Category: General

Accra: President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today, deliver an address on the State of the Nation (SONA) to Parliament in Accra. Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states that the President shall deliver a message on the State of the Nation to Parliament at the start of each session and before the dissolution of Parliament. It also imposes an obligation on Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Speaker, and the Judiciary to receive the President's SONA. SONA is a constitutional obligation and yearly tradition, wherein the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces reports on the status of the country, unveils the government's agenda for the coming year, and proposes to Parliament certain legislative measures. Presenting the Business Statement for the Fourth week ending Friday, March 1, Mr Habib Iddrisu, the First Deputy Majority Whip, urged the MPs to be punctual and be in the Chamber by 0900 hours. He said it would be inappropriate for Members to enter or exit the Chamber after the Preside nt had entered the House to deliver his address. With regards to the preparation towards the SONA, Parliament had put in place security measures among which MPs were to display their Parliamentary identification cards to facilitate the work of security personnel and ease of access to the Chamber. 'Mr Speaker, members are also informed that as part of measures to enhance security, access to the Speaker's Lobby, the Clerks-at-the-Table Lobby and the frontage of the two Lobbies will be limited to only persons issued with special invitation cards to the said venues,' Mr Iddrisu said. 'Consequently, Members on the Majority side are expected to use the exit at the Division Room area or the exit at the Minority side of the House during and after the Address. Members on the Minority side should also use the same exits.' Mr Iddrisu, also the New Patriotic Party MP for Tolon, told the House that security barriers would be mounted around the Speaker's Lobby to limit access to the Lobby and its environs. He urged Me mbers to ensure that their Protection Officers did not bring weapons to the Chamber, Block and surrounding areas on Tuesday, adding: 'Members are further advised not to invite guests into the Chamber or its precincts.' Touching on the debate on the SONA, the First Deputy Majority Whip announced that a Motion to thank the President for the SONA would be moved on Thursday, February 29. He said, in agreement with the practice of the House, the Business Committee recommended 25 minutes time allotment to the mover and seconder of the Motion. 'Mr Speaker, while 10 minutes will be allocated to other MPs for contributions, 30 minutes will be given to Leadership for winding up the Debate on Thursday, March 7 2024,' he said. The Committee, therefore, urged the MPs to endeavour to be succinct in their contributions to the debate and also avoid repetitions. In the ensuing week, the Business Statement notes that four ministers would attend upon the House to respond to 27 questions. Twenty-five of the questions woul d be oral with the remaining two expected to be urgent questions. The Roads and Highway, Youth and Sports; Works and Housing and Lands and Natural Resources Ministers would respond to questions on the Floor of the House. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Mr Paul Agyei Gyang, a Senior Staff at the Operational Unit of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), says he is not aware of any Dr Yaw Adu Ampomah Committee set to investigate the lithovit issues. He told the Accra High Court hearing the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited, that he was hearing about the Committee for the first time. 'I do not know whether EOCO Management was informed about the Committee set up by the COCOBOD Management,' he said.  Dr Adu Ampomah, who was the Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control was the Chairman of the Committee and was the contact person at the Board per the investigations conducted by EOCO. Mr Gyang, who is the subpoenaed witness for Mr Agongo, gave his evidence in chief led by Counsel for the accused person, Mr Benson Nutsukpui. Dr Opuni and Mr Seidu Agongo, a Businessman, are facing 27charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act. They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each. Aked, which year EOCO handed over the investigative docket to the Ghana Police, the witness said he could not really remember the exact month, 'but it was somewhere 2018 or 2017 there about'. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: A Migration conference to create the platform for fair dialogue for citizens, researchers and stakeholders has been held in Accra. The two-day conference, on the theme: 'Rebalancing the Views on Migration Narratives,' is to seek redress to the imbalances in the global migration narrative. International organisations, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), researchers, stakeholders, donors, representatives of migrants' associations, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) working on migration-related issues participated. The conference created an opportunity fair platform for stakeholders to move beyond the usual migration issues bordering on restrictive and abusive border controls, to talk about equal partnerships where excess skills that may not be needed could be exported in exchange of those of high demand by the sending countries. The Migration Dialogue formed part of the Opportunities Project being undertaken by the Centre for Migration Studie s (CMS), University of Ghana, Legon with funding from the European Commission. Professor Mary Boatemaa Setrana, the Director of CMS, said the University of Ghana's Centre for Migration Studies was one of the nine consortium members of the Opportunities Project. She said the project aimed at bringing together migrants, citizens and locals, national and regional stakeholders from Africa and Europe to dialogue on migration issues that could benefit the immigrants, their country of origin and the destination countries too. 'This dialogue is deliberative where members are expected to listen and create shared narratives of migration. I am particularly hopeful that the voices of Africans, especially our youth and women would be articulated,' she added. Prof. Daniel Ofori, the Provost of the College of Humanities, University of Ghana, said the Accra dialogue would also integrate knowledge and experiences from diverse African stakeholders, as they all worked towards enhancing migration opportunities and redu cing the challenges thereof. He said human mobility had been part of the African migration history, with cultural records of their consistent movement. Despite the recent challenges in the West African sub-region, in places like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the ECOWAS free movement protocol had facilitated mobility across the region, he said. Beyond ECOWAS, the Schengen Area visa is another test case challenging border control conventions and such free movements had facilitated trade, labour mobility and other forms of development that cannot be underestimated. Prof. Ofori said the theme for the conference was timely as there was growing need to re-examine the narratives on migration globally, since those were often cast in 'Manichean dualism of a desperate African migrant, seeking greener pastures and a good white migrant bringing economic relief'. However, he said he was confident that the conference would delve into fair dialogue to address such imbalances in global migration narratives to e nsure that the right to mobility was given its real meaning within the context of rebalancing the migration stories and policies. Mr Michel Debruyne, the Coordinator of Opportunities General, emphasised the need to give voice to others to talk freely about migration and how to change the narratives to benefit all. He said the use of life stories on migration and reintegration to educate communities was key in changing the negative narratives, focusing the contributions of these persons to national development. Ms Sylvia Tizzi, the Programme Officer in-charge of Migration and Youth Governance at the European Union, said migration and mobility was a vital tool for development and called for strong links between the academic institutions and students, to research into how the topic could be harnessed to open communities and ensure development. Mr Isaac Owusu Mensah, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, said continuous education and awareness creation on the contributions of migrants to socio-cultural and economic development would promote an inclusive society. Mr Collins Yeboah, the Return and Reintegration Officer, IOM-Ghana, said so far, they had received 999 returnees and supported over 400 of them with business opportunities. Source: Ghana News Agency

WINDHOEK: The burial of Namibia's third President, Dr Hage Geingob, is underway, with a multitude of mourners gathered at the national shrine just outside the nation's capital, Windhoek. The former Head of State is receiving a hero's funeral and his remains will be interred in a specially built mausoleum at Heroes' Acre. He will also be sent off with a 21-gun salute by the Namibian Defence Force. The burial ceremony is a culmination of the life of President Geingob, who became the first Head of State to die in office in the country's 33 years of independence. Hundreds of mourners including senior government officials, military officers and foreign dignitaries started arriving at the shrine early Sunday morning. Geingob's body was transported to Heroes' Acre from Independence Stadium where it laid in state. A memorial service in his honour was held at the national stadium on Saturday, during which President Nangolo Mbumba led the mourners in memorising the popular leader. Since his passing on 04 February 2024, a series of memorial services were held across the country in all 14 regions. Geingob's window and former First Lady Monica Geingos, told the mourners on Saturday that her husband was diagnosed with cancer in January this year. He died while undergoing cancer treatment in Windhoek at the age of 82. The main memorial service in Windhoek was attended by hundreds of mourners, including 18 Heads of State and Government who came to pay their last respects. These include João Lourenço of Angola, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, William Ruto of Kenya, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania. The Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi were also in attendance. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The City of Windhoek has urged the public to discard various peanut butter products due to suspected aflatoxin contamination. The City in a statement noted that consumers should avoid Dischem's Lifestyle 400g and 800g Smooth and Crunchy peanut butter, Wazoogles Superfoods peanut butter (all sizes), Pick 'n Pay's No Name 1kg smooth peanut butter, and Eden All-Natural peanut butter, which have been identified as high-risk products. Consumers are advised to dispose the identified products or return it to the store where it was purchased. It further said proactive measures have been taken to remove these products from all shops in Windhoek. Aflatoxin exposure can cause acute symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and convulsions. Chronic exposure can lead to serious complications. Source: The Namibia Press Agency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has eulogised the late former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Michael Kwabena Ntumy, describing him as an outstanding servant of the Church. In a tribute read on his behalf by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the President said, Apostle Ntumy dedicated his life to the cause of God's work at the peril of his life and contributed immensely to the country's democratic growth. 'He was well known for his honesty, integrity and discipline. He was an outstanding servant of the Church, the Ghanaian people, and the public interest,' the President said. 'It is not often that it can be said of someone that he or she has finished his or her life's work and with distinction. But we can certainly say that about the man for which we have gathered here to celebrate.' This was in a State tribute to the late former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost during a burial and memorial service held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra on Saturday. 'His objective was a lways the advancement of Ghana and even in his days of ill health, he continued to make critical interventions in our nation's discourse,' the President recalled. 'He leaves a big void not only in the Church of Pentecost, but in the wider Christian space as he was a constant source of good, rich Christian counsel,' President Akufo-Addo stated. The President, on behalf of the State and his family, expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. In a sermon, Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, the current Chairman of the COP, said Apostle Ntumy was greatly loved by God. He said the late Chairman, in spite of all the challenges he went through, dedicated his entire life to the service of God. For him, Apostle Ntumy remained the most loved leader of the Church. Speaking on the title: 'A man greatly loved', Apostle Nyamekye compared the life of Daniel with that of Apostle Ntumy, saying that it was God who had called him to give him rest after his labour. In all the tributes read by the widow, the children, th e Church and the State, Apostle Ntumy was eulogised for his exemplary leadership, fortitude, wisdom, discerning counsel and enduring spirit to serve God. Apostle Dr Ntumy was the fourth Chairman of the Church of Pentecost from 1998 to 2008. He died on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. He was 65 years. He was born on September 22, 1958, in Dadieso in the Oti Region. He left behind a widow and six adult children. Apostle Dr. Michael Kwabena Ntumy was a teacher in Yendi in the 1980s before becoming a Deacon and Elder of the Church. He got married to his wife, Martha, at age 24. He began full-time ministry at age 26. He was called to the office of an Apostle at age 33 and six years later, elected the fourth Chairperson of the COP. After serving for two terms,10 years, he handed over to Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah. Apostle Ntumy is known to have survived many trials in life, including being held hostage in rebel camp during the Liberian Civil War in the 1990s. He also faced other attacks on his life rang ing from physical assaults to poisoning and paralysis, which led to his confinement to a wheelchair. The revered man of God served the Church in Liberia, Côte d'lvoire, France and Germany. The burial and memorial service was attended by Former President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Mrs Frema Osei Opare, Chief of Staff, among a host of other dignitaries, who paid their last respects to the Former COP Chairman. Members of the clergy, including Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, a former Chairman of COP, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, current Chairman of COP, and Archbishop Charles Agyinasare, leader of Perez Chapel International, were present. Source: Ghana News Agency