Day: July 16, 2023

Mr Albert Boakye Okyere, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, has engaged some members of the Ashaiman SSNIT Pensioners and the Veterans Administration of Ghana (VAG) in Ashaiman.

He said the interaction dubbed engagement with the senior citizens formed part of his vision to meet the elderly people within the Ashaiman Municipality.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ashiaman during the engagement, Mr Okyere explained that the move would help the Assembly streamline its programmes to meet the needs and aspirations of all people in Ashaiman.

Mr Okyere added that the veterans and pensioners had experiences and in-depth knowledge that could be tapped to enhance rapid development within the various communities in Ashaiman.

He gave the assurance that the Assembly would soon constitute some advisory committees within the various Electoral areas, adding that some members of the veterans and SNNIT Pensioners would be co-opted into the committees to assist in ensuring satisfactory performance.

'As leaders, we needed to be guided by your expertise and rich experiences,' he told the participants.

He said the Municipal Assembly was ready to assist the elderly at all times, including the pensioners, to overcome their challenges.

Mr Emmanuel Harrison Ahiabu, Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Association Ashaiman District, expressed gratitude to the MCE and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly staff for engaging them.

Mr Ahiabu however bemoaned the fact that pensioners were going through several welfare crises and called on the government to urgently intervene on their behalf.

He stressed that the government, through the various MMDAs, could give them some waiver or exempt them from the various rates and levies, including the property rates they pay to the government.

He also noted that duty bearers should consider their voices or opinions in policy initiatives to enable them to contribute their quota to developing their communities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has accused the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) of frustrating the conclusion of the process and the adoption of the draft of the committee to put in place properly organized labour structures.

GFL noted that instead of building proper structures to constitute Organized Labour, the TUC instead adopted a knee-jerk and ad hoc approach to dealing with labour issues.

'TUC is not the same as Organized Labour,' Mr Abraham Koomson, the Secretary General of the GFL, told newsmen in Tema, stressing that the power of the TUC to legally represent all workers in Ghana was revoked with the amendment of the Industrial Relations Act (1960), Act 299.

Mr. Koomson added that the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) replaced the TUC with Organized Labour, adding that it did not mention the structure and organogram of Organized Labour, a lacuna that, the TUC had been taking advantage of.

This, the Federation said, would enable labour to legitimately exercise its mandate to holistically address the concerns of the rank and file.

'Organized Labour, which is a term (name) provided under the laws of Ghana, represents a body of recognized and independent labour unions, federations, and associations working in concert to pursue the common interest of working people in and of Ghana,' he explained.

He recalled that to cure this problem, GFL resorted to the High Court for some answers, adding, however, that the court advised that they go for a settlement, out of which TUC and GFL agreed on three things.

The terms of settlement dated April 25, 2010, indicated that TUC and GFL were to work together to get a working definition of the term organized labour,' 'an organogram for decision making within organized labour,' and a timetable for the adoption by all labour unions of the working document and operationalizing the same.'

He indicated that following this, a nine-member committee with representatives of labour unions such as ICU, TUC, CLOGSAG, GFL, and others came out with a draft document on the three terms of the settlement agreement.

Mr Koomson added that the committee also came up with the scope of organized labour cooperation and partnership, objectives, membership, governance structure, meetings, funding, and functions of leadership.

Meanwhile, the GFL, in a letter dated June 20, 2023, to the TUC, has called for the deliberations on the formalization of organized labour structures to be concluded soonest to precede effective collective action of labour.

This, the Federation said, would enable labour to legitimately exercise its mandate to holistically address the concerns of the rank and file.

Meanwhile, labour Unions will meet on July 17 to address concerns raised by GFL and other related labour issues.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Stephaine Asabea Opoku, Administrative Officer for the STEMinist Foundation Ghana, has called for a concerted effort to encourage more female students into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.

Ms Opoku said the STEMinist Foundation was rolling out advocacy strategies to support and uplift women in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

She said the goal was to get more female students through advocacy, empowerment, counselling, and career advice in junior and senior high schools.

Ms Opoku stated this at a stakeholder engagement organized by the Ghana News Agency for state and non-state actors to contribute to national development.

According to her, female students who participate in STEM programmes are better prepared to pursue any field-related career in science and its linked industries.

Ms Opoku emphasised the significance of educating more women because, in general, they were underrepresented in the field.

For this reason, the STEMinist Foundation had scaled up advocacy for the empowerment of women to assume some roles so they could speak out, assist in problem-solving, and participate in decision-making.

The Foundation worked with women who represented energy, ecology, and climate change, she said.

She pointed out that the inclusion of STEM in the curriculum would help kids develop their imaginative and creative talents so they could pursue employment in the scientific fields.

She said although the number of women venturing into the field was on the rise, more needed to be done to encourage girls, right from their basic education, to see the field as one that could be studied by all.

Ms Opoku said the dynamics were changing where the focus of education had gone beyond only math and science concepts, saying that critical thinking, decision-making, curiosity, leadership, and problem-solving were some of the benefits STEM was bringing to children, making them challenge standards.

She stressed the need to capitalize on STEM to prepare the future generation, especially females, to become innovators and inventors.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager, called on female journalists to serve as catalysts for STEM reportage and provide avenues for women in STEM to propagate their stories.

Mr Ameyibor stressed the need for media houses to create a conducive environment for STEM reportage by building the capacity of reporters to be able to report on STEM.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Right Reverend Prosper Samuel Dzomeku, Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church, (GEC), has asked Parliament to pass the anti Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) bill without delay.

He said there was no reason for the prolonged delay in passing the bill since the three main religions in Ghana, namely Christianity, Islam and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) abhorred such practices.

Rt. Rev. Dzomeku was preaching the sermon at the Ordination Service of 32 Ministers of the GEC at the Trinity Chapel, Kotobabi in Accra.

Preaching on the theme: 'Holiness and the Word of God,' based on Psalm 119:9-11, the Moderator said, there was the need to intentionally groom the youth and children, especially in the face of foreign cultural practices that have engulfed the nation.

According to the Moderator, the antidote to the current moral decadence facing the nation is to be intentional to train the youth and children with the Word of God.

He said the word of God had the power to purify and to sanctify. 'Therefore, when we teach the younger generation sound doctrine, they will be able to withstand foreign pressures and that is the only way we can have hope in the future'.

Rt. Rev. Dzomeku tasked the newly ordained Clergy to focus their attention not only on the adult population but also on the youth and the children ministries.

Rev. Dr. Yohanes Ahiabu, the Synod Clerk of the Church, read the profiles of all the 32 candidates and later presented them to the Moderator for the Ordination rites.

The Moderator led the Ordination rites and was supported by the Synod Clerk.

Presbyter Eyram Atsu, and Presbyter Joyce Dieu Donne Ahiabor, the lay Executive read the English and Ewe Scriptures for the day.

Rev. Godfred Ofori a newly ordained Minister on behalf of the colleagues expressed their profuse appreciation to the Executive, family, friends and congregations for their diverse support.

The ceremony was witnessed by past Executives of the Church, Past and Present Synod Committee Members, several dignitaries as well as family and friends of the Ordained Ministers.

Source: Ghana News Agency