Day: June 20, 2024

Some Assembly Members of the Ada East District Assembly (AEDA) have petitioned the District Coordinating Director (DCD), Mr. Jerryson Ayih, to summon an emergency assembly meeting for the election of a presiding member.

The 23 Assembly Members who signed the petition requested that the DCD act in accordance with the assembly’s by-laws and the 1992 Constitution to summon an assembly meeting the outcome of which would facilitate the development of their respective electoral areas.

‘Our request is grounded in Part I Order 3 Paragraph 7(b), which empowers Assembly Members to request a meeting to discuss matters of public interest,’ the petition read in part.

After the district-level elections on December 19, 2023, a three-time attempt by the Assembly Members to elect a presiding member yielded no result.

Some of the Assembly Members who spoke with the Ghana News Agency noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were allegedly influencing the elections over supremacy cl
aims, capitalising on their affiliations with the Assembly Members.

The Assembly Members in the petition, a copy of which is available to the GNA, stated that, ‘we, the undersigned Assembly Members of the 9th Ada East Assembly (AEDA), respectfully request that an Assembly Meeting be summoned immediately.

‘We appreciate your prompt attention to this request and look forward to your response.’

Mr. John Ayiku Kubi, the Assembly Member for Anyakpor-Adedetsekope Electoral Area, noted that over 30 out of the 39 assembly members had agreed to vote for a presiding member whenever assembly meetings are summoned, indicating their readiness to champion the development of their electoral areas rather than toeing a political lane, which is hindering the progress of the district.

Mr. Kubi expressed optimism that the DCD will summon the meeting as early as possible to address the challenges.

‘We really want the assembly meeting to be summoned so that we can be able to elect and swear in a Presiding Member, approve lang
uage(s) for business, adopt and modify the Model Standing Order, and other activities stipulated in our write-up, which include the formation of various sub-committees of the Executive Committee, the formation of the Executive Committee, and the formation of the Public Relations and Complaint Committee,’ he emphasised.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian higher education institutions have been urged to increase their role through rigorous research to mitigate climate-induced impacts and realize the country’s green economy strategy.

The Ministry of Planning and Development, recently mandated to lead coordination of environment and climate change issues, is hosting a half-day consultative workshop under the theme: ‘Towards a Greater Engagement of Universities on Climate Change Issues in Ethiopia.’

The workshop brought together university presidents from across the country, representatives from the Ministry of Education, key climate implementing ministries, and heads of selected research institutes.

Accordingly, the participants are discussing strategies and initiatives developed by Ethiopia to address climate change.

The workshop is also believed to serve as a platform for networking and collaboration on the impacts of climate change.

In his remarks, State Minister of Planning and Development, Seyoum Mekonen stated that climate chang
e has been becoming one of the pressing issues in Ethiopia.

For this reason, the government of Ethiopia has embarked on the implementation of Green Legacy Initiative to promote a healthy environment in Ethiopia by restoring ecosystems, mitigating climate change, and fostering environmental awareness.

According to the state minister, the initiative has been playing a paramount role in mitigating climate change impacts.

Seyoum also mentioned the ‘Bounty of the Basket’ (Yelemat Turifat), a national agricultural development initiative and summer farming activities are helping the nation’s efforts to put an end to aid dependency in Ethiopia, beyond dealing with climate change.

He pointed out that with the planting billion of seedlings in the past five years, the affected areas have been able to recover, he indicated.

In order to help mitigate the pressure of climate change, the state minister stressed on the need to engaging universities in the areas of capacity building, research, and other activities.

In
particular, he emphasized on establishing favorable systems to university scholars that allow their academic work to be utilized as a resource of knowledge for policy development.

He urged universities to contribute and implement the outcomes of innovation and technology in order to protect cities and regions from the adverse consequences of climate change.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The Government of Ethiopia is working on landscape restoration through various initiatives to combat deforestation, degradation and climate change, Ethiopian Forestry Development Director-General Kebede Yimam said today.

The nation has also developed policies, strategies and plans to protect foresters, he stated, recalling the Green Legacy Initiative as one of government efforts to combat environmental degradation, deforestation, and climate change.

Therefore, the director-general stressed that it’s important to work in collaboration with various stakeholders for effective land management and restoration in a research based and holistic manner.

Kebede made the remark at a workshop on disseminating research findings and policy implications of landscape approach and climate-smart agriculture.

The primary goal of the workshop organized by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is to promote policy actions for eco-regional and landscape development approaches and climate-smart agricultur
e and to share important research findings in order to hasten Ethiopia’s transformation to a sustainable food system.

IWMI Principal Researcher, Amare Haile Selassie said the purpose of today’s workshop is dissemination of research findings on landscape and climate-smart agriculture for over one decade in Bale Zone and in Central Rift Valley area.

‘We have been collecting data, we have been analyzing those data and interpreting them in a way that gives lessons for development partners working on implementation of development activities, and to enable adaptive learning in this whole process of natural resource landscape and climate-smart agriculture implementation activities,’ he stated.

As a result, the workshop highlighted the pivotal role in promoting climate-smart agriculture, sustainable landscape management, and nature-based solutions for equitable sustainable development in Ethiopia.

The principal researcher further pointed out that IWMI is working with various development partners in implementing o
ne of its major interventions — the solar pump for irrigation initiative, that has been under implementation since 2016.

According to him, the solar pump irrigation system has been benefiting many small-holder farmers in different parts of the country.

‘There are so many activities that we are implementing with NGOs, as part of Bounty of the Basket (Ye Lemat Tirufat), Green Legacy as well as in climate smart agriculture. If you take the wheat irrigation, this is the government direction, we are complementing this very clearly.’

Farm Africa Ethiopia Country Office Director, Shewit Emmanuel said on her part that the organization has been working in different regions of Ethiopia to increase the production and productivity of farmers and pastoralists.

In doing so, ‘we have reduced deforestation by more than 59 percent just in Bale Zone and other regions. Now the community has a high awareness on what kind of forest friendly kind of livelihood they can implement and take ownership of the protection.’

Thus,
‘this workshop is about documenting what we have to document so that we can scale out.’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

News reaching CNA confirmed the death of Nyuyki Hans, a beloved young man from Kumbo, in a shooting incident on Wednesday evening.

Hans was reportedly shot dead on his farm in Melim, a village 30 minutes from Kumbo. The perpetrators remain unidentified at this point.

The ongoing armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions since 2017 makes it difficult to determine if the attackers were government soldiers or separatist fighters who have strongholds throughout the region.

The 30-year-old businessman was known for his positive attitude and generosity, readily helping those in need. He leaves behind a wife and children.

The lack of immediate identification of the perpetrators adds to the community’s tension and fear as both sides play the pontius pilate to suit their agenda.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

A staggering 6,000 children are born with sickle cell disease in Cameroon each year, according to the Association to Fight Sickle Cell in the West Region. This highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and preventative measures.

Love vs. Science?

Etienne Tabopda, President of the aforementioned association, emphasized the importance of premarital screening for hemoglobin genotype. He laments that many couples prioritize love over scientific compatibility, leading to a higher risk of having children with sickle cell disease.

Understanding Sickle Cell Disease

Dr. Claude Belanquale, a Medical Officer at the Bangang Medical Center, explains that sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells. These misshapen cells struggle to carry oxygen effectively throughout the body, resulting in severe anemia.

Prevention Through Screening

Dr. Belanquale stresses the significance of premarital screening for both partners. Since the disease is hereditary, couples with
certain genotypes (SS or AS) have a higher chance of having children with sickle cell disease.

Management, Not Cure

While there’s no definitive cure for sickle cell disease, Dr. Belanquale outlines vital management strategies. These include iron supplements to aid red blood cell production, increased water intake, and regular checkups to prevent infections that can worsen anemia.

Early Diagnosis, A Matter of Life and Death

A critical shortfall in Cameroon, and many African countries, is the lack of standardized newborn screening protocols. This delays diagnosis, and tragically, many children with sickle cell disease don’t survive past the age of 5.

Hope Through Progress

The theme for World Sickle Cell Day 2024, ‘Hope Through Progress: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Globally,’ reflects the ongoing fight against this disease. While acknowledging challenges, it emphasizes advancements in research and the hope for a future with improved treatment options.

Source: Cameroon News Agency