Americans solemnly marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday, remembering the dead, invoking the heroes and taking stock of the aftermath just weeks after the bloody end of the Afghanistan war that was launched in response to the terror attacks. The ceremony at ground zero in New York began exactly two decades after the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil started with the first of four hijacked planes crashing into one of the World Trade Center's twin towers. "It felt like an evil specter had descended on our world, but it was also a time when many people acted above and beyond the ordinary," said Mike Low, whose daughter, Sara Low, was a flight attendant on that plane. "As we carry these 20 years forward, I find sustenance in a continuing appreciation for all of those who rose to be more than ordinary people," the father told a crowd that included President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The anniversary unfolded under the pall of a pandemic and in the shadow of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is now ruled by the same Taliban militant group that gave safe haven to the 9/11 plotters. "It’s hard because you hoped that this would just be a different time and a different world. But sometimes history starts to repeat itself and not in the best of ways," Thea Trinidad, who lost her father in the attacks, said before reading victims' names at the ceremony. Bruce Springsteen and Broadway actors Kelli O'Hara and Chris Jackson sang at the commemoration, but by tradition, no politicians spoke there. In a video released Friday night, Biden addressed the continuing pain of loss but also spotlighted what he called the "central lesson" of Sept. 11: "that at our most vulnerable ... unity is our greatest strength." Biden also paid respects at another site where the 9/11 conspirators crashed a jet: a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden lay a wreath at the Wall of Names during a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Biden placed a wreath at Memorial Plaza, home to the Wall of Names, where the names of the passengers and the crew from that flight are inscribed in marble. The president and First Lady Jill Biden then walked with relatives of the crash victims into the grassy field when the jet came to rest. Biden made no public comments during his time at the memorial. Biden was scheduled to visit the Pentagon site later Saturday. Together, the attacks killed nearly 3,000 people. At the Pennsylvania site — where passengers and crew fought to regain control of a plane believed to have been targeted at the U.S. Capitol or the White House — former President George W. Bush said Sept. 11 showed that Americans can come together despite their differences. "So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment," said the president who was in office on 9/11. "On America’s day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab their neighbor’s hand and rally to the cause of one another. That is the America know." "It is the truest version of ourselves. It is what we have been and what we can be again." Calvin Wilson said a polarized country has "missed the message" of the heroism of the flight's passengers and crew, which included his brother-in-law, LeRoy Homer. "We don’t focus on the damage. We don’t focus on the hate. We don’t focus on retaliation. We don’t focus on revenge," Wilson said before the ceremony. "We focus on the good that all of our loved ones have done." Former President Donald Trump planned to be in New York, in addition to providing commentary at a boxing match in Florida in the evening. Other observances — from a wreath-laying in Portland, Maine, to a fire engine parade in Guam — were planned across a country now full of 9/11 plaques, statues and commemorative gardens. In the aftermath of the attacks, security was redefined, with changes to airport checkpoints, police practices and the government's surveillance powers. For years afterward, virtually any sizeable explosion, crash or act of violence seemed to raise a dire question: "Is it terrorism?" Some ideological violence and plots did follow, though federal officials and the public have lately become increasingly concerned with threats from domestic extremists after years of focusing on international terror groups in the wake of 9/11. New York faced questions early on about whether it could ever recover from the blow to its financial hub and restore a feeling of safety among the crowds and skyscrapers. New Yorkers ultimately rebuilt a more populous and prosperous city but had to reckon with the tactics of an empowered post-9/11 police department and a widened gap between haves and have-nots. A "war on terror" led to invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the longest U.S. war ended last month with a hasty, massive airlift punctuated by a suicide bombing that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American service members and was attributed to a branch of the Islamic State extremist group. The U.S. is now concerned that al-Qaida, the terror network behind 9/11, may regroup in Afghanistan, where the Taliban flag once again flew over the presidential palace on Saturday. Two decades after helping to triage and treat injured colleagues at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, retired Army Col. Malcolm Bruce Westcott is saddened and frustrated by the continued threat of terrorism. "I always felt that my generation, my military