APA – Accra (Ghana)
The call by the African Union High Representative of Silencing the Gun, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, for a more robust approach to effectively deal with violent extremism and terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel regions is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Graphic reports that the AU High Representative of Silencing the Gun, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has called for a more robust approach to effectively deal with violent extremism and terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel regions.
He said it had become increasingly evident that the old model of peacekeeping was no longer fit for purpose with regard to the contemporary nature of threats facing the sub-regions.
“Terrorists have become more resilient than expected, 20 years after the adoption of the African continental and sub-regional mechanisms for peace, security, democracy and governance.
“The time is now for review of such protocols to build effective instruments for early action,” the AU Representative added.
Dr Chambas was addressing a two-day peacebuilding regional conference organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), under a Research and Action For Peace (REcAP) Network project in Accra yesterday.
The REcAP Network project is a consortium of WANEP, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), with funding from the EU.
They work towards the prevention of conflicts and violent extremism in West Africa and the lake Chad Basin.
The conference is on the theme: “Unifying for stability: Addressing violent extremism amidst political uncertainties In West Africa and lake Chad Basin.”
The newspaper says that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the launch of the 100-day countdown to the 13th African Games, Accra 2023, in Accra on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, emphasized the government’s commitment to sports infrastructure development, highlighting the significant investments made at both the national and community levels.
Bawumia highlighted the government’s investment in community-level sports facilities, particularly the construction of 153 astro turfs across the country.
He emphasized that this initiative aimed to create accessible and quality sports facilities at the grassroots level, fostering the development of sports in Ghana.
“When we came into office, Ghana had only three public astro turfs. We have significantly surpassed this by building 153 astro turfs across the country. Our goal is to construct an additional 100 astro turfs before the end of next year, showcasing the government’s unwavering commitment to sports infrastructure development,” stated Vice President Bawumia.
The Vice President underscored the importance of maintaining these facilities, urging the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other stakeholders to prioritize ongoing upkeep.
Recognizing the critical role of well-maintained facilities in nurturing talent and promoting sports excellence, Vice President Bawumia stressed the need for sustained efforts in this regard.
Bawumia added that the Akufo-Addo Government’s achievements in sports infrastructure development surpassed those of any other administration in the history of the Fourth Republic.
He pointed to the unprecedented scale of astro turf installations and 10 regional stadia that are at various stages of completion as a testament to the government’s dedication to providing the right facilities for sports development.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the government will from next year commit over GH¢400 million to provide new tourist attrac-tion sites while renovating existing ones, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, disclosed in Accra yesterday.
These tourist attractions, he said, would include building museums and rehabilitating attraction sites such as the Shai Hills, Mole National Park, Cape Coast, and Elmina castles.
The minister disclosed this at the maiden Ghana Tourism Investment Summit organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The summit with support of the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP) in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) and other agencies, aimed to showcase Ghana’s rich and diverse tourism investment opportunities, attracting attention to the country, and positioning it as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in tourism.
It also seeks to foster global integration of Ghana’s tourism trade and secure investments in various priority and emerging tourism sectors for mutual benefits.
The summit brought together key stakeholders in the tourism value chain as well as the Diplomatic Corps, legal practitioners and development partners to discuss and share ideas on how to position the country as an attractive hub for global tourism investments.
The minister said tourism was government-led but private-sector-driven and the influx of AirBnB was an example, stating that Ghana in 2019 had recorded a 141 per cent growth in the use of the platform to find accommodation.
The newspaper says that the government must pursue policies that will promote the growth of the mining industry, the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM), Joshua Mortoti, has stated.
He said as the 2024 general election approaches, the government must not be influenced by politics but policies that would help promote the growth of the sector.
Mr Mortoti stated this at the 9th Ghana Mining Industry Awards (GMIA) in Accra on Friday.
Under the theme “Celebrating excellence: Embracing sustainable mining practices”, the programme was used to celebrate outstanding achievements and excellence in the mining industry.
In all, the GCM awarded 23 individuals and organisations in 23 categories, with Newmont Gold Ridge Akyem Mine winning the Mining Company of the Year Award after sweeping several awards, Interplast Ghana Limited won two awards, namely Best Performer in Mine Supplies and Support Services, and Best Performer in Local Manufacturing of Mine Inputs.
Mr Eric Asubonteng, a former President of GCM, won the Mining Personality of the Year, while the Best Female Miner Non-technical went to Charlotte Fafa Tay Senyo, and the Best Female Miner Technical Went to Ellen Serwaa Kontoh.
Mr Mortoti, in his address, urged the government to relook at the mining fiscal tax regime, especially exploration.
He said without exploration, the mining industry would grind to a halt, pointing out that the country could benefit immensely from its abundant mineral resources if the government decided to invest in exploration and incentivise the private sector to venture into that.
“We cannot continue to leave the exploration of our mineral resourc¬es in the hands of private entities and expect to have most of the benefits when commercial finds are made,” the President of GCM said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the GCM, Dr Sulemanu Koney, in his remarks, urged mining companies to integrate innovation, efficiency, environmental stewardship, and people-centered policies into their operations
GIK/APA
Ghanaian press focuses on Chambas call for more robust approach in dealing with terrorism in W/Africa, others
