Author: lwadmin

Implementing partners under the Empowerment for Life (E4L) Programme have signed a Cooperation Agreement to kick-start a new phase of the programme to contribute to improved resilience, equity, and more accountable governance in the country.

They are Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) in partnership with Youth Empowerment for Life Ghana (YEFL-Ghana), School for Life (SfL), and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP) with its Danish partner, Ghana Friends (Ghana Venskab-GV) as the implementing partners with funding from DANIDA through Civil Society in Development (CISU) in Denmark.

The new phase of the E4L Programme, which will span a period of four years, and implemented in 10 districts in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions, revolves around four thematic areas; accountable and responsive governance, education equity, youth economic and political inclusion, and climate change and resilience.

The districts included Yendi Municipal, Gushegu, Zabzugu, and Tatale-Sangule Distric
ts with Yendi serving as the satellite office in the Northern Region, East Mamprusi, West Mamprusi, and Yunyoo-Nasuan Districts anchored around a satellite office in Nalerigu in the North East Region, and Central Gonja, West Gonja, and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Districts with the satellite office situated in Damongo in the Savannah Region.

Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director, GDCA, speaking after the signing of the Cooperation Agreement in Tamale, said the thematic areas were issues of great concern to the population hence the focus on them to ensure good governance in the country.

The Cooperation Agreement was signed during a four-day orientation workshop for partners under the E4L Programme to update them on the previous phases of the programme and what the new phase entailed.

The E4L Programme, which has been running for over 12 years now, also seeks to engage civil society organisations to advocate for transformative education and equitable allocation and distribution of resources to rural primary sch
ools, increased youth employability and advocacy for their inclusion in decision making processes at local and national level, and to also ensure that climate vulnerable communities use climate resilience strategies and technologies to increase agricultural adaptability and have improved livelihoods.

Alhaji Abdel-Rahman touched on the area of accountability and responsive governance saying it would focus on implementation of the RTI Law and awareness of the law among citizens and public institutions, improved functionality of District Audit Committees, equitable allocation, and timely release of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund, and improved public service delivery from local government institutions.

Madam Wedad Sayibu, Director, SfL, spoke about the education equity aspect of the programme saying the strategic focus areas under this thematic area included promoting and advocating for integration of transformative education methodologies in the formal education system, advocating for fair and transparen
t allocation, distribution, and utilisation of education resources in primary school using evidence from the target area.

Mr Lukman Yussif, Director, CLIP, said under climate change and resilience, the programme would amongst others be orienting farmers on climate smart agriculture and improved agricultural practices to enable farmers cope with the effects of climate change and produce to not just feed their families but also for income.

Lise Grauenkaer, Programme Coordinator, GV, said the programme recorded a lot of changes during the previous phases saying the new phase had seen an expansion of the programme into new regions and districts to increase the advocacy for improved service delivery to the people.

Mette Brandt, Programme Coordinator, GV, expressed excitement about the new phase saying, ‘We will take all our good learning from the previous years and put it into the next four years.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Solidaridad has partnered with the Department of Co-operatives to facilitate the establishment of a robust regional and national cooperative association to increase the participation of cocoa farmers in decision-making.

Under the partnership, Solidaridad will enhance the capacity of cooperatives and associations on cocoa sector policies, as well as support the implementation of advocacy actions and the development of advocacy campaigns.

A statement issued in Accra by Solidaridad said the partnership was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Accra.

It said Cocoa farmers’ cooperatives in Ghana face significant challenges due to the absence of a

legally recognized and national unified front.

This lack of representation often leads to formulating policies that do not align with farmers’ needs, hindering sustainable cocoa production efforts.

Mr Bossman Owusu, Country Representative for Solidaridad in Ghana, said, ‘We are dedicated to supporting the capacity agenda, to enable farmers
to participate in decision-making processes actively.’

He said the organization was committed to empowering farmers to grow.

The Department of Co-operatives, on the other hand, will ensure the registration and regulation of the cocoa cooperative association, provide training in policies and governance, and maintain a database for registered cooperative unions.

Mr Kwabena Apraku Yeboah, Acting Registrar for the Department of Co-operatives, expressed gratitude for Solidaridad’s support and affirmed the Department’s dedication to strengthening cocoa

cooperatives in Ghana through effective collaboration.

The partnership is under Solidaridad’s RECLAIM Sustainability! programme and forms part of efforts to strengthen civil society organizations, workers, and cooperatives to dialogue with public and private decision-makers and monitor implementations of mechanisms that ensure gender and social inclusion in the value chain.

Over the past two years, the programme has been actively working to enhance the capacity
of cocoa cooperative unions on sector regulations.

So far, 83 cocoa Co-operatives Unions have been mobilized and strengthened for the formation of a national cooperative association.

