Day: April 25, 2024

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the second phase of the Kaleo Solar Power plant to augment electricity generation and supply.

The 15MW phase two project brings the total capacity of the Kaleo Solar Power plant to 28MW after the President commissioned about 13MW in phase one about two years ago.

Elecnor S.A. from Spain executed the project at an estimated cost of about 16 million Euros with consultancy services from Tractebel Engineering from Germany.

Speaking at the commissioning of the project at Kaleo on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the plant represented the country’s fundamental shift towards sustainable development and for enhancing electricity provision.

‘Renewable energy sources such as solar power not only reduce our reliance on fossil fuel but also help mitigate adverse effects of climate change. By investing in renewable energy infrastructure, we’re securing a reliable source of electricity.

It is part of government’s roadmap of positioning the country as
a regional leader in clean and sustainable energy by leveraging vast natural resources,’ he said.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that the vision of the country was not only to be energy self-sufficient, but also to set the stage for Ghana to emerge as an eco-friendly country and to inspire neighbouring countries to pursue a more energy technology-centred future.

He stated that the Solar Power Project at Kaleo would help create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the area, empower homes and businesses, and serve as a catalyst for development in the region by attracting investment and spurring innovation.

‘The government is implementing a series of policies and measures to incentivise green investments, foster a culture of energy efficiency, prioritise the development of solar, wind and hydroelectric power projects as key strategies for the growth of the energy sector in the country,’ the President said.

President Akufo-Addo said the project would also promote practical studies in the
development of solar power by the technical universities in the northern part of the country.

He appreciated the German government for providing the funding for the construction of the facility and the EU for its assistance in the development of the project and its contribution to the general development of Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo commended the contractor and the consultant for delivering the project on schedule.

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He urged stakeholders to adopt the right maintenance management regime to enable the plant to serve its expected purpose.

Mr Herbert Krapa, a Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Energy, said the Solar Power project was an indication that the VRA had risen to the occasion in answering the call for producing greener, cleaner sources of power for the country.

He said government was putting in place measures to ensure the country’s thermal plants and power-producing plants run at full capacity and realigning the operational and technical arrangements in the entire power sector o
f the country.

Mr Krapa, who is also the Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), assured Ghanaians that ‘In the next few days the power challenges that we are seeing under the leadership of His Excellency the President will be a thing of the past.’

Mr Irchad Razaaly, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, said the EU prioritised investment in the country that would contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic growth by investing in areas that could lead to a lasting positive transformation.

He observed that countries over the world were increasingly moving towards sustainable practices and Ghana had positioned itself as a leader in Africa.

Mr Razaaly explained that the project created more than a hundred jobs for the people in the community during the construction period and thanked all persons and institutions that played diverse roles in making it a success.

Madam Ramona Simon, the Acting Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in Ghana, stated that the project would prov
ide about 50,000 households with low-cost electricity and help reduce 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission annually.

She explained that embracing renewable energy would not only save the environment for future generations but also pave the way for economic empowerment and enhanced energy security, especially in northern Ghana.

Kuoro Osman Diewia Nankpa III, the Paramount Chief of the Pulima Traditional Area in the SIssala West District, who chaired the function, appealed to the government to ensure that the frequent power outages experienced in the region became a thing of the past.

Mr Kofi Tutu Agyare, the Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority (VRA), indicated that the solar project was in line with the country’s Renewable Energy Development programme.

While thanking the German Federal Government for supporting the country over the years, he expressed hope that the VRA and the German government would continue to work together for long-term mutual benefit.

He also assured the people of Kaleo that
the VRA would continue to support the community’s development through its corporate social responsibility interventions.

The German government provided the funding through the German Development Bank (KfW) to support Ghana in executing the project.

Ghana provided counterpart funding of 8.2 million Euros through the VRA.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Atsu Homadzi, National President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation (GFD), has added his voice to calls for timetable for the power outages being experienced nationwide.

He said a load shedding timetable was necessary to reduce the inconvenience Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) faced.

‘Remember that whatever affects able persons, affects persons with disability double.

‘I don’t see why they (ECG) are finding it difficult to come up with a timetable to guide people so that people can regulate their activities. ECG and Minister of Energy should come out because they are to serve our interest,’ he said.

