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The Electoral Commission has announced a special arrangement for the aged and persons with disability as well as those requiring special needs to register in the forthcoming voters' registration exercise. The Commission will from Tuesday, June 30 commence nationwide voter registration exercise for the compilation of a new register for the conduct of the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. The exercise registration will be done in all the 33,367 polling stations nationwide. Persons aged 60 years and above, pregnant women as well as lactating mothers will have the privilege to register at the various district offices of the Electoral Commission from July 2 to August 6. This category of persons, the EC said in a statement Friday, can download the registration and guarantor forms from its website, fill same with their details and submit it to the registration to facilitate the registration process for them. “Each applicant is to present a valid passport or a Ghana Card which is also known as the National Identification card to prove their eligibility to register,” the statement said. For those eligible applicants without any of the required documents, the Commission said they will have to provide two persons who have already registered to serve as guarantors for them. “The Commission will enforce safety protocols at each district office across the country to protect applicants from the covid-19 pandemic,” it assured. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/ec-announces-special-arrangement-for-pregnant-women-aged-pwds-to-register/

The recovery from coronavirus of an Ethiopian man who is believed to be at least 100 years old was “incredible”, one of the doctors who treated him told the BBC. Aba Tilahun Woldemichael's family says he is 114, which would make him the world's oldest man, but there is no birth certificate to confirm his age. People over the age of 80 are considered to be among the most vulnerable if they catch the virus. The centenarian, who is an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monk, is now being looked after at home by his grandson. “When I was in the hospital I was praying to God asking for my health. I was crying and praying for the whole country to be healthy again,” he told the BBC. Aba Tilahun tested positive for the virus when a random screening process took place in his neighbourhood in the capital, Addis Ababa, and was admitted to hospital before the symptoms showed, Dr Hiluf Abate told the BBC's Newsday programme. This allowed the medical team to be pro-active with its treatment and closely monitor the old man, he added. Within four days of his admission to the severe coronavirus ward in Yeka Kotebe hospital, Aba Tilahun's condition deteriorated as the virus took hold and he was put on oxygen, Dr Hiluf said. In all he spent 14 days at the hospital, and was treated with oxygen for more than a week. He also was given anti-biotics and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone, which has been hailed as a ground-breaking treatment for hospital patients seriously ill with Covid-19. Ethiopia, which has strict coronavirus restrictions, has recorded more than 5,000 confirmed cases and 81 deaths. Tumultuous times Although the hospital cannot confirm that its patient is 114 years old, the medical team says that he is definitely older than 100 and estimates that he is 109. In his youth, he moved to Addis Ababa from southern Ethiopia when he was young and has lived through tumultuous times in his country. He witnessed the Italian occupation between 1935 and 1941, the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, the collapse of the Marxist Derg regime in 1991 and now he has survived Covid-19. For years he has lived a simple life as a monk; “Aba” is a title meaning “Father”. But when he was younger he worked as an electrician, house painter and general handyman, his 24-year-old grandson Binyam Lulseged Tilahun told the BBC. His grandfather was doing well and looked healthy despite his age, however the after-effects of the virus had weakened his voice, Mr Binyam added. In order to curb the spread of coronavirus, Ethiopia introduced a state of emergency in April that closed schools and playgrounds, banned large gatherings and sporting events, and reduced passenger numbers on public transport. But businesses have remained open. BBC

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/ethiopian-aged-over-100-recovers-from-covid-19/

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the Suhum Interchange, to alleviate the plight of the general public who use that section of the Accra to Kumasi Dualisation Project. The commissioning of the interchange, the President said, is further evidence of government's commitment to continue with and complete successfully major infrastructure projects that were inherited from previous governments. This, he explained, is to ensure that the expected socio-economic benefits can be enjoyed by all Ghanaian people, and reaffirms the commitment of his Government to provide quality infrastructure for all. With the Suhum Interchange being a part of the Nsawam by-pass and Kwafokrom to Apedwa Junction Project, it will be recalled that the 9.1 kilometre Nsawam by-pass dual carriageway project was awarded in May 2008, during the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor, and was scheduled for completion in August 2010. Again, the 31.7 kilometre Kwafokrom to Apedwa junction dual carriageway project was also awarded in September 2008, again in the Kufuor era, and was scheduled for completion by March 2012. However, due to several challenges, mainly associated with payment delays, the project suffered many periods of suspension by the contractor. “Upon my assumption of office, work resumed, in June 2017, on the south-bound carriageway of the Kwafokrom to Apedwa section, including the Suhum Interchange. We were, however, unable to open the interchange to traffic due to some outstanding safety works. The Ghana Highway Authority has, since, ensured that the bridge can be opened for public use,” the President said. He continued, “the north-bound carriageway works, including the construction of eight (8) footbridges along the road corridor, were also repackaged, and work commenced in January 2019. The entire Kwafokrom to Apedwa junction project is expected to be finally completed in April 2021.” President Akufo-Addo noted that similar interchanges, tunnels and underpasses have become an integral part of all road planning and construction activities in the country, adding that the Suhum Interchange will “afford residents the comfort of going about their normal activities, without fear of, for instance, being knocked down by vehicles.” The improved conditions the country's highways, the President reiterated, imposes a collective duty on the citizenry to be mindful of their responsibilities on the road. “I urge motorists to be extra careful on our highways, and also resist the temptation of over speeding on good road sections. Improved roads should be a catalyst for national development, not instruments of death and pain,” he added. The President expressed the gratitude of the nation to workers, security agencies, contractors and the supervising agency, the Ghana Highway Authority, for a good work done on the project. “I am expectant that this same attitude of collaboration, hard work and excellence is being extended to all other infrastructural projects being undertaken in other sectors of our economy. I urge, once again, all motorists and road users to follow the traffic control and management schemes that have been deployed in this section, so as to ensure safety for all,” he added By Presidency|3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/akufo-addo-commissions-suhum-interchange/

A 63-year-old traditional guitarist (Gonje) Mahama Issahaku is in the grips of the Tamale Police after allegedly defiling three girls at Shishagu, a suburb of the Sagnarigu in the Northern Region. The ‘Gonje' man allegedly defiled the girls at the same time. The girls (names withheld) are aged 13, 14 and 15. According to the Northern Regional Crime Officer Superintendent Otuo Acheampong, one of the girls is allegedly pregnant after the incident. He revealed the suspect has two wives, eight children and 13 grandchildren. Mahama was arrested after a relative of one of the girls reported the incident. Checks by 3news.com from the Northern Region Division of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service revealed more than 15 defilement cases have been reported since January 2020. Two of them have since been convicted with the recent conviction being a 25-year-old driver's mate who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for defiling a two-year-old girl in Kumbungu. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/mahama-arrested-for-defiling-three-girls/

Telecom giant MTN Ghana says it is suing the National Communications Authority (NCA) over the regulator's decision to impose some restrictions likely to inhibit the company's growth and innovativeness. The NCA on June 8 declared MTN Ghana as a Significant Market Power (SMP), a status that has caused the NCA to impose special regulatory restrictions on the telecom leader. According to MTN Ghana, the restrictions to be enforced would potentially limit the company's growth, performance, innovativeness and its competitiveness in the telecoms market. It suggested in a statement Friday that the NCA did not follow due process in the matter. “Regretfully, the manner of the recent declaration of MTN as a Dominant/SMP raises concerns about clear procedural breaches and substantive issues,” the statement claimed. Although it has since being declared an SMP engaged the NCA and other stakeholders to share its position on the matter, the regulator continues to implement some specified interventions against it. On the back of that, MTN Ghana said it has after much consultation, and as a last resort, taken the “difficult decision to resort to the Law Courts for redress in the form of a judicial review of NCA's decision” This, it explained, is “to ensure the observance of the requirements of procedural fairness”. “MTN Ghana would like to reiterate that it is not opposed to steps by the regulator to enhance further the highly competitive Ghana telecoms industry and is indeed prepared to support the regulator to that end,” it added. However, it said the regulatory authority “must follow the applicable legislations and global industry best practices”. “As a responsible and ethical leader, MTN is neither aware of any industry economics / market study to establish market failure nor has MTN taken any steps or engaged in anti-competitive behavior” Despite the decision to go to court, MTN said it is still opened to dialogue to achieve an amicable resolution to the matter. MTN said it has over the years shown confidence in the Ghana telecommunications sector by its continued investment in hitherto undervalued ventures such as rural telephony, broadband services, 4G technology, new innovations and mobile money. It said that was done to support the development of the industry and to deliver on its belief that “everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life”. “We have indeed collaborated with government over the period to invest in priority projects that have all contributed to our current position in the market,” it said. MTN Ghana said its commitment to the delivery of a bold new digital world in Ghana continues to be paramount and that the company remains focused on providing the enabling technology to support Ghana's digital economy particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/mtn-sues-nca-over-moves-to-restrict-its-growth/

Government is embarking on a nationwide random inspection of offices, shops and factories as coronavirus infections keep rising at workplaces in Ghana. The exercise to be carried out by the Ministry of Ministry of Employment and Labour from July 1 is to ensure strict compliance with and enforcement of all covid-19 protocols and guidelines by government and WHO. It said government has noticed with grave concern the spread of covid-19 infections at workplaces despite measures taken by Ghana to curtail the spread of the virus. The team will be taking interest in a response plan indicating the institutions' preparedness for covid-19 prevention at the workplace, evaluate mechanisms for covid-19 prevention and look out for evidence of physical distancing during meetings. It will also conduct risk assessment of potential interaction between workers and non-workers at the workplace, train management and workers on the correct use, maintenance and disposal of protective gears. Also, the team will look for evidence of communication between management, workers and workers' representatives or over the phone. A statement from the Ministry said the team will take interest in the existence of an isolation room for persons who develop Covid-19 symptoms at the workplace, while awaiting transfer to an appropriate health facility. Arrangements for disinfection of the workplace will also be on the watch list of the team They will seek the organisation's consultation with occupational health services, local public health authorities and other partners to promote and develop information materials and other technical advice to prevent risk of exposure. It has thus entreated employers and workers to make changes in their workplaces to curtail the spread of the covid-19. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/govt-to-inspect-covid-19-protocols-compliance-at-workplaces/

The National Identification Authority has described as inaccurate, statements made by former President John Mahama regarding the Ghana Card issuance across the country ahead of Tuesday's voters' registration exercise by the Electoral Commission. Mr Mahama had claimed Thursday that the Ghana Card, which has been made one of two identification documents as proof of identification for the voters' registration has not been rolled out in full. At a news conference to respond to the Supreme Court verdict in the NDC cases against the voters register compilation, the NDC flagbearer also claimed the Ghana cards are being issued with no mechanism for verification. He claimed the NIA itself has admitted to duplication of thousands of Ghana cards. But the Authority in a statement Friday said the statements by the ex-president are false. It said since April 29, 2019 the NIA has fully rolled out the mass registration exercise to register Ghanaians and issue them with biometric ID Cards and was left with just a week to complete when the covid-19 outbreak curtailed the exercise in the Eastern Region which was the last one. “The Mop-Up Exercise currently underway is to further provide opportunity for those who could not register to do so,” it said. As at June 23, this year, a total of 11,385,494 eligible Ghanaians have been registered and 11,172,261 cards printed with 10,854,829 cards issued. “The target was to register 80% of the population aged 15 and above. A total number of Ghanaians aged 18 and above have been issued 10,576,120 Ghana Cards. By the end of the mop-up registration exercise, it is expected that 16.7 million eligible Ghanaians would have been captured on the National Identity Register and issued the Ghana Card,” it said. On the verification claims made by Mr Mahama, the NIA said “this claim is false”. It said 7,163,935 of Ghana Cards have been issued through the online verification mechanism. “There is an inbuilt mechanism for the verification of the 3,690,894 cards currently being issued using the Card Issuance Album. The use of manual verification is not a novel practice. There are various methods of verification. “One can use the ocular inspection method, the match-on-card method or the one-to-many method which is online. The National Identity System is designed to utilize any or all of these methods,” it explained. The NIA said applicants who visit the Card Issuance Centres are identified and issued their Ghana Cards by NIA officials using “the ocular verification method” where crosschecking of their photographs, name, date of birth, telephone number and other details as captured in the album are done. “The manual verification will reduce the risk of applicants undermining the protocols on physical distancing (COVID-19),” it added. The Authority said the claims by Mr Mahama that there are duplications in the cards “is regrettably false” “Out of the 11,172,261 printed as at 23rd June 2020, there has only been 525 instances where more than one card has been printed for an individual bearing different Personal Identification Numbers. This situation was caused by an error during a system update which error has since been resolved,” it explained. It said even that, only one card can be active against a set of biometrics (face, fingers and iris). “In effect, no one can use two cards at the same time neither can anyone use the card of another person. The system automatically assigns invalid multiple card details to a watch list,” it stated. The NIA assured that its mandate to register and issue Ghana Cards to citizens of Ghana “is very much on course”. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/nia-counters-mahamas-inaccurate-false-statements-on-ghana-card/

Ghana's coronavirus fatalities have passed the 100 mark as eight more new deaths are announced Friday by health authorities. The total covid-19 deaths now stand at 103. Additionally, 361 new covid-19 cases have been recorded to bring the national tally to 15,834. The country's recoveries also keep surging, with the current figure being 11,755. Active cases as released by the Ghana Health Service on its website Friday is 3,976. The number of persons in critical condition has also gone up from four to six with those in severe condition still at 24. Case count per Region Greater Accra Region – 9,070 Ashanti Region – 3,161 Western Region – 1,276 Central Region – 799 Eastern Region – 486 Volta Region – 331 Upper East Region – 271 Oti Region – 108 Northern Region – 100 Western North Region – 94 Bono East Region – 47 Savannah Region – 38 Upper West Region – 35 Ahafo Region – 8 North East Region – 4 Bono Region – 4 By 3news.com|Ghana

June 26, 2020

https://3news.com/361-new-covid-19-cases-recorded-in-ghana-as-death-toll-passes-100-mark/

Former President John Mahama says Ghanaians should not let the decision of the Supreme Court  on the compilation of a new voters' register discourage them from registering in their numbers to vote in the December 7 general elections this year. Read his full address below ADDRESS BY HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA, FLAGBEARER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) ON THE SUPREME COURT RULING ON COMPILATION OF A NEW VOTER REGISTER Good evening my brothers and sisters, Earlier today, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana gave its ruling in a case brought by the National Democratic Congress against the Electoral Commission over its decision to compile a new voter register. Despite the well-reasoned reliefs we sought, the apex court of the land gave the leeway for the Electoral Commission to go ahead with the exclusion of the existing voter identification cards from the list of identification requirements. We are deeply disappointed and strongly disagree with the court over this outcome, which has confounded many legal experts and thrown the country into a state of confusion. Our legal team is examining this decision even as we await the full judgement. It is worrying that the Court deferred the reasons for its decisions to the 15th of July, by which time the EC would have been two weeks into the registration exercise. My brothers and sisters, throughout its history, the NDC has stood strongly for an inclusive democracy. That is because the party is built on the principle that no one should be left out in the governance process of our beloved country. This principle may be seen through the various programmes and projects upon which our democracy is built: the composition of the Consultative Assembly, which prepared the 1992 Constitution; the consultations for the review of the Constitution in 2010 (which stands out as the most comprehensive consultative programme in our history and the history of the sub-region); just to mention a few. The NPP tradition, on the other hand, has since the founding of our nation always stood for an exclusive governance structure. A structure, which seeks to leave out the ordinary men and women of our country. A structure, which rather favours only a select few who consider themselves the owners of the nation. To ensure this, the NPP has since its assumption of power in 2017, consistently put in place measures, which seek to systematically disenfranchise eligible citizens. Such measures include restricting the identification mechanism for voter registration to documents, which are not accessible to millions of eligible voters. We have been very clear in our minds that the decision to compile a new voters register was in pursuit of this long-held agenda, hence our efforts to stop the wholesale attempt to exclude vast sections of our population from the process to determine who leads them. This represents the handiwork of a desperate incumbent that on account of its very poor performance in government sees its political survival only through the prism of manipulation of the electoral process to exclude a section of Ghanaians who they suspect may not renew their mandate at the polls. A caring, compassionate and responsible government would not push us to this brink at a time of a major pandemic like COVID-19 that is causing so much anguish among the citizenry. It is deeply regrettale that the Electoral Commission, which should be independent, has made itself a willing tool in the execution of this most diabolic agenda. The exclusion of the old Voters ID card, which has been used to conduct several elections under the current leadership of the Electoral Commission and from which the current President derives his mandate is aimed at deliberately disenfranchising some Ghanaians who have falsely been branded foreigners without any basis. The restriction of primary identification to passports, Ghana Cards and the resort to guaranteeing for others is a ruse to create frustration in the hope that it will discourage millions from registering and in the process give advantage ab initio to a bungling incumbent. The Ghana Card, which has been made one of two identification documents has not been rolled out in full. As we speak, these cards are still being issued with no mechanism for verification. The National Identification Authority itself has admitted to duplication of thousands of these cards Therefore, the NDC's decision to go to the Supreme Court, was informed by the party's time-honoured belief and commitment to an inclusive democracy as opposed to the NPP's exclusiveness. However, it was obvious from the outset of this struggle that inclusive democracy was not going to have a hearing, even against the resounding call by the National House of Chiefs, religious leaders, CSOs and the various trade and professional groups. My brothers and sisters, the right to vote must however not be curtailed on account of this minor setback for inclusion. We cannot throw our hands up in despair because the fight to insist on inclusion has been temporarily derailed by this ruling. We can still make our voices heard even if we must endure some inconvenience and frustration. To achieve the objective of taking part in the decision over who governs us, we must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices in the present circumstances. I therefore urge all Ghanaians of voting age to channel the disappointment at the effort to exclude them from the electoral process into an opportunity to have their voices heard and turn up to register in their teeming numbers, when the process begins next week Tuesday. The NPP and the EC are very much aware that the exclusion of the existing voter ID will significantly slow down the process of registration and create the real risk of people massing up outside the voting centers. But this is what happens when politics is put before the people. While at it, let us keep safe by adhering strictly to all COVID-19 preventive protocols, such as social distancing, the wearing of face masks among others, particularly because of the increasing trend in the number of infections and deaths recorded. I pray that the almighty God shall protect all our citizens who come out to exercise their constitutional right to register from any sickness or infection by any disease. The process may be made deliberately slow and painful, but I encourage you all to endure it in so far as it would enable you vote out this government that has masterminded that frustration in the first place. We must always be willing to hold leaders accountable for bad decisions that impose difficulties on citizens and this is one clear opportunity to do so. Do not let the several hours you may spend at the registration centre get you to surrender your right to vote. That would only embolden those who seek to disenfranchise you. To the few who have passports and Ghana cards, make use of them and register. To those who get the opportunity to register, I implore you to assist your brother, sister and compatriot by guaranteeing for them even if it takes a bit more of your time. See this as a civic duty and your contribution to the effort to preserve the right to vote. This way, we will undo the grand conspiracy to deprive us of the inalienable right to vote and we will in the process send a clear signal that it is only we the people who will decide who gets the opportunity to lead this country and not the governments we elect or state agencies who make themselves pliant accomplices in the attempt to disenfranchise us. This is not just an NDC fight, it is a fight to rescue the very soul of our beloved country from the hands of those who seek to impose their will unjustly on the people. Our forefathers founded this nation with the motto “Freedom and Justice”. It is clear today that never in the history of our 4th Republic have these two lofty ideals been in such short supply. I salute the all the diverse organizations, Civil Society Organizations, prominent chiefs, organized labor, professional groups and all well-meaning Ghanaians who have rallied around this cause to demand that the right thing be done in the larger national interest. I call on all Ghanaians who yearn to see a change in the governance of this country to rise up and be counted for where there is a will, there is a way. No politically engineered register can save this failed government from the inevitable defeat that awaits them in the next 165 days. With or without a new voters register, the NDC shall win this election by the grace of God. I leave you with this famous quote by Emperor Haile Selassie: “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” I thank you for your kind attention.

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/what-mahama-said-about-supreme-court-ruling-on-new-voters-register/

Former President John Mahama says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is bound to lose the December 2020 general elections with or without a politically engineered electoral roll. Mr Mahama claimed Thursday that the Akufo-Addo government was manipulating the electoral process to its advantage, but said failure of the government will ensure it is defeated in the December 7 elections. “No politically engineered register can save this failed government from the judgment of the people, from the inevitable defeat that awaits them in the next 165 days,” Mr Mahama said at a news conference. According to Mr Mahama who is seeking to win back power from President Nana Akufo-Addo, “With or without a new voters' register, the NDC shall win the elections by the grace of God”. His comment comes on the back of Thursday's Supreme Court decision rejecting the use of the current voters' ID card and birth certificate as the proof of nationality to be registered in the upcoming voters' registration exercise. The NDC and one Mark Takyi-Benson had invited the Supreme Court to order the EC to accept birth certificate and the existing voter's ID card as proof of citizenship to be able to partake in the new voters' registration. The court refused and gave the EC the green light to proceed with the controversial compilation of a new voters' register for the December polls. Per the decision, only persons with a Ghanaian passport or a Ghana Card issued by the National Identification Card can be registered to vote. Persons without any of the two documents can also get two registered voters to guarantee for them. Addressing a news conference to respond to the court's decision, Mr Mahama said the NDC strongly disagrees with position taken by the apex court, which he said, has created confusion in the minds of even legal experts. “We are deeply disappointed and strongly disagreed with the courts over this outcome,” Mr Mahama stated, adding it has “indeed thrown the whole country into a state of confusion”. The former President said the party's legal team is meanwhile “examining this decision” by the court, but will await the full reasons for this judgment, which the court has set July 15 to give. “Despite the well-reasoned relief we sought, the apex court of our land has given a leeway for the electoral Commission to go ahead with the exclusion of the existing voters' identification card from the list of identification requirement for registration for the register,” he said. Attempt to disenfranchise millions He described the development as a systemic attempt to disenfranchise eligible persons from getting their names into the register to vote in the upcoming elections. In the view of Mr Mahama, the decision to compile a new voters' register is an agenda of the NPP government to disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians, claiming it is on that basis that proof of nationality has been restricted to “documents which are not accessible currently to millions of eligible voters”. The government, he said, “sees its very political survival only through the prism of manipulation of the electoral process to exclude a section of Ghanaians who they suspect may not renew their mandate at the polls”. He said it is regrettable that the EC which has earned respect on the continent over the years and should be independent “has today made itself a willing tool in the execution of this most diabolic agenda”. By By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/no-politically-engineered-register-can-save-akufo-addo-from-defeat-mahama/

The National Democratic Congress says it is disappointed in the Supreme Court decision blocking the use of birth certificate and the current voter ID  as proof of nationality in the upcoming voters' registration exercise across the country. Leader of the party, John Mahama, at a news conference Thursday said the party strongly disagrees with position taken by the apex court, which he said, has created confusion in the minds of even legal experts. “We are deeply disappointed and strongly disagreed with the courts over this outcome,” Mr Mahama stated, adding it has “indeed thrown the whole country into a state of confusion”. The former President said the party's legal team is meanwhile “examining this decision” by the court, but will await the full reasons for this judgment, which the court has set July 15 to give. Attempt by the EC to undertake a new registration exercise towards a new register was challenged at the Supreme Court by the National Democratic Congress and one Mark Tekyi-Benson. They wanted the court to order the EC to accept the current voter ID card and birth certificates as proof of citizenship in the registration exercise; a relief the Supreme Court rejected in its decision on Thursday, June 25. Per the decision, only persons with a Ghanaian passport or a Ghana Card issued by the National Identification Card can be registered to vote. Persons without any of the two documents can also get two registered voters to guarantee for them. “Despite the well-reasoned relief we sought, the apex court of our land has given a leeway for the electoral Commission to go ahead with the exclusion of the existing voters' identification card from the list of identification requirement for registration for the register,” Mahama said Thursday. He accused the Akufo-Addo government of manipulating the electoral process to its advantage. Mr Mahama described the development as a systemic attempt to disenfranchise eligible persons from getting their names into the register to vote in the upcoming elections. In the view of Mr Mahama, the decision to compile a new voters' register is an agenda of the NPP government to disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians, claiming it is on that basis that proof of nationality has been restricted to “documents which are not accessible currently to millions of eligible voters”. The government, he said, “sees its very political survival only through the prism of manipulation of the electoral process to exclude a section of Ghanaians who they suspect may not renew their mandate at the polls”. He said it is regrettable that the EC which should be independent “has today made itself a willing tool in the execution of this most diabolic agenda”. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/were-deeply-disappointed-disagree-with-supreme-court-mahama/

Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, has expressed worry about the widening budget deficit due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying this development could derail the progress made over the past three years. Speaking in an online broadcast, Dr Addison said the budget deficit, which is projected to reach over 7 percent this year, could in the face of weak revenue generation and the pandemic undermine the economic gains.The deficit was 3.4 percent of GDP in the first quarter against a target of 1.04 percent.“We cannot allow the COVID-19 pandemic to undermine all the gains we have made over the past three years,” Dr Addison said.The online broadcast was organised by the Graphic Communications Group as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations and covered a broad spectrum of issues affecting the economy and the banking sector.Dr Addison said while initial indicators in the first quarter pointed to a relatively strong link of export of cocoa and gold, oil exports on the other hand had been significantly impacted.The Bank had already projected a decline from the original estimation of over seven percent to two percent, a significant revision of the outlook on growth.Inflation had picked up at 11.3 percent in May beyond the Central Bank's target band of 8 plus or minus two.“We are seeing inflation which was around our target band has recently gone up and then you can also see that the budget deficit is threatening to be wider than originally planned. This really complicates policy. It calls for very serious navigation of the challenge in order to ensure that we don't undermine all the gains that we have made over the past three years,” he said.Dr Addison said businesses in the tourism and hospitality, education and management services sectors had been significantly impacted with workers laid off and others sent home in order to manage the impact.He said the impact for 2020 would be significant depending on how the disease progresses and would lead to a change in the economic forecast.“It is very fluid and this is something that is changing all the time,” he said.On the banking sector, the governor said the reforms, which led to the closure of weak banks over the past three years, had strengthened the sector in the COVID-19 environment and increased the confidence in the banking system.“The banks are well capitalized and should be able to weather the coronavirus pandemic effects provided it does not become a protracted problem which is not resolves within the next six months,” he said.Dr Addison said he was satisfied with the effort of the government, saying the biggest impact of the Covid pandemic had been on the budget, that is government revenue and the expenditure plan in the face of lower revenue generation.“At the same time that the government has had lower revenue coming in 2020, the government also has to spend more to protect households, businesses and providing more resources for our health facilities all of that cost money,” he said.“We need to understand in the outlook how this pandemic pans out and if it would put pressure on government's financial needs. We are only hoping that we have seen the worst and if that is the case some of us are of the view that the measures put in place are about adequate,” Dr Addison added. GNA

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/bog-worried-about-widening-budget-deficit-due-to-covid-19/

Vivo Energy Ghana, the Shell licensee, in partnership with its fuel retailers, have constructed and handed over a 10-seater water closet toilet facility, with an overhead water tank to the Ahinsan Camp Prison in the Adansi District of the Ashanti Region. For over 27 years, prisoners at the Ahinsan Camp Prison resorted to using a dilapidated wooden structure as a place of convenience, which exposed them to all kinds of infectious diseases. The timely intervention by Vivo Energy Ghana and its retailers means that the personal health and safety of inmates is now improved. The initiative forms part of Vivo Energy Ghana's Retailer Sustainability Programme, launched to complement the government's efforts in combating COVID-19 from Ghana and ensuring the decentralisation of developmental support to communities where it operates. Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana in a speech read on his behalf by the Corporate Communications Manager, Mrs. Shirley Tony Kum, reiterated the company's commitment to its communities as a partner in sustainable development. “Following an engagement and needs assessment with authorities of the prison, it became evident that the inmates needed a decent place of convenience to prevent the outbreak of diseases and promote good health and living conditions. To this effect, we provided the needed funds and materials for the construction of a 10-seater WC facility for Ahinsan Camp Prison and we are happy to commission this facility”, she said. She further expressed her sincere appreciation to the Shell brand retailers who voluntarily contributed towards the project and the leadership and inmates of the Ahinsan Camp Prison for providing the labour for the construction. The Station Commander of the Ahinsan Camp Prison, Superintendent Edward Tabi Kokro, said the construction of the toilet facility has ended the over two-decade problem of indecent and unsafe place of convenience for inmates. “I will like to express my appreciation to Vivo Energy Ghana and it Retailers for bringing this initiative to our door step. I must say that the construction of the facility has ended the long challenge for a decent toilet for inmates. I promise that the washroom will be well maintained to ensure it lasts. The beauty of this is that, it is the handiwork of inmates, under the supervision of officers”, he said. For her part, the Queen Mother of Ahinsan-Adansi, Nana Tiwaa Kukrubour admitted that, the facility is one of a kind in the township and encouraged the inmates to take good care of the facility and maintain good personal hygiene to minimize the risk of infection in the camp. Since the launch of the Vivo Energy Retailer Sustainability Programme, various government institutions have benefitted from the programme. They include the National Commission for Civic Education and Effiankwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region, Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region, New Juabeng South Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, Kenyasi Health Centre, Ejura Sekyedumasi District, and Ahinsan Camp Prison all in the Ashanti Region. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/shell-retailers-provide-wc-toilet-facility-for-ahinsan-camp-prison/

The Electoral Commission says it has accepted and will respect the decision of the Supreme Court in the compilation of a new voters' register for the conduct of the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary election. Attempt by the EC to undertake a new registration exercise towards a new register was challenged at the Supreme Court by the National Democratic Congress and one Mark Tekyi-Benson. They wanted the court to order the EC to accept the current voter ID card and birth certificates as proof of citizenship in the registration exercise; a relief the Supreme Court rejected in its decision on Thursday, June 25. “As a Commission which believes in the sanctity of the law, we respect the decision of the Supreme Court,” the EC said in a statement issued few hours after the court decision. It said the EC is particularly being guided by the Court's statement that “The Electoral Commission in exercising their discretion in the discharge of their constitutional mandate in cleaning the Voters' Register should be deemed as authorized to be acting within the law and the regulations therein, and cannot be faulted even if it is considered that there is a more efficient mode or method available”. It said in line with the apex court's decision, the registration exercise will thus commence on June 30 to August 6, and has thus urged all to prepare to register to vote in the December 7, 2020 general elections. “The commission entreats all its stakeholders to hold themselves in readiness for the voters registration exercise,” the statement signed by Acting Director of the Commission, Mrs Sylvia Annor said. It has assured Ghanaians of strict compliance of Articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 constitution and the CI 126 as directed by the Court. Per the CI 126, anyone applying to register shall provide either a passport or a National Identification card (Ghana Card), and in the absence of the two, must get two registered voters to guarantee for them. The EC explained however that no registered voter can guarantee for more than 10 people. “…a registered voter shall not guarantee the identity of more than 10 persons,” it said in the statement. Meanwhile the EC said it will ensure that persons who show up at the various registration centres to get their names on the electoral role are protected from contracting the deadly coronavirus. The Commission will enforce strict safety protocols at its registration centres across the country so as to protect applicants from the covid-19 pandemic By 3news.com|Ghana|

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/we-accept-and-respect-supreme-courts-decision-ec/

A final year student of the Nalerigu Nurses and Midwifery College as well as another woman have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Nalerigu in the North East Region. The student, according to health officials, returned to school recently from Cape Coast in the Central Region while the  woman was said to have travelled to Nalerigu from Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. Both patients have been quarantined to undergo Covid-19 treatment. Municipal Health Director Mark Abugri, who confirmed the cases, said contact tracing has commenced. North East Region has since the outbreak of covid-19 in Ghana recorded four positive cases with two recoveries. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/trainee-nurse-pregnant-woman-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-nalerigu/

The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has officially been declared over, almost two years after it began. No new cases of the disease have been reported in the north-east of the country, where dozens of armed groups operate, since 27 April. Some 2,280 people died since the outbreak began in August 2018. The deadliest outbreak on record was in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 with more than 11,000 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the end of the outbreak in the east, where insecurity is also endemic, was a cause for celebration as it had a been a tough and often dangerous two years for those involved in fighting it. However, DR Congo, which is the size of mainland western Europe, is dealing a fresh Ebola outbreak in the north-west of the country. The case in Mbandaka was announced on 1 June where 13 people have since died. Genetic analysis shows it is a different strain of the virus to that found in the east. The WHO in DR Congo has told the BBC the situation in Mbandaka – the country's 11th outbreak – is nearly under control. But new Ebola outbreaks are to be expected given the existence of the virus in animals in many parts of DR Congo, the WHO says. For an outbreak to be declared over, there has to be a 42-day period since the last positive case was tested negative and discharged from hospital. Why did it take so long to end? The outbreak in eastern DR Congo was the 10th to have hit the country since 1976, when the virus was first discovered by a group of scientists who decided to call it Ebola after a local river. Health Minister Eteni Longondo described it as “the longest, most complex and deadliest” in the DR Congo's history. Decades of conflict in the east have led to widespread mistrust of the authorities, which has made it harder for health workers to treat sick and at-risk people. BBC health reporter Rhoda Odhiambo says there had been more than 420 attacks on health facilities in the region by armed groups since 2018, which greatly hampered efforts to contain the spread of the disease. Another challenge in tackling the eastern outbreak was its geographical span across 1200km (475 miles) and three provinces – North Kivu, Ituri and South Kivu, she says. Fear of the deadly Ebola virus – which sees patients suffer gruesome symptoms and rules out customary burial rites – has been another challenge. How was it achieved? WHO's regional director to Africa says the end of the outbreak was only possible because of collaboration. “This is a sign of hope that with solidarity and science epidemics can be controlled,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti said. The largest-ever Ebola vaccine campaign was a key factor in containing its spread. The introduction of two experimental vaccines saw more than 320,000 people inoculated. Health workers and Congolese authorities have mostly succeeded in preventing the spread to neighbouring countries. In Uganda last year, a five-year-old boy and his grandmother died days after visiting family across the border in DR Congo. Months later, Tanzania was criticised by the WHO for failing to provide information about suspected Ebola infections, including one person who died. BBC

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/dr-congos-deadliest-ebola-outbreak-declared-over/

Parents and guardians have been asked to provide their children with nose masks and alcohol-based hand sanitisers to complement government's efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Giving the advice on the sideline of a disinfection exercise at St James International School in the Tema West Constituency, the Tema General Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Seth Appiah Ocran, said the government alone cannot fight the pandemic. Although government is providing each student with three reusable face masks, “…as parents, we must support the government by ensuring that our school-going children have, at least, nose masks and hand sanitisers to protect them from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he urged. Again, he charged parents to educate their children on the Covid-19 safety protocols. The exercise, which saw the disinfection of about 17 basic schools in the Tema West Constituency, was part of the President directives for all basic schools in the county to be disinfected before reopening date–Monday, June 29. Some of the schools that received disinfection on the day were Young Scholars International School, Good Shepherd International School, Azure International School, Apex Community School among others. According to Mr Appiah Ocran, about 205 basic schools (public and public) were targeted for disinfection in the Tema West Constituency. “And many of these schools have been disinfected already, adding that we are disinfecting 17 schools today (Wednesday, June 25), and also a mop up of the schools whose heads were not available during the early days of the exercise,” he said. Mr Appiah Ocran, however, said one challenge they encountered during the exercise was the unavailability of some of the schools' head, albeit prior notice about the exercise was relayed to them. “The unavailability of some of the headmasters/mistresses sometimes delayed the exercise, but I must admit that generally the heads were cooperative,” the Tema Zoomlion GM said. Mr Appiah Ocran went on to disclose that his company had already disinfected all the public schools, adding that “we are left with some private schools then our task would be complete.” “The public schools in Tema are dotted in Communities Two, Five, Klagon, Adjei Kojo areas, and they have all been disinfected,” stated Mr Appiah Ocran. For her part, the Headmistress of Azure International School, Deborah Okyere, commended the central government and Zoomlion Ghana Limited for including private schools in the exercise. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 25, 2020

https://3news.com/parents-should-support-govt-in-covid-19-fight-zoomlion-manager/

Liverpool moved to within touching distance of their first title in 30 years as Crystal Palace were brutally dismissed behind closed doors at Anfield. Fabinho's extra special night Palace outclassed on painful night What's next? Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars?

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/liverpool-move-within-two-points-of-title/

Volunteers have begun being immunised with a new UK coronavirus vaccine. About 300 people will have the vaccine over the coming weeks, as part of a trial led by Prof Robin Shattock and his colleagues, at Imperial College London. Tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response. Experts at Oxford University have already started human trials. The trials are among many across the world – there are around 120 vaccine programmes under way. ‘I volunteered to help beat the virus' Kathy, 39, who works in finance, is one of the first volunteers taking part in the Imperial trial. She said she volunteered because she wanted to play a part in fighting the virus. “I think it came from not really knowing what I could do to help, and this turned out to be something that I could do. “And understanding that it's not likely that things will get back to normal until there is a vaccine, so wanting to be part of that progress as well.” After this first phase, another trial is being planned for October, involving 6,000 people. The Imperial team hopes the vaccine could be distributed in the UK and overseas from early 2021. A new approach Many traditional vaccines are based on a weakened or modified form of virus, or parts of it, but the Imperial vaccine is based on a new approach, using synthetic strands of genetic code, called RNA, which mimic the virus. Once injected into muscle, the RNA self-amplifies – generating copies of itself – and instructs the body's own cells to make copies of a spike protein found on the outside of the virus. This should train the immune system to recognise and fight coronavirus without having to develop Covid-19. Prof Shattock said: “We've been able to produce a vaccine from scratch and take it to human trials in just a few months. “If our approach works and the vaccine provides effective protection against disease, it could revolutionise how we respond to disease outbreaks in future.” Chief investigator for the study, Dr Katrina Pollock, added: “I wouldn't be working on this trial if I didn't feel cautiously optimistic that we will see a great immune response in our participants. “The pre-clinical data looked very promising. We're getting a neutralising antibody response which is the immune response you would want to protect from infection. But there's still a long way to go to evaluate this vaccine.” The research has been funded by £41m from the UK government, as well as £5m of other donations. BBC

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/human-trial-of-new-coronavirus-vaccine-begins-in-uk/

A constitutional law scholar Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh has described as “illogical”, reasons cited by the Supreme Court to reject an amicus curiae brief in the case against the compilation of a new voters' register. Some four civil society groups had gone to the apex court seeking to be granted audience in the case to volunteer relevant information to help in the determination of the case filed by the National Democratic Congress and one Mark Takyi-Benson. Their request was dismissed by the Supreme Court Wednesday on grounds that the think-tank groups which have been opposing the move to re-register Ghanaians for the next election were not neutral on the issue and will not add any relevant information other than what is before them. A member of the seven-member panel of justices, Baffoe Bonnie, is reported to have said the court was aware of what the CSOs had been up to and also taken judicial notice of their position on the matter. The judge is said to have claimed that the groups were only coming to support a side, as he remarked “you are not neutral”. But the court's decision has shocked the law scholar who holds contrary view. “This is the first time in my life as a constitutional law scholar and lawyer, trained in the Anglo-American legal tradition that I am learning that in order to be allowed permission to file an amicus curiae brief, one must be “neutral” or disinterested in the case in question,” he stated. In a facebook post after the ruling, the man who is also the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana said the position of the court is opposite what is known in law. “This is the exact opposite of everything I know about amicus briefs. Typically, one who is not otherwise a party to a case before an appellate or apex court must demonstrate a strong “interest” in the matter in order to be allowed the opportunity to submit an amicus brief,” he explained. He wondered why a person who is “disinterested or neutral” will even bother to file an amicus brief in a case if the ruling of the Supreme Court is anything to go by. In his view, the view taken by the Supreme Court on the instant matter turns Article 2 of Ghana's 1992 constitution on its head. “…in Ghana, where Article 2 of the Constitution entitles any citizen, natural or artificial, to bring a constitutional case before the Supreme Court, the idea that, once a certain party has already brought a matter, the outcome of which binds all citizens equally, no other person may file an amicus in the matter unless they are “neutral” (whatever that means) is simply illogical and, indeed, turns Article 2 on its head,” he stated. He added: “That means, any person with a lawyer can just race to the Court to file an article 2 case, essentially for all of us (which is what a case with constitutional consequence means in effect), and simply by being first to file a case essentially prevent all other equally interested citizens from submitting an amicus brief in the same matter”. ‘Neutrality of amicus a myth' A law activist, Stephen Kwaku Asare in agreeing with Prof. Prempeh said “neutrality of the amicus is at best a myth and should play no role in the decision to accept or reject his brief”. He said he however agrees with the Chief Justice Mr Anin Yeboah who chaired the panel, on the view that an amicus must be aware of the issues being litigated by the parties to offer the Court useful advice. “Amicus's admission that it had not read the parties' pleadings was fatal,” he held. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/supreme-court-decision-for-rejecting-imani-cos-brief-illogical-law-scholar/

A group of merrymakers at Salaga in the Savannah Region have attacked police officers called in to enforce covid-19 laws. One of the three officers who were pelted with stones and suffered injuries in the neck area is currently on admission at the Salaga Government Hospital where he is being treated. The incident happened at about 11:00 p.m. Tuesday at Edipe where more than 100 people had gathered and were dancing to loud music in clear defiance of social distancing and mandatory wearing of face mask. Their action, according to the police, was in breach of the imposition of restrictions act. Salaga Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Amos Yeliso, told 3news.com Wednesday that on the back of intelligence that some people were flouting the law, the three officers who were on duty rushed to the area. He narrated that upon reaching the venue at 11:00 pm, the police saw a large crowd numbering over hundred playing music and dancing while disregarding social distance and wearing of nose mask protocols. According to him, the crowd began pelting the three officers as they attempted to enforce the law, leaving them with various degrees of injuries. Three persons; Alhassan Yussif, 22 years; Salifu Yussif, 28 years and Mohammed Abudu, 22 were later arrested. A black unregistered motorbike and some musical instruments were seized from the scene. The three suspects were arraigned Wednesday on charges of attacking public officer at the Salaga District Court. Two of them pleaded guilty but sentencing has been deferred to July 7. Meanwhile, the two convict and the other accused person who pleaded not guilty have all been granted 1,500-cedi bail each with one surety. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/3-police-officers-attacked-at-salaga-trying-to-enforce-covid-19-law/

Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo has backed the punishment against persons who flout the law on mandatory face mask wearing in the country. Critics say the up to 60,000-cedi fine and or maximum 10 years sentence stipulated in the executive instrument (E.I) 164 for persons who refuse to wear face mask in public is too harsh and ought to be reviewed. Per the law, anyone found guilty of not wearing face mask that completely covers his nose and mouth, faces either a fine of not less than 12,000 cedis and not more than 60,000 cedis or a minimum of four years in jail or a maximum of 10 years. For some critics of the law which came into effect from June 15, non-custodial sentence should have been the best punishment particularly so because Ghana's prisons are already overpopulated. But for the head of the Methodist Church in Ghana, “the lawmakers knew what was right for us…this is about life; it is about our own good. He argued that until one flouts the law, there is nothing like the sanctions being too harsh, saying “It will not be punitive if you obey, if you obey, then you go scot-free” Most Rev. Dr Boafo said this Wednesday while responding to questions from journalists when he addressed them on the measures taken by the Methodist Church Ghana so far to safeguard the lives of their congregation against the deadly novel coronavirus. He said those who feel the sanctions are harsh should just obey the law. “If it is wrong or harsh, all you need to do is to obey and it will not be harsh for you,” he advised. In his view, the current sanction regime will deter people the people he said have become recalcitrant, to wear their face masks knowing the implications of not wearing the protective gear. “…some of our people are so recalcitrant that they will not want to wear the mask. It is for your own life; for me if what they will do [punishment] will let people do it [wear mask], let us go by it and then we will protect ourselves,” he stated. The whole motive of the law, he said, is to protect people from contracting the pandemic. “We want you alive that is why we will not say that it is harsh. Let us follow; if you follow it, it is not harsh,” he advised. The Church's interventions Following the easing of restrictions to allow churches to open, the Methodist Church contracted Ghana's waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, to disinfect all its churches and mission houses across the country. Most of the about 4,000 Methodist Churches in the country have now been disinfected against covid-19 by Zoomlion Ghana Limited which is playing a critical role in Ghana's fight against the pandemic. Most Rev. Dr Boafo said he has been impressed by the work done so far by the waste management experts, saying “We can say that Zoomlion has done a very good job for us… we have pictures of what they did, the Bishops furnished us with all these”. “We have to go through this so that we could also make sure that people will not come in with any fears, anxiety that they were coming to contract the disease. It was done with the mindset that people can come to the chapel without any fear …that they were coming in to contract the disease,” he explained. He said although the Church believes in God, they will not sit aloof and say God will take care of them, noting what has confronted the world requires that people take precautions. “We could have said that we are faith-based, we believe in God, God is in control, God takes care of everything, so there is no need for this disinfection. No, this is the way to go about life so let us follow it,” he urged. He added: “We can say that for the Methodist Church or the people called Methodist, we have complied with all the protocols that needed to be done for our chapel to reopen and we are following the [other] protocols”. Greater Accra Regional General Manager of Zoomlion, Ernest Morgan Acquah said “So far we have done almost all the churches and we added their mission houses to it and all the facilities around the churches we did them as well”. He said although a lot has been done in the fight against the pandemic by way of disinfection, “there is more room for improvement”. “As we go round we realised that some people are recalcitrant with regards to wearing of face mask and social distancing,” he observed. He said with the reopening of schools for final year students from the basic to tertiary level, there is the need to continue observing the covid-19 protocols particularly on social distancing and wearing of facemasks “for our own good and it will protect us all” By 3news.com|Ghana

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/head-of-methodist-church-backs-harsh-punishment-for-offenders-of-face-mask-law/

Ghana has recorded 445 new coronavirus cases, taking the total case count to 15,013. The figure, according to the Ghana Health Service, was as at Monday, June 22. The numbers of recoveries have also shot up by 171, increasing the tally to 11,078. Twenty-four of the patients are in severe condition and four more in critical condition. Fatalities have however remained at 95. Regional breakdown Greater Accra Region – 8,691 Ashanti Region – 2,915 Western Region – 1,213 Central Region – 798 Eastern Region – 407 Volta Region – 321 Upper East Region – 271 Oti Region – 105 Western North Region – 92 Northern Region – 77 Savannah Region – 38 Bono East Region – 35 Upper West Region – 35 Ahafo Region – 8 North East Region – 4 Bono Region – 3 By 3news.com|Ghana

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/ghanas-covid-19-cases-up-by-445-recoveries-now-11078/

Zoomlion Ghana Limited has lauded heads of basic schools in the Northern Region for their level of cooperation in the execution of ongoing disinfection of their schools against the novel coronavirus. General Manager for Zoomlion in the Northern Region, Peter Dawuni, made the commendation while addressing journalists during the disinfection of Gurugu R/C School in Tamale in the Northern Region on Tuesday. “I am happy with how the schools' authorities were cooperating with us on the whole disinfection exercise in the Northern Region,” he said. About 5,000 basic schools in the Northern Region are being disinfected in the Region ahead of the resumption of academic exercise by final year students who are preparing to for their Basic Education Certificate Examination. The exercise, which started last week, formed part of the President's directives for all basic schools in the country to be disinfected against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). It is to ensure those basic schools' facilities and open spaces are safe from the coronavirus. The exercise is expected to be completed by Thursday, June 25. “…and though this disinfectant is potent in the fight against viruses and bacteria, disinfection must be continuous and not a one-off activity,” Mr Dawuni said. He said the only challenge they have encountered is the distance to some of the schools. “In some cases, we have had to use canoes to cross rivers to places in the Northern Region to disinfect schools. And there have also been instances where we have been compelled to park our cars to use motorbikes,” he indicated. The disinfection team first went to Gurugu Riyadh Suadiheen M/A Primary in the Sanarigu Municipal in Tamale. Headmaster of the school, Salifu Kofi, said he was highly impressed with the disinfection exercise. “We believe disinfecting our schools will to a large extent, protect our environs from the Covid-19 disease,” he averred. However, he said one area of concern was how they would enforce the social distancing protocol. That, he intimated, would be difficult to implement due to the lack of adequate chairs and tables in the school. He, therefore, used the chance to appeal to the government to support them with personal protective equipment (PPE). He said although his pupils were few, there was a challenge on how parents would join forces with the teaching staff members to educate the children on the government's directives. The next place disinfected was a cluster of schools in Gurugu. These included St. Joan of Arc JHS, Gurugu R/C among others. For his part, Headmaster of Gurugu R/C, Francis Faaseg, praised Zoomlion for the exercise. He, however, charged the company to continue to support government to fight the pandemic. According to him, they were yet to receive the Covid-19 preventive items including nose masks, liquid soaps, Veronica buckets and alcohol-based hand sanitisers. On ensuring that the final-year pupils practice social distancing, Mr Fasseg disclosed that the school would not have any problem, adding that the JHS 3 pupils were 99 and that there were enough classrooms to accommodate them. However, he used the opportunity to make a passionate appeal to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate bodies and individuals to support the school with chairs. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 24, 2020

https://3news.com/n-r-zoomlion-lauds-level-of-cooperation-for-covid-19-disinfection-in-schools/

The government of Ghana has apologised to the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana following the demolition of a storey building on its premises said to be at the centre of a land litigation. The building was demolished at the weekend. Some men said to be armed with the assistance of a bulldozer broke through the locked gate and pulled down parts of a one-storey building which was still under construction on the compound. Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Monday, June 22, visited the scene of the incident and said, “we are sorry this has happened.” She also assured that the ongoing investigation into the matter would be transparent. National Communications Director of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi who addressed the news conference said “The entire primaries was conducted in an environment where those who could afford the biggest pecuniary or monetary inducement carried the day”. “We will ensure that whatever the outcome is, we will not hide it from the people of Ghana or the people of Nigeria. It will be laid bare,” she said. Ms Ayorkor Botchwey stressed that the incident was “not a government-sanctioned activity” adding that “our government respects the rule of law.” On the links between the demolition and the Osu Stool, she said the matter would also be investigated. The Minister retorted that even if it is a disputed land, the government expected that “the persons [must] go to court because that is the normal way of dealing with such matters in this country.” “But for this to happen, it's so unfortunate. We haven't seen any court order…this is most unaccaptable and we condemn this action,” she added. Following the High Commission's Charge D' Affairs, Esther Arewa, describing the situation as “traumatic” Ms Ayorkor Botchwey said the commission will receive the required security. “I can assure you that we will continue to provide you with protection as you are a diplomatic entity and therefore we will not allow anything untoward to happen,” she said. “The relations between our two countries are too strong even if there there is any kind of dispute, for it to end in something like this. This shouldn't happen between Ghana and Nigeria.” In response, Esther Arewa was hopeful that the investigation will bear fruit. “We look forward to the Ghanaians government apprehending the culprit behind this and bringing him to book and also that within the shortest time frame, this building is put back up and the premises prepared.” GraphicOnline

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/ghana-apologises-to-nigeria-over-demolition-of-its-property-in-accra/

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the Akufo-Addo government has been plagued with ‘endemic corruption and thievery', suggesting the NPP aspirants in the just ended parliamentary primaries used proceeds from corruption to induce delegates for votes. The party at a news conference Monday wondered how the NPP which three years ago had to raise funds from even head porters to fund its political activities, has now gotten money to exhibit what it termed opulence at last Saturday's parliamentary primaries. National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi who addressed the news conference said “The entire primaries was conducted in an environment where those who could afford the biggest pecuniary or monetary inducement carried the day”. He claimed while some aspirants bribed delegates with money, others used electrical and other gifts to influence delegates to vote for them. “Huge amounts of money; in some cases 6,000 cedis per delegate, 5,000 cedis per delegate, 4,000 cedis per delegate and so on, exchanged hands…while material gifts such as refrigerators, flat screen televisions, motorbikes, tricycles and other valuables were distributed to bribe and induced party delegates,” he alleged. “How a party which few years ago was begging for money from kayaye and street hawkers, how a party which few years ago toured the world with a cup in hand begging for money can afford this level of opulence and ostentation three-and a-half years of coming into office, speaks volumes of the endemic corruption and thievery that has engulfed the Akufo-Addo government,” he added. Meanwhile, he said the primaries which saw some 40 incumbent NPP MPs losing their bid for the next general election, was “characterized by obscene violence”. The defeats, he said, is largely the bad performance of the Akufo-Addo administration, particularly in those areas where the incumbent MPs lost their bid. “Our checks have revealed that many first time MPs lost their seats because no developmental projects have been undertaken in their constituencies in the last three and half years” Mr Gyamfi stated. The results of the primaries, he said, clearly demonstrate a vote of no confidence in the Akufo-Addo government. “The defeat of so many incumbent members of parliament especially those in parliamentary leadership and in government shows that the NPP delegates voted for change and passed an overwhelming vote of no confidence in their own government,” he said. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/video-corruption-thievery-have-engulfed-akufo-addos-govt-ndc-asserts/

Water supply to parts of Accra will be cut from Tuesday as the Ghana Water Company Limited shuts down its water treatment plant at the Weija Headworks for repair works. A statement from the company Monday said the shutdown is to enable its engineers work on the raw water pipeline. It will also afford the Accra West Region the opportunity to carry out repairs and maintenance work on defective valves on the main transmission lines. The shutdown will affect water supply to Weija, Mallam Junction, Gbawe, Anyaa, Awoshie, Dansoman, Sakaman, Kaneshie, Lapaz, Nii Boi Town, Achimota and surrounding areas. No deadline has been given for the completion of the maintenance work. The company has thus asked consumers to “store as much water as possible”. According to the Ghana Water Company, “water production and supply will resume as soon as “The inconvenience this may cause is deeply regretted,” the statement said. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/parts-of-accra-to-go-without-water-from-tuesday/

About 4,500 basic schools in the Greater Accra Region are expected to be disinfected by Zoomlion Ghana Limited. The exercise, which covers public and private basic schools, began on Monday in the Ablekuma North Municipality. General Manager for Zoomlion Ghana Limited in Greater Accra, Ernest Morgan Arthur, told journalists they will need the full cooperation of the heads of the schools.  That, he said, would facilitate their work. The exercise started off at the Odorkor Cluster of Schools in the Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly and continued at the Odorkor Maclean Basic, Odorkor 4&7 Basic, Odorkor 8 KG & Primary and Odorkor 1 & 5 Primary & Junior High School (JHS). Private schools that benefited from the exercise included Christ Ebenezer Preparatory & JHS, SDA School among others. The exercise forms part of measures by the government to keep environs of basic schools safe and also protect the JHS final-year students who are scheduled to report to school on Monday, June 29, from covid-19. Mr Arthur assured that all the 4,500 schools would be disinfected before the June 29 reopening date. He a team of all the schools are swept before the disinfection is done. “…because of the closure of schools for that long period, most of the schools' compounds and facilities have become dirty. So, what we do first is that we have Zoomlion workers moving ahead of the disinfection crews to sweep and clean the schools. And after that the disinfection teams come in and do the disinfection,” he said. At Christ Ebenezer Preparatory & JHS, the General Manager, Mrs Rita Ofosu, Yeboah, expressed her school's gratitude to the government and Zoomlion for the exercise. “This exercise is a step in the right direction because it is part of measures outlined by the government to contain the virus,” she said. She revealed that her school had already held meeting with parents of pupils of JHS and made them aware of their responsibilities to their children in this covid-19 era. “…on our part, we have bought the thermometer gun which would be used to take the temperatures of the final-year JHS pupils on a daily basis,” she said. Though the school started some e-learning for the pupils, Mrs Ofosu Yeboah indicated that the patronage was low, which did not help much. “We are also expecting some Veronica buckets and other Covid-19 items from the government, and we have been assured that we will receive them before next week,” she added. On social distancing protocol, the GM of Christ Ebenezer Preparatory & JHS noted that would not be a problem, explaining that the school has spacious classrooms to accommodate the 30 pupils in a classroom.” A teacher in charge of the JHS Department of SDA School, Theo Mensah, commended government for including private schools in the exercise. “We have already met with parents of the final-year pupils and educated them on the Covid-19 preventive protocols. That is not all; we have also resolved to educate the pupils when they report back to school and to ensure that we all adhere to the Covid-19 safety protocols,” he noted. For his part, a teacher at Odorkor 7 Basic School, Abdul-Wahab Haruna, stressed that the exercise would help keep safe the school's environment. He, however, added that it was imperative that both teachers and the pupils observe the safety protocols for “our own safety and that of our loved ones.” Zoomlion also had crews in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality, where some clusters of schools including the Mallam Cluster of Schools were disinfected. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/disinfection-of-basic-schools-commence-in-greater-accra/

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho defended his record of nurturing strikers following criticism from former Arsenal player Paul Merson. After Harry Kane drew a blank in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United, Merson said the forward would not manage a high goal return under Mourinho because of his style of play. Kane had scored seven in 11 games under Mourinho before Friday's league match. “I think Kane has no problems scoring in my teams,” the Portuguese said. The England captain was playing in his first match since recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered on 1 January. Kane managed 36 touches of the ball during the match – only goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had fewer among the players to have played the entire game. He had one shot on target. “It was a game where the two strikers [Anthony Martial for United] had a lot of chances,” Mourinho added. “Do you give credit to my defence for Martial game? Do you give credit for United defence for the game and the occasions that we create or didn't create?”Mourinho also reeled off the goal records of strikers he previously managed, including former Chelsea man Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, who he had at Real Madrid, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who worked with the 57-year-old at Manchester United and Inter Milan. “I had a few strikers that played for me and they are not bad,” he said. Addressing Merson, he added: “Dear Paul, I have lots of respect for you. I think Harry Kane has no problems scoring goals in my teams, especially when he is fit, fresh and has a routine of playing. “That's my message to somebody I have a lot of respect for.” BBC Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars?

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/mourinho-defends-his-record-on-strikers/

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated persons who won the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries, and asked the losers to rally behind the party for a decisive sweet victory in the December 2020 general elections. He said it is time for the party to forge ahead in unity to win the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections to consolidate the successes chalked by his government. “…to those who were successful, reach out and bring on board your fellow aspirants. To the unsuccessful aspirants, please reciprocate this gesture,” he stated in his congratulatory message to the party Monday. The President said now that the primaries are over all party members and sympathisers should support their respective parliamentary candidates “fully so we can record, again, a sweet, decisive victory five months from now”. The enthusiasm and camaraderie generated amongst party members, Nana Akufo-Addo said, are a clear indication of the collective commitment of the rank and file of the party to retain power in the December 2020 polls. “Let us forge ahead in a united manner, and consolidate further the gains chalked in the quest to bring development, progress and prosperity to all parts of the country. This is our sacred duty, for the development of our beloved Ghana is bound up with the fortunes of the NPP,” he said. He commend all party executives, delegates and aspirants for what he said was “peaceful, credible, efficient and successful” elections but admitted there were some breaches of covid-19 protocols in some constituencies. The Saturday's parliamentary primaries saw some 40 sitting NPP MPs lose their bid to contest on the party's ticket in the upcoming general elections. Among them were Mark Osei Assibey-Yeboah, Ben Abdallah Banda Frederick Opare Ansah, the Chairman of the Communications Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, the Chairman of the Government Assurances Committee, William Quaittoo Agyapong, the Chairman of the Education Committee, and Alex Agyekum, the Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee. Majority leader in parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has expressed regret about the development, stating it will big a big loss to parliament as the exit of the experienced MPs wil affect work of the House. He stated that it takes years to build an experienced parliamentarian and for such people, including Ben Abdallah and Mike Assibey Yeboah to lose their primaries is a bad example for the country's governance. “We can't go on like this,” Mr Mensah-Bonsu told TV3 Ashanti Regional correspondent William Evans-Nkum Monday. In his view, experienced members of parliament are required to help in transacting parliamentary business. “Building the capacity of a Member of Parliament is not a four year matter; it is not even an eight year matter. The axiom is that in parliament, the longer a person stays the better he becomes,” he argued. When that is done, he said it positively affect governance. Asked why the NPP did not protect such experienced parliamentarians considering their impact in parliament, the Suame MP said the constitution of the party made that impossible and that it will only take dialogue for such issues to be resolved. “For now there are constitutional issues to contend with. It provides [after] every four-year tenure the party should provide for the participation of all who desire to be in parliament so in that regard it becomes difficult in the face of the constitutional provisions to prevent people from coming to contest,” he indicated. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/rally-behind-npp-candidates-for-a-sweet-decisive-victory-in-2020-nana-addo-urges/

Majority leader in parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says parliamentary work will be affected by the loss of experienced parliamentarians in the just ended New Patriotic Party parliamentary primary. He stated that it takes years to build an experienced parliamentarian and for such people, including Ben Abdallah and Mike Assibey Yeboah to lose their primaries is a bad example for the country's governance. Ben Abdallah Banda, who is the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, lost his bid to retain the Offinso South seat for the New Patriotic Party. Also, Dr Assibey-Yeboah who is the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament and has been instrumental in his role lot his re-election bid in New Juaben South in the Eastern Region; shocking many people including the party General Secretary John Boadu. “We can't go on like this,” Mr Mensah-Bonsu told TV3 Ashanti Regional correspondent William Evans-Nkum Monday. In his view, experienced members of parliament are required to help in transacting parliamentary business. “Building the capacity of a Member of Parliament is not a four year matter; it is not even an eight year matter. The axiom is that in parliament, the longer a person stays the better he becomes,” he argued. When that is done, he said it positively affect governance. Asked why the NPP did not protect such experienced parliamentarians considering their impact in parliament, the Suame MP said the constitution of the party made that impossible and that it will only take dialogue for such issues to be resolved. “For now there are constitutional issues to contend with. It provides [after] every four-year tenure the party should provide for the participation of all who desire to be in parliament so in that regard it becomes difficult in the face of the constitutional provisions to prevent people from coming to contest,” he indicated. Mr Mensah-Bonsu said it if upon dialogue “the person insists that he wants to be a part of the process of the selection of parliamentary candidates it becomes difficult to really push aside that person”. The Saturday's primary in over 100 constituencies saw 40 incumbent MPs losing their seats to newbies. Among the MPs who lost their candidature are Frederick Opare Ansah, the Chairman of the Communications Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, the Chairman of the Government Assurances Committee, William Quaittoo Agyapong, the Chairman of the Education Committee, and Alex Agyekum, the Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 22, 2020

https://3news.com/we-cant-go-on-rejecting-experienced-mps-like-this-majority-leader/

Fellow Ghanaians, good evening. It has been three and a half months since we begun our fight to defeat the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. It has, so far, been a co-ordinated and enhanced response, with tracing, testing, isolating, treating, and the maintenance of the relevant social distancing and hygiene protocols being the weapons we continue to employ to help contain the spread of the virus. We are all agreed that this novel disease has thrust the whole world into unknown and unchartered territory, and we are having to learn as we go along. As part of the phased approach to return our lives, safely, back to normal, final year students in our tertiary institutions returned to school on Monday, 15th June, to prepare for and sit their exit examinations. One week on, it has proved to be a relatively smooth exercise, with very few hitches recorded. I thank, in particular, the Vice Chancellors and other heads of our tertiary institutions for the support and co-operation offered Government towards its success. Indeed, decisions, like those being taken by the leadership of Sunyani Technical University, in the Bono Region, to sanction students, lecturers and non-teaching staff, who flout the COVID-19 protocols, reinforce the collective determination of the majority of Ghanaians to defeat the virus. From tomorrow, Monday, 22nd June, the next batch of students, who will be going back to school, are final year senior high school students (SHS 3), and second year Gold Track students. On Thursday, I held consultations with members of both the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), and the Association of Principals of Technical Institutes (APTI), to agree on the modalities for the return of the students. Despite the short notice for the meeting, I was happy to see the impressive turnout of their executives from all parts of the country, and I am grateful for the wholehearted co-operation they pledged to Government. Like their seniors at the University, SHS 3 students will be in school for a total of six (6) weeks, before sitting for the WASSCE exams over a period of two (2) weeks. SHS 2 Gold Track students, who are returning to complete their first semester like their Green Track colleagues have done, will be in school for six (6) weeks, before going on vacation. All one thousand, one hundred and sixty-seven (1,167) Senior High Schools in the country have been fumigated and disinfected. Each student, teaching and non-teaching staff, invigilator and school administrator, numbering some eight hundred thousand (800,000), will be provided with three (3) pieces of reusable face masks, i.e. two (2) being provided tomorrow, and the third within a fortnight. Nonetheless, I encourage parents to provide their wards and children with at least one (1) face covering on their way to school. A total of eighteen thousand (18,000) Veronica Buckets, eight hundred thousand (800,000) pieces of two hundred millilitre sanitizers, thirty-six thousand (36,000) rolls of tissue paper, thirty-six thousand (36,000) gallons of liquid soap, and seven thousand, two hundred (7,200) thermometer guns have been distributed. A maximum of twenty-five students will be permitted in each class. All day students in schools with boarding houses will be resident in these boarding houses, whilst day students, in schools without boarding facilities, will commute from home, and will be required to adhere to enhanced hygiene protocols; eating in dining halls will be in appropriate numbers; and no visitors to the schools will be allowed. There will be no mass gatherings and no sporting activities. Religious activities, under the new protocols, will be permitted. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks are obligatory in our schools. One dormitory block in each senior high school is to be used as an isolation centre, in the event of a student falling sick. Again, each SHS has been mapped to a health facility, and care will be provided to the sick by nurses assigned to these schools. Through the National Food and Buffer Stock Company, enough food supplies have been distributed to all schools. Government is also making available three hundred and fifty (350) buses and eight hundred and forty (840) pickup vehicles to senior high schools that did not receive vehicles in 2016. For the first time in our nation's history, Government will absorb the WASSCE examination fees of the three hundred and thirteen thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven (313,837) SHS 3 students who will sit for the exam. GH¢75.4 million will be spent on this. These SHS 3 students, also referred to by some as the ‘Akufo-Addo graduates', are the first group of beneficiaries of Government's Free Senior High School policy to sit the WASSCE exams. 1.2 million children, the highest such enrolment in our nation's history, because of this policy, are currently in senior high schools. Let us pause for a moment to consider what would have happened to the four hundred thousand (400,000) more students, who have entered Senior High School between 2017 and 2019, without this policy in place. We introduced Free SHS because history, and the experiences of developed nations, have shown that the most efficient way to empower the population, and, thereby, guarantee the future of the nation, is by investing in education and skills training of the youth. This is because it is the people of Ghana, Ghanaians like you and I, and especially the youth of today, who are going to build Ghana. Without an educated populace, it will be difficult to transition from the status of a developing to a developed nation. Summing it up, that most noble Ghanaian, James Kwegyir Aggrey, said, a hundred years ago, and I quote, “I want all my people, my country women and men to be educated …, and thus render Africa indispensable in intellectual, spiritual and commercial products of the world.” I take this opportunity to assure all parents and guardians that Government is determined to protect the lives of the eight hundred thousand (800,000) students, teachers and non-teaching staff, who will be returning to school from tomorrow. I will be the last person to put the lives of the ‘Akufo-Addo graduates' at risk. It bears repeating that they must all adhere strictly to enhanced personal hygiene and social distancing protocols, regularly wash their hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and wear masks to protect themselves and others. These rules apply to all of us. Fellow Ghanaians, the experts told us right at the beginning of this pandemic that, whether the virus spreads or not, is dependent on our individual behaviour. Someone put it graphically that the virus has not got feet, and cannot move by itself, and that we, humans, spread it. The large majority of us continue to adhere to the protocols. Unfortunately, there are some who do not; others have slackened; and an unacceptably significant number have refused to obey them altogether. In such an atmosphere, if we do not take care, the virus will continue to spread, which will lead to intolerable pressure on our health facilities and care givers. Each one of us must be part of the fight to stop the spread of the virus. Our approach to dealing with the virus, as I have always said, will be informed by the evolving science and data. At the outset of the pandemic, the scientific community and the World Health Organisation (WHO), on 12th January, 2020, recommended two main criteria for declaring someone who has tested positive as having recovered from the disease. The first is that you no longer have symptoms, and the second is that you are no longer capable of infecting others. Initially, the scientific thinking was that, as long you continue to test positive, you are capable of infecting others. Hence, the requirement for the two consecutive, negative tests before you are declared as having recovered. This was the science that informed the guidelines that Ghana has, so far, followed. However, there is now new evidence which states that, after ten (10) to fourteen (14) days, a person, with no symptoms, is unlikely to transmit the virus to others, even if the person continues to test positive. It is on this basis that WHO has updated its guidelines, as published per its Clinical Management of COVID-19 Interim Guidance, of 27th May, 2020, “as part of the clinical care pathway of a COVID-19 patient”. According to WHO, asymptomatic patients, i.e. those who have tested positive for the virus, but are not exhibiting any symptoms after fourteen (14) days, “are not likely to be infectious, and, therefore, are unlikely to be able to transmit the virus to another person”. After three (3) weeks of analysing and studying this update and recommendation, and situating it in the Ghanaian context, in line with the admonition by WHO to Member States, this new patient discharge/recovery policy has now been adopted by Ghana, as have some countries in the European Union, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and in Dubai. As at Saturday, 20th June, the total number of positives, cumulatively, stands at fourteen thousand, and one hundred and fifty-four (14,154), out of the two hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred (270,300) tests conducted. Under the revised policy, five thousand, nine hundred and twenty-five (5,925) persons have recovered and been discharged. This brings the total number of recoveries to ten thousand, four hundred and seventy-three (10,473). The number of active cases is, thus, three thousand, five hundred and ninety-six (3,596). In our hospitals and isolation centres, we currently have twenty-four (24) persons severely ill, six (6) persons critically ill, with four (4) persons on ventilators. Eighty-five (85) persons have, regrettably, died. This increased number of persons being discharged from our isolation and treatment centres brings in its wake yet another issue that we have to deal with – stigmatisation. It is obvious that stigmatisation is adding further dimensions to the already difficult problem of the pandemic. Part of the reason for the spread of the virus is the reluctance of some persons to admit they have tested positive, and go into quarantine for fear of being stigmatised, and, in the process, continue to be agents of the spread of the virus. Persons, who test positive for the virus, once they recover, do not pose any danger whatsoever to anyone, because the scientists tell us that they can no longer spread the virus. As I have said before, there is nothing shameful about contracting the virus, and, consequently, we do not have to lose our sense of community because of this pandemic. Fellow Ghanaians, in line with our policy of providing optimal care for the sick, and reducing COVID-19 related deaths, Government continues to mobilise holding-bay, quarantine, isolation and treatment centres across the country. I thank the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for their admirable, civic gesture of making available their facility in Ejisu in the Ashanti Region; and the Catholic Bishops Conference for agreeing to the use of their facilities across the country as isolation centres in the fight against COVID-19. These are timely offers, which will ensure that our overall healthcare systems are not unduly burdened and overrun. Such institutions deserve the sincere appreciation of the entire nation, as does the gesture of the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, who has offered his 70-bed hospital in Toase, in the Ashanti Region, as a COVID-19 treatment centre. As I indicated in my address to the nation last week, the great majority of cases are in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions. For these two regions, I have approved further investment in the following areas: · additional ICU bed facilities in Greater Accra Region; · a new treatment centre for Ashanti Region; · additional laboratories to strengthen clinical care to allow for real time results; · more medicines, consumables and equipment; and · formal arrangements for a pool of specialist health professionals to complement the respective resident multi-disciplinary health teams at various treatment centres. We continue to be indebted to our health workers, and express sorrow over the deaths of Dr. Harry Owusu Boateng, a paediatrician at the SDA Hospital in Kwadaso, Kumasi, and Sophia Addo, a nurse with the Ghana Manganese Company Hospital in Tarkwa, who both died in the line of duty. May their souls rest in peace. I also urge the media to continue the positive work of public education they have been engaged in, especially, now, as restrictions are being systematically eased. Before I conclude, let me remind all Ghanaians, once again, that the wearing of masks is mandatory. Leaving our homes without a face mask, a face covering, or a face shield on is an offence. The Police will conduct random checks in the enforcement of this directive. If you are arrested by the police defying this directive, your sanction could be severe. So, please, let us, at all times, wear our masks. I appeal to each and every one of you to take this as a personal challenge, and help rid Ghana of the virus. Even though, we now have a better understanding of the dynamism of the virus in our country; even though the majority of people who contract the virus do not show any symptoms at all; and even though Ghanaians are not dying in the hundreds and thousands that were originally anticipated, we cannot afford to be complacent, and let our guard down. Let us remain focused, and adhere to the enhanced hygiene, social distancing and mask-wearing protocols, that have, and must, become part and parcel of our daily lives for the foreseeable future. We can do it, if we work at it. Let me, in conclusion, wish the ‘Akufo-Addo graduates', the SHS 3 students, and their seniors in Universities, the best of luck in their forthcoming examinations, which will be conducted in safety. Ghana needs them all for her progress. May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. I thank you for your attention.

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/akufo-addos-12th-address-on-ghanas-covid-19-situation/

Ghana coronavirus count has gone up again with 147 new cases, taking the national toll to 14,154. It is the second figure to be announced in a day; just few hours after 290 cases were released by the Ghana Health Service on Sunday, June 21. No new fatalities have been recorded since the last 15 deaths were announced Saturday evening to put the total figure at 85. Active cases however have shot up, taking the figure from 3,449 to 3,596 The new figures were released few minutes after President Nana Akufo-Addo's 12th address to update the nation on covid-19. “As at Saturday, 20th June, the total number of positives, cumulatively, stands at 14,154, out of 270,300 tests conducted… we currently have 24 persons severely ill, six persons critically ill, with four persons on ventilators. Eighty-five (85) persons have, regrettably, died,” the President said. The regional breakdown as given by the Ghana Health Services are: Greater Accra Region – 8,075 Ashanti Region – 2,812 Western Region – 1,148 Central Region – 794 Eastern Region – 373 Volta Region – 314 Upper East Region – 271 Oti Region – 105 Western North Region – 82 Northern Region – 61 Savannah Region – 37 Upper West Region – 35 Bono East Region – 33 Ahafo Region – 8 North East Region – 3 Bono Region – 3 By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/covid-19-cases-up-for-the-second-time-in-a-day-tally-now-14154/

Final and second year students who are returning to school Monday have been cleared to undertake religious activities despite strict protocols to prevent them from contracting the deadly novel coronavirus. Mass gathering and sporting activities have already been banned and visitors will also not be allowed to the schools during the six weeks that final year and gold track students will be on campus. Addressing the nation on measures taken by the government to combat the spread of the virus in schools, President Akufo-Addo said students will however be permitted to hold religious activities like church service while on campus. “There will be no mass gatherings and no sporting activities. Religious activities, under the new protocols, will be permitted. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks are obligatory in our schools,” he stated. Final and second year gold track students in Senior High Schools are to return to school on Monday, June 22 for six weeks during which the final years will prepare to sit for their WASSCE examination. It will also be for the gold track students to complete their final semester to be at par with their colleagues in the green track system. But a maximum of 25 students will be permitted in each class. All day students in schools with boarding houses will be resident in these boarding houses, but day students, in schools without boarding facilities, will commute from home, and will be required to adhere to enhanced hygiene protocols. President Akufo-Addo said enough food supplies have been distributed to all schools ahead of the partial reopening. “Government is also making available 350 buses and 840 pickup vehicles to senior high schools that did not receive vehicles in 2016” he announced. Safety Protocols As part of the protocols, all 1,167 Senior High Schools in the country have been fumigated and disinfected by the waste management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited against bed bug infestation and covid-19 respectively. Other measures, President Akufo-Addo said have been put in place to ensure the safety of both teaching and non-teaching staff “Each student, teaching and non-teaching staff, invigilator and school administrator, numbering some 800,000, will be provided with three pieces of reusable face masks” the President said. Two of the reusable facemasks will be provided them Monday while the third will be given within a fortnight. Despite the provision of masks for the students, the President has urged parents to provide their wards and children with at least one more face mask for use on their way to school. “A total of 18,000 Veronica Buckets, 800,000 pieces of two hundred millilitre sanitizers, 36,000 rolls of tissue paper, 36,000 gallons of liquid soap, and 7,200 thermometer guns have been distributed,” Nana Akufo-Addo said. By 3news.com

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/no-mass-gathering-but-religious-activities-permitted-akufo-addo-to-shs-students/

Government has announced it will absorb examination fees for all final year students sitting for this years' West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). A total of 313,837 students, who are the first batch of the Free SHS programme, will benefit from the relief package set to cost the state some 75.4 million cedis, President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Sunday while addressing the nation ahead of resumption of academic activities for final year students from Monday. “For the first time in our nation's history government will absorb the WASSCE examination fees of the 313,837 students who will sit for the exams. 75. 4 million cedis will be spent on this” he stated. As part of the easing of covid-19 restrictions, schools from the basic to the tertiary level have partially been opened to allow final years in particular, prepare for their final examinations. Final and second year gold track students in Senior High Schools are to return to school on Monday, June 22 for six weeks during which the final years will prepare to sit for their WASSCE examination. It will also be for the gold track students to complete their final semester to be at par with their colleagues in the green track system. ‘Akufo-Addo graduates' Nana Akufo-Addo said the final year students, who he said are also referred to by some as the ‘Akufo-Addo graduates', are the first group of beneficiaries of government's Free Senior High School programme to sit the WASSCE exams. The programme, he noted resulted in the enrolment of 1.2 million children, the highest such Ghana's history. “Let us pause for a moment to consider what would have happened to the 400,000 more students, who have entered Senior High School between 2017 and 2019, without this policy in place,” he said. The President said his government introduced the Free SHS because the experiences of developed nations have shown that the most efficient way to empower the population and guarantee the future of the nation is by investing in education and skills training of the youth. Safety Protocols As part of the protocols, all 1,167 Senior High Schools in the country have been fumigated and disinfected by the waste management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited against bed bug infestation and covid-19 respectively. Other measures, President Akufo-Addo said have been put in place to ensure the safety of both teaching and non-teaching staff “Each student, teaching and non-teaching staff, invigilator and school administrator, numbering some 800,000, will be provided with three pieces of reusable face masks” the President said. Two of the reusable facemasks will be provided them Monday while the third will be given within a fortnight. Despite the provision of masks for the students, the President has urged parents to provide their wards and children with at least one more face mask for use on their way to school. “A total of 18,000 Veronica Buckets, 800,000 pieces of two hundred millilitre sanitizers, 36,000 rolls of tissue paper, 36,000 gallons of liquid soap, and 7,200 thermometer guns have been distributed,” Nana Akufo-Addo said. The President has meanwhile directed all the senior high schools to designate one dormitory block each for use as isolation centre. Also, each of the over 1,100 senior high schools have has been assigned to a health facility within their locality to respond to suspected covid-19 cases to be identified. “Each SHS has been mapped to a health facility, and care will be provided to the sick by nurses assigned to these schools,” President Akufo-Addo announced Sunday in his latest update on the virus. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/govt-absorbs-wassce-exams-fees-for-akufo-addo-graduates/

President Nana Akufo-Addo has directed all senior high schools across the country to designate one dormitory block each for use as isolation centre as final year students return to school Monday for resumption of academic work. Also, each of the over 1,100 senior high schools have has been assigned to a health facility within their locality to respond to suspected covid-19 cases to be identified. “Each such senior has school has been mapped to a health facility and care will be provided to the sick by nurses assigned to these schools,” President Akufo-Addo announced Sunday in his latest update on the virus. As part of the easing of covid-19 restrictions, schools from the basic to the tertiary level have partially been opened to allow final years in particular, prepare for their final examinations. Final and second year gold track students in Senior High Schools are to return to school on Monday, June 22 for six weeks during which the final years will prepare to sit for their WASSCE examination. It will also be for the gold track students to complete their final semester to be at par with their colleagues in the green track system. Safety Protocols As part of the protocols, all 1,167 Senior High Schools in the country have been fumigated and disinfected by the waste management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited against bed bug infestation and covid-19 respectively. Other measures, President Akufo-Addo said have been put in place to ensure the safety of both teaching and non-teaching staff “Each student, teaching and non-teaching staff, invigilator and school administrator, numbering some 800,000, will be provided with three pieces of reusable face masks” the President said. Two of the reusable facemasks will be provided them Monday while the third will be given within a fortnight. Despite the provision of masks for the students, the President has urged parents to provide their wards and children with at least one more face mask for use on their way to school. “A total of 18,000 Veronica Buckets, 800,000 pieces of two hundred millilitre sanitizers, 36,000 rolls of tissue paper, 36,000 gallons of liquid soap, and 7,200 thermometer guns have been distributed,” Nana Akufo-Addo said. The President has meanwhile directed all the senior high schools to designate one dormitory block each for use as isolation centre. Also, each of the over 1,100 senior high schools have has been assigned to a health facility within their locality to respond to suspected covid-19 cases to be identified. “Each SHS has been mapped to a health facility, and care will be provided to the sick by nurses assigned to these schools,” President Akufo-Addo announced Sunday in his latest update on the virus. Govt to use ¢75.4m to absorb WASSCE fees Nana Akufo-Addo also announced in his address, which is the 12th that will absorb examination fees for all final year students sitting for this years' West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). A total of 313,837 students, who are the first batch of the Free SHS programme, will benefit from the relief package set to cost the state some 75.4 million cedis, President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Sunday while addressing the nation ahead of resumption of academic activities for final year students from Monday. “For the first time in our nation's history government will absorb the WASSCE examination fees of the 313,837 students who will sit for the exams. 75. 4 million cedis will be spent on this” he stated. He said the final year students, who he said are also referred to by some as the ‘Akufo-Addo graduates', are the first group of beneficiaries of government's Free Senior High School programme to sit the WASSCE exams. The programme, he noted resulted in the enrolment of 1.2 million children, the highest such Ghana's history. “Let us pause for a moment to consider what would have happened to the 400,000 more students, who have entered Senior High School between 2017 and 2019, without this policy in place,” he said. The President said his government introduced the Free SHS because the experiences of developed nations have shown that the most efficient way to empower the population and guarantee the future of the nation is by investing in education and skills training of the youth. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/dormitories-to-be-used-as-covid-19-isolation-centres-in-shss-akufo-addo-announces/

Coronavirus cases in Ghana have jumped up by 290 cases taking the national count to 14,007. The number of recoveries has also shot up from the previous 10,074 to 10,473, latest figures released by the Ghana Health Service Sunday evening showed. The increment in the number of recoveries has caused the number of active cases in the country to drop from 3,558 to 3,449 cases within the last 24 hours. Casualty figures however remain at 85. Greater Accra Region – 8,022 Ashanti Region – 2,739 Western Region – 1,142 Central Region – 794 Eastern Region – 362 Volta Region – 314 Upper East Region – 271 Oti Region – 105 Western North Region – 82 Northern Region – 61 Savannah Region – 37 Bono East Region – 33 Upper West Region – 32 Ahafo Region – 8 Bono Region – 3 North East Region – 2 By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/ghanas-covid-19-cases-jump-to-14007-while-active-cases-drop-by-109/

Heads of senior and junior high schools in the Ashanti Region have assured government of their readiness to support it to enforce coronavirus safety protocols in their respective schools as final year students return for academic work. They gave the assurance when waste management experts Zoomlion Ghana Limited disinfected schools in the Ashanti last Wednesday ahead of the reporting of students from June 22. The exercise, a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, was part of measures by the government to protect students and pupils in SHSs and JHSs from contracting the virus. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 10thh address to update the people on covid-19 eased restrictions and directed final year students from the basic to tertiary institutions across the country to resume academic. The directive is to allow final-years prepare for their exit examinations. As part of the protocols for the partial reopening of schools, the president directed that facilities were disinfected against the virus before students return. From June 16, Zoomlion which has spearhead disinfection of public places across the country since the outbreak of the pandemic has been disinfecting schools in the Ashanti Region. Among the schools which benefited from the exercise were the Adventist Senior High School, Our Lady of Apostles School, Cluster of Schools at Asem in Kumasi and Atonsu Bethel Presby Experimental School among others. Headmaster of the School Atonsu Bethel Presby Experimental School, Rev James Dapaah, indicated that his school was earnestly putting plans in place in readiness for the re-opening. According to him, his school has 129 final-year pupils for which reason they will be divided into groups of 25 in accordance with social distancing protocols At the Cluster of Schools at Asem, Headmaster of one of the schools, Mr Samuel Asare Kwarteng said they were counting on the support of the government to make available the needed personal protection equipment. The Administrator of Our Lady of Apostles, Ms Anne Andoh, said the school as part of measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 has engaged the services of a nurse who would be tasked to take temperatures of very students and staff members. “And instead of 28 pupils in each class, we have resolved to reduce the number to 14,” she added. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/heads-of-schools-assure-govt-of-readiness-to-enforce-covid-19-protocols/

Ghana has commenced investigations to establish motive and persons behind the demolition of a property belonging to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra. The structure which was being constructed by the High Commission to house staff and diplomats was allegedly bulldozed Friday night by some unidentified armed men who allegedly claim to have the backing of the National Security. Government has expressed concern about the issue, describing the act as being in contravention of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR, 1961. The Foreign Ministry in a statement Saturday said “investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book”. It said although the situation is under control, the government of Ghana has beefed up security at the said facility. “Whilst expressing regrets over the incident, the Ministry wishes to reassure the Diplomatic community in Ghana and the Nigeria High Commission in particular, that Ghana remains a law-abiding country that upholds the principle of the rule of law, where due process is followed at all times,” it said. Accordingly it said the government will not relent on its primary obligation to guarantee the safety of members of the diplomatic corps in Ghana. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/ghana-beefs-up-security-at-nigeria-high-commissions-property/

Some angry youth in the Wulensi constituency believed to be supporters of Haruna Abdulai, a failed aspirant in the just ended parliamentary primary have vandalised the party office amidst burning of lorry tires and chanting of war songs. Information available to 3news.com indicates the youth are protesting results of Saturday's NPP parliamentary primaries in the area, citing irregularities as the basis. A mobile phone video of the incident showed the youth disputing the results of the primary in which the incumbent Member of Parliament, Thomas Donkor Ogajah secured 212 votes to beat his lone contender, Alhaji Haruna Abdulai who polled 210 votes. Speaking in Dagbani, the youth asked Ogajah who won with only two votes, to ‘move to his hometown'. Some of the aggrieved youth claimed some two delegates who are deceased eventually managed to cast their votes in the election; something they say raises questions about the credibility of the polls hence their action to demand justice.They added the NPP as a party will not win the 2020 general elections in the constituency with the incumbent as the parliamentary candidate. The party is yet to make any official statement. No arrest has since been made. On Saturday June 20, the New patriotic party held its parliamentary primaries in constituencies with sitting MPs across the country. In the Northern Region the NPP has 9 out of 18 constituencies. Five constituencies; Wulensi, Yendi, Saboba, Tolon and Nanton took part in the primaries while four; Gusheigu, Kpandai, Bimbilla and Savelugu went unopposed. Two of the sitting Members of Parliament Charles Bintin of Saboba and Alhaji Wahab Suhuyini of Tolon lost their bid to contest as parliamentary candidates in the 2020 general elections. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/npp-youth-vandalise-party-office-to-protest-irregularities-in-parliamentary-primary/

The Ghana Health Service says although some recovered or discharged novel coronavirus patients may continue to have remnants of the deadly virus in their system, such persons are not a threat to others. Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie who said this explained that after 10 days of contracting the virus, the person may have fragments which will make it appear as though he can spread the virus “but clearly the virus is dead” Explaining the recent exponential rise in the number of covid-19 recovery cases in Ghana on TV3 News360 Saturday, Dr Badu Sarkodie said studies have established that after 10 days of the initial positive test “the virus is no more viable in any human being and cannot be transmitted”. That, he indicated, the scientific evidence resulted in the WHO issuing a new guideline for the discharge of covid-19 patients, which Ghana and other countries have now adopted. Persons infected with the virus who were under treatment were required to record two consecutive negative tests before they were discharged even when they showed mild or no symptoms after 10 to 14 days. “Initially the assumption was that if you test positive, potentially you can share [the virus] to others and based on the various few cases that have come, the observations that have been done, that was the initial guidelines,” he said. Dr Badu Sarkodie however said with the new scientific evidence and WHO guideline; infected persons are now to be discharged if they showed mild or no symptoms 14 days after their first negative. “Here in Ghana, …we are also following signs and trying to find out for how many days does it take for the person to be one negative or double and exactly by day 14, all the people that earlier we had confirmed positive, all of them had reverted negative,” he revealed. Commenting on the 15 covid-19 deaths announced by health officials Saturday, Dr Badu Sarkodie said those are not new deaths as some have suggested. “These are not new deaths,” he stated, suggesting they have been recorded few days ago. “What happened was that for the past few days when we were about to make this revision on discharge policy, we sent a team of clinical providers…to go round the whole country and come out with what they observe with regards to our case management. As they were reviewing the cases, you may end up being discharged or unfortunately, a few of them may end up dying out of the disease,” he said. Ghana's confirmed cases stand at 13,717 with 85 deaths and 10,074 recoveries while the number of active cases is now 3,558. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/recovered-covid-19-patients-may-have-remnants-of-virus-but-cant-infect-ghs/

A failed parliamentary aspirant in the New Patriotic Party primary in Zebilla, Dr. John Kingsley Krugu, has accused the incumbent Member of Parliament, Frank Fuseini Adongo, of vote buying. Dr Krugu polled 280 votes to trail behind Mr Adongo who secured 323 votes to book a ticket in the 2020 parliamentary election in December 2020. His decision to contest the primary, he explained, was fully influenced by the delegates who approached him to challenge the incumbent, and also went ahead to contribute to pay for his filing fee. As such, he claimed that but for the money that was used to influence the delegates just few hours to the primary, he would have won the contest by at least 70 to 80 per cent as projected by his research team prior to the Saturday exercise. According to him, Mr Adongo handed to each delegate between 1,000 cedis and 1,500 cedis Friday night to coerce them to give him another chance to represent the party in the constituency in the upcoming general election. In total, he said the incumbent MP spend close to 900,000 in vote buying. That, Dr Krugu said, changed the voters' mind to vote for his opponent. He recalled how he had to step in to resuscitate the party from collapsing in the constituency, claiming members of the party were reluctant in taking up positions as polling station executives and electoral area coordinators. Dr Krugu said it took him and his team to oil the party machinery. Meanwhile, he said he has put all that happened behind him and called for unity and forgiveness within the rank and file of the party in the area to retain the seat for the NPP. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/npp-mp-for-zebilla-spent-about-%c2%a2900k-in-vote-buying-defeated-aspirant-alleges/

Failed New Patriotic Party aspirant Bice Osei Kufuor says he lost the Asante Akyem South parliamentary primary due to political inexperience. The former MUSIGA president-turned-politician who had wanted to unseat the incumbent MP, Kwaku Asante-Boateng to lead the NPP in the constituency into the December 2020 parliamentary election lost the primary by 68 votes. The man who is popularly known as Obour managed 296 votes to trail behind the incumbent MP who secured 364 votes. The other contenders, William Yamoah, garnered 38 votes while Edmond Oppong Peprah polled 9 votes with Eric Amofa getting 12 votes. “The delegates of the NPP have decided,” he said in his concession speech. He suggested his inexperience in politics contributed to his loss, stating “Kwaku Asante Boateng has shown that he is an experienced politician; he's been in parliament two terms already and he is going the third term”. “Definitely he may have some tricks I don't have,” he admitted, but said  it is all good for him as a first timer. Despite losing the elections, he said, his performance has been great and thanked the delegates for the support showed him, saying “This is my first time of coming into the race and I think the delegates of Asante Akyem South have really shown me love. Meanwhile, he said although he lost, he would rally behind the incumbent to retain the seat for the party. “I am sure most of the things that we had campaigned on now that we have a parliamentary candidate the 10,000 votes we promised Nana Addo, it is coming in its numbers,” he declared. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/i-lost-due-to-my-political-inexperience-obour/

A number of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentarians have been voted out in the party's primaries, ceding the right to contest in the 2020 general elections to newcomers. Some new entrants include Dickson Adomako Kissi for the Anyaa Sowutuom constituency, Ekow Vincent Assafuah for the Old Tafo constituency and Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, Yendi. Some incumbent Members of Parliament have secured the slot to contest the 2020 parliamentary contest on behalf of the NPP. A few more constituencies are yet to conduct their primaries. Source Graphic

June 21, 2020

https://3news.com/full-list-defeated-npp-mps-versus-the-winners/

Former MUSIGA president Bice Osei Kufuor, popularly known as Obour, has failed in his first attempt to become a member of parliament following the rejection of his bid by delegates of the New Patriotic Party in the Asante Akyem South constituency. The musician-turned-politician who had wanted to unseat the incumbent MP, Kwaku Asante-Boateng to lead the NPP in the constituency into the December 2020 parliamentary election lost the Saturday primary. At the close of poll, Obour managed 296 votes to trail behind the incumbent who secured 364 votes. The other contenders, William Yamoah garnered 38 votes while Edmond Oppong Peprah polled 9 votes with Eric Amofa getting 12 votes. Although he lost, he has promised to rally behind the incumbent to retain the seat for the party. “I am sure most of the things that we had campaigned on now that we have a parliamentary candidate the 10,000 votes we promised Nana Addo, it is coming in its numbers,” he said. “The delegates of the NPP have decided,” he said in his concession speech. He suggested his inexperience in politics contributed to his loss, stating “Kwaku Asante Boateng has shown that he is an experienced politician; he's been in parliament two terms already and he is going the third term”. “Definitely he may have some tricks I dont have,” he admitted, but said  it is all good for him as a first timer. Despite losing the elections, he said, his performance has been great and thanked the delegates for the support saying “This is my first time of coming into the race and I think the delegates of Asante Akyem South have really shown me love. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/obour-fails-first-political-test-loses-asante-akyem-south-bid/

Upper East Regional Minister Tangoba Abayage has beaten Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Kowe Adda to represent the New Patriotic Party in Navrongo Central. She won with 313 votes in the primary held Saturday morning. Mr Adda who is the incumbent MP for the area garnered 269 votes. Mrs Abayage is the first woman ever to have won the NPP parliamentary primary in the constituency and this also becomes her attempt to enter parliament. She took to Facebook to comment after her victory: As a gender activist with 30 years experience, Ms Abayage has served in various capacities including Regional Director of the Department of Gender in the Upper East, Central and Western regions. She is also a former Ghana Ambassador to Rome, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration (Human Resource Management) from the University of Ghana, Legon. Between 1998 and 2007, Ms Abayage designed, produced and presented a programme known as “Women in Development” at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation's GBC- URA Radio at Bolgatanga. Mr Adda on the other hand entered parliament in 2003 through a by-election following the death of John Setuni Achuliwor. He went ahead to win the seat in the subsequent elections in 2004 and 2008 but lost in 2012 to the National Democratic Congress' Mark Woyongo. Four years after, he managed to beat Mark Woyongo to win the seat in the 2016 general elections. By 3news.com|3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/u-e-minister-whips-aviation-minister-kofi-adda-in-navrongo-central/

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party have rejected some big names and incumbent Members of parliament in the party's primary for some newbies to represent them in various constituencies in the country. In the Greater Accra Region, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, who is the NPP Communications Director, has been retained for the Adentan constituency to attempt a second term in parliament in the 2020 general elections. MP for Okaikwei South, Ahmed Arthur, who has held the constituency seat for two terms, was however rejected by the party. Delegates of the party have chosen Dakoa Newman to represent them in the December polls. Incumbent MP for Effia in the Western Region, Joseph Cudjoe, has been retained. Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye, who challenged the MP for Bantama in the Ashanti Region, Daniel Okyem Boakye, has won the seat to represent the party in the December polls. He polled 456 votes while the incumbent managed only 122 votes. At the Offinso South constituency, MP for the area who is also the Chairman of the constitutional and legal Comittee of Parliament, Ben Abdallah Banda has lost to Dr. Yaw Isaac Opoku. From the Tema East constituency, Deputy Transport Minister Titus Glover beat Ben Ashitey to retain the seat. He polled 522 votes while Ashitey had 233 Collins Owusu Amankwaah, MP for Manhyia North has lost to Akwasi Konadu who won with just five vote difference. At Dome Kwabenya, MP for the area, Adwoa sarfo beat Mike Oquaye Jnr for the third time and now seeks a third term in parliament. In the Eastern Region, MP for Akuapem South, O.B Amoah who is a deputy Local Minister will be going for a fourth term in parliament having won the primary. For the second time, private legal practitioner Lawyer Ebeneze Jojo Kum has won to contest on the party's ticket in Ahanta West in the 2020 general elections. At the La Dadekotopon constituency, the incumbent, Vicent Odotei Sowah lost the ticket to Joseph Gerald Nyanyofio. Mr Odotei said he is unperturbed and will continue to work for his community and the NPP to ensure that the National Democratic Congress doesn't win power. More soon By 3news.com

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/buaben-asamoa-adwoa-sarfo-win-ahmed-arthur-ben-abdalla-collins-amankwah-rejected/

A Deputy Chief of Staff at the presidency Francis Asenso-Boakye has unseated the Member of Parliament for Bantama, Daniel Okyem Boakye, to represent the New Patriotic Party in the December 2020 parliamentary poll. He polled 456 votes in the Saturday primary as against the 122 secured by Mr Okyem who was seeking a second term. The presidential staffer who is taking his first shot at the parliamentary seat won in all the nine electoral areas under the constituency. Describing his victory as resounding, he urged all to rally behind him to win the parliamentary election in 2020. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/asenso-boakye-beats-bantama-mp-to-book-ticket-for-election-2020/

A heated argument at the Awutu Senya West constituency in the Central region marred the smooth start of the New Patriotic Party primary in the area Saturday morning. Incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, George Andah, who is seeking a second term had to interven to ensure calm was restored. Our correspondent Adwoa Adobea Owusu reporting from the Awutu Senya constituency said the EC official, Robert Acheampong, found himself at the crossroads of competing ideas of the electoral law allowing persons with names in the voters' register to vote as against what some aggrieved persons said the Constitution of the NPP bars persons performing the function of polling center executives to vote. “Here is the case they only gave us the register and so whoever's name is in the register is eligible to vote. The guy's [referring to someone who wanted to vote] name is in the register and they [protesters] are also saying he is a polling center executive; per their [NPP's] Constitution he is not supposed to vote. But, his name is in the register. That is what is causing the confusion,” Mr Acheampong explained. A total of 647 delegates are expected to choose between the incumbent MP, George Nenyi Andah and a banker, Joseph Aidoo. The Awutu Senya West is considered a swing seat because no Member of Parliament has been able to retain the seat. But the incumbent MP who doubles as the Deputy Communications Minister is confident of breaking the ‘one term' rule. This is the second time Mr. Andah is contesting his opponent, Joseph Aidoo. By Solomon Mensah|3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/confusion-over-right-to-vote-mars-start-of-awutu-senya-npp-polls/

Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has pulled out of the Asante Akim North parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party, describing the voting in the area as “illegal” and “concert activity”. He told TV3 Saturday that he and his supporters will not be part of the illegality being perpetuated by the constituency executives who resolved to go ahead with the primary despite the filing of an injunction against the process. Although the executives of the party at the national headquarters, the EC and the Police were served with the application Friday, the constituency executives claimd they have no knowledge whatsoever about such action against the party. They accordingly went ahead with voting at all the 97 polling stations in the constituency Saturday morning to the dissatisfaction of Mr Baah Agyemang who is seeking to take over from the incumbent Andy Kwame Appiah Kubi. “We ain't in this illegal election that they are running,” the former MP for Asante Akim North who is staging a comeback told our correspondent Ibrahim Abubakar on TV3. According to Mr Baah Agyemang, he had a call from the party's administrator that due to the injunction filed by some 145 delegates whose names were allegedly expunged from the register, the primary in the constituency will not take place on Saturday as scheduled. As a result, Mr Baah Agyemang who is the Board Chair of the National Sports Authority  said if anyone is conducting primary in the area today, that “might be illegal or maybe they are having some concert activity”. Mr Baah Agyemang said he is thus “not participating in any election today”. Asked whether he will accept the results of today's election, he responded: “I don't think there is an election going on; from the organisers of the party, from the managers of the party, from the organisers of this primaries, they said there is no election so why should I accept something that is nonexistent”. Constituency Secretary for the party, Williams Aboagye Boateng told our correspondent Ibrahim Abubakar earlier that they have not been served with any injunction application, hence not aware of any action restraining them from going ahead with the polls. No injunction served on us “So far as we are concerned nobody has received anything from anywhere. So we know that today we are going to have elections and we are having it. The delegates are ready, the constituency executives are ready and then elections are ongoing as you can see” he told TV3. Mr Boateng claimed the Regional Executives of the party were aware elections were going to be held in the constituency Saturday. “If there should be any injunction whatsoever, I think we should have been served a letter or call from the NEC or from the region to indicate that yes, indeed there are some injunction on Asante Akim North elections but so far, as we are concerned, nobody has spoken to us, we haven't received anything from anybody” he said. The injunction Copies of the injunction has been served the party's headquarters, the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC), the Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, the Asante Akim North District Director of EC, Constituency Secretary, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP and the Konongo Odumase Divisional Police Commander. According to the writ, the injunction is to “restrain defendants, their servants, agents, privies or assigns or howsoever designated from proceeding with or in any way whatsoever conducting, supervising or dealing with or participating in any processes touching and concerning further activities or dealings towards the election or selection of 1st Defendant's Parliamentary Candidate for the Asante Akim North Constituency of the Ashanti Region for participation in the General Elections in December 2020 pending the determination of the suit…, and for a further Order to 2nd Defendant not to participate in any activities towards and for the purpose of electing or selecting a Parliamentary Candidate for Asante Akim North Constituency…” The delegates are said to be from 61 polling stations, mostly in Agogo. By Stephen Kwabena Effah| 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/aspirant-pulls-out-of-asante-akim-north-race-describes-polls-as-concert/

An aspirant in the Effiduase Asokore parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party, Lawyer Adom Appiah, has been assaulted by some military personnel deployed to the area to provide security. Mr Appiah who is seeking to unseat the incumbent MP, Nana Ayew Afriye, had approached Electoral Commission officials at the Effiduase South polling station to know the register being used for the Saturday polls. The EC officials ignored him, a situation that triggered argument between him and the EC officials causing the military personnel at the polling station to give him three slaps. “He was slapped three times and but for his car, he would have fallen down,” our correspondent, John Frimpong reported. Mr Appiah was then dragged behind the polling station which is near a Police station where he was said to have also been gun butted, leaving him with bleeding lips. He has since reported the incident to the police for investigations into the matter. Snatching of voters' register Later at the Asokore West polling station, the register was snatched away by some men believed to be supporters of Mr Appiah. At about 9:30 am, our correspondent reported that four cars pulled over at the polling station with about 20 people and demanded to know from the EC officials, which register was being used for the elections. Though the EC officials were initially hesitant, they later brought out the register for the guys to take a look during which they snatched it and drove away with it. Our correspondent said one of the four wheeled vehicle used has been identified as belonging to Mr Appiah. The incident, our correspondent said, did not affect the elections at the polling station as all the 9 delegates had at the time cast their votes and were only waiting for the close of polls for the ballots to be counted. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/aspirant-slapped-gun-butted-at-effiduase-asokore-npp-primary-over-register/

Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asante Akim North constituency of the Ashanti Region Saturday defied a pending injunction application to hold parliamentary primary in the area. Some 145 delegates of the party who claimed their names have been “unlawfully” and “fraudulently” missing from the register filed the injunction to stop today's contest between the  incumbent Andy Kwame Appiah Kubi and former MP Kwadwo Baah Agyemang. Although the executives of the party at the national headquarters, the EC and the Police were served with the application Friday, constituency executives claim they have no knowledge whatsoever about such action against the party. Voting thus commenced Saturday morning at all 94 polling stations within the constituency for delegates to cast their ballot with security presence. A total of 520 delegates are to vote from 22 Electoral areas. Constituency Secretary, Williams Aboagye Boateng told our correspondent Ibrahim Abubakar that they have not been served with any injunction application, hence not aware of any action restraining them from going ahead with the polls. “So far as we are concerned nobody has received anything from anywhere. So we know that today we are going to have elections and we are having it. The delegates are ready, the constituency executives are ready and then elections are ongoing as you can see” he told TV3. Mr Boateng claimed the Regional Executives of the party were aware elections were going to be held in the constituency Saturday. “If there should be any injunction whatsoever, I think we should have been served a letter or call from the NEC or from the region to indicate that yes, indeed there are some injunction on Asante Akim North elections but so far, as we are concerned, nobody has spoken to us, we haven't received anything from anybody” he said. The injunction Copies of the injunction has been served the party's headquarters, the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC), the Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, the Asante Akim North District Director of EC, Constituency Secretary, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP and the Konongo Odumase Divisional Police Commander. According to the writ, the injunction is to “restrain defendants, their servants, agents, privies or assigns or howsoever designated from proceeding with or in any way whatsoever conducting, supervising or dealing with or participating in any processes touching and concerning further activities or dealings towards the election or selection of 1st Defendant's Parliamentary Candidate for the Asante Akim North Constituency of the Ashanti Region for participation in the General Elections in December 2020 pending the determination of the suit…, and for a further Order to 2nd Defendant not to participate in any activities towards and for the purpose of electing or selecting a Parliamentary Candidate for Asante Akim North Constituency…” The delegates are said to be from 61 polling stations, mostly in Agogo. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/asante-akim-north-defies-injunction-to-hold-primary/

The New Patriotic Party chairman for Sunyani East in the Bono Region, Musah Damtarl, is alleging he has been attacked at gunpoint by some persons said to be known followers of the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh. Mr Damtarl and the two others were said to be returning from the Sunyani Residency when one Lawyer Asare Atua, Asoma Salia popularly called Tupac and one other person, who allegedly wielded pistols and other weapon, accosted the chairman and his men and threatened to “finish them”. But for the timely intervention of the some personnel at the Bono Regional Residency, the incident, which happened at about 2:00am Saturday, would have turned bloody, Mr Damtarl told our correspondent Larry Paa Kwesi Moses. According to Mr Damtarl, the security guards at the Residence of the Regional Minister came to their rescue and accompanied them to their homes only to realize another group of assailants had also laid ambush waiting to attack them again. He told our correspondent that the Police was thus forced to escort them to the Police Station in Sunyani for safety. Mr Damtarl has since reported the incident to the Police. Checks by our correspondent confirmed a complaint has been lodged and investigations is set to begin By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/npp-chairman-for-sunyani-east-2-others-attacked-at-gunpoint/

Thousands of New Patriotic Party delegates across the country are voting in the second phase of the party's parliamentary primaries to elect candidates for some 168 constituencies. The election, which started at 7:00 am Saturday and being conducted in constituencies where the NPP holds the parliamentary seats, is being contested by a total of 370 aspirants of which 87 per cent are male and 13 per cent female. A total of 67 of the candidates are going unopposed; 55 males and 12 females. Who are going unopposed? AHAFO REGION TANO SOUTH: Sekyere Benjamin Yeboah Yeboah is currently the Deputy Regional Minister for Ahafo region. Benjamin Yeboah wrestled the seat from Hanna Liousa Bissiw who was the second NDC candidate to have won the seat since 1996. The Tano South seat has been won 4 out of 6 times by the  NPP and is expected to be easily won by the NPP again come 2020. TANO NORTH: Freda Prempeh Freda is the deputy minister for Gender, Children and social protection.  She was voted into parliament in 2012 as a minority and is poised to a third successful in a seat that is yet to be won by the NDC since 1996. ASHANTI REGION AFIGYA KWABRE SOUTH: William Owuraku Aidoo The former national best cashew farmer, banker, senior superintendent at the Ghana Education service and once managing director of a construction firm is going for his second election having joined parliament in 2016. He had lost on a previous attempt during the 2012 primaries. William Aidoo is currently the deputy minister for Energy. The constituency was formed in 2004. AFIGYA SEKYERE EAST: Mavis Nksansah-Boadu The 31 year old, won the predominantly NPP seat by over 80% in the 2016 elections. The highest vote margin in the history of the Afigya Sekyere East sest.. She has inherited a seat that has maintained a seating MP for at least two consecutive times. Her predecessor had served on the seat for 2 consecutive times from 2004. AHAFO ANO NORTH: Suleman Adamu Sanid The VRA employee is one of four to have taken up the challenge of contesting for various seats in the 2016 elections. Currently occupies no ministerial position in government. AHAFO ANO SOUTH EAST: Francis Manu-Adabor Currently occupies no ministerial position. He is the first MP for the constituency, which was created in 2012. AHAFO ANO SOUTH WEST: JOHNSON KWAKU ADU He is one of three MP cited in a British High Commission report on Visa fraud in 2017. The British consulate described his offence as the most serious; he had used his diplomatic visa which his wife and Children had to secure visas and upon visiting the UK, left his wife and Child behind who couldn't be traced. ASOKWA: Patricia Appiagyei Currently the Deputy Minister for Environment, Science and Technology.  She was one time Deputy Minister of the Ashanti Region and the First female Mayor of Kumasi. The Asokwa constituency was created in 2004; with Maxwell Kofi Jumah for two consecutive elections. ATWIMA MPONUA: Isaac Kwame Asiamah Currently, the Minister for Youth and Sports. He has been MP for the Constituency since 2004. ATWIMA NWABIAGYA SOUTH:  Emmanuel Agyei Anhwere According to the Odekro 2018 repoert, was one of 3 MP to have obeyed the house rules of consistently seeking permission when they absented themselves from the floor of parliament. BEKWAI: JOSEPH OSEI-OWUSU In 2008, Joseph Osei-Owusu popularly known as Joe Wise went Independent to contest then incumbent NPP MP Kofi Poku Adusai after he lost by a vote in the primaries. The one time constituency chair of Amansie East and DVLA Chief Executive at the time said he went independent to save the Bekwai seat.  He won that seat by over 70% beating the sitting MP by some 56% of votes cast. He is currently the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament. BOSOMTWE: Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum An excellent Deputy Education Minister, who is believed to have a good understanding of the issues confronting the education sector. An educationist himself Dr. Adutwum is seen a media friendly minister and a better replacement for the substantive minister. Dr. Adutuwm won the Bosomtwe seat by over 85% of votes in the last election; the best ever performance by the NPP ‘owned' seat. FOMENA: Philip Ofori Asante Philip will become the first timer going unopposed on a seat occupied by an incumbent government MP. His predecessor is going independent to contest him. Philip will become the third consecutive new face to represent the party in three elections. Philip is a board member of Omnibank; he was one time Head of Wholesale Banking at Merchant Bank now UMB and former  Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank. KWABRE EAST: Francisca Oteng Mensah Was the youngest MP elected in the seventh parliament under the fourth republic.  An NGO CenProG reported their survey in the region had her as the best performing MP in the Ashanti Region. MENHYIA SOUTH: Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh Minister of Education NEW EDUBIASE: George Boahene Oduro Is on record to have said he regretted becoming an MP. OFFINSO NORTH: Ntim Augusitne Collins Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. SUAME: Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu Majority Leader More soon By 3news.com|Ghana

June 20, 2020

https://3news.com/second-round-of-npp-primaries-begin-across-ghana/

Savana Signatures, a non-governmental organisation, is urging government to step up its adherence to the World Health Organisation's guidelines to protect the vulnerable in the country against the novel coronavirus. It wants government to fully follow the WHO covid-19 protocols put in place to ensure people with disabilities and the aged who are at greater risk of contracting the virus are protected. People with disabilities, especially children, it said, are most often ignored in terms of development initiatives that will promote their wellbeing and this makes them vulnerable to health-related issues thus resulting in health complications. The organisation said although Ghana has lived up to expectation as all press briefings at the Ministry of Information and the Presidency have sign language interpretation, not all the WHO prescribed guidelines are adhered to by the government and stakeholders. “We, therefore, bring to the attention of government and other stakeholders, the WHO preventive protocols for the most vulnerable in society and urge them to implement the protocols to help them live normal lives,” Savana Signatures said in its statement Friday. It said government and stakeholders per WHO guidelines must ensure that public health information and communication is accessible to the vulnerable. To this end, it said the information must include captioning and, where possible, sign language for all live and recorded events and communications. This includes national addresses, press briefings, and live social media. They are also to convert public materials into an “Easy Read” format so that they are accessible for people with intellectual disability or cognitive impairment. “Develop accessible written information products by using appropriate document formats, (such as “Word”), with structured headings, large print, braille versions and formats for people who are deaf blind,” it added. Again, they must include captions for images used within documents or on social media, use images that are inclusive and do not stigmatize disability, and work with disability organizations, including advocacy bodies and disability service providers to disseminate public health information. “Those with functional problems like hearing and seeing will principally face challenges in understanding public health information on the virus if stakeholders in health communication neglect the information needs of the vulnerable in society,” the group said. Savana Signatures observed that coronavirus (Covid-19) is posing a serious challenge to all aspects of human life. “Almost every facet of social life has been interrupted and the likelihood that most vulnerable in society will suffer the greatest is high,” it stated. It noted that children with disabilities are at risk of getting infected with the COVID-19 and may develop other illnesses as a result of that. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/step-up-adherence-to-who-protocols-on-covid-19-for-the-vulnerable-govt-told/

Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has launched the second phase of the disinfection exercise in senior high and basic schools in the Central Region to be carried out by Zoomlion Ghana Limited The event which was launched at the Regional Coordinating Council in Cape Coast Thursday, created a platform for police chiefs, health and educational directors in the region to brainstorm and issue a communiqué on enforcing the Covid-19 directives in schools. According to the regional minister, the disinfection of both private and public senior high schools in the region will create a safe and proper environment for final-year students who are to resume academic work from next week. He recounted how Zoomlion fumigated SHSs in the region against bedbug infestations. Mr Duncan said the police had also been charged to ensure compliance with the Covid-19 safety protocols, especially on wearing of nose masks, on the various campuses and the region. He also entreated persons enforcing the Covid-19 preventive protocols to take their roles serious, cautioning that there will be consequences should they fail to live up to their responsibilities. Central Regional Health Director, Dr Owusu Sarpong, said the region's Covid-19 cases as of Thursday, June 18, 2020, stood at 694, with 146 recoveries. She said, of the Covid-19 cases recorded in the region, 10 to 15% were mild. She used the opportunity to show appreciation to the government for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the health directorate. The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Paul Awuni, indicated that his outfit has mapped out a simple operational strategy for the schools. This, he said, is to ensure that the protocols were strictly enforced in the schools. He cautioned that they will not hesitate to arrest and process for court, persons who breach any of the safety protocols. “We shall arrest people who refuse to wear nose masks and process them before the courts for them to answer why they are flouting the directives,” he warned. For her part, the Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Zoomlion Ghana Limited assured all stakeholders of her company's commitment to supporting the government in the country's fight against Covid-19. She disclosed that her company had already disinfected about 100 SHSs in the region. “We have also begun the disinfection of about 2,460 basic schools including 882 private schools,” she revealed. She has thus encouraged parents to send their children to school, assuring that the schools' environments were safe. The Central Region Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Ernest Osei, said because of the magnitude of work in the region, his Zoomlion subcontracted its partners to help complete the exercise on time. He, however, added that these subcontracted companies were under the supervision of Zoomlion officers. The spraying gang of Zoomlion moved to the A.M.E Zion B&C School to disinfect its classrooms and offices immediately after the launch. At Mfantsipim SHS where another group disinfected, the Assistant Headmaster in charge of Academics, William Mitchual, said the exercise will give the students the confidence to come back, study for their final examinations. According to him, all arrangements are in place to ensure that the students feel safe to work within the 11-week period they will be on campus. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/zoomlion-begins-second-phase-of-disinfecting-schools-in-c-r/

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party in Atiwa East constituency of the Eastern Region have affirmed the candidature of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Abena Osei Asare, as the party's candidate for the December parliamentary election. The decision is in line with the party's guidelines for the conduct of its parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2020 general elections. General Secretary, John Boadu, on June 8 outlined the party's guidelines for the 2020 primaries, stating there shall be no elections in constituencies with unopposed candidates. The unopposed candidates, per the guidelines, are only enjoined to address their delegates at a special gathering organized by the respective elections committee and the constituency and regional party. In effect, it is this process that officially affirms the status of the “unopposed” aspiring candidates as the NPP's parliamentary candidates in the respective constituencies. It is on the back of that Ms Osei Asare, who is unopposed, was affirmed as the party's parliamentary candidate by the delegates of the constituency at a special event held in the constituency under the supervision of the regional party. Eastern Regional 1st Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Omar Bodinga, together with the Assistant Regional Secretary who represented the regional party, congratulated Ms Osei Asare on the feat. Alhaji Bodinga said the affirmation was a testament of her good works in the constituency and beyond. The Atiwa East District Chief Executive (DCE), Kwabena Panin Nkansah, who also spoke at the event, commended the MP for the excellent working relationship she has with his office and with the regional and constituency party. Taking his turn, the Atiwa East Constituency Chairman, Albert Antwi, eulogized Ms Osei Asare for her continuous support to the party in the constituency, and assured her that the executives will always rally behind her to continue to deliver prosperity for the good people of Atiwa East. For her part, Osei Asare, who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Finance, thanked the Atiwa East delegates and her constituents in general for reposing yet another confidence in her, and assured them of her unflinching commitment to vindicating that confidence by continuing with the numerous developmental projects she is undertaking in the constituency. She also expressed a commitment to working to unite the party and to enhance the existing fine relationship she has with the party's rank and file in the constituency. The MP assured them of doing the needful in order to not only retain the parliamentary seat, but also maximize the votes for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the party's presidential candidate. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/npp-affirms-abena-osei-asare-as-partys-candidate-for-atiwa-east-seat/

The former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, has backed the decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters' register for the conduct of the upcoming general elections He said the EC has even delayed in the compilation because the need for a new register has been long overdue. “Nobody should tell us the EC shouldn't have a new voters' register for 202 elections” he said on Onua TV, adding the old one is what was “used for 2012 and 2016 elections and look at what happened”. He argued that the since the last register, the number of constituencies as well as regions in the country have increased “and this alone should tell us that we need a completely new voters register”. “This will afford new constituencies to know their boundaries. The new regions would know their boundaries. In fact, the woman [Jean Mensa] has even delayed. That woman is an intelligent woman and she must bring a new voters' register before we go to elections in December 2020” Mr Naabu stated. Accusations against NDC Mr. Naabu accused the NDC and other political parties who are against the compilation of a new voters' register of having a hidden agenda. “I don't see why the EC is bringing a new register and NDC and others political parties are against it. What are they afraid of? What are they hiding?” In his view, “it means there is something they have done to the register that is why they are afraid for the new one” “May be they have planted some people inside the register from Togo, Ivory Coast and others because we have new regions, new constituencies and new polling stations and you are saying you don't want a new voters register? What is their problem?” Mr. Naabu praised the EC, especially, the Chairperson, Jean Mensa, for the bold decision to compile a new voters' register before the elections in December. “I thank the young lady. May God help her to do a new register; a new register is needed”. By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/bugri-naabu-gives-new-reasons-to-back-ec-for-a-new-voters-register/

The Supreme Court has adjourned indefinitely, its decision on whether or not the current voters' ID card can be used in the upcoming voters' registration exercise to be conducted by the Electoral Commission. A new development in the case Friday caused the court to indefinitely adjourn the case filed by the National Democratic Congress which was to be decided on by the court on June 23. The Supreme Court by a unanimous decision Friday combined the NDC's case with another one recently filed by Mark Tekyi-Benson, who is challenging the EC's decision to use the Ghana Card and the Ghanaian passport as the documents proof of nationality. It followed an application to the court filed by Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah, which prayed for the mergence two cases. Mr Dame argued Friday the two cases were related in nature as they have same facts and similar reliefs. Counsel for the NDC, Godwin Tamakloe objected to the request for the cases to be consolidated on the basis that they were different. He however backed down on the objection after one of the judges advised him on the matter. On the back of that, the court granted the AG's application and accordingly merged the two cases. The court has meanwhile ordered Mr Tekyi-Benson to file his statement of case by Monday June 22. The Attorney General and the Electoral Commission who are defendants in the case have also been asked to file their respective responses by June 23. Hearing of the case has been set for June 24. The NDC filed an application urging the Supreme Court to order the Electoral Commission to allow eligible Ghanaians use the existing voters' ID card as proof of citizenship. Earlier the party challenged the EC's decision to compile a new register but abandoned it after the court asked for clarification on the relief it wanted the court to decide on. But a fresh suit from a native of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District, in the Central Region,  Mark Takyi-Banson was filed to challenge the decision of the EC to use the Ghana Card and the Ghanaian passport as the only identification as proofs of citizenship. He is urging the Supreme Court to order the EC to include a birth certificate and the existing voters' ID card as evidence of identification in the registration exercise. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/use-of-old-voters-id-cards-for-registration-supreme-court-adjourns-decision-indefinitely/

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party in the Salaga South constituency of the Savannah Region have met to confirm incumbent Member of Parliament, Adam Salifu Braimah, to contest on the ticket of the party in the December parliamentary polls. Mr Braimah who is also the Regional Minister, is expected to be confirmed by some 493 delegates. The Salaga South constituency is the largest constituency in the Savannah region with a total of 94 polling stations. It has a total voter population of over 49,000. The constituency has since 1992 produced four MPs including the incumbent. Each of the three former MPs represented the constituency for two terms. No MP has won the seat for for a third term. While the NDC has won the seat for four terms,  the NPP has won it twice and once by an independent candidate. Mr. Baba Braimah of the NDC won in 1992 and 1996 respectively. But in 2000, he was defeated by Abubakari Sadiqque Boniface now MP for Madina who stood as an independent candidate, shutting the latter's dream of winning the seat for a third term. In 2004, Boniface Abubakari crossed carpet to NPP and represented the party as its candidate. He subsequently won the 2004 elections making him the first MP on the ticket of the NPP. In 2008, Alhaji Ibrahim Dey of the NDC beat Boniface to take the seat from NPP. He won again In 2012. In 2016, the current MP Adam Salifu Braimah stood on the ticket of the NPP to beat the NDC incumbent MP with 24 votes. Mr. Salifu pulled 12,776 votes to  beat his opponent Alhaji Dey who secured 12,726 votes This the NDC MP contested the results at the high court in Tamale  citing over voting as the basis. The matter was determined by the Tamale High Court which declared Mr. Braimah the winner of the 2016 elections. In the 2020 NPP parliamentary primary, the MP is going unopposed. Even though some names popped up in the run up to the picking of nomination, none actually picked nomination. According to the MP, his unprecedented development  is the reason he had no competitor. “The visible infrastructural development in the constituency and others is the reason for the confidence the party has reposed in me” He added, the people of Salaga South will give him four more years to do more just as the President will be given four more years to do more. However, some COVID-19 protocols were missing at the venue. Meanwhile, delegates at the confirmation ceremony have disregarded covid-19 safety protocols as some were spotted without their nose masks while others did not observe social distancing. Constituency Secretary Abdulai Habib reacting to this blamed delegates for the situation. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/confirmation-of-salaga-south-mp-begins/

Ghana's High Commissioner to India, Michael Aaron Nii Nortey Yaw Oquaye Jnr. has presented five motorised tricyles to the Dome Kwabenya Constituency of the New Patriotic Party. The tricycles, presented to the party in fulfilment of a promise by Mr Oquaye Jnr, are to be used by the constituency executives of the party for income generation at the grassroots level. Handing over the keys to the constituency executives through the Constituency Chairman, Solomon Assante Mr Oquaye said the “These Tricycles given this day is to generate income for the Party at the constituency level and it is the first step of many more such initiatives to come”. Mike Oquaye Jnr. who is contesting the NPP primary in the Dome Kwabenya constituency had earlier promised to serve the people of his constituency and help the youth to jobs. He observed that the growth of the party will also depend on the efficiency of the party structures, hence the presentation of the tricycles. Receiving the tricycles, the Second Vice Chairman for Dome Kwabenya, Mr George Nti said the donation would serve as a source of income generation which would also ease pressure on the executives. He also assured Mr Oquaye Jnr that the tricycles would be used for the intended purpose and that accountability would be of utmost priority. Mr Nti on behalf of Polling Station Executives thanked Mr Oquaye Jnr and prayed that more of such donations will come from his outfit. Described as grassroots man, some constituents say Mr Oquaye Jnr should be given the chance for the job, indicating he is capable and competent. By 3news.com

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/oquaye-jnr-donates-motorised-tricycles-to-dome-kwabenya-npp/

Many have, for years, waited with bated breath to see the day two of Ghana's fiercest rappers – Sarkodie and M.anifest – will release a song. Considering the history between them, a song between them will definitely ease the tension between the camps of the two artistes as to whether they are still beefing or are now the best of friends. In 2016, M.anifest and Sarkodie were embroiled in one of the biggest rap beefs the country has ever witnessed. M.anifest, in his ‘godMC' track, threw shots at Sarkodie after he released his ‘Bossy' song. Sarkodie also quickly replied to M.anifest in his ‘Kanta' track. Their beef trended on social media for several weeks and generated a lot of public debate over who is the best among the two. After that beef, the two had not really seen eye to eye. They, however surprised many, when they squashed their beef at the 2018 edition of M.anifest's Manifestivities when they performed together. Almost two years after hitting the stage at the Manifestivities, the two rappers have released a surprise joint song – ‘Brown Paper Bag' – together. The song was released barely 24 hours after Sarkodie, his wife, daughter and new baby touched down in Ghana from the US where they had been stranded for months. ‘Brown Paper Bag', produced by ‘Nova', instantly got social media buzzing with comments and reaction with many generally surprised by the collaboration while others applauded the two rappers. Listen to the song below:

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/sarkodie-m-anifest-release-historic-brown-paper-bag/

China has charged two Canadians with spying, more than 18 months after they were detained. Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman, have been held in China since December 2018. Their arrest came just days after Meng Wanzhou – an executive of the Chinese giant Huawei – was detained in Vancouver, at the request of the US. Canada called the arrests “arbitrary”, but China denies they were retaliation for Ms Meng's detention. Both men have been charged with “spying on national secrets” and providing intelligence for “outside entities”. China's court system is completely controlled by the Communist Party and has an almost 100% conviction rate once defendants are charged, notes the BBC's Stephen McDonell in Beijing. What is the timeline? Meng Wanzhou – the chief financial officer of Huawei, and daughter of the company's founder – was arrested on 1 December 2018 in Vancouver. Her arrest was requested by the US, who accuse her of breaking Iranian sanctions. She is still fighting extradition to the US. On 10 December, the Canadians were detained. They were formally arrested in May 2019, after which they had 13-and-a-half months to be charged. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of “using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals”. How have they been treated? Michael Kovrig's employer, the Crisis Group, says on its website that he has not seen a lawyer or his family since the detention, and that he only has “periodic consular visits”. “Michael's work has included meeting…Chinese officials, academics and analysts from multiple Chinese state institutions,” the Crisis Group said. “He has attended numerous conferences at the invitation of Chinese organisations. He frequently appears on Chinese television and in other media to comment on regional issues. “Nothing Michael does has harmed China.” The Free Michael Spavor website, updated earlier this year, said he was “behind bars, without his family, and without access to lawyers”. “Michael is an earnest, genuine, and impossibly fun person, who we believe has been detained in error,” the website says. In April 2019, it was reported that both men were being interrogated for between six to eight hours a day, and were sometimes subject to 24-hour artificial lighting. The Chinese government says the men are in “good health”. What is the latest with Meng Wanzhou? Last month, a Canadian court ruled that her case could go forward. A judge found the case met the threshold of double criminality – meaning the charges would be crimes in both the US and Canada. Her lead defence lawyer, Richard Peck, argued that Canada is effectively being asked “to enforce US sanctions”. A year after her arrest, Ms Weng released an open letter, detailing her life in detention at her home in Vancouver. “Over the past year, I have learned to face up to and accept my situation,” she said. “I'm no longer afraid of the unknown.” She also said she finally had time to “read a book cover to cover,” or “carefully complete an oil painting”. BBC

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/china-charges-canadians-with-spying/

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed an Executive Instrument criminalizing non-wearing of face mask in public places across the country, with offenders facing a jail term of up to 10 years. Anyone found guilty of not wearing face mask that completely covers his nose and mouth, per the E.I 164, faces either a fine of not less than 12,000 cedis and not more than 60,000 cedis or a minimum of four years in jail or a maximum of 10 years. The courts have also been empowered to hand over both a fine and jail term as punishment for all offenders. Per section 6 of the Imposition of Restrictions Act, any person who fails to wear face mask as required by the E.I “is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty unit and not more than 5,000 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.” A penalty unit equals 12 cedis. The Ghana Police has been mandated to enforce compliance of the E.I 164 which was signed by President on June 15. The mandatory wearing of mask, per the E.I, shall be for a period of not more than three months. Under the law, a person shall wear a face mask or face shield when in a public place or leaving or returning to his or her place of abode. President Akufo-Addo in his nationwide address on covid-19 to the nation announced wearing of fase mask has now been made mandatory in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Western regions where the number of people contracting the virus has surged. “…residents of these four regions and indeed all Ghanaians must remember that the wearing of masks is now mandatory. Leaving our homes without our face masks or face covering on is an offence,” the president said in the Sunday address. Ghana's coronavirus cases keeps surging with the country's case count now 12,929 of which 66 have died and 4,468 recovered. Within the last two days, a more than 600 cases have been recorded raising concerns among health officials and the public. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/up-to-%c2%a260k-fine-10-year-jail-term-awaits-those-who-refuse-to-wear-face-mask/

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched the Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) to help drive standards and quality in some 10,000 low-performing basic schools across the country. Under GALOP, government will invest some 219 million dollars on a comprehensive set of interventions that addresses constraints from teaching to learning in our schools. Launching the project Thursday at the Jubilee House, Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that in spite of the numerous steps government has taken over the last three and half years to improve basic education in the country, a lot more work needs to be done. “We must address the problem of low learning outcomes that reflect in the performance of some of our children at the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), and Basic Education Certificate Examination,” he said. To achieve the desired improvement in learning for all of Ghana's children, the President said, he is determined to ensure that children in every part of the country are taught by professional teachers. “We remain focused on ensuring equitable teacher deployment, and strengthening accountability regimes. That is why Government is pleased to be collaborating with the World Bank in introducing the Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP),” he added. “Through this Programme, teachers, in the early grades, will be provided with continuous training, in line with the new curriculum; schools will receive teaching and learning materials; heads of schools will be trained on improved school management techniques; and supervision and assessment systems will be strengthened,” he said. President Akufo-Addo added, “10,000 low-performing basic schools, across the country, have already been selected to benefit from the Project, and I am confident that the implementation of GALOP will help drive standards and quality in these schools.” He expressed appreciation to the World Bank and DFID who are co-sponsors of the project, and  reiterated the commitment of his government to the goals of the project. Education Outlining the efforts made by government, upon his assumption of office in January 2017, to improve access to education, the President stated that “I made no secret my intention of putting education at the heart of my vision for the growth, development and transformation of Ghana.” That is why government has implemented significant reforms to improve access, quality of education, infrastructure, teacher training and professionalisation, curriculum development, school inspection, and technical and vocational education and training. Through the Free SHS policy, President Akufo-Addo noted that 1.2 million Ghanaian children, the largest in the history of the country, are now in the country's education ecosystem, four hundred thousand (400,000) of whom would otherwise have been excluded. Additionally, he added that “over the last three and a half (3½) years, we have done a significant amount of work to boost education at the primary school level. In September 2017, we introduced a new curriculum for kindergarten to primary school, that reflects the realities of our aspirations. Under this administration, we have increased the capitation grant by one hundred and twenty percent (120%), from GH¢4.50 per child to GH¢10.00. We continue to invest in infrastructure, and in the supply of teaching and learning materials for our children.” On improving the welfare of teachers, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that Government has restored, since coming into office three and a half years ago, and paid up to date teacher trainee allowances, which were abolished by the previous administration. In addition to the yearly average increase in salaries of ten percent (10%), over the last three (3) years, Government is, for the first time in our history, paying a professional allowance to teachers. “We have cleared the arrears, and promotions due teachers have also been effected. At the start of the 2018/19 academic year, all Colleges of Education were upgraded to university colleges. A 4-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree has been introduced in University Colleges of Education,” he said. He continued, “This means that, soon, a first degree will be the minimum requirement for teaching at any level of the education system.  Further, in September 2018, Government rolled out the teacher licensure programme, aimed at improving professional standards in line with best practices across the globe. The aim of the teacher reform programme is to enhance capacity, and improve the quality of teacher training to enable teachers respond to educational needs.” By Presidency|3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/akufo-addo-launches-219m-project-to-help-10000-low-performing-basic-schools/

A 30-year old teacher who sodomised a 12-year-old boy has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court. Seth Kwabena Anim had pleaded for mercy indicating that he was not going to repeat the offence again. Also, he said he was writing exams. The Court presided over by Christiana Cann in sentencing the teacher said he should have known better and served as role model for the young ones. Kwabena Anim was on Wednesday, June 17 arraigned on one count of defiling a child under 16 years of age contrary to section 101(2) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, (Act29). He pleaded guilty to the offence but the judge however deferred his sentence to June 18. Brief facts The facts as presented by prosecution led by DSP Agnes Boafo, was  that the complainant [name withheld] is a receptionist at Mplaza Hotel at Roman Ridge and lives at New Achimota. The accused person Seth Kwabena Anim, according to the prosecutor is a teacher at private school (name withheld) at New Achimota and lives at Akweteman a suburb of Accra. DSP Boafo told the court that, on June 6, 2020, around 6:50pm, the complainant returned from town and found that her son who is a victim in this case (name withheld) age 12 years and Junior High School Form One student has not done his school online assignment. She told the court that, the victim has also not had his bath which also got the mother angry. The prosecutor said, the complainant became annoyed and collected the smart phone she bought for the victim because of the school assignment. Sex cartoons DSP Boafo added that, the complainant decided to open the phone to see if it was because of the WhatSapp chat that was why the victim has had with one Anim, she saw something like a cartoon which two people were having sex. She told the court that the complainant then asked the victim who the said Anim was and the victim told her he is a teacher. Accirding to her, the complainant “became afraid and said to herself, a teacher having relationship with my son?” “The complainant” she said “continued to ask the victim what the teacher has been doing with him.” “The victim disclosed to the mother that, the accused started to chat with him since March, 2020 which he made him to direct him to their house and helped him to do his school assignment and therefore insert his penis in his anus and that the accused has done that to him on three occasions,” the prosecutor told the court. Plan for arrest “On June 10, 2020 around 1.46,” DSP Boafo told the court that “the complainant saw that the accused was again chatting with the victim on phone that he will come to him at home. The complainant advised the victim to ask the accused to come” for him to be arrested. According to the prosecutor, the complainant informed witnesses in this case of the development and “asked them to be alert and arrest the accused if he comes to the house. “The following day, June 11, 2020 around 11:30 am, the accused came to the house to have affair with the victim. “The moment accused entered the complainant's living room, he removed his dress leaving a boxer short and in the event of removing the victim's dress the victim coughed to signal the witnesses who were then hiding in the kitchen,” the prosecutor told the court. “They rushed to the living room and arrested accused. Accused knelt down and started pleading for forgiveness. The complainant was informed of the accused arrest and she call in the polict patrol team from the Regional Police Headquarters , Accra who proceeded to the complainants house and picked the accused to the Regional CID, Accra for further investigation. Upon interrogation, accused admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and stated that he has had unnatural cannal knowledge with the victim in the complainant's living room on two occasions and not three times as victim said but he does not know what made him do that. In the cause of investigations, medical forms were issued to the complainant on behalf of the victim to attend hospital for treatment. After investigation, accused was charged with the offence to appear before the court. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/teacher-jailed-15-years-for-sodomising-12-year-old-boy/

A taxicab driver yet to be identified died instantly after a tree fell on his car Thursday evening in Kumasi. The incident occurred during a downpour accompanied by strong winds. He was said to parked his car close to the trees few meters away from the Asanteman Senior High School when the tree fell on the car and trapped him inside . His body has been recovered by passers-by and conveyed to the mortuary. The mangled care has also been towed to the Suame Police station. Police officers have been to the scene to investigate the incident. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 19, 2020

https://3news.com/cab-driver-killed-by-falling-tree-in-kumasi/

Unilever Ghana has in addition to its Lifebuoy educational drive and covid-19 support, presented to institutions, communities, and organizations its products in support of nutrition and hygiene. The Zebilla District Hospital, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union and the 1st Infantry Battalion among others received boxes of Key Soap, Sunlight, Pepsodent, Lipton Tea and Vim. The donation forms part of the company's support in fighting the coronavirus pandemic which has infected close to 13,000 people in Ghana and killed 66 of them. Head of Communications and Sustainability Lead for Unilever Ghana, Henry Herbert Malm, said the company's priority is to support the everyday hygiene and nutrition needs of Ghanaians with its well-known brands. The company urged all citizens to observe the deadly coronavirus protocols put in place to stem the spread of the pandemic. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/unilever-ghana-supports-more-institutions-on-covid-19/

Coronavirus treatment centres in the Ashanti Region are full to capacity, health authorities have said Alternatives, according to them, are currently being explored to augment the 18-bed centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the 20-bed centre at Kumasi South Hospital. The Regional Health Directorate is now seeking places to admit and treat more coronavirus patients as the country's case count surges. “As at now we have a total of 38 beds at our treatment centres and they are all full. What we have decided to do is to expand the number of beds we have at our treatment centres at Kumasi South and Komfo Anokye,” Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang told journalists Wednesday With a total of 2,403 coronavirus cases, the region has the second highest count in the country with 38 deaths after the Greater Accra region with a total of 7,573 cases. Only one person with covid-19 in the Ashanti Region is currently critically ill. A total of 97 health workers in the Ashanti Region have contracted the deadly novel coronavirus in line of duty. One of them, a Medical Director of the Kwadaso SDA Hospital has died while 14 have since recovered. Health workers affected include 18 doctors and 47 nurses, as well as administrators and cleaners. The health directorate is worried about the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the region. Mr Tinkorang who is the Regional Health Director is worried about the increasing cases number of Covid-19 case in the region. He has thus called for strict adherence to the preventive covid-19 protocols to reduce the increasing positive cases. Meanwhile he said a clinical analysis of covid-19 deaths in the Ashanti region has revealed diverse signs and symptoms of the disease, something he noted, is unidentical to classical cases. Results of the analysis of the deaths he indicated, has revealed patients who report malaria-like sickness are later confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus pandemic. He is consequently pushing for a national review of the classical signs and symptoms of covid-19 to help reduce the risk of exposure of health workers. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/covid-19-treatment-centres-in-ashanti-full-doctors-looking-for-alternatives/

The Attorney General's Office has rejected the terms of a refund agreement submitted by the founder of the defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien. Chief State Attorney, Marina Appiah Opare, told an Accra High court the agreement was “totally unacceptable” and have been rejected because they were not favourable to the state. She said another proposal has been received from the accused but it is now being studied. She insisted the trial of the accused person must proceed alongside deliberations, insisting that the terms will only affect four of the charges. Mr Essien's lawyer, Baffour Gyawu Bonsu Ashia, asked for an adjournment so indicating the agreement, if reached with the state, will largely affect the entirety of the case. Ato Essien and three others are facing 26 charges for various roles they played leding to the collapse of Capital Bank. In May, Counsel for Ato Essien told the Court they were engaging the Attorney General based on section 35 of the Court's Act, which allows for an offer of compensation or restitution in respect of some of the charges brought against the accused persons. According to the lawyers, they had indicated to EOCO that their client was willing and ready to return some 27 million cedis to the state. The lawyers revealed he has paid close to 1.4 million cedis and also given out some 19 newly cleared cars from the port to the state. In response, the Attorney General confirmed the negotiations, but informed the court they would be considered. Presiding Judge, Justice Kyei Baffour, said should the state fail to reach an agreement the case will proceed. The case has accordingly been adjourned to July 9. By Godfred Tanam|3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/ag-rejects-ato-essiens-unacceptable-refund-agreement/

The New Patriotic Party has fixed June 27 to endorse President Nana Akufo-Addo as the party's presidential candidate to face off ex-president John Mahama and others in the December 2020 presidential election. The acclamation Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahammudu Bawumia as his running mate, the party said in a statement Thursday, will be done at a special National Council meeting of the party in Accra to be witnessed by the media and relevant stakeholders. “The Party equally resolved to hold parliamentary primaries in Gushegu, Dormaa Central and Kwadaso constituencies in line with the decision of the Party's National Executive Committee” the statement signed by General Secretary John Boadu said. For Gushegu constituency, the party said the NEC after extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, has, in line with Article 12 of the NPP constitution, selected Mr. Hassan Tampuli as its parliamentary candidate. It explained the decision was taken following the withdrawal of  Iddi Ziblim and Osman Mahama from the constituency race. In Dormaa Constituency, the incumbent Member of Parliament and Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, will go unopposed following the decision of his sole contender, Dr Yao Yeboah to withdraw from the contest after the implementation of a successful roadmap. Primaries in the Kwadaso Constituency shall be held on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 following an amicable resolution of the issues regarding the constituency album, the party said “The Party wishes to use this occasion to commend all the aspiring candidates who graciously withdrew from the contest and respected the party's decision,” the statement said. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/npp-to-endorse-akufo-addo-on-june-27-to-face-off-mahama-in-dec-polls/

Coronavirus cases in Ghana have gone up to 12,929 after 339 new cases were announced Thursday by the Ghana Health Service. The new cases were recorded in 9 regions with the Greater Accra leading with 154 cases, followed by Western Region with 58 cases and Ashanti with 41 cases. Central Region recorded 38 of the new cases while Eastern Region had 15 cases, Volta Region with 13 cases and Bono East Region with nine cases. The Northern Region had nine cases and the Savannah recorded two cases. No additional deaths have been recorded in the latest update while the number of covid-19 patients in critical condition went up by 1 to bring the total to 14. Coronavirus casualties still stand at 66 Four of the critically ill people are currently on ventilators, Director of Public Health Dr Patrick Sarkodie announced. The number of recoveries, he said, increased from 4,410 to 4,468. Dr Badu Sarkodie said Ghana has so far conducted 261,319 covid-19 tests, pegging the positivity rate at of 4.95. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/covid-19-cases-in-ghana-rise-to-12929/

Actor-cum-politician John Dumelo says Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, will lose the December 2020 parliamentary election even if she constructs roads with gold. With the constituency parliamentary seat now a two-horse race between Lydia, who is the incumbent, and Dumelo, the actor says the MP does not stand a chance of annexing the seat. “Before I won the primaries, was she working like this? No, as soon as I won my primaries and started working, she is now working extra hard because she has seen that the seat is not for her and I want you to go and tell her that the seat is not for her,” Dumelo, who is running on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), declared on Showbiz 927 on 3FM with MzGee. “She has lost it already. If she can decide to do the roads again or even put gold on the roads, she will lose; that's the truth,” he added. Movie Producer Socrate Sarfo, a strong sympathizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was also on the show, took a jab at Dumelo, stating that the actor is only busy directing traffic while Lydia Alhassan was good for the job. “Did we vote for him to come and direct traffic? We don't need a traffic warden please; we need somebody who will go and make the laws for us and somebody who will also lobby for projects for their constituency and Lydia is already doing that; check the records, they are there from road to this Covid-19,” Socrate said. Mr Dumelo, who has been called names like slay king, traffic warden among others, admitted to knowing that politics is a dirty game and was ready for any challenge. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/ayawaso-west-wuogon-mp-will-lose-even-if-she-builds-gold-roads-dumelo/

After months of being stranded in the United States of America, the closure of Ghana's airport and borders, rapper Sarkodie has returned home. He returned to Ghana last night with his family – Tracy, and Titi. Some photos of the rapper and his family surfaced online after their arrival. Tracy also confirmed their arrival in a tweet: “Welcome to Ghana. @sarkodie and myself with Titi have arrived in Ghana. Thank God for traveling mercies” Their arrival has fuelled speculations that the rapper and his wife have welcomed a new child. In January, there were rumours that Sarkodie's wife had given birth to their second child. Reacting to the reports in a tweet, the ‘Adonai' hit maker responded “Not true big man,” with Tracy Sarkcess also adding “SMH… a slow news day I guess.” But photos of wife holding a baby has prompted questions with some people concluding that it could be a confirmation that they have indeed welcomed a new child. Sarkodie in April pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to temporarily open the country's borders for him to return home. The rapper beseeched the president to relax the close of Ghana's borders to enable Ghanaians who are currently stuck outside the country to return home. Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent confirmation of cases in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo ordered the closure of the country's borders. The directive was to help curb the importation of the virus into the country. The order, however, exempted cargo-carrying essential items or goods. “Mr president @NAkufoAddo you've done so well with how you handling this pandemic, we appreciate your effort ???????? But please can we open the boarders for at least a day or two in between time for citizens stuck outside to get back pls ????????,” the rapper said in his April tweet. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/photo-sarkodie-wife-arrive-in-ghana-with-new-baby/

The Ghana Immigration Service has announced a massive shake-up in its top senior ffficers in a move to reinforce its capacity to secure the borders against illegal entry and prevent the importation of the novel coronavirus into the country. The changes, which take immediate effect from June 18, has led to the rotation of six top Immigration Officers and 53 other Senior Officers at the National Headquarters (NHQ), Regional and Sector Commands. Head of Management Information Systems Department (MISD), Deputy Commissioner of Immigration (DCOI) Eric Afari,  now moves to head Bono Region as the Regional Commander. The Ashanti Regional Commander, Assistant Commission of Immigration (ACI) Michael Kwadade has been moved to the Operations Department at the national headquarters, and the Regional Commander of Upper West, ACI Peter Yao Nkrumah reassigned to the North East as the Regional Commander. Head of Human Resource Department, Assistant Commission of Immigration (ACI) Kojo Oppong Yeboah goes to head the Tema Region as the Regional Commander whiles the Tema Regional Commander, ACI Adwoa Sika Anim takes over as the Head of Human Resource Department with the Bono Regional Commander, ACI Charles Bediako, going to the Ashanti Region as the Regional Commander. The changes marks the Comptroller-General of Immigration's second major reshuffle since the year 2018 as it also seeks to strengthen its operations in enforcing laws relating to the immigration and employment of non-Ghanaians in the country. With the exception of Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI) William Andoh who hitherto was the Regional Commander for the North East and now the Upper West Regional Commander, the remaining nine Chief Superintendents of Immigration have been reassigned as Second-In-Command to some of the Regional Commands, Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of some Sector Commands and other entry points. Also, Twenty-two Superintendents of Immigration (SI) have been transferred to serve at the Districts Commands and minor entry points as well as permits and processing sections at national headquarters while seven of them have been reassigned to the Operations Departments the national headquarters. The ranks of other senior officers reshuffled include seven Deputy Superintendents of Immigration (DSI) and seven Assistant Superintendents of Immigration (ASI). By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/immigration-service-hit-by-massive-shake-up-59-top-and-senior-officers-reshuffled/

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) signed a contract with a consortium of consultants to conduct feasibility study on the Port of Keta. Led by a German firm M/s Sellhorn Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, the consortium is tasked to deliver a full feasibility study and master plan, including development and investment strategy for the Port. The first feasibility indicators are expected within seven months. Other members of the consortium are ProTeln Service GmbH, PSP Architekten, Ingenieure and a Ghanaian team from Yogarib Engineering Services Limited. Letter of Notice to Commence to the consultant to officially begin the feasibility on June 23, in accordance with the conditions of the contract. A statement issued by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority said port infrastructure development is an involving and time consuming activity that requires careful decisions backed by empirical facts and detailed port and public infrastructure planning considerations. The G.P.H.A said the realization of Keta Port is beginning with the Master Plan and Feasibility Studies' consulting services, scheduled to commence in June 2020. “Extensive multi-stakeholder engagement sessions are expected to be conducted during the feasibility study period, including market search, investment shows, etc”. The GPHA said baring any problems arising from the coronavirus, investment plan for the Port of Keta project will be completed. “It is anticipated that in the absence of any major delays attributable to the covid-pandemic, the studies will be completed by Feb. 2021 with investment strategy plan for the port's development,” it stated. At the virtual signing ceremony on June 9, the Director General of GPHA, Michael Luguje acknowledged the limitations imposed on all parties in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. He, however, admonished the team to take all necessary steps to employ their best professional abilities to deliver the terms of the contract since the Port of Keta is an important development agenda for the government and people of Ghana. Director of the Port of Keta, Dr. Alexander Yaw Adusei Jnr. thanked the Director General and management of GPHA for the committed investment in the project and success in appointing a consultant  to aid the commencement of the most critical part of the development of Port of Keta. Dr Adusei Jnr expressed the hope that the Volta Region will soon have a modern port and maritime logistics hub for Ghana and a strategic cargo route through the Volta Region and the Eastern Corridor for Ghana's northern neighbours. The interest in the Port of Keta, it said, was postponed until the early 2009 after the Keta Sea Defense Project along with the heightened interest in the development of marine facilities for the then-budding oil and gas exploration interests in Ghana. The idea was also highly sustained in 2011-2012 due to the commercial viability of the Fish Landing Site prospects, in Keta. It said over time, various port development interests have approached the GPHA to execute a “Keta Port” project. For an entirely fresh port and port-city infrastructure like the Keta project, it said “the commitment and time invested and achieved so far is very impressive with the hope that all other stages or preparatory works will be given such equal devotion to see to the realization of the Port of Keta. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/feasibility-study-on-keta-port-to-begin-tuesday/

A three-month-old baby has died of the novel coronavirus in the Northern Region, health authorities have announced. The infant was a week ago transferred from the Savelugu Hospital to the Tamale Teaching Hospital where he died of the virus. The baby was said to be having difficulty in breathing. Another covid-19 victim, a 24-year-old lady, who was also referred from Bolgatanga, in the Upper East region to the Tamale Teaching hospital also died an hour after her arrival at the health facility. The two latest casualties bring to three, the number of covid-19 deaths in the Northern Region which currently has 52 coronavirus cases. The first casualty of an 80-year-old woman was recorded in May. Officials from the Ghana Health Service in the northern region have since cautioned residents to strictly adhere to all safety protocols announced by the service. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/3-month-old-baby-one-other-die-of-covid-19-in-northern-region/

Road contractors say the government cannot achieve its ‘Year of Roads' project due to the obstinate attitude of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, in releasing funds for road projects across the country. Despite the President declaring the year 2020 as “Year of Roads”, the contractors say the Finance Minister has been adamant in releasing funds for such road infrastructure. At his last Media Encounter in December last year, Nana Akufo-Addo said his government would embark on an aggressive road development across Ghana in the year 2020, saying “Next year is the year we will adopt as the year of roads.” National chairman for the Road Contractors Mr. John Afful while speaking on Yensempa morning show on Onua FM Wednesday stressed that the government cannot accomplish the year of roads goal if adequate funds are not released. He asserted the government has hastily awarded innumerable road contracts with no budgetary allocation, which in his view, would compel most contractors to abandon projects due to lack of funds. Mr Afful was reacting to recent directives from Minister for Roads, Kwesi Amoako Attah to the Ghana Highway Authority to terminate and blacklist contractors who are delaying in executing their contracts. Admittedly, he said the government has the legal muscle to terminate contracts based on failure of the contractor to meet deadlines but not when the government is indebted to contractors. He emphasized government's ‘Year of Road' promises would not be realized if road contractors are not paid to remain at sites to work. He claimed banks are now refusing to issue loans to road contractors due to the failure to pay back in time. The contractor lamented the situation is having a toll on their businesses making it difficult to pay workers. “Contractors who have gone for loans to complete road projects are under severe and persistent pressure from banks,” he stated. Mr. Afful appealed to the government to establish a bank which would solely be assigned to support road contractors with loans to execute contracts even if the government is not able to pay in due time. By Maxwell Otoo|3news.com|Ghana

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/akufo-addo-cant-achieve-year-of-roads-promise-due-to-lack-of-funds-contractors/

A total of 97 health workers in the Ashanti Region have contracted the deadly novel coronavirus in line of duty, the Regional Health Directorate has revealed. One of them, a Medical Director of the Kwadaso SDA Hospital has died while 14 have since recovered. Health workers affected include 18 doctors and 47 nurses, as well as administrators and cleaners. Kumasi Metro, Obuasi and Oforikrom led with high cases of health workers who have contracted the virus that has so far infected over 12,000 people in the country and killed 66 of them. With only four ventilators for critically-ill patients, the regional Health Directorate says the trend could spark doom. “The bottom line in Ashanti region is that we need to adhere to the guidelines and protocols announced by the President, going round Kumasi you feel so disheartened because people don't want to wear the nose masks, we don't see the Veronica buckets anywhere; with this, we cannot fight COVID-19” the Regional health Director, Dr Tinkorang told journalists Wednesday. The two covid treatment centres in the Region are currently full to capacity, he revealed. Alternatives are being explored to augment the 18-bed centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the 20-bed centre at Kumasi South Hospital. “As at now we have a total of 38 beds at our treatment centres and they are all full. What we have decided to do is to expand the number of beds we have at our treatment centres at Kumasi South and Komfo Anokye,” Dr Tinkorang explained. Ashanti Region has a total of 2,362 coronavirus, making it the second highest in the country. Currently, only one person in the region is critically ill. Of the 66 people who have died of the virus nationwide, 38 of them are from the Ashanti Region. By Beatrice Spio Garbrah

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/97-health-workers-have-covid-19-in-ashanti/

Burundi's newly-elected president, Evariste Ndayishimiye is due to be sworn in on Thursday – two months earlier than planned. The fast-tracked ceremony comes after his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza died suddenly last week. Mr Ndayishimiye is a former rebel leader, like Mr Nkurunziza. He was backed by his predecessor and was declared the winner of May's presidential election, which the opposition said was rigged. Mr Nkurunziza died aged 55 on 8 June after suffering a cardiac arrest, the government said. There are unconfirmed reports that he was suffering from Covid-19. After 15 years in power, Mr Nkurunziza was due to step down in August. According to Burundi's constitution, if the head of state dies in office then the president of the national assembly, currently Pascal Nyabenda, should succeed him. But after a ruling by Burundi's Constitutional Court, Mr Ndayishimiye's inauguration in the capital, Gitega, was brought forward. The new president is taking over a country that is diplomatically isolated and on bad terms with donors. His predecessor was accused of presiding over a government that carried out grave human rights violations and a crackdown on the opposition, journalists and activists. The country is also dealing with the coronavirus, which was downplayed by his predecessor. Following the failed coup attempt in 2015, thousands of Burundians have fled the country and into refugee camps in neighbouring countries. Who is Evariste Ndayishimiye? The 52-year-old army general is regarded as a “humble” and “religious” man. He has been among the most influential generals since 2005, when his close friend and colleague in rebellion, Pierre Nkurunziza took power. Gen Ndayishimiye, commonly known as “Neva”, was a law student in the University of Burundi when the civil war erupted in 1993 following the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye. Like his predecessor Mr Nkurunziza, in 1995, Gen Ndayishimiye survived an attack on ethnic Hutu students at his campus in the then-capital Bujumbura. He then fled the country and joined the rebel force that was formed to fight the then Tutsi-led government. Gen Ndayishimiye worked closely with Mr Nkurunziza during the Arusha peace talks between the government and the FDD rebels. Following the 2003 peace accord that saw FDD rebels share the power with the government, Gen Ndayishimiye deputised for the then army chief of Burundi. In 2006 he was named minister of the interior, before becoming the president's military advisor and then secretary-general of the ruling party (CNDD-FDD). Gen Ndayishimiye, a father of six, is known as a practising Roman Catholic, and like his predecessor emphasises the role of God in politics. BBC

June 18, 2020

https://3news.com/burundi-to-swear-in-new-leader-after-death-of-president/

The Volta Regional Director of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Solomon Denyo, has assured government and all educational stakeholders in the Volta and Oti regions that his outfit will complete the disinfection of private and public schools before schools re-open on Monday. Zoomlion, he said, has accordingly engaged sub-contractors to help speed up the covid-19 disinfection of the schools. He said logistics deployment, mixing and application of chemicals have been executed in a professional manner by their officials, noting there have been great collaboration from all stakeholders. In all, he said they will be disinfecting about 107 senior high schools in the two regions against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). This, he said, would cover all facilities and open spaces in the schools. Wallace Academy SHS, a private SHS  in the Volta Region, was the first place disinfected by the Zoomlion disinfection gang. Proprietor of the school, Maxwell Wallace Afram, commended the Ministry of Education as well as GES and Zoomlion Ghana Limited for including private schools in the nationwide exercise. The outbreak of the coronavirus in Ghana, he said, has taken a severe toll on private schools. According to Mr Afram, his school did not collect school fees from parents before the abrupt end of academic work. As a result, he said payment of administrative expenses, workers' salaries and other expenditures have become a huge problem for the school. He added that his school has had to go for loan to pay for those expenses. Some schools, according to him, were not paying their teachers' salaries while others were doing part-payment of salaries. “Regrettably, some teachers have lost their jobs as a result of the closure of schools occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mr Afram lamented. The Holy Spirit College of Education was also disinfected by the team. Principal of the College, Mr Gabreal Freeborn Koku Wortodzor, told journalists that they would print coronavirus safety protocols and paste them on the entrance of the school and at vantage points to serve as constant reminders to both the students and teachers. Veronica buckets, according to him, would also be placed at various points in the school to encourage regular hand washing while every student would be given an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Students and teachers who do not wear nose masks would not be allowed in the school, he warned. According to Mr Wortodzo, a shift system would be run for the final-year students numbering about 120, adding that their tables and chairs would be arranged two metres apart in line with observing the social distancing protocol. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/well-complete-disinfection-of-schools-before-resumption-date-zoomlion-assures/

More than 3,000 structures within military installations in the Ashanti Region have been disinfected against the deadly novel coronavirus. The exercise started from the Military Central Command headquarters at Sofoline through the Old Baracks at Bantama to the 4 Infantry Battalion, also at the Sofoline area in Kumasi. From Tuesday to Wednesday, various facilities within the military installations including bungalows for personnel, quarters for sergeants and warrant officers, officers mess, churches and mosques, schools, shops and clinics were all disinfected with the WHO-approved chemical. Some personnel who spoke to 3news.com expressed delight in the exercise conducted by the leading waste management experts in the country, Zoomlion Ghana Limited. For them, the exercise has come at the right time considering that coronavirus cases keep rising in the country with the Ashanti Region having the second highest number of cases and deaths. Zoomlion has since the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic been at the forefront of the fight through the disinfestation and disinfection of various public places including market centres, schools, churches and mosques among others. The government through the Defence Ministry contracted Zoomlion to use its expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to disinfect all military installations across the country against covid-19 which has now claimed 66 lives in Ghana. The disinfection exercise which was launched last week Monday has so far been conducted in the Northern Region, Bono Region, Greater Accra Region and the Western Regions. General Manager for Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the Ashanti Region, Philip Yeboah Asante advised that the facilities were disinfected again after three months in line with the WHO protocol. “Normally the practice is that every quarter you need to disinfect, so after three months, we think we should be given the nod to come and disinfect the place again,” he suggested. He underscored the need for the military personnel and officers to continue to adhere to the covid-19 safety protocols despite the disinfection exercise. Ghana's covid-19 situation Ghana on Wednesday recorded its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus deaths and new infections, two weeks after government eased the country's covid-19 restrictions. Eight more deaths have been announced Wednesday to bring the total casualties to 66 from the previous 58 cases, while additional 397 new cases have also been confirmed, all within the last 24 hours. The country's case count now stands at 12,590 with a significant jump in the number of active cases which is now 8,114. The number of recoveries has also gone up marginally from the previous 4,326 to 4,410; an increase of 88. New figures released by the Ghana Health Service Wednesday afternoon showed six of the new deaths were reported in the Ashanti region which has the second highest number of covid-19 cases in the country while the remaining two were from the Greater Accra Region. Aged between 33 and 69 years, all but two of the deceased had underlying health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/over-3000-military-structures-disinfected-in-ashanti-region/

Ghana has recorded its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus deaths and new infections two weeks after government eased the country's covid-19 restrictions. Eight more deaths have been announced Wednesday to bring the total casualties to 66 from the previous 58 cases, while additional 397 new cases have also been confirmed, all within the last 24 hours. The country's case count now stands at 12,590 with a significant jump in the number of active cases which is now 8,114. The number of recoveries has also gone up marginally from the previous 4,326 to 4,410; an increase of 88. New figures released by the Ghana Health Service Wednesday afternoon showed six of the new deaths were reported in the Ashanti region which has the second highest number of covid-19 cases in the country while the remaining two were from the Greater Accra Region. Aged between 33 and 69 years, all but two of the deceased had underlying health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell. The number of covid-19 patients in severe condition however remains at 13 with only four of them requiring critical care. Greater Accra Region, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases, recorded a chunk of the new cases. The cases in the region shot up by 249 new cases to bring the region's count from the 7,170 as of Tuesday, to 7,419. Ashanti added 87 new cases to the previous 2,275 to bring the figure to 2,362. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/major-leap-in-coronavirus-deaths-in-ghana-as-397-new-cases-are-recorded-in-24-hrs/

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it has paid a total of 598, 940, 611.70 to NHIS service providers as claims payments from the beginning of this year to date. The amount, it said, includes withholding taxes. It said in a statement Wednesday that the first amount of 92 million cedis after which additional 300,000,000 was released by government for payment to the health service providers. “Additional funds have since been received from government which now totals GHC598, 940, 611.70 paid to NHIS service providers as Claims payments and includes withholding taxes due to them,” it said. Giving a breakdown of the payment which started from January I to June 16, the NHIA said public health facilities received 315,673,613.56 cedis representing 52.8% of the payments while the private service providers were paid 171,959,798.56 cedis pegged at 28.8%. Mission health facilities (CHAG) also received 100,447,987.95 representing 16.8% , with Quasi-Government service providers receiving 10,030,051.21 representing 1.7% of the total payments made so far. The statement said the NHIA is committed “to further reduce any outstanding claims to ensure that the Scheme's members continue to receive quality healthcare” It said that historically, the NHIA pays an average of 85 million cedis monthly as claims bills to service providers, stating the latest prompt payments indicates that a little over 100 million cedis is being paid to cover every month. The NHIS, the Authority said has been a major instrument for financing healthcare delivery in the country and the financial mainstay of over 4, 600 credentialed healthcare service providers “accounting for more than 85% of funds that flow into healthcare facilities to treat NHIS members”. “The NHIS continues to provide financial access to healthcare for many people who otherwise could not afford the cost of their healthcare,” it said. The NHIA said it is determined to reduce any outstanding claims due service providers to ensure that adequate resources are available to all healthcare facilities, particularly in this covid-19 era. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/over-%c2%a2598-million-paid-to-nhis-service-providers-as-claims/

The first novel coronavirus case has been reported at the Kumasi Central Prison in the Ashanti Region. An inmate who was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after he fell sick two weeks ago tested positive for the virus. While on admission at the hospital, he was said to have started showing signs of the virus, causing health officials to test him for covid-19. Further details on the condition of the inmate and how the person contracted the virus have not been given yet. A highly-placed source within the Prison who confirmed the case to 3news.com said the officers who escorted the inmate to the hospital have however tested negative. Already there are fears a lot more inmates within the facility may have contracted the virus considering the congestion at the Prison. Officials of the facility are yet to speak on the matter, stating they want to seek clearance from higher authority before making any official statement. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/kumasi-central-prison-records-first-covid-19-case/

Deputy Health Minister Benard Okoe Boye has tested negative for the deadly novel coronavirus. The medical practitioner-cum-politician who was rumoured to have contracted the virus from Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu revealed on TV3 New Day Wednesday that results of his covid-19 test came out negative on Tuesday. Dr Okoe Boye recently ‘disappeared' from the public sphere raising questions about his whereabouts with some people including security analyst Adam Bonaa, asking whether he was receiving covid-19 treatment. Responding to it Wednesday, Dr Okoe Boye, said everyone at the Ministry was tested for the virus after Mr Agyeman-Manu was confirmed to have contracted the virus, which has infected more than 12,000 people in the country. “I got tested; all of us got tested and yesterday [Tuesday] I was informed that my results came out negative,” he told Johnny Hughes on the newspaper segment of the morning magazine show. The somewhat relieved MP for Ledzokuku Constituency said although contracting the virus is not a death warrant, he suggested it would not have been a good news if he had tested positive for the virus. “If I had come out positive, forgive me, maybe I wouldn't have been…not excited because the message must go strongly to the people that anybody can get the virus and what is even more important is that the virus can be defeated,” he stated. He said though the virus has can be defeated, that should not be a justification for people to be reckless but be cautious. Dr Oko Boye said some of his relatives wish he would suspend medical consultation at hospital facilities due to the outbreak of the virus in the country which continue to surge by the day. That, he said, was not an option for him because as a physician he is like a soldier who keep fighting till death. “…some of my relatives wish I wouldn't go near hospitals but when you opt to become a physician, you're like a soldier who enlist in the army, you know that no matter your preparation, death or fatality can happen, and with that attitude, the way I react to disease if confirmed or suspected might be different from others,” he indicated. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/im-covid-19-negative-dr-okoe-boye-reveals/

A special disinfection tunnel has been set up to protect Russia's President Vladimir Putin from the virus. A special disinfection tunnel has been set up to protect Russia's President Vladimir Putin from the virus. Anyone visiting his official Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, where he receives visitors, has to pass through this tunnel, said state-controlled RIA news agency. The agency described the disinfectant as a fine cloud of liquid that covers people's clothes and any exposed upper body flesh. It comes after Putin's spokesman, Dmistry Peskov, earlier in April said that anyone meeting Putin in person was tested for the virus. Peskov revealed that he himself had been infected a month later, reported Reuters. Russia has reported more than 500,000 infections, the third highest number of cases in the world after Brazil and the United States, which it says is down to its mass testing programme. BBC

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/disinfection-tunnel-set-up-to-protect-putin/

POS Foundation, facilitators of the Justice For All programme and lead organization in the advocacy for the community service law, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to extend amnesty to petty offenders and nonviolent drug users. The foundation believes this will help in decongesting the country's prisons in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the foundation, a review of the amnesty criteria under PNDC law 236 will assist in decongesting the prisons in this era of COVID-19 pandemic. Presenting some PPE to the Tamale Central Prisons, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu mentioned that non-custodian sentence of petty offenders, will serve as alternative to incarceration. He added that government should as a matter of urgency get legislative and constitutional instruments for parole and probation. “President Akufo-Addo and his government should grant pardon under Article 72 by reviewing the amnesty criteria and proposing convicted nonviolent drug users, not traffickers, who are serving below 10 years” he requested. He applauded  government for the swift response to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but however stated the executive instrument on the compulsory wearing of nose masks should not add up to the woes of the prisons. He commended the Ghana Prison Service for the precautionary security protocols and contingency plan put in place by the service to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19. Handwashing machines, Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, vitamin C, temperature guns and other PPE were presented to the service. A cheque for 1,500 cedis was also presented to transport some of the PPE to the Salaga and Yendi prisons. The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prison Service in Tamale ASP Nfum Amoako on behalf of the service, expressed gratitude to POS Foundation and its partners for the gesture He revealed the Tamale Central Prisons recorded a case of Covid-19 but said the officer is in good condition. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/group-advocates-amnesty-for-convicted-non-violent-drug-users/

A judge who was said to have died of a heart attack while overseeing a corruption trial involving the president's chief of staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo actually died of stab wounds to the head, the justice minister has revealed.

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/dr-congo-judge-died-by-being-stabbed-in-the-head/

A judge who was said to have died of a heart attack while overseeing a corruption trial involving the president's chief of staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo actually died of stab wounds to the head, the justice minister has revealed. Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende said a murder investigation had now been launched. In May, police said Judge Raphael Yanyi had died of a heart attack. He had been presiding over the trial for corruption of Vital Kamerhe. But an autopsy has since shown “he died a violent death, due to the blows of sharp points or knife-like objects, which were thrust into his head”, Justice Minister Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende told Reuters news agency on Tuesday. Yanyi's body also showed signs of “toxic substances in non-lethal doses”, the justice ministry said. Mr Kamerhe, once a key member of President Felix Tshisekedi's government, is accused of embezzling more than $50m (£39m) of public funds. He denies all accusations of wrongdoing. His supporters believe the trial is politically motivated – aimed at stopping him from running for president in the future. Mr Kamerhe is the most high-profile politician to have faced such charges in the country. The trial continued with a replacement judge after Yanyi's death. BBC

June 17, 2020

https://3news.com/dr-congo-judge-died-by-being-stabbed-in-the-head-2/

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Attah has asked the Ghana Highway Authority to terminate and blacklist contractors who are delaying in executing their contracts. He explained he has the moral right to take such actions against lazy contractors. The Minister who was in the Savannah region to inspect ongoing road projects said, he was unhappy the way some contractors were unnecessarily delaying the execution of their contracts. He explained the ministry will not entertain such lazy attitude from contractors anymore. He charged the Chief Director of the Ghana Highways Authority not to hesitate in terminating all delaying contracts. “We mean business with our roads and any contractor who is lazy and unwilling to execute his contract should be terminated and blacklisted” he directed. He added:”Delete them and if they don't understand, they should contact me. I have the moral right to sack them” The minister also blamed engineers of Ghana Highways Authority for sleeping on their job. He explained that roads constitute the pivot around which the development of the country revolves hence the need to put more seriousness in the sector. Mr. Amoako Attah said the Akuffo Addo led government is serious and in hurry to deliver roads to the people. Meanwhile, two new bridges in Yapei and Buipe expected to cost 68 million dollars has been awarded on contract. Mr. Amoako Attah revealed work on the bridges will begin simultaneously in two weeks. He later inspected work on the 53 kilometers Busunu – Daboya road, Daboya – Mankarigu road and other road projects in the region By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana.

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/terminate-and-blacklist-lazy-road-contractors-road-minister-directs/

More than 200 boxes of government subsidised farm inputs including spraying machines and weedicides, which were being smuggled into neighbouring Togo, have been intercepted. An intelligence-based operation by the Ghana Immigration Service led to the seizure of the inputs at the Saboba border. The driver of the vehicle carting the goods and his mate were arrested at a riverbank where they were offloading the goods. They have since been handed over to the police in the area for investigations. Last year, the Agric Ministry banned the Saboba District from selling fertilizer due to an increase in smuggling cases in the area. But seven dealers in the were this year cleared to supply fertilizer for use by farmers Meanwhile efforts to get the Immigration spokesperson in the Northern Region to give further details on the matter have proved futile. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/2-arrested-over-alleged-attempt-to-smuggle-govt-subsidised-farm-inputs/

A former presidential candidate of the Convention People Party (CPP), Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, has observed the ‘winner-takes-all' politics is thwarting the country's development and democracy. A chunk of the population, he said, feel neglected from the day-to-day administration of the country, a situation he explained, prevents them from contributing their ideas to the socio-economic development of the country. He told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM 92.7 on Tuesday that the constitution will have to be amended to enable more Ghanaians have a full share in the direct governance of the country. This, he said, will eliminate bitterness, acrimony that comes along with losing an election. “When we look at our constitution and the way we have been managing, the first and the foremost thing that [disturbs] the collective efforts and everybody putting their energies together is if one group of people feels everything belongs to them and the other people get nothing or don't get what they want. “This comes from the winner takes all aspect of the constitution,” Dr Sakara said. He suggested: “Let us have a referendum and change that 50 % plus one and have a majority systems with the opportunity to form coalition government. When you do it that way the power base will broaden at the bottom.” By Laud Ayensu|3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/winner-takes-all-not-helping-ghanas-democracy-development-abu-sakara/

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Lydia Dsane-Selby, has tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Dr Dsane-Selby tested positive for the disease on Sunday, June 14, 2020. Speaking in a radio interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio on Tuesday, Dr Dsane-Selby said she tested positive for the disease after experiencing tiredness, body pains and headaches. She said she contacted a colleague at the Noguchi Medical Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR)and “a team came to the house and tested and I tested positive.” “I live with my mother. Luckily, she tested negative and so did the house help. So I immediately self-quarantined,” she told the radio station in the interview. “I'm fine. It feels like a bad bout of malaria. I just felt tired, quite a lot of body pains, muscle ache, headaches at the beginning but not anymore,” she said. Dr Dsane-Selby said she has contacted all those she came into contact with over the last few days “and they've been for testing, and as far as I'm aware, they're negative.” Source GraphicOnline

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/nhia-boss-dr-dsane-selby-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/

With just three days for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries in some constituencies, aspirants are jostling each other for the attention of the delegates and making a case for their candidature. The situation is not any different in the Manhyia North Constituency where the incumbent, Mr Collins Owusu Amankwah, better known as Sir Randy, is facing a stiff competition from one Akwasi Konadu. Unlike the last primaries which were fraught with lots of acrimonies and legal tussle, this year's seems to be devoid of that save for few accusations of intimidation here and there. Competition However, the incumbent says he is unperturbed by any opposition or challenge as his works in the constituency is enough testimony to retain him in parliament. He said he is not leaving anything to chance and going all out to ensure a resounding victory on Saturday, June 20, 2020. Projects Mr Amankwah said he has been instrumental in the provision of street lights to most communities within the constituency, also helped the completion of the Buokrom police station and bought two motor bikes for the police to improve on the security in the constituency . Besides that, he said, he has helped in unearthing football talents in the communities through the annual inter communities gala competitions. “Through these inter communities competitions, two footballers have secured contracts outside the country and are currently playing professional football overseas,” he said. Education In the educational sector, he said, he has supplied more than 1,000 mono and dual desks to schools within the constituency, laptops and computers to some selected schools and also awarded scholarships to 735 needy students within the constituency. As part of his efforts to improve on the educational performance of the students, he said he “also organised mock BECE exams for both public and private schools in Manhyia North to prepare them for the real exams.” Aside these, he said some school children also benefited from the supply of exercise and notebooks and pens. According to him, most of his focus has been on education because “I believe that education is the best legacy one can bequeath to the youth and if you educate, you empower them enough to become self-reliant in the future.” Call Mr Amankwah called on the delegates to reward hard work and to vote for him at the primaries come this Saturday. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/manhyia-north-mp-sure-of-winning-npp-ticket-to-retain-seat-in-2020-polls/

The Ghana Football Association has named its Executive Council member, Madam Habiba Attah and Lawyer Naa Odofoley Nortey to head a special team to come up with a policy document on women football in the country. This is part of the GFA's efforts to put in place a detailed plan to change the narrative on women's football by making it attractive to the corporate world and to draw eyeballs to the brand. They have two weeks to come up with a draft that will be considered and approved by the Executive Council. Communications Head at the FA, Henry Asante Twum told TV3 Sports the decision was taken by the executive council with the view to shaping and rebranding the face of women's football in the country. ‘'If you are selling a product, before you take it to the market, it has to be well packaged; if it is not package people will not patronize it. Now we produce the social product that is consume by the masses, and research and the feedback we have received is that women's football is lacking that structurally support and they need a push,” he explained. It is on the back of that he said the council took the decision work towards bringing it up and give it the needed attention, publicity, marketing and investments. Mr Asante Twum said there is the need to package women football “to make the product to look good and that is the reason why the executive council has taken that decision to appoint Madam Habiba Atta and Lawyer Naa Odorfoley Nortey to lead that course”. “I can put it on record that the Women's League until the suspension of the season was doing very well, the live streaming of our games, the introduction of the game centres, the fact that various clubs were doing well on social media … clearly a lot of thinking went into it to bring the women's premier league and women's football a notch higher. “And now that the league is also on suspension, the executive council thinks this is the right time for us to focus on our national teams,” he added. The Communications head noted that the executive council of the FA is looking at the problems be devilling women's football in Ghana. to be able to repackage it well. He observed that “even the way they dress there is an issues; the feminine touch is very important, their outfit is important, education, how to talk to them, physiologically that myth needs to be broken'' Mr Asante Twum By Nana Akua Amankwaa|3news.com|Ghana Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars?

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/gfa-sets-up-team-to-rebrand-womens-football-in-ghana/

Zambian football sensation, Patson Daka, is thrilling his way through prominence. It is fair to say he is loving every bit of what has so far been a high-flying career. I first interviewed Daka in 2017. Three years on, he has built on what football heads say is a brilliant show of talent that is infectious when on display. Last weekend, when I hosted him on #InConversationWith, he spoke about the steady rise, and how he has become a major boardroom item at top clubs. Young and brilliant but of very few words, the modesty he oozes is evident, the kind of control needed for a career whose cruise is soaring match after the other. Daka is making all the headlines. In recent times, he has been compared to his former teammate at Redbull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund star Haaland. He is not entirely surprised about. “It's not a matter of fitting into his shoes. I have always been there. I believe it was just a matter of time. Things happen differently for everybody,” he says. He adds that “I knew my time will come and now that things are happening for me, it is now all about how to handle it. It's all in my hands. I don't have to fit in but continue walking in my own shoes.” A talked-about career means pressure to stay relevant but Daka says, all of that provides motivation, the kind needed at the rate he is going. The 21-year-old has been in prolific form this season, scoring 23 goals from 25 games in Austria's Bundesliga – a tally which includes three hat-tricks. “There is always pressure but how you handle it. defines you. For me, I take pressure as a motivation. Growing up, I have always had pressure. “Every club that I played for, I had pressure but I don't let it define me. I look at how best it is going to work for me. “I can only be better than my last game. If you put your mind on negativity you can't expect positive results.” Daka's career is under constant scrutiny from possible suitors hence a sought-for material in Europe. He is fully aware of the tussle for his signature. The lures are tempting but he is willing to soak in the moment. “I'm not really sure how long I will be here. I have a running contract until 2024. For now, my focus is on what I can achieve today. This, is what is going to market me. I leave all transfer speculation to my agent.” As Daka works his way up the ladder of professional football, there is every reason to be excited about what he has achieved so far. A proud Chipolopolo, he is hopeful that someday, he will be part of a glorious Zambian national team that will make it to the World Cup, for the very first time. Until that happens, he continues to bloom one sensation after the other. By Juliet Bawuah|3news.com|Ghana Should Chris Hughton be sacked following performance of Ghana Black Stars?

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/zambian-prodigy-daka-thrills-way-to-prominence/

Ghana's coronavirus case count has shot up by 229 new cases bringing the national tally to 12,193, health officials announced Tuesday. Four more persons, three men and a woman, have died of the virus , taking the coronavirus death toll to 58. Of the current 7,813 active cases, 13 of them have been classified as severe while four of them are in critical condition and on ventilators With 255,971 tests done since March, officials have put the positivity rate  4.76 per cent. Recoveries moved up slightly from the previous 4,258 to 4,326. Giving update on the virus Tuesday morning in Accra, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye said the new cases were recorded in 9 regions with the Ashanti leading with 70 cases. Central region followed with additional 42 cases and Savannah region with 34 cases. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/ghanas-covid-19-cases-surpass-12000-with-229-new-cases-4-more-deaths/

Thirty-five per cent of Ghanaians on the existing voters' register say they will not risk their lives to re-register in the upcoming biometric voter registration exercise being done for a new register for the 2020 general elections. They have cited the fear of contracting the deadly novel coronavirus, which has infected close to 12,000 people and claimed 54 lives in the country, as the basis, a survey by the Chamber for Local Governance Despite the surge in the virus, the EC has vowed to go ahead with the compilation of a new register to replace the existing one, which it claims, is not fit for the conduct of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in December. The registration exercise initially scheduled for April 18 was postponed indefinitely but has now been fixed for June 30, 2020 following the easing of covid-19 restrictions by President Nana Akufo-Addo. The EC has assured adequate protection and protocols will be put in place at the various centres to safeguard voters. But the survey conducted between March 23 and May 30, 2020 showed some of the existing voters are not convinced of their safety at the registration centres. “Ten per cent of the current voter population indicated strongly that they are having a second thought and hence have not yet decided whether they would go to the polling stations to reregister or not,” findings from survey showed. “Their reasons were mainly based on the fact that the covid-19 cases in Ghana keeps rising by the day and they will only have a change of mind and consider registering if there is a clear indication that the covid-19 infections are coming down as at the time the EC announces the date for the exercise,” it added. For seven per cent of the current voter population, they would re-register after they have assessed the public health and safety mechanism put in place by the EC at the respective polling stations and convinced beyond reasonable doubts that they would be safe and free from the contracting the virus. However, nearly half of the current voter population (48 per cent) is ready and willing to go out to re-register if the EC is to go ahead with the biometric voters' register. According to the Chamber, a total of 4,800 people on the current register across the 16 regions of Ghana were interviewed. It said 300 respondents were randomly selected from each of the regions and data collected was analyzed using SPSS method. “A sample of the size yields country level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at 95 confidence level,” it said. By 3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/survey-shows-35-of-ghanaians-on-current-electoral-roll-wont-register/

Ghana's healthcare system is being overwhelmed as cases of the deadly novel coronavirus continue to surge, OccupyGhana has claimed. Official figures put the current covid-19 count at 11,964 with 4,258 recoveries and 7,652 active cases with 54 deaths. Isolation and treatment centres, according to the pressure group, are having spillover of coronavirus cases forcing health authorities to use emergency and other wards as backup for covid-19 cases. “Our holding and treatment facilities are running out of space,” the group claimed in a statement Monday, indicating that there are also not have enough critical care beds for persons who contract the virus. It added that “Hospitals are getting overwhelmed with spill overs of designated areas for suspected and confirmed cases into emergency rooms and wards otherwise not assigned”. The current situation, the group said, has caused the health officials to adopt what it termed a “desperate attempt” to create space by reducing the admission days of covid-19 patients. “[There] is a desperate attempt to shorten hospital stay and increase availability of bed space by discharging patients before the post-treatment test results. “The unfortunate occurrence, which has led to some being discharged with their repeat tests coming back positive after their discharge. This is disheartening and should not be allowed as we seek to fight this pandemic with professionalism and integrity” the pressure group stated. It also raised concerns about the lax in contact tracing and lack of adequate personal protective gear for frontline health workers, causing several workers to contract the virus. “Contact tracing is not being done at the levels needed anymore. The government must answer allegations that because contact tracers were paid GHS70 instead of the promised GHS150 per day, they have walked out. The result is that there isn't much contact tracing going on at the moment,” it said. Read full the full statement below DEAR GHANA, HAVE WE DECIDED TO LIVE WITH THE VIRUS? The outbreak of COVID-19 surprised many leaders around the world. Several had to institute lockdowns in major parts of their countries to stem the spread of the virus. However, this led to massive economic downturns in their countries. To deal with this reality, several leaders have opened their countries up again and are countenancing an express or implied policy of ‘Living with the Virus.' THE HEALTH REALITY IN GHANA We acknowledge the initial successes that the government has had with containing the spread of COVID-19 within Ghana, which has even attracted the favourable attention of some international commentators. However, we should not be lulled into a false sense of security. Ambulances are not showing up when people call 112. Tests are delayed on account of suspected depletion in reagents, short staffing etc. There's a complete lack of candour from officialdom on infections. A good case in point is the real possibility that there is an outbreak of COVID-19 among parliamentarians and yet that fact is being hidden and all we get are conflicting statements and behaviour that is not in line with how to deal with this disease. The case count is growing steadily by the day – about 200 to 300 new cases per day. At the last count, we had 7652 confirmed active cases even though that number could be higher (the total number of confirmed cases is 11,964.) There is cause to suspect that the death numbers are being massaged. The reported 54 deaths so far cannot be right. For instance, even though 38 deaths have been reported from the Ashanti Region alone, less than 20 of those deaths are included in the national count! If the public suspects under reporting etc, there will be a loss of trust in the reporting system and that will have consequences that will influence public behavioural responses. Several healthcare workers have been infected and some have died, sadly. This points to the sad fact that our doctors and nurses and frontline health workers do not have adequate PPE. Our holding and treatment facilities are running out of space and just a few days ago, the Special Advisor on Health at the Presidency lamented the fact that we do not have enough critical care staff. We also do not have enough critical care beds. Hospitals are getting overwhelmed with spill overs of designated areas for suspected and confirmed cases into emergency rooms and wards otherwise not assigned. The result of this, with delays in getting test results, is a desperate attempt to shorten hospital stay and increase availability of bed space by discharging patients before the post-treatment test results. The unfortunate occurrence, which has led to some being discharged with their repeat tests coming back positive after their discharge. This is disheartening and should not be allowed as we seek to fight this pandemic with professionalism and integrity. Contact tracing is not being done at the levels needed anymore. The government must answer allegations that because contact tracers were paid GHS70 instead of the promised GHS150 per day, they have walked out. The result is that there isn't much contact tracing going on at the moment. And yet we, Ghanaians, are not doing the things that have been shown to reduce the spread of the disease – no physical or social distancing and an unwillingness to wear face masks. Even elected and other high-ranking government officials are guilty of this. The country's success in suppressing the spread of this disease was due in part to the early and aggressive lockdown strategy, minimising the opportunity for transmission of the disease in strategic areas. If the lockdown is not economically feasible, should we not be pursuing other measures that reduce transmission and do not affect the economy as much? REOPENING PUBLIC SCHOOLS Following that line of thought, is it a wise decision to reopen schools even if it is just for Forms 2 and 3 SHS, Form 3 JHS and final-year students in our tertiary institutions? We acknowledge that to ensure social distancing, the President directed that JHS 3 classes are to comprise of a maximum of 30 students and SHS classes a maximum of 25 students. Prior to the students arriving, the schools are supposed to be fumigated and disinfected. Once the students arrive, each student, teacher and non-teaching staff are to be provided with re-usable face masks by the Ministry of Education. Yet we worry about the wisdom and safety of this measure, looking at how fast the disease is spreading now. The belief that the virus does not affect children is false. Children and teenagers do get the disease and then spread it to adults who are more vulnerable. Also, the virus induces an inflammatory condition in children and teenagers that can be deadly. Looking at the behaviour of the general Ghanaian population, how sure are we that the JHS and SHS students are going to wear their masks and social-distance not only in the classrooms but also when they leave the classrooms and in the dormitories? How good is personal hygiene going to be at a time when it is of utmost importance? For instance, are all schools going to be assured of the running water needed for the basic hand-washing protocol? If we are not careful, these schools could turn into hotspots for disease transmission and the students could become super-spreaders. Of course, students have been impacted by lockdown. Their learning has been affected, even where there are robust online and at-home lessons underway. But at this point in the school year, is it really worth the risk of reopening schools? If the whole aim is for them to finish their exams, can we put resources into getting students to take these exams online? How about students being given time-bound extended essays and/or open book examinations to write at home? How about combining all of those with continuous assessment grades to arrive at a final exam score for all such students? We are asking these questions because we do not think that the need to get the students to be physically present for exams is worth the risk of having the disease break out in our schools. We are not convinced that if students get sick in schools, there are adequate resources to test and treat them. CONCLUDING COMMENTS If the government has decided to pursue a policy of ‘living with the virus,' then the healthcare system and the population should be prepped for this. Let's just remember that Sweden tried the method and has one the highest levels of deaths per million in the world. We acknowledge the renewed emphasis on enforcing social distancing and the wearing of masks. This should be across the board and must include all government officials. They have to lead by example. Large social gatherings should be continued to be banned. We should re-dedicate resources into testing and contact tracing. Recent studies have shown that not all patients who get severely ill need ventilators. We should invest in cheaper non-invasive oxygen therapy solutions. Also, the use of convalescent plasma has been shown to reduce mortality. The Ministry of Health should start an aggressive push to harvest and store plasma from recovered patients. At the start of this outbreak, Ghana showed the world that we could do a lot with the little we had. This took resolve and great leadership. We should not lose that now when the stakes may be much higher. For God and Country OccupyGhana® By 3news.com|Ghana

June 16, 2020

https://3news.com/cured-covid-19-patients-testing-positive-again-occupyghana-reveals/