The Co-operatives have also been enabled to actively engage in advocating for their interests.

Mr Humphrey Ayisi, former president of the Fanteakwa Co-operative Union, said Solidaridad had been supportive and instrumental in developing

cooperatives.

‘Our engagements with Solidaridad have brought about a significant improvement in our operations as a cooperative,’ he said.

He said last year with support from Solidaridad, the Fanteakwa Co-operative Union, together with other cocoa farmers’ Co-operatives Union in the Eastern Region successfully submitted a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and relevant government institutions to put an end to surface mining in the region,’ he said.

RECLAIM Sustainability! programme is implemented by six Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centres and thr
ee external consortium partners with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In West Africa, the five-year programme is implemented in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone.

The programme seeks to promote an inclusive,

sustainable trade and value chain in which the interests, voices and rights of farmers, workers and citizens are represented and heard in decision-making.

This will be achieved by supporting cocoa, oil palm farmers and mining companies/organizations to adopt and implement frameworks, models and norms that ensure sustainable sourcing, trade, and investment.

It is also to strengthen civil society organizations, workers, and Co-operatives to dialogue with public and private decision-makers and monitor implementations of mechanisms that ensure gender and social inclusion in the value chain.

The programme supports public institutions to collaborate with the private sector to develop and implement frameworks and systems that ensure sustainable production, trade, and consumption.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra High Court has adjourned to March 8, 2024, the case of seven persons being held over loss of various sums of money belonging to Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, at her residence in Accra.

The court was to commence the Case Management Conference (CMC) today.

However, when the case was called, both defense counsel and the prosecution were absent hence the adjournment.

‘In the absence of both defense and prosecution, the matter is adjourned to March 8, 2024,’ the court, presided over Mrs. Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, said.

The defense counsel and the prosecution arrived in court soon after the adjournment.

Lawyer Abdul Basit Adams, counsel for the fifth accused person, informed the court about challenges with some of the sureties presented.

‘…We have fulfilled our part of the bail and same has been cleared by the registrars but the investigator said one of the sureties is a professional bailer and so he was not going to inspect it…’

The court said it
would tackle the challenge at the next adjourned date.

The accused persons are Patience Botwe, 18-year-old hairdresser and a former house help, Christiana Achab, a trader, Job Pomary and Malik Dauda, unemployed, Sarah Agyei, a former housekeeper, now unemployed, Benjamin Sowa, a plumber and Yahaya Sumaila.

They are being held for allegedly stealing one million dollars, 300,000 Euros, jewelry, among others.

All the accused persons are facing 31 counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing, dishonestly receiving and money laundering.

They have denied the charges, and the court has admitted them to bail in a total sum of GHC5,250,000.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Ghana to follow through with the implementation of the US$3 billion loan support programme.

‘It is important that Ghana sticks the course and see the programme being implemented over the next three years,’ said Mr Abebe Aemro Selassie, African Department Director, IMF.

‘What I can say is that going forward, it will be important that Ghana continues to implement the programme that they have developed as envisaged. That is critical,’ Mr Selassie said.

He said this during a media briefing on Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic outlook, and the Fund’s engagement with various countries.

The Fund encouraged Ghanaian authorities, at the end of the first review Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement last month to among others, improve tax administration.

The government has since announced the implementation of a 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity consumption and a GHS100 annual emission levy for petrol and diesel car owners, with agitations from labour
and trade unions.

Assessing the state of the implementation of the country’s Post COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG), he said, ‘Ghana’s programme is being implemented effectively.’

‘We just went to the Board with the first programme review following, of course, the policies that the government has been putting in place to address the huge imbalances Ghana was facing through last year,’ he stated.

The IMF African Department Director stated that such steps had led to official creditors signalling that they would provide debt relief, consistent with what Ghana needed.

‘These programmes are designed to be implemented over three, four years. So, we look forward to continuing to support Ghana, consistent with programme implementation,’ he said.

So far, Ghana has received US$1.2bn of the US$3bn from the IMF, having completed its first review of the programme, leading to the disbursement of a second tranche of US$600m to the country in January 2024.

The government has pledged that it would implemen
t strong, and ambitious structural reforms in the areas of tax policy, public financial management, financial, energy and cocoa sectors to support fiscal consolidation and growth agenda.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Wilson Musa

Some Six individuals, including the Divisional Officer (DO) of Bamenda II, Nkongho Manchang, were abducted while traveling to Nkambe. The incident occurred in Tuesday February 6, 2024, in Ntumbaw, Ndu subdivision in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, a region already grappling with security challenges due to separatist activities.

The convoy, which included the Divisional Officer of Bamenda II and five others, was en route to Nkambe, to take part in the installation ceremony of a new SDO, when they were intercepted by unidentified assailants.

The perpetrators, believed to be associated with separatist groups, forcefully abducted the individuals.

A security source told CNA that they only discovered the D.Os car abandoned on the road with no sign of him. The identities of the other victims besides the Divisional Officer have not been disclosed yet.

The motive behind the kidnapping remains unclear, though such incidents often involve demands for ransom or political leverage. He is the second
civil administrator to be kidnapped in the North West region since the crisis started in 2016.

The first was the former DO of Batibo subdivision, Namata Marcel, who was kidnapped by separatist fighters on February 11, 2018. He was later killed in captivity.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, working to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

This kidnapping adds to the ongoing security challenges in the Northwest Region, where separatist groups have been active for years, leading to clashes with security forces and causing displacement among civilians.

What happened?

The Governor of North West region Adolphe Lele had just installed the SDO of Boyo where he was transported via an helicopter.

While the governor was installing the SDO of Boyo, the helicopter took the others to Donga against tomorrow. So the helicopter came back with the governor Tuesday evening to fly to Donga tomorrow morning. Having no space to fly with the Governor, the DO who had also served in Belo, d
ecided to take the road to Nkambe central subdivision without security.

The SDO who was to be installed tomorrow is Gorges Malgloire Bassilekin, formerly secretary general at the North West Governor’s office who was recently promoted.

It’s suspected that the DO of Bamenda II, Nicolas Nkongho Manchang who has previously served in Donga Mantung as Assistant 1 wanted to extend his relationship ties with the SDO whom they have been together in Bamenda for about 4 years.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has appealed to the leadership of the New Force Movement, a political movement, to prioritise the welfare of journalists in its policies and programmes.

The GJA mentioned working conditions, remuneration, and safety of journalists as among key issues that should find space in the manifesto of the Movement as it prepared to contest the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President, GJA, made the appeal when Nana Kwame Bediako, leader, New Force Movement and his team paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the GJA in Accra on Tuesday.

The GJA President said low remuneration of journalists was a major concern and called for a national dialogue to discuss measures to improve the working conditions of journalists.

‘Working conditions of Journalists is a collective responsibility. All stakeholders should look at improving the situation to ensure professionalism.

‘Journalists need to be paid well. The media deserve better… journalists deserve good re
muneration,’ he said.

Mr Dwumfour welcomed plans by the New Force Movement to industrialise the country and create jobs, and urged the leadership to stick to the goals and work towards making the country prosperous.

He urged the Movement to support efforts for peaceful elections and maintain positive relationship with the media.

‘We assure you fair, adequate, and unbiased reportage,’ Mr Dwumfour said.

Nana Bediako recently announced his presidential ambition and declared his intention to contest the 2024 presidential election.

During the meeting, Nana Bediako outlined wide ranging measures, focusing on industrialising all regions of the country to create sustainable jobs for the youth.

He promised to introduce what he termed as Industrial Regional Evolution to decentralise industrialisation beyond the Greater Accra Region to cover the 15 other regions.

Nana Bediako said he would create industrial hubs to support the country’s industrialisation agenda and ‘bring speed to the economy’.

He said he would
also invest in railway development to support easy movement of goods and services across the country.

‘We should stop the exploitation of Africa. The youth should gain value from our own resources. As citizens, we are entitled to the usage of our own resources,’ he said.

Touching on his policies for the media, Nana Bediako said he had already established the Ghana Media Fund to support the welfare of journalists.

He said his vision was to see the expansion of Ghana’s media beyond the continent to push the African agenda and promote the interest of the continent.

‘Africa needs to share news among ourselves. The more we do, the more we become successful,’ Nana Bediako said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Wilson Kwami Agbanyo, the Kadjebi District Chief Executive (DCE) has advised Ghanaians to desist from stealing building materials meant for projects in their communities.

He said the theft of such critical equipment or materials could result in project delays, affecting timelines and potentially leading to contractual penalties.

Mr Agbanyo gave this warning at the handing over of the Dzindziso Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compound project site, to the Contractor at Dzindziso in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region.

The DCE said the perpetrators if arrested and found guilty of such crime, the conviction could result in many consequences, including fines and incarceration, and that the criminal record could have serious repercussions on them, which could affect the rest of their lives.

He said his office would not entertain such cases, so the residents should not venture into it.

Mr Agbanyo also urged the Dzindziso residents to provide communal labour to enable the Contractor to mee
t the four-month timeline for the project.

Mr Wise Korsi Agbovi, the Oti Regional Estate Manager advised the Contractor to follow work protocols to avoid been blacklisted.

He also appealed to the residents to provide security for the building materials to deter those unscrupulous persons from stealing them.

Mr Mutawakil Adams, the former Assemblyman for the Dzindziso Electoral Area, called on the community members to help complete the project early as it was dear to them.

The project is being funded by the Korean Foundation for International Healthcare.

Source: Ghana News Agency