Monday, 30th May, 2022

Page 2

The issue of controls on

gun ownership is being

debated in the United

States once again, after

a gunman opened fire

in a school in Uvalde, Texas, killing

19 children and two teachers.

US politicians, including

President Joe Biden, have been

making claims about gun rights.

Cruz: "It [restricting gun

rights] doesn't work, it's not

effective."

Following the shooting, Ted

Cruz, a Republican senator from

Texas who has opposed Democrat

gun control measures, made

this claim, without specifying

whether he was talking about

restricting rights in the US or in

other countries.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott,

who has also opposed gun control

measures, did specify, and pointed

to Chicago, Illinois.

Illinois has stricter gun laws

in 2004 and has declined since,

which analysts say is as a result

of better enforcement.

Switzerland and Finland have

some of the highest rates of gun

ownership in Europe, with strong

hunting cultures, but they both

have strict rules in place such

as gun registration. Both countries

have very few gun-related

homicides.

A look at 130 studies from over

10 countries found that restrictions

on guns tended to be followed

by a decline in gun deaths.

Biden: "The Second Amendment

isn't absolute. When it

was passed you couldn't own a

cannon."

President Biden made two

claims here about the Second

Amendment, which was passed

in 1791 to protect Americans'

right to bear arms and is often

cited by opponents of gun controls.

The amendment states: "A

well regulated militia, being

necessary to the security of a free

state, the right of the people to

keep and bear arms, shall not be

infringed."

President Biden's assertion

that the amendment is not "absolute"

is backed up by a ruling by

the US Supreme Court in 2008.

It stated: "It is not a right to

keep and carry any weapon whatthan

Texas but experiences a

higher rate of gun crime, especially

in the city of Chicago.

However, the majority of

guns recovered in Chicago come

from other states, often with

looser gun laws, such as neighbouring

Indiana and Mississippi.

A 2017 Chicago police department

report revealed that

almost 60% of the illegal guns

used in crimes in the city came

from outside the state.

Overall, states with stronger

gun laws have lower gun death

rates, according to research by

the Giffords Law Center, a gun

control advocacy group.

"State laws can be effective

but they are not completely -

each state can put restrictions in

place but it's very easy to drive

across state lines with illegal

products. You're not getting

checked at the border," says

David Pucino of Giffords.

DAILY ANALYST Monday, 30th May, 2022

In the US, each state can

make its own criminal laws. For

the same law to apply in every

state though, it has to be passed

at a federal level, and there has

been limited success passing gun

laws this way.

When it comes to international

comparisons, there are

several countries which have

experienced a reduction in gun

crime after nationwide restrictions

were introduced following

mass shootings.

In Australia following the

Port Arthur massacre in 1996,

significant gun controls were

introduced.

The National Firearms Agreement

prohibited almost all automatic

and semi-automatic rifles,

made gun registration compulsory,

and set up a gun "buyback

programme".

Following this, gun-related

death rates and gun-related mass

killings declined significantly.

In the UK, the list of banned

weapons was expanded following

the Hungerford mass shooting in

1987, and further gun restrictions

were introduced after the Dunblane

school shooting in 1996.

There has only been one

mass shooting in the UK following

Dunblane, and although

gun crime did rise in England

and Wales after 1996, it peaked

Global News

Texas shooting: US gun

control claims fact-checked

soever in any manner whatsoever

and for whatever purpose."

But he is wrong to say that

people were banned from owning

a cannon when the amendment

was passed.

"He's made this claim a number

of times and it's false, there

were no laws banning a cannon

when the Second Amendment

was ratified," says Josh Blackman,

a constitutional law expert

at the South Texas College of Law.

Abbott: "We as a state, we

as a society, need to do a better

job with mental health."

Greg Abbott, the Republican

Governor of Texas, said the

gunman who opened fire at the

school had "a mental health challenge"

and said the state needed

to do "better" on mental health.

But in April 2022, he diverted

more than $200m (£160m) of

funding away from the Health

and Human Services Commission,

which is in charge of the

state's mental health programmes.

The Texas Tribune reported

these funds went towards border

security efforts.

Texas ranks last among US

states for overall access to mental

health care, according to the 2022

State of Mental Health in America

report.

Captagon: Jordan's undeclared war

against Syria drug traffickers

A

man in his 20s with

cropped hair agitatedly

paces the corridor

of the drug rehabilitation

unit as he

grapples with the agonies of early

withdrawal.

In the TV room, a fashionably

dressed young woman in a later

stage of recovery wearily draws

on a cigarette then rests her head

in her hands.

Fighting from the decade-long

war in Syria may have

died down, but the country's

transformation into a narco-state

is sowing new seeds of misery

across this region.

The rooms at Al-Rashid Hospital

in Jordan's capital, Amman,

look like hotel accommodation,

but checking in here is an act of

desperation.

"It's a long process. The

patients stay for a minimum of

one month, sometimes three

months," says nurse Hadeel Bitar

as she shows me around.

They come from Jordan and

Gulf Arab states, where in recent

years the amphetamine Captagon

- cheaply manufactured in Syria

and Lebanon and also known as

"the poor man's cocaine" - has

become the drug of choice.

"The consequences of taking

it are very serious. They can

include violence and psychosis,"

says Dr Ali al-Qam, a consultant

psychiatrist and clinical director.

"It's very addictive as well.

People start with one tablet and

then increase by two or three,

then shift into a more serious

drug like crystal meth."

Huge industry

At the height of the conflict

in Syria, smugglers and militant

groups took advantage to supply

Captagon - which is often laced

with caffeine - to fighters, to

boost their courage and help

them stay alert on the frontlines.

With few legitimate work opportunities

and growing poverty,

many ordinary Syrians became

involved in the drugs trade.

Now, with the Syrian economy

shattered by a decade of war

and still stifled by international

sanctions, it has turned into a

multi-billion-dollar industry,

worth far more than any legal

exports.

Although there have been

public denials from Syrian

President Bashar al-Assad's

government, reports have linked

powerful figures in business and

the military to the manufacturing

and distribution of Captagon.

"The areas in which Captagon

production is most pronounced

are those controlled

by the Assad regime and close

familial relations of the regime,"

says Ian Larson, a Syria analyst

for the Center for Operational

Analysis and Research (COAR), a

Cyprus-based consultancy.

"Now, that remains a circumstantial

linkage, but it is an

indicative one."

A 2021 report, which

he authored, suggested a

"mind-numbing" scale of Captagon

production, with a market

value estimated at about $3.5bn

(£2.7bn; €3.2bn) for the previous

year, based on quantities that

were intercepted.

The pills regularly show up

in ports, airports and at crossing

points - often expertly hidden.

They have been found inside containers

of machinery and fruits

- even fake ones. The Jordanian

authorities have released footage

of them being removed from

animal carcasses.

Shoot-to-kill

Once it was wave upon wave

of Syrian refugees that spilt

across the border into Jordan.

Now, it is drugs.

Skirmishes between the Jordanian

military and drug traffickers

are becoming more frequent,

with larger hauls being made.

Since the start of 2022, the

army has intercepted more than

17,000 packets of hashish and 17

million pills of Captagon. Only

15.5 million Captagon pills were

picked up in all of 2021, while 1.4

million were seized in 2020.

Jordan is largely a transit

route to the drug's biggest market:

the Gulf states, particularly

Saudi Arabia.

"The most dangerous thing

we've noticed recently is the

presence of armed groups alongside

the smugglers," says Colonel

Zaid al-Dabbas of the Jordanian

army, who has taken me on a

tour

Ḣe estimates there are about

160 groups operating in southern

Syria. They have "new tactics, like

those of organised crime" and use

drones and expensive, customised

vehicles, he says.

The increase in illegal activity,

along with the killing of a

Jordanian soldier, has prompted

a change in the army's rules of

engagement: it now has a shootto-kill

policy.

On 27 January, the military

says, 27 traffickers were killed

when it foiled a co-ordinated

effort to cross into Jordan at

several points along the border.

Four others have been killed in

separate operations.

The army would like more

support for what another officer

describes as "an undeclared war"

on Jordan's borders.

"We're fighting on behalf of

other countries in the region and

the world at large," says Colonel

Mustafa al-Hiyari. "Drugs are

destroying our families, morals

and values."

The Jordanian army is facing an increasingly deadly

DAILY ANALYST

Monday, 30th May, 2022 Page 3

Frontpage Stories

Wontumi whips COKA

The Ashanti Regional

Chairman of the

governing New

Patriotic Party (NPP)

has managed to scale

all hurdles to retain his position

in the party.

Bernard Antwi Boasiako,

popularly known as Chairman

Wontumi, polled a total of 464

votes against that of his closest

contender, Chairman Odeneho

Kwaku Appiah (COKA), who got

306 votes.

Prior to his re-election, he had

served as constituency chairman

for Bosomtwe before becoming

regional chairman in 2014. As

regional chairman, he won his reelection

bid in 2018 and has been

retained to lead the NPP again

from 2022 to 2026.

Odeneho Kwaku Appiah

entered the chairmanship race

having served as Constituency

Chairman for Afigya Kwabre

South for close to 20 years.

A former Asokwa

Constituency Chairman, Robert

Asare Bediako, who was entering

the contest for the second time

came third with 20 votes. In

his first attempt in 2018, he

pulled out of the race at the last

minute to allow Wontumi to go

unopposed.

The vociferous Ashanti

regional chair went past Odeneho

Kwaku Appiah (COKA), his closest

contender, to retain his position.

Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, a

former Member of Parliament for

Ejisu, who lost a re-election bid

as MP in 2019, losing to Dr. John

Kumah was entering the regional

contest for the first time and

came fourth with nine votes.

There was an outpour of

congratulatory messages when

the news made began to make

rounds that Chairman Wontumi

has been re-elected.

In Greater Accra, Divine Otoo

was retained as chairman while

Moses Abor was also retained as

Youth Organiser

In the Eastern Region, Jeff

Konadu was elected as the new

Chairman of the New Patriotic

Party in the Eastern Region.

He polled 424 votes to beat

his main contender, Kwadwo

Boateng Agyemang

Abronye DC has also being

retained as Bono Regional

Chairman

Bawumia calls for more AfDB support

The Vice President, Dr.

Mahamudu Bawumia,

has urged the Africa

Development Bank

(AfDB) and the Africa

Development Fund to offer more

support to African economies

in the midst of on-going global

economic challenges.

Speaking at the closing

ceremony of the AfDB's threeday

Annual General Meeting in

Accra on Friday, Dr. Bawumia

said the AfDB has lived up to its

billing of being at the forefront

of the continent’s development,

adding that the time has come

for the bank to even do more,

with African countries facing

the effects of global economic

challenges.

"The performance of the

AfDB over the years has proved

the ingenuity and vision of our

forefathers. As it was envisioned

at the beginning, the bank has

evolved to become integral to

the sustained and inclusive

development of this continent.

It is now a triple AAA-rated

financial institution, winning

global awards and delivering the

needed support for its people," Dr.

Bawumia said.

He added: "aside the immense

socio-economic interventions,

especially in infrastructure,

agricultural modernisation, social

protection and entrepreneurial

development, the bank is at the

forefront of seeking fairness

for Africa in the global arena.

These efforts have substantially

improved inequality,

vulnerability and fragility on

the continent. Together with

the millions of the people across

Africa, we say thank you for your

continued belief in the African

course and the African dream."

"Ladies and gentlemen,

having contributed so much in

building the African economies,

today the bank is challenged

even more than ever to do more.

Our economies are facing the

fall-outs from the Russia-Ukraine

war, which are compounding

the existing socio-economic

vulnerabilities triggered by the

COVID-19 pandemic."

Dr. Bawumia noted that

following the fall out from the

external global factors, the

continental average real growth

rate is projected to decline from

6.2 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent

in 2022, and the short term

economic consequences of this,

in the form of rising inflation,

subdued growth, increasing

inequality, and greater macrofiscal

instability, is affecting cost

of living on the African continent.

He therefore urged the AfDB,

and expressed optimism that the

bank "will rise up to the occasion

and help our economies scale

over these hard times."

The Vice President, a

former staff member of the

AfDB, commended the Boards

of Governors of the Bank, for

their foresight in endorsing the

broad framework of the bank’s

Strategic Outlook: 2023 – 2032, for

the next ten (10) years, to build

a prosperous Africa, based on

inclusive growth and sustainable

development.

"It would be critical that

through this Strategic Plan, the

AfDB will work closely with

the AU Commission and other

sub-regional institutions to

urgently operationalize and grow

the African Financial Stability

Mechanism. This will enhance

protection for our economies

from future shocks and enable

us to join the list of regions

with such economic buffer

arrangements."

"It is my view that the

successful implementation of

this Strategic Plan will draw the

continent closer to achieving

the goals of the Agenda 2063

and build the Africa we want,

amongst others."

Dr. Bawumia, on behalf of

President Nana Akufo-Addo,

thanked the President of the

Bank, and the Governors, for

selecting Ghana to host the highlevel

annual meetings in Accra.

Jubilation Galore!

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

It was jubilation galore

following the election of

Felix Foster Ackah as the

Western North Regional

Secretary of the New

Patriotic Party (NPP) at the just

ended NPP regional executives’

election.

However, speaking in an

interview with journalists

after his victory, Mr. Ackah

expressed his appreciation to

all the delegates, sympathizers,

supporters, and members who

supported him in different ways

to retain his position.

"The 27th of May, 2022, afforded

an enabling opportunity to NPP

delegates in the Western North

Region to elect their Regional

Executives who will steer affairs

for the next four years.

"The success of this peaceful

election tells us that, we are

people from the same stock with

one common destiny, and for that

matter, what unites us as a people

must always override the things

that actually disunite us," Mr.

Ackah advised.

In his victory speech, Mr.

Ackah stressed that "I must on

this note take the opportunity, to

show utmost appreciation to my

teeming supporters who shared

in my dream and campaigned for

me assiduously for this victory. I

am thankful for this wonderful

commitment.".

He stated that "May the

Almighty God, replenish all those

who sacrificed their time, energy,

and resource(s) towards the

successful conduct of the election.

He added that "we owe it

as a collective responsibility to

set the party up for complete

unification."

He emphasized that the

battle ahead of the party going

into the 2024 election as newly

elected regional executives puts

a daunting task on our shoulders

which to me, should be a wake-up

call on all and sundry."

He stressed that "May God

bless us all and make the NPP

great and strong."

Page 4


COA Mixture not a

cure for HIV/AIDS

but supports the

immune system

for healthy living

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COA

Research and Manufacturing Company Limited,

Professor Samuel Ato Duncan has clarified that

COA Mixture is not a cure for HIV/ AIDS.

However, he noted that the COA Mixture is

so powerful that it preserves itself and has unique phytochemicals

that can support the immune system for

healthy living.

Speaking at the re-launch of COA Mixture in Accra last

week, Prof Duncan said that COA Mixture is a 100 percent

natural product from plants and has no artificial preservative

Ṗrofessor Ato Duncan announced that the COA Research

and Manufacturing Company Limited is close to a

research breakthrough, adding that when successful, Ghana

stands to realize not less than 32 billion dollars annually

from this plant medicine.

"This is what I want to achieve for Mother Ghana as

part of my Global peace Mission Project. This will bring

economic relief to Ghana and also get treatment for some

diseases the world is struggling to treat," he said.

He, therefore, called on the government, research institutions,

and investors to collaborate with the Company in

order to carry the above vision to reality.

Professor Ato Duncan made it known that already, the

company has acquired 1000 acres of land in the Ashanti

Region to cultivate raw materials.

However, he said the company needs an additional

9000 acres of land for the cultivation of raw materials to

produce COA products to meet the international market

demands.

He donated GHC 100,000 to the Ghana Federation of

Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAF-

TRAM) to support members who have potential medicines

but do not have sufficient funds to go through the process

of evaluation and registration.

Prof Ato Duncan appointed the Asantehene, Otumfuo

Osei Tutu II to be Patron of the COA Mixture because of his

support to COA Mixture.

He entreated everyone including those abroad to take

COA Mixture for their general wellbeing.

'Erratic educational

system worrying!'

The Member of Parliament

for Builsa South

Constituency in the

Upper East Region, Dr.

Clement Abas Apaak

has described the current educational

system as erratic and one

which lacks the ability for career

development.

This, he said, portends risks

for pupils and students who

would be deprived of quality

future-life development.

He, therefore, called for

stakeholder engagements to

urgently mitigate the anomaly

in the sector.

Speaking in an exclusive

interview with DAILY Analyst

in Parliament, the Builsa South

MP bemoaned the government's

approach to addressing the

challenges that have bedeviled

the sector.

According to Dr. Apaak, the

government's handling of challenges

in the educational sector

means there' was no commitment

to safeguard and prepare

a quality future for Ghanaian

students.

"Clearly, what's happening

in the educational sector is worrying

not only to political actors

but to parents and students who

must be up and doing in demanding

their rights," he said.

He, therefore, charged

parents to be up and doing in

demanding their rights from the

government.

According to Dr. Apaak, who

is a deputy Ranking Member

on the Education Committee

of Parliament, the challenges

experienced formed part of the

myriad of problems evident in

the sector.

He said the current challenges

were just a microcosm of the

loads of challenges that have hit

hard the educational sector, and

thus charged the government to

think outside the box in addressing

the problems.

"Previously, when students

go to school, there were set times

regarding the number of days,

weeks and months required of

The Police are on a

manhunt for three suspected

armed robbers

who shot and killed

a lawyer, Richard at

Banda Nkwanta and Nuoyiri on

the Bole Bamboi highway in the

Savannah Region

The robbers emerged from

their hideout in a bush and

pointed to the vehicle in which

the lawyer and his relatives were

traveling to stop and one of the

robbers shot and killed him.

According to the police, the

late Richard Badombia was seen

behind the steering wheel with

pellet wounds spread over his left

cheek.

“The body was removed and

has been deposited at the Wenchi

Methodist Hospital for preserva-

them to spend in school and

when parents anticipate their

return and that informs the kind

of preparation parents make but

now, secondary education can

be erupted at any time making

it difficult for parents, teachers,

and headteachers to effectively

plan. How can such a system

produce problem-solving future

leaders?" He questioned.

"Not only will a well-plan

academic calendar aid instructor

to better prepare their lesson

plan and scheme of work for the

academic calendar, but it will

also help to garner resources to

meet the demands of the period",

he observed.

The deputy ranking member

on the Education Committee

could not understand why students

would leave for school and

be expected to return in threeto-four

months' time only to be

asked to go home.

He alleged that the government

took that knee-jerk decision

as a result of its inability to

defray its indebtedness to buffer

stock food to the tune of GHS500

million.

Out of that amount, government,

he noted, was able to

defray only GHS200 million, why

won't there be a shortfall?", he

asked.

Meanwhile, he said the minister

of finance upon answering

questions in the House said the

government had invested some

tion awaiting autopsy,” the Police

disclosed.

Investigations have commenced

into the incident and

residents have also been asked to

inform the Police of any infor-

GHS7.62 billion between 2017 and

2021 in the educational sector.

"The finance minister's

disclosure to my questions in

the House fails to address the

matter. I fail to understand why

we are still debilitating with this

issue if what he said was the

fact", he doubted.

He admonished the government

to listen to the concerns

raised by technocrats, university

lectures on the need, and call

for a review of the policy so that

the challenges that have rocked

the policy could be identified

with corresponding mitigative

measures.

"Government is saying the

double-track system is over, yet

it has not provided the needed

infrastructure to ease the pressure?"

he quizzed.

He continued that overcrowding

was endemic across

the country and that called for

urgent attention.

"The political expediencies

are influencing proper implementation

of the policy and that

is not helpful and beneficial

to the nation and our wards

therefore must remember that

we are preparing the future

of this nation so we ought to

give them the best. Mind you,

their colleagues in other parts

of the continent are also being

prepared so how are our wards

going to be within the contest of

the global system”? he quizzed.

Top lawyer shot dead by robbers

mation they may have on the

incident.

Richard Badombia works with

Lartey, Badombia & Co. Associates

in Accra.

DAILY ANALYST


Perennial flooding in the

city has become a festival

celebrated by the

people of Accra who live

in Flood Prone Areas. It

is celebrated from March to June

annually since 1960s.

On June 3, 2015, a flood in

Accra followed by a filing station

gas explosion killed 150 people.

The disaster also affected more

than 50,000 residents in Accra.

The cost of the damaged was

estimated at Ghc 242 million or 55

million US dollars.

Rapid urbanisation and population

influx have intensified

the city capacities and services

around Accra. Of its many challenges

are urban flooding and

solid waste management.

A simple public service is often

lacking in Accra and the two

sectors interact as solid waste

blocks drainage flows, resulting

in flood during rainfall.

Accra is expanding at a rate

much faster than flood risk management

plans are developed and

infrastructure installed.

The existing systems are

additionally not furnished to

accommodate changing and

increasing runoff patterns caused

by climate change and increase

in impervious areas.

These pressures are experienced

by the informal settlements

in Accra, where impromptu

dwellings often expand into

flood risk areas, low-lying areas,

or existing drainage channels.

Less than an estimated 30%

of Accra waste is collected, this

is because of the lack of waste

collection services. People resort

to dumping waste into nearby

drains, waterways, and open

spaces.

Open dumpsites inside drains

or waterways overwhelm an

already stressed drainage system,

increasing the frequency and

severity of urban flooding. Annual

floods in Accra are blamed,

at least in part, on plastic bags,

which block sewers and drains.

Poor drainage and contamination

of urban runoff poses numerous

concerns. Stagnate water

caused by disposed plastics or

clogged drainage channels acts as

a breeding or feeding grounds for

vectors, vermin, increasing the

risks of communicable diseases

in densely populated environment.

These pressures compound

more intensely in impoverished

urban areas in Accra; the poor

have the least access to public

services and have the least capacity

to prepare for and rebuild

after disasters, placing them in a

vicious cycle of poverty.

If solid waste management

and urban flood risk management

are so critical, why are not

these services being provided?

Awareness of health and sanitation

issues is generally low both

in government and among residents.

Waste management is often

seen as a low status occupation

with low wages, leading to lack of

investments.

No single approach will ever

be universally successful to address

this recurrent problem.

Addressing this inter-sector issue

requires a combination of actions

that suits that locality, involving

various actors, including community

members, the private sector,

and AMA. This is achievable because

its not a rocket science!

Proposed Solutions

1. Public Involvement and

Education

Collaboration between AMA

and Residents, Community

Groups, Industries, and Private

companies to form the foundation

is necessary. Investment in

the public involvement and education

sector helps address the

interplaying issues surrounding

waste accumulation in drainages

that extend beyond a city government’s

capacity to manage in any

moment in time. Specifically, investment

in this sector addresses

the following two needs.

Residents and Industries need

to take initiative and responsibilities,

within their capacity, to

create the society or community

in which they prefer to live.

Residents, Industries, and the

City government need to collaborate

and work under a common

purpose or understanding public

involvement is time and energy

intensive, requiring activities

such as holding meetings and

workshops, and maintaining

open communication channels,

which can slow down decisionmaking

processes and project

execution.

However, projects that have

resident support are more sustainable.

Similarly, investments

in relationship building and

nurturing residents that take

initiative and responsibility over

their immediate surroundings

have immeasurable benefits over

the long term. Benefits of public

involvement include but are not

limited to the following.

• Raises residents’ awareness,

motivation, and sense of

autonomy.

• Builds relationships

between residents and the government

for smoother communication

and collaboration in the

future.

• Nurtures trust that improves

sustainability and ease of

implementing projects and city

activities.

• Provides the government

with resident feedback and

ideas to improve city services and

programs.

• Helps ensure longevity

of projects and programs.

• Promotes co-production,

where resident activities are

functional components of city

services, such as cleaning out

local gutters and drainage channels.

Separating or putting out

waste for city services to collect,

treat, and dispose or recycle.

Identifying issues, such as accumulated

waste or blocked drainage,

and reporting it to proper

authorities.

The intent is not necessarily

to exclude other possible stakeholders,

such as private businesses

and community organisations.

• Solid Waste Management

To address the interplay of

domestic solid waste and urban

flood risk, the city of Accra needs

to first and foremost establish

waste collection and transport

systems.

If domestic waste is effectively

removed from the city landscape,

it would prevent any from

accumulating and blocking city

drainage systems, which causes

flooding and public health issues.

Citywide services are critical

to provide residents a clear way

to dispose of waste generated.

However, if a city is to collect

waste, there needs to be a place

for the waste to go.

Hence, investment in waste

collection and transport must

inherently include investment

in the entire waste stream. The

most simple and quickest approach

is to establish a modern

landfill, where waste can be

responsibly disposed in a manner

that minimises environmental

and health risks.

However, waste management

services that lead to waste disposal

is neither best practice nor

the most socially or environmentally

sustainable.

This linear system waste

where raw materials are extracted

from the environment to

produce a product, which may be

used once and then dispose it in

a landfill at the end. Such system

constrained the environment and

city services.

Circular Economy thinking

provides sustainable alternatives

by focusing on prevention,

minimisation, or reduction of

resources use and by identifying

opportunities to reuse, recycle, or

recover resources. from waste.

Reducing environmental and

resources demands throughout

the product life cycle also helps

reduce emissions of greenhouse

gases and mitigate climate

change.

• Combined sewer systems

are sewers (CSS)

Are designed to collect rainwater

runoff, domestic sewage,

and industrial wastewater in the

same pipe.

Most of the time, combined

sewer systems transport all their

wastewater to a sewage treatment

plant, where it is treated

and then discharged to a water

body.

During periods of heavy

rainfall, however, the wastewater

volume in a combined sewer

system can exceed the capacity

of the sewer system or treatment

plant.

For this reason, combined

Perspective

Ghana Government must improve

the drainage system in Accra

sewer systems are designed

to overflow occasionally and

discharge excess wastewater

directly to nearby streams, rivers,

or other water bodies.

In comparison, separate

sewer systems (SSS) provide

separate networks for the two

discharge streams. Impervious

areas, however, significantly

reduce infiltration and increase

surface runoff, which collects in

gutters and drainage channels as

stormwater or in ponds or detention

basins.

Detention basins provide

storage of runoff and an opportunity

for infiltration, helping to

decrease flows within the urban

drainage system and receiving

natural waterbodies.

Runoffs enter underground

pipes that carry domestic wastewater,

which requires treatment

before being discharged into a

nearby water body.

There can be underground

storage to control flow throughout

the system, accommodate

times of high flow, and to reduce

combined sewer overflows

(CSOs).

CSOs are untreated discharges

from CSS, necessary to

prevent upstream flooding, but

detrimental to the water quality

and environment of the receiving

water body.

Waste that accumulates in

these structures can restrict

runoff from entering the urban

drainage system and cause flood.

At the same time, in developing

countries, urban drainage

infrastructure capacity itself is

usually inadequate to cope with

runoff.

Addressing systemwide urban

drainage challenges require

examining the entire system

in Accra. This solution does not

present a holistic approach to

urban drainage planning and

design but provides some suggested

actions to a rapidly growing

city, explaining important

considerations when expanding

or improving existing urban

drainage systems.

• Sustainable Urban

Drainage Systems

Better known as SUDS – are

designed to lower the risks of

flooding in any area by creating

more efficient means of draining

water from areas prone to

flooding without over-filling our

existing drainage system.

A significant contributor to

the issue of flooding is the continual

expansion and densification

of urban areas.

These town and city areas

tend to be built up using great expanses

of impermeable materials

which prevent rainwater from

draining away as it falls, and this

has become a major factor in the

floods which have befallen the

Accra in recent years.

Our old drainage systems

simply can’t cope with the

amount of rain they’re expected

to handle.

What does a Sustainable Urban

Drainage System do?

• Slow down the rate at

which rainwater flows into our

older drainage systems

• Improve the quality of

rainwater flowing into the drains

• Reduce the damage

caused to the environment &

wildlife habitats by heavy rainfall

To achieve these three main

aims, SUDS implement several

different measures:

• Creation of more permeable

surfaces. The improvement

of drainage and the reduction of

the risk of flooding are dependent

upon the introduction of

permeable outdoor surfaces.

More permeable surfaces include

gravel, blocks, or tiles with spaces

left between them to allow for

drainage through to a layer of

soil. This SUDS method has many

applications and is popular with

many kinds of property. For this

to work, the underlying soil must

also be permeable, so a heavily

clay-based soil is no good. The soil

also needs to be clean and contaminant-free

to avoid any harmful

substances being washed into

another body of water where it

could cause environmental damage.

• Rainwater harvesting.

There are several good reasons to

harvest rainwater rather than allowing

it to wash away. Preventing

rainwater from getting to

the drains both reduces the risk

of flooding and saves that water

for practical uses around the

home. Rainwater is great for use

in washing, cleaning, gardening,

and toilet flushing. Whether

using a simple water butt in the

garden or a more complex underground

rainwater harvesting

system, there is plenty that can

be done with water saved from

running off the roof and into the

drains.

Formation of ditches, ponds,

and wetlands. Sometimes, a more

obvious landscape feature can be

used to prevent flooding. Manmade

ponds, ditches, and wetlands

can effectively control the

rate at which water drains away

from a densely built-up area.

Water is collected and then

gradually released by a process

known as attenuation. When

completely drained, these spaces

blend into the wider landscape

and are usually covered with

grass or other vegetation.

• Green Roofing. A relative

newcomer to the building

site, green roofs are sprouting

all over the place. Although they

have been used throughout history,

they have recently enjoyed

something of a renaissance as

designers strive to become more

environmentally responsible in

their practices.

Whilst green roofs slow down

the rate at which water reaches

the ground and drainage systems,

they also provide other

advantages such as air purification

wildlife habitat, and home

insulation.

By Philip Kyeremanteng

Page 6


Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana)

will hold its fourth

Annual General Meeting

(AGM) on Monday 30th

May 2022. The virtual

meeting will be streamed live

from the Company’s Head office

at MTN House, Independence

Avenue from 11AM GMT.

The agenda for the AGM

will include the approval of the

Audited Financial Statements for

the year ended 31st December,

2021; declaration of a final

dividend for the year ended 31st

December, 2021, appointment

of an Executive Director,

authorization of the Directors

to fix the remuneration of the

Auditor for the year 2022, and

approval of Director’s fees for the

financial year 2022.

Shareholders can participate

in the virtual meeting via www.

MTN Ghana holds 4th AGM

meeting virtually today

mtnghagm.com from 11:00AM

GMT on 30th May 2022.This link

will be free for all shareholders

on MTN’s network. MTN will

reimburse shareholders on

MTN’s network who are charged

unintentionally. Alternatively,

Shareholders who do not have

smart phones may participate

in the AGM by (i) dialing

+233244300025; (ii) entering

the access code 8000; and

(iii) entering the conference

pin number 056789. A unique

token number will be sent to

Shareholders by email and/or SMS

from the 23rd May 2022, to grant

access to the AGM. Registration

for the AGM will start at 10.00AM.

A Shareholder may appoint

a proxy to attend virtually and

vote on their behalf. Such a proxy

need not be a Shareholder of the

Company. A copy of the Proxy

Form may be downloaded from

www.mtnghagm.com completed,

signed and sent via email only to

info@csd.com.gh.

In order for Shareholders to

review the 2021 Audited Financial

Statements before the AGM, a

copy has been uploaded online

and can be found in the Annual

Report Brochure by visiting www.

mtnghagm.com. Shareholders are

encouraged to send in questions

in advance of the AGM by

emailing them to info@csd.com.

gh. Answers to questions will be

provided at the AGM.

Dr. Ishmael Yamson, Board

Chairman of Scancom PLC

thanked all shareholders for

their support and confidence in

the business since becoming a

part of the company through the

purchase of shares. He urged all

shareholders to take advantage of

the Virtual AGM and participate.

Dr. Yamson also encouraged

shareholders to read the financial

statements and endeavor to make

their contributions to further

the growth of the business and

increase shareholder value.

Voting during the AGM will

be done electronically by dialing

USSD code *899*0#. However,

Shareholders who do not submit

proxy forms prior to the meeting,

may vote using their unique token

number.

Scancom Plc (MTN Ghana)

held its first AGM in May 2019

after it listed on the Ghana Stock

Exchange (GSE) on 5 September

2018 with the largest number

of Ghanaian shareholdings

of any listed company on the

GSE at 127,826. By raising GHS

1,146,589,464.75 from 128,152

applicants, the Offer made history

as the largest primary share

offer in the history of the Ghana

Stock Exchange. It enabled many

Ghanaians from all walks of life

to own a share in one of Ghana’s

largest, most visible and wellrespected

companies.

Shareholders are reminded to

connect to the virtual AGM using

their MTN registered numbers

to enjoy a free link to the AGM

meeting.

For more information on the

MTN Virtual AGM, shareholders

may contact info@csd.com.gh or

call 0302 906 576 or 0303 972 254.

Prompt justice delivery is key to

ending mob justice – Nana Kofi Tandoh

Nana Kofi Tandoh, the

Abusuapanyin of the

Butre Stool in the

Western Region, says

avenues for seeking

justice and prompt justice

delivery is key to ending mob

justice and other entrenched

traditional means of dealing with

offenders in local communities.

He bemoaned the receipt of

unapproved fees by some law

enforcers and wondered whether

the justice delivery system was

only for the rich in society.

Abusuapanyin Tandoh,

therefore, expressed

appreciation to the HURDS

Foundation for enlightening

communities on systems such

as the Legal Aid, Social Welfare,

Commission on Human Rights

and Administrative Justice

(CHRAJ) and non-governmental

organisations offering free

advisory services and promoted

Alternative Dispute Resolution

(ADR).

The HURDS Foundation,

local partners to Commonwealth

Human Rights Initiatives,

has embarked on a series of

education in some communities

in the Western Region to

sensitise them on the Ghana Case

Tracking System (CTS), and the

ADR Act, under the USAID Justice

Sector Support Project.

“When I realised that my

niece’s boyfriend was not ready

to perform any marital rites

after five children, I took him

to the police but the matter

ended nowhere…now I know of

the right institutions to go to,”

Abusuapanyin Tandoh said.

Three communities – Manso,

Butre and Sopomu Dunkwa –

have benefited from the Access to

Justice Education programme.

The CTS linked all

stakeholders in the justice

delivery system into a platform

for tracing progress of cases

and ensure speedy trial to halt

congestion at the courts.

The ADR, on the other hand,

encourages home or scientifically

grown approaches to settling

disputes without the formal

court system.

Ms Fidelia Owusu Konadu

Sam, a Principal Investigator

with CHRAJ, explained how the

Commission used mediation,

arbitration, and other forms of

dispute resolution to settle cases

and encouraged the communities

to patronise their services in

their quest for justice.

The Commission was

established by the CHRAJ Act,

456 in July 1993 to handle Human

Rights, Administrative Justice

and anti-corruption cases.

It also ensures the

enforcement of rights,

investigates fundamental human

rights violations and resolves

cases through mediation and

negotiation.

Ms Sam said some cases

that one could report to the

Commission included corrupt

parctices, non-maintenance

of children and spouse, unfair

treatment, intestate, harassment,

domestic violence, property

related issues, and gender-based

violence.

Others are discrimination,

victimisation, poor service

delivery, abuse of power,

unlawful detention, bribery,

embezzlement, conflict of

interest and breach of code of

conduct for public officials.

Ms Eva Ankrah, the Executive

Director, HURDS Foundation,

said more than 10 communities

have been targeted to receive

education on ADR and the Case

Tracking System to empower

local communities to seek justice.

She encouraged families

not to shield domestic violence

issues to avoid disastrous

consequences.

Madam Elizabeth Baafo, a

women’s group leader, described

the education as timely as it

would help the women address

community issues such as

teenage pregnancies, defilement

and rape, and economic rights

abuses.

We need modern security

gadgets for improved

border security

– GIS Commander

Superintendent

Mohammed Khaleed,

the Sampa Border

Commander of the Ghana

Immigration Service

(GIS) has appealed for operational

logistics to improve patrols on the

Ghana-Ivory Coast border in the

Jaman North District of the Bono

Region.

Supt. Khaleed made the appeal

in an interview with the Ghana

News Agency (GNA) when Madam

Justina Owusu-Banahene, the

Bono Regional Minister visited

and interacted with the GIS

officers at Sampa, a border town.

As part of her visit to the

District, the Regional Minister

was at the border Command to

assess the preparedness of the GIS

in ensuring security in the wake

of terrorism and extremist attack

in parts of Africa.

Supt. Khaleed said the

Command lacked modern

security equipment and gadgets

to enhance surveillance in

the border communities and

unapproved routes in the district.

He said there were about 48

unapproved routes in the area,

saying the 138 personnel of the

command required motorbikes

to intensify patrols and facilitate

effective operations.

That notwithstanding, Supt.

Khaleed explained the Command

had enhanced its profiling

systems and upscale patrols

along the borders and added that

motorbikes were needed urgently.

He said the Command

required more metal detectors

to check criminal activities

and unlawful importation of

explosives and guns through the

borders.

Supt. Khaleed also

expressed concern about poor

telecommunication networks in

the area, and appealed for more

‘Gota’ to enable personnel to easily

transmit security information to

the GIS headquarters in Accra.

On her part, Madam Owusu-

Banahene commended the

GIS personnel for their spirit

of patriotism, and promised to

ensure that their concerns were

addressed to improve border

security in the area.

DAILY ANALYST


Dr Peter Takyi Peprah,

Assistant Chief

Statistician and

Director of Field

Operations, Ghana

Statistical Service (GSS), says

about 57 per cent of the country’s

population live in the urban areas.

He said the 2021 Population

and Housing Census showed that

the urban localities were now

‘‘soaking’’ the pressures from the

large population.

Dr Peprah said this during

a virtual symposium on family

and urbanisation organised by

the Ministry of Gender, Children

and Social Protection and the

Department of Social Welfare, as

part of activities to commemorate

the International Day of the

Family.

The United Nations General

Assembly in 1993 in a resolution

(A/RES/47/237) adopted the

however recorded negative,

indicating that the number of

people who migrated to both

regions were less as compared to

10 years ago.

He said almost all the regions

gained population increase with

the majority, moving to the urban

areas within those regions in the

country.

According to the Census

report, most of the people who

moved to the urban areas were the

youth with median age of 29 years,

with 53.8 per cent males and 40.4

per cent females.

It said 47.3 per cent of them

had never married which

generally affected median age at

first marriage, median age at first

birth and total fertility rates of

the country.

Dr Peprah described

urbanisation as the process of

increase in the population that

was reported to live in localities

classified as “urban”.

He attributed the increase of

migration from the rural to the

urban areas to factors, including

better jobs opportunities,

education prospects, technology,

availability of electricity,

water, improved transportation

system, and cultural, social and

entertainment opportunities.

The Director noted that people

who moved to the cities ended up

living in slums and sometimes

became worse off than their

3million biogas cook stoves to be

distributed to households by 2030

The Ministry of Energy

has set a policy target

of distributing three

million units of clean

biogas cook stoves by

2030 to households.

This is to cover 50 per cent of

the population using Liquefied

Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Mr Andrew Kofi Egyapa

Mercer, the Deputy Minister of

Energy, said made this known at

the launch of the third edition of

the Energy Commission’s Senior

High Schools’ Renewable Energy

Challenge in Accra.

The challenge seeks to provide

education and create awareness

on renewable energy technologies

among Senior/Technical schools

in the country.

This year’s Challenge was

dubbed: “Clean Cooking & Food,”

aimed at promoting creative

thinking and mentorship to

young students to enable them to

come up with innovative ideas for

national development.

It was also to promote

research and development in our

public second cycle schools by

encouraging the transformation

of ideas and concepts into

actual projects and product

development.

The Renewable Energy

Challenge would enhance the

Government’s efforts at achieving

policy goals, Mr Mercer said.

“And in that regard the

Ministry of Energy intends to

fund a further development

and promotion of the most

outstanding and innovative clean

cooking institution for this year’s

International Day of the Family to

be observed on May 15, every year.

The day is commemorated

to acknowledge the importance

of the family and to promote

awareness of issues relating

to families and to increase the

knowledge of the social, economic,

and demographic processes

affecting families.

This year’s celebration

on the theme: ‘‘Families and

Urbanisation” is aimed at raising

awareness on the importance of

sustainable, family-friendly urban

policies.

Dr Peprah, breaking down the

statistics of population increase

due to migration between 2010

and 2021 in the some of the

regions, said Greater Accra grew

by 1,000,000 followed by Ashanti

Region with 200,000, and Western

region welcoming 100,000.

Eastern and Ahafo regions,

challenge,” he said.

He urged the participating

students to have deeper thoughts

and reflections to come out with

the best presentations that could

transform the cooking sector.

Mr Julius Nkansah-Nyarko,

the Senior Manager, Energy

Commission, and Programme

Coordinator, called on students

pursuing Information and

Communication Technology (ICT)

programming and coding to take

advantage of the initiative.

A participating school

may have a team consisting of

four students with a teacher

and must submit details of

their proposed projects to the

Regional Coordinator of Science,

Technology, Mathematics, and

Innovation Education.

These projects will be

GSS reveals that 57% of

Ghanaians reside in urban areas

forwarded to the Director at

the Science Education Unit in

Accra, which would be done in

collaboration with the Ghana

Education Service (GES).

There would be regional

competitions from the first week

in June to July, with dates to be

communicated in due course.

16 regional winners will

go into the zonal competition

where three best schools would

be selected from each zone to

participate in the finals under the

auspices of the Commission and

GES

Ṫhe Challenge was introduced

in 2019 and the second edition,

which was held in 2021 due the

Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, was

won by Gyaama Pensan Senior

High and Technical School at

Aboaso in the Ashanti Region.

counterparts staying in rural

areas.

Urbanisation, he said, offered

breeding grounds for social vices

such as prostitution, armed

robbery, illegitimate children

and terrorism due to economic

hardships and, the creation of

insanitary environment.

Mrs Euphemia Akos Dzathor,

a Development Practitioner,

said violence within the family

setting could be described as

any act, or threat of an act that

caused physical, psychological,

emotional, social, economic and

sexual pain to another member of

the family.

She noted that the

phenomenon of power relations

was at the root of all the factors

that influenced domestic violence

since the husband was considered

the family’s head with complete

control per the household

structure in the country.

Stop settling

defilement cases

at home

– Police urges parents

Parents have been advised

to refrain from settling

defilement cases at

home as that can result

in dire consequences,

sometimes in situations that can

be life-threatening.

Assistant Superintendent of

Police (ASP) Faustina Awumey,

the Volta Regional Coordinator of

the Domestic Violence and Victim

Support Unit (DOVVSU), said this

at a General Assembly meeting

of parents, pupils, teachers, and

chiefs at the Ho Mawuli E.P.

Primary School.

The meeting was to discuss

the results of a recently organised

Baseline Assessment Examination

conducted in the school, which

benefited about 100 parents and

230 pupils.

ASP Awumey indicated that

some parents did not report

defilement cases to the police

because they saw it as an

Violence, she said, could cause

anxiety, despair, and other mental

health issues, consequently

wreaking havoc on the peace and

general well-being of the family.

Mrs Dzathor called for the

sensitisation of stakeholders

of the family to play their

roles effectively for peaceful

coexistence.

Professor Spenser Duncan,

an Economic Management

Consultant, noted that recently,

marriages were based on

convenience, change, crisis, and

on compulsion, where one travels

to a place and due to some needed

documents had to marry.

He said that migrating from

rural areas into the urban areas

must be systemic and allow for

leaders or guardians to guide

migrants through the required

processes to prevent them from

being stranded.

opportunity to extort money from

the offenders.

Others resorted to out-ofcourt

settlement due to “what

they claim are delays in the

investigation process, which

is time wasting,” she said,

explaining that the delays

happened sometimes because

investigators had to gather

enough evidence to prosecute

offenders.

ASP Awumey said victims of

defilement would have to bear

the effects for the rest of their

lives, especially when they did

not receive proper counseling and

medical care.

Madam Vivian Eleblu, the

School Improvement Officer, Ho

Kpodzi Circuit, commended the

organisers for the programme

and advocated that parent

should assist DOVVSU to fasttrack

investigations to punish

offenders.

Page 8

Health


Fix healthcare system

to retain nurses in

Ghana – GRNMA

The Ghana Registered

Nurses and Midwives

Association (GRNMA)

has called on policymakers

in the healthcare

system to retool health

facilities across the country and

properly motivate its members to

stay and work in Ghana.

The Association noted that

some of the health facilities were

in deplorable states.

“Go into our health facilities

and you will see how appalling

they are, yet governments continue

to build health infrastructure,"

it noted.

The use of reusable pads

by females, especially

young girls during

menstruation, is

unhygienic and unsafe,

a health advocate has warned.

Mrs Mercy Acquah-

Hayford, National Coordinator

of International Network of

Religious Leaders Living with

or personally affected by HIV

and AIDS (INERELA+ Ghana),

who raised the concerns, noted

that reusable pads could cause

infections to the user.

She, therefore, cautioned

young girls against its usage.

She gave the cautioned in an

interview with the Ghana News

Agency, at a menstrual health

awareness programme held for

some school students of the John

Wesley Methodist School, in Accra.

Organised by INERELA+

Ghana, the programme sought to

educate children, especially young

girls on how to effectively manage

their menstrual life in a more

hygienic manner.

It was funded by the United

Nations Women Trust Fund,

and formed part of activities

to commemorate this year’s

Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Globally, 1.8 billion people

menstruate every month, the

United Nations International

Children’s Emergency Fund

(UNICEF) estimates.

Millions of girls, women,

transgender men and women and

non-binary persons are unable to

manage their menstrual cycle in a

dignified, health way, said UNICEF.

The situation has been

attributed to the inability of

these persons to acquire sanitary

products due to poverty, among

other things.

As a result, some health

persons and groups including

Non-Governmental Organisations

in health have, in recent times,

advocated the use of reusable pads

Mr. Samuel Alagkora Akolgo,

the First Vice President of

the GRNMA, made the call in an

interview with the Ghana News

Agency (GNA) on the side-line of

the Upper East Regional launch

of the International Nurses Day

celebration in Navrongo, in the

Kassena-Nankana Municipality.

The remarks were in response

to an appeal by Dr. Emmanuel Kofi

Dzotsi, the Regional Director of

the Ghana Health Service (GHS)

for nurses and midwives to stay,

and not leave the Region and

country.

Mr. Akolgo said even with the

Avoid reusable pads, they are

unsafe – Health advocate warns

due to their affordability.

Mrs Acquah-Hayford

noted that this defeated every

purpose of promoting a hygienic

menstrual life.

“I am not trying to spoil

somebody’s business but, we

were formally doing reusable, and

along the line, we realized that, as

a health personnel, people were

coming with infections and other

things so, we advocated for this

single use pads.

“Now, we are saying people

should use reusable? How do

they get portable water to wash

it, especially school children,

who are in school? Even in the

boarding schools, some schools

don’t have water, so, how is she

going to wash it?” She asked.

Mrs Acquah-Hayford added

that: “Again, seeing a lot of blood

on the pad, you said the person

should wash it. Is it not reintroducing

infections?

“So, we should go back to the

drawing board and sit down and

look at it. That’s my opinion.”

Mrs Acquah-Hayford, who

is a retired health officer, called

on health authorities to come

out with policies to ensure the

safety of young girls during their

menstrual periods.

existing infrastructure, the level

of maintenance, obsolete equipment,

and in some facilities, the

lack of basic equipment coupled

with poor conditions of service

frustrated and pushed members

of the Association to leave for

greener pastures.

“The equipment is not available,

but if patients come, they are

looking up to the nurse to help,

and without the logistics and

equipment to help the person, the

nurse will be frustrated.”

That, the Association’s First

Vice President, who is also the Upper

East Regional Chief Anaesthetist,

noted was one of the reasons

nurses and midwives would

request postings out of the Upper

East Region and the country.

“Already the conditions of

service the Association negotiated

“I don’t know if the Family

Health Unit knows this, but, if

they are aware, then, they have to

come out with policies that can

make people using it safe,” she

emphasised.

She appealed to government

to subsidise sanitary pads to make

it more affordable and promote

healthy menstrual hygiene.

“I think the cost of pads

should be reduced, so, Government

should step in and reduce the

prices. For me, pads should be

affordable for everyone to buy,”

said Mrs Acquah-Hayford.

Madam Paulina Essel,

a Counselor and a resource

person, advised the young girls

to prioritise their education to

ensure a better future.

She took the pupils through

the proper usage and disposal of

the sanitary pads.

INERELA+ Ghana presented

sanitary pads to all the girls and

teachers for keep in their first aid

boxes.

Introduced in 2014, the

Menstrual Hygiene Day is marked

on May 28, annually, to raise

awareness about the issues faced

by those who do not have access

to sanitary products.

for have not been implemented

and the constant excuse they give

is that there is no money, Health

Insurance hasn’t paid,” he added.

According to him, the quota

system for study leave for nurses

and midwives in the Region was

low, “We have engaged the Ghana

Health Service on the issue, and

we are hoping that what we will

table before them will be accepted”.

Mr. Akolgo expressed concern

about the number of nurses who

seek clearance from the Headquarters

of the GRNMA to leave

the country, saying; “Those who

seek to leave are the experienced

nurses and midwives we have in

the system”.

The Ghana Health

Service has launched an

Integrated Mass Drug

Administration (MDA)

Project for lymphatic

filariasis and Onchocerciasis to

help in the fight against neglected

tropical conditions.

The Integrated Mass Drug

Administration, to be carried out

nationwide, would begin from May

28 to June 12.

It will provide a single

dose medication to all eligible

individuals once or twice a year

and implemented over three

to seven years, to significantly

control the burden of such

conditions.

Dr Afez Adam Taher, the

Chairperson, Ghana Intra Country

Coordinating Committee for

Neglected Tropical Diseases

(NTDs), Ministry of Health, who

launched the project in Takoradi,

said human onchocerciasis – river

blindness was a disease of the skin

and eye caused by a parasitic worm

in fast-flowing rivers and streams.

As part of a process of

eliminating Onchocerciasis and

lymphatic filariasis by 2030, he

explained that this year’s Mass

Drug Administration targets 77

oncho-endemic districts to reach

out to about 12.6 million people.

It also envisions reaching

four lymphatic filariasis endemic

districts, targeting 440,000 people.

Dr Taher said the disease

was endemic in 31 countries

in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin

America and Yemen, adding that

Lymphatic filariasis, also known

as elephantiasis, is a neglected

tropical disease.

Infection occurs when filarial

parasites are transmitted to

humans through mosquitoes.

He explained that the infection

was usually acquired in childhood

causing hidden damage to the

lymphatic system and later years

causing elephantiasis and scrotal

swelling with mental, social and

He said even though the

Association needed its members

to stay in the country, deliver services

and strengthen the union,

“The welfare of our members

is also critical to us so if we are

suggesting to policymakers over

initiatives, we can use to keep our

nurses' home and they are not

implementing those suggestions,

well, the only thing is to sit down

and watch them leave”.

Mr. Akolgo emphasized that

equipped healthcare facilities,

well-arranged compensation, and

motivational packages would

enable nurses and midwives to

stay both in the Region and in the

country.

Mass drug administration

launched in Takoradi for

neglected tropical diseases

financial losses contributing to

stigma and poverty.

Dr Taher said since 2013, the

World Health Organisation (WHO)

had verified three countries in

Latin America as free of human

onchocerciasis but unfortunately,

Ghana was still endemic for the

disease, which was one of the 14

NTDs in the country.

Meanwhile, the World Health

Assembly Resolution 50.29

encouraged Member States to

eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a

public health problem.

In response, the WHO

launched its Global Programme

to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

in 2000 with key components

including stopping the spread

of infection through large-scale

annual treatment of all eligible

people in an area where infection

is present; and alleviating the

suffering it caused through the

provision of the recommended

essential package of care.

“Preventing and controlling

NTDs is central to ending extreme

poverty in the next two decades.

Onchocerciasis/river blindness

and lymphatic filariasis, two of

the NTDs can be targeted through

a highly effective integrated

community treatment approach

using drugs that have been proven

safe and effective and which can

be delivered by trained non-health

personnel,” Dr Taher said.

He, therefore, encouraged

all eligible persons to avail

themselves for the immunisation

to fight against Onchocerciasis

and lymphatic filariasis,

describing the drug as safe.

Dr Joyce Aryee, the

Ambassador for such conditions,

said the drugs were not

deleterious but life saving and

efficacious to protect one against

the condition.

She called on the media to

educate the public on the process

for more people to participate in

the two-week exercise.

DAILY ANALYST


Long before there was

Ghana, Achimota Forest

was a sanctuary in

which certain economic

activities and despoilment

were banned, and runaway

slaves mingled anonymously

among the sacred groves secure

from recapture. It was the ultimate

“retreat” from the sometimes-terrifying

normality of war

and politics.

The forest’s ancient religious

connections are preserved today

in its status as the largest outdoor

Christian worship site, attracting

as many as 250,000 worshippers

in 2009, the latest year for which

Forestry Service statistics are

available.

Today, the site remains the

only serious urban forest in Ghana

and the only major vegetation

cover in the ecologically sensitive

Odaw Basin.

The intertwining of Achimota

woodland and the drainage blocks

precipitating flooding in that part

of Accra has long fascinated Ghanaian

environmental scholars.

Therefore, the interesting

thing about how it came to be

that the only forested areas near

Accra – Achimota and Guakoo in

Pokuase – have such intimate

links with worship and sacredness

is not that religious beliefs

can restrain people from destroying

nature out of material greed.

Rather, the Ancients may have

detected important environmental

aspects of these locations and

chose to protect them through

collective rituals.

It is not for nothing that the

escalating flooding patterns on

the Achimota – Pokuase stretch,

two nodes sacralised by the Ancients

and mutilated by modern-day

Ghanaians – appear to

have overwhelmed city planners.

For anyone who knows anything

at all about the area, the

context discussed above coloured

the news this week that the

President of Ghana has decided to

reclassify a large part of Achimota

Forest Reserve from remaining in

that status because, under a law

passed in 1927, he can.

The portion of the forest

reserve, created by the colonial

British government in 1930 from

a portion of land purchased from

two Accra families, affected by the

Presidential Order is described

in the schedule to the Executive

Instrument containing the decision

as:

The President was not done,

however. He then took a blunt

scalpel to the original 1930 colonial

order preserving the Achimota

forest and with a few delicate

strokes shrank it by two-thirds:

Stunned observers in Ghana’s

small but significant environmental

community could only assume

that the action by the country’s

Head of State was likely one of

those political moves taken without

sufficient research, analysis,

and consultation.

Someone with an obvious

commercial interest had smuggled

the decision into the hallowed

chambers of the President

who had proceeded to sign it

without the barest amount of professional,

impartial, advice.

To buttress the view that the

President acted without sound

it was aware of how political

heavyweights were interested in

cutting a deal on the side with

various aristocrats and real estate

investors.

We now understand that in

2013 the government decided to

enter into an agreement with

the Owoo family in particular to

parcel off some of the disputed

lands. Whatever the original merit

of that strategy, it was thwarted

in the intervening period when

courts of competent jurisdiction

ruled that all these old families

claiming title to Achimota School

lands had no basis in fact or law.

The critical thing to bear in

mind however is that none of

these litigations, out-of-court

settlements and government

dispensing of largesse affected the

forest reserve. These various matters,

dissected critically, involved

Achimota School lands.

The sheer incomprehension

of the President’s action to shrink

the forest reserve and its adjoining

area from 1,185 acres to 372

acres (a mind-boggling 70% scaledown)

by means of Executive Instrument

(EI 154) arises out of the

excuse that the reclassification is

related to a negotiation in 2013. As

explained above, that negotiated

outcome has since been frustrated

in the courts, and at any rate was

related to Achimota School lands

and not the Forest Reserve. The

reclassification is, on this simple

basis, COMPLETELY UNTENABLE.

It appears to seasoned observers

that the Oku We and Owoo

families having failed to seize

Achimota School lands in the

courts have now turned their focus

on the forest reserve and have

colluded with the government to

bring about this result.

It is not clear if such action

also has the additional effect

of shielding Achimota School

stakeholders from further legal

harassment by the encroachers

who have in recent decades stolen

a whopping 33% of the School’s

land. Now that a new zone of the

rich forest has been opened up for

concreting, perhaps the 250 acres

of Achimota School’s remaining

untouched prime land will be

spared any further horse-trading

by politicians. But whatever the

full range of motives, the new declassification

and reclassification

actions have no grounding in fact,

policy, or the law.

The fact may not be clear to

some otherwise well-informed

people, but the Achimota Forest

reserve is an International Union

of Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

category VI area. This means

that it is not a totally restricted

category I or II area; certain infrastructural

developments in the

area capable of boosting its overall

sustainability are compatible with

its category VI status. In fact, the

eco-tourism park idea, conceived

in 2013, was totally brilliant for

this very reason. Executing that

idea does not require declassifying

any part of the land as

forest reserve. On the contrary, it

leverages the reserve status. Any

investor interested in participating

in the program would have

been required to only propose

developments compatible with

the category VI status.

Across the world, urban forests

Opinion

Mr. President, we want our forest back

research-backed advice, it is necessary

to start at the beginning,

and clear many confusions.

In the last couple of days, the

Lands Ministry and certain motivated

individuals have tried to

muddy the waters by deliberately

confusing the facts.

When in 1921 the British

colonial government compulsorily

acquired Achimota lands (and

paid the necessary compensation)

to the Owoo and Oku We families,

the area extended far beyond

the space caught in the current

controversy. The lands in question

totalled nearly 2000 acres.

Half of this land was reserved

to build and nurture what would

then become just the third secondary

school in Ghana – Achimota

School.

Nearly a decade later, the

colonial government decided to

restrict a part – approximately 825

acres -of the remaining half of

that original mass of land as a forest

reserve. The express purpose

was to enhance biological diversity,

offer recreational grounds

to city dwellers and ensure the

sustainable management of wood

and water resources.

The continued confusion of

this part of the original acquisition

with other parts has been

a great disservice to the public

debate. The Nii Owoo and Oku

We families have for the last

two decades, along with persons

claiming to be aristocrats of Osu,

waged war not over the 43% of

the original lands preserved as a

protected forest area, but rather

on the 57% endowed in Achimota

school, large tracts of which have

been converted to other public

uses such as the building of golf

courses and residential dwellings.

In fact, a series of cases

associated with this protracted

litigation began in 2010 and ended

up in the Supreme Court in 2020

regarding the award of roughly

172 acres of Achimota School lands

(adjoining GIMPA) to real estate

developers and Osu stool claimants

(aristocrats from the Osu

area of Accra) by an Accra High

Court in 2011 as a result of a litigation

in which Achimota School

was not even a party.

After exhaustively recounting

the contorted twists and turns

of the legal process that enabled

the Osu stool to insert itself into

the Achimota School lands saga,

when it was not involved in the

original 1921 transaction between

the colonial government and the

two families – Owoo and Oku We

–, the Supreme Court reversed the

award in May 2020 and sent the

case back to a lower court.

Whilst this case was ongoing,

the Owoo and Oku We families

were also in parallel court

processes trying to legitimise encroachment

on Achimota School

lands by real estate investors to

whom they had sold parcels of the

land from the School’s 1922 and

1927 colonial government grants.

In 2017, judgment was delivered in

favour of Achimota school.

Whilst these matters were in

court, the government was busy

negotiating with the two families.

In fact, it appears that the Lands

Commission was deliberately mishandling

their brief in court in

the parallel Osu stool suit because

like Ghana’s Achimota Forest,

Kigali’s Nyandungu, and Nairobi’s

Karura have all built eco-tourism

park plans on the back of forest

reserve protections. Investors are

subject to constraints as to what

they can build on such lands, but

the corresponding tourism uplift

usually compensates.

For example, Nairobi’s Karura’s

forest reserve status dates

back to 1932, just two years after

Achimota Forest was likewise

declared as a forest reserve. Karura

has by and large preserved a

protected area twice the size of

Achimota Forest right in the middle

of bustling Nairobi without

any politician succeeding in their

perennial quests to whittle down

the area. Through an innovative

partnership with environmental

NGOs, it launched an eco-park

concept in 2011, two years ahead

of Ghana’s decision to follow suit.

In the four years that followed,

fees from visitors seeking various

forms of recreation averaged

around $200,000 a year. In the

decade since Ghana declared

Achimota Forest an eco-park,

the authorities have struggled to

collect even a fraction of Karura’s

revenue in a good year.

Ghana’s 2013 Achimota ecopark

policy has failed not because

the area is still protected

but because of a lack of political

commitment (as evidenced by the

horse-trading described above),

underinvestment and sheer lack

of innovative thinking.

All the above nonetheless,

Achimota eco-park still held the

promise of preserving the forest

reserve status of the area. Until

those two fateful days in March

and April 2022 when the President

of Ghana took his pen and decided

to shave 70% off what even a colonial

government had considered

sacred.

Besides, notwithstanding

the slow progress of the eco-park

project, other strategic ecological

projects have been ongoing well

before 2013.

After it was decided that the

Accra zoo in Kanda (originally

built as a private menagerie for

Ghana’s first President) was too

close to the India-built presidential

palace for comfort, the zoo’s

animals were first relocated to

Kumasi before a decision was

then taken to reserve 120 acres of

the Achimota Forest to serve as a

new zoo.

An endangered primate breeding

center was then set up in the

vicinity to protect two critically

endangered monkey species – the

Diana Roloway and the whitenape

Mangabey – from going

extinct. There are bush babies

in the forest that are not found

elsewhere in the country and with

proper warden services would

have been carefully managed.

Even more intriguingly, a captive

fruit bat species (Eidolon Helvum)

in the vicinity is feared to

pose a zoonotic threat (potential

to transmit diseases to humans) if

not handled with care.

Jennifer Barr and her collaborators

concluded in a recent

paper:

“The results from this study

indicate Achimota viruses (Ach-

PVs) are able to cross the species

barrier. Consequently, vigilance

for infection with and disease

caused by these viruses in people

and domesticated animals is warranted

in sub-Saharan Africa…”

The “Achimota viruses” mentioned

in the said study include

Achimota Virus 1, Achimota Virus

2 and Achimota Pararubulavirus 3.

In short, no serious advisor

with the right level of exposure to

these critical matters would have

advised the President of Ghana to

tamper so rashly with the Forest

Reserve. The 372 acres the government

has left for the reserve

are woefully inadequate to cover

even half of the strategic requirements

of conservation, watershed

management, recreational zoo,

biothreats research facilities, etc.

It bears mentioning that,

according to researchers, it took

85 years from the time of the designation

of the forest as a reserve

for the depletion of the forest

cover to accumulate to 250 acres.

With a simple stroke of a pen,

the government has sent nearly

800 acres more to that same ignominious

end overnight.

Assurances that notwithstanding

the massive scaledown

of the reserve, all future activities

shall be reviewed by the Lands

Minister for ecological soundness

simply do not add up. Even

with the current legal restraints,

multiple Judges have accused

government actors such as the

Lands Commission as deliberately

working to aid fraudulent real

estate operators to encroach on

Achimota lands. How does lifting

the reserve status, when the government

has over the last several

decades proved so incompetent in

protecting the area advance the

goals of conservation and public

interest?

Mr. President, we want our

Forest back.

By Bright Simons

Page 10

Vice President,

Dr Mahamudu

Bawumia, has

advised the African

Development Bank

(AfDB) to explore the issuance

of security indexed investment

bonds to raise funds to combat

increasing insecurity on the

continent.

He also urged the bank to

pursue the strategic decision of

the European Union on Special

Drawing Rights to drive Africa's

recovery and transformation

effort while enhancing the

capacity of countries to protect

investments and livelihoods.

He said the plan of the EU

to make the AfDB the delivery

Head of Investment

Banking at Stanbic

Bank Ghana, Kobby

Bentsi-Enchil, has

called on West

African countries to embrace

collaboration and consultative

efforts to improve access to

finance in the subregion.

He said this at the opening of

the West Africa capital Market

Conference

(WACMaC) at Movenpick

Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

Speaking on the topic

“Access to finance via crossborder

listings on stock and

fixed income exchange,” Kobby

Bentsi-Enchil said across capital

markets in

West Africa, the challenges

facing cross-border listings are

basic and this requires uniform

standards to address them.

“The challenges across

the capital markets are

fundamentally the same, marked

by lack of uniformity of

standards, lack of market depth

and currency fungibility issues.

Also, lack of harmonization

in regulation across markets

regarding financial reporting,

prospectus disclosures,

Business

Bawumia supports AfDB

aggressive resource

mobilisation drive

vehicle for SDR on the continent

was laudable as the bank could

leverage these resources to raise

funds.

“The success of these

endeavours will be crucial in

sustaining the commendable

efforts of the bank to improve

Africa's preparedness and

resilience for possible future

global supply chain disruptions

and health emergencies,” he

said

Ḣe made the remarks at the

closing ceremony of the AfDB

Group Annual General Meeting

(AGM) which was held on the

theme: “Achieving climate

resilience and a Just Energy

Transition for Africa”.


Dr Bawumia noted that

increased access to funding

impacted how countries

optimise the fourth industrial

revolution to create a resilient

knowledge and database as well

as the capacity to upgrade health

systems and fight pandemics.

He, therefore, commended

the Board of Governors of

the bank for the foresight in

endorsing the broad framework

for the bank strategic outlook

from 2023 to 2032.

“It would be critical that

through this strategic plan, the

AfDB will work closely with the

EU Commission and other sub

regional institutions to urgently

operationalise and grow the

Accessing finance in West Africa needs

collaborative efforts - Bentsi-Enchil

corporate governance, rating

considerations and free float

and valuation requirements are

critical challenges the must be

tackled head on,” he noted.

He also elaborated on some

of the reasons for the hesitancy

of foreign capital inflow into

domestic markets in West Africa.

He mentioned unattractive

returns on investments, capital

controls and convertibility

risks, lack of robust continuing

disclosure standards, limited

access to current real time

information and relative

illiquidity in the secondary

markets as some of the main

reasons for the hesitancy in

foreign capital inflow.

In addressing these

challenges that confront

West Africa’s capital markets,

Bensti-Enchil advocated for

collaboration among key

stakeholders across

the various countries.

According to him, “Collaboration

and collaborative efforts are

critical to improving access

to finance. There must be

coordinated efforts between

Ministries of Finance within

jurisdictions to encourage

potential issuers to pursue

cross-border listings. Member

countries should also consider

increased collaboration on

issuer solicitation, information

sharing, regulation and

reporting standards as well as

concessions on fees and levies.”

“There is also the need for

regional bourses to explore

collaboration with multilateral

institutions and global stock

exchanges while engaging in

consistent investor

education to enumerate benefits

of investing in cross border

listing. Also, leveraging the

benefit of AfCFTA’s Pan-African

Payment and Settlement System

(PAPPS) is one key tool that could

facilitate regional integration,”

he added.

The two-day conference is

being organized by the West

African Securities Regulators

Association (WASRA). WASRA is

the regional body for Capital

Market Regulators in West

Africa with the mandate of

facilitating cooperation and

consultation among capital

markets in the West African

region.

The event, which is

being held under the theme

“Deepening and strengthening

the capital markets across

West Africa through effective

regulation”, brings together

relevant stakeholders and

experts including regulatory

agencies, market operators,

inter-regional economic

bodies, academics, etc., to share

experiences and deliberate on

best practices to improve West

Africa’s Capital Markets.

WACMaC is a biennial event

that seeks to present the West

African region and indeed Africa

as a whole the opportunity to

address important issues related

to the orderly growth and

development of the regional and

continental capital markets.

African Financial Stability

Mechanism. This will enhance

protection for our economies

from future shocks and enable

us to join the list of regions

with such economic buffer

arrangements," he said.

“It is my view that a

successful implementation of

this strategic plan will draw the

continent closer to achieving the

goals of agenda 2063 and build

the Africa we want amongst

others,” he said.

The Immediate past

Chairperson of the Boards of

Governors, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta

said the exigencies of rising food

and fuel prices amid limited

financing tools caused by

elevated debt levels demanded a

holistic approach to help the 1.3

billion African population.

Mr. Dominic

Opoku Fofie,

Audit Committee

Member of

the Health

Accounting Staff Association of

Ghana has advised Ghanaians to

lower their expenditure to meet

the increasing cost of living in

the country.

He said the economic

challenges in the country had

some severe consequences on

the financial stability and wellbeing

of citizens.

Mr. Fofie who gave the advice

in an interview with Ghana

News Agency in Tamale stated

that many citizens were now

struggling to pay for essential

needs such as food, energy, fuel,

“I am particularly proud that

we laid down our self-interest

and focused our discussions

on collectively breaking the

injustices and inequities of the

global financial architecture,”

he said.

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the

president of the AfDB Group,

said the bank had decided to

allow the African Development

Fund (ADF), which marked its

50th anniversary, to tap the

international markets using its

accumulated equity of $25 billion

to raise $35 billion.

“ADF going into the market

is good for Africa. is good for

the development is good for

the donors because it leverages

donor’s taxpayers. Money to

deliver greater value and it is

good for debt sustainability,” he

said.

Expert advises public

against high expenditure

and transport due to the high

cost of living.

He said most citizens were

also struggling to make ends

meet or simply want to save a

little more money and called on

all to consider taking various

measures that would help them

to reduce their spending.

Mr. Fofie advised the

citizenry to keep track of their

spending habits to know where

their money was going as one of

the ways to check unnecessary

expenses.

He said it was important for

citizens to also start planning

for the future, which could also

reduce the financial burden on

them.

DAILY ANALYST


Luka Modric will sign

a contract extension

at Real Madrid after

landing his fifth

Champions League

crown, GOAL can confirm.

Modric has spent nine

seasons at Madrid to date, the

latest of which saw him add three

more trophies to his glittering

career CV.

The Blancos followed up

Supercopa de Espana and La

Liga successes by se-curing their

14th European Cup on Saturday

night, and now Modric is ready to

re-affirm his commitment to the

Spanish giants.

What are the terms of

Modric's new deal?

Modric is due to become a

free agent on June 30, but Madrid

are prepared to hand him fresh

terms that will see him remain at

Santiago Bernabeu until the end

of the 2022-23 season.

The 36-year-old has convinced

the board to retain his services

after another stellar campaign

that saw him record three goals

and 12 assists in 45 appear-ances

across all competitions, with

one of his best displays saved for

their 1-0 Champions League final

win over Liverpool.

GOAL understands that

Madrid will also consider

extending Modric's contract

Sports

Modric to sign Real Madrid

Champions League crown

through to 2024 if he can maintain

the same exceptional standards

next term.

Modric's legacy at Madrid

continues to grow

There is certainly no danger

of Modric walking away from the

Bernabeu of his own free will,

with the Croatian having already

made it clear that he would like to

retire in the Spanish capital.

"I hope I can retire at Madrid.

Madrid is my home. I feel very

happy at the club, in the city, very

loved by the people," he said after

winning the Marca Leyen-da

award earlier this month.

"My family is also very happy,

so I hope to continue for more

years and hope-fully finish my

career here."

Modric has racked up a grand

total of 462 appearances for

Madrid since his arrival from

Tottenham in 2012, winning 19

major trophies.

The veteran midfielder also

picked up the Ballon d'Or in 2018,

and looks set to continue pulling

the strings in the middle of the

park for Carlo Ancelotti's side for

the foreseeable future.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

admits

to feeling “sad” for

Arsenal on the back of

the Gunners’ failure to

secure a top-four finish in 2021-

22, with the Barcelona striker

denied a potential Champions

League reunion with his former

club.

The Gabonese striker, who

hit 92 goals through 163 appearances

for Premier League

heavyweights before being

frozen out and moved on in the

last transfer window, has helped

his current employers to a runner-up

spot in La Liga.

He is now readying himself

for a return to elite European

competition, but there is no

chance of him crossing paths

with Arsenal and heading back

to Emirates Stadium when gracing

an elite continental stage in

2022-23.

What has Aubameyang said

about Arsenal?

The 32-year-old, who hit 13

goals for Barca after moving to

Camp Nou, has told Sky Sports

of the Gunners missing out on

Champions League qualification

once again: “Really close [to

getting in the top four].

“I think they made a lot of

improvements and I’m a bit sad

because I wanted to catch them

in the Champions League. I have

a lot of friends over there.

“But I’m wishing them all

the best for next season and

obviously, I think it’s going to be

a good thing for them to get back

to the Europa League as well.

Hopefully, they can win it.”

Arsenal let it slip pic.twitter.com/eXZsRb3Khz

— GOAL (@goal) May 16, 2022

When did Arsenal last qualify

for the Champions League?

It looked for long periods in

the 2021-22 campaign as though

Arsenal would book return tickets

to the Champions League.

All too familiar struggles

for consistency kicked in again,

though, for Mikel Arteta’s side

and they slipped down the table

in the final weeks of the season.

To rub salt into the wounds,

as the Gunners finished in

fifth, north London neighbours

Tottenham were the ones to pip

them to fourth place.

Arsenal are now destined

to spend a sixth consecutive

season outside of the Champions

League party, with Arsene

Wenger overseeing their last

involvement in that competition

back in 2016-17.

Wenger questions Mane,

Salah after Liverpool loss

Celebrated French coach

Arsene Wenger has

suggested Sadio Mane

and Mohamed Salah

are partly to blame for

Liverpool's 1-0 loss in the Uefa

Champions League final to Real

Madrid.

The Reds played Los Blancos

at Stade de France on Saturday

night in a repeat of the 2018

final, where Madrid won 3-1.

On Saturday, Vinicius Junior

scored the only goal of the

match when he connected with

Federico Valverde's assist in the

59th minute to score the only

goal of the match.

It was a disappointing

ending to the season for the

Merseyside outfit who, just a few

weeks ago, had hoped to win an

unprecedented quadruple.

The former Arsenal manager

felt missing out on the Premier

League title to Manchester City

might have affected the influence

Salah and Mane have had for

Jurgen Klopp's team this season.

"I wonder after watching

that game if the disappointment

of last week, being beaten [to

the title] in the last game of the

season had somewhere dropped a

level of confidence," Wenger, who

helped the Gunners reach the

Champions League final in 2006

but lost 1-0 to Barcelona, told

beIN Sports.

"You felt as well that Salah,

Mane, the guys who make the

difference, didn't have the same

freshness, the same belief that

they can make the difference."

The 72-year-old tactician also

praised former Chelsea shotstopper,

Thibaut Courtois, for the

outstanding saves made to deny

the Reds and ensure the La Liga

Champions carried the day.

"Overall they [Liverpool]

came short, we must be honest,

because of Courtois," Wenger

continued.

"I felt at some stage that if

Liverpool came back to 1-1 they'd

come back and win the game.

But they never found that special

moment where they could finish

their chances off, and a lot of that

is down to Courtois."

By defeating Liverpool,

Real Madrid have now won 14

Champions League titles while

their manager Carlo Ancelotti

became the first coach to win

Europe's club elite competitions

four times.

The Reds ended the season

with the League Cup and the FA

Cup trophies.

Monday, 30th May, 2022

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