My Ghana Electronic Desk

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE A paper published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, has stated that cities can break the link between high living standards and significant contributions to climate change. According to senior fellow in the International Institute for Environment and Development’s Human Settlements Group, Dr David Satterthwaite, who published the paper, the break can be done using many technologies and policies that are already available if not widely used. The paper urges policy makers to seize the potential for cities to reduce waste, pollution and resource use, whilst increasing the quality of life of their inhabitants. It also reviews evidence from studies of urban centres across the world, in both developed and developing countries, to show how such settlements can raise living standards and resilience to climate change, without necessarily increasing their emissions of greenhouse gases. “Most people assume that citi...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The Rotary Clubs of Accra Ring Road Central and The Rotary Club of Ahmednagar-Midtown, India, in partnership with the La General Hospital has embarked on 24-day free eye care medical outreach for residents of the Greater Accra Region. The Medicare Project dubbed (Eye Camp ) is taking place from   24 th May, 2011 – 17 th June,2011. The project intends to screen about 4,000 people with eye problems and perform about 250 surgeries within the Accra metropolis. According to the Chairman of the Eye Camp Project, Rotarian Samuel Amponsah, “the exercise will involve eye screening, treatment and surgeries, especially for those suffering Cataract and Glaucoma. The exercise will   be conducted   by a medical team from India and their Ghanaian counterparts at the La General Hospital.   Rotarian Amponsah also added that   the Rotary Foundation is funding the entire cost of the project: screening, treatment and surgeries of all patients. Residents ...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Global demand for major grains, such as maize, rice, and wheat, is projected to increase by nearly 48 percent from 2000-2025 and by 70 percent between 2000 and 2050, while per capita meat consumption is also expected to increase in many developing regions of the world. It is also envisaged that meat consumption will more than double in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2000-2050, leading to a doubling of total meat consumption by 2050. These statistics are findings contained in a research presented by Mark Rosegrant, director of Environment and Production Technology at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), who delivered the Ag Economic Forum Keynote during the 2011 Ag Innovation Showcase held in St. Louis from May 23 to 24, 2011. In the same address, he stated that at the same time, the growth in production of staple foods is expected to decline significantly in most of the world if business continues as usual. “Climate change, high and volatile foo...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Mrs. Isabella Gyau Orhin presenting the frames As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Ghana’s leading waste management company, has donated ten Zimmer frames to the Tamale Teaching Hospital to aid the speedy recovery of patients undergoing physiotherapy at the Hospital. Presenting the frames to officials of the hospital, the Communications Manager of the company, Mrs. Isabella Gyau Orhin, stated that Zoomlion Ghana Limited is concerned with the health and general wellbeing of Ghanaians, since the company sees itself as part of the health sector. She said Zoomlion is not only   committed to ensuring preventive health but also concerned with the treatment   of other ailments, hence the donation of the Zimmer frames, is in partnership with Health and Bliss of India. The Director of Nursing of the Hospital, Elizabeth Danso, who received the items, thanked Zoomlion for such a noble gesture. She said that the donation was ...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE ACP Victor Tandoh (left), Accra Manager of NRSC, Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng (MP for Oda)  and Chief Yaw Kumey (right) CEO of Y.Kumey International Group Ltd. The Group Chief Executive Officer of Y. Kumey International Group Limited, Chief Yaw Kumey, has been honoured as Ghana’s first Customer Service Ambassador for his tremendous commitment and contribution to the development of customer service in the country. It is the highest award category in the Ghana Customer Service Awards, for an individual in the private sector, in pursuance of excellence in customer service in Ghana. Receiving the award for his selflessness, spirit of dedication and commitment to excellent delivery in the private sector, Chief Kumey expressed his profound gratitude to the organisers for the recognition. “I Challenge the youth in this country to strive for better achievement in all they do and not undermine each other, since you are the future leaders of this country,”...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The United States Embassy in Ghana, has warned Ghanaians of scams regarding its Diversity Visa Lottery and asked applicants of its programme to be wary of fraudsters interfering in the programme. In a media alert issued Wednesday January 26, 2011 by its public affairs section, the Embassy said “We wish to alert the public of recent scams and fraudulent claims regarding the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery programme.” The embassy explained that “In these scams, individuals or companies are sending congratulatory messages via email that ask the recipient to pay various fees through the Western Union Money Transfer for a permanent U.S. resident permit or green card,” stressing that those messages are false. According to the US Embassy in Accra, the best way to avoid falling victim to scams related to the Diversity Visa Lottery is to understand how the results of the lottery are released. The statement divulged that starting on May 1, 2011 through to June ...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Mr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong CEO of Zoomlion Ghana Limited displaying his award Ghanaian waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, have received the “Leadership in Industry” prize at a  colourful ceremony held in Accra by the Millennium Excellence Foundation. Zoomlion was among 29 institutions and personalities nominated for the awards which have been held every five years since its inception at the turn of the millennium (2000). The company’s award was presented by the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Gong Jianzhong and the Representative of  His Royal Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Oheneba Adusei-Poku, Akyempimhene. In an interview after the awards ceremony held on Saturday, the Chief Executive Officer said Zoomlion was very proud and happy to be recognised by the Foundation. He said Zoomlion has the passion to render excellent environment...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The management of Aqua Vitens Rand Ltd (AVRL), working for and on behalf of Ghana Water Company Ltd. as the Operator, has stated that it is aware of the current erratic water supply to customers in the western parts of Accra served by the Weija Treatment Plant and assured that “should the situation become critical, special emergency services will be organised for critical institutions such as hospitals and schools.” In a press statement dated December 9, 2010 and signed by Stanley Martey, Communications Manager, AVRL, the operator said the situation has been caused primarily by disruptions to power supply on which the Weija Treatment Plant relies. “Besides, one of our booster stations located at Sowutuom has a fault that is being rectified,” the statement said. “We have been duly informed by the ECG that they are currently carrying out substantial works on their infrastructure to improve power supply. We should explain to our ...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The World Bank Group has taken anti-corruption enforcement to a new level, by announcing the debarment of two companies and, separately, the first-ever World Bank cross-debarments of firms, for engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices in development projects. The companies are Kwaplah International Trading Co., Inc., a U.S.-based company, and its owner, Mr. Sherlock Mahn, together with any organisation they directly or indirectly control, who have been debarred for 12 years for engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices in Bank-financed projects implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Ghana, Gambia and Liberia. According to a press statement numbered 2011/213/INT which announced the debarment, this is the second-longest since the Bank began sanctioning firms in 1999. The statement said, in making its decision, the World Bank’s Sanctions Board took into account the multiplicity of ...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The World Bank Group has taken anti-corruption enforcement to a new level, by announcing the debarment of two companies and, separately, the first-ever World Bank cross-debarments of firms, for engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices in development projects. The companies are Kwaplah International Trading Co., Inc., a U.S.-based company, and its owner, Mr. Sherlock Mahn, together with any organisation they directly or indirectly control, who have been debarred for 12 years for engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices in Bank-financed projects implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Ghana, Gambia and Liberia. According to a press statement numbered 2011/213/INT which announced the debarment, this is the second-longest since the Bank began sanctioning firms in 1999. The statement said, in making its decision, the World Bank’s Sanctions Board took into account the multiplicity of ...

By EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE From left Mr. Ernest Asiedu Caesar, Communications Officer Zoomlion,Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah, Mr. Ernest Kusi, Zoomlion Regional Officer As part of its nationwide campaign on sanitation in Islamic Communities, Zoomlion Ghana. Limited has organised a sensitisation programme for the Islamic Communities in the Koforidua Municipality. The forum, which attracted a lot of Muslims from the New Juaben  Municipality, was addressed by officials from Zoomlion as well as highly respected leaders of the Muslim communities, including the  renowned Islamic Theologian and Educationist, Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah and the Imam of the Koforidua Central Mosque. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Ernest Kusi, The Regional Operations Supervisor for Zoomlion touched on the need for partnership between Zoomlion and the Islamic Communities in championing the cause of clean and environmentally-healthy communities in the Municipality. He added that Islamic...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE A new report has refuted earlier hypotheses that the global food price crises of 2007 to 2008, was primarily caused by increased demand in rising economies such as China and India, by falling agricultural yields or food stocks, and by futures market speculation. Instead, using recently available data, the new report released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, titled Reflections on the Global Food Crisis, has attributed the crisis to a combination of increased energy costs, growing demand for biofuels, depreciation of the U.S. dollar, trade shocks related to export restrictions, panic purchases, and unfavourable weather. Estimates of the number of people who were pushed into malnutrition by rising food prices in 2007 vary from around 75 million to 133 million, with the greatest consumption losses falling on women and girls, says the report. It adds that countries were particularly vulnerable to rising prices...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Hundreds of millions of people across the world will receive daily updates on the latest international efforts to tackle climate change, as a result of an innovative media support programme made possible through an alliance between Internews, Panos and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The alliance has already supported more than 100 journalists from 43 developing nations at the past three UNFCCC meetings. This year however, the Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) has awarded 35 journalists from across the developing world with fellowships to Mexico to provide vital coverage of the annual Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the end of the month, says a statement issued by the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED). According to the statement, the CCMP programme will enable journalists to report in depth on the negotiations and share their st...