Mr Homadzi made the call during an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the launch of Employment Equity Framework for Jobseekers and Employers of Persons with Disabilities.

Several notable entities have called for a loadshedding timetable.

Key among them are the Parliamentary-select committee on Mines and Energy, Institute of Energy Security (IES) and the Africa Centre for Energy Polic
y (ACEP).

On March 25, 2024, Mr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, rebuffed the call, saying it was not necessary.

The Minister assured that the situation would be fixed soon.

The country began the year experiencing power outages, which some sector players attributed to lack of fuel supply.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) has objected to the government’s plan to designate the Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation Company (BEST) as the sole off-taker for Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited’s production under the Gold for Oil programme (G40).

The Distributors said the proposal contradicted the deregulation policy governing the petroleum downstream sector, expressing concerns that it aimed to indirectly control the exchange rate by channelling Sentuo Oil Refinery’s cedi liquidity through Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) to manage USD allocations under the G40 programme.

A statement issued in Accra by Dr Patrick Ofori, the Chief Executive of CBOD, in a plea directed at Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, the Vice President and Head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), urged a reconsideration of the proposal, asserting that achieving the necessary USD liquidity for the G40 programme could be accomplished without tying Sentuo Oil Refinery’s entire output to BEST.

‘We are convinced
that this plan is inconsistent with the deregulation policy that guides the activities of the petroleum downstream sector. We are informed that the plan has been necessitated by the government’s aim to control the exchange rate by indirectly ceding Sentuo Oil Refinery’s cedi liquidity through BEST for the latter to manage USD allocations under the G40 programme,’ it said.

The statement appealed to the Vice President to review this proposal.

It said providing the needed USD liquidity under the G40 programme could still be achieved without necessarily anchoring the entire output of Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited (SORL) with BEST.

The statement said the proposal had the potential of market challenges and deficiencies that could detrimentally affect the downstream sector in the medium to long term.

It asserted that the proposal undermined government efforts to foster private sector involvement and contravened the successful petroleum deregulation policy.

‘By sidelining Bulk Oil Import, Distribution and Export C
ompanies (BIDECs), the government risks stifling competition and impeding the growth of a robust private sector within the industry,’ it said.

It warned of the risk of creating a monopolistic market controlled by a single entity, which could negatively impact both the downstream sector and the fuel-consuming public.

The Chamber emphasised the need for a framework that promoted active participation from all stakeholders, including BEST, BIDECs, and private entities across the downstream value chain.

‘The government risks creating a monopolistic market which will negatively impact the downstream sector and the fuel-consuming public at large and the G40 programme has nearly given 50 per cent control of the market to BEST whereas Sentuo production accounts for 20 per cent of the market needs,’ it said.

It said having a single player control such a monumental share would rob the market of the benefits of efficiency, lower prices and growing local market expertise that the deregulation policy had occasioned.

T
he statement said significant contributions of the BIDEC subsector to national development, include ensuring energy sufficiency during supply shortages and investing in storage infrastructure.

It urged policymakers to reconsider their stance and adopt a collaborative approach that leveraged the strengths of all entities.

The statement reiterated the Chamber’s commitment to collaborating with the government to develop a G40 framework that fostered fair market practices, transparency, innovation, sustainability, and efficiency within Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

‘The Chamber is committed to working with the government to develop a workable G40 framework that fosters fair market practices and transparency while promoting innovation, sustainability and an efficient downstream petroleum sector in Ghana,’ it said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHC300,000.00 bail with two sureties to an entrepreneur who allegedly stole and trafficked two children from Nigeria to Ghana.

The Court, presided over by Mrs Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, ruled that Blessing Astrim’s sureties reside within the Court’s jurisdiction.

It stated that one of the sureties must be justified with movable or immovable property equivalent to the bail sum.

Astrim, 47, is required to deposit her valid identification (ID), such as a passport, Ghana card, or voter’s ID, and to report to the police once a week, on Wednesday.

The accused has denied stealing and trafficking two children, a boy, and a girl.

She is expected to go back to the Court on May 25, 2024.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi informed the Court that the complainant, Mr George Hood, is a pharmacist and the husband of the accused, Astrim, a Nigerian.

He said on September 4, 2023, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit/Criminal Investigative Department (CID) Headquarters
of the Ghana Police Service, received a petition for assistance from the complainant.

The petition stated that in 2022, Mr Hood’s wife, Astrim, who was allegedly pregnant, travelled to Nigeria in the seventh month to deliver.

ASP Babayi said that in December 2022, the accused returned to Ghana with two children, a boy, and a girl, claiming to have given birth to twins.

The complainant reported to police that a thorough examination of the children revealed differences that raised suspicion, prompting a DNA test.

The prosecution said the DNA test result indicated that both the accused person and the complainant are not biologically related to the children, and neither were the twins genetically related.

Several attempts to get Atrim to reveal where she got the children failed, so the complainant told police that during the period she told him she was pregnant, he made several attempts to get the accused to go to the hospital for antenatal care, but she refused, the court heard.

He said investigations show
ed that the accused did not visit any medical facilities in Ghana, but she claimed that her pregnancy was enigmatic and could not be detected by any medical equipment.

According to ASP Babayi, during the investigation, police conducted a DNA test on the accused person, complainant, and alleged twins at a medical facility in Accra called Blueprint DNA Organization, and the DNA results revealed that both the accused and the complainant are not biologically related to the children, and the children are not biologically related either.

The prosecution stated that letters had been sent to INTERPOL Nigeria and the Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to investigate whether the accused delivered the twins during the period in question at the Fatan Divine Clinic and Laboratory in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Meanwhile, no response has been received. But the accused was charged with the offence following investigations.

Mr Ameyaw Nyamekye, the accused’s lawyer, st
ated in his bail application that his client is a Ghanaian born in the Volta Region and not a Nigerian.

He said that although the police had written to INTERPOL Nigeria and NAPTIP, it had yet to be established whose children had been stolen.

The defence counsel argued that the children were still in the accused’s possession and were being well cared for, therefore police did not see the need to remove them from her.

Mr Nyamekye said that his client was not a flight risk if granted bail because she owned the Lake Road Estate and operates a pharmaceutical shop and that she should be granted a favourable bond for the sake of the children.

In opposing the bail, ASP Babayi refuted the claim that police failed to remove the children from the accused because they were well-cared for, stating that it was the Court’s responsibility, not the police, to exercise that power.

He indicated that arrangements had been made with ‘Power of Love,’ a Non-Governmental Organization working with Social Welfare to take custody
of the children, which would be in the best interests of the children, and that police would speed up the trial.

ASP Babayi urged the court to evaluate the nature of the crime, the evidence presented, and the fact that if the accused person is given bail, she may not return to court to face justice because she could leave with the children, effectively ending the prosecution.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: The success of Ethiopian Airlines is not only on the passenger side but also in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), Fairfax Africa Fund Global Chairman Zemedeneh Negatu said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the chairman said Ethiopian Airlines has a very large MRO shop, which is one of the biggest in the world and the best in the world to maintain modern aircrafts.

It’s a very well-known organization for maintaining aircrafts, not only for itself but other airlines send their aircraft here, he added.

According to Zemedeneh, Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest airline in Africa and one of the largest in the world.

‘Its success is not only predicated on its ability to transport passengers from around the world, but also its ability to maintain these very sophisticated, very expensive aircrafts.’

Moreover, Bole International Airport is today the largest gateway for travel into and out of Africa.

‘On top of that, Ethiopian Airlines, which travels from Africa to other parts of the world a
nd into Africa, is bigger than Emirates, Turkish, and Lufthansa combined in Africa.’

One of the challenges a lot of African airlines face in addition to not being able to afford to acquire aircraft is not being able to find affordable and quality MRO services on the continent, the chairman said.

He added that African carriers used to send or send their aircraft to Europe or in some cases all the way to the United States to repair and maintain their aircraft at very expensive rates, whereas Ethiopian Airlines, certified by all the manufacturers, is right here in Africa.

Presently, however, Zemedeneh said that you see aircraft from many African countries, including Nigeria and Rwanda, among others.

