Category: General

Some residents in the Makepe Missoke neighborhood in the Douala 5 subdivision have sent a distress call to municipal authorities alerting them of a mess from the septic tank of an individual that puts their health at risk.

Excrement from poorly connected septic tank pipes flows into their homes. A family said they have been living in the mess for over a year now.

‘The stinking waste from the septic tank drains into my house unceasingly. All the rooms including that of the children stink. The situation has been like this for over a year. We are forced to sleep in the parlor. We are still here because there is no money to go and rent a house elsewhere.’ Akana Cynthia, a housewife said.

They have spent enormously on hospital bills given their children fall sick often.

‘Every month I spend about 50,000frs for my health including that of my wife and children. ‘ David Tiomagnou, the family head revealed.

Efforts to implore the owner to address the problem went in vain.

‘He paid deaf ears and showed no zeal to
repair the septic tank.’ Added David.

The victims of this environmental pollution who have also tabled the problem to the quarterhead with fruitless results now look up to the Douala 5 authorities for intervention and immediate action taken against the owner of the septic tank who is adamant about not repairing it despite a series of complaints.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Professor Godfred Bokpin, an Economist, has rejected the Ministry of Finance’s analysis on the financial implications of the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill by Parliament.

He said the Ministry’s advice to the President on the financial implications of the recently passed anti-LGBTQI+ Bill by Parliament lacked global evidence and only sought to ‘put fear in the President’.

The Finance Ministry, in a statement to the President following the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill by Parliament, warned that the country stood to lose some $3.8billion in World Bank support should he (President Akufo-Addo) assent to the bill.

Speaking on Accra-based television station, TV3’s Saturday’s programme, ‘The Key Points’ monitored by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Prof Bokpin rejected the Ministry’s assertion, describing it as ‘narrow’.

He noted that, just like with the enactment of every law, the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill would have monetary implications on the country.

However, he explained that the Ministry’s explan
ation that the country would lose $3.8billion budgetary support from the World Bank was not supported by any global evidence.

‘If you examine the statement from the Ministry of Finance, you could see that it wasn’t professional, and it was too narrow-minded,’ he said, adding that ‘I believe that if they had done their research and analysis very well, they would have advised the President based on available evidence at the global and then continental level in terms of the dynamics, rather than perhaps, taking this narrow view.’

Prof Bokpin also indicated that the statement exposed the Ministry of not doing extensive research and analysis on the matter before issuing the advice to the President, saying such act was ‘not professional’.

Globally, he noted that there were no evidence to show that the more than 60 countries, which were members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank, and had criminalised homosexuality had lost support from the institutions.

‘I mean, the issue of homosexuality
has been there long ago and even where they have lifted the ramifications, the evidence on the ground does not support the position of the Ministry of Finance, and that is why one would be wondering why the Ministry of Finance would seek to put that fear in the President and Ghanaians,’ he said.

Prof Bokpin added that: ‘There are over 60 countries of the IMF and the World Bank that have criminalised homosexuality. For decades, the evidence on the ground is that the IMF and the World Bank have not stopped doing business with them.’

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, on the same programme, questioned the rationale behind the Finance Ministry’s linkage of the Bill to financial gains at the detriment of ‘Ghanaian values’.

He also indicated that some comments by the international community particularly diplomats, on the recently passed Bill amounted to interference in the affairs of their host country, and breach of international diplomatic laws.

He, therefore, asked them to resp
ect the laws and values of Ghana and refrain from such commentaries to ensure peaceful coexistence between them and their host country.

Parliament on February 28, 2024, passed the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQ bill) after the third reading.

The Bill, among other things, sought to prohibit lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities in the country.

It also places a jail term of up to five years on convicts.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Charity Nginyu

Ten individuals have been freed from the hands of their captors by elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) in the Adamawa region of Cameroon.

Kidnapped from the Mbé, Nganha, and Touboro subdivisions in the Northern region, reports indicate that the hostages had been held captive for a month in the Bénoué park.

Their captors had demanded a hefty ransom for their release prior to the intervention of the BIR.

According to reports, it was thanks to timely intelligence, that a rescue operation was executed on March 7th around 11 a.m. by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kounaka’s team, the commanding officer of the 5th BIR in Adamawa, in collaboration with the Vigilance Committee.

The operation resulted in the neutralization of several kidnappers, and a cache of weapons, ammunition, talismans, torches, and other items were seized.

The hostages were received by the region’s governor, Kildadi Taguiéké Boukar, who commended the efforts of the defense forces and the Vigilance Committee. Gove
rnor Boukar while receiving the hostages also reiterated the state’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of its citizens.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

In the latter part of April 2023, a scientific research team in China successfully completed the country’s first full-size superconducting test run for an ultra-high-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) train.

