tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56727851233640984332024-03-23T10:14:08.726+00:0012 ONLINE NEWSwe are a team professional gatekeepers with credible and authentic source of NEWS. Yes, we know power threatens truth/facts but we fit them into stories told from a neutral perspective, which has nothing to do with original occurrences. 12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-75411444872191640422024-01-23T07:45:00.000+00:002024-01-23T07:45:00.733+00:00I DO NOT FEAR STUDENT MOVEMENT ANYMORE, ERIC EDEM AGBANA<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48PGSE8ctVJMWGo5k9oHeXDsJ-tO3-MRa0gsG_hU4L_IIKMUInr-i7uZ7enm5GLSumT4wDPrzEcKr1a_Y_jpjEVdRvuU5lWxP2b211SFJEhEBG7yoJ8IISXXywQwn8rb13mlwcMqKX3qAEiFSnheTxWcj2TTDqbCdafATabMKEpPWGawW-Ra3zng5SWA/s1161/IMG_0467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48PGSE8ctVJMWGo5k9oHeXDsJ-tO3-MRa0gsG_hU4L_IIKMUInr-i7uZ7enm5GLSumT4wDPrzEcKr1a_Y_jpjEVdRvuU5lWxP2b211SFJEhEBG7yoJ8IISXXywQwn8rb13mlwcMqKX3qAEiFSnheTxWcj2TTDqbCdafATabMKEpPWGawW-Ra3zng5SWA/w595-h640/IMG_0467.jpg" width="595" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ERIC EDEM AGBANA Ketu North MP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Student
leadership on University campuses used to shape policies and ideologies of
governments and management affecting the country and students some eras pass
but now are filled with people who only value the ranks and titles making them
toothless bulldogs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Speaking at
a Leadership and Entrepreneurship summit dubbed Leadership and Advocacy: The Role of Students Towards Nation Building held at the Public Health Auditorium of
the University of Ghana <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Hon. Eric
Edem Agbana said, that student movements in the former days brought Ghana Education Trust
Fund but now are only a courtesy paying institution and so cannot impact as they
are to function.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">“I do not agree
on student leaders paying courtesy calls on politicians and ministers but rather
shape the narratives of the politics in the country. This practice undermines
the autonomous and the ability to say otherwise when decisions’ affecting them
are taken “<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Citing the
poor reforms of the educational sector by the National Patriotic Party government,
the former SRC president criticized the student leaders endorsing the
educational minister and presenting citations that, they should protest against
the high fees for students to pay and the accommodations challenge facing the
students on campuses to the Free SHS enrollment and the poor curriculum
activities<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Student
leaders are powerful and must ensure most advocacies are recognized after they
have left office. Citing Dr. Omane Boahma for GET fund institution. He said<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">“At various
university councils, Graduate Student Association of Ghana and Student
Representative Council have numbers to help shape policies but partisanship and
fear of rejection cause many to adhere when they should protest”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Speaking on
the toll boot system and its initiation on the Legon campus, the Ketu North MP
said “My actions and protest people question my integrity and loyalty to the NDC
at that time since I rejected the decision and the form of debt recovery
strategy at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">One needs
to sacrifice to serve he said and described how he became a 2<sup>nd</sup>
class student after assuming the office of SRC president.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Reduce partisan
politics as a student leader he added; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I worked
late Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko even though we were on opposite sides.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Graduate
students are having a lot of challenges but due to political afflation and ally,
student leaders cannot speak to real issues affecting the very people they are leading. <o:p></o:p></span></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-32315758475290112102023-03-31T04:35:00.003+01:002023-03-31T04:35:57.377+01:00With Governments Support, MLGWUI Can Assist Returnees and Migrants in Ghana and The Gambia<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIV4AO39OGGT5Bt5a87Z-wHM-_r9tgsPC12UPH09pEyZYGG9Jt0FHspt8uzsxuTB5jW0B_lG8X0b7OC8Pys8JrE-ffXZ-RNCZNaLKc4IfJADW7q1qBlSyxdGJSuxk3oXu3XRVY-jWCcousfQyYLL2JqK578L3GP4fWmi24oG6VB1IrisZrB9yYSKj/s1800/IMG_4515-16-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIV4AO39OGGT5Bt5a87Z-wHM-_r9tgsPC12UPH09pEyZYGG9Jt0FHspt8uzsxuTB5jW0B_lG8X0b7OC8Pys8JrE-ffXZ-RNCZNaLKc4IfJADW7q1qBlSyxdGJSuxk3oXu3XRVY-jWCcousfQyYLL2JqK578L3GP4fWmi24oG6VB1IrisZrB9yYSKj/w640-h360/IMG_4515-16-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Mr. Justice Baako Ntarmah, Mr. Kwang-Yung Jung, Madam Susanne Giese</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>The General Secretary and Head of Education International Relations of the Migrant Labor General Workers’ Union International (MLGWUI) Mr. Justice Baako Ntarmah have disclosed that with Government Policy of intervention and support, many returnees and migrants can have a positive impact on the economy and curb irregular migration ills in Ghana and the Gambia.</p><p>This he said during the Cooperation Agreement of Memorandum of Understanding MoU Signing Ceremony between German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) and MLGWUI on the training project “Economic Inclusion of Returnees and Potential Migrants in Ghana and the Gambia.”</p><p>According to Mr. Baako Ntarmah, with training and coaching with financial support, African migrants (returnees) and potential migrants in Ghana and the Gambia can contribute to national development with their skills and exposure during their traveling.</p><p>“We returnees and migrants sometimes have a lot to offer but due to various challenges in employment relations including workplace discrimination, racism, gender bias, underpaid wages, and salaries, Kafala System of employment especially in gulf states we tend to offer less of our potentials which leads to some of us going wayward.”</p><p>“We at MGLWUI believe strongly that the National Policy framework can help eliminate or reduce substantially these challenges we are facing in Ghana and the Gambia. MLGWUI intends to collaborate with international organizations in labor migration and employment space as well as government agencies including Labor Department to ensure the issuance of a labor Registration Certificate popularly known as a Labor Card which will become an important document for Employment Applicants to be used in Ghana, Africa, and Diaspora or added to Migrant Workers’ Curriculum Vitae.” </p><p>With many interventions and financial support from the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation DSIK since the inception of training, many returnees and immigrants have benefited and there are good stories to make reference to, he added.</p><p><br /></p><p>“The German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation DSIK supported us with Coaches and Expertise financially and we were able to engage 50 returnees from Saudi, Qatar, Libya Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and others who attempted but could not reach their destination. These participants went through a series of economic and social training to equip them to start and operate their own businesses as well as employing fellow migrants”</p><p><br /></p><p>Mr., Justice Baako Ntarmah made a passionate appeal for the support of the Union getting an office to make its operations effective and reliable.</p><p>“The Secretariat (offices) of MLGWUI as migrants labor or trade union receives complaints daily from Refugees and Immigrants about their exclusion from such sustainable and supportive Business Training and Coaching Training projects, which the DSIK is providing for general Migrants and therefore calls for office space to help potential locate them easily to have access to relevant information and resources and counseling.” </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD84tEa2kkDW2efbT-siUkli-yopk4jmnceSmosNu8SlowkBYKSu1wrPrBj3OJTbnSEFJbFgCfHM3swLDab3CrX3ZLdWKPsV_dRzsRHQBpE5CAbibRDJyxIvCgCj6vatKTJru6bsYaie46lchxPonw_WhLGam4ALQdTtOVWXziHsBzUkPnrzWwe1TD/s1634/IMG_4547-40-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1634" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD84tEa2kkDW2efbT-siUkli-yopk4jmnceSmosNu8SlowkBYKSu1wrPrBj3OJTbnSEFJbFgCfHM3swLDab3CrX3ZLdWKPsV_dRzsRHQBpE5CAbibRDJyxIvCgCj6vatKTJru6bsYaie46lchxPonw_WhLGam4ALQdTtOVWXziHsBzUkPnrzWwe1TD/w640-h396/IMG_4547-40-40.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Participants, Officials of DSIK and MLGWUI in a group picture</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The Project Coordinator Migration of German DSIK Madam Susanne Giese urged the youths and participants to seek financial literacy to spend luxuriously.</p><p>“The problem with most business starters is investing in liabilities with the profits they make and this what makes most businesses collapse at early stages”</p><p>Madam Susanne also encouraged the participants to invest in smaller institutions such as Credit Unions since their policy rates are inexpensive as other financial institutions.</p><p>A participant shared their experiences and expectations and assured the Benefactors of the proper use of both skills and financial support acquired.</p><p> </p><div><br /></div>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-12417626820265302862022-09-23T05:26:00.000+01:002022-09-23T05:26:00.992+01:00CITIZENSHIP DENIAL CAN OVERTURN A NATION<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #5f6368; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"> JOJOE BUCKNOR-BAFFFOE 12hundred.multimedia@gmail.com</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1qhQTts_fgl9eCcVEFN5jKWYC1PLaf12Yq1r2ImqS32-bWFAExEAcznIshxOCd7AVkkMxV3Q0RUSNw_WjfU60ZhRxGezxnzE7ufZGj-gkRMYr2026nL237W2b1ZrsgTF-iAfwF5FUoIbxztOfOx2CBlLM0AG4qkQZoeolRftaAzjhlUeBGZkZ4Sk/s1200/mosquito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1200" height="581" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1qhQTts_fgl9eCcVEFN5jKWYC1PLaf12Yq1r2ImqS32-bWFAExEAcznIshxOCd7AVkkMxV3Q0RUSNw_WjfU60ZhRxGezxnzE7ufZGj-gkRMYr2026nL237W2b1ZrsgTF-iAfwF5FUoIbxztOfOx2CBlLM0AG4qkQZoeolRftaAzjhlUeBGZkZ4Sk/w640-h581/mosquito.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress NDC Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal">The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress
NDC Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia has indicated that the Constitutional Instrument [CI]
before the Committee of Parliament must not be affirmed since many citizens
will be affected and may bring a mayhem.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking to Kwesi Aboagye on Neat FM and monitored by
12NEWS, Mr. Nketia said “We are in a democratic dispensation and they [Electoral
Commission] cannot just implement policies without addressing the concern of
other political parties and stakeholders. We cannot be intimidated by their
prowess and powers and we will fight as we fought for our independence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Ghana Card cannot
be the only means of registration or sole evidence whereby there is a credible
biometric captured data such as birth certificate and anyone with the current
Voter ID Cards can guarantee”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The NDC General Secretary lamented that the nation is in
crises and that the EC should not put more burden stating that<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> “The Constitutional
Instrument [CI] to eliminate the guarantor system from the registration by the
Electoral Commission is presented to a Committee of Parliament and the
Committee have identified some errors which they told the EC to rectify and
come back”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One can say that, the NPP is in charge of the affairs of the
EC in terms of what to do and when he added.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The New Patriotic Party opposed the decision of the
Committee, demanding that the process is due and genuine and must be executed
by the EC”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I know they blame me for in sighting our members not to
register for the Ghana Card and I will not deny it<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I did tell our members not to participate because the issue
was in court and it was not appropriate to get involved in the process then.
