News
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah questions delay in implementing 24-Hour Economy Programme
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has criticised the government over what he describes as the slow implementation of its flagship 24-Hour Economy Programme.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah argued that nearly two years after the government assumed office, there is little evidence that the programme is being implemented as promised.
According to him, Parliament has approved about GH¢650 billion for government expenditure over the past two years, yet no government agency has adopted the programme’s proposed “one job, three people, three shifts” model.
“The promise of the 24-hour economy was clear: one job, three people, three shifts,” he stated.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah maintained that the absence of any public institution operating under the model raises concerns about the programme’s progress.
He argued that the situation suggests the initiative has not delivered on the expectations created before the government took office.
The ranking member also questioned the government’s priorities, claiming that other matters had received greater attention while policies needed to support the 24-Hour Economy Programme remain outstanding.
According to him, government officials informed Parliament during committee meetings that incentives required to encourage private sector participation in the programme are still being developed.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah urged the government to expedite work on those incentives if it intends to make the 24-Hour Economy Programme operational.
He stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on measures that enable businesses and institutions to operate around the clock and create the jobs promised under the policy.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has joined the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, the Ghanaian community in the UK, and other dignitaries for a memorial service in Southwark, UK.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the service as deeply moving and unforgettable, held in honour of the late professor’s memory.
According to him, in keeping with the government’s pledge, he joined the family, Ghana’s High Commissioner to London, British MPs, Ministers, the Mayor of London, Cambridge scholars, Prof. Arday’s students and loved ones to pay respects and honour his inspiring legacy.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Prof. Arday’s accomplishments as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge and his widely appreciated charitable contributions will continue to inspire generations.
“The Government and People of Ghana will continue to stand by our compatriots everywhere they are in the world. As we do so, we profess our commitment to justice, equality and the creation of a new world,” he said.
He prayed for fortitude for the family in what he described as an extraordinarily difficult time.
“We shall always remember Prof. Arday for his response when asked what he will wish to do to change the world: ‘I would take a thread and a needle, and I’d interweave love into our society’,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
