We can defeat Coronavirus if we are united – Akufo-Addo

May 11, 2020 by with 0 comment

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could be defeated if the nation stands in unison.

Ghana, he said, therefore, cannot allow some few individuals, to use political, religious and ethnic differences to derail the progress it has made in its collective drive to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Updating Ghanaians on measures taken against the spread of the coronavirus Sunday night, President Akufo-Addo sad “We can defeat it [Coronavirus] if we continue to look out for one another, and remain each other’s keeper. We are fighting a common enemy and it is imperative that we do not allow religious, ethnic or political differences to get in the way of certain victory. So, we cannot allow a few persons to scuttle our collective fight to succeed”.

To that effect, he said government was putting in place a Resilience and Recovery Plan, with the overarching aim of finding more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy to ensure sustained economic activity.

President Akufo-Addo also urged the play their part by remaining resolute and working hard to improve on their hygiene, fitness and exercises, eating habits, and style of living that will boost their immunity to the disease and the virus.

“We are told that the key vitamins that fortify our immune system are vitamins A, B6, C, and E. Fortunately for us, in Ghana, all these can be found in our foods such as oranges, kontomire, millet, cashew nuts, plantain, okro, dawadawa, brown rice and mushrooms. Following a good diet, patronizing our healthy foods, exercising regularly, ensuring our personal hygiene and improving our lifestyle habits should become part and parcel of our daily routines, which will help bolster our immune systems, and help us in the fight against the pandemic”, he averred.

He commended efforts of the country’s health workers, including all those responsible for the tracing, testing and treating, for their heroic contribution to the fight against the pandemic.

“They will be long remembered in our history”, he noted.

Ghana’s total infection cases of the coronavirus now stands at 4,700 with 494 recoveries with 22 deaths.

Gov’t losing big with ICUMS

May 11, 2020 by with 0 comment

Painstaking investigations conducted into the operations of the newly Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), otherwise known as UNIPASS, has revealed that their system is not connected to that of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The situation has, therefore, exposed revenue leakages associated with the ICUMS platform unlike the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) operated by GCNET and West Blue Consulting.

The absence of a link between ICUMS and the DVLA has made the latter loss track of all vehicles imported into the country to enable it collect the appropriate tax on those vehicles.

This major challenge means that the ICUMS platform is denying the DVLA the required data to rely on as well as revenue that would have otherwise been used by government on some other projects in the country’s developmental drive.

The non-existence of a link between the two bodies has also opened the flood gate for persons who import cars into the country through Togo and other neigbouring countries with the aim of evading tax to continue their nefarious activities and even go to the extent of registering the vehicles at DVLA since the Authority has no tracker to keep track of the origin of those vehicles.

The registration of vehicles are therefore left in the hands of certain individuals to manually decide whether those vehicles were brought into the country legally or illegally, a situation which breeds corruption.

The investigations also revealed that the ICUMS has not made any significant investment in the platforms they are going to operate with, thereby, exposing their capacity of rendering topnotch services at the ports to regenerate the much needed revenue government so desire of.

Due to the weaknesses in the system, ICUMS could not efficiently operate its system when given the opportunity to commence operations at the Takoradi Port on April 1, 2020, thereby, making government incur two days revenue loss.

The non-functional of the ICUMS system compelled freight forwarders to resort to the use of manual valuation to clear goods.

The story at the Tema Port in the Greater Accra Region, was even worse.

That of the Kotoka International Airport was also hard-hit.

The existing platforms, GCNET and West Blue were making about GH¢40million from the three points of entry; the Kotoka International Airport, Takoradi Port and Tema Port.

With the nonfunctional of the ICUMS platform for two day, it means the country incurred a loss of about GH¢80million.

What is more worrying is that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no assurance that ICUMS could recover the two days revenue loss incurred by the government since they have not put in place a robust system to make a turn around to serve importers and exporters better.

It is clear that ICUMS cannot deliver on its mandate, thereby, creating disruptions at the ports.

The sad thing is that the signs of revenue and job losses are boldly written on the walls for all to see but government has turned a blind eye on them.

ICUMS is a new port clearing system that processes documents and payments through one window. It encompasses five subordinate systems namely: single window system, clearance management system, cargo management system, information management system and an administrative system as well as an integrated risk management.