After some period of the adjournment of Court Proceedings the Members of
Parliament who took the issue to court decided to let go and a Press Conference
was held to now allow NDC members to participate in the Ghana Card registration
that they do not refer”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When asked of his recent declaration of not competing for
the General secretary position, the seventeen years serving General Mosquito
said<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I will not seek re-election as general secretary but will
go for a higher position after seventeen years of serving the party. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The party constitution demands election of executives after
every four years and so those saying certain positions are for certain
candidates are wrong”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All positions are contested for and in all my elections I
was contested and no one has gone unopposed he stressed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“In three months’ time I will be done with my term of office
and that position can be contested by qualified candidates”<o:p></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-15091592500399790292021-09-21T03:57:00.000+01:002021-09-21T03:57:11.507+01:00Appointing MMDCEs Now Means, Gov’t Has Wasted a Year Development <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxv1gx7MKMzWi4lcuwk6QKj1bjd8a5MZiJSG1S26t_wdb9jWT1I4Gq5MUi0_uMKH_ZDeKZM9GfSm3a7T6-LLyrmIlYZtCoFhSgLRSw2b6ymmHAf6rBz7ZxJ1UgB0hScdK5izwLihmMPg/s600/ofosu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxv1gx7MKMzWi4lcuwk6QKj1bjd8a5MZiJSG1S26t_wdb9jWT1I4Gq5MUi0_uMKH_ZDeKZM9GfSm3a7T6-LLyrmIlYZtCoFhSgLRSw2b6ymmHAf6rBz7ZxJ1UgB0hScdK5izwLihmMPg/s16000/ofosu.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Government has wasted one
year of development agenda that will affect their performance and Economic
growth of this Country and the national agenda to decentralize the government
system. Chairperson of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Samuel Ofosu
Ampofo has disclosed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In an interview with Accra based
Neat FM morning show, the chairperson of the leading opposition party said, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Nomination is the first step
which will now allow assembly members to vote for the denial or acceptance of
the nominated, this process also takes time which will add up to the already
long awaited period.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Metropolitan Municipal and
District Chief Executives(MMDCE) and the Regional Coordinating Council forms
the Coordination, Realignment and Harmonization of Policies from the National
level and since it is almost a year that one major arm is not formed, this
means there has not been any form of development in any region, municipal and
district levels.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“There cannot be any development
in the various assemblies since the acting Municipal Officers have little authorities
in policy formulation and execution and contractors will lose huge monies
because they can only receive payments unless the Common Fund is released” he
added<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Adding that, this affects the
agenda to decentralize the government machinery to bring sustainable
development to the District level that will then transform the entire nation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Since the role, Local Government
Minister is vital to every government, they are appointed earlier to harness
the development plan of that Government and one important aim is to ensure the MMDCEs
are nominated and elected into office”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The formal Regional Minister
further said, “I know, not all the nominated will be accepted which means
another election must be held after ten (10) days. That Region will suffer underdevelopment
at the end of the President’s tenure since less development takes place in
election year because of election preparations”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mr Ofosu Ampofo lamented that, “The
NPP Government have failed to stabilize the Ghana currency against the
international currencies and Economic Indicator figures do not depict the real
situations and sufferings of many Ghanaians”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">During our “thank you tour” of
the country, we were exposed to the hardship of many Ghanaians and businesses,
which is contrary to the fallacies of single digit inflation and the 3.2%
growth by the international organizations. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Ghanaians are spending much on
foodstuffs under this government”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Ghanaians are paying more for
the same quantity of fuel under this government”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Farmers are complaining of
fertilizers and school pupils are little to eat on school campus”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“High rate of unemployment among
the teeming youth”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“The NPP have been in power for five
years, so it is surprising they are still blaming the past government for
messing up the economy before they took over”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We do not eat paper figures the chairperson of the National Democratic Congress NDC, concluded.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-9940010330368552732021-06-14T11:27:00.002+01:002021-06-14T11:45:00.549+01:00GHANA MUST GO GREEN TO SAVE LIVES AND THE AGRIC SECTOR. FRANCIS ALBERT SETH NYONYO <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ulAcLAyTe08gjJv8Z8ByEJ7jarY9Bw8GJPaTZ8liSPTOp7vfwuwBHzCgLJHjy9wyDmvAvxrJcecDsNBtYDoyjz4tioC2LCBf-jMbsSPOTiMfnjIUbbgmafcinnLsfqcrKJalLpeak98/s1920/Legon20210612_065537.528+-+Copy.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ulAcLAyTe08gjJv8Z8ByEJ7jarY9Bw8GJPaTZ8liSPTOp7vfwuwBHzCgLJHjy9wyDmvAvxrJcecDsNBtYDoyjz4tioC2LCBf-jMbsSPOTiMfnjIUbbgmafcinnLsfqcrKJalLpeak98/w640-h360/Legon20210612_065537.528+-+Copy.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">His Eminence Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo</span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Green Ghana Project is for
the prospect of this country in rapports of agriculture yield and life sustenance,
His Eminence Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo has disclosed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This he said during the inauguration
of the Green Ghana Agenda at the John Mensah Sarbah Hall of the University of Ghana. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Together, the John Mensah Sarbah Hall Alumni President with other dignitaries
planted various ornamental trees to set as a specimen in changing the landscape of the country in few years to come.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">His Eminence Francis Albert Seth
Nyonyo disclosed relevant data backing the need to support the government's agenda on tree planting adding that “The climatic changes in rainfall pattern is due to human activities
such as the indiscriminating cutting of trees and not replacing them afterward”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Member of Council Elders further
said, “It is the appropriate time for the launch of the program, and every Ghanaian
must participate to save lives and our agriculture produce”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Rainfall is what we depend on
when planting and if there is low rainfall as we saw this year, there will be
low production of foods from our farmers which will not only affect us as a
people in terms of food availability but will depreciate our foreign exchange
in the international market”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQK95bXFPQE3ye88TCD6Bo7Vq6Rjrwo4mQVpJZNtohg0RFIFaahMwr6aSMWyRCxJ0PSQfZjSFnFaJxzOlaWcFcXFevMEtGWhtjSmx_C41Fd52obnSBYp4HPgWr5eOtcEtgW9wwfAa8w8/s1920/Legon20210612_070402.731.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQK95bXFPQE3ye88TCD6Bo7Vq6Rjrwo4mQVpJZNtohg0RFIFaahMwr6aSMWyRCxJ0PSQfZjSFnFaJxzOlaWcFcXFevMEtGWhtjSmx_C41Fd52obnSBYp4HPgWr5eOtcEtgW9wwfAa8w8/s320/Legon20210612_070402.731.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Trees offer shade and produce oxygen,
which is necessary for human and animal life so I urge all Ghanaians to support
the agenda of the President, HE Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo by planting more
trees to help sustain the country in terms of climatic changes”, he added</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Citing other advanced countries
where there is enough rainfall and in good climatic condition, The Mensah
Sarbah Hall Alumni President emphasized the need to have a policy that will
ensure the continuation of the Green Ghana Agenda by authorities of various
institutions and agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“This call by the president of
the republic must be an agenda for every leader in every institution and agency
regardless of cultural, political and regions beliefs”, he said</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2q_t2egFWmE6BRjx_iChWPpyWvLTq75myJ6ap_P_A_c9NDAu5MHlHTuVVTRMDT7de8mluPGKbjvSbrqgStL5ucDQ7NDGTRCyV1W3LyOUbXmFIeIb-3LUJZvLw9D7l21mAT2RPkyER6Y/s1920/Legon20210612_065703.386+-+Copy.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2q_t2egFWmE6BRjx_iChWPpyWvLTq75myJ6ap_P_A_c9NDAu5MHlHTuVVTRMDT7de8mluPGKbjvSbrqgStL5ucDQ7NDGTRCyV1W3LyOUbXmFIeIb-3LUJZvLw9D7l21mAT2RPkyER6Y/s320/Legon20210612_065703.386+-+Copy.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;">Dr. Innocent Lawson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr. Innocent Lawson hall master
assured His eminence, the hall’s role to keep the planted trees in good shape
to the spectacle as a shred of evidence to the necessity of trees in our lives as Ghanaians
and humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr. Lawson addressing the students
urged them to be ambassadors for the Green Ghana Project since they are the coming
generation to inherit the nation for the unborn generations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><br /></span><o:p></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-13163153523322368382021-05-01T02:38:00.004+01:002021-05-05T15:21:42.924+01:00POLICE INTERVENTION AT KASOA WILL NOT BE THE FINAL SOLUTION TO STOP CRIME RATES<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePPhGUIy_bsd_hhOtnIo7wVqrVDC0mHD4lbb1FkO6Hg_zEA-iDJS08U_Eh5zSN_UT4Nlz7_oNL7XSCMOYOrfKy6kVn2W8AqE8A1OVqJhAyohEumZDy-lmHh4djhFK9X7yHhPy8sSk-OY/s2048/KASOA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1556" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePPhGUIy_bsd_hhOtnIo7wVqrVDC0mHD4lbb1FkO6Hg_zEA-iDJS08U_Eh5zSN_UT4Nlz7_oNL7XSCMOYOrfKy6kVn2W8AqE8A1OVqJhAyohEumZDy-lmHh4djhFK9X7yHhPy8sSk-OY/s16000/KASOA.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Ghana Police recent sweep
of suspected criminals at Kasoa, a suburb of the Central Region though, very
necessary but will not end the rising crime rate in that sector of the country
Dr. Jones Opoku Ware a criminologist and crime researcher has declared.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This he said during a
live interview with NEAT FM Ghana “Montie” talk show.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The relationship
between crime and communities has long been a focal point of criminological and
sociological investigation.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Therefore, As far as the
variables operating in Kasoa, which are creating the increasing crime, still, exist
in that community, not all deployed strategies to combat crime will yield
positive results” Dr. Jones added<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“The high crime rate of Kasoa
can be associated with residential instability, high population density since it
has become home for foreign nationals”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We need reliable data of
inhabitants both indigenes and foreigners of Kasoa will urge the Government to
close down the Budumburam Camp if it has served its purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Research depicts that, it has
now turn to be a habitat of migrants which we have little information of their
background. The state must consider integrating those in the camp into the
Kasoa community for proper surveillance of both security and neighborhood
vigilantes <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr. Jones also stated, “if we
have certain groups of foreign nationals residing in a particular place they
form a localized social support system, which they use to hide criminal
activities that tend to be a threat to the security of the country and the
community”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The age profile data produced
by the Ghana Police Service thus between 19 and 39 years indicates that, active
population of the people instead of having legal sustainable jobs have engaged
in criminal activities which means more jobs have to be incorporated to curtail
such menaces <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The laptops and mobile phones,
which according to the Police retrieved are items that, until they are traced
by their registration can be classified as items they “the suspected criminals”
own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Also after proper
interrogation of these suspected criminals, it will surprise the state that,
only 20 percent will be linked to known crimes,” he concluded <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-35430665102452290292021-05-01T02:33:00.006+01:002021-05-05T05:09:43.347+01:00SAVE US FROM PRIVATE HOUSE CONTRACTORS, MIGRANT WORKERS CRY FOR GOV’T INTERVENTION.<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrZ5rFsLykkpzpa6QLwgBge2A_4eZzyGhJ9iQ1CXWLQsZ5QCmHSgLXaxBpL4yBbkX-SloOvmUr-u-lXaU5rmIJj0yCZYcroUMqN36aCtdfA8_G0rrFriOBMBeD7eByaMGpb5wrumB_pk/s939/IMG-20210429-WA0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="939" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrZ5rFsLykkpzpa6QLwgBge2A_4eZzyGhJ9iQ1CXWLQsZ5QCmHSgLXaxBpL4yBbkX-SloOvmUr-u-lXaU5rmIJj0yCZYcroUMqN36aCtdfA8_G0rrFriOBMBeD7eByaMGpb5wrumB_pk/s16000/IMG-20210429-WA0009.jpg" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />In labor
migration, Migrant Workers both skilled and unskilled migrant workers are
facing a lot of challenges in all sectors at labor market especially in the COVID-19 pandemic situation according to the Migrant Labor General Workers’ Union
International (MLGWUI).<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The
Association in the commemoration of the May Day 2021 global international
workers’ day disclosed this in a press release.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“In 2021,
MLGWUI’s concern focuses on the private house building construction sector where
both skilled and unskilled migrant workers become prey in the hands of many
employers and house owners”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Our research
indicates that many employers are using Migrant Workers as cheap labor and even
paying these workers GHC11.82 insisting that it is the normal minimum daily
wage of the country.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In view of
this, the Migrant Workers at house building construction sites in collaboration
with Migrant Labor General Workers’ Union International (MLGWUI) are therefore
calling on the government through the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations to
meet private house building contractors to consider the introduction of a New Fixed
Minimum Daily Wage for private Construction Migrant and Indigene Workers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“The directive
we are seeking will help both foreign and Ghanaian skilled and unskilled
workers such as masons, steel binders, carpenters, electricians, drivers,
welders and general laborers who work on daily schedules not to be paid as
monthly salary earned workers”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Among some
major challenges encountered by these workers both Ghanaians and Foreigners
are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->No
remedy or compensation for an injured worker by employer/house owner<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->No
job or social security fund towards been intimidated and beaten by Land Guards
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Unlike
industrial-based workers, many employers marginalize skilled and unskilled
indigene and migrant workers in the private house building construction sector. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl-kZgR-xNi5k1LL0850UO_AeNDGMokBggLIaEfs9KVEGQfVy-_FpaTovijpbL1NeN_kGwkFJMyguRZgUTUu_HM95gtJra2tzqwFKch-T4XLn_94BPwpBxfS7eKirDVPBO83f-emHsvk/s1080/IMG-20210429-WA0007.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl-kZgR-xNi5k1LL0850UO_AeNDGMokBggLIaEfs9KVEGQfVy-_FpaTovijpbL1NeN_kGwkFJMyguRZgUTUu_HM95gtJra2tzqwFKch-T4XLn_94BPwpBxfS7eKirDVPBO83f-emHsvk/s320/IMG-20210429-WA0007.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />"As humans, we
cannot survive without shelter or home and house building construction sector is
becoming demanding and supplying the labor force sector especially in labor
migration and regional integration". <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Sadly, a Migrant worker could spend a scanty earned wage from the previous day whilst staying
home over a period before a call to work only if their contact details are
stored with a former employer otherwise, one has to migrate to place-to-place
until they find another work elsewhere, They lamented. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“We have to
contribute our social security funds and pay tax ourselves out of our daily
wages”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In this effect
we are calling on Honorable Ignatius Baffoe Awuah Minister of the Ministry of
Employment and Labor Relations and all relevant stakeholders to
institutionalize policies that will benefit the country as migration has helped
other nations to progress<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are on
African Heads of States especially the President of the Republic of Ghana to
take into consideration the said sector as essential and to listen to Migrant
Workers’ plights as a matter of urgency.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We want
to congratulate the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) for their enforcement of
migrants complying with migration laws of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We
calling on them to extend their exercise into Refugee Camps like Liberia Camp
in the Central Region.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our
research presumes that there might be undocumented immigrants moving as Asylum
Seekers staying at camps could cause crimes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MLGWUI
would love to praise the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Protection to
other African countries if she takes concrete step to remove all Economic Child
Beggars from the streets and arrest parents or syndicates who promote Street
Alms.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MLGWUI suggests
to labor unions on the African continent to do inclusive May Day Awards to
employers<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>who have established
harmonious industrial relationship between their workers and save pensioners by
remembering them during May Day.<span style="font-size: 4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-30473900263854149472021-03-29T09:28:00.008+01:002021-05-05T05:01:28.750+01:00GOVERNANCE IS NOT WEIGHT LIFTING BUT COMPITENCE AND EXPERINCE. Maxwell Kofi Jumah<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4qwKZhhVipPBJ7V3t2yTdt8ehWOGoPOtb5FowJgZKsEMsh7kCi29CV5xmaiiyYkwX-iar3-8dWGPC2kjDn8vB7ProewJIOPsDfh_Iuq9Xswppa44f2gDFIR6EJ59PyZRXvBNxT2dgR0/s1500/juma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4qwKZhhVipPBJ7V3t2yTdt8ehWOGoPOtb5FowJgZKsEMsh7kCi29CV5xmaiiyYkwX-iar3-8dWGPC2kjDn8vB7ProewJIOPsDfh_Iuq9Xswppa44f2gDFIR6EJ59PyZRXvBNxT2dgR0/s320/juma.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;">Governance is about experience and exposure to the reality
of world economic growth and relations and not weight lifting or sporting
activities. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, CEO of GIHOC Distilleries Company LTD.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This he said in relation to the recent reactions of the
youths of the New Patriotic Party advocating for the elimination of most old
people in major positions of both state and commercial enterprises.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In an interview with Accra based NEAT FM morning show, the
former Asokwa Constituency Member of Parliament said, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“I have served under the various post and handled obligations
both in the country and abroad and with time, I have gained experience that
aids me in decision making.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“They are wrong to say we are old and should be put on the
backburner to allow them, who are with little familiarity and capabilities to
take over.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Mr. Jumah said the Nana Addo government is a concoction of
both old and young individuals and I entreat the youths calling for this action
to acknowledge this and come again. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I urge them to rather respect and hit the books from the
adults in position and stopover undermining their proficiency, acquaintance,
and expertise. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Former Kumasi Mayor concluded that what youth group is calling
for do not hold water but reasonably, they should be submissive and mug up from
us the old ones in position then they can be in position one day to lead.</span><o:p></o:p></p><br />12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-35945638050492182962021-03-13T12:02:00.006+00:002021-03-13T12:05:18.644+00:00CONVENTION PEOPLE’S PARTY DONATES P.P.Es TO CHIEFS AND POLICE OF MADINA CONSTITUENCY<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw45rH0dvu4WxB_jueBbFmrKsU0d73dWHIkkEabViFm-oYCNELb_-OD059bvO35MZNpPpnKr2Hti1dzvUrdzWvOr_78k-uf61WgvILVRG6yio9O12cThvLJrRlLhbe-2iG7C36bi-qmvo/s1080/IMG-20210313-WA0033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img alt="www.12onlinenews.com" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw45rH0dvu4WxB_jueBbFmrKsU0d73dWHIkkEabViFm-oYCNELb_-OD059bvO35MZNpPpnKr2Hti1dzvUrdzWvOr_78k-uf61WgvILVRG6yio9O12cThvLJrRlLhbe-2iG7C36bi-qmvo/s16000/IMG-20210313-WA0033.jpg" title="www.12onlinenews.com" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The
leader and chair of the Convention People’s Party [CPP] Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong
Kumankuma has lamented on the 58% of unemployment and redundancy among the
teeming youth of this country and is therefore calling on the government to assent
to the MY10K project aimed at attaining Economic Independence in the long term.
