- 3 years ago
Get the latest scoop on Ghana's Mid-Morning news and stay informed about the latest events and happenings in and around the country covering a wide range of topics, including current affairs, news updates, and other important matters.
#NewsDesk
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news:
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
#NewsDesk
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news:
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Good morning, welcome to Join East Decks.
00:02 We're coming to you live from our studios in Kokomo.
00:04 Coming up this morning, former Chief Justice,
00:07 Sophia Akufu, backs calls for review
00:09 of the 1992 constitution, citing the inability
00:13 of the National Development Planning Commission
00:15 to implement its development plans.
00:18 Also this morning, delegates will decide your fate
00:25 in Dom Consoquency.
00:27 That's the response from the Dom Kwabena Consoquency Chairman
00:32 to Adwoa Safo's apology.
00:33 More as we take a look at the implication
00:36 of this development to the fortunes of the NPP
00:39 in the Consoquency ahead of the 2024 elections.
00:43 Plus family members call on Interior
00:51 and National Security Ministers to commence investigation
00:55 in gruesome murder of three innocent young men,
00:58 Atuna and Nyhari.
01:00 We have details plus business all coming up this morning.
01:12 My name is Aishe Bryant, you stay for details.
01:15 (upbeat music)
01:18 (upbeat music)
01:21 Many thanks for choosing us.
01:39 Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akufu is backing calls
01:42 for the review of the 1992 constitution.
01:45 According to her, the constitution in its current state
01:48 does not give the National Development Planning Commission
01:51 the authority to implement development programs.
01:54 The reason the commission only plays an advisory role
01:57 to the government.
01:58 Speaking at a constitutional review seminar
02:00 organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs
02:03 here in Accra, Sophia Akufu insisted the amendment
02:07 of the 1992 constitution will help institutions
02:10 like the NDPC to foster development.
02:15 - Very substantial changes that we're going to have
02:18 to propose that because they are necessary to be made
02:22 in the constitution concerning the role, the function,
02:26 the working, the processes, and the output of the NDPC.
02:31 You don't set up an institution like the NDPC
02:38 and then you cover it under a bushel
02:42 and its output does not necessarily reflect
02:47 in the nation present and future.
02:53 Planning, you normally plan not for today,
02:55 you plan for the future and you can plan even for 50 years
03:00 and you review as you go on.
03:04 But the whole process has to be properly structured
03:08 so that there's a particular way of making changes
03:12 rather than by way of manifestos.
03:15 - Director General of the National Development Planning
03:22 Commission, Dr. Kojo Isi Amensah-Brampa corroborating
03:26 the stance by the former Chief Justice admitted
03:29 Ghana's underdevelopment can be partly attributed
03:32 to the conflicting statutes in the country.
03:36 - In our study we looked at a lot of our policies
03:39 and you'll be surprised that many of them are competing
03:44 and many of them are not complementary to each other
03:51 and it's not only this year or the last five years.
03:54 Right from independence, that's what we've been doing.
03:57 Sometimes we come up with a new policy
03:59 and even new statutes and the older one is still there.
04:04 And so somebody will quote that to support a case,
04:07 another person will quote a new one and all that
04:10 and it's all around us.
04:12 Our decentralization process is the same.
04:16 What we have in the Local Government Act, the 936,
04:19 you go to the individual sector act,
04:24 they also have different things there.
04:25 So they don't meet.
04:27 The local government say we are decentralizing.
04:29 Education says no, in my act it's not there.
04:32 Health says no, in our act it's not there.
04:35 So how can you decentralize?
04:37 - The delegates will decide.
04:45 That's the verdict of the constituency secretary
04:48 for Dom Kwabena, Theoflo Sansalabi,
04:50 as member of parliament for the area, Sarah Ajuasafo,
04:54 declares her intention to contest the seat
04:57 in the upcoming elections.
04:58 In a video message shared on social media,
05:01 Ajuasafo apologized to the rank and file
05:03 of the new patriotic party for her long absence
05:06 and perceived ineffectiveness as a lawmaker
05:09 in government appointee.
05:11 Accepting the apology, Theoflo Sansalabi said
05:13 her faith will be decided by the delegates.
05:16 More in the following report.
05:19 - Madam Ajuasafo, who had taken a leave of absence in 2021,
05:23 citing personal reasons,
05:25 had her leave extended indefinitely
05:28 beyond August 31, 2021.
05:31 As a result of her extended absence
05:34 and perceived ineffectiveness as both a lawmaker
05:37 and government appointee,
05:39 she was relieved of her role as minister
05:42 for gender, children, and social protection.
05:45 Despite attempts by parliament's privileges committee
05:48 to obtain reasons for her prolonged absence,
05:52 she did not provide any.
05:54 Now the exact reason for this apology remains unclear,
05:58 but she says she's sorry.
06:00 - I wish to prefer my sincere apologies
06:03 to his excellency, the president, Nana Adudanwa Ekufuadu,
06:07 the vice president, Dr. Mahmoud Baoumia,
06:11 the chief of staff, Honorable Frima Osei-Opari,
06:14 the majority leader and the entire leadership of parliament,
06:18 my colleague members of parliament,
06:20 the entire majority caucus,
06:23 the leadership of our great party,
06:25 the national chairman and the general secretary
06:28 together with all your executives,
06:31 the regional executives of Greater Accra,
06:34 the constituency executives of Oluwabunya
06:36 led by Chairman Ho.
06:39 (static)
06:41 That I'm sincerely sorry.
06:46 I apologize for my actions and inactions.
