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We’ll not put students, teachers, non teaching staff at risk -President assures parents
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged parents whose wards are preparing to sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year to remain calm as the students return to school to prepare for the examination.
“I assure all parents and guardians that the government will not put the 750,000 students, teachers and non-teaching staff, who will be returning to school from tomorrow, at risk. We have made all the required provisions to protect them whilst in school,” he said
In a televised address to the nation on measures being taken by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the President said the government has put adequate measures to prevent an outbreak or spread of the pandemic in the schools.
About 532,000 final year Junior High School (JHS) students in 17,439 schools across the country returned to school Monday, June 29, 2020 to prepare to sit for the BECE.
As the country’s COVID-19 case count continues to increase, some parents have expressed concern over the safety of their wards following government’s decision to open schools for BECE candidates to prepare for their exams.
President Akufo-Addo said the government is determined to protect the lives of all students, teachers and other workers who will be going back to school.
In consultation with the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools and Regional and District Directors of Education and Health, he said the government has put in place the relevant measures to safeguard the lives of students and teachers.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that all Junior High Schools across the country have been fumigated and disinfected to ensure the safety of the students, teaching and non-teaching staff
Each basic school has been mapped to a health facility where care will be provided to the sick by nurses assigned to these schools, he said.
The President said 45,000 Veronica buckets, 90,000 gallons of liquid soap, 90,000 rolls of tissue paper, 40,000 thermometer guns, 750,000 pieces of 200 litres of sanitisers, and 2.2 million reusable face masks have been procured and distributed to the 17, 439 schools across the country.
President Akufo-Addo noted that though there are few hitches during the reopening of the universities and senior high schools, he is impressed with the level of compliance to the enhanced hygiene and social distancing protocols by authorities and students in those institutions.
He expressed the government’s determination to ensure the same level of conformity in the Junior High Schools, and noted that all head teachers and their teaching staff will be taken through a COVID-19 sensitisation programme aimed at ensuring that hygiene and safety protocols are clearly spelt and relayed to students accordingly.
“It bears repeating, however, that they must all adhere strictly to enhanced personal hygiene and social distancing protocols, regularly wash their hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands and hugging, and wear masks to protect themselves and others,” he said
Source: Ghanaian Times
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
