Category: General

They included the Minister of State Bello Bouba Maigari, Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, who represented president Paul Biya in the event.

Other Ministers were Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Jean Ernest Massena NGALLE BIBEHE, Ketcha courtes, Hamadou Moustapha and Yaouba Abdoulaye, Mbairobe and a host of government officials.

The three Northern Governors representing North, Far North and Adamawa, were present.

One speaker after another praised the initiative, which goes beyond the renovation of this legendary mosque inaugurated in 1981 by the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and praised the surge of national solidarity that enabled the initiator of the project, His Majesty El Rachidini, to offer the people of Garoua this architectural gem, whose guided tour enabled guests to appreciate the beauty of the work.

Alongside the event, on the same Friday evening, the Lamido of Garoua treated his guests to a cultural evening featuring a beautiful fantasia and a succession of musicians on the podium.

T
he later part of the programme took another turn when the Minister of Transport was elevated to the dignity of ‘Chetima’ of the Lamida of Garoua.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Accra: Takoradi, March 4, GNA – Mr. Christian Kwabena Andrews, the Founder and Leader of the Ghana Union Movement, (GUM), has announced that he will choose his running mate from the Western Region.

The decision stemmed from the fact that, the Region in the 2020 elections, gave GUM, the highest votes, indicating the desire of ‘Westerners’ to see most of the projects and programmes by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah revived.

Mr Andrews, popularly known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom declared at the weekend during a meet the press and stakeholders’ engagement in Takoradi in the Western Region, to talk more about the party’s principles and philosophies aimed at lessening the economic burden of the Ghanaians.

He said, ‘I have asked the people to engage with the chiefs and religious leaders and whoever they select from the Region becomes my running mate in the 2024 presidential elections’.

The GUM flagbearer said the party was an epitome of hope, restoration, and revival of the Ghanaian economy and social life and prayed that Ghanaia
ns supported it to achieve its vision for the country, adding, ‘GUM is not a small party, therefore let’s continue to support the party to the high office of the land.’

The GUM party, Mr Andrews said, intended to run an all-inclusive government to ‘save’ the country from ‘demons and witches’ destroying the fortunes: oil, gold and other natural resources meant for the holistic development of the Nation.

He urged Ghanaians to be alert to the happenings in the country, reason through it very critically and make the best of decisions come 2024.

He added that it was time Ghanaians used their brains very actively to avoid being used.

Mr Andrews said, ‘We have no monies to spend, but I entreat you to be very circumspect, digest the policies presented to you, as against taking tokens and peanuts to sell the very foundation and future of the country into the hands of some selfish individuals who avoid the collective good for individualism.’

The GUM party, born out of the ideologies of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah first appe
ared on the ballot paper in 2020, as a first timer, during which Mr. Andrews secured 105,548 of the valid presidential votes cast, representing 0.08 percent, and thus placing third to the NPP and the NDC.

The party’s core principle was that every Ghanaian must arise to contribute impactfully to the development of the country to turn around the country’s economic, political, and social structure.

Mr Andrews believed that there should be a new Ghana with unity and peace, industrialization, free ports, employment for all, strict monitoring, and punishment for corrupt practices.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Professor Kenneth Egbadzor, Head of the Agriculture Science Department of Ho Technical University, at the weekend disclosed that the baobab tree that grows in the wild has several uses but is being underutilized.

He said the tree whose scientific name is ‘Adansonia’, has over 300 uses, adding, ‘every part of the tree from the root to the leaves are useful.’

Scientifically the tree could take only three years to mature, he said, adding that, the baobab tree could be another foreign exchange earner for the country, if proper attention was given to its nurturing.

Prof. Egbadzor disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the sidelines of the 40th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of Togbe Dzegblade IV at Adaklu Kodzobi.

He mentioned some of the uses such as food, medicine and cosmetics, saying, the fruit is rich in chemical compounds, vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

‘It is a good source of many important minerals and vitamins,’ he said.

Prof. Egbadzor said the health benefi
ts of the tree were enormous and its oil important.

He disclosed that the Agriculture Science Department of HTU was carrying out research into more of its uses and its domestication.

