The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Murtala Mohammed, has confirmed that steps are in progress to nullify Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which permits mining in forest reserves.
This revocation, pledged by President John Mahama, is expected to be completed within the stipulated 120-day period.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, March 17, Dr. Mohammed revealed that consultations with parliamentary leadership and relevant stakeholders have already been conducted.
He emphasized that these discussions have laid the foundation for the repeal process, which is anticipated to be concluded soon.
“We have actually started the process. I engaged the Ranking Member on Subsidiary Legislation, Hon Patrick Boamah, and other leadership members. We have agreed to lay it very soon. One thing I can assure the public is that we will meet the 120-day promise made by the President,” Dr. Mohammed stated.
He noted that, in light of the ongoing budget negotiations, the choice was made to bypass the pre-laying process to accelerate the amendment.
“Hopefully, we will have it laid tomorrow (Tuesday) or by Wednesday at the latest,” he added.
In response to whether the government should declare a state of emergency over the devastating effects of illegal mining on water bodies, Dr. Mohammed stated that the decision rests with security agencies.
However, he reaffirmed the government’s dedication to combating environmental degradation.
“I am not in a position to determine whether the security situation warrants a state of emergency—that decision lies with the leadership of the security agencies. However, if they deem it necessary, why not? What I can say is that this is a fight we will not relent on. We will not spare anyone, whether directly or indirectly involved in the destruction of our water bodies, habitats, and environment,” he declared.
The nominee for Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reforms, Lydia Akanvariba, has vowed to tackle persistent administrative bottlenecks that slow down operations in government agencies.
During her appearance before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, February 24, she underscored the necessity of adopting new strategies to optimize workflow and enhance productivity.
She noted that fostering change in the public sector would involve engaging employees to ensure they recognize the importance of reform.
“I have learned and I have been through the public sector for about 27 years and I know that there are some in the public sector who say [Me baa ha aky3 or MBA ] to wit I’ve been there for a very long time. They believe that you should do things as they want you to and these are bureaucracy. You should be able to communicate your goals and the reason why you want to bring the change.
“We should be able to use innovative ways to let them understand what you want you want to do in your ministry,” she stated.
She further stated that leveraging digital solutions and advanced technology would be key to cutting through bureaucratic hurdles and improving efficiency within the ministry.
The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to reverse its decision to annul the appointments of individuals recruited into the public service after December 7, 2024.
The caucus expressed worry that the move has left numerous young people feeling distressed and uncertain about their prospects, with some already facing termination of their appointments.
During a speech on the Parliament floor, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to step in and ensure the welfare of those impacted by the decision.
“Recruitment is not an event, it is a process. So, I do not think that he intended that people who have gone through aptitude tests and interviews should be sent home. But is it all over the place that our countrymen and women are being sent home? Where do they find food to eat, how do they feed their families? What is going to be their future?” he questioned.
In contrast, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga dismissed the request, blaming the situation on what he called the irresponsible hiring of workers by the Akufo-Addo administration.
He claimed that many of those recruited were party loyalists and relatives.
“If you engage in such recklessness and you know that you are leaving office and you decide to load the public sector with workers that will make it difficult for the incoming government. What do you expect?
“I made those statements at the transition meetings and I am repeating those statements here; it is reckless for you to know that you are leaving office but you decided to load the public sectors for the incoming government to come and inherit such workers and we will be struggling how to pay them.
“If we go and interrogate this requirement, it will come out that the recruitment was an abuse of discretion. There was no proper advertisement, people sat down, agreed among themselves, brought together foot soldiers and then they went to recruit them,” he stated.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has vehemently criticized the disorder that erupted during the Appointments Committee sitting on January 30, describing it as disgraceful and deeply regrettable.
While testifying before the Parliamentary Committee on Friday, February 7, the North Tongu MP voiced his disappointment over the conduct of the Minority members, asserting that their disruptive actions had subjected Parliament to intense public scrutiny and disrepute.
Ablakwa emphasized that the chaotic scenes had severely dented public confidence in the legislative body, stressing that such behavior dealt a serious blow to Parliament’s credibility and reputation.
“I was terribly disappointed and embarrassed as a Member of Parliament because I believe that the title honourable is earned by conduct and what happened that night was very disgraceful and shameful and the sad part is that it was the same week that the Minority Chief Whip had brought up a matter at plenary that he had been called silly and that he will not accept it and this conduct happened in less than 48 hours.
“All of us were bashed and brought into disrepute but you cannot actually blame the public and so I was embarrassed and I still feel embarrassed and I think there is a lot we have to do as an institution to reclaim our image and restore our honour and dignity before members of the public.”
The former chair of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has raised strong objections to the accelerated timeline for vetting three ministerial nominees put forward by President John Dramani Mahama.
Osei-Owusu criticized the short notice issued on January 9, 2025, which allocated just four days before the vetting exercise on January 13, 2025.
He argued that such a hastened schedule undermined the transparency and inclusiveness necessary for thorough public involvement in the process.
The former Bekwai legislator and erstwhile First Deputy Speaker of the 8th Parliament described the decision as an administrative oversight, stressing that the truncated timeline deprived key stakeholders, including citizens, of an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the vetting process.
“I would have thought that [a] minimum [of] one week at best or two weeks [is given] to allow people who have issues and wanted to bring them out to the committee to enable them to do that, but I did not see any publication whatsoever. So I was surprised, and I think it was the wrong step.
“The reason we call that a public hearing is that we want to afford the opportunity for the public to participate in it, not because it is in public, but because we want to afford the public the opportunity to participate in it if there is a way.
“I thought that it was needless, hasty, and indecent to go through with this one.”
Director-General of State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Ambassador Edward Boateng, has expressed his appreciation for the media, particularly editors, for their steadfast support since the inaugural forum in January.
During the Second SIGA Editor’s Forum in Accra, Ambassador Boateng underscored the vital role of the media in the development of the nation.
He emphasized how the media plays a crucial role in disseminating information and educating the public about the operations of SIGA and the Specified Entities under its jurisdiction.
He said, “SIGA has been leading a number of activities since the inaugural forum in January. We want to share them with you today and rely on your generosity to spread the news. SIGA is supervising the preparation of the State Ownership Report for 2021 and 2022, has organized the second edition of the Public Enterprises League Table (PELT) Awards, and has recently undertaken a study tour to China with some SOEs under its supervision. Specified Entities also have their success stories to tell, despite their challenges, and we would appreciate your ongoing collaboration in this area.”.
SEs’ contribution to GDPM
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department’s Head of National Accounts, Mac-Effort Adadey, also gave a perceptive talk on how SEs affect Ghana’s GDP.
In his speech, he outlined some of the accomplishments SIGA has made in the areas of compliance and the impact of SEs on the nation’s economic production since its founding.
The speaker elucidated that the increase in the number of SEs included in the consolidated National Account from 19 in 2020 to 62 in 2022 can be attributed to collaborations between SIGA and other supervisory agencies, including the Auditor General, Internal Audit Agency, Controller and Accountant General, among others.
Additionally, during the period from GHS10 billion in 2020 to GHS58.27 billion in 2022, SEs’ contribution to GDP rose.
SEs’ contribution to GOG Assets
Similarly, from GHS51.8 billion in 2020 to GHS 419.2 billion in 2022, the total assets of SEs included in the consolidated National Account grew as more organizations complied with financial reporting requirements.
With the addition of entities recorded in the National Accounts, the overall GOG assets are anticipated to rise. SIGA DG stated, “We will keep working with other oversight bodies to ensure the inclusion of all entities under our purview.”
The Director-General’s welcome message was followed by detailed presentations of the various initiatives by Mr. Stephen Asiedu, Head of Corporate Affairs, and Mr. Joseph Sarpong, Manager for the Regulatory Sector of the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Division.
“We are on standby to give further clarification on all SIGA-related discussions and ready to corroborate any news regarding our Specified Entities,” Mr. Stephen Asiedu said.
The forum was also attended by the management and staff of SIGA.
Evans Kusi Boadum, the Municipal Chief Executive for Sunyani West, has urged all eligible voters within the municipality to take advantage of the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.
This includes those who have recently turned eighteen and adults who have not yet registered.
The Chief Executive made this appeal during his visit to the municipal office of the Electoral Commission to oversee the registration process.
He called on political parties and the general public to collaborate with the Electoral Commission to ensure the successful execution of the exercise.
He also encouraged residents to participate in the registration process and adhere to the Commission’s procedures to ensure their inclusion in the voter register.
Eric Kani Owusu, the Municipal Electoral Officer, reported that the registration process has been proceeding smoothly, with strong cooperation from political parties and the public.
He expressed optimism that all potential registrants would be successfully registered during the twenty-day period, which includes weekends, thanks to the measures implemented in coordination with political parties.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Niamey on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of French troops from Niger, as advocated by the junta that seized power in late June.
The protesters assembled near a base housing French soldiers in response to a call from several civic organizations that are critical of the French military presence in the West African nation.
Amidou Gourou, one of the protesters, stated, “We are here to express our determination, commitment, and dedication to removing the French military force and all military bases from our national territory.”
Niger’s military regime had launched a fresh verbal attack on France on Friday, accusing Paris of “blatant interference” for supporting the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.
In early August, the regime had announced the cancellation of military agreements with France, despite the presence of approximately 1,500 French soldiers in the country assisting in the fight against jihadism in the region.
Paris disregarded this move, citing legitimacy.
The military rulers had also declared the “expulsion” of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, and revoked his diplomatic immunity, citing his presence as a threat to public order.
French President Emmanuel Macron, however, praised Itte’s work in Niger on Monday and announced that he would remain in the country, despite being given a 48-hour deadline to leave Niger a week earlier.
The Head of Pharmacy at Pleasant Medical Centre in Ashaiman, Middle East, Stephen Ohene Sabi, has cautioned the public about the misuse of sleeping pills.
He highlighted that one of the main concerns with sleeping medications is their frequent usage.
Sleeping drugs are central nervous system depressants that slow down brain activity to aid in sleep.
Speaking at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!” program, initiated by the Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office to enhance health communication and promote health literacy, Mr. Sabi emphasized the need to raise awareness about the potential risks associated with these medications.
He explained that the most common type of sleeping drug is benzodiazepines, typically taken in 10mg doses.
Some individuals may wrongly assume that taking them every night is harmless. However, dependency and tolerance can lead to unintended consequences.
Mr. Sabi cautioned that relying on these medications could result in the need for significantly higher doses to achieve sleep. He advised that the solution lies in gradually reducing the intake of such drugs.
“The body adjusts with continued use, causing a physical dependence on the medication; therefore, a reduction in dosage and skipping a day or two before taking the pills will eventually reverse the body to its default,” he suggested.
Mr. Sabi stressed the importance of reading instructions and understanding the potential side effects and reactions associated with medication before taking a responsible dose.
He highlighted the World Health Organization’s advocacy for self-care, which includes proper nutrition and responsible self-medication. Individuals are encouraged to gather information about medications before consuming them.
Mr. Sabi cautioned against the abuse of medications through overdosing, emphasizing the adverse effects they can have on patients. While some medicines may have minor side effects like constipation, headaches, or diarrhea, others can cause severe side effects that may necessitate medical intervention.
Regarding women who experience blood loss during their menstrual cycles, Mr. Sabi suggested considering blood tonic medicines or consulting a healthcare professional for appropriate advice, depending on the individual situation. He also recommended consuming healthy meals that can naturally replenish blood, in addition to or instead of taking blood tonics.
Furthermore, Mr. Sabi advised individuals with health conditions such as kidney or liver problems to refrain from taking any medications without a proper prescription from a healthcare professional.
Award-winning musician, KiDi has disclosed how embarrassed he felt when tweets he shared when he was in his teens resurfaced online somewhere last week.
Speaking on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM, the artiste revealed that he was going through so much the day his old posts resurfaced on social media.
“So, I was already dealing with a lot…I didn’t even have time to breathe and reset…I remember when it happened I was having my EP listening session. I actually had to leave in the middle of it,” he disclosed.
According to the artiste, he broke into tears in public.
“I broke down in the middle of people, it was just a lot for me, so I had to leave and go home. I felt really embarrassed about all of it,” he said.
The ‘Touch it’ vocalist distinguished that although he felt terrible, it was no excuse for some of the things he had said in his old tweets.
He added that he couldn’t believe some of the posts that were shared came from him.
“I tweeted things that were inappropriate and unkind. As I mature, I came to be extremely regretful of these actions and how they affected the parties involved,” the ‘Gyal Dem Sugar’ hitmaker noted.
Opening up on how he has become a better person with time, he added that “a lot of the things and values we hold now, we had to go through certain things in life to arrive at this place that we are, we had to unlearn a lot of things we grew up with and relearn certain things to also know that this is not okay.”
The singer added that he trusts the public figures whom he rubbished would understand he was a stupid young boy with little sense who said all those things and they find it in them to forgive him.
“I am guessing and hoping that they know that this was a young foolish boy. I wasn’t even KiDi was Nana Dwamena who just had a phone and was misbehaving so I am hoping they can see through all of that and know that I wasn’t the person I was at the time,” he said.
One major social force influencing the future of public relations is Globalisation.
Money, products, materials, information and people flow swiftly across national boundaries today than ever.
Advances in technology have enabled and accelerated this flow and the resulting international interactions and dependencies.
These technological advances have been especially pronounced in transportation and telecommunications. Improvements in transportation have made it possible for you, in mere hours, to travel distances that took your parents and grandparents months and weeks to cover.
For Public Relations practioners as previously inaccessible audiences have become more reachable, and the internet penetrates all corners of the globe, many more brands and businesses are developing and implementing global strategies, so has it caused public relations practitioners to face serious challenges and make difficult choices.
Thanks to the global reach of digital communications, crises can now spread easily. The Internet has made it possible for anyone with a cause to become a ‘Citizen Journalist”. It is becoming increasingly difficult for organisations to identify potential threats.
Simply put, advances in communications allow us to know what is occurring in a country half-way around the world instantaneously.
2020 has been a year of lessons for PR practitioners. we continue to see our roles and responsibility evolving. No longer just relationship builders and media relations, we’re molding our clients’ legacies with every picture, placement, and caption.
So many brands have for example found success incorporating TikTok’s unique video meets text storytelling, there is one area of TikTok no brand wants to be. This is where tech-savvy teens and activist millennials share the “receipts,” screenshots, tweets, news articles, and other evidence that points to the need to “cancel” an individual, business, or other entity.
Bad press is nothing new to the PR industry, but there is a key element to this situation. First, TikTok videos travel quickly. They can be downloaded easily and shared across social media. Additionally, TikTok “duet” and split-screen reactions allow for more people to join the conversation not to mention the ability to embed these reaction videos over on Instagram for cross-channel conversation.
As trade expands globally, the most notable audiences drawing attention of public relations practitioners are in places such as Russia, China, India, Latin America, Europe and America. PR practitioners must overcome language barriers and social differences to practice culturally appropriate and locally acceptable public relations. This brings to mind the drink called ‘TruMoo’ chocolate this may just be a drink for many people but those of us in Ghana won’t patronise it because the name of the drink means excuse my language (asshole) in the Twi language. Same way Brazilian men will have a challenge buying a car named ‘pinto’ because its a slang for the male reproductive organ. This situation forced Ford to rebrand its Pinto car brand to Corcel meaning horse. If ‘TruMoo’ or Ford Pinto was made for only people living in their countries of origin, there wouldn’t be a need to rebrand. Differences in lifestyles, customs, values and cultures are not the only unique challenges. Unique aspects of local political, economic, and industrial structural also are challenges.
Working in combination, these forces have given us a sense of interconnectedness and created a world of opportunities for public relations professionals.
In our current digital communication space, bad press is not announced as a newspaper headline, but rather directly among users and consumers. Television, radio and digital articles are often late to the game, eventually “catch up” to many of the trends we see originating on TikTok and even reporting on these new trends as news.
The Chief and Elders of Enyan Asempanyin in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam Central Region have disputed the assertion that the community expelled a woman who went missing and was later discovered in a pit latrine.
Per the Chief and the Elders’ account, the woman was reportedly transferred from the Enyan Asempanyin Community by her own family in order to receive the proper medical attention.
Also, in an interview with Kasapa News the Ebusuapanyin of Enyan Asempanyin, Buabeng Essel, explained that the victim’s landlord, Yaa Prah, rather ejected her from her residence, forcing her family to transport her to her homeland, and not the Chief, who expelled her from the village.
He on behalf of the Chief and Elders of the town appealed to the general public to disregard the claim that they banished the woman for ‘drowning’ in a pit latrine.
Background
If will be recalled that Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan reported on August 31st, 2022 that a woman who had gone missing for three days had been found in a public pit latrine at Enyan Asempenyin in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District of the Central Region.
She was rescued after a young man who had gone to use the public toilet heard the voice of a woman screaming for help.
He’s said to have rushed and informed the community members about the incident following which a distress call was placed to the Breman Essiam Fire Station after which officers arrived at the scene, and broke the hole at the top to create a wider opening for her to come out.
The woman who claims she was traveling was rescued with her bag containing money.
The Fire Commander for Ajumako Enyan Essiam District, DO3 Augustine Cudjoe in an interview with Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan expressed on how it was possible for the woman to ‘drown’ in the 12-feet pit latrine since the hole is narrow for her to go through.
She was given a good bath after she was removed as she was smeared with feces.
The woman is currently receiving treatment at the Ajumako Government Hospital, while the Ajumako District Police Command commences an investigation.
She needs GH97,048 for the surgery intended to treat her for spondylolisthesis, a spine condition that has impacted her lower vertebrae.
The previously self-employed jeweler Rebecca Eshun is due for surgery at the FOCOS Orthopaedic Hospital, but her failure to raise the required finances is making the ailment she has been battling since 2019 worse.
For almost three years, she has had to deal with pain in the back, upper and lower limbs, leading to difficulties in walking.
During the period, initial recommendations by doctors after neurological and radiological evaluation suggested she was to be treated without surgery.
However, frequent follow-ups now point to a surgical intervention in her lower back to relieve trapped nerves and stabilise the spine using implants.
The cost covers theatre, ward stay, recovery medication, feeding, physiotherapy, six months of orthopaedic outpatient follow-up care, x-ray and laboratory tests.
Individuals willing to assist can do so through her MTN Mobile Money number – 0551145709 [Rebecca Eshun] to enable her garner funds for onward payment into the hospital’s account.
