Category: General

Stakeholders at a workshop on the agrifood system outcomes from COP 28 have called for the promotion of more demand-led and user-responsible research for development, and increase the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, seeds, and breeds in Ghana’s agrifood system.

The participants also agreed to continuous dialogue on the food system to bring clarity to the expected roles of all key stakeholders, including policy makers, the research community, private sector, financial institutions and traders, among others.

There is also the need for engagement on how to innovatively integrate food systems into international conventions and frameworks to ensure sufficient mainstreaming.

The event was organized by the International Water Management Institute, CGIAR Ghana and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture under the Resilience Against Climate Change-Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) project, of the European Union-funded Ghana Agriculture Programme.

It was in collaboration with CSIR-Scien
ce and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), and the Environmental Protection Agency on the theme ‘COP 28 Declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action: Implications for Ghana’s agrifood system.’

It provided a forum for stakeholders to identify policy incoherences, research priorities and capacity strengthening needs, mechanisms for functional partnerships, and investment opportunities to contribute towards the achievement of the COP 28 agrifood system commitments.

Ghana’s agrifood system plays a critical role in rural livelihoods, food security and economic growth, yet it is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, due to its huge dependence on rainfed agriculture production. Climate change threatens Ghana’s food and nutrition security,and the achievement of the SDGs.

The Heads of State and governments (including Ghana) at COP 28 in December 2023, acknowledged the increasing threat of adverse climate change impacts on agriculture and food systems.

In his
presentation on the COP 28 agrifood systems, Dr Kingsley Amoah of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said Ghana had identified some key priorities that would enable the country to meet its UNFSS and Nutrition for growth commitments by 20230.

The pillars include strengthening the food supply system by reducing post-harvest loss by 25 per cent through investments in appropriate infrastructure as well as reducing food waste, investment in irrigation systems to allow for dry season farming and increasing the availability of food to the poorest.

He said to make a headway Ghana needed to overcome challenges as poor agrifood infrastructure, weak coherence, coordination and partnership barriers and food system actors lack of bargaining as well as price fluctuations.

Dr Amoah said there was a need to strengthen existing partnerships and enhance coordination in the implementation of projects.

There was also consensus on the dissemination of research findings for increased agriculture productivity and effective po
licy-making, enhancing food safety and preserving biodiversity through the promotion of environmentally safe inputs in agrifood systems and decentralising and depoliticising of national flagship agriculture programmes and investment.

Dr. Olufunke Cofie, Head of the West Africa Office, International Water Management Institute, called for coordinated action to deal with the issues in the agrifood system.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has hinted that Ghana’s democracy stands at risk of being undermined by Serious and Organised Crimes (SOC), which proceeds may be used to finance the activities of politicians.

Officials of the GACC interacting with the community members in Kasseh Ada identified illegal mining, money laundering, drug trafficking, smuggling, and prohibited cyber activity (internet fraud) as the major types of SOC in Ghana.

Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, the Executive Secretary of the coalition, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the coalition, in partnership with the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, and with funding support from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), is organising a series of such sensitization programmes to educate Ghanaians on SOC-related issues and how they are becoming a threat to the elections of Ghana.

Mrs Narteh, since there are groups of people who plan, coordinate, and execute such SOC crimina
l activities as galamsey, internet fraud, and kidnapping, among others.

She disclosed that such activities were prohibited, but those involved in them have networks and links they use and may be sponsoring politicians to be protected when the need arises.

‘We are selling the integrity of our election; we are creating space for people with questionable characters to put money into our elections, which is undermining our democracy,’ she stated.

She added that the weaknesses of the implementation of the Political Party Act (Act 2000), which states that parties should disclose their sources of income, were not being implemented, as they do not, making it difficult to know who their financiers are or whether they are Ghanaians or foreigners.

According to her, Ghanaians must demand that politicians disclose their sources of income to ensure transparency and accountability in the political system and also reduce the cost of politics, which has become a hindrance to people who naturally have the competence and th
e capacity to occupy such positions in Ghana from contesting and winning elections.

