News
Ghana’s journeying through COVID-19.
Coronavirus started in some parts of China in a town called Wuhan who are into farm animal marketing.
The virus was first identified in early December 2019. Coronavirus is a large group of viruses that are common among animals and it is formed in a genetic material which has enveloped protein spires around it.
In the haste of events, countries such as Spain, USA and Italy, immediately evacuated their citizens from China, an action which later accounted for to the wide spread of the virus in such countries.
Moreover, when these foreign countries hurriedly went for their citizens in China, they did not put any precautionary measures in place to check if those citizens had contracted the virus or not which led to escalation of the virus spread.
But in Ghana, the President together with the Chief of Staff placed a temporarily ban on all government officials travelling outside the country.
Some few days later Ghana recorded its first case on March 12, 2019.
Surprisingly, the day after the President had announced the closure of the country’s borders, many travellers entered Ghana and since the authorities could not send them back to wherever they came from, they rather placed them under quarantine to reduce the spread of the virus.
The government therefore established isolation centres to quarantine these travellers. They were not just left at the isolation centres but were given good health care. With regards to those who came before the closure, the authorities placed an extensive measure to trace people who came into contact with persons who had tested positive.
Looking at the media’s role in this pandemic, there is an increase in surveillance on how Ghanaians would adhere to protocols from authorities.
Although some media houses are not providing the breakdown of the active cases, recovery cases and death cases to Ghanaians to know how measures are helping the country, media houses, traditional rulers and politicians are educating Ghanaians on the implications that will come if protocols from authorities are not adhered to.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) called upon the government to declare a nationwide lockdown to reduce community spread which some Ghanaians did not seem to appreciate because, poor people needed to work in order to provide shelter for themselves and family members as well.
The GMA was able to back their demand based on science, which made the President to declare the partial lockdown in certain parts of Ghana (Greater Accra, Kasoa, and Greater Kumasi).
In Ghana’s handling of the COVID-19, the President called on the nation to fast and seek divine intervention concerning the virus for the country.
Various opinion leaders also gave their views on how the pandemic could be contained. It is worthy of note that, during the partial lockdown several organisations and individuals came together to provide shelter for the vulnerable people in our society to curb the spread.
When we look at some of the policies of the government during this era, there is provisions of free usage of water, and of 50 per cent reduction in cost of electricity as well as increasing the salaries of health workers to help Ghanaians.
Government later issued a policy that all Ghanaians should wear nose masks to help curb the spread of the virus. It is now an offence not to wear nose mask. However, some Ghanaians don’t seem to appreciate this because it is new and would take some time to adjust.
In conclusion, even though some citizens are politicising the pandemic and do not appreciate what is being done by the government, the more we are able to detect the inffected persons the more we are able to handle the virus in the country.
Helena Decker Arthur
Level 300 Student,
Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
About 200 company secretaries, governance professionals and institutional leaders will gather in Accra for the ‘Company Secretaries Summit’ next month.
It is aimed at strengthening governance practices and enhance boardroom effectiveness across the country.
The summit, which is scheduled for July 16 at the Labadi Beach Hotel seeks to equip governance professionals with the knowledge, skills, and networks required to navigate the increasingly complex demands of modern corporate leadership.
It will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions focusing on emerging governance trends, boardroom dynamics, regulatory compliance, digital transformation, and stakeholder expectations.
According to the convener, Catherine Engmann, the summit comes at a critical time when governance professionals are under growing pressure to support sound decision-making, strengthen governance culture, and respond effectively to changing institutional and regulatory environments.
“This gathering is not just another conference. It is a platform for governance leaders who are already operating at the highest level and intend to stay there,” she said.
She noted that the programme was designed to provide participants with practical tools, fresh insights, and valuable professional connections.
According to Ms Engmann, a major highlight of the event will be the awards ceremony, which will recognise individuals and organisations that have demonstrated excellence in governance practice and made significant contributions to improving board effectiveness and corporate accountability.
She mentioned that the summit will also offer participants an opportunity to benchmark their practices against industry standards, exchange ideas with peers, and explore innovative approaches to governance challenges.
Beyond the formal sessions, the event is expected to foster networking and collaboration among governance professionals, helping to strengthen governance practices across Ghana’s corporate and institutional landscape.
Speaking about the vision behind the initiative, Ms Engmann, said the summit was inspired by the need to create a dedicated platform that recognises the critical role played by company secretaries and governance professionals.
According to her, the Company Secretaries’ Summit and Awards reflects her conviction that Ghana’s governance professionals deserve an annual platform where they can engage in meaningful discussions, build strategic relationships, and receive recognition for their contributions to effective governance.
Registration for the summit, she said was currently open, with interested professionals encouraged to secure their participation ahead of the event.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
-1 cup dried soya beans
-4–5 cups for water (for blending)
-Extra water for soaking
-Sugar, honey or dates (optional, for sweetness)
-Vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation
-Pick through the beans to remove stones or damaged seeds and rinse thoroughly
-Place them in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least eight hours or overnight to soften it to blend easier
– After soaking, rub the beans with your hands as the skin begins to remove
– Removing the skins helps reduce the ‘beany’ taste and improves texture
– Put the soaked beans into a blender with 4–5 cups of clean water
-Blend until smooth and milky. (You may need to do this in batches depending on your blender size).
– Using a clean muslin cloth or fine sieve, strain the blended mixture into a pot. (Squeeze well to extract as much liquid as possible).
-The leftover pulp is called okara. Don’t throw it away — it can be used in baking, porridge, or even added to stews.
– Place the strained milk on medium heat and make it boil. Stir continuously to prevent burning or overflowing.
– Allow it to boil for at least 20–25 minutes. Proper boiling removes the raw taste and neutralises natural compounds that can upset the stomach.
-Once boiled a little sugar or honey. Pulse.gh
Health benefits of Soya beans
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