The pan-Africanism that we talk about is being demonstrated clearly to the active support of Ethiopian Airlines for other African carriers, he noted.

‘I think it is a testament to what happens when you have investment, vision, determination and the capacity to deliver something that used to be considered stuff t
o be done in Europe, stuff to be done in America, is done in Africa right here in Ethiopia.’

The chairman pointed out that Ethiopian Airlines has been doing this for a very long time. The airline has been around for almost 75 years, but the maintenance shop has also been around for decades.

The airline has the expertise and is benefiting other African carriers as well, he stated.

Recognizing the necessity of effective MRO services for the smooth operation and success of an airline, Ethiopian Airlines operates a modern MRO facility at its hub in Addis Ababa, established in 1957, and developed over the years.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ahead of World Intellectual Property Day, the United States (U.S) Embassy together with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) organised a training session for Ghanaian judges and law enforcement officers.

The session, which opened on Tuesday April 23, 2024 in Accra, brought together 60 people and aims to ‘promote protection and enforcement of intellectual property and legitimate international trade’.

The two-part session focused first on judges, then customs and law enforcement officials over a four-day period.

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated annually on April 26 to recognise the importance of intellectual property protections that reward creators, protect innovation, and support legitimate economic growth.

Ghana is a leading signatory to intellectual property treaties among Middle Eastern and African nations.

U.S. federal judges, officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, along with officials from Ghana’s Regi
strar General’s Department and Copyright Office led the training and discussions at the West Africa Regional Training Center in Accra.

The U.S. Embassy, in partnership with USPTO, is a long-term supporter of strengthening Ghana’s intellectual property protection and enforcement infrastructure to promote innovation and long-term economic growth.

‘In the information age, intellectual property protections are key to promoting equitable economic growth and international trade while protecting individual innovations.

‘We hope this training will help make Ghana’s IP processes more accessible to ordinary Ghanaians by sharing our experience in the United States regarding the adjudication and enforcement of IP cases,’ Chargé d’affaires Rolf Olson, said at the opening session.

The training followed a visit by Ghanaian officials to USPTO headquarters in the United States last year, where partners identified common areas of interest for future cooperation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Abu Kansangbata, a former Deputy Upper West regional Minister has stated that the nomination of Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman as NDC running mate will encourage more women to take up responsible positions.

That, he added would also fulfill the requirements of the United Nations Charter.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday, Mr Kansangbata who has a close association with Prof Naana, threw down the gauntlet and challenged other political parties to nominate a formidable woman possessing qualities such as integrity, honesty, sincerity, humility, and modesty, akin to Prof Naana.

On Wednesday April 24, 2024, Prof. Jane Naana was unveiled as the NDC’s running mate in a gathering that captured a lot NDC bigwigs and beyond.

As the first female running mate of the NDC, her nomination made history and sparked widespread excitement.

Mr Kansangbata stressed the significance of this challenge, citing the NDC’s role as the largest political party in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: Ghana New
s Agency

The Ministry of Works and Housing Thursday launched the Built Environment National Conference on Housing and Hydrology, dubbed ‘BENCHH 2024’.

The three-day maiden conference scheduled to take place from May 27 to May 29, 2024, would be held on the theme: ‘Enhancing Collaboration to tackle Ghana’s Housing and Hydrology Challenges’.

The conference would provide a comprehensive platform to solicit views from the public and key stakeholders in the built environment on how to address Ghana’s flooding and housing challenges.

Reverend Stephen Yaw Osei, Chief Director, Ministry of Works and Housing, speaking at the launch in the Ministry’s Conference Room, noted that, Ghana had 1.8 million units of housing deficit, which must be addressed for all Ghanaians to have befitting dwelling place.

He added that, 12.7 per cent of houses in Ghana were empty, explaining that, people lacked the means to afford to stay in such houses, making them unoccupied.

He said Government must intervene by ensuring the provision of affo
rdable housing for ordinary citizens to enjoy decent accommodation and to go about their daily life activities in dignity.

He said the nation’s drainage system also called for urgent attention, including proper management, maintenance and redesigning to address flooding in the country.

The upcoming BENCHH 2024, which will take place at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Accra, at 0930 hours each day, will, therefore, find collaborative solutions to the challenges.

Dr Prince Hamid Armah, Chairman of the BENCHH 2024 Planning Committee, and Advisor to the Sector Minister, said, aside public and stakeholder engagement, the conference would showcase the strides made by the Ministry in recent years.

The conference would also outline the Ministry’s roadmap towards achieving its medium term vision of a robust and sustainable development of public works and housing infrastructure in the country.

‘From addressing the housing deficit to enhancing our flood resilient infrastructure and regulations, the Mi
nistry’s efforts are linked to various sectors, driving socio-economic progress, and enhancing the overall quality of life for citizens,’ he noted.

Outlining the schedule for the conference, he said Day One would tackle flood or hydrology issues, Day Two would deal with housing issues, whilst Day Three would tackle the Regulatory Framework within the Works and Housing sector.

‘Indeed, BENCHH 2024 represents an opportunity for all of us to share insights and chart a course towards a more sustainable and resilient future for Ghana’s Works and Housing Sectors.

‘Together, through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, we can surmount the challenges present and pave the way for enduring progress and prosperity in our nation.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the overlord of the Wala Traditional Council, has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to intervene and halt the wanton grasp of state lands in the Wa Municipality.

He also appealed to the President who paid a courtesy call on him, to conduct an extensive audit of the state lands in the Municipality.

He said some individuals were identifying, rezoning, and selling state lands to themselves with impunity without recourse to the future development needs of the Municipality.

‘Of late, the race to rezone government-acquired lands and resell them clandestinely to individuals has hit the Wa Municipality. Individuals practically choose parcels of government-acquired lands they want, and the managers of our state lands promptly rezone them for them to buy,’ Naa Pelpuo explained.

He said if the act were not checked it would be difficult for local state projects, which needed to be situated within town.

The Chief commended President Akufo-Addo for the interest he had show
n in the development of the Wa Municipality and the Upper West Region in general.

He cited the tarring of the Wa-Charia and Wa-Jonga roads as an indication of the President responding to the request of the Chiefs and people of the Wala Traditional Area.

He, however, reminded the President of some outstanding requests including the rehabilitation of the Wa-Bole-Bamboi road, tarring of the Wa-Sing Road, provision of buses for the Nursing Training College, Wa and the Wa Islamic Senior High School and the provision of infrastructure for the Wa Naa Palace School, among others.

He also reminded the President of the need to make farm inputs available, and affordable to the farmers in the region as the rainy season sets in.

President Akufo-Addo, on his part, assured the revered Chief of acting on the sale of state lands in the Wa Municipality as soon as practicable.

He also assured him of working on the Wa-Bamboi road and to provide a bus for the Nursing Training College, Wa.

The President told the Chief and hi
s subjects that all the requests he had tabled before him would be addressed in due course.

President Akufo-Addo observed that Ghana was recognised globally as a pacesetter in democratic governance in the West Africa sub-region.

He appealed to the chiefs and people of the region to support the government to sustain and jealously protect the peace and security the country was enjoying.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, a Research Scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), has told an Accra High Court that he was one of the scientists who tested the Lithovit fertilizer.

He said the testing of the Lithovit fertilizer to be used on matured cocoa seedlings was done before he joined the employment of CRIG in November 2013.

Mr Dogbatse, a subpoenaed witness for Mr Seidu Agongo, was speaking in his evidence-in -chief in the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, led by Mr Benson Nutsukpui, Counsel for Agongo.

Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognizance bail each.

He said he only reviewed the draft report but was not part of the team that drafted the main report on the test
ing and to the best of his knowledge, the testing was done by Mr A.A Afrifa and Dr Alfred Arthur, all from CRIG.

He said before he joined the Institute, there were no other Soil scientists at the Division apart from those two scientists.

The witness told the court that he mentioned to the Police in his statement that the nursery work was done before he joined the Division, and he never made any recommendation because he did not participate in the testing.

‘I was not shown the final report but what l worked on was the draft of the report,’ he added.

He said he made some comments for the attention of the lead author and that was what he meant by his review.

The Case was adjourned to April 29, 2024, for continuation.

Source: Ghana News Agency