Posts in category: Other News

The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu has declared a ‘state of emergency’ following extensive devastation caused by coastal erosion along southern Volta.

The sea, driven by high tides, continues to wash away communities along the coast in the Ketu South Municipality within the last 7 days.

Mr. Gunu described this occurrence as a threat to national security and called for emergency interventions to curb the destruction and ensure the safety and well-being of residents of the affected communities.

Mr. Gunu made the declaration at a brief meeting between members of the Volta Regional Security Council and officials of the National Disaster Manager Organization (NADMO) at Tokor in the Ketu South Municipality.

“I have actually made it a national security issue, houses have been washed away, cemeteries are gone and a lot of things and the psychological trauma that the people are going through including children and women calls for urgent action”, he stressed.

He said that an assessment revealed that communities in the affected areas are far below sea level and could be easily submerged during recurring high tides, hence some urgency must be attached to an immediate intervention.

“If nothing is done urgently and we allow the sea to cross the road continuously, the degree of devastation that we will see cannot be contained”, he warned.

Presenting some relief items to the victims, Mr. Gunu stressed that the government attaches prominence to curbing the destruction of the sea.

The relief items were presented to over 510 victims affected by the recent disaster in the enclave.

Source: www.myjoyonline.com

The National Election Security Taskforce is admonishing citizens to abide by the rules binding voters to ensure a peaceful election process on December 7.

Speaking at a media briefing, the Director of Public Affairs for the Ghana Police Service, Grace Ansah-Akrofi reiterated the rules and regulations, urging voters to be responsible.

“We wish to entreat voters to freely go to the polling stations to vote. They should check whether the ballot paper has a validated stamp if required. Every person is required to vote once and leave the polling station immediately after casting a vote.

“We wish to urge all voters to avoid jumping queues which may lead to some misunderstanding. We wish to entreat every person to abide by these rules and comport ourselves in such a manner that the electoral process will proceed peacefully.”

The National Election Security taskforce has received logistical support from state organisations including, Ghana Education Service, various District Assemblies and the Ministry of Local Government to facilitate swift operations.

Grace Ansah-Akrofi expressed the gratitude of the Police Service to government agencies and other stakeholders for providing vehicles and other forms of support.

Source: citinewsroom.com

The National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) has cautioned political parties against the use of well-built or ‘machomen’ to intimidate voters on election day.

During an engagement with political parties on December 3, Chairman of NESTF, Dr George Akuffo Dampare took strong exception to political parties clothing party foot soldiers with state security uniforms on election day with the view of causing mayhem at Polling Stations.

The engagement with the political parties was a follow up to a previous one held a fortnight ago to address their preparedness for a transparent and violent free poll on Saturday December 7.

Three concerns bordering on election security were tabled for discussion with the political party representatives following an intelligence picked by police in some constituencies.

The National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) has cautioned political parties against the use of well-built or ‘machomen’ to intimidate voters on election day.

During an engagement with political parties on December 3, Chairman of NESTF, Dr George Akuffo Dampare took strong exception to political parties clothing party foot soldiers with state security uniforms on election day with the view of causing mayhem at Polling Stations.

The engagement with the political parties was a follow up to a previous one held a fortnight ago to address their preparedness for a transparent and violent free poll on Saturday December 7.

Three concerns bordering on election security were tabled for discussion with the political party representatives following an intelligence picked by police in some constituencies.

Dr George Akuffo Dampare cautioned that the task force will not hesitate to deal with individuals that maybe found foul of the law.

He further indicated that ” this culture of machoism which makes people think that biceps are ways to determine the strength of a person will not be tolerated.”

“If any of such people is found closer to polling station, a community, an environment or a collation center trying to intimidate the people, we will find a place for that person to sleep,” he added.

The IGP continued that, “we have brought you here to inform you of our plans so that when we begin to act you (political parties) won’t say that we have taken sides.”

He further warned against the clothing of party foot soldiers with state security uniforms to create the impression that they are security officials to cause mayhem at polling centers.

The political party representatives present expressed satisfaction with the mechanisms instituted by the election security task force to protect the peace of the elections.

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey who spoke on behalf of his party said members appointed by the party to work on the election day will be urged to abide by the directions offered by the task force.

Director of Elections of the New Patriotic Party, Evans Nimako said the NPP is poised at all times to stick to the rules of the game.

