The report that President Akufo-Addo has described Ghana’s relations with Germany as being “of utmost importance”, as Ghana is determined to participate fully in the global market place not on the basis of the exports of raw materials, but on the basis of the exports of things the country makes is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Daily Guide reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has described Ghana’s relations with Germany as being “of utmost importance”, as Ghana is determined to participate fully in the global market place not on the basis of the exports of raw materials, but on the basis of the exports of things the country makes.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “we, in Ghana, are drawing inspiration from the success stories of North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany, because, likewise, we want to build a progressive and prosperous country.”
Citing from the oft-cited African proverb, which says, and I quote, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”, he stated that “we have resolved to walk hand-in-hand with North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany because we desire to walk far, especially as we share attachments to common values of respect for individual liberties and human rights, of respect for the rule of law, and of respect for the principles of democratic accountability.”
The President made this known on Monday, August 23, 2021, when he delivered a speech in Dusseldorf, in the Federal Republic of Germany, as part at the 75th anniversary celebrations of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s number one industrial region and most populous state.
Addressing the gathering in the presence of German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel, and the Minister-President for North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, with Germany being a major exporter of industrial products and technology, with North Rhine-Westphalia being in the lead, Ghana’s relations with Germany are of utmost importance, and must be hinged on this.
“The recent establishment of a Volkswagen assembly plant in Accra is a welcome development, and we are encouraged by the fact that more and more German companies have expressed their willingness to set-up shop in Ghana,” he said.
The newspaper says that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is recording a surge in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19, with rising mortalities.
According to its latest case management update, some 627 new cases have been recorded pushing the active case count to 6,647.
The GHS also recorded seven more deaths related to Covid-19 to bring the total number of fatalities to 968.
Total clinical recoveries from the infection stand at 106,969 with 114,584 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
The Graphic reports that Ghana’s position as a regional leader in Africa is unquestionable, the outgone Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs. Shani Cooper-Zubida, has observed.
She said the positive experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, the re-election of Ghana for the ECOWAS chairmanship, the hosting of the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the election of Ghana to the UN Security Council were evidence of Ghana’s standing and appeal.
“This position is very important for Israel. Indeed, Ghana is a priority country to Israel, not only because of its economic growth or stable democracy, but also because of its regional political leadership in Africa,” Mrs. Cooper-Zubida told the Daily Graphic in a pre-departure exclusive interview in Accra.
She expressed the hope that “Ghana will continue and get stronger within Africa and the world”.
She said even though the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her work, she believed that she had been able to solidify the relationship between Israel and Ghana, “and make Israel visible in Ghana”.
“I am happy that I managed to increase the visibility of Ghana in Israel. Of course it was a joint work with the Ghanaian Ambassador to Israel, a very capable woman,” she added.
She said by the end of her third year, there was a “massive growth” of Israeli companies interested in doing business in Ghana, adding that averagely, there was a request daily from a new Israeli company to have information on doing business in Ghana.
The Times says that the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), in the Bono East Region, has recorded 162 road accident cases in the first half of this year.
These, according to the Bono East Regional Head of the NRSA, Mr Emmanuel Akyeampong-Parry, included 112 commercial vehicles; 42 privately-owned cars; 107 motorbikes and 36 pedestrian knockdowns.
The Regional Head noted that, the NRSA in the region recorded 235 injuries in the period under review, saying that key stakeholders had put measures in place to reduce accident cases.
He told the Ghanaian Times that, about 90 percent of the cases were caused by speed driving, under-aged riders, unlicenced riders and drivers and deplorable roads.
Mr Akyeampong-Parry further said the use of cell phones while driving, riding, and fatigue, as a result of long hours driving, also caused accidents in the region adding that it was not advisable to drive more than 500 kilometers without rest.
“The NRSA met with Techiman traditional council, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the district assemblies, the Motor Traffic and Transport Division (MTTD) on enforcing the law on offenders,” he told the Ghanaian Times.
The Regional Head further said they had intensified public education on road safety in the region, adding that “training workshop has been organised for ‘Pragyia’ riders. The various driver unions will also receive the training”.
Mr Akyeampong-Parry, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Friday in Techiman, said the region registered 66 deaths out of the number, which included 37 motorbikes and 29 vehicles.
GIK/APA