Category: General

The Mankessim Circuit Court has sentenced a 24-year-old herbalist to 30 years imprisonment for robbery at Asuokor, near Breman-Asikuma in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District of the Central Region. The convict, John Awila also known as 'Nana Kojo Agbeko', also claimed to be a reporter with Onua TV and Passion TV. He pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and pleaded for leniency but the court presided over by Mrs Veronique Abena Praba Tetteh, convicted him for the offences. The Attorney General is also preparing advice on a docket to prosecute the convict for possible murder and illegal possession of firearms. Detective Chief Inspector Alhassan Iddrisu, told the court Mr Elijah Addo, a Teacher and the complainant gave his red and yellow Toyota Yaris Taxi cab with registration number CR-5569-21 to Mr Ishmael Assan, a driver to work and render sales. The Prosecutor said on Friday, February 9, the convict hired the driver to Breman-Asikuma but on reaching the Towoboase-junction at Breman-Jamra, the convict instructed the driver to turn and drive towards Towoboase of which he obliged. However, when they passed the Asuokor community leading to Towoboase town, the convict asked the driver again to drive back to Asuokor. Along the Asuokor stretch, the Prosecutor said the convict again ordered the victim to branch through a nearly unmotorable road and in the process, the convict told the driver to park the car and follow him to a nearby village where his mother lives. According to the Prosecutor, they both took to the footpath and along the way, the convict turned hostile suddenly pulled out a pistol from his bag, pointed at the driver, and ordered him to surrender every valuable at his disposal. Out of fear, the Prosecutor said the driver gave out his bag containing a sum of GhS4400.00 and his mobile phone Techno Spark 8C which is valued at GhS1000.00 to the convict. The convict, notwithstanding, demanded the ignition key of the vehicle, and the driver who appeared helpless gave it out. Regardless of the driv er's pleadings for mercy, the convict shot the driver in his left ear, causing the victim to fall, bleeding profusely from the left eye. Realising danger, the prosecutor said the convict left the victim in the wilderness and quickly bolted with the car. Nearly an hour later, the Prosecutor said the victim managed his way to the main road, where he met an old woman and narrated his ordeal to her. The old woman assisted him by calling some taxi drivers from Bremen-Jamra who swiftly rushed the driver to the Our Lady of Grace Hospital at Bremen-Asikuma. The case was subsequently reported to the police and on Thursday, February 22, at about 1600 hours, the convict was arrested at Bremen-Brakwa while driving the taxi of which he had changed the colour to Ash and also removed the number plate. The police then took the convict to his residence at Bremen-Asikuma where they retrieved a pistol with three live cartridges from his bedroom and after a thorough police investigation, he was charged with the offences. Source: Ghana News Agency

Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Moncef Boukthir on Wednesday held talks with CEO of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) Valérie Verdier, on the monitoring of structuring research projects. These projects include joint international laboratories, which will help boost Tunisian-French cooperation in the scientific research field, notably in water resources management, environmental protection, renewables and technology transfer and development. The meeting focused on the prospects for bilateral cooperation through the development of a joint action plan that defines the two countries' shared priorities in the scientific research and innovation fields. The goal is to set up joint research teams and create new mechanisms to scale up Tunisian-French cooperation under international and European programmes such as Horizon Europe, PRIMA and Blue Med, in compliance with the framework agreement signed between the Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry, the IRD and the Agricultural Research Centre for Development. The meeting was an opportunity to underline the need to boost South-South cooperation by multiplying initiatives aimed at building the capacity of African researchers. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Dr Abed-Nego Bandim, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bunkpurugu, has reiterated the pressing need for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. He appealed to the Government to invest in climate resilience measures as part of efforts to combat climate change. Dr Bandim made the call in his submission on the floor of Parliament during a debate on a proposal to empower the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help in the fight against the phenomenon. 'Mr Speaker, I think it is important that in the fight against climate change, we should look at the Government's own actions and inactions that are detrimental to its fight,' the MP said. 'Mr Speaker, there are a number of policies that the Government has embarked upon or continue to embark upon that are inimical to the fight.' 'Mr Speaker, just about two or three weeks ago, the Government, through the Ministry of Energy, went round; particularly the rural constituencies, to distribute locally made clay C oal pots for households to use.' Mr Speaker, the question is, how did they use these coal pots? Obviously, they are going to depend on charcoal, they're going to depend on firewood in order to use them.' He said whereas the Government was working with the EPA to combat climate change, the same Government was promoting the use of coal pots in the countryside, encouraging the local folks to continue to fall trees, so that they could be able to survive. Ghana was an oil and gas producing country but what percentage of the citizens used the gas to survive, he asked. The MP said the whole of the North East Region did not have a regular supply of gas and the few gas stations there mostly did not have gas to sell to the citizenry. 'In my constituency for example, Bunkpurugu, sometimes we have to commute to Bawku or Walewale; from Bunkpurugu to Walewale in order to get gas for cooking and for commercial purposes,' he said. 'Mr Speaker, the Government needs to double its efforts to make sure that gas is made ava ilable for its citizens, so that we can stop depending on the felling of trees to survive, because it is adding to the issues of climate change'. He said the North East Region was closer to Togo and Burkina Faso, and the residents had observed that the Sahara Desert was fast eating into the country. 'So, it is not enough to just empower the EPA with laws but the Government itself must look at its policies and where it will not help in the fight against climate change should be amended,' Dr Bandim said. 'It means, there is no coordination, there is no conversation between Government agencies. I am not sure the EPA is aware that the district assemblies and the Ministry of Energy went round doing all these things (distributing clay coal pots).'' 'I believe they would have advised them and probably given them some alternative measures that could help,' he said and advocated a national dialogue at addressing climate change. 'Mr Speaker, if you look at our transportation system, we are only relying on road tra nsportation. There is no rail, even though the Government some time ago promised even sky trains that have not been made possible.' He said using railways as a means of transportation between Tema Harbour to the northern part of the country and other neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali would help reduce the destruction of the nation's roads and the emission of gases by heavy-duty trucks. 'The stakeholders, while empowering the EPA, also need to ensure they do the right things in their board rooms.' Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Jeroen Verheul, Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana says security agencies must work at winning the full trust of citizens to enhance their fight against violent extremism. 'If there is mistrust between citizens and security services, they won't?report suspicious behaviour they notice within their communities. If you want to have an effective campaign, you need to enhance the trust between the population and security services,' he said. The Ambassador said this on Wednesday during the launch of the second phase of the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) Project in Accra. PoVETSA II, the follow-up of PoVETSA I, will continue to respond to threats of violent extremism and terrorism in Northern Ghana by addressing the fundamental causes of these issues while encouraging social cohesion and inclusive peacebuilding among civilians and security actors. A key finding of the PoVESTA I project was the continued mistrust between citizens and security agencies in the districts studied. The study found that 41 per cent of males and 21 per cent of females have mistrust of security agencies. The second phase of the project is being carried out by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in collaboration with the National Peace Council (NPC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), with funding from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It will place a major emphasis on fostering trust between civilians and security personnel ahead of the December 7, 2024, parliamentary and presidential elections. It will also target the Fulbe tribe to enhance social cohesion among host communities and trust in national security actors. The project is part of a long-term effort to develop social accountability systems and create inclusive dialogue towards peace in Ghana. Mr Verheul urged stakeholders to work together to prevent terrorism from becoming a reality in Ghana. He expressed worry over the presence of political vigilante groups, saying this suggested that polit ical parties or election candidates had doubts about the country's security apparatus. According to the Ambassador, 62 politically related vigilante groups exist in the Savanah region alone. He stated that the existence of those vigilante organizations created an opening for Jihadist infiltration, which must be addressed urgently. In a speech read on his behalf, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant of KAIPTC, said the Centre recognised the crucial importance preventive measures played in ensuring peace and security. He said that KAIPTC had a long history of commitment to capacity building, research, and collaboration in the fields of peacekeeping and conflict resolution and that it would assist the initiative by offering specialised expertise and assistance for comprehensive capacity building. The Commandant said the Centre would also contribute to tailored courses that equip defence and security actors and community leaders with effective conflict resolution strategies. He said no single organi zation can adequately manage the complex challenges of violent extremism and terrorism, and that alliances would benefit entities in combating emerging threats. Source: Ghana News Agency

Minister of Health, Ali Mrabet, and his Saudi counterpart, Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, signed on Wednesday in Tunis a framework agreement for cooperation between the two countries in the field of health. According to a press release issued by the ministry, the two ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of blood transfusion between the National Blood Transfusion Centre and the Saudi blood transfusion services centre. They also agreed to develop an executive programme between the Ministry of Health's computer centre and the Saudi Virtual Hospital. A working meeting was held between the Minister of Health and his Saudi counterpart and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of representatives of the Tunis Pasteur Institute, the National Blood Transfusion Centre, the National Centre for the Promotion of Organ Transplantation, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines and senior officials of the Ministry. Th e meeting discussed a number of issues related to bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including medical education and research, and the equivalence of diplomas, particularly for paramedical staff. The Minister of Health and his Saudi counterpart then visited the National Centre for the Promotion of Organ Transplantation, where the Saudi Minister was briefed on the mission of this health facility. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse