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Kanda borehole project captured by NPP as ongoing has been abandoned for over 2 years

Ellis Ferdinand
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Kanda borehole project captured by NPP as ongoing has been abandoned for over 2 years

A borehole project captured as an ongoing project under the Akufo-Addo government at Kanda has been left abandoned for over two years.

Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in a presentation on the administration’s infrastructural achievements since it assumed office in 2017 has generated reactions from across the country from Ghanaians resident in the communities where the projects are said to be sited.

The Vice President in what he described as a data-driven presentation on Tuesday, pointed to over 17,000 projects dotted across the country.

He insisted that his government has undertaken more projects in its first tenure than what was provided by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its eight years in office.

From industrialisation to collaboration with the private sector, Dr Bawumia said government has been focusing on value for money and chose to not only focus on grand projects but initiatives that will touch every part of the country.

However, checking out some projects listed, it revealed that not all of them are as stated. At least not on the ground.

One of the projects which were inconsistent with the statement of the Vice President is the delivery of borehole at Kanda in the Ayawaso East Municipality.

Joy New checks revealed that the project has been abandoned and the residents say they go through a lot of hardship to get potable water.

 

Story: myjoyonline.com

Expect criticisms for speaking the truth – Prof. Lumumba

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Expect criticisms for speaking the truth – Prof. Lumumba

Renowned Kenyan pan-Africanist, Professor of Law and anti-corruption crusader, Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba has admonished the youth to remain resolute in their contribution towards development and unification of the African continent.

This he urged them to do without fear of vilification of critics for speaking the truth.

Professor Lumumba who was addressing members of the PLO Lumumba Foundation Ghana Chapter at the foundation’s ‘maiden general membership meeting’ charged participants to focus on the activities and programmes of the organization that was centered on Pan-Africanism, Anti-Corruption and Mentorship rather than concentrating on the negative comments by critics against the organization and its founder.

“There is nothing you would want to do in this world that you would have unanimity, you will be hated by some people simply because you say the truth, you will be hated because others want you to think like them”. “So don’t be worried, you’ve got to be vilified for speaking the truth”, the Director of the Kenyan School of Law stressed, speaking from his personal office in Nairobi (Kenya) to participants from different parts of Africa via the zoom video conferencing platform.

Professor Lumumba who also doubles as the Founder and Chairman of the PLO Lumumba Foundation admonished members of the foundation to inculcate activities such as urban agriculture in their activities “since everything we do is aimed at eating, this would help feed ourselves and neighbours”.

The meeting, which was held virtually was an avenue for the foundation to brainstorm on issues pertaining to the welfare of members, future projects and programmes towards achieving intended goals and brought together the entire membership of the foundation in Ghana and other chapters present in other parts of the world.

The event was also addressed by some executive members of the foundation from Uganda, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Congo and Kenya.

Mr. Amos Onyango, Project Manager for PLO Lumumba Foundation commended the Ghana Chapter for the successes chalked so far since inception in July 2018 and emphasized the need for the local chapter to stay focus on their projects in order to achieve their goals.

Mad. Monica Kayesu, Country Director for the PLO Lumumba Foundation, Uganda chapter praised her Ghanaian counterparts for setting positive standards worthy of emulation and in continuing the works of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah towards the unification of Africa.

Mr. Nyave Yahaya Salifu, Coordinator of PLO Lumumba Foundation UAE chapter called for the need of membership motivation by leaders of the various chapters as well as inspiration of members to engage in politics since it provided an opportunity to impact society.

Country Director for the Ghana Chapter of the Foundation, Mr. Razak Awudu outlined the activities undertaken by the foundation which included; anti-corruption campaigns, leadership conferences and the hosting of the PLO Lumumba Mentorship Conference earlier this year and appealed to all members to legalize their membership by paying their dues promptly, effective September 1, 2020.

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Head of Media and Communication of PLO Lumumba Foundation Ghana chapter, Mr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor who moderated the meeting called on members not to hesitate to enroll to become members of the noble foundation.

The PLO Lumumba Foundation is the brainchild of Professor Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba and was established 30 years ago with its headquarters in Nairobi (Kenya).

The foundation seeks to nurture young Africans as servant leaders, among others, and is present in 38 countries across the world, including; UAE, Germany, Finland and the US operating as chapters of the Mother Foundation.

Source: GNA

We appreciate ‘free hot meal a day’ initiative, but there are more challenges – Private Schools

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We appreciate ‘free hot meal a day’ initiative, but there are more challenges – Private Schools

Following government’s decision to provide one hot meal a day for all the 584,000 final year JHS students in private and public schools as well as their 146,000 teachers from August 24, 2020, to September 18, 2020, President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Dr. Damascus Tuurosung has welcomed the move saying it is timely.

He, however, believes the challenges being faced by teachers and staff in this COVID era are overwhelming adding that such intervention should not necessarily be blown out of proportion.

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President Nana Akufo-Addo in his 15th address to the nation said the provision of one hot meal a day to all final year Junior High School (JHS) students comes after it was reported that some final year students had been “going hungry in complying with the Covid-19 protocols”.

But GNAPS President, Dr. Damascus Tuurosung says it is heartwarming news but cannot solve the many problems.

“Considering the number of challenges that we’re having to deal with this period. Challenges to deal with our teachers who have been home all these while without any form of remuneration for them, challenges to deal with students themselves who have returned to schools and we are battling to cater for salaries for our staff and get education materials to teach them.”

“It’s not as if we don’t appreciate what government is doing, we appreciate it; however, I’m calling it a drop in the ocean of challenges because there are so overwhelming so many challenges that an intervention of this nature should not send us into celebration as if all our issues have been dealt with.”

Dr. Tuurosung emphasised the need for government not to centralise the feeding but give each school its own allocation.

SourceGBCGHANAONLINE

Akufo-Addo lacked vision in implementing Free SHS – Mahama

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Akufo-Addo lacked vision in implementing Free SHS – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has lashed out at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for not being visionary enough before rolling out the current version of the free education programme.

According to the former president, the current government should have completed the schools he started before rolling out the policy full-scale.

Speaking at Akatsi on Tuesday, August 18 as part of his Volta Region tour, Mr Mahama noted that his government began the Free SHS policy.

“We started it. It is in our constitution. We started it in 2015 and made it free for day students,” he said, adding that in 2016, the programme was scaled up to include boarding students as well.

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“So it is logical that [the NPP] should continue with Free SHS but the mode of implementation has been very poor.”

He said all those who claim he would cancel the programme if he regains power should be considered liars.

“What we are going to do is to make it better,” he emphasised.

He said the double-track policy will be eliminated within a few months of his return to power as more schools will be put up.

He said he had already built 200 schools before leaving government, and with each school to take a capacity of 1,000 students, the NDC government would create room for 200,000 extra students.

This he said will banish the double-track bottleneck.

The National Democratic Congress(NDC) flag bearer was addressing the people and chiefs of the Avenor Traditional Council in the Akatsi South Constituency as part of his four-day tour of the Volta Region.

From the Region, he will proceed to adjoin Oti Region for another three days tour.

 

 

Source: 3 News

I’ll deliver all my road promises to Ghanaians – Akufo-Addo

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I’ll deliver all my road promises to Ghanaians – Akufo-Addo

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he is determined to deliver on his promises regarding roads in the Western Region and the country at large.

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President Akufo-Addo said this when he inspected the ongoing construction of the 3.5 kilometres of road from Ankyenyini to the Catholic Grotto at Egyam in the Ahanta West District as part of his two-day Western Regional tour.

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“I have to take a look at the progress of road projects in the region. You are aware that every year I go around the country for this purpose but this year, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has distorted my plans, but I am here and the many things I promised to do on my last visit, I can see that work is progressing satisfactorily and very soon the tarring of roads across the region will begin.”

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The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, who is also on President Akufo-Addo’s two-day tour of the Region said only 24 percent of the over 5,000 kilometres of roads in the Western Region have been paved.

Mr. Amoako-Atta further added that some 80 different road projects are ongoing concurrently in the Western Region to help address the challenge.

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“Out of this 5,289 identified kilometres of roads, only 24 percent of that has paved representing 1200 and I assure you that the rest will do done soon. There are many road projects ongoing in this region and there is a total of 80 road promises ongoing and they will be completed soon.”

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Government will complete all ‘Year of Roads’ projects as planned

The government had earlier promised that all road infrastructure projects currently underway in the country will be completed on schedule.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who gave the assurance, said the construction of the Pokuase and Tamale Interchanges, as well as many other projects across the country, affirm the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s commitment to improving Ghana’s road network.

Year of roads agenda

The government said its focus was on fixing roads across the country in 2020 and beyond.

To this end, it has declared 2020 as the year of roads.

Recently, most residents who have been outraged by poor roads have resorted to a series of protests to pile pressure on authorities to get their roads fixed.

Some say they will even boycott the 2020 elections if their deplorable roads are not fixed.

 

Akufo-Addo to tour Western, Central regions from Tuesday

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Akufo-Addo to tour Western, Central regions from Tuesday

President Akufo-Addo will from Tuesday, 18th August 2020, embark on a five-day working visit to the Western and Central Regions, where he is expected to commission projects, cut the sod for the construction of projects, and pay courtesy calls on traditional rulers.

On Tuesday, 17th August, the President will commence his official working visit at Egyam in the Western Region, where he will be inspecting work on the ongoing construction of the Ankyernyin-Egyam road. He will then move to the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira constituency to inspect the Axim Fishing Habour Project.

From Axim, the President will cut sod for construction of the Esiama-Nkroful road at Esiama, in the Ellembelle constituency. He will also inspect ongoing road construction works at Gwira Aiyinase, and to launch the Gwira Community Mining Scheme. He will also cut the sod for a 100-bed capacity District Hospital in Shama.

On day two, he will meet with the Regional House of Chiefs at Sekondi; visit the Essiam Bypass and Railway Training School at Essikado, and cut the sod for the construction of the GNPC Operational Headquarters, at Takoradi, in fulfillment of a 2016 manifesto pledge.

Beginning his tour of the Central Region, on Thursday, 20th August, cut the sod for the construction of a landing site and fishing harbour at Elmina in the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem constituency. He will also pay a courtesy call on the Mokwamanhene, in Twifo Praso, and inspect the ongoing construction of the Twifo Praso District Hospital.

Also, in Twifo Praso, the President will also cut sod for a bridge over River Pra, commission the Ekumfi Fruit Juice Factory, and later visit the Gomoa West constituency where he would join the Chiefs to inspect work an ongoing construction of a Landing Site.

On Saturday, President Akufo-Addo will cut the sod for the construction of the NHIA Office at Cape Coast, and attend the ceremony for the launch of the NPP 2020 Manifesto.

Protect the ballot in December – Mahama to Voltarians

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Protect the ballot in December – Mahama to Voltarians

Former President John Mahama has charged supporters of the NDC in the Volta region to ensure that they protect ballot boxes at their polling stations in the December polls to prevent rigging.

According to Mr. Mahama, happenings at the just ended voter registration exercise is an indication of the ruling NPP’s agenda to win the 2020 polls at all cost.

Mr Mahama made reference to the shooting incident involving Special Development Minister Hawa Koomson and the Ayawaso West Wougon election violence to back his claims.

“… You have the opportunity to change that and you can only change that if you’re able to vote, and so you must not allow anybody to disrupt that voting procedure in your polling station branch and make your vote not to count. And so, Let’s us all commit to peaceful elections and I know that if the elections are peaceful, free and fair, NDC would be victorious in the election.”

Mr. Mahama who was addressing residents of Mepe in the North Tongu constituency is on a four-day campaign tour of the Volta in his bid for a comeback as President of the country.

Touching on some policies of the NDC, Mr Mahama noted that his government if voted again, would embark on massive job creation for the teeming Ghanaian youth.

He further stated that “We have several programs, when we launch our manifesto we would give you more details but there are many things in there that would ensure that our young people get jobs to do because today, it’s about jobs; what is the use of going to school and when our children complete the university and become graduates they can’t find jobs; and so, every program that we are going to do must relate to creating jobs.”

While in the region, the NDC flagbearer would be meeting and addressing youth groups, market women, chiefs and other interest groups on his party’s programs and policies ahead of the December polls.

Source: Starrfm.com.gh/

Google turns Android phones into earthquake sensors

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Google turns Android phones into earthquake sensors

Google’s Android phones on Tuesday started detecting earthquakes around the world to provide data that could eventually give billions of users precious seconds of warning of a tremor nearby, with an alerting feature first rolling out in California.

Japan, Mexico and California already use land-based sensors to generate warnings, aiming to cut injuries and property damage by giving people further away from the epicentre of an earthquake second to protect themselves before the shaking starts.

If Google’s approaches for detecting and alerting prove effective, warnings would reach more people, including for the first time Indonesia and other developing countries with few traditional sensors.

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Seismology experts consulted by Google said turning smartphones into mini-seismographs marked a major advancement, despite the inevitably of erroneous alerts from a work in progress, and the reliance on a private company’s algorithms for public safety. More than 2.5 billion devices, including some tablets, run Google’s Android operating system.

“We are on a path to delivering earthquake alerts wherever there are smartphones,” said Richard Allen, director of University of California Berkeley’s seismological lab and visiting faculty at Google over the last year.

Google’s program emerged from a week-long session 4-1/2 years ago to test whether the accelerometers in phones could detect car crashes, earthquakes and tornadoes, said principal software engineer Marc Stogaitis.

Accelerometers – sensors that measure direction and force of motion – are mainly used to determine whether a user is holding a phone in landscape or portrait mode.

The company studied historical accelerometer readings during earthquakes and found they could give some users up to a minute of notice.

Source  Reuters

US announces spectrum auction to fuel 5G growth

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US announces spectrum auction to fuel 5G growth

The Trump administration on Monday unveiled plans to auction off 100 megahertz of midband spectrum previously dedicated to military purposes for commercial use starting in mid-2022, to ramp up fifth-generation network coverage in the United States.

The Federal Communications Commission will be able to auction this spectrum to companies like Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc from December 2021, and the wireless industry could be using it by summer of the following year, White House adviser and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios told reporters.

The move “allows us to maximize 5G availability of spectrum without compromising national security,” he said.

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The military uses the spectrum for critical radar operations including air missile defense, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said.

Midband spectrum is seen as vital for 5G, because it offers both geographic coverage and the capacity to transmit large amounts of data, FCC chairman Ajit Pai has said.

The next-generation 5G wireless network is expected eventually to connect and enable high-speed video transmissions and self-driving cars, among other uses.

The FCC has been working to clear enough spectrum to make 5G networks a reality and ensure there is enough spectrum to handle the growing amount of internet and wireless traffic. This spectrum reassignment is part of that effort.

Pai on Monday praised the announcement, adding that the FCC was looking forward to moving quickly to adopt service rules to bring the spectrum to market.

“This is a key milestone in securing United States leadership in 5G,” Pai said.

In October 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the Commerce Department to develop a long-term comprehensive national spectrum strategy to prepare for 5G wireless networks. Trump created the White House Spectrum Strategy Task Force and asked federal agencies to report on government spectrum needs and review how spectrum could be shared with private sector users.

U.S. wireless industry group CTIA also welcomed the announcement. “Opening up this critical block of mid-band spectrum for full power commercial operations will enhance U.S. competitiveness in the 5G ecosystem,” CTIA President and CEO, Meredith Attwell Baker, said in a statement.

SourceReuters

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints cleans-up GBC

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints cleans-up GBC

As part of activities to mark the 85th anniversary of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has organised a clean-up exercise on the premises of the Corporation.

President of the Kaneshie Stake of the church, Flint Mensah said it is the responsibility of every Christian to serve and help the society.

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He said the Church saw the need to undertake the exercise since it forms part of activities marking the “All Africa Helping Hands Service Project”, an annual project, which ensures that members of the Church go into the communities to perform different activities including cleaning the environment of filth.

Deputy Director of Communications of the Church, Samuel Sackey said the exercise was also to send a message to Ghanaians that cleaning is an attitude that needs to be cultivated.

Sourcegbcghanaonline
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