Category: General

The Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced a 47-year-old man to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for assaulting his 13 – year-old daughter after accusing her of having sexual intercourse with men.?

The convict, John Ansah, who is the biological father of the victim pleaded guilty to the charges of causing harm, indecent assault, and female genital mutilation.?

Police Superintendent, Juliana Essel-Dadzie, earlier told the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu?that the complainant was a supervisor at the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), and resident of Agona Nkwanta, while Ansah, was?a charcoal producer.?

She said the convict who was a single parent lived with his children including the victim at Kwapong located within the GREL plantation.?

The court heard that Ansah had been subjecting the victim to all kinds of abuses with the allegation that she was going after men and was having sexual intercourse with them.?

Prosecution said on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at about 20:00 hours Ansah?tied the legs
and hands of the daughter with a rope at their bamboo house and put two cutlasses into fire and pushed same in the victim’s vagina in turns, and she sustained severe burns around her vagina and thighs.?

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie explained that the victim cried out for help while Ansah was torturing her until she became weak but was left tired up with the rope until the next day when she managed to free herself.?

After the act, Ansah became frightened that the victim might sneak from the cottage and expose him, he, therefore, started monitoring her.?

The prosecutor said on March 26, 2024, the victim managed to escape from the cottage and was rescued by a witness in the case, who rushed her to the Nsuaem Government Hospital where she was admitted for treatment.?

The case was reported at the Nsuaem police station, and a medical form was issued to him on behalf of the victim for endorsement and same was returned to the police.?

Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said the complainant later led the police to arrest
Ansah and handed him over to the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to aid investigations.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Baby Hawa peers sleepily from the lappa strapping her to her mother’s back. Her mother, Mariama Issahaque, fries yams that she sells to residents and workers here.

One-year-old Hawa looks sickly. Her faint cry is broken up by a weak cough. Mucus drips from her nose.

The smoke from Mariama’s traditional three stone fire mixes with the filthy air – a mixture of tiny particles of sawdust from a wood market, emissions from animals traded here, and airborne chemicals in the smoke from the big dumpsite that has enveloped their neighborhood. Every breath Hawa takes is filled with toxins.

Agbogbloshie is one of the biggest slums and e-waste dumps in Ghana. The large site, on the Korle Lagoon near the centre of Accra, provides the Ghana’s vulnerable with a place to live and trade food, commodities, and electronic waste for income. But oversight by authorities is minimal and experts warn the toxic air is a time bomb, sickening the people here.

Children are among those most vulnerable to air pollution and baby Hawa
is paying the price. Mariama, Hawa’s worried single mother, complains of frequent visits to drug shops to buy cold medicines and, when things are bad, to the clinic. Mariama struggles to find the money.

‘My child does not fall sick regularly like this when we go to Walewale, capital of North East. We just returned to Accra from holidays, and this has started again,’ Mariama says. She knows she should leave for her child’s sake. ‘I remember asking the doctor at the clinic why my child frequently is getting sick. But his suggestion for us to leave the area is not within my means. If Allah permits and I get money, I will move. But for now, we have no choice.’

Alex Jagri, an attendant at Servant Drug store, near the makeshift wooden structure where Mariama and Hawa live in an area called Timber Market, sees the impact of the pollution on his neighbours. Flu and cold medications move fast here. He says he sells 35 bottles of cough mixture a week.

‘Adults too come here reporting of chest pains,’ Jagri says. ‘I f
eel bad about the situation, especially when as many as 20 children are brought here coughing and in terrible conditions. I refer the serious ones to the Children’s Hospital. The smoke is too bad and unbearable.’

As Ghana’s economy struggles and the population of Accra grows rapidly, Hawa is one of a growing number of children forced to live in slums and on Ghana’s streets. The slums are on the frontline of air pollution worldwide, according to Cities4Children, a global alliance of organisations working to protect child rights.

The source

One of the biggest sources of air pollution in informal settlements such as Agbogbloshie is solid waste burning. Ghana is fighting to deal with its solid waste. The country generates approximately 7.2 million metric tonnes of municipal solid waste a year, according to data from the Ministry of Sanitation.

For context, that much waste would fill 40-foot shipping containers lined up from Paga, the northernmost town in Ghana’s Upper East, to the southernmost town of Aflao,
in the Volta region, more than four times.

Across the nation more than 20 per cent is burnt openly, while 37 per cent is disposed at dump sites. Poor waste management by authorities has compelled informal waste collectors to turn part of the Agbogbloshie slum into a general waste dumpsite that is permanently ablaze spewing smoke across the community day and night.

In the last six months hotspots in Accra have recorded concentrations of the most dangerous air pollution particles several times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines recommend.

Agbogbloshie leads the pack with air pollution more than ten times higher than that recommended by the WHO, according to data sourced from Breath Accra, a community driven initiative that provides real-time air quality information.

Health experts in the area are disturbed by what they’re seeing.

‘On a daily basis, parents from Agbogbloshie bring their children with cases linked to air pollution,’ says Dr Maame Yaa Nyarko, Medical Superintendent a
t the Children’s Hospital, the only child referral facility in the Central Business District of Accra.

‘These include pneumonia as well as allergic respiratory conditions. They often present early but do not have money to pay for services such as admission, x-rays and laboratory investigations.’

Dr Nyarko says respiratory cases are in the top three cases at the out-patient department. They are strongly linked to air pollution, poor ventilation and overcrowding in these communities.

‘The danger is that the damage caused to children in slums through air pollution and malnutrition cannot be repaired because, malnutrition leads to impaired immunity as well as irreversible brain damage,’ Dr Nyarko says.

‘This means they cannot reach their potential in life. They may become adults who are not productive or may have chronic health problems.’

Alarmingly, tests conducted on children living in and around slum areas reveal high blood lead levels, a leading cause of delayed brain development, according to Dr Emmanue
l Kyeremateng-Amoah, a health specialist with UNICEF. More than 1.7 million Ghanaian children are estimated to have high blood lead levels.

‘Children are not supposed to be at slums because it is dangerous, conditions are unhealthy and unsafe,’ Dr Kyeremateng-Amoah says.

He is one of many experts urging the government to tackle the problem urgently. ‘We have shared our findings with the Ministry of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and are working with the Ministry of Health to manage the children with high blood lead levels.

As a development partner we are committed to supporting the efforts of government to provide the necessary structures and regulations to make the environment healthier and safer for children.’

The impacts of early exposure to air pollution are clearly documented in studies around the world. A new study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found it increases the risk of developing asthma by early or middle childhood.

A Cities4Children study corroborated Har
vard’s findings, adding that children’s exposure to high levels of air pollution can stunt lung growth, and lead to heart disease and increased rates of diabetes in children who would not normally develop these diseases so young.

‘With every breath, children take in more air per unit of body weight than adults,’ says a 2017 UNICEF report. ‘By extension, when air is toxic, they take in more toxic air per unit of body weight than adults.’

Awareness is also a problem. While Hawa’s mother, Mariama, is well informed about the dangers of air pollution many more parents are unaware or refuse to believe what the doctors tell them.

At an area called Cable and Wireless, another informal settlement in the heart of Bubuashie and Darkuman communities in Accra’s Okaikwei South, Wendy Adams holds her sickly three-year-old son Nicholas.

Since he was born Nicholas has been suffering a running nose and cough. He is pale, underweight and small for his age. Wendy has taken him to health clinics but she prefers to treat him w
ith traditional medicines given by a local healer.

‘I do not believe what the doctors and nurses are saying,’ Wendy says. ‘These are the works of the devil, and we are praying towards his total healing.’

Experts warn that the number of children exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution is growing fast with worrying implications for Ghana’s future. Ghana’s population has grown, and the slum population has nearly doubled in the three years to 2020, according to Ghana’s 2022 Report on its progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Government and local entrepreneurs act

Government and local community members have made efforts to clean up Agbobloshie and more actions are planned.

