Pope Francis has prayed for the victims of an attack on a Nigerian church in which at least 25 worshippers were killed by gunmen. A Vatican statement said he had learned of the deaths of dozens of people. The assault took place in the southern town of Owo, in Ondo state. Officials there have warned the number of casualties could rise. They say a priest and other members of the congregation were abducted by the gunmen, whose identity is unknown. Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has condemned the attack calling it “heinous”. A week ago, the head of the country’s Methodist church was kidnapped; he was released after a ransom was paid. Source: BBC

Drivers and commuters on the Tema motorway should brace themselves for heavy vehicular traffic as the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) races to fix bridges on the stretch. According to the Authority, the bridges have failed structural integrity tests, hence, the need to renovate them. In an interview with JoyNews, the Lead Engineer with GHA, Aaron Amponsah said the deplorable state of the bridges makes them a national emergency. “The lifespan of these bridges is done. So we are going to fix them. This particular one is the most serious one, the others are manageable. “It will take about two weeks for us to finish this exercise. It is an emergency so we will work through the weekend,” he told JoyNews’ Michael Asharley. With 200 meters of the motorway cordoned off, Mr Amponsah appealed to drivers and commuters to bear with them so they can complete the task as scheduled. Meanwhile, commuters on the Tema motorway say they fear for their lives as potholes and cracks have taken over the road. They accused the Authority of failing to maintain the 19-kilometre highway that connects the two major cities in the Greater Accra Region. “There are a lot of potholes on the road so they have to do something about it,” one noted . Another added, “This is a death trap. You cannot call them potholes any longer,” Credit: Myjoyonline.com

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has indicated that his recent move to refund the ex-gratia paid him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020 stems from his general abhorrence to the payment of “huge” ex-gratia to persons who serve “our poor” country on their own volition. The clarification comes after he rejected his ex-gratia to the tune of GH¢365,392.67 for a service he describes as a part-time job. Togbe Afede XIV had served on the Council in his capacity as the President of the National House of Chiefs. He insisted that the payment was not to trap him, contrary to speculations after he made a refund to the Controller and Accountant General. “I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated,” he stated in a press release on Monday, June 6. “I believe it was it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. “However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it." He stressed that he had written to the Council of State to state his reasons for rejecting the ex-gratia. Story by: Emmanuel Kwame Amoh

The Leadership of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO) have expressed worry over the growing trend of encroachment and illegal mining on their transformer lands. According to the company, these activities are hindering their program of work being done to provide better lighting system for the country. Addressing Journalists in Accra on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GRIDCO, Ing Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi "These encroachment and illegal mining on our transformer lands is costing the country huge sums of money" The CEO made these known to the media at the Information Ministry's Meet the Press Series held in Accra. He further noted that these activities of encroachers and galamseyers has become a big challenge to the company addibg that they are fighting to curb the manace. "I am calling on the media to help us increase the education on the negative effects trading and living under these transformers" He added that the illegal activities can cause human lives thus the needs for Ghanaians to desist and stay away from their lands. Ing Essienyi outlined some of the measure his outfit has put in place to stop these challenges. He hinted that a three team taskforce has been formed to patrol the various sites across the country. GRIDCO says persons who flout their laws and warning when arrested will be dealt with drastically. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

President Akufo-Addo has reiterated that his government is not against the activities of the small scale mining in the country. He made these submissions as government commissioned the Mercury Free Mineral Processing Technology (Gold Katcha) at the Black Star Square in Accra on Monday. President Akufo-Addo said "I want to reiterate that the Akufo-Addo Government is not against small scale mining" He mentioned that on the contrary, Ghana is enforcing a responsible small scale activity. "It is an avenue to provide the Ghanaian, to participate in the mining industry and contribute substantially to the development of our growth sector" Stressing in what his government hates, President Akufo-Addo said "What my government is against is any form of mining that pays no heed to the preservation of the environment which threatens our very survival and the legacy" He noted that his government will continue to pursue policies and programmes that will promote and support responsible mining practices