Combining maglev technology with low vacuum technology, the train, which will become the fastest means of on-ground transport once completed, will be capable of running up to 1,000 kilometers per hour.

Home to by far the world’s largest high-speed railroads network – with 155,000 km of railways in operation, including 42,000 km of high-speed lines as of the end of 2022, the addition of ultra-high speed magnetic trains to China’s rail network, will truncate travel time for people and cargo – improve economic efficiency and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions – promoting the harmonious coexistence of people and nature, the bedrock of Chinese modernisation.

In the country’s pursuit of modernisation, thus, Chinese modernisation, a unique development pathway for more than 1.4 billion people – prio
ritising common prosperity for all and promoting peaceful coexistence of mankind and the natural environment.

China has increasingly leveraged cutting-edge technologies, including high-speed railroads and the internet of things to drive development – these tools were central to concerted efforts dedicated to achieve the first centenary goal – they ensured that the country’s development improved the lives of its people.

By the end of 2020 exactly 10 years since China became the world’s second-largest economy, the Asian giant succeeded in using its rapid economic growth to eradicate extreme poverty, the first time in its history.

China’s economic rise has lifted nearly 800 million people from poverty and improved the living standards of its people.

Surprisingly, this outstanding achievement, which is also the first in human history, was realised 10 years ahead of the poverty eradication target set out by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – a remarkable achievement, driven partly by cutting-edge te
chnological solutions.

From widespread adoption of internet of things, high-speed railroad network, machine learning, drones, electric batteries, photovoltaics to many other technologies, now dominated by China, these cutting-edge technologies, have increasingly accelerated the country’s social, economic and environmental progress.

These are fostering efficiency and improving productivity in various sectors including transportation, agriculture, healthcare, ICT and energy; and mitigating inequality, promoting inclusive growth and protecting biodiversity.

All of these contributed significantly in building a moderately prosperous society by 2021 – successfully achieving the first centenary goal.

To build on this development, China, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has embarked on a new journey, the second centenary goal – once again, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance its rejuvenation on al
l fronts by 2049.

One of the key areas presently driving China’s development to this goal is the mobile industry.

As the world’s largest 5G market, it accounted for more than 60 percent of global 5G connections at the end of 2022 (exceeding 2.3 million 5G base stations). China’s mobile industry has yielded colossal social, economic and environmental gains – increasingly integrating communities across the length and breadth of the country – linking production and consumption across rural and urban areas.

There has been a profound transformative change, that fosters rural revitalisation and concurrently spurs development in urban settlements, thus further driving Chinese modernisation, with greater impact expected in the coming years.

By the end of 2022, almost 1.3 billion people in China subscribed to a mobile service. In that year, mobile technologies and services contributed $1.1 trillion of economic value to the Chinese economy, accounting for 5.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

China is proj
ected by the latest GSMA report (2023) to be the first market to reach one billion 5G connections by 2025, accounting for almost a third of the global total connections by 2030.

This will see rapid mobile connectivity, which ultimately will underpin future mobile innovation and services – building on the current deployment and adoption will most likely, boost the country’s social, environmental and economic development.

At present, China’s increased mobile connectivity has a tremendous impact on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Recent analysis shows that in spite of daunting challenges posed by COVID-19, SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) scored the highest in 2021, mainly attributed to rapid mobile internet adoption and rising-use of mobile-enabled services.

In the case of SDG 6, widespread adoption of mobile technologies such as the internet of things and artificial intelligence have enhanced capacities of communication and payment channels that prov
ide water and sanitation services. With just a smartphone, people in urban and rural areas in China are able to directly access utilities and other public services, including education and healthcare – in fact, the mobile industry increasingly facilitates logistics for SDGs.

For SDG 9 in China, one of the two SDGs with the highest scores in recent years, the mobile industry has been a pillar in the building of resilient infrastructure, promoting innovation, inclusive and sustainable industrialisation.

For example, China Mobile, which has established 1.28 million 5G base stations, provides digital services to more than 20 million small and medium-sized enterprises and information technology products.

In 2022 China Mobile assisted five million SMEs to transition to digital operation in China – enabling these enterprises to access new and larger markets, bolster innovation and productivity and foster inclusive growth.

So far, China’s increased mobile connectivity has had a tremendous positive impact on SDGs
but there is still room for improvement.

To accelerate China’s development to meet the second centenary goal by 2049, it is incumbent on policymakers to implement germane policies to advance innovative and new technologies in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, healthcare and transportation to complement efforts from the mobile industry.

