Wednesday, 15th September, 2021b

Page 2

This man, a shopkeeper, believed he would

be safe from the Taliban, sources said

The BBC has found that

at least 20 civilians

have been killed in

Afghanistan's Panjshir

Valley, which has seen

fighting between the Taliban and

opposition forces. Communications

have been cut in the valley,

making reporting difficult, but

the BBC has evidence of Taliban

killings despite promises of

restraint.

Footage from a dusty roadside

in Panjshir shows a man wearing

military gear surrounded by Taliban

fighters. Gunfire rings out

and he slumps to the ground.

It is not clear if the man killed

was an army member - combat

uniforms are common in the

region. In the video a bystander

insisted he was a civilian.

The BBC has established there

have been at least 20 such deaths

in Panjshir.

The number of extremely

hot days every year

when the temperature

reaches 50C has doubled

since the 1980s, a

global BBC analysis has found.

They also now happen in

more areas of the world than

before, presenting unprecedented

challenges to human health and

to how we live.

The total number of days

above 50C (122F) has increased

in each decade since 1980. On

average, between 1980 and 2009,

Climate change:

World now sees twice

as many days over 50C

One of the victims was a

shopkeeper and father-of-two

called Abdul Sami.

Local sources said the man

would not flee when the Taliban

advanced, telling them: "I'm

just a poor shop owner and have

nothing to do with war."

But he was arrested, accused

of selling sim cards to resistance

fighters. Days later his body was

dumped near his home. Witnesses

who saw his body said it

showed signs of torture.

When the Taliban swept to

power last month, just one region

held out.

The Panjshir Valley has long

been a focal point for resistance

in Afghanistan. Under the opposition

commander Ahmad Shah

Massoud, the region repelled both

the Soviet forces and the Taliban.

Mountain peaks surround the

valley making it difficult for anytemperatures

passed 50C about 14

days a year.

The number rose to 26 days a

year between 2010 and 2019.

In the same period, temperatures

of 45C and above occurred

on average an extra two weeks a

year.

"The increase can be 100%

attributed to the burning of fossil

fuels," says Dr Friederike Otto,

associate director of the Environmental

Change Institute at the

University of Oxford.—BBC

DAILY ANALYST Wednesday, 15th September, 2021

one trying to capture it.

Massoud's son Ahmad led the

resistance against the Taliban the

second time they took control of

Afghanistan, but last week the

militant group declared victory,

posting footage of their fighters

raising their flag.

The resistance forces have

vowed to fight on, with Ahmad

Massoud calling for a "national

uprising" against the Taliban.

Now attention is turning to

what happens next in Panjshir,

as elsewhere in Afghanistan,

with the Taliban back in charge.

When the Taliban entered the

valley, they encouraged residents

to carry on as normal.

"They should come out, do

Dominic Raab has been

urged to block the appointment

of a Rwandan

diplomat in London

for his alleged role in

detaining a government critic.

Paul Rusesabagina, who was

portrayed in the Hollywood film

Hotel Rwanda, used his Kigali hotel

to save hundreds of ethnic Tutsis

during the 1994 genocide.

Last year he was tricked into

flying to Rwanda to face terrorism

offences.

Rwanda's proposed new high

commissioner has insisted his role

in getting Mr Rusesabagina to the

country was legal.

Johnston Busingye was, until

recently, Rwanda's justice minister.

A spokesman for the Rwandan

government said Mr Busingye had

"served with distinction" in his

former roles" and added that Mr

Rusesabagina's arrest for terrorism

offences "complied with all domestic

and international law".

In August 2020, Mr Rusesabagina

- who had been living in exile in

the United States - got on a private

jet in Dubai thinking it was heading

for Burundi.

Instead the flight actually

landed in Rwanda - something

his supporters have described as a

kidnapping.

In an interview with Al Jazeera

in February 2021, Mr Busingye said

"the government paid" for the flight

taking Mr Rusesabagina to Kigali

and paid for the individual who

tricked him onto the plane:

"The payment was to facilitate

the transportation of that man… to

facilitate the plan of this man to

transport Rusesabagina to Rwanda,"

he said.

Asked if this was legal, Mr Busingye

replied: "Yes."

After spending eight years at

the Justice ministry, Mr Busingye

was abruptly removed from his

post earlier this month by Rwandan

President Paul Kagame, only weeks

before a court in Rwanda is expected

to rule on the charges against Mr

Rusesabagina.

Mr Rusesabagina, a Belgian

citizen now but with US residency,

has been a vocal critic of Rwanda's

authoritarian president.

The 66-year-old former hotel

manager, who is reportedly in ill

health, faces various charges of

terrorism and founding an armed

group responsible for terror attacks

Global News

Taliban kill civilians in

resistance stronghold

their daily activities," said a

spokesman, Malavi Abdullah

Rahamani.

"If they are shopkeepers they

can go to their shops. If they

are farmers, they can go to their

farms. We are here to protect

them, their lives and their families."

But instead of this, footage

from the ground shows oncebusy

marketplaces deserted. People

have been trying to flee, with

long lines of vehicles forming

below the valley's craggy peaks.

There have been warnings of

shortages of food and medicine.

The Taliban has denied targeting

civilians. But coming after

reports of a massacre of members

in Rwanda.

Prosecutors have asked for a

life sentence, but Mr Rusesabagina

supporters dismiss the proceedings

as a "sham trial".

The Lantos Foundation, a

prominent human rights organisation

in the US, has already urged

the US authorities to impose socalled

Magnitsky sanctions against

Mr Busingye for the "significant

role" they claim he played in "grave

human rights violations".

But now the foundation - set

up by the late Tom Lantos, the only

Holocaust survivor to become a US

Congressman - has also written to

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

urging him to reject the credentials

presented by Mr Busingye

and impose UK sanctions on the

former minister.

'Shameful'

Dr Katrina Lantos Swett, president

of the foundation, said: "President

Paul Kagame may believe that

by sending Johnston Busingye to

London, he can divert the focus

from the former justice minister's

shameful actions and the way he

brazenly violated the basic human

rights of a humanitarian hero.

"But nations who respect human

rights cannot allow Kagame

to try and sweep these violations

under the rug by simply assigning

Mr Busingye elsewhere."

She said the foundation called

on Mr Raab to refuse to accept Mr

Busingye as Rwandan ambassador.

"Furthermore, the British

of the Hazara minority and the

killing of a policewoman, it is

a further sign that the reality

on the ground differs from the

Taliban's promises of no revenge

attacks.

"These kind of reports seem

to fall in to a pattern that we've

already documented throughout

Afghanistan," said Patricia Grossman

of Human Rights Watch.

"As the Taliban made their

way towards Kabul through

July and August we had similar

reports and we were able to

document summary executions

of former security personnel, former

members of the government

and civilians often in revenge

killings. This looks to very much

be the same pattern."

UK urged to block Rwanda

diplomat’s appointment

government should seriously

and thoroughly investigate the

circumstances of Mr. Rusesabagina's

kidnapping and Mr Busingye's

involvement in these events," she

added.

Under the Vienna Convention,

ambassadors and high commissioners

can take up their posts at

the Court of St James only if the

Foreign Office formally gives what

is called its "agrément".

Only then can the appointment

be approved by the Queen.

All applications are considered

on a case-by-case basis and a

number of factors are taken into

account before a decision is made.

The Foreign Office refused to

comment but it is understood that

it has yet to grant its agrément to

Mr Busingye.

Yolande Makolo, a spokesperson

for the government of Rwanda,

said: "Johnston Busingye, Rwanda's

high commissioner-designate

to the United Kingdom, has served

with distinction as justice minister

and attorney-general since

2013, and previously as a president/

judge of the high court and principal

judge of the East African Court

of Justice.

"Paul Rusesabagina's arrest on

an outstanding warrant for terrorism

and related offences complied

with all domestic and international

laws, and he has since received

a fair and transparent trial along

with 20 co-accused of the FLN

armed group which he led."—BBC

Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood movie

courtroom, in Kigali

DAILY ANALYST

Wednesday, 15th September, 2021 Page 3

Frontpage Stories

Story: Serge Kojo Apaloo

The President, Nana

Addo Dankwa

Akufo-Addo, has stated

that the economy was

rebounding faster from

the ravages of the novel coronavirus

of 2019 (Covid-19), than

projected in the wake of the slow

rate of growth in 2020.

Speaking at the maiden

edition of the Presidential Business

Support in Accra yesterday,

President Akufo-Addo indicated

that the support offered by the

private sector, coupled with

effective management of the

Covid-19 crisis by government,

have seen the economy outperforming

her peers, and rebounding

faster than envisioned.

“After recording negative

growth in the second and third

quarters of 2020, the economy

recovered strongly in the fourth

quarter of the year, and well into

the first and second quarters of

2021, registering an impressive

growth rate of 3.1% in the first

quarter of this year, and 8.9% in

the second quarter,” he said.

He said, “The strong rebound

in growth, low inflation rates, the

stable currency, the strong reserve

position, and FDI flows are

clear indicators of our collective

desire to restore the Ghanaian

economy onto a path of sustained

stability and growth. We

will continue to strengthen and

deepen our engagement with the

private sector towards realizing

this goal.”

According President

Akufo-Addo, since 2017, his

government has implemented

Economy rebounding faster

from Covid-19 Impact

es subsequently denied journalists

access into the courtroom.

Reverend Isaac Owusu

Bempah and four others were

arrested after the circulation

of multiple videos containing

threats, and the brandishing of a

weapon, and the assault of some

police personnel.

Meanwhile the Ghana Journalists

Association (GJA) has

condemned the attack on journalists

at the Accra High Court

by men supposed to be members

of the Head Pastor of Glorious

Word Power Ministries Internapolicies

and programmes that led

to consistent economic growth

averaging 7%, making Ghana one

of the world’s fastest growing

economies.

Ghana, he indicated, has

become the leading recipient

of foreign direct investments

(FDI) in West Africa, and one of

the most attractive investment

destinations on the continent of

Africa.

But, following the onset of

Covid, which disrupted the global

economic order, the President

said the pandemic eroded the

significant gains made by the

Government in the management

of the economy.

“That notwithstanding, we

were one of the few economies in

the world to have recorded positive

growth, as the global economy

went into recession. We have

taken bold measures necessary

to stem the risk of a recession,

mitigate the negative economic

impact of the pandemic, and

significantly reduce its burden

on our population,” he said.

On the rationale for holding

of the summit, President

Akufo-Addo explained that these

consultative engagements with

tional, Rev Isaac Owus Bempeh.

Consequently, the GJA called

for a swift justice against what

it described as the “uncouth

men of Owusu Bempah.”

A statement issued and

signed by Affail Monney said

while GJA welcomed the apology

of the Police Administration and

assurance of future protection

for journalists, it charged the police

to ensure that the perpetuators

face the full rigours of the

law.

“While we welcome the

apology of the Police Administration

and assurance of future

protection for journalists, the

GJA principally holds the view

that the timely gesture of the

rebranded Ghana Police does not

and should not absolve the offenders

from tasting the biting

edge of the law as articulated by

Article 17(1) of the Constitution

which simply says no one is

above the law,” the statement

noted.

According to the GJA, the

media community is once again

enduring excruciating pain

following the shameful attacks

perpetrated by loyalists of the

Head Pastor of Glorious Word

Power Ministries International,

Rev Isaac Owusu Bempah, at the

premises of an Accra High court

where he is standing trial for aled

Ministers and relevant heads

of state institutions to participate

actively and fully in this important

Summit, and ensure that

there is constructive dialogue

between Government and the

private sector towards realising

our vision of a Ghana Beyond

Aid,” the President said.

Government’s commitment

to the structural transformation

of the Ghanaian economy,

he indicated that, since 2017,

Government has launched a

comprehensive and ambitious

programme for industrialization,

based on the Ten Point Industrial

Transformation Plan, the implementation

of which is being

coordinated by the Ministry of

Trade and Industry.

“This Plan, amongst others,

includes the One District One

Factory (1D1F) initiative, the new

Strategic Anchor Industries programme,

designed to diversify

our economy beyond cocoa and

gold, the development of industrial

parks and special economic

zones, the development of small

and medium-scale enterprises

(SMEs), and the establishment

of Business Resource Centres

(BRCs) and Technology Solution

Centres (TSCs) in various parts of

the country,” he said.

Police apologise to Journalists

Story: Prosper Kwaku

Selassy Agbitor

The Police Administration

has apologised to

journalists who were

harassed and prevented

from entering

the courtroom when the Head

Pastor of the Glorious Word

Power Ministries International

(GWPMI), Rev Isaac Owusu Bempah,

and four others, appeared

in court last Monday.

In a statement, the acting

Director-General of the Service,

ACP Kwesi Ofori, indicated that

a team was currently studying

the footage of the alleged assault

of some journalists to identify

the alleged perpetrators for immediate

prosecution.

He also gave the assurance

that the situation will not repeat

itself.

“We apologise unreservedly

for this inconvenience and wish

to give the assurance that journalists

will be fully protected

and allowed to do their work at

all times, including the subsequent

coverage of this case.”

“We will continue to do everything

possible to deepen the

cordial Police-Media relationship.”

There was drama at the

Circuit Court in Accra when

the Head Pastor of the GWPMI,

Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah,

arrived for a hearing on Monday.

Some of his church members

who accompanied him tried to

stop journalists from filming his

arrival.

Using insults and jostling,

they tried to disperse the media

outside the court.

They also tried to stop the

media from entering the courtroom,

which sparked a confrontation.

Police officers at the premisthe

private sector have been

convened as part of the Government’s

Public Private Dialogue

(PPD) framework, to help improve

the business environment

in the country.

He said, his administration

fully recognises that it was the

resilience and ingenuity of the

private sector that can guarantee

economic growth, create

substantial job opportunities for

Ghanaian youth, and strengthen

the country’s position as an

economic powerhouse in West

Africa.

“Consequently, I have direct-

leged assault and other offenses.

“With brazen impunity,

well- muscled men of the

church reportedly prevented the

court reporters from gaining

access to the room to perform

their legitimate duty and visited

mayhem on those who dared

them. All this happened at the

citadel of justice.

“While the landmark trial

travels its full throttle, we urge

the law and order community

not to allow the latest attacks

against journalists to be overshadowed

by the dominant

case or swept under the carpet.

Justice must manifestly and expeditiously

be done the victims

to amplify the message that no

one is indeed above the law.”

On Friday, March 15, 2019,

Owusu Bempah stormed the

premises of Radio XYZ in the

company of four gun wielding

thugs in search of a radio

presenter at the station. In the

process, the administrator and

staff of the station were molested.

Nothing punitive happened

to Owusu Bempah. On December

13, 2018, the same man of

God had apparently been driven

by red hot anger to vandalize

equipment at Hot FM. He walked

a free man thereafter. It is needless

to note that Owusu Bempah

and his followers did and said

anything with careless abandon

and naked impunity until the

air of untouchability surrounding

them was punctured with

the latest arrest.

Page 4


Story: Kwamena Ananse

The mortal remains of

late Hajia Mariama

Bawumia, the mother

of Vice President,

Dr Alhai Mahamudu

Bawumia, were laid to rest in

accordance with Islamic doctrines

at Kperiga, Walewale in

the Northern East Region.

The 82-year-old died in Accra

on Monday, September 13,

2021, after battling ill health.

She was buried at a private

grave yesterday after the necessary

Islamic rites were done

by the National Chief Imam,

Sheik Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.

Two shots were fired

shortly after the burial as a

Bawumia’s mother laid to rest

sign of respect in line with the

customs and traditions of the

Mamprusi tribe.

Hajia Mariama is survived

by five children, all men.

Dignitaries from all walks

of lives including cabinet ministers,

Members of Parliament

(MPs), traditional leaders and

politicians thronged the family

house to participate in the

burial ceremony.

The Minority Leader, Haruna

Iddrisu, described the

late Hajia Mariama as a pillar

whose death has created a big

vacuum in society.

Tears flowed as relatives,

children, and fans took part in

the final funeral rites of the

late Mariama.

As a princess from the Kpasinkpe

traditional area who got

married into the royal family

of the Kperiga Paramountcy,

she stood for the interest of

women in her community, said

Haruna Asana another woman.

Bawumia’s family elders

have scheduled Thursday, September

16, 2021, for the three

days rites of the late mother

of the Vice President to be

observed.

I’ll recapture Wenchi seat in 2024

Story: George Obeng

An aspirant, vying

for the Wenchi

constituency Chairmanship

position

of the New Patriotic

Party (NPP), Mr Richard Kwadwo

Adu, has promised to ensure

the party recaptures the

parliamentary seat from the

National Democratic Congress

(NDC) in election 2024.

He said Wenchi still remained

a stronghold of the

NPP, despite its poor performance

in the parliamentary

ballot in the 2020 general

election.

In an interview with DAI-

LY Analyst at Wenchi in the

Bono Region, Mr Adu a former

Wenchi constituency youth

organiser of party said as a

traditional NPP seat, posterity

would not spare the party in

the constituency, strenuous

efforts was not made to regain

the seat.

Richard Kwadwo Adu, an aspirant vying for the

Mr Adu, also a former Assemblyman

for Ntoase Electoral

Area in the Wenchi Municipality

explained he had already

organised some NPP youth in

the area, working to identify

and help tackle the diverse

problems that led to the party’s

parliamentary defeat.

He said petty squabbles,

backbiting and internal wrangling

would only narrow the

fortunes of the NPP in Election

2024, hence the need for the

party supporters and delegates

to consider and ensure

that unifiers and people with

excellent human relations

were voted to occupy executive

positions.

“Politics is about numbers,

and we need young and energetic

people who could easily

interact with and sell the

ideologies and philosophies of

the party to the voting masses

to persuade and woo floating

voters to the NPP for an overwhelming

victory in 2024”, Mr

Adu said.

He explained President

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

had laid a solid foundation

in national reconstruction processes

that had provided the

NPP with a sound and strong

political campaign message.

“So there would be no

justification for us, if we fail to

recapture the Wenchi constituency

seat and widen the voting

margin of the NPP in Election

2024. The only consolation we

can give the party for losing

the seat to the NDC is to get

it back and widen our votes,

which I strongly believe we

can easily do in 2024”, Mr Adu

said.

“I think we have to apologise

to President Akufo-Addo

and the entire leadership of

the NPP for the abysmal performance

in the parliamentary

elections, forge ahead in unity

and prove to the party that the

Wenchi seat is truly a traditional

seat of the NPP”.

Mr Adu underlined the need

for disgruntled members of the

NPP in the area to bury their

differences, stop any form of

blame game, and see themselves

as one people under a

‘great elephant’, ensure unity

of purpose for intensified campaign,

saying that remained

surest way the party could retain

political power and break

the eight-year circle.

Forgive Owusu Bempah

—Nigel Gaisie tells NPP

The founder and

head pastor of the

True Word Prophetic

Fire Ministry

and Prophetic Hill

Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie,

has asked the government to

temper justice with mercy in

its handling of the Head Pastor

of the Glorious Word Power

Ministries International, Rev.

Isaac Owusu Bempah, who

was arrested with four others

for allegedly assaulting some

police personnel.

Speaking on Accra-based

Okay FM, the controversial

preacher said the governing

New Patriotic Party ought to

be gracious and consider the

support it has received from

Rev. Bempah in the past.

“Considering what he has

done for them [NPP] to come

back to power, it cannot be

compared to the people whose

toes he may have stepped on.”

“If you weigh the two,

his positives outweigh the

negatives. He helped them

[NPP] win power… we cannot

underestimate the impact of

Owusu Bempah in the re-election

of Nana Akufo-Addo and

Bawumia,” Prophet Gaisie said.

Rev. Bempah was arrested

alongside four other suspects.

According to police, they

were arrested for creating and

circulating multiple videos

containing threats, and the

brandishing of a weapon, and

the assault of some police

personnel.

Two other suspects are said

to be on the run.

Controversy continued

when Rev. Bempah was arraigned

on Monday at a Circuit

Court in Accra.

Some of his church members

tried to stop journalists

from filming his arrival at the

court.

They also tried to stop the

media from entering the courtroom.

The Ghana Police Service

subsequently apologised to

journalists who were harassed.

Shortly after they were remanded

for a week to reappear

in Court on September 2021,

Rev. Owusu Bempah reported

sick and was sent to the Police

Hospital, where he was treated

and discharged after two hours

and sent back to cells.

DAILY ANALYST


Coup D’etats; A terror

on nations and citizens

By Henry Nana Boakye

As a young child,

I was not spared

with the trauma

and fearsomeness

associated with

the related consequences and

excesses of the coup d’états

staged by the AFRC and PNDC

between 1979 to 1991.

My late father, a successful

businessman, Mr. Edward Osei

Boakye, known to many as

Boakye Mattress, was a household

name in the business

community in Ghana at the

time with many companies

and a varied number of investments

in Ghana and across

Africa with a large pool of

employees. Businessman E.O.

Boakye was the only Ghanaian

who first wholly established a

Mattress and Foam Factory in

Ghana in the 1960s.

He then expanded his businesses

through joint ventures

and other partnerships with

Vitafoam of Nigeria and many

other West African Companies.

In the 1970s, Boakye Mattress

built the first fully-serviced

private hospital (now the

state-owned Police Hospital).

He also had commercial prop-

erty developments, houses and

apartment blocks (FC Cosmetics

Building, for instance,) in

Accra and Kumasi.

Despite all his contributions

to the Ghanaian economy,

he was politically hounded

and chased out of all his

businesses; and his immediate

family was forced to leave in

fear and persecutions when

the PNDC coup d’état violently

erupted.

In a matter of the military

uprising, however, by

all accounts, my dad became

one of the many casualties

of the PNDC coup. His businesses

were grounded due to

political witch-hunting. His

great vision as a sought-after

businessman was truncated

abruptly.

As a child, I grew up without

a father, I couldn’t set eyes

on my father because he was

in exile for about 15 years.

The harrowing tales told

then, nerve-racking and shocking

revelations that came out

during the year 2000s National

Reconciliation Commission’s

public hearing alone should be

the major reason any Ghanaian

seen supporting, rooting

for, praising, and welcoming

coup d’états should be condemned

outright.

The unlawful detentions,

serial abductions, torture,

violations of human rights of

wealthy and influential persons

in society, brazen thirst

for collapsing businesses owed

Ghanaians who were deemed

as opponents(in the case of

my dad) , civil unrests, violent

protests have been the character

of all the numerous coups

which has happened in Africa

since 1960s till our current

democratic dispensation.

It’s an admissible fact that,

sometimes, there are undercurrents

and remote causes

that set the stage for the military

to topple governments but

the crux of the matter is that,

ousting democratically elected

governments amidst the chaos

and potential national instability

should never be the best

panacea to the supposed ‘National’

hues and cries as compared

to resolutions through

diplomacy and dialogue.

I could go on and on

about the repercussions and

heart-wrenching memories

that Ghanaians share anytime

coup d’état is mentioned in our

national discourse but having

among many others.

Nana Frantehene was optimistic

that his community

can always rely on the NDC if

given another chance because

of what the community prebrating

and welcoming coup

d’états are nothing short of

nation wreckers!

At a time that Ghana is this

peaceful, I have always felt

that words and statements

that has the propensity to incite

and inflame passions and

fuel electoral war should not

come out from former President

Mahama .But, shockingly

his recent outbursts on the ‘do

or die’ analogy positions him

as a man who believes in violence.

I call on all well-meaning

Ghanaians to condemn

his irresponsible and reckless

statements and call him to

order.

May God bless Ghana.

The Krontihene of

Ejura Sekyedumase,

Nana Agyapa II, has

expressed surprise

about what he calls

the deliberate misinterpretation

of an idiomatic expression

used by former President

John Dramani Mahama to

describe the commitment of

the National Democratic Congress

(NDC) towards sealing

loopholes that contributed to

the party’s inability to win the

2020 general elections.

According to the NDC

2020 Presidential Candidate,

the party considers the 2024

election very critical and that

it will be a ‘Do or Die’ affair,

urging party operatives to

remember that they can only

win the election at the polling

station level.

In his remarks to welcome

the former President and his

entourage to the palace of the

Frantehene ahead of his tour

of the Ashanti Region, the Krontihene

expressed his misgivings

about what he termed a

deliberate attempt by critics to

read different meanings into

what Mr. Mahama said.

“These days, even when you

speak well, some misconstrue

it. It is unfortunate because

the former President is only

rallying his supporters that at

the next elections, the party

would be vigilant and not be

Ejura chief wades into

Mahama’s do or die comment

caught unawares and that all

persons given responsibility

should focus and execute their

task flawlessly to get their

expected results.”

“There is nothing wrong

with what he [Mahama] said.

But others have deliberately

misconstrued his statement.

But don’t lose hope, I know

that good times are ahead. I

am very happy that you have

seen that it is not the court

you would go to seek redress,

but that you and your party

members will be vigilant and

put in the right measures so

that your victory is not stolen,”

he stressed.

Speaking later at a gathering

where the leadership of the

NDC interacted with victims of

a November 21, 2020 accident

that involved members of the

party from Frante, Frantehene

Nana Owusu Sekyere Bobo

III commended the former

President for the development

he brought to the community

during his presidency.

He recalled that it was

President Mahama’s NDC administration

that connected 51

communities in the constituency

to the national grid.

He also acknowledged Mr.

Mahama for coming to the aid

of the people and responding

to a demand for a school block,

being a direct victim of coups,

I would unreservedly and

relentlessly use every opportunity

given to call on the nation

wreckers ranting and chanting

for coup d’état in Ghana to

desist from it and refine their

thoughts accordingly.

It is recklessly reprehensible,

morally unjustifiable, and

sheer amounts to cluelessness

if only coups become the major

solution to National upheavals

and problems. My principle on

any day as a trained Lawyer

and Ghanaian is that, democratically

and constitutionally

mandated governments should

be allowed to represent the

people at all times. All persons

and groups associating, cele-

viously benefitted from when

the NDC was in power.

He also requested help to

upgrade their clinic to be able

to cater to the health needs of

the people.

Page 6


Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

Members of the 2020

Vetting Committee

of Metropolitan,

Municipal and

District Chief Executives

(MMDCEs) in the Greater

Accra have recommended the

re- appointment of the incumbent

Weija-Gbawe Municipal Chief

Executive (MCE), Mr Patrick Kwesi

Brako Kumor.

The committee’s report

appealed to President Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain

Mr Kumor as the Weija-Gbawe

MCE to ensure transformation of

the area.

In the report, which is in

possession of DAILY Analyst, the

members of the vetting committee

after vetting the prospective

candidates vying for the position

of the MCE in the area shortlisted

three in the persons of Mr Kumor,

Mr Stephen Owusu Afriyie, Mr

Robert Nii Armah Tagoe to be appointed

by President Akufo-Addo

for the position as the MCE.

But the members of the

vetting committee have taken

their decision by way of recommending

the incumbent MCE to

the President to re-appoint him to

continue to work for another four

years.

The committee report recommended

Mr Kumor for renomination

as MCE, adding that he

worked tirelessly to ensure the

New Patriotic Party (NPP) increase

its votes in the constituency.

The report indicated that Mr

Kumor also campaigned effectively

in every corner of the Weija-Gbawe

constituency.

According to the report, the

sitting MCE has forged a good

relationship with party executives

in the constituency, and he

particularly, ensured the tripod

Retain Weija-Gbawe MCE

—MMDCEs Vetting Committee

appeal to Akufo-Addo

worked effectively in the course of

his work.

