Category: General

Stakeholders in the East Mamprusi Municipality in the North East Region have brainstormed on strategic measures to help prevent conflicts between crop farmers and herders and promote social cohesion in the area. To this end, they have agreed to form community task force that would comprise chiefs, youth assembly members, opinion leaders and leaders of the Fulani community resident in the communities among others to enforce community governances and operational bylaws and regulations. The stakeholders, with technical support from the Municipal Assembly and the Security Council, are to work together to chart a clear and strict line of integration for new Fulanis and their operations in the communities. This became known at a district level dialogue among the stakeholders, organised by the Meta Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation as part of the implementation of a project dubbed 'Action for Women Empowerment,' with funding support from the STAR Ghana Foundation under its 'Actions for Voice and Inclus ive Development (AVID)' project. The 15-month project among other things aims to promote peaceful coexistence among communities and the Fulani herders, improve women's participation in decision making regarding the management and protection of natural resources and provide economic empowerment to rural communities in the West and East Mamprusi Municipalities. Mr Ibrahim Jalo, Leader of the Fulani group and resident in Tangbini community, clarified that most of the crimes including destructions of crops by animals, rape, defilement and murder among others were not committed by resident Fulanis but by the nomadic ones, 'We have two types of Fulanis, those of us who are resident, and we know ourselves and those who do not have stations but move from place to place to graze their animals and they are the ones who commit the crimes and run away,' he stressed. He therefore called for collective efforts from all stakeholders in the community to demystify misconceptions and work to ensure that new Fulanis enterin g the communities were identified and their operations regulated properly. Mr Kasimu Awumbaase, the Representative of the Tangbini community chief, noted that the formation of the taskforce was in the right direction as it would help to safeguard the community from nomads who caused conflicts between crop farmers and resident Fulani herders. 'We need to also talk to our people to reduce the number of animals given to one Fulani to take care of because it also contributes to the problems we have between farmers, and herdsmen,' he added. Mr Chrisantus Abogro, the Head, Social Welfare and Community Development, East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly, who assured the support of the Assembly to the taskforce, indicated that the issue of the Fulani herders was a national security issue. As a result, he said, interventions to promote social cohesion among communities and Fulani herders had been outlined as part of projects under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project and noted that it would help to promote peaceful coexistence. Mr David Amozebga, the Programmes Manager, Meta Foundation, indicated that the project which had been implemented in 10 communities along the White Volta within the two Municipalities had contributed to improving livelihoods of rural communities particularly through the strengthening of existing Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA). He said through the interventions, various challenges such as women's inability to access productive farmlands, farmer-herder conflict, lack of potable water, access to education, social protection issues and perennial flooding among others were being addressed. 'We know some of the issues are regional and national in nature, but we have created this platform so that the stakeholders at the local level can dialogue and find home solutions to some of the development challenges,' he added. Source: Ghana News Agency The Tunisian Workers' Union (UTT) has called on the government to open negotiations on pay rises and increases in the guaranteed interprofessional minimum wage (SMIG) and the guaranteed agricultural minimum wage (SMAG). In a press release issued on Saturday after its Executive Committee meeting, the UTT expressed its concern at the deterioration in the purchasing power of workers and vulnerable groups and called on the government to reduce prices, supply the market with basic products and combat speculation. It urged workers to make a greater effort to contribute to the development of the national economy and the creation of wealth, according to the same source. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

WINDHOEK: President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa arrived in Namibia Saturday morning to convey his condolences to former First Lady, Monica Geingos, following the passing of the late President Hage Geingob in Windhoek on 04 February. Before proceeding to the Geingob residence, Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on President Nangolo Mbumba at State House, where he indicated that he not only lost a friend but a brother, who he also described as his leader. He said Geingob's death was sudden as they had spoken just three days before his passing. Ramaphosa further stressed that Namibia has set a good example for the rest of Africa with its handling of the transfer of power through the swearing in of Mbumba as president of Namibia and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as vice president. Meanwhile, Mbumba on Friday announced the appointment of John Mutorwa, the Minister of Works and Transport, as the new Deputy Prime Minister. He retains his position as Works Minister. Former Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga was appointed as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. Mushelenga was replaced by his deputy, Emma Theofelus, who was also sworn in on Friday. Her position is filled by Swapo member Modestus Amutse. Source: Namibia Press Agency

