The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has Mr. Antwi Bosiako Sekyere, a former Eastern Regional Minister, for participating in an event organized by the Atta Mills Institute on the commissioning of the renovated Asomdwee Park. The party in its statement said attending the event under the leadership of Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho who has been dismissed from the party was in breach of the rules of the party. “FEC was also informed that at the said event, you laid a wreath on behalf of the party without its knowledge and authorization. FEC wishes to draw your attention to a press release issued by the party dated 23 rd July, 2022 which was widely publicized and clearly stipulated that the event was not sanctioned by the party and members should not participate in it. Below is a copy of the release: Credit: Rainbowradioonline.com

The police administration has received 1,500 new motorbikes to enhance visibility and effective policing in the country. The presentation of the bikes by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday was a sign of another commitment by the government to provide the Police Service with the necessary logistics it requires, to help the Service continue to effect its mandate of maintaining law and order, and protecting lives and property. President Akufo-Addo said the presentation of the bikes “is yet a further affirmation of the commitment of the Akufo-Addo government to provide the Police Service with the necessary logistics it requires, to help the Service continue to effect its mandate of maintaining law and order, and protecting lives and property.” The Police Service, under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has embarked on a transformation agenda, aimed at positioning the Service to become one of the best institutions in the country, and a model institution for the rest of the world. This initiative, which seeks to regain the confidence, trust and the respect of the public, and deepen police legitimacy, the President said, has the full backing of Government. “An institution, such as the Police Service, needs to renew constantly itself in order to respond adequately to the security needs of the country, and I believe Ghanaians are witnesses to the pragmatic steps being taken by the Service in this regard,” he said. The President continued, “Government is very much aware of the efforts being put in place by personnel of the Service, under the dynamic leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and members of the Police Management Board, to intensify targeted operations in communities which, hitherto, were notorious for violent crimes.” He noted that the ongoing programme to boost the manpower needs of the Service is necessary for the effective implementation of the bold, strategic interventions launched by the Service to improve its service delivery to Ghanaians. “Government, last year, gave approval for the police to recruit five thousand (5,000) officers. Some three thousand (3,000) of those recruited have passed out, with the remaining still under training. These officers are the first batch of men and women to benefit from the modified police training curricular, which is focused on equipping the police officers with skills in driving, swimming and motorbike riding in addition to other tactical and soft skills,” he said. It is for this reason that the President was delighted to handover the 1,500 motorbikes to the Police Service, and further urged the Service to continue doing the good work it is doing to keep all of us safe. “I am confident that these bikes will be put to very good use, as they will reach the communities who need them the most. I assure the Police Administration that this is just the beginning. More and more motorbikes will come in soon, to help ensure that every single community in the country benefits from the enhanced community policing model. Government will increase the number of motorbikes presented by Government to five thousand (5,000) by the end of next year,” he said. The President urged the Police to show presence, improve their response time, and patrol the streets and the inner cities, after taking over the motorbikes. “I urge you to help ensure that no community is left out in the distribution of these bikes, even as you prioritise the areas that are most critical. I entreat officers who will use these bikes to take good care of them but, more importantly, to pay particular attention to their safety and the safety of other road users while on the road,” he stressed. Credit: Graphiconline.com

Poor conditions in rural communities prevent most teachers from accepting postings to these communities. But this is not the case for Mensah Kwame, a teacher at Lonpe MA Primary School in the Nanumba North Mensah Kwame’s connection with rural schools began when he completed college in 2009 – he has since moved from one school to another – and admits teaching at Lonpe is frustrating as it is dangerous. “Teaching in rural communities is not an easy task especially as I have to swim across this river everyday to get to my school. My family is very worried,” he said. “The pupils are at a huge disadvantage because I have to teach all the classes from Basic One to Six and this is stressful.” Education watchers have maintained the uneven distribution of resources between the urban and rural areas – and the ultimate outcomes require a review. Executive Director of Africa Education Watch Ghana, Kofi Asare, has been doing a lot of work in this regard. He believes the time is now to demand concrete action on rural education if something is to change. A recent survey conducted by his organization revealed more than 42,000 teachers left the profession in 2021. Data from Social Education Research also indicates that at least 10,000 teachers leave the classroom every year to seek other job opportunities. The situation continues to impact the teacher and the learner especially in the rural communities. Credit: 3news.com

The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) has increased water tariff by 21% and electricity tariff by 27.15%. The new tariffs start September 1. The regulator announced this on Monday August 15. The management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) made a proposal to the PURC to increase electricity tariffs by up to 148 per cent covering 2019 to 2022. The state power distributor also proposed an average increase of 7.6% in tariff over the next four years to cover Distribution Service Charges (DSC). The attributed the high increase in the Distribution Service Charges. “The result of ECG’s tariff proposal for the next five years shows an approximately 148% increase on the current DSC1 in 2022 and an average increase of 7.6% year on year from 2023 to 2026" “The high increase in the DSC1 for year 2022 could be attributed to the gap that has developed over the years between the actual cost recovery tariff and the PURC approved tariffs as well as the cost of completed projects” “Similarly, ECG’s proposed DSC2 shows a higher increase of 28.4% in first year (2022) while that of the subsequent years’ increases by an average of 2% from 2022 to 2026”, it added. The management of ECG also indicated that its financial sustainability is important as it impacts on the entire energy sector. “The financial sustainability of the Electricity Company of Ghana is important as it impacts on the entire energy sector. With the huge investment needs facing the distribution industry over the next five years, it is expected that the proposed tariff increases would inevitably be approved to sustain efficient and reliable electricity service.” “Over the next five years, the DSC will need to increase consistently (average of 7.6%) to cover distribution cost. It is expected that the approved BGC would correspond with the commercial terms of PPAs (Power Plant Agreements)”, it added. Similarly, the management of the Ghana Water Company (GWCL) also proposed to the PURC increase water tariff. The GWCL in its proposal said over the years, the approved tariffs have not been full cost reflective. This, according to the GWCL has led to the inability of GWCL to raise enough revenue to finance the much needed capital investment projects, with a consequent unsatisfactory level of service, the company said. “Among the urban poor, water can be a critical resource in short supply. GWCL has therefore set up a Low-Income Customer Support Department (LICSD) to deliver improved services to targeted low income urban poor areas" “The Government of Ghana is committed to expanding access to safe water supply services in urban areas with particular focus on improving water production and expansion of distribution systems and ensuring sustainable financing of the sector. It is estimated that about $2billion will have to be invested in water production to help increase current urban coverage to 100% country-wide by 2025" “Notwithstanding the challenges mentioned above, it is important to consider the broad sectoral focal areas that impact on water operations. These include sustainable water sources, access to potable water, sustainable financing, improved public private partnerships, capacity building, good governance, good research and development, monitoring and evaluation, water safety and customer interest/education" “GWCL therefore has embarked on an image redeeming mission, for transformation into a ‘world class utility company’. We therefore call on our Regulator, the PURC, to provide every necessary support to enable us turn things around,” the proposal said. It added “Like any utility, GWCL is expected among others to: Provide services that are safe, desirable, and affordable to consumers; and Ensure an institutional and commercial system capable of recovering costs" “GWCL must at least recover its costs if we are to sustain our operations. Over the years, however, the approved tariffs have not been full cost reflective" This has led to the inability of GWCL to raise enough revenue to finance the much needed capital investment projects, with a consequent unsatisfactory level of service. “Below are some major issues which have prevailed since the last tariff adjustment, and which have necessitated this review. Inadequacy of tariff to carry out urgent repairs of assets and minor extensions Unlike the previous years where the Automatic Tariff Adjustment Formula (ATAF) has been applied every quarter, PURC has not applied it for some time now" “In real terms the average tariff per cubic meter in 2019 was USD 1.27, but has reduced to USD 1.13 as a result of the cedi depreciation over the period as shown in the figure below" “This has affected our ability to carry out repairs and replacement of aged and obsolete equipment and pipelines, and other critical assets as would be expected and has given rise to high levels of NRW. As part of this proposal, GWCL has included measures to reduce NRW for the consideration of PURC" “The PURC should also play a significant role in making water services available to low income dwellers in the country through the review and approval of a ‘GWCL Low Income Distribution Extension Fund’. The terms which should cover this arrangement would be that GWCL shall extend pipelines to low income communities and new consumers.” Credit: 3news.com

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi says a collective effort can help the Akufo-Addo Administration fight against illegal mining activities in the various river bodies across the country. According to Mr. Ayisi, the general public and media should not relent in sharing any information in order to help curb the menace. Addressing Journalists in Accra on Sunday, Mr. Ayisi said "The media and general public are reminded that the fight against illegal mining should be a collective effort of all citizens" "Lets all get onboard, get us the information, report what you see and hear and help us to help you." He also mentioned government's permanent solution to the fight against illegal mining. Mr. Ayisi noted that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as well as his outfit in collaboration with the various security agencies will patrol rivers Pra, Ankobrah, Offin, Brim and Black Volta with the recently commissioned speed boats, as way of preventing illegal miners from returning to mine in the waterbodies. He assured the general public that the patrol will not only focus on the main waterbodies but also on the tributaries and the small streams, stressing that the matter is being investigated and swift and ruthless action will be taken to deal with it and any other such illegal activities. "Our resolve is resolute and total and we will not for any reason give up this fight" The CEO noted that within the last two years, Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Commission, has introduced several measures to deal with illegal mining, popularly referred to as “galamsey” He outlined some of these measures mentioning the introduction of Operation Halt II, engagement with relevant stakeholders, revamping of the Community Mining Scheme, geological investigation of designated areas to identify mineralized areas to be allocated to small scale miners, the distribution of one hundred (100) mercury-free equipment to ensure responsible mining and the inauguration of District Mining Committees to monitor and supervise small scale operations. Mr. Ayisi asserted that as part of all these enforcement mechanisms, intelligence gathering have also been enhanced on all fronts to ensure that the fight is properly fought and won. He reiterated that a tracking regulation has been passed with a tracking control room to be functional in September, adding that he believes in addition to these permanent patrols, the tracking will help together with drones connected to their control systems and these will hoist over the rivers for frequent report to the Commission. The CEO assured the public of its unflinching commitment in the fight to sanitize the small scale mining sector and also sensitize the public with more educational information. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that Head of the Ambulance Service at the Adansi South Constituenc, Mr. Famous has committed suicide by hanging. According to sources, the deceased took his own life after he was disappointed by a lady. Thinknewsonline.com has gathered that the Late Head of Ambulance had spent on a lady he wanted to marry but the mother of the lady prevented him from marrying her. It is emerging that Late Famous left a note which read, "Take this world, you and your mother, I am leaving. God will ask of my blood on your heads" A Kumasi-based television network confirmed the sad news. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Fire has destroyed over 200 wooden structures at Adjiringanor, East Legon in Accra on Friday night. There were no casualties, the Ghana National Fire Service said in a Facebook post. 150 structures close to the scene of the fire were however salvaged. “Raging fire at Adrriganor ..4 Appliances from Legon, Headquarters, Madina and Adenta fire Stations currently battling to put the situation under control…fire has been contained. “No Casualty recorded and over 150 structures close to the scene of the fire salvaged due to the bravery of our men but Unfortunately, over 200 Wooden structures totally burnt,” the Facebook post said. Credit: 3news.com

