The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has said the insistence by the Police to bypass laid down procedure to arrest Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier-Sosu is an attack on Parliament. The police has been pursuing the Madina lawmaker after he turned down an invitation to answer some questions relating to the blockade of roads when he led a demonstration in his constituency in October. Just last Sunday, an attempt was made to arrest Francis Xavier-Sosu when some officers in plain cloth were sent to his church. In reaction, Speaker Alban Bagbin has through a statement issued by Parliament stressed that he considers it as an attack on the house. “These recent events should not be understood as an attack on a single Member of Parliament but an attack on Parliament as an institution and the democracy of Ghana as a whole,” part of the statement reads. According to Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the provisions on Parliamentary immunities and privileges for members are borne out of the experiences of various democracies the world over and are to be respected by the police. Despite the admission that Members of Parliament are not above the law, the Speaker insists that the right procedures must be followed at all times. “Mr. Speaker reiterates that the immunities and privileges of Members of Parliament are not absolute. The procedure for causing the arrest of a sitting Member of Parliament or serving a court process must be in accordance with the Constitution. “The appropriate procedure is to secure from the Speaker, a certificate that the Member in question is not attending to Parliamentary Business. Anything short of this should not be entertained by the House. “Mr. Speaker would want to reassure the people of Ghana that, he takes seriously the oath he swore on the 7h of January, 2021, by his solemn pledge to "faithfully and conscientiously discharge his duties" as the elected Speaker for all, as well as to uphold, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” the statement issued from Parliament concludes. Story by: Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sosu Education Project, T. K. Avordeh is calling on general public especially teachers within the Madina Constituency that, the MP'S TEACHERS AWARD is opened for application and participation. According to him, all teachers (both private and public) are encouraged to visit the provided website for registration. Me said "The official website for registration is www.madinampeducationproject/teachers.html." He noted "Online Application duration is from 1st November, 2021 to 19th November, 2021. Shortlisted applicants will be notified on 29th November, 2021. There will be Electoral Area Best Teacher's Selection between 1st December, 2021 and 3rd December, 2021" The interview date for the Constituency Best Teacher shall be between 6th December, 2021 and 8th December, 2021. The CEO of the Sosu Education Project stressed that opportunity is ONLY available to teachers within the Madina Constituency. Below is a screenshot: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

“Ghana acknowledges the importance and effects of Climate Change, and the urgent need to combat it, and we acknowledge equally the importance of protecting our development. We believe that a balance must be struck and maintained between our social, economic and environmental imperatives.” These were the words of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 2nd November 2021, when he delivered Ghana’s statement at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 26, currently ongoing in Glasgow, Scotland. Taking his turn to address delegates on day 2 of the Summit, President Akufo-Addo stated that climate change is the greatest threat to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as it has enormous impact on the fundamentals required for survival on earth. “Even though we, in Africa, are the least of the contributors to this phenomenon, responsible for less than four percent (4%) of the global volume of carbon emissions, we suffer the most because our agrarian and resource-driven economies are peculiarly susceptible to the effects of climate change, and our capacity to withstand its shocks is weak,” he said. Agriculture, water, energy, and the extraction of mineral resources, the President said, are essential drivers of developments in African countries, but, at the same time, are characteristically sensitive to changing climate. With the African Development Bank stating that Africa will need some US$3 trillion “in mitigation and adaptation by 2030” to enable her implement nationally determined contributions, he noted that the question of financing Africa’s commitments naturally arises. “The Almighty has blessed our lands with abundant natural resources, and it would be wholly unfair for the world to demand that Africa abandons the exploitation of these same resources needed to finance her development, and help us to cope better with the threat of climate change, at a time when many countries on the continent have only just discovered them,” President Akufo-Addo said. He continued, “The development and industrialisation of the wealthy nations of today were also hinged on the exploitation of their natural resources. This development came at the expense of pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases. Even today, the western world is responsible for 76% of carbon emissions.” Africa, the President said, is naturally very disappointed by the failure of the wealthy nations to honour their commitments of making available one hundred billion dollars (US$100 billion) annually to the poorer countries to assist the continent in the fight against climate change, and by the unavailability of the technology transfer that will help Africa find sustainable ways of charting a path out of this existential crisis. “Those same nations are, however, insisting that we abandon the opportunity for rapid development of our economies. That would be tantamount to enshrining inequality of the highest order, a totally unacceptable conclusion,” he added. President Akufo-Addo stressed that “We must find a solution that is equitable and fair; a solution that levels the playing field; a solution that recognises the historical imbalances between the high emitters and low emitters. Ghana, therefore, supports the call for debt-for-climate swaps, which will address a multitude of issues in one fell swoop.” He, thus, urged world leaders to use COP 26 as “a turning point to create a more prosperous, greener and fairer world, which maintains the balance between the social, economic and environmental requirements of all nations of the earth, rich and poor.” Success, in this endeavour, he reiterated, is the greatest inheritance the world can leave for current and future generations. Protecting Ghana’s Forests and Oceans President Akufo-Addo also participated in the World Leader’s Summit on protecting the world’s forests and oceans, held on the sidelines of COP 26. Describing deforestation and forest degradation as the “greatest challenges to sustainable forest management” in Ghana, the President stated that Ghana has, in the course of the last two decades, adopted several policies and programmes, such as National Forest Plantation Development Programme and the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, aimed at restoring her lost forest. “In June this year, I led the entire country, through the Green Ghana Project, to plant over seven million trees, far above the five million we had targeted. Next year, we aim to plant a minimum of twenty million trees, and we have already begun earnest preparations towards this,” he added. The President Assured that “from 2024 and beyond, we aim to reduce emissions by some ten million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the cocoa-forest landscape, through the implementation of the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme, one of five ecological landscape-tailored programmes in Ghana’s REDD+ Strategy.” Ghana, President Akufo-Addo stressed, through her Nationally Determined Contributions in the forestry sector, “is committed to supporting the global target of halving emissions by 2030, and attaining neutrality by 2050”. Oceans Reiterating Ghana’s commitment to managing sustainably her ocean, as the historic Transformation Document that was launched in December last year enjoins the country to do, the President added that the country is putting in place the requisite structures and processes to finalise her Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2025. “The pressing threats we face are marine security, due to the prevalence of piracy and armed robbery on our seas, the mounting menace of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing (IUU), overfishing and its attendant decline in fish stocks, and plastic pollution,” he said. As Ghana deal with these challenges, in partnership with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, “we are also conducting an Ocean Governance Study to help us strengthen our legal and institutional framework for ocean management”. In addition, the President noted that to help reduce the excessive pressure, over-exploitation and to replenish Ghana’s falling marine fish stocks, just as was done last year, he told the gathering that Ghana has implemented a closed season for artisanal and industrial finishing. “The results have been a phenomenal success, and we intend to continue to implement this policy with huge positive dividends over the medium-term. We must leverage our collective political influence, build strong partnerships with business leaders and influencers in civil society to drive effectively the implementation of the Transformations Document by all countries,” he added. Below are some pictures: Credit: Presidency

The Ghana Police Service is calling on all qualified applicants of the ongoing recruitment exercise to check its online portal for further details on the screening process. According to the Ghana Police Service, it has scheduled Thursday, 4th November to Thursday 11th November for the screening on 'General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen, Graduates-General and Graduate-Professionals'. In a statement signed by the Director-General, Public Affairs, ACP Kwesi Ofori, it said "The date for the screening of Medical Professionals and Lawyers will be communicated later" The statement also hinted that Applicants are to report to the screening centres with a proof of registration, birth certificate, JHS Certificate and other appropriate certificates for the category applied for. ACP Kwesi Ofori further noted that the applicants are expected to report to their assigned centres unaccompanied. He advised Applicants to strictly adhere to the scheduled date and time to avoid overcrowding and chaos at the screening centres. "Applicants who fail to abide by the reporting protocols will be disqualified" he stressed. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

President of the Shatta Movement, Charles Nii Armah Mensah known in showbiz as Shattawale has called on his followers to share the flyers of his new banger dubbed #Jailman. In a tweet sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, Shattawale tweeted "Let this flyer fly as high as u can...It’s about to go downnnnn🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #Jailman #DTB @AmgMedikal 🩸🩸" It is emerging that the new banger is set to feature AMG rapper, Medikal. It will be recalled that both Shattawale and Medikal were placed behind bars for various reasons. The tweet from Shattawale has generated lots of mixed reactions from followers. Below are screenshots: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The National Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has described the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) as a celebrity IGP who is only interested in media hype and not doing the real work. This description comes after a report by the Ghana News Agency indicates that violent crimes in Ghana were up by 20%. Sammy Gyamfi argues that the current IGP instead of fighting crime in Ghana has rather focused on hounding political opponents of the current government; a move he sees as sickening and worrying. “The rate of violent crimes in Ghana has reached alarming levels in recent time. Yet, our new IGP is busy hounding political opponents, Pastors, socialites and musicians over less weightier matters, while real criminals are having a field day.” To him, this Inspector-General of Police is only good at clamouring attention to himself but the real work on the grounds continue to suffer. “This is what happens when you have a celebrity IGP who is only interested in media hype; people who are easily hoodwinked by publicity stunts; and a #SerwaahBroniGov’t that majors in the minors,” the NDC communications director said in a tweet. Ghana News Agency Report The Ghana Public Safety and Crime Report has said that violent crimes went up from 183 in 2020 to 220 from January to June 2021, representing a 20 per cent increase. This was contained in a report assessing crime wave in the country which indicates that the top five most reported violent crimes were murder or manslaughter, armed robbery, assault, burglary and suicide. Nana Yaw Akwada, Chief of Party at the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) at the presentation of the report said firearms use in the commission of violent crimes had increased by 79 percent over the same period compared to 2020. “Seventy-four per cent of reported armed robbery cases involved the use of firearms, while 20 percent of homicides involved firearm use. More than 80 per cent of violent crimes occurred outside of the place of abode or homes of victims; these included roads and highways, offices, business or trade spaces, places of worship, and other transitional spaces. “More than 95 per cent of armed robbery incidents occurred outside of home, and 76 per cent of murder or manslaughter cases were reported to have occurred out of home. Violent crime deaths reportedly increased from 134 in 2020 to 171 in 2021 representing a 28 percent increase,” he said. Nana Akwada said Central region recorded most suicide cases of six out of a total of 21 cases for the period in 2021, representing 29 per cent of suicides reported across the country; followed by the Greater Accra region with 14 per cent of such cases. He said most armed robbery incidents occurred in the Greater Accra region forming 24 percent of all armed robberies with the Ashanti region following with 16 percent of incidents. “Fifty per cent of all property crimes reported for the period occurred in the Greater Accra. More females (59 percent) were reported as victims to murder or manslaughter cases, while 81 percent of males were reported as victims of armed robbery events,” he said. Source: mynewsgh

Former Warriors and Orlando Pirates striker, Tendai Ndoro has lost his house and a fleet of luxurious cars to his South African wife Thando Maseko after a fallout. Ndoro had registered all the property, a house in the affluent Kyalami Estates in Johannesburg and a range of poshy cars in the name of Maseko. But after a fallout, Maseko kicked Ndoro out of the house and also got hold of the cars forcing the former Warriors striker to walk out empty handed. Kyalami Estates is a secure residential estate with 24-hour controlled access, recreational parks, a dam, tennis, basketball, netball and squash courts, outdoor gyms, a soccer field among other amenities. Ndoro who trended on social media recently appearing frail and sickly at Simba Bhora in Shamva received some cash bail out from Warriors stars Marvelous Nakamba and Kuda Mahachi when they were in the country for the World Cup qualifier against Ghana. Below are some pictures: Credit: Zim Diaspora Sports Connect

The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie has charged participants at the 5th Africa Animal Welfare Conference to seek, share and spread lessons under the conference theme that befit and resonate well with different animal welfare situations in Africa. According to Dr. Afriyie, most government stakeholders do not only look out for exemplary experiences and case studies to enlighten themselves and but also create meaningful networks and linkages for improving animal welfare in various policies. Speaking at the 5th Africa Animal Welfare Conference at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), he said “It is also a great honour for Africa to share this special conference with the rest of the world during the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by a zoonotic pathogen” “I find the theme for this year’s conference: “One Health, One Welfare - For a Better and Greener Tomorrow” to be both appropriate and interesting, given that Animal welfare has become an integral and important part of the development of public policies for animal resource management across the world” He reminded the gathering that the conference is timely as it coincides with the World Leaders summit taking place in Glasgow on climate change where discussions are ongoing on how to combat climate change and save the planet. Dr. Afriyie noted that in Africa, animal resources are essential for maintaining the ecological integrity of terrestrial and aquatic environments as well as increasing national economic growth and improvement of livelihoods. He added that scientific studies from around the world indicate that animal welfare simultaneously enhances animal and public health, while providing social and environmental safeguards. “It is now becoming apparent that the genesis of zoonotic pandemics are inextricably linked to poor animal welfare. Hence, the 5th edition of the Africa Animal Welfare Conference seeks to discern animal welfare in terms of various sustainable development aspects in the context of the ‘One Health’ paradigm, while addressing a myriad of current and future challenges facing environmental protection and sustainable development in Africa” he noted. “This meeting is an Afrocentric convergence of minds that enables participants to explore the meaning, the significance and adaptability of the theme to different social, economic and environmental contexts in Africa. A quick glimpse of the conference programme shows that academia, practitioners, researchers, politicians, social workers and animal health experts will make presentations addressing the interlinkage between animal welfare and various contexts such as food security, economic productivity, innovations, social justice, technology, wildlife preservation, biodiversity conservation and climate change” he stated. Speaking from a government perspective, Dr. Afriyie mentioned that the conference will present a good opportunity for innovative policy engagement jointly by public, private, governmental, non-governmental, communities and other stakeholders in animal resource management. He was of the view that as a country, Ghana is developing its first National Biodiversity Policy; aimed at promoting the sustainable utilisation and conservation of biodiversity resources to promote the economic development of our communities and the nation. He said “This conference therefore is a timely trigger and a point for policy reflection, review, performance assessment and evaluation at development interfaces concerning animals, people and the environment” “As you may be aware, Ghana, in collaboration with Burkina-Faso, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Senegal and South Sudan, are presenting the first-ever animal welfare resolution for adoption, hopefully, at the next United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in February 2022. The resolution articulates the nexus between animal welfare and sustainable development in as far as environmental protection and public health are concerned. The resolution seeks to mainstream animal welfare into the global sustainable development agenda in a wholistic manner” he stressed. Dr. Afriyie emphasizes the need to promote animal-welfare driven innovations in pursuit of sustainable development around the world while addressing challenges emanating from climate change, high human population growth rates, environmental degradation, desertification and global pandemics. “I wish to congratulate the inter-agency collaboration effort to organise this year’s conference. May I thank the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Africa Union International Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), and Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) for jointly planning and co-hosting the conference with support from various partners from around the world. I also wish to thank my government counterparts for finding time to attend and participate in the conference” Other representatives present at the opening ceremony of the conference assured the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of their support. Below are videos and pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Mandy Adwoa Morata Woods

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has received interim laboratory results of an unusual disease from the Savannah Region of the country, that has led to the death of eight (8) people. According to the Ghana Health Service, the disease is presumed to be Yellow Fever and samples have been shipped for final confirmation. In a statement signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, it said "Tests for other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers like Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Zika are all negative" He also explained that the affected persons are nomads in selected communities in West and North Gonja of the region who have never been vaccinated against yellow fever. He further explained that a person with Yellow Fever may have fever and jaundice in the early stages and later on bleed from any of the body openings (e.g. nose, mouth, bloody stools, Vomiting Blood). "You can get Yellow Fever through the bite of the Aedes mosquito and prevention is mainly by taking the Yellow Fever vaccine or preventing the bite of a mosquito" He stressed that a yellow fever vaccine when taken will provide lifelong immunity to an individual. He urged the general public to get vaccinated against Yellow Fever if never vaccinated "Avoid mosquito bites by wearing clothing that cover all parts of the body. Report to the nearest health facility if you have a fever and especially when you have yellowish discoloration of your eyes" he added. The Ghana Health Service says it is particularly asking all persons from that part of the region who have fever, general weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting to immediately report to the nearest health facility. "A team of experts from Ghana Health Service, Center for Disease Control (CDC) Ghana, World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana, and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) have been dispatched to support the Region to investigate and institute appropriate control measures" he revealed. The Ghana Health Service mentioned that it will keep the general public updated following the outcome of the investigations and also on the final  laboratory confirmation. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Some scores of Facebook users have hailed a male name for helping a pregnant woman to deliver her baby in the middle of an untarred road. According to Facebook users, the act exhibited by the male nurse is laudable. The male nurse whose name was given as Kendrick is said a product of Community Health Nursing Training School at Akim Oda. In a series of comments sight by Thinknewsonline.com, Ruth Amoako Gyampah said "GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS" Veronica Nimfah also added "Well done God bless you 😘😘😘" Mohammed Hamida added "Allah bless him 🙏" Abigail Mensah said "God bless you sir!" Linda Frimpomaah Agyare Arhin also added "God bless you Papa Nurse" It is emerging that Kendrick who is currently working at the Amartey CHIPS in the Kwahu District was on his way to his outreach area when he met the pregnant woman and helped her. Below are screenshots: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ghana Police says it has arrested the Municipal Chief Executive nominee for Juaben in the Ashanti Region to assist in investigation. In a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Supt. Alexander Kwaku Obeng said "The arrest was in connection with a viral video of the nominee, Alex Sarfo Kantanka, allegedly demanding a refund of some sums of money he had allegedly paid to Assembly Members to vote for his confirmation as the MCE for the Juaben Municipal Area" The statement added that after his Investigation Caution Statement was taken, Alex Darfo Kantanka was granted bail. The police says it will continue with investigations. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ghana Police Service has interdicted the personal bodyguard of the Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina. The officer, Daniel Agbavor, was interdicted for an alleged misconduct in a demonstration by some constituents of Madina last week. In a statement, the police said Inspector Daniel Agbavor ‘recklessly’ drove into a crowd during the protest in Madina last Tuesday. The statement added the officer’s action endangered the lives of two officers, who filed a report after the incident. Mr. Sosu is wanted by the police after he led a protest against bad roads in his constituency. In the protest, some of the protestors blocked roads and burnt tyres and allegedly destroyed some property. Read the police statement below: Credit: Pulse GH