We’re focused on alleviating the suffering of Ghanaians — Bawumia
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that the prime focus of the Akufo-Addo government has been the promotion of inclusive policies to alleviate the suffering of Ghanaians.
Delivering a keynote address at the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) in Accra on Thursday, August 26, Dr. Bawumia told the workers that the ultimate objective of every policy the government has undertaken since 2017, is to positively impact the lives of everybody in one way or the order, “without leaving anyone behind.”
The Vice President, who acknowledged that the government has not totally eradicated problems, especially in the midst of covid-19, shared with the workers a number of inclusive policies the government has undertaken to mitigate the suffering of Ghanaians since 2017.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the President on January 7, 2017, promised to rebuild this country as Ghanaians faced daunting challenges including declining economic growth, rapidly falling value of the Cedi and constantly rising inflation and interest rates,” said Dr. Bawumia.
“While we have not totally eliminated the suffering of Ghanaians and Ghanaian workers, we can point to specific policy interventions that have mitigated the suffering that we talked about,” Dr. Bawumia said.
The Vice President listed several social interventions including de-freezing of public sector employment, which has led to the recruitment of thousands of nurses and teachers, creation of NABCO to reduce graduate unemployment, expansion of recruitment into the security services and reduction of electricity tariffs.
Other interventions he listed included: restoration of nursing and teacher trainee allowances, employment interventions through the Youth Employment Agency, industrialization through 1D1F, abolition of many taxes, employment opportunities to people with disability to man toll booths, Free SHS, government’s covid-19 alleviation packages, among others.
The Vice President also shared with the workers numerous entrepreneurial initiatives and support systems by the government, which he said are aimed at further boosting employment opportunities for the youth.
With speakers at the conference agreeing that covid-19 has had a debilitating effect on the economy and workers, Dr. Bawumia assured delegates and Ghanaians that government will continue to do more to further ameliorate the impact of the pandemic on the economy and Ghanaians.
Bawumia shares defining first-term legacies of Akufo-Addo’s government with ICU
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that the government of President Akufo-Addo has worked towards the interest of Ghanaians by pursuing progressive and impactful policies.
Addressing delegates at the 11th Quadrennial Conference of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) in Accra on Thursday, August, 26, Dr. Bawumia shared with the worker’s inclusive interventions by the Akufo-Addo government, which he described as defining legacies of the President.
“I will share with you developments which I believe have defined the President’s legacy. These are his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unprecedented financial sector clean-up, the digital transformation of the Ghanaian society, and social interventions,” Dr. Bawumia said.
The Vice President, who recounted the mountain economic and social challenges the Akufo-Addo government inherited from the previous NDC regime, extensively listed how the government’s various interventions have addressed, or mitigated these challenges since 2017.
Prudent Economic Management
The Vice President said, much of the government’s successes have been due to its prudent economic management, which he noted, expanded the economy prior to covid-19.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the President on January 7, 2017, promised to rebuild this country as Ghanaians faced daunting challenges, including declining economic growth, rapidly falling value of the Cedi and constantly rising inflation and interest rates.’
“Three years over the planning period, between 2017 and 2019, the economy recorded significant expansion. Average growth in national output more than doubled from 2.8 percent (2014-2016) to 6.96 percent (2017-2019). The growth of agriculture more than doubled from 2.5 percent to 8.3%.”
“We halted de-industrialization, rebounded manufacturing growth, and expanded job creation. The fiscal deficit declined from 6.8 percent of rebased national output in 2016 to 3.8 percent and 4.8 percent between 2018 and 2019 in that order.”
“Inflation dropped steadily from 15.4 percent at the end of 2016 to 7.9 percent at the end of December 2019.”
Digitization
Another important legacy of the Akufo-Addo government, which the Vice President shared with delegates, is a digitization and its continued impact on society and the Ghanaian economy.
. He said the government’s economic transformational agenda, was underpinned by the creation of digital infrastructure such as digital national identification system, property address system, the inclusion of the non-formal population into the financial sector through mobile money interoperability, amongst many others, whose benefits, he said, are obvious and impacting lives.
Social interventions to reduce suffering
Dr. Bawumia noted that the most important part of prudent economic management and all that government has achieved, is their impacts on the lives of the people, which he said, has been a priority to the Akufo-Addo government.
“While we have not totally eliminated the suffering of Ghanaians and Ghanaian workers, we can point to specific policy interventions that have mitigated the suffering that we talked about,” he said.