cohort, would take care of it — we wouldn’t pass it on to anybody else," said Westcott, of Greensboro, Georgia. "And we passed it on." At ground zero, some victims’ relatives thanked the troops who fought in Afghanistan. But Melissa Pullis — who lost her husband, Edward, and whose son Edward Jr. is serving on the USS Ronald Reagan — said she was "just happy all the troops are out of Afghanistan." "We can’t lose any more military. We don’t even know why we’re fighting, and 20 years went down the drain," she said. Amid the hourslong reading of the victims' names, relatives — at this point, many of them too young to have known their lost kin — spoke in English, Spanish and other languages of lives cut short, family milestones missed and a loss that still feels immediate. Several also pleaded for a return of the shared experience and common purpose that surged for a time after Sept. 11 but soon gave way. People mourn at the North reflecting pool during a ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum commemorating the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2021 in New York City. Muslim Americans endured suspicion, surveillance and hate crimes. The quest to understand the catastrophic toll of the terror attacks prompted changes in building design and emergency communications, but it also spurred conspiracy theories that seeded a culture of skepticism. Schisms and resentments grew over immigration, the balance between tolerance and vigilance, the meaning of patriotism, the proper way to honor the dead, and the scope of a promise to "never forget." Trinidad was 10 when she overheard her dad, Michael, saying goodbye to her mother by phone from the burning trade center. She remembers the pain but also the fellowship of the days that followed, when all of New York "felt like it was family." "Now, when I feel like the world is so divided, I just wish that we can go back to that," said Trinidad, of Orlando, Florida. "I feel like it would have been such a different world if we had just been able to hang on to that feeling." Below are some pictures: Credit: kcra.com

One person has been confirmed dead in an accident on the Accra-Cape Coast highway on Saturday morning. Ten others are said to have sustained various degrees of injuries in the crash, involving a Toyota Corolla vehicle collided with a Metro Mass bus at Ekumfi Akwakrom. The bus with registration number GS 2614-17 was commuting from Accra to Takoradi whilst the Toyota Corolla with registration number GV 22-14 was travelling from Mankessim in the opposite direction. According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when the driver of Toyota Corolla made an overtaking in a sharp curve thereby crashing into the commercial bus. Some survivors in the Metro Mass bus in an interview with Adom News’ Kofi Adjei said the driver saw the oncoming vehicle but could do little to avert the crush since there was a ditch nearby. The driver of the Toyota Corolla died died on the spot whilst 10 passengers including the driver of the Metro Mass seriously got injured. The Injured people are receiving treatment at the Mankessim Roman Catholic Hospital. Meanwhile, the deceased who is yet to be identified have since been deposited at Saltpond mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Also, vehicles involved in the crush have also been sent to Jedu Police Station for an investigations. Credit: Myjoyonline.com

The Medical Director at the Nkawkaw Holy family Hospital in the Eastern Region, Dr. Adu-Poku Antwi has disclosed that designated morgue meant to preserve covid-19 dead bodies is currently full. Speaking with Republic Fm‘s Morning Show Host, Kwame Koranteng on Anopa Dawuro, the Medical officer said the mortuary facility can only preserve ten bodies. He attributed the current situation to the strike action of the Environmental Health Officers Alliance, Ghana. Dr Adu-Poku Antwi noted that the strike action has made it impossible for the burial of Covid-19 bodies since Environmental health officers have the responsibility of ensuring the safe burial of Covid-19 bodies. The Municipal Health Director of Kwahu West Municipal Assembly [KWMA], Mrs Celestine Asante said at the moment dead persons from Covid-19 virus and other infectious diseases cannot be preserved until the ones in the morgue have been buried. However, the National President and the Eastern Regional Secretary of the Environmental Health Officers Alliance, Ghana, Mr Yaw Akwaa Lartey and Mr Joseph Krampah who spoke to Republic 97.5Fm said until government meets their needs, they are not returning to work. Members of the Environmental Health Officer Association of Ghana (EHOA-GH) are on strike over the poor working condition and lack of logistics to manage Covid-19 bodies increasing their risk vulnerability. Credit: Republic Online

A level 400 student of the University of Education, Winneba, has lost his life after a backflip in celebration of his final exams at the University went bad. The deceased, whose name was only given as Majeed, was reportedly rushed to the 37 Military hospital but died two days after. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/your-sons-must-be-available-for-do-or-die-affair-braimah-to-mahama A former Secretary-General of the university’s Student Representative Council, Evans Baafi, who spoke to Citi News, said students are mourning over the demise of their colleague. The former SRC General Secretary told Citi News that: “After the last paper, they were jubilating. While celebrating, he tried to perform some acrobatics, and unfortunately, he didn’t land well. He was rushed to the hospital, but he later passed on. The students are very sad.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/child-sanitation-diplomat-ms-tettey-pays-courtesy-call-on-mesti-minister-dr-k-afriyie-videos School authorities have also confirmed the incident to Citi News and described it as a sad situation. Majeed is said to be a known gymnast with the school’s Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sports. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Credit: Citinewsroom

Some National service personnel wants the government to consider an increment in the monthly allowances. They said the current monthly allowance of 559 cedis is not enough to match up to the rising cost of living in the country. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Speaking to the media after a visit to the Mole National Park as part of the National Service Personnel week celebration, the outgoing president of national service personnel for Northern, North East, and Savannah Regions, Abukari Eliassu Kurabaso, said the current allowance is woefully inadequate. “We have seen an increment in the minimum wage rate in the country, but we are yet to see an increase in service allowances. We are making a passionate appeal to the government to increase it a bit for us.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/stakeholders-discuss-challenges-associated-with-cross-border-trade-and-its-way-forward-video “We rely solely on the allowance, and it is insufficient, taking into consideration all the expenses we will be making.” All graduates of tertiary institutions in Ghana are mandated by law to complete a year’s mandatory service at various institutions across the country. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/tebel-ghana-limited-fumigate-and-desilt-80-acres-of-land-space-and-gutters-at-agbogbloshie They are currently paid a monthly allowance of GH¢559. The last time personnel witnessed an increase in their allowance was in April 2017. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/your-sons-must-be-available-for-do-or-die-affair-braimah-to-mahama The allowance was increased from GH¢350.00 a month to GH¢559.04 a month. Credit: Citinewsroom

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has described John Dramani Mahama’s time in office as an unmitigated disaster, adding that his economic track record, from 2013 to 2016 was abysmal. President Akufo-Addo said this on Friday, 10th September 2021, in response to a question posed by a journalist at Vovradio, in which she referenced a statement made by former President John Mahama accusing the current government of economic mismanagement. The President is on a tour of the Volta Region, after visiting the Oti Region. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Responding to the statement, the President stated that “I wonder whether this statement was made tongue in cheek by the former president. When you look at the record that this political leader, who can accuse my government of mismanagement, there are a few facts that when you put on the table to compare his performance and mine, it would tell you whether what I am offering the people is economic mismanagement.” He continued, “I wonder what words should we describe his (Mahama) stewardship of Ghana. It is an unmitigated disaster, that’s what I would call him.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/stakeholders-discuss-challenges-associated-with-cross-border-trade-and-its-way-forward-video According to President Akufo-Addo, under the tenure of office of John Mahama, the economic growth rate in 2016 stood at 3.4%, the lowest in two decades; with all other macroeconomic indicators pointing in the wrong direction. “Inflation, when he left office, was 15.4%; today, at the end of July, which are the last hard facts from the Statistical Service, it’s 9%. Interest rates are always a good determinant of how the economy is operating, 32% in December 2016, today, it is 20.6%. We are talking about treasury bill decline in interest rate, we are talking about the trade deficit that was $1.8 billion in 2016, to a trade surplus of $2.6 billion at the end of 2019,” the President said. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/tebel-ghana-limited-fumigate-and-desilt-80-acres-of-land-space-and-gutters-at-agbogbloshie He stressed that if these statistics, which, prior to COVID-19, led to Ghana being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world with a GDP of 7%, “can be considered economic mismanagement”, he then wondered what would be the description of the economy managed by John Mahama, which took Ghana into the embrace of the IMF. Responding again to comments made by John Mahama, asking the government to organize an economic forum, President Akufo-Addo stated that “if the economic forum is going to be a repetition of the so-called Senchi Consensus, then I think I have to spare the people of Ghana this sort of development.” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/your-sons-must-be-available-for-do-or-die-affair-braimah-to-mahama He continued, “The Senchi Consensus was an unmitigated disaster, out of it we went into the embrace of the IMF with all the difficulties that came from there and the disarray it pointed to in the economy of our country.” The President, thus, urged former President Mahama to be wary of commenting on matters to do with economic management. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/child-sanitation-diplomat-ms-tettey-pays-courtesy-call-on-mesti-minister-dr-k-afriyie-videos “He is not on strong ground when he is talking about the economy. His track record, I am reluctant to use these strong words, but in normal parlance, I would say it is abysmal and, therefore, he has no lessons to give me at all in the management of the economy,” President Akufo-Addo added. Below are some pictures: Credit: Citinewsroom

A legal advocacy group, POS Foundation in collaboration with Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC), Giz, GUTA, Ghana Enterprise Agency among other stakeholders have met in Accra to discuss the need to address all forms of challenges associated with Cross Border Trade, the Rule of the Law among others to help grow the industry in the West African Sub-region. At a meeting, the various speakers each outlined measures to ensure that traders, drivers, and products are transported safely in and out of the country. On his part, Executive Secretary, Ghana International Trade Commission, Frank Agyekum said “It is about time we look into why people can transport things to Ghana and have no problems but when it is from here and it gets to other countries, it is stopped at the border” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/return-guinea-to-constitutional-order-ecowas-directs-military He charged traders to be abreast with the laws of other countries adding that it will help them cross and transact their businesses. “The research we are trying to do is also very good. It is going to inform the AFCTA Secretariat of the real things that are happening on the ground of which they need to capture into their policies. “He also stressed that it is important that the traders understand the new trend of technology in order to avoid being left behind or cheated. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video “With this technology, they will be able to go to a website and engage in volumes of things. You may be a good business person but if you do not understand, you will be left out. President of the Ghana Tomato Traders and Transporters Association, Osei Tuffuor on his path said “You cannot be talking about cross-border trade without mentioning the Tomato Traders and Transporters Association. We normally trade in Ghana. We cross the border with our vehicles ranging from 50 to 70” Highlighting the challenges faced by the Traders and Transporters, he said “The extortion of money from the traders is so high and such actions must be condemned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video He told the gathering that a Ghanaian transporter was arrested by the Police in Burkina Faso 2 years ago and chained under a tree for 4 days. Osei Tuffuor described the action as unacceptable and one which needs to be curbed. He appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to instruct his men to allow transporters to sail through whenever they reach the board adding that since the products are perishable goods, it ought not to be detained or ceased. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Sharing his thoughts, the Director of Economic, Trade, and Investment Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Bonaventure Adjavor lauded POS Foundation and its partners for coming up with the stakeholder’s engagement. “The right treaty of ECOWAS includes among its objectives, the establishment of a common market and the removal of obstacles likewise free movement of persons and goods” He hinted that small-scale cross-border trade plays a fundamental role which leads to the reduction of poverty and food security across the sub-region and Africa in general. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Mr. Adjavor told the gathering that cross border trader mostly deals in Agriculture making it an essential part of the food security. “Research indicates that corruption and gender-based harassment most on the part of women features on cross-border activities.” Below is a video: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Tebel Ghana Limited, a specialist in waste management has partnered with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to fumigate and desilt the 80 acres of land space and gutters of the former scrapyard at Agbogbloshie in Accra. The exercise was to eradicate the pests, insects, and rodents that had engulfed the property and affected neighboring business establishments and households located within the enclave. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video The scrapyard was on the banks of the Korle Lagoon of the Odaw River and had been mostly an onion market and an automobile and electronic hub. As part of the “Let’s Make Accra Work” campaign initiated by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Quartey to improve living and business conditions in the nation’s capital, the scrap yard and onion market were demolished on Thursday, July 1, 2021. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Madam Edem Makumafor, the Public Relations Officer of Tebel Ghana Limited said the exercise which started on Wednesday was expected to be completed in three days to make Accra clean and habitable for everyone. ‘‘We believe in the ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ agenda which was also to help reduce the recurrences of floods in our nation’s capital and to boost tourism,’’ she said. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Madam Makumafor said, as part of the exercise, they would fumigate, fog, and mist blow the land, collect and dispose of refuse, and desilt gutters of the property. Tebel Ghana Limited is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible recycling practices, educating the public on standard or preferred waste management practices, and contributing to the global effort to reduce the effects of e-waste, in line with commitments made by the country. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video The company is also specialized in fumigation and disinfection services and its main objective is to help shift people’s views about waste and rather appreciate its benefits and their operations span from the collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Some concerned residents of Akramaman, a community at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region are calling on Government to come to their aid and fix their poor roads. According to them, the poor state of the road has left many pregnant women with miscarriages while some vehicles have developed series of faults as a result. In an exclusive interview with Thinknewsonline.com, the GPRTU Chairman of the area, Emmanuel Smith said “We are appealing to President Akufo-Addo to come to our aid. Our road network is very bad. Our vehicles are developing faults every day and pregnant women are having miscarriages” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video He added that the residents and drivers made several calls to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Amasaman, Clement Wilkinson but their calls have yielded no results. “We have suffered on Akramaman road for a very long time. We began the ‘Trotro’ business in this town in 2016 and from that time till now, all we do is buy spare parts for our cars due to the state of the road. The government commissioned the school recently yet, nothing is being done to the roads” Mr. Smith also revealed that one of their ‘Trotro’ which had 12 passengers on board fell off a bridge in the community. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video “The Trotro had 12 passengers on board. It fell off the bridge. If not for the help of the youth in the community, all the passengers on board the vehicle would have lost their lives. We are appealing to Government walk the talk” He threatened that if Government does not heed to the call of the people of Akramaman, they will block the roads and prevent vehicles from passing. Another driver whose name was given as Yaw said “This road is in a bad state. A pregnant woman who was been taken to the hospital could not reach the health post as she delivered on the way due to the nature of the road and potholes” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video He explained that the bumps have had effects on his spine and waist and has since been experiencing lots of pain. He mentioned that all efforts to reach the MCE to inspect as well as lobby have yielded no good fruit. However, a Philanthropist in the community has taken it upon himself to fix the road for the people of Akramaman. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video In an exclusive interview, the Philanthropist whose name was given as Parker said “I am doing this for the people not because I have too much money to waste. I also live in this community and I experience the same problem other road users experience” He added that since the commencement of the fixing of the poor road, he has received lots of backlash from some persons however that will not deter him from doing his social responsibility. “Ever since this work started, what have I not heard? People say things and I even wonder whether it is these same people who are suffering however so far as I am determined to do this, I will not let their words weigh me down. I have started and will finish” READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video Mr. Parker expressed a bit of disappointment saying politicians only sweet-talk voters just to gain power and later forget to fulfill their part of the promise made earlier. He appealed to the road users to cooperate with the road contract adding that the road will be back to normal soon. Speaking on the ‘Trotro’ which fell off the bridge, Mr. Parker thanked God no life was lost and also commended the youths of the area for their quick response. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/return-guinea-to-constitutional-order-ecowas-directs-military Some other residents who spoke to Thinknewsonline.com charged the MCE and MP of the area to also provide streetlights at vantage points in the community. They explained once there is a school and other churches in the locality, there is the need to furnish them with logistics to avoid theft and other deviant social vices. Below are some videos: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Planning Committee of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) under the chairmanship of Kwame Appiah Danquah has signed Priscilla Willington Asante as its Brand Ambassador for the 5th GHA Awards 2022. According to Kwame Danquah, he is confident the new Brand Ambassador will live up to expectation. Speaking at a brief signing ceremony of 5th GHA Ambassador in Accra, he said "The Ghana Hotel Awards is a prestigious awards in Ghana and one that has come to stay and we will continue to enhance it" He assured that the planning committee will do everything possible to support the its new Brand Ambassador to raised the expected GHc250,000. We pray she gets double of that" He further explained that the upcoming awards will recognised and reward 24 deserving hotels in the country fir their tremendous services to its patrons. He hinted that the event is scheduled to come off at Movempik Ambassador Hotel in Accra. He appealed to Madam Willington Asante hold high the brand and not stain it. On his part, the President of Ghana Hotels Association, Dr. Edward Ackah Nyamike Jnr. congratulated Madam Asante on her new role. "The brand is so important because it does alot. It also fetches us money" Speaking on the expected GHc250,000 target thrown out to the Ambassador, he noted that the Committee will throw their weight and sort the Brand Ambassador. He however commended the planning committee saying their efforts is worth appreciating. The new Brand Ambassador assured the gathering that she and her team will do their best to raise the expected amount and possibly more. "I am grateful for this opportunity and I assure you that I will do all it takes to secure the expected GHc250,000 or more" Watch the video below: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Child Sanitation Diplomat at the World Vision International, Ms. Neriah Tettey has today paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie at his office in Accra. According to Ms. Tetteh, the visit is to brief the Minister on her new initiative which looks at tackling plastic waste in the country. Ms. Tettey noted that she is humbled the Minister granted her audience. "What motivated me is the current sanitation challenges in the country" She described the country’s current sanitation challenges as poor adding that if all hands come on deck, there will be a head way for the country. "We always see plastic waste on the streets. They can even cause flood" She appealed to the public to take into consideration the need to promote good sanitation in the country. Ms. Tettey hinted that if issues of filth are not addressed in the country, it will affect all economically and financially. She appealed to her colleagues, parents and the populace, to desist from making the country dirty. On his part, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie lauded Ms. Tettey for her great initiative. He hinted that the initiative introduced by the Child Sanitation Diplomat will be supported by his Ministry. He also charged the populace to fix their attitude adding that it will transcend into keeping the country clean. He pleaded his support to Ms. Neriah Tettey. The Technical Coordinator at Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Vision Ghana, Yaw Atta Arhin described the meeting with the Minister as fruitful. He added that he is hopeful their deliberations will see the light of day. "Ms. Tettey has a vision and with support from the Minister and Minstry, her fight against filth will be won" he noted. It is emerging that Ms. Tettey won the Schools Sanitation Solutions Challenge 2020. The solutions challenge was organised by World Vision Ghana and Kings Hall Media Limited. Below are some videos: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Former President John Dramani Mahama has justified his recent comments about the 2024 elections, saying he only used an English idiomatic expression which does not connote the interpretation being spun on it. On Tuesday, September 7 at the start of the resumption of his Thank You tour in the Bono East Region, the 2020 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the next polls must be won at the polling stations and it will be “do or die”. “We have learnt our lessons from happenings during the 2020 polls,” he said on Techiman-based Akina FM. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/return-guinea-to-constitutional-order-ecowas-directs-military “The 2024 elections will be won or lost at the polling station. It will be do-or-die at the polling stations. The right thing must be done during the polls. We will win the elections at the polling station and won’t wait for collation centre results nor petition the Supreme Court if aggrieved,” he said. The comments stirred controversy as most people felt it was incendiary. But in an interview on Moonlite FM in Sunyani on Wednesday, September 8, Mr Mahama said the comments were harmless and “those who don’t understand English should stop the school interpretation”. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video He insisted that “there was fraud in [the 2020] elections. . .that is why I said we learned lesson from it”. “So the next elections,” he said in Twi, “we won’t wait and go to the Supreme Court.” He added in English: “We will do it at the polling station and collation centre and I say it will be do or die.” For him, Africans, as Ghanaians are, should know that proverbs are part of daily expressions and are used especially in situations where use of plain language will not be prudent. READ ALSO: https://www.thinknewsonline.com/post/dubai-john-mahama-s-son-shafik-ties-knot-with-lover-photos-video “In English, we have idiomatic expressions. Those who dropped out of school do not understand idiomatic expressions. Do or die means a critical assignment you have and you must do the needful or perish. And so you must do the needful,” he stated in English, changing tongue to Twi by saying: “I meant NDC must not wait to go to the Supreme Court again. What we must do at the polling station and collation center must be done!”. Credit: 3news.com