Hot!
VP Bawumia launches 100-Day countdown to Accra 2023 African Games
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/unnamed.jpg&description=VP Bawumia launches 100-Day countdown to Accra 2023 African Games', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/unnamed.jpg&description=VP Bawumia launches 100-Day countdown to Accra 2023 African Games', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, launched the 100-day countdown to the 13th African Games, Accra 2023.
Ghana won the bid in 2018 to host the African Games this year, but the Games was rescheduled to March 2024, following unforeseen circumstances, which derailed preparations.
With the government investing so much in developing multi-purpose facilities from scratch in Borteyman, as well as completing the University of Ghana Stadium, renovating hostel facilities for accommodation and building other supporting facilities near the University Stadium, all is now almost set for the Games, with the launch of 100-day countdown go viewed as a significant step.
Speaking at the launch, after inspecting facilities at both Borteyman and the University of Ghana, Dr. Bawumia who was quiet impressed with the facilities, highlighted the significance of hosting the game to Ghana.
“In its 57 years of existence, the African Games has been organized on twelve (12) occasions by nine (9) different countries. Out of the 9 countries, Algeria, Congo Brazzaville, and Nigeria have each organized and hosted the Games on two occasions,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“However, despite having Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana as founding member of the Games, the question is, why has Ghana not hosted the African Games until now? The answer is simple; there is a time for everything; and this is our time. Ghana is now ready, willing, and capable to organize and host Africa in the biggest sporting competition on the Continent.”
“Sports is now more than just a game. In this regard, the hosting of the 13th African Games goes beyond providing a participatory platform for countries to win medals.”
“Ghana is interested in organizing and hosting the African Games because of its wider cultural, social, health and economic outcomes. Indeed, the Games have the capacity to trigger off a wide range of external benefits, including building social capital, stimulating economic development, facilitating employment opportunities, promoting healthy lifestyles and peaceful coexistence.”
Dr. Bawumia added that the African Games is a major avenue to highlight sports as a means to create jobs for the youth of Africa as well as “offer the opportunity to leverage sports as a tool for comprehensive sustainable socio-cultural and economic development.”
“Indeed, our Government sees the development, promotion, and organization of sports, especially the African Games as an investment for the future. The construction of modern sports facilities for the African Games is therefore a deliberate effort towards providing additional Infrastructure to propel Sport for Development,” he noted.
About 5,000 athletes, 3,000 officials and over 30,000 fans are expected in the country for the Games, which will be held between March 8, 2023, and March 23, 2023.
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
