Day: October 15, 2023

Ghana is passionate to be a global beacon of advocacy for climate mitigation and adaptation for a liveable planet, climate prosperity, and debt sustainability. This comes as the country prepares to host the global Secretariat of the governments of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty Group of Finance Ministers (V20). ‘Having the main advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation coming from our country, joining the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will have an incredible benefit going forward,’ Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, said, signalling that Ghana is beginning to build an international centre for climate mitigation and adaptation. He was speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 2023 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group (WBG) Annual Meetings in Marrakech on Friday evening. ‘V20 headquarters will be a phenomenal addition to Ghana. This is an organisation that currently has 68 countries, representing about 1.7 billion people, so, we’re pleased about the development,’ he said. Meanwhile, a meeting has been scheduled by the Group on Sunday, October 15, 2023, to discuss sustainable ways to gather resources ‘to make sure that if we strand our assets, there are alternative ways for growth,’ Mr Ofori-Atta said. Already, the IMF has called on the international community to scale up climate financing to ensure that important efforts to tackle climate change do not crowd out basic needs, like health and education. Ghana is seeking to strengthen policies to adapt to and mitigate climate change through investment in resilient public infrastructure, particularly, in agriculture, urban development, and coastal protection. The country is expected to soon set up a Climate Division at the Finance Ministry to tap into financial resources being dedicated by multilateral development finance institutions and climate investors across the world. That formed part of structural reforms to support inclusive growth through the Post-COVID-19 Programme of Economic Growth (PC-PEG)-US$3 billion loan-support with the IMF. Such move is expected to mitigate the effects of climate stressors and enhance Ghana’s resilience to climate change, while contributing to global efforts to addressing the challenges of climate change, and its impact on the environment, businesses, and human lives. Ghana’s forest cover has been depleted by deforestation, illegal logging, and unsustainable land-use practices, which had reduced the eight million tropical forest in 1900 to the current 2.7m. The government has, therefore, instituted a Green Ghana Day, where on annual basis, various tree species are planted across the country, to help restore the lost forest cover and make the environment conducive for both people and other living things.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Love said establishing the fund was crucial in strengthening the country’s response capacities to such situations timeously and effectively. Mr Ayayi said this during an engagement with some selected assembly and unit committee members, social service committee chairperson and the presiding member of the Ho Municipal Assembly. The engagement was to sensitise the participants on the relevance of such fund in efficient and emergency health service delivery to the country and to empower them to be advocates of the fund at the local level. The Programmes Director said Ghana would not have felt the impact of the COVID-19 the way it did if there had been a fund in place for such emergencies. Mr Ayayi stressed the need for stakeholders to recognise the importance of disaster preparedness as a critical component of national development and prioritise it in the budget allocation process. He urged government to strength the capacity of relevant institutions responsible for disaster and epidemic management by equipping them with the necessary resources. Mr Ayayi said it was important for the state to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify the potential hazards and vulnerabilities in different regions, saying, this would help in understanding the specific needs and allocating resources.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bishop Michael Bibi of Buea celebrated the Holy mass with SOBA America. The Eucharistic celebration took place on October 10, 2023 at the St. Joseph’s College Sasse campus in Tole, Buea subdivision.

Sasse Old Boys Association, SOBA, America is one of the SOBA branches that has made a difference in Sasse college.

SOBA is among the most active alumni associations in Cameroon. These are the products of Saint Joseph’s College Sasse,created in 1939 by the Mill Hill Missionaries from London.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Given geographical, historical, economic backgrounds, Ethiopia has the right to have access to sea through peaceful means, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.

In a televised program held with members of the parliament, Prime Minister Abiy said is quite paradoxical for Ethiopia to remain mute for discussing about Red Sea for port access while other countries have their rights to discuss about the GERD and other transboundary rivers for mutual benefits.

He also said that Ethiopia is surrounded with waters but remain landlocked.

Red Sea and the Nile River are interwoven with Ethiopia, Abiy said, and added that it determines the fate of the country as well as the basis for its development or destruction.

The notion of saying “let us share yours but never ask from ours” is not right, the premier said, and emphasized the need to share resources in a balanced and peaceful manner.

With the growing population, access to the sea is a matter of existence for Ethiopia not a luxury, he said and added that neighboring countries should make deals for mutual benefits.

Ethiopia’s claim of access to the sea can be discussed including about the options but it cannot be disregarded, the premier underscored, adding that otherwise the country will eventually drift into extreme poverty.

According to Abiy, leaders of the East Africa region should discuss about sustainable peace that transcends into the future.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

More than a hundred senior Prosperity Party (PP) leadership members have visited modern agricultural development activities in the Kembata Zone of the Central Ethiopia region today.

The PP leadership who have been taking the second round of training in Hosana city have visited agricultural activities including wheat cluster production, breeding, and poultry.

The trainees who came from different parts of the country visited a stunning wheat cluster farm cultivated by a group of farmers on over 6,400 hectares of land, with extensive breedings of dairy cows, broiler chickens, and eggs farm.

The developments of wheat in clusters and breedings of animals and animal products are part of the “Ye Lemat Tirufat” initiative to maximize production and productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency.

“Yelemat Tirufat” development campaign was launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed aimed at strengthening nutritional opulence.

Central Ethiopia has been undertaking such successful agricultural activities even before the official launch of Yelemat Tirufat.

Yelemat Tirufat imitative also aims to boost dairy, fish, poultry and honey production.

Among others, wheat cluster production was also one of the developmental activities visited by the members of the leadership in Central Ethiopia regional state.

Ethiopia has engaged in cluster farming in order to increase the productivity, both in terms of quality and quantity, of the agricultural sector by effective utilization of its land, it was learned.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency