Day: June 25, 2023

the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has sensitised some selected youth groups at Gambaga in the East Mamprusi Municipal of the North East Region on preventing and containing violent extremism (PVCE). The Commission said Violence and radicalization among the youth had become a major menace to the global community and even though anyone could become an extremist, young people were more likely to be susceptible to recruitment into Violent Extremist Groups. According to the Commission, 'The 2021 study conducted by the NCCE under the Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana (NORPREVSEC) project identified the youth as most vulnerable to Violent Extremism.' To deepen their understanding and involvement in the fight against extremist activities, the Commission said, it was important to sensitise the youth. Mr Abu A. Nassam, the North East Municipal Director of the NCCE, said this in an address to youth groups at Gambaga, as part of the Commission's quest to prevent and contain violent extremism through the promotion of social cohesion, peace and tolerance in the Northern Regions. It formed part of the Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) project being implemented by the NCCE with funding support from the European Union (EU) and Technical support from the National Security, aimed at preventing and containing extremist activities. 'The threat of terrorists attacking our communities is real and they can strike anytime and anywhere,' Mr Nassam said. Mr Issah Iddrisu, the Municipal Director of the National Investigations Bureau, presenting on the topic 'Preventing Violent Extremism in Ghana' explained that community surveillance served a very important role in checking and Preventing Violent Extremism and urged the participants to be vigilant of the activities in their communities. He added that setting up of neighbourhood watch or community patrol could be impactful and encouraged the participants to take up the challenge in their respective communities. Reverend Solomon Aguriba, the Head Pastor of the Gambaga Assemblies of God Church, presenting on 'Peace Building Mechanism', noted that peacebuilding involved cordial relationships and openness to one another and urged the youth to be open and tolerant of others' views.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region has demolished unauthorized structures along major streets within the Township. The affected structures included those along the Bolgatanga stadium and library roads and some major roads within the Municipality. The exercise was also extended to the old abattoir where a concrete slap for animal slaughtering was destroyed to prevent some butchers who still used the facility even though they were relocated to the new abattoir at Yorogo, coupled with the ban on animal slaughtering, owing to the outbreak of anthrax in the Region. Mr Rex Asanga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), in an interview with journalists on the demolishing exercise, said the Assembly had over the past months identified unauthorized structures within the Township, and management took the decision to demolish them. He said the Assembly received complaints about some butchers, who still operated on the concrete slap at the old abattoir, 'The slap was one of the targets so that they would not continue to use it to slaughter animals. 'We got information that they even slaughter animals at night, and now that there is anthrax, if we do not take this action, and an anthrax-infected animal is slaughtered, that would pose a health hazard to members of the public,' he said. He explained that some of the areas where containers were erected, especially along the stadium road, were designated as car parks. 'We have warned people not to put structures there, but they continue to do that. They were given sufficient notice about this exercise. Anybody whose structure was demolished was given sufficient notice,' he said. He said beyond the warning markings on unauthorized structures, owners were served letters which indicated the date the exercise would be done, 'So it is not as if we just got up and started demolishing structures. Everybody has been properly informed.' Mr Asanga said the exercise was to be extended to government residential areas, especially at the government flats along the Regional Hospital road, where some structures were erected in between the flats and along the road, but owners of such structures had written to the Assembly to request for some grace period. 'We were supposed to demolish containers along the flats, but they have written to us asking for time, some of them also have permits, so we have decided that we will give them some bit of time. So, the flat area will not be included in this exercise,' the MCE said. He said there was a need to have roads in the Municipality without containers and structures on both shoulders. 'From the library junction to the Hospital junction, we should at least have that road in town free of containers and kiosks, that we can refer to as our ceremonial road.' Mr Asanga cautioned that if per the plan of the Municipality, management of the Assembly realized that houses were constructed on roads, the due procedure would be followed to demolish such houses. He said much as the Assembly did not take delight in demolishing structures owners depended on for their livelihood, it would equally not allow for such unauthorized structures to cause problems in the Municipality. Even though the MCE said affected business owners were duly notified about the demolishing exercise, some of them told the Ghana News Agency that the action of the Assembly was sudden and least expected.

Source: Ghana News Agency

About 50 women in Tema Community 12 have received practical training in detergent making, including hand sanitiser, ointment, pomade, and mouthwash. The skills and capacity building were to enhance the women's values of independence. The women were given the tools through the skills training to start successful small businesses to support their families and lessen reliance on their husbands. The workshop was organised by the Tema Gents, a business and volunteer group in the Tema Central Constituency, and it was designed to teach young ladies aged 18 years and older. Mrs Diana Appiah, the resource person for the workshop, taught the participants how to select things that were better suited to their combination of abilities, weaknesses, and circumstances. She said that people with disabilities could use their obstacles as stepping stones to help them reach worthwhile objectives and financial rewards. She also taught them the virtue of honesty in starting a business, especially when asking for support. Hajia Hamdia Ibrahim, a beneficiary, praised the organisers of the workshop and urged other charitable organisations to support the development of women. She said they were prepared to take advantage of these and other possibilities to assist their families and husbands financially.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), says the country can reduce the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services over the long term by implementing national policies that are supported by regional initiatives. The Service has consequently advised that the regulatory actions adopted to control inflation by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and other related state institutions be supported by regional-level actions. 'The chances of hastening a downward trend in our inflation is more likely to occur if we take into consideration the role of sub-national government and other real sector ministers to augment the work of the Central Bank and other state institutions directly related to fiscal and monetary policy.' Those were the comments of Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, the Government Statistician, at the launch of the maiden report on 'Food price variability across Regions in Ghana,' in Kumasi in the Ashanti region. He explained that 2017/2018 Ghana Living Standard Survey showed that the share of household expenditure on food to total expenditure was 42.9 per cent. However, the quarterly survey showed that the share of food inflation in households had increased from 42.9 per cent in January 2022 to more than 60 per cent in April 2023. 'We really need to get into the food management system more carefully if we want to drive down prices, by looking at the entire value chain of food prices,' Prof Annim said. 'This is because the report is telling us that there's a lot of within-region variations more than across-region variation, and commodity-specific rather than a generalistic case where it cuts across all different commodities,' he added. The food price variability analysis showed that goods with uniform packagings, such as milk and tomato paste, had less price fluctuation between regions. On the other hand, food items without standard packaging, including cassava and plantain had substantial variations across regions. That was attributed to supply-side factors, such as transportation costs, local production cost variations, supply chain disruptions, and seasonality. For example, milk, which had the least variability in median prices per litre across regions, saw nine out of the 16 regions recording the same median price of (GHS43.75). The median price per kg of tomato paste was the same throughout all seven regions (GHS28.60). Nonetheless, there was a difference of around GH 10.00 between it and the median prices that were recorded as being the highest (Western North, GHS38.60) and lowest (Central, GH 17.00). The report echoed the importance of ensuring access to food as a priority development target, which reflects Sustainable Development Goal Two of ending hunger and ensuring access by all people. That meant that people, particularly, the poor and vulnerable in society, including infants, had access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round. The food price variability report analysed price variations in food products across the 16 regions and explored trends in food prices between January 2022 and April 2023, with a focus on food inflation. It provided information on the price variations of 10 selected food items (beef, bread, cassava, cooking oil, imported rice, milk, millet, plantain, tomato paste, and yam).

Source: Ghana News Agency