Following reports of continuous illegal mining activities in some mining Regions and Districts of the country, government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have taken the stands to join forces and empower all stakeholders,  to be up and doing in the combat against illegal mining particularly in the river bodies and forest reserves. In a hearty address to the Eastern Regional Security Council, (REGSEC), MMDAs and the 15 District Mining Committees on Thursday, 25th August, 2022. George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Mines said it has become imperative to involve all, expecially traditional leaders in the fight against illegal mining as not much results have been realised from the District Mining Committees inaugurated to ensure responsible mining in the country. Hon. Duker submitted to the stakeholders that the onus lies not only on central government but on them even as individuals to protect the waterbodies and help save Ghana's future for posterity. "If you protect the rivers in your community, you are not doing it for goverment but for yourselves, your children and Ghana's future and so let's be emotional about this and solve this challenge dispassionately" He employed the traditional leaders, particularly the overloads, to be strict and ensure that thier subchiefs abide by the laws, insisting that those who do not go by the laws be destooled if necessary, to encourage vigilance and constant monitoring on the rivers that runs through their Lands. The Deputy Mines Minister also cautioned the Chiefs not to allow foreigners, particularly from the neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso and Cote D'ivore to invade their communities and mine in the rivers, adding that they should ensure that all who engage in mining in their communities exercise due diligence. "Among all others ensure that concessions under your jurisdiction are a 100 meters area from the rivers just as the law stipulates" he added. Hon. Duker stressed emphatically that as the law allows for citizen arrests, government will soon ensure that onlookers in mining communities, regardless of positions will be arrested for sitting still and allowing such atrocities to happen under their watch. He outlined a number of efforts government has put in place in the light of the combat saying "in the bid to end this canker, government has provided mercury-free mining equipment, 5 speed boats with navy personnel to constantly patrol the rivers, tracking devices with a control room to track excavators and other moving equipments are also in place, operation Halt II is also being strictly enforced, among many other strategies government is embarking on to rid the country of this canker" He called for a unified and strengthened effort to address this challenge, stressing that political affiliations should not be considered in the efforts "Let's rid this combat of any political colorization and protect our waterbodies with passion" He then charged the MMDAs and security agencies to arrest miners or mining companies that take advantage of Community Mining Schemes (CMS) to mine in communities that have the CMS inaugurated and operationalized. Addressing some concerns raised by some of the MMDAs and Chiefs, the Deputy Minister in charge of Mines assured the leaders that all their grievance have been duly noted and steps will be taken to mitigate them, while appealing for continued support and confidence in government. Hon. Duker in his address commended the stakeholders for their efforts and support so far, noting that government will recognise and award those who engage in mining the right way. "Government is not against mining and I can't emphasize this enough and because of this we have instituted the Small Scale Mining Awards to endorse and encourage those who mine the right way and this year, somewhere in November we will do this again" Hon. George Mireku Duker however warned that government will not relent in it's efforts to go against the perpetuators strongly. "We are deeply saddened by this sudden surge but I must ensure you that government will go against these perpetuators strongly and without mercy" The Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Seth Acheampong in his welcome address explained the far reaching and devastating impact of illegal mining on the very lives of the citizens and on the socio-economic activities of the country. Hon. Seth Acheampong told the gathering that if care is not taken, Ghana will soon lose it relevance in the field of trade as the use of mercury in the riverbodies impact on various foods, mentioning cocoa as an example. Most participants suggested that recalcitrants who are prosecuted are made to stay in jail without interference, which they believed would serve as a good deterant to perpetuators. The traditional leaders at the all important meeting also asked that the police and the security services support them in their efforts by guaranteeing thier protection as most of them receive death threats from these illegal miners. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

A solidarity-based Water Operators’ Partnership (WOP) between Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) and VEI has started its peer-to-peer learning journey back in 2018 to support the development of GVWC operational activities in Sierra Leone. Encouraged by the successful learning and twinning partnership, the three partners have decided to submit a funding proposal for the EU-WOP Programme. It is emerging that GWCL, GVWC and VEI will continue their capacity development arrangement for three more years. In April 2021, the programme received 142 applications. However, after a two-stage selection process, the GWCL-GVWC-VEI WOP was among the 22 projects selected. The EU-WOP Programme will allocate $250,000 grant, funding the GWCL, GVWC and VEI partnership aimed at making the unserved visible, serving them in a sustainable way by strengthening the GVWC’s organization accordingly. The project is one of the very few approved funding applications with an African lead partner and offers an excellent opportunity to build upon the prevailing twinning arrangement between GWCL and GVWC and further strengthen it with the support of VEI. The GWCL Low Income Customer Support Department (LICSD) will take the lead in supporting GVWC’s ambition to better serve vulnerable populations over a 36 months’ duration. By supporting the development of the GVWC pro-poor activities and elevating its position as an organisation, the project will contribute greatly to the desired transformation of GVWC towards better service delivery. Together with the assistance of VEI the aim is to make the unserved visible and build the capacity to engage and transform the unserved to be served in a sustainable way. It is emerging that the partnership aims to contribute towards the SDG 6 targets by embracing the “leave no one behind” principle. On 23rd March 2022, an agreement was signed during a special signing ceremony at the World Water Forum in Dakar. It is emerging that Sierra Leone’s Minister for Water Resources and Ghana’s Chief Director at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, GWCL & GVWC Managing Directors, and other interested stakeholders representing the different parties were present at the event. In July 2022, GWCL undertook a maiden visit to Sierra Leone’s GVWC to kick-start the partnership. The visit commenced with an address from the dynamic and high-spirited female Board Chair of GVWC, Bintu Myers who pledged the Board’s strategic support to deliver on the program’s objectives. GWCL’s MD, Ing. Dr. Clifford A. Braimah, stimulated the Board Chair's message by highlighting the importance of top management buy-in for the establishment of a dedicated department advocating for the unserved communities and households. He shared examples of goodwill and funding GWCL has received from the development partners, consumers and other sector stakeholders as a result of having elevated the GWCL Low-Income Customer Support unit into a full-blown department (LICSD). The Chief Manager LICSD, Faustina Boachie, shared her views on the evolution she made from occupying a single person pro-poor service desk to managing a full-blown department with a track record in fundraising, community engagement, and improving water service delivery in LIUCs (including community engagement, revenue collection initiatives and setting up Water User Associations). Being the lead partner, GWCL took advantage of the visit to gain a better understanding of the local challenges in supplying water to the vulnerable communities of Sierra Leone and that commenced the transfer of knowledge and expertise. VEI also supported the process. LICSD Officer, Nancy Godson shared her experience on GWCL’s community engagement approaches. LICSD Officer, Obed Frempong and VEI Project Manager, Krijn Driessen also provided a hands-on workshop on the utilization of drones. The workshop garnered considerable attention and a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone was handed over for GVWC to enhance GVWC’s drone skills before the next encounter between the partners, which is scheduled to take place in September 2022 in Ghana. With the slogan “I WOP, WE WOP, EU WOP” the partners expressed their satisfaction with the first EU WOP Program visit and therefore committed their utmost support to build capacity to make the unserved visible and to engage to transform the unserved to be served in a sustainable way. “This Water Operators’ Partnership project is funded by the European Union and UN-Habitat” Background The EU-WOP Programme is an initiative funded by the European Union and managed by UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) that is funding over 20 Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) projects. These partnerships are solidarity-based, not-for-profit and peer-to-peer exchanges between water and sanitation operators, that aim at strengthening the capacity and performance of utilities, with the ultimate goal of contributing to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation for all. Story by: Thinknewsonline.com News Desk

