With the introduction of two new ultra-modern IHC Beaver 50 dredgers and marine equipment by Dredge Masters Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored that Ghana will not need to look outside when it comes to dredging works. These dredging activities in the country, he said, included dredging of dams, reservoirs, ports, harbours, land reclamation among others. President Akufo-Addo made the observation while commissioning two new IHC Beaver 50 dredgers and marine equipment acquired to augment the fleet of DML at its parking yard at Adjei Kojo in Ashaiman, Accra on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. According to him, Dredge Masters has made huge and significant contributions in the dredging space of this country, adding that the company’s introduction these ultra-modern dredgers “means that Ghana, within the West African market, has her own indigenous company which can dredge to a depth of 16 metres. He was full of praise for Dredge Masters for its continuous role in supporting the government to address the perennial flooding in parts of Accra. Dredging companies, he said, have traditionally contributed to coastal protection, stating that from 2017, government has invested GHC450 million in various flood-control measures, all in an effort to end flooding in the capital city. On the issue of climate change, the President admitted that it was already in Africa, noting that this was being witnessed in the unprecedented floods in West Africa, depletion of large forests, vastly altered rain patterns that are threatening agriculture production and food security among others. "All these are undermining Africa's ability to grow and develop to bring prosperity to its people," he said. That notwithstanding, he reinforced his government’s commitment to continue to create an enabling environment not only for the private sector to survive but also to thrive. He seized the opportunity to charge all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to ensure regular desilting of drains and gutters within their jurisdictions to allow for water to flow freely, especially when the country had entered the raining season. To this end, he urged MMDCEs to lead in the demolition of all unauthorised structures built on and along waterways. "Any MMDCE who fails to carry out this exercise across the country would be held accountable," he sternly warned. The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, in a brief remark, applauded DML's contributions towards fighting flooding in Accra. While admitting that flooding in Accra had become an annual ritual which continues to pose grave risks to lives and properties, he advised Ghanaians to desist from practices that further compound the phenomenon. "We remain committed to partnering with DML to address the flooding problem in Accra and other parts of the country," he assured. For his part, the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiama, announced that his ministry will seek a very strong collaboration with DML to develop the Volta Lake to inure to the benefit of the people of the region and the country as a whole. In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of the JGC, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, indicated that the IHC Beaver 50 is an ultra-modern dredging equipment, which is a top of the range equipment for dredging in the world. He said these two beavers come to augment the already existing fleet of DML. "Dredge Masters Limited is introducing these Ultra- Modern IHC Built Cutter Suction Dredgers 5014/16 (Named Akua Boahenmaa and Abena Ayinfua) and associated Marine equipment which bring the capability of dredging up to 16 meters deep and the capacity to carry out large scale reclamation." ...The total investment by the company in all marine equipment stands at 54 million Euros," he revealed. The dredgers, he explained, can undertake mega projects at ports and harbours, reservoirs and dams, reclamation of lands from sea, environmental and climate change mitigation works and flood control. According to Dr. Siaw Agyepong, Dredge Masters Limited started with the acquisition of four ultra-modern amphibious dredgers from Aquamec. "These dredgers along with long boom excavators, barges and earth moving equipment dredged from Odaw Channel to the Korle lagoon (from Caprice to the sea) to restore hydrological capacity of the channel. The fleet has been augmented with two more amphibious dredgers, long booms and other equipment over the years. Today, we have over 70 units of various dredging equipment," he further disclosed. He assured of his dredging company's commitment to quality, sustainability, environmental protection and upholding high standards. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Evangelist Diana Asamoah and her new beau plan to take their relationship a step further after announcing their intention to tie the knot. The gospel musician and minister shared the good news on her official Facebook with a sweet picture of the couple. Congratulations, Mama Diana! See picture below: Story by: Grace Somuah-Annan

