Category: General

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Bill 2023 will include dimensions that capture the interest of the youth. The move is to enrich the Bill,?make it more relevant and ensure smooth implementation, when passed.

Dr?Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on?Food,?Agriculture?and Cocoa Affairs, said this at a public consultation organised by Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA) in Accra.

The event sought to assist in the content revision and to propose specific amendments that will address needs of youth, and vulnerable groups, including People living with Disabilities around?climate adaptation and use of climate change funds that will?be?established as a provision of the Bill when enacted.

It also served as a platform to create awareness,?engagement,?and climate literacy among?young people

Dr Jasaw said the timing of the amendment to the Bill was right because, ‘it is currently at the second consideration stage and open for input to make it solid.’?

He noted that the Bill was seeking to elevate the Environmental Protection Agency as an Authority to be empowered to regulate, protect, and exercise general oversight and co-ordination over all matters relating to the environment and climate change.?

He said the Bill, when passed, would consolidate the various dispersed Environmental Acts; the Environmental Protection Act, 1994 (490), the Pesticides Control and Management Act, 1996 (Act 528) and the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act (917) under one Act.

The Bill under review was enacted twenty-nine years ago to regulate matters that affect the environment and to coordinate the activities of bodies that deal with the practical and technical aspects of the environment.

Mr Assan?Ng’ombe, the Head of Resilience at?AGRA,?said Ghana had a large youthful population of??which 73.7 per cent of them were below the age of 35 years.

‘However, youth participation in public and private processes remains low. For example, less than two per cent o
f the 275 Members Parliament fall in the 21-35 age range,’ he noted.

The situation, Mr Ng’ombe said had, created gaps in national laws and programmes in effectively responding to the needs of the youth.

He said Ghana just like other global south countries was vulnerable to rising sea levels, droughts, increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall which adversely impacted infrastructure, hydropower production, food security and coastal and agricultural livelihoods.

Mr?Ng’ombe noted that the youth had a role to play in helping the implementation of the country’s climate adaptation and mitigation measures hence the need for their inclusion.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Trust Hospital has marked the International Women’s Day with a call on organisations to prioritise mental wellness of women.

Held on the theme: ‘Nurturing Resilience; Empowering the Productivity of Our Heroines through Mental Health Care’, the Hospital said due to the role women played in society- balancing family responsibilities with professional aspirations – ensuring they were well mentally, was very key.

The call was made at an event to commemorate the Day at the Trust Hospital Premium Centre, which saw about 94 staff members and about 10 guests from partner institutions such as ECG, ADB, and the TUCEE group participating.

Dr Juliana Oye Ameh, CEO of the Hospital, said the silent struggles women faced in balancing family responsibilities with professional aspirations was enormous, hence the Hospital’s resolution to pay attention to women’s mental health.

She said the Hospital had committed to support and empower its female staff members in both their personal and professional lives.

Dr Ameh said
the Hospital was working to ensure that its heroines felt valued, appreciated, and equipped with the necessary tools to overcome the challenges they faced.

Dr Cecilia Tutu-Danquah, a Counseling Psychologist and Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, and the founder of TUCEE, delivered a speech on strategies for helping women build resilience and increase productivity.

Dr Tutu-Danquah identified five key areas that could help women achieve those goals.

They are Wellbeing, Personal Abilities, Coping Strategies, Productivity, and Contribution.

She emphasised the importance of mental health as a crucial component of overall well-being, noting the need to prioritise mental wellness and incorporate it into one’s holistic approach to health.

Dr Tutu-Danquah said it was important to maintain a balance between mind, body, and spirit and crucial for one to seek help when necessary to live a fulfilling and happy life.

Mrs Lilian Annan, Director, Nurses and Midwifery Services at The Trust Hospital, also said i
t was easy to overlook one’s well-being due to the ever-increasing responsibilities that came with working in the healthcare industry.

She said the dedication to tending to the needs of others could often overshadow the importance of taking care of oneself and urged health workers to pay attention to that.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Host Ghana picked up four medals on Sunday, March 10, 2024, to move eighth on the medal table rankings at the ongoing African Games.

Winnifred Ntumi earlier on Sunday won a gold medal and two silver medals in the 49kg women’s weightlifting competition, while two-time Olympian Abeiku Jackson won silver in the men’s 50m butterfly competition.

Abeiku Jackson becomes the first Ghanaian to win a medal in swimming at the African Games, having also recorded a personal best of 24.23s in the finals.

Egypt, who are among the most successful teams at the African Games, tops the medal table with 31 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals, for a total of 55.

Another African Games heavyweight, Algeria are second on the table with eight gold, 15 silver, and 15 bronze medals, for a total of 38.

South Africa are third on the medal table with eight gold, seven silver and 12 bronze medals followed by Mauritius and Tunisia in fourth and fifth, respectively, on the medal table.

West African giants Nigeria who have secured one
gold, five silver and eight bronze medals are seventh on the medal table.

Team Ghana will be looking forward to winning more medals in certain sporting disciplines, which include wrestling, Athletics, Taekwondo, Tennis, Handball and Football.

However, the Table Tennis and Badminton events have ended with Ghana failing to win a single medal in various singles and team events.

Source: Ghana News Agency

As part of efforts to reduce fatalities on the highways, especially, during the night, the Ashanti Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has engaged long-distance drivers on the need to observe road safety regulations.

The exercise, which targeted drivers and managers of the?State Transport Company (STC), Metro Mass Transit (MMT) and other transport unions, formed part of activities lined up by the NRSA to reduce road crashes on major highways.

Also, on hand to educate the drivers on their responsibilities were officials from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.

Roads in the Ashanti region, according to the NRSA, are the deadliest in the country, accounting for 22.9 per cent fatalities followed by the Greater Accra region with 16.2 per cent fatalities.

It is against this background that the Regional Office of the Authority has intensified engagements with relevant stakeholders to bring d
own the needless killing of Ghanaians on the roads, largely due to the recklessness of drivers.

Participants were exposed to safety tips on the road as well as statistics of fatalities as a way of reminding them of the role they could play in reducing road crashes.

Mr. Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Head of NRSA, said available data showed that most fatal accidents on the highways happened at night and at dawn, hence the need to target long-distance drivers who often drove during those periods.

‘In line with this, we have been deploying safety officers to lorry terminals to conduct pre-trip inspections to ensure both drivers and vehicles are in good conditions to embark on the journey,’ he disclosed.

He said the Authority was already working with key stakeholders to promptly move broken-down vehicles from the roads as raised by the participants as one of the major causes of accidents the night.

According to the Regional Head, the Authority was?basically targeting road user risk groups which
include, passengers, pedestrians and motor riders, as part of a broader strategy to tackle the menace.

Mr. Amos Abakah, Regional Manager of DVLA, said the focus of his outfit was to check the health of vehicles as well as the licenses of drivers to ensure they were qualified to drive.

He said the key role of the DVLA in reducing accidents in the night was the enforcement of retro-reflective tapes on vehicles to alert other road users of their presence even when the vehicle was not in motion.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bemanful Foundation has supported the Citi TV clinic building project at Mepe with GHS 10,000 in aid of victims of the Akosombo dam spillage.

In a press statement, Dr Emmanuel Bempong-Manful, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bemanful Consults, said the initiative reflected their broader commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

‘It also reflects our mission to contribute positively to community development and building of sustainable futures beyond our core areas of expertise, ‘ he added.

Dr Bempong-Manful said the Foundation was committed to driving social change aimed at improving livelihoods and building sustainable futures.

He added, ‘At Bemanful we understand success evolves and appreciate the fact that every organisation, institution, or entity thrives in an environment be it physical or otherwise, it is, therefore, important that we give back to society as it supports us to grow as a business.’

The CEO said with a focus on sustainable development and as part of the Foundation’s CSR resp
onse to the devastating effects of the flooding triggered by the recent Akosombo dam spillage, Bemanful Consults stepped forward with a gesture of solidarity and support for the affected communities.

He emphasised the importance of community support during times of crisis, saying: ‘As a Company deeply committed to sustainable development and social responsibility, we understand the significance of standing in solidarity with communities during times of adversity.’

Madam Caroline Dodzi, the Human Resource Consultant of Bemanful Consults, said the support was a testament to the dedication to supporting the rebuilding of the communities affected by the aftermath of the Akosombo dam spillage.

Bemanful Consults is a leading firm specialising in growing businesses through Market Research, Business Management, tailored-made Skills Development and Training Programmes and IT Consulting solutions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

AngloGold Ashanti, Obausi Mine has established a baby nursing centre to support female employees who become nursing mothers.

The objective of the Obuasi Mine Baby Care Centre is to alleviate the stress and worry of female employees in finding suitable childcare and allow mothers to focus on their work knowing that their babies are being taken care of well.

Additionally, employee nursing mothers on resumption of duty are granted one hour a day to nurse their babies for a period up to the child’s first birthday.

Mr Meschack Baah, Senior Manager, Human Resource of AngloGold, made these known at a symposium organized by the company to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day.

It was attended by queenmothers, female assembly members, female heads of departments, management of AngloGold Ashanti and various women groups.

Mr Baah said the company had since 2023 declared every March as Women’s month, to celebrate the achievements of their female employees, remind themselves of their collective responsibility towar
ds creating an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace and to reflect on their shortcomings and apply measures to close the gaps.

He said AngloGold was committed to creating a work environment where the dignity of employees was respected.

‘Having a baby care centre closer by, affords our employees who become nursing mothers or fathers, the opportunity to spend more time with their newborns, while cutting down significant travel time for those who live far’, he stated.

Ms. Adiki Ayitevie, former Vice President, Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Goldcorp Corporation Ghana, bemoaned the level of participation of females in the mining sector.

She said Ghanaian women made up only 9% (694) of the 6,871 senior, and 10% (1,867) of the 21,516 junior employees in the 23 mining companies considered in 2021.

This, she pointed out, was very low in view of the female population in the country.

She pointed out that, this year’s global theme for the International Women’s Day ‘Inspire Inclusion’ highlig
hts that, women’s participation in society was essential hence, it was imperative for stakeholders to work to improve the level of participation in the mining sector.

Madam Ayitevie believed that aside from giving women the opportunities to excel in their chosen fields, it was important for women to have self-confidence and believe in their own abilities.

‘Women have the qualities needs to help institutions succeed, we only need to be given opportunities to harness and exhibit our talents.’

Participants, who spoke to the media, commended AngloGold Ashanti for putting the programme together, saying that they had been empowered and inspired to be industrious and utilize their potentials to the maximum.

Source: Ghana News Agency