Monday, 16th May, 2022

Page 2

Boris Johnson is to tell

Northern Ireland's

leaders that any move

to change post-Brexit

trade rules must also

restore power-sharing at Stormont.

The prime minister is visiting

Northern Ireland on Monday amid

a political crisis sparked by tensions

over the Northern Ireland

Protocol.

Following the 5 May election,

the anti-protocol Democratic

Unionist Party has refused to

engage with the assembly.

A new administration cannot

be formed without them.

A spokesperson for No 10 said

Mr Johnson would hold private

meetings with the parties and the

UK government would "play its

part to ensure political stability".

The prime minister is expected

to say there is "no substitute

for strong local leadership".

He will urge members of the

Stormont assembly to "get back to

work to deal with the bread-and-

Gunmen who abducted

dozens of train

passengers in northern

Nigeria have released

one of the hostages - a

heavily pregnant woman.

In a video message circulating

on social media, the woman said

the abductors told her she had

been freed on "compassionate

grounds".

She was among those kidnapped

in March when armed

men blew up the railway and

attacked a busy train traveling

between the capital, Abuja, and

Kaduna.

At least nine people were

killed.

It is not yet clear exactly how

many people were kidnapped but

pictures released last month by

the gunmen showed at least 62

captives.

Kaduna state commissioner

for internal security Samuel Aruwan

has confirmed to the BBC the

release of the hostage, saying she

would given medical treatment.

Local media have reported

that another of the hostages gave

birth in captivity last month.

The hostage-takers had earlier

freed a bank executive, also

supposedly on compassionate

grounds given his old age - although

sources said a ransom had

been paid in his case.

The Nigerian authorities have

Boris Johnson

butter issues".

But the prime minister will

also tell political leaders that

"there will be a necessity to act"

on the protocol if the EU does not

change its position.

Mr Johnson's visit coincides

with increased speculation that

the UK government is poised

to introduce legislation to strip

away parts of the Northern Ireland

Protocol.

The protocol, a part of the

UK-EU Brexit deal which keeps

Northern Ireland aligned with

the EU single market for goods,

puts a trade border in the Irish

Sea between Great Britain and

Northern Ireland.

It was designed to ensure free

trade could continue across the

Irish land border, but it has been

opposed by unionist politicians.

The DUP has argued the

protocol has eroded the foundations

devolution has been built

upon and undermined Northern

Ireland's position in the UK.

The EU has acknowledged

DAILY ANALYST Monday, 16th May, 2022

that the protocol has caused

difficulties for Northern Ireland

businesses and it put forward

proposals in October to try to ease

that burden - it said they would

mean a reduction in paperwork

and checks on goods entering NI

from Great Britain.

However, last week the UK

rejected these plans saying they

would make things worse.

On Monday, Mr Johnson will

say that the UK and EU's shared

objective should be for a reformed

protocol to enjoy the broadest possible

cross-community support

when it faces a consent vote at

Stormont in 2024.

The Northern Ireland Assembly

election on 5 May cemented

a majority for politicians who

accept the protocol, including the

new largest party, the republican

party Sinn Féin.

The DUP's move to block the

election of a speaker on Friday

means the Northern Ireland Assembly

cannot function.

The party said its actions sent

a clear message about its opposition

to the protocol.

Its leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

said the prime minister must

"outline what he intends to do".

On Saturday, Sinn Féin leader

Mary Lou McDonald accused

the prime minister of being "in

cahoots" with the DUP.

Ms McDonald said the protocol

was going nowhere and both

she and would-be first minister

Nigeria's Kaduna train attack:

Pregnant woman freed

blamed the attack on elements

from the Islamist militant group

Boko Haram who had teamed up

with kidnapping gangs operating

in north-western Nigeria.

The kidnappers have said

they were not seeking a ransom

but that the authorities knew

their demands, without giving

details.

Analysts say they might be

demanding a prisoner swap - in

exchange for some of their colleagues

arrested by the Nigerian

security forces.

The Abuja-Kaduna highway is

one of the most dangerous roads

in the country, and consequently

more commuters had started

using the railway, which opened

in 2016.

After the hijacking it was announced

that military aircraft will

escort the trains once repair work

on the 190km (120-mile) track is

completed. It is not known exactly

when services will resume.

Kidnapping for ransom has

become commonplace across

Nigeria.

A report by security research

and intelligence firm Beacon Consulting

Ltd said that in the first

three months of this year, more

than 3,500 people were killed and

many more kidnapped by armed

groups.

People had been travelling by train

because the road was too dangerous

Global News

Brexit trade deal change must

result in NI government - PM

Michelle O'Neill would be telling

Mr Johnson so on Monday.

"The DUP have not simply

called a halt to the formation of

an executive, they have equally

attempted to place a veto on the

operation of the assembly," she

said.

"The British government have

assisted the DUP in these blocking

tactics."

By refusing to support the

Russia's forces were not prepared

for the resistance posed by Ukraine

Nato's secretary general

says Russia's war in

Ukraine is not going

to plan and that its

attempt to capture

the eastern Donbas region has

"stalled".

Jens Stoltenberg also said

Ukraine could win the conflict.

Britain's Ministry of Defence

(MoD) estimates Russia has lost

about a third of its ground combat

force since the war began in

February.

The Russian invasion has been

hampered by stiff Ukrainian resistance

and logistical issues.

Its initial goal appeared to be

to sweep across the country and

topple the Ukrainian government.

Instead, Russia has withdrawn

from areas around the capital

Kyiv after failing to capture it and

since mid-April has been focusing

its efforts on two eastern provinces.

In Ukraine's second city of

Kharkiv, officials say Russian

forces have withdrawn from to

the border and that residents were

returning.

"Russia's war in Ukraine is not

going as Moscow had planned,"

said Mr Stoltenberg.

"They failed to take Kyiv, they

are pulling back from around

Kharkiv, their major offensive in

Donbas has stalled. Russia is not

achieving its strategic objectives."

Mr Stoltenberg was speaking

at a meeting of Nato foreign

ministers.

On top of the military setbacks,

another consequence of the

invasion is that Russia will likely

election of a speaker, the DUP -

previously the largest party in

Stormont and holder of the post

of first minister - has blocked a

government from forming.

Without a speaker, there can

be no debates in the assembly, no

committees can be held, and the

actions of ministers, currently

acting in a caretaker capacity, cannot

be scrutinised.

Ukraine war: Russia's

invasion not going to

plan, Nato says

face an expanded Nato with Sweden

and Finland set to join. .

Russia's President Vladimir

Putin sees Nato as a security

threat to Russia and invaded

Ukraine in part to stop it joining

Nato.

In its assessment, the MoD's

estimate of Russia's losses cover

men killed or wounded and equipment

destroyed or captured.

The MoD said Russia's Donbas

offensive had "lost momentum

and fallen significantly behind

schedule".

It said Russia was constrained

by "continued low morale and

reduced combat effectiveness".

The British Foreign Secretary,

Liz Truss, said Ukraine's allies

must keep up its military support

to help it "push Russia out".

On the ground. Ukrainian forces

are counterattacking in the city

of Izyum, regional governor Oleh

Sinegubov said, something that

could complicate Russian plans to

capture the Donbas.

However Ukraine's military

also acknowledged setbacks in its

latest updates, saying Russia was

advancing in several areas in the

region.

There has been no let up for

the remaining Ukrainian forces

in Mariupol, with Russia continuing

its bombardment of the

steelworks where they are holed

up. Video purportedly from inside

showed men checking their

phones and playing chess.

And in western Ukraine, the

governor of the Lviv region said

missiles had targeted military

infrastructure.

DAILY ANALYST

Monday, 16th May, 2022 Page 3

Frontpage Stories

Female

student killed

Fear has gripped residents

within Ola Estate at

Cape Coast in the Central

Region following the

killing of a female student

at the Cape Coast Technical

University (CCTU) last Friday.

The police said the victim,

Nana Ama Clark, who was a Level

300 student, was found dead at

the Ola Estate near the Ola College

of Education with somebody

parts cut off.

The lifeless body of Nana Ama

was found lying at the roadside

by some residents at about 9 pm

last Friday.

The Police said they had had

information that a female adult

was found lying dead on the

roadside at Ola Estate near the

Ola College of Education, Cape

Coast.

The family of the victim has

been duly informed of the sad

incident

She said the Police proceeded

to the scene and found the body

of Nana Ama lying naked with

her private part cut off and bruises

on the body.

The body of the late Nana

Ama has been deposited at the

Cape Coast Teaching Hospital

mortuary as investigations continue.

NDC will resist

Agyapa again

Former President John

Mahama has warned

that the National Democratic

Congress (NDC)

will resist the controversial

Agyapa deal again

Addressing the media last

week Finance Minister, Ken

Ofori Atta maintained that the

Agyapa deal was a good one that

would help the country to raise

resources and reduce its debt

exposure.

