News
Manye Dugbakuwor Foundation, youth organise beach cleanup exercise
Some youth in action at the cleanup exercise.
The Manye Dugbakuwor Foundation in conjunction with Rock Empire Consultancy and Ecozoil Limited, together with some youth have embarked on a beach clean-up exercise at New Ningo in the Greater Accra region.
Under the auspices of Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen of Great Ningo traditional area, the foundation, which was founded by the queen, led the beach clean-up exercise and a campaign to educate on the importance of maintaining cleanliness at the beach to protect the sea.
Speaking to The Spectator, the queen said the clean-up was an exercise to herald the World Clean-up Day to improve beach sanity in New Ningo.
She said it was important for her to join forces with the United States Sustainable Development Goal 14 that emphasises protecting the sea.
“The SDG 14, which seeks to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, is a crucial part of aqua life for mankind’s survival”, she reiterated.
She said the clean-up exercise would help in reducing marine pollution and contribute to the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II urged the youth and community members present to constantly preach the virtue of cleaning the beaches at New Ningo to improve sanitation along the shores.
That, she said, would protect marine life to have a positive spillover effect on human life.
Commending the partners, she pledged to continually embark on more projects in the New Ningo traditional area.
Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II and the team planted coconut trees at the beach as a way of protecting marine life and the ecosystem.
By Alfred Ankrah
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
