Category: General

WINDHOEK: The Windhoek High Court on Monday refused an application by Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa to appoint South African curators as administrators of assets belonging to incarcerated Fishrot suspects. The Fishrot accused challenged Imalwa's nomination to appoint South African curators Johan Engelbrecht and Coenraad Stander of Icon Insolvency Practitioners (Pty) Ltd. Former justice minister Sakeus Shanghala, former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, his son-in-law Tamson Hatuikulipi, former Investec Asset Management Managing Director, James Hatuikulipi, Pius Mwatelulo and Ricardo Gustavo who are implicated in the fishing scandal instead want local curators, Harald Hecht and Pierre Knoetze, to be appointed. Judge Orben Sibeya has ordered that Hecht and Knoetze be appointed as curators, replacing Ian Mclaren and David Brunei, who terminated their services. 'The Prosecutor-General must pay the costs of the defendants' counter-application together with the costs of the defendants for opposing her appli cation. Such costs are to include costs of one instructing and one instructed counsel,' Sibeya ordered. In court documents, Imalwa however said that the two nominees, Hecht and Knoetze wrote a proposal to her in September last year, about their unwillingness to wait for years - depending on the criminal trial's finalisation - before they can be paid for their services. Shanghala and his co-accused were arrested in 2019 over alleged corruption in the allocation of fishing quotas in exchange for bribes. Represented by South African lawyer Vas Soni, the suspects argued that Imalwa's nominees will be based outside the country, causing serious operational and logistical challenges. They also argued that such an appointment has never been made in Namibia and that the fees that will be charged will be increased considerably. 'The question arises as to why unusually a firm from outside Namibia ought to be appointed,' Soni argued. Imalwa indicated in court documents that she has not been able to secure a nominati on for a Namibian curator, but 'managed to find two suitable South African curators.' Sibeya's full judgment will be made available at a later stage. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

A year-long project that aims at advocating and promoting the rights of persons living with disabilities (PwDs) against Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) has been launched in Tamale. The project dubbed: 'End Violence and Abuse', targets young women and adolescent girls living with disabilities in three districts, namely Kpandai, Sagnarigu and Wulensi in the Northern Region. It seeks to empower PwDs to speak out on issues affecting them, especially on their reproductive health rights. It is being implemented by the Centre for Research and Development Alternatives (CREDA) in partnership with Norsaac, both NGOs, under VCP Experimental Global Fund Projects with funding support from Oxfam in Ghana. The launch brought together regional representatives of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), the Young Persons with Disabilities (YPwDs) Department of Gender, the Department of Social Welfare and the Northern Regional Youth Network. Mr Abukari Iddrisu, Programme Manager at CREDA, speaking d uring the launch, said the project was to build advocacy and influence the skills of beneficiaries to effectively engage duty-bearers to implement policies and programmes that guaranteed their well-being. He said the project was also to increase public awareness of SGBV and safety guidelines related to young women and adolescent girls in the region. He said it would also strengthen law enforcement agencies to take up their mandate on safeguarding the rights of PwDs. Mrs Abubakari Nimatu, Northern Regional President of GFD, said the implementation of the project would help address some of the challenges confronting the health needs of PwDs in the region. She urged all stakeholders to support the project to ensure its success. Mrs Bushira Alhassan, Acting Northern Regional Director, Department of Gender, urged PwDs to improve on their mobilisation strategies and commitment to their groups to enable them to take advantage of the various interventions by the government and other NGOs. Miss Hamza Hanifatu Go mda, President of the Northern Regional Youth Network, commended CREDA and its partners for the project, saying it would help complement the efforts of the network in supporting the development of the youth, especially PwDs. Source: Ghana News Agency

