News
90 complete LaDMA’s skills training programme
About 90 residents from the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) have graduated from a skills training programme in facial, interior and exterior decorations and catering.
The programme was aimed at equipping beneficiaries with the requisite knowledge and skills to be gainfully employed and be self-reliant.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of LaDMA, Solomon Kotey Nikoi, said entrepreneurship or vocational training were on the ascendancy worldwide and Ghana in general and LaDMA in particular cannot be left out in the quest to make the youth more resourceful.
Mr Nikoi said the assembly’s role in development is not only in investing in physical infrastructure but also to develop human resource by providing the youth with skills and jobs to contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.
“The work of the assembly is not to provide infrastructure development alone in terms of schools, roads, hospitals and others but also to support the people living in the community in terms of training and financial support to upgrade and add value to themselves to enhance their productivity,” he said.
The MCE hinted that the assembly had arranged with some institutions to engage the beneficiaries in their various fields for on-the-job training for three months after which dedicated ones would be employed.
He indicated that beneficiaries who obtained the National Vocational Institute Technology (NVTI) certificate can enroll to undertake the proficiency exams at will.
Mr Nikoi tasked the beneficiaries to exhibits high professionalism in the discharge of their duties for customers to appreciate their services and also be good mentors.
According to the MCE, the assembly will enroll for the next session soon and urged those interested to contact the assembly for registration at no cost.
Marima Sabatu and Michael Abbor, beneficiaries of the programme, said the training has become very beneficial for them and have started doing side jobs at home although they were still learning.
The beneficiaries were presented with start-up packs to set them up in their chosen fields and certificates after completing the 12-week intensive skills training with support from the assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF).
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened applications for members interested in contesting as its parliamentary candidates in the 2028 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the party said interested members must declare their intention to contest between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
According to the statement signed by the party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, prospective candidates must complete an online form within the specified period.
The party said a non-refundable application fee of GH¢5,000 would be charged to each prospective candidate.
It added that all applicants would undergo vetting and screening to determine their eligibility to contest on the party’s ticket.
The NPP announced plans to organise capacity-building workshops for prospective candidates in December 2026. The workshops will be held across the Northern, Middle and Southern zones, with details of the venues to be announced later.
The party stressed that the guidelines would apply to all prospective candidates, including sitting NPP Members of Parliament who wish to contest again.
It further warned aspirants against starting campaign activities following the opening of the application process.
According to the statement, the existing directive prohibiting campaign activities remains in force until the party gives official clearance.
It cautioned that anyone who violates the directive would face appropriate sanctions under the party’s constitution and regulations.
The NPP said the process was designed to promote fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all aspirants as it prepares to select candidates for all 276 constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections.
It urged prospective candidates to follow the guidelines and conduct themselves with discipline and respect for one another throughout the process.
The party said its broader objective was to strengthen unity within its ranks and rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
eputy Foreign Minister accompanies Veep to Shanghai to champion Global South reform, industrial drive
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, accompanied Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on a successful working visit to Shanghai, China, from 15th to 19th October 2026, at the invitation of the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The highlight of the visit was the 2026 Global South Academic Forum held on 17th October, which brought together over 200 scholars, policymakers, political party leaders and media professionals from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asserted that political independence is only truly the beginning, stating that “winning political power and governing effectively are related but not the same responsibility.” She called for stronger South-South cooperation, multilateralism and reform of the global financial architecture to end debt traps, ensure fair risk assessments and promote climate policies that respect different national circumstances.
On 18th October, she addressed a business forum with Chinese investors, linking Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy policy to industrialization. Warning that training youth without factories creates unemployment, she appealed for factories to be established in Ghana to serve the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market, with priority on value addition in cocoa processing, shea butter, cashew, coconut and timber.
On October 19, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, hosted a dinner at the Shangri-La for the Vice-President, attended by members of the Ghanaian community and business leaders, who praised the thorough preparation by the Ghana Embassy staff for the visit.
Throughout the trip, Mr. Quayson coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to align the engagements with Ghana’s jobs and transformation agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
