The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate Aspirant for Adentan Constituency, Kwasi Obeng-Fosu, has condemned in no uncertain terms the dastardly act of violence inflicted on Nana Mawerehene and a few of his followers by some imported thugs without any provocation. Mr. Kwasi Obeng-Fosu in a press release issued stated, “It was heart wrenching seeing Adentan NPP, which used to be an icon in the Greater Accra Region become a laughing stock just because of a supposed internal democratic process meant to elect a Parliamentary Candidate for the party”. Violent thuggery he indicated, is a culture that has always been alien to the NPP in the Adentan Constituency until recently, saying, there have been more acrimonious internal rivalry in the constituency in the past but, not a single soul got physically abused,however contentious the elections were. “It is true, I wished to lead the NPP in Adentan as Parliamentary Candidate but little did I expect anyone to get injured in the process, most especially Nana Mawerehene and all the victims of the unprovoked attacks”. He averred that as a politician, he knew there are only two outcomes in elections – win or lose and therefore, though defeat was unexpected, he accept the decision of the party in good faith. “In that vein, I wish to congratulate the elected Parliamentary Candidate on her election” . Mr. Obeng-Fosu however, expressed appreciations to his supporters for their unadulterated love and unflinching support offered to him even at the expense of their comfort. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio has made a strong case for Ghana and Ivory Coast to strengthen collaborative efforts towards the production of cocoa and the protection of their respective forest reserves. Speaking at Cocoa Forest Initiative (CFI) event held by the Ivorian Ministry of Water and Forest as part of the ongoing COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, Hon. Owusu-Bio observed that with the two country’s being responsible for 60% of global cocoa production, it is important for them to join forces and deal with the issue of climate change. “As you know Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire produce over 60 percent of the world's cocoa supplies and it means that cocoa is a very important commodity which we cannot do away with" "It also means that we have to be careful since there are competing land-uses for food production, cocoa cultivation, mining and forest conservation”, he said. “This is where we need to strengthen our collaboration to ensure the sustainability of our production, halt deforestation and forest degradation and eventually contribute to global efforts to fight climate change”, he added. Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio also commended the two countries for their historically rich collaborations especially in the area of cocoa production. He noted since the establishment of the CFI, Ghana and Ivory Coast have effectively combined efforts to ensure that cocoa production in both countries is done with minimal impact on the environment. As the CFI progresses to CFI 2.0, Hon. Benito reckons the responsibility has been placed on both Ghana and Ivory Coast to step up efforts. He also indicated the readiness of the government of Ghana to team up with the private sector to pursue a path of dealing with cocoa driven deforestation. “The Cocoa and Forest Initiative has demonstrated to be a valuable tool to attract private sector involvement in the fight against cocoa driven deforestation" "It is therefore important to strengthen and sustain this unique partnership to ensure that cocoa is produced legally with minimal effect on our forest”, he reiterated. “We, in Ghana, remain absolutely committed to CFI and will continue to collaborate with our partners from the World Cocoa Foundation, IDH Sustainable Trade and the Chocolate and cocoa producing companies" "We would also like to encourage learning exchange visits with our counterparts in Cote d’ Ivoire . This will ensure effective and efficient implementation and functioning of the CFI Secretariats in both countries”, he stated. “Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire have actively participated and organized CFI events in 3 successive COPs starting from Cop26 in Glasgow, COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh and now CoP 28 in Dubai. In each of these, we have worked closely together to ensure that we are able to share knowledge on how to halt deforestation due to Cocoa production in our respective countries,”he said. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called on the international community, both public and private, to partner with Ghana to implement its Country Package under the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), dubbed “Resilient Ghana: Advancing Climate Action for Prosperity.” He said the urgency to implement forest solutions to tackle climate change, required that the world comes together, to mobilise support for nature-positive action. The President made the call at a high level event at the ongoing twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where he announced Ghana’s Country Package. It will be recalled that at COP26 in Glasgow, world leaders adopted the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. At COP27 in Sharm El Shiekh, Egypt, Ghana joined the United Kingdom to launch the FCLP as a vehicle to deliver on the