The new system is expected to reduce clearance cost and time in line with the World Customs Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The new system is a complete departure from the previous system where valuation and classification, risk management and payment were done by different entities.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), a state agency responsible for revenue mobilization, aware of the alarming revenue loss, have directed the new system (ICUMS) to run concurrently with the old system (GCNET and West Blue) to minimize revenue losses at the ports while it pursues measures to fully operationalize the ICUMS effective June 1, 2020.

The directive means that all transactions in respect of import and export manifest can be processed through the ICUMS or through Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) operated by GCNET and West Blue Consulting until the end of May, 2020.

“For the avoidance of doubt, with effect from June 1, 2020, all new transactions, without exception in respect of import and export shall only be processed through the ICUMS”, Acting GRA Commissioner-General, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah said in a statement copied to the media.

He added “All existing transactions commencing prior to May 31, 2020, for which processing have not been completed in the GCMS, before or after payment of duty, shall be processed through the ICUMS”.

However, the directive has not been adhered to at the Takoradi port and the frontier stations. This has resulted in untold hardships to Agents.

Officers and Agents are being coerced to only use the ICUMS platform, a system which keeps on failing the customers.

Despite the change from UNIPASS to ICUMS, the President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Edward Akrong, said its operational failings still persist.

According to him, the use of the platform will not inure to the benefit of the country since there are serious operational challenges that needed to be addressed.

Reports are rife that some shipping agents even held a demonstration in Takoradi last week to protest against the problems they are still encountering using the ICUMS Platform.

The Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade & Industry, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, addressing journalists in Parliament over the issue, said “everything we had warned the government to address is happening now”.

“As we speak, both ports operations are in disarray because it is obvious that the takeover from GCNET and the potential incompetence from ICUMS is affecting the country. We are losing millions of revenue and businesses are losing a lot of money in the midst of this COVID-19”, he noted.

He urged the citizenry to hold the President accountable for the revenue and job losses at the ports.

“We warned President Akufo-Addo but he didn’t listen. Why would any government risk such a major change? What are we in a rush for?”, he quizzed.

A/R: ECG invests GH¢44.5m to stabilise power

May 10, 2020 by with 0 comment

The management of the Electricity Company Limited (ECG) has expressed worry about intermittent power supply currently being experienced in some parts of the Ashanti Region.

Businesses in the region are bearing the brunt of the outages in power supply with the utility company also suffering revenue losses.

According to the Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman Budu, the company after series of system investigations identified several causes of the unstable power supply including weak transformers, vegetation, broken and burnt electricity poles and third party damages.

Unauthorized power connections (illegal connections) which overload transformers to exceed its power control capacity contrary to ECG program power management for communities were also identified as a major course of un-programmed power outages, resulting in automatic power tripping in the system during peak hours.

The most affected areas of the automatic power tripping in the region include Piase, Mankranso, Manso Nkwanta, Abrankese, Kronom, Juansa, New Edubiase, Tutuka, Abodom, Abono, Atwimah Agogo, Apire, fomena, and Ntensere.

However, to preempt the development, the company have begun construction of new Power primary sub-station at Agogo which will link Agogo, Konongo, Juaso and Ejisu to provide stable power for consumers in the areas noted for experiencing intermittent power supply.

The project is estimated to cost the power distribution company GH¢15million to re-enforce the system.

In the medium term, the company is injecting in another GH¢29.5million to strengthen the existing networks in the region to ensure reliable and stable power supply for domestic and industrial use.

Addressing the Media in Kumasi on Friday, May 8, 2020, Mr. Agyeman Budu said, the exercise will replace all weak electrical cables, old and weak transformers, among other old machines used in the power distribution to ensure consumer satisfaction.

Touching on power theft, he urged Ghanaians to project the power they are consuming at a cost by reporting power thieves to either the police or ECG office as their illegal activities continue to create unstable power distribution.

“By our system assessment, we have realised that most of our transformers are overloaded because each transformer is programmed to pick specific load of power in every community for both domestic and industrial use. Therefore if you steal power through illegal connection, what it means is that you are overloading the transformer outside the programmed system at our blind side. Therefore when the transformers are overloaded, it causes automatic trip, resulting in unstable power distribution. Therefore, let us all do our part to protect the system for our collective good and benefit”, he pleaded.

He disclosed that ECG currently continues to struggle to identify electricity faults any time the light goes off unexpectedly due to the try and error approach.

This, he added, is as a result of lack of standard fault detector gadgets to locate the exact location where the fault is so far as underground cable fault is concerned despite having a test van.

“Currently we are trying to use a new system known as VIT which shows as the fault line without the entire line necessary experiencing power cut. So, as management of ECG we are doing our part to make sure our customers continue to enjoy stable power to increase our revenue generation daily”, he explained.

Source: www.kasapafmonline.com

Don’t lift ban on social gathering – GMA counsels Akufo-Addo

May 10, 2020 by with 0 comment

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has sent a note to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, advising him against lifting restrictions placed on social gathering in the country.

This follows the spike in the number of recorded cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The concerns of the GMA comes amids reports that the President is being persuaded by Christian leaders to reopen churches.

However, the GMA in a statement, Saturday, cautioned against the dire consequences of such decision insisting the infection rate of COVID-19 could worsen if the President goes ahead to relax the restrictions.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic should not lift the ban on social gatherings for religious activities, schools, marriage ceremonies, funerals etc.

“Government must ensure the prompt and continuous distribution of PPE’s to all health workers at their various institutions (or places of work) at all times. This will guarantee the safety of all health workers as they continue to render care to patients,” GMA added.

COVID-19: Obuasi Central Market shut down

May 8, 2020 by with 0 comment

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly has shutdown the Obuasi Central Market among two others.

The move is to enforce physical social distancing and other protocols of Covid 19 to mitigate spreading of the viral disease in the mining city.

The Municipal Assembly has also directed all drinking spot operators to also close down shops to business effective Friday, May 8, 2020.

The Assembly has also directed residents in the community to compulsorily wear nose mask to manage easy spreading of nose and mouth droplets.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Obuasi, Elijah Adansi Bonah announced these directives while addressing a news conference in the municipality to outdoor new measures adopted by the Assembly in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The move became needful after the Municipality assumed the reputation as the epicentre of the COVID-19 in the Ashanti region, after recording 47 cases within some few days.

COVID-19 MEDIA FUND – Equitable distribution of national resources must override self interest

May 7, 2020 by with 0 comment

Exactly a month ago, I wrote an article with the headline “The Media deserve a stimulus package” where I advocated the need for the government to assist all media houses in the country with some relief items considering the enormous role they are playing the fight against the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

I, among other things, proposed to the government to consider the following:

  1. Waving the cost of renewing frequency authorization at least for one year.
  2. Pay the cost of electricity bill covering a period of six months.
  3. Pay the cost of water bill covering a period of six months.
  4. Cut down their tax returns at least 70%.

My proposal was premised on the GH₵1billion stimulus package under a Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) announced by the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, March 27, 2020.

The amount is to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on businesses and households and ensure job losses are minimized.

My call for a stimulus package for the media was re-echoed by the Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM), and the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) at a joint press conference held at the Accra International Press Center on April 8, 2020.

At the event, three things stood out among the proposals presented by the group for government’s consideration. They include:

  1. provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),
  2. transport for journalists by way of Ayalolo buses or other means, and
  3. the setting up of a COVID-19 Media Alleviation Fund in line with what has been established at the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.

The topmost priority among the three items was the proposal for the establishment of a COVID-19 Media Alleviation Fund which was championed by the President of PRINPAG, Mr. Andrew Edwin Arthur.

This COVID-19 Media Alleviation Fund, according to Mr. Arthur, should be managed by an independent body that would receive proposals and vet them and decide on which support is appropriate for an individual organization.

He said the same body should institute insurance packages out of the fund to support media professionals. “PRINPAG believes that these would go a long way to embolden Ghana’s media”, he noted.

Much as I support the establishment of the COVID-19 Media Alleviation Fund which if implemented will provide some relief items to support media houses, I do not subscribe to the setting up of an independent body to manage the fund.

I say so because the disbursement of the Media Development Fund that was set up President John Evans Atta-Mills of blessed memory is a case study to guide all of us.

The Fund was aimed at training and building the capacity of media practitioners to deliver better results in terms of prosecuting their various mandates for the development of the country.

However, till date, no proper accountability has been rendered as to how the Fund was utilized.

In January 2015, then Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC), Mr. Andrew Edwin Arthur who is now the President of PRINPAG, demanded the where about of the Fund when he delivered an address at the end of year party for the Corps.

“It is regrettable that such a laudable initiative has been abused by those who were expected to handle it, and I believe it will not be too much to call on the managers of the Fund to come out and let the Ghanaian media know the current state of the Fund”, he noted in his address.

It is on record that some monies were released to the then Ministry of Information as the Media Development Fund, it still remains a fact that no proper accountability has been rendered.

I believe strongly that it was based on this scenario that the President of PRINPAG called for an independent body to manage the COVID-19 Media Alleviation Fund.

Whatever it is, the fact still remains that a body was mandated to manage the Fund but failed in its mandate.

Therefore, the purpose of establishing the Fund was not realized.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus which has so far, according to www.worldometers.info infected 3,593,652, people worldwide, with 249,112 deaths and 1,166,079 recoveries, media houses in Ghana have not been spared the brunt of this virus.

The practice of containment measures such as social distancing has resulted in a lot of media informing some of their staff to proceed either proceed on leave or work from home while rotating the few that have been asked to report to work.

Some media houses have even gone to the extent of mutually terminating the employment contract they have with some of their staff. This is a measure to cut down cost while sustaining the business.

Advertising has sharply dropped since businesses are adopting cost-cutting measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

Events and promotions account for a chunk of revenue to many media houses. However, COVID-19 has shut the doors to all out-door events.

Some of the private print media houses are even struggling to produce either on daily or bi-weekly basis.

Production cost is weighing heavily on the media houses.

However, in spite of these challenges, the media houses have lived up to expectation, especially, regarding coverage of COVID-19.

I will therefore propose that the stimulus package being considered by the government for media houses must include the following to ensure fairness or equitable distribution of state resources:

  • Waiver of electricity bills for all media houses from March to December 2020.
  • Waiver of all water bills for all media houses from March to December 2020.
  • Waiver of cost in renewing frequency license for the year 2021.
  • All private newspapers should be directed to have their schedules discussed with the state-owned newspaper organizations that have printing press (Graphic Communications, Ghanaian Times) and if possible Daily Guide (Private) for their newspapers to be printed. The cost must be absorbed by the government from the period their schedule was approved to December 2020.
  • Additionally, all media houses that will require the injection of some liquidity into their operations should be made to access a loan facility from a designated state-owned bank at zero percent interest rate which is payable within five years.

By so doing, the media houses could retain majority of their staff if not all, thereby, preventing massive job losses in the industry.

A well thought out plan for the implementation of aforementioned proposals will avoid bickering among those that will be deprived of these relief items and the government will have its peace of mind.

 

Agona West MCE undermines Akufo-Addo; fights MP over projects

May 7, 2020 by with 0 comment

It appears the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Agona West, Justina Marigold Assan, is nurturing some political ambitions, hence, has some personal interest in promoting herself in the Municipality more than her appointing authority, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

In an about six-minutes video dubbed “Progressive Achievements of NPP in Agona West under Justina Marigold Assan”, the MCE is seen promoting her personal achievements in the Municipality without even acknowledging the President let alone the efforts of the party faithfuls and the Assembly for all the efforts in uplifting the standard of living of the people of Agona West throughout the entire video.

The least said about the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area who is also the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, for her supportive role in the Municipality the better. One begins to wonder whose interest she’s there for?

Party members as well as some sympathizers of the elephant family who are familiar with the self-acclaimed heroine nature of the MCE say the situation can have dire repercussion on the fortunes of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and demands immediate attention.

A member of the NPP in Agona West constituency, who wants to remain anonymous said “Aunty Justina is behaving like she is the President. You can be the President’s representative in the Municipality but you can’t be like him.

When it comes to elections, it is the President and the MP whose pictures will be seen on the ballot yet Aunty Justy is not promoting either of them, why? Has she so soon forgotten that it was the President who appointed her?

The MP and all the constituency executives of the party are promoting the President but their efforts are being eroded on daily basis by Justina’s constant counter attacks and self- accolades as if it’s her pocket money she’s running the municipality with.

She has to change her ways else her attitude will cost the NPP party’s seat and presidential votes in the 2020 elections”.

As if her consistent failure to acknowledge the President is not enough, party faithfuls suspect strongly that the MCE is also fighting the sitting MP over something, including who should be credited for government sponsored projects that are impacting positively in the lives of the people.

Inside sources say Justina is strongly competing with the MP through a proxy over who should represent the NPP in the 2020 Parliamentary polls.

The MCE, we gather, is constantly discrediting the sitting MP as far as the construction of projects in the municipality are concerned.

Reports are rife that anytime the MP makes attempt to showcase projects H.E the President has made so far since becoming the lawmaker of the area, the MCE will quickly release documents, pictures and videos on social media to discredit her and goes ahead to portray to the public that she rather lobbied for those projects almost as if she’s an independent candidate.

She is further reported to have consciously taken a decision to frustrate payment of contracts that will enhance the popularity of the sitting MP, Hon. Morrison.

This stance of the MCE, we are told, has resulted in the halting of some projects lobbied by the MP to the area for lack of payment for over two years now.

Those familiar with the situation say the contractors affected by this action have resorted to initiating court action against the Assembly.

An example is a contractor working on a new Police Station for the people of Agona Nyarkrom who is said to have complained bitterly to the MP and some party stalwarts in the municipality about the attitude and posture of the MCE anytime he goes to the Assembly to follow up on some certificates he has raised in connection to the project he is executing on behalf of the Assembly.

The said project, we gather was abandoned for almost a year until Madam Mamle Morrison raised some money for the contractor to continue to its current stage.

What is more worrying, according to some party followers, is the display of some arrogance and show of power by the MCE.

A sympathizer of the NPP who gave his name as Kweku said he is a witness to the show of arrogance displayed by the MCE on May Day when the MP invited her to inspect some ongoing projects including the new Police Station for the people of Agona Nyarkrom.

The MCE refused to come down from her car despite several advice by the constituency financial secretary, Kweku narrates how she openly snubbed her and drove off in anger glaringly.

Sources say Justina’s leadership style is very suspicious of a presidential hopeful or an MP; a situation that is seriously causing deep cracks in the Assembly’s collective developmental drive.

All efforts to get the MP Cynthia Mamle Morrison to comment on this development proved futile. She refused to comment on the topic.

Some party activists who have been following happenings in the municipality with keen interest have called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene.

They claim the situation is not peculiar to Agona West alone as some MCEs elsewhere have arrogated to themselves some powers which they are abusing them much to the detriment of the party.

COVID-19: Ghana’s cases hit 3,091 with 18 deaths

May 7, 2020 by with 0 comment

The number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Ghana has risen to 3,091 from 2,719, according to latest figures from the Ghana Health Service.

This shows an increase of 372 new cases.

Bono Region became the 13th region to record a case following the detection of a new case detected in the Jaman North District.

While the country’s total  recovery cases stood at 303 with 18 deaths as of May 7, 2020.

Regional distribution 

Greater Accra Region – 2,579

Ashanti Region – 165

Eastern Region – 95

Western North Region – 56

Central Region – 50

Western Region – 32

Volta Region – 30

Upper East Region – 26

Oti Region – 23

Upper West Region – 19

Northern Region – 13

North East Region – 2

Bono Region – 1

Savannah Region – 0

Ahafo Region – 0

Kumasi Roads: Mills-Mahama did a lot; Roads Minister peddled falsehood – NDC

May 7, 2020 by with 0 comment

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has come out strongly to defend the achievements of the Mills-Mahama administration as far as the construction of road projects in the Ashanti Region, especially, those in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area are concerned.

According to the umbrella family, President John Evans Atta-Mills of blessed memory and John Dramani Mahama, never disappointed the people of Ashanti Region in the sharing of the national cake, stressing that a lot of road projects were initiated by the duo during their time in office to improve on the standard living of the people.

To the group, about 400km of road network were constructed by the Mills-Mahama administration for the people of Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area.

This pronouncement is contrary to claims by the Minister of Roads and Highways that the NDC under Mills-Mahama administration did not construct a single road for the people of the Ashanti Region when they got the opportunity to govern the country from January 7, 2009 to January 7, 2017.

He also told the gathering that the Mills-Mahama administration abandoned the Sofoline interchange project which was initiated by the former President, John Agyekum Kufuor during his time in office as President of the Republic.

Mr. Amoako Atta addressing the media on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, moments after ending his two-day working tour to inspect some ongoing road projects in the Ashanti Region hit-hard at the NDC for neglecting the Ashanti Region in their scheme of things as far as the construction of roads are concerned.

The Minister in his address said apart from a company called Lomed Bau that constructed 100km-stretch of roads in the Greater Kumasi Area between 1984-1989 nothing has been done on roads in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area by successive governments including the Mills-Mahama administration.

Further to that, he accused the NDC of neglecting the Sofoline interchange, a project which was initiated by former President John Agyekum Kufuor when he was in office to ease traffic on that stretch of road through to Asuyeboah and Tanoso.

In addition to that, Mr. Amoako Atta said the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, having placed the Ashanti Region high on his agenda is constructing 460km road network in various parts of the region

However, such claims, according to the NDC “are all lies”.

At a news conference in Kumasi on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, to set the records straight on road projects initiated for the people of Ashanti Region during the Mills-Mahama administration, the NDC said the two former Ghanaian leaders did a lot for region.

