monday, February 26 and made the first stop at Kasoa, continued to Ofankor, Awutu, Winneba, Apam, Ajumako, Mankessim, Saltpond, Elmina and
now Cape Coast.

Generally, the celebration affords the ADR Directorate of the Judicial Service, the opportunity to announce to the public, the presence of ADR within the court system and communities for them to take advantage of it.

The ADR process had created space and the necessary environment for people, particularly the poor and vulnerable to meaningfully access justice.

Justice Mensah-Homiah, said the ADR concept had served as a complement to the traditional courts, substantially due to the mass mediation exercise.

During ADR Week, parties who have cases pending in courts connected to the ADR programme would be provided the opportunity to have their cases settled through mediation.

‘Mediators are assigned to each court to help parties resolve cases that have been referred to ADR by Judges and Magistrates.’

Justice Mensah-Homiah urged court users to take advantage of these process to ensure expeditious disposal of cases pending in courts across the country.

‘After 19 years of implementing the conne
cted ADR programme, it has demonstrated verifiable success.

‘It’s our expectation that ADR becomes not just a complement to the justice delivery architecture, but a major plank, which would be the go-to option for those seeking justice as long as the nature of the cases admit ADR,’ Justice Mensah-Homiah assured.

However, she cautioned some few bad nuts in the justice delivery system who sometimes sidestep their ethical and legal mandates to engage in misdeeds for their personal interest to stop it.

She encouraged all disputants and the public to report such unprincipled mediators to the ADR Directorate or Complaints Units of the Judicial Service for the appropriate action to be taken.

She revealed that mediators were paid allowances by the Judicial Service from the public purse, consequently, they were not to receive any payments, whether in cash or in kind from disputants.

‘Mediators are precluded from going for ‘locus Inspection,’ they cannot also write rulings on the merits of a case. These are the pr
eserve of trial Judges and Magistrates.’

A mediator, she indicated, lacked any power to re-examine a decision upon the execution of the terms of settlement.

‘It is not the duty of mediators to police parties to a dispute to ensure compliance. I’m bringing this out so that unsuspecting disputants do not fall to any unscrupulous mediator,’ Justice Mensah-Homiah said.

Justice Kofi Akrowia, a Supervising High Court Judge, attributed the challenges with delivery of justice in Ghana to inadequate number of courts, Judges and Magistrates and automation in courts.

He urged the Government to facilitate the work of the Judiciary by providing more funds and on time to ease justice delivery in the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency