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AM News with Benjamin Akakpo on JoyNews (21-9-23)
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Thank you for staying on the AM show. It's now time for the news and organizers of Occupy Jubilee House are proceeding
00:06 with their planned protest this morning undeterred by police efforts to secure a court injunction.
00:11 The Accra-based civil society group Democracy Hub had previously informed the Ghana Police Service of their intention to hold a protest on
00:20 Nkrumah Memorial Day targeting the seat of government.
00:24 Now the protest aims to call the president and members of the economic management team to action in
00:30 response to economic challenges in the country. While the police claim to have served organizers with a court application, the group
00:37 dispels this and remains committed to the protest. Oliver Bakunvomowo speaks for the group.
00:44 As far as I'm concerned, they are claiming that an application has been made and by their own admission
00:50 there is no court order which is stopping the process from going ahead.
00:54 If you are served, would you call the protest off?
00:56 Unless we are served, and let me be clear, unless we are served with a court injunction, that requires us not to go ahead.
01:02 Because one of the things we do not want to is to follow those who have decided that we are not going to respect the
01:07 authority of our democracy and join them in their misbehavior.
01:10 So as long as we do not have an injunction of the court, we will proceed.
01:13 If we are served with an injunction of the court, then absolutely we will call off the protest.
01:17 The only thing that can go wrong is that the police will not respect their legal obligations.
01:20 But I have ultimate faith in our democracy that the right thing will prevail.
01:24 Convener Bakunvomowo also says the group has plans to ensure protesters don't indulge in acts that will contravene the law.
01:37 So they may go ahead and decide to do whatever. In fact, I cannot control what they decide to do.
01:42 What I am telling you is that they are going to show up and we're going to be peaceful.
01:45 We're going to have our hands raised all the time to show that we have no intention of attacking
01:49 the police or whatsoever. And if they put any roadblock, we're just going to stand in front of the roadblock without breaching that.
01:55 But what we want to show is that we want to tear down abuse of power and show that it is ultimately
01:59 resistant and the morality of justice that wins.
02:02 In the last couple of hours, the Ghana Police Service has been responding to the claim that it
02:11 has not served organizers of the demonstration with that injunction application in a four-point
02:16 statement. The police says it served the group through its lawyers. And let me just bring you
02:22 details of that. Police refute claim of non-service of court process by the conveners of Democracy Hub.
02:28 The attention of the police service has been drawn to a press release by the conveners of Democracy
02:32 Hub dated 20th September 2023, claiming that the group has not been served with the court process
02:38 to prohibit them from holding their intended demonstration at the Ghibli House from Thursday
02:44 21st to Saturday 23rd September 2023. We wish to state categorically that the organizers of
02:51 Democracy Hub were duly served with the application on Tuesday 19th September 2023 through their
02:58 lawyers at Tuguba and Associates. And for that matter, the organizers are duly aware of dependency
03:05 of the application before the High Court slated for determination on Tuesday 26th September 2023,
03:11 the service of the process on the lawyers was elected and dictated by the organizers of the
03:17 planned demonstration in their notification letter to the police dated 4th September 2023.
03:22 A copy of that letter and the reference is attached to the statement. In the said letter,
03:26 the organizers indicated that the police may contact them through their lawyers at Tuguba
03:31 and Associates. As such, the court process was served on them through their lawyers. It ends by
03:35 saying we therefore urge the general public in the interest of public order and public safety
03:41 to disregard any invitation by the organizers to take part in any unlawful demonstration.
03:48 And said by Julianna Obing, Superintendent of Police Head Public Affairs Unit of the Police
03:54 Accra Region. Now we will be keeping our eyes on this particular one and let you know
04:00 how it develops in the day. Now it appears Ghana may be wrongly computing the fishing season.
04:08 That's the concern of some fishermen at La Abise in the Ladadekotepo municipality.
04:13 They say they are unable to make any meaningful catch at sea despite religiously observing the
04:19 closed fishing season. Now the closed season is observed as a way of reducing pressure on stocks
04:25 when they are most productive and this is to allow the fish a chance to lay their eggs to replace
04:31 the lost population. But right after this season, fishermen are still unable to make a catch or good
04:38 catch and they are complaining about this with the price of fish already soaring. Rahmat Bashiru reports.
