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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hello, good morning. Welcome to
00:03 DATSQUARE. We're on DTT because
00:07 we're free to wear on DSTV channel 421 and GO TV channel
00:11 125. Coming up this morning, over $1 million stolen from
00:15 Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapa's home in Abilinque.
00:21 Also on the NPP presidential race, we'll take you to the OT
00:27 where Chairman Ting engages some party delegates on his bid to
00:31 lead the party in 2024. And also what role have morales and
00:37 ethical values got to play in maintaining a peaceful environment?
00:41 We'll find out from conveners of the maiden edition of the
00:45 Uthman Convention which will be attracting international Islamic
00:51 scholars to Ghana over this weekend. We have details plus
00:55 business coming up shortly. Please stay for details.
01:21 Two househelds of Cecilia Dapa and her husband Daniel Oseku
01:25 are before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing
01:29 monies and items running into millions of Ghana citizens.
01:33 The said monies were allegedly stolen from the couple's room
01:37 in their house at Abilinque, a suburb of Accra in the greater
01:41 Accra region. 18-year-old Patience Buche and 30-year-old
01:45 Sarah Ejei allegedly stole the monies and personal effects of
01:49 the couple between the month of July and October 2022.
01:53 The first accused, Patience, also has her current and former
01:57 boyfriends as well as her father all being drugged before the
02:01 same court. Patience and Sarah are charged with one count of
02:07 conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing
02:11 one million US dollars, 300,000 euros and millions of Ghana
02:18 cities. Within the same period, Patience and Sarah allegedly
02:22 stole personal effects of Madame Cecilia Abinadapa, which
02:26 included assorted clothes valued at 95,000, handbags and
02:31 perfumes. The rest are jewellery valued at 95,000 US dollars
02:36 from Cecilia Abinadapa. However, Patience alone, within the
02:41 same period, stole six pieces of kente cloth worth 90,000
02:45 cedis and six sets of men's suits valued at 3,000 dollars,
02:50 which are properties of the minister's husband. Benjamin,
02:55 29 years old, a plumber, has been charged for dishonestly
02:59 receiving 180,000 cedis. Kwaku Bote, 65 years, a trader, also
03:06 dishonestly receiving 50,000 cedis. And Malik Dauda,
03:11 unemployed, also dishonestly receiving one million cedis.
03:16 Flag bearer hopeful Alan Kwadwo Tremantine has been touring
03:25 the O2 region to share his vision with delegates on the need
03:28 to endorse him to become the party's flag bearer for the
03:32 2024 elections. Mr Tremantine says he's the only aspirant
03:36 among the ten with a national appeal to help the NPP break
03:40 the AIDS. He met delegates from all nine constituencies on a
03:43 cluster basis. Peter Seno has been following his campaign in
03:47 that region and has come through with this report.
03:50 Alan Kwadwo Tremantine, one of the leading flag bearer
03:53 aspirants of the New Patriotic Party, was in the O2 region to
03:57 meet delegates from all nine constituencies to share his
04:00 visions with them as to why they need to endorse his
04:03 candidature to lead the party into the 2024 general elections.
04:07 Sharing his view on why delegates should endorse his
04:10 candidature, he says he's the only candidate with a national
04:14 appeal that will attract floating voters to the party. He
04:18 also said he will put all party executives on a payroll such
04:23 that they can earn some income for their sacrifices.
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04:58 Some delegates have also been sharing their views on exactly
05:01 why they are endorsing the candidature of Alan Kwadwo
05:04 Tremantine.
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08:01 - This equal number of parliament
08:04 has brought the worst in MPs.
08:07 I've repeated it, I'll repeat it again.
08:10 This parliament, eighth parliament,
08:13 has made the least number of laws.
08:18 We have not cooperated as we did in the past.
08:25 - The deputy speaker also says the leadership
08:27 on both sides have lost control of the house
08:29 to the back benches.
08:31 - Today, young people are in control.
08:35 They look at things differently from the rest of us.
08:39 So it is good for them,
08:42 even when their leaders agree to do it,
08:44 check out, there's always people from the back bench
08:48 who come to raise these issues, not the leaders.
08:51 What it means is that indeed, at this time,
08:54 in the parliament of Ghana, leaders don't have control.
08:57 The back bench have control.
08:59 So the number of back bench
09:01 and the orientation of back bench you bring in
09:04 will determine what you get.
09:07 - The whole of this week,
09:08 parliament has only considered questions and statements,
09:11 failing to deal with bills and other weighty matters.
09:14 The minority strategy is now to raise quorum issues every time.
09:18 The minority chief whip says cooperation will suffer
09:21 if their colleagues are still persecuted.
09:23 - We still remain committed to our statement
09:28 that in light of this persecution,
09:31 no cooperation from us.
09:32 - Trade and industry minister KT Hamon is concerned
09:35 that if this trend continues,
09:37 no key business will be done in parliament.
09:39 - And they have explained to us
09:41 as part of the leadership of the house,
09:44 because you take it to logical conclusion,
09:47 we can't do anything on the floor,
09:49 we can't do any business.
09:50 The standing orders are clear,
09:53 constitution pretty clear,
09:54 supreme court did explain.
09:56 We have a quorum for doing ordinary business of the house.
10:00 We have a quorum for taking decisions.
10:02 - Minority MP Ibrahim Mutala Mohammed said his side
10:05 is only enforcing the constitution
10:07 and the standing orders of the house.
10:09 - Business of the house is guided
10:12 by two very important things.
10:15 One, the constitution,
10:16 two, the standing orders.
10:18 Both the constitution and the standing orders are very clear
10:22 that before a decision is taken,
10:25 you should have a specific number.
10:28 And if you are aware, the supreme court itself ruled
10:31 when we had the same challenges
10:34 in the matter of the approval of the budget.
10:37 - Reporting for JOYNEWS, Kikwa Sante,
10:39 Parliament House, Accra.
10:41 - The Buhi Power Authority has contributed
10:46 to ensuring proper sanitation practices
10:49 to help curb the outbreak of communicable diseases
10:52 in Chiaveme, in the Ketu North municipality
10:55 of the Volta region.
10:56 The power producing company,
10:58 through its corporate social responsibility,
11:00 constructed a mechanized borehole
11:02 and a modern sanitary facility for the community.
11:05 This is geared towards ending opendification
11:08 in the community to help Ghana attain
11:10 sustainable development goal six.
11:15 Chiaveme is a farming community located
11:17 along the Hoden road in the Ketu North municipality
11:20 of the Volta region.
11:21 Only few households in the community,
11:24 which has a population of about 1,200,
11:27 has sanitary facilities,
11:28 while the only public piss latrine is no more safe for use.
11:32 Some residents were compelled to use
11:34 the community basic school's toilet,
11:36 while majority of them engaged in bad sanitation practices.
11:40 Chiaveme also lacks access to potable water.
11:44 Residents rely on water from this dam and the rains.
11:48 Yeah, we have a very poor sanitation conditions over here.
11:53 At Chiaveme, honestly we don't have a decent public toilets.
11:59 The one we have was the old one, the piss latrine,
12:02 which is almost not usable.
12:05 So the sanitation condition is very poor.
12:09 We don't have potable drinking water.
12:11 We used to drink water from, we have a dam,
12:15 a few miles from here.
12:17 That is where we drink.
12:19 Even we have a few both holes in the community,
12:22 but they are salty, so we don't normally drink them.
12:25 So we drink from a dam.
12:28 Using water from the dam coupled with opentification
12:31 contributed to frequent outbreaks of communicable diseases.
12:35 Even household toilets are not used many.
12:38 When you go around, only few houses,
12:41 out of ten houses you only get one household toilet.
12:44 There is cleaning we did for the vendors this year.
12:48 The tar fire rate has increased in these communities
12:53 because they don't have a place of convenience.
12:55 Learning of the plight of the community,
12:58 the Buyi Power Authority channeled 650,000 Ghana cities
13:02 towards the construction of a modern sanitary facility
13:05 and a mechanized borehole to serve the community.
13:08 The Chief Executive Officer of Buiyi Power Authority,
13:11 Samuel Kofi Jameshi, said his outfit aims to contribute
13:15 to improve sanitation across the country
13:18 as part of its corporate social responsibility.
13:21 We are also interested in ensuring sanitation
13:25 in various areas of this country.
13:28 This is not the only place, but of course for Vuta region,
13:32 this is the first place we've come to.
13:34 Buyi Power is in Banda, in Savannah region.
13:37 We are also in the Western region
13:41 where all the three rivers are supposed to be managed by us
13:45 and also other parts of this country.
13:48 We hope that we continue to do more for the people
13:52 in order that their social lives will be better than before.
13:57 The resident of Chiaveme lauded Buyi Power Authority
14:01 for the initiative and promised to ensure proper maintenance
14:04 of the facility.
14:07 Fred Kwame Asai, Joy News, Chiaveme.
14:10 42-year-old John Dima left his job
14:19 at the National Health Insurance Authority and went into farming.
14:23 He initially had some challenges raising capital
14:26 and also getting machinery for his newfound job
14:29 that he has passion for.
14:31 After almost 14 years into farming, John Dima,
14:34 who is a reigning Upper West Regional Best Farmer,
14:38 tells his success story to Joy News' Upper West Regional correspondent,
14:42 Rafiq Salam.
14:45 John Dima, after acquiring a first degree in management studies
14:49 at the Kumasi University College of Management Studies,
14:52 UCOMS, that enabled him to acquire a white-collar job
14:56 at the National Health Insurance Authority in Chiaveme,
15:00 went into small-scale farming some 14 years ago.
15:04 I also think it's an opportunity to explore nature
15:09 and the land is there.
15:12 You don't need to pay for lands and those things.
15:15 He has passion for farming and saw his entry into the sector
15:19 as a calling, thus explaining why he cut short his stint at the NHIA.
15:25 I was actually working with National Health Insurance at Neduli.
15:29 I worked there for two years.
15:32 I just had to take advantage.
15:35 So when I was resigning, I could remember the then manager called Jivis Dakwa.
15:41 He encouraged me to remain, but I said, "Well, I have received a calling."
15:47 And I just decided that I have to come and fulfill that calling.
15:51 He has no regrets for taking that decision.
15:54 John Dema is now a commercial farmer and now chief executive officer
15:59 of the Gohebele Agric and Business Ventures and has employed dozens of people.
16:04 I have been able to employ a permanent staff of 16 permanent workers
16:10 who are paid on a monthly basis.
16:13 We have casual workers that we handle over here on a busy day like today
16:19 that we are standing. We bring no less than 100 people.
16:24 They work per day and they are all paid.
16:26 So when I see that I've been able to solve someone's problem through agriculture,
16:32 it's a lot of motivation to me.
16:35 He spoke of the initial challenges that he had, which nearly calmed him down.
16:40 When I went into agric, how to even prepare land was a very difficult issue.
16:47 Getting tractors, machineries, you have to just do it by yourself.
16:53 There is no government policy as of then that will be able to soften the situation
16:59 for you to get equipment and other things.
17:01 Now as we speak, you have a lot of marketing challenges.
17:06 You have gone through all these things. You produce how to market them.
17:10 The market is not structured and all those things.
17:13 They are all challenges.
17:15 One company that came in handy and he leaned on and which has peddled him to success
17:21 was the export trading group ETG.
17:24 John Ayanore Adoku is a sales agronomist.
17:28 We've been working with him for the past five years.
17:30 He has been using the FALCOM fertilizer for his first application.
17:34 Sometimes he comes for the FALCOM urea and sulfate for his top dressing.
17:38 As you can see, the evidence are clear on his field.
17:41 You can see the progress of the field.
17:43 You can see that FALCOM fertilizer and ETG agri-input is a trusted brand.
17:47 Nguyebado Akwe Kenneth, who serves as the Fosol Presence Manager and agronomist,
17:54 he has a reliable partner. He can go home sleeping with both eyes closed.
17:59 We are doing 1,000 acres here.
18:02 We have 300 acres of beans to air beans and then 700 bean maize.
18:07 We also run what we call an agro-wesking where we outsource the inputs to farmers
18:13 who have their own lands and cannot afford the inputs.
18:16 So we are able to support them with the input like certified seed, fertilizer,
18:20 and then plant protection products to be able to farm on their own fields.
18:24 And then they repay the cost back in grains.
18:27 Nguyebado enumerated some challenges they are encountering apart from the erratic rainfall pattern
18:33 in the northern Gulf of the country which often leads to low production and harvest losses.
18:40 We are most affected because where our fields are, we need to cut a lot of inputs to the field,
18:46 especially our fertilizer. And these are heavy inputs.
18:50 It is not easy to carry them on tricycles that are able to maneuver the small, small roads and byroads that are here.
18:55 We need heavy trucks to be able to move them.
18:57 But the poor nature of the road hinders our movement of inputs even to the field.
19:01 Now when the produce, I also really have to move them out of the field to the store centers
19:07 where we can now hold to buyers. It's a very big challenge.
19:12 Look at the major roads from work to this place, for instance.
19:17 It's highly immutable. Then just put that and imagine the interland roads that we are leading to villages
19:23 and other places that we operate. It's a very huge issue.
19:26 Despite the challenges, the narrative has since changed for the 42-year-old father of three.
19:33 And he has bagged several awards, including being the reigning best farmer in the Upper West Region.
19:39 John Dema averts that policies by government are well-intentioned, but only fails because
19:46 the main beneficiaries are not consulted in the planning stages.
19:50 We want the government to have a critical look to separate real farmers from what he called political farmers.
19:57 Any policies that government will want to implement in this country, they should make sure that the actual farmers,
20:04 I call this deliberate as an actual farmer.
20:07 Well, we have a lot of political farmers in this country, which is not helping us.
20:12 So if the actual farmers are involved in the designing stage,
20:17 definitely the success of implementation will be high.
20:20 He started with just three acres, and today he can boost a thousand acres,
20:26 700 for maize, 300 for soybean.
20:30 Don't despise small beginnings.
20:33 Reporting for Dwayne News, Rafik Salaam, JVC.
20:42 I'm back in Accra in the studio here.
20:45 My name is Aisha Ibrahim.
20:46 Now piloting of Tap and Go, a wholly owned Ghanaian ride-hailing app that seeks to transform the informal transportation sector
20:54 in the country is set to commence on the University of Ghana campus here in Accra.
20:59 Boasting more than 5,000 active users, the app's developers are collaborating with university authorities
21:06 and local taxi driver unions to pilot this innovation within the university community, further enhancing its efficiency.
21:14 This exciting update was revealed during a stakeholder forum at the University of Ghana in Accra.
21:20 There's more in this report.
21:22 Ahead of the commencement of the pilot, university officials and drivers union leaders were given a thorough presentation
21:32 on the features of the Tap and Go, a homegrown app designed to standardize transportation fares,
21:40 ensure security, and create sustainable job opportunities for informal sector drivers in the country.
21:48 Already in pilot at the University of Cape Coast and the University of Health and Allied Sciences,
21:55 as well as the Metro Mass Transport and VIP transport, the app has garnered over 5,000 active users.
22:03 Mashoud Kofi is a member of the Tap and Go team.
22:06 From Tap and Go you can just search that I want to go to Accra.
22:11 And then the system will automatically find the nearby station and tell you that you can walk this kilometer to this station
22:19 and then pick a trotter or pick a taxi to the destination.
22:23 Now it gives the person comfort and it gives the person some sort of directions and some information to move around the country.
22:32 Now with the pricing and all that, everything is displayed on the app and we were going to have a price uniformity.
22:41 No one or no mate is going to charge overpriced passengers because it's going to be uniform across all transport operators.
22:50 Acting to the pilot project, the Director of Academic Affairs at the University of Ghana, Lydia Anuwa Nyaku Dankwa,
22:58 warmly welcomed the technology, emphasizing its potential to address transportation needs of students.
23:06 I see it as making life a little more easier for people on campus and in extension for people in the country.
23:14 So it's easier for people to move from place to place.
23:18 And for instance, right now this system is going to track drivers so that if you pick a taxi on campus,
23:27 you'll be able to go back if there's an issue to resolve it with that person.
23:32 Right now we have taxis on campus, we have trotters, we have buses, but there's no system in place to keep them in track just in case there's a problem.
23:43 So that will be very helpful to the community on campus.
23:47 A faculty member from the Department of Computer Science, who is also part of the TAP and GO project team,
23:54 Dr. Jamal Dean Abdullahi, however, revealed that the innovation would be extended nationwide after a six-month trial period.
24:04 Well, I think the University of Ghana is coming on board as the third public institution that is going to go through the pilot stages.
24:13 So we are looking into six months time. We should be able to identify some of the issues that may come up across as we continue to identify with the already piloted places.
24:24 So within six months we should be able to go live.
24:26 Meanwhile, some executives from driver union groups have been expressing their positive outlook on the TAP and GO initiative.
24:34 It will help the student and the union and the university.
24:39 So let me see when the student from Enbrock, there is no taxi around there so they can request from the taxi so that we quickly move and go and pick them.
24:51 Instead of working through the darkness to come and look for a taxi, I think this thing will help them.
24:59 While there is a growing number of ride-hailing platforms currently on the Ghanaian market, few are designed to meet our peculiar challenges as a nation.
25:10 However, to actualize the cashless system and to bring equity to that sector,
25:16 Ghanaians have been encouraged to embrace the new initiative wholly put together by Ghanaians.
25:24 For Joy News, Carlos Kaloni, Accra.
25:28 Well, in this world of morality and ethical values, we know that plays a very critical role in fostering a peaceful environment.
25:43 Sustaining these values in recent times has become a general challenge for all, particularly for the keepers of home, religious and traditional leaders.
25:54 With the advent of technology and the quest to belong to a global village, the task has become more daunting for all.
26:02 Now, experts believe it is the lack of societal control and the needed push to uphold moral and ethical values,
26:10 which is largely contributing to the threat to peace and security.
26:15 But to deliberate on the way forward, maintaining the needed peace, internationally acclaimed Islamic clerics are converging at the maiden edition of the One Umma Convention in Ghana this weekend.
26:31 To help us actually appreciate what really the goal and expectations of this conference is,
26:38 I've been joined in the studio by two renowned Muslim clerics, Sheikh Nourudin Lemo from Nigeria,
26:47 and I've also been joined by Sheikh Wael Ibrahim from Australia.
26:53 Great to have you, gentlemen.
26:55 Thank you very much, Aisha.
26:56 Why this conversation at this time? What has really triggered this?
27:03 Well, thank you for having us, first of all. I personally have enjoyed my stay so far in Ghana.
27:10 Mashallah, tabarakallah, beautiful place.
27:12 So, it's been an effort that was going on in Nigeria for the past 10 years, Sheikh, I think.
27:18 And I've been part of the conventions in Nigeria for a couple of times, and we saw the needs of the people.
27:27 Whenever there is a call for peace and unity, we have actually witnessed that on ground.
27:32 And, mashallah, the brothers came from Nigeria, the brothers and the sisters,
27:37 and so many people from this part of the world came to Nigeria in the last conference,
27:41 and they thought, you know what, let's bring the idea to Ghana,
27:45 because also there is a dire need for peace and unity in this part of the world.
27:49 So that's what triggered, for the first time, to come to Ghana,
27:52 and I think it's not going to be the last time, inshallah.
27:55 It's the beginning.
27:56 Yeah, since we are about to taste the jaluf, is it?
27:59 No, that's a different debate altogether.
28:02 It's set in, I mean, Ghana jaluf is the best.
28:05 I heard it's a very sensitive topic, they warned me, so be careful, it could cause war.
28:12 Alright, so Sheikh, I mean, we're talking about morality, ethics, and we're talking about peace and security.
28:21 I mean, generally, how would you assess the security in Africa?
28:29 I think as populations increase, what we are finding is governments are sometimes getting weaker,
28:41 things are becoming more expensive, we're having various challenges coming from the side of technology,
28:47 social media, new cultural norms and trends, we've got climate change, we've got poverty increasing,
28:53 we've got other countries seeing what they can make out of Africa,
28:56 and unless we find ways of staying more united across our various divides, ethnic, religious, national,
29:06 we need to build bridges, see how to cooperate, get out of our comfort zones, meet the unknown,
29:13 have less fear of the unknown, and see how we can emphasize our humanity,
29:18 and hopefully that would create more partnerships, more networking,
29:22 that would help share experiences and better values in society, but also contribute to greater peace and security.
29:30 Okay, so it's just Saturday and Sunday, what should participants expect from the convention?
29:39 The theme of the convention this year is "Pathway to Thrive, Embracing Uncertainty, and Igniting Growth and Success."
29:50 So participants will expect to hear from our renowned scholars a lot of topics pertaining to success in this dunya, in this world,
30:00 and the next being, it's an Islamic conference, we always touch on how to achieve success in the hereafter.
30:07 My side in particular, I'm coming with a mission of course, I'm flying all the way from Australia, from Perth in particular,
30:14 I left home on Tuesday, I found myself landing on Thursday, what happened to Wednesday, God alone knows.
30:21 So I came with a mission of mine to deliver the idea of breaking free from the chains of Internet addiction,
30:30 especially pornography, that's my expertise, I wrote a couple of books on this,
30:33 and I wanted to bring to our Ghana brothers and sisters the knowledge that can save them from, or can hinder their progress in the future.
30:45 Let's delve more into the theme, I'm much more interested in how to be successful and also deal with uncertainties.
30:55 Maybe Sheikh, you want to go more into that?
30:58 Generally, what we find is you can't give what you don't have, and so development has to take an inside-out approach.
31:08 How can I be a better person? Then I can contribute more, then I can see society is improving.
31:13 You can't force people to like you, but you can be more likable.
31:17 You can't force people to respect you, but you can be more respectable.
31:21 You can't get people to trust you if you are not more trustworthy.
31:25 So this question of growth is one that, as human beings, and if you look at various religious institutions,
31:33 Muslim, Christian, every religion, there's this assumption that the human being never graduates from growing, from getting better.
31:40 It's a struggle from the cradle to the grave.
31:43 And so part of the mission of the One Ummah is to continue to remind people, Muslims and people of other faiths,
31:52 to continue to grow, to continue to build bridges, and through those bridges we become more effective
32:00 at changing things within our circle of influence, starting with ourselves, of course,
32:04 and family, then neighbours and communities, and we go global.
32:07 So the interest is to get international speakers who have had experience with a lot of countries,
32:16 a lot of contexts, to come with that to Ghana, with people of Ghana, and we've got contributions also from speakers in Ghana,
32:25 men and women, who will be presenting those perspectives that also enlighten those from outside,
32:31 but allow people to see what applies best to their own situations.
32:35 And more about the advent of technology, and I'm happy you said that is your area, Sheikh Ibrahim.
32:41 We know that the internet presents to us a lot of opportunities, but also a lot of negative stuff.
32:50 So how do we make that choice?
32:53 I mean, at this convention, are you going to help us to deal with that uncertainty that comes with this technology?
33:02 Absolutely, and also we will raise awareness about the harmful impact.
33:05 If you don't know the danger of what you're doing, you will keep doing it without knowing the consequences.
33:10 So I believe, first of all, is raising awareness, and that's why we are here, to bring about this message to the people of Ghana,
33:18 to warn them that if you delve into this again and again, you will end up never achieving what you wanted to achieve in life.
33:25 Regarding uncertainty, it could be also not necessarily related to technology.
33:30 It could be life challenges of any sort that can happen all of a sudden.
33:34 I myself experienced a massive slip disc on my back that pinned me to the ground for a year on a wheelchair, and I didn't know what to do.
33:43 These uncertainties that we face in life, how can we thrive in the middle of all that pain?
33:49 This is our main focus, inshallah, to bring to the people, inshallah, of Ghana.
33:54 That's quite interesting, but particularly young people.
33:58 I want to know who are the speakers at this conference?
34:03 We have renowned speaker Mufti Ismail Mink from Zimbabwe.
34:07 We have Dr. Mohamed Salah from Egypt, myself from Australia, Sheikh Nour Al-Din, and also Dr. Nail from Ghana.
34:16 Those are the main five speakers.
34:18 It certainly will be a big conference, I mean, from the names I'm hearing.
34:22 But I know we have a conversation backstage, but I just, for the sake of my viewers, why Ghana?
34:29 Jollof?
34:33 Why not?
34:35 Sometimes in Nigeria it gets boring the same jollof, so coming here.
34:40 It's our closest English-speaking neighboring country.
34:45 It is a country that has sent quite a number of respected individuals to attend the One Oma Conventions we've had in Nigeria,
34:55 and they then said, you know, how could this happen in Ghana?
34:59 So we're bringing it here for the first time.
35:01 Mufti Mink and Sheikh Salah would also be going to Kumasi for presentations on Sunday morning.
35:10 So, yeah, it's the first we're starting here.
35:13 We hope to build these bridges.
35:16 South Africa has expressed interest in organizing a One Oma Convention there.
35:19 Kenya has expressed interest, a number of others.
35:23 You know, what we find is we do it in Nigeria.
35:25 People from Kenya, Ghana, South Africa attend, and these ones want it.
35:30 Hopefully when we have it here, we will get others from Liberia, Sierra Leone,
35:34 and gradually spread peace-building across the nation, across the continent, and hopefully beyond that.
35:40 And this is something also not only focused on the Muslims of Ghana.
35:43 So I think non-Muslim communities can benefit loads of what we're going to present.
35:47 It's not just particularly for people of faith, or the Muslim faith.
35:52 Okay, so it's open to all.
35:54 Absolutely, everyone is welcome.
35:56 And that leads me to my next question about co-existence.
36:00 We know this whole thing is about morality, it's about ethics, it's about peace and security.
36:06 There can never be peace and security if we cannot co-exist.
36:10 And of course we know in Nigeria, in Ghana, in other countries, we have different beliefs, different faiths.
36:18 In Ghana, I think we've done it quite well. I don't know about Nigeria, I don't know about Australia.
36:25 We've done it quite well.
36:27 How do we actually learn from other environments or other jurisdictions to better how we co-exist with our brothers,
36:39 our Christian brothers, others in other faiths?
36:43 I think co-existence is misunderstood to be like, I co-exist and agree with you in everything you do or say.
36:50 So we can still co-exist while we are different.
36:53 We can still co-exist while we debate respectfully our viewpoints.
36:57 I am an Egyptian, born Egyptian, living in Australia currently.
37:02 My wife is from the Philippines.
37:04 We have two completely different cultures.
37:06 Our food taste is completely different.
37:09 At least you guys, Nigerians and Ghanans, they have jalob.
37:12 The word is the same, but Philippines and Egypt is completely the opposite.
37:17 Yet we co-exist despite our differences.
37:19 And that's the quality that Islam brought to the world.
37:24 "Lakum dinukum wa liya din" Allah (swt) mentioned in the Quran.
37:28 To you is your way of life and to me is mine.
37:31 Just let me practice what I believe to be the path to Jannah, to success, to paradise.
37:36 And I will let you do the same thing.
37:38 So long as we treat each other with respect.
37:41 And we don't try to bash each other's faith and bash each other's culture.
37:46 And I think that's the very basic definition of co-existing together peacefully.
37:52 Sheikh?
37:54 I think you could look at it firstly from a religious point of view.
37:59 A line in the Quran describes us having created our diversity, male, female, nations, tribes.
38:05 And he says "Lita'rafu" that you get to know each other better.
38:08 In other words, we should actively be curious, but also share what God has given us.
38:16 Our cultural differences, because as we notice, the greatest innovation comes from where there is diversity.
38:23 You know, the next invention is going to come from somebody outside the field.
38:27 Who has had the opportunity of, you know, thinking out of that box.
38:31 But what we find is, as human beings, you look at your relationship.
38:37 I have two dogs at home.
38:41 And fine, they do a good job of security.
38:45 They welcome me when I come back home from office or from travel.
38:49 We don't really share the same religion.
38:51 We don't share the same political thoughts.
38:54 We don't have the same tastes.
38:56 But we have an awesome relationship.
38:58 Like if we can have relationships with pets, then how could we be so different and fight over things as human beings?
39:07 Definitely Nigeria has had its own fair share of ethnic, religious, all sorts of tensions from people of various professions.
39:16 But we also have learned how those mistakes took place.
39:21 We have seen where some things have worked.
39:24 And we have lessons.
39:26 Certainly it's not the whole country on fire.
39:28 We have spots of places that have retained peace, not affected by Boko Haram,
39:33 not affected by intertribal, interethnic tensions.
39:38 And a lot of lessons for other parts of Nigeria, but also other parts of the world.
39:43 And we find a lot of interest in how Nigeria is handling its own peace building, what has succeeded, what has not worked.
39:51 And it becomes lessons for humanity.
39:53 So in that sense, while unfortunate, it has allowed us to study that part of human nature in that context and see what we can benefit others with.
40:01 Before I allow you to go, there's been conversations about jihadism,
40:07 and you talk about Boko Haram and all of these insurgencies, terrorism and all of that.
40:13 In most of the conversations, sometimes people mistakenly actually talk about Muslims involved in this,
40:24 and they just misinterpret the whole situation and think that it is the Koran that is actually asking people to fight.
40:35 I know that is not the case.
40:38 I just wanted to explain, for the sake of my viewers,
40:43 how can we actually deal with this as a situation that confronts us, and actually separating it from religion?
40:53 I think if we look at the history of every society and of every religion,
40:58 it's just how far back into the past you want to go.
41:01 There's always a time where people use religion to justify taking power and forcing others on their own interpretation.
41:08 Every religion has it.
41:10 And it comes and it goes.
41:12 So actually, it's unfortunately not new.
41:15 When you don't know what a good dollar bill looks like, it's difficult to identify the fake.
41:25 And sometimes what happens is a society becomes very illiterate about its own religion.
41:31 That somebody who is charismatic, who touches the grievances of people,
41:36 can wrap religion and package it in such a way that it looks beautiful.
41:42 You know, we talk of false prophets, we talk of the wolf in sheep's clothing.
41:46 This is part of what human beings are used to, unfortunately.
41:50 But what we find is, within the Muslim community, you have those Muslims who have grievances.
41:56 And what we find also about terrorism and violent extremism is,
42:01 ideology alone, without grievance, doesn't produce movement.
42:07 What they think they are doing is a liberation theology.
42:10 But what we find is innocent people being killed in the name of a religion that is teaching peace.
42:15 And our responsibility as religious leaders is to vaccinate, if I use that term,
42:21 the community so that they are not recruited, they don't support it,
42:25 and they can quickly identify it and call it out for what it is.
42:30 And gradually we find these dying a natural death until God knows how many years later
42:35 when people become ignorant again, then it comes back again, unfortunately.
42:39 Thank you, Brian.
42:40 To answer the question briefly about the Quran part,
42:43 because you have to be very clear when it comes to those issues.
42:47 So, yes, there are verses in the Quran that talk about fighting and killing.
42:51 We have to be very clear and educate the masses.
42:54 Because our religion, Islam, is a complete way of life.
42:58 And Allah guided the believers on how to live in this life,
43:02 in every aspect of their existence, including when wars are waged.
43:08 Confront us.
43:09 Yes, so how to behave in those wars.
43:11 We have rules of how to actually come back with the enemies when they strike.
43:16 But those verses are often quoted out of context.
43:19 Like there is an ayah in the Quran, there is a verse in the Quran,
43:22 where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is talking to those people in the battlefield at that time
43:26 and killed the disbelievers wherever you find them.
43:29 Imagine if you take that verse now and go down the streets of Ghana.
43:32 And start killing.
43:33 Fighting just non-believers or non-Muslims.
43:36 But if you continue the ayah, and this by the way is one part of a very long ayah,
43:41 a very long verse.
43:42 And then Allah said, kill the believer wherever you find them,
43:46 but never transgress the bounds, never transgress limits.
43:49 And if they stop fighting you, you must also stop fighting them.
43:52 Not only that, but escort them to a place of security.
43:56 Secure them, because they said, "Okay, peace."
43:58 So that's in the war battle context.
44:03 So it's an invitation to those people.
44:05 We were discussing yesterday with the ulema, and they mentioned a quote by Imam Abu Hanifa,
44:09 that "Whosoever's teacher is a book," just you're reading on your own,
44:14 without going back to scholars and mashayikh.
44:17 That reading would be your path to misguidance.
44:20 So you have to go back to scholars, those who studied the deen from A to Z,
44:24 to give you the right historical context to understand what's written in the Quran.
44:27 And this convention certainly is something that all of us must take opportunity to actually understand
44:34 some of these things, because I see that it's deep,
44:37 and if you look at the speakers, it's going to be quite an interesting one.
44:41 So it's when? Saturday, Sunday?
44:43 This weekend, Saturday, Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5, 6 p.m., I think.
44:49 It's a full-packed event.
44:50 There will be breakout sessions, parallel going through from the big main venue to workshops,
44:58 on-the-side events for teenagers as well, Sheikha?
45:01 Yes, men, women, children.
45:04 Panel discussions, so Muslims and non-Muslims alike are welcome to attend.
45:08 Right, so we'll be looking forward to that convention.
45:11 I'll try and be there myself.
45:13 Thank you so much for passing by.
45:15 Sheik Nourdin Lemo is an international scholar from Nigeria,
45:19 and Sheik Wael Ibrahim, who is from Australia, actually my father.
45:22 Thank you so much for coming.
45:24 Let's take a break on Joy News Desk when we return, there is business.
45:29 [Music]
45:44 Hi, welcome to Business. My name is Darrell Kwau.
45:47 President of the Ghana Hotels Association, Edward Akanyamike Jr.,
45:51 is calling on government to address the numerous challenges
45:54 or the numerous charges imposed on the sector in the media budget.
45:58 According to him, the country can meet its target of attracting over 1.5 million tourists into the country,
46:04 but government needs to reduce the number of taxes imposed on the sector
46:08 to help businesses increase their profits.
46:11 He spoke at a third National Executive Council meeting of the Ghana Hotels Association.
46:16 The Ghana Hotels Association has indicated that,
46:20 despite recording a positive economic recovery post-COVID-19,
46:25 the sector is still faced with challenges such as taxes and increased utility costs.
46:31 At its third National Executive Council meeting,
46:34 President of the Association, Edward Akanyamike Jr., said
46:38 they expect the finance minister to address some critical issues
46:43 bedeviling the progress of the sector in the media budget.
46:47 We have the December NGH and several other programs which is bringing in people.
46:51 So those activities will certainly tell on the numbers of people coming to the system.
46:59 Now, when they come in, and that is where some of the challenges come in,
47:03 because then the hotels are hosting them, we have high taxes, we have high utility costs,
47:09 water, now, electricity and water is adjusted every quarter, and it keeps going high.
47:16 So all those things, together with the high lending rates,
47:20 and then the cost of doing business in general,
47:23 our workers are expecting more salaries because the environment itself is harsh and all that.
47:29 So that is another aspect which affects our business.
47:33 And what it means is that we may be bringing in the numbers to tell on the number of visitors that are coming.
47:40 However, when we do the actual business mathematics,
47:44 you see that the profit margin is very small, or you may not even make profit,
47:48 and that will affect the business moving forward.
47:50 The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed Awal,
47:55 reiterated government support to helping the sector to develop.
47:59 Before COVID, before 2020, the ministry achieved 1.1 million tourists,
48:06 external international arrivals in this country.
48:09 That gave us an amount of 3.3 billion US dollars.
48:13 Post-COVID, Ghana's recovery is really, really good.
48:16 While the African average recovery is 61%, Ghana's recovered about 85% post-COVID pandemic.
48:22 We put in place a number of strategies to achieve this 1.5 billion.
48:26 Now, there are a lot of issues with taxes, so government is casting it.
48:29 I'm sure not too long, we'll come out with something very productive for Ghanians.
48:34 Last year, we gave $10 million to support all the tourism, arts and culture sector.
48:40 We know it's not enough because the pandemic has really affected them.
48:44 So we intend to do some more support in terms of grants,
48:47 support them to be able to keep their operations running.
48:50 The association also called on financial institutions to support the sector to develop.
48:56 All right, and that's it for business. Back to you, Aisha.
49:06 There we go with business. And of course, that's how we wrap up the bulleting this morning.
49:14 My name is Aisha O'Brien. Log on to myisleonline.com for more of the news. See you again at 12.
49:21 [Music]