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Panelists decry low advocacy of reliable and affordable energy
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Panelists at a capacity building workshop on the World Bank’s regulatory indicators for sustainable energy(rise) mechanism have decried the low advocacy of reliable and affordable energy.
For them, issues of environmentally sustainable and efficient energy systems for persons living in poverty were key to attaining SDG target 7 which sets out the global goal for universal access to energy services by 2030.
Organised by Alliance of Civil Society Organisation for Clean Energy (ACCESS)Ghana in collaboration with Strategic Youth Network Development (SYND) and Youth-REG, the training brought together CSOs working to deliver universal energy access by advocating at national and regional levels for transparent and inclusive multi-stakeholder participation at all stages of energy processes.
Similarly, to share knowledge and expertise across the membership base of practitioner experience in different regions.
In a presentation, Mr Ezekiel Chineze described the World Bank’s rise mechanism as a set of indicators to help compare national policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable energy.
He said it assessed countries’ policy and regulatory support for each of the four pillars of sustainable energy-access to electricity, access to clean cooking, energy efficiency and renewable energy and has over 30 indicators covering 140 countries and representing over 98 per cent of the world population.
“Each indicator targets an element of the policy important to mobilising investment such as establishing planning processes and institutions, introducing dedicated incentives or support programmes and ensuring financially sound utilities” he stated.
He indicated that it could help national policy makers benchmark the energy sector framework against regional and global peers by classifying countries into green zone of strong performers in the top third of the 0-100 score range, a yellow zone of middle third performers and a red zone of weaker performers in the bottom third.
The pillars under rise he indicated were electricity access, clean cooking, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Comparing Ghana to Senegal and Nigeria he said the over rating in 2022 indicated that Ghana was doing well than both countries in terms of the pillars however asked for more room for improvement.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