Two years ago, under the ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ initiative led by Mr Henry Quartey, then-Greater Accra regional minister, part of Agbobloshie was demolished and fenced. However, it had limited success. The demolition has not stopped activities at Agbobloshie and open burning of e-waste has just spread to other
slums.

More than twenty local entrepreneurs have begun initiatives that are recycling the waste, particularly e-waste.

Government plans to run public awareness campaigns, to set up a drop-off point where people can drop off old electronics, and also a program where people can separate plastics to facilitate recycling.

The state also plans to crack down on companies that buy valuable metals from informal scrap dealers.

That will go some way to fixing the problem according to Mr Larry Kotoe, Deputy Director at the Environmental Protection Agency.

While acknowledging weak enforcement and failures in waste management have contributed to the problem, Deputy Director Kotoe says the government is committed to regulation and actions that will slowly transition to a system where importers of electronic appliances will be accountable through an online registry system.

‘Our motivation is to get waste disposed properly and reduce air pollution,’ says Mr Kotoe.

Experts say there is no time to waste. Until major pro
gress is made in cleaning up the air in slum communities more and more children like Hawa, and Nicolas will pay a major price.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, on April 25, engaged members of the Mine Workers Union who picketed at the Ministry to demand the revitalisation of the Prestea/Bogoso Mines.

The Minister assured them of government’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to revamp the Prestea/ Bogoso Mines and secure the welfare of its workers.

This was in a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, on Thursday.

The Prestea/Bogoso Mines were acquired by Future Global Resources (FGR) in October 2020, from Golden Star Resources.

Due to some financial challenges, operations at the Mine came to a halt in December 2023, with the Company also indebted to its workers in unpaid salaries.

The Ministry and the Minerals Commission have since been working with the Company and other stakeholders to pay all debts and rejuvenate the Mine.

In January 2024, the Company submitted a proposal to restructure the Company, and raise up
to US$150 million to pay its creditors and bring the Mine back to life.

After several consultations, the Government thought that if the Company can raise the capital and inject it into the mine, it will be the most efficient way of revamping the Mine in the shortest possible time.

The Government, therefore, took the decision to give the Company ‘Conditional Approval’ to raise the needed capital with strict timelines and restructure its operations.

Accordingly, by a letter dated 17th April 2024 and signed by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor, it was given 120 days to raise capital to revamp the Mine and ensure it operates to full capacity.

Additionally, the Company was given two weeks to commence payment of all outstanding salaries owed to workers, and to complete the payment of outstanding salaries not later than May 30, 2024.

The Company is to submit evidence to the satisfaction of the Minister and the Minerals Commission of financial resources available to pay creditors and
operate the Mine within 120 days.

And to ensure that the Mine is fully operational before the expiration of the ultimatum.

As part of the conditions for the approval, the Company is to support Government’s Community Mining Scheme by relinquishing part of its concessions in Bogoso and Prestea to be designated as Community Mining Schemes for the people of these two communities.

The Minister’s letter specifically states that ‘should the Company fail to meet any of the above conditions, the Conditional Approval given shall be deemed revoked, and the Mining Leases terminated, without further recourse to the Company’.

The Ministry has taken note of a memo issued by the Company to its employees, dated 24th April 2024, giving notice of the immediate payment of December and January salaries, and to complete the payment of all outstanding salaries by 30ht May, 2024, in accordance with the Conditional Approval.

The Ministry is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to protect the Mine, ensure effective an
d efficient mining operations in the area, and protect the employment of workers of the Company.

The Ministry has, therefore, scheduled a fortnightly meeting with the leadership of the Company to track progress of work towards revamping the Mine.

The Ministry is confident that, working together with the Company and other stakeholders, the Mine can be revamped within the shortest possible time.

The Ministry called on all stakeholders to lend the needed support to Government and the Company to revamp the mine, protect the employment of the workers, and the livelihoods of those who depend on the mining operations.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, under the distinguished leadership of President Akufo-Addo, continues to assure the public of its unflinching commitment to the efficient, effective, and sustainable exploitation and management of the natural resources of our country, in the spirit of transparency, anchored on integrity and utmost good faith, for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.

Sou
rce: Ghana News Agency

A 36-year-old trader, Patience Kofi, has been sentenced to a fine of GH?120 by the Ashaiman District Court for stealing her employer’s GH?3,200.00.

The convict, who was also asked by the court to refund the stolen money to the complainant, would serve six months of imprisonment if she defaulted on paying the fine and obeying the court’s instructions.

The court, presided over by Mr Derick Pardden Eshun, sentenced the accused person after she pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful entry and stealing.

Inspector Henry Tetteh Nartey, prosecuting the case, said the complainant, Madam Vida Tetteh, is a cook and lives at Kakasunanka number two.

He added that the accused person, who was residing at Somanya, started assisting her at her canteen located at the Ashaiman roundabout.

He stated that on January 11, 2024, at about 0800 hours, she stole the complainant’s house keys and went to her house at Kakasunanka number two, where she entered her room and made away with cash in the sum of GH?3,200.00.

The prosecut
or added that the following day, Madam Tetteh was about to wash her clothes when she detected that her money had been stolen, adding that upon enquiring from neighbours, she was informed by her landlord that her employee was seen entering the room, but they did not question her because she was using the key.

The court heard that she was subsequently arrested, and an investigation caution statement was obtained from her in which she confessed that she stole the money.

She was, therefore, charged and put before the court after an investigation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Department of Social Welfare has sensitised residents, including persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in the Logre-Zogin and Logre-Kolkpeng communities of the Nabdam District in the Upper East Region on child protection.

The sensitisation, which centered on child labor, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, illegal mining activities, and the functions of the Department of Social Welfare, aimed at inculcating in them the need to protect their children and prepare them for the future.

It also focused on how they could seek support from the Department of Social Welfare for vulnerable groups in their families and the communities at large.

Mr Gabriel Azagsa Apobona, Nabdam District Officer, Department of Social Welfare, noted that due to activities of illegal mining in the areas coupled with lust for money among the children, some of them dropped out of school and were at the mines loitering.

That, he said, was worrisome as it did not present a good future for them, however given the neede
d education and guidance, these children could unearth their given potential hence the need to sensitise their parents to shape them well for the future.

‘We also realised that some of the children were either orphans or disabled, and so, for them, we intend to link them with social welfare and the District Assembly because, as you know, the government has been allocating three percent of the Common Fund for these groups of people, and in every quarter there is a package that we give to such people,’ he stated.

Mr Apobona emphasised that this necessitated the need for residents of the two communities to be sensitised to be aware of this support by government so that they could seek support for their vulnerable children.

He advised the parents to prioritise education by enrolling their children in schools and nurture them through to become better citizens to cater for them at their old age and contribute to the development of the country.

Madam Yenpoka Mba, a participant, lauded the efforts of the departme
nt for charging them with their responsibilities as parents and added that it was a call in the right direction, and she was committed to investing in her children’s education.

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

Ms Felicia Edem Attipoe, Ghana’s First Female Aircraft Marshaller, has been nominated as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Ms Attipoe’s appointment would have to be confirmed through voting by the Assembly members of TWMA before she could assume office as the MCE.

The nomination was contained in a letter dated April 24, 2024, from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development and signed by Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, the representative of the President.

It stated that the President, in accordance with Article 243(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 20(1) of the Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936) nominated her to the position pending approval by the Assembly.

Ms Attipoe, when confirmed, would replace Ms Anna Adukwei Addo, who had run the affairs of the TWMA since the last quarter of 2021.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that the MCE nominee was born on April 21, 1975, and had o
ver 20 years of experience in the aviation industry.

The multifaceted nominee played a pivotal role in supporting and mobilising members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Atiwa Asiama, Adenta, and Tema West, where she served as the former constituency women’s organiser and contested the Greater Accra Regional Women’s Organiser’s election.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Top officials from the Anloga District Assembly have embarked on a tour to assess the damage caused by Tuesday’s windstorm.

The team led by Mr Seth Yormewu, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anloga, who was accompanied by Mr Philip Bokorgah, the District National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, and Mr Emmanuel Dogbe, the District Environmental Health Officer, toured schools, clinics, residents and business centres that were affected by the storm.

The team specifically toured the Anlo Technical Institute (ANTECH), where about four of the school’s buildings had their roofs ripped off, Agorve and Woe Aklorbordzi Basic Schools and some homes and churches as well.

At the Anlo Senior High School (ANSECO) about five structures had their roofs ripped off by the recent heavy rains, which was accompanied by strong wind destroying many structures along the coastal stretch of Keta and Anloga.

Mr Bokorgah, the NADMO Coordinator in an interview with Ghana News Agency said they were assessing t
he level of damage caused after which his office would compile a report to the Regional and National headquarters for support to the affected people.

Mr Yormewu, the DCE, assured the affected people of the Assembly’s support and advised the people to take precautionary measures during the rainy season.

‘What we have seen so far is very tragic and we thank God there were no casualties. As the DCE, I will liaise with my NADMO team and other relevant authorities to see how we can help. Let me assure them that, we will help them, especially the severely affected public schools.’

The team is expected to visit Dzita, Agbledomi, Kodzi, Akplorwotokor and Anyanui in subsequent days.

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

The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has introduced a new employment framework to promote inclusivity and equal opportunities among the Ghanaian workforce.

The advocacy tool has an objective of, among other things, removing systemic policy barriers to employing persons with disability, build ‘disability-confidence’ of employees and advocate for relevant inclusive labour laws.

The ‘Employment Equity Framework for Job Seekers with Disabilities and Employers’, launched at a ceremony in Accra, also outlines key principles and practices that enable individuals with disabilities to secure meaningful employment.

Mr Atsu Homadzi, the National President of the GFD, who launched the document, lamented that Persons with Disabilities (PWD) faced work scarcity and discrimination.

He called on members of the Federation, especially its executives, to reevaluate the impact of the Federation on its members.

He said the success of the Federation should not be measured by the number of projects implemente
d but the level of impact on the ordinary members.

‘Our people are really struggling down there. What is the impact analysis of all the things that we are doing? How is it reflecting in the lives of the people we are leading?’ he queried.

The document which intends to address the need for regulatory compliance, competency development, and effective termination processes targets stakeholder groups such as the government, employers, job recruiters, employees, including job seekers with disabilities, business development service providers, PWD organisations and Civil Society Organisations.

A representative of Sightsavers, an international development organisation, Madam Beatrice Amuzu, commended GFD for its hard work.

She observed that while PWDs faced employment related discrimination, women with disabilities faced intense discrimination due to intersectionality.

‘Persons with disabilities have equal capacities and abilities when they have the opportunities.

Components of the framework include guidelines
for mandatory open competition in advertising vacancies, contract renewals, standardized job descriptions, and a recruitment model focused on transparency and objective criteria.

The document also lays emphasis on the importance of skills training, Curriculum Vitae development, and tailored vocational programs for job seekers with disabilities, particularly in the informal sector.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian delegation led by Finance Minister, Ahmed Shide held strategic discussions with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Amb. Molly Phee, the Special Envoy for Horn of Africa, Amb. Michael Hammer and Under Secretary for US Treasury for International Affairs, Jay Shambaugh.

On the sidelines of the 2024 WB-IMF Spring Meetings, they discussed Ethiopia’s current economic and political situation and ongoing reforms aimed at improving the country’s macroeconomic framework, according to Ethiopia’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., USA.

The two sides also exchanged on the comprehensive support needed to address Ethiopia’s economic recovery as well as national cohesion and regional stability, including by mobilizing bilateral support through the IMF and WB.

Source: Ethiopian News 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