The Minerals Commission of Ghana says its attention has been drawn to a video on social media about alleged illegal mining in the Offin River. According to the Commission, the matter is being investigated of which swift and ruthless action will be taken to deal with it and any other such illegal activities. In a statement issued by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Martin Kwaku Ayisi, he said "Our resolve is resolute and total. Within the last two years, Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) and the Commission, has introduced several measures to deal with illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey” "These measures include the introduction of Operation Halt II, engagement with relevant stakeholders, revamping of the Community Mining Scheme, geological investigation of designated areas to identify mineralized areas to be allocated to small scale miners, the distribution of one hundred (100) mercury-free equipment to ensure responsible mining and the inauguration of District Mining Committees to monitor and supervise small scale operations" The statement added that all enforcement mechanisms as well as intelligence gathering have been enhanced on all fronts. Furthermore, the press release hinted that to effectively deal with illegal mining in water bodies, the MNLR recently commissioned five speed boats which have been handed over to the Ghana Navy to patrol Rivers Ankobra, Pra, Offin, Birim and the Black Volta. This is to ensure permanent patrols on the water bodies as way of preventing illegal miners from returning to mine in the country's waterbodies. The Commission wishes to reiterate its call to the media and the general public that the fight against illegal mining should be a collective effort of all citizens. "In this regard, the Commission encourages all and sundry to support to support it by making available any information on illegal mining activities such as the video in circulation, and such leads will be acted upon with dispatch and integrity" The Commission says it is assuring the Ghanaian public of its unflinching commitment in to the fight to sanitize the small scale mining sector. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Erik ten Hag's bad start as Manchester United manager descended into an embarrassment as Brentford thrashed the Red Devils 4-0 on Saturday. Manchester United suffered their second consecutive loss in ongoing Premier League season. Erik ten Hag's bad start as Manchester United manager descended into an embarrassment as a 4-0 thrashing by Brentford on Saturday left the Red Devils bottom of the Premier League. The former Ajax boss' reign began with Brighton's first ever win at Old Trafford last weekend, but much worse was to come as the Bees punished a series of errors to score four times in the first 35 minutes. Josh Dasilva's strike slipped through David de Gea's grasp to open the floodgates before Mathias Jensen pounced on United's attempt to play out from the back to make it 2-0 inside 18 minutes. Ben Mee then exposed the visitors' frailty from set-pieces for his first Brentford goal and Bryan Mbuemo rounded off a stunning counter-attack 10 minutes before half-time to sink United to the bottom of the table for the first time in 30 years. The jubilant home support taunted Ten Hag with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning." But the Dutch coach has inherited a rabble rather than being the root cause as United lost a seventh consecutive away league match for the first time since 1936. That run included shipping four goals at Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton last season. The arrival of £57 million ($69 million) centre-back Lisandro Martinez from Ajax has done little to shore up United's leaky defence and questions will be asked of why Ten Hag has left Raphael Varane on the bench in favour of the Argentine and the out-of-sorts Harry Maguire. Ten Hag did recall Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting line-up, but the wantaway five-time Ballon d'Or winner played a part in the opening goal. Ronaldo went to ground too easily seeking a foul as he was surrounded by Brentford bodies. Dasilva's shot should still have been a comfortable save for De Gea, but the ball squirmed underneath the Spaniard. De Gea compounded that mistake eight minutes later with an attempted pass to Christian Eriksen, who was outmuscled by his former teammate Jensen, and the Dane coolly slotted home to double Brentford's lead. Martinez's diminutive 5ft 9in (1.8m) frame was raised as a red flag for his ability to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League. And the Argentine was beaten at the back post by Mee for the third goal after Ivan Toney headed a corner across goal. Credit to Brentford in just their second season in the English top-flight for 75 years may get swept away in the waves of criticism coming United's way. Credit: sports.ndtv.com

Ga Mashie on August 13, turned red as people from the Ga State celebrated the 2022 Homowo Festival in a unique and colourful style. The celebration saw the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II sprinkle kpokpoi (Traditional Food) on some principal streets and homes. The 2022 celebration also saw some foreign nationals not only enjoy the kpokpoi but also have fun. Some sub chiefs from various clans also took tye opportunity to sprinkled kpokpoi in their homes and prayed for protection. The Ga Mantse called on people to be united adding that being one will help build a stronger and better Ga State. King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II also poured libation and pleaded with the gods to cleanse the land, its people and also asked for protection them against strange diseases and mysterious deaths. Some residents who spoke to Thinknewsonline.com thanked the gods for seeing them through a successful year. They appealed to the Ga Mantse and government to extend employment to the teaming unemployed youths in the community. There were firing of arms, music and enough to eat likewise drink. The Vice President, Dr. Bawumia among others dignitaries stormed Ga Mashie to celebrate the occasion with the Ga Mantse and his subjects. Background Homowo (Homo – hunger, wo – hoot) can mean “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger” in the Ga language. The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to failure of the seasonal rains needed by crops in the Greater Accra Region, where the Ga people predominantly dwell. When the rains returned to normal, the Ga people celebrated by creating the Homowo festival, hence its name and meaning. Homowo is greatly celebrated in all the towns in the Ga state with celebrations climaxing in Gamashie. The celebration begins with the planting of maize, which will be used in preparing the food for the festival named Kpokpoi or Kpekple. During this period, noise making is prohibited or banned since it is believed that it disturbs the gods. The meal is eaten with Palm Nut Soup and it is also sprinkled within the town. This is normally done by traditional leaders and family heads. Celebration includes marching down roads and streets beating drums, chanting, face painting, singing and traditional dances. Even though the celebration of Homowo is a Ga tradition, many other ethnic groups are welcomed to also join in the celebration. The homowo festival of the Ga tribe is believed to have a lineage from the Jewish tribe and its ancestral tradition of the Jewish Passover feast. Some of the towns that celebrate Homowo are La, Teshie, Nungua, Osu, Ga-Mashie, Tema among others. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Over 8,000 seedlings raised for this year’s Green Ghana Day project have been found at a refuse dump site near the Offin Forest Reserve at Bosofuor in the Asante Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. Officers of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission at Asante Mampong during their daily routine saw a KIA truck moving out of the refuse dump site, but they later found the seedlings dumped there. Efforts to trace the vehicle were not successful. Out of the 8,011 seedlings found at the dump site, 5,891 seedlings were categorized as live while 2,120 seedlings were dead after a sorting exercise. Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey was in the area to inspect the success of seedlings planted under the Green Ghana Day project and ascertain reports of the dumped seedlings. “We received reports that the seedlings had been dumped at a refuse dump in Mampong district in the Ashanti Region. We needed to come here with my team to confirm first-hand. We got here this morning and the information we got from the District Manager is that on the 28th of July, whilst the forest guards were going round to inspect trees that have been planted, they heard the sound of a truck close to the forest reserve. They decided to move in that direction. As they approached, the truck moved away, they went close to the site and saw the seedlings on a refuse dump.” “Out of the 8,011 seedlings found at the dump site, 5,891 seedlings were categorized as live while 2,120 seedlings were dead after a sorting exercise they did.” Police at Mampong however said investigations have begun into the incident. Watch the video below: Credit: Citinewsroom

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has reiterated that the police administration will continue to reject the tag that it is the most corrupt institution in the country based on research and surveys done by various groups. Speaking at a public lecture at KNUST, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare stated that research that points to the police as being the most corrupt institution in the country has challenged methodologies. He said his outfit is working to ensure the police works to prevent corruption in the police service as part of its transformation agenda. “We decided to access ourselves from your perspectives. We have been tagged as unprofessional, corrupt and what have you. We are not denying that we may have some recalcitrant officers amongst us, we are doing all we can to pluck them out. But we will never accept that we are the most corrupt institution.” “It is unfortunate, all those researches are questionable. They have challenges,” he added. Separate survey reports released by the Ghana Statistical Service and its partners, as well as Afrobarometer report, had officials of the service topping the corruption list. According to the Afrobarometer study undertaken by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), 65 percent of Ghanaians believe most police are corrupt, while 31 percent believe only some police are corrupt. Watch video below: Credit: Citinewsroom