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BOST, COCOBOD close offices to protect workers against COVID-19
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The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have announced the closure of their head offices in Accra, to ensure the safety of their staff against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This was after some staff of the two state owned institutions tested positive of the coronavirus following a mass testing exercise carried out by management.
About 46 out of the 162 members of staff at the Information Technology (IT) department at the head office of BOST at Dzorwulu in the Ayawaso West Municipality, Accra, representing 28.4 per cent have tested positive for the disease.
A statement issued and signed by company’s Corporate Communications Department said “after the mass testing, a number of the staff tested positive and arrangements are being made for their treatment”.
It said this has necessitated the closure of the head office to the public, adding that contact tracing would be carried out on staff who tested positive to start self isolation immediately.
Furthermore, the statement stated that the head office would be fumigated over the period, to ensure the safety of staff was not compromised when work resumed.
“Management would further like to assure the general public that this arrangement will not negatively impact the operations of the company since all staff have the needed facilities and enhancements to work from home within the period,” it said.
Meanwhile a source told the Ghanaian Times that some of the affected staff were working from home as a control measure.
The COCOBOD on its part, will close down its head office for a fumigation exercise from today, July 8, 2020, to Friday, July 10, 2020.
This is after some of its workers tested positive for COVID-19 during a mass testing exercise.
According to a press release from COCOBOD on Monday, July 6, 2020, the closure “has become necessary due to the mass testing the organisation is currently undertaking which has resulted in some staff members testing positive for COVID-19.”
“All necessary arrangements have been made for the affected staff to receive the necessary medical attention and contact tracing is currently ongoing to enforce quarantine and isolation measures,” the statement added.
The COCOBOD has thus urged all individuals and companies with urgent business to contact its online portal.
COCOBOD was the latest workplace to be hit by significant COVID-19 infections.
The government has noted workplaces as contributing to recent surges in COVID-19 cases.
The BOST on Monday closed down its head office at Dzorwulu after 46 employees tested positive for the virus.
At a fish-processing factory in Tema, one worker was believed to have infected 533 other workers at the facility, contributing to the surge in cases in those areas.
The spread of the disease at the factory garnered international attention as it was the largest number of confirmed cases within a single organisation in Ghana.
In Obuasi, a surge in cases in May was traced to a couple doing business in the central market.
The workplace cases compelled the government to outline safety measures to guide institutions in tackling the spread of the virus at their premises.
Ghana’s COVID-19 case count currently stood at 21,968, at the latest count.
BOST, COCOBOD close offices to protect workers against COVID-19
Source: Ghanaian Times
Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has questioned why Ghana continues to import toothpicks despite having the resources to produce them locally.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Iddrisu, who previously served as Minister for Trade and Industry, said he feels ashamed that the country still depends on imports for such a basic product.
“I have been Minister for Trade and Industry before and I carry the shame. How come that in Ghana we cannot produce toothpicks and we have to import them?” he asked.
According to him, Ghana has enough resources to support local businesses to manufacture products such as toothpicks instead of relying on imports. He said the country should encourage private sector investment in manufacturing to create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign goods.
Mr. Iddrisu alleged that some people who received government support under private sector initiatives failed to use the funds for their intended purpose.
“If you want, Honorable Kojo, because you… I can’t go there. There are people who took money in the name of the private sector and said they were going to farm. That money never went to their farms. You know that,” he told Parliament.
On job creation, the Education Minister said he agreed with the views expressed by a colleague on the need to create more employment opportunities. However, he argued that the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme did not provide the solution to Ghana’s employment challenges.
Mr. Iddrisu made the remarks during parliamentary proceedings while contributing to discussions on job creation and the country’s industrial development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications officer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged GH¢55 million case, insisting that no such issue was raised during his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In a Facebook post after his release from EOCO custody, Mr Aboagye stated that at no point during his detention was he questioned about any GH¢55 million.
“For the records: There was no discussion of any GH¢55 million with me by EOCO. None,” he wrote.
According to him, he was detained for four days, a day after announcing his intention to contest for the position of National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party.
Mr Aboagye alleged that false narratives were circulated about his arrest but expressed confidence that the truth would eventually prevail.
He thanked NPP supporters who demonstrated and called for his release, saying news of the protests reached him while he was in detention and encouraged him.
Mr Aboagye indicated that the support shown by party faithful strengthened his resolve and reaffirmed his commitment to serve the NPP.
He maintained that his detention had not discouraged him from pursuing his political ambition.
“If the intention was to break me, it has failed. If the intention was to scare me, it has failed spectacularly,” he stated.
Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to his legal team, the leadership of the NPP and all supporters who stood by him throughout his detention.
He reiterated his determination to lead the party’s Communications Directorate, declaring that he remained “ready to win” and committed to what he described as the party’s mission to “command the narrative.”
By: Jacob Aggrey