For example, the plans to adjust about 20 percent of university majors in China by 2025 – introducing majors focusing on cutting-edge technologies and new industries and dropping majors unfit for socio-economic development is a step in the right direction.

Such actions will make available adequate human capital needed to create innovative and cutting-edge technologies to further drive Chinese modernisation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has joined women globally to celebrate International Women’s Day with a call on government to support health personnel to make their work effective.

Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the Association, who made the call, said items such as modern equipment, emergency drugs, better working conditions, would help them render better service to the public.

The theme for the World event is ‘Inspire Inclusiveness’ but GRNMA chose, ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress’ as its theme.

She explained that women, who formed majority of the Ghanaian population and for that matter 90 per cent of the GRNMA, if given the needed support would feel recognised and valued for their unique contribution to Ghana’s growth.

The President said privatisation and monetisation had become visible after the COVID-19 pandemic which was impeding their services and called on government to intervene.

Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Human Rights Lawyer and Activist, a guest speaker
, said she had joined women around the world to seek for a world on inclusiveness for women, adding that GRNMA’s theme was apt, reflecting on how personnel can progress as professionals.

She said women contributed immensely to society such as nurturing, nursing, ensuring the wellness of the family, among others.

However, womanhood was struggling when it came to accelerating gender equality and counting women as part of leadership.

Also, a former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Addo said not only had women invested in themselves but also the society but not without struggle due to the fact that they live in a male dominated environment.

She said in sub judicating women, religion, social norms and culture had played their respective roles, citing that some proverbs (a woman behaves like a child and must be guided all the time, a wealthy woman changes into a man, a woman is like a chicken, maize is used to lure her) demotivated women and it was time to treat them with equality and not
as second-class citizens.

Nana Oye said the Domestic Violence Act was promulgated in Ghana to protect women but gender-based violence against them had not reduced.

She appealed for decentralisation and expansion of mental healthcare at the health centres for people with mental health conditions who ran to lawyers instead of psychologists as well as sexual assault centres at the tertiary hospitals to cater for children who had been defiled.

Brigadier General Anita Asmah, Director General, General Headquarters, Defense Civilian Establishment, a guest speaker, advised the health professionals to remain devoted and work selflessly but balance their lives, attending to their family and friends too.

Whilst they remained self-disciplined and sacrificed their lives in their field full of uncertainties, they should also find a hobby to de-stress to enable them to return to work.

They should develop themselves to keep up with new professional trends as the more knowledgeable they were, the more confident they woul
d be in their practice.

She commended the health professionals for their sacrifice, adding that no organisation could survive without them and urged them on as their work would not go unrecognised.

Mrs Olivia Boateng, Director, Tobacco and Substance of Abuse Directorate, Food and Drugs Authority, said investing in women was not a moral imperative but economic empowerment that contributed to society’s wellbeing and economy.

She said supporting health professionals with the necessary tools must not be fleeting but sustained.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Parliament on Friday approved a $300 million loan finance the first Resilient Recovery Development Policy Financing despite an initial strong opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority.

The concessional financing agreement between the Government of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group has a grant element of 26 per cent, a repayment period of 25 years and five years grace period.

The facility seeks to restore fiscal sustainability, support financial sector stability and private sector development, improve energy sector financial discipline and strengthen social and climate resilience.

Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament in his report to the House, said to sustain the progress made in the macroeconomics sector the Government of Ghana had secure an amount of $300 million credit from IDA of the World Bank Group for the First Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (DPO1) Financing which c
onstitutes the first tranche of the World Bank $900 million programmatic Development Policy Operation (DPO) series for Financial Year 2023-2025.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority expressed concerns about the extent of borrowing by the Government and thought that it should deepen measures to maximize domestic revenue.

They strongly objected to the numerous tax exemption applications currently before Parliament, which they cited as examples of avenues from which domestic revenue could be mobilized.

According to the Minority, tax exemptions before the Finance Committee of Parliament amount to about GHS5.5 billion, that is $449 million in dollar terms.

They expressed concerns that these tax exemptions would amount to some GHS12.5 billion, which outstrips the GHS11 billion that the Government seeks to mobilize from new taxes introduced in the 2024 budget.

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Minister of Finance, in his remarks, reiterated his commitment to review the tax exemption requests and report back
to the House in two weeks.?

‘I want to assure them (the Minority) that I will take a look at these exemptions. I will rationalise it; I’ll review it and I’ll come back in two weeks to report to Parliament, and I hope that when I come, Honourable Members will support me in whatever rationalisation we are going to do.’

Source: Ghana News Agency