“It is not something that the

country needs to drop, that is an

asset,” he argued

“Rather, if you have a

problem with the process, let’s

articulate that and cure it. Let’s

not drop something that will

be good for us and help reduce

our debt exposure,” the Finance

Minister added

However, in a statement

posted on his Facebook page on

Sunday, Mr. Mahama said the

NDC remains opposed to the Bill.

“We remain opposed to the

Agyapa Deal. The National Democratic

Congress will oppose it

vigorously,” he said

According to the former President,

the NDC cannot support

the collateralization of every single

source of future revenue just

to Finance today’s consumption

Former President John Mahama

Robbers stab Okada

rider to death

The gruesome murder

of Emmanuel Lomotey,

a commercial

motorcyclist (Okada

rider) on Thursday,

May 12, 2022, by two assailants

at Nsakina High Tension is

raising tension among the rank

and file of commercial motorcyclists

in Manhean.

Emmanuel Lomotey, a

19-year-old Okada rider of

Manhean in the Ga West Municipality

of the Greater Accra

Region, was cruelly killed after

he picked two young men from

Manhean Junction around

10:00 p.m., to their destination

in Nsakina in the same municipality.

According to reports, Lomo

was stabbed multiple times

with a knife by his attackers

before being left to die.

This was after an ensuing

melee between the deceased

and his attackers during which

the latter demanded from the

deceased to hand over his motorcycle

to them.

And when Emma refused

to hand over the motorcycle,

the reports said, his attackers

pounced on him, stabbing him

multiple times around the ribs.

After realizing blood oozing

out from the ribs of Lomo, the

assailants bolted away with the

motorcycle.

When DAILY Analyst

visited the scene at Nsakina

High Tension Friday morning,

irate colleague Okada riders of

Lomo after he was affectionate-

“We’re committed to

free and fair elections”

The Executive Committee

of the Association

of African Election

Authorities (AAEA) has

given the assurance

that it is committed to the professional,

free and fair conduct

of elections on the continent.

In a communique issued at

the end of a two-day meeting

of the Executive Committee of

the AAEA held in Accra, it called

on all regional and sub-regional

bodies, civil society, and the

development community to

partner them in pursuing and

driving the agenda.

The AAEA, is a platform that

brings together heads of Election

Management Bodies in Africa

to dialogue, share experiences,

set standards, and exchange

lessons and best practices in

election management.

It said after a two-year period

of dormancy, necessitated by

the COVID-19 pandemic, members

had resolved to revive the

Association's activities to amplify

its relevance and influence on

election management.

The communique noted that

ly called among his peers had

thronged the place looking very

deeply worried.

They vowed that they will

not rest until the perpetrators

of their murdered friend were

brought to justice.

“The brutal killing of Lomo

should serve as a wake-up call

for the Okada riders in Manhean

to be mindful of how we

go about our business,” they

warned.

Describing the way, he died

as painful, his colleagues said

more painful was the fact that

he just completed Junior High

School (JHS) and was working to

the Executive Committee developed

a medium-term strategic

plan to guide their priorities and

activities over the next three to

five years.

It said the meeting also

developed a short- to medium-term

work plan to enable

the Association achieve its mission

of providing peer-to-peer

Emmanuel Lomotey

raise some money to further his

education.

His close friends who spoke

with DAILY Analyst on the condition

of anonymity said the late

Lomo was planning to further

his education in a senior high

school in Volta Region.

They went on to describe

Lomo as humble, respectful, and

very hard working.

Meanwhile, the bereaved

family has called on the Accra

Central Police to ensure that

those behind the death of their

son were arrested and dealt with

according to the laws of the

country.

support, knowledge-sharing,

and exchange over the short

term.

“Members recognized information

technology, social media,

and digitalization of electoral

processes as areas where the capacity

building could be offered.

It announced to hold its next

General Assembly meeting in

Mozambique in November 2022.

Page 4


COVAAAGH to showcase

Artisanal Cocoa Products

at WTPO Conference 2022

The Cocoa Value Addition Artisans Association of

Ghana (COVAAAGH) is set to showcase an innovative

Ghana made artisanal cocoa products line at the

13th World Trade Promotion Organizations – WTPO

Conference and Awards in Accra, Ghana.

COVAAAGH will be featuring alongside other groups and

organisations in the Non-Traditional Export (NTE) products

and services arena during the event slated for May 17th and

18th, 2022.

Patrons to the COVAAAGH stand at Labadi Beach Hotel,

the venue for the WTPO Conference, would experience the

crème de la crème of premium artisanal Ghana made bar and

powdered chocolates, snacks and confectionery, cocoa-based

cosmetics, and beverages.

The 13th edition WTPO Conference and Awards is being

jointly hosted in Africa’s commercial hub, Accra, by the Ghana

Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the International

Trade Centre (ITC) on the theme ‘Bold solutions for resilience

and recovery.’

In her pre-event statement, the Chief Executive Officer

of GEPA, Dr Afua Asabea Asare, said the event will allow for

a conversation on how to move trade around the COVID-19

pandemic.

Welcoming guests attending the first in-person WTPO

conference in two years, Dr Asare said the AfCFTA secretariat

is based in Accra “that means you are at the right place and

you would be here at the right time to start any business, continue

any business, to keep the conversation going.”

With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

as a guide, the event will outline and celebrate how trade

and investment organizations address business survival and

competitiveness, and support trade-led growth, while serving

their communities and protecting our planet.

Heads and senior representatives of Trade Promotion Organizations

from across the world would be converging in the

Ghanaian capital for high-level deliberations on key topics

like trade in the era of a pandemic.

The Executive Director of the International Trade Center

(ITC), Pamela Coke-Hamilton, said stakeholders “will explore

how bold organizations provide solutions for businesses to

become more resilient in the face of shocks.”

She entreated concerted participation by heads of trade

promotion organisations to tackle pressing challenges, find

sustainable solutions and share best practices.

The GEPA and ITC joint event will also celebrate the innovative

work of WTPO award-winning organizations.

Executive Secretary of the Cocoa Value Addition Artisans

Association of Ghana (COVAAAGH), Festus Kwame Kwadzokpo,

said the organisation “views this event as timely” especially

at a time that it is seeking market opportunities and progressive

partnerships to place products of its members on the

global market.

He commended the ITC and GEPA for their commitment

to supporting COVAAAGH’s cause, particularly efforts to have

authorities review the current law and policy on access to

cocoa beans which do not favour local cocoa value addition.

“The sector has the potential to create jobs and wealth and

bring in the needed foreign exchange the country needs,” he

added.

The first day, which is 17th May 2022, will feature insights

on global megatrends, followed by perspectives from business

leaders and ends with an awards ceremony announcing the

winners of the WTPO awards 2022.

The focus then moves to explore global trade and investment

opportunities related to the African Continental Free

Trade Area.

Special sessions focus on the trade promotion organization

(TPO) context, dedicated to embracing risk and sustainable

business practices that deliver competitive advantage.

GNAAP unveiled as a

professional body

The Ghana National Association

of Alternative

Dispute Resolution-ADR

Practitioners (GNAAP)

has been unveiled as a

professional body.

The unveiling ceremony came

off during the 9th GNAAP Annual

General Conference held on the

theme ‘ADR Practice As A Profession’

at the weekend in Accra.

Addressing the annual conference,

the President of GNAPP,

Mr. Daniel Owusu-Koranteng,

contended that with this new development,

GNAAP thus becomes

the first professional body for ADR

practice in the country.

He said the transition from an

association to a professional entity

was not an easy task, adding

that it took some “bold decisions”

by the leadership of GNAAP to

achieve this feat.

“After meeting the requirements

of a professional body, the

leadership of GNAAP took a bold

step to become a professional

body which was registered on 17th

January 2022,” he disclosed.

He noted that the transformation

of GNAAP from an association

to a professional body comes with

huge responsibilities, stating that

“we cannot do things in the old

ways.”

“If we want GNAAP to remain

a strong ADR professional body,

we need to acquire the habit of

paying our annual subscriptions

on time and actively participate in

the programmes of GNAAP.”

…We would need resources

to organise professional training

programmes, create regional

structures of GNAAP, strengthen

local and international collaboration

and undertake policy

advocacy to create a conducive

atmosphere for ADR practice in

Ghana,” he underscored.

In this regard, Mr. Owusu-Koranteng

reiterated his outfit’s call

for the establishment of the Alternative

Dispute Resolution Centre

in accordance with Section 114 of

the Alternative Dispute Resolution

ACT, 2010 (ACT 798).

Such a move, he said, will facilitate

the promotion of ADR professional

practice in the country.

He indicated that GNAAP has

drawn attention to the defects in

the composition of the Governing

Board of the ADR Centre as

Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, President of GNAPP

enshrined in the ADR ACT.

Regrettably, he said, the composition

of the Governing Board

of the ADR Centre as provided in

Section 117 of the ADR ACT 2010

(ACT 798) has no representation of

an ADR professional body.

“It is an unfortunate omission

that the ADR fraternity has no

representative on an important

structure of the ADR ACT such as

the ADR Centre that has broad

responsibilities for the promotion

of professional ADR practice in

Ghana,” he bemoaned.

According to Mr. Owusu-Koranteng,

GNAAP was contributing

to ADR training and practice in

the country. This, he said, was

being done through GNAAP’s

relationship with the Institute of

Paralegal Training and Leadership

Studies (IPLS) and providing opportunities

for ADR practitioners

to sharpen their professional

competencies through opportunities

offered by the Centre for

Citizens Empowerment (CCE).

Her Ladyship, Irene-Charity

Larbi, Justice of the Court of Appeal

and Judge in charge of ADR at

the Judicial Service of Ghana, who

represented the Chief Justice,

said it was encouraging that the

leadership of GNAAP was helping

to build the capacity of ADR

members.

She, therefore, charged ADR

practitioners to always uphold

party autonomy, admonishing

members to adhere to the code of

ethics of the profession.

“As ADR practitioners, you

ally what the child has done, the

mother contributes, the drugs she

may take while her doctor does

not know (self-medication). There

are some medications that have

been intricate in the development

of these hole-in-heart conditions.

“So any pregnant woman

should let their doctor know if

they are on any medication so

that they can be advised in that

regard. Also alcohol intake, diabetes

but a lot of these hole-in-heart

arise as a result of genetic mutations,”

she disclosed.

According to the Cardiothoracic

Surgeon, heart surgeries are

Ghana’s first female Cardiothoracic

Surgeon,

Dr. Penelope Baaba

Tettey Adinku says

self-medication during

pregnancy is one of the causes of

hole-in-heart in kids.

Speaking to Nana Aba Anamoah

on Starr Chat, Dr. Penelope

disclosed that about one out of

hundred children in Ghana gets a

hole-in-heart condition.

She, however, mentioned other

causes of hole-in-heart in adults

such as alcohol intake and some

are also genetic.

“Its usually genetic, not reare

conciliators, reconciliators,

peacemakers and you must live

above unethical tendencies,” she

advised.

She further admonished members

to always give a fair hearing

to disputing parties, urging them

to “ensure best practice.”

For his part, the Guest Speaker,

Mr. Michael Gyang Owusu Esq,

President-Ghana ADR Hub, and

Senior Lecturer, Ghana School of

Law, recommended to the leadership

of GNAAP to train members

to adjudicate cases in areas including

mining, insurance, pathfinding,

environment, community

dispute resolution among others.

Later, Mr. Gyang Owusu Esq

was admitted and inducted as an

honorary member of GNAAP. He

was presented with an honorary

certificate of membership by the

president of GNAAP.

Twelve (12) new GNAAPIANS

were also inducted.

GNAAP is a prestigious regulatory

body of ADR professionals

(mediators, arbitrators, negotiators,

conciliators, customary

arbitrators, etc.,) in Ghana incorporated

under the Companies

Code, 1963 (Act 179) as amended in

the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992)

as a private company limited by

guarantee, on 27th May 2014.

The members of GNAAP are

people from diverse backgrounds:

lawyers, chiefs, queen mothers,

members of Parliament, business

executives, teachers, engineers,

security experts, etc.

Self-medication during pregnancy cause of

hole-in-heart in kids – Heart Surgeon

expensive because some of the

equipment used is disposable.

“So for every new patient we

have to use new ones and that

makes the surgery expensive,” Dr.

Penelope disclosed.

She continued: “It’s not easy

to see a parent come in with their

child sick, the child has a hole-inheart

condition, it’s very pathetic

and yes it does break my heart.

That’s why I believe that as doctors

we should have compassion

because these people are going

through a lot having these children.

So we have to attend to them

with compassion.”

DAILY ANALYST


Perspective

Ghana’s cocoa production

Ghana is second,

only to Côte

d’Ivoire, in global

production of

cocoa – a major

foreign exchange commodity,

and important ingredient in

the confectionery, food and

beverage, pharmaceutical and

cosmetics industries.

The two West African

countries (Ghana and Côte

d’Ivoire) jointly account for

two thirds of the global cocoa

production.

Ghana produced a record

1.033 million tonnes of cocoa

for the 2020/2021 season, an

improvement on the previous

record of 1.024 million tonnes

in the 2010/2011 season.

The Seed Production Division

(SPD) of the Ghana Cocoa

Board (COCOBOD) says they

are poised to increase the

country’s production capacity

with more disease resistant

and high yielding capacity

hybrid cocoa seedlings.

It is, therefore, raising 140

million hybrid cocoa seedlings

across all cocoa growing

regions in the country. The

seedlings bear fruits in about

one and half to two years,

compared to the non-hybrid

cocoa, which has about five to

six years fruiting period.

However, the country’s

quest to increase its production

level is being affected

by illegal mining activities

(galamsey) in cocoa growing

areas across the country,

despite the Government’s efforts

to stop such activities.

The Ghana News Agency

observed during a visit to

some cocoa stations at Apedwa,

Bonsu, and New Tafo in

the Eastern Region that the

Birim River, one of the main

tributaries of the Pra River,

used for irrigation, had been

polluted.

Although there were

neither people nor mining

equipment on site, the colour

of the River is milky-brown,

indicating that illegal mining

activities are ongoing in the

Birim River.

Ghana’s forest cover is

depleted, with only 20 percent

remaining. This is because

the 8,200,000 hectares of

forest cover that the country

had around 1900 has reduced

to 1,600,000 hectares due to

destruction.

A 2020 study by the

Institute of Environment

and Sanitation Studies of

the University of Ghana also

observed that the country has

lost more than GH36 billion

(US$6.3 billion) to environmental

degradation.

Activities that has contributed

to this degradation

include illegal mining, sand

winning and indiscriminate

felling of trees for building

purposes.

Mr Kwesi Asante, a cocoa

farmer at Asiakwa in the Eastern

Region told the Ghana

News Agency in an interview

that the issue of illegal mining

was affecting farming,

with many of the rivers, polluted.

He said: “Frankly, water

to work with on our farms is

a challenge. So, many of us

have resorted to irrigation to

water the crops in our farms.

But the rivers we use, including

Birim, Pusu, Supong, have

all been destroyed through

galamsey.”

“We, therefore, buy water

and take to our farms to water

the crops, and at the end of

the crop season, the money

you invest in far more than

the income from the produce,”

Mr Asante said.

Mrs Faustine Asemany, the

Executive Director of the Seed

Production Division (SPD) of

the Ghana Cocoa Board (CO-

COBOD), confirmed to GNA

that the pollution of rivers

and other water bodies was

not peculiar to the Eastern

Region.

She indicated that almost

every other cocoa growing

region was increasingly recording

high concentration of

mercury in water bodies used

for irrigation purposes.

The situation, she said was

impeding the effort of many

farmers across the country

to increase their yields, and

rather, increasing their production

cost, despite efforts

by the Government to clamp

down on illegal mining.

Mrs Asemany said: “In

Bunso, we built power horses

(water pumps) in one of the

plots, and started using the

Birim River to irrigate our

plots, but because of the

galamsey pollution of this

river, we can no longer use it.”

The Executive Director

added that in Toase, in the

Ashanti Region, the Division

could not use a suitable river

it identified for irrigation

purposes also because the

mercury concentration was

very high.

“We’re doing irrigation;

we were using natural water

(rainfall) to feed our seed

gardens that supported us,

but the climatic conditions

are changing and it’s affecting

our crop production as

well in that you can produce

those pods. Many of the

cherelle (young cocoa fruit)

also ripe without maturing,

and in these galamsey areas,

we’re unable to tap into rivers

to irrigate our seed gardens,”

she said.

She said that because of

the illegal mining activities,

they often avoided some areas

that would have been used

to raise seedlings, forcing

farmers to also move longer

distances before they could

access water to work on their

farms.

“Sometimes, we’re forced

to drill boreholes and fetch

water from there to water the

seedlings. The underground

water too, we drill and we

don’t get adequate water,” she

stated.

Adding to this, Dr Alex

Oppong Dwapanyin, Regional

Manager for Eastern, Volta

and Oti Regions, COCOBOD,

said, the situation had compounded

the plight of farmers,

making them incur high

transportation cost.

He noted that the effort of

the Seed Production Division

in providing hybrid and high

yielding seedlings to farmers

to increase production would

be derailed if immediate and

concrete steps were not taken

to address the issue.

Mr Edward Kareweh,

General Secretary of the

Agriculture Workers Union

of Ghana (GAWU), explained

the mud-yellowish water that

illegal mining turned rivers

and water bodies into, were

not good for irrigation and

even domestic and commercial

use.

He indicated that while

the Government was combating

illegal mining activities,

the Chiefs and community

members ought to realise the

importance of joining forces

with relevant stakeholders to

protect the water bodies.

“Much as the Government

is fighting it (galamsey) the

Chiefs and people of the communities

in which galamsey

is done also have a responsibility

to rise up and stop

the type of prospecting and

mining gold that pollutes the

waters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Abraham

Otabil, Public Relations

Officer, Ministry of Lands and

Natural Resources, told GNA

that the Ministry, was ensuring

that people did not carry

out mining activities close to

water bodies.

He said: “The Birim River

is one of the big rivers in

the country, so, the Ministry,

together with the respective

collaborators, including the

Water Resources Commission,

Ministry of Water and

Sanitation, and Local Government

Ministry, have been

working to ensure that we

protect the water bodies and

forest reserves where we have

many of these cocoa farms

around.”

Mr Otabil added that the

Ministry, under the Alternative

Livelihood Programme

was engaging the youth

fashion design, oil palm plantation,

and other productive

ventures to provide decent

jobs for them.

The exercise is being carried

out in various mining

districts to ensure that miners

do not return to various

sites, and cause further pollution

to rivers and other water

bodies for irrigation and other

purposes.

While the Seed Production

Division of COCOBOD is making

available disease-resistant

and high yielding seedlings

to farmers to increase the

country’s crop yield, it is

important to pay attention to

“galamsey" activities to make

the country’s dream of being

the largest producer of cocoa

be realised.

The chiefs and people of

cocoa and mining communities

must form strong collaboration

with government and

non-state actors to safeguard

water bodies for irrigation

purposes.

Farmers must also ensure

that they adhere to good agronomic

practices, including

constant weeding, spraying

of farms on time and with

appropriate chemicals, and

controlling pests and diseases

with support from agric extension

officers.

These, together with

financial support and the

implementation of policies,

would help stem the challenges,

leading to the production

of quality beans and

increasing the country’s crop

yield.

Page 6


Any information you put on

social media can be used against

you in future - Cyber Expert

Social media helps us

to connect with the

world, but it also comes

with risks, like account

takeovers, and links or

scams that lead to risky sites.

Social networking sites such

as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

and Snapchat have become

digital Billboards for internet

users. People love sharing their

personal views and news about

what’s going on in their lives.

But stop and think about

social media privacy for a

moment. This information some

of which is very personal is going

up on the internet. Outside of

your trusted circle of friends and

relatives, who else is viewing

The 2020 flagbearer of

the People’s National

Convention (PNC),

David Apasera,

has stated that he

used the party’s funds for

campaigning during the 2020

general elections in essence

denying all allegations of

embezzlement leveled against

him by the party’s General

Secretary, Janet Nabila.

General Secretary of the

what you post?

Your personal information

is valuable. You wouldn’t just

hand out your bank account

information, so why would you

give away your privacy rights on

social networking sites?

Discussing the topic:

“Protecting privacy on social

media” on the GTV Breakfast

Show, Friday, May 13, 2022, the

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

of DK Cyber Zone Gh, Mr. David

Gyedu cautioned social media

users who post their personal

information to be mindful of

what they post on the internet.

According to him online

privacy is key in the daily

activities of users. Saying any

information one puts on social

media can be used again them

positively or negatively in the

future.

He explained that most

online sites have tracking devices

hidden in the app which track

users’ even when offline.

The CEO of DK Cyber Zone Gh,

warned social media users to pay

attention to what information

they agreed to share when

signing up for a social media

account.

“Take a moment to walk

through the legal information

contained in the Privacy Policy

and Terms of Service of any app

one intended to download or use

before you click on the “Accept

bottom.” You may find out that

some of the terms are in the best

interest of the platform, but may

not be the best for your privacy.

Some of the conditions may

exceed your personal comfort

limit. For instance, some free

sites may gather and sell data

related to what you look at to

third parties for marketing

purposes. Make sure your

permission choices are right for

you”, he noted.

Mr. Gyedu emphasised that

most Ghanaian users of various

online platforms do not think

about privacy and security.

“Key loggers spy apps built

in most of the download apps

or online sites without the

knowledge of the users, especially

the free apps.” he noted.

I used the money for the campaign, I

didn’t embezzle PNC funds – Apasera

PNC, Janet Nabila, disclosed at a

press conference last Thursday

that David Apasera and their

National Chairman, Moses

Danibaah had been sacked by

the party.

David Apasera and Moses

Danibaah were suspended

earlier by the party over

allegations of misconduct and

embezzlement of party funds

amounting to GH¢1.7 million.

David Apasera noted that the

allegations are not true.

In a Citi News interview, he

said, “For whatever we raised,

this is the first time everybody

knew the amount we raised

and the first time it was lodged

in the party account, and the

first time every officer of the

party presented a program and

a budget that was funded. This

money was for the campaign,

and it wasn’t meant for

anything else. I applied it, and it

was disbursed by the treasurer,

which everyone knew about.”

“The treasurer gave an

account at the first NEC

meeting, everybody applauded

it. Janet only objected to one

thing [and that was about the

filing fees],” he said.

Mr. Apasera further noted

that Janet Nabila is also a

suspended executive thus

cannot suspend him.

“Janet Nabila is no longer

the General Secretary, she has

been suspended. The Greater

Accra Regional Chairman has

been suspended. The General

Secretary has been suspended,

and so they have no locus to call

themselves NEC members,” he

said, stressing that his supposed

suspension is null and void.

Ghanaian workers don’t

trust Labour commission

– High Court judge

A

Justice of the Labour

Division of the Accra

High Court, Justice

Frank Aboadwe

Rockson has observed

that, employees do not have

trust in the National Labour

Commission.

Justice Aboadwe Rockson,

a labour expert who has been

adjudicating cases of Labour

unrest, notably among them

being the recent UTAG vs

NLC impase noted that, the

commission is perceived to be in

bed with government.

Speaking at the launch of

a book titled ‘Labour Law in

Ghana: An Essential Guide’,

Justice Aboadwe Rockson said

the commission is seen as not

being independent with its

functions.

“The other observation

has to do with the Labour

Commission particularly with

the functions and independence

of the labour commission. I

have realised that, they are not

trusted. They are seen as an

institution or commission that

is in bed with the government,”

Justice Aboadwe Rockson who

authored the Forward of the

book observed.

Employees don’t pay

attention to contract terms

The High Court judge also

observed that, employees do

not pay attention to terms

in their contract manuals, a

development he said has led to

several labour disputes in court.

According to Justice

Aboadwe Rockson, if the terms

in employees contracts are

adhered to, the multiplicity of

Labour cases in court would have

been reduced.

“I have observed that

employees usually do not

follow what is in their contract

of employment, the CBA, the

manual and at the end of the day,

most of these issues come before

me (in court).

“If they really adhere to what

is in the terms of the contract,

some of the disagreements will

not even come to court. This

makes the parties don’t have

trust in those bodies.

“There are some terms in

their manuals and contracts

where if there is some dispute or

if a person has been dismissed

or there is contract termination,

there are some mechanisms in

there that, they could use to seek

redress,” he noted.

He said, but “because there is

that lack of trust, they (parties)

surcumvent that and come to

court.”

Labour Law in Ghana – an HR

companion

The Rector of the MountCrest

University College (MCU),

Lawyer Irene Ansa-Asare who

chaired the event said, the

book is written in manner that

appeals to every discipline.

“The book Labour Law

in Ghana, is essential guide

and everybody needs the text

and once I looked through

it, I realised why it will be in

everybody’s bookshop.

“It is written in such a way

that, it appeals to everybody. It

is simple enough for students to

understand. It is comprehensive

enough for lecturers to use.

It is practical enough for HR

managers to have as their daily

guide and it cuts across all

disciplines,” she stated.

Solutions to Labour

agitation

The Author of the book, David

Kharly Hodanu Esq., a Principal

State Attorney at the Attorney-

General Department said, the

materials contained in the book

have been tried and tested and

it is capable of resolving labourrelated

issues.

“Some of you may be

wondering what at all is in this

book and whether you need to

own a copy. To such persons, I

say that the materials contained

in this book have been tried

and tested and have been found

capable of helping you resolve

any labour-related issue you may

have on your hand as a lawyer,

as a judge, as a law lecturer or

student, as an HR Professional,

as an employer, as an employee,

as a trade union leader, as a

journalist and what have you.

He added that, “the materials

contained in this book have been

tested in the courtroom (in the

High Court and Courtof Appeal)

and the classroom and have

proven to be very effectual.”

Book review

The review of the 24-chapter

book on behalf of Justice Sir

Dennis Dominic Adjei, A Justice

of the Court of Appeal said, one

striking feature of the book

is that, the author explains

the law in a very simple and

straightforward manner which

makes impressively user

friendly.

There were solidarity

messages from the Ghana Bar

Association, the Attorney-

General Department, the Eastern

Regional Bar association,

students from MCU among

others.