which will contribute to the national development. "It is my hope and that of all Ghanaians that the beneficiaries of these equipments will put them to good use for their own benefits and that of the country. On his part, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor said "Today marks a very important milestone in our quest to deal with illegal small-scale mining in our country, whilst, at the same time, promoting viable, sustainable and environmentally-sound small scale mining" "Mr. President, since you charged us to tackle the age-old menace of illegal mining, which has resulted in the destruction of vegetation and the pollution of our water bodies, we have adopted a two-pronged approach, i.e., law enforcement and reformation of the sector" "In the area of law enforcement, following the holding of the National and Regional Dialogues on Small Scale Mining, where we built a national consensus on the way forward, we have held engagements with all sixteen (16) Regional Ministers and their respective Regional Security Councils (REGSECs), to lead law enforcement in their various jurisdictions" The Lands Minister noted that River Bodies continue to be “Red Zones” for mining, while reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration in Forest Reserves continue to be suspended, except in exceptional circumstances. Samuel A. Jinapor also reveal that a ban has been placed on the manufacture and sale of the floating platform, popularly referred to as “Changfan”. He also told the gathering that an amendment of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) to expand legally the scope of the ban is ongoing. He stressed that in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, Operation Halt II continues to support these law enforcement measures. "Admittedly, there are still considerable challenges, but we will not relent until we eliminate this canker" "Mr. President, in the area of regulatory, policy and operational reforms, we have decentralised the work of the Minerals Commission to the Regional and District Offices, to make access to information and applications for licences easier. In addition to this, the Commission has also rolled out online application forms to allow people apply for licences from the comfort of their homes. Simply put, the Minerals Commission is undergoing a total overhaul, under its dependable Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi" The Lands Minister revealed that a thorough vetting process is currently underway to validate multiple applications for small scale mining licences, compiled by the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners. The process, he said, is being expedited and, sooner rather than later, his Ministry intend to approve the applications of those who will pass this rigorous vetting process. "Our goal is to ensure that genuine Ghanaians are involved in genuine small scale mining businesses" "Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here for President Akufo-Addo to commission one hundred (100) mercury-free gold processing equipment, known as ‘Gold Kacha’." The Minister noted that many small-scale miners rely on mercury to extract gold from the ore. He hinted that the practice, however, has serious environmental and health impacts on communities in which they are used. "Apart from contaminating water bodies and destroying aquatic life, high exposure to mercury by inhalation can result in damage to the nervous, digestive and immune systems. In children, for example, exposure to mercury can cause physical and mental disabilities" "Experts have warned of dire consequences if urgent action is not taken to eliminate the use of mercury in small scale mining" "It is for this reason that the world adopted the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which Ghana ratified on 23rd March 2017, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo. Under this Convention, State Parties are to take measures to reduce, and, where feasible, eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale mining." "The Gold Kachas, Mr. President is about to commission today is a step towards fulfilling our obligation under the Minamata Convention, protecting the health and lives of small scale miners, and the natural environment, and, above all, protecting our population from the debilitating hazards of this chemical" Lands Minister hinted that the policies and strategies being implemented by his Ministry are to promote viable business for Ghanaians who intend to work in the mining industry, whilst, at the same time, protecting the environment. "This is part of the broader vision of the Akufo-Addo Government to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, where all mining and mining related activities, from exploration to downstream production, and from innovation to research, will be centred" "Yes, we recognise the complexities of the small-scale mining industry and the intractable nature of the negative practices associated with it" "Let us face it, what we are dealing with is gold, which is money. Thus, those involved, both the gold barons, foreigners and Ghanaians alike, who finance this illicit business from the comfort of their mansions, and the “goro boys” on the ground, would not relent in their efforts" Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Vice-President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to partner with the private sector to develop the local economy. He said "This is to move the MMDAs from provision of essential services to promotion