The Council Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) paid a courtesy call on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to explore avenues for collaboration with the Office. The Council, led by its President, Prof. William Abayaawien Atuilik congratulated COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah on her appointment and reiterated the ICAG’s commitment to support EOCO in the discharge of its core mandate. The Executive Director, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah who also serves on the ICAG Council as a member welcomed the delegation. She underscored the relevance of the collaboration and indicated that partnering with the ICAG will provide a good platform for support in terms of training in financial forensic investigations. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Director General (DG) of the Ghana Prisons Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir is appealing to Ghanaians to treat the upcoming Green Ghana Day exercise as a national call. According to him, all must ensure the exercise becomes successful. The DG made the remarks following a courtesy call been paid on him by the leadership of the Forestry Commission at his office in Accra. The DG said ""I see this Green Ghana Initiative which will happen on the Friday, 10th June, 2022 as aCall and we are committed to ensure that it becomes a success. With our presence in other parts of the country, we will ensure we strategize to see how best to make it a success." He added that his outfit will be partnering Zoomlion to clean up the environment likewise planting the trees. Thinknewsonline.com has gathered that the Director General of Prisons Service as nominated the Director of Prisons, in charge of Agriculture, Hansen Adu Oyiku, to represent the state security agency on the National Planning Committee. He was optimistic that the close collaboration between the two parties will help make this year's tree planting exercise a success. The Ghana Prisons Service says it is ready to throw the Green Ghana Day event, scheduled for June 10th, 2022. On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey said "I want to thank President Akufo-Addo and the Lands Minister for their support during last year's edition of the Green Ghana Initiative" He added "Last year, we planted over five million trees and this year, we have set a very ambitious target of planting twenty million trees on June 10th 2022". "We have two prompt strategies that is to plant 10 million trees in the forest reserves and 10 million for households, medians of roads, waterbodies, schools, recreational grounds, degraded watershed areas, amongst others" The Forestry Commission Boss further explained that all 16 Regional Coordinating Councils have been briefed on the targets for the planting of 20 million trees. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Office of the Special Prosecutor says it is commencing investigations into a suspected case of corruption against the late Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, alias Sir John, with regard to his alleged improper acquisition of state lands within the Achimota forest and the Sakumono Ramsar site. A statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said the late Sir John will be investigated alongside other persons regarding the suspected unlawful acquisition. Per the statement, the Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources will play a key part in the investigations hence has been directed by the Special Prosecutor to “fully cooperate with the OSP in the investigations. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Jonas Nyabor

A Senior Research Scientist, Institute of Industrial Research, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Dr. Richard Bayitse is calling on Ghanaians to develop the attitude of keeping water stored in containers clean for drinking and cooking. According to him, it is very disturbing how some Ghanaians do not know how to keep their containers clean. Speaking exclusively to Thinknewsonline.com at the recirculate experience sharing and knowledge exchange forum in Accra, he said "What we have found out basically is that; hygienically, people do not keep their containers clean in their environments where they store water, so within the last 100 metres where they fetch and use water, that is where most of the contamination is" "Ghana Water Company's water is good based on our assessments and there is no problem with it but it is where the people use the water, that is where it is contaminated" Dr. Bayitse also mentioned that a fecal coliform, one of the key indicators used by his outfit also revealed that people are not keeping water in their homes are not kept hygienically. "It is very important for scientists to work with communities and we don't need to set our own agendas in the lab and impose it on the community, so we need to work with the community. This project has really taught us that. The community people are able to give us exactly what they need and together, we will resolve the problem" Dr. Bayitse mentioned that the project which ended in March, 2022 helped in solving the sanitation problems for some communities and also developed a technology that use less water in planting of food. Sharing his thoughts on the provision of toilet facilities beneficiary community, he said "The community must be able to take care of the toilet that has been provided for them. They have to keep the toilet facility clean and also make sure that they dislodge toilets from the septic tanks as often as they could and they should desist from pumping fecal materials into drains in their community" On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Samuel Dotse said "Waste is a valuable resource that when is properly managed, it provides jobs, it provides money, opportunities for citizen" He commended some muslim school for accepting the bio-digestor and actively allowing their children to be involved in the implementation of the project. "This country is what we have. In the wisdom of God, he left some places to be waterlogged, some places to be dry and others forest. We cannot be wiser than nature" "Each normal human being needs four grown trees to provide oxygen for a year, so if we destroy the environment, we are destroying our own lives" He took a swipe on person who build on waterways saying such behaviours are unacceptable. "Nobody in his right sense of mind will go to toilet and leave it in his bedroom or peel cassava or yam and plantain and dump it in his or her room. It is sad that we are treating the environment like it is not important" "If we don't change our attitudes, it will affect us in future" Anthony N-yelkabong, Lancaster University Ghana appealed to Ghanaians to desist from making filthy. He called on Ghanaians to come together to fight against waste-making. He also charged leaders of various communities to strengthen their by-laws to punish persons who make filthy. Anthony N-yelkabong further called for incentives to be given to people who clean their environments, this he believes will motivate others to emulate and make their surroundings clean. He also tasked community leaders to punish offenders to serve as a warning to all. The Recirculate is a £7 million project funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)in seven (7) African countries. Recirculate is one of 37 projects funded under a call entitled 'Growing research capability to meet the challenges faced by developing countries' which began in October 2017 and ended in 2022. It is led by the Lancaster University Ghana in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana. Below are some videos and pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A Jinapor, MP, has today, Thursday, 26th May, 2022, requested for information on all transactions affecting the one thousand one hundred and eighty-five (1,185) acres of land acquired by the State in 1927 and constituted a Forest Reserve in 1930 under the name Achimota Firewood Plantation Forest Reserve. The request follows an earlier Statement by the Minister to act on any improper acquisition of public lands, including the Achimota Forest Lands, regardless of how they were acquired, whether now or in the past. In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, the Minister has asked the Commission to submit to his office,within one week, all leases granted by the Forestry Commission over the 1,185 acres of land, and any amendment or variations to those leases, as well as any sublease or assignment granted over any part of the land. In a separate letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, the Minister has requested for information on all transactions affecting the land acquired in 1927, including de-gazetting, leases, subleases, assignments, and other transfer or disposition of any part of the lands in question, whether made by the Forestry Commission or any other person. In another letter addressed to the Nii Owoo Royal Family, the Minister has asked the Family to submit to his office all subleases and assignments granted by the Family to any person. The Minister has also asked the Lands and Forestry Commissions, as well as the Nii Owoo Royal Family, to provide the names and addresses of all beneficiary owners of any part of the land acquired in 1927. This will enable the Minister take the appropriate actions on Achimota Forest The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will continue to deal with this matter, and all other matters affecting the lands and natural resources of our country, transparently, with the highest standards of integrity and with utmost good faith, a released issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources said. Story by: News Desk Report

The Former Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has rubbished certain allegations making waves in the media regarding a World Bank project on teacher training in Ghana. According to him, under his watch as Education Minister, the Ghana Education Service (GES) did not undertake the Teacher training component of GALOP. In a communique sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, he said "Under my watch as Education Minister, the Ghana Education Service (GES) did not undertake the Teacher training component of GALOP to warrant our claim for the said $1.2m from World Bank" He added that the Digital Teacher Training under the KATechnology Teacher Laptop Program should not under any circumstances be confused with the GALOP Teacher Digital Literacy training program under National Teachers Council. The Former Minister explained that the KAT digital training wasn’t a substitute for GALOP training adding that both are two different training programs. He said "As Education Minister I negotiated both programs and know that they are not the same. I trust that this clarifies the matter" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Student Representative Council (SRC) Presidents of sandwich campuses of the University of Cape Coast have on behalf of their students honoured Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. At a ceremony in Cape Coast last Saturday, the coalition of SRC Presidents presented a citation to Dr. Prempeh, in recognition of his impactful leadership during his time as Education Minister in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration. According to the coalition, Dr. Prempeh contrary to the skepticism of many, successfully supervised the implementation of the biggest governmental intervention in the education sector; the Free Senior High School Policy. On Teacher Education, the coalition said Dr. Prempeh never downplayed its importance in the country. “In this regard, he ensured the reinstatement of the monthly allowance of teacher trainees which had been scrapped by the erstwhile administration. He also provided leadership in the birth and implementation of the 3-Semester Post Diploma Sandwich Programme, which has today served as launching pad for numerous Diploma teachers to acquire a degree certificate” the coalition said in a statement. The coalition also indicated that Dr. Prempeh also ensured that the Ghanaian teacher is given the appropriate recognition as a professional by overseeing the successful institutionalization of the teacher licensure policy. “These and many more make us believe that he has been an outstanding Minister and thus, deserves our commendation” the statement concludes. The citation was received on behalf of the Energy Minister by his Technical Assistant Mr. Kwame Agyin Agyapong and Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Kwasi Obeng-Fosu. Other recipients were the General Secretary of GNAT, Mr. Thomas T. Musah and Prof. Christine ADU-Yeboah. The coalition of SRC Presidents of all sandwich campuses of the University of Cape Coast was formed to among others seek the welfare and the interest of sandwich students in the pursuit of university education. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

In Burundi, drivers are so desperate for fuel that they sleep on forecourts of petrol stations. Senegal has so little jet fuel that Air France’s flight from the capital, Dakar, to Paris has been stopping in the Canary Islands to fill up. Johannesburg has the same problem, which has caused United Airlines to cancel some flights from New York. From Kenya, which recently suffered its worst petrol shortage in a decade, to Lagos, where queues outside petrol stations backed onto motorways, and Cameroon, where thousands of lorries have been stranded without diesel, Africa has been short of the lifeblood of modern economies. "Everywhere, everyone is scrambling for diesel,” laments Anibor Kragha of the African Refiners and Distributors Association, an industry group. The economic costs of shortages are huge. They bring commerce to a grinding halt, shut the millions of businesses that have to generate their own electricity and force holidaymakers to cancel trips for lack of flights. This is a blow to tourism, a large contributor to gdp in many African countries. The social impact is large, too. Hospitals cannot get drugs and ambulances are immobilised. All this makes politicians jumpy. Anger at shortages can quickly erupt in the streets. Demand for fuel surged across the world last year as economies recovered from covid-19. Yet for the first time in 30 years global refining capacity fell, causing fuel prices to rise. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed them higher still. In most places fuel has remained available, if expensive. But not in Africa, which is going through its worst supply crisis in 40 years, according to Pierre Barbe, who runs the Africa business at Vitol, the world’s biggest independent oil trader. The shortages are not simply the result of higher prices that have made fuel unaffordable to poorer buyers in many parts of Africa. They have also been caused by several other market changes that particularly affect the continent, says Kristine Petrosyan of the International Energy Agency (iea), an intergovernmental think-tank. Fuel traders generally use financial markets to lessen the risk of price fluctuations. But they have to spend much more (and tie up more working capital) hedging when prices are high and volatile. Importers to Africa are often smaller than those in richer regions, and have tighter balance sheets. To conserve capital many simply import less fuel. The problem is being aggravated by a turn in the futures market: the price for deliveries of oil at a future date has fallen far below that for immediate delivery. In more usual times traders would park dozens of full oil tankers (known as “floaters”) off the west African coast, where they would wait for higher prices. Now traders want to unload them as quickly as possible and send them to Asia through the Suez canal, avoiding Africa altogether. Many sub-Saharan countries are particularly vulnerable because they generally buy in small amounts from floaters or tankers sailing by. Whereas many rich countries hold a 90-day supply in reserve, few sub-Saharan countries have any such backup. It is clear that there is little storage capacity in the region, although data on this are scant. A second vulnerability is that sub-Saharan countries refine little oil domestically. Many of their refineries are badly run and operate far below capacity or are too small to compete. Refinery output in sub-Saharan Africa has fallen by half over the past decade, even as oil demand in the region has risen by 19%, according to the iea. Sub-Saharan Africa now imports about three-quarters of its refined products on average, a greater share than any other region. That leaves it deeply exposed to external shocks. West Africa is especially vulnerable. Senegal, for example, is short on fuel in part because the country’s sole refinery has been shut for maintenance. Having little refining capacity and barely anything in reserve is risky at the best of times. In many African countries poor logistics, bad management and distorting subsidies regularly cause supply shocks. Many African ports can only receive ships with a shallow draft, forcing big tankers to offload into little ones. They are also heavily congested, exacerbating delays. Nigeria’s recent shortages emerged after the authorities blocked the sale of 350,000 tonnes of petrol: it contained too much methanol. Exactly who messed up is hotly contested but, with tiny reserves, motorists were soon running dry. In Kenya the government subsidises petrol but does so clumsily, worsening fuel shortages. It was recently late paying the equivalent of $112m in subsidies to retailers who were already struggling with a shortage of working capital because of high prices. Things may soon get even worse. Big oil traders are reducing purchases of Russian oil to comply with European sanctions that take effect on May 15th. This will further cut the flow to Africa of fuel refined in Europe from Russian oil. In the long run much hope—and cash—is invested in a big refinery being built in Nigeria by the Dangote Group. Though the project is years behind schedule, it is expected to be completed later this year. Yet the project is an exception to the trend of declining capacity. Africa also needs deeper strategic reserves of fuel to weather both global shocks and local troubles. “Maybe this will be a wake-up call, the way the 1970s were to Europe,” says the iea’s Ms Petrosyan, “because it is clear that this situation can repeat in the future.”

A newly birthed coalition, Arise Ghana has announced that it will organise a huge demonstration on June 21, 2022, to demand better from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. At the maiden press conference of the coalition on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, the leaders expressed displeasure over the economic hardships, worsening economic conditions, draconian taxes, state capture and land grabbing as well as the high cost of fuel in the country. Insisting that the government is gradually making Ghana a failed state, Arise Ghana has demanded among other things an immediate reduction in fuel prices through the scrapping of crippling fuel taxes such as the sanitation levy. The coalition also demands that government should not only withdraw E.I 144 and an end to the land grabbing of the Achimota Forest Reserve, but it should also repeal the Electronic Transaction Levy. Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mordecai Thiombiano, General Secretary of the group said it plans to stage a massive demonstration next month to press home these demands and many more. “…we wish to announce for the information of all Ghanaians, that we shall be embarking on a mammoth demonstration on the 21st of June 2022 in the city of Accra to press home these demands,” he stated. Mordecai Thiombiano added, “We, therefore, call on all Ghanaians who desire to see a change in the affairs of our beloved country to come out in their numbers and join us on the streets of Accra for this historic protest.” Read the full press statement below: MAIDEN PRESS CONFERENCE BY “ARISE GHANA” TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES OF POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE TO OUR DEAR NATION. Wednesday, 25th May, 2022 Good morning, ladies and Gentlemen of the press. We have the honour of welcoming you to this maiden press conference of “Arise Ghana”, a coalition of patriotic, conscientious and concerned Ghanaians drawn from various political parties, including the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC), the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP), the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the All People’s Congress (APC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), various Civil Society Organizations, the media, the creative arts industry, Driver Unions, Traders and citizens from all walks of life. Distinguished friends from the media, “Arise Ghana”, is an amalgamation of activists who through advocacy and nationalistic mobilization, will seek to lead a crusade against the continuous misrule, mismanagement and maladministration of our dear nation Ghana by today’s duty bearers. We are determined to relentlessly champion the common cause of the Ghanaian people, provide a voice for the voiceless and vigorously seek reforms that will bring about the needed change in the socio-economic, politico-social and general wellbeing of the Ghanaian citizenry. Ladies and gentlemen, we have come to a point in our nation’s history where to remain silent is not an option. This is so because, to be silent is to encourage the continuous triumph of evil. To remain quiet over the present state of affairs is to encourage the continuous slide of our country into the abyss. Choosing not to speak about the current state of affairs means being complicit in the ongoing state capture and the sacrifice of our collective future on the altar of instant gratification. We obviously cannot afford the option of remaining silent. Economic hardships Friends from the media, there are hardly enough words to describe the harsh economic realities of Ghanaians today. Fuel prices keep rising at the pumps every day, with its concomitant effect on transport fares, prices of food and general goods and services in the country. The price of fuel in Ghana today remains one of the highest in Africa. As a result of this, the distance between Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie, costs the ordinary man in a Trotro, Ghc3 as we speak. Today, the distance from Madina to Kasoa requires a transport fare of Ghc12 even in public transport. In fact, one requires a whopping Ghc200 to travel from Accra to Tamale, a distance that used to cost the commuter Ghc100 in the year 2019. Inflation rate continues to gallop at an alarming rate and stands today at 23.6%, the highest in 18 years, thereby spiraling weekly hikes in prices of foodstuffs. A recent survey by Metro TV which was published on Sunday, 22nd May, 2022 revealed that an Olonka of Maize which sold for GH12.00 only last week, now sells for GH15.00 this week, while a sack of maize which sold for GH450.00 only last week, now sells for GH650.00 this week. In similar vein, a sack of yam which was selling at GH350.00 last week is now selling for GH450.00 this week, while a box of tomatoes which hitherto was sold at GH1000.00 last week is this week going for GH1,200.00. From this market survey which was done over a period of just one week, it is clear that cost of living in Ghana today is at an all time high. With Government’s much-touted Planting for Food and Jobs program remaining a monumental failure, coupled with the ever-increasing cost of agricultural inputs and mechanization services, the threat of food insecurity looms ever larger on us than before. In fact, the purchasing power of the ordinary Ghanaian has fast deteriorated due to the unbearable cost of living thereby inflicting untold hardships on Ghanaians. Things are