The report of the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award held in Accra yesterday to give recognition to countries that have made outstanding contribution to road safety in Africa over the past decade is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award was held in Accra yesterday to give recognition to countries that have made outstanding contribution to road safety in Africa over the past decade.
The ceremony honoured governments that performed well during the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action for Road Safety between 2011 and 2020.
Ghana was honoured with the award of Excellence in the implementation of the Africa Road Safety Action Plan while South Africa won the award of Leadership in Mobilising Resources for Road Safety
Nigeria won the Excellence in Road Safety Management award, with the Leadership in Road Safety Data Management and the Leadership in the Ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter awards going to the Kingdom of Morocco and Namibia respectively
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who presented the awards, described road accidents as a global pandemic and public health issue that must be addressed.
He stressed the need for the award ceremony to be sustained to encourage governments on the continent to learn from global best practices.
The President urged countries on the continent to develop and implement innovative initiatives to address road accidents.
Road Safety, according to the President, was the bedrock to the development of the continent and called for all stakeholders to work together to make the roads safe.
The Graphic says that the government disbursed GH¢273 million to the 15 participating financial institutions (PFIs) under the One-District, One-Factory (1D1F) programme between 2017 and 2021, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has told Parliament.
The amount represented the payment of interest subsidies to the financial institutions to de-risk loans granted to beneficiary 1D1F companies, he explained.
The companies are into agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, textiles, fertiliser, sugar processing, among others.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Mr Kyerematen said: “As of December 2021, GH¢156.9 million out of the GH¢273 million had been disbursed by the PFIs to the companies.
“The remaining GH¢101.73 million, which is held by 13 PFIs, will be drawn down as and when interest payments associated with the repayment of the loan facilities are due,” he said.
The minister disclosed this when he answered a question on the floor of Parliament by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The MP asked how much the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, had disbursed as interest subsidy payments to finance 1D1F companies and projects, the names of beneficiary companies and the amount disbursed as interest subsidy to each company.
The newspaper reports that the government has no hand in the demolition of the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra by a private developer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has explained.
The Bulgarian Embassy, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments in Accra was demolished by the private developer in 2017.
The Lands Commission has since ordered the developer to stop work on a redevelopment project on the site.
But work has since been progressing.
On Wednesday afternoon, March 16, 2022, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio and his counterpart from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Kwasi Ampratwum-Sarpong, visited the premises of the disputed Bulgarian Embassy land to stop the private developer from continuing with work.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed worry over the development and suggested it could mar the Ghana-Bulgaria relationship.
But, according to the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, all efforts to work with the police to stop the private developer have proven futile.
At a press conference in Accra on Wednesday afternoon, March 16, 2022, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said the workers of the developer have been warned that they will be arrested if they resume operations in spite of the directive to stop work following an inspection of the site by the Ministry.
The Graphic also reports that Ghana will face financial sanctions if it is unable to meet eight requirements under which it was granted a one-match approval for the use of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for its FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers playoff round match against rivals Nigeria.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a letter granting approval for the tie said a raft of conditions must be met before the match against Nigeria on March 25, 2022.
They include: Installation of new international standard, modern and comfortable officials’ benches at pitch level; Adjustment of the floodlight intensity. A minimum of 1200 Lux should be provided all over the pitch, covering uniformly every area of the playing field; Increase seating and lockers in the teams dressing rooms to reach (25) persons and Installation of completely new modern equipment and materials in the referees dressing rooms and ensure that is equipped with all the necessary materials and CAF requirements;
Others are set up the water system to provide both cold and hot water in the teams and officials dressing room; General refurbishment of the CAF office, installation of modern desks and seats, including the necessary electronic and working equipment; VOC must be available and equipped with all the necessary equipment and requirements; Complete refurbishment of the media tribune, press conference room and media centre, installing new and modern equipment
In order to follow the progress of the above-mentioned works in the stadium, CAF will designate a stadium inspector to conduct an onsite assessment up till the day of the upcoming FIFA match.
CAF in a letter signed by CAF Development Officer, Raul Chipenda and sent to the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, Prosper Harrison Addo, Esq. and copied to FIFA, stated that an onsite stadium inspector will conduct further assessment of the facility until the day of the match and that in the event that the conditions are not met before the match; financial sanctions shall be imposed on Ghana.
The playoff was initially scheduled for the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on March 25, but was aborted because of the poor state of the pitch after the facility hosted the 65th Independence Day Celebrations on March 6.
GIK/APA