of enabling environment for the private sector to partner with local authorities to develop and sustain businesses, create jobs and reduce poverty through mobilization of local, natural and human resources as well as value addition". The Vice-President made these remarks at the 21st Biennial National Delegates Conference of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) held at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. He said government through the decentralization policy framework included the local economic development as one of the five key pillars of the policy underpinnings of our national decentralization policy and strategy. Dr. Bawumia indicated that "Our MMDAs are not only agent of political participation but agent for economic development". He said the theme of the conference "Building the future together; the role of local authorities" is in line with government vision of "working together, bouncing back together" and that a great responsibility lies with the MMDAs to bring development to our communities. The Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong in a presentation at the conference highlighted the role of the private sector in bringing development and creating jobs in the various MMDAs through effective Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements. He mentioned the construction of Integrated Recycling and Compost Plants (IRECOPs) in all 16 regions as a timely project to produce the needed organic fertilizer to boost the agricultural sector. He said "the on-going Russia and Ukraine war has placed global demand for fertilizer and it is worth noting that a local Ghanaian company is building capacity to provide our fertilizer needs". The President of NALAG, Hon. Bismark Baisie Nkum explained the role of the association as an advocacy group which influences government policies for an effective local governance. He called on government to consider allocating 5% of the electronic levy to be paid to the district Assemblies common fund and amend the 1992 constitution to elect presiding members by simple majority. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Zoomlion Ghana Limited has organised a massive clean up exercise in Madina in the La Nkwantanang Municipality in Accra to create public awareness on environmental sanitation in commemoration of World Environment Day. The activities included weeding on the shoulders of the principal streets, manual and mechanical sweeping of the roads, waste collection as well as desilting of choked gutters among others. The exercise was undertaken by staff of Zoomlion and it's subsidiaries under the Environment and Sanitation Cluster of the Jospong Group of Companies in collaboration with the La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly, the security services such as the Ghana Police and the Armed Forces who offered security support throughout the exercise. In an interview after the exercise, Managing Director of Zoomlion, Mrs. Gloria Opoku Anti appreciated the workers for the expression of their social and community service spirit in helping actualise Zoomlion's aim of executing the massive clean-up perfectly. She stated that the motive for the celebration of World Environment Day was to create awareness and educate the public to ensure environmental cleanliness and proper care of the environment at all times. She said the United Nations have earmarked June 5 for the celebration and commemoration of the earth and environment so as to raise awareness on environmental issues including marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. Mrs. Anti said this year's event is being celebrated under the theme "Only One Earth". She explained that the work of Zoomlion and its relevant subsidiaries under the Environment and Sanitation Cluster of the Jospong Group of Companies in relation to safeguarding human lives which benefits the people of Ghana cannot be overemphasized. The Managing Director also stated some interventions Zoomlion has put in place to encourage the preservation of our environment and the planet earth largely. These according to her are environmental cleaning in all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDs). She disclosed that Zoomlion has over 2,000 waste trucks and over 2500 tricycles across the country for the collection of waste and haulage to our recycling plants and the final disposal sites. She said the company has collaborated with successive governments over the years to plant trees to reclaim the earth to protect the earth from further depletion. "Tree planting is therefore part of our work culture because more trees means long life to the citizenry" she added. Mrs. Anti further stated the spectacular effort of Zoomlion in making Ghana reduce plastics by recycling and turning other municipal solid waste into reusable items. Mention was made of the establishment of three recycling and compost plants in Accra and Kumasi namely, Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP) and the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP). She said these plants produces quality organic fertilizer for the agrarian community who feed Ghanaians on daily basis. Mrs. Anti disclosed that the IRECOP concept was being replicated in all sixteen regions (16) across the country which are at various stages of completion. The Managing Director said her company has even incorporated liquid waste treatment plants into these IRECOPs and that already they have Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited which receives most of the liquid waste in Accra and another call the Kumasi Waste Treatment Plant in Kumasi. Mrs. Anti said at the moment her company was implementing their One Million Bin Project. The good news according to her is that as the leading waste managers, "we have established a company that produces waste bins and we have about 1 million bins for distribution. She appealed to Ghanaians to ensure that every household owns a waste bin so that their waste can be put in the bins for periodic lifting to ensure that the environment is always clean. It is our expectation as we leave here that we all are by this exercise encouraged to keep the environment clean, and the only means by which we can keep the environment clean is by subscribing to Zoomlion for a bin for our households going forward. She said the catalogue of interventions by Zoomlion as mentioned are measures which will help safeguard the environment and extend the lifespan of the people and therefore, Ghanaians should be inspired by Zoomlion's contribution and do their part by just keeping their environment clean. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Assistant Director In-charge of Works & Projects at the Development Department of Parliament, Emmanuel Worlanyo Kudah, has organised a communal labour to patch the only deplorable road leading to the CHPS Compound at Woe in the Anlo District of the Volta Region. The kind gesture of Mr. Kudah was done as part of his contribution towards the development of the community. Mr. Kudah, who is also a native of Woe together with some of the youth in the Woe community embarked on the exercise by pouring gravels and sand on the Woe road leading to the only CHPS compound in the area. Mr. Kudah said "This community exercise of patching the road will make the deplorable road motorable and reduce the stress patients go through when accessing the medical facility" "I am using this opportunity to appeal to prominent natives of Woe, to support the construction of the road with so as to save precious lives in the community" It will be recalled that residents of Woe have been calling on government to fix their roads however, all calls have fallen on deaf ears. The youths however commended Mr. Kudah for his initiative. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The 19-kilometre concrete Accra-Tema Motorway continues to deteriorate and pose grave danger to motorists. A year after the Daily Graphic reported the deteriorating state of the 56-year-old motorway, potholes, bitumen patches, erosion and hardened lumps from spilled concrete are still posing a danger and discomfort to drivers and passengers who commute on it on a daily basis. On both sides of the country’s only concrete motorway, potholes, some of which have been patched with bitumen, have left the road in a dangerous state, especially at night when visibility on the stretch is poor. Most affected Five weeks of monitoring by the Daily Graphic, as a follow-up to a similar exercise in March last year, revealed that, the Tema-Accra section is the most affected. For instance, the portion of the motorway around the Ashaiman tollbooth, where transit trucks park on the shoulders, sometimes for hours, has developed potholes, while erosion has eaten into the edges. Perhaps the most dangerous portion on the stretch is just before the Abattoir bridge, where the potholes are so exposed that drivers are forced to slow down, creating traffic congestion all the way to the Ashaiman under-bridge area. The median of the motorway is overgrown with weeds and some of the galvanised pipes used to barricade illegal U-turn spots have broken down, with some of them lying along the road. Public outcry Last year, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that plans were far advanced for the reconstruction of the motorway to make it safer for users. “We are in the process of reconstructing the motorway soon to ensure the safety of road users,” he said at the time. Despite the assurance by the minister, the motorway has since not seen any major rehabilitation. Rather, motorists are still confronted with the nightmare of a deteriorating motorway, prompting calls from the public for the government to fix and restore it to its original state. Cost of travel The present condition of the motorway has brought not just discomfort to users but also increased the cost of travel. While it took the Daily Graphic team about 20 minutes to commute on the Accra-Tema stretch without much traffic, 28 minutes was spent on the Tema-Accra stretch, even though there was very little traffic. That was due to the potholes which forced drivers to slow down. A Kpone-based taxi driver, Lawrence Mensa Duku, who operated on the motorway, told the Daily Graphic that traveling on the road now took more time because drivers were forced to slow down to dodge potholes. “These days one cannot move as fast as we used to on the motorway because of the potholes and its uneven surface. You could drive at a certain speed, and then all of a sudden a pothole will appear in front of you, and if you don’t take care, you could throw your car away in trying to dodge the pothole,” he said. He said the situation was even more dangerous during the rush hours, when drivers overtook one another indiscriminately, notwithstanding the state of the road. “A vehicle could overtake you and land in a big pothole, which can lead to a tyre burst,” he said. Maintenance works The Greater Accra Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Emmanuel Laryea Odai, told the Daily