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This
she said when the Party visited the chief, sub-chiefs of the Madina
Constituency in the Greater Accra Region supplied hand sanitizers and donated
cash for purchasing Personal Protective Equipment to help fight COVID-19. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“We
are 64 years as a country but all that we do is provide jobs for other
nationals, we basically import most of the items we consume which are contrary
to the vision of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“He
and the CPP then acknowledged the abilities of the people of the country and established
factories and many social interventions to improve the livelihood of the people
of this country”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Citing
the Ghana National Reconstruction Corp and Young Farmers, Nana Frimpomaa
Sarpong revealed the need to empower the young people of this country by
offering flexible relief policies either than the existing Youth Employment
Agency [YEA] and Youth Exchange and Study and Youth Enterprise Support [YES] which
cannot speak of any relevant achievements to back its setup ever since.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nana
Frimpomaa also outlined how the MY10K project, which seeks to raise an amount
of $2 billion, which when invested in
one million youths in this country will propel the
nation towards achieving greatness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Adding that, $2 billion
investment in young entrepreneurs of the nation will change years the economic
and productive state of the country in the next few years ahead <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She related that,
offering ₵10, 000 each to
these one million young entrepreneurs will support in achieving Ghana beyond
aid agenda set by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo in his previous
State of the Nation Addresses.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2DZABwQ6pmGbC14zpYIYlbDb3df2ZcnqukZtFgc3plZUTZUxW09eu4UVDbNCI7WgIl0aAftTcQ_pm25RBqrJWbb4h5xWFEimtCZspYO4lRM9xX0FHayTSky3pPAh60pC3eCclNku-BA/s984/IMG-20210313-WA0043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="984" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2DZABwQ6pmGbC14zpYIYlbDb3df2ZcnqukZtFgc3plZUTZUxW09eu4UVDbNCI7WgIl0aAftTcQ_pm25RBqrJWbb4h5xWFEimtCZspYO4lRM9xX0FHayTSky3pPAh60pC3eCclNku-BA/w640-h282/IMG-20210313-WA0043.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“The CPP is
calling on the Government, Corporate Social Bodies, and other relevant
stakeholders to help raise $2 billion to support the MY10K Project, which will
help to build profitable and sustainable enterprises managed by our youths just
as other developed nations are doing”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Out National Debt
is over ₵296 billion which was incurred by
infrastructure development agenda but we should also be mindful of human
enlightenment, empowerment, and establishment she added.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“With over ₵297 billion as debt now juxtaposed to the current population, clearly depicts that each Ghanaian owes ₵10,000”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Overlord of Madina,
Shariki Alhaji Baba Seidu in a statement urged the people of the youth to take
advantage of social intervention policies rather than the fraudulent activities
the ruin societies and endanger their precious lives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He further urged
the CPP to fight and come to power to implement the development envisaged by
the first President and founder of the party.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Adding that, all
efforts to fight poverty and corruption have all been deceits since hardship
continues to exist and the majority are victims of the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Police
commander of Madina also assured the public of their readiness to combat crime and
urged the people of Madina to adhere to the COVID 19 protocols set by the
Government.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OD4r7FlRgFEnCfofF8ZGq98zjjh0dfzhpWnd9TLWqrUAU_88qOHsqsJ8GhIlNFBehferjEucXrGVht_F44YqW8GywP1-n-GXeFiTz7HhGHaElAlVoHf75vw1AI5FGEPZksj0fWCgbqU/s1080/IMG-20210313-WA0030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OD4r7FlRgFEnCfofF8ZGq98zjjh0dfzhpWnd9TLWqrUAU_88qOHsqsJ8GhIlNFBehferjEucXrGVht_F44YqW8GywP1-n-GXeFiTz7HhGHaElAlVoHf75vw1AI5FGEPZksj0fWCgbqU/w640-h426/IMG-20210313-WA0030.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He directed a
caution to the various transport stations that are not observing the conventional
protocols, to be ready for close down and sanctions according to the Legislative Instrument passed by Parliament.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He encouraged all
police officers to embroil themselves in the COVID-19 vaccination day set March
20 be a yardstick for other doubting Thomases </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The CPP donated
Personal Protective Equipment and an undisclosed amount of money to the chiefs
and the Madina Police Division to use to in purchasing other relevant items to
help fight COVID 19 among the inmates.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-62102311696908273122021-03-06T22:03:00.008+00:002021-05-05T05:14:09.924+01:00SUPPORTING ONE MILION YOUTH ENTERPRENUERS WITH 10K EACH, WILL AID IN ACHIEVING GHANA BEYOND AID : C P P<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxIRe9Wi61BeYoipA3m2bHZl0MwL1F2OtE8r459n3pT9rRdNFBXFKsNV2_4nU2-V6ndv0tUfmRbB2WWCtSEXXkkh00dZlnmd0NAb17gU0LqGaRPBbQvnfzQkaRsi1XmfaA69vwOdGJwQ/s2048/frimpongma.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxIRe9Wi61BeYoipA3m2bHZl0MwL1F2OtE8r459n3pT9rRdNFBXFKsNV2_4nU2-V6ndv0tUfmRbB2WWCtSEXXkkh00dZlnmd0NAb17gU0LqGaRPBbQvnfzQkaRsi1XmfaA69vwOdGJwQ/s16000/frimpongma.png" /></a> <br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">NANA Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumakuma</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;">The Chairperson and Leader of the Convention People’s Party [CPP]
is urging the government in power to invest in the youth of our country to help
the vision to rescue the nation from external powers that influence developmental
policies.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This she said in a press briefing on the 64<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of Ghana at the Party’s Headquarters in Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">According to Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumakuma, all social intervention
policies developed have yielded little or no results because 12% of our labor
force are unemployed and more than 50% are under-employed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Ever since the overthrow of Dr, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah in
1966, there is no proper vision and plan developed to honor the zeal which our
ancestors drove out the colonist.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Also the societies that we called developed has always centralized
their development around the economic welfare of the youth” <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nana Frimpomaa disclosed that Ghana might be growing on
paper but the reality is otherwise with increasing youths in dropouts, ‘kayeyeis’,
truck pushing and street selling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In her statement, she urged the ruling government to support
the youth of this country with repayable funds and this should be under
appropriate agencies to curtail the ‘family and friends’ only slogan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“We are pleading on behalf of Ghanaian youth that, the
government intervene with an emergency national youth fund of $2 billion to award GHC10, 000
to one million youth each to improve their economic situation”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In addition, Nana advocated for an independent secretariat to
be set up and should be governed by the opposition and special interest group to
oversee the appropriate disbursement of funds to those who need it the most. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YOo3Kc5ylbK2YjCINUToQPRP-W6L_14_xc8YTXwKVReu95nle7tJl5xjl5BEnBxw9Ezxr2RKcbAEDWLaaBupapr0l0DqeZDD5hTPBImKNPu4aGzeTScEp9S2Ktk4mKUk5eSDvIzwXDY/s2048/CPP1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YOo3Kc5ylbK2YjCINUToQPRP-W6L_14_xc8YTXwKVReu95nle7tJl5xjl5BEnBxw9Ezxr2RKcbAEDWLaaBupapr0l0DqeZDD5hTPBImKNPu4aGzeTScEp9S2Ktk4mKUk5eSDvIzwXDY/w640-h390/CPP1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">GHANA 64TH ANNIVERSARY </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“As a dependent economy, we must focus on what is urgent and
we in the CPP believe that the ingenuity and brilliance of Ghanaian youth was and
is the major catalyst for the worldwide interest in Ghana and before the
tourist sites”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are asking that, next year by this time a minimum of one million
youth will be awarded GHC 10,000 each and this will be one of the greatest
economic stimulus program in Ghana’s history<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The CPP believes that this fund will empower them massively
to participate in the economic reform and growth of our motherland Ghana </span><o:p></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-48000821856402199052021-02-25T22:16:00.004+00:002021-02-26T06:06:08.344+00:00MENSAH SARBAH HALL ALUMNI DONATES TO HALL'S SECRETARY<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJlU24auB1ynbgwXdOE-PuU9P7q7H0t1X4D94p9fbDagrQc-_p5XlOchh1MrSSS5WBjMy9j-tjz1U7Opnk9rrJd7sQ_4OgO8YQF7AefGc5ZAlQwGOB5SaF8TOQmq6Q8fdNM0IXVWjTuI/s1151/5.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1151" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJlU24auB1ynbgwXdOE-PuU9P7q7H0t1X4D94p9fbDagrQc-_p5XlOchh1MrSSS5WBjMy9j-tjz1U7Opnk9rrJd7sQ_4OgO8YQF7AefGc5ZAlQwGOB5SaF8TOQmq6Q8fdNM0IXVWjTuI/w640-h458/5.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">MENSAH SARBAH HALL ALUMNI PRESIDENT, presenting items. </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;">On behalf of the Mensah Sarbah Hall Alumni, the Alumni President, His Eminence, Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo on Friday, 19th February 2021, donated cash and some relief items to Mrs. Ruth Asiedu, the Secretary to the Hall Master of Mensah Sarbah Hall, following a fire outbreak which rampaged her house late last year. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A total of GHc 5,000.00 in cash, bags of rice, cooking oil, and pieces of cloths were items donated to Aunty Ruth as a token to help her recover some of her losses to the fire outbreak.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The donation was preceded by lunch with Madam Ruth and other stakeholders present, to interact on pressing issues of the hall towards the improvement of the Alumni and the Hall at large. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some of the Executives of the Alumni Union, the Hall Bursar, the SCR President,</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;">and the JCR Executives of the Hall were all present to witness and grace this brief but necessary occasion.</div></span><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BWmVuZHZg9ZfCdE0QTDj31An9xwosiql6FN_TMGbcknOyTC6AUjk-0fHsYxrS2g73vwlD7Nl4bhw9KUgIucXPa_bZ6Vyzc6TQXwIQ72gyAPA9N1tqOpkHFSQvA-j2NMqrFjXxbgDaRM/s2048/23.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1243" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BWmVuZHZg9ZfCdE0QTDj31An9xwosiql6FN_TMGbcknOyTC6AUjk-0fHsYxrS2g73vwlD7Nl4bhw9KUgIucXPa_bZ6Vyzc6TQXwIQ72gyAPA9N1tqOpkHFSQvA-j2NMqrFjXxbgDaRM/s320/23.png" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"> His Eminence, <br />Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Under the current leadership of His Eminence, Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo as Sarbah Hall Alumni president, the Alumni has initiated and executed projects towards the welfare of students and the Mensah Sarbah Hall at large. These include the Vikings Vocation Camp, sponsorship of Annual Leavers Dinner, Sports, and other JCR activities and programs. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In addition, the Alumni is continuing with the construction of the Alumni Hostel Project which is fast nearing completion and will ease accommodation challenges that students face annually.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Mensah Sarbah Hall so far is the only hall in the University of Ghana that carries out Alumni Celebrity Platform Lectures mainly to motive current students for higher aspirations and accomplishments. However, for the past few years, the Alumni of the Hall and the Hall as a whole have not been able to organize this vital event due to some challenges</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It is therefore worthy of mention that, last year, this important program on Hall's calendar was held and hosted the eminent economists, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana as the Guest Speaker.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Despite the outbreak of covid-19 and its related social obstructions, prominent members including Kwesi Prempeh, Esq, Director of Ghana School of Law was in attendance as Guest of Honour.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="2692" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVLW52R4-Jt6tgw-hI7yAY9XOqTBx3Yd4hFgT7YHe8s25d2Tkxos6gb14ujDcCJVRLT_cvUl0bEWfeJ4IDWQb52OG5RZOew6Sj_nROZEAnR7ApslIee6OlpsTELWMIPFu_c25tryxUl0/w640-h278/26.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">MENSAH SARBAH ALUMNI WITH MRS, RUTH ASIEDU </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVLW52R4-Jt6tgw-hI7yAY9XOqTBx3Yd4hFgT7YHe8s25d2Tkxos6gb14ujDcCJVRLT_cvUl0bEWfeJ4IDWQb52OG5RZOew6Sj_nROZEAnR7ApslIee6OlpsTELWMIPFu_c25tryxUl0/s2692/26.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Alumni President, His Eminence, Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo in his personal capacity has been of immense support to students of the hall who aspire for leadership positions, those who are into 'Self Entrepreneurial' activities as well as those in financial distress on many occasions. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With all this in the past and many others outlined for the coming months, This year presents itself as a glorious one for the Alumni and the Hall as all is on course to regain the lost glories' of the Alumni and reposition it on high heights towards the revival of members, current students and the overall establishment of the Alumni. </span></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-21115194832172019322021-01-08T08:44:00.000+00:002021-01-08T08:44:21.149+00:00MILITARY IN PARLIAMENY IS COUP D’ETAT, RAS MUBARAK <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> editor@12onlinenews.com</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWV-MWu-7_ZAdAwXSf83ViI86iiAAVJ5WLWC8p7Kvv9Bk8MxT98BYRxbUbR3uHrG3F9KV-T-7KGPbnnGYoEqY3-eK3gPm3cRtb1RiDoX5XL14eHPUt7d5BaV6XMMfiEcZhlniqBukI7A0/s1080/ras_muba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWV-MWu-7_ZAdAwXSf83ViI86iiAAVJ5WLWC8p7Kvv9Bk8MxT98BYRxbUbR3uHrG3F9KV-T-7KGPbnnGYoEqY3-eK3gPm3cRtb1RiDoX5XL14eHPUt7d5BaV6XMMfiEcZhlniqBukI7A0/w640-h426/ras_muba.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">MR. Ras Mubarak </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MR. Ras Mubarak former
Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Constituency has said, there was no need for
soldiers to interfere with parliamentary proceedings as it happened in our
Parliament recently during the election of Speaker of Parliament.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He said this on
NEATFM an Accra based Media stating that the parliament is a civilian sector and
an effective arm of government and if there is any security intervention, it
should be the police and not the military. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There is a
police division at the Parliament house why where they not called but rather
the military he lamented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the constitution,
the soldiers are to protect boundaries thus land and sea of this nation and
what they did can be related to Coup D’état <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The former Chief
Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority added that It was unfortunate
and this calls for parliamentary contempt proceedings and the martial court to
investigate who ordered their actions since military moves by orders from Top
Officers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Even in the era
of military rulership, the military never entered the parliament house”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Moreover, it was
an act of indiscipline and abuse of powers and must not be encouraged in this
democratic dispensation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking on
Carlos Ahinkra and Muntaka actions, he said, “people’s representative has
brought great shame to the house and international relations as well”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“What Mrs. Ursla
Owusu is best described as an act of sexual harassment and must duly be probed
by parliament to avoid future occurrences or is there any charm she is hiding
there?”.</span><o:p></o:p></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-29376869551768508482021-01-05T13:00:00.002+00:002021-01-05T13:08:04.915+00:00MY FOUR YEARS: PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFU-ADDO<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-small;"> editor@12onlinenews.com</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIFFQ5vaH6JW5MBCmvKmkxGZEY058gITtXcLb3WPl2njdWtX4FC7yWvXP3Rsc9tU6xm4RrOorTG9PcUfTIllccEYN9wt43FdxF8Q2qkd6mfsM-Dl3cBj3_wuo9nHF7mlxuFXrovmjpXE/s750/pres-addo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="750" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIFFQ5vaH6JW5MBCmvKmkxGZEY058gITtXcLb3WPl2njdWtX4FC7yWvXP3Rsc9tU6xm4RrOorTG9PcUfTIllccEYN9wt43FdxF8Q2qkd6mfsM-Dl3cBj3_wuo9nHF7mlxuFXrovmjpXE/w640-h357/pres-addo.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I am happy that the former
president and candidate of the National Democratic Party has opted to go to
court after several demonstrations and riots organized by party members. President
Nana Addo Dankwa</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This he said in his last State of
the Nation Address.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“It’s a good decision to choose
the legal path instead of the pockets of violence which some party members held after the declaration of the results by the Electoral Commission”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We have to respect the decision
of GHANAIANS since now there is little margin between the majority and minority
in parliament.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All that we have to do in this eighth
PARIALIEMT of the fourth republic is to serve the Ghana course of development. The
President said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My term of governance has been a
tough one. We inherited a state, which was on IMF bailout policies, a very poor
performing economy, and very low investor confidence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">However, I can say that after
four years, we no longer import certain food crops from neighboring countries and
I am proud of the title “Naa Abudani” earned after peace restored in Dagbon
over many years of conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Adding that, violence is not the
key to solving differences and difficulties in life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking on galamsey, the
President Nana Addo Dankwa emphasized the need to take a firm decision on stopping
it since its activities affects the Ghana Water Cooperation distillation
processes of safe drinking water.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I knew some of the government
policies will not be universally approved and accepted but we need to take away
partisanship away from the galamsey phenomenon <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As a country, we are recognized to
play host to a Pan African Institution, the secretariat of the African
Continental Free Trade Area, ACFTA. Which is a good reputation to be proud of
as a Ghanaian.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are on track to achieving the desired development where all Ghanaians will enjoy the national cake and my next four years agenda and policies are set to the task. </span></p>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-51275452732466683202020-12-24T18:04:00.007+00:002021-02-26T06:22:49.921+00:00GHANA MUST SEE US AS AN OPTION: CPP<p> </p><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Vy02tsVr9pbUH-2CiNOCsqxx6TbsS_bTaj709bAIIeDQyLYDGbeX73trgEJ8qIm-lI7aoocsWxD0IbjosJGfaVOisMchJLGKZ4xaLngzuiWj7zWjRumg1jdOz5G-C_tiUsJLqf9lA_w/s2048/FRIMPONGMA.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Vy02tsVr9pbUH-2CiNOCsqxx6TbsS_bTaj709bAIIeDQyLYDGbeX73trgEJ8qIm-lI7aoocsWxD0IbjosJGfaVOisMchJLGKZ4xaLngzuiWj7zWjRumg1jdOz5G-C_tiUsJLqf9lA_w/w427-h640/FRIMPONGMA.png" width="427" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">NANA. FRIMPOMAA Sarpong Kumankuma, CHAIRPERSON CPP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The national chairperson and
leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), <span style="text-align: justify;">NANA. FRIMPOMAA Sarpong Kumankuma,</span> has declared that the CPP is the only Party that can liberate the country from
its current underdevelopment. The CPP is the only party that puts humanity at
the center of all developmental policies, she said.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking at the party’s end of
year party at the party’s headquarters in Accra Nana Frimpomaa disclosed that the two parties have failed us as a country because if they have fulfilled all their campaign
promises and policy interventions, all of us as Ghanaians will be living in
good conditions but the reality are otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The CPP believes in industrialization
and building human capacity, the CPP understands the role of the ordinary
Ghanaian and must have protection, fed, and allowing living a comfortable
life". <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The country with all its
resources can achieve the aim of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah envisioned when
he said "GHANA must be the gateway to Africa". However, the issue is a priority, and
management and NDC and NPP have failed, Nana Frimpongma added. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Despite our failure in the past
elections from 2000 to 2020, I together with the entire country representatives
pledge to revive the CPP to become an option for Ghanaian electorates to consider come 2024 general elections".