DAILY ANALYST


Frederick Opare Ansah and Akwasi Osei Agyei

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Freeman

A

research

conducted by

SEF Research Consult

has tipped Fredrick

Opare Ansah and

Akwasi Osxei Agyei as

the next faces of the leadership of

the governing New Patriotic Party

(NPP).

Dubbed “Breaking the 8: An

Analysis of NPP’s Intra Party

Democracy, Politics and Possible

Impact on Winning Ghana’s 2024

General Election”, Akwasi Osei

Agyei came up as the forerunner

in the NPP National Chairmanship

race

Ṙesults from the research

indicated a possible replacement of

the current crop of leadership with

new faces who can propel the party

into electoral victory, starting with

the national chairman.

Thirty-seven per cent (37%) of

respondents settled on Akwasi Osei

Agyei, naming him their preferred

candidate to fill the shoes of the

Offinso kingmakers

endorses Dr. K.K. Sarpong

...For position of Offinso

Traditional Paramount Chief

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Freeman

The Offinso Traditional

Council has given its

backing for Dr K.K.

Sarpong to be enthroned

as the Paramount Chief

of Offinso under the stool name

Kofi Kodua Sarpong.

DAILY Analyst understands

that the decision by members of

the Offinso Traditional Council

to publicly endorse the former

National Petroleum Company

(GNPC) boss, Dr. K.K. Sarpong, has

been received with loads of joy.

According to the traditional

council, Kofi Kodua Sarpong has

brought to the area a number of

laudable development projects

and special initiatives and,

therefore, needed to be given a

chieftaincy position to do more

for the area.

The council said the

performance of Kofi Kodua

incumbent NPP Chairman, Freddie

Blay

Ȧbout 21% of respondents

settled on Stephen Ayensu Ntim;

17% mentioned Prof. Christopher

Ameyaw Ekumfi; 15% settled on

Asamoah Boateng; 7% went for

Ayikoi Otoo while about 3% of

respondents mentioned they were

yet to choose any of the candidates

above after the data was analysed.

The respondents, according to

the survey, said their reason for

selecting Mr. Agyei was because he

was accessible ”and the fact that

he has gone through the mill as

a former Member of Parliament,

former Foreign Affairs Minister

amongst his numerous portfolios”.

”Respondents contend that

Akwasi Osei Agyei is unaligned and

would stand the best of positions to

be a fair adjudicator of matters that

are brought before the National

Executives and unite the NPP if

voted for. Some also argue that

his maturity and background as a

diplomat with international clout

will help build the party’s image.”

For the position of General

Sarpong in the area was

unprecedented and, therefore,

installing him as Paramount Chief

of the area will enable him to give

out all the best in him.

The traditional leaders

expressed the conviction

that it was as a result of the

instrumentality Kofi Kodua

Sarpong that the Offinso

Traditional Area enjoyed

infrastructural development and

other social interventions.

The kingmakers of the Offinso

Traditional Council unanimously

nominated Kofi Kodua Sarpong,

known in private life as Dr .K.K.

Sarpong as the successor of the

late Paramount Chief of the area,

Nana Awiafe Akenten III.

The respected Offinso

Manhene died on Saturday,

October 2, 2021, at the Komfo

Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)

in Kumasi while receiving

treatment after falling ill for some

days.

The late Nana Wiafe Akenteng

Akwasi Osei Agyei, Frederick

Opare Ansah tipped to be next

face of NPP -Report reveals

Secretary, respondents demanded

John Boadu be replaced by

Frederick Opare Ansah.

”Persons who have declared

their intent, either officially or

unofficially, to contest the position

include John Boadu, who is the

substantive General Secretary of

the party; Musah Superior – former

Mayor for Tamale and currently

a deputy CEO of the Forestry

Commission, Justin Kodua – CEO

of Youth Employment Agency, and

Frederick Opare Ansah – a former

MP for Suhum Constituency in the

Eastern Region.

Read the full report below

The race for the New Patriotic

Party (NPP) National Executive

positions is getting steamer and

steamer as indicated by data and

statistics surfacing.

In a recent survey titled;

“Breaking the 8: An Analysis of

NPP’s Intra Party Democracy,

Politics and Possible Impact on

Winning Ghana’s 2024 General

Election.”

Akwasi Osei Agyei has been

revealed fore runner in the NPP

National Chairmanship Race.

Results from the research

indicate a possible replacement of

the current crop of leadership with

new faces who can propel the party

into electoral victory, starting with

the National Chairman.

Thirty Seven percent (37%) of

respondents settled on Akwasi Osei

Agyei, naming him their preferred

candidate to fill the shoes of the

incumbent NPP chairman, Freddie

Blay.

About 21% of respondents

settled on Stephen Ayensu Ntim;

17% mentioned Prof. Christopher

Ameyaw Ekumfi; 15% settled on

Dr. K. K. Sarpong

had been the occupant of the

Wiafe Akenten traditional stool

for 28 years being installed in

November 1993.

The kingmakers of the

traditional area on Friday, 6th

May, 2022, at a ceremony in

Offinso, through Akyeamehene

Nana Kwaku Wiafe, presented the

former Kumasi Asante Kotoko CEO

as the new Paramount Chief for

the Offinso Traditional Council.

He will be the third in

command in the Ashanti kingdom

if he takes the Asanteman oath

and becomes chief.

Writer's email

koryekporfreeman@yahoo.com

Asamoah Boateng; 7% went for

Ayikoi Otoo whiles about 3% of

respondents mentioned they are

yet to choose any of the candidates

above after the data was analyzed.

Explaining their choice of

Akwasi Osei Agyei as the next

Chair of the party, respondents

alluded to emerald of factors

including accessibility of Akwasi

Osei Agyei, and the fact that he has

gone through the mill as a former

Member of Parliament, former

Foreign Affairs Minister amongst

his numerous portfolios.

Respondents contend that

Akwasi Osei Agyei is unaligned and

would stand the best of positions to

be a fair adjudicator of matters that

are brought before the National

Executives and unite the NPP if

voted for. Some also argue that

his maturity and background as a

diplomat with international clout

will help build the party’s image.

As a founding member of the

party, respondents believe he has

the good of the party at heart and

will go the extra – mile to engender

respect and cooperation from party

grassroots and executives at the

national, regional, constituency

and polling station levels.

The full report details the

reasons why respondents settled

on the other respective contenders.

For the position of General

Secretary, respondents demanded

John Boadu be replaced by

Frederick Opare Ansah.

Persons who have declared

their intent, either officially or

unofficially, to contest for the

position include John Boadu,

who is the substantive General

Secretary of the party; Musah

Superior–former Mayor for Tamale

and currently a deputy CEO of

the Forestry Commission, Justin

Kodua–CEO of Youth Employment

Agency, and Frederick Opare

Ansah –a former MP for Suhum

Constituency in the Eastern

Region.

Most respondents shared that

the current General Secretary of

the party is not accessible and has

a tainted reputation because of

allegations of being involved in

illegal small scale mining which is

dealing a huge blow to the fortunes

of the party.

Some of the respondents aver

the incumbent general secretary

will not be able to deliver victory

for the party in the 2024 elections

given his 2020 electoral record

of “hanging parliament “ among

others.

Frederick Opare Ansah,

respondents suggest, has an

advantage by virtue of being a

former Member of Parliament.

Respondents believe that he can

leverage on his expertise and

experience to better project the

party in a good light. His maturity

was also a factor for their selection

of him.

38% shared that it is time

for the new face of Opare Ansah

to take the mantle of party

General Secretary whilst 29% of

respondents settled for Justin

Frimpong Kodua.

John Boadu came in third with

about 17% of respondent saying he

will be a candidate of their choice;

close by was Musah Superior with

about 10% of respondents saying he

will be a candidate of their choice.


indicated they were still thinking

about voting for any of the

prospective candidates listed.

For the National Organizer

position, however, respondents

were starkly split between Nana

Boakye, popularly known as

Nana B, who is already a national

officer serving as a National Youth

Organizer of the party, Nii Kwartei

Titus Glover, a former Member

of Parliament for Tema East

Constituency in the Greater Accra

Region.


believe that Nana Boakye has

the qualities to be the National

Organizer of the party and could

help deliver the much needed

victory for the party given his

background as a Youth Organizer.

They contend his

responsibilities, if voted for as the

National Organizer, will not be

dissimilar to the ones he currently

executes. They say he is a trusted

pair of hands.

Contrary to this opinion, about

40% of respondents also believe, Nii

Kwartei Titus Glover, will bring a

fresh feel to organizing members

and nonmembers alike to deliver

victory for the party leveraging on

his maturity and experience as a

former MP.

Meanwhile, 15% of respondents,

consider Owusu Fordjour, a former

regional youth organizer of the

party, as s viable candidate who can

equally perform creditably well.

About 4% of respondents are yet

to decide on who should lead the

party as national organizer.

These findings are indicative

but are not predictive of likely

changes in the leadership front of

the party in the upcoming national

election.

The New Patriotic Party is

keen on breaking the jinx of the

two term governance system.

Although the mantra of breaking

the eight has gained notoriety,

some members of the party still

think winning the 2024 elections

will come not just sloganeering

but rather an intricate mix of

leveraging on the achievements

of the current government, giving

new faces the opportunity to serve

with their expertise and above

all ensuring there is unity, which

clearly will be the main duty or

responsibility of elected national

executives.

Some members of the party

contend the current crop of

leadership has outlived its purpose

and thus must be replaced with

new ones that can propel the

party into electoral victory. From

this preliminary study, it could

be deduced that supporters want

a unifier who can build the party

from ground up.

Per the analysis of this study,

members are clamoring for a leader

who is a unifier and unaligned to

the high powers within the party

to lead the party into the 2024

elections.

The consolidation of intra-party

democracy is key to sustaining

the momentum of political parties

in holding on to power and/or

wrestling power from political

opponents.

It also holds true that

political party leadership plays

an integral role in sustaining

internal democratic structures

and extending them to interparty

democracy and governance.

Page 8

Health

GHS Council urges health

workers not to give up

Members of the

Governing Council

of the Ghana

Health Service

(GHS) have encouraged

health workers not to

give up in spite of the dire conditions

under which they work.

“Continue to give off their

best to ensure quality healthcare

to the people.”

Mr William Frimpong-Bonsu,

a Member of the Governing

Council of GHS, urged health

workers to let their unforms and

code of ethics inspire them to

continue to give of their best to

save humanity.

The council’s encouragement

followed a two-day visit to the

Northern Region, during which

Mr Frimpong-Bonsu and some

council members toured, and

met workers at the Nyankpala

Health Centre in the Tolon District,

to learn about the centre’s

operations and challenges.

Members of the Council took

office in September, 2021, and

were at the centre to learn about

issues affecting health care

delivery in the region to guide

them to take effective decisions

to address them.

Council members were

apprised by officials of the Regional

Health Directorate of the

health situation in the region;

after which they visited some

health installations including

the Regional Medical Store to

learn about their operations and

challenges.

They later held discussions

with the Regional Minister,

the Paramount Chief of Tolon,

as well as addressed separate

durbars of Management and


Staff of the Tamale Central Hospital,

Tolon District Hospital, the

Nyankpala Health Centre, and

Tuunayili CHPS.

Issues raised by health

sector workers included lack of

accommodation, inequities in

staff distribution, promotion,

indebtedness of National Health

Insurance Scheme to facilities,

low doctor-patient ratio,

non-regularisation of casual

staff amongst others.

Mr Frimpong-Bonsu advised

health workers to be abreast of

new developments in the health

sector to ensure that they were

not left behind while improving

service delivery.

He advised them to report

challenges they faced at their

workplaces to their superiors

on time to ensure that quick

remedial actions were taken to

resolve them.

Mr Isaac Kwesi Hammond, a

Member of the Governing Council

of GHS praised health workers

in the region for their sense of

dedication and enthusiasm to

duty.

He assured them that efforts

were being made to address their

challenges.

Dr John Bertson Eleeza,

Northern Regional Director of

Health, reiterated that health

workers, who received study

leave approval, would be promoted

when done with their studies

while those, who went for

further studies without approval,

would not be considered for

promotion based on their new

certificates.

Ghana is currently,

seeing an increase

in the migration of

professional nurses

to high-income

countries due to the global

shortage of nurses caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic.

The Presidential Advisor

on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah

Asare said the trend was quiet

worrying as it amounts to a

massive public subsidy to the

wealthier nations given the fact

Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare

that nursing education in Ghana

is publicly financed.

Mr Nsiah-Asare, who was

speaking at the launch of this

year’s International Nurses Day,

said if the current trend was

not checked , it could worsen

the nurse-to-patient ratio and

stall Ghana’s ability to attain

Universal Health Coverage

(UHC).

He encouraged nurses to

stay and contribute to the

development on the nation’s

Ghana experiencing serious

brain drain of Nurses

health sector saying, “I know

many of you nurses yearn for

greener pastures beyond the

shores of Ghana, but bear in

mind that Ghanaians are looking

up to you to maintain their

health,”.

Dr Nsiah- Asare assured the

nurses that the Government

remained committed to support

their hard work and boost their

human capital by investing in

their training.

He urged the Ministry

of health and its agencies to

put in place mechanisms and

structures that would enable

nurses to fully realise their

potentials in contributing to the

transformation of the health

system.

That, he said, was critical to

ensure that health policies met

the real needs of the people.

The Presidential advisor

asked nurses to position

themselves as change in

the development of their

professional practice.

Mrs Perpetual Ofori-

Ampofo, President of the Ghana

Registered Nurses, and Midwives

Association (GRNMA), said the

COVID-19 pandemic had proven

the invaluable and significant

contributions nurses and

midwives made to the health

sector worldwide.

She urged nurses to be proud

of their profession and continue

to serve humanity in a unique

way by saving lives, improving,

protecting, and promoting

the health and wellbeing of

individuals and communities.

The International Nursing

Day is celebrated on May 12 every

year on the birthday of Florence

Nightingale, who is considered

the pioneer of modern nursing.

It is a day to honor nurses

who have continuously

contributed to saving lives

and providing quality care for

patients while highlighting the

need to protect, support and

invest in the nursing profession

for improved healthcare system.

The theme for this year’s

celebration is, “Nurses: A voice

to lead-Invest in Nursing and

protect Nurses Rights

Madam Tracy Asamoah, a

Mental Health Nurse at the

Kaneshie Polyclinic, who

shared her experience with

the Ghana News Agency (GNA),

said although she enjoyed her

work, she hoped that it will get

to a point where patients would

appreciate the role nurses play

in their lives.

She said nurses did not have

enough logistics to work with

and hoped that the Government

would provide them with what

they needed.

Nurses urged to accept postings

to districts to help save lives

Mr Adataor Anani

Junior, Chairman

of Ghana

Registered

Nurses and

Midwives Association (GRNMA)

for Ada East and West has called

on health workers to accept

postings to the rural areas in the

two districts to help save lives.

He said most workers,

especially the newly posted

health workers to the districts

refused postings to the two

districts due to accommodation

problems and other incentives

needed for them to work

adequately.

In an interview with

the Ghana News Agency, Mr

Anani Junior added that

accommodation had been a

major challenge for health

workers in the district as

there had not been any form

of accommodation or support

provided for the workers, being

a rural district in the Greater

Accra Region.

The Chairman of GRNMA in

Ada pleaded with the authorities

to grant the study leave

applications to health workers

in the district as it was one of

the reasons most of the nurses

refused to accept postings to the

district.

“Some nurses in Ada are not

able to further their education

because applications for

study leave do not go through

even though the condition

for services for nurses and

midwives stipulates that, after

working for three years in the

service, you can further your

education,” he said.

He cautioned that for quality

health services to be delivered to

the Ghanaians, the needs of the

workers needed to be provided

to effectively and efficiently

function for the betterment of

the country.

Mr Anani Junior commended

the health workers in the

district for their tremendous

contribution to improving health

services for the people of Ada and

urged nurses in the country to

mark this year’s International

Nurses and Midwives Day with

love and hard work.

International Nurse and

Midwives Day is celebrated on

May 12 to appreciate the around

the world since 1965 through the

International Council of Nurses

to mark the birthday of Florence

Nightingale, the pioneer of

Nursing.

DAILY ANALYST


Opinion

What you should never

do in Europe as an illegal

African immigrant

gust 1, 2019, I shared an article

entitled "Picking Up The

Pieces To Build A Wholesome

Life" on the ModernGhana

news platform about

my life as an illegal immigrant

in Holland.

Today, I will share with

you what you should never

get into as an illegal immigrant

in any developed or

developing country.

1. No matter the suffering

you go through while in

Europe, avoid stealing food

from a supermarket. There

are security cameras everywhere

that monitor the

activities of everyone in the

shop. When you are caught,

you’ll be handed over to the

police. Some countries will

deport you immediately,

others may put you behind

bars for at least a month

before deportation. If you

are not a shy person, you

can talk to any African you

see. Some may not help you,

others will.

2. Never be tempted to

sell drugs for a living in Europe

or any foreign country,

even when starving. It’s

a big crime that arrested

nationals don’t easily get off

the hook, let alone illegal

immigrants. When caught

dealing in narcotics, you’ll

serve at least five years in

prison before your deportation.

3. You may be an illegal

immigrant; therefore, you

have no place to stay. That

can happen because it’s not

every African that is willing

to accommodate you.

However, in such a difficult

situation, avoid living with

anyone who deals in drug

trafficking. If the police

investigating the culprit

decide to arrest you, you’ll

be arrested together with

that person. Even though

you are not part of it, nothing

can convince the police.

You’ll be behind bars for

some time and consequently

deported to Africa.

4. I have seen African

immigrants who couldn’t

handle the difficulties and

harsh realities of life in

Europe suddenly become

alcoholics and junkies. Once

you become an alcoholic or

junkie, you become a nuisance

and a threat to the

public. Under the influence

of alcohol and drugs, your

thinking ability is gone.

Therefore, you may do

something that can put you

into trouble, leading to your

deportation. There are many

organizations in Europe for

illegal immigrants. Search

for a nearby one to see if

they can help you in any

way. They can also send you

to other places they work

with to help you.

5. Never drive in any

developed country without

a driving license. Many African

illegal immigrants, after

getting social assistance,

stupidly purchase cars to

drive, even though they are

not qualified to drive. If you

are caught, the police will

first seize the vehicle and

you will be severely punished.

You may either be

deported or be heavily fined,

depending on your status of

stay in that country.

6. If you are an illegal immigrant,

avoid sitting in vehicles

with legal residents.

If any accident occurs and

the police are on the scene,

they will demand your

papers, and since you are an

illegal immigrant passenger,

you’ll be arrested and

deported. If you are not hurt

during the accident, that’s

when you have to leave

before the police arrive, but

if you are hurt, don’t flee

the scene because you don’t

know the extent of your

injuries. Wait till the arrival

of the police, even if you are

an illegal immigrant. You’ll

be taken to the hospital and,

if lucky, due to that accident,

you will be given legal

papers to live and work in

that country.

7. As an illegal immigrant

in Europe, you’ll face many

challenges. The most com-

Massive

corruption

has caused

poverty

and hardships

for ordinary Africans,

forcing many of the youth

to leave the Dark Continent

in search of greener pastures.

However, many who

can reach Europe violate the

law, leading to their quick

deportation.

This article is not to

encourage illegal migration

from Africa to Europe or any

foreign country, but should

you happen to travel to any

foreign country and, due to

some circumstances beyond

your control, become an

illegal immigrant, try to use

these rules to avoid being

involved in crime.

One of the reasons I am

proud to be a writer with

thousands of readers on the

ModernGhana news platform

is that I write certain

articles many writers dare

or can’t. But I know what

many would like to read

since such articles are not

often written by other writers.

That’s the trick to getting

more readers to read.

Some readers may not

agree with what you write

because of hate and tribalism.

But when under attack

and insulted, don’t be

provoked to attack back. Let

it be and go on with your

life. Even Jesus Christ, who

never sinned, was accused

of blasphemy, let alone an

ordinary, imperfect man.

I was once an illegal immigrant

myself in Europe,

but before arriving on the

European shore decades ago,

a friend who had already

established himself gave me

some orders to follow. He

said it’s not easy to acquire

legal documents in Europe,

so I must avoid certain

crimes to survive.

I followed his instructions

and avoided being

involved in any crime that

would either take me to

prison or deport me. On Aumon

and difficult situation

facing many illegal immigrants

in Europe is paying

for public transport. No

matter how poor, tired, or

hungry you are, avoid taking

buses, trains, or trams

without tickets to any destination.

In some European

countries, you can’t board

public transport without

a ticket, but in some, you

can, but that doesn’t mean

you are free. Before the end

of your destination, from

nowhere, you’ll see ticket

controllers onboard. The

nationals caught without

tickets are fine, but the illegal

immigrants are handed

over to the police for deportation.

8. Some African brothers

are very wicked. If they

don’t like you, they can

easily report to the police

that an illegal immigrant

lives in that house and is

always giving problems.

I did mention one day in

one of my articles that, as a

translator, the Borgerhout

Community Police station

in Antwerp once asked me

why Africans like to report

themselves so much. As an

illegal immigrant, always be

careful to avoid stepping on

the toes of others or getting

on the nerves of people who

may not like you.

9. Avoid walking late at

night, especially after midnight,

and going to discos,

and nightclubs. Maybe you

are looking for your pretty

lady to share your dreams

with, but those times are

not good for illegal immigrants.

The police control

the city 24 hours daily, and

at that time, you might be

stopped. If it appears that

you are an illegal immigrant,

even though you haven’t

committed any crime,

you will still be arrested.

10. Never fight in Europe

or any developed country,

no matter how you are

provoked. Illegal Due to

misunderstandings, it’s

very common to see illegal

Africans exchanging blows

in Europe. You must avoid

being in the police net.

When you live in a house

as an illegal immigrant and

a problem between documented

immigrants occurs,

leave the house as soon as

possible. When the police

are called to that house and

they find out that you are

an illegal immigrant living

there, you’ll be deported. Finally,

never touch a woman

in any place in a developed

country. Some Africans

think that once married to

a woman, she becomes your

property to beat her. If you

come to Europe with that

nonsense and slap a woman,

the authorities will not forgive

you. You’ll go to prison

and be deported afterward

since you are an illegal immigrant.

Page 10

Captains of Trade

and Industry say

strategic investment

and sustained local

production is the

solution to Ghana’s inflationary

pressures and economic

challenges.

They noted that the

Co-chair of the Ghana

Extractive Industry

Transparency

Initiative, who

doubles as a policy

analyst has attributed the

unprecedented proposals by

utility companies for high

increments in tariffs to the

government’s mismanagement

of the macroeconomy.

He blames government for

failing to address issues of the

cedi’s depreciation among other

macroeconomic variables.

Speaking on JoyNews’

Newsfile, he noted that “the

demands that the utility

companies are making are

generally reflective of the

challenges within the larger

macro-economic sphere, such as

inflation, that is spiraling out of

control.

A Cedi that cannot stand its

ground against major trading

currencies. Interest rates have

fallen behind inflation. And for

these reasons, the government

bears part of the responsibility

for the unprecedented tariff

increases that the companies are

asking”, he explained.

He added, “If government

were to manage the

macroeconomy very well, and if

our Cedi were to hold its ground

against the major trading

currencies, perhaps the extent

of the demand wouldn’t be as

astronomical as it is now”.

He further noted that other

Business

Local production is solution to

- Captains of Trade and Industry

continued importation of goods,

including about 70 percent raw

materials for local production

was the main contributing

factor to the rising exchange

rate challenge and high inflation

rate, and its attendant economic

hardships.

Accordingly, they have asked

Mismanagement of

macro-economy cause

of high tariff proposals

– Dr. Manteaw

Dr. Steve Manteaw

factors such as the “supply chain

disruptions arising out of the

COVID-19 effects and the general

price increases globally’ can also

be part of the reasons for the

high increments.

The Electricity Company

of Ghana is demanding an

increment of 148% on electricity

tariffs from August 2022.

The company submitted a

proposal to the Public Utilities

Regulatory Commission (PURC)

asking for an adjustment in

electricity tariffs to cover the

period between 2019 and 2022.

ECG also proposed an average

increase of 7.6% in tariff over

the next four years to cover

Distribution Service Charges

(DSC) while attributing the high

increase in the Distribution

Service Charges to the gap that

has developed over the years

between the actual cost recovery

tariff and the PURC approved

tariffs as well as the cost of

completed projects.

“The result of ECG’s tariff

proposal for the next five years

shows an approximately 148%

increase on the current DSC1 in

2022 and an average increase of

7.6% year on year from 2023 to

2026. The high increase in the

DSC1 for the year 2022 could

be attributed to the gap that

has developed over the years

between the actual cost recovery

tariff and the PURC approved

tariffs as well as the cost of

completed projects”.


the Government to create an

enabling environment for local

industries to have access to

capital and be in the position

to increase production without

pushing the high cost of

production to consumers.

Dr Joseph Obeng, President,

Ghana Union of Traders

Association (GUTA), Mr

Tsornam Akpeloo, Greater Accra

Chairman, Association of Ghana

Industries (AGI), and Dr Adu

Owusu Sarkodie, an Economist,

said this during a media

engagement.

Mr Akpeloo noted that about

70 percent of raw materials

for production were imported,

which made local manufacturers

incur high freight charges due to

exchange rate and inflationary

pressures.

He said as a country, there

was the need to prioritise the

domestic production of goods to

halt the rising rate of inflation

and spur local production.

“There is no way we can

come out of this problem by not

having clearly defined locally

produced items to consume.

The call to localise is what we

are asking for to stabilise our

system,” Mr Akpeloo said.

He emphasised that “the

solution now is producing

locally. Everything happening

on the international front is

affecting us. Ghanaians should

also take some of the blame,

government is not the problem

The National Petroleum

Authority has reassured

of the availability of

diesel to meet the

demands of consumers.

Head of the Economic

Regulation at the NPA, Abass

Ibrahim Tasunte, according to a

Citi News report, elaborated that

the reason for the shortage by

some Oil Marketing Companies

is a result of seizure in supply

by their preferred Bulk Oil

Distributors

According to him, this is

independent of a shortage in fuel

or diesel.

He assured that there is

enough diesel.

“We have heard these

concerns about the shortage of

diesel. We have enough diesel

to meet demand. The challenge

that is being faced now is that

some particular OMCs are having

challenges getting the product

from their preferred importers,

but with respect to diesel we

have enough.”

Diesel prices have seen some

significant increments in recent

times due to some challenges

being faced by the current global

every day. We should also

develop the love to encourage

and appreciate local production.”

Dr Sarkodie observed that

Ghana was not the only country

suffering from the Russia and

Ukraine war, but the extent to

which it depended on them had

an impact on the local economy.

He said that: “Local

production is the best way to

keep our exchange rate intact.

We should encourage local

production because we cannot

predict when this Russia-

Ukraine war will stop.”

He said there was the need

to deal with the issue of food by

ensuring that: "We have a policy

as a country to say no Ghanaian

will go hungry.”

Dr Obeng, GUTA President,

stated that capital acquisition

was very high in Ghana,

with inflation also impeding

industry’s growth and making

the purchasing power of

consumers limited.

He said: “We need to look

within, and identify the areas

that we have comparative

advantage then we produce and

become a hub of manufacturers.

supply chain.

Mr. Tasunte however

disclosed that agreements have

been reached with some OMCs

to import fuel and store them at

their fuel depots to avert any case

of shortage.

This will make us super-rich."

He added that: “Those who

are manufacturers of floor tiles

are making it big. We need to

encourage a lot more people to

go into this sector so that we

become a hub.”

The Ghana Statistical Service

(GSS) announced on Wednesday,

May 11 that, the national yearon-year

inflation rate was 23.6

percent in April 2022, which is

4.2 percentage points higher

than the 19.4 percent recorded in

March 2022.

The month-on-month

inflation between March 2022

and April 2022 was 5.1 percent,

the GSS said.

Four Divisions; Transport,

Household equipment and

Routine Maintenance, Food and

Non-Alcoholic Beverages, and

Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas

and Other Fuels, are the highest

contributors.

The April food inflation of

26.6 percent was higher than

both last month food inflation of

22.4 percent and the average of

the previous 12 months, which

was 13.5 percent.

There is enough diesel to meet

current demand; consumers

warned against panic buying – NPA

He is however cautioning

against panic buying.

Meanwhile, the Institute for

Energy Securities (IES) hinted

that the country may experience

a fuel shortage as some fuel

stations were out of stock.

DAILY ANALYST


Sports

Antonio Rudiger has

hailed Real Madrid

star Karim Benzema

as the best striker in

the world.

Benzema is in the best form

of his career with Madrid, having

scored 44 goals in as many

games in all competitions this

season.

The 34-year-old has earned

praise from current and former

stars, with Mesut Ozil, Ronaldo

and Bruno Genesio speaking

highly of him.

What has Rudiger said about

Benzema?

Rudiger, who will join Madrid

from Chelsea this summer, is the

latest to sing the praises of his

future team-mate, telling DAZN:

"How long has he been at Madrid

now, 12 years? That says it all.

"He also had lows and times

when he really wanted to leave,

but he stayed and it shows how

strong his character is.

"Also the thing with the

French national team: He is no

longer called up and meanwhile

wins four Champions League titles.

Chapeau what he achieves!

"Since Cristiano Ronaldo's

gone, you see his real worth.

For me he is currently the best

striker. He has everything, his

understanding of the game is

incredible."

Rudiger reflects on Champions

League win

Rudiger will depart Chelsea

after spending five years with

the club, in which time he has

lifted the FA Cup, Europa League

Karim Benzema

Rudiger: Benzema has

proved 'his real worth'

and Champions League.

The Blues beat Manchester

City 1-0 to claim the latter

trophy last season and Rudiger

looked back on the intense second

half and his famous block

against Kevin De Bruyne.

"That was a long 45 minutes

plus! In the 60th minute I was

like: 'Oh dear, is it still that

long?' There were so many blocks

and tackles in that half - we really

fought for our lives," he said.

"I'll make it clear that I wanted

to block [De Bruyne], but not

in a way that knocked him out.

It's not my style. I like to play

hard, but I haven't seen a red

card in five years.

"A lot of people talked about

the scene afterwards, but I didn't

care because I didn't do it on

purpose.

"I called and texted him

afterwards to apologise. He

said that everything was fine

and that he knew me. I also

apologised via social media and

quickly made it clear that it was

definitely not on purpose."

Asked about the mood in the

dressing room after the match,

Rudiger said: "I was mentally

broken. I just sat there with

N'Golo Kante – because of our

religion a bit away from alcohol

– we looked at each other and

didn't say anything.

"At some point N'Golo started

to laugh, and when he laughs,

tears come to his eyes and everyone

automatically laughs their

heads off."

Ghanaians will catch

a glimpse of the

original FIFA World

Cup trophy before the

tournament in Qatar

later this year.

The trophy will tour all 32

countries that have qualified for

the World Cup including Ghana.

In Africa, the tour will

include Cameroon, Tunisia,

Morocco, and Senegal.

The trophy tour will begin

in May and end in November

just before the start of the FIFA

World Cup.

At a ceremony at Dubai’s

Coca-Cola Arena to send the

trophy on its way, the Vice

President of Global Sports &

Entertainment Marketing

and Partnerships at The Coca-

Cola Company, Brad Ross said:

"Starting today, Coca-Cola is

inviting fans to a once-in-alifetime

opportunity to see the

most recognised symbol in

football and experience the real

magic of the world’s largest and

most anticipated single-sport

event – the FIFA World Cup.

“The FIFA World Cup Trophy

Tour by Coca-Cola will stop in

51 countries and territories,

bringing Coca-Cola and FIFA one

step closer to the goal of visiting

each of FIFA’s 211 member

associations by 2030. For the first

time ever, the tour will visit all

32 countries that qualified for

the FIFA World Cup, inspiring

fans across the world through

exclusive consumer experiences.

Liverpool winger Sadio

Mane has explained

his relationship with

Chelsea goalkeeper

Edouard Mendy and

how he managed to save his

penalty in the 6-5 FA Cup

shootout win at Wembley

Stadium on Saturday.

The two Premier League

giants came face to face again

– having met in the League Cup –

and it was Liverpool who carried

the day even after the 30-yearold

Mane had seen his penalty

saved by Senegal teammate

Mendy.

With Chelsea captain Cesar

Azpilicueta missing their second

penalty and Liverpool putting

in the net all their first four, the

Lion of Teranga was presented

with a great chance to clinch the

game for the Reds.

Mane came face to face with

his Senegal counterpart Mendy

but his right-footed effort was

stopped by the 30-year-old

custodian, who forced the game

into the sixth penalty to be

taken.

It was Mason Mount, who

missed yet again for Chelsea,

and Liverpool had another

chance to seal the game,

which Konstantinos Tsimikas

took with both hands, to send

Mendy the wrong way and hand

Liverpool their second trophy in

this campaign, having won the

League Cup also on penalties.

Asked whether Mendy

has been watching him take

FIFA to tour Ghana

before Qatar 2022 with

World Cup trophy

“As football fans around the

world gear up to support their

teams, Coca-Cola is thrilled to

offer fans the opportunity to

experience the trophy ahead of

the tournament.

“The real magic of the FIFA

World Cup exists with fans

believing in their teams and

showcasing their passion for the

game.

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer,

Romy Gai, also said: “ Bringing

the World Cup trophy, one of the

greatest symbol of sports on tour

Mane reveals how

Mendy saved his penalty

penalties, Mane told reporters

after the game: “Of course, we

know each other, we’re friends

and we talk to each other all the

time. I thought the left side was

not his best side so that's why I

put it there, but he managed to

save it.”

Mane has also maintained

Liverpool will put up a proper

fight for the remaining two

titles. Liverpool are currently

chasing the Premier League

title alongside Manchester City

and are also in the final of the

Champions League where they

will face Real Madrid on May 28

at Stade de France.

“We have two more to go for,

so we will give it a proper fight.

You can see that we gave our

all to win this trophy,” Mane

gives us a unique opportunity to

shine a spotlight on the fantastic

communities around the world

who love the beautiful game.

"The trophy tour – which

will end back in Qatar, our

amazing hosts – highlights our

commitment to making football

truly global as we realize the

dreams of our fans and bring the

joy and excitement of the FIFA

World Cup to their doorsteps,

together with our long-standing

partner Coca-Cola,” Mr Gai

stressed.

continued. “I am very proud, very

happy to win this trophy because

it is why we're working so hard

together to win these trophies. I

think it is just something special

for me.”

In an earlier interview,

Mane said he did not care about

missing from the penalty spot.

“I think all the credit to

Alisson, because myself, I missed

the penalty but who cares? The

most important thing is to win

the cup and we did it,” Mane said.

“Alisson, all the credit for him. I

am happy for him and we are all

happy and proud.”

Liverpool will shift focus

to the league where they face

Southampton at Anfield on

Tuesday.

Monday, 16th May, 2022

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