He however expressed concern about the growing misinformation and disinformation about the electoral process which he said must be checked.

Other political parties’ representatives including the Convention People’s Party and the All Peoples Congress urged cooperation with the security personnel detailed for duty at the polling centers.

Source: 3news.com

The Deputy Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen says a major source of air pollution in the country is the mishandling of waste.

According to her, the burning of waste, especially plastic materials, in the country’s major cities is contributing to high levels of air pollution and affecting climate change in several ways.

“In some of Ghana’s biggest cities, a major source of air pollution is the open burning of waste. This is an illegal and extremely dangerous practice, especially because of all the plastic often involved in the burning,” she said.

“This has a severe negative impact on public health, contributes to climate change, and causes severe air pollution,” she added.

The Ambassador noted that this situation is a common practice among Ghanaians, as she experiences it even in her neighbourhood, and she observed that it is difficult to put a stop to such practices.

“I experience these illegal and harmful practices even in the suburb where I live in Accra. I have found that it is very difficult to stop these practices,” she stressed.

She was speaking at JoyNews’ National Dialogue on Clean Air and Election 2024, held on Tuesday, November 26, in Accra.

She therefore suggested ways to combat air pollution in the country, recommending how Denmark tackles the issue.

Ms Vibeke Sandholm also suggested that the country needs to focus on public awareness to combat the menace and make the environment healthier for its citizens.

“In Denmark, we have seen the power of communities coming together, whether by sorting waste, embracing clean technologies, or planting green spaces. Ghana’s vibrant communities are well-placed to drive similar change, but we need to raise awareness first,” she advised.

She added that the nation should not view clean air as a burden but see it as an opportunity to develop the country in diverse areas.

“Let us not see the transition to clean air as a burden, but let’s try to see it as an opportunity—an opportunity for Ghana to lead in green innovation, create jobs in emerging industries, and build healthier and more resilient communities,” she said. The dialogue by Joy News aims to bring together stakeholders, including various political parties, to discuss how to improve the environment for habitation, focusing on climate change issues and how to combat its negative impact on lives.

Source: myjoyonline.com

The Electoral Commission (EC) has provided further clarity on its decision to limit media access to constituency and regional collation centres during the upcoming elections.

Earlier this week, the Commission announced that only three television stations (with two personnel each) and five radio stations (with one representative each) would be granted access at constituency collation centres. At the regional collation centres, access will be limited to 12 media houses, comprising five TV stations with two personnel each and seven radio stations with one representative each.

The EC explained that this measure aims to prevent congestion at the collation centres, ensuring a smooth and orderly process.

Speaking at a media engagement at the Plush Royal Hotel on Wednesday, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, Director of Electoral Services, elaborated that the restrictions are intended to promote equal and effective media coverage across all constituencies. He cautioned that without these measures, a few constituencies could become overcrowded with media personnel while others might receive little to no coverage.

The Deputy Commissioner also emphasized that a balanced media presence nationwide would help deter any attempts to execute malicious agendas during the electoral process.

Acknowledging the concerns raised by the media, Dr. Quaicoe assured that the EC is actively engaging with the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to address these issues and refine the implementation of the decision.

PENT NEWS.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Accra Sports Stadium to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Ghana and Sudan.

The Black Stars face the Falcons of Jediane on match day three of the qualifying series for the tournament to be hosted in Morocco.

Prior to the approval, CAF had directed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select an alternative venue for the game after the temporary approval of the Baba Yara Stadium was lifted.

CAF inspected both the Cape Coast Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium last week before eventually turning down the former.

A statement from CAF on the approval read:

‘’Following a comprehensive review of the reports of the CAF independent inspection regarding the Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, we are pleased to inform you that the Accra Sports Stadium has been approved to host the AFCON Qualifiers for Morocco 2025. Specifically, it will host the Group F – Matchday 3 encounter between Ghana and Sudan, which is scheduled for October 11, 2024.

“In light of this approval, we kindly request that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the stadium management team prioritise the necessary enhancements to the pitch and other critical areas of the stadium leading up to the match day to ensure an optimal experience for both teams and the attending fans.

“Please note that CAF will continue to closely monitor the readiness of the stadium for this match, as well as for future CAF-sanctioned events.”

The Black Stars are hoping to get their qualifying campaign back on track after failing to win any of their opening two games against Angola and Niger.

This fixture is scheduled for Friday, October 11, 2024.

Source: myjoyonline.com