The Construction of the Pwalungu Multipurpose Dam in the Upper East Region may hit the rocks if the Minority in Parliament is able to realize it’s demand for the halting of the project because of an alleged opaque nature of the procurement process.
Minority in Parliament has called on the government to suspend the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam and disclose the process of procurement.
President Nana Akufo Addo In November 2019 cut sod for the construction of the Pwalungu Multipurpose Dam in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region which aims at boosting agriculture and supplying electricity to augment the national grid . The cost of the project was pegged at $993 million to be funded by the government of Ghana through Sinohydro a construction subsidiary company of China-Power.
The loan agreement has since been tabled in parliament for deliberations. But at a press conference held in Accra on Tuesday, February 5 2020, the minority described the cost of the project as “inflated and padded cost.”
The minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu said: “We are demanding that if this government believes in transparency, and value for money, they [should] make us know how the procurement process was undertaken. We are not against the people [beneficiary communities]. We are concerned about the cost of the irrigation and power facility.”
“[The current price is] three times [that of] Bui, three times best practices, three times the established figures globally, and it can only be four times padded with fraud, and we state as a Minority that we will not accept this,” he added.
Continuing, Mr Iddrisu noted that “no one should expect” that the minority will “be part of any process to give approval to this because it is a complete rip-off.”
Central Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Robert Amissah is claiming that illegal mining known as ‘galamsey’ has ‘gone down’ in that part of the country.
The success according to Mr. Amissah can be attributed to measures put in place by the Akufo Addo’s led administration in tackling the menace since the assumption of office.
Illegal mining in Ghana has destroyed forests and water bodies attracting public concern in the country. Various governments have since implemented measures to curb the growing threat but not much can be pointed to the success of such directives.
So as part of stringent measures in clamping down illegal mining in order to protect the environment, President Nana Akufo Addo instituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining tagged ‘Operation Vanguard’ which consisted of a joint security operation in galamsey communities with the aim of halting arresting and prosecuting offenders.
However, it is emerging that some persons linked to the NPP’s government are deep neck in illegal mining with the latest being the sale of seized excavators by a suspended Vice Chairman of NPP Ekow Ewusi in the Central Region and six other accomplices.
Speaking on Daybreak Upper East, Robert Amissah said despite the setbacks in the fight against illegal mining, some strides have been made to reclaim the lost vegetation, hence, President Nana Akufo Addo should be extolled for taking a bold step to arrest the situation.
“As a party where the President declared galamsey as illegal and as we all know, that is not how we should all go .when you come to Central Region, we have about three constituency where these things normally go on and when you go there right now, you will see that the galamsey activity is down it is not like what was happening previously because of the fight the President declared”
Meanwhile, Mr. Amissah has also indicated that the arrest of individuals linked to the NPP and involved in criminal acts was a sign that President Nana Akufo Addo will not shield any wrongdoing.
Upper East Regional Chairman for the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) Anthony Namoo has said that former President John Mahama’s autobiography book has exposed him on the Airbus Scandal.
According to Mr. Namoo , it will not be out of place for one to link a description in that book to a personality captured in a UK Court’s judgement on corruption involving some government officials and individuals under the then NDC government engaging in corrupt acts.
A UK Court has sanctioned French aerospace company Airbus to pay over €3.5bn (£2.96bn) in fines globally to settle corruption charges, including almost €1bn to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as part of a record-breaking deferred prosecution agreement (DPA)
As well as the SFO’s sanction of €983.97m (£833m), the company is also to pay €2.08bn to the French regulators and €525m to the US authorities, who took part in a joint investigation.
Details of the penalties were given in a public hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, where the judge said the SFO’s financial sanction is greater than the total of all the previous sums paid pursuant to previous DPAs and more than double the total of fines paid in respect of all criminal conduct in England and Wales in 2018.
Portions of the Court’s ruling indicated that one of the individuals involved in this scandal was a close relation to a powerful elected person at the time of the deal. The person whose identity has not been given by the court but labeled “Intermediary 5” is said to be a relation of a government official based in UK who has lost contact with his family for decades.
Coincidentally, this description is similar to what has been captured in the Book authored by Former President John Mahama entitled “My First Coup D’etat” which revealed his lost relations that was taken to the UK at a younger age but lost contact with the family.
Though , there are no other facts aside the linkage of the description to prove that the said “Intermediary 5” was related to former President Mahama, Lawyer Anthony Namoo insisted that the book has provided a lead people can rely on.
“Former President Mahama himself has written a book referring one of his brothers who was taken to the UK at a young age ,Intermediary 5 has been described and it coincides with what Mahama himself has said in his book so where you provide a lead where people have relied ,obviously it will be difficult for you not to look at it that way. But as I indicated ,the files are still emerging and once the emerge ,any injury that is suffered by him has a remedy” he told Samuel Mbura on Daybreak Upper East.
The directive by President Nana Akufo Addo to the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) to takeover Investigations on alleged corrupt deals between the NDC government and Aircraft Manufacturing Company , Airbus SE has been welcomed and described as appropriate.
The Presidency in a press statement signed by Director of Communications under the instructions of Nana Akufo Addo expressed shock and disappointment in the NDC’s government for superintending over fishy deals.
This follows a UK Court sanctioning French aerospace company Airbus to pay over €3.5bn (£2.96bn) in fines globally to settle corruption charges, including almost €1bn to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as part of a record-breaking deferred prosecution agreement (DPA)
As well as the SFO’s sanction of €983.97m (£833m), the company is also to pay €2.08bn to the French regulators and €525m to the US authorities, who took part in a joint investigation.
Details of the penalties were given in a public hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, where the judge said the SFO’s financial sanction is greater than the total of all the previous sums paid pursuant to previous DPAs and more than double the total of fines paid in respect of all criminal conduct in England and Wales in 2018.
The UK regulator began investigating the company over allegations that it had used external consultants to bribe customers to buy its civilian and military aircrafts about four years ago. The indictment, which has been suspended for the term of the DPA, covers five counts of failure to prevent bribery involving Airbus’ commercial and defence & space divisions across five jurisdictions between 2011 and 2015. These are Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ghana.
But in an interview on A1 Radio , Lawyer Edzudzi Tamakloe shot down the allegations against Former President John Mahama who is at the center of accusations of possibly spearheading the rot.
According to him , issues of bribery and corruption do not give room for speculations as presented in this Airbus scandal.
“When it comes to the issue of bribery and corruption ,there is no room for speculations there must be a giver and there must be a taker. That’s the connection, it is a dual connection . It this point as we speak is there anywhere either in the statement of fact and the approved judgement delivered or the deferred prosecution agreement where it is stated that a Minister of Defense or Mr.John Mahama the then Vice President or Attah Mills the then President or General Smith the then Defense Minister were paid two million cedis or One million pound sterling is there anywhere in the judgement? He questioned
Mr Tamakloe has therefore welcomed the decision by the President to allow the Special Prosecutor ,Martin Amidu to investigate the case describing him as the “right person” to investigate John Mahama in order to unravel the truth.
“ it is all over the place that the President has tasked Martin Amidu to Investigate this matter ,he was actually the Attorney General . This agreement went to Parliament in July 2011 by that time he was the Attorney General and in fact, when this thing went to parliament ,parliament gave approval to it I think 21st July . That 21st July ,there was a legal opinion by the Attorney General in respect of this ,who this legal opinion, have you found out ? I welcome the investigation you know why I welcome the investigation? Because, Martin Amidu is a person who has demonstrated his dislike for John Mahama and so he will not be impartial , he will not show favoritism, he will not cover up anything involving John Mahama and so he is the best person to investigate him so that he can bring the whole truth , nothing but the truth” he noted
The National Democratic Congress(NDC) has been challenged to concentrate in producing just one convincing message to Ghanaians as to why they should be voted in office rather than engaging in needless propaganda.
Dean of National Coordinators of the Nation Builders Corps(NABCO) ,Jambeidu Issahaku Khan who threw this challenge on Daybreak Upper East on A1 Radio said ,the public should resist the treacherous attempts by the NDC to destroy the country because it has no message and intention to build the country.
According to him , the commemoration of the year incident at Ayawaso West Wagoun elections violence organized by the NDC was a classical example of their penchant for negativity which be shamed and avoided.
He argues that the interest in such programs by the NDC is not to empathize affected persons but to score political points.
“I totally disagreed with anyone who says that what the NDC did was a national event. It was never a national event, the NDC took that initiative to gain public sympathy, and not commemorate with loved ones whose relatives got brutalized at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence incident, at the La Bawaleshie” he stated
Mr. Jambeidu noted that the NDC wants to embark on a sympathy seeking spree hence , it’s resort to any least opportunity to make the country ungovernable.
He has however encouraged the public to support the Akuffo Addo’s led-administration realize it’s promises.
Meanwhile,Bongo Youth Organizer for the NDC, Alfred Awuni who was part of the panel discussion expressed disappointment in government for paying lip service to recommendations on the bloody by-elections orchestrated by security apparatus said to be linked to the NPP.
“what is wrong is wrong, let us always admit that. Why the NDC commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence incident, at the La Bawaleshie in Accra was because the government of the day failed to act on the Committee findings. The action taking by the NPP government is wrong; it is the failure by the president to act on the reports given to him by the Committee reasoned the NDC organized such a commemoration.” He lamented
Proponents of government are overwhelmed about the fulfillment of the New Patriotic Party’s promise of providing every constituency in the country emergency befitting Ambulances.
When the NPP initially mooted out this policy in both political rallies and national occasions, political opponents mocked the ideal describing it as an undoable promise .
But three years down the line of assuming political power , the NPP has fulfilled the promise by procuring and distributing over 307 which is even in excess of the original plan.
Though, the distribution of these Ambulances was accompanied with a National ‘merry making’ which was chastised as ‘unnecessary’ , government defended the action on grounds that it was a historic event.
Commenting on this remarkable feat by the NPP government ,Builsa South District Chief Executive, Daniel Kwame Gariba said President Nana Akufo Addo has been vindicated as a promise delivering person and has shamed the doubting ‘Thomases’.
“What started as a dream never to come through, has come to reality and I must say, I am very happy. I am happy because it vindicates the position of my president. When he said he was going to provide 1 ambulance for 1 constituency, the naysayers thought it was just a mere propaganda talk, but it has come to reality”.
Mr. Gariba who doubles NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Builsa South made these comments during a short ceremony to hand over the ambulances to 15 constituencies of the Upper East Region held at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council.
While thanking the President for “mustering the courage of fulfilling a campaign promise”, Mr. Gariba expressed optimism that the ambulance will improve health delivery in the Builsa South.
He has also indicated that an office space for the paramedics has been provided by the assembly while construction of a parking area as well as the deplorable road linking Fumbisi to Navrongo are underway to augment the services of the ambulance and the officials.
Meanwhile, Mr Gariba is appealing to electorates to give four more years to the NPP to do more.
The Leadership of the
Physician Assistants Association of Ghana has given the National Health
Insurance Authority a two-week ultimatum to explain to its members why it is
redrawing its services from private health centers which have the license of
Physician Assistants in the country.
According to the
Association, the directive by the Board and Management of the National Health
Insurance Authority is not only an act of mischief and a motive to undermine
the association, but an act that will bring an untold danger to clients in rural
areas.
Speaking on Reporters
Visit on A1 Radio, the Upper East Regional Chairman of Physician Assistants
Association of Ghana, Ayamba Peter, said not only will the directive affect
their work but it will also bring an untold danger to clients in various
communities as most community members are relying heavily on National Health
Insurance Scheme to seek healthcare delivery.
“A region like ours
where various community members usually rely heavily on private health centers
that accept NHIS and some of these centers have the license of PAA, imagine the
effects it will create for those clients there. Meaning the poor mothers and
children will no longer have access to health care delivery.”
He added, “So the
question is; how the country will achieve one of its SDGs which seeks Universal
Health Coverage through National Health Insurance Scheme for all citizens? Yes,
the directive will not only undermine our work, but it is also go to affect the
masses of the population who seek health care at the peripheries of this nation
as a result of lack of well-resourced public health facilities.”
In a press released and
signed by Emmanuel Yaw Appiah, President of PAA, the Association, called on the
government and other relevant stakeholders to as matter of urgency intervene on
the directive.
Have you been wondering why despite your nice looks and caring nature some women still reject you ? Perhaps this will help you understand it better because ,being nice alone should not be a visa to the heart of a woman you have been desiring for.
Writer,Councilor and CEO of Roverman Productions ,Uncle Ebo White has simplified the predicament of “Nice guys” in his article he posted on his Facebook wall .Below is the full text , you may read and share to your friends in this shoes.
“Are you a nice guy? Have you ever been told “You’re are a really nice guy, but I only like you as a friend?” Probably from a woman who you would do just about anything and everything for, only to turn around and watch her date (or even chase) a guy who treats her like she’s nothing special?”
“Well you better brace yourself because I’m going to tell you a couple of secrets that you might not want to hear
Nice, sometimes equates with boring and predictable. Average, not exciting and definitely not sexy! Mr. Nice Guy, you cannot bore a woman into feeling attracted to you and as obvious as that sounds, that may be exactly what you’re trying to do.
And it won’t work.
Why does Mr. Nice guy not get the girl?
He shows that he cares too much too soon! He’s too available, too eager to please, too accommodating and gives too much without getting anything in return. By doing so he appears desperate, insecure and needy of this woman’s attention, affection and approval.
Listen, once you need something or show that you want something badly, you forfeit your strength and lose all power of negotiation. You are in a position of weakness and you are perceived as weak. Someone(or something) else is in control of you, the situation, and its outcome.
And why does the ‘cocky’ guy get the girl?” He is perceived as being a stronger, more confident guy with more value. Because he never invest everything (his entire being, ego, and self-worth) in what one woman’s response or reaction to him is. He doesn’t gush with compliments; he isn’t always available; he doesn’t give too much; and he knows he isn’t going to die if a woman says “no” to him. More, his attitude is: “yeah, I’d like to go out with you but if I can’t that’s okay – I’m a busy guy, with exciting things going on, and lots of other options”
Things that we easily acquire or maintain without any effort or sacrifice, we don’t attach value to… it’s human nature.
Mr. Nice guy, hold back a little. Happy month of love!” He explained
I hope this article has given you the perfect picture on what to do “Mr. Nice Guy” .
The 13th edition of the Ghana Higher Education Fair dubbed ‘Free SHS Edition’ has ended in the five regions of the north.
In all, the event was held two days each in all regional capitals of the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, North East and Savannah Regions, reaching close to five thousand students who have received relevant information on tertiary education relating to courses, fees, programs suitability and career paths.
The exhibition exercise offered Ghanaian tertiary institutions the opportunity to showcase their programmes and facilities.
University of Education-Winneba, Ghana Technology University College, University of Cape Coast, Koforidua Technical University, Valley View University, Regentropfen College of Applied Sciences, DAAD, University for Professional Studies (UPSA) Tamale Technical University, Sunyani Technical University and located at Kansoe-Namoo in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region and the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAG) were among institutions that occupied stands to showcase their programs and relevant career information.
The exhibition event is organised annually by I-TEXON Ghana, a private organisation in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES). However, this year’s edition was also supported by the Free Senior High School Secretariat.
Programmes Coordinator for I-TEXON Ghana, Kwaku Kwarteng Yeboah explained in an interview that the fair has in the past been held in the then three regions of the north, the creation of additional two regions added to a high number of students reached since the newly created regions were also captured and held in Nalerigu in the North East region and Damongo in the Savannah region.
“It has been largely a successful event for us and this year, we have had to come to places we haven’t been before like Nalerigu and Damongo. Reason being that these are new regions and we have to get closer to Senior High Schools in those regions to ensure they benefit from this year’s fair. Fortunately, this year’s fair is a special one because it is the free SHS edition and so we are expecting a lot of these students to enter the tertiary institutions and so they would need to know what happening and what they should be expecting. The tertiary institutions are brought close to them to give then the information the students need to aid them make appropriate choices,” he told journalists.
The Zipline Drone technology used for the quick transport and delivery of emergency medical supplies or products to designated “drop points” at health facilities across Ghana, is set to commence its delivery flights in the Upper East and North-East Regions in the next few weeks.
A Community Lead officer in charge of the Zipline base located in Vobsi, a suburb of Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the North-East Region, Mr. Simon Batamya Aseno who disclosed this to journalists on Friday stated that, just a few touches were outstanding and that by end of February, 2020, the base would become fully operational.
It would be recalled that Ghana’s Vice President, H.E. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia did the official launch of the Zipline drone delivery technology on 24th April, 2019 and after which some test-runs have been done and an implementation, currently ongoing in parts of the country with some positive tales to tell.
Mr. Aseno added that per Zipline flight operational code, the drones were permitted to fly routes of up to 80 kilometres long from their base in Vobsi, code-named GH-3 and would therefore be able to do deliveries to several places within the Bawku Municipality, Garu areas, Navrongo and its environs as well as to communities in the two Builsa Districts and other parts of the Upper East. A wide area of communities would also be covered in the North-East Region.
According to the Zipline officer, some 148 emergency medical products make up the delivery package of Zipline. Of the number, 13 of them fell into the blood category, 60 to 70 products made up the essential medicines list whilst children’s vaccines comprised 10 products. Meanwhile, some 30 to 40 products make the classification known as the Programme Commodities.
The Community Lead Officer also revealed that at full operational capacity, Zipline would cover between 14 and 16 million people needing such emergency health products across Ghana and service up to 2,000 health facilities nationwide. Zipline officials are estimated to conduct up to 600 minimum flights per day at full capacity implying, they could be doing more depending on the requests coming in.
Officials of Zipline appealed to the media to help educate and sensitise the public about their intervention in the country’s health sector as several of these delivery drones would very soon be flying over houses and communities such that unnecessary panic is not created. The company in itself hinted of an elaborate public sensitization plan to use information vans, community durbars and radio interviews to reach out to the public to assist in the discharge of its mandate to improve timely and quality health service delivery across Ghana.
The journalists earlier had an engagement with a Zipline team in Bolgatanga regarding the rationale behind the intervention and what it actually entailed as far as its scope of works was concerned. It was after this session that, they were driven to Vobsi near Walewale to tour the base office of Zipline and how its flights and product packaging was done and transported.
