The $200 million loan received by COCOBOD and President Akufo-Addo’s apology to Nigeria for demolition of High Commission’s building are some of the leading stories in Ghanaian newspapers on Wednesday.
The Graphic reports that Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has received the first tranche of $200 million out of the $600 million syndicated loan facility it signed with a consortium of development finance institutions.
The amount is expected to be used to finance productivity enhancement programmes in the cocoa industry.
The report added that at the launch of the facility in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, said the loan would support the board to strengthen the cocoa value chain, help alleviate poverty by increasing productivity and promote a progressive cocoa consumption environment.
The newspaper also says that the Criminal Investigations Department in the course of investigation on Monday 22nd June 2020, arrested two persons involved in the demolition of a building on the premises of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
The report said that they had been charged with conspiracy to Commit Crime to wit; Unlawful Entry and Causing Unlawful Damage.
“A building under construction, which is said to belong to the Nigeria High Commission in Accra, was reported to have been demolished by some armed men on Saturday, June 20, 2020,” the report said.
The Graphic also reports that President Akufo-Addo has apologized for the demolition of the building in the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
The report quoted a statement from the Nigerian Presidency as saying that President Akufo-Addo has expressed ” his sincere apology for the demolition of a building on the premises of Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana”.
The statement signed by Mr. Garba Shehi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Ghanaian leader told President Buhari in a telephone conversation that he has directed a thorough investigation into the incident.
The statement further revealed that some suspects had been arrested, and will be arraigned before a court in connection with the demolition.
The newspaper recalled that Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor on June 22 apologised to the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana, following the demolition of the storey building.
The Times says that the disinfecting of basic schools in the Savannah Region would help assuage fears in both the pupils and the teachers in the region as a result of the coronavirus disease.
The Deputy Director, Supervision of Education, West-Gonja District in the Savannah Region, Katribi Dramani, made the observation during the disinfection of Yipala Junior High School (JHS) in the West-Gonja District.
With the disinfection exercise in the Savannah Region underway, both the final-year JHS pupils and teachers would be motivated and have confidence to report to school on June 29, to prepare for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), he said.
The newspaper also reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged heads of basic schools throughout the country to ensure that the COVID-19 safety protocols are religiously adhered to by all students when schools resume next week.
“It is a big task you have, apart from doing the teaching which is your normal activity. Because of the pandemic, you are now going to act as paramedics to make sure that the children are also safe,” he said at a meeting with the heads of basic schools at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country on March 12, the government closed down all educational institutions as part of measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Final year students in Junior High School (JHS) will resume academic activities on Monday July 29 to prepare for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). University students as well as final year and Gold Track students in Senior High Schools (SHS) have already reopened after three months.
President Akufo-Addo noted that in addition to the 531,000 students who will be going back to school to prepare for their BECE are teachers, invigilators, education supervisors, among others. This, he said, would bring the total population to nearly 900,000.
GIK/APA