APA – Accra (Ghana)
The meeting of the Chiefs of De¬fence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra today and tomorrow to discuss a possible military intervention in coup-hit Niger is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Chiefs of De¬fence Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting in Accra today and tomorrow to discuss a possible military intervention in coup-hit Niger.
The two-day meeting follows an extraordinary summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Fri¬day, August 11, where the West African regional bloc directed its Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to “promptly activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements”.
The meeting is expected to be used to draw out the modalities for the military intervention following the approval by the ECOWAS heads for the deploy¬ment of a “Standby force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger”.
It is not known how many countries would participate in this crucial meeting but an earlier meeting of the military chiefs in Nigeria on August 2, 2023 was attended by only 10 of the 15 member states.
They are Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Li¬beria, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Cape Verde, and Senegal.
Apart from Guinea Bissau, the other absentees – Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Burkina Faso – are currently under military rules.
To be hosted by Ghana’s Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the meeting, the Ghanaian Times understands, will be used to discuss issues regard¬ing personnel, budget, timelines, transportation, communication amongst others in the operation.
The newspaper says that Ghana will require about $522.3 billion to finance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
To this end, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has called on the private sector and donors to support the implementation of the SDGs.
He made the call in Accra yesterday during the launch of the Ghana 2022 SDGs Budget and Expenditure Report.
The Budget Report provides a comprehensive overview of progress, challenges, and the steps being taken to address them and areas which need re-prioritisation in terms of attention and budgetary allocation.
Mr Ofori-Atta who stated this in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, said Ghana had seven years to reach the deadline of the SDGs and government alone could not bear the cost of funding the SDGs.
“Achieving the 17 targets of the SDGs which include education, health, eradicating poverty, promoting gender parity by 20230 will be a collective responsibility,” Mr Ofori-Atta, stated.
Mr Ofori-Atta said SDGs served as a roadmap for the country’s journey towards sustainable development, outlining the achievements, setbacks, and the actions required to accelerate progress, adding that government had aligned its policies and budgetary allocations with the SDGs.
He said the 2022 SDGs Budget Report showed that government increased allocations for industry and agriculture, GH¢216, 296,000.00 and GH¢514, 000,000.00 respectively.
The Finance Minister also indicated that there was also an increase in allocation for the key government flagship programmes GH¢5, 053,726,913.20 such as Planting for Food and Jobs as compared to the 2021 allocation of GH¢2, 853,052,197.06.
Mr Ofori-Atta said the government was spending more on health, gender, education in efforts to mitigate the negative effects of the global economic situation on the local economy.
“Our commitment to the SDGs remains resolute, and the 2022 Budget and Expenditure Report demonstrates the measures we are taking to counter the effects of the global crisis and accelerate our progress,” he stated.
The Ghanaian Times also reports that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has signed an agreement with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to promote safety, decent working and living conditions for fishers.
The agreement was as a result of recommendations related to the provisions in the ILO Work in Fishing Convention 2007 (C 188), through a tripartite arrangement coordinated by the GMA in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission and the Labour Department of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR).
National Project Coordinator for ILO 8.7 Accelerator Lab Initiative, Emmanuel Kwame Mensah, announced this at the 3rd Project Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) meeting on Tuesday, in Tema.
The recommendations according to him would enhance compliance with international labour standards and provide effective context for the prevention and elimination of forced labour in Ghana’s fishing industry.
Mr Mensah said since the inception of (8.7 AL) to intensify action against forced labour and child labour through innovation, duty bearers and stakeholders have received support through technical and financial assistance.
This, he explained, was to put in place systems and develop mechanisms and tools to strengthen the enforcement of regulations for occupational safety and health of fishers.
Mr Mensah said the 8.7 AL has assisted employers, including private sector vessel owners and operators to improve decent work for fishers.
He said fishers, through improved organisation of relevant unions, sensitisation and training had also been empowered to assert and exercise their rights.
The purpose of the third meeting of the PTAC Mr Mensah was, therefore to carry out its mandate of providing advice to the ILO National Programme Coordinator towards effective implementation of the project in Ghana.
He said objectives of the IA, included assisting the GMA to successfully coordinate with the MELR and other relevant government agencies, the ratification, domestication and implementation of provisions in the ILO Work in Fishing (C188).
The Graphic says that Rethink, an initiative that seeks to change the mindset of the youth towards agriculture and agribusiness, has been launched in Accra.
Spearheaded by Siriboe Farms Limited, a project of the Office of the 2022 National Best Farmer, the initiative will roll out mentorship sessions for young people to build their capacity on modern technology and best farming practices in the agriculture value chain.
It will also serve as an advocacy platform for the youth in agriculture by engaging policymakers and industry players to implement policies that would empower young people and also facilitate their access to finance.
The initiative was unveiled yesterday where strategic partners — Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), all pledged their commitment to help change the face of agriculture in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of Siriboe Farms Limited and the 2022 National Best Farmer, Nana Yaw Sarpong Siriboe, said the focus of the initiative was to revitalise the agricultural sector by creating a new generation of young entrepreneurs along the value chain.
He said the farms would, through the Graphic national development dialogue series, work to rally stakeholders to help revitalise the agricultural sector.
GIK/APA