Category: General

The approximately 49.9-kilometre Winneba-Mankessim stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway is the deadliest road in the Central Region, the Regional Police Command has said. It said the quality of the road and the rampant accidents along the 48-minute drive on the stretch was mind-boggling due to drivers' non- adherence to road safety regulations. That was besides the sustained road safety education by stakeholders, speed checks, and police snap checks at vantage locations. 'Our challenge is that anytime Christmas is approaching, people are hesitant and afraid to travel because of road accidents,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Kofi Adu, the Central Regional Commander, said. 'Our problem in the Central Region has been the stretch between Apam-Mankessim that has become accident-prone area.' DCOP Adu said this in a speech read on his behalf at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting to take stock of events and strategise for accelerated development. It was attended by metropolitan , municipal and district chief executives, presiding members and heads of decentralised departments, and agencies, traditional and religious authorities, security agencies and the media. He, however, assured that the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) in Cape Coast and Mankessim had intensified patrols to curtail the situation. The Command has also initiated a road safety management strategy dubbed: 'Traffic Check Ghana,' to scale-up road safety education among commuters. 'Police officers will be on duty, particularly along the stretch before, during and after the Christmas festivities to maintain law and order,' he said. DCOP Adu said the police would focus on deploying personnel to commercial centres and other public places, as well as monitoring state assets. That was to ensure the safety and security of humans, communities, institutions, marketplaces, commercial centres, beaches, the streets, churches, recreational centres, and the hospitals, among other areas. 'There will be police phys ical presence at all the places to deter criminals. We are using foot and mobile patrols day and night,' he said. 'The police have made public safety a top priority and will go all out to ensure that people feel safe as they go about their legitimate businesses during the festive season.' DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, the Central North Regional Commander, described the Assin Fosu area as 'relatively peaceful' and urged all to celebrate the festivities with caution. He said police interventions were effective with public support, bearing in mind that effective crime prevention and detection were anchored on a shared responsibility by the police and the public they served. 'While the police, with the support of the other security agencies, strive to guarantee the safety and security of everyone, it is important to note that personal security is the responsibility of every individual,' DCOP Teye-Cudjoe said. 'Individuals are to be alert and conscious of happenings in their environment and neighbourhood. Neighb ours must be one another's keeper and report every suspicious criminal activity to the police for prompt action.' For the Central East Command, DCOP Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Commander, said the security myth surrounding Kasoa 'as a crime prone area' had been demystified with strategic security interventions. Though he said the area had been battling chieftaincy and land guard issues for years, the situation was under control and urged residents to live in peace as the police carried out its routine duties to enhance security. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Institute of Statistics, Social, and Economic Research has indicated that the new restriction on mobile money (MOMO) transactions could derail the digitization of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and progress in the cash-lite economy. In a press statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, the Institute acknowledged that the proposed rate would have a minimal impact on small-value transactions. However, ISSER noted that the move would adversely impact micro, small, and medium enterprises that rely on MoMo for their financial transactions. 'Worthy of attention is the potential impact on micro and small enterprises, especially traders and farmers within the agricultural value chains concentrated in rural areas. For these segments, especially traders and transporters of foodstuffs who rely on MoMo to address security concerns with carrying cash across the country, an increase in cost is likely to be transferred to consumers,' the statement said. This move, the institute said, could be a trigger for both food and non-food inflation. The institute raised concern that beyond the move to restrict MoMo transactions, the developing social media-driven e-commerce ecosystem, which relies on MoMo for payment, would also see the transfer of the revised charges to consumers. 'As service providers on the various e-commerce platforms will pass on the charges to consumers in the form of increased prices of goods and services,' the statement said. In a joint statement copied to the media, MOMO agents around Ghana said they would implement a temporary measure that limits cash withdrawals to GHS 1,000 per transaction from December 1. ISSER said that the potential impact of the restrictions might be significant, particularly for neglected and last-mile populations. 'On average, 76 percent of mobile money agents are within 30 minutes of consumers in rural areas. On the other hand, it takes 2 hours for over 50 percent of rural dwellers to reach an ATM, with only about 40 percent being able to reach a bank or micro finance in two hours,' the statement said. This situation ISSER said that many MoMo users in rural areas, where ATMs, banks, and microfinance institutions were not an option, would be confronted with the option of either enduring the high transaction costs or resorting to cash. Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana has renewed her global methane pledge with a commitment to reducing methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. 'This commitment is not mere rhetoric; it is exemplified by the bold and visionary steps taken by our President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,' Dr Freda Prempeh, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, stated. Dr Prempeh, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North in the Ahafo Region, renewed the nation's pledge at the authorization of internally transferred mitigation outcomes for the integrated waste recycling and composite facilities during the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai. The authorization process involves regulatory compliance checks, documentation review and approval from relevant authorities as well as ensuring adherence to waste management regulations. A statement issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the nation recognized the pivotal role of keeping organic waste out of landfills in her relentless pursuit of sustainable waste management practices. 'It is with great pride that I highlight the incorporation of this priority area into Ghana's updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), reflecting our commitment to mitigating climate change', it said. 'Under the dynamic leadership of President Akufo-Addo, Ghana has embarked on a transformative journey through Public-Private Partnerships.' 'This partnership has resulted in the initiation of a large-scale installation of 16 integrated waste recycling and compost plants strategically located across all regions of our nation'. On completion, these facilities would divert about 35 percent of the total volumes of waste generated from reaching landfill sites and would be integral to the nation's waste management strategy, specifically designed to rapidly diminish methane emissions from waste, the statement said. 'Beyond their environmental impact, these projects yield significant co-benefits for our nation, job creation, spurred by the expansion of these fac ilities, is a tangible result, fostering economic growth and sustainability'. 'The strategic alignment of our waste management initiatives with climate investments is beginning to attract the needed foreign direct investments, which would render these projects commercially viable'. The infusion of capital from climate-conscious investors not only fuels the success of these ventures but also reinforces Ghana's prominence and importance as an attractive destination for sustainable development. It said Ghana's collaborative efforts transcended national boundaries, particularly with the Government of Switzerland, the nation had laid the foundation for climate investments that supported the suitability and sustainability of waste-related projects in the country. 'It is, therefore, great joy for the Ministry to officially announce that we are here today to witness the signing of the Letter of Authorisation for four integrated waste recycling and compost facilities installed by the Jospong Group'. The statement commended President Akufo-Addo for his vision of creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and urged the Jospong Group to work up to expectation. Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Samuel Marfo, a Professor of Conflict Resolution, SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, has called for a global war against hate speech before it destroys the peace of the world. He said this must start by sensitising people to eschew tagging of others on ethnic, tribal, and religious lines among others and avoid name-calling that could lead to conflict. Prof Marfo, also a Member of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, was speaking during a community sensitisation programme on hate speech and negative counter narratives at Lambussie in the Upper West Region. It was organised under the Atlantic Corridor Project, being implemented by the National Peace Council and sponsored by the Danish Embassy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) across communities in the Lambussie District. Targeted at resolving the broken peace between the Sissala and Dagaaba people in five communities (Lambussie, Koro, Dindee, Chognour, and Bognour) in the district, Prof Marfo c alled on both sides to avoid hate speech and endeavour to respect the beliefs, cultural norms, and traditional governance structures laid down by their forebears to ensure a peaceful coexistence. He encouraged the people to deal with individual and family problems appropriately and avoid making them the problem of the entire Dagaaba or Sissala people, which could spark conflicts among the two tribes that had co-existed peacefully for decades. Hate speech could come in the form of words, images, and cartoons, which had destroyed the peace among people globally, Prof Marfo said. 'The seed that you sow, you will reap the same fruit. Violence has never solved any problem in the world. So, we must guard against hate speech by watching our words and our actions because they can destroy even more than coronavirus,' he added. Mr Emmanuel Danyomah, the Upper West Regional Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, pleaded with the people to respect each other, be vigilant to pick early warning signs of hat e speech, and deal with them appropriately before they escalate. 'We don't need to see violence before we learn a lesson. Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, it can be solved with the right approach.' He said the Peace Council was to ensure peace and urged the people to have faith in its work and adhere to its advice. The Reverend Father Dr Moses Banungwiiri, the Archdeacon of the Anglican Church in Wa and the Chairman of the Regional Peace Council, admonished the people to love one another and be careful how they boxed people together and treat them as one, noting that such actions had the potential to cause conflict. Living in disunity could affect the development of the area and further impoverish the people, hence the need for the chiefs and opinion leaders to trust the peace process and contribute towards helping to achieve the desired results. Members of the Peace Council also held a radio sensitisation programme on Nandom FM to drum home the message on the avoidance of hate speech and its re lated consequences for peaceful co-existence to prevail in diversity. Source: Ghana News Agency

Interior Minister Kamel Féki underscored that his department is actively working to promote human rights in Tunisia by making sure that laws are properly enforced. Chairing a conference, Saturday, in Tunis, on the ministry's efforts on promoting human rights, the minister highlighted that the security situation in Tunisia aligns with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the provisions of the Constitution, as well as international treaties governing the work of security forces. Féki expressed the ministry's determination to provide all guarantees against impunity, emphasising that this conference is an opportunity to remind security forces to show civilised behaviour when carrying out their duties. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse