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A total of 1,010 rural telephony sites have been completed under the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project to connect underserved and unserved communities, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has said. The Communication Minister said the completed sites were part of 2,016 sites to be constructed to extend mobile network coverage to approximately four million residents of selected unserved and underserved communities to bridge the digital divide. Speaking at the Ministry of Information's press briefing, she said 618 out of the 1,010 sites had been operational, offering essential voice and data services to citizens in about 1,620 rural communities. She said people in those communities could make calls, and use data services to enhance social and economic activities. 'The Ministry will build the remaining 1,006 sites, integrate, and activate them all for voice and data services to ensure reliable, affordable, and secured broadband infrastructure this year,' Mr Owusu-Ekuful said. She said between 2017 and 2018, government in collaboration with the private sector oversaw the building and activation of 430 rural telephony sites and connecting 'approximately 700,000 previously underserved and unserved Ghanaians in remote communities.' The Minister said in promoting inclusivity and expanding the coverage, the government in 2020 secured a pound 155 million facility from the China EXIM Bank to start the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project in partnership with Huawei and China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC). She said the Rural Telephony Project presented up to 70 per cent cost reduction compared to traditional masts, adding that it had made the project both economically and financially feasible and capable of generating a decent return on investment. Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the project had facilitated remote learning, digital financial inclusion through mobile banking and mobile money, access to market information for farmers, and enabled small businesses to reach customers d ue to the availability of mobile internet in small communities. The Minister said prior to that intervention, basic healthcare delivery and education, among other critical services, presented a challenge, as health workers and teachers were reluctant to accept postings to certain communities due to the lack of connectivity. So far, Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Central Regions have 34, 153, 36, 49 and 92 built sites respectively. The Eastern Region has 89, Greater Accra Region one, North East Region, 28, Northern Region, 58, whilst Oti and Savannah Regions have 58 and 50 sites respectively. The rests, Upper East Region, has 44, Upper West Region, 77, Volta Region, 63, Western Region, 91, and Western North Region, 87. Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Douglas Tagoe, an Environmental Health Consultant, has called on food vendors to protect their food from dust or other intrusions. He also recommended that cutlery, plates, saucepans must be well protected especially during this dry weather to prevent potential causes of respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Mr Tagoe told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that if people were conscious of what dust could do to food and their health, they would be mindful of where they buy. He said recent climate change was a big problem around the world and the harmattan in season was a great threat to Ghana's food industry and safety. He stated that the Harmattan had brought in its wake dryness, adding that when things dry, they turn to powder faster hence the rise in dust, which also contributes to catarrh. Dust, he reiterated, contains certain microbes, which when settled on food makes it unhealthy for consumption. 'So, you have prepared your food nicely but due to the long hours of exposure, it becomes cold , which allows germs to spore-form. When the germs settle on the food and it is placed on fire, then they will be compressing and forming spores and when the food becomes cold, they start multiplying,' he explained. Mr Tagoe said there was no healthy dust therefore dryness and dusty weather was a threat to good food management wherever it is. The Environmental Health Consultant advised restaurant operators and street food vendors to ensure that there were curtains or glass sieves to stop dust from entering food wholly. He also stated that tables used by consumers for eating were placed away from windows to prevent direct contact with dust. Mr Tagoe urged Ghanaians to go back to handwashing with soap under running water and the use of sanitizer before eating. He said the public were slugging back on handwashing and the use of sanitizers because they think COVID-19 was no more but needed to go back to the practice, more than ever. 'Transportation is part of that problem. They should protect their food as much as possible and even the table they serve on,' he added. He said all kinds of food needed protection whether oranges, bananas, roasted plantain, groundnuts among others because they are consumed directly alongside the dust without washing. Mr Tagoe urged the public not to buy food in dusty areas due to contamination. 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