Presbyterian University matriculates fresh students( Daily Graphic, Friday, April 5, 2024. Page 28)

Presbyterian University-Ghana has held its 21st matriculation ceremony to welcome freshmen and women to the University. 

In all, 1,042 fresh students were enrolled into various faculties of the University at its Akuapem and Tema campuses. Welcoming the fresh students into the university at the Tema campus event, the Vice- Chancellor, Professor John Ofosu-Anim, said the occasion marked the beginning of a transformative journey for every one of the students, adding that they were being welcomed to a community of scholars, thinkers and visionaries.

PUG academic family

He urged the students to embrace the profound responsibilities and opportunities that came with being a part of the PUG academic family. “Matriculation is a symbolic rite of passage, signalling your official entry into the academic life of our university. It signifies your commitment to learning, growth and the pursuit of knowledge,” he said.

He said the students were now part of a community that valued curiosity, critical thinking and the relentless pursuit of excellence. “Our institution has a rich history of fostering intellectual curiosity and producing individuals who have gone on to make significant contributions to their respective fields. As you step into this hallowed institution, I urge you to carry the torch of curiosity forward,” he said.

Holistic journey

Prof. Ofosu-Anim said the university experience was not just about attending classes and earning grades, but also engaging in a holistic journey of self-discovery, personal development and intellectual exploration.

The matriculants through the swearing of the matriculation oath

He, thus, urged the students to take advantage of the diverse academic programmes, the wealth of resources at their disposal, and the guidance of the esteemed faculty members who were not just teachers but mentors and guides in their academic journey.

Active participants

Prof. Ofosu-Anim encouraged them to be active participants in the vibrant campus life through participation in extracurricular activities and networking with their fellow students.

“These experiences will shape not only your time at the university but also your outlook on life and your role in society,” he added. He reminded the students that they were not just students, but future leaders, innovators and contributors to society, hence the need to make the most of their time at PUG, not just academically but also in the relationships they build, the lessons they learn, and the impact they seek to make while on campus.

 via : https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/ghana-news-presbyterian-university-matriculates-fresh-students.html

FDA destroys substandard baby diapers ( Daily Graphic, Thursday, April 4, 2024. Page 38)

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed two 40-footer container loads of substandard baby diapers imported into the country.

The diapers, which were seized from markets, were shredded at Atadeka near Ashaiman in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. The Head of the Enforcement Directorate of the FDA, Vigil Edward Prah-Ashun, said the products were retrieved from traders during market surveillance exercises in the region from January till date.

Mr Prah-Ashun recalled a joint statement released in July last year by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the FDA and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) warning the public about the increased importation of unregistered disposable baby diapers into the country.

In that statement, he said, businesses had been given a grace period till December last year to regularise their businesses.  

Surveillance

Mr Prah-Ashun said from January, this year, the regulatory authorities started monitoring the market for such disposable baby diapers and realised there had been an influx of some that did not meet the regulatory, packaging and labelling standards.

The FDA’s Head of Enforcement said as a result of the market surveillance, the FDA seized the consignment of diapers for safe disposal, explaining that the seizures were based on the health implications of using such substandard baby diapers which could endanger the health and well-being of babies and children.

Mr Prah-Ashun said, for instance, a girl-child using any of them could pick up an infection which could develop into cases of infertility in adulthood, while the boys could develop cancer of the testes based on the chemicals used in producing the substandard baby diapers.

He, therefore, urged the public to buy only registered baby diapers properly packaged and labelled and not the loose ones which had been exposed to the vagaries of the weather.

via:  https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-fda-destroys-substandard-baby-diapers.htmlhttps://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-fda-destroys-substandard-baby-diapers.html

 

 

Review feeding grant for prisoners - Prisons Service(Online, Thursday, March 28, 2024)

The Ghana Prisons Service has reiterated an upward adjustment in the feeding fee from GH¢1.80 pesewas a day per prisoner to enable the Service to give inmates balanced and nutritious meals.

 The Service indicated that given the current economic situation in the country, which had led to escalating food prices, the GH¢1.80 per prisoner per day was inadequate.
 
The Assistant Director of Prison in charge of the Akuse Local Prisons, ADP Ousmane Tasembedo made the appeal when the Customs Ladies Club, a club of the female employees of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the Tema Collection donated some food and non items to the Akuse Local Prison in the Eastern Region as part of the Easter celebrations on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.
 
The Customs Ladies Club, with support from the Tema Sector Commander, Assistant Commissioner Christiana Odi Adjei presented 20 cartons of fish, three bags of 50kg flour, six bags of  50 kg sugar, 24 bags of  25 kg rice, six bags of gari, a bag each of corn, groundnut, beans and pepper.
 
The rest were 10 boxes of sanitary pads, four boxes of soap, six bags of washing powder, six bags of washing powder, five sets of toilet seats, ten bags of toilet rolls, and cartons of beverages 
 
ADP Tasembedo said the Akuse Local prison, aside inadequate feeding, the facility was confronted with congestion 
 
He said the Akuse Local Prison was designed to accommodate 60 male inmates but currently house 250 inmates in the male section and 16 inmates in the female section, adding that the facility was congested and would require an expansion so the inmates can have some respite.
 
ADP Tasembedo however believes the government cannot do it alone, hence there was a need for individuals, organisations, religious groups, among others, to help with any support.
 
“But for such gestures like what you have done today, the situation would have been very precarious in the prisons’” he said while receiving the items from the President of the Customs Ladies Club, Rachael Jacintha Pyne.
 
ADP Tasembedo said to supplement the feeding of the inmates, the Prison authority in Akuse have taken advantage of the agriculture potential of the area and have embarked on rice and vegetable farming.
 
He said inmates of the Akuse prisons were able to harvest between 300 and 400 bags of rice from a 12 hectares farm adding that some of the produce from their farm was sent to Prison Headquarters for redistribution to about 15 other prison facilities throughout the country.
Gratitude 
 
The Assistant Director of Prison in charge of the Female section of the Female Prison at Akuse, ADP Joyce Annor-Owusu also added her voice to the feeding challenges, stressing that with the current skyrocketing of food prices, authorities were unable to buy food products at contract prices.
 
She was particularly grateful to Tema Customs Ladies of the Customs Division of the GRA adding that such gestures from philanthropic individuals and organisations went a long way to fill the gaps.
 
She said through the support of some philanthropic individuals and organisation the facility offers skills training in bakery, farming, tailoring among others which have gone a long way to empower the inmates to leave a meaningful life after they have been released 
 
ADP Annor-Owusu appealed for support to secure submersible pumps to be fitted on an existing borehole at the facility to improve supply for the inmates.
 
The President of the Customs Ladies Club, Rachael Jacintha Pyne said the donation was to make the inmates enjoy the Easter festivities adding that the love for Christ affects all humankind and donating to the prisoners was to show love to them. 
 
She urged the inmates not to lose hope but take advantage of the skills programmes being offered to enable them to integrate into society after their release

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/review-feeding-grant-for-prisoners-prisons-service.html

ECG points to GRIDCo for power outages in parts of Tema, Eastern Region(Daily Graphic, Thurdsay, March 28, 2024. Online)

 

The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has reduced its power supply to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), impacting electricity supply to consumers in parts of Tema, Kpone, Kpong and some areas in the Eastern Region.The amount of megawatts and the reasons for the reduction are, however, unclear. The ECG in two separate statements issued on Thursday, March 28, 2024, said a reduction in power supply to the Smelter 2 Bulk Supply Point and the Kpong Bulk Supply Point by GRIDCo,  have resulted in outages in a number of communities and industries served by the two bulk supply point.

The statement mentioned the affected facilities as Ghana Steel, Palace Mall, Furniture City, Lovely Transport, Kpone Barrier, Kingdom Transport, GPHA Terminal at Kpone, Sethi Realty, Adodakpi Farms, Bediako, Golf City and its environs.

The rest were Yilo Krobo, Lower Manya Krobo, Adukrom Booster Station, Asutsuare Township, Volivo, Golden Exotics, Akorley Pumping Station, Teye Kwame, Glamour Farms, PW Quarries, Eastern Quarries, Twin Quarries, Juapong, Akwamufie, Frankadua, Anum, Nudu, Boso, Dodi Asantekrom, Kisiful and its environs.

 

The statement, however, fell short of providing a specific time for the restoration.

"ECG wishes to assure affected customers that once GRIDCo turns on supply, power will be restored."

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ecg-points-to-gridco-for-power-outages-in-parts-of-tema-eastern-region.html

Power outage hits NICU at Tema General Hospital, management to investigate (GraphicOnline, Wednesday, March 27, 2024 )

The Tema General Hospital experienced a power outage on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, affecting several key departments. Among the affected areas was the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which experienced the outage from approximately 8 pm to 12:45 am. 

Videos circulating online showcased the impact of the outage on operations within the NICU. Upon investigation by Graphic Online on Wednesday morning, it was discovered that although the hospital had standby generators, they failed to function due to technical issues.

Dr. Samuel Obeng-Mensah, in charge of Administration and Support Services at Tema General Hospital, addressed the media on Thursday regarding the incident.

While management was still verifying the authenticity of the viral video (above), Dr. Obeng-Mensah assured that the hospital had contingency measures in place to manage power outages.

He explained that the hospital operates with five different generators powering various units during outages, given the facility's dispersed layout lacking a centralized generator for the entire premises. Management is actively working to acquire a larger capacity generator to meet their needs during such occurrences.

Dr. Obeng-Mensah acknowledged that the hospital faces challenges due to its age and size, particularly with wiring issues. He welcomed support from companies and individuals to address these challenges and ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/power-outage-hits-nicu-at-tema-general-hospital-management-to-investigate.html

Cabinet approves pathway to complete Saglemi Project (Daily Graphic, Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Page 50)

 

The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has stated that Cabinet has approved a pathway to complete the Saglemi Housing Project started by the previous administration.  

The Saglemi Housing Project commenced in 2016 but has since been abandoned due to litigation. The project, which was at various stages of completion, had had some fittings, including burglar proof material, plumbing works, metal coverings on culverts, among others, at the site either vandalised or stolen.

During a working visit to Saglemi yesterday, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said following the approval by Cabinet, the Ministry had established a technical committee to expedite action towards completing the project.

He said the technical working committee had been instructed to, within five weeks, issue an international expression of interest to attract private funds to complete and utilise the project.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the government was focused on ensuring the buildings at Saglemi were put to good use and was optimistic that based on the output of the committee, private partners would be brought on board to complete the project. 

He indicated that based on the last estimate from the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, an over $100 million would be required to complete the project.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted that the amount involved was huge and that within the current fiscal constraints, the Exchequer did not have that resource, hence the decision to explore other ways of funding from the private sector to partner government to ensure the completion of the project and put it to good use. 

"This project is a very large and important project and we cannot leave it to waste," he said. He was optimistic that within five weeks, the technical group would issue the international expression of interest after which the government would work with transaction advisors to select a partner or group of partners to jointly operate or dispose of the housing units.

Responding to issues of security at the site, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said some security was mounted to check theft, but unfortunately those security arrangements had gaps. He indicated that the ministry had taken steps to beef up security to ensure that there was no further deterioration of equipment at the site. 

Tour

The tour also took the minister to Kpone and Michel Camp where the TDC Development Company Limited had put up over 2,000 affordable housing units. He commended TDC for contributing towards addressing the housing deficit facing the country which stood at about 1.8 million units.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said as part of its strategy, the ministry would support master developers such as TDC to undertake bigger projects such as 5,000 to 10,000 units to fast track efforts at bridging the housing deficit gaps.

He said the ministry would continue to work with TDC to explore ways to bring down the cost of construction in order to reduce the impact on the final cost of the building. He commended TDC for its role in the housing sector and said the ministry would extend an invitation to them to participate in the National Affordable Housing Project at Pokuase based on their track record.

On the issue of cost and affordability, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the ministry would put in place a market mechanism to ensure that affordable housing truly goes to those they are meant for. 

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-cabinet-approves-pathway-to-complete-saglemi-project.html

Finance Minister charges GRA Customs to reduce leakages (Daily Graphic, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Page 13)

The Minister of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has charged the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to put in more efforts to reduce revenue leakages at the entry points. 