Three communities in the Garu District of the Upper East Region have appealed to the District Assembly and non-governmental organisations to help expand their health centres to promote quality healthcare delivery. They also appealed for the construction of staff accommodation for the health workers to ensure they stayed in the communities and rendered quality services to clients and residents. Members of the Community Health Management Committees of Denugu, Pialugu and Songo communities made the appeal at Garu, at a community-duty bearer forum organised by WaterAid Ghana, a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) focused organisation, as part of the Enhancing WASH (En-WASH) project rolled out in collaboration with Global communities. The forum was aimed at creating a platform for the communities to engage with the duty bearers including the District Assembly, to identify challenges facing their communities, especially in accessing WASH and urged the Assemblies to prioritise them. Mr Issifu Abdul-Aziz, Chairm an of the Denugu Community Health Management Committee, said the Denugu community had a population of about 5,000 people and the Denugu Health Centre served as a referral facility for five Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS). Despite this, he noted, the facility had limited wards to contain the substantial numbers who patronized it. 'The health centre has only 10 beds and so, the health workers are usually compelled to discharge some patients to go home due to overcrowding, and this does not promote quality healthcare. 'Also, the facility does not have accommodation for the nurses and midwives and they have to rent outside, making it difficult for them to respond to cases, especially pregnant women and so we are appealing for help,' he said. On the part of the Pialugu Health Centre, Mr Simon Akparibo, the Secretary of the Pialugu Community Health Management Committee, revealed that apart from the facility needing expansion, it had no light, thus impeding health service delivery. He said throu gh the contribution of the community members and the support of a philanthropist, a solar panel was procured for the facility about two years ago, however, the battery to the solar panel was damaged six months ago. 'The whole community is not benefiting from the rural electrification project, but our priority now is the health centre because they need light to work,' he appealed. On the Songo Health Centre, Mr Manas Awudu, the Secretary of the Songo Community Health Management Committee, noted that the health centre was usually overcrowded due to limited space. Apart from that, he said, the borehole meant for the health facility had not been mechanised compelling clients to move out of the facility to fetch water, which was creating inconvenience in accessing health services. Mr Alhassan Fuseini, the Assistant Director, of Garu District Assembly, commended WaterAid Ghana for facilitating the dialogue session and assured the communities that some of their concerns would be prioritised in the next planning and budgeting phase but appealed to communities to initiate self-help projects to attract support from organisations. Ms Molly Dasoberi Maalinuo, the Project Assistant at WaterAid Ghana, noted that the En-WASH project aimed to facilitate access to and use of sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services and products in target districts by employing a systems-strengthening approach. The beneficiary districts are Binduri, Bawku West, Garu, and Tempane. 'One of the objectives is to increase the use of sustainable, equitable, quality, district-wide WASH services in communities and health care facilities and adopt sustainable district-wide WASH practices in households, communities, and Health Care Facilities,' she said. She explained that through the project, community advocacy teams had been formed and their capacities built to liaise with community members to identify WASH-related challenges and demand enhanced infrastructure and services from the Assemblies. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Air Force in partnership with Sierra Nevada Corporation, a US-based Defence Technology company and Embraer, a Brazilian Aerospace and Defence outfit has held a flight demonstration of the A-29 Super Tucano Aircraft The static display and flight demonstration of the Counter Insurgency aircraft occurred on Monday, the 19th of February 2024, at the Airforce base in Accra. The exercise which entailed various kinds of air maneuvering, according to the Minister of Defence , Dominic Nitiwul, was to familiarise Air force with the agility and capabilities of the aircraft. It was to also foster solid future relationships with the two defence industries to help Ghana maintain air superiority and position itself to counter terrorism and Insurgency in the West African Region. 'This demonstration does not only afford us a first-hand look at the capabilities of the A-29 Super Tucano, but also facilitate the cultivation of relationships essential for sustained collaboration', he said. On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Frederick Asare Kwesi Bekoe, said the exercise, apart from the test and thrill, would inform Government 's decision to acquire the aircraft for the Airforce and also serve as an inspiration for aspiring military and civilian aviators. 