The US Embassy, in collaboration with Dubawa (a fact-checking organisation) and UniMac, has organised a workshop on disinformation and misinformation for media practitioners in the Ashanti Region, and it is expected to be replicated in the Greater Accra Region.
The training workshop, which was held on Tuesday, 12th March 2024, at American Corner at Top Martins, Asokwa, in Kumasi, forms part of the efforts of the US Embassy and its partners to ensure violence-free 2024 elections in Ghana.
The workshop was under the theme: ”Navigating the Modern Information Landscape: The Crucial Role of Effective Communication in the Media and Information Ecosystem for Combating Information Disorder”.
The panel members shared their thoughts and answered questions on the following topics: Unravelling the Threads of Information Disorder; Inspiring Team Efforts in Countering Information Disorder in Ghana, and Unravelling the Threads of Information Disorder.
The panel members
The key panel members included Sarah J Wachter, US-based Communication Expert; Dr. Winnifred Nafisa Mahama, acting Director, Information Services Department (Ministry of Information); Mrs. Diana Bempong-Marfo, the Principal Civic Education Officer and Head of Programmes, National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), and Kingsley E. Hope, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), who doubles as the Ashanti Regional Editor for the GhanaianTimes newspaper.
US Embassy Press Attache’, Kevin J. Brosnahan
In his welcome remarks, Kingsley E. Hope entreated media practitioners to always take their time to cross-check and verify any piece of information they receive before publishing it.
“I wish to urge my colleague journalists to always be circumspect in their reportage, especially in this election year,” he stressed.
He advised journalists to always be guided by the GJA code of ethics in all their endeavours in order not to spread misinformation and disinformation.
He took the opportunity to commend the US Embassy for its commitment to ensuring sanity in the media space and its continuous support for capacity building-related projects for Ghanaian journalists.
The US-based Communication Expert, Sarah J Wachter, urged journalists in Ghana to change their ways and work together to cross-check facts.
She encouraged media houses and journalists to use necessary tools to enable them to cross-check facts of information they receive before allowing themselves to be used to promote misinformation and disinformation
US-based Communication Expert, Sarah Wachter,
On his part, A. Kwabena Brako-Powers ESQ made a presentation on “Navigating Information Disorder: Changing Narratives in Ghana in 2024 & Beyond”.
According to him, there are four elements involved in information disorder: originator(s), content, audience and medium.
He noted that information disorder has negative impacts on governance, elections, human rights, general health and well-being of citizens, and humanitarian response during emergencies.
Lawyer Brako-Powers indicated that truths and facts are the tools that are used to disarm disinformation weapons. He said in order to tackle information disorder ahead of Ghana’s 2024 Polls, the media must stick to the facts, prioritise research and build alliance/coalition with fact-checking organisations.
He emphasised that the media should also be accountability-focused, build their capacity and follow verified social media handles of key figures. “Let’s join hands to disarm promoters of information disorder,” he urged.
He said in working towards a healthy information ecosystem, journalists need to prioritise fact-checking. “We must remember that as leaders, organisations, families and journalists, we owe a sacred duty to our constituents, not only to inform them but also to ensure that the pieces of information they receive are accurate,” he added.
In an interview, the US Embassy Press Attache’, Kevin J. Brosnahan, stressed the commitment of his country to support Ghana to ensure peaceful elections in December.
He noted that many African countries would be holding elections this year, including Ghana, for which reason the US is committed to ensuring peaceful elections. “Therefore, a series of engagements with various stakeholders as well as the media will be held to alert them of misinformation and disinformation in order to help combat information disorder which has the potential to create confusion before, during and after the polls,” he added.
Objectives of Dubawa:
The main objectives of Dubawa are to encourage, engage, inform and liberate citizenry capable of making informed decisions to equip newsrooms with the skills to make fact-checking and truth a norm in media houses through training and fellowships.
Dubawa is supposed to conduct research and build technological tools that adequately identity, analyse and counter information disorder.
Also, it is supposed to partner newsrooms and data-driven agencies to obtain and digitalise factual information on politics, economy/statistics and health so that Dubawa becomes the hub for verified information.
An industrial action by doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) over accommodation issues is taking a toll on healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region.
As of 9am on Wednesday, March 13, the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the health facility was inundated with patients who had trooped in to seek health care.
Hundreds were left stranded as nurses on duty took time to explain to patients and family members why they were not being attended to.
Speaking to JoyNews, some patients expressed frustration over the impact of the strike on their health.
A visibly worried man who spoke on his wife’s behalf said the nurses had to reschedule their appointment.
According to him, no warning or notice was given before the industrial action.
“When we got to the hospital, we went to drop our card and folder before taking our seat. It was around 7:30am that the nurses came to tell us that doctors were on strike so they are rescheduling the date that was given to us. They have changed the date from today to 10th April.
“The nurses explained that the doctors went on strike because they are being evacuated from their residence.”
Another patient said she will consider visiting another health facility because of the pain she is in.
“I am done with all my medication. Now, I don’t know if I have to go and buy some or wait for the doctors to resume,” she added.
But another elderly man who spoke to JoyNews said he cannot afford to visit another facility.
“I have also been given a new date to report here. The nurses say I should come in two-weeks time and till then we are praying for life. With my condition, I cannot visit a new facility. It is an operation that has to be performed on me so unless the doctors here at KATH. I have no choice but to come back.
“There was an announcement by the nurses, asking everyone to come for a new date. We have all been told to go home,” he said
The Ranking Member of the Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, has disclosed that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is grappling with a colossal debt of $1.5 billion.
According to Mr. Jinapor, this massive debt is primarily due to ECG’s failure to meet its financial obligations to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and its inability to settle bills for purchased electricity in full.
Additionally, Mr. Jinapor criticised ECG for what he sees as wasteful spending on items like cables, malfunctioning meters, and what he considers unnecessary contracts.
Pointing to a report from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) that he has reviewed, Mr. Jinapor highlighted instances where ECG allegedly mismanaged funds, diverting significant sums away from debt repayment to other expenditures.
John Jinapor
In a media interview, Mr. Jinapor urged ECG to provide transparent explanations for the recent power outages experienced by Ghanaians.
“ECG owes $1.5 billion, when they take the money from Ghanaians, they fail to pay the IPPs and use the funds to do whatever they want with it and they fail to pay the full price of the power they purchase and PURC has brought a report that when ECG comes in possession of a substantial amount of money they refuse to pay the debt they owe, they spend the money recklessly, and this is an official report from the PURC.
“Some of the things they buy, they don’t even need it, and now they want to be buying fuel, which is not even their core duty, all these are a reason the finances aren’t adding up,” he said.
Lawyer Maurice Ampaw, has called upon the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to allow Lilian Kumah, the widow of the late Member of Parliament for Ejisu, John Kumah, to contest her husband’s seat in the Ashanti Region.
Ampaw emphasised the importance of honouring John Kumah’s legacy by facilitating a transition for his spouse into politics.
He drew parallels with previous instances within the party where widows were supported in their bid for parliamentary seats following the demise of their husbands.
He cited the example of Ophelia Hayford, who stepped into her husband’s shoes in Mfantseman.
Ampaw stressed that replicating this gesture for Lilian Kumah would not only pay homage to her husband’s memory but also demonstrate the party’s commitment to supporting the family.
Lilian Kumah and her late husband,Hon.John Kumah
He urged the NPP leadership to consider allowing Lilian Kumah to contest the Ejisu Constituency unopposed, asserting that such a move would respect John Kumah’s legacy and put his soul to rest.
“It is time for us to come together; let us honour John Kumah. He stood for breaking the eight; John Kumah stood for breaking the eight. John Kumah was NPP, and NPP was John Kumah; let us honour him.
Lawyer Maurice Ampaw
“I propose that nobody should go and contest the Ejisu Constituency; nobody should go and contest John Kumah’s spirit. Let us train John Kumah’s wife to take over as the sole parliamentary candidate. The same way we did for Mfantsiman Constituency; when Quansah died, his widow, Ophelia Hayford, a police officer, took over.
“John Kumah’s wife is a pastor, and she is very bold. John Kumah’s spirit has entered her, so let John Kumah’s wife go unopposed and win the seat,” Maurice Ampaw said on his Mmra Ne Abrabo Mu Nsem show on Wontumi TV on March 9, 2024.Source: ghanaweb.com
The selection of running mates in Ghana’s political landscape holds immense significance, akin to the election of flagbearers. While achieving a proper balance on the ticket is crucial for the electoral success of the party, it is noteworthy that, traditionally, this role has been predominantly filled by men in major political parties in Ghana.
Decision often revolve around satisfying regional, ethnic, and religious considerations, with the gender factor grossly underestimated and disregarded. However, this year, the call for gender balance on the New Patriotic Party’s presidential and running mate ticket has gained unprecedented momentum and resonance.
Stressing the importance of gender representation, a crucial question arises: “Are there qualified women capable of taking on the role of a running mate within the New Patriotic Party (NPP)?
Indeed, the Party showcases exceptional women whose expertise and accomplishments position them as highly suitable and qualified beyond measure with international appeal for the esteemed running mate’s slot:
Principal among them include but not limited to:
Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare
Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare brings onboard an impressive background in academia, international diplomacy, and public service.
Hailed from Wiamoase in the Ashanti Region and adhering to Christianity, she is a seasoned development consultant and expert in labour and employment, with a career spanning over four decades.
A Guelph University and University of Ghana graduate, she served as a Home Science lecturer from 1976 to 1982 at the University of Ghana, Legon, her alma mater. Over time, she rose to become the Head of Department at the University. Additionally, she contributed her expertise to the Yambio Institute of Agriculture in Western Equatorial State.
In the realm of politics, Hon. Frema Opare achieved a two-term stint as the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West-Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra Region. Her parliamentary tenure ranged from 2005 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2013. During Mr. John Agyekum Kuffuor’s presidency, she held the position of Deputy Minister for Manpower, Youth, and Employment.
Beyond her national roles, she served as a consultant for the United Nations’ Women in Fisheries Programme, overseeing projects in Ethiopia, Congo, Namibia, and Kenya.
Since 2017, Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare has distinguished herself as the Chief of Staff at the presidency, making history as the first female occupant of this esteemed office, demonstrating excellence and exceptional professionalism in both in her leadership. She has been one of the architects of the success of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration. She brings onboard massive political capital and uncontested professional and political experience required to garner the highest votes from the Party’s “political world bank” and the Christian fraternity to break the 8.
Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee
Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee is the Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries. Boasting Ga and Fante heritage from her father and mother respectively. She is a seasoned Management and Communication Consultant and a Counsellor. With over four decades experience, she currently spearheads the operations at the Joyce Aryee Consult.
Dr. Joyce Aryee, as she is commonly known, is an alumna of the University of Ghana, legon.
Breaking barriers, she made history as the first female in Ghana and Africa to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Ghana Chamber of Mines from 2001 to 2011.
Her professional journey includes roles at the Ghana Museums and Monument Board, and subsequent positions as Public Relations Officer at what was known as the Environmental Protection Council, and the Ghana Standards Authority, formerly known as the Ghana Standards Board.
In the political arena, Dr. Joyce Aryee has held the following significant roles :
Secretary of information for the PNDC (1982 to 1985)
Minister of Education (1985 to 1987)
Minister of Local Government (1987–88)
Minister of Democracy (1988 to 2001)
Member of the National Defence Council
Her remarkable achievements have earned her numerous accolades, both locally and internationally.
Selecting her as a running mate not only addresses gender balance but also leverages her considerable expertise to enhance governance capabilities.
Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, a native of Akim Oda in the Eastern Region, is a renowned lawyer and advocate for women’s rights.
Her professional journey commenced at the University of Ghana, Legon, and the Ghana School Of Law, Makola, where she earned her qualifications, leading to her admission to the Ghana Bar in 1990.
She has specialised and demonstrated competence in various fields of endeavours including Conflict, Peace, and Security, with a Master’s Degree from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and Project Management and Planning, for which she holds a Certificate from GIMPA. Additionally, she is certified in Government Integrity from the International Law Institute.
Since 2013, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ablekuma West Constituency, holding the distinction of being the first Member of Parliament for the Constituency. In 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed her as the Minister for Communications, and she currently serves as the Minister for Communications and Digitalization.
Her telecommunications expertise is evident through her leadership of a reputable telecom technology company. Over the years, she has held various key roles in politics and the corperate world.
Selecting Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful as a running mate combines political experience and business acumen, enhancing transformative leadership.
Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo
Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo presently holds the role of Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), appointed by H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. A devoted Christian, she is a Ga from Osu, Accra.
Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo is a distinguished lawyer, having been called to the Ghana Bar in 1996 after successfully completing a law programme at the University of Ghana, Legon. Subsequently, from 1998 to 1999, she pursued a Master’s degree in Law and development (LLM) at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.
In 2006, she was appointed Ghana’s Deputy Ambassador to Washington DC by President John Agyekum Kuffuor, and was elected Member of Parliament conservatively from 2009 to 2012 and from 2013 to 2017, representing the Tema West Constituency. During her parliamentary tenure, she assumed the role of 1st Deputy Minority whip during the opposition period of her party, the New Patriotic Party.
Notably, Irene has also served as a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Irene’s diplomatic experiences and her notable connection with the Christian community in Ghana would be advantageous for the NPP if she becomes the running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Given their distinctive qualities, extensive experiences, and deep connections within the Ghanaian and international community, any of these women could become a historic running mate and, consequently, the vice president of the Republic. Opting for a female running mate would not only intensify competition for the opposition party but also boost women’s enthusiasm and active involvement in the campaign.
In line with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s election as a flagbearer to transform NPP leadership dynamics, there is a call for him to change the tradition of exclusively male candidates occupying the role of a running mate in the party.
Dr Kweku Adams is an Associate Professor in International Business & Management at the University of Bradford School of Management. His scholarly works on gender diversity have been published in several world-leading Journals and presented at several academic and practitioner conferences. Dr Adams is currently on the Editorial Review Boards of the Thunderbird International Business Review and the Africa Journal of Management. He is the President of the Ghana School Society, Europe.
The Former First Lady, Lordina Dramani Mahama,has supported Jema Senior High School in the Bono East Region by donating five(5) sets of jerseys, footballs and ten thousand Ghana Cedis(Ghc10,000) to the school’s football team.
The donation was made in response to a request from the school. Felicia Adjei, the Kintampo South parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress, presented the items and cash on behalf of Mrs.Lordina Mahama.
She explained that the donation highlights the former First Lady’s dedication to sports development and helping students engage in various sporting activities
Mrs.Mahama, who is from Jema, had previously installed a new pump for the small-town water system through the Lordina Foundation in January to restore water supply to the Jema SHS and the community.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has expressed concern over a leaked strategy by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra region to deploy drones during the upcoming general election.
The EC emphasised that such a move would constitute an invasion of voters’ electoral privacy and a breach of security protocols, and thus, it will not be allowed.
The EC’s comment comes after the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NDC, Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore clarified that the deployment of drones is part of efforts to secure two million votes for the party in this year’s elections.
Mr Moore said the aim is to strengthen the NDC’s monitoring systems to prevent potential rigging, adding that preparations were well underway to commence the training of constituency executives on how to use the drones to monitor ground activities.
However, speaking to JoyNews, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe stated that the EC has not received official notification from the NDC regarding the deployment of drones.
According to him, allowing such actions would violate security protocols and compromise the privacy of voters.
“Polling stations are security zones, so they will have to apply to the security people for permission to be granted. They will have to apply to the Electoral Commission for permission to be granted.
“But my point is that how comfortable will you feel that you are going to vote at the polling station and there’s a drone hovering around you? How sure are you with respect to the secrecy of the ballot,” Dr Quaicoe questioned.
He maintained that it would be challenging for the EC or the Police to approve the use of drones at polling stations, emphasising that polling stations are considered security zones.
“The fact remains that polling stations are security zones. We want to ensure the secrecy of the ballot. So at the polling station where I am going to make my choice, I want to vote in that secrecy,” he stated.
Source: Prince Adu-Owusu
Instead of speaking about Akufo-Addo’s SONA, LGTBQ advocate, Afenyo Markin switched course because the SONA was empty and rather decided to use the time to attack the venerable Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang whose shoes he can never lace!
Hon.Henry Osei Akoto
I just want to tell Afenyo Markin to concentrate on his LGTBQ advocacy job and leave Prof. @NJOAgyemang out his mouth.
Instead of speaking about Akufo-Addo's SONA, LGTBQ advocate, Afenyo Markin switched course because the SONA was empty and rather decided to use the time to attack the venerable Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang whose shoes he can never lace!
The newly built maternity and child health block for the Keta Municipal Hospital
MTN Ghana Foundation commissioned an ultra-modern 60-bed maternity and child health block at the Keta Municipal Hospital (KMH) in the Volta Region on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
MTN Ghana gifted the hospital a state-of-the-art facility to boost access to quality healthcare services for mothers and babies. The initiative is part of MTN’s healthcare projects and is a significant project to mark the company’s 25th anniversary in Ghana.
The outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh, said, “This is the third, and by far the largest, of the maternity block projects the MTN Ghana Foundation has ever completed in Ghana.”.
The new block has a 40-bed maternity ward, made up of emergency rooms, a first-stage ward and a delivery ward, recovery rooms, and a lie-in ward; a 20-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); two operating theaters; a 20-bed hostel for mothers; two consulting rooms and offices for nurses; a reception; and an outpatient department (OPD).
The block also has a laboratory and dispensary, a scrub and sluice room, an anaesthetics room, an intensive care ward, a restroom for doctors and nurses, a staff eatery, storage and washrooms, a ramp, an electrical and power room, a head of the department’s office, gas tanks, waste bins, and utility rooms.
The facility cost MTN Ghana Foundation GHC19 million, and according to Adadevoh, MTN Ghana hopes “to reduce Ghana’s neonatal mortality from the dire 22.8 deaths in every 1000 live births, closer to the target set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 12 deaths per 1000 live births, and for maternal mortality, from Ghana’s dire 263 per 1000, closer to the SDG target of 70.”.
Selorm also revealed that MTN Ghana has plans to expand the accident and emergency block at the Ho Teaching Hospital.
“I am proud to also share that we have recently received approval for the expansion of the accident and emergency block of the Ho Teaching Hospital. Work is expected to commence in June 2024,” he noted.
Various stakeholders at the commissioning ceremony, including the Keta Municipal and Volta Regional Health Directorates, thanked the MTN Ghana Foundation for the gesture and promised to prioritise a maintenance culture for the facility.
The King of Anlo, Togbe Sri III, applauded MTN Ghana for all the interventions they’ve initiated in Anlo.
Keta Municipal Hospital is the only major health facility in the southern part of the Volta Region. Over the years, the hospital has received support from benevolent individuals and organisations to enhance healthcare delivery in the area.
According to some residents, MTN Ghana’s intervention would now seize their toil to travel out of Keta to access maternity and child health due to a lack of working equipment and space.
