News
Adhere strictly to building regulations – NADMO
This year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has been marked at Ho with a clarion call on property developers to adhere strictly to building regulations.
The event held recently was under the theme: Good Disaster Risk Governance.
The Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Divine Bosson expressed concern over the continuous building of structures in waterways and unapproved locations with impunity by developers, saying that the trend was definitely a recipe for disaster.
He, therefore, called on the District Assemblies to take a firm and an uncompromising stance to reverse the trend before it resulted in a wide scale catastrophe.
Mr Bosson touched on the environment and said that there was still the need to plant more trees in the various communities to serve as windbreaks and also to check erosion in times of severe weather conditions.
The Regional director highlighted the need for a DRR policy to be incorporated into an act of parliament to ensure an appropriate funding for that purpose.
He said that inadequate funding and the lack of modern equipment to support disaster risks management operations were posing serious challenges to NADMO.
Shedding light on the achievements of the organisation in recent times, Mr Bosson said that NADMO had planted more than a 1,000 trees at various locations in the region this year, adding that climate change adaptation and its related issues were key on NADMO’s agenda.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa who graced the occasion also called on the citizenry to demonstrate their sense of nationalism and readily help to prevent disasters.
“For instance, we can grow grass on our lawns and plant trees in the surroundings to check erosion,” he said.
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
