Central African Republic News Gazette

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the second phase of the Kaleo Solar Power plant to augment electricity generation and supply.

The 15MW phase two project brings the total capacity of the Kaleo Solar Power plant to 28MW after the President commissioned about 13MW in phase one about two years ago.

Elecnor S.A. from Spain executed the project at an estimated cost of about 16 million Euros with consultancy services from Tractebel Engineering from Germany.

Speaking at the commissioning of the project at Kaleo on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the plant represented the country’s fundamental shift towards sustainable development and for enhancing electricity provision.

‘Renewable energy sources such as solar power not only reduce our reliance on fossil fuel but also help mitigate adverse effects of climate change. By investing in renewable energy infrastructure, we’re securing a reliable source of electricity.

It is part of government’s roadmap of positioning the country as
a regional leader in clean and sustainable energy by leveraging vast natural resources,’ he said.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that the vision of the country was not only to be energy self-sufficient, but also to set the stage for Ghana to emerge as an eco-friendly country and to inspire neighbouring countries to pursue a more energy technology-centred future.

He stated that the Solar Power Project at Kaleo would help create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the area, empower homes and businesses, and serve as a catalyst for development in the region by attracting investment and spurring innovation.

‘The government is implementing a series of policies and measures to incentivise green investments, foster a culture of energy efficiency, prioritise the development of solar, wind and hydroelectric power projects as key strategies for the growth of the energy sector in the country,’ the President said.

President Akufo-Addo said the project would also promote practical studies in the
development of solar power by the technical universities in the northern part of the country.

He appreciated the German government for providing the funding for the construction of the facility and the EU for its assistance in the development of the project and its contribution to the general development of Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo commended the contractor and the consultant for delivering the project on schedule.

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He urged stakeholders to adopt the right maintenance management regime to enable the plant to serve its expected purpose.

Mr Herbert Krapa, a Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Energy, said the Solar Power project was an indication that the VRA had risen to the occasion in answering the call for producing greener, cleaner sources of power for the country.

He said government was putting in place measures to ensure the country’s thermal plants and power-producing plants run at full capacity and realigning the operational and technical arrangements in the entire power sector o
f the country.

Mr Krapa, who is also the Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), assured Ghanaians that ‘In the next few days the power challenges that we are seeing under the leadership of His Excellency the President will be a thing of the past.’

Mr Irchad Razaaly, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, said the EU prioritised investment in the country that would contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic growth by investing in areas that could lead to a lasting positive transformation.

He observed that countries over the world were increasingly moving towards sustainable practices and Ghana had positioned itself as a leader in Africa.

Mr Razaaly explained that the project created more than a hundred jobs for the people in the community during the construction period and thanked all persons and institutions that played diverse roles in making it a success.

Madam Ramona Simon, the Acting Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in Ghana, stated that the project would prov
ide about 50,000 households with low-cost electricity and help reduce 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission annually.

She explained that embracing renewable energy would not only save the environment for future generations but also pave the way for economic empowerment and enhanced energy security, especially in northern Ghana.

Kuoro Osman Diewia Nankpa III, the Paramount Chief of the Pulima Traditional Area in the SIssala West District, who chaired the function, appealed to the government to ensure that the frequent power outages experienced in the region became a thing of the past.

Mr Kofi Tutu Agyare, the Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority (VRA), indicated that the solar project was in line with the country’s Renewable Energy Development programme.

While thanking the German Federal Government for supporting the country over the years, he expressed hope that the VRA and the German government would continue to work together for long-term mutual benefit.

He also assured the people of Kaleo that
the VRA would continue to support the community’s development through its corporate social responsibility interventions.

The German government provided the funding through the German Development Bank (KfW) to support Ghana in executing the project.

Ghana provided counterpart funding of 8.2 million Euros through the VRA.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHC300,000.00 bail with two sureties to an entrepreneur who allegedly stole and trafficked two children from Nigeria to Ghana.

The Court, presided over by Mrs Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, ruled that Blessing Astrim’s sureties reside within the Court’s jurisdiction.

It stated that one of the sureties must be justified with movable or immovable property equivalent to the bail sum.

Astrim, 47, is required to deposit her valid identification (ID), such as a passport, Ghana card, or voter’s ID, and to report to the police once a week, on Wednesday.

The accused has denied stealing and trafficking two children, a boy, and a girl.

She is expected to go back to the Court on May 25, 2024.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi informed the Court that the complainant, Mr George Hood, is a pharmacist and the husband of the accused, Astrim, a Nigerian.

He said on September 4, 2023, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit/Criminal Investigative Department (CID) Headquarters
of the Ghana Police Service, received a petition for assistance from the complainant.

The petition stated that in 2022, Mr Hood’s wife, Astrim, who was allegedly pregnant, travelled to Nigeria in the seventh month to deliver.

ASP Babayi said that in December 2022, the accused returned to Ghana with two children, a boy, and a girl, claiming to have given birth to twins.

The complainant reported to police that a thorough examination of the children revealed differences that raised suspicion, prompting a DNA test.

The prosecution said the DNA test result indicated that both the accused person and the complainant are not biologically related to the children, and neither were the twins genetically related.

Several attempts to get Atrim to reveal where she got the children failed, so the complainant told police that during the period she told him she was pregnant, he made several attempts to get the accused to go to the hospital for antenatal care, but she refused, the court heard.

He said investigations show
ed that the accused did not visit any medical facilities in Ghana, but she claimed that her pregnancy was enigmatic and could not be detected by any medical equipment.

According to ASP Babayi, during the investigation, police conducted a DNA test on the accused person, complainant, and alleged twins at a medical facility in Accra called Blueprint DNA Organization, and the DNA results revealed that both the accused and the complainant are not biologically related to the children, and the children are not biologically related either.

The prosecution stated that letters had been sent to INTERPOL Nigeria and the Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to investigate whether the accused delivered the twins during the period in question at the Fatan Divine Clinic and Laboratory in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Meanwhile, no response has been received. But the accused was charged with the offence following investigations.

Mr Ameyaw Nyamekye, the accused’s lawyer, st
ated in his bail application that his client is a Ghanaian born in the Volta Region and not a Nigerian.

He said that although the police had written to INTERPOL Nigeria and NAPTIP, it had yet to be established whose children had been stolen.

The defence counsel argued that the children were still in the accused’s possession and were being well cared for, therefore police did not see the need to remove them from her.

Mr Nyamekye said that his client was not a flight risk if granted bail because she owned the Lake Road Estate and operates a pharmaceutical shop and that she should be granted a favourable bond for the sake of the children.

In opposing the bail, ASP Babayi refuted the claim that police failed to remove the children from the accused because they were well-cared for, stating that it was the Court’s responsibility, not the police, to exercise that power.

He indicated that arrangements had been made with ‘Power of Love,’ a Non-Governmental Organization working with Social Welfare to take custody
of the children, which would be in the best interests of the children, and that police would speed up the trial.

ASP Babayi urged the court to evaluate the nature of the crime, the evidence presented, and the fact that if the accused person is given bail, she may not return to court to face justice because she could leave with the children, effectively ending the prosecution.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ahead of World Intellectual Property Day, the United States (U.S) Embassy together with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) organised a training session for Ghanaian judges and law enforcement officers.

The session, which opened on Tuesday April 23, 2024 in Accra, brought together 60 people and aims to ‘promote protection and enforcement of intellectual property and legitimate international trade’.

The two-part session focused first on judges, then customs and law enforcement officials over a four-day period.

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated annually on April 26 to recognise the importance of intellectual property protections that reward creators, protect innovation, and support legitimate economic growth.

Ghana is a leading signatory to intellectual property treaties among Middle Eastern and African nations.

U.S. federal judges, officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, along with officials from Ghana’s Regi
strar General’s Department and Copyright Office led the training and discussions at the West Africa Regional Training Center in Accra.

The U.S. Embassy, in partnership with USPTO, is a long-term supporter of strengthening Ghana’s intellectual property protection and enforcement infrastructure to promote innovation and long-term economic growth.

‘In the information age, intellectual property protections are key to promoting equitable economic growth and international trade while protecting individual innovations.

‘We hope this training will help make Ghana’s IP processes more accessible to ordinary Ghanaians by sharing our experience in the United States regarding the adjudication and enforcement of IP cases,’ Chargé d’affaires Rolf Olson, said at the opening session.

The training followed a visit by Ghanaian officials to USPTO headquarters in the United States last year, where partners identified common areas of interest for future cooperation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Works and Housing Thursday launched the Built Environment National Conference on Housing and Hydrology, dubbed ‘BENCHH 2024’.

The three-day maiden conference scheduled to take place from May 27 to May 29, 2024, would be held on the theme: ‘Enhancing Collaboration to tackle Ghana’s Housing and Hydrology Challenges’.

The conference would provide a comprehensive platform to solicit views from the public and key stakeholders in the built environment on how to address Ghana’s flooding and housing challenges.

Reverend Stephen Yaw Osei, Chief Director, Ministry of Works and Housing, speaking at the launch in the Ministry’s Conference Room, noted that, Ghana had 1.8 million units of housing deficit, which must be addressed for all Ghanaians to have befitting dwelling place.

He added that, 12.7 per cent of houses in Ghana were empty, explaining that, people lacked the means to afford to stay in such houses, making them unoccupied.

He said Government must intervene by ensuring the provision of affo
rdable housing for ordinary citizens to enjoy decent accommodation and to go about their daily life activities in dignity.

He said the nation’s drainage system also called for urgent attention, including proper management, maintenance and redesigning to address flooding in the country.

The upcoming BENCHH 2024, which will take place at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Accra, at 0930 hours each day, will, therefore, find collaborative solutions to the challenges.

Dr Prince Hamid Armah, Chairman of the BENCHH 2024 Planning Committee, and Advisor to the Sector Minister, said, aside public and stakeholder engagement, the conference would showcase the strides made by the Ministry in recent years.

The conference would also outline the Ministry’s roadmap towards achieving its medium term vision of a robust and sustainable development of public works and housing infrastructure in the country.

‘From addressing the housing deficit to enhancing our flood resilient infrastructure and regulations, the Mi
nistry’s efforts are linked to various sectors, driving socio-economic progress, and enhancing the overall quality of life for citizens,’ he noted.

Outlining the schedule for the conference, he said Day One would tackle flood or hydrology issues, Day Two would deal with housing issues, whilst Day Three would tackle the Regulatory Framework within the Works and Housing sector.

‘Indeed, BENCHH 2024 represents an opportunity for all of us to share insights and chart a course towards a more sustainable and resilient future for Ghana’s Works and Housing Sectors.

‘Together, through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, we can surmount the challenges present and pave the way for enduring progress and prosperity in our nation.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Department of Social Welfare has sensitised residents, including persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in the Logre-Zogin and Logre-Kolkpeng communities of the Nabdam District in the Upper East Region on child protection.

The sensitisation, which centered on child labor, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, illegal mining activities, and the functions of the Department of Social Welfare, aimed at inculcating in them the need to protect their children and prepare them for the future.

It also focused on how they could seek support from the Department of Social Welfare for vulnerable groups in their families and the communities at large.

Mr Gabriel Azagsa Apobona, Nabdam District Officer, Department of Social Welfare, noted that due to activities of illegal mining in the areas coupled with lust for money among the children, some of them dropped out of school and were at the mines loitering.

That, he said, was worrisome as it did not present a good future for them, however given the neede
d education and guidance, these children could unearth their given potential hence the need to sensitise their parents to shape them well for the future.

‘We also realised that some of the children were either orphans or disabled, and so, for them, we intend to link them with social welfare and the District Assembly because, as you know, the government has been allocating three percent of the Common Fund for these groups of people, and in every quarter there is a package that we give to such people,’ he stated.

Mr Apobona emphasised that this necessitated the need for residents of the two communities to be sensitised to be aware of this support by government so that they could seek support for their vulnerable children.

He advised the parents to prioritise education by enrolling their children in schools and nurture them through to become better citizens to cater for them at their old age and contribute to the development of the country.

Madam Yenpoka Mba, a participant, lauded the efforts of the departme
nt for charging them with their responsibilities as parents and added that it was a call in the right direction, and she was committed to investing in her children’s education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, a Research Scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), has told an Accra High Court that he was one of the scientists who tested the Lithovit fertilizer.

He said the testing of the Lithovit fertilizer to be used on matured cocoa seedlings was done before he joined the employment of CRIG in November 2013.

Mr Dogbatse, a subpoenaed witness for Mr Seidu Agongo, was speaking in his evidence-in -chief in the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, led by Mr Benson Nutsukpui, Counsel for Agongo.

Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognizance bail each.

He said he only reviewed the draft report but was not part of the team that drafted the main report on the test
ing and to the best of his knowledge, the testing was done by Mr A.A Afrifa and Dr Alfred Arthur, all from CRIG.

He said before he joined the Institute, there were no other Soil scientists at the Division apart from those two scientists.

The witness told the court that he mentioned to the Police in his statement that the nursery work was done before he joined the Division, and he never made any recommendation because he did not participate in the testing.

‘I was not shown the final report but what l worked on was the draft of the report,’ he added.

He said he made some comments for the attention of the lead author and that was what he meant by his review.

The Case was adjourned to April 29, 2024, for continuation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A Network of Journalists Fact-Checkers of African News Agencies of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (NJF-FAAPA) has been launched to spearhead activities in countering disinformation and misinformation in Africa.

Given the urgency of the phenomenon, participants at the close of a five-day training seminar on the theme: ‘Fact-Cheking: Detection of Fake News in Media Content’ resolved to create the network of FAAPA Journalists Fact-Checkers to nip the phenomenon in the bud.

Participants of the seminar, held from April 22 to 26, 2024, at the African Center for the Training of Journalists (CAFJ) in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, expressed determination to forge ahead and pool efforts in the fight against fake news.

The Network, among other objectives, will drive efforts through the exchange of experiences and sharing of information regularly to effectively and efficiently fight fake news – a phenomenon that has been pervasive across the continent.

With the threat of the loss of information power
in the world and in Africa due to the rise of fake news, the Network – under the auspices of Mr. Fouad ARIF, President of FAAPA – is expected to play a significant role in preserving the integrity of information and ensuring that the public has access to accurate and reliable information

Mr ARIF, President of FAAPA, who expressed appreciation to the participants for their determination to deal with the issue of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, said it behoved them to take lead roles in the overall efforts of truthful information sharing.

He said at a time characterised by the impact of social networks and the proliferation of fake news, African news agencies were being urged, as part of a new dynamic, to take active roles in changing the narrative.

That, he said, required the advocacy of innovative approaches in order to accompany the unbridled evolution of information systems and the adoption of the profound changes taking place in the media world.

Mr Arif, also the Director General of Moroc
co Press Agency (MAP), said as credible sources of information, the journalists (Fact-Checkers) neeeded to give fundamental importance to the exchange of experience and information in order to face up to the new challenges and the phenomenon of fake news, a real scourge for the media sector

Africans, he said, must work together to fight fake news through effective collaboration and knowledge sharing among journalists across Africa.

Mr Xavier Messe, one of the facilitators from Cameroon, expressed appreciation to the President of FAAPA and commended him for his leadership, which had resulted in the effective administration of the Moroccan Press Agency.

The experience garnered, he said, would go a long way to ensure that the issue of fake news, which posed as a threat to journalism and information sharing, will be dealt with.

Participants were awarded certificates for their participation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A market survey conducted in the Cape Coast Metropolis by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday, has shown a significant rise in the prices of vegetables, and cereals compared to the same period last month.

A box of tomatoes which sold at GHC1,500, about a month ago is now going for GHC3,500, while a small paint container of tomatoes has gone up from GHC35.00 to GHC 55.00.

Additionally, a mini bag of onion has go up from GHc600.00 to GHC1,450.00 while a tin tomato container which was GHC30.00 now sells at GHC60.00.

A one kg of garlic has increased from GHC35.00 to GHC40.00

Also, a basket of cucumber sold for GHC100 is now selling between GHC400.00 and GHC500.00.

Many traders blamed the situation on unstable weather conditions and the cost of transportation.

The traders indicated that the price hikes have led to low sales as for instance, patrons preferred tin tomatoes to the fresh tomatoes.

For cereals, a bag of maize rose from GHC600 to GHC800 and a mini bag of millet rising from GHC600 to GHC700.

A
n ‘olonka’, a measuring container of white beans, has gone up from GHC13.00 to GHC14.00 whilst a bag of Bambara beans is GHC1,700 from GHC1,200.

Madam Gladys Mensah, a trader at the Kotokuraba Market, said there will soon be further increases I the prices of cereals and legumes due to the high cost of transportation.

‘Times are hard, there has been fuel price hikes which has made the cost of transporting goods from producers to the market very exorbitant ,’ she added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Sheila Minka-Premo, the Convener for the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB) Coalition, says the various calls from individuals, organisations, and societies are enough justification to fast-track the passage of the bill into law.

Madam Minka-Premo said the AAB, when passed into law, would address social, economic, and educational imbalances, eliminate discrimination, and champion the need for equal opportunities for both men and women.

She made this known during a two-day workshop for journalists organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in collaboration with CODEO and the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition with backing from the European Union (EU).

She emphasised that no country could achieve its full potential without the equal economic participation of both women and men, explaining that economic development would be on the decline if the highest portion of the population, being women, were discriminated against, stressing that there was a need for inclusion for the country to thrive.

Sh
e said the 40 women members of parliament out of 275 parliamentary seats in the country portrayed an imbalance in the system.

She said such a system was depriving women of their perspective on issues, and therefore called for breaking all barriers to enhance women’s participation in decision-making.

Madam Minka-Premo attributed the low representation of women to the patriarchal system in the country, where the course of men was championed and that of women was demeaned in almost all aspects of social, political, and economic life.

Outlining some critical areas the bill addressed, she mentioned that the marginalisation of women in public and economic life in Ghana was a result of gendered division of labour at home and the lack of legislation to ensure a change for gender equality to be duly dealt with.

The AAB Coalition convener, who is also a lawyer, said that some policies, such as the Girls Education Units of GES, the cabinet’s directive on affirmative action, scholarship schemes set up for females, an
d affirmative action policies in public universities favouring females for certain courses, have been inactive; therefore, the passage of the bill would address their ineffectiveness.

She added that research had proven that it made economic sense to ensure gender equality, as the economy had better opportunities to grow and become more resilient to crises if women and men have equal rights.

The workshop participants agreed on the need for the affirmative action bill to be passed into law.

Source: Ghana News Agency