News
KAAG embarks on cleanup exercise in Accra
The KOICA Alumni Association of Ghana (KAAG), last Saturday embarked on a massive cleanup exercise at the Vienna City Beach in Accra.
The five-hour cleanup exercise was part of the Association’s initiative of raising awareness on the need to keep the country’s beaches and oceans clean, for relaxation and pleasure.
The Association rid the beach of debris to mitigate the problem caused by ocean debris and the danger that plastic pollution poses to marine life.
The President of KAAG, Madam Lovia Afoakwa said the exercise was to ensure the ocean becomes clean to make it easier for fishers to make a living.
“This beach cleaning exercise is aligned to the Government of Ghana’s desire to conserve our water bodies as was emphasized at the recently held national blue economy summit, and also in our small way, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals especially goals 6, 13, 14, and 15.
Interestingly, around the time Ghana held its first blue economic summit, Korea also held its first international cooperation conference on oceans and fisheries. So we continue to have things in common” she said.
Madam Afoakwa said cleaning the beaches was not a one-man responsibility but a task for all and sundry to embark on a similar initiative in promoting a clean environment.
She urged the public to stop littering, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the ocean and open spaces, and appealed to all residents and corporate institutions to keep their surroundings clean at all times to prevent environmental pollution.
The Country Director for Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Mr Seungmin applauded the Association for embarking on such an initiative, and said, KOICA was also committed and working with Civil Society Organisations in promoting good sanitation practice
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, is appealing to the public to help trace the relatives or next of kin of Apia Solomon, a Ghanaian national believed to be from Osu, Accra.
According to a public announcement by the High Commission, Mr. Solomon, born on March 6, 1960, in Accra, died on July 5, 2021, from cardiopulmonary failure.
He worked as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria. His remains are currently being kept at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital morgue in Abuja, pending burial arrangements.
The High Commission says efforts to locate his relatives have so far been unsuccessful and is urging anyone with information about his family, friends or next of kin to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Ghana High Commission in Abuja.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has blamed what he describes as flawed recruitment and incomplete background checks for some of the problems facing the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
He has called on the leadership of the BNI to review the backgrounds of officers recruited during specific periods, particularly those who entered the agency under recent recruitment processes.
Speaking on the issue on TV3 yesterday, Mr Kumadoe alleged that some individuals were recruited into the intelligence agency without proper background checks and completed vetting.
“Certain categories of persons were dumped into the BNI, whose backgrounds were not checked, and whose vettings were not completed,” he stated.
He said some of the officers linked to the concerns appeared to have been recruited within the same period, making it necessary for the agency to examine the recruitment records and backgrounds of those who joined during that time.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the problems could be addressed by ensuring that recruitment procedures were properly followed and that all applicants underwent the required checks before being employed.
According to him, when the selection process is flawed, it can lead to problems within the institution.
He blamed the politicisation of security institutions, arguing that appointing people without the necessary intelligence experience and allowing political interests to influence recruitment could undermine their operations.
“When you have a selection procedure that was flawed because you politicised the place, brought in people to come and head the place when they have no business being there, they don’t know anything about being a BNI officer, they are not intelligence officers, and you flood the place with politicians and political artists, then you circumvent the standard procedure and you are going to have some of these problems,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe, however, defended the current leadership of the BNI, arguing that efforts to address longstanding problems within security institutions could bring such issues to light.
He said the leadership should be assessed in the context of the steps it is taking to improve the agency’s operations and uphold professional standards.
Drawing on his own experience in the intelligence field, he said the opportunity to serve under experienced officers had helped him develop the skills and integrity needed to contribute to national security.
By: Jacob Aggrey
