Day: June 21, 2024

Mr Guggisberg Fiagbenu, the Assembly Member of Adidome Electoral Area, has appealed to the government to expedite compensation for residents affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

Mr Fiagbenu’s appeal comes as a reminder of the urgent need for government intervention in Tongu to restore the affected communities.

The flood, which occurred several months ago, left numerous homes, businesses, and farms destroyed, leaving many residents in debt and without necessities like food, shelter, and capital to rerun their collapsed businesses.

Mr Fiagbenu lamented the government’s slow response in supporting the flood victims, emphasizing the need for a swift establishment of a compensation fund.

He also urged the government to also extend support to indirectly affected residents and recognize the efforts of benevolent individuals, who helped during the crisis.

The Assembly Member highlighted the ongoing socio-economic challenges in Siame-Kome, one of the affected communities in the Central Tongu District and stres
sed the need for psychosocial support and expedited resettlement for the victims.

He also called for subsidized utility tariffs to alleviate the burden on the affected residents.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Deborah Ampofo, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), has urged the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates to look beyond the exam and prepare sufficiently for the future.

She gave the advice when she visited some schools in the Municipality as candidates began the Municipal Mock Exam ahead of the BECE in July.

The mock exam, which is being funded by the Assembly, is a vital component of the Assembly’s efforts to improve the quality of education offered in the Municipality and is intended as a preparatory exercise for the candidates.

Madam Ampofo, who was accompanied by the Municipal Director of Education (MDE), Mr. Eric Sey, visited the Abokobi Presby and Akporman Model Basic Schools to observe and evaluate how the mock exams were being conducted.

She also used the opportunity to encourage the candidates to aim high and make the most of the preparatory period.

The MCE also urged the candidates to put in a lot of effort and end the r
ace strong, emphasizing that there was still work to be accomplished after the BECE.

‘I’m expecting many distinctions from you in this mock exam and expect that you will do even better in the BECE come July.

‘I want you to work towards excellence and ensure that you take advantage of the Free Senior High School Educational policy by the government to attain a brighter future’, she advised.

Mr Sey also asked for the candidates to do well on the mock exam and let their results translate into better grades in the upcoming BECE so that the Assembly’s efforts to support the Education Directorate in the process would not be in vain.

He thanked the Assembly and the MCE for helping them to conduct the exams, promising that their efforts would not go unappreciated and expressed hope that the final exam would go well.

Mr Sey also appealed to the teachers to mark the exam papers promptly and to provide timely feedback.

‘Your prompt feedback is essential in helping the candidates to understand their strengths and a
reas for improvement before the BECE,’ he emphasized.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Research scientists in meteorology, hydrology, climate change and flooding situations, are meeting in Kumasi to present and discuss new findings which could be used to curb flooding situations in urban communities.

The meeting, which is under theme, ‘Current and Future Risks of Urban and Rural Flooding in West Africa (FURIFLOOD)’ Project, aims to generate scientific knowledge regarding climate drivers of current and future extreme events related to flooding in West Africa and integrate this with case studies to better understand risks and impacts.

The West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is executing the four-year project, which started in August 2021 and expected to end in July 2024.

In Ghana, the College of Science of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is the host.

Professor Dr Andreas Fink, of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who is a Principal Investigator, detailing the progress made, said with the flood extent mapping
for the urban catchment in Kumasi, researchers have developed a two-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling with a river analysis system to stimulate flood scenarios.

Large efforts had been undertaken to gain information on parameters such as flood depths recorded by inhabitants to calibrate and validate models.

These analyses, according to Prof. Dr. Fink, would help identify which magnitudes of hazard were prone to become a severe risk for the population around streams in Kumasi.

Again, there had been a successful replacement of outdated rain gauge instrumentation at 10 stations in the Ashanti Region.

To overcome major challenges in faulty original data loggers, the KNUST technicians have also designed a new logger.

The Professor of Meteorology said the project had drafted a guidebook on ecosystem-based flood risk-reduction measures in West Africa.

The book highlights detailed description and explanation of flood risk and its components, comprehensive analysis of how ecosystem-based disaster risk management
could reduce flood, among others.

Prof. Dr. Fink indicated that these early warnings and emergency management strategies were needed to help provide basic information to stakeholders such as the meteorological agencies and National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).

Prof. Leonard Amekudzi, Provost, College of Science, KNUST, who is also the Principal Investigator for Ghana, observed that the flash flooding in Kumasi had to get a remedy.

The KNUST, he indicated, was tasked to investigate the extreme rainfall, attempt to reduce floods, and begin to think about developing a revised intensive duration curve for not only the Ashanti Region, but Ghana and the entire West Africa.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The President of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, on Friday officially opened the sensitisation and training programme for lawyers on the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS) of the Court in Praia, Cape Verde.

The programme, holding from June 20 to 25, 2024, aims to enhance the digital proficiency of legal practitioners from Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, the Lusophone member states of ECOWAS.

In his opening remarks, Justice Asante extended warm greetings from Abuja, Nigeria, and highlighted the Court’s recent sensitisation missions in Lomé and Accra.

He expressed his gratitude to the President of the Supreme Court, the Minister of Justice of Cape Verde, and the Cape Verdean government for their hospitality and support.

Reflecting on the history and mandate of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Asante noted its establishment under the Lagos Treaty of 1975 and its operational commencement in 2001.

He emphasised the Court’s expanded jurisdiction to adjudicate
human rights cases since 2005, underscoring its role in upholding fundamental rights, the rule of law, and good governance in the region.

Justice Asante discussed the Court’s digitalisation initiatives, which were expedited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the adoption of 2020 Practice Directions on Electronic Case Management and Virtual Court Sessions.

These measures have significantly reduced litigation costs and enhanced access to justice, he noted.

The new ECMS, he explained, supports electronic filing, service, and management of cases, streamlining judicial processes and making the Court more accessible.

The ECMS features an external user portal for litigants and lawyers, and an internal interface for judges and judicial staff, accessible 24/7 in English, French, and Portuguese.

This system facilitates real-time access to case information, court notifications, and virtual hearings, enhancing transparency and accountability.

The training in Praia marks the final phase of a comprehensive progr
amme to equip lawyers

from all ECOWAS member states with the skills needed to navigate the ECMS.

Previous training sessions were held in Lomé and Accra for Francophone and Anglophone lawyers

respectively.

Justice Asante concluded by sincerely thanking all participants and organisers, urging everyone to actively participate in the training programme to create a more accessible and efficient justice system for the ECOWAS community.

Source: Ghana News Agency