Prof. Egbadzor expressed the hope that upon the completion of the research, the patronage of the baobab tree would rise and thereby, serve as a good foreign exchange earner for the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Strengthening partnership between Morocco and the member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which reflects brotherhood, coordination and solidarity ties between HM King Mohammed VI and His brothers GCC heads of State, was at the centre of the ministerial meeting held on Sunday in Riyadh between GCC States and the Kingdom of Morocco.

This meeting, which was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the GCC member States, was the opportunity to strengthen the strong foundations of the strategic partnership between the two parties, in line with the Vision of HM King Mohammed VI, and His brothers GCC heads of State.

It is part of the strong relations and the comprehensive and renewed strategic partnership between Morocco and the GCC countries, the foundations of which were laid by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His brothers GCC leaders, since the Morocco-GCC
Summit, held on April 20, 2016 in Riyadh.

This meeting was an opportunity to review the outcome of the strategic partnership between the two parties and to examine the means to further strengthen it to meet the expectations and aspirations of HM the King and His brothers GCC leaders.

It was also an opportunity for the two parties to consult and coordinate their positions regarding regional issues, notably the efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and to protect the Palestinian people in line with international law and international humanitarian law.

On this occasion, Bourita underlined the importance of this meeting, the result of a fruitful and constructive partnership initiated thanks to the common will of HM King Mohammed VI and His brothers GCC heads of State, stressing that this meeting was an opportunity to review and consult

on the situation and challenges in the region.

Bourita also noted that relations between Morocco and the brotherly GCC countries are excellent and a
re based on sincere brotherhood ties binding His Majesty the King and His brothers Their Majesties, Their Highnesses and Excellencies, GCC Heads of State, noting that the cooperation and consultation relations between the two parties is a model to follow in Arab-Arab relations.

In this regard, he added that the 2016 Riyadh Summit and the speech delivered by HM King Mohammed VI on this occasion before His brothers GCC Heads of State, constitute the basis of the political vision and the strategic perspective of this partnership, noting that since 2011, relations between Morocco and the GCC States have deeply flourished and advanced and that today it is time to progress towards even broader horizons.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Hajia Samira Bawumia, the wife of the Vice President, has launched a ‘Wear Ghana Everyday’ campaign as part of efforts to promote made-in-Ghana fabrics.

At the launch of this year’s ‘Wear Ghana Festival’ in Accra, Mrs Bawumia, who has dazzled Ghanaians over the years with her breathtaking and bespoke Ghanaian designs, advocated an increased patronage of locally produced textiles and designs.

She said everyday should be a ‘Ghana Day’ and not only on Fridays, adding; ‘Let us infuse our daily lives with the vibrancy of our culture. Whether in the office, at school, or during leisure. Our clothing is a canvas that tells the story of our nation’.

She appealed to employers to allow their staff to wear Ghana every day to express their patriotism and contribute to the growth of the Ghanaian economy.

‘Let us create a workplace culture that celebrates our identity,’ she added.

The event was organised by the National Commission on Culture, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in p
artnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority.

The ‘Wear Ghana Festival’ is an annual event instituted to promote national identity and encourage the patronage of local fabrics.

The Second Lady received a citation jointly presented by the leadership of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association, and the Ghana Association of Beauticians and Hairdressers for her outstanding contribution to the growth of the fashion Industry.

They said the fashion industry had seen remarkable growth since 2017.

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority valued Ghana’s export revenues from the fashion industry hovering around $43 million in 2020, which is a huge increase because the industry was nearing collapse due to excessive importation of second-hand goods and influx of cheap replica fabrics.

The Queenmothers’ Foundation, led by Nana Serwaa Bonsu, Queenmother of Offinso-Kayera, also named the Second Lady as ‘Dwabisohemaa Adwoa Adepa’ in recognition for her distinct role in promoting Ghana’s culture through fashion.

N
ana Serwa Bonsu said Ghana’s Kente and local prints had seen increased patronage since the Second Lady assumed office in 2017.

Mrs Bawumia has been celebrated widely for her fashion statements, particularly on Independence Day celebrations.