ambitious target of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration. The Country Packages is an initiative of the FCLP to design, develop and implement an integrated system-wide wholistic suit of interventions to address Forest Landscape Restoration, according to each country’s Nationally Determined Contributions. Since the launch of the FCLP, Ghana has been working on this Country Package, which was socialised broadly on the sidelines of New York Climate Week in September, 2023, in a workshop which had in attendance a number of partners, including the World Bank, the Tony Blair Institute, Bezos Earth Fund, the Governments of the USA, UK, Norway, Singapore. The Package is hinged on three (3) main pillars, namely, advancing nature-based industrialisation and sustainable rural development; building an inclusive green economy with future-fit green jobs and nature-based alternative livelihoods; and scaling climate ambition. It is estimated that the Country Package will transform forest landscape economy with a ripple effect on the macro-economy by generating some Twelve Billion US Dollars (US$12,000,000,000.00) by 2030, through scaling compliance and voluntary carbon markets, promoting sustainable oil palm and cocoa farming models, restoring degraded forest lands and promoting eco-tourism. Announcing the details of the Country Package, President Akufo-Addo said “Resilient Ghana” is a vision to strengthen Ghana’s economy, protect and restore her abundant forests, meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost cocoa production, position the country as a global leader in sustainable timber, and scale up tourism potential, while creating jobs and livelihoods for people. He said the world’s forests have over the years, been undervalued and under-protected, and the launch of the FCLP signified the urgency of accelerating action to halt and reverse forest loss. According to the President, through the Country Package, Ghana will showcase how to transform the forest sector and strengthen the economy in tandem. This will be achieved, through strategies, such as building a strong foundation to access international carbon markets, strengthening agricultural and mining practices, promoting aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, and reinforcing the enabling conditions for a just transition. The Country Package will be implemented with partners from both Government and the private sector, including the Governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States of America (USA), Singapore and Canada. Already, UAE has committed to support the Package with Thirty Million US Dollars (US$30,000,000.00). The UAE High Level Champion on COP28, H.E. Razan Al-Mubarak, commended Ghana on her leadership on forests, climate and nature, adding that the UAE is “pleased to deepen our bilateral cooperation with Ghana by joining the Country Package for Forests, Nature and Climate and supporting development of sustainable agriculture forest restoration, ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods for local communities.” The United States Special Presidential Envoy on Climate, Secretary John Kerry, in a goodwill message said “The United States is pleased to join partners in Resilient Ghana in supporting Ghana's ambitious efforts to halt deforestation and restore 2 million ha of degraded lands.” On her part, the Minister for Sustainability and Environment of Singapore, H.E. Ms. Grace Fu, said “Singapore will continue to work with Ghana to operationalise and implement this initiative.” World leaders are meeting in Dubai, UAE, to discuss measures to halt climate change and its devastating consequences on lives and livelihoods. The Conference, which begun on Thursday, November 30, is expected to run until Tuesday, December 12, 2023, with several countries making new commitments towards halting climate change. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

News coming in indicates that Chinese National, Aisha Huang has been sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison. This comes after it emerged that Aisha Huang was engaging in illegal small-scale mining popularly known as 'galamsey' in Ghana. It emerged that she was operating in the county without licence. She was further slapped with a fine of GHc48,000. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

President Akufo-Addo has given an indication of his acknowledgement that the 2024 election will not be a walk in the park for the ruling government. He has, therefore, urged all members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to approach next year's elections with a united front. “I urge all winners to be magnanimous in their celebrations, and work hard to bring onboard those who were not successful. Through this, we shall create the united, formidable front that, under the leadership of our new, worthy presidential candidate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will enable us to go into the difficult 2024 elections with quiet confidence, and, with the help of Almighty God, Break the Eight, which is the fervent wish of all NPP members, and, indeed, of all well-meaning Ghanaians,” he said in a post on Facebook on December 4, 2023. The President said this while congratulating the winners in the Party's orphan constituencies primaries held on December 2, 2023. “I extend warm congratulations to the National, Regional, Constituency, Electoral Area and Polling Station Officers, and, indeed, the entire membership of the New Patriotic Party for the conduct of free, fair, transparent and credible parliamentary primaries in “orphan” constituencies during the weekend of Saturday, 2nd December 2023,” he posted. According to President Akufo-Addo, Saturday's election completes the penultimate stage of the Party's preparations for the all-important contest of 7th December 2024. “…and we have, once again, expressed our deep attachment and commitment to the democratic values, which have been hallmarks of our Party's great tradition. Despite the challenges confronting the nation, we have demonstrated, with our record in office, that we are the Party that can bring progress and prosperity to all parts of our country,” the President added. The NPP held parliamentary elections in what they call orphan constituencies on December2, 2023. Orphan constituencies are those in which the Party does not have sitting Members of Parliament. In other words, constituencies in which the MPs are fron the National Democratic Congress or Independent Candidates. Credit: 3news

Mobile Phone Giants, Samsung has launched its new Galaxy F54 5G smartphone. According to Samsung, to provide the benefit of better technology smartphones to its customers in the Indian market within the cheapest budget range, the famous smartphone manufacturer Samsung has now launched Samsung Galaxy F54 5G Smartphone. Which is attracting a lot of customers within the cheap budget range. In which according to the latest technology, customers will get to see very modern specifications and powerful camera quality. Customers will also get to see a very powerful battery in the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G smartphone, which makes it a much better option than other smartphones available in this year 2023. Specifications and features of Samsung Galaxy F54 5G If we talk about the specifications and features, then with the latest technology, the company has installed Samsung Exynos 1380 powerful processor in its Samsung Galaxy F54 5G. Which supports better gaming. In this smartphone, the display quality of the company will be 6.7 inch AMOLED display, which makes the smartphone a better option. Samsung Galaxy F54 5G Battery Features Talking about battery features, Samsung company has used 6000mAh powerful battery in its latest smartphone Samsung Galaxy F54 5G . With the help of battery, this smartphone becomes capable of providing calling and music time of about two days on a single charge. Camera quality of Samsung Galaxy F54 5G If we talk about camera quality, Samsung Galaxy F54 5G has been launched by the company with a 108-megapixel main camera sensor. In which according to the latest information, you get 8 megapixel ultra wide camera sensor and 2 megapixel supported camera sensor. In which the company has provided a 32 megapixel front camera for selfie and video calling. Price of Samsung Galaxy F54 5G If we look at the price of Samsung Galaxy F54 5G smartphone, the company has launched its latest smartphone with a storage variant of 8 GB RAM and 256 GB ROM with a starting price of ₹ 26000. Credit: YuvaPatrkaar.com

Deputy Minister of  Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu has led a team of the members of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Ministry of Defence to inspect works on the construction of the Twelve  Forward Operating Bases (FOB) and Three Logistics Centres in the Northern part of our country. These facilities, when completed, will help strengthen Ghana's borders against any terrorists attack. Last year, hundreds of displaced nationals from Burkina Faso entered Ghana through parts of the country's northern borders. But Mr Amankwa-Manu who is also lawmaker for Atwima Kwanwom assured that the government is scaling up surveillance at the borders. “Surveillance continues to be strengthen to neutralise any sporadic attack” he told 3news.com,'s William Evans-Nkum in an exclusive interview. Credit: 3news.com

The Jospong Group of Companies has partnered government to support farmers in the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Phase II programme. This collaboration aims to enhance the efficiency of farming operations by providing essential agricultural machinery for rent, allowing farmers the opportunity to access the tools necessary for their farming activities. Speaking to journalists on the margins of the Agrifest 2023 on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, Group C.E.O Joseph Siaw Agyepong expressed the shared vision of the Jospong Group and the government in ensuring the success of PFJ II. "Our goal is to equip farmers with the necessary tools to ensure our farmers are able to farm all year round," he remarked. The Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II program, a pivotal component of the government's broader agricultural strategy, aims to boost local food production, enhance food security, and empower farmers across the country. Highlighting the importance of private-sector collaboration, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who was also present at the agriculture festival underscored the role of the Jospong Group in complementing government efforts. "One of the things government is doing to rejuvenate our economy is onboard private sector partnerships. And in the past, the Jospong Group has shown that they can be very good partners. By partnering with