TIG Post

Tag: Accra Mayor

  • AMA’s decongestion exercise in Accra continues today

    AMA’s decongestion exercise in Accra continues today

    The 3-day decongestion exercise targeting street traders in the country’s capital, Accra, will resume today, Wednesday, May 21.

    Today, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly has shifted its focus to Circle Neoplan.

    Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, while addressing the press on Tuesday, May 20, assured that the operation will persist until the roads are fully cleared of vendors occupying the pavements.

    He acknowledged that the ongoing activity is not a short-term measure but one that will remain in place. 

    “This exercise is not a nine-day wonder; we are on the street till we make sure that the roads are clear. We are not done. For the next hour, we are going back to the street. From here we are going to Circle, and if there is more strength, we will go to Kaneshie. Then we continue tomorrow,” the mayor stated.

    Despite concerns by some of the traders who sought to counter the decongestion exercise, a section of the traders lauded the Accra Mayor and the AMA task force for undertaking the decongestion exercise in the Central Business District.

    “Thank you for the exercise. God bless you. These people are killing business. We rent expensive stores and pay AMA bills,” a trader stated.

    Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has cautioned the traders against returning to the streets. Speaking to the media after the exercise, she noted that culprits will pay a fine within the range of GHC1,500 and GHC2,000.

    “We are going to reactivate our task force so that they will be working 24 hours a day. They are going to draw red lines in between the roads so that when you cross the line. There’s a fee that you have to pay, GHC1,500, with a maximum of GHC2,000. So that next time, you wouldn’t cross the line,” she said.

    Amid the concerns raised by affected traders, the Greater Accra Market Association (GAMA) has declared strong support for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s ongoing decongestion campaign in the Central Business District (CBD).

    The initiative, a collaboration between the AMA and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, forms part of the Mahama-led administration’s agenda to improve urban mobility and ease congestion in the city.

    The first phase of the exercise launched on Tuesday, targeting areas around the AMA Head Office, including Kinbu Road to Railways, ECG Junction to the King Tackie Tawiah Statue, and Opera Square to Adabraka.

    Prior to the decongestion exercise yesterday, the Accra mayor engaged traders, urging them to leave the streets voluntarily.

    The issues of congestion compelled the transport operators to threaten a strike action against the government and the Ghana Police Service

    They gave authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. However, the strike action was not executed.

    According to the operators, the growing encroachment of roads and pavements by traders poses serious safety risks and disrupts the free flow of traffic.

    They are demanding the immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements.

    Under Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), specific provisions prohibit trading activities that obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement.

    These regulations are designed to ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on public roads and pavements.

  • Accra Mayor doesn’t engage traditional authorities on projects being undertaken – Sempe Mantse

    Accra Mayor doesn’t engage traditional authorities on projects being undertaken – Sempe Mantse

    Mankralo of the Ga State, Nii Adote Otintor II, has criticized the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Kwatsoe Sackey, for not involving traditional authorities in discussions regarding projects undertaken in the Ga Traditional Area.

    “The Mayor of Accra has never engaged the traditional authorities in undertaking any project in the Ga Traditional Area. Reference can be made to a hostel facility for head porters at Agbogboloshie and we are yet to know who is behind that project.

    “However, we gathered that all permits have been issued to the developer by the AMA. There is no mayor or regional minister who has lands for projects hence the need for the custodians of the lands to be engaged in such endeavours.”

    Nii Adote Otintor II, Sempe Mantse, Mankralo of the Ga State

    He made this known when he appealed to the government to entrust the reconstruction of Sempe Primary School to the traditional authority to guarantee its successful completion.

    The construction of the millennium schools, including the Accra Sempe School, was initiated by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) under Alfred Oko Vanderpuije’s leadership to eliminate the school shift system in the Greater Accra metropolis. However, despite the AMA’s efforts and the use of internally generated funds, the project has stalled since the previous government’s departure from office.

    In a statement to the media, the Sempe Mantse urged the government to transfer the project to the traditional authorities to ensure its timely and efficient completion.

    “The Accra Sempe School is a government-initiated project started under the leadership of Alfred Oko Vanderpuije of the NDC. Since the NPP came to power, the project has been abandoned. Before the commencement of construction works, the students were relocated to a temporary shed and that has ruined academic activities.

    “I do get a lot of complaints from residents to act on the situation as a traditional leader because the school is situated right beside my palace. My call to the government is to hand over the project to me to complete it.”

  • GHS to recruit 220 doctors in May

    GHS to recruit 220 doctors in May

    The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has announced the recruitment of 220 doctors this month by the GHS in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Finance.

    This initiative aims to address staffing shortages in hospitals nationwide.

    “We want to use this opportunity to also let you know that GHS, with the supervision of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, we are recruiting another 220 doctors this month so we will be able to replenish the losses in the hospital and other parts of the country,” he said when he accompanied the President’s representative at the Ministry of Health Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye to pay a working visit to the Tema General Hospital on Thursday, May 2.

    Accompanying the President’s representative at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, on a visit to the Tema General Hospital, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye highlighted the importance of replenishing healthcare personnel to meet the needs of communities.

    Dr. Okoe-Boye, during the visit, outlined the government’s strategies to enhance healthcare delivery and future plans.

    He emphasized the government’s commitment to leveraging modern technology to improve healthcare services, including the implementation of modern information and communication technology and the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS).

    Under Dr. Okoe-Boye’s leadership, the Ministry of Health has achieved significant milestones in disease control and outbreak management. The implementation of the LightWave Health Information Management System has facilitated real-time data access for informed decision-making in healthcare delivery.

    Dr. Okoe-Boye also highlighted plans to integrate eHealth and telemedicine initiatives into the healthcare system, aiming to pilot telemedicine programs in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.

    Additionally, he praised the Ghana Health Service’s e-learning platform for continuous professional development, ensuring ongoing skill enhancement for healthcare professionals.

    Reflecting on Ghana’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Okoe-Boye commended the efficient crisis management and increased vaccination coverage. He noted improvements in malaria-related mortality rates and postnatal care coverage as additional achievements during the pandemic.

    The government’s commitment to healthcare infrastructure development was underscored by Dr. Okoe-Boye, with various projects underway across the country.

    These include the completion of phase two of the University of Ghana Medical Center, the introduction of urology and kidney transplant services, and the enhancement of regional and district hospitals.

    In conclusion, Dr. Okoe-Boye reiterated the government’s dedication to providing quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare. He emphasized ongoing efforts to bridge infrastructure gaps and enhance healthcare delivery nationwide.

  • Houston Mayor engages Accra Mayor on investment opportunities

    Houston Mayor engages Accra Mayor on investment opportunities

    The Mayor of Houston, Texas, USA, Sylvester Turner, this week led an eleven-member delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Mayor of Accra and explore potential areas of trade and investment.

    During their eight-day trip, the delegation aims to identify opportunities for collaboration and enhance the already existing political connections between Ghana and Houston.

    The visit is part of a trade and investment drive to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two regions.

    Mr Sylvester Turner, in his remarks, said, “We are looking at ways to further the relationship and build on it in several areas. This is a smaller portion of the 30-member delegation.”  

    “We have the Director of the Houston Sports Authority, people from the General Business Community, and the Energy Sector as well. We’re looking at ways that we can partner to establish mutual relationships that will be a win-win for both cities,” he said.  

    Mayor of Accra, Madam Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, expressed her appreciation for the decision to collaborate and leverage opportunities between Accra and the other city (not mentioned in the previous text) to promote various sectors such as arts and culture, tourism, investment, and education.

    She highlighted that the Accra Assembly’s key areas of focus have been empowering women and children and creating opportunities for persons living with disabilities within the city.

    To further emphasize the importance of environmental protection and encourage prompt action, Madam Sackey announced plans to install the first climate clock in the Central Business District of Accra.

    This clock will serve as a countdown to raise awareness about preventing global warming from surpassing 1.5°C. She called for the support of all residents to keep the city clean and beautiful as part of the #ActInTime initiative.

  • Former Mayor of Accra Nat Nunoo-Amarteifio is dead

    Nat Nunoo-Amarteifio, a former AMA Chief Executive Officer between 1994 and 1998 in the JJ Rawlings administration is dead.

    The sad event took place on Monday, December 20, 2021.

    In Asaase radio report sighted by Ghana, close family sources who confirmed the news could not state the cause of death.

    The late Nunoo-Amarteifio went into lecturing on urban management and contemporary Ghanaian art and culture when he left office. He was an architectural historian and a writer. He used to work in the US, Canada before returning to Ghana as an architect and consultant. He was an occasional guest critic for the Ghanaian Times and Sunday Mirror in Accra.

    He has written a book on the history of architecture in Accra. In June 2009, the former mayor undertook a photographic exhibition with Kofi Setordji, a Ghanaian sculptor and painter, under the title “architectural history of Accra” showcasing in black and white photographs some buildings that were put up between 1920 and 1930.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com