06:49 None of my actions were intentional, deliberate,
06:53 or calculated to bring disrepute to our great party.
06:57 I was going through a lot as a mother and as a woman.
07:00 I want to take this opportunity to ask for your forgiveness
07:05 for anything untoward that I have done
07:08 to bring the name of the party into disrepute.
07:11 As the saying goes, to err is human
07:14 and to forgive is divine.
07:17 I ask for your forgiveness.
07:18 - An apology has already been received with a sharp reaction.
07:24 Her constituency secretary, Chair Claus Anselabi,
07:27 said although her apology has been accepted,
07:31 they are not willing to support her parliamentary bid.
07:33 - She has every right to apologize.
07:35 If she deems within herself
07:38 that she's done something wrong to the constituents
07:41 and that she wants to apologize, that is fine.
07:43 But we say, okay, very good.
07:45 We accept your apology, but I think enough is enough.
07:48 - What do you mean?
07:49 You say enough is enough?
07:50 - We have the men and the women.
07:52 Dominic Obeje's name cannot be mentioned
07:54 in the news for the wrong reasons all the time
07:56 because of just one person.
07:58 And I say here that I am a party leader
08:02 and a delegate,
08:03 and a delegate who takes part in the selection
08:08 of candidates for the constituency.
08:12 - But some constituents have been sharing mixed reactions
08:15 about the apology by Madam Adjua Safu.
08:19 - Safu administration is very poor.
08:23 It's very, very poor.
08:24 When it's voting time, you see her around,
08:28 going up and down with the macho men.
08:30 That's what all of them are up to.
08:32 But not we, the people that represent our need.
08:36 - She's a human being.
08:38 And human beings will offend human beings.
08:40 You understand?
08:41 So if she has done something,
08:42 she has realized that what she has done is wrong,
08:44 and she has come for an apology,
08:47 who are we to say no, we'll forgive her.
08:49 But I don't have anything to say.
08:50 But I do want to have to say,
08:51 if you come, they make every effort to thank everybody.
08:55 We didn't have anything to say to her again.
08:57 Just allow him to do whatever he did.
09:00 - The Dome-Kobinyan constituency is the largest in Ghana,
09:04 with over 850,000 voters.
09:06 A reason happiness here got the attraction.
09:10 At the moment, it is unclear if Sarah Adjua Safu
09:13 will be contesting the next elections.
09:16 All eyes are fixed for the unfolding developments.
09:19 Samuel Mbura, join us.
09:22 Dome-Kobinyan.
09:23 - And back in the studio in Kokumlemle,
09:29 my name is Aishe Bryant.
09:31 I've been joined by political analyst, Dr. Asa Asante.
09:35 He is with the University of Ghana,
09:39 and he's also director of European Studies,
09:42 Center for European Studies at the University of Ghana.
09:45 I'm grateful for your time, Doc.
09:48 Let's have a conversation about the return
09:50 and apology of the Dome-Kobinyan
09:53 member of parliament, Adjua Safu.
09:55 What does her apology, first of all,
09:57 mean to her party, the NPP, and Ghanaians in general?
10:02 - Good morning to you, Aishe,
10:05 and then your viewers and listeners as well.
10:08 I must say that, just to recap what he said,
10:12 to air is human.
10:14 So once you have, he has identified that,
10:19 or he has come to the realization that he has erred,
10:23 and that you want to take the opportunity to apologize
10:26 to her constituents, I think it's in order.
10:29 It's in order.
10:29 But as to whether the party will accept her apology,
10:33 her constituents will accept her,
10:35 again, it's another thing.
10:37 I was, when she was away, I personally felt so strongly
10:43 that the woman had genuine cause,
10:45 and today, she still has a genuine cause,
10:49 and that we support her in prayer and everything.
10:52 But my worry was that you had a genuine problem,
10:57 and that what she needed to do to explain
11:00 to her constituents, her party,
11:03 and she refused to do that.
11:05 What is more is that the party leadership,
11:08 I recall a time, Mr. Seyiti, Mr. Bunzi, and Kodi
11:12 called her, and then the response was not a good thing.
11:15 That was very unfortunate, because remember,
11:19 you are working on behalf of a constituency,
11:22 and you are a member of a party which needs numbers
11:25 to make up their decision in parliament.
11:28 And then when they call you, they don't get any response,
11:31 but in other period, you are seen on social media,
11:35 on toxic talk, and the rest of them.
11:38 That was very unfortunate.
11:40 So I believe that, yes, even though she's apologized,
11:44 as to whether the party will retain her is another thing.
11:48 But I think that she did not do well
11:51 in terms of what I have explained.
11:53 You should have explained,
11:54 and then people will understand that.
11:56 Once you are dealing with family matters,
11:58 everybody will come along, everybody will be on board,
12:01 they will sympathize with you,
12:02 but you leave them like that,
12:04 then the constituency becomes an orphan constituency,
12:08 so to speak.
12:09 And the party also is a business, it's a going concern,
12:13 it's a serious organization
12:14 that need their numbers at all times.
12:17 And you stay away, and then you don't come,
12:20 and only to come up this time,
12:23 surprise everybody that you want to contest,
12:25 that's a difficult one.
12:26 For me, where I sit, I believe strongly
12:28 that even if they accept her apology,
12:30 they are not going to vote for her.
12:32 I can say without fear of contradiction,
12:34 because that was something that, for every constituency,
12:38 you don't do that.
12:39 Share your problems, and once you share your problems,
12:42 people will reason up with you,
12:44 and at the end of the day,
12:46 even if you stayed away for a long time,
12:48 you are coming, you will have a comfortable seat.
12:50 But now, I'm afraid, she's not going to survive.
12:53 - How do you react to people who say
12:57 she may be playing a certain important role,
13:02 or if you like, she's a focal point in the party,
13:06 and probably the party cannot do without her.
13:09 - Why are they saying she's a focal point?
13:11 Is she the only person who can work for the party or what?
13:16 I don't understand that.
13:18 Where are they coming from?
13:19 Nobody, everybody's service can be dispensed of
13:22 at any time, see, that we, the people of this country,
13:26 decide to dispense of that individual service.
13:28 That is our right.
13:29 It doesn't lie in the mouth of anybody,
13:33 or in the bosom of anybody.
13:34 It's a sovereign will of the people.
13:36 We can decide to what, give it to you,
13:39 and the next day, we take it away from you.
13:41 That's it.
13:42 So I'm not sure that,
13:43 and I'm not sure that that's the thinking of the woman, no.
13:46 Otherwise, we are playing God.
13:47 We are saying that we are acting as if we are God,
13:51 and that without us, society cannot survive.
13:56 Nobody is a (speaks in foreign language)
13:58 The Latin has breathed into it,
13:59 not without which not.
14:02 You cannot, nobody can assume that position.
14:05 Remember people have come and gone
14:07 in terms of our division of this state,
14:09 I mean, and they still continue to survive.
14:10 So my sister, (speaks in foreign language)
14:14 can today be put in the field as an MP.
14:19 The next day, people can decide to withdraw their mandate,
14:22 and that's all, and the party will continue,
14:24 and then the state of Ghana will continue,
14:25 and then the Mekwabinyan constituency will still survive.
14:29 So let us not argue along those lines at all.
14:32 - I'm grateful for your time, Dr. Kwame Athathante.
14:36 He is a senior lecturer at the Department of Politics
14:40 at the University of Ghana,
14:41 and also director at the Center of European Studies
14:44 at the University of Ghana.
14:45 Let's get on to other stories.
14:47 Families of three young men who were alleged
14:50 to have been apprehended,
14:52 and later gruesomely murdered
14:54 by personnel of the Police Intelligence Directorate
14:56 have appealed to the Interior
14:58 and National Security Ministers
15:00 to commence investigation into,
15:02 to unravel the mystery surrounding
15:05 the death of the young men.
15:07 The trio, Jimma Kocho, 28, his sibling, Hadi Salif, 24,
15:12 and Abudu Habib, who's 30, were apprehended at their homes
15:17 during the wee hours on December 1, 2022
15:20 by gun-wielding men at Tuna and Nahiri
15:24 in the Savannah region.
15:26 Spokesperson for the families,
15:28 Detective Chief Inspector Adam Yahayar retired,
15:31 says that perpetrators must be brought to face justice.
15:35 Join me as Rafiq Salam traveled to Tuna,
15:38 where two of the deceased were buried,
15:40 and has filed this report.
15:41 - Tuna and Nahiri are mourning.
15:46 The two communities are a few kilometers away
15:48 from each other.
15:50 They're both located in the solar Tuna Calvert District
15:54 of the Savannah region.
15:56 The people are grieving over the loss of three young men
16:00 who are between the ages of 24 and 30,
16:04 and were allegedly gruesomely murdered
16:06 by armed and wounded personnel
16:09 from the Police Intelligence Directorate
16:11 of the Ghana Police Service almost 10 months ago.
16:15 The grief echoes the whole Tuna community.
16:18 The loss is profound,
16:21 and one generation of a family is wiped out.
16:24 - But if somebody is arrested,
16:27 to be a criminal,
16:28 he has to follow the due process.
16:32 Maybe go to a police station,
16:34 go to court,
16:36 and the court will see to pass judgment.
16:38 If he will be imprisoned, he will be imprisoned.
16:41 But to go and kill him,
16:43 now that we are sitting,
16:44 we don't know why they were killed.
16:46 When they went to deposit them at the police motorcycle,
16:49 they recorded in the mortuary book as unidentified suspects.
16:54 Unidentified means you don't know their identity,
16:57 you don't know their names.
16:59 Somebody you claim has confessed to a crime,
17:01 you don't know their name.
17:02 Is it possible?
17:03 - The incident occurred during the wee hours of the morning
17:06 when the three of them,
17:08 Jimakotsu, 28,
17:10 his sibling, Hadi Salifu, 24,
17:14 and Abudu Abibu, 30,
17:17 were apprehended at their homes
17:19 and later allegedly shot dead
17:22 by plainclothes PID personnel.
17:24 - This is actually the house of Jimakotsu,
17:28 who was lying here on the day of the night
17:31 with his pregnant wife.
17:33 And so when the personnel came around,
17:36 they tried to open the door,
17:38 and the door was not opening.
17:40 So they forced to open it,
17:42 went inside the house,
17:44 just hand-picked him,
17:46 brought him out.
17:47 - Detective Chief Inspector Adam Zahiretat
17:51 is a direct uncle to Jimakotsu and Hadi Salifu,
17:55 and he speaks for the family.
17:58 - For about three, four days,
17:59 we are not getting any information.
18:01 Then due to the report of the Nklige FM,
18:04 the youth were becoming agitated.
18:07 So, upon intelligence,
18:09 the regional police commander came to Tona
18:11 on the 9th of December
18:13 and met the chiefs and the people in the palace
18:15 and assured them that Jimakotsu, Hadi,
18:19 and all the people arrested
18:20 are in safe hands in Accra.
18:22 - After several days of not having any information
18:26 about their whereabouts,
18:27 he led some members of the family
18:30 to the PID headquarters in Accra,
18:33 but to no avail.
18:35 They then chose to pursue the matter
18:37 at the law court,
18:39 who the police taken out
18:41 and later held a meeting to address their concern.
18:44 - It was there and then,
18:46 who knew informers,
18:47 that they never knew that
18:49 we were in search of those three people.
18:53 And that is why they didn't respond
18:55 until they got the suit
18:57 before they got to know that
18:58 it is those people they arrested
19:00 and killed in Soladaf we're looking for.
19:02 Shockingly, he told us that
19:05 that day in question,
19:06 (indistinct)
19:08 that the PID on their return to Accra
19:11 went with seven dead bodies.
19:14 Seven dead bodies from Savannah region.
19:17 So if you are ready,
19:18 they've made arrangements at the police mortuary,
19:21 we should go there and identify
19:23 whether the three people we are looking for
19:25 are among the seven dead bodies.
19:27 How?
19:28 - Their morbid curiosity was satisfied in the end,
19:32 but on the altar of the faces,
19:35 they struggled to identify.
19:37 - When I went to explain them
19:38 in April at the mortuary,
19:42 I couldn't even identify them
19:44 because all their faces were covered with blood.
19:48 So I have to ask one of the mortuary men to,
19:50 but I was suspecting,
19:52 I was finding it difficult to identify him
19:55 because the whole face was off.
19:57 - The bodies of the three young men
19:59 were finally released to their families for burial.
20:03 - And so their family at the moment,
20:05 they are grieving.
20:06 And then also you can see that the situation here
20:10 is not all that the best,
20:12 it's of a somber mood,
20:14 lot of tear eyes and seated,
20:17 straight or in front of head or the mother
20:21 of two of the personalities that we are talking about.
20:24 (speaking in foreign language)
20:27 - The only children I have on earth
20:28 and they have been killed.
20:30 I would like to appeal to the government
20:32 to punish all those that are part of this dastardly act
20:35 so that it won't repeat itself again.
20:37 (speaking in foreign language)
20:40 - The families of Jim Akotho and Hadi Salifu
20:43 have already labeled 1st of December, 2022
20:47 as Black Tuesday.
20:48 And they want nothing but justice for these people
20:52 who were allegedly shot dead.
20:54 - Those who came for the operation
20:56 or all those who chancing the operation,
20:58 I'm appealing to the minister of interior,
21:03 Ambrose Dere,
21:05 appealing to the minister of national security,
21:07 I'm appealing to the commissioner for human rights
21:12 to come in, get these people investigated
21:15 and put them, and bring them to book
21:18 to serve as a deterrent.
21:20 - The trio left behind three wives and nine children.
21:24 - Reporting for JNews, Rafik Salam, Tuna.
21:28 - In the Ashanti region,
21:33 students of the Kwame Nkrumah University
21:35 of Science and Technology
21:37 will have opportunity to graduate
21:39 with a driver's license
21:40 to boost their chances of job acquisition.
21:43 A partnership between the university and the DVLA
21:47 will enhance operational standards
21:49 and equip road users
21:50 with essential driving skills and knowledge.
21:53 (speaking in foreign language)
21:56 - The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority
21:59 is presently undergoing transformation
22:02 to meet modern transport operations
22:04 through its partnership with the KNUST
22:07 and innovation hub will be established
22:10 to research transportation systems
22:12 to inform public policy.
22:14 The collaboration will include training of drivers
22:17 and capacity building of DVLA staff
22:20 to uphold standards in its practice.
22:23 Head of research, business development
22:26 and innovation at DVLA, Abraham Zatu,
22:29 explains the terms of the partnership.
22:31 - We, over the years, have changed the definition
22:35 of a driving license
22:37 to one that includes capacity building.
22:40 Driving is a science
22:42 and so we think that it's important
22:44 to collaborate with universities
22:48 to ensure that the science is developed properly.
22:52 The training behind driving
22:55 is undertaken in ways that respond
22:59 to the future of driving.
23:01 - The partnership, when fully operational,
23:03 will include training of students in driving.
23:06 The DVLA is seeking to take its processes
23:09 to the university to grant students the opportunity
23:12 to acquire a driver's license.
23:15 - Students go through the driver licensing process
23:18 under their own choosing
23:22 so they understand the academic curriculum,
23:24 they understand the schedules that they have
23:27 so they can go onto the system
23:29 and schedule themselves for the process
23:32 so that convenience is provided for,
23:35 time is provided for,
23:37 not compromising the integrity of the process.
23:40 And so that is why we are here today at KNUSD.
23:43 - Meanwhile, the KNUSD has allocated an office space
23:49 to host the project.
23:50 University Relations Officer, Dr. Norris Bequim,
23:54 says the partnership is in line
23:56 with the university's mandate.
23:58 - We thrive as a university on constructive partnership
24:02 and the Vice Chancellor makes it clear every time.
24:05 And we are who we are, the number one
24:08 in terms of quality education globally
24:10 because of this constructive partnership that we have.
24:13 And we have over 150 accounting partnerships
24:18 and this is going to be one of the best,
24:20 having a regional center of excellence
24:23 that will train drivers.
24:27 - For Joy News, Nanaia Ojima reporting.
24:30 - The Center for Indigenous Knowledge
24:35 and Organizational Development says that there is the need
24:39 to actually craft a sustainable local seed system
24:44 that will ensure that high quality seeds
24:46 of a wide range of crop varieties are available
24:50 in time to women farmers and other stakeholders
24:54 for this, and for this reason,
24:58 it held a workshop for women farmers.
25:00 The purpose of the workshop was to create an opportunity
25:05 for women to share their experiences
25:07 on local seed development initiatives,
25:10 as well as discuss strategies for developing
25:14 and strengthening local seed systems in Ghana
25:17 to help empower them economically.
25:20 And as Savit Hasmo.
25:23 Since the year 2019, the Center for Indigenous Knowledge
25:27 and Organizational Development, SECO,
25:29 together with PFAC have been facilitating the strengthening
25:32 of the Ghana agroecology movement as a CSOs led platform
25:36 that is championing agroecology issues in Ghana.
25:40 The center has for the past decade promoted
25:43 and supported smallholder farmers in Ghana to manage,
25:47 multiply, store, and exchange their local
25:50 and indigenous seeds, mainly using their own
25:53 intergenerational knowledge, experiences, and skills.
25:57 SECO has therefore held a workshop for women farmer groups
26:01 in the transition zone to educate them
26:03 on a craft sustainable local seed system
26:05 that will ensure the availability of crop varieties
26:08 to farmers in the area.
26:10 Wilberforce Lathi is the head of programs
26:13 for the southern sector at SECO.
26:15 - Seed is becoming very important.
26:17 With the passage of the Plant Variety and Protection Bill,
26:22 we want to ensure that our local seeds are preserved.
26:25 So the purpose of this meeting, among other things,
26:29 was also to discuss the seed issue.
26:32 They shared various examples about how they are keeping
26:36 and preserving seeds.
26:38 We had the opportunity to visit the Abofab group
26:41 and see what they are doing with seeds.
26:44 So this is just a follow-up to the meetings
26:47 that we've been having,
26:48 from pest management to weed management.
26:52 And then now today we have dedicated
26:56 or focused the meeting on seeds.
26:59 - He says the move would also go a long way
27:01 to preserve the culture of the people,
27:03 as well as save these farmers' monies spent
27:06 in the purchase of seeds during planting seasons.
27:10 - You know, seed is not just for planting.
27:13 It's also about our culture.
27:15 To be able to maintain their culture
27:17 through that, in addition to maintaining their culture,
27:20 they will also be able to save costs.
27:23 Because now if you want to buy seeds, it's not cheap.
27:26 So I don't see why a farmer should go to a seed company
27:32 to buy tomatoes, okra, and other vegetables.
27:36 And I think that investing in meetings like this
27:41 to help them preserve their local seeds
27:46 will save them a lot of costs.
27:48 - Some of these participating women drawn
27:50 from different women farmer groups
27:52 from the Bunu and Bunu East regions
27:54 expressed gratitude to the organizers of the workshop
27:56 for the knowledge shared.
27:58 President of the Bwafwoyena Women's Farmer Group,
28:01 Grace Afas, says the preservation of these indigenous seeds
28:05 will ensure that these seeds
28:06 will not be totally out of the system.
28:09 - We went to the seed bank
28:12 and I saw a lot of indigenous seeds.
28:17 I think it is a lovable idea to keep them for future
28:22 so that the younger generation will come,
28:25 or future generation will come and see the type of food
28:29 which is so nutritious to our bodies,
28:32 which we are living or letting it go just like that.
28:36 It's a wake-up call for our group.
28:41 - She adds that the indigenous seeds
28:43 are much healthier for consumption
28:45 as compared to the imported seeds
28:47 and urged farmers to revisit the local seeds
28:50 for healthier lifestyles.
28:52 - Anything that is not natural
28:54 also entails a lot of ill health substances.
28:59 So keeping our own
29:02 culturally-breeded seed,
29:09 I think that one is helpful
29:11 because our system is used to it.
29:14 We have been taking it
29:15 and it doesn't cause any harm to our health.
29:18 - Anna Sabit, Joy News, Forukrum.
29:22 - Residents of Kumasi have been cautioned
29:31 to stay away from flood-prone areas
29:33 following the death of a five-year-old girl
29:36 who was swept away by floodwaters.
29:38 Tuesday's downpour flooded many areas in Kumasi,
29:42 including Moshi Zongo,
29:43 where the overflow of a bridge
29:45 led to the drowning of the girl
29:47 while returning from school.
29:49 The public has been cautioned to avoid flood-prone areas
29:53 as more rains are expected in the coming days.
29:56 Nanaabuachi Yadom, Hasmo.
29:59 - At least eight people have died in floods
30:02 in the Ashanti region this year.
30:04 The latest is the five-year-old girl
30:06 who drowned while returning from school.
30:09 According to sources,
30:10 the girl was swept away by the rapid running water
30:14 in an attempt to cross a broken bridge at Moshi Zongo.
30:17 Residents mounted a search only to find her body miles away.
30:22 Senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Office in Kumasi,
30:27 Kwame Oforui-Ajeman,
30:29 has cautioned the public to stay away from flood-prone areas
30:33 when there is a downpour.
30:35 - Like that incident that happened at Moshi Zongo,
30:37 you know, there was this big car
30:39 and should I say a car that came into the bridge.
30:42 Basically, this five-year-old decided to cross
30:45 and then the car went away.
30:46 One thing I would advise the public is
30:48 that they should stay away from flood-prone areas
30:51 when it comes to the issue of giving up
30:54 time-loss transfer areas.
30:55 And then also, especially the kids,
30:57 sensitization should also be a rule.
31:00 And this is especially with the teachers.
31:02 I'm not concerned with the kids
31:04 because they are actually the very mommy.
31:06 And then also that there should be a rule
31:09 of, let me say, information from the teachers.
31:14 When a small child is being parented,
31:16 when the world is progressing,
31:18 when the world is changing,
31:19 the teachers should also be the parenting.
31:21 So when there is a rule,
31:23 and when there is rain,
31:25 teachers should actually take the personal measures
31:28 for the very little kids.
31:30 - The Environmental Protection Agency
31:33 has also been asked to keep an eye on persons
31:36 who put up structures at waterways,
31:38 describing it as a threat.
31:40 - Any waterways which are first built
31:42 will be ran in the sector.
31:44 I mean, our teams, our communication,
31:46 our stakeholders, let me say,
31:49 the institution responsible for the power
31:50 and country climate should also take their work,
31:53 let me say, take their work seriously.
31:54 EPA, all these institutions will come to bear
31:57 and if there's any burden of any site
32:00 or any infrastructure at certain areas.
32:03 So if you continue to build at waterways,
32:06 then maybe we will come back to square one,
32:09 saying the same thing about flooding.
32:10 So all these petty, petty, minor, minor,
32:14 huge policies should play a role
32:17 when it comes to dealing with this issue of flooding
32:19 and it means because definitely every year,
32:21 we were experiencing, that one is a fact,
32:23 we have been major and minor, we were experiencing.
32:26 - The public has also been cautioned
32:28 against seeking refuge under trees while it rains.
32:32 For JOY News, Nana Bwachi, Dankwa Yadom, Kumasi.
32:36 - The AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia,
32:41 known as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia,
32:45 citing funding challenges as one of the major reasons
32:48 it has decided to do a gradual withdrawal
32:51 of troops from the East African country.
32:54 With a successful drawdown of 2,000 troops in July
32:58 with six forward operating bases
33:00 handed over to the Somali security forces,
33:04 the AU has agreed with the Somali government
33:06 to pull out another 3,000 troops by the end of September
33:11 with a mission expected to end by December 2024.
33:14 Force commander for the African Union Transition Mission
33:18 in Somalia, Lieutenant General Sam Okeding,
33:21 says the terror threat posed by Al-Shabaab
33:24 is not limited to Somalia,
33:26 but extends to West African countries, including Ghana.
33:29 Maxwell Agbagba of our security desk has more.
33:33 - Formerly known as the African Union Mission
33:41 in Somalia, AMISOM,
33:43 but now the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia,
33:47 ATBIS, has supported the country's government
33:50 in the fight against Al-Shabaab for the past 15 years.
33:54 The AU wants to gradually reduce the number of troops
33:57 until December 2024,
34:00 when the mission ends and full security duties
34:03 handed over to the National Army of Somalia.
34:06 ATBIS, in partnership with the United Nations
34:09 Support Office in Somalia
34:11 and the federal government of Somalia in July,
34:13 concluded the successful drawdown of 2,000 troops,
34:17 six forward operating bases
34:19 were handed over to the Somali security forces.
34:23 The AU has agreed with the Somali government
34:25 to pull out another 3,000 troops by the end of September,
34:29 but false commander of ATBIS, Lieutenant General Sam Okidin,
34:33 has revealed funding challenges
34:35 as one of the major reasons for the decision
34:38 to reduce the number of troops
34:40 until the mission ends in 2024.
34:43 - ATBIS is limping in terms of finances.
34:47 And one of the reasons why this drawdown was drafted,
34:54 it was because of the funding fatigue.
34:57 Those who are funding said,
35:01 we can no longer shoulder this.
35:03 We can't manage.
35:06 But as we speak now,
35:09 there are voids in funding.
35:12 And that's one of the major reasons
35:15 ATBIS is exiting by 2024 come December.
35:19 - He's recommending that individual countries
35:22 and members of the African Union
35:24 take up the cost of keeping the troops in Somalia.
35:27 - The suburban needs to sit down
35:29 and revisit this issue of the funding.
35:37 And the African countries need to sit down and revisit.
35:44 I can give you an example.
35:50 The African states can decide to send their troops here
35:55 on their costs.
35:57 It is not difficult, it is possible.
36:02 Africa can say, okay,
36:11 one year or six month rotational basis in Somalia.
36:16 But each country taking care of their troops.
36:21 We shall not need the European Union,
36:23 we shall not need the UN,
36:24 we shall not need anybody.
36:26 I'm giving you as an example.
36:30 - He says the threats posed by terrorist group Al-Shabaab
36:33 is not limited to Somalia and its neighbors,
36:36 but West African countries, including Ghana and the world.
36:40 - Now there is Al-Shabaab threats.
36:42 It was in Yemen, how far is Yemen from Uganda?
36:47 For example, Mozambique.
36:49 They were in Syria, now they are in Mozambique.
36:55 They are in Sahel region,
36:58 and they are here in Mogadishu.
36:59 So there is nobody who is safe.
37:03 Mozambique is in Southern Africa.
37:04 Nobody is safe in this era of terrorism.
37:14 The era of terrorism.
37:17 West Africa, definitely the effects is there,
37:22 the threats are real,
37:23 and the indicators are already showing.
37:28 The connection in the Sahel region,
37:34 and Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, is real.
37:38 All those who were captured, there is evidence to that.
37:42 What about West Africa here?
37:45 West Africa is not safe.
37:48 It is not a safe haven, no.
37:49 - We're still live on JOY News Desk.
37:58 Let's take a break, and we'll return,
38:00 we'll bring you Business.
38:01 - Hello, good morning, welcome to the Business segment
38:09 on JOY News Desk, with me Pius Kujubaka.
38:11 In line with government's vision
38:13 to build a strong industrial support infrastructure
38:15 for export and job creation,
38:17 Big 4 Short Events, under the auspices
38:19 of the Ministry of Energy,
38:20 is set to organize the Power Energy Ghana exhibition
38:23 in Accra, where there's more in this report.
38:25 - The Power and Energy Expo will bring together
38:29 stakeholders in the power and energy value chain
38:33 in the West African region in Ghana,
38:35 hosting close to 100 exhibitors.
38:39 Project director for the exhibition,
38:41 Thomas James, said, "The power and energy sectors
38:45 "contribute significantly towards income generation
38:49 "of the country through electricity exports,
38:52 "hence the need for more opportunities to grow the sector."
38:56 - This is an exhibition wherein exhibiting,
38:59 promotion, as well as dialogues and learnings,
39:01 and negotiations in a different space.
39:03 Investment negotiations as well as business negotiations,
39:07 both are possible, and avenues there.
39:09 So we welcome people who are looking forward
39:11 with a broader mindset to come forward
39:13 and be part of the exhibition and explore
39:15 different and varieties of opportunities
39:17 that are available.
39:18 Explore it.
39:19 It's an opportunity that this country has.
39:22 And it's the emerging one in the West African zone.
39:24 So wherever the emerging countries contribute,
39:27 there is opportunities for different spheres.
39:28 Not just in one limited sector.
39:30 The opportunities are there in the food and beverage sector,
39:32 similar to the power and electrical sector,
39:33 energy sector, renewable energy,
39:35 similarly in the building and construction
39:36 infrastructure sector.
39:38 So this is one of the major aspects
39:40 that is required for the value addition in the economy.
39:42 - On his part, President of the Ghana Union
39:45 of Traders Association, Joseph Obeng,
39:48 called for private-public partnerships
39:50 that will bring together manufacturers
39:53 to help achieve government's export substitution agenda.
39:57 - You know, government have been talking about
40:00 import substitution, where we are thinking that very soon,
40:05 most of the products that we import
40:08 is going to be substituted by local production.
40:12 Means, therefore, we have to start taking advantage
40:15 of these spheres to meet up with the manufacturers,
40:19 where we can partner with them to achieve this goal.
40:23 So it is very important, this is how the direction should be,
40:27 that most of these spheres, we are also able to talk through
40:32 how we can migrate from trading to manufacturing
40:35 so that we can substitute these imports
40:38 that we are talking about.
40:40 - The International Exhibition of Power Energy
40:42 Electrical Sector will take place
40:44 from the 11th to the 13th of October, 2023, here in Ghana.
40:49 - Country representative of United Nations Population Fund
40:54 has made an appeal to the public
40:56 to patronize locally produced products to boost the economy.
40:59 Speaking on the sidelines of the Fashion Expressions Project,
41:02 Dr. Wilfred Ochan indicated that patronizing clothes
41:06 designed and made by Ghanaians will go a long way
41:09 to support small and medium enterprises
41:11 in the fashion industry.
41:12 - International Needs Ghana, in partnership with UNFPA,
41:17 the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency,
41:21 and the Prada Group, a reputable player
41:24 in the fashion industry,
41:25 implemented the Fashion Expressions Project.
41:28 The project is a unique fashion training program
41:31 that seeks to advance and mentor
41:33 aspiring fashion professionals,
41:35 as well as equip them with the necessary tools.
41:38 Here is country representative
41:39 of United Nations Population Fund, Dr. Wilfred Ochan.
41:44 - In this meeting, we've been able to bring
41:46 the vast group of stakeholders.
41:48 If you've seen, we have brought people
41:49 from the private sector,
41:51 especially the fashion industry.
41:53 We have brought development partners
41:54 from the embassies, from the UN system.
41:57 We have brought also the government and the public sector,
42:00 those who consume, maybe produce uniforms
42:03 and other large products.
42:05 Our intention is that all this group of people
42:08 will find a meaning and a space for their contribution
42:11 to continue with this program.
42:12 I can already say that one of the partners,
42:14 the private sector, has said we want to sponsor
42:16 the next cohort of young people of this.
42:18 Just here at this meeting,
42:20 and we hope to continue reaching out to more partners
42:22 to be able to sponsor this.
42:24 But we also appeal to those who produce uniforms
42:27 to give an affirmative action,
42:29 give orders for the making of their uniforms
42:32 to these young people,
42:32 so that they get the initial capital
42:34 to set them up for the market
42:36 at the bear lab for competition.
42:38 - International Needs Ghana organized a fashion show
42:41 to climax a one-year intensive training
42:44 in fashion for 18 women.
42:46 Executive Director of International Needs Ghana,
42:48 Cromwell Awade, is optimistic the beneficiaries
42:52 would make good livelihood with their skills.
42:54 - We had 18 wonderful ladies
42:58 whose lives have been transformed through this project.
43:02 One year of training, six months theoretical
43:07 in Adidume, where our center is,
43:10 and then another six months with fashion brands
43:15 and fashion homes here in Accra and then Tema.
43:19 And we've seen young women, vulnerable,
43:22 who were brought from all kinds of places
43:25 in the northern part of the country,
43:27 in the central region, in the Volta region,
43:29 in greater Accra, whose lives have been transformed
43:32 through the training, who have been empowered
43:35 through all forms of education,
43:38 including reproductive health and reproductive rights.
43:41 - Here are some beneficiaries.
43:43 - The fact that there's this initiative
43:45 that trains women to be employable is great.
43:49 So I was more than happy to be a part of it,
43:51 to do my bit in making sure that at least
43:54 we have a small percentage of women
43:56 who can now have a trade, go on, do great things,
43:59 train other people on their own,
44:01 and employ people down the line.
44:03 - I'm very excited because it has given me the chance
44:07 to become the fashion designer I want to become.
44:09 I have learned fashion in one year,
44:11 and today I am on my way to becoming a fashion designer.
44:15 - The Fashion Expressions Project,
44:17 which is being piloted in Ghana and Kenya,
44:19 aims to leverage the socioeconomic power of fashion
44:22 as a vehicle to promote women's empowerment.
44:26 - And that's all for business, more after this break.
44:31 (dramatic music)
44:34 - Welcome back to "Joining Is Death".
44:38 Before we go, the National Democratic Congress
44:40 in the Northern region has called
44:42 on the office of the Vice President
44:45 to immediately sanction an inquiry
44:47 into the auction of medical equipment
44:50 meant for the Tamale Teaching Hospital
44:53 and other hospitals in the Northern region.
44:55 According to the NDC,
44:57 the over $400,000 worth of equipment,
45:00 which includes incubators, dialysis machines,
45:03 among others, which were shipped into the country in 2022,
45:07 were auctioned after efforts to get stakeholders,
45:11 including the Vice President, to help clear their equipment.
45:15 - The Zool Simlina Dr. Ifebele is a development chief
45:20 from the city of Louisville,
45:22 which has a sister city relationship
45:25 with the Tamale metropolis.
45:27 As part of her development agenda,
45:30 she has shipped medical equipments in 2022
45:33 to help hospitals in the Northern region,
45:36 but efforts to clear the equipment proved futile
45:39 until the auction in June this year, 2023.
45:43 Addressing a press conference in Tamale,
45:46 the Northern regional secretary of the NDC,
45:48 Mohamed Salam, said the Vice President and his team
45:52 had assured the donors of the equipment
45:54 that the Zool Simlina offered tax waiver.
45:58 - These publications revealed that the medical supplies
46:02 valued over $400,000,
46:05 which were shipped from the United States of America
46:08 with the intention of aiding hospitals
46:11 in the Northern region,
46:12 particularly the Tamale Teaching Hospital,
46:15 Central Hospital, and the West Hospital.
46:18 And other health centers were unlawfully auctioned
46:22 by the Tamaport authorities.
46:24 These medical items, including oxygen tanks,
46:29 dialysis machines, and incubators,
46:32 were intended to enhance healthcare services
46:35 in the Northern region.
46:37 It is worth noting that these medical supplies
46:41 left the United States in July, 2022,
46:44 and arrived in Ghana on September, 2022.
46:49 On September 22nd, 2022.
46:52 However, they were auctioned in June, 2023.
46:57 To expedite clearance of these items
47:02 from the Tamaport for donation to hospitals,
47:05 Chief Zool Simlina Palace engaged key stakeholders
47:09 from the Northern region,
47:11 including the Vice President, Dr. Mahmoud Boumia,
47:14 Northern regional minister, Shani Alassane Saeboude,
47:17 Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tamale Sule Selifu,
47:21 and Executive from the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
47:24 The NDC Northern region's own investigations revealed that
47:28 the Northern regional minister
47:31 and the Vice President's office
47:33 assured the donors of successfully securing a tax waiver
47:37 for the medical supplies.
47:38 - He urged the Vice President to clear his name
47:41 if indeed his innocence of the accusation
47:44 are leveled against him.
47:46 (camera shutters)
47:48 - Therefore, it is disheartening
47:51 to learn that these items were never cleared.
47:54 Despite these extensive efforts and consultations,
47:58 medical supplies worth over 400,000
48:01 have been illegally auctioned by the Tamaport authorities,
48:04 depriving the people of Tamale, Dagbang,
48:06 and the Northern region
48:08 of potentially life-saving donations
48:10 for our struggling healthcare facilities.
48:12 In light of this distressing development,
48:16 we, the executives of the NDC Northern region,
48:19 find it imperative to address you, the media,
48:22 thereby inviting you to take keen interest
48:26 in pursuing this matter to its logical conclusion.
48:29 Given the dire state of our healthcare facilities
48:33 in the Northern region,
48:35 it is exceedingly regrettable
48:37 that Chief Zosimlinas and partners' generous gesture
48:41 to support these hospitals has been squandered.
48:44 We call for a thorough investigation
48:46 by law enforcement agencies
48:48 into this medical supplies container auction case.
48:52 Such recurring misconduct at the Tamaport
48:55 should not be tolerated,
48:56 as it may deter future donors
48:59 from contributing medical supplies
49:01 to underserved hospitals nationwide.
49:04 Furthermore, it is a source of great disappointment to us
49:10 that our fellow Northerner,
49:12 Vice President Dr. Mahmoud Boumia,
49:15 did not utilize his authority adequately
49:17 to facilitate and expedite the clearance of the container
49:21 for the Northern region.
49:22 - And as I wrap up this morning,
49:28 for more news, log on to myzoneline.com
49:31 for all the developing stories.
49:33 My name is Aishah O'Brien, see you again at 12.
49:36 (upbeat music)
49:39 (upbeat music)
49:42 (upbeat music)
49:45 (upbeat music)
49:56 (upbeat music)
49:58 (upbeat music)
50:01 (upbeat music)
Comments