She skilfully blends locally sourced fabrics to produce intricate designs that become signature pieces being replicated across the country and internationally.

Source: Ghana News Agency

To ensure the quality and relevance of textbooks to be used in the country, the National Council for the Approval of Textbooks and Didactic Material (CNAMSMD) has thoroughly reviewed and approved the submitted textbooks proposed by publishers across the world.

It is expected that 77 textbooks from the Anglophone subsystem and 56 textbooks from the Francophone subsystem will receive approval, resulting in a total of 133 approved textbooks out of the 532 received.

The revelation was made during the 23rd evaluation session for books and textbooks in the first cycle of general secondary education in Cameroon which opened in Yaounde.

According to figures from CNAMSMD, the Anglophone subsystem accounted for 286 proposals, while the Francophone subsystem received 246 proposals. The total value of the offers reached CFA 53,200,000, with publishers paying a fee of CFA 100,000 per textbook.

The submissions were made by three groups of publishers, including 45 national publishers and four foreign publishers from Fra
nce, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and England. The third submission consisted of a co-publication involving both foreign and national publishers.

The purchase price for the textbook proposals was also increased from CFA 50,000 to CFA 100,000 per textbook. Despite this adjustment, the amount remains comparatively low compared to neighboring countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Gabon.

However, the school textbooks used for the last six years expire this 2023/2024 academic year.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Accra: Maize sellers in the Sissala area of the Upper West Region are crying for buyers of their produce weeks after harvest, with all known off-takers not in sight, forcing them to sell at lower-than-expected prices.

This came to light when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) interviewed some maize sellers who have been unable to sell their stock whilst those in dire need are being forced to sell at prices below the standardized ones.

Alhaji Maize Adinan Bajin, a maize dealer, said in December 2023, a bag of maize was sold at GHS370.00, went down to GHS365.00, later to GHS320.00 and currently being sold at GHS300.00.

In the past, after Christmas, a lot of buyers went to the Sissala area to buy maize but the prevailing situation had been different as there were no buyers, leaving the space for only one company to buy at a reduced price.

‘We can’t get buyers and as farmers, we need to sell and clear our new fields, buy fertilizer and prepare our new fields, but we are at a standstill and stranded,’ Alhaji Bajin sa
id.

‘More challenged are the smallholder farmers and women who are having difficulty selling their maize due to the fewer buyers.’

‘Looking at the amount of inputs that were used in producing the maize, it’s now difficult to break even, and this could make us indebted to our suppliers.’

He said he currently has 5,000 mini bags of maize that he had not been able to sell and called on the Government to intervene by regulating the price as they feared reducing their farm sizes next season if there was no support.

A woman maize farmer said: ‘I had to carry my two Maize bags to the WARC shop, a maize aggregation company, to sell but I was told I would receive my money the following day since the company`s mode of payment was mobile money and that had to be done next day’.

‘A few years ago buyers would trace to my house and even buy the maize and pay me cash, this situation is affecting us.’

Mr Nabong Ayie, a farmer, said: ‘I have tried selling 2000 bags for the past two weeks and nobody is calling to buy, I
need money badly to do other things and now I have to wait until a buyer calls’.

Mr John Dimah, a former National Best Maize Farmer, bemoaned the absence of buyers, saying:,’This year we are stranded, I still have some 15,000 mini bags of maize unsold hoping to get a buyer’.

He blamed the situation on the disturbances around the Sahelian region, the good season from the Middle belt of Ghana, the possible influx of foreign maize flooding the market.

He called on farmers to diversify farming to other crops like sorghum, sesame, and soya bean.

The WARC is the only company currently buying maize in the Sissala area where the price of maize has dropped from GHS370.00 in December last year to Ghc300.00 per 100kg bag currently.

It has employed some 70 women aggregating maize at various communities at a price most farmers felt cheated by due to the lack of competitors.

However, the Company has plans to buy about 600,000 bags of maize.

Mr Samuel Akuetteh, a Municipal Officer in charge of Crops said the Departme
nt of Agriculture was aware of the situation and had created market linkages to enable smallholder farmers could sell their produce.

Source: Ghana News Agency