04:45 Prices of fish is soaring as the commodity is in short supply. At Saide Skincare Joint, fish is costing
04:55 an arm and a leg and consumers are worried. It's from eight cities. You won't get fish for
05:01 seven cities, six cities, not even talking of five cities. So fish are very expensive now in Ghana.
05:08 I bought a little kinky with fish. I tell you the price of the fish and secondly they do count.
05:19 They do count. Six cities, that's the red fish and the color is 15 cities and this one is
05:26 eight cities, six cities, eight cities and seven cities. On a Saturday morning at Labise Fishing
05:35 Center in the Labade community here in the greater Accra region, fishermen here are frustrated about
05:41 the unusual state of their catch which is already threatening their livelihoods.
05:48 Dewey Peko says that's by the close fishing season they are not making enough catch whenever
05:54 they visit the sea. The time of closing season is not going well with our fishing.
06:02 If we don't argue with the government but what we are saying is the time of July
06:14 is our bumper harvest. Therefore the time should be reversed to maybe June.
06:22 The closing season may be reversed to June rather than July. The pollution of the sea has also been
06:33 cited as one of the causes of the gradually depleting fish stock in the sea with some
06:37 species going extinct. According to them, fish resources are threatened by human activities
06:43 including pollution which has prevented them from fishing for the past one week. Every plastic waste
06:52 from interline drop to the shore anytime it rains. Therefore you will see the pollution
07:05 of the plastic and it affects us most. Could you believe I will go to for fishing
07:14 but return with plastic instead of fish. This level of pollution is changing the marine ecosystem and
07:23 affecting fish reproduction. Ike Nunu is repairing a fishing net that he says was damaged after
07:30 getting entangled with plastic waste. The sea is now filled with plastic waste. We don't even get
07:36 fishes. You spend so much money on premixed food when you go to the sea and make no significant
07:42 catch. A premixed food is not even being supplied regularly. Isaac Tete, the canoe repairer of the
07:49 fishermen says the Chinese trolleys continue to commit acts of illegal, unreported and unregulated
07:55 fishing and Ghana hence the loss of income for designer fishermen.
08:02 The Chinese are engaging in illegal fishing. They are using such high lights to catch all the fishes.
08:14 We are pleading with government to deal with this situation. Fishermen are struggling.
08:22 Odui Atiku was hoping to go fishing but is already having second thoughts
08:27 as previous expeditions have simply not yielded any positive result.
08:47 Water resources including fishes constitute an integral part of the ecosystem
08:52 supporting human lives across the world and in Ghana in particular fish is perhaps the most
08:57 popular and cheap source of protein. But with these challenges threatening the efforts of farmers,
09:03 state actors must begin to move in now and act. Ramat Bashiru's report for JOYNEWS, Red 2.
09:13 This is the news on the AM show. Now management of the Tichiman Holy Family Hospital is appealing
09:19 for infrastructure expansion. This is to enable it meets the health care needs of the region.
09:25 With an annual OPD attendance of over 220,000, the facility which serves as a referral center
09:32 for the entire Bunu East region is doing more than its physical infrastructure can accommodate.
09:38 Hospital administrator Christopher Akan Bobnab made this call during a visit by the
09:45 parliamentary select committee on health and now Sabit has more. The delegation which was
09:50 led by the ranking member and MP for Jorbusu constituency, Kwabena Minta Akando, visited the
09:57 Tichiman Holy Family Hospital to assess first-hand information as well as identify and address
10:02 challenges hindering the smooth running of the facility. Today we started visiting the chag,
10:09 I mean the facilities, and we are at the Tichiman Holy Family Hospital and it's been a very
10:18 very interesting discussions, interactions, they've taken us through
10:24 their what they do, they've told their facilities and I think that I'm happy to be part of this
10:33 history. We are all very very excited about what we have seen. We only encourage them that we think
10:40 that they can do more than they are doing but so far so good, they've done so well. I think they've
10:47 had great impact on the health sector of this country. Hospital administrator at the facility
10:52 Mr Christopher Akambobla revealed that the facility due to its strategic location and
10:58 serving as a referral center for the entire Bonoist region is doing more than its physical
11:03 infrastructure could accommodate and as such needs government support to help it continue
11:08 with its health care provision. The government has done this over the years and we must acknowledge
11:14 it. We only see we could even do more when you look at the opportunities that are available to
11:23 government. I'd like to stress this and to ask for some support in terms of infrastructure for
11:30 this institution. The hospital is doing a lot more than its physical infrastructure can accommodate.
11:36 The reality as you walk around you can see everywhere is full. Even that we came at the
11:42 2 p.m when normally a lot of our patients should be going home. He however bemoaned the huge
11:49 electricity tariffs the facility is currently battling with and appealed for a waiver of some
11:54 tax components to avoid the total collapse of the facility. This hospital and all that we consume
12:03 on average every month we appealed 170,000 ounces.
12:10 If you look at the rate of increase in terms of electricity tariff it's far far far below the rate
12:18 of a review in terms of any tariff. This is a parent challenge and we would like to urge and we
12:29 know it's within your authority that you can do something about it in whichever form whether to
12:36 look at the tax regime, the tariffs that is the total waiver is impossible.
12:41 Member of Parliament for Richmond North and member of the committee Elizabeth of
12:47 the Sur Edge area have managed government to help in the expansion of the facility
12:51 to help in its sustenance. Because of the excellent care they give around this area
12:56 people from far and near come to get services from here. It is incumbent on government to help
13:04 them to expand the infrastructure they have here. More importantly they should also provide
13:08 equipment because if you have qualified personnel what you need to do is to give them all the
13:15 equipment they need to deliver quality service. So I think that government should come in handy
13:20 to provide what they need to provide excellent service for the people in this area and then far.
13:27 Alexander Akwesi Akwa is the MP for Akim Oda and also a member of the committee. He reiterated
13:34 government's efforts in spreading health care to other parts of the country hence the introduction
13:39 of the Agenda 111 policy. Yes we agree that this hospital needs to be developed. We agree
13:45 that this hospital needs more infrastructure and facilities but the government program for
13:50 Agenda 111 is to enable other constituencies in the district to also benefit so we can spread
13:57 health care services. It's very important we know that. The Tichman Holy Family Hospital with a staff
14:04 strength of 1,086 currently has an annual OPD attendance of over 200,000 with ANC attendance
14:11 of over 30,000. Reporting for JOY News, Anas Sabit, Tichman.
14:19 [No audio]
14:25 Now a youth group calling itself Concerned Youth of the Nadoli Kalio District has hit the streets
14:31 to register its displeasure on what it calls gross mismanagement of the district hospital
14:37 by some core staff. They stated the hospital lacks basic logistics to take care of medical needs
14:45 of the people and it's now under life support. They've also accused management for continuing
14:51 the fueling of vehicles that are faulty and packed at the expense of the meager resources
14:57 of the hospital. They've therefore given a two-week ultimatum for this to be addressed. There's more.
15:03 The youth group drawn from all parts of the Nadoli Kalio District first converge at the
15:09 forecourt of the Nadoli Area Council before they kick-started the peaceful demonstration.
15:15 They are unhappy with what they called gross mismanagement of the district hospital
15:20 by some core staff.
15:21 [No audio]
15:23 [No audio]
15:49 Mind you, this is the first time youth in the district have collectively come together
15:56 to demonstrate against any government establishment since the creation of the district
16:01 some 35 years ago. They still the major highway, otherwise known as N12 highway,
16:07 that passes through the Nadoli Township, singing and dancing to music from brass band.
16:13 There was heavy police presence to ensure that nothing untoward happened during the course
16:19 of the demonstration. All went well right from the start of the demonstration until they got
16:25 closer to the main gate of the hospital and they demanded an entry into the facility,
16:31 which the police fiercely resisted. Entry to the facility was not part of the route for the
16:37 demonstrators. An argument ensued for over half an hour between the protesters and the police
16:44 until the latter softened his stance and allowed them to come closer to the gate of the hospital.
16:50 They later headed to the Makoy College of Education Park, passed through the forecourt
16:55 of the Ndolokelio District Assembly and ended at the Ndolokelio District Directorate of Health
17:01 Services. It was here that their petition was read by the secretary of the Kinsen Youth Group,
17:07 Prince Sabogo.
17:08 [No audio]
17:10 [No audio]
17:12 [No audio]
17:14 [No audio]
17:16 including gloves, even common places and parasitamol among other essentials in the hospital.
17:22 Inflating the cost of the main wall that was renovated. The recent visit of the health insurance CEO,
17:29 Dr. Akobo to the hospital. The district health administrator and management said the hospital
17:35 spent an amount of 87,000 to renovate the main wall while in a different meeting with the staff
17:41 they said they spent 127,000 to renovate the main wall and we want proper accountability.
17:48 Management is still fueling parked vehicles from years back using our mega resources for their
17:55 selfish interests and how can a damaged vehicle still draw fuel from the public purse. We are
18:00 demanding access from the core management of the hospital. The Nadole district hospital that
18:05 aid in promoting quality health to its people have provided accommodation to some core management of
18:12 the hospital but hardly do you see some of them sleeping there but rather commute from work
18:16 every day resulting in low productivity and also using the limited hospital resources at the expense
18:22 of basic essentials. They spoke of deep-seated rifts among some critical staff of the hospital
18:28 and also accused some management staff of the hospital of awarding contracts to themselves
18:33 amounting to conflict of interest. They call on the director general of the Ghana health service
18:38 parliamentary select committee on health and other duty bearers to ask the matter of agency
18:43 to shake up the hospital to restore the hospital to its past glory. We are by this demonstrative
18:49 to register our displeasure thereby calling on the high office of the director general of Ghana
18:53 health service parliamentary select committee on health, upper west regional minister, regional
18:59 director of health services and the district director of health and other key stakeholders
19:03 in this matter to immediately shake up the seven core management staff at the hospital to prevent
19:09 the total barrier of our once upper west which has now collapsed to a change compound. The
19:15 participants are ever ready to use any other legal means to ensure that our legitimate demands are
19:22 met after two weeks. If there is nothing if there's no positive response from authorities concerned
19:29 we'll first move into the hospital and lock the administrator and continue from there.
19:35 Head of finance at the Ndundule district director of health, Francis Godon received a petition on
19:41 behalf of the district director of health services for onward delivery to director general of the
19:46 Ghana health services. Reporting for GWA news, Rafid Salam.
19:51 We stay on health and the Ghana gas company limited has cut sword for the construction of a
19:59 200 bed capacity hospital at the university of energy and natural resources in Sunyani in the
20:05 Bunu region. The project when completed will complement government's effort at providing
20:12 effective health care and also achieve universal health coverage. Precious Samevo has more.
20:18 The first phase of the 200 bed capacity hospital at the university of energy and natural resources
20:25 in Sunyani will see the construction of an 80 bed facility within 24 months. Phase one which is
20:31 already underway will comprise an opd, an administrative block, a lab, a pharmacy block,
20:37 a mini theater, in wards among others with expanded emergency and specialty blocks in the next phase.
20:43 At the sword cutting the vice chancellor of UNEP professor Elvis Asaribediakun
20:48 expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the board of Ghana gas and said the facility would reach out
20:54 beyond the university in the provision of health care. In the years to come this hospital will
21:00 serve as a hub for cutting-edge medical research, a training ground for future healthcare professionals
21:05 in the place where lives are safe and transformed. It will offer quality health care to our students,
21:12 faculty and staff ensuring their physical and mental well-being. Moreover it will reach out
21:18 beyond our campus wall to provide vital medical services to our local community,
21:23 bridging the gap in the healthcare accessibility and contributing to the overall betterment of
21:29 society. Bunu regional health director Dr Kofi Amokodye also expressed the directorate's delight
21:35 in the proponents of the facility which he said will complement effort in attaining universal
21:40 health coverage. Whenever there is an attempt to bring up a health facility then you consider the
21:48 people coming with the idea as bringing life to the people around. We know that Ghana has
21:58 you know registered to attain the universal health coverage based on two prompts and this
22:05 edifice here has been provided to really create access for us and also to enable us
22:14 garner ourselves towards the universal health coverage that we seek so much to attain. Ghana
22:22 gas project manager Edombole Nwia Anyama on his part said the project forms part of their
22:27 social responsibility and expects stakeholders to care for it. Ghana gas is a national asset
22:34 and wherever our product reaches CSR project must also get to that. When you look at the community,
22:43 the institution, health facility is something that is there to their heart and if Ghana gas
22:52 come to their aid of providing two-handed bed hospital facility it's not just a joke. I believe
23:01 institution as you know will never let this facility go by. I believe the Ghana health
23:09 service will also not sit alone, let this facility deteriorate. Precious for Joy News, Sunyay.
23:19 Now in response to growing global concern surrounding non-communicable diseases,
23:25 the chief executive officer of the Cape Coast Asian Hospital Dr Eric Kofi Ndedu has urged the
23:31 public to prioritize regular exercise as a means of prevention. He emphasized the increase in cases
23:37 of heart attacks and similar ailments and also spