The report that Bishop Agyenta has said that majority of Ghanaians have spoken clearly on Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill and urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to accept and assent to the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, to make it a law is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to accept and assent to the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, to make it a law.
He said the Bill, popularly known as Anti Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and more (Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill) has been overwhelmingly endorsed by majority of Ghanaians and there was no need for further delay.
“The whole Parliament of Ghana has unanimously passed this Bill, so more than 95 per cent of Ghanaians are saying that we don’t want to promote this kind of life (LGBTQ+), what more clarity do we need?” he questioned.
Speaking on the passion of Jesus Christ as part of the celebration of Easter at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, Bolgatanga, Most Rev. Agyenta said Pontius Pilate handed Jesus Christ over to be crucified even though he knew he was innocent.
He said it was fear that compelled Pilate to succumb to the demands of the high priests and those who wanted Jesus Christ to be crucified and urged the President not to succumb to “those voices probably convincing him against assenting to the Bill”.
“I have been wondering whether our President is not in the shoes of Pilate because he knows that the decision of Parliament is the mind of all Ghanaians and yet some people are telling him not to sign this bill because there will be consequences.”
He urged the President to assent to the Bill because the whole of Ghana was behind him.
On spirituality, the bishop explained that although the pursuit for money was good as it would help to undertake certain projects necessary for development, one should not prioritise material needs over spiritual growth.
The newspaper says that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has issued an official announcement regarding the stability of the national power grid.
As of Friday, March 29 2024, ECG said the country’s power supply remains stable, ensuring uninterrupted electricity for homes, businesses, and communities.
“Any customer who is currently experiencing power outage is due to a localised fault,” the announcement read.
The ECG announcement follows numerous complaints of erratic power supply by social media users across the country. The word ‘Dumsor,’ which means ‘off-on’ in the Akan language is currently among the top trends on X.
The Graphic also reports that the Public Affairs Manager of COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, has attributed the decrease in production of cocoa beans to adverse weather conditions.
According to him, heavy rainfall at the beginning of the cocoa season had a significant impact on cocoa cultivation, affecting the fruiting process and ultimately reducing the expected harvest.
While acknowledging the importance of rainfall for cocoa production, Mr Boafo indicated that excessive precipitation hindered fruiting this season.
Additionally, he mentioned, the severe harmattan conditions the country experienced had a detrimental effect on cocoa pods, worsening the situation.
Mr Boafo revealed this during a discussion on “Ghana’s Struggling Cocoa Industry” on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.
“The major contributory factor for low cocoa production is the weather situation we’ve experienced this cocoa season. It started with a heavy rainfall. Then it got to a time where you expected the pods you had to develop for you to harvest then we experienced severe harmattan.
Mr Boafo further mentioned the swollen shoot disease also affecting cocoa production, stating that about 590,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana have been affected.
He explained that these farms are currently under rehabilitation and not producing cocoa beans.
“At the moment, about 590,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana have been affected by swollen shoot and so it is affecting production. Indeed, we are rehabilitating some of these affected farms. And since the only known solution is cutting the affected trees, all the affected farms are not fruiting at the moment, “ Mr Boafo explained.
He highlighted the challenges posed by unpredictable weather patterns, illegal mining, and smuggling, exacerbating the existing pressures on the industry.
The Ghanaian Times says that the Government of Denmark, through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), is undertaking a feasibility study with Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to explore the development of a drinking water plant at Aveyime of the North Tongu District in the Volta Region. Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy has disclosed.
Once realised, the project has the potential to provide clean and safe drinking water to an estimated 1.2 million people in the Volta and Greater Accra regions, she projected.
According to her, the strategic sector cooperation between the two countries on water, which had been running since 2019, had been instrumental in assisting Ghana in establishing a more reliable and strong water sector by matching technical staff from Denmark and Ghana for knowledge exchange.
“Through this cooperation, GWCL and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly have worked together with the city of Arhus and the water utility company, Arhus Vand, to reduce non-revenue water levels, improved wastewater management and make the city of Tema climate resilient and green,” she reported.
Mrs Pedersen was speaking at a stakeholder’s engagement last Friday to observe this year’s World Water Day on the theme ‘Water for Peace’
The day, set aside by the United Nations and observed on March 22, highlights the importance of fresh water and also used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The success of the phase one of the cooperation, Mrs Pedersen posited had been evident and same had led to the up calling of activities to other geographical areas, and the expansion of the partnership with other organisations with similar interest.
GIK/APA
Ghana: Press zooms in on Bishop Agyenta’s position on Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, others
