The Head of Centre for Import and Export at the Tema Division of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Emmanuel Yaw Kwarteng has warned that importers who fail to register their 'personal effect' in 2022, will not be allowed to import their products into the country. According to him, unregistered products when released into the country pose a risk to the lives of users. Addressing Journalists at a Stakeholder Engagement on the Implementation of 'Personal Effect' Guidelines in Tema, he said "So this meeting is to ask all importing public, freight forwarding fraternity to look at what they want to bring in, let FDA know way-ahead. Registered products are a sign that the FDA is satisfied with its quality and efficacy and we can also voucher that the product is safe for the user. But if we do not see that particular product and it goes and finally finds itself in the market, then you are putting the whole nation at risk. We are looking at 2022, no registration, no import" He also said "We needed to let you know what personal effect is; it is no more what you term as a personal effect but it is now what the authority accepts now as personal effects. The authority has defined personal effects as products for your own use only and not for commercial purposes. Personal effects in terms of medicine are what you will need for your 90-day supply and nothing else" Mr. Kwarteng further mentioned that the problem with consolidated and personal effect has to do with some regulated products which although hidden and brought into the country, do not serve their intended purpose but end up on the shelves of shops, supermarkets, and pharmacies. He pointed out that products that come into the country at the blind side of the FDA, are not safe for usage. "We started from the beginning of the year and we are gradually interacting with importers and freight forwarders. W have most of them complying and I can say that when we started from the beginning of this year, unregistered products have reduced drastically; about 80% reduction. We are looking at completing 90%" he noted. Mr. Kwarteng reminded importers that his outfit will re-export unregistered goods adding that it will be at the cost of the importer. "Next year, 2022, we have fewer unregistered products that may come in, for reasons best known to those who want to bring them in. The law gives us the power to re-export unacceptable goods back to where they came from at your cost" Mr. Kwarteng cautioned. Responding to the usage of middlemen by importers, he advised persons involved in that to refrain from such behaviors. "There is no point. You don't have to use a middleman. You don't need even staff from FDA or a big man or woman to help you clear. Your solution is registration. When you register, you don't even need to visit the FDA" Some importers who spoke to the media promised to adhere to the guidelines spelled out by the FDA. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor is set to take the last lap of his Nationwide tour in some selected areas of the Volta and Oti Regions starting today, 13th December, 2021 to tomorrow Tuesday 14th December, 2021. Hon. Jinapor is scheduled to begin this final leg in the Volta Region with a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Archibald Letsa, to announce his presence in the Region and also to discuss matters relating to the Mining, Forestry and the Lands sub sectors. He is also expected to hold series of meetings with the Volta Regional Security Council ( REGSEC), the Regional House of Chiefs and sector agencies to among others, abreast himself with their level of operations. On arriving at Hohoe also in the Volta Region, the Hon. Minister and his entourage will first pay a courtesy call on the Chiefs and elders of the Gbi Traditional Area at the Gbi Palace to commiserate with them on the demise and burial of the Late Paramount Chief Togbega Gabusu VI and also make a donation. The team will end day- one of the working tour with a visit to the Green Ghana and Save River Dayi project sites  to monitor the growth of trees planted during the June 11th Green Ghana exercise in line with the Green Ghana MyTree is Alive concept. Hon. Jinapor will on his second day of the Regional tour which is his last day of all the 16 Regional tours in country,  pay a courtesy call on the Chiefs and people of Akokrowa, of the Oti Region. From Akokrowa, the Hon.  Minister and his entourage will visit the Iron ore working site by GGSA in the region. At Dambai,  Hon. Jinapor will call on the Oti Regional Minister, Hon. Joshua Makubu. He will also hold meetings with the Regional Security Council, House of Chiefs and sector agencies to discuss how best they can work together in developing the country with respect to the Mining, Lands and Forestry sectors and also contribute their quota to the Global Climate Change agenda. The Minister commenced this Nationwide tour in March this year, in the Ashanti Region and has since taken him through all the other 14 Regions in Ghana with the intent to obtain unflinching support from the Chiefs and people in the respective regions and the various Regional Cordinating Councils with the move to curb illegal mining and restore the nation's forest cover. Story by: News Desk Report

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment for mild Covid-19 symptoms, after testing positive on Sunday, the office of the presidency said in a statement. Ramaphosa “started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service in honor of former Deputy President FW de Klerk in Cape Town earlier today,” the presidency statement said. He is however “in good spirits” and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force. Ramaphosa is fully vaccinated and is in self-isolation in Cape Town, his office also said, adding that he has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week. Credit: Starr Fm

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that a gang of armed robbers are currently on a robbery spree on the Kintampo road, robbing vehicles heading to and from the North Region. According to sources, the robbers are attacking all cars using such stretch. The Ghana Police Service is however been called upon to get to the scene, arrest these robbers and protect the lives of the road-users. Thinknewsonline.com will update its readers on new developments. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The former Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o has just been elected president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) with 43 votes, ahead of the incumbent president, who received 31 votes. The former Barcelona and Inter player, defeated Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who was elected in 2018, but his election was contested by several actors of Cameroonian soccer, and canceled in mid-January by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 40-year-old former striker had announced his intention to run for the post on September 22, saying it was time to "launch the reconstruction of Cameroonian soccer". Mr. Eto'o said that the ousted president of Fecafoot had "failed miserably". Credit: Rédaction Africanews

Ghanaian dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has launched a new commercial ride system, Shaxi to reduce the unemployment rate among the youth. According to Shatta Wale, Shaxi was created from his inspiration to create employment avenues and create a sustainable business focus for the Ghanaian youth. Speaking on how the initiative was birthed, Shatta Wale wrote on his official Twitter handle: “Well, let me share this story with you today. Everybody that knows me knows I love the youth of Ghana, and I always want to see them doing well. I want to see the boys and girls in the ghettos move from being unemployed into having gainful employment. “That’s how the #Shaxi dream was born. My team and I set out to create a sustainable business with a focus on providing employment for the teeming unemployed Ghanaians. That’s our drive and not profits. At the end of the day, we want to make an impact and leave our mark.” The ‘Taking Over’ hitmaker further stated that even though he is the brain behind the business, it is also a business for all Ghanaians. According to Shatta, the initiative is a dream come true. He expressed gratitude to his team and all who supported the initiative and fueled its success. “Shaxi is for not just Shatta Wale and friends. It’s a Ghanaian project for Ghanaians. So let’s all embrace it and make it happen. Thank you for your support, and thank you to the entire team behind the Shaxi project, couldn’t have done this without you. #Shaxi Recreational vehicle. It’s time to ride.” Below are some pictures: Story by: Benedicta Naa Lamiorkor Lawson

Some followers of Ghanaian Actor, Kwadwo Nkansah known in showbiz as Lil Win have congratulated the entertainer following the arrival of his new set of twins. The Ghanaian Actor took to his Instagram account to announce to the boryh of his new babies. In series of responses captured by Thinknewsonline.com, Ghanaian Musician, Kurlsongx commented "Congratulations bro" Twinstarboidat added "Congrats big man nice shot and a good outcome, congratulations once again chairman" Efyaselina37 also said "Congrats dear. Is my prayers God shd bless me with twins and it will surely come to pass. What God can not do does not exist" The actor on his Instagram post captioned the videos 'Much love' Below are some videos and pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Twenty-seven (27) heavy duty truck drivers, who are part of the 58 drivers recruited for the Operation clean your frontage project have succefully passed out at the Armed Forces Supplies and Transport Training School (FATS), Burma Camp in Accra. The training, which was a collaboration between the Armed Forces Supplies and Transport Training School (AFSTTS) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, was to enable these newly recruited drivers to handle waste trucks set aside for the government’s Operation Clean Your Frontage agenda. Speaking at the passing out ceremony on Friday, December 10, 2021, the Special Operations Coordinator of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Colonel Rogatus Komlaga (Rtd), said the drivers must effectively discharge their duties to ensure the success of the operation. He encouraged the drivers to take good care of the trucks that would be given to them, adding that the operation will augment the government’s Clean Ghana agenda. Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Gyamerah- Amoako, who is the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces Supplies and Transport Training School, commended the trained drivers for their hard work and commitment. He charged them to exhibit all that they were taught on the field by always being disciplined on the road Interacting with some of the drivers, they expressed how elated they were to have successfully completed their driving training, stressing that they are poised to contribute their quota towards making Ghana the cleanest country in Africa. The waste management company has been contracted to create refuse collection points in all the 29 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region. The Operation Clean Your Frontage, an initiative by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), being spearheaded by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, is to ensure all households and organisations clean and beautify their frontages to complement government’s vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa. As part of preparations to support the project, Zoomlion, has through the Armed Forces Supplies and Transport Training School, trained first batch of 27 Ghanaians in heavy duty truck driving, to man the waste trucks designated for the project. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor has called on all stakeholders of the Mining Sector to put hands on deck and ensure proper regulation of the sector. The Minister is of the believe that the mining sector cannot be properly regulated if all stakeholders do not discharge their duties with integrity and transparency. He said this when he delivered the keynote address at the first Student Representative Council (SRC) Public Lecture of the Ghana School of Law, held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on Friday 10 December, 2021. Stressing on the importance of subject Minister said " We cannot regulate illegal Mining if for example the inspectorate division of the Minerals Commission cannot monitor the operations of mining or do their work on the principles of integrity and transparency" "We cannot regulate this sector if the Minister, Deputy Ministers and officials of the Ministry who have the responsibility to offer supervisory duty do not do so on account of integrity." He continued. Hon. Jinapor however opined that, it will only be possible to sanitize the mining sector if all authorities involved, work together in courage. He said " we can only get to the right conclusion in respect of sanitising the Small Scale industry, if we work, all of us, Minerals commission, the Minister, the Deputy Ministers, the Ministry, work in the spirit of integrity and courage, that is the only way foward. Speaking on the theme : The Legal Regime of the Mining sector in Ghana. History, Challenges And the Way Forward" The Minister an assurance to continue the fight against illegal Mining with the realisation of the President's vision in mind saying " the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and I are determined to continue to work tirelessly to construct a lands and natural resources sector which is effectively managed, transparent, and anchored on integrity, thereby, contributing to the realisation of the noble vision of the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He also disclosed that in view of this fight, an amount of 20 million cedis has been allocated by government in the 2022 budget to help in the fight against galamsey. As part of efforts to encourage and promote responsible Small Scale Mining in the country, the Minister said, the Ministry has instituted Responsible Small Scale Awards Mining Scheme. He said the scheme which will have it's maiden edition held on Wednesday, 22nd December, 2021, will from this year, be an annual event "to reward Small Scale Miners who adhered to the health, safety and environmental standards of mining". In his submission, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor also highlighted some challenges within the mining sector such as the lack of value addition, over concentration on gold, and Environmental Hazard which he said is as a result of lack of personnel to provide supervision from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, who have oversight responsibility in protecting people and the environment from significant health risks, developing and enforcing environmental regulations. He therefore called on Tertiary institutions across Ghana to come up with higher education in mining to ensure and provide well resourced graduates who with their qualifications and knowledge, can help better the industry. "It is my hope that this Lecture, will set the tone for a broader conversion on Mineral and Mining law and perhaps the introduction of the mining law as a separate and distinct course as the faculties and the introduction of masters programme in mining" He said. The Minister intimated, that after all is said and done, the Mineral resources of Ghana are the property of the people of Ghana vested in the President as a trustee and therefore " government has an obligation to ensure that the exploitation and utilisation of these resources benefit the actual owners of the resource; The people of Ghana". On his part, the Chairman of the Public Lecture and Director for Legal Education at the Ghana School of Law, Mr. Kwasi Prempeh - Eck, expressed his profound gratitude to the Minister for such a detailed and well presented Lecture. He added that he is very much impressed and proud of the Minister and all he has been able to achieve through the Ministry, saying that Hon. Jinapor has proven to be a man of his words and so he is certain that very soon, Ghana will see more developmental initiatives from the Lands Ministry just as the Minister has assured. The SRC President of the Ghana School of Law, Mr. Wonder Victor Kutor in his remarks, applauded the efforts of government in the mining sector. He further added that as part of the yuletide season, the Ghana School of Law has made arrangements to pay the fees of some students in need in selected institutions. The all important Public Lecture, first of it's kind, attracted hundreds of Stakeholders from top government officials, Members of Parliament, Traditional Leaders, Metropolitan and Municipal Chief Executives and the academia. Below are some pictures: Story by: MLNR PR UNIT

A primary one pupil of T.I Ahmadiyya School in Kumasi has been killed in an accident involving a long-vehicle truck at Asafo in the Ashanti Region. Six-year-old Princess Atsu Bema in school uniform was heading to a food joint after closing from school when she was struck by the tail-end of the trailer. A vehicle with registration number 5497-11 whilst negotiating a sharp curve knocked down the girl and run over her head. According to eye-witnesses, the long truck had come to offload cargo into one of the wholesale shops in the area when the tragic incident happened. Some angry residents say they have consistently engaged wholesale shops to avoid offloading goods from long trucks in the area to avert such incidents. Assembly member of the Asafo electoral area, Ernest Okai, said the wholesalers have consistently defied orders from the KMA to desist from offloading goods in the area. The killing of the girl is a clarion call for immediate action to stop them. Watch the pics below: Credit: Myjoyonline.com

Health workers at the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Limited (GCDL) Hospital are crying to the ruling government for help over unpaid salaries. The mother company of the hospital formerly known as Great Consolidated Diamond Limited was taken over by the government in 2019 for breach of the concession agreement with the state. Jospong Group bought the Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited and renamed it Great Consolidated Diamonds. After it took over the company and all of its assets, it automatically assumed responsibility for all workers' salaries. Before the government takeover, workers of the health facility of Great Consolidated Diamond Limited owned by Jospong Group then were owed salaries of up to 10 and a half months. According to a worker at the health facility who spoke to Modernghana News. Credit: Modern Ghana

The Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Lawrence Apaalse has urged leaders of Africa’s energy sector to foster collaboration to ensure that the continent would harness its energy resources. Mr. Apaalse made this call when he represented Energy Minister, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh at a Ministerial Round Table Discussion at the 23rd World Petroleum Congress in Houston, Texas in the USA. He said the African continent is blessed with abundant natural resources including oil and gas as nearly half of the countries in West Africa are producing oil and gas, making the sub-region an important hub of the sector. He further said Africa is cognizant of the advocacy for energy transition and cleaner energy, however, the conversation must be had within a careful context, which is the reality of the current stage of Africa’s current circumstances and growth trajectory. “Many in Africa, including the African Energy Chamber, recommend a multi-pronged approach to addressing energy poverty - one that harnesses both renewable energy sources and fossil fuel. I think this is a call in the right direction” he said. He continued “In the West African subregion alone, in countries like Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana, gas will be a game changer in providing cheaper access to power and ultimately driving industrialization. This in turn creates employment and business opportunities both in the upstream and downstream petroleum sector. The Chief Director said gas, especially Africa’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is the cleanest of fossil fuel, and harnessing it to power generators can make a huge impact on the drive to accelerate universal coverage. Touching on the promotion of LPG for cooking, Mr. Apaalse said the Ghana Cylinder manufacturing company has been empowered to manufacture good quality LPG cylinders and stoves designed to meet the specific needs of the its target market. He said the company has the capacity to significantly increase the number of LPG cook stoves and cylinders on the Ghanaian market and beyond as the world advocates for clean cooking. He also spoke on government’s Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity Programme (AOGC) to ensure that Ghanaians are equipped with the relevant skills and certifications to be able to work in the oil and gas industry and also made a strong case for investors to invest in Ghana’s unexplored basins. Mr. Apaalse called for energy infrastructure interconnectivity within Africa and further called for experience sharing and the study of best practices so that Africa’s energy resources could be exploited for the benefit of our citizens. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith