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Residents of Brukum Trawa, a rural community near Sekesua in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region, have threatened to boycott the 2024 general election due to a lack of social amenities. The community members shared their grievances with the Ghana News Agency during an interview, stating that they had been deprived of essential services. Nene George Sangmortey, the Chief of Brukum Trawa, expressed frustration over the years of neglect by the state in terms of community roads, electricity, and telecommunications networks, which were negatively impacting their lives and farming businesses. He said vehicles were unable to transport farm produce, forcing the residents to find alternative but difficult methods to move their produce to the market centres. 'We feel we're not a part of Ghana, as we have been neglected by successive governments,' Nene Sangmortey said. 'Vehicles are unable to ply the road to transport farm produce; when we harvest them, we will have to do everything possible to ma ke the stuck vehicle move, a situation that is destroying our livelihoods.' Despite nearby villages being connected to the national power grid and having access to telecommunications, the residents of Brukum Trawa had not experienced any such improvements, the Chief said. Ms Sarah Awatey, a resident, said the poor road conditions had persisted for years without any signs of improvement, and though residents had attempted to organise communal labour to fix the road, erosion during rainy seasons continued to erode their gains. She said the community had reached out to the District Assembly for assistance, but to no avail. 'We have been organising ourselves to construct the road through communal labour, but during rainy seasons, erosion has been affecting the road, and we have called on the district assembly to help us, but to no avail,' she said. Pregnant women had had their share of complications when being transported to seek antenatal care, Ms Awatey said, citing instances where some in labour gave birt h on the road while being conveyed on motorcycles. Ms Dora Awatey, a trader, said the lack of electricity had led to increased snake bites, forcing people to leave their homes. 'Due to the absence of telecom reception, it is difficult for companies to contact their customers here,' she said. 'And market women who also have to travel from Kumasi, Accra, and other regions to buy farm produce from us will wait for our calls before proceeding and so the network has become a bane to our business.' Mr John Tetteh, another resident, said they would not support any political party in the upcoming elections if their issues remained unresolved. 'We have informed the chief that we will not attend meetings if political figures invite us,' he said. 'Since we are in an election year, they should provide us with electricity, rehabilitate our road to aid transportation of our farm produce, and fix telecommunications networks, otherwise we will not entertain any campaign here.' Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) has launched the 2023 Tourism Report in Accra. The report, which is mostly based on primary data collection is a valuable resource to help stakeholders better appreciate the contribution of tourism to society and how to identify opportunities for growth. The 2023 tourism report titled, 'Strong Recovery' offers data and perspective for all stakeholders, academia, and research institutions with data for teaching and learning. It also serves as a good reference and resource point not only for the tourism industry but for the country to help in policy formulation. In a presentation at the launch, Mr Spencer Doku, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, GTA, indicated that domestic tourism had increased by 48.9 per cent, reaching 1.4 million in 2023, adding that the number of licensed formal facilities had also risen by 7.63 per cent. He said the introduction of 'See Ghana, Feel Ghana, and Wear Ghana' campaign had also promoted domestic tourism. According to him, in 2023, arrivals reached 1,148,002, 25 per cent, an increase over the previous years, indicating strong recovery. Mr Doku added that 'following the renovation and the eventual reopening of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, it has become the premier tourist destination,' saying the transformation of the park had resulted in in huge gain. 'The total visitation for the period was 208,577, representing 15 per cent of national total domestic arrivals,' he added. He said in 2023, domestic arrivals exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels by 110 per cent, indicating a strong recovery, 83 per cent of residents, totalling 1,161,474 dominated the visits while non-residents accounted for 17 per cent. Mr Akwasi Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GTA , while launching the report stated that 'as we reflect on the findings of the 2023 Tourism Report, we are reminded of the resilience and tenacity demonstrated by our industry in the face of unprecedented global challenges.' 'Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana's tourism sector has shown remarkable adaptability, emerging stronger and more resilient than ever before.' According to him, from rigorous health and safety protocols to the promotion of domestic tourism, his outfit had remained steadfast in its commitment to fostering a sustainable and inclusive tourism ecosystem. Mr Agyemang said there was the need to build upon the momentum generated by the findings of the report, adding that 'by harnessing the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we could unlock the full potential of Ghana's tourism sector and position the nation as a premier destination on the global stage.' He therefore urged Ghanaians to rededicate themselves to the noble cause of promoting and preserving Ghana's rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, saying 'together, we can ensure that the legacy we leave for future generations is one of prosperity, sustainability, and inclusivity.' Source: Ghana News Agency

Recently, the Kashengeneck School, which was built by the Kambov Mining of CNMC, was officially handed over to the local government. The Kashengenek School is located in the village of Kashengenek, Kambowe Township, Likasi City, Upper Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project was launched in October 2023. Together with the construction party and the supervision party, Kambov Mining has attached great importance to the construction safety and quality in the process of implementation. With unremitting efforts of nearly 5 months, schools and villagers' public wells were very well established. The school has 6 classrooms with teaching facilities such as chairs. The administrative building has offices and conference rooms. Meanwhile, they are equipped with bathrooms, special wells and walls. Furthermore, the well has a complete water filtration system, two 5m3 water tanks, a set of solar panels, a solid steel derrick, and 5 faucets which could fully satisfy the water needs of villagers. T he completion of the two projects has provided better teaching conditions for the teachers and students, and also solved the problem of villagers traveling long distances to get water. The villagers' lives are more convenient now and the water sources are cleaner. At the completion celebration, Wang Shougao, chairman of the Kambov Mining of CNMC, said that the completion and delivery of the public well project for schools and villagers is a milestone in the company's public welfare activities and a powerful witness to the friendship between China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, condensing the deep friendship between the two peoples. He hoped that teachers, students and villagers would cherish the school and public wells, and wished villagers an improving life quality, and more children could go to school to receive education. The Finance Minister of Upper Katanga John Muloba Kitonge has attended the handover ceremony of the school and highly praised the campus and public wells of high quality dona ted by CNMC. He said that Kambov's own development has provided more jobs for the community, and it has actively fulfilled its social responsibilities. The livelihood problems of many people in the community are solved and a win-win cooperation has been achieved. May Kambov be more harmonious with the community, and may the friendship between the two countries last forever. Kambov Mining is a joint venture between CNMC and Gécamines SA. As a responsible enterprise, Kambov Mining has practiced the development concept of cooperation and win-win since its establishment in the construction of the 'Belt and Road' and actively fulfilled its social responsibilities. In 2023, the company's five social responsibility projects have landed. Source: Ghana News Agency

Institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) undertaking the 'Seed for Resilience' project, have engaged farmers to update and take feedback on indigenous leafy vegetables production meant to enhance healthy dietary eating. The Crops Research Institute (CRI) and the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute (PGRRI) are undertaking the project, which is aimed at ensuring that indigenous leafy vegetables are sustainably produced by farmers and made available to the public as part of efforts to ensure food security in the country. The project is being funded by the Crop Trust. Over the last two years, 20 assertions each of amaranth (Aleefu), Corchorus (Ayoyo) and Hibiscus (Sule) had been supplied by the CSIR-PGRRI to the CSIR-CRI to research and multiply them. The selections are now being multiplied to be supplied back to the farmers for planting. Dr. Daniel Ashie Kotey, Director of CSIR- PRRIG, at the Seed for Resilience germplasm user group feedback and Review workshop at F umesua near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, noted that, these vegetables were important and constituted essential sections in the diets of Ghanaians. Farmers, agricultural officers and researchers drawn from Barekese and Boadi attended the workshop, which gave updates and the way forward of the project. Indigenous leafy vegetables according to Dr Kotey, were important for combating climate change and promoting healthy diet, food and nutrition security in the country. He said although they were essential in nutrients like iron, phosphorus, zinc and folic acid, the focus had always been on exotic vegetables with some people throwing away these vegetables in favour of the exotic vegetables. This had been a great concern to the research institute because some of these crops (indigenous leafy vegetables) have developed their unique characteristics over a period and suited to Ghana's agricultural system. Dr. Kotey indicated that the diversity researchers were bringing and evaluating with the farmers contained use ful genes that tolerated pests and diseases, saying farmers did not have to spray against these pests and diseases. Dr. Patricia Pinamang Acheampong, Principal Research Scientist, CSIR-CRI, assured Ghanaians of researchers' steadfast actions in making the diversity of useful indigenous leafy vegetables available to farmers for cultivation in a very sustainable manner to the benefit of themselves and the public. She said these crops were very useful in combating many health challenges citing roselle, as one which had become popular for its use for the 'Sobolo drink'. Dr. Acheampong pointed out that, one main challenge by farmers in the peri-urban areas where these vegetables are mostly grown had been land acquisition. According to her, these leafy vegetables were cultivated in lowlands and these same lands were being filled for building purposes, so it normally becomes impossible for continuous cropping in these areas. Professor Moses Brandford Mochiah, Director, CSIR-CRI, called on the government and pol icymakers to prioritize national funding for the PGRRI, which was dedicated to germplasm (genetic resources such as seeds, tissues and DNA sequences that were maintained for plant and animal breeding purposes, conservation and utilization goals. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Ladies Association (GRIDLASS) has donated some essential medical supplies to the Novati Catholic Hospital in Sogakope, in the Volta Region. The items were medical consumables, clothing, bedding, sanitary pads, and other relevant supplies for the Maternal and Children's wards. Madam Azara Amadu, the President of the Association said that the donation was to support the health facility following the devastating flooding of GRIDCo's 161kV substation and surrounding areas due to the spillage of the Akosombo Dam, last year. She mentioned that the Association members, with support from GRIDCo's Management, Staff, GRIDLASS Executive, were able to raise funds to procure the items. Madam Amadu indicated that 'the initiative did not only exemplify GRIDLASS's commitment to GRIDCo's core value of 'CARE' but also underscores their dedication to professionalism and societal well-being.' Dr. Kwesi Djesi, the Clinical Coordinator of the Novati Catholic Hospital received the items and exp ressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the entire hospital staff. 'We're very grateful for the donation we had from GRIDLASS. This showed that they've been thinking about the welfare of the people. The flood situations really had negative impacts on the facility and these items we received today would also help us to continue our work,' he explained. Dr. Djesi shared poignant accounts of the facility's struggles in the aftermath of the floods, revealing that the hospital would have generated a little over GHC 1.3 million revenue in two months if the floods had not ravaged the facility. He however appealed for continued support from corporate Ghana. Source: Ghana News Agency