Graphic that plans were underway for the entire motorway to be reconstructed to make it safer for drivers and pedestrians. In the interim, he said, the Mobile Maintenance Unit of the GHA would be resourced to carry out periodic maintenance, while the government prepared to reconstruct the motorway. “The unit has been doing some work on the motorway, and that is supposed to be interim measures to keep it running before the reconstruction work begins, as indicated by the sector minister,” Mr Odai said. New contracts A Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Stephen Pambiin Jalulah, told the Daily Graphic that the government was in the process of awarding the contract for the reconstruction of the motorway and the dualisation of some highways across the country. “I know that financing arrangements will soon be made for contractors to begin work on the motorway," he said. Already, Mr Jalulah said, the contract for the design and reconstruction of the motorway from the Tema Interchange through the Apenkwa Interchange to the Neoplan Junction at Achimota had been awarded. Below are some pictures: Story by: Kester Aburam Korankye

Registration of new members are going on smoothly in many places, while others are selfishly behaving like there is no tomorrow for this party. Let me announce to such people that there are consequences to all these. If you are reported and suspended, you can not be part of the process, and when the disciplinary committee finds you guilty, sorry, you can't contest. There is a reason why we are spending a much longer time on the branches, it is to make sure we get the basic unit of the party right. We are interested more in who becomes the branch executives than who becomes national officers, because the job is at the branches. How can a coordinator, or a constituency executive say branch registers in his possession are missing so new books should be given for fresh registration? If you can not protect a register, how can you protect our election results? Others too have seized books that don’t belong to them and populating them. It's only a branch secretary who can add someone to the register and their cards signed by the chairman. This is just to caution you, if it comes up to the regional or national level, you will have yourself to blame. It's unfortunate others too are not meeting and as such are not allowing people access to our registration. This registration process is for all NDC members, you can not deny people registration and expect them to come out and work for victory 2024. No branch executive should cause pain in the heart of anyone. Together we stand. Finally,let me say that the newly created branches may be a new addition to the number of branches we already have, but it doesn't mean that everyone whose name is in that register is new. Neither does it mean that anyone at all can fill them. If you don't vote there, don't put your name there with the mindset to contest. The EC register can guide you incase you forgot where you voted, especially in clustered areas. May God guide all of us as we work towards victory 2024. Thank you *Kun fa Yakun* Credit: Godwin Ako Gunn, Deputy National Communication Officer, NDC NOTE: Views expressed a solely that of the author and not Thinknewsonline.com, therefore, the online portal can not be held liable for any contemptuous statements.

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that a teacher-in-training has done the unthinkable as he has to managed to impregnate twenty-four students, four teachers and a headmistress in a basic school in the Asokore Mampong Municipality, Ashanti Region. The news has left the community and the nation in a state of shock. It is emerging that the teacher trainee is said to be a level 400 student-teacher from a well-known College of Education in the Western Region. It can be confirmed that the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s Teaching Practice Rules forbid student-teachers from behaving in ways that jeopardize the smooth operation of schools. Thinknewsonline.com will update its readers on any new developments. Story by: News Desk Report

An activist of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dela Coffie has reacted to the warrant for his arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). He said in a statement that “my attention has been drawn to a warrant of arrest issued by Special Prosecutor against my person. “Preliminarily, I want to state that I am available right here in Ghana and will submit myself to any queries of law enforcement agencies as I have nothing to hide. As regards context, my understanding is that the Special Prosecutor is linking me to a petitioner, who has lodged a petition before his office against former Minister Atta Akyea. “However, let me state that the recklessness with which the Special Prosecutor will jump to issue an arrest warrant without any recourse to me as rules of engagement injunct his office to do, will be subjected to appropriate judicial review. My lawyers have taken the matter up and we will deal with the issues head-on" “Dela Coffie is a law-abiding citizen and ready to fight any concocted allegations geared towards tarnishing my image in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.” The OSP has caused the issuance of a warrant of arrest for Dela Coffie, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist. He has been charged with corruption and corruption-related offences and forgery of official document. Below is a copy of arrest: Story by: Laud Nartey