Sunday, February 11, 2024 is the opening day of the month of Shaban, 1445 AH, announced Mufti of the Tunisian Republic Sheikh Hichem Ben Mahmoud. The new crescent moon of the new Hijri month was seen after sunset on Saturday, the Mufti added. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The leadership of Organised Labour has rescinded its decision to embark on a nationwide demonstration against the implementation of a 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity consumption. This follows the government's directive to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) on Wednesday, February 7, to suspend the implementation and communicating same to Organised Labour. The demonstration by the umbrella body of both public and private sector labour unions in the country, including the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and its 21 affiliate unions, was to take place next week Wednesday. Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Secretary General, TUC, announced Organised Labour's halt of the labour action at a press conference in Accra on Friday, February 9. 'On 7th February, 2024, government announced the suspension of the implementation of VAT on electricity consumption by residential customers. The leadership of Organised Labour has received a formal letter from the M inistry of Finance informing us of the new directive,' he said. 'We would, therefore, like to inform our members that the planned demonstration scheduled for 13th February, 2024, has been suspended until further notice,' Dr Baah said. However, the unionist indicated that they would relentlessly work to ensure that no government implemented the 15 per cent VAT on electricity, which has been in the country's VAT Act for the past 11 years. 'Even though we're suspending our action on the 13th of February, we still have work to do because Act 870 is still there. What we need to do is to get this Act repealed. If we don't, today, they've suspended it, but tomorrow, they'll still use it,' he said. 'So far as the Ministry of Finance has communicated to ECG and NEDCo and to us that it's suspended the implementation pending further engagement, we've also suspended our action. 'That pending further engagement, we're not interested in it,' said, Mad Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midw ives Association, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency. 'If they resume the implementation in anyway, we'll also resume our action. So far as the VAT is imbedded in Act 870, we'll target and see how we can remove that aspect from the Act,' she added. Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary, Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) backed Organised Labour's call to have the first Schedule (9) of the VAT Act (Act 870) annulled. 'The fight has not ended; that law must be repealed and Parliamentarians must hear us that it's a bad law. We want to make sure that no government goes back to it,' he stated. The Ministry of Finance directed ECG and NEDCo to start the implementation of a 15 per cent VAT, effective January 1. The tax is applicable to residential customers of electricity above the maximum consumption of level specified for block charges for lifeline units. Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Christopher Lartey, the Principal Programmes Officer, Department of Children, has called on professionals to refrain from taking advantage of their positions to engage in sexual activities with the vulnerable in society. It was imperative for all professionals to abstain from using their 'gowns' for sexual exploitation or abuse since doing so was against nature and national laws, he said. Mr Lartey, at a training to build the capacity of the Regional Child Protection Committee in Ho, stated that victims of such acts suffered emotional distress and lost of faith in the profession of the perpetrators. The majority of people, unfortunately, did not take sexual exploitation and abuse seriously, giving room for weaker members of society to be taken advantage of, which was unlawful, Mr Lartey said. He told the Ghana News Agency that the Child and Family Welfare Policy placed a high value on traditional and religious leaders as essential partners in child protection and, therefore, urged them to assist in pr otecting children. He said safeguarding children's rights was the Department's responsibility, and that it would keep working to provide an atmosphere that allowed children to reach their full potential to ensure a secured future for them. Mr Augustus Awity, the Chief Director, Volta Regional Coordinating Council, noted that members of the Committee needed to develop their capacity to carry out their mandate effectively. He tasked the Committee to do everything within its power to advance and defend children's rights for the benefit of the nation. Mr Israel Akrobortu, the Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, said they were poised to ensuring that the rights and wellbeing of children were promoted and protected. Madam Eyram Thywill Kpe, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender, said gender relations had been identified as one of the main contributing factors to child marriage. UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund came out with the Gender Transformative Accelerators to change gen der relations to address these relationships and stop child marriage. Madam Kpe revealed that due to Ghana's constant handling of child marriage, it was one of the 12 countries implementing the global programme to tackle the issue. The country still needed to do more to combat child marriage because one in five girls currently got married before turning 18 years, she added. Source: Ghana News Agency