continuously getting worse by the day with no end in sight. Worsening Economic Conditions Distinguished friends from the media, the economy continues to wallow in the doldrums, with all economic indicators nose-diving while Government looks on helplessly. The Cedi’s free-fall continues unabated as a result of the failure of Government to translate its rhetoric into action. Today, the Cedi trades at about Eight Cedis, 50 pesewas to the US Dollar. The continuous depreciation of our national currency against its major trading partners continues to wash away the profit margins and in most cases, the capital of many businesses and traders who depend on forex exchange to import vital goods into the country. This situation has further aggravated the alarming rate of inflation the nation is presently experiencing. Even more worrying is the alarming rate of joblessness and hopelessness in the country, especially among the youth. Today, the rate of unemployment has risen to an all-time high, having moved from 6% in the year 2017 to a staggering 13.5% as at 2021. In deed, our dear nation is presently in a deep economic mess. The country has lost access to the international capital market due to our unsustainable debt position. Our Public debt has increased to unprecedented and unsustainable levels from GHS120 billion cedis to over GHS391.9 billion cedis only in the last five and half years. This means that at a minimum, this government alone, since 2017, has added a whopping Ghc271.9 billion to the national debt stock, with a chunk of this going into consumption. Debt to GDP ratio has galloped from 56% in 2016 to about 80% as we speak, while our debt service burden has moved from about GHS14 billion cedis as at December 2016, to a whopping GHS50 billion cedis. This economic situation which is our worst performance in the history of this Fourth Republic has worsened our credit worthiness and dampened investor confidence in our economy leading to our worst ever downgrades by reputable sovereign credit rating Agencies such as Moody’s and Fitch. Simply put, our beloved Ghana is broke and this is a direct product of the bad leadership, insensitivity, misplaced proprieties and gross economic mismanagement of the present Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration. Draconian Taxes While wages of the Ghanaian worker remain static, with almost all labor unions up in arms over poor wages in the wake of worsening economic hardships, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government continues to impose killer and draconian taxes on the already burdened taxpayer. The recent passage of the obnoxious E-levy and its subsequent implementation remains yet another slap in the face of the Ghanaian people. Never in the history of our country has a government behaved so obstinately in imposing a draconian tax measure on its citizens, despite loud public outcry. Government’s subsequent use of judicial shenanigans in an attempt to defend the illegal imposition of this E-levy remains yet another clear demonstration of how desperate and callous they are. State Capture and land grabbing THE ATTEMPT TO REINTRODUCE THE FRAUDULENT AGYAPA DEAL Distinguished friends from the media, one of the cardinal, yet regrettable legacies of President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia remains the unprecedented levels of state capture we are witnessing today. The practice of state capture under this government has assumed such alarming proportions that the God-given resources of this country that are supposed to benefit present and future generations are being utilized by only a few greedy family, friends and cronies in government today. One of the most bizarre, yet brazen display of state capture has manifested itself in the unpopular decision of this Government to Monetize our mineral resources in perpetuity under a fraudulent scheme dubbed “Agyapa” for the benefit of a select few. It initially gladdened our hearts that the Ghanaian people spoke in unison against this organized heist called “Agyapa” and forced government to suspend same. We are however mortified to note that despite the public outcry over this deal, the NPP/Akufo-Addo government is headstrong and is seeking to reintroduce the “Agyapa” deal as recently announced by the Finance Minister. We wish to serve notice that this latest attempt to reintroduce the unpopular “Agyapa” Mineral Royalties deal shall be defeated, as we shall resist same with everything within us. GRABBING OF ACHIMOTA FOREST RESERVE LANDS Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we daresay that you, like many Ghanaians, were surprised by recent reports of a certain E.I 144 which seeks to declassify portions of the Achimota Forest as no longer a Forest Reserve. Well, as the saying goes, coming events cast their shadows, and indeed recent events have now given out the real motive and intent of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government relative to this matter of the Achimota Forest Reserve. As we now know, President Akufo-Addo and his land grabbers in government were only hiding behind a certain historical claim by one Owoo Family to turn appropriate the Achimota Forest Reserve, a nature conservation of huge environmental importance to all of us, among themselves. It has now emerged through some leaked portions of the Will of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, a former CEO of the Forestry Commission, that elements within the Akudo-Addo/Bawumia Government have already shared lands in the Achimota Forest Reserve among themselves. Indeed, portions of the lands are contained in the leaked Will Document making the rounds. This is a tragedy of national proportions and we condemn it in no uncertain terms. To imagine that the Achimota Forest, one of the few surviving nature reserves in Ghana, would become another subject of the state capture of President Akufo-Addo and his cabal of buccaneers in Government breaks our hearts greatly. Friends from the media, portions of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie’s Will reveals several prime lands, including those at the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site that the late CEO of the Forest Commission acquired within a very short stint in Government, which he in turn willed to his relatives prior to his death. These revelations are but a microcosm of the scale and magnitude of grabbing and plundering of state lands and other resources by President Akufo-Addo and functionaries in his government in a manner akin to the conduct of pirates on the high sea. Corruption and Abuse of the Public purse. Distinguished friends from the media, corruption remains endemic and pervasive under President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia who have turned themselves into the greatest enablers and promoters of same. Despite being the most resourced government in Ghana’s history, this government has wasted all the unprecedented revenues that have accrued to them totaling about GHS500 billion mainly through profligacy and corruption. At the risk of sounding monotonous, it bears reminding that corruption scandals such as the BOST scandal involving the illegal sale of five million liters of contaminated fuel to dubious entities, the Australian Visa Fraud Scandal, the Galamsey Fraud Scandal, the PPA Contracts for Sale scandal, the PDS scandal, the Missing Excavators scandal and the most recent Sputnik V Scandal remain unresolved instances of daylight heist that President Akufo-Addo has either turned a blind eye to or whitewashed the perpetrators. All attempts to demand accountability for the use of Covid-19 funds continues to be suppressed by President Akufo-Addo who has effectively doused the flame of accountability. There is little wonder therefore that corruption is at an all-time high under this current regime. Even more bizarre is the fact that at a time when majority of Ghanaians are suffering and experiencing excruciating hardships, President Akufo-Addo continues to travel in ultra-luxurious and hyper-expensive private jets at high expense to the already-impoverished Ghanaian taxpayer just to satisfy his creature comforts. Conclusion Distinguished friends from the media, our dear nation is on the verge of becoming a failed state. The center can no longer hold. Things are falling apart. It goes without saying that the current state of affairs calls for action. Every well-meaning Ghanaian is therefore duty-bound not only to speak against the ills of today, but also to act now in order to save the soul of our nation. This is why we in Arise Ghana are saying to all conscientious Ghanaians to arise and “Save Ghana Now”! Demands 1. We demand an immediate withdrawal of E.I 144 and an end to the land grabbing of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands. Caution is hereby served to President Akufo-Addo and his land grabbers to stay their hands off the Achimota Forest lands. We urge Parliament who are the representatives of the people to institute a bi-partisan probe into the matters relating to the sale of lands in the Achimota Forest immediately. This probe should be transparent and all persons, be they past or present government officials, civil or public servants, and all whose hands are soiled by this shameless grabbing of Achimota Forest lands should be named, shamed and the stolen Lands retrieved for the State. 2. We demand an immediate and total cancelation of the Agyapa Royalties deal as same is not in national interest. We will never sit aloof and allow a few selfish and greedy thieves in government to appropriate our mineral royalties for themselves and their families. 3. Also, we demand an immediate reduction in fuel prices through the scrapping of crippling fuel taxes such as the sanitation levy (“borla tax”) of 10 pesewas on every liter of diesel and petrol. We believe that this if done, will provide some respite to suffering drivers and Ghanaians as a whole. 4. Additionally, we demand the immediate repeal of the obnoxious E-levy Act, which is nothing but naked thievery of the meager resources of the citizenry by the wicked Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. In the light of the foregoing demands, “Arise Ghana” shall hold a Public Forum in the coming days to further expatiate on these important matters of considerable public interest. More importantly, we wish to announce for the information of all Ghanaians, that we shall be embarking on a mammoth demonstration on the 21st of June 2022 in the city of Accra to press home these demands. We therefore call on all Ghanaians who desire to see a change in the affairs of our beloved country to come out in their numbers and join us on the streets of Accra for this historic protest. This will be the first of a series of protest actions that we shall relentlessly be holding across the length and breadth of the country with the aim of bringing sufficient pressure to bear on the insensitive, corrupt and incompetent Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to act in the best interest of Ghanaians. Ladies and gentlemen, Ghana needs to be saved now. And this must be done by you and I. We have had enough of the hardships government keeps inflicting on us; Enough of the broken promises; Enough of the naked thievery of state resources; Enough of the arrogance of power; Enough of the state-capture; Enough of the culture of impunity. We all have a role to play in the struggle to save the soul of our beloved country. The time to act is now! May God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong through your collective efforts. Thank you for your attention ladies and gentlemen. Story by: Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo

Now, this is the story of Konadu. Konadu (not real name) was a farmer who owned a cocoa farm. She met her husband, Jojo (not his real name) and along the line, they gave birth to 3 children. Konadu was also a businesswoman. She traveled to Ivory Coast and left her farm in the care of her husband. When she came back, her husband had expanded the farm and it was doing quite well. However, there was a problem. Her husband refused to hand over the farm to her. After many months of misunderstanding, the matter was finally brought before the chief, who gave a ruling. Despite the intervention, Jojo refused to honor the terms prescribed by the chief. The matter was finally taken to court. The court ruled that since the couple had children, the farm should be divided into three parts. One part will go to the husband, the other to the woman while the other part was to be used to take care of the children. A series of misunderstandings erupted when Jojo sacked the children from their portion of the farm, arguing that they had no right over it. Konadu decided to confront him on the farm and the matter escalated. Jojo beat her up mercilessly, and she sustained several degrees of cutlass cuts on her body. In retaliation, Konadu ambushed Jojo on his way from the farm and hit him with a stick at the back of his head. He collapsed on the spot. She realized she might have hit him a bit too hard when she noticed bloodstains on the stick she had used. She rushed to inform her brother about the incident. The two immediately reported the incident to the police who came to meet Jojo in a pool of blood. While rushing him to the hospital, Jojo died on the way. This was the beginning of Konadu’s woes. The story of Konadu is sad and revealing. Sad because of the circumstances that landed her on death row in Ghana. Revealing because it throws light on the need to reconsider death as a form of punishment for certain crimes. This is important because the death sentence law in Ghana does not give room for Judges to consider specific circumstances that lead to the death of an individual. For example, if judges had the opportunity to consider specific circumstances that lead to the loss of life, many on death row could have been charged with offenses such as manslaughter. This is however not the case in Ghana because the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) prescribes the mandatory death penalty for certain offenses and bars judges from considering specific circumstances that may have mitigatory effects in each case before them. There are many more people on death row in Ghana with similar stories. Konadu’s story is a clear case of Gender-Based Violence, which she suffered at the hands of her husband, Jojo. Although the circumstances that led to the death of her husband could be attributed to a pre-determined plot to hurt him, her intention was not to kill him. The fact that she reported the incident to the police immediately, and the man died on the way to the hospital were enough reasons for the judge to have commuted her sentence to life imprisonment or other sentences apart from the death penalty. In October 2021, Isaiah Andrews of Cleveland, Ohio, was found not guilty after spending 45 years in prison for the death of his wife in 1974. Andrews is now 83 years old, and he is free to live his life after spending 45 years of his life in prison while he was innocent. Ricky Jackson spent 39 years on death row, having been convicted in 1975 for the murder of Harold Frank. Ricky was just 18 years old when he was convicted after 12-year-old Eddie Vermon testified that he saw the attack. Prosecutors dropped the charges against Ricky when Eddie Vermon recanted and admitted that he did not witness the crime at all. The possibility of wrongfully convicting an innocent person to death is evidence of the unreliability and arbitrariness of the death penalty. Konadu is now 83 years, and she has spent more than 40 years on death row. She was sentenced to death when she was 42 years and has since not seen her children. Today, Konadu is weak, her eyesight is failing and she is battling with her health. As an old woman, she has become too weak to even fend for herself. Even if she were a hardened criminal or murderer, an 83-year-old woman with poor vision, who can barely walk or move cannot be considered a danger to society. “If I were killed, it would be better than being here”, one inmate told Amnesty International. Currently, 165 people are on death row in Ghana. No executions had taken place since 1994 but the law continues to be applied as a mandatory sentence as contained in the Criminal and other Offences Act. We need to Abolish the death penalty. Story by: Redeemer Buatsi, Youth Leader/Activist, Amnesty International Ghana