Citi News can confirm the passing of former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Krowor constituency, Abraham Odai Laryea. The former MP died while on admission at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, but according to the family, the cause of his death is not yet known. Mr. Laryea was elected into office during the 2004 elections on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party. He was later succeeded by Elizabeth Afoley Quaye. The staunch politician, who turned 70 on May 22, 2022, left behind three sons and two daughters. Confirming the development to Citi News, one of his sons, Paul Odai Laryea, said the Krowor constituency has been “thrown into a state of mourning as the former MP served well and contributed actively to the developments in the area.” Credit: Citinewsroom

Former Black Stars midfielder, Sulley Muntari is unlikely to feature for Hearts of Oak ahead of the new season. The 37-year-old is currently a free agent after the expiration of his contract at Hearts of Oak.Muntari signed a six-month deal with the Phobians before the start of the second round of the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season. The former Inter Milan midfielder won two trophies during his short stint with the club. According to the Communications Director, Kwame Opare Addo, the club is in talks with Muntari but it is unfortunate that the transfer window has been shut, which means he will not be part of the team for the new season. #Muntari has a decision to make but the most important thing for us is that he came in and play for us for a particular period which we had an agreement," he told Accra-based Onua FM. "If he will continue with us, there will be another agreement to continue because these are footballing issues but if he has a different decision you cannot force somebody to do something for you if the person has a different decision." "For now, the club is still in talks with Muntari but unfortunately the transfer window has closed, so if there is anything that can be done, we will look at it but unfortunately the transfer window has closed," he added. Muntari won this year’s President Cup against Asante Kotoko and also helped the team defend the MTN FA Cup title last season. Credit: Modern Ghana

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has cautioned the three Schools of Hygiene to ensure they maintain and keep their new laboratory equipment well to avoid breakages and theft. The Minister made these known when she presented some laboratory equipment on behalf of Government to the Accra, Tamale and Ho Schools of Hygiene in Accra on Wednesday. Addressing Journalists, the Minister said "This is part of capacity building and strengthening Institutions. These are the Ho, Accra and Tamale Schools of Hygiene. The gesture is to ensure that the students are well equipped knowledge that is why this morning, we came to give these items as well as office equipment" The Minister also revealed that Government has already given funding to build a newer block, likewise renovating the old one. Touting Government's achievement, Madam Dapaah praised the Akufo-Addo administration for coming to the aid of the students with the equipment. "And we all heard, since 1925, this is the biggest chunk that has been given out and Government should be commended. We heard them commending the President and also the Sanitation Ministry for the foresight and vision for bringing them under this newly created Ministry to make sure that they are given the attention that they need and over 10 years, the students had not been given any employments so this Government made sure, we employed 1,170 to distribute them to the Assemblies to help them with environmental hygiene" "We are on course and making sure that they are well equipped, affiliate them to like-minded institutions so they share and collaborate with them and also gain more experience in the filed" Responding to issues of allowances, the Sanitation Minister assured that it will be dealt with by government. "I have asked them to make sure they maintain and keep them well. We don't want to hear about breakages and thefts likewise other man handling or mishandling of the equipment" On his part, Principal, School of Hygiene, Accra, Smile Kobina Ametsi thanked President Akufo-Addo and the Sanitation Minister, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah for the kind gesture. He also assured that the equipment will be well maintained and also used for its internal purposes. The items donated include: 1 Inoculation Chamber (Laminal Flow Hood), 3 Stuart Scientific Hot Plate, 3 Heidolph Hei-Connect Magnetic Stirrer, 6 Culture Plate, 300 Magnetic Filters, 50 Forceps, 3 Analytical Balance and 3 Desiccator. The others are: 3 Bunsen Burner, 3 Weighing Scale, 15 Adjustable Volume Calibrated Micropipette, 600 Glass Pipette and Bulbs, 3 Benchtop Conductivity, 150 Spatula, 150 Stirring Rod, 300 Conical Flask, and 120 Wash Bottles. It also had 300 Glass Funnel, 300 Volumetric Flask, 100 Test Tube Holders, 1000 Test Tubes, 30 Measuring Cylinders, 3 Weighing Scale and 100 Screw Cap and Plastic Container (400ML). The office equipment are; 6 Multifunctional Photocopier, 18 All in One Colour Printer and 6 Projectors. The presentation is in line with the Greater Accra Sustainable and Livelihoods Improvement Project (GASLIP). The School of Hygiene presented a citation to the Sanitation and Water Resources Minister for her kind. The Minister later through a tour inspected some laboratories and a library. Below are some videos and pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has disclosed that security in the region has so far improved significantly as compared to previous years. According to the Minister, as the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (RESEC), he has led in an intelligent-led swoop which has not come to the full glare of the public. Addressing the media in Accra on Wednesday, Simon Osei Mensah indicated that his strategy is not parading suspects with weapons in the public which he believes may put fear and panic in the people. He hinted that, they do intelligent swoop almost every month but they don't announce to the public. He made these comments at the backdrop of recent research by Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) indicating that Ashanti Region is on record as the region to have recorded highest number of violent incidences in Ghana from June-July 2022. The report, which FOSDA indicated that out of a total 86 cases recorded within June 01 to July 31, 2022, the Ashanti Region topped the list with 24 incidents, representing 28 per cent of the total incidents. But in response, the regional Minister debunked the report saying it lacks credibility In addition, Simon Osei Mensah reiterated that fines meted out to illegal miners after prosecution are too low and not primitive enough. He indicated that he is in talk with the judiciary to increase those fines to deter illegal miners in the region Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

At least, Twenty-Seven(27) Senior High School (SHS) students in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region have contracted HIV/AIDS, according to the latest reports released by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Municipal Health Director, Mrs Elsie Kissi-Appiah. She also disclosed that other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are on the rise urging residents to be wary and take steps to protect themselves. "It is sad to inform you that twenty-seven SHS students have contracted HIV/ AIDS due to unprotected sex and multiple sex partners" Teenage pregnancy is also on the increase’, she announced at a presentation organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization and Rural Development in the area. Deputy Local Government Minister, Collins Ntim bemoaned the situation calling stakeholders to step out of their game. ‘The government is also interested in providing free antiretroviral drugs and one can go for them, ‘, the Minister said. This also comes in the wake of the revelation by the Programme Manager of the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo that 23,495 people tested positive for HIV in the first half of this year. As of December 2021, the estimated population of HIV-positive persons in the country was 350,000, with only 71 per cent being identified by the control programme. Credit: broadcastghana.net

President of voluntary 'Think and do-Tank' club, Asante Professionals Club (APC), Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh is appealing to Journalists to always seek clarifications from event organisers to avoid misrepresentation in their reportage. Madam Nerquaye-Tetteh made these pronouncements following an alleged misrepresentation of some comments made by the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah at a virtual lecture held a week ago. In a statement sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, it said "The attention of the Asante Professionals Club (APC)i has been drawn to news items and publications on various television channels, online news portals and newspapers with various headlines which suggest that the statements above were direct comments made by a guest speaker during the Club’s last Kyere Mu online meeting" "COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs) who is the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was invited to give an online lecture on our Kyere Mu platform on the topic 'Economic Crimes and Its Effect on the Nation' ”. The statement also revealed that the lecture took place at 7pm on Wednesday August 17, 2022. Madam Nerquaye-Tetteh added that during the lecture, COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah disclosed that there were challenges in prosecuting financial crimes all over the world in view of the nature in which such crimes are perpetrated. "The Executive Director of EOCO underscored the importance of vigilance among the citizenry in order for them not to fall victim to financial scams, explaining that the processes involved in prosecuting such cases can be challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining evidence, especially in the case of online economic crimes" Madam Nerquaye-Tetteh stressed