The report that the Ghanaian government has taken delivery of 177,600 doses of the single-shot Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and the ECOWAS two-day retreat for Permanent Representatives Committee, as part of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 development process are some of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the government has taken delivery of 177,600 doses of the single-shot Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
That brings to 1,515,450 the total number of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine the country has received.
Procurement of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was done under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), a purchasing facility instituted by the African Union (AU) to boost the continent’s access to COVID-19 vaccines on the global market.
Under AVAT, AU member countries, including Ghana, have pooled financial resources to collectively purchase vaccines.
The vaccine comes at a time the country is experiencing a surge in cases of COVID-19.
Receiving the vaccine on behalf of the government at the Kotoka International Airport last Saturday, a Deputy Minister of Health, Ms Tina Mensah, said the consignment was the first in a series to be received this month.
She said on March 28, 2021, AVAT signed a 220-million dose purchase agreement with Johnson and Johnson, with the potential to order an additional 180 million doses.
The newspaper says that the ECOWAS Commission has organised with the support of GIZ a two-day retreat for Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), as part of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 development process.
The event, which was held at Transcorp Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, started from August 5-6, 2021.
In his keynote address, the ECOWAS President, Dr. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, welcome all to the retreat and informed that all first three phases of the roadmap have been successfully completed and the meeting was for the validation process leading to the endorsement by the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in December 2021.
He also said the vision document which is to be presented at the retreat was an outcome of the various participatory and interactive processes convened to map out strategic agenda for the region.
He further stated that the information collected from various consultations was developed into a draft document which was used to refine vision statement, define strategic pillars and create thematic areas for the commission.
He said the retreat will enable representatives from all the member states to give their assessment of Vision 2020 and give their aspirations for the next 30 years.
In his opening address, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, expressed appreciation to the commission for convening this meeting of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee and Resident Representatives in Member States on the ECOWAS Vision 2050.
He said the ECOWAS Vision 2050 was adopted as a long-term development agenda “to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and coherent region, built on good governance, where people can access and exploit its enormous resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development and environmental preservation”.
He applauded the designing of a roadmap for a seamless transition from Vision 2020 to ECOWAS Vision 2050 as a right step towards achieving the aspirations and developmental priorities of West Africa.
He challenged participants to come up with solutions to perceived bottlenecks that can hamper the smooth implementation of the vision and urged member states to take ownership of the vision.
The Graphic also reports that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has commenced series of consultations with various stakeholders on the party’s proposals for electoral reforms.
A release signed by the party’s Director of Elections, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said a comprehensive review and audit of the 2020 elections by the party showed numerous serious flaws and failings that affected the credibility of the elections.
“The aftermath of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections has left doubts on the minds of many Ghanaians and governance experts about the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process”.
Consequently, the leadership of the party commissioned a team of experts led by Nana Ato Dadzie, a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ghana, a former Chief of Staff, and a Professor of Governance, a former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, to come up with some recommendations for electoral reforms.
In all, the party has come up with 34 recommendations for consideration by the government and the Electoral Commission, which they say if implemented will help restore the credibility of Ghana’s elections.
These recommendations have been shared with various stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission.
According to the release, the leadership of the NDC together with the party’s technical team on electoral reforms has been holding consultations with representatives of key civil society organisations in Accra.
The Daily Guide says that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated the determination of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to break the eight-year electoral jinx in the 2024 polls to sustain socio-economic gains.
That would be hinged on the party’s commitment to accelerate socio-economic and infrastructural development across the country and the various social intervention programmes which were transforming the lives of all Ghanaians under the stewardship of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said President Akufo-Addo was determined to hand over power to NPP, hence his unwavering commitment to work tirelessly at all times to make sure the party succeeded in governance.
Dr Bawumia was addressing the Central Regional Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) conference at the University of Cape Coast.
The conference which was on the theme: “Breaking the eight, the role of TESCON”, assembled scores of TESCON members, Members of Parliament (MPs) and party stalwarts including; General Secretary, John Boadu, Central Regional Minister Marigold Assan,among others.
Dr Bawumia, said the NPP was determined to build upon the solid foundation it had laid and as well, complete all innovative initiatives in fulfilment of its 2010 manifesto pledge.
The foundation include; some bold social interventions such as free Senior High School, free utilities, banking sector clean up, NABCO, one constituency, one ambulance, public sector employment, digitalization among others.
GIK/APA