them, we are actively looking for ways we can increase our agricultural productivity as a country," he added. Agrifest 2023 In conjunction with these developments, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture organized Agrifest 2023, a five-day agriculture festival held within the Ministries enclave. This event, leading up to the National Farmers Day on December 1, 2023, serves as a platform to showcase diverse agricultural produce and equipment. The festival, inaugurated by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, and the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, features the participation of 145 companies and organizations displaying plant seedlings, farm produce, livestock, cocoa products, and various agricultural equipment, including tractors, weeding, and irrigation equipment. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

A rescue mission made up of residents of the area saved a mother and her three children trapped in their homes following the spillage of the Dahwenya irrigation dam. Hundreds of residents of Dawhenya near Prampram in the Greater Accra Region have been displaced following the flooding of their homes caused by the spillage of an irrigation dam in the area. Some affected residents who spoke to Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM said the water is at the window level of their houses. Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, has blamed the impact of the Dahwenya Dam spillage on what he describes as negligence by the management of the dam. The spillage has displaced approximately 600 persons and claimed several livelihoods in the Dahwenya community. Addressing the media during an assessment tour, the Ningo-Prampram legislator called for an immediate investigation into the matter. “We need to call a spade a spade. There are natural causes, but it’s been exacerbated by the decisions and inactions of people, the indiscipline in our community, and we have people paying the price for it. Over 600 people were displaced, and properties running into millions were destroyed. People have worked all their lives in Accra, bought lands here and built with their retirement, and it’s all gone. Because someone is sleeping on his job. We need to have a proper investigation into this. How can a scheme manager sell state land to a foreigner? This is unacceptable in our country.” He bemoaned the indiscipline of the residents in the area. “It’s obvious that there has been an increase in rainfall from upstream, which is basically mounting waves, and that water has found its way into the dam. The dam has an automatic spillway that allows water to be spilled at a certain level. Once the water gets to a certain level, it spills itself. You were there when we did the rescue of a woman and her children who have been stuck there for 24 hours. That house is sitting right in the middle of the stream. Who do we hold responsible for that? Buildings in the middle of the stream. In the stream, we saw land for sale. If we are so indisciplined as a people to bring some of these things. Look at where we are standing right now, and an individual chooses to build a hotel in the runway for water. He has blocked it, and that is what has created the dam here. What has the assembly been doing?” Credit: Citinewsroom

The National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has launched a new flagship programme, Entrepreneurship Jobs for All (Ejobs4All) for Ghanaian the Youth in the mining regions. Launching the module on Tuesday, 28th November, 2024, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor in his address described the project as part of government’s initiative to provide decent jobs for the Youth who either reside or hail from the mining regions of the country. He said, the launch of the new module is a transformative initiative which has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), the Queens University, Leadogo Incorporated Canada, and the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Development Initiative (CEDI Ghana). Mr. Jinapor outlined some efforts and far-reaching measures made by government since 2017, such as the  declaration of water bodies as Red Zones, the ban on reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration in Forest Reserves, the procurement of speed boats to patrol rivers, and the launch of Operation Halt II  to the reduce the  impact of illegalities on our water bodies, Forest Reserves, lands, farms, and the environment. The Minister opined that through the Minerals Development Fund, and the other alternative livelihood programmes being implemented by the Minerals Commission, Government will  continue to support the development of mining communities with revenue accruing from mining. "We are, also, engaging with mining companies to ensure that they contribute, meaningfully, to the development of their host communities". Ejobs4All, the Minister said is not just a slogan but a beacon of hope, a catalyst for change, and a commendable approach to addressing one of Ghana’s most pressing challenges, unemployment. The Minister maintained that the second module is an initiative to empower the Ghanaian youth, foster innovation, and unleash the potential that lies within mining communities. The  Coordinator, National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme for illegal Miners( NAELP), Dr Louise Carol Serwaa Donkor explained the module as an intersection of innovation, empowerment and sustainable development. She further stated that Ejobs4all stands as a testament to have adaptability and commitment to addressing contemporary challenges particularly the pressing issues of illegal mining and unemployment in an era where the global landscape is shaped by dynamic changes. She described the project as a leverage as not only the traditional strength of the mining sector but also integrating as cutting-edge practices that align with global trends, whiles ensuring that the youth are equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The NAELP Coordinator used the platform to commended highly the various agencies, partners and visionaries who made the initiative possible. She said their efforts amplifies the resonance of their shared commitment. Mr. Kingsley Kwaku Pinkrah, the Founder and CEO for Centre for Entrepreneurship and Development Initiative (CEDI) Ghana, emphasized that the initiative does not solely address the adverse effects of illegal mining, instead, its primary focus is to establish avenues for sustainable livelihoods, fostering innovation, and empowering individuals to build businesses that positively contribute to their communities and the country’s economy. He indicated that, the expected outcomes of the project are nothing short of transformational, stressing that the vision includes the growth of businesses in mining regions, leading to job creation for those involved in illegal mining. There were goodwill messages in support of the innovative and impactful  programme from other partners including, Mr. Matt Hawksley, Founder and CEO, Leaders In Doing Good (Leadogo)Inc. Canada and Prof. Greg Bavington, Executive Director, Queens University. The Entrepreneurship Jobs for All Programme is an initiative designed to directly address one of NAELP's core mandate which promotes sustainable and resilient businesses within mining communities which creates an environment that absorb the talents and ambitions of unemployed youth, actively contributing to the development of their respective regions. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has said Ghanaians will soon be buying cars on credit thanks to the Ghana Card and digitalisation of the economy. Speaking at the 57th congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on 24 November, he said discussions to that effect is ongoing with some automobile companies in Ghana. Bawumia said one of such companies that has agreed to rollout out the initiative is Solar Taxi and according to him, all a purchaser may require for the transaction will be a Ghana Card. “The Ghana Card will also become the anchor for a credit system in Ghana and it will take a couple of car manufacturers in Ghana notably Solar Taxi to give cars on credit to people,” he said. “All they will need at the point of transaction will be your Ghana card and they will give you a car and then you pay over time.” This will be accompanied by the introduction of a credit scoring system for individuals which will be launched next year, Bawumia said. The system aimed at providing credible credit history of individuals will sanitise the financial sector, clear the deficit of trust which has made the cost of doing business expensive and promote discipline, he added. “Ghana next year will be introducing a credit scoring system for individuals. Every individual will have a credit score. Right now our credit scoring system does not exist so we are seen as risky,” Bawumia said. Source: asaaseradio.com

The chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences, Cardinal Peter Turkson has said that there is no need to criminalise homosexuality. He said persons with gay and lesbian tendencies have committed no crime. “LGBT people may not be criminalised because they've committed no crime. To criminalise anybody, you need to identify the crime,” he said. Cardinal Peter Turkson said this during an interview on BBC Hardtalk programme on November 27, 2023. He explained what has resulted in efforts to enact laws against homosexual activities “what caused all of this is attempt to link some foreign donations and grants to certain positions… in the name of freedom, in the name of respect for rights”. He therefore stated that, “Neither should this position become an imposition on cultures which are not yet ready to accept stuff like that.” The interview was held against the background that Ghana's Parliament is currently considering the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 that if passed, will prohibit acts of homosexuality. The proponents want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalised in the country. Cardinal Turkson suggested that “It's time to begin education, to help people understand what this reality, this phenomenon is. We need a lot of education to get people to… make a distinction between what is crime and what is not crime,” he stressed. The cleric also said that the LGBTQI phenomenon has been known in Ghana for many years. According to him, this is found in the Akan expression “Kojo Besia' or “Obaa barima.” “In the Akan language, that of mine, there is an expression “men who act like women and women who act like men. If culturally we had expressions… it just means that it's been known to the Ghanaian society,” he explained. Cardinal Turkson became the first-ever Ghanaian cardinal in 2003 when he was appointed by Pope John Paul II. Credit: TV3