Lesotho Wire

The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has called on political parties to introduce measures to support families of persons with disabilities in their various manifestoes.

The GFD specifically called on political parties and policy makers to support those who act as informal carers, to support and empower them to manage their caring responsibilities, to remain active in employment, to maintain good health, and to have a life outside of caring.

Such measures, the GFD said, should also seek to prevent situations where family members with caring responsibilities are disadvantaged or discriminated against.

The Advocacy Committee of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) has spearheaded the development of a Disability Manifesto for the 2024 elections.

Mr Auberon Jeleel Odoom, Chairman of the Manifesto Committee told the Ghana News Agency that the manifesto will serve as a roadmap to guide policymakers and political leaders in formulating inclusive policies and implementing effe
ctive measures to ensure the full participation and empowerment of persons with disabilities in all aspects of Ghanaian society.

The manifesto also advocates for the establishment of comprehensive social protection programmes that provide financial support, healthcare, and other essential services to persons with disabilities, families affected by disability, and caregivers of persons with disabilities.

Mr Odoom said over the years, political parties have often not involved organizations of persons with disabilities in the development of their manifestoes, which mostly resulted in limited consideration for disability issues in their manifestoes.

‘With the 2024 elections approaching, political parties must give due attention to the concerns and aspirations of this marginalized segment of society.’

The GFD’s Disability Manifesto represents a collective effort to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Ghana and to chart a path toward greater inclusion and empowerment.

The Manifesto was
arrived at through a nationwide process of consultation within the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations and its members, as well as its regional branches.

The Manifesto represents a collective effort to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Ghana and to chart a path toward greater inclusion and empowerment, Mr Odoom Said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Adama West Africa Limited, manufacturers of pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides, has engaged stakeholders in the cocoa industry for feedback on use of their products.

The engagement was to afford management of Adama West Africa the opportunity to elicit concerns and recommendations from managers, chief farmers, and Produce Buying Companies (PBCs) in the cocoa value chain on the efficacy and potency of applying their products on cocoa farms as part of a Cocoa Enhancement Programme.

Mr Joshua Banana Awutey, Marketing and Development Manager of Adama West Africa, speaking at the event said the engagement was part of measures to provide a robust cost-effective supply network to enhance productivity of cocoa farmers.

He said with an extensive global presence and direct reach to farmers, his outfit was committed to addressing problems cocoa farmers faced through innovative technology and digital solutions.

Mr Awutey mentioned that their products such as Banjo Forte 400 SC, EMA STAR 112 EC, Nicogold 400 OD
and Maizine 30 OD among others, were effective and incident-free chemicals which dealt with the blackpod and other diseases on cocoa farms.

He encouraged farmers to always read instructions or seek advice from extension officers before spraying chemicals on their farms to avoid complications.

Mr Samuel Osei, the Western-South Regional Manager of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), said the news from the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD that Ghana had lost over 500,000 hectares of cocoa farms to swollen shoot viral disease was a source of concern to the cocoa sector especially, the Cocoa Health and Extension Division.

He said cocoa production had declined in the last three years thereby affecting the local economy, adding; ‘COCOBOD, therefore, welcomes the collaboration with the Adama West Africa company for crop protection and streamline activities in the sector to increase productivity.’

He said as part of the Cocoa Enhancement Programme, COCOBOD had earmarked 900,000 hectares of cocoa farms for pruning throu
ghout the country this year, with 222,708 hectares of the total figure being in the Western-South Region.

Mr Osei said: ‘As part of an agenda Restoration, COCOBOD will assist massive cooperative-led pruning exercise and application of organic fertilisers on cocoa farms to help boost our chances of meeting our target of producing 300,000 metric tonnes of cocoa Western-South Region this year’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Joachim Elbazar, the Nabdam District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Upper East Region, has advised students at the Kongo Senior High School to be vigilant and desist from indulging in mob justice.

He said various crimes were punishable by law under the 1992 constitution and until a court of competent jurisdiction found one guilty of a crime, no one had the right to subject a suspect to undue suffering.

According to him, such acts could open the floodgate for violent extremism and give rise to rebels that had the tendency of causing instability in the country and called on the students to be guided and act according to the laws of the country.

Mr Elbazar said this when he addressed the students on the sidelines of a video show on the activities of violent extremists as experienced in neighbouring countries.

He said, ‘being vigilant entailed saying something when you see something suspicious in your community by reporting to the rightful authorities, including the securi
ty agencies, Assembly members and the chiefs’.

The event formed part of the Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) project with funding support from the European Union (EU) and being implemented by the NCCE across eight border regions of the country.

The regions include Upper East, Upper West, North-East, Northern, Savannah, Bono, Bono East and the Oti Regions.

The project aimed at creating awareness about violent extremism, facilitating activities to engender, among the citizens of Ghana, Security consciousness, social inclusiveness, community cohesion, and situational awareness.

It also aimed at engaging citizens on the threat of violent extremism, to prevent the invasion of extremists in Ghana as has been reported in other neighbouring countries.

Master Abaa Joseph, a student who spoke on behalf of his colleagues thanked the NCCE for the education and said, ‘it will shape our behaviour as we have seen the negative impact of war in the other countries, and we don`t want that to happen in ou
r country’.

He urged his fellow students to desist from all acts of violence and appealed to the NCCE to continue to have such engagements with them periodically to keep them alert.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Coconut Grove Regency Hotel says it will keep innovating to set higher standards for the comfort and refreshment of its hotel patrons.

This follows their hat-trick win at the just-ended 6th Edition of the Ghana Hotels Association awards, in Accra.

It was crowned the overall Best Three Star Hotel of the Year.

It also won the Best Front House and the Best in Conference Team of the Year in their respective categories.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, the Front Office and Administrative Manager, Afua Taylor Ashie, expressed her excitement over the awards and the gain from the pursuit of excellence.

She said having the customers at heart had been the primary goal of her outfit.

Earlier, the President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike, paid tribute to Mr Herbert Acquaye, a former President of the Association, for initiating the award scheme.

According to him, the Awards scheme was initiated to honour hotels and members of the Ghana Hotels Association who
would distinguish themselves in various aspects of their work.

The theme for the 6th Edition of the Ghana Hotels Association awards was: ‘Sustaining the Hotel Industry in Ghana Post COVID-19.’

Ghana Hotels Association was formed in 1975, and is made up of managing proprietors, managing directors or accredited representatives of hotels, motels, and guest houses that have been certified and licensed by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to offer accommodation, catering and other tourism services in Ghana.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Seth Acheampong, Chairman of the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), who is also regional Minister, has visited Kwahu-Bepong to evaluate the aftermath of a tragic clash between police officers and a distressed crowd.

He was joined by Mr. Emmanuel Atta Ofori, the Municipal Chief Executive of Kwahu-South, Deputy Commissioner of Police Isaac Asante, members of the Kwahu South Municipal Security Council and others.

The team gathered firsthand information regarding the unfortunate incident, which resulted in the loss of three lives and substantial property damage.

Mr. Acheampong praised the security agencies for their professionalism and quick response in handling the situation. The minister also called on all stakeholders to support the efforts to achieve lasting peace.

He also expressed joy about life returning to normalcy, saying, ‘I am happy to see everybody going about their normal business. There are traders at the market, and all that as if nothing has happened.’

The team first visited Bep
onghene, Nana Nyarko Bawuah II, to assess the damage at the Palace, where the incident took place. They then proceeded to visit the families of the two deceased siblings. Also, they had meetings with officers at the Bepong Police Station and went on to visit the Atibie government hospital to inquire about the medical condition of the injured victims.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Prof. Daniel Agyapong, a Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has confirmed the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector as the mainstay of Ghana’s economy.

He said although SMEs contributed about 70 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), their start-ups and growth sustainability had been subdued by what he termed as ‘road monsters, fairies, and angels,’ along the growth trajectory of the sector.

Delivering his inaugural Lecture on the topic: ‘Entrepreneurship and small enterprises’ development night journey: The road of monsters, fairies and angels,’ Prof. Agyapong described the SMEs sector as a slumbering giant.

The well attended Lecture highlighted the entrepreneurial trajectory issues within and outside businesses and how they impacted business venture performances through ideation, early growth and late stages.

He likened the fairies to mystical beings often associated with encroachments, incomprehensible and unpredictable behavio
urs at work and employees with deep-seated notion that owners or managers of SMEs were rich and therefore steal from them.

Others were competitors who use deceptive tactics or false promises to sway customers regardless of the consequences of their actions.

For others, he said they were the guardian angels in the form of loyal customers, and other stakeholders who provided ceaseless physical and spiritual advice that shielded the company against external attacks.

‘Despite the immense contribution of the sector, SMEs are plagued with numerous challenges, ranging from cost of credit, lack of managerial skills, lack of equipment and technological know-how to regulatory issues, forcing most of them to collapse after few years in operation.

‘The presence or absence of the support and enabling environment can be likened to journeying on a train with its attending issues of monsters, fairies, and angels in the course of the journey,’ Prof. Agyapong said.

‘Ghana’s economy can only attract high -value investments
if SMEs are given the desired backing to grow, expand and create employment to match the capacities of potential external investors,’ he said.

For that matter, he said developing the entrepreneurial mindset and the culture of initiating start-ups was the foundation for entrepreneurial activities which often started from the home, school, and the community.

In the case of the home, teaching children to socialise and be independent, take risks, avoid perfectionist tendencies, and avoid punishing children for honest errors made them creative.

In schools, he said entrepreneurial education should not be to learn about entrepreneurship alone, but to practice it and have the school curriculum emphasising on the ‘doing’ and the ‘knowing’.

Setting up entrepreneurship centres, incubators and accelerators, had been found to promote entrepreneurial development, Prof. Agyapong noted.

In the community, the availability of business development services, coaches, mentors and advisors were necessary conditions for start-
up development.

Going forward, he said, start-up, commercialisation, and venture stabilisation required massive business development services including review of complex regulations and tax incentives.

Consequently, there should be capacity building in financial and risk management, bookkeeping, product packing and investment management, intellectual property laws, and copyrights to promote small business development.

Prof. Agyapong urged the government to create access to both domestic and international markets, anchored on a sound enabling environment with improved infrastructure, such as water supply, and transportation, subsidy on energy costs, and making available alternative sources of energy.

Additionally, there should be an appropriate funding support at the different stages of the growth trajectory, including reliance on angels (benevolence of others).

Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, highly praised Prof. Agyapong for his academic accomplishment having entered the unive
rsity in 1999.

Prof. Agyapong since August 1, 2022, had been the Director of the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance.

Source: Ghana News Agency