She urged the citizenry to, when possible, record acts of corruption and report them to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to serve as evidence for prosecution.

Mr. Samuel Harrison Cudjoe, the Programmes Officer of the GACC, noted that the main problem in Ghana now has to do with the political financiers placing candidates to contest for elections, or in some cases, putting themselves up for election as a means of getting close to power and protecting their interests, which may not align with the national interest.

He stated that illegal mining, money laundering, prohibited cyber activity (popularly known as sakawa), drug peddling, and smuggling of goods, humans, and drugs are some of the ways criminals run their illegal operations in the country.

According to him, elections in the United States of America (USA) are not as competitive as in Ghana. This, he said, was because the financiers see a loss at the polls as
a huge loss of funds, and so, elections in Ghana have become a life-and-death affair.

‘This has polarised, divided, and turned us against each other to the extent that even brothers don’t see eye to eye again because of politics,’ he emphasised.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Abundant Life Assembly of the Church of Pentecost (COP), Michel Camp district, has organised a clean-up exercise in the Nmlitsakpo electoral area in Kpone-Katamanso, to climax its week-long environmental care campaign.

The exercise aimed at maintaining cleanliness around the immediate surroundings of the church and the community.

Mr Philip Agmor, the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, encouraged Christians to always keep their environment safe and clean.

He said the COP had over the years ensured that communities where their churches were located were kept clean, to promote good sanitation, and improve the health conditions of its members and the community at large.

He stressed that a clean environment conforms with the church’s tenants, hence the reason behind the church embarking on the nationwide environmental care campaign, saying it was the mandate of the people within the communities to take good care of their environment to promote a healthy l
ifestyle.

The Presiding Elder, the clean-up exercise would be rolled out in different phases within the communities and called on members of the church to always practice proper sanitation in their homes and workplaces for the young ones to emulate for the benefit of the community, church and nation.

Mr Agmor also called on the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) to put in measures to ensure that residents do not dump refuse under the pylons in the area.

The Ghana News Agency observed that about 100 congregants from the COP’s Abundant Life Assembly on Sunday morning did not hold church service as always done but rather cleaned portions under GRIDCo pylons to keep the place clean and safe for residents within the area.

The COP launched the Environmental Care Campaign in 2018 as part of a five-year strategic plan to rid the country of filth, under the theme ‘Possessing the Nations.’

The first phase of the campaign saw the church partner with the Environmental Servi
ce Providers Association (ESPA) to carry out periodic clean-up campaigns to rid communities of filth.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Baffour Okyere Sarpong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), has stressed the urgent need to expedite harmonisation of standards for goods and services in support of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

In a news brief, he asserted that the move was crucial for enhancing commercial activities within AfCFTA and bolstering businesses across the continent.

The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), an intergovernmental standards body operating under the African Union, is actively engaged in developing and implementing standards to enhance Africa’s internal trade, global product competitiveness, consumer welfare, and future international trade standardisation.

Mr. Okyere Sarpong said the harmonisation of standards would help eliminate technical barriers inhibiting continental trade.

He undescored the importance of Shippers Councils across the continent sharing data to enhance AfCFTA trade, and called for collaboration to exchange vital informa
tion related to cargo handling, customs procedures, and trade regulations to foster economic growth.

He said this during a courtesy by a delegation from the Cameroon Shippers’ Council (CNSC) to the Ghana Shippers Authority at the Ghana Shippers’ House in Accra.

The delegation, led by Faliki Aicha, Assistant Director of Trade Facilitation at the CNSC, included Lewono Mbassi Marguenle, Export Promotion Officer, and Garba Houdou, Client Service and Standardisation Officer.

Mr. Faliki said the visit was to participate in the 67th Ghana’s Trade Fair to promote goods and services of Shippers in Cameroon under the AfCFTA.

She said: ‘We are committed to data sharing among Shippers Councils as a key enabler for realising the full potential of this landmark trade agreement.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Residents of Takoradi cannot hide their frustration as they continue to experience disruption in internet services, affecting many businesses, government and private organisations, which solely depend on the internet data for their operations.

Online users are faced with uncertainty about the five-week time frame issued by the National Communications Authority (NCA) for internet restoration.

Last Thursday, March 14, internet connections were disrupted due to some damage caused to some submarine cables, affecting mobile and fixed data services nationwide.

The Communications Minister, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Monday attributed the multiple undersea cable disruptions to a force majeure, which means an act of God.

She said the disruptions might have been caused by an undersea landslide in the Ivory Coast and Senegal, which affected mobile networks, especially MTN and Telecel.

Some residents of Takoradi, in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), expressed worry and dissatisfaction over the disr
uption of online services, hindering access to the various platforms for business transaction.

Mr Ashish Kumar, the Branch Manager of Intercom Programming and Manufacturing Company Limited (IPMC) Takoradi, said he was surprised as to why the restoration of the internet had taken so long.

The Company’s whole activities were dependent on the internet, including conducting examinations or sending details to students, he said, adding: ‘We cannot function as an institution if there is no internet connection, making it look as if we are in the village.’

Mr Alfred Owusu, the Senior Librarian, Takoradi Library, expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved for effective internet connectivity on all networks to enhance usage.

Mr Patrick Asare, a driver, said he had difficulty in purchasing credit for his smart meter online, due to the disruption in internet services.

He expressed the fear that if his electricity credit ran out and the issue of network services remained unresolved, it would mean he would sle
ep in darkness for as long as the problem persisted.

Mr Emmanuel Quansah, an online business marketer, expressed concern about his inability to advertise his business online as well as update his clients on recent developments of goods.

He hoped the estimated five weeks period given to restore services would be met for life to return to normalcy.

The NCA has encouraged the local Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet service providers and all stakeholders to participate in the operations of the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX) to ensure an efficient local content delivery and a seamless local internet traffic.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that his Administration will uphold the rule of law in the processes of assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024.

He said issues raised about the Bill and currently pending before the law court would have to be dealt with before his Administration could signify assenting or otherwise to the Bill.

A statement issued by the Office of the President, and copied to the Clerk to Parliament, the Majority Leader, among others, stated that, under the prevailing circumstances, it was appropriate ‘to cease and desist from transmitting the Bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court are resolved’.

‘This Office is aware of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction, both filed on March 07, 2024, in the Supreme Court in Dr Amanda Odoi vrs The Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney-General, and Richard Sky vrs The Parliament of Ghana and The Attorney-General, respectively, to restrain you and Parliament from
transmitting the Bill to the President, and, also, to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter.’

The statement said the Attorney-General had, by a letter dated March 18, 2024, informed the President that he had been duly served with both applications.

Consequently, the President has been advised not to take any step in relation to the Bill until the matters raised by the suits are determined.

‘It is the understanding of this Office that both applications have also been duly served on Parliament.

‘Therefore, it would be improper for you to transmit the Bill to the President and equally improper for this Office to receive the Bill until the Supreme Court determines the matters raised in the suits.

‘Indeed, it is settled law that, during the pendency of an interlocutory injunction application, the status quo ante ought to be preserved, and no action should be taken that would result in prejudicing the injunctive relief sought and underminin
g authority of the court,’ the statement explained.

The statement said, it had come to the attention of the Office that, while the President and other senior officials of the Presidency were at Peduase for a Cabinet Retreat recently, there were attempts to submit the Bill to the Jubilee House for the President to signify his assent or otherwise to the Bill.

The Bill, passed recently, with an overwhelming backing of Ghana’s two major political parties – the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – is yet to receive a Presidential assent.

It proposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+, and imposing a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.

Generally, it seeks to punish those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts, as well as those who wilfully promote, sponsor, or support LGBTQ+ activities.

Commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill, it received sponsorship from a coalition, comprising Christian, Mus
lim and Ghanaian traditional leaders.

Amnesty International has warned that the Bill poses significant threats to the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people, urging the President to tread cautiously in the passage of the Bill into law.

Source: Ghana News Agency