The Vice President listed several social interventions including de-freezing of public sector employment, which has led to the recruitment of thousands of nurses and teachers, creation of NABCO to reduce graduate unemployment, expansion of recruitment into the security services.
Others he listed included: restoration of nursing and teacher trainee allowances, employment interventions through the Youth Employment Agency, industrialization through 1D1F, abolition of many taxes, employment opportunities to people with disabilities to man toll booths, Free SHS, government’s covid-19 alleviation packages, among others.
Impact and management of COVID-19
Just like other speakers, Dr. Bawumia acknowledged the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy and Ghanaians, as well as the government’s swift response to the situation to mitigate the impact on Ghanaians and businesses.
“The country has clearly and unequivocally made strides in inclusive growth. All these strides were made before the destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020,” the Vice President said.
“The severe, debilitating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the day-to-day lives of Ghanaian workers, most especially on industrial workers, cannot be overemphasized.”
“The worldwide debilitating effects of the pandemic included disruptions to supply chains in production, economic slowdown, uncertain demand in markets, and the loss of jobs and livelihoods. There has been a dramatic increase in shipping costs globally. For example, the price of shipping goods from Asia to Europe increased from $2000 per container in August 2020 to $12000 per container in August 2021 with its attendant impact on prices of goods (such as cement iron rods, etc.) globally.”
The government responded swiftly. Through the implementation of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP):
The government increased COVID-19 testing facilities from the initial (2) to sixteen (16) and equipped several hospitals across the country with the capacity to test for COVID-19;
Government-subsidized electricity consumption for 4,772,512 customers from April 2020 to March 2021. Electricity consumption for 1,620,907 lifeline customers was fully covered while the consumption of other customers was subsidized by 50 percent; Government increased the average monthly water supply by over 40% and provided free water supply to over 10,000,000 Ghanaians, and Government disbursed GH¢412.88 million to support over 270,000 businesses which helped save over 650,000 MSME jobs.”
The leadership of the ICU also commended the government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic and urged the government to continue to do more to mitigate the impact, especially on workers.
Ketu Youth in Development Network in the Volta Region is demanding President Akufo-Addo open the borders to save them from dying from hunger.
Ghana’s land borders have been closed since March 15, 2020. The decision was announced by the President as a measure to control the importation of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) into the country.
After more than a year, the Ketu Youth in Development Network says people living in and around border areas of the Volta Region are suffering.
“Our mothers and sisters who hawk around the Ghana and Togo border for their daily bread are now siting at home due to absence of an alternative means of livelihood, drivers are complaining about low patronage due to the border closure while they continue to pay huge price for fuel. Artisans who buy their raw materials from Togo have to shut down their businesses because they do not have a means to access them,” part of a release from the group dated August 15 read.
Fed up with the economic hardships, the group is demanding the reopening of Ghana’s borders to ensure those whose sources of livelihoods have been taken from them get something to do to feed themselves and their families.
“We are by this release reminding the President about his deliberate silence on the closure of the land borders and the economic impact it continues to have on the indigenous people in and around those areas, especially the southern part of Volta Region.
“Therefore, we are appealing to the conscience of the president as the father of the nation to as matter urgency open the land borders, so that economic activities can be partially restored to reduce the current hardship the people are subjected to. We believe with all the safety protocols and the strict enforcement therein, livelihood would pick up once again,” the release from Ketu Youth in Development Network concludes.
Charcoal Truck Causes Massive Traffic Due to Overturn
Trucks are a common sight on our country’s highways and interstates. These vehicles are an important part of our economy, carrying goods from one place to another to meet the demands of our growing population.
Although they are essential to society’s survival, large vehicles can pose a high risk to our roads, especially when truck drivers are negligent, trucks left in disrepair and company owners ignoring government safety regulations.
An Overturn Charcoal tractor-trailer on Mataheko-Accra Road is causing massive traffic disruptions this Wednesday Afternoon. As a result, traffic is being diverted.
According to a report from the scene, it looks like the Track slid on its side off the road, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Traffic scene
There’s been no word on what caused the charcoal truck to overturn and no accident recorded.
We reaching out to the nearest Ghana Police Station to please find out the cause and help reduce the heavy traffic.
BEAF GALOUR: PROPHET ANTHONY KWARTENG TAKES COMPUTERMAN TO ‘CLEANER’, DESCRIBES HIM AS AN AGENT OF BAAL, AND SUGGESTS HIM INTO CONDEMN CELLS.
The Aftermath of the Outrageous video of HOLY KISS” Anglican Priest Rev Father Obeng Larbi has resulted into many Frictions between Religious leaders in Sharing their Opinions on the Act.
The unquenchable debate that Caused The General Overseer of the Christ Power Miracle Mission, Prophet Dr. Anthony Kwarteng to ‘Lock Horns’ With Prophet Computerman of Hope Generation Ministry and Prophet Dr. Kofi Oduro of Alabaster Chapel international over their Proposed Jail term on the Culprit, Rev. Father Obeng Larbi has now gone beyond its the boiling point as Prophet Computerman has been recommended for Condemn Cells over the alleged UnGodly act done on his Pulpit.
Prophet Dr. Anthony Kwarteng, the General Overseer of Christ Power Miracle Mission has disclosed that The Founder and Leader of Hope Generation Ministry
Nana Akwasi Amponsah ( Prophet Computerman) is an Agent of an ancient god Baal as he does many ungodly things on his Pulpit so he has no moral right to insult and Call for Jail term on The”Holy Kiss Pastor, Rev Father Obeng Larbi.
Prophet Anthony Kwarteng stressed that, If Kissing a student attracts Jail then, Prophet Computerman deserves to be in Condemned Cells for what he does on his Pulpit is more than what people see as Murder.
This Outburst Follows the Recent insult rained on Prophet Anthony Kwarteng by Prophet Computerman after Prophet Anthony Kwarteng termed the Act of Computerman as a “GOLO BOY” Pastor.
Prophet Dr. Anthony Kwarteng in an interview with Kingdom FM’s Okogyeabour Ocran added that Prophet Computerman is a Scamming Pastor but not doing the Work as a Person Called by the Creator.
General Overseer of Christ Power Miracle Mission says, any person who claims to be a Man of God does not Come out Openly to insult his fellow Pastor even if the Person is wrong but rather approaches the issue with Wisdom but not Open Rebuke.
He, therefore, Described Prophet Computerman as a Satanic Pastor who is brainwashing Ghanaians to Amass Wealth for himself.
According to him, Prophet Computerman is surrounded by Criminalities so he has no moral right to Condemn others.
He challenged him to Come out and Explain why he has Married Ten (10) times but has Divorced all of them.
Teacher trainees across the Forty Six (46) Colleges of Education (CE) in the country are extremely angry about their unpaid allowance.
This has made them decide to embark on a demonstration against the Government.
These aggrieved teacher trainees started on telegram, move to twitter with the hash tag “Y33 GYE Y3N SIKA”. They are now on the media outlets sending signal to the Government through the Education Ministry (EM).
According to the trainees, They are yet to be to be paid their second semester allowances even though the semester just ended last week.
Again, the government still owes them two months in their first semester.
“The issues are many”.
INTEEVIEW Call the following teachers for Interviews
A member of the NDC Communications Team, Osman Ayariga has stated that, the Free SHS policy is struggling to survive.
He explained the policy is on its knees begging to survive because it was not properly implemented by the NPP Government.
“Free SHS is on its knees begging, the Minister of Education is currently engaging parents to solicit funds to sustain it. Parents are now paying more on education under the Free SHS policy than it used to be,” he stated.
Speaking to host of Prime Morning Show, Daniel Dadzie on the Joy Prime Channel Monday, the outspoken communicator said, the policy is not working due to lack of funds. According to him, the phenomenon is affecting students’ performance.
“Students go to school for six months and stay home another six months. Parents are forced to pay for extra classes which are expensive than the actual school fees,” he added.
The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) education policy was a government initiative introduced in September 2017 under President Akufo-Addo.
Prior to its implementation, the policy was an integral part of NPP’s campaign during 2012 and 2016 elections.
The policy’s seeks to address issues with access, equity, and equality in fulfilling the United Nations modified Sustainable Development Goals, where member countries amalgamate those themes in their educational systems to certify adequate learning experiences for students.
However, the policy had received setbacks in terms of financing and infrastructure. This resulted in the Double-track system. The system has students grouped into Gold and Green batches. The batches run shift to complete a semester due the inability of most Senior High Schools’ to accommodate them.
Mr. Ayariga explained that the Free SHS was not properly financed. He believes this has degraded Senior High Education in the country.
“People should not talk as if Free SHS has solved Ghana’s problems; Government needs to do more because the policy was not properly implemented, forcing parents to pay extra fees. The party has failed to live up to expectations,” he stressed.
Dr. Bawumia & NPP Government Never Promise Free Cars to Okada Riders in 2020: Razak Kojo Opoku Writes to Franklin Cudjoe/NDC Members
I have read a news item emanating from the camp of the Founding President of IMANI, Franklin Cudjoe, and NDC Members, asking the whereabouts of the cars Dr. Bawumia proposed to the Okada riders during the 2020 general elections.
It is interesting to state the facts and diffuse the propaganda from Franklin Cudjoe and NDC Members.
1. Ahead of the 2020 general elections, John Mahama promised to legalize the Okada business in the Country as well as create a facility for the purchase of more motorcycles and tricycles for the riders at a much cheaper cost. 2. Dr. Bawumia and NPP Government on the other hand proposed that We give the Okada riders an opportunity to buy safer vehicles through lease and pay over a period of time. At no point in time did the Vice-President, Dr. Bawumia says he was going to offer free vehicles to the Okada riders.
3. Unfortunately, the commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders bought into the Okada legalization vision of John Mahama and wholly rejected the noble proposal by Dr. Bawumia and NPP. The Okada Riders believed in the lies of John Mahama and rejected the truthful proposal by Dr. Bawumia and NPP Government.
4. The commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders jointly formed a group known as Okada Riders Association and claimed to have a membership of about 800,000 across the Country. 5. The Okada Riders Association campaigned, endorsed, and voted for John Mahama during the 2020 general elections. They fully rallied behind John Mahama with their campaign platform dubbed, “Get Okada Votes Campaign” for John Mahama in the 2020 general elections.
Notwithstanding the rejection of Dr. Bawumia’s Hire Purchase Policy by the Okada Riders in 2020, if they have repented and are willing to cooperate with Government, I think the Government will put measures in place for the Okada Riders to acquire safer vehicles through lease and later pay over a period of time with a payment plan. In any case, John Mahama is still in a better position to provide free motorcycles and tricycles to the Okada riders if truly indeed IMANI Africa still believes in Mahama’s Okada Policy.
Franklin Cudjoe and NDC Members should demand from John Mahama to honour his promise to the Okada Riders since he enjoys their support and votes in the 2020 general elections. However, they should understand that the Okada business is still not legal and again, it is not safe. The Hire Purchase Policy for safer vehicles for Okada riders proposed by Dr. Bawumia and NPP Government is still the best option.
TECHIMAN MUNICIPAL GIRL CHILD OFFICER MEETS ABOUT 20 NURSING JHS MOTHERS AND PARENTS AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY POLICY Madam Ellen White; Techiman Municipal Girl Child Officer has a matter of urgency called on Parents to support their wards who get pregnant in the course of schooling to be able to complete and without dropping -out from school.
Speaking at a programme at Gyarko JHS to donate some diapers, foodstuffs and some amount of money to about some 20 Girls who got pregnant during the covid 19 breaks after a successful Government Re-entry policy, Madam White opined that getting pregnant while in school is shouldn’t be encouraged but in case of any misfortune, Parents should not compel their wards to about their unborn babies or withdraw them from school but rather support them since the Government Re-Entry policy has come to stay.
She added that she would do her possible best to uplift the image of Girl Child Education in the Techiman Municipality, Bono East, and Ghana as a while and appealed to Philanthropists to help the Student Nursing mothers and also charged parents to always provide the needs of their wards to curb any future misfortune.
On his part, Mr. George Yaw Ankamah; Director in charge of Children at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social protection for Bono Region also promise their readiness to support the children to achieve their aim for a brighter future. Some of the beneficiaries bemoan the unfortunate incident and thanked the officials for coming to their aid and promised to learn hard to soar higher in the future.
The local chapter Chairman and executive Board member of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr. Eric Asirifi , has revealed that private car drivers are the real causes of the rampant road accidents in the country.
Mr. Eric Asirifi said most of the private cars mostly makes the wrong overtaken relying on the small seize of their vehicles and the amount of speed their cars can go at a given time.
He said the private car drivers will cause a reckless driving and in other to Swerve it, the commercial cars rather end up getting the accidents.
Troski Diaries with Private Cars
Citing the recent accident at Juaso involving a Hyundai saloon car and a VIP Bus which claimed two lives instantly and the other gory accident at Teacher mante in the Suhum Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The GPRTU Chairman also called on the Ghana Highway Authority and the National Road Safety Authority to repair and replace Road Guards as it posses threat to road users and commuters. Chairman Eric Asirifi said this during a workshop organized to sensitizes drivers and other road users in Accra today.