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking on current infrastructure
development she noted that It is a good thing we talk much of our natural
resources and how to add value to the raw productions to increase the foreign incomes
but we need to build human capacity as well. With this entire industrial
infrastructure, it is a working human force, which is required to keep it
running.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYwIYQ6GxE7h9Vr8NDZl1xBojF8u4UhCXtTRjxWTfOIkO5tZLode13paPbVZkwok7TRPhJvUuftUxIhvOjqgmBsSnnQcOMqSC_FXqUSglgP8IZjzOlNMdpAeOyiBc0hyphenhyphenDiwMDWEgBP3Q/s2048/HIBIBU.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1353" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYwIYQ6GxE7h9Vr8NDZl1xBojF8u4UhCXtTRjxWTfOIkO5tZLode13paPbVZkwok7TRPhJvUuftUxIhvOjqgmBsSnnQcOMqSC_FXqUSglgP8IZjzOlNMdpAeOyiBc0hyphenhyphenDiwMDWEgBP3Q/w264-h400/HIBIBU.png" width="264" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;">Mr. Yakubu Habibu Director of Election </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The director of elections Mr.
Yakubu Habibu also urged all party members to unite and put the country at
heart. We need to let go of our differences and work hard to convince the good
people of Ghana that CPP is the pacesetters in developments both economy and
humanity, he said.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The council of elders is yet to
implement machinery to revamp the CPP party and it will be piloted in the greater
Accra Region and subsequently to the entire nation before 2022".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Greater ACCRA chair Mr.
Godwin Opare Addo assured the current chairperson and leader Nana Frimpongma of
all regional chairpersons’ massive support if she should decide to run for flagbearer
ship position for the party in the 2024 general elections. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"We are encouraging all downhearted members to have the same spirit Osagyefo had in SALTPONG when the tears
came down his eyes. Ghana needs us so do we need Ghana". He added. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Various Dignitaries' graced the occasion with their presence and it was a moment that dedicated
members and individuals received awards to encourage hard work and discipline in
the party. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><br />12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-18023944032908235852020-07-24T04:39:00.002+01:002020-07-24T04:52:16.860+01:00COVID-19 Message from Nima Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFqPDJmhvMbIoU6u-gsl6Ij8aEFfB0DkMnOFMdhGrR8xZYCIL93pcqfBoAViyFKq3PqCJY4-vSYa6xwzX9CBiUPWIHPST7dtDEzlNZqoU62gULTm1MuP55bh6xkCcM76eCLMk3ieJ8CM/s2048/final+makerz+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1874" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFqPDJmhvMbIoU6u-gsl6Ij8aEFfB0DkMnOFMdhGrR8xZYCIL93pcqfBoAViyFKq3PqCJY4-vSYa6xwzX9CBiUPWIHPST7dtDEzlNZqoU62gULTm1MuP55bh6xkCcM76eCLMk3ieJ8CM/w573-h625/final+makerz+logo.png" width="573" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h1><div>song; leaders of tomorrow// bracket</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='1080' height='720' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwrvDbHkSORexuUw8Omhjjydb_d9VnhgiKLRNDN8itNovyYrbRQYBcho2gl2se-eQGZuuxCW9Ka7fVxCO5Iog' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-19354012892711001032020-06-01T03:00:00.000+01:002020-06-01T03:04:38.770+01:00Gov’t: Religious, Educational Activities Commence in Covid-19 Pandemic <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">JoJoe Bucknor-Baffoe // editor@12onlinnews.com</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">William Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo</span>. President of the Republic of GHANA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The President of
the Republic of Ghana, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has announced the
reopening of religious, educational and public gatherings after a ban of restrictions
lifted from 1 June. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the
president, the Executive Instrument EI passed by parliament on 12 March placed a
ban on social gatherings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it stands now, the country has tested over
200,000 patients with 8,070 testings positive, 36 death and over 2000 fully
recovered and discharged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All Educational,
religious, Electoral, National Identification and National Commission for Civic
Education activities brought to halt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The President in his 10th nation's address announced that after consultations and
dialogue with relevant stakeholders, there would be limited ease on some of
the restrictions the EI implemented starting June.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Educational sector, 15 June</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, final year students of various Universities are to
attend lectures in minimum numbers while observing social distancing and
personal protective protocols. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Final Senior
High School candidates and gold track students must go back to the
classrooms <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Final Junior
High School students entreated to go back to school while observing PPP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The president
indicate the Ghana Education Service GES will be fumigating and disinfecting
campuses as well as providing teachers and students with PPEs that are
reusable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition, GES
urged to supply PPEs to teachers and students to help curb the spread of the
virus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Religious
Activities</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Churches and
Mosques activities to commence as the government eases coronal virus-induced
restrictions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The President in his 10 address disclosed that religious
activities could commence with a congregation of 100 in an hour service. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also
indicated that names of participants must be recorded since the COVID-19 team
will require it for national data and assessments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sporting
Activities,</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Non-contact
sports can return while football remains banned and our borders remain closed
thus sea, land, and airways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the
president, measures are taken to bring back citizens who could not return due
to the closure of our borders but will have to be quarantined and observed
before allowed to go to various families. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking on the
<b>Comorbidity</b> finds in the 36 death recorded during this pandemic, the President
urged diabetics and hypertension patients to take care and ensure a healthy lifestyle.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He added, our
health facilities are not overwhelmed as compared to other nations but there is
the need to build and equip health firms to able to combat any future viral
pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-45882216195464043762019-08-13T11:33:00.001+01:002019-08-13T11:33:18.631+01:00Vigilantism Acts is set to PUNISH, M.P Warns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Kaakyire Kwasi Afari. Time FM, Offinso-Kumasi.</span><div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">editor: editor@12onlinenews.com</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Member of Parliament for Offinso South constituency, Ben Abdallah Banda</span></td></tr>
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The Chairman for Constitutional, Legal and parliamentary Affairs of Ghana Parliament who doubles as Member of Parliament for Offinso South constituency, Ben Abdallah Banda has warn Ghanaians especially, the youths to abstain from vigilantism to avoid facing rigorous of the new law.</div>
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The NPP member of parliament stated that as part of measures of eradicating political vigilantism in the system, the August house has just recently passed the Vigilantism and related offenses Act awaiting for the president's Ascent to commence its implementation.</div>
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He highlighted on some punishments the vigilantism and related Act stipulates adding that,<b> if any person is convicted of acts of vigilantism, the minimum period of imprisonment is 10 years.</b> </div>
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"Imagine wasting 10 years of your youthful days in jail for indulging in this shameful and unlawful act", he added. </div>
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Mr Abdallah Banda addressing the parents, teachers and special guest of honor at the 12th Congregation Ceremony of Offinso College of Education on 10th August, cautioned that, no political party has its roots to shield and protects its members who are found in the acts and therefore, appealing to the youth to abstain from these insensitive behaviors to avoid prosecution.</div>
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The Vice- Principal of the Offinso College of Education, Mr. Daniel Agyei Mensah urged the grandaunts to inculcate patriotism into the wards they will be entrusted to adding that, "they should not abuse their authority over the pupils but rather correct them while observing good teaching practices. </div>
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Mr. Agyie Mensah advised teachers to explain more of the agenda of positioning Ghana beyond aid to students. This according to him will ensure that, the youths will have the nation at heart and will be accustomed to seeking positive development for the nation rather than selfish gains</div>
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Nana Dr Wiafe Brobey Kwateng Chief of Maase who graced the occasion behalf of Offinso Paramount chief, Nana Wiafe Akenten iii thanked the Government for the implementation of the Free Senior High School.</div>
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He said by 20 years to come, the country will recognize the benefits of this policy and therefore called on stakeholders to continue dialogues on ensuring the sustainability and improvement of the Free Senior High School Policy. </div>
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Education is a sheared responsibility and therefore called on the Government to threat teachers with care ensuring that, all basic needs are attended to with urgency, Nana Dr Wiafe Brobey Kwateng added.</div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-81840664078344170412019-02-21T18:04:00.000+00:002020-06-08T15:58:55.372+01:00Peace in Dagbon must stop all Protracted Disputes: Nana Akufo-Addo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqUdO53NH6hqzX5Hp9xduL3p5v9NMvHfHtBSmxCMwUtp2ErsQY82ppdNbgaKDYRVsfhJFDXR27DgOYNZTSdLxX4cGTvEHguHLjlwgNcIQwbnEgDTsKXGH2zc336GNmXZ5PUF8vglYHMU/s1600/akufoaddo--ChiefsNzema.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1200" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqUdO53NH6hqzX5Hp9xduL3p5v9NMvHfHtBSmxCMwUtp2ErsQY82ppdNbgaKDYRVsfhJFDXR27DgOYNZTSdLxX4cGTvEHguHLjlwgNcIQwbnEgDTsKXGH2zc336GNmXZ5PUF8vglYHMU/s640/akufoaddo--ChiefsNzema.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
over 500 chieftaincy dispute recorded in the country will be history as the
momentum of the Dagbon settlement will be used to eliminate them<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">President
Nana Akufo-Addo disclosed this </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">disclosed on Thursday in Parliament while delivering his
third State of the Nation Address that, strategies used in settling the over 17
years Dagbon dispute will be used to resolve all protracted and protracting
chieftaincy dispute in the country.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The Minister for Chieftaincy
and Religious Affairs intends to use the momentum of the Dagbon settlement to
tackle the other protracted chieftaincy disputes in the country.</span>” he
announced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chieftaincy dispute do not only delay the
development of the said community or society but also the development of the
entire nation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many districts and regions have observed slow
development due to conflict among prominent families and groups. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">According to President Nana Akufo-Addo, permanent
peace is a gradual process and urged all the people to help sustain the peace
which was on the expense of emotions, energies and State’s funds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">“I pray that we all continue to build on this
achievement and midwife the process until peace becomes part of the fabric of
Dagbon</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">“In order to reinforce and support the process of
reconciliation and the restoration of peace in Dagbon, I have decided that,
this year, the official 62</span><sup style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; outline: none;"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;">nd </span></sup><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Independence Day celebration
will be held in Tamale, on 6</span><sup style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; outline: none;"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;">th</span></sup><span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> March”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The President acknowledged the Pioneers for their
hard work and wisdom of the eminent chiefs, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene,
the Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, Overlord of Mamprugu, and the
Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa, Overlord of the Gonja State, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-22484987655684981502019-02-21T16:06:00.001+00:002019-02-21T16:06:14.543+00:002019 State of The Nation Address: Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism25YcSOvgH_Tkf-XTbH1PLc4cHLSX6kNWCfnFvQJO2jmztLKTuYfHrMczbZFHxlD2-EmXWRPmmi-DtG6QY4rvL6Hf-gaFo25b27-90DDaEY8wMF7o9AdpyNg7-f0_N218RC1noxwn_c/s1600/pres-addo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism25YcSOvgH_Tkf-XTbH1PLc4cHLSX6kNWCfnFvQJO2jmztLKTuYfHrMczbZFHxlD2-EmXWRPmmi-DtG6QY4rvL6Hf-gaFo25b27-90DDaEY8wMF7o9AdpyNg7-f0_N218RC1noxwn_c/s640/pres-addo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, I am glad to be here with you again in this august House, the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Parliament </span></span>of our Republic, to perform, for the third time, the pleasant duty of fulfilling my constitutional obligation, by giving Honorable Members and the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian people a message on the state of the nation.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In accordance with protocol and convention, it is good to see that First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Vice <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span> Mahamudu Bawumia, Second Lady Samira Bawumia, Spouse of Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Alberta Ocquaye, Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, and Justices of the Supreme Court, Chairperson Nana Otuo Siriboe II, and Members of the Council of State, Chief of Defence Staff Lt. Gen O.B. Akwa, Inspector General of Police David Asante Apeatu, and Service Chiefs, are all present. </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr.</span></span></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"> Speaker, the House is duly honored by the welcome attendance of the former <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>s of the Republic, their Excellencies Jerry John Rawlings and John Dramani Mahama, former First Lady, Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, and the Dean and Members of the Diplomatic Corps.</span></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The House should also take note of the passing last year of some distinguished citizens of our country – Vice <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur; UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan; Senior Minister, J.H Mensah; Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe; PNDC Secretary, K.B Asante, and the Poet Laureate, Prof. Atukwei Okai. May their souls rest and abide in the bosom of the Almighty until the last day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again. Amen!</span></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr.</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"> Speaker, I hope the House will bear with me, as I have a lot to say, and I may take quite some time. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">A month ago, almost to the day, I was in Yendi, fittingly attired as a self-proclaimed Prince of Dagbon, Prince Abudani, the first of that lineage, to witness the installation of Yaa-Na Mahama Abukari II as the overlord of Dagbon.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Thousands of our compatriots were there to share in the joy of the occasion. It was a ceremony that many had despaired we would ever see, but a new Yaa-Na, accepted by the two gates of Abudu and Andani, was installed on that day.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">It brought to an end decades of feuding that laid low the proud and ancient kingdom of Dagbon. It was a happy day, and it marked the climax of a long, tortuous journey, and a hard grind on the part of many people through the years.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Two years ago, when I had the honour to become <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span> of our country, I decided to summon all the resources of the state and my own energies, and make a concerted effort through the dedicated, patriotic Committee of Eminent Chiefs that had been working on the problem for the past 17 years, to find an acceptable solution. With the blessings of the Almighty, we have had a breakthrough, and this led to the month-long series of events that climaxed in the installation on 25<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">th</span> January, 2019.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, I was not looking to be accorded any special title or accolade, and I was certainly not looking for praise. I did want to do whatever I could to make sure that this long running sore, that was such a blight on Dagbon and <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>, and which dragged down the development process in our country, could be resolved, and we could move on.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We had spent enough emotional stress, enough time, enough energy and enough money on the Dagbon dispute; I wanted that amount of emotion, that time, that energy and that money to be spent on making Dagbon and <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> prosperous.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">I am grateful for the hard work and wisdom of the eminent chiefs, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, the Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, Overlord of Mamprugu, and the Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa, Overlord of the Gonja State, all of whom I salute, and for the support of many people in this House on both sides, and I pray that we all continue to build on this achievement and midwife the process until peace becomes part of the fabric of Dagbon.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs intends to use the momentum of the Dagbon settlement to tackle the other protracted chieftaincy disputes in the country, hopefully, for resolution.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, in order to reinforce and support the process of reconciliation and the restoration of peace in Dagbon, I have decided that, this year, the official 62<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">nd</span>Independence Day celebration will be held in Tamale, on 6<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">th</span> March. This will be the first time in our nation’s history that the celebration is being held outside of our national capital of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Accra</span></span>. I am, very much, looking forward to it. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, this past week, the grounds of Jubilee House, the seat of our nation’s presidency, have resounded to a lot of celebrations, as we marked the handing over ceremonies of the constitutional instruments to the six new regions in our country. It has taken 18 months of very hard work and some complicated manoeuvring to get to where we are today.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Again, the requests and agitations for creation of new regions have been long-standing, and we have somehow never got around to dealing with them. The first petition for the creation of Oti region, for example, dates back to 1954. Mr Speaker, it was time to deal with these outstanding issues so that we could get ahead with the business of developing our country. The creation of the six new regions opens up the country and ensures that no one feels cut off from the center.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, no corner of this country is being left behind. It is for this reason that we have created the three development authorities. It is for this reason that we have re-aligned the national budget to ensure that every constituency gets the cedi equivalent of $1 million a year for priority projects.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">I am able to state, and every member of this House should be able to testify, that work is going on in each of the 275 constituencies around the country. The water and toilet provision segment of the Special Development Initiatives is taking place in every constituency. We came into office with a plan, Mr Speaker, and I am happy to say that we are working and delivering in accordance with that plan.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, now that the regions are in place, we have the singular opportunity to avoid the old mistakes of urban planning that have made some of our towns and cities such unattractive places. The lessons would seem to show that the political capital does not necessarily have to be the site of all the institutions, and this would guide us in the setting up of the new regions. Indeed, when designating the capitals of the new regions, at the ceremonies at Jubilee House last week, I made it clear that<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> is committed to the equitable distribution of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> structures and institutions across the regions. We will keep to the commitment. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, we have also embarked on another aspect of our ambitious decentralization programme, that is the exercise to expand full democracy to local<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>. In addition to the creation of 38 Municipal and District Assemblies, and the elevation of twenty-nine (29) Districts to the status of Municipalities, the Bill for the amendment of article 55(3) of the Constitution has been gazetted, to pave way for the direct, popular election, on partisan basis, of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">It is expected that a Referendum will be held on the Bill, alongside the Unit Assembly and District level <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">elections</span></span> in 2019. I am calling, respectfully, for a repetition of the bi-partisan support, that made possible the hugely successful outcomes in the referenda for the new regions, to ensure the success of the impending referendum. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary panel of experts is being assembled to plan, cost, schedule and help implement a roadmap for the election of MMDCEs. We are committed to devolving more and more power to the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian people.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, the economy is at the heart of all we seek to do, it is the success of the economy that will guarantee an improvement in the quality of the life of our people. I believe we are all now agreed that the fundamentals have to be sound if the economy is to flourish. We have just concluded a programme with the IMF, and, with continuing discipline, we shall sign off from the deal in April. This is the seventeenth time <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana </span></span>has had to go to the IMF in the sixty-two years of her independence.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, we cannot make the progress we all desire unless we are consistent and disciplined in the management of our economy. The yo-yo nature of the boom and bust has not helped us achieve our goal of sustained prosperity, and lift us out of poverty. We have gone through another round of painful impositions to get to where we are today with healthy fundamentals.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, production in the economy, as measured by real GDP growth, has picked up very strongly in the last two years. From 3.4% in 2016, real GDP growth increased to 8.1% in 2017. In 2018, provisional data for the first three quarters indicate a strong real GDP growth of 6.0%, higher than the annual target of 5.6%. Real GDP growth for 2019 is forecast at 7.6%. <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s recent GDP growth has placed it amongst the highest in the world. The fiscal deficit is being brought down from the 7.3% of rebased GDP in 2016 to a provisional 3.9% of GDP at the end of 2018. The debt-to-GDP ratio has declined from the 56.6% of GDP in 2016 to 54.8% at the end of 2018.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Inflation has dropped from 15.4%, at the end of 2016, to 9% in January this year, the lowest in six years, as announced by the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> Statistical Service last week. Interest rates are declining, and so is the Bank of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> Monetary Policy Rate. Our trade balance account, for the first time in more than a decade, recorded a surplus in 2017, and is expected to remain in surplus. In May 2018, a US$2 billion Euro-Bond was issued for 30 and 10 years of US$1 billion each with coupon rates of 8.627% and 7.625% respectively, and these were the lowest rate and the longest maturity in our history, signifying confidence in the economy. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that, today, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> is the leading recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in West Africa.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, these are good figures, and as we prepare to exit from the IMF programme in April, we expect the impressive figures and good performance to continue. We are very much aware that this is not the first time we have had such a good set of figures, but we are determined to do things differently this time around; we have imposed on ourselves fiscal discipline, we are paying off legacy debts and deepening good governance practices and business confidence is growing. We will maintain the discipline, and bring progress to our country.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We have decided to institute a legal framework to help with the discipline. We have passed the Fiscal Responsibility Law, Act 982, capping the deficit at 5% by law, and some two weeks ago, I inaugurated the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>ial Fiscal Responsibility Advisory Council, chaired by the eminent, respected economist, Dr. Paul Acquah, former Governor of the Bank of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> and former Deputy Director of the Africa Department of the IMF, with some of the finest and most reputable economists of our country as members. Its purpose is to advise the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span> on relevant, additional measures needed to maintain fiscal discipline. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We have done this because we know the temptation to go on a spending binge will always be there, we know election years will come around and there will be pressure on <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> to splurge, and persuasive arguments will be made that you have to stay in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> to be able to implement your programmes. However, I am bent on running a responsible administration, mindful of the next generation, and not, merely, the next election. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In the meantime, our efforts are bearing some fruits, and the world has taken notice of the improvement in our economic fundamentals. In September last year, after almost a decade, we received our first Sovereign Credit rating upgrade from Standard and Poor’s (S&P). This upgrade saw us move from B minus to B with a stable outlook. In December 2018, we also hosted the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, a visit that was historical in every sense, as this was the first time that an IMF Managing Director had ever stepped foot on <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian soil.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, revenue mobilization poses the biggest challenge in the management of our economy, with the tax exemption policy in particular proving to be an achilles heel, and a growing menace to fiscal stability and revenue generation. In the last eight years, tax exemptions in respect of import duty, import VAT, import NHIL and domestic VAT have grown from three hundred and ninety-two million <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢392 million), that is 0.6% of GDP in 2010, to GH¢4.66 billion, that is 1.6% of GDP in 2018.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">These figures do not include exemptions from the payment of corporate and individual income taxes, concessions on tax rates, petroleum tax reliefs, customs tax exemptions enjoyed by diplomatic missions, and waiver of processing charges at the ports.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">If we continue at this rate, in less than sixteen years, half of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s revenue base will be given away as tax exemptions.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, this is not sustainable, and we intend to do something about it to reverse the trend, by introducing suitable measures that may disrupt the easy and comfortable arrangements that many have become accustomed to, but which we have to take to ensure that we have the firmest of foundations for the economic take-off that has escaped us for so long.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, workers in the public sector begun the year on a good note, after receiving a 10% increase in their salaries, on top of the 11% increment of 2018. Forty-one thousand (41,000) workers in the informal sector were also enrolled onto Tier-3 pensions schemes, with pensioners seeing an average increment of 11% in their monthly pension incomes, with the lowest income bracket receiving a 14.7% increment. Last year, the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) engaged some one hundred and seven thousand (107,000) youth in various employment modules, with an additional one hundred and twenty-five thousand (125,000) set to be engaged this year. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Mr. Speaker, to consolidate further the relations between the social partners, in the post IMF era, </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> will shortly sign a landmark social partnership agreement with Organised Labour/the Trades Union Congress, the </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> Employers’ Association and </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">, represented by the Ministries of Finance and Employment and Labour Relations, to provide a medium for building a sense of cohesion, trust, self-management, frank and open discussions to champion the course of development. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Mr. Speaker, the fight against child labour has chalked some modest success. Through the implementation of the second phase of the National Plan of Action (2017-2021), </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> has been moved up from the Tier-2 Watch List position of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report to Tier-2 in 2018. </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, our ports remain important national assets. And we must manage them to improve trade and to the benefit of all <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ians. <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> has introduced reforms at the port to improve efficiency. Among others, we introduced the paperless operations at the ports and goods can be cleared within 1 to 3 days. Going forward, we have set ourselves the goal of making our ports the most competitive in West Africa. In this regard, some further reforms would soon be announced by <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">to enhance the competitive position of <span style="color: red;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s ports.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> may be the toast of the world because of its economy. We have all accepted that these economic fundamentals are the foundation upon which our people will become prosperous, but if they are uneducated or poorly educated, then prosperity will continue to elude them. Mr Speaker, a sudden injection of oil revenue or a rise or fall in the price of gold or cocoa can make a dramatic difference to your financial situation, but there are no shortcuts to having an educated and skilled workforce. We have no choice but to provide our young people with quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for every <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian. It is the only way to ensure prosperity, and to protect our democracy. We are not sparing any efforts to make education in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> of the best quality, and fit for the needs of the 21<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">st</span> century.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In September 2019, a new standards-based curriculum will be rolled out from kindergarten to Class 6 in primary schools. This curriculum has drawn upon the best practices from all over the world, and will focus on making <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian children confident, innovative, creative-thinking, digitally-literate, well-rounded, patriotic citizens. Mathematics, Science, Reading, Writing and Creativity are, therefore, at the heart of this new curriculum.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, poverty should not be an excuse for any <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian child not to reach their full potential. It, therefore, warms my heart that we are now able to say that education in the public sector is free from Kindergarten to Senior High School, and, that this year, legislation would be passed to redefine basic education to include Senior High School.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Young people have to have options on which career path they choose, and I am glad to announce that all is set for the construction of 10 state-of-the-art Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centres this year. For far too long, we have preached about the importance of TVET without doing very much to demonstrate this importance. We send or urge young people to go to poorly equipped TVET centres, and we are surprised that they are not keen. The new TVET centres would be world class, and attractive to assure young people that they are not being sent to second best options. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We are also bent on demystifying science, mathematics and technology. Ten Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centres are being built around the country to provide support for the introduction of STEM into basic education after the completion of a successful pilot phase. We can be sure, therefore, that <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s young people will be able to acquire skills that would put them at par with their peers anywhere in the world. The importance of science, technology and innovation has led me to appoint a <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>ial Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation (PACSTI) to advise the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span> on how to infuse the application of science and technology in the development of our nation, headed by a distinguished scientist, Prof. Edward Ayensu.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, we shall bring before <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Parliament</span></span> this year, a tertiary education policy Bill that will bring all the public universities under a common law, and make the administration of the public universities less cumbersome.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, a well-motivated and remunerated teacher is at the centre of our quality education and comprehensive teacher policy. This has started with the upgrading of the initial teacher education certificate to degree status, and the move to put the teaching profession up there with other professions in terms of respect and exclusivity. Currently, many of our teachers, who complete the three-year Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) at our Colleges of Education, go on, later, to do a two-year top-up first degree, by distance learning, at the University of Cape Coast. This means that, in addition to the extra amount of money spent on getting a degree, it will take them not less than five years to get one. With the introduction of the 4-year Bachelor of Education degree, teacher trainees would now obtain their first degree at the end of their schooling. This ensures that they enter the teaching service as university graduates.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, when our children master the connection between science and their everyday lives, we would reach the stage in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> where we would be rid of the many diseases, borne of filth and poor hygiene, that are still part of our lives. In pursuing these goals, we need to remind ourselves repeatedly that health is wealth, and it is only a healthy population that can make <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> prosperous.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In May 2018, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> won accolades at the World Health Assembly for having eradicated Trachoma, an eye disease that has plagued us for a long time. Today, our NHIS is buoyant. <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> has paid up the GH¢1.2 billion arrears we inherited, and brought the operations of the NHIS back to life. On 19<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">th</span> December, 2018, the introduction of mobile renewal of membership was launched. Since then, there have been, on average, seventy thousand (70,000) members renewing their membership every week, by dialling <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">*929# </b>on any mobile phone network. Soon, in collaboration with the National Identification Authority, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ians would be able to register, renew and access health care services using the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> Card. We have to thank Dr. Samuel Annor’s brief, but productive stewardship as CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority for that. I wish him well in his retirement.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">To deliver healthcare to <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ians more efficiently, in 2018, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> granted financial clearance for the recruitment of eleven thousand, one hundred and eighteen (11,018) health personnel to increase existing clinical staff. To augment the efforts of clinical staff, in September 2018, the Ministry of Health received further financial clearance to employ fourteen thousand, five hundred and twenty-four (14,254) Nurse Assistants (Clinical and Preventive). These nurse assistants belong to the tranche that passed their exams in 2016 from <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> Health Training Institutions and have commenced work by February 1, 2019. The Ministry of Health is working to obtain financial clearance for the recruitment of the 2017 and 2018 graduates. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The health delivery system will be significantly strengthened by the expected arrival in June of 275 ambulances, i.e. one per constituency, to make treatment of emergency cases more effective. Drone technology has also been introduced into that system to help deliver essential medicine, blood and blood products to remote communities. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We still face problems of inadequate infrastructure in our health establishments. We have problems of numerous structures at various stages of completion that cannot be finished and brought into use, because newer structures are being started, and there is no money to finish the ones started earlier. Mr Speaker, again, this is a long-standing problem that is a mark of our underdevelopment. We will not ignore or sweep the problem under the carpet. We are dealing with it, and will complete them.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s hardworking nurses and doctors would do their best, as they have always done, to make sure we get the best health care, but it behoves on each one of us to look after ourselves better. Apart from exercising and taking our regular health check-ups seriously, it is imperative that we eat healthy diets to prevent diseases that are caused by poor choices of nutrition.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, when we are dealing with matters of good health, we must necessarily move on to shelter and housing. There is an acute shortage of user-friendly, decent housing for people in middle and low-income brackets in our country. This is a long-standing problem that gets worse with each passing day. It is time to tackle the issue and find a resolution. We are starting with the completion of the many abandoned projects dotted around the country. A consortium of local banks has raised 51 million dollars to fund the completion of the social housing units started by the Kufuor administration in 2006 at Koforidua, Tamale and Ho.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The Saglemi Housing Project started under the last NDC <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>, is also high on our list of priorities this year. The five thousand (5,000) units it offers would boost our housing numbers. We are, therefore, establishing the value for money issues surrounding the project in order to reconcile the number of houses built with the schedule of payments made, and accelerate delivery.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The 2019 budget made provision for the construction of two hundred thousand (200,000) housing units, and a database of local and foreign developers have been created to help make this policy a reality. Land banks have also been secured in several towns across <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> where factories, producing pre-fabricated building materials, can be sited for this huge construction effort. There are many well-intentioned projects that ended up pricing out the low-income earners, who were supposed to be their beneficiaries. We are determined to learn the lessons from past projects. The Ministry of Finance is working to launch a one billion <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedi housing fund that would target low-income earners.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> will continue with the other housing projects for the police, armed forces and <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> workers across the country, through agencies like the State Housing Corporation.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The most exciting news on the housing landscape, though, is the drafting of plans to regenerate Nima, which holds the dubious title of being <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Accra</span></span>’s first slum. It has, of course, progressed very much since those early days, even if it has been unable to shake off the urban-slum title. I am a proud resident of Nima myself, and I am extremely excited that the regeneration plans will not dislodge or dispossess residents, but would rather transform Nima into a well-laid out residential area with full amenities. I am looking forward to it, good work that is being done by the Ministries of Inner City and Zongo Development and Works and Housing.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Another big problem is that of poor drainage in our towns and cities, which leads to flooding during the rainy season. Then, there is the serious problem of sea erosion along the coast that endangers the lives of our coastal people. It is time to deal with these long-term problems and find long-lasting solutions, and we are doing just that. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The Odawna Storm Drains in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Accra</span></span>, which have caused many tragedies over the years, are now being reengineered by a team of experts who will give it a permanent fix. The Dichemso Drainage System is also on our list of priorities, and a bid has been put out for experts to transform it into a more efficient system.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Our ongoing coastal protection projects are proceeding in Adjoa in the Western Region, Blekusu, New Takoradi phase II (Elmina), Dansoman, Axim and Dixcove. This year, we will also begin others in Amanful Kumah, Dansoman phase II, Komenda, Anomabo, Cape Coast, Mensah Guinea, Ningo Prampram, New Takoradi Phase III, Apam, Kokrobite, Bortianor, Blekusu Phase II and Aboadze-Shama Phase II, Maritime University, Nungua, Takoradi, Anyanui and Essipong.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, we are putting in place plans to avert the perennial flooding caused by the spillage of the Bagre dam, which has resulted in the constant loss of lives and property over the years. In the short-term, desilting of the White Volta will be undertaken this year, in conjunction with discussions with the Burkinabes to regulate the flow of the spillage, and mitigate its impact. The Ministry of Works and Housing will, in the coming week, receive a report on a feasibility study conducted by the Chinese company, SinoHydro, for the construction of a dam at Pwalugu, to serve as a receptacle to hold the volume of water spilled from the Bagre Dam for irrigation purposes, and also for the generation of electricity. This will be the permanent solution to the Bagre Dam problem. The requisite approvals will be sought by the Ministry from Cabinet and <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Parliament</span></span> to permit the construction of the Pwalugu Dam.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, if there has been any <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> that has been on the side of Persons with Disabilities, it is my <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span>. We have increased the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to Persons with Disabilities from 2% to 3%, and we have also ensured the implementation of our pledge of employing 50% of the persons who manage the country’s toll booths from amongst Persons with Disabilities.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with initiatives to improve the Creative Arts Sector. We have also worked to finalise the Creative Arts Bill, leading to the setting up of the Creative Arts Fund. For the first time, in 2018, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> provided support to the Creative Arts Council, and the Creative Arts Masterclass, to build capacity of Creative Arts practitioners, has also commenced. The Eastern Regional Theatre has been completed, and work is currently ongoing towards the construction of the Kumasi theatre.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, considering how often <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> is in the news usually for good reasons, we have not been able to attract as many visitors to our country as we should. We are making a special effort from now onwards to attract tourists into our country. Under the See <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>, Eat <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>, Wear <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> and Feel <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> campaign, the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana Tourism</span></span>Authority recorded a 20% growth since its launch to over six hundred thousand visitations to various tourist sites. The World Bank has approved a US$40 million grant to support the Tourism Ministry and its agencies to help upgrade tourist facilities.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In September 2018, in Washington D.C., in front of the Congressional Black Caucus of the United States Congress, I proclaimed 2019 as the "Year of Return”, commemorating the 400<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">th</span> anniversary of the arrival of the first 20 West African slaves in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in what was to become the United States of America. We intend to use the symbolism of this “Year of Return” to bring together Africans, persons of African descent, and all well-wishers and lovers of freedom to strengthen the commitment to ensuring that the blots on our history, i.e. the Transatlantic Slave Trade and slavery, never reoccur. In response to this proclamation, some seventy (70) African-American Hollywood celebrities visited<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> in December 2018. The year-long campaign, being coordinated by the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana Tourism</span></span> Authority, is expected to increase arrivals considerably. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Training across the entire tourism sector is also receiving priority. The Hospitality Training Institute has been renovated, and re-opened in July 2018 to provide needed training in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Under a Tourism Attractions Upgrade Project, several tourist sites, including Elmina Heritage Bay, Axim Fort St. Antonio, Assin Manso Slave River, Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, Bunso Arboretum, Kintampo Water Falls, are undergoing upgrades. A draft Legislative Instrument (LI) on Sites and Attractions is currently undergoing final stakeholder consultations. This will ensure world-class standards are set and maintained at all our tourism sites and attractions.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, the greatest attraction of our country is its people. Yes, we have castles and forts, we have water falls and dramatic mountain ranges, we have breath-taking beaches, and historical sites that reduce visitors to strong emotions, but it is the people of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> and our welcoming attitude that are the strongest attraction to visitors. We should never forget that we all have a responsibility to make visitors to our country feel welcome. In this “Year of Return”, when we have invited the world to visit, I would urge each one of us to make a special effort to make a visit to our country a memorable one. Our music, our foods, our clothes and the quintessential akwaaba smile will make a visitor to our country come back again and again.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, but there are things that many of us do that would put off any visitor from visiting our country, no matter how attractive the geography or the history might be. I refer, especially, to some of our sanitation habits.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, public resources must be channelled into ventures that generate wealth, and not spent on avoidable expenditures. The cost of clearing and cleaning up our cities and towns after those who litter has become prohibitive. The littering habit seems to be more predominant in the cities and urban areas, and, mercifully, largely absent in the villages.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Last year, I reiterated before you my pledge of improving sanitation in the country, and making <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Accra</span></span> the cleanest city in Africa, by the end of my term. There has been a significant improvement in sanitation, even though, I acknowledge, more can be done. However, this is currently the state of play. We have witnessed an increase in the coverage of solid waste management, from 16.6% to 53%, and, over the course of last year, thirty-five thousand, eight hundred and sixty-two (35,862) household toilets were built, as opposed to one thousand, six hundred and ninety-eight (1,698) in 2016. We will intensify efforts at making <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Accra</span></span> a clean city.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">In 2019, apart from continuing with educating and sensitizing people, we intend to use the bye-laws to enforce cleanliness. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Sanitation are working together to try sanitation offences. Persons who litter would be tried and punished, and so would those who steal litter bins from our streets.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We are launching a National Sanitation Brigade to help us carry this out, and, through this vehicle, we will not only keep our towns and cities clean, but will also provide jobs for our young people. Once waste is properly and efficiently managed, we then can explore how to use the waste collected to advance the economy of our nation.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">A cursory look around our cities and towns would show us that plastic filth is our biggest problem. We intend to solve this problem through the internationally recognized priorities of waste: <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">reduction</b> first, followed by <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">reuse</b>, <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">recycle</b>, <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">recovery</b>and, lastly, <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">disposal, </b>which is to be avoided whenever possible.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> has prepared a Plastics Management Policy, with the overarching aim of meeting the challenges of comprehensive plastics management. About 82% of<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s plastics waste could be readily recovered and recycled with existing technologies into value-addition products in high demand locally and within the West African region.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">A vibrant recycling industry in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> could recover nearly one million tonnes of waste plastics from the environment and landfills annually, to be recycled into basic-need products valued at GH¢2 billion per year, creating many jobs across the economy. Currently, extensive discussions are being concluded with investors on the most sustainable options available to rid <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> of this plastic filth menace.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, we are also tackling the problem of electronic waste head on. On August 20, 2018, I launched the National E-waste Program to mark the commencement of two key provisions of the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, Act 917.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">These provisions empower the External Service Provider (SGS) to verify, assess and collect the advance recycle eco fee on all electrical and electronic equipment from all exporting countries, and also to establish a state-of-the-art recycling facility at Agbogbloshie, whose construction will begin in April. Not only would we solve the problem of waste disposal in an environmentally-friendly manner, setting up the recycling facility will lead to the creation of over twenty thousand (20,000) direct jobs, through the establishment of associated holding centres in each regional capital and collection centres in each district.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that, in 2019, we still have to revisit this topic, but, open defecation cannot be a characteristic of a country that is working to be transformed economically and to be counted amongst the developed nations of the world. That is why it is absolutely imperative that we make a success of our One House-One-Toilet Policy.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Programme is being implemented in over four thousand, five hundred (4,500) communities in one hundred and thirty (130) districts to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) Communities.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, affordable and reliable energy is absolutely critical to realising our vision of economic transformation. I am happy to announce that gas production tripled during the year, from 100 to 300 million cubic feet per day. The Ministry of Energy is undertaking steps to remove the transmission bottlenecks, to ensure that <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian gas can reach power plants located in the eastern part of the country, and I am confident that, by August this year, the situation would have been fully remedied to ensure <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> uses locally produced gas for the bulk of its thermal power generation, saving substantial amounts of foreign exchange on imported fuels.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> is committed to achieving an electricity generation mix that ensures diversity and security of energy supply. For this reason, we will continue to promote the deployment of renewable energy in line with our policy target of 10% renewables in the energy mix from the current 1%.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Another justification for renewable energy is that, in spite of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s excess electricity generation capacity, we can still not achieve our universal access target because there are many <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ian communities, especially those on islands and lake sides, that cannot be reached through the national grid. For example, there are currently two hundred (200) island and two thousand (2,000) lake side communities that require mini-grids from renewable sources to meet their energy needs.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">To reduce <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>’s expenditure on utilities, and also promote the use of solar power for <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> and public buildings, the Ministry of Energy initiated the Solar Rooftop Programme. The Ministry is leading by example with the installation of a 65-kilowatt solar rooftop system at its premises.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Jubilee House will also be powered, as from August this year, by solar energy, as an example to other public institutions. In fact, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>’s target is to install up to 200 megawatts of distributed solar power by 2030 in both residential and non-residential facilities in order to reduce <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span>’s liabilities to ECG (PDS <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> Ltd).</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Renewable energy has also become a necessary addition to our energy sector because it has increasingly become cheaper, and is key to the implementation of our international obligations under Sustainable Development Goal 7, on access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 13, on urgent action to combat climate change.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">There has been good news with the recent announcement by Aker Energy of one of the biggest oil finds in Africa. Mr Speaker, this has led me to think that an NPP<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> must be good for <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>. After many, many years of our looking and almost giving up, it took an NPP <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> to discover oil in 2007. In eight years of NDC administration, 13 oil block deals were signed, and not a single one was developed. The first one signed in 2017, under my <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>, which was Aker, has led to the second biggest oil discovery in Africa. Enough to make a believer of anyone, I might say. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, there is no avoiding the fact that the oil industry, unfortunately, has a reputation for corruption. Since the discovery of oil in our country, there has been heightened anxiety among the people that we do not fall into the same trap of the oil money benefitting individual officials to the detriment of the state and the general public.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">On the fight against corruption in the oil industry, and to aid transparency, we have established a National Register of Contracts on which all the Petroleum Agreements signed by the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> have been published. This provides a platform for citizens to scrutinize the oil contracts signed by <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>, and accords with the international call for contract transparency. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We have also passed the General Petroleum Regulations, which provide for the disclosure of beneficial ownership information of companies operating in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s oil and gas industry. This will ensure that people do not hide in the shadows to appropriate oil blocks to themselves, at the expense of the citizens of <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>. The interest of major oil companies in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> has become dramatic. Today, oil companies such as the American giant, ExxonMobil, and the Norwegian conglomerate, Aker, have signed petroleum exploration agreements with <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>. Through the launch of the “<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">GHANA</span></span> OIL AND GAS LICENSING ROUNDS 2018”, the bidding process for the allocation of new petroleum rights to prospective investors, the first such exercise in our history, other global players such as BP, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, and Total have expressed interest in coming to <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, be it in the oil industry or manufacturing or retail, every day demonstrates the urgent need for our own businesses to develop and flourish. We have put in place the mechanisms to train young entrepreneurs and to help established businesses with a stimulus package to expand their companies.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Under the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>ial Support programme, one thousand, three hundred and fifty (1,350) start-ups and small businesses have benefitted from a special <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span>business support programme. Beneficiaries received between ten thousand (GH¢10,000) and one hundred thousand <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢100,000) each, at a special interest rate of 10%, instead of the average prevailing market rate of 26%.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">This is designed to help grow and expand their businesses, and will create about thirty thousand (30,000) direct jobs. Eighteen thousand (18,000) jobs have already been created under this programme. This is the first time in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s history that there has been a deliberate, systematic and coherent national support for start-ups and small businesses.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Businesses, which benefitted, included agribusiness and agro-processing, information communication and technology, tourism and recreation, sanitation and waste management, health, food and beverages, green and ecological businesses, sports and real estate</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Already established businesses are also receiving help, with an amount of two hundred and thirty million <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢230 million) being disbursed among sixteen (16) companies under the stimulus package. This has led to the creation of eight thousand, five hundred (8,500) to ten thousand (10,000) direct and indirect jobs.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Proof, if some were needed that we are getting something right, and generating the right atmosphere to attract foreign business, has come with the announcement that three major international automobile manufacturers, Volkswagen, Nissan and Sinotruck have signed MOUs to establish assembling plants in our country. Renault is also conducting feasibility studies on establishing an assembly plant in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>, as is Toyota. We will outdoor, in March, the National Automotive Policy spelling out the terms, conditions and incentive package for participating in <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>’s new automobile industry, which will also apply to indigenous car assembly companies.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, our local textile industry has been struggling for years, and many textile companies have, indeed, gone under. We have decided to give it a major stimulus to help put it on a strong footing. The local textile industry has, therefore, been granted a zero-rated VAT on the supply of locally-made textiles for a period of three years. We have put in place a tax stamp regime for both locally manufactured and imported textiles to address the challenge of pirated designs and logos in the textile trade. The Tema Port has been designated as a Single-Entry Corridor for the importation of textile prints, with a textile taskforce in place to ensure effective compliance, and reduce, if not eliminate, smuggling of imported textiles. A new textile import management system has been instituted, also, to control imports of textiles. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr. Speaker, the “One-District-One-Factory” policy has taken off, and 79 factories under the scheme are at various stages of operation or construction. Another 35 are going through credit appraisal. All told, there is a lot of activity going on under the scheme, and it has awoken the interest of young people to go into manufacturing business. Under the Rural Enterprises Programme, funded by the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, 50 small-scale processing factories will be established by the end of the year in 50 districts across the country, particularly in areas where there is evidence of significant post-harvest losses. These will be owned and managed by organized youth groups, with technical support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, small and medium scale enterprises form the base of businesses in our country, and financing has been the bane of their operations. MASLOC was established in 2006 to meet a critical need by providing the type of small-scale loans needed by these small-scale enterprises at reasonable rates. Sadly, MASLOC was undermined by base political considerations and endemic corruption, and the centre was almost run down completely. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">I am glad to report that MASLOC has been revamped, and is getting back to do what it was set up to do. There has been strict adherence to credit procedures and prudent management of the credit recovery process. These have resulted in a recovery rate of 89% of loans administered under a pilot scheme introduced in 2017.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">MASLOC was given an amount of thirty-five million <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢35 million) in October 2018 for disbursement. This is the first time an amount of such magnitude has been given to the Centre outside of an election year. Of the thirty-five million<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis that were received, the Centre has disbursed twenty million, five hundred and sixty-three thousand, one hundred <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢20,563,100), with fourteen million, three hundred and seventeen thousand, two hundred <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢14,317,200) to be disbursed for pending applications, which have been approved. So far, 87% of the monies disbursed have gone to women, i.e. to twenty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty-two (24,582) women. The 2016 NPP Manifesto promised to allocate 50% of MASLOC funds to women, and we have surpassed this promise.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">It has obviously been noticed that interesting things are happening at the successfully restructured MASLOC, and that is why the Centre was allocated an amount of two hundred million <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> cedis (GH¢ 200 million) in the 2019 budget. Such an amount is unprecedented in the history of MASLOC. In 2019, MASLOC will give increased attention to youth start-up businesses in vegetable farming, poultry, piggery and fish farming.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, the incidence of bad governance methods that almost collapsed MASLOC has, unfortunately, affected the running of many businesses generally and the financial sector in particular. The banking sector has gone through what can only be described as a traumatic upheaval.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Again, Mr Speaker the woes of the banking sector have also been a case of long-standing bad practices that we, previously, had been unable or unwilling to deal with, which we are now having to deal with in the most painful manner. The clean-up has cost the national treasury GH¢12.7 billion, money we can ill afford, but which was necessary to sanitise the sector, minimise job losses, and protect deposits of one million, one hundred and forty-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-six (1,147,366) <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ians and their businesses and the people they employed. The banking sector has emerged stronger from these developments, and inspired confidence in it. In all this, I have been anxious that our local banks are helped and given as much support as possible, which has been done, but l will not be on the side of criminal behaviour if that is discovered. I would urge that we are all patient for the investigations to be made in a calm manner.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">And, while I am on the subject of rogue activities in the banking sector, it is probably the time to mention the MenzGold debacle. This is a tragic phenomenon that appears to have occurred in plain sight, and affected a lot of people, in spite of warnings from official institutions. As the authorities try to unravel the intricacies of what happened, I admonish all <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span>ians to learn the necessary lessons for the future, even as State institutions work to bring a resolution to the matter, and those who are seen to have indulged in criminal activities, are brought to justice. Last week, I inaugurated the<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span>ial Financial Stability Advisory Council, <span style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">an inter-institutional consultative coordination body,</span> which groups together all the regulators of our financial system, and whose purpose is to advise the <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">President</span></span> on the measures to be taken to preserve the stability of the financial system. The existence of such a body would have forestalled the emergence of the Menzgold saga, and will make it difficult, in future, for any such scheme to get off the ground.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, during times like these of banking and business upheavals, agriculture appears even more attractive. It is more predictable and the soil and plants and animals far more reliable than sharp figures. The past two years have shown that, when a <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">government</span></span> takes deliberate measures to support agriculture, it pays healthy dividends.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">There has been food and for the first time in a long while, we had more than we needed. It was not that long ago that <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> was in the humiliating position of having to import maize from her landlocked Sahelian neighbours and plantain from Cote d’Ivoire. Thanks to the programme for “Planting for Food and Jobs”, admirably organised by that outstanding Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, this House stands informed, that, in 2018, exports of food crops such as cassava, rice, yellow and white maize, soya, plantain, cowpea and yam were made <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">FROM</b> <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Ghana</span></span> to Burkina Faso, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire in considerable quantities. We had a bumper harvest of produce, and, last year, we did not import a single grain of maize.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Based on the successes chalked in 2017 and then in 2018, the Ministry took giant strides to scale up the Planting for Food and Jobs Campaign in 2019, and to introduce new modules of the programme. Four of such new modules are the Greenhouse Villages programme, the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme, the Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) campaign and Mechanisation Centers programme.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">We are hoping that success will lead to a fundamental change in attitudes towards farming practices, and the sector will be truly transformed. Bumper harvests and increased food production, in general, would be the norm, and not a surprise once in a while. Extension services will be expanded, and our farmers will have the confidence to know that theirs is a worthwhile business from which they can and will get healthy remuneration and respect. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Mr Speaker, this year the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development plans to implement a flagship programme - “<b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"><i style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">Aquaculture for Food and Jobs” </i>(AFJ) </b>–<b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;"> </b>complementary to the “Planting for Food and Jobs” initiative – to reinvigorate and boost the aquaculture industry. Priority will be given to youth entrepreneurs, distressed farmers, second cycle and public institutions to set up and operate fish farms across the country.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">The programme will offer participating individuals and groups the requisite inputs, such as cages, fingerlings, fish feed and training, to be able to establish their own farms. The <b style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">AFJ</b> will be implemented for three years, from 2019 to 2021, in collaboration with the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) and the School Feeding Programme. It is expected to create seven thousand (7,000) jobs, and add an extra thirty-three thousand, six hundred and twenty-eight (33,628) metric tonnes of fish to our domestic fish production. Piloting of the AFJ has already started at the James Camp Prison.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial !important; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; outline: none; padding: 25px 0px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%;">For traditional fishing, <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.7; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial; position: relative; width: 100%;">Government</span></span> will collaborate with the private sector to facilitate the provision of five thousand (5,000) outboard motors and fifty-five thousand, two hundred and fifty (55,250) bales of prescribed fishing gears through the fisheries associations. To promote the effective and efficient distribution of premix fuel, we will continue to use the prem</span></div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-10601204021748604442019-01-08T15:52:00.000+00:002019-01-08T15:52:14.082+00:00Health Drones Don’t Have Cameras: Information Minister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhmEeJMgj8BrkUI2idH8pIfVtf0_puTo8TvOM9UoLycikYvQxoXsFFZFMyiBGoO2m5xbW3ZjRizBtTr5G71YsQdZGEcclnyB4ULYXwOjUIPQjak2TsThuZPF1zqHRqmzfYn1KgsybfpE/s1600/kojo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhmEeJMgj8BrkUI2idH8pIfVtf0_puTo8TvOM9UoLycikYvQxoXsFFZFMyiBGoO2m5xbW3ZjRizBtTr5G71YsQdZGEcclnyB4ULYXwOjUIPQjak2TsThuZPF1zqHRqmzfYn1KgsybfpE/s640/kojo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Minister of Information, Mr. Kojo
Oppong Nkrumah has </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">disparaged</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> claims made by the minority that the health drones
will be used to take videos and pictures of ladies when bathing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi
speaking Accra based Neat FM said “the health drones are cargo drones used for transporting
items compatible with its capabilities and do not have cameras and therefore
cannot take pictures”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The National Women’s Organizer Hannah
Luoisa Bisiw during a party event in Asamankese said, the flying drones would be used
to take shots of women while bathing in rural communities since most bathrooms have
no ceiling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also highlighted the
credibility of the institution handling the project saying “they have a good
track record and there have not been any report on such incidence happening in countries
they are operating.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">These are professionals, he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Speaking on the reason to accept January 7
as a Public holiday which is before Parliament as Constitutional Day, the Minister
said “it is relevant to have such days as holiday to reflect on the importance
of the democratic form of governance we chose from the 4<sup>th</sup> Republic”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Public lecturers would be held and our
history will be retold for the upcoming generation to appreciate where we came
from as a country and the need to embrace ourselves for upholding democracy
from 1992 with no major anarchies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-41581114985471676582018-12-06T08:25:00.003+00:002018-12-06T08:25:47.794+00:00We Need Technology for Fast Health Service Delivery: Director of Health<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><i><b><u>jojoemakorlly@gmail.com // www.12onlinenews.com</u></b></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzVAHwqQtib-S_eL8WpX9MRkrwNLwzLXr3iYIMNTdfB_8c1ddxa5Cxh_LUWgLjDIADTLvDGk7aYEprwhhoiqrfuTHAyffgIzLIyZdZh8TxBO5xmHH5tq_IxvrrOSDqv3jJikXVNUjppg/s1600/dr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="417" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzVAHwqQtib-S_eL8WpX9MRkrwNLwzLXr3iYIMNTdfB_8c1ddxa5Cxh_LUWgLjDIADTLvDGk7aYEprwhhoiqrfuTHAyffgIzLIyZdZh8TxBO5xmHH5tq_IxvrrOSDqv3jJikXVNUjppg/s640/dr.jpg" width="618" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Director of Health Dr. Nsiah Asare has
disclosed that, the drone service introduced in the health delivery services,
will eliminate major fiscal challenges hindering the health sector</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dr. Asare
in an interview with the media in Accra said, the drones will serve 500 health
centers across the country offering speed delivery of both blood and medicines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">According
to the health director, delay in accessing blood and medications is a major
cause for lives lost in many health care centers in rural and urban areas in
the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Due to
bad roads and traffic jams in rural and urban areas respectively, the drones
which travel by air can be used to curtail these challenges to saving precious
lives”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dr. Asare
emphasized the need to accept technological approach in solving a pending
problem facing quality health care delivery in the country adding that, the
drone which travels by air, will be faster than using road means.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:477pt;
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Citing
Rwanda as a country that initiated this practice in Africa, he said, Rwanda by
drones’ supply blood to health center in deprived areas of their country and it
has yielded positive results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">“We
intend adding other medications and not blood only” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said there will be 4 distribution centers
with about 30 drones assigned to each center and this, will help employ the
teeming unemployed youths in the country while providing exceptional health
services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Speaking
on the monetary expenses by the Government, the Dr. Asare disclosed that, the
Government will not sponsor or neither fund the project.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">“the
Government will pay the service providers thus USA-based Zipline International
Inc. per every delivery made either daily or monthly as agreed during
procurement and documentations” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dr. Nsiah
highlighted on how the government is strategically incorporating the Telecom
Providers to support this project as a Corporate Social Responsibility as they
serve Ghanaians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;">Meanwhile,
the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority has pledged to create air corridors for the
drones to avoid crash with airplanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>jojoemakorlly@gmail.com // www.12onlinenews.com</i></span></span></div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-75954552398030808412018-12-01T14:39:00.000+00:002018-12-01T14:39:42.431+00:00Will Aubameyang be Arsenal's superhero?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img class="res-image" height="360" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/0e92bc0af9f587c40b3aa7a2a3a63ab6.jpg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
<div data-id="E-2" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is planning to be Arsenal's superhero against arch-enemy Tottenham in more ways than one this weekend...</div>
<div data-id="E-4" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
Aubameyang made headlines when he pulled a Spiderman mask over his head after an already memorable goal to seal the German Super Cup against Bayern Munich in 2014, and he is considering a repeat performance on both counts.</div>
<img class="res-image" height="200" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/300c6371003732a4783a1da12010f0ae.png;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="200" /> <img class="res-image" height="200" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/311af41839be89d32204b2f5e6f73f1a.png;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="200" /><img class="res-image" src="" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" /><br />
<div data-id="E-14" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
It will be the Gabon forward's first home derby since his move from Borussia Dortmund in January, and having failed to register a shot at Wembley when these two sides last met in February, will be hoping his superb form at the Emirates - with 10 goals in 14 home league games to date continues.</div>
<div data-id="E-16" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
The two go head to head on Sunday, live on <em data-id="E-16-1" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Sky Sports Premier League</em> from 2pm, in their 196th meeting in all competitions.</div>
<div data-id="E-18" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
He told <em data-id="E-18-1" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Sky Sports</em>: "We will see [if I bring out a mask], it depends on my mood. I remember the derby when I put on the mask of Batman with Dortmund, I had the idea on the morning of the game.</div>
<div data-id="E-20" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
"I called my cousin and said okay, go to buy this mask and it depends on the mood - I will see if I feel good maybe, why not. I'm in a good place now so we'll see.</div>
<div data-id="E-22" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
"The first time I did it was with Saint-Etienne in France, and that was because it was one of my friend's birthdays who had played with me before.</div>
<div data-id="E-24" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
"He came on the pitch with the full Spiderman kit when I was younger, and I said I would do it one day. It was his birthday so I did it."</div>
<div data-id="E-26" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
Aubameyang may be deployed as an out-and-out striker against Tottenham, having led the line - and scored - at Bournemouth last weekend as regular No 9 Alexandre Lacazette remained at home nursing a groin strain.</div>
<div data-id="E-28" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
If the France striker is fit to start this weekend it may signal a return to the wing for his team-mate, however, the 29-year-old is relishing the chance of another opportunity through the middle - and continue to emulate some of the Gunners' long list of top-quality forwards.</div>
<div data-id="E-30" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
He said: "I prefer to play as a striker, but I'm a guy who wants to work for the team as well. If they need me on the wing, I will play on the wing, of course. But I prefer to play up front.</div>
<div data-id="E-32" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-top: 20px;">
"It's good when you are coming to work and you have great examples, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and it's great to try to follow that. We try to follow in their footsteps. It's not easy. It's not pressure, but you have to be good so you work for that."</div>
</div>
12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-21676962884248185182018-12-01T14:35:00.002+00:002018-12-01T14:35:48.260+00:00"I don't believe climate change report" Donald Trump Hits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img class="res-image" height="426" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/f8b4e0363e98ed0a04533e7af7336fb2x384x256x12.jpeg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">President Donald Trump said he doesn't "believe" a major report that includes the economic impact of climate change on the U.S. made public by his administration on Friday – a holiday week release.</span><br />
<div data-id="E-4" style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-id="E-4-5" style="margin-top: 20px;">
Trump on Monday said that he's read some of the report and that "it's fine," but he doesn't believe some of the analysis that predicts possible devastating effects on the economy.</div>
<div data-id="E-4-7" style="margin-top: 20px;">
Here are five things to know about the National Climate Assessment released last week.</div>
<h3 data-id="E-4-9" style="font-size: 18.73px; line-height: 23px; margin: 18.73px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">
What is the report?</h3>
<div data-id="E-4-11" style="margin-top: 20px;">
The report released Friday is part of a series of reports published by the U.S. Global Change Research Program to analyze research on the impacts of climate change on the U.S., which Congress established in 1990. The research program consults with hundreds of subject matter experts from 13 federal agencies, state and local governments, and academic researchers. The experts look at the available research and models to write the comprehensive report and evaluate how confident they are in the findings.</div>
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<img class="res-image" height="266" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/5193af6330acb2a88b35a9db4becc9b1x992x414x67.jpeg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></div>
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The first volume of the report, the Climate Science Special Report released last year, was designed as an "authoritative assessment of the science of climate change" to inform policymakers and the public as they decide how to respond to climate change, according to the executive summary. The National Climate Assessment released last week looks more specifically at the impact of climate change in different parts of the U.S. and how local leaders are working to respond to those impacts.</div>
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<span data-id="E-4-17" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Nov. 26, 2018, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Mississippi for rallies.</span><div data-id="E-4-19" style="margin-top: 20px;">
The report concludes that "the evidence of human-caused climate change is overwhelming and continues to strengthen, that the impacts of climate change are intensifying across the country, and that climate-related threats to Americans’ physical, social, and economic well-being are rising."</div>
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<img class="res-image" height="480" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/3dd6cd71eaaea3459b2712cecc4c2f62x384x288x12.jpeg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><span data-id="E-4-21-3" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Play<span data-id="E-4-21-3-1" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"></span></span></div>
<span data-id="E-4-23" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">What is global warming?</span><div data-id="E-4-25" style="margin-top: 20px;">
It also found that while Americans in some areas are working to limit the negative consequences of climate change none of the work being done "currently approach the scales needed to avoid substantial damages to the U.S. economy, environment, and human health and well-being over the coming decades."</div>
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The White House said in a statement the report is "largely based on the most extreme scenario" and doesn't account for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and new technologies that reduce pollution. Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters also said in a statement the White House wants more transparency in these reports.</div>
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The report went through an extensive process since 2016, including being posted for 60 days of public comment in January of this year and multiple rounds of review to incorporate comments from government agencies and other experts.</div>
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The version released publicly last week aims to make the information accessible to a broad audience but cites more than 6,000 unique references and consulted 300 different authors, according to the release.</div>
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(MORE: Climate change will severely affect US economy, particularly in Midwest: Report)
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Concerns the administration tried to bury it</h3>
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Climate experts, researchers that worked on the report, activists, and Democratic lawmakers have raised concern that the Trump administration tried to bury the report by releasing it the day after Thanksgiving.</div>
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<span data-id="E-4-41" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">A woman holds an umbrella for shade as she walks across the dry grass on Boston Common in Boston during a heat wave, July 26, 2016.</span><div data-id="E-4-43" style="margin-top: 20px;">
While the report still received widespread news coverage, critics say the timing combined with Trump's track record on casting doubt on climate science and the administration's push to reverse policies intended to combat climate change show the administration does not want to address the issue.</div>
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One of the editors of the report, World Resources Institute senior fellow Andrew Light, said the administration did not edit the findings of the report but they did decide when it would be released and the decision to publish it on Black Friday was irresponsible given the urgency of the subject matter.</div>
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"At the end of the day, this was simply not a responsible choice," Light told ABC News' Brad Mielke on the Start Here podcast.</div>
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In response to a recently released climate report from the United Nations, Trump said he does not think climate change is a "hoax" but he also cast doubt on some of the projections and even alluded that climate scientists are politically motivated.</div>
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(MORE: Scientists: Time running short before climate change effects are 'irreversible')
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Report found possibility for economic loss</h3>
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The new National Climate Assessment builds on some findings from previous reports, such as the threat of flooding from sea level rise and more premature deaths attributed to extreme heat.</div>
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But the report also incorporated more information on the economic impacts of climate change and found that disruptive extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and the impacts of climate change in other countries could all damage the U.S. economy. For example, hotter temperatures could make power plants less efficient while demand for electricity goes up, resulting in higher costs for electricity.</div>
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Without more focus on adapting to climate change, the report found that as temperatures continue to rise it could lead to hundreds of billions of dollars in losses every year in damage to coastal properties, costs associated with heat-related deaths, and lost labor hours from extreme temperatures.</div>
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Climate impacts already being felt, but not equally</h3>
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The impacts of climate change are already being felt in many communities, but they don't look the same in every community.</div>
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Climate change poses more risks to communities that are already vulnerable because they don't have the resources to prepare or adapt to harm from extreme weather, changes in temperature, or other disruptions to infrastructure and the economy.</div>
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But some parts of the country are more at risk than others.</div>
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In Alaska, for example, more infrastructure is being damaged when the layer of frozen ground called the permafrost thaws. Factors that kill trees and plants like longer droughts and higher temperatures are exacerbating wildfires in Alaska and other western states like California, where wildfires are especially costly.</div>
<div data-id="E-4-71" style="margin-top: 20px;">
Along the coasts, the report says climate change poses more of an economic risk since $1 trillion in national wealth is in coastal real estate. Rising sea levels, higher storm surges, and increases in flooding during high tide will threaten those properties and lead to more costs to preserve infrastructure on the coast, as well as potentially displace families that live there.</div>
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<img class="res-image" height="426" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/7dc8d5dc2d5a54d988ddba6b39ba91a7x384x256x22.jpeg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></div>
<span data-id="E-4-75" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Local residents make their way across a washed out road after category 4 Hurricane Michael made land fall along the Florida panhandle, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla.</span><div data-id="E-4-77" style="margin-top: 20px;">
The report also references the possible impact of climate change on tourism from reduced snowpack, which affects areas in the western part of the country and the Northeast where tourist activities rely on natural snow and ice. In the Northeast especially the report says those activities "may not be economically viable" by the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced. Outdoor recreation could also be impacted in areas where smoke from worsening wildfires cause poor air quality.</div>
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Will the report change anything?</h3>
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The report intentionally does not recommend specific policies, but notes many observations for lawmakers to consider and highlights some examples of policies intended to limit the problems caused by climate change.</div>
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Most significantly the report says that even though natural gas and renewable energy have replaced fossil fuels in many areas, "more immediate and substantial" reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to avoid the most severe, long-term consequences.</div>
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The Trump administration and Republican leadership in Congress have not signaled plans to take broad action on climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But high-ranking Democrats on committees that deal with federal environmental policy have said they plan intensive oversight of the Trump administration's decisions to roll back policies intended to combat climate change when the new legislative session starts in January.</div>
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Democrats will likely call for administration officials to defend the president's call to reduce regulations, roll back policies proposed by the Obama administration to aggressively combat climate change, and allow more energy production on federal land.</div>
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Congress is also expected to take up a spending bill that would allocate billions of dollars for infrastructure projects. The report says that aging infrastructure around the country is stressed extreme weather events and overall is not prepared for a changing climate.</div>
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National and local lawmakers could consider the findings of the report when deciding how much to spend on projects like repairing roads and bridges or updating water systems.</div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-37076836969047653552018-12-01T14:31:00.003+00:002018-12-01T14:31:45.512+00:00Hodgson Prays for Early Benteke Boost<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img class="res-image" height="360" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/b53a4139d5b744f73a2a8b05968c3943.jpg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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Roy Hodgson says Crystal Palace's activity in the January transfer window will depend on how Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham fare once they return from injury.</div>
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Palace have the joint-worst goalscoring record in the Premier League this season, having scored eight goals in 13 games, the same as Huddersfield.</div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It has resulted in an eight-game winless run, leaving them one point above the relegation zone, though that has included draws against Arsenal and most recently Manchester United.</span><br />
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Hodgson is aware his side must improve in front of goal, and while Wickham is in contention to face Burnley on Saturday, the Palace boss said he is hopeful Benteke will return from a knee injury in a few weeks.</div>
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"[The January transfer window] will depend an awful lot on what happens with players returning from injury," Hodgson said. "Wickham, if he continues like he's doing, will be an option. Benteke we don't think is months away, more a question of weeks.</div>
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"It could be that we have a lot more options up front than we've had. But Jordan Ayew hasn't played badly at all. He's played well in the games, and Alex Sorloth is coming back into form.</div>
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"At least this year there are bodies and there are people who are competing for those places. This time last year, when we were desperate to do something in the January transfer window, we really had an enormous shortage.</div>
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"That's no longer the case. It's important for those guys at the front of our attack, and the ones that will be getting the chances, it's important that they do start to convert those chances into goals.</div>
<img class="res-image" height="360" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/261939b4e1653d337545d62a4fc37bd7.jpg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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"The facts are there starkly in front of us. Those facts tell me we haven't scored enough goals. I believe that's not because we aren't creating any chances, it's because we haven't been as good in front of goal as we would have liked."</div>
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Palace's last league victory came at Huddersfield on September 15, but Hodgson says he has still been pleased with his side's performances.</div>
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"The actual performances have been perfectly satisfactory. We've played some good football, in all of the games recently - despite playing against top-class opposition - we've been in the game.</div>
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"We've had our chances to win the games. I don't like talking about not getting what you deserve, because that has no part to play in football, you get what you get.</div>
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"What you do hope is that if you give good performances, then you will win some. We do need points, like a lot of teams around us at the bottom, because it's very tight and the relegation zone is threatening quite a few of us."</div>
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12-onlinenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06803790567030795932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5672785123364098433.post-88840981189904135432018-11-17T01:45:00.002+00:002018-11-17T01:45:24.026+00:00Wigan target quick PL return<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wigan have made it an "immediate ambition" to return to the Premier League, according to new executive chairman Darren Royle.</div>
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Royle is part of the management team installed by the club's new owners, International Entertainment Corporation PLC (IEC), who completed their acquisition of the club from the Whelan family earlier this month .</div>
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Speaking to <em data-id="E-6-1" style="line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Sky Sports News</em>, Royle said Wigan, who were relegated from the top flight in 2013 and have since spent two seasons in League One, do not intend to stay in the Championship for long.</div>
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"The club has obviously been in the Premier League for eight years and done very well," he said.</div>
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"It's all well documented and it's an immediate ambition in the next few years to try and get back into the Premier League as soon as possible.</div>
<img class="res-image" height="360" src="http://img.uodoo.com/o/mediana/s/intlnews/2e7eea991c13f7f49cdaf1aacef6ebeax768x432x31.jpeg;,70,;3,480x,1" style="border-style: none; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 1316px; min-height: 100px; text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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"That's certainly a short to medium term objective and, as Leicester City have shown, it's not all about the size of the club.</div>
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"They've achieved a dream as well. No-one could ever have imagined them winning the Premier League so why couldn't Wigan Athletic certainly compete at the top echelons of the Premier League?</div>
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"There's nothing more intimidating than a legacy but nothing more motivating as well.</div>
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"So that's our promise to try and emulate the success, I'm determined to do that back in the Premier League."</div>
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Wigan are 16th in the Championship, having won just six of their 17 games so far.</div>
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Royle accepts it won't be easy to return to the top flight after a five-year absence - which has also included two seasons in League One - and he says manager Paul Cook will not have unlimited funds to spend on players.</div>
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He added: "It's a very sensible approach, a conservative perspective I would say in terms of viewing the market place around everything involved with the club, not just the transfer market with players but also investment in the infrastructure as well.</div>
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"It's to capitalise on the momentum and the confidence in the group and look to try and enhance it wherever possible.</div>
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"I think with Fair Play rules now we have got to be very prudent with how we invest and move forward with the club, so obviously there's that stuff to adhere to.</div>
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"It's a steady, sensible approach we would like to take."</div>
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