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Ambassador Alima Mahama visits Ghana C’nity Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama, on Sunday, October 24, 2021, worshiped with the Ghana Community Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States of America.
As part of her commitment to community engagement, she used that as an opportunity to introduce herself to the Ghanaian community as the new representative of the Government of Ghana.
to the glory of God
Nana Kofi Boateng (left), Chief of Bogyawe near Ashanti
Bekwai and Nana Obuor Gyau, Adumhene of Bechem
as Rev. Father Anthony Appiah
(inset) leads them in prayer
a photograph with her staff and
some church members
Otafrebuo Nana Kofi Boateng; Nana Obuor Gyau and Kwaku Manu, Mmranteehene of Washington DC Metro
president, welcoming Ambassador
Alima Mahama on her arrival
attentively to the sermon
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama expressed her appreciation to the various organised groups who had paid courtesy calls on her to welcome her to office.
She implored the congregation, during her address, to be law abiding citizens of the United States and encouraged Ghanaians to register with the embassy in order to be documented as people from Ghana.
The Ambassador spoke about the efforts being made to continuously improve consular services at the embassy, and proudly mentioned that the turnaround time for visa and passport acquisition, which had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, had been tremendously improved.
She, however, stated that consular services were currently online and assured the congregation that a clear line of communication had been opened between the embassy and the Ghanaian Community, as such they should make it a point to patronise events at the Ghana Embassy when invited.
Her Excellency Hajia Mahama further spoke about investment opportunities available in Ghana and called on all Ghanaians in the United States as well as business partners to explore such opportunities by bringing investors to Ghana.
She was accompanied on the visit by Mrs. Ninnette Danquah-Ivo, the Minister- Counsellor for Diaspora Affairs and Mrs. Cynthia Djokoto, the Minister- Counsellor in charge of Trade.
Rev. Father Anthony Appiah, the Resident Minister, offered prayers for the Ambassador and her staff and asked the congregation to support her endeavours to enable her make an impact on her duty tour.
Mr. Julius Caesar, the Church President, also introduced the leadership of the Church to the Ambassador and expressed his appreciation to her for her visit.
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama, the first female Ambassador of Ghana to the United States, has made a firm commitment to engage all Ghanaians regardless of political and religious affiliation or social class.
She has pledged to be a mother to all.
From George Kwasi Bright, Alexandra, Virginia, USA
News
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Addresses Parliament.
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur has disclosed that in 2021, Ghana was issued a yellow card by the European Union after being identified as a non-compliant third country in the fight against illegal fishing activities.
According to the Minister, the government, through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, has engaged the European Union(EU) through the Ghana European Union dialogue, to address the concerns raised by the European Union(EU).
The engagement included the implementation of an action plan, periodic update report and validation exercises.
“We are happy to report that Ghana has made significant progress in resolving key concerns, primarily related to lapses in the regulatory framework, fisheries enforcement, and traceability,” she stated.
Also, she emphasized that a review of pending actions indicates that the enactment of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Bill, along with its accompanying regulations, remains critical to enhancing fisheries governance in Ghana.
She further informed the House that the Ministry has already submitted the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Bill, 2025, to the House.
The bill was later referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Cocoa Affairs for consideration.
The Minister made this statement in response to a question posed by Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Seth Osei-Akoto, regarding the immediate measures the ministry is implementing to sanitize Ghana’s fishing sector in the light of the European Union’s warning that Ghana could face a potential red card.
News
Gender Minister assesses leap cash grand payment
The Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has undertaken a monitoring visit to payment centers in the Greater Accra Region to observe the ongoing disbursement of cash grants under the 96th cycle of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.
Her visit underscores the Ministry’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and the effective delivery of social protection interventions.
A total of 269 beneficiaries from communities such as Gbawe, Mandela, New Weija, Tetegu, Weija Leprosarium, Weija, and Wiaboman converged at the Weija Leprosarium to access their LEAP cash grants.
This monitoring exercise aligns with the Minister’s pledge to oversee the nationwide disbursement of the 96th LEAP payment cycle.
During her visit, she interacted with both beneficiaries and payment agents to assess the efficiency of the process and address any emerging challenges.
Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey announced that the Government, through the Ministry, has commenced the indexation of the LEAP cash grant against inflation—a policy reform aimed at preserving the real value of the grant and cushioning poor households against economic shocks.
The revised LEAP grant amounts are as follows:
One-member household: increased from GH₵256 to GH₵320.00
Two-member household: increased from GH₵304 to GH₵380.00
Three-member household: increased from GH₵352 to GH₵440.00
Four or more-member household: increased from GH₵424 to GH₵530.00
Addressing the media, the Minister reiterated that the LEAP Programme provides vital financial support to extremely poor households with vulnerable individuals—including orphans and vulnerable children, persons with severe disabilities, elderly individuals aged 65 and above, as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers with infants under one year.
She emphasized that the Government of H.E. John Dramani Mahama is determined to reduce the cost of living by making the right and appropriate decisions to stimulate economic growth and development for all.
“The Government is taking measures to enhance the real value of the LEAP cash grant and its impact on key development indicators such as nutrition, health, schooling, productive investment, and social inclusion,” she stated.
The Minister encouraged beneficiaries to prioritize critical needs such as household nutrition, children’s education, and income-generating activities. While LEAP offers short-term financial relief, she urged them to also work toward long-term financial stability.
Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening social protection interventions, the Minister highlighted the ongoing efforts to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable households across the country.
The LEAP Programme, a flagship initiative under the Ministry, provides bi-monthly cash grants to extremely poor households to support their essential needs. The ongoing 96th payment cycle aims to reach thousands of beneficiaries nationwide.
The Minister’s monitoring visit forms part of a nationwide exercise to ensure all eligible beneficiaries receive their cash grants in a timely and efficient manner.