'It is our earnest hope at the end of the demonstration that the Super Tucano will be considered high on our decision making for acquisition,' he said. The Representative of Sierra Nevada Corporation, Eric Huff, during his address, stated how his outfit which had 15 years of operation experience in West Africa, was willing to cooperate with Ghana in its quest to keep the country safe from any threats and effects of terrorism and insurgency currently plaguing the region. Sierra Nevada Corporation is a defence technology conglomerate headquartered in the US state of Nevada. It is known for its customised solutions in the fields of aviation, national security space, electronic warfare amongst many others. Embraer Defence and Security, however, is a L atin American based defense and security industry known for making sophisticated military hardware and weapon systems. Notable among them, the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft which has had over 275 of it sold worldwide out of which over 22 were procured by militaries in West Africa. Source: Ghana News Agency

The deplorable state of the road networks of Yilo Kobo Municipal area in the Eastern Region, has become a weighty concern, affecting various aspects of daily life, tourism, and the local economy. Residents, tourists, and businesses are suffering from the lack of good road infrastructure, as transportation has become more difficult and time-consuming with its attendant high charges. Residents of Koryire, a farming community near Klo Agogo in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, expressed worries about the high number of deaths of pregnant women and their unborn babies due to the poor condition of the roads. The roads linking communities, market centres, and the district capital are littered with multiple potholes, putting road users at risk. However, efforts to improve road networks have been slow, with the government and private sectors being urged to prioritise the issue for the betterment of the local economy and its future growth. Until then, the people of Yilo Kobo continue to face challenges that stem from the deplorable road infrastructure. According to Ms. Teiko Adeyman, bad road conditions in recent times have tragically led to the deaths of six pregnant women while being transported on motorcycles to the nearest health for delivery. She said motorcycles are the primary means of transportation in the area because of the bad state of the roads, with vehicles only travelling on market days. She stated that the absence of a health facility in the community forces pregnant women and sick people to turn to healthcare in Agogo, which is located several kilometres away. Mr Cephas William Dawutey, the Chief of Koryire, stressed the deteriorating condition of the roads, pointing out how poor road infrastructure has hampered the transportation of farm produce to market centres. According to him, buyers of farm products from local farmers are facing challenges in conducting profitable transactions due to the poor condition of the farm roads. He urged the government and charitable people to support the farming com munity. He also noted that more than 100 kilometres of roads are in poor condition, slowing the transportation of goods and people from farmlands to marketplaces. The Chief expressed hope that once the road problem was resolved, it would improve the transportation of foodstuffs and stimulate local business activities as the community is strategically located between two major markets: the Klo Agogo Market and the Ehiamankyene Market. Mr. David Dormetey, a farmer, observed that when the roads were in good condition, it was easier for farmers to move their tomatoes and gari from Sekesua to Kumsai through the Klo-Agogo-Ehiamankyene Road. He stated that with the roads being detoured, many businesses have taken a hit. The residents expressed disappointment over unfulfilled promises to boost tourism in the area, and that in 2021, the Tourism Minister, Dr. Mohammed Awal, pledged to enhance the Boti Falls Road to elevate the tourism prospects but no progress had been made. Boti Water Falls, located 17km northea st of the eastern regional capital Koforidua, draws visitors to its source from the Huhunya Forest Reserve and stands out as a top tourist spot in the region. The current road infrastructure situation has deteriorated further, with the damaged roads deterring tourists, as drivers from Accra and Koforidua are declining to use the road when hired by tourists. The waterfalls have been attracting tourists for years with their twin cascades, unique umbrella rock, and distinctive three-headed palm tree. These twin falls, originating from two rivers, are known as female and male. A local myth suggests that a rainbow appears when they merge. Mr. Eric Tetteh, the MCE for Yilo Krobo, had announced plans to improve roads in farming communities like Akpo-Akpamu, Huhunya, and Ahenkwa to facilitate the transportation of farm produce to the market. However, there has been no progress on the road construction so far. Source: Ghana News Agency