It noted that he was the Weija-Gbawe

constituency campaign

manager for the NPP in the 2016

election and a former constituency

first vice chairman from

2013-2017.

The report said Mr Kumor

holds AACA Part II, adding that

he is currently pursuing BSc in

Accounting Information System

at the Regent University College.

Speaking in an interview with

DAILY Analyst after the recommendation

of the committee went

viral on both local and traditional

media platforms, some assembly

members in the fourteen (14)

Electoral Areas in Weija-Gbawe

including some chiefs, traditional

office holders, market folks

and faith-based organisations

welcomed the decision of the

committee to recommend for

re-appointment of Mr Kumor.

They overwhelming declared

their support for the reappointment

of Mr Kumor, describing the

MCE as a “unifier, peacemaker and

good listener.”

Speaking on behalf of the

Weija-Gbawe Municipal assembly

members, the Assemblyman for

New Gbawe Electoral Area, Mr

Andrew Oppong Amoako noted

that the fourteen assembly members

including seven government

appointees endorsed the second

term bid of Mr Kumor to continue

his “good works.”

They showcased the three-year

achievements of the current MCE,

and called on President Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider

the good works of Mr Kumor for

the past years and retain him.

According to them, the success

of the assembly was accomplished

with the able leadership demonstrated

by Mr Kumor, saying that

he had “proven beyond all reasonable

doubts” that the President

of the Republic made the right

choice by appointing him as the

MCE.

However, they cautioned that

they will boycott voting if their

appeal was not considered.

“We are appealing to President

Akufo-Addo that if someone

else is brought to us aside from

our MCE, we will vote against that

new person,” they averred.

The assembly members noted

that the municipality had benefitted

from several developmental

projects including schools, hospitals,

sporting facilities, water

and sanitation, law and security,

economic development and roads

all under the leadership of Mr

Kumor.

According to them, the MCE

has demonstrated a very good

working relationship with the

chiefs, assembly members, market

folk(s), persons living with disabilities

(PWDs), students, traditional

office holders and religious

leaders, which has contributed

to the massive development in

the 14 electoral areas within the

municipality.

"The MCE is someone who

believes in development, as such,

if he is given another chance

to continue with his vision, the

municipality would become one

of the best in the Greater Accra

Region," they said.

They stated that Mr Kumor is

one of the best MCEs the country

has had in recent years and his

vision, integrity, commitment and

selfless dedication had brought

tremendous development which

have helped shaped the municipality

as a whole.

"We are informing our listening

President that changing Mr

Kumor will cause delays in the

progress of Weija-Gbewe Municipality,

considering the goods and

services he has rendered to the

municipality since his appointment.

"The MCE has done nothing

wrong to be changed and has

served the people well since he assumed

office and that any attempt

to sack him will bring a retrogression

in our areas.

The assembly members

touched on various roads that

had been constructed under the

administration of Mr Kumor, in

the last three years.

In the area of drainage facilities,

"we want to state that more

drainages have been constructed

by the MCE to stop flooding in the

municipality.

They indicated that under the

leadership of Mr Kumor, about

two thousand (2,000) streetlights

have been fixed in the municipality

to prevent criminal activities to

ensure the security of the people

in the area.

To ease pressure on Akawe,

they said, the MCE ordered for the

construction of CHPS compounds

for satellite areas that would require

other health posts.”

These places included Oblogo,

Tetegu, and Weija.

Writer's email: koryekporfreeman@yahoo.com

NHIS is financially sustainable

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

The Chief Executive Officer

(CEO) of National

Health Insurance Authority

(NHIA), Dr Lydia

Dsane-Selby, has stated

categorically that the National

Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)

is financially sustainable after

eighteen (18) years of its formation

in Ghana by former President

John Agyekum Kufuor.

According to her, the scheme

financial sustainability has

increased from 20 per cent to 35

per cent, saying that since the establishment

of the scheme, there

have been remarkable improvement

in the quality of healthcare

service delivery by providers of

the scheme.

But she was quick to state

that the financial sustainability

of the scheme would be under

serious threat if measures were

not put in place to check timely

release of funds by the Ministry

of Finance, rising medicine price

and anticipated slow growth of

the economy.

According to her, some urgent

steps needed to be taken collectively

to mitigate and strengthen

the scheme to help achieve the

—NHIA CEO declares

expected outcome.

She noted that a sustainability

test conducted by her office revealed

that, currently, the scheme

was sustainable but was faced

with these three major challenges

some of which measures have

been put in place by the Ministry

of Health to address.

Speaking in a one-on-one

interview with GH-One TV to

give update to Ghanaians on

the current state of affairs of

Ghana's healthcare system on

the scheme, Dr Dsane-Selby

asserted that the management of

the scheme have just built an actuarial

model, putting in various

scenarios to see how financially

sustainable the scheme is.

"I can tell you that most of

the scenarios say we are financially

sustainable. I think it is

about how we implement our

own policies. There are some key

factors that may affect sustainability.

"One is obviously the timely

release of funds from the ministry

of finance. Also, to make

sure that the country’s economic

growth is on the rise because the

National Health Insurance Levy

(NHIL) is tied to how the economy

is doing. Another key factor is

the rate of increase in medicine

prices.

"When we put in three or

four scenarios and realised that

if medicine prices continue to

escalate at the level they are now,

then the scheme is not sustainable;

this is something we have

to address.

"A costing exercise has been

done for services which are ready

to be disseminated. The Ministry

of Health has also introduced a

framework for contracting in the

bid to halt the rapid escalation of

medicine prices.

"I understand from the WHO

we have some of the highest

medicine prices in the world and

some of the highest escalation of

medicine prices and if we don’t

address it, the scheme is really

not sustainable," she stated.

Dr Lydia Dsane-Selby warned

that "if tomorrow we decide to

put every deceased on every medicine

in the world on the scheme

it would collapse."

She added that "It is about

using evidence to do what the

country needs and what impact

the greatest numbers of people

and do it in the step wide function.

According to her, the NHIS

largely depends on the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP), saying that

as the country's GDP rises the

scheme has more money.

This, she said, depended on

the timely release of funds by the

government through the Ministry

of Finance.

From this test conducted by

the NHIA, the NHIS would be

facing some difficult times in

the near future as some of the

scenarios mentioned were not

explicitly under government’s

control due to global dynamics at

play, as a result, the effect of the

pandemic on the global economy.

With the global challenge

in supply chains, it would be

difficult to hold back the escalating

prices of medicines. Due to

supply chain challenges the cost

of molecular formulation on the

globe is on the rise.

Some pharmaceutical giants

have also been asked by the home

governments to feed them before

attending to foreign requests.

For example, it has been documented

that the price of paracetamol–a

common and cheap

drug for pain relief – has seen

about a 300 per cent increase in

12 months and there is no clear

indication of a halt in the rising

price.

On the measures put in place

by the government to fight the

spread of the novel coronavirus

(Covid-19) pandemic in the

country, Dr Dsane-Selby commended

President Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Minister

of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman

Manu, and Ghana Health Service

(GHS) for putting in place health

security measures to manage the

virus effectively in the country.

"I think looking at the whole

situation, Ghana has managed

the COVID-19 pandemic very

well and that the international

community has even acknowledged

the leadership of President

Akufo-Addo, Minister for Health,

Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu in that

regard.


DAILY ANALYST


Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

The Director of Health

Promotion at the Ghana

Health Service, Dr Da

Costa Aboagye, Head of

Mission at the Diaspora

African Forum, H. E. Dr Erieka

Bennett, and Gee Medical Supplies

of South Africa, have donated a

state-of-the-art high capacity flow

respiratory humidifier oxygenator

and assorted Personal Protective

Equipment worth US$25,000 to

the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital.

Speaking at the event, Dr

Da Costa said this was a private

donation from him and his

partners dedicated to show

immense appreciation of his

Mom, Mrs Justicia Frimpong–

Aboagye, who worked at the Agogo

Hospital for over 43 years as a

Midwife and his senior brother,

Dr William Arhin Thompson, who

retired on 12th September, 2021,

after serving for over 30 years as a

Surgeon and Medical Director of

the hospital.

According to him, he was born

Individuals donate respiratory

at the Hospital, schooled and lived

in Agogo and Kumawu until he

travelled to the United Kingdom

for further studies.

He further noted that by

the grace of God, he has a lot

of international and local

networks which he will leverage

to help Agogo and Kumawu

municipalities respectively.

He charged the doctors and

nurses to use the equipment at

the Intensive Care Unit not only

to help reduce the Covid-19 deaths

but to save lives of patients who

will need oxygen in other critical

respiratory illnesses.

He posited that severe and

critically ill patients often have

hypoxemia and dyspnea and

proper respiratory support

treatment was required. High-flow

nasal oxygen therapy (HFNC), like

the high capacity flow respiratory

humidifier oxygenator, has

greater advantages over

conventional oxygen therapy.

The acting Medical Director

on behalf of the hospital

management and staff of the

hospital, Dr Kennedy Opoku,

thanked Dr Dacosta Abaogye, H.E.

Dr. Erieka Bennett, Ambassador

of Diaspora Africa Forum, Gee

Medical Supplies of South Africa

and Dr Ryan of AMI for the items

donated and promised to use

them to save lives.

2020 MMDCEs Vetting Committee

recommend Tarkwa-Nsuaem

MCE to be given 2nd chance

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

Documents intercepted

by the DAILY Analyst

indicates that a

report by members

of the state legally

constituted 2020 Vetting Committee

of Metropolitan, Municipal

and District Chief Executives

(MMDCEs) in the Western Region

has unanimously recommended

for the re-appointment of the

incumbent Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal

Chief Executive (MCE), Mr

Benjamin Kessie.

The committee in the report

appealed to President Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain

Mr Kessie as the Tarkwa-Nsuaem

MCE to ensure peace and development

in the area.

In the said report, the members

of the vetting committee

after vetting the prospective

candidates vying for the position

of the MCE in Tarkwa-Nsuaem

equally shortlisted three in the

persons of Mr Benjamin Kessie,

Mr Francis Arisi Eliason and Mr

Isaac Blay for the position of the

MCE.

But the members of the vetting

committee in their wisdom

recommended to the President

who is the final appointing personality

to re-appoint Mr Kessie

for nomination as the MCE for

the second term of the area.

The committee’s report

recommended Mr Kessie for renomination

as MCE, adding that

Mr Kessie is a hardworking MCE

who, from all accounts, contributed

to the victory of the party in

the 2020 general election.

According to the report, the

incumbent MCE was a three-term

former Assembly member of the

Tarkwa- Nsuaem Municipality

from 2010-2019 and former Presiding

Member from 2017 to 2019.

The report pointed out the

MCE has also served as constituency

secretary for three terms

from 2009 to date.

The report noted that Mr Kessie

holds a Certificate in Marketing,

Public Relations and Advertising

from the Ghana Institute

of Management and Public

Administration, a Certificate in

Safe Management from the University

of Mines and Technology,

a BA of Education in Foundations

of Education UCC, and also MA

in Governance and Sustainable

Development from UCC.

The committee members described

Mr Kessie as a hardworking

government appointee who

has a good working relationship

with the MP for the area.

The chiefs in the area also

called on the president to re-appoint

Mr Kessie.

“We also want use this

opportunity to humbly remind

the President that, we are for the

development of Tarkwa-Nsuaem,

and believe that the MP should

be supported by a hardworking

and a dedicated Municipal Chief

Executive.”

“On this call, we humbly call

on Mr President to re-appoint

Hon. Benjamin Kessie since he

has performed remarkably in a

short period with a very cordial

working relationship with the

MP and Nananom.

…We believe the combination

of the duo coupled with

our support will accelerate the

needed development in Tarkwa-Nsauem,"

the chiefs noted.


‘Parents abandon blind

students in Akropong’

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

Information reaching DAILY

Analyst points to the lack

of parental care for many

students of the School for

the Blind in Akropong in

Akuapem United North Municipality

in the Eastern Region.

The Headmistress of Akuapem

Akropong School for the Blind,

Madam Veronica Derry, revealed

the challenges facing the students

of the school.

She told DAILY Analyst that

while of parents have rejected

their wards, others have neglected

their children, making lives of

these students very difficult.

She was speaking the paper

recently during a donation by the

International Palace Church.

The church presented some

bags of rice, oil, toiletries, sanitary

pads and many more to the school

as part of their 24th anniversary

celebration

According to Madam Derry,

some visually impaired students

have been left to their fate as they

have been abandoned by their

guardians and parents.

She explained that guardians

show little or no concern by way

of not visiting or calling authorities

to inquire about the welfare of

their wards.

She further lamented how

parents refuse to pick their wards

up when school vacates. "Even on

vacations, parents don't show any

sign of picking their children up,"

she averred.

She stated that the situation

was worrisome as students even

call on her for transport fare to

enable them get to their various

destinations.

The alarming situation, which

Madam Derry stated, was putting

serious pressure on the school authorities

to cater for the children.

However, she admitted that

some of these students were very

brilliant and innovative, adding

that some of them have euphonic

voices to sing well.

The headmistress also talked

about how challenging it was to

feed the students.

She pointed out that they solely

cannot rely on the government

as the students’ needs were above

government funds and support,

hence appealed for support.

Madam Derry therefore

thanked individuals and organisations

who always supported

her school, and called on other

institutions to come to their aid

as well.

According to the headmistress,

key on the list of challenges

faced by the school was the lack of

educational materials and other

structures and a walkway to some

departments to prevent avoidable

accidents where some students

miss their steps and fall thereby

resulting in injuries.

Earlier, the Head Pastor of

International Palace Church at

Madina in Accra, Pastor Bernard

Mensah Adam, noted that the

church was not there to preach

but to contribute its quota and

dispensation of their corporate

social responsibility as a religious

organisation.

He called on other institutions

to come to the aid of the school as

they also had special needs.

"Government cannot do it

alone so we all have a role to play

in ensuring their needs are met.

Page 8


Environmental & Mining Matters

We sacked galamseyers

away from water bodies

—Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai MCE

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai

Municipal Assembly

in the North Western

Region has launched

a community surveillance

operation to clear all illegal

small-scale miners out of the restricted

water bodies, forest range

reserves and farmlands in the

area, the Municipal Chief Executive

for the Assembly, Mr Alfred

Amoah, has stated.

According to him, dozens of

military-police joint taskforce

members together with the

Assembly task force have been

deployed to lake, rivers and waterways

in the municipality to

"remove all persons and logistics

involved in mining.

Speaking in an interview with

DAILY Analyst on Monday, September

12, 2021, Mr Amoah stated

that they gave approval to what

has become the largest joint military-police

action against illegal

miners in his area.

He stated that on top of the

agenda was the issue of illegal

small-scale mining activities in

the area and that his assembly

task force and military personnel

were on the grounds to flush out

the miners from restricted water

bodies and forest range reserves.

According to him, this was

so because the municipality was

highly endowed with natural

resources thus making it a prime

target for the nefarious activities

of illegal small scale miners.

Mincing no words, the MCE

directed all persons involved in

the activities of illegal small scale

mining to leave all restricted

water bodies and forest range reserves

or else will incur the wrath

of the law.

"I want to stress that all the

small scale miners in Bibiani

Anhwiaso Bekwai municipality

should put their tools down and

adhere to the government's directives

because we are working hard

upon the directives of President

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to

ensure that all illegal small scale

miners were flushed out from

various mining sites," the MCE

warned.

Although their personnel were

on the ground to help flush out

miscreants from the restricted

mining zones, he said, they were

informed that some of the small

scale miners were still working at

various mining sites, so now their

focus has shifted to the municipal.

He further urged all the

residents in the municipality to

inform the security to assist in

the arrest of illegal miners.

He pointed out that although

he intensified education on the

adverse effects of illegal and

irresponsible small scale mining

activities have on water bodies

and forest range reserves and environment

at large in the area, the

recalcitrant miners still remained

About 289,000 jobs created

so far by 106 1D1F firms

Data from the Ministry

of Trade and Industry

has shown that 106

factories have been

created under the 1

District 1 Factory (1D1F) government

policy since its inception in

2017

Ṫhe data also revealed that

about 289,000 jobs had been created

by the factories, of which about

150,000 are direct jobs created

so far, and 139,000 indirect jobs

created.

Meanwhile, the total number

of 1D1F projects that have passed

through the ministry and are at

different stages of completion is

275.

The Deputy Minister of Trade

and Industry, Herbert Krapa,

speaking to the data, said 60 per

cent of the factories were new,

starting from scratch, while 40 per

cent were already existing factories

that needed some revitalization

or expansion.

He said aside from job

creation, the 1D1F is a strategic

initiative to boost the nation’s industrialization

drive, which would

go a long way to bolster GDP.

Hence, the proposals of the

factories go through a very thorough

certification process with

state agencies like the Food and

Drugs Authority and the Ghana

Standards Authority to ensure

that their activities would match

up to global standards, as the

nation wants to take advantage of

the available export markets.

“We are trying to build them

for the export market; they would

not pass the export market if we

do not ensure that the standards

are at the right level.

We also do not want them to

– Trade Ministry

get complacent; that is why from

the onset, the ministry and its

consultants are ensuring that

whatever you are producing is

meeting the right certification

and standards for the domestic

and export market,” Mr Krapa told

Accra-based station Asaase radio.

The initiative seeks to change

the structure of the nation’s economy

from one which is dependent

on import and export of raw

material to one which is focused

on manufacturing, value addition

and export of processed goods by

processing raw materials found

largely in the 275 districts of the

country into finished or semi-finished

goods.

The deputy minister also

noted that when all factories are

completed, over 280,000 direct

jobs will be created in total.

The deputy minister added

that the government is also in the

process of developing industrial

parks strategically across the

country to woo investors.

“The lands are strategically

located across the country and

have been cited in areas that have

unique resources. These parks

would also have reliable amenities

to support their operations,” he

said

Ḣe disclosed that in Tamale,

the government earmarked 63

acres of undeveloped land for

an Industrial Park; In Greater

Kumasi, 5,000 acres of land have

been secured, of which part is

currently being developed under

a Public-Private Partnership

agreement.

Again, in Sekondi, he said,

2,035 acres of land have been

secured; Appolonia City in Greater

Accra has 2,385 acres of land that

is being spearheaded by the private

sector, but the government is

helping with the location of some

factories on the land.

Herbert Krapa,

Deputy Minister of Trade

doing their illegal activities in

their sites.

He said he was working closely

with the Western North Regional

Minister and the Western North

Regional Security Council to sanitise

and regularise the small scale

mining industry.

He reiterated that plans were

under ways to organise the illegal

miners to educate them on the

adverse effects their illegal mining

activities were having on the environment.

He pointed out that the operations

of small scale miners in

water bodies, forest range reserves

About 30,000 household

toilet facilities are expected

to be provided

for people in low-income

communities in

the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan

Area (GKMA).

Additionally, a total of 5,000

households will be supported to

connect potable water into their

homes, under the Greater Kumasi

Sanitation and Water Project.

This is to help ensure increased

access to improved toilet

and water facilities to the majority

of poor and vulnerable people in

urban and peri-urban communities

Ṁadam Cecilia Abenaa Dapaah,

Minister for Sanitation and Water

Resources, said this at a day’s orientation

workshop on the Greater

Kumasi Sanitation and Water

Project for some media personnel

in Kumasi.

The workshop was aimed at

introducing the project which was

launched in November last year to

the media in the Ashanti region.

The project, according to the

Minister, has four components

which were mainly to increase

access to sanitation services to

people in low-income and deprived

areas.

It would also help to support

the expansion of the water

distribution networks in GKMA

to provide water for an estimated

150,000 people.

Again it would strengthen

institutions and provide technical

assistance to stakeholders in the

water and sanitation sector.

and farmlands including other restricted

places within the municipality

had declined compared to

the previous years due to security

measures being adopted to control

activities of illegal miners in the

area.

He maintained that "miners

are not into the restricted water

bodies, farmlands and forest range

reserves again but when we overhear

where they are doing their

illegal activities we go there to

flush them out.


30,000 households in greater

Kumasi to benefit from

modern toilet facilities

The project beneficiaries are

the eight Metropolitan and Municipal

assemblies in the GKMA,

which include the Kumasi Metropolitan

Assembly (KMA), Asokwa,

Oforikrom, old Tafo, Suame, Kwadaso,

and the Asokore Mampong

Municipal Assemblies.

Madam Dapaah said the facilities

would be maintained and

expanded as the population in

those areas increased.

The Minister pointed out that

the water supply in Kumasi was

not good, saying the Owabi headworks

in the Atwima Nwabiaqya

District would soon be dredged.

The government she said was

providing pragmatic measures

to find a lasting solution to the

water and sanitation problems in

Kumasi.

Madam Dapaah called on the

media to take an active part in

making sure that the agenda of

making the country clean was

achieved,

Mr George Asiedu, the Project

Coordinator, said a steering committee

had been established to

ensure the sustainability of the

project to provide a safe sewage

system.

Mr Kwadwo Gyasi, Engineer

for the project, pledged to work

to provide sustainable clean, and

hygienic toilet facilities for the

people.

He said it was Bio-digester

technology that degrades faecal

matter into smaller particles,

Mr Gyasi called on the media

to educate the public on improved

water and sanitation practices.

DAILY ANALYST


Opinion

By with Vicky Wireko

The dreaded coronavirus

has succeeded in taking

the shine out of overseas

travels.

Air travel has now

become extra expensive, very

taxing, energy-sapping, risky and

nerve-racking.

Once upon a time, travelling

to the northern hemisphere or

anywhere else was a look forward

to. A different destination to

stretch, catch one’s breath with a

holiday like never before.

The days to travel and see, visit

family or friends, attend graduations,

conventions, conferences

and what have you are waning

with corona winds.

March 2020 will go down in

history as the year that any enthusiasm

in overseas travel froze

even before winter hit.

Travel complications

Today, one gets cold feet at the

mention of travelling. The mere

thought of it scares me. One begins

to think about exposure and

the risk of getting infected with

the virus, the expenses and endless

payments to get COVID-19

tests completed, not to mention

navigating the meanderings

through make-shift structures at

airports.

The thought of wearing a face

mask continuously for a journey

of six or more hours gets burdensome.

The idea of sitting so close

to someone not of one’s household

for hours in an enclosed

aircraft, defying social distancing

is troubling.

Travelling has just become

The worst of times to travel

a big monster in the air and the

idea does not appeal like before.

And that is true. One could

never imagine it until one gets to

plan and actually take to travel.

The stresses begin from the day

one books the flight. Depending

on the destination, the bombardments

of expected Covid-19

protocols begin.

The airlines clutter one’s

email with all kinds of information

on protocols for pre-boarding.

Countries of departure also

scream hard their terms and conditions.

It gets very confusing.

The United Kingdom (UK)

and the United States of America

(USA) have been two preferred

destinations by a lot of travellers

from this end. Whether it is for

family or friends visit, holidays,

education, medical, work-related

or pure tourism, these two countries

top all.

Stringent measures

To protect their citizens and

indeed travellers entering their

countries, almost all countries

around the world have put in

place stringent measures for

travellers to observe.

So gaining entry into a country

is not just a valid visa issue. It

is now more of negative PCR tests

to gain entry.

Traffic light system

And so, for example, the

UK has found it necessary to

introduce the traffic light system

which segregates and places

countries in boxes.

By that, if one’s country is positioned

in the green light zone,

bless you. The signal to you is that

you have been good to go with no

“pin-me-down” requirements to

satisfy. Just go in and stay cautious

knowing that we are not in

normal times.

If you are in the amber light,

as our beloved Ghana is, it means

you may enter but with strict

obeisance to laid down procedures.

Almost all health authorities

require that passengers from

other countries go through a PCR

test with a negative result at least

72 hours before one arrives in

their countries.

But on top of that, being in

the UK amber zone also means

that one will additionally pay for

two PCR tests to be administered

on days 2 and 8 on arrival in the

UK, a confirmation of which one

has to present before boarding an

aircraft.

On arrival, a passenger is required

to quarantine at the place

they are staying for 10 clear days

during which UK Health officials

will place constant calls and

sometimes visit the location to

ensure the passenger is available

and not “bolted” out.

If your country is in the red

zone, your case is completely

different. Red really means stop.

The message is dare to cross and

come but be prepared to pay over

two thousand pounds and get

quarantined in a designated hotel

for 10 days. While there, one also

will have to pay for two PCR tests.

Other countries have their

own stringent entry rules.

Back home, Ghana’s antigen

test on arrival at the Kotoka

International Airport seems to be

on track. All arriving passengers

must take the test and get the

results before they are allowed to

exit the airport.

Those testing positive for the

virus are taken away and quarantined

in a hotel for at least three

days to receive treatment. In the

past, some arriving passengers

testing positive have protested

fiercely. Unfortunately, that is

the rule of the game we are in.

COVID-19 has definitely made

overseas travel expensive. The

message is if you do not have

the time, patience and above all,

the funds, forget about overseas

travels for now.

The torment of a tiny virus

called corona will never be forgotten

whether in the air or on

the ground. One day, when the

story is told of this dreaded virus,

air travels will have a dedicated

chapter.

It will definitely be a chapter

on the worst time in man’s life

to travel from one country to

another, in an era of fundamental

human rights and freedom of

movement.

Ashanti Region: NYA, UNFPA collaborate to fight

sexual violence against out-of-school youth

Sexual violence perpetrated

against young

people has the tendency

to derail their social life

and future endeavours.

This among others is the

reason why the Ashanti Regional

Directorate, under the auspices

of UNFPA Country Programme,

has organized a stakeholders’

dialogue involving traditional

authority, CHRAJ, NCCE, Department

of Social Welfare, CSOs, apprentices

and varied categories

of out-of-school young people

vulnerable to sexual violence

in the Kumasi Metro and Tafo

Municipality to discuss common

grounds of mitigating the

incidence.

The Regional Director of NYA,

Mr. George Orwell Amponsah

entreated relevant state institutions

and other stakeholders

to pay serious attention to the

other issues that confront young

people, especially issues relating

to teenage pregnancy, sexual

abuse and other reproductive

health matters.

In his view, any neglect of

these equally important matters

can derail whatever gains the

country seeks for its economic

empowerment.

He thanked UNFPA for its

continuous support.

One of the main discussants,

Mr. Mohammed Bun Bida, the

Executive Director of Muslim

Family Counselling Services,

speaking on the situation of

sexual exploitation in Ashanti

Region, recounted how some

squatters in slummy areas specialise

in accommodating young

girls who travel to the city for

livelihood activities in exchange

for sex.

He said the situation is very

prevalent in Asafo, Ashtown

and other slums where Kayayes

mostly dwell.

He said his organization

is working together with the

Department of Gender/Children

and the Department of Social

Welfare on several rescue operations,

including child marriage

in the region and other parts of

Ghana.

He indicated that one of the

key challenges in the rescue

missions is the reluctance of the

victims to pursue cases when

culprits are accosted.

Furthermore, he called for

concerted efforts among stakeholders

to remedy the situation.

In a panel discussion that

ensued, Mad Cynthia Martinson,

the Regional Commissioner for

CHRAJ, urged all the participants

to report cases of abuse

to her office for the right legal

guidance.

She expressed her readiness

to refer cases to the appropriate

state institutions for redress or

prosecution when necessary.

Madam Sandra Gyima of

Ghana Health Service’s Adolescent

Health Corner also entreated

abuse people to seek medical

attention to curb any unforeseen

consequences of the abuse, such

as pregnancy and STIs.

She pledged that the Health

Corner is a youth-friendly and

confidential environment for

young people to share their challenges

in their sexual lives.

Mr. Bun Bida called for more

attention to ghettos and other

secluded areas since they are

the breeding ground for diverse

sexual improprieties.

He urged young people

to respect the bodies of their

colleagues and not to touch

inappropriately or make unwelcome

sexual advances and

expressions.

Page 10

Business

service marks reaching 50m

customers across Africa

M-Pesa, Vodafone’s

mobile financial

services, has

reached 50 million

monthly active

customers, cementing its position

as Africa’s largest fintech platform.

The mobile money service,

which was launched more than

14 years ago in Kenya, M-Pesa

is available in Kenya, Tanzania,

Mozambique, the Democratic Republic

of Congo, Lesotho, as well

as in Egypt and Ghana as Vodafone

Cash.

The number of active M-Pesa

customers has doubled in the

past five years. The milestone

also comes just 18 months after

Safaricom and Vodacom launched

the M-Pesa Africa joint venture to

accelerate growth of the service

across the continent. M-Pesa

Africa has been delivering digital

platforms as part of its focus to

be the largest fintech and digital

ecosystem across the continent.

M-Pesa became an even more

important platform for customers

during the pandemic with transaction

volumes increasing 44%

year-on-year in the first quarter

of the current financial year. The

number of transactions grew to

4.5 billion in the quarter – with

a total transaction value of €63

billion.

Commenting on this milestone,

the Chief Executive Officer

(CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Patricia

Obo-Nai, said: ‘We are excited

because this milestone affirms

that we are impacting more lives

and businesses whilst liberalising

the mobile money platform

to embrace all. In Ghana we have

also seen a seismic shift in the

sheer volume and frequency of

monetary movement across networks

as a result of our complete

removal of transaction charges on

money transferred to any network

via Vodafone Cash. This bold step

has broadly expanded digital

financial inclusion and brought

immense financial and economic

relief to our individual consumers


as well as business clients.

Vodafone Cash is known for

its secure mobile money platform

and leadership in innovative

financial products. Vodafone Cash

continues to emphasize its commitment

to playing an integral

role in the country becoming a

cash-lite society through its numerous

Vodafone Cash interventions.

In 2007, Safaricom and Vodafone

launched M-Pesa in Kenya as

a way for customers to instantly

send money to each other. For

many customers, the service became

their first and often only access

to financial services propelling

its fast growth and adoption

across the country.

Consequently, the service has

largely contributed to the growth

of formal financial inclusion

across the continent. In Kenya,

access to financial services and

products has increased by around

56% between 2006-2019 driven by

the availability of mobile money1.

M-Pesa has also been credited

with lifting roughly 2% of Kenyan

households out of extreme poverty

2.

Today M-Pesa is a two-sided

network that provides a wide variety

of financial services to both

businesses and individual customers.

Customers can send and

receive money, make and receive

business payments, pay bills, make

and receive international money

transfers, save and access credit,

all from the convenience of their

mobile phones and wherever they

may be in the countries served,

utilising more than 500,000 M-Pesa

agents.

Into the future, the service

has been investing in new technologies

and partnerships as it

seeks to deepen financial health

amongst its customers through

products that encourage savings

and lending, wealth management,

and insurance. M-Pesa has equally

expanded its partnerships in an

aim to boost remittances which

empower customers to send and

receive money across more than

200 countries and territories.

Cynthia Lumor appointed as

Dep MD of Tullow Ghana

Tullow Ghana has announced

the appointment

of Cynthia Lumor

as Deputy Managing

Director, effective October

1, 2021.

Cynthia Lumor is the first to

be appointed as Deputy Managing

Director of Tullow Ghana since

the company began its Ghana

operations in 2006.

As Deputy Managing Director,

Cynthia Lumor will be responsible

for the integration of the

non-technical functions within

the Ghana business and will

support the Managing Director,

Wissam Al Monthiry, in driving

Tullow’s plans to invest over $4

billion in Ghana over the next 10

years.

Prior to this appointment,

Cynthia Lumor was the Corporate

Affairs Director overseeing

the Communications & Investor

Relations, Social Performance,

Government, Public and External

Affairs teams of the company.

She joined Tullow Ghana from

Scancom (MTN Ghana) where she

was Head of Corporate Services responsible

for Regulatory Compliance,

Communications, Legal and

External Affairs/Sustainability.

In a statement issued by

Tullow Ghana, Chief Executive

Officer, Rahul Dhir expressed his

delight at her appointment.

“I am delighted that Cynthia

has been appointed to this

important role. Since Wissam assumed

office last year, Cynthia has

been instrumental in managing

our key government and external

relationships in Ghana and her

promotion reflects her important

role in delivering Tullow’s strategy

in Ghana,” he said.

Prior to her appointment as

Deputy Managing Director, Mrs.

Cynthia Lumor served on the

leadership team of Tullow Ghana

and was Director for Corporate

Affairs with responsibility for

External Affairs and Social Performance,

and oversight of Human

Resources, Information Systems

and Facilities Management.

She joined Tullow Ghana in

2017

Ṁrs. Lumor has several years

of experience in the Oil and

Gas industry, having previously

worked for the Ghana National Petroleum

Corporation as Principal

Legal Officer.

Cynthia also worked at GNPC,

as a Senior Legal Officer where

within a year, she rose to become

the Head of Department.

She was involved in the drafting

of the Petroleum Law, which

created the structure and legal

framework for an independent

regulator and the Oil and Gas

industry.

Ms. Lumor holds an LLB

(Hons) from the University of

Ghana and a practising certificate

from the Ghana School of Law.

She is a mother of three.

‘Honour your

tax obligations’

President Nana Akufo-Addo

has charged members

of the legal fraternity to

honour their tax obligations

or face the rigours

of the law.

This comes barely a month

after the Ghana Revenue Authority

(GRA) disclosed that over 60,000

business professionals have been

evading tax, per an exercise conducted.

Speaking at the Ghana Bar

Conference in the Upper East

Regional Capital, Bolgatanga,

President Akufo-Addo said that the

over sixty thousand professionals

who are not paying taxes will soon

be directly dealt with by the Ghana

Revenue Authority.

“It is embarrassing that lawyers

are often on top of the list of

those who flout our tax laws and

use their expertise to avoid paying

taxes. They appear to think, that

being members of the learned

profession puts them above compliance

with everyday civic duties

like paying taxes”, Akufo-Addo

said

Ṫhe conference is themed,

“Ensuring an increase in revenue

mobilization through taxation

for the purpose of accelerated

national development: The role of

the lawyer”.

“They will soon be receiving

friendly phone calls from the tax

authority. I sincerely hope that

those involved will swiftly move to

regularize their tax affairs before

the GRA moves to crack the whip,”

the president said.

Speaking at the same event,

Attorney General and Minister

of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame,

chastised lawyers who evade tax,

describing the practice as a disloyal

act to the State.

According to him, many of

the taxes paid by some lawyers

are not commensurate to their

luxurious lifestyles or the revenue

they generate.

“It is sad to say that many

lawyers are caught in the phenomenon

of tax evasion, as they

unjustifiably avoid being caught

in the tax net, either by understating

their profits or concealing

their true incomes. The luxurious

lifestyles of certain lawyers,

riding in the plushest of vehicles

and acquiring top-end properties,

are hardly commensurate with

the amount of taxes they pay,”

Godfred Dame said.

DAILY ANALYST


Sports

Thank you Ghana

Pele had been in hospital since his surgery earlier this month.

care this week

...after surgery

Pele will be moved out

of intensive care in the

next day or two as the

Brazil football great

continues his recovery

from surgery, his daughter Kely

Nascimento said.

The 80-year-old, three-times

World Cup winner has been in

the Alberto Einstein hospital in

Sao Paulo since doctors removed

a tumour from his colon earlier

this month.

"He is doing well post surgery,

he is not in pain and is in a

good mood (annoyed that he can

only eat jello but will persevere!).

He will move into a regular room

in the next day or two and then

Former Black Stars coach,

James Kwasi Appiah,

has agreed to work as

the Technical Director

of Asante Kotoko ahead

of the 2021/22 season, according

to Oyerepa FM.

The former Kotoko player

had a meeting with the management

of the club, in the presence

of Chief Executive Officer,

Nana Yaw Amponsah, where he

decided to head the technical

directorate.

Kwasi Appiah has been earlier

earmarked as the next coach

of the club due to uncertainty regarding

the future of Portuguese

gaffer Mariano Barreto.

According to Oyerepa FM,

Kwasi Appiah has decided to

go home," Nascimento said on

Instagram.

"He is strong and stubborn

and with the support and care

of the brilliant team at Einstein

and all of the love, energy and

light that the world is sending,

he will get through this!"

The hospital said last Friday

that Pele was recovering satisfactorily.

Pele has suffered from hip

problems for years and cannot

walk unaided. His public appearances

were already being cut

before the COVID-19 pandemic

and since then he has made few

unnecessary forays outside his

house near Santos.—ESPN

Former Ghana coach Kwasi

Appiah agrees to work as

Kotoko Technical Director

work for the club without any

charges.

Kwasi Appiah played for

Asante Kotoko between 1983 to

1993 and was a member of the

team that won the Africa Champions

League in 1983.

He started his managerial

career with the Reds, where

he served as assistant coach

between 1992 to 1995 and then

eventually took over as head

coach from 1995 to 1996.

He was assistant coach of

Ghana from 2007 to 2012 and

then became Black Stars coach

for the first time in 2012.

He left after the World Cup

in 2014 but returned for a second

spell between 2017 to 2019.

Former Black Stars Head

Coach, CK Akonnor, has

spoken for the first time

after being relieved of

his role as head trainer.

Akonnor was dismissed by

the Ghana Football Association

(GFA) on Monday, after a series

of poor results, the latest being

Ghana’s 1-0 defeat at the hands

of South Africa.

In his first message since his

dismissal, CK Akonnor thanked

President Akufo-Addo and Ghanaians

for the opportunity to

serve, and wished the team well

in their future endeavors.

”I’m grateful to H.E President

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,the

Sports Ministry, my

former boss Kwesi Appiah, the

leadership of the GFA, colleagues

I worked with, players and

Ghanaians for the opportunity

to serve. Wishing the team all

the best. Thank you Ghana,” he

wrote on his official Twitter

page.

–LaLiga president

LaLiga president Javier

Tebas has said Real Madrid

could afford to sign

both Kylian Mbappe

and Erling Haaland

next summer.

Madrid failed with a series of

bids for Mbappe, 22, last month

as they tried to prise the France

forward -- who has a year left on

his contract -- away from Paris

Saint-Germain.

The LaLiga club offered €160

million and €180m and were

willing to pay €200m but their

efforts were frustrated by PSG's

refusal to negotiate.

Madrid have also been keen

on Haaland, 21, with the Borussia

Dortmund star's father and

agent holding talks with the

club -- as well as Barcelona --

earlier this year.

"Madrid have sold €200m

worth of players," Tebas said on

Monday, speaking at an event

– CK Akonnor

Akonnor lasted 21 months in

charge of the Black Stars, winning

just 4 of his 10 games as

Head Coach, with three draws

hosted by the Sport Integrity

Global Alliance. "They have the

money to sign Mbappe and Haaland

together. They haven't made

losses, and what's more, they've

made sales."

Madrid allowed Martin Odegaard

to join Arsenal and Raphael

Varane to move to Manchester

United this summer as they

looked to fund a deal for Mbappe.

They have not paid a transfer

fee for a first team player since

2019, and careful financial management

saw them post a narrow,

€874,000 profit for the 2020-21

financial year despite the impact

of the coronavirus pandemic.

"What isn't understandable

is that [PSG], who have losses of

€400m and a wage bill of €500m,

are able to reject offers like the

one they received for Mbappe,"

Tebas said. "The controls in

France are failing. They're doing

damage to the European market.

and three defeats.

Ghana Football Association

is expected to name his replacement

in the coming days.

UEFA's system is mistaken. We're

going in the wrong direction."

He added: "We have to attract

investors, but not with unlimited

contributions and constant losses.

It wouldn't be allowed in other

sectors. They'd prefer to win the

Champions League while losing a

billion. Their fans would be happy,

but you've ruined football. It's

very dangerous."

By contrast, Tebas was more

positive about Barcelona's

figures, despite president Joan

Laporta revealing last month that

the club's total debt had topped

€1.35 billion.

"The important thing isn't the

debt you have, it's the capacity to

repay it," Tebas said. "They bring

in a billion euros, they have a

ratio of one-to-one. That's better

than 70% of teams in Europe,

better than PSG, than Premier

League teams... We think tough

financial control rules benefit

Barcelona's sustainability."—

ESPN

DAILYAnalyst

Wednesday, 15th September, 2021

Wednesday, 15th September, 2021

Govt dragged to court

...over continuous stay

Story: George Obeng

The Member of Parliament

for South Dayi,

Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor

has dragged

the government to

court over the continuous stay

of Metropolitan, Municipal and

District Chief Executives (MMD-

CEs) in office.

According to him, President

Akufo-Addo has no constitutional

mandate to direct MMDCEs to

remain at post in acting capacity.

The President, in January

2021 after he was sworn in to

Henry Quartey,

Greater Accra

regional minister,

on Thursday,

reiterated that his

"Let's make Accra work' agenda

was not only geared towards

sanitation in the capital, but

also towards health, education,

security, and indiscipline.

He said: "'Let's make Greater

Accra work' agenda focuses on

five significant pillars of security,

sanitation, health, education,

and indiscipline, which is

cross-cutting."

Mr. Quartey who made the

call when addressing the annual

conference of the Greater Accra

Presiding Members in Accra

on the theme: "Making Greater

Accra work, the role of local

assemblies (Let your action

count)" said the agenda was

borne out of indiscipline and

total disregard for orderliness in

the capital.

The programme brought

together all presiding members

in the region, experts in local

governance, and development

partners.

It would also serve as a

training ground for members to

strategize towards the growth

and development of the region.

serve a second presidential term,

directed all MMDCEs to remain

at post until new ones are appointed.

According to the communiqué

signed by the Chief of Staff,

Akosua Frema Opare, announcing

the directive also warned

the MMDCEs against taking any

policy-related decisions.

“You are to take note of the

provision of section 14 (5) of the

Presidential (Transition) Act

(2012) which states that you shall

not take a decision involving a

policy issue,” the notice said.

Dafeamekpor, who filed the

suit as a private citizen of Ghana,

among other things wants a

“declaration that upon a true and

proper interpretation of Article

243(1), the President of the

Republic of Ghana cannot direct,

instructor appoint any person to

either act or hold office as a Metropolitan,

Municipal and District

Chief Executive without the

prior approval of the Members of

the District Assembly to which

the said person would be acting

or holding office as a Metropolitan,

Municipal and District Chief

Executive.”

He also wants the court to

order the acting MMDCEs to immediately

vacate their post.

“An order directed at all

Metropolitan, Municipal and

District Chief Executives continuing

in office pursuant to the

above-mentioned Presidential

directive to vacate office with

immediate effect.”

'Let's make Accra work'

agenda is holistic -Minister

Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey (R)

and other stakeholders in a group photograph

Sanitation and waste management

would also form an

integral part of their conference.

Mr. Quartey called on the

presiding members to influence

their assemblies to carry out

educational programmes with

stakeholders to achieve the

vision of the agenda.

He said the next line of

action would be on maintaining

high standards in the erection

of advertising signs on the major

streets of the region.

The regional minister said

the Regional Coordinating

Council was currently carrying

out training programmes to

bring sanity into good advertising

standards.

He announced that stakeholders

in the private sector had

been supportive of the agenda

and called for more support to

achieve it.

Mr. Joseph Korto, Regional

Dean of presiding members

called on his colleagues to place

a premium on education as it

was the bedrock of education.

He said: "Honourable members

since education is the only

weapon that society can use to

level up, I will want to suggest

that we intensify education in

our various districts to fight the

disease."

He commended Henry Quartey,

the Greater Accra regional

minister for his innovations in

keeping the city clean and appealed

to his colleagues to offer

the minister maximum support

to achieve health and sanitation

goals.

"The regional minister's

operation clean your frontage

and the demolition of unauthorized

structures on waterways,

among many others cannot

yield positive impact without

the support of the assemblies in

the region."

He described the regional

minister as a courageous leader

with a high level of intelligence

who needed their support for

the Greater Accra region to

work.

Mr. Korto, who is also the national

dean of presiding members

appealed to the executive

and legislative arms of government

to take steps to improve

the conditions of service of

members across the country.

Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, Head

of Service at the office of Local

government service called on

the presiding members to be

innovative towards the development

of their assemblies.

He called on the assemblies

to avoid awarding contracts

that could not receive adequate

funding as that could lead to

putting up so many uncompleted

buildings.

Enoch Teye Mensah, Greater

Accra representative of the

Council of State urged assemblies

to move their conversations

towards electing MMDCEs,

a proposal that had lingered on

for some time now.

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

A

40-year-old mason,

Richard Oppong, has

met his untimely

death on the Gomoa

Fetteh Kakraba

Nkwantanan road yesterday

morning after an alleged gang

attacked him.

According to an eyewitness

who lives in the area, “around

2:00 a.m., midnight, he heard

the deceased screaming for help

while he was being beaten but

because it was midnight and was

afraid to step out he couldn’t rescue

him till they saw him naked

and dead this morning”.

The people in the area confirmed

that the deceased lived

in Manfam, a suburb of Gomoa

Fetteh Kakraba

The Awutu Bereku District

Tension in Gomoa

Fetteh Kakraba

Police Officer, Chief Superintendent

Mr Joshua Semenyo, who

was at the scene with his men

also confirmed to journalists

that the man was brutalised by

an unknown gang with several

injuries all over his body

He said no arrest has been

made so far and the cause of the

dead was yet to be identified

“The body will be sent to the

police mortuary for postmortem

pending investigations,” the

police commander added.

On his part, Odikro for Gomoa

Fetteh Kakraba, Nana Essel

Amokoando II, appealed to the

new acting IGP to beef up security

in the area because robbery

cases kept on increasing.


The DAILY ANALYST is published by DE WESTEND COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA CONSULTANCY LTD.

Registered at NMC as a Newspaper. Editor: Dennis Ato Keelson Phone: 0244992243,

Email: dailyanalyst@gmail.com

Wednesday, 15th September, 2021b

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