that in expatiating on the need for vigilance, COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah cautioned against rushing into investing into entities, especially financial institutions without conducting the necessary due diligence, citing the example of Menzgold which several persons invested in despite several warnings and disclaimers from the appropriate State agencies. "We wish to emphatically state that, at no point did she mention NAM 1 or evidence relating to his prosecution as contained in several media reports" Quoting COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, President of the Ashanti Professionals Club said “The people should be made aware of their rights and remedies. Alongside this, stakeholders should be educated not only on how to be good citizens but also on how to steer clear from these criminal activities and avoid being victims of crimes. (e.g., Menzgold case where people did not listen). Furthermore, the faith of the people in the justice system should be restored by improving the system and also educating people on the approach they should take when faced with a crime so they can report it the right way and ensure they get justice”. Madam Nerquaye-Tetteh hinted that her club will continue to invite resource persons to educate its members and the general public on topical issues. "Journalists who wish to report on our meetings contact the Club first to avoid a misrepresentation of facts" Background Ashanti Professionals Club (APC) is a voluntary “think and do-tank” club, comprising professionals from the Asante Kingdom of the Republic of Ghana. The Club is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization with prime interest in the development of Asanteman and its people. The club is registered under the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) as a company limited by guarantee. It holds a monthly online conference dubbed “Kyere Mu”. It is an opportunity for its speakers to educate members and participants on topical issues of societal interest. 'Kyere Mu' is open to the general public. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Former captain of the Black Stars, Asamoah Gyan is bruised by what he describes as the hypocritical attitude of Ghanaians who he says have done little to celebrate his achievements in football. The basis of his opinion is the fact that social media platforms are always inundated with insults of his personality alongside the claim that his countrymen do not trumpet his records until foreigners attempt to ‘steal’ the spot for an international footballer. The 36-year-old indicated in his interview with Dentaa that his weighty accomplishments as a footballer should be on the lips of Ghanaians while emphasizing he is an icon. Without hesitation, he responded “Nope, I don’t think so” to whether or not he thinks Ghana has celebrated him enough years after playing for national teams. “There are a lot of people who come on social media to disrespect me. They say a lot of things but they know the truth. One thing about Ghanaians is they know the right thing, instead of them putting it out there, they will not do it. But when foreigners praise theirs, that is where they [Ghanaians] bring their star to compare,” Gyan said. Citing an example to buttress his point, Gyan mentioned that he was the first player to have scored in nine consecutive tournaments but that enviable record was never blazoned by Ghanaians until Cristiano Ronaldo did same in June 2021. Gyan’s bane was why it had to take an attempt by foreigners to crown Cristiano Ronaldo as a record-holder in that regard before Ghanaians acknowledged him. “When Ronaldo scored, they [foreigners] put him there that he was the one who has set that record and then Ghanaians started attacking. They know the truth. Why didn’t they say it for people to know? When people start praising their icons, that is when they [Ghanaians] come out and say ‘we also have Asamoah Gyan’. “In my own country, you see people disrespecting me, creating a lot of stories about me which I feel like it’s not it. So, when I see people defending me on social media, I just say ‘look at these hypocrites’” Gyan concluded. Asamoah Gyan is the all-time leading goal scorer of the Ghana national team, with 51 goals. He is also the top African goal scorer in the history of the World Cup, with 6 goals. Meanwhile, Asamoah Gyan has said he is training in preparation for a possible World Cup 2022 appearance. The announcement has courted conversation, dividing opinions. Why some posit that he is better than all the strikers Ghana has and hence, should be handed a call-up, others say he has become rusty, hence, unfit to wear the national jersey. Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Family of 35-year-old Andrew Donkor, who was shot dead on April 1, 2022, by security personnel at the premises of the Nkroful magistrate court in the Ellembelle District, has condemned attempts by some persons to tag him as an illegal miner. Addressing a press conference at Teleku-Bokazo on behalf of the family, the elder brother of the late Donkor, Thomas Nyamekeh Donkor said the Ellembelle NPP Constituency in their recent press conference wrongly tagged the late Donkor as an illegal miner and a rioter. “The family of Andrew Donkor is mourning our beloved brother, and we expected calm to prevail to make the soul of our beloved son and brother rest in peace… We are fully aware that our brother was a polling station executive for the NPP, so the least we expected from his own political party is to unfortunately play politics with his death. We respectfully but seriously ask the NPP in Ellembelle Constituency to desist from such an act as it amounts to putting the name of our beloved brother into disrepute. Andrew Donkor is not an illegal miner and was never involved in any riot as purported by the Ellembelle NPP executives. He was just an observer who was nowhere near the crowd, which witnesses can confirm”, he said. He cautioned the governing party against spreading such falsehood about the late Donkor and his family. “The Donkor family is not associated with any political party. From the day our beloved Andrew Donkor died till the day he was buried, no NPP executive or member has ever visited the family. Neither the DCE nor Ellembelle NPP has reached out to the family to offer any support. So it was strange to us that they sit on TV to tell a lie that they are fighting for compensation for the family. If they (NPP) claim Andy is their polling station executive, then the question is, is that how they treat their own?” he asked. The family of the late Donkor commended the decision by MP for Ellembelle to go to court to seek justice for the late Donkor and encouraged others to do same in collaboration with the family. “The Donkor family express our profound gratitude to Hon. Armah Kofi Buah for fighting with us since day one from petitioning CHRAJ and subsequently filing the case in court. As a family, we wish to give our support and prayer to Hon. Armah Buah in his pursuit of Justice for our brother Andrew Donkor. If any other group thinks they are also pursuing this matter, let them do it through the family rather than organizing causeless and ridiculous press conferences without the family’s approval. Any other press conference held in the name of Andrews Donkor without prior knowledge of the family will invoke the wrath,“ he noted. The mother of the late Donkor, Sabina Donkor, on her part, reiterated calls for stakeholders indicted in the matter to support the children of the slain Andrew Donkor. Credit: Citinewsroom

When l contested for the position of GS in the recent NPP National elections, the “Dombos” from the Greater Northern Region (N/R, UWR, N/E, UER, S/R) voted against me. They “Dombos” voted for our current GS (JFK). They gave him their mandate because they believed he could do the job better than me and the rest of the GS aspirants. They accepted his vision, believed in his competence and voted for him hugely. In the Northern Region specifically, where l come from, the combined votes of JFK and JB stood at 274. I got 35 votes. I accepted the decision of my “brothers and sisters” in good faith. They exercised their right to choose without any ethnic consideration or bias. It was proper and right. This is how democracy works. Electors in any contest should choose people base on their competencies and not where they come from or who they are associated with. That should be the case in the debate leading to the election of our Party’s 2024 flagbearer. The conversation should be about who can unite our Party, be truthful to us, energize the base and motivate the grassroots to rekindle our spirit for the 2024 electioneering campaign. Most importantly, the person must have CAPACITY to be President. Stop the ethnocentric bunk. It is dangerous! Credit: Musah Superior NOTE: Thinknewsonline.com cannot be held accountable for any contemptuous statements or utterances. The article is solely the views of the author.

Some irate nurses have picketed at the Ministry of Finance in Accra, complaining about failure by many hospitals to employ them despite they getting financial clearance from government. The nurses are accusing the leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) of failing to get government to get the hospitals to employ them. Numbering over 50, the community nurses and nurse assistant clinicians stormed the offices of the Finance Ministry on Tuesday, August 23. They insist that they will not return to their various homes if they are not posted by close of day. According to them, any move in the past to embark on protest to make their concerns known is suppressed with assurances given that they will be posted. But they say they “are fed up with them”. “Most of the time they tell us to pray,” said Rose Adu Gyamfi, a member of the protesting nurses. “Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has issued this clearance to us.” She said they have been home “without any improvement [and] no progressing”. “If this is not a clearance, the Ministry of Finance should come and tell us. We are fed up with them.” No official has come to take their concerns as of going to press. Source: 3news.com