“The Mills-Mahama administration did not disappoint Asanteman. They constructed about 400km of road network in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area alone. So we are finding it very difficult to believe what the Minister told the media during his visit. We will never allow the Minister and his cohorts to mislead Ghanaians. We will continue to expose them with facts”, noted the Regional Communications Officer of the NDC, Abass Mohammed Nurudeen, who addressed the media on behalf of the party.

Commenting on the Sofoline interchange project, Abass Nurudeen said that project was never abandoned by the NDC when it won power in 2008.

“The Sofoline interchanged never commenced in 2001 as claimed by the Roads Minister. President Kufuor cut the sod for the commencement of that project on Saturday, April 21, 2007. Moments after the ceremony, the project was abandoned but was again attended to in June 2008, just some few months to the general elections. So, when Kufuor left office, the Sofoline interchange was only 10% complete with no funds to continue to the project. It was part of the ‘Gang of Four’ road projects in the country at the time. The Mills-Mahama administration continued and completed this project”, he noted.

He said their painstaking investigations have also revealed that most of the asphalted road network the Road Minister claims are being executed in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area were all initiated by Mr. John Mahama when he was in office.

Those road projects, he noted, were halted for ‘value for money audit’ by President Akufo-Addo when he took over the administration of the country.

“When Akufo-Addo came to office, he halted all those projects for investigations to be conducted into those projects before re-awarding them to contractors. For example, Phase 1 of Asphaltic overlay of ulterior and collector roads in Kumasi Metropolis that was awarded to Ataakyi Construction company which amounted to GHS35, 423, 920. Akufo-Addo halted this project. Phase II of Asphaltic overlay: Mahama awarded this contract to Core Constructions Company Limited. The cost of the project was GHS39, 963, 914. This was also halted as well as that of Phase III of the Asphaltic Overlay roads which were awarded to Syndicated Capital Engineering Company Limited. The cost of the project was GHS44, 690,000. After three years, he now turns around to re-commission those projects as if they are the ones that initiated them”, he explained.

Source: www.kasapafmonline.com

COVID-19: GCB Bank donates 40 jumbo poly tanks to Local Gov’t Ministry

May 7, 2020 by with 0 comment

The GCB Bank has donated 40 jumbo poly tanks to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for distribution to markets in Accra and other parts of the country.

The donation was in response to a request to the Bank by the Ministry as part of the efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Making the presented at the premises of the Ministry on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, the Managing Director of GCB Bank, Mr. Ray Sowah, indicated that they had made substantial contributions in the fight against the pandemic but felt “this was special because of the need to address the congestion in the markets and ensure social distancing”.

A deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. O. B. Amoah, received the items on behalf of the ministry.

He expressed the ministry’s appreciation to GCB Bank and promised that “the donation to the markets will lead to better arrangements and provision of water in our major markets”.

Present at the event was the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Adjei Sowah.

 

Shatta Wale gifts father expensive Lion King necklace for his birthday

April 27, 2020 by with 0 comment

Wishing his father, Shatta Capo a happy birthday, the dancehall artist took to social media to celebrate the man who catered for him from infancy to become who he is today.

He shared an emotional post of him gifting Shatta Capo an expensive Lion King necklace and captioned, “Happy birthday to my Dad the #LIONGKING👑#Shattacapo

#Apocalypto Stay strong 💪 Love you 4 Life ❤️❤️❤️👑👑👑”

Anyone who aids a foreigner to enter Ghana illegally will be strictly dealt with – Akufo-Affo

April 27, 2020 by with 0 comment

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has sent a note of caution to any Ghanaian national who will aid a foreigner illegal entry into the country to brace himself or herself up for stiffer punishment when caught up with the law.

He said it does not stand to reason with any Ghanaian national who assist a foreigner, especially, from other West African countries, illegal entry into Ghana, knowing very well that Ghana is battling to deal with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) which has so far affected 1,550 lives, with 155 recoveries and eleven deaths.

There have been media reports of some Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter Ghana illegally, despite the closure of its borders.

Some of these foreigners have been arrested by the security agencies with majority of them testing positive for the coronavirus.

In his 8th update address on the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to Ghanaians on Sunday, April 26, 2020, President Akufo-Addo, said the news of some Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals’ illegal entry into Ghana despite the closure of its borders is very worrying.

He described such acts as unpatriotic, calling for its immediate halt.

“We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. Not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry”, he noted.

 

Source: kasapafmonline.com

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