Isaac Amoah
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Mammoth Crowd Besiege MTN Stands in Worship Concert in Kumasi
Source: tntnewspapergh.com
The Golden Bean Hotel’s Dome in Kumasi,the Ashanti regional capital became a stand still on Sunday,31st March,2024, night as hundreds of residents join MTN officials and famous Gospel artists for the Company’s programme dubbed”MTNStands in Worship Concert”.
The MTN Ghana’s annual event, assembled top gospel singers like;Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Kofi Sarpong, Brother Sammy, popularly called “the Nation’s Worshipper”,Kwaku Gyasi and the flamboyant Obaapa Christie,who treated the audience to inspiring worship tunes and music on the day the World observed Jesus Christ’s resurrection day.
Apostle Dr Nana Sarpong, Leader of a Kumasi- Based Church in a word of exhortation heaped praises on MTN Ghana for organising such concerts during Christmas and Easter seasons.
According to him,these events are serving as heritage for Christians and called on them to support and patronise initiatives by MTN Ghana.
Apostle Sarpong, seized the opportunity to advice Ghanaians on the upcoming general election slated for 7th December,2024 to contribute their quota to ensure incident-free.
He,urged Ghanaians, especially the youth to be cautious about how they conduct themselves in seeking to promote their preferred political parties,and candidates as well as ideas they may be proposing.
“We will be going to the polls on December 7 to choose a President and 275 Members of Parliament (MPs) to form the next government and I wish to caution all of you to be careful about your behaviour and utterances so that we do not endanger the peace we are enjoying as a people”,
A number of participants shared their experience with the media after the event
They, commended MTN Ghana for continuously bringing joy to the people of Kumasi ,for that matter Ashanti region with these concerts.
Passport application fees hiked; Expedited service now at ¢800, standard service at ¢644
Source: Abubakar Ibrahim
Starting today, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has adjusted the fees for passport applications, raising them from GH¢100 to ¢500 for the 32-page booklet and to ¢644 for the 48-page booklet under the standard service.
For those who want expedited service, they will pay ¢700 for a 32-page booklet and ¢800 for a 48-page booklet.
In December last year, the sector Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey proposed to Praliament’s Committee on Subsidiary Legislation the need to review the fees to enable the ministry to curb losses in the printing of passport booklets.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “It is time for Ghanaians to pay realistic prices for passports they acquire to travel beginning next year.
According to her, due to the financial constraints prevailing in the economy, it had come to a point where it was no longer “sustainable” for the state to continue to subsidise passports.
“Ghanaians pay just about GH¢100 for a passport yet to produce one passport booklet it costs GH¢400 which means that for every passport that an applicant acquires, the government has to put in GH¢300 and this is not sustainable,” she said.
No objection in Parliament
A source within the leadership of the Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee who confirmed the increase to Joy News said his committee worked on the Regulation when it was laid.
He explained that being a Regulation and not a Bill, it became law after 21 days when no objections were raised.
Passport application charges in other West African countries
According to the Committee on Foreign Affairs report on the 2024 budget estimates of the ministry, Ghana’s passport fees stand at $7.7, marking the lowest rate in the West African sub-region.
A comparison reveals that Cameroon charges $180, Guinea $57, Guinea-Bissau $65, Burkina Faso $80, and Nigeria $54.29 for passport services.
Big scramble for John Kumah’s replacement … as 10 NPP members express interest in Ejisu by-election
Ten(10) members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, comprising three women, are eyeing the vacant Ejisu Constituency seat.
In other words, they have declared their intentions to contest the parliamentary primary election slated for April 13, 2024.
The Ejisu Constituency seat became vacant after the demise of the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Dr John Ampontuah Kumah. Dr Kumah died at the age of 45 after a short illness.
A former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, is among the nine aspirants. He was spotted at the Ashanti Region campaign launch of the ruling party, and he made his intention clear in an interview with a section of the media.
A four-time contender, Abena Pokuaa Boaitey, popularly known as ‘Ejisu Bronii’, is staging her fifth comeback.
Wife of Bono Region Chairman of the NPP, Portia Acheampong Abronye, has made her intention known, as well as the current Presiding Member of the Ejisu Municipal Assembly, Helena Mensah and Bright Gyimah.
The former Presiding Member of Ejisu Municipal Assembly, Michael Owusu, has expressed an interest too.
The current Constituency Chairman, Kofi Agyapong, is also expected to battle it out with his Second Vice, Kwabena Boateng, as both executive members have expressed their interests in the race.
Finally, a lecturer at the Akenten Appiah Menkah University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Dr Evans Duah, has his eyes on the ball.
Whoever emerges as winner on the side of the NPP after April 13 is likely to face competition from three-time Ejisu MP, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi. A deep throat source has indicated his comeback, albeit not on the ticket of the ruling party.
The former Roads Minister took over from Akwasi Osei-Adjei (former Foreign Affairs Minister) in the run-up to the 2008 elections after the latter lost the parliamentary primary.
Mr Aduomi also lost his fourth bid to the late Dr Kumah in 2020.
In November 2023, the former lawmaker described the leader for the Movement For Change (MFC), Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, as “a good politician with a legal and economic background.” His public endorsement during an MFC event at Ejisu has further deepened speculations that he has defected from the ruling party.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) already has a candidate in the person of Jerryne Asante. However, it is not certain the party will contest the Ejisu by-election.
An insider, who disclosed this on condition of anonymity, said, “We have advised that we pull out and prepare well for the December general election.”The NPP has held the Ejisu seat since 1996.Source: Adwenpa-Hene
Jirapa MP drills 17 boreholes to help constituents access water
By:A news Desk Report
Residents of Jirapa, Nyenvaare,and other 15 communities in the Jirapa constituency in the Upper West Region can now breathe a sigh of relief as their water source has been improved.
The seventeen(17) communities can now boast of sufficient potable water after the Member of Parliament(MP) for the area,Hon Cletus Seidu Dapilah drilled 17 separate boreholes to provide good drinking water for the residents.
Cletus Seidu Dapilah in a group photographic with some community Members
Previously, the residents had to queue for long hours to get water from the only existing boreholes in the communities or walk long distances to get water from unwholesome sources due to the pressure on the existing boreholes.
Drinking water from unwholesome sources posed health threats to the residents and their children,therefore, the residents were very grateful to the MP for providing them with the boreholes to supplement the existing ones.
Hon.Cletus Seidu Dapilah
Mr. Cletus Seidu Dapilah commissioning the 17 boreholes in the company of some constituency executives of the NDC were happy to see the project done.
He noted the significance of making clean water available to the residents and mentioned that additional boreholes will be drilled in the future.
He revealed that he drilled the 17 boreholes with his portion of the Common Fund.
Mr. Cletus Seidu Dapilah assured the residents that he will continue to work in their best interests.
In an official ceremony to hand over the water project,he was commended by residents of Nyenvaare community for furnishing them with portable drinking water.
The entire Nyenvaare community , alongside other communities who benefited from the water project extended their heartfelt gratitude for his dedication and commitment to improving the lives of the people in the Constituency.
According to them,the drilling of the mechanized borehole for the communities would have a significant impact on the communities ,providing them with access to clean and safe drinking water.
They revealed that,his leadership and support in the project and many others in the Constituency have not gone unnoticed, and they are truly grateful for his tireless efforts in making this initiative a reality.
“The borehole will not only benefit us now but also for generations to come.
They however grateful for his unwavering dedication to serving the needs of the community and for making a positive difference in their lives.
2024 General Election: NPP will not hand over power to NDC – Bryan Acheampong
Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi Constituency, has reiterated his stance from 2023, asserting that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not hand over power to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Despite acknowledging recent economic challenges faced by the government, Acheampong affirmed that the NPP remains committed to reviving the economy, ensuring that Ghanaians witness the positive impact of the party’s efforts and choose to retain them in office.
According to the Abetifi MP, the NDC would never emerge victorious in the December 7 polls, regardless of their desires. He questioned why a party that cannot win elections would seek power at all costs.
Bryan Acheampong
“Last year I stood here in Mpraeso and said that whether NDC likes it or not they will never win the 2024 polls. If you don’t win an election, will power be handed over to you? We will not hand it over to them today or tomorrow.
As at that time I made the statements Ghana was confronted with economic challenges. Food inflation was around 61%. Inflation was around 55%. The prices of cement and iron rods went up. Contractors said because of the IMF program, they were not going to work.
“Agenda 111 projects came to a standstill. The dollar prices went up as high as GH¢19.00. Even at the time, in 2020, when we were in difficulty, the NDC was thinking that because we were in difficulty, Ghanaians were going to vote against the NPP.
“But I told you that before we will vote in the next election, the economy will be restored and Ghanaians will see the good works of the NPP government,” he stated.Source:William Narh
A/R:One dead as bees attack church during Good Friday service
One person is confirmed dead following an attack by bees on members of a Roman Catholic Church at Owuoso, a suburb of Asante Agona in the Ashanti Region.
The Reverend Father and his congregants were holding the Good Friday Easter Mass when the swarm of bees invaded the auditorium to attack the congregation.
They were subjected to several stings by the bees, halting church service, as members ran helter-skelter to save themselves.
Many sustained injuries in the process.
The injured were sent to the hospital, where one man was pronounced dead.
Assembly Member of Owuoso Electoral Area, Akwasi Tawiah a.k.a Odorna, explained the incident to AdomNews reporter Amansankyeame.
“They were praying and were attacked. Even people who are not part received their portion. Many have been hospitalized and one is confirmed dead”, Akwasi Tawiah explained.
John, a church member who was a witness to the ordeal, also narrated what he observed.
“We were praying and others decided to move out while praying and all of a sudden the bees attacked us while praying”, he said.
Though the Church is located in a bush area, what triggered the bees to attack remains unclear to the people.
Bee stings can lead to anaphylactic shock and sudden death. Therefore, it is necessary for patients who suffer from being envenomated by a bee sting to be referred to medical centers promptly and receive appropriate treatments to prevent undesirable complications
Source: Emmanuel Owusu Antwi
Bawumia Shakes Kwahu Mpraeso with Unity Walk
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia writes:
I had the pleasure of walking with thousands of enthusiastic members of our party and Ghanaians, in Kwahu Mpraeso, in the Eastern Region, this morning.
The well-attended walk was also graced by some Ministers of State, NPP National Chairman, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, some national, regional and constituency executives, as well as a number of MPs and PC’s from the Eastern Region.
At the end of the walk, I addressed the charged crowd and highlighted our party’s superior record in many sectors and declared our readiness to work very hard to build on our achievements and move Ghana to a future of promise and possibilities through our determination to break the 8.
It is possible!!!
450,000 free student tablets ready for distribution next week – Dr Adutwum Reveals
Source: Mavis Sekyibea Addo
Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum shows a sample of the tablet on News File.
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has announced that the first batch of 450,000 free student tablets fully funded through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) will be distributed next week.
According to him, the distribution of tablets has been categorized into three phases, with 450,000 to be distributed to 32 schools to ensure the effective distribution of a total of 1.3 million tablets.
President Akufo-Addo announced on March 25 the distribution of 1.3 million tablets to public Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students.
Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum
According to him, this initiative, under the Smart School Project is part of the government’s measures to ensure that all sectors of the country are digitised.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 30, the Education Minister said “The 450,000 is a little less than 30 %, the deployment is such that it is in three phases. The first phase which is hitting the regions and schools in the next coming week, is going to 32 schools in the 16 regions.
He said a system has been created to monitor the effective distribution of the tablets.
“Once it gets to the school, there is a dashboard that informs us the tablets are here. The whole idea is to ensure that you will do a phased approach to deployment and don’t get the system overwhelmed.”
“Once we get them to the 32 schools, then within a week or two thereafter the rest which is phase two also starts moving to the schools, so it’s a phased deployment” he noted.
He said the student mate one tablet comes with a keyboard as a complement that can make it function as a laptop or solely as a tablet.
“There’s also a power bank in it, and in case the power goes out, there’s a solar panel that allows you to charge it using solar in the case of this device. So, that is in response to the issue of erratic power supply at certain times.
The Minister explained that this is part of attempts in the future to gradually phase out textbooks by infusing them into the tablet.
According to him, ICT Coordinators in the schools have offered training to teachers and will continue to train the schools receiving the tablets on their effective usage. Dr Adutwum clarified that the unit price for each tablet is $250, and not GHS250.
The first 450,000 tablets are to cost 112 million cedis, whereas the entire 1.3 million will amount to 337 million Ghana cedis.
Misplaced priority or not?
On the matter of whether it was prudent for the government to spend huge amounts on free tablet distribution when the Free SHS policy was facing other pressing challenges, the Bosomtwe MP explained that the logistical challenges of the Free SHS programme are separate from budgetary constraints, clarifying that funds allocated for this tablet project under the government’s digitalization agenda cannot be diverted to address feeding challenges faced by students under the policy.
“The interesting thing about Free SHS is that you can have logistical challenges and that’s not a budget issue, so we have 1.4 million children miles away that we are feeding a day, you can have challenges where food may not have reached a certain location on time.
“The idea is very simple; there are some people who will say use that in providing food for them, but no, there is a budget. There is a difference between a budget allocation and a cash flow allocation, so even if I want to, the law does not allow me to tell GETFUND that I need your money to buy food instead of the tablets you have allocated funds for in your funding formula, so there is a difference between a cash flow logistical issue and a budget issue.
How to deal with faulty tablets in schools
When the host of News File, Sampson Lardi Ayenini asked about the possible malfunctioning, breakdown or mishandling of the tablets by the students, the sector minister revealed that schools with a population exceeding one thousand will have dedicated repair centres on-site to address any issues promptly.
He emphasized that while gadget abuse is common when students understand that their academic success depends on the tablet, they are more diligent in using it, leading to increased carefulness.
“I will give you an example of what I did in one of my schools in the US. One interesting thing that happened when I deployed laptops at the time, we were dreading that the students would lose their laptops. We had insurance on it. It turned out in the end that after three years when we evaluated the deployment of laptops in my school in the US, 100 per cent of the students’ laptops were intact. It was rather the teachers who lost their laptops.
“So you see, sometimes we underestimate the care that students give to the things that matter to them. When they know how much this matters to them they are not going to just destroy it. When they know that their homework is not going to be done if I do not take good care of this and you train them well and somebody is there to fix it for them, then there is insurance on it.
“Things work in some very unique ways to amaze you” he added.
DISCLAIMER: Abdul Mujeeb Sanusi’s Amana House Has no relations or whatsoever with Ghana Arewa Empire-Management
DISCLAIMER ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!
It has come to the notice of the Ghana Arewa empire regarding a secular/information from our brother Abdul Mujeeb Sanusi purporting to forming of an award schemed tittle ” Amana House music and movie awards”. The secular that seeks to open up a nomination forms to allow actors/actress and musicians to contest for the various categories.
We GHANA AREWA EMPIRE management wish to inform the general public that, this kind of organization formed by Abdul Mujeeb Sanusi has no any relations or whatsoever with Ghana Arewa Empire. Any individual that seeks to participate in it should know that he or she that so solemnly response with Abdul Mujeeb Sanusi and not that of Ghana Arewa empire.
Management of Ghana Arewa Empire once again would like to use this medium to apologize to our dear brothers and sisters who are in the entertainment industry trying to push hard the Hausa/ Northern culture up to the Globe for the delay in communicating and addressing issues concerning the Scheme.
Management acknowledge the stress/ difficulties some of you might have gone through during the maiden edition, We assure you all that behind the scene more is being done to avert any future issues /mistakes that may occur.
Management of Ghana Arewa Empire will soon launch and nominations for the second edition of the Movie and Music awards and that will be done through the media.
Thank you all for your patience with us.
Once again we sincerely do apologize for any inconveniences.
Sincerely
Management
Ghana Arewa Empire