Call Mr. Eric Asirifi on 0244650553 for details of the story
Twifo Ati-Morkwa Farmers Praise Gov’t For Electronic Weighing Scales
Cocoa farmers in the Twifo Ati-Morkwa District of the Central Region have expressed their happiness of the government’s intention to introduce electronic cocoa weighing machine.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has revealed that the management of COCOBOD is planning to introduce new weighing scales to be used by Licensed Buying Companies for purchases when the new cocoa season begins on October 1, 2021.
Mr. Boahen Aidoo attributed the achievement to the efforts of the hardworking farmers and the several interventions introduced by COCOBOD to increase the yield.
Following this, some cocoa farmers in Twifo Ati-Morkwa District have started singing praising songs to the government for taking such a decision, speaking with the media, they described the purchasing clerks (PCs) as cheaters because they feel cheated anytime they send their cocoa beans to the PCs.
SOME COCOA FARMERS IN TWIFO ATI-MORKWA DISTRICT
Meanwhile, the 2020 central Regional best cocoa farmer Mr. Falcon Mensah also on behalf of cocoa farmers expressed his profound gratitude to the government for taking such a decision.
He then urged his fellow cocoa farmers to obey the rules in the production of the cocoa beans to meet the required standard of the purchasing clecks/Ghana Cocobod by drying the beans very well and also select the unwanted ones and other particles from the Cocoa bean before sending it to the clerks for weighing.
MR. FALCON MENSAH, 2020 CENTRAL REGIONAL BEST COCOA FARMER
NPP GOVERNMENT HAS ACHIEVED MORE IN EDUCATION SECTOR THAN ANY GOVERNMENT IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC OF GHANA— NEWPATRIOTIC PARTY YOUTH ORGANIZATION EXECUTIVES ANNOUNCES.
The Regional Executives of the New Patriotic Party Youth Organization( NPPYO), says the ruling New Patriotic Party has taken Ghana’s education sector to heights never achieved in the country’s history.
According to the Executives, the Akuffo Addo government has initiated many policies to the benefit of Ghanaian students. NPPYO Regional Executives added that even Mr. John Mahama couldn’t achieve what the Akuffo Addo government has in the educational sector. “What NPP have achieved in the educational sector is unprecedented in the annals of the history of this country” They cited the Free Senior High School programmes as a policies that has brought relief to Ghanaians. They boldly said, nearly 1.2 million students from all parts of the country are currently benefitting from the Free SHS policy.
NPPYO Executives champion said, NPP government has restored Nursing and Teacher trainees allowances and Teacher trainees from college of education now earn a full degree and no longer need to take study leave before becomes teachers. Again teachers recruitment is now done at the regional levels to ensure proper decentralisation.
NPP government abolished the fees for post graduate medical training and the cost of BECE and WASSC exams has been absorbed by Akuffo Addo government. To add more, NPP government has connected free WI-FI to the public universities for online education and researching. In terms of education infrastructure, NPP government has built many schools, classrooms, dormitories and bungalows for teachers. NPP government has constructed a total 2, 729 classrooms with capacity to accommodate 109, 160 pupils whereas Mr. Mahama in 4years built 840 classrooms and has commenced the construction of seven brand new mordern senior high schools across country.
On the basis of the performances, the leadership of this country by Nana Addo has resulted in much better outcomes than any government .Going forward, we can continue to trust and rely on NPP government in the next four years.
Call Regional Executives For More Details
Hon. Osei Elvis Ashanti Regional Chairman,NPPYO (+233551848367)
China has criticised the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, accusing Washington of having “selfish” foreign policy priorities.
It said the US had used the rhetoric of a rules-based global order to defend its own “bullying, hegemonic behaviour”.
“The US can wantonly conduct military intervention in a sovereign country and does not need to be responsible for the suffering of the people in that country,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press briefing. “The US can arbitrarily smear, suppress, coerce and bully other countries without paying any price,” he added.
The Afghanistan exit has been a golden opportunity for China to convince the Asian public that the US cannot be trusted, experts say.
Meanwhile, China has called at that meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for the US, UK, and other countries to “be held accountable for the violation of human rights committed by their military in Afghanistan”.
Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng took some time to congratulate Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli after the latter sealed a move to Juventus.
Locatelli was linked to multiple clubs including Arsenal but maintained his preference as Juventus and finally got the move he wanted.
Kelvin Boateng
After hearing the news, Boateng congratulated the former Sassuolo man.
“Happy and very proud of you Manuel Locatelli. Deserved,” he stated on Instagram.
The pair played together in Milan in the early 2010’s. Boateng now plays for German side Hertha Berlin.
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