Michael Kenetey Kofi

The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, RCC in conjunction with GBC Sunrise FM with support from the Regional Security Council has organized the 14th Edition of the Nine Lessons and Carols Night Service in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital to usher in the Christmas, which commences on Saturday 25th of December.  The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong speaking during the night noted that his ascending to the highest office in the region was confronted with environmental menace such as illegal mining however; processes are ongoing to curb the menace in the region.  Mr. Acheampong noted that the coming of Christ Jesus to the world is to sustain peace and urged everyone to give out peace. He urged everyone to take advantage of the vaccination month to get vaccinated and encouraged everyone to observe the COVID-19 precautionary measures in all their endeavours during the Christmas festivities.   Mr. Acheampong commended the security agencies and all othe...

  The Ghana Police Service has drawn the attention of the public to the fact that, by Ghana’s constitutional arrangement, security issues within the Chamber of Parliament are the responsibility of the Marshal to Parliament who takes instruction from the Clerk of Parliament.  This has come as a response to some concerned Ghanaians questioning the Police why the Police did not go into the Parliament Chamber to maintain law and order and take action against Members of Parliament who were seen engaged in what looked to many like violent disturbances and scuffles in the Chamber of Parliament following the recent happenings in the House of Parliament during  the 2022 Budget debates. ACP Kwesi Ofori, D-G in charge of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service According to a statement released by the service yesterday, 21st December, 2021 and signed by the Director-General in Charge of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori explained that the legal position...

Some Members of Parliament on Monday night were engaged in a fistfight following a disagreement during the voting on government’s E-levy bill. The fight ensued when the MPs were voting in a headcount to decide whether the E-levy bill should be accepted under a certificate of urgency. The Minority had attempted to stop the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, who was presiding over the House, from leaving his seat and participating in the voting process. This infuriated the Majority MPs, who met them at the Speaker’s table to challenge the NDC MPs . The Minority MPs explained that Mr Osei-Owusu, while in the position of Speaker, does not have a casting vote. Before the sitting, the Majority had held a press conference stating the whereabouts of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, was unknown. However, since the bill had been laid before the House, the First Deputy Speaker took over proceedings in the House. During deliberations, the Minority MPs challenged the decision by the Majority MPs to...

The Association of Mobile Money Agents, AMMA, has threatened to embark on strike against the controversial e-levy starting from Thursday, December 23, 2021. The Association says the levy is “regressive” and threatens the survival of their business. The Association has thus set Thursday, December 23, 2021, to stage a demonstration against the government’s planned introduction of a 1.75% e-levy. They added that their operators will also not work on the said date as a result of the demonstration. They made this known in a press statement issued on Sunday, December 19, 2021, signed by its General Secretary, Evans Otumfuo. “The Union wishes to inform the public, customers, and users of mobile money that as part of actions to register our total displeasure with the government’s proposed e-levy of 1.75%, we deem it necessary to embark on an Industrial action.  As an Association that implements all Mobile Money policies through our operators, we see this levy as very regressive and critica...

Prez Akufo-Addo President Nana Akufo-Addo has admitted that although Ghanaians are going through difficult times, he is not to blame. While admitting that the current economic terrain is a trying one for citizens, he has absolved himself of any responsibility in that regard. “I admit that Ghanaians are going through difficult times; some people are trying to say that it is my fault, but you know that is not the case. Yet, they will continue to say it,” he explained on Saturday, December 19. NPP National Delegates Congress  A section of the populace has complained about hikes in prices of some essential commodities, inadequate access to some social amenities and an increasing standard of living which is taking a toll on their lives. Over the past year, government has blamed the economic challenges on the Covid-19 pandemic, which rocked many countries worldwide. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has insisted that this is not the case as the NPP administration is only ...

Kokrooko Charities, in collaboration with KGL Foundation, has donated two incubators to the Kyebi Government Hospital at the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.  Handing over the incubators which  are worth ten thousand dollars each, the Founder of Kokrooko Charities, Kwami Sefa Kayi said, the primary idea is to give back to society. He disclosed that they decided to begin with incubators after research revealed the sad story of infant mortality in Ghana.  Mr Kwame Sefa Kayi, Journalist/ Philanthropist  Mr. Kayi said, they had so far presented thirty nine incubators to various hospitals and medical facilities, including the Police Hospital and 37 Military Hospital in Accra, the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and the Tamale Teaching Hospital, amongst others.  He was hopeful that they would meet their targeted number of one hundred incubators in the near future. Mr. Kayi was grateful to the KGL Fo...

ACFO1 Jennifer Naa Yale Quaye The Eastern Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service, GNFS recorded 165 fire outbreaks between the months of January and March last year 2020 as against 22 recorded in the same period this year, indicating 87 percent decrease as compared to that of last year.  Speaking at the launch of the 2021 Anti-Bush fire Campaign at Oyoko in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region, the Regional Fire Officer of the Command, ACFOI Jennifer Naa Yale Quaye attributed the tremendous reduction to the intensive fire safety education and the constant sensitization of community members on the causes, dangers and prevention of bush fires as well as the hardwork of officers and fire volunteers.  The Anti-bushfire campaign  launch was on the theme “ Bushfires, a Menace to Planting for Food and Jobs, Consolidating Food Systems in Ghana” was also used to pass out trained fire volunteers to help manage and prevent bushfires.  According t...

Jean Adukwei Mensa, EC Chair A member of the Budget Committee, Ahmed Ibrahim, says should the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, fail to present herself before them, her budget for the next fiscal year will not be approved. According to him, it was wrong for her to have sent her deputies to meet the Committees when she should have come. Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Banda MP  “The budget is government financial and economic policy…on policy issues, the buck stops with the head. So if the head is not there, who can speak on policy?” the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip said.  The Banda MP’s comments follow the sacking of officials of the EC, including its two Deputy Chairpersons, Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, from the Budget Committee hearing after they announced that the Chairperson will not be able to make it to the meeting.  According to the Deputies, the Chairperson is currently not in the country. However, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim says the reason for her absenc...

  The impasse between the Electricity Company of Ghana and the people of Kroboland seem not to end anytime soon as two major youth groups in the area have made fresh demands to the Electricity Company of Ghana, twenty four hours after the power distributor restored power to the Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities after seven days of power cut . A joint statement issued by the groups, Kloma Hengme and Kloma Gbi stated that, while they partly welcome ECG’s proposal to ring-fence accumulated bills of customers in the area from 2014 to 2017, they disagree on other conditions.  The statement continued as they counterpropose to ECG that the disputed accumulated bills be absorbed as bad debt or be ring-fenced up to July 2021. Speaking to our reporter after the statement was issued, the General Secretary of the Kloma Hengme, Dr. Eric Lawer Tamatey stated the suggestion they hope will bring an end to the impasse.  Dr. Eric Lawer Tamatey "All we are saying is that people s...

Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor Iron Ore in commercial quantities has been discovered in the Oti Region. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor who disclosed this to journalists after visiting the Ore deposit, said the discovery is good news for the Oti Region and Ghana as a whole. He said the Geological Survey Authority is still working to ascertain the depth of the Ore. Mr. Jinapor added that by the middle of next year 2022, the Geological Survey Authority would have concluded works to establish the depth and volume of the Ore and then hand it over to the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Corporation, GIISDEC, for exploration to commence. The Lands and Natural Resources Minister noted that while the Geological Survey Authority is on-going with its work, the government through GIISDEC is working to find a suitable private company to partner it to explore the Ore. The Damongo Lawmaker was however emphatic that Mining of the Ore will begin during the term of this government...

Story by Michael Kofi Kenetey  As part of the Centenary celebration of the Children Ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Children Ministry of the Calvary Congregation at Koforidua Nsukwao together with their teachers has donated food items and bags of clothes to the Christian Village Orphanage Home at Akwadum in the New Juaben North Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region.  The food items which include bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, crates of eggs, sardines, cartons of milk, cartons of soft drinks, three boxes of chicken and fish, among others is estimated at five thousand Ghanaian cedis.  In an interview with the Section Spokesperson of the Calvary Congregation Koforidua Nsukwao, Benjamin Yamoah Baah, said the gesture is part of what Jesus Christ has entreated every believer to do.  Mr. Yamoah Baah noted that as the Christmas festive season is approaching, it is appropriate to demonstrate some love to the children at the orphanage home. The form...

The Mount Zion Assembly in the Effiduase District of the Apostolic Church Ghana, Koforidua Area has donated items worth over five thousand Ghanaian cedis to the Koforidua Prisons Service in the Eastern Region.  The gesture by the Mount Zion Assembly of the Apostolic Church Ghana is to compliment the government effort in ensuring the welfare of the inmates.  In an interview with the media, the Effiduase District Pastor of the Apostolic Church Ghana, Koforidua Area, Pastor Samuel Agyei Mireku noted that the gesture is to demonstrate their love to the inmates and therefore called on other churches as well as organizations, philanthropists to emulate the gesture to ease the burden on the government. The Operations Commander of the Koforidua Prisons Service, ASP David Tawiah Narh demonstrated his gratitude in receipt of the items and noted that the items will be used for its purpose.  Some of the items donated include 10 bags of rice, one bag of gari, one hundred bags of sache...

The International Anti-corruption Day has been observed in Koforidua in the Eastern Region with a call on the youth to avail themselves to be empowered to serve as ambassadors in the country’s fight against corruption.  The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti- Corruption Coalition, GACC, Beauty Emefa Narteh who made the call noted that corruption affects every aspect of the society hence the need for all hands to be on deck to educate and sensitize the citizenry in order to get everybody  involve in the fight against corruption. Madam Beauty Emefa Narteh The International Anti-Corruption Day is observed globally on 9th December every year to raise awareness of corruption and the UN convention in combating and presenting it. This year's Anti-Corruption Day was on the theme, “Your Right Your Role; Say No to Corruption”. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against corruption on October 31, 2003.  This year’s celebration in Ghana coinci...