He stated that notwithstanding the successes chalked up by the Customs Division, with the Tema Collection alone mobilising 95.03 per cent of its targeted revenue for last year, there was more the GRA and its Customs Division, in particular, could do to further enhance the level of efficiency at the ports.

Dr Adam was speaking at a meeting with the staff of the GRA, Customs Division, at the Tema Port yesterday during a working visit to the port.

He was accompanied by the Minister of State designate at the Ministry of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and other Directors of the ministry.  

Dr Adam, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Karaga, said accelerated national development rested on adequate domestic revenue mobilisation and urged personnel of Customs to continue to help the ministry to realise that ambition by the end of this year.

The Finance Minister said the government had a duty to implement programmes and projects, and also compensate public sector workers, adding that to be able to do so the state must generate enough revenue aside from servicing debts.

Dr Adam said all those components of the budget would not be realised if the state was not able to generate enough revenue, hence domestic revenue mobilisation was his number one priority.

He said given that customs officials were the foot soldiers of the country when it came to revenue mobilisation, a lot would be expected from them in support of national development.

While commending the revenue agencies for their efforts, Dr Adam stated that in spite of the good works they were doing, there were still issues related to smuggling, undervaluation and collusion and urged them to increase efficiency.
 

Reforms

The minister charged the management of GRA to introduce reforms across many fronts relating to ex-warehousing for export, re-export and transit goods to tackle issues of leakages in order to have Suspense Regime, a scheme under which goods are allowed free of duties and taxes, usually for a limited period of time and subject to certain conditions beyond abuse.

Dr Adam said the Ministry of Finance, as part of an extra measure to curb the abuse of the Suspense Regime, had proposed that goods could only leave the warehouse after they secured the approval of the Commissioner of Customs Division and not just the Commanders in charge of the warehouses.

It also required using an efficient technology to check delays and abuse and ensure accountability in the Suspense Regime.

The Finance Minister, whose public life started from the local assembly, bemoaned the loss of revenue to the economy due to smuggling of goods, particularly along the Eastern corridor of the country, and urged the efficient policing of that corridor.

That, he stated, could be done through the collaborative effort of all the security agencies and the border patrol unit of the Customs Division.

Dr Adam said as part of efforts to weed out the bad lots from the service, an enhanced Intelligence Unit would be established to fish them out and redeem the image of the Customs Division.
 

Revenue collection 

For his part, Rev. Dr Owusu-Amoah said for the first quarter of 2024, the Customs Division had grown its revenue collection by 74 per cent over the previous year due to the identification and sealing of leakages in the system.

The Commissioner-General of GRA said that notwithstanding, the authority had intensified its efforts across all units within the GRA to boost revenue mobilisation. 

Challenges

The Commissioner of Customs, Iddrisu Iddisah Seidu, pointed to the inadequate staffing, stressing that the situation had undermined effective and efficient collection and protection of revenue for the country.

He, therefore, appealed for support to address the dwindling staff situation to handle the rising challenge to raise more revenue domestically. 

Commitment

The Tema Sector Commander of Customs, Assistant Commissioner (ACC) Christiana Odi Adjei, said last year the Tema Collection mobilised GH¢24.4 billion out of a target of GH¢25.67 billion, representing 95.03 per cent of the Customs Division’s target for that year.

She said the division was doing its best in spite of its constraints.  

ACC Adjei, however, pledged the unwavering commitment of the Command to excellence in the implementation of robust policies and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability to meet the demands of the modern global trading environment of facilitating trade, as well as mobilising revenue for the state.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-finance-minister-charges-gra-customs-to-reduce-leakages.html

Commemoration of World Water Day: Conserve water! - GWL urges citizens (Daily Graphic, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 Page 16 )

 

The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has urged citizens to protect and conserve water as the nation joins the rest of the world to commemorate this year’s World Water Day.  

As part of activities to celebrate the UN event, the Tema Regional office of the company held a durbar last Friday on the theme: ‘Leveraging water for peace.”

In attendance were some consumers, members of the Tema Manhean Water Sellers Association, and selected pupils from first cycle schools in the area.
 

Access

The Tema Regional Chief Manager of the GWL, Amidu Musah, said water could spark and intensify conflict when access was denied and usage was unfairly distributed.

He added that since water was key to life, its scarcity was likely to provoke conflict and, therefore, the need for communities and countries to cooperate to preserve fresh water sources.

Mr Musah said climate change and rapid population growth had put additional pressure on the limited water resources available for treatment and distribution.

He, therefore, advised consumers to adopt measures to save water, adding that his outfit had resorted to water demand management to communities such as Tema Manhean, to ensure its fair distribution.

Mr Musah urged consumers against watering their lawns, and other activities that tend to waste water.

He also encouraged consumers to report all burst pipes and leakages to local GWL district offices, customer service centres and problem offices for the needed repairs to be carried out.
 

Illegal mining

Mr Musah further expressed worry about activities of illegal mining and sand mining operations, which he said had a negative impact on freshwater resources for treatment.

He said the wanton activities of the miners, especially near freshwater sources, had forced the company to invest more in the purchase of chemicals for treatment of water.

“The cost of chemicals for treating water has gone up because the company has to use more expensive and potent chemicals like polymer instead of alum to treat the raw water,” he said

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-commemoration-of-world-water-day-conserve-water-gwl-urges-citizens.html

Rains wash away Forqzy Beatz's 'Rec-A-Thon' attempt (Showbiz, Friday, March 22, 2024)

 

A steady downpour at dawn on Friday, March 22, 2024, washed away an attempt by a Tema based music producer, Manasseh T. Nartey to break and set a Guinness World Record(GWR)for the longest recording marathon dubbed Rec-A-Thon. 

Organisers said the rain simply made conditions too dangerous to continue with the Rec-A-Thon after about 10 hours of recording 23 artistes.

Manasseh T. Nartey , a professional music producer and sound engineer based in Tema Community 1 who goes by the stage name Forqzy Beatz set off an attempt on Thursday, March 21, 2024 for the five-day Rec-A-Thon sanctioned by GWR aimed at recording at least 200 artistes in 100 hours.

However, a downpour at dawn on Friday, saw the rains leaking through the roof of the booth set up for the attempt disrupting the exercise.

Coordinator for the attempt, Daniel Adjetey Annang in an interview with Graphic Showbiz said they did not anticipate the rains.

He said they had to suspend the exercise as the rains seeped through the roof onto the gadgets for the recording and became too dangerous to continue with the exercise.

Annang said the team would review the logistic challenges and give Rec-A-Thon another attempt at a later date.

Forqzy Beatz was seeking to beat the existing record of 30 artistes recorded in 40 hours held by Blaqk Stereo and Near Protocol of Nigeria since 2022. 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/rains-washes-away-music-producers-rec-a-thon-attempt.html

Forqzy Beatz attempts GWR longest recording marathon with multiple artistes(Showbiz, Thursday, March 21, 2024. )

 

Weeks after Afua Asantewaa and Chef Faila failed in their attempts at breaking the sing-a-thon and cook-a-thon World records respectively, another Ghanaian has entered the fray with the hope of attempting a different record attempt. 

Manasseh T. Nartey , a professional music producer and sound engineer Based in Tema Community 1 who goes by the stage name Forqzy Beatz is attempting a five day Guinness World Records Rec-A-Thon for 100 hours.

Forqzy Beatz attempt is scheduled to started 12:00pm today, March 21 at the forecourt of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and he would be seeking to beat the existing record held by a Nigerian since 2022.

When the Graphic Showbiz visited the venue, preparations were underway by the team who were spotted doing sound checks and other technical formalities.

Coordinator for the attempt, Daniel Adjetey Annang in an interview said the official attempt intended to record at least 200 artistes in 100 hours adding that the attempt had been sanctioned by GWR. 

He was optimistic the organisers would stick to the approved guidelines by GWR to ensure success at the end of the attempt.

He said apart from hoping to have some A list artists passing through, the attempt would also offer an opportunity to record a number of underground musicians as a means of promoting their craft.

The record for the longest recording marathon with multiple artists is 40 hours with 30 artistes and was achieved by Blaqk stereo and Near Protocol of Nigeria between 25 June 2022 and 27 June 2022.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/forqzy-beatz-attempts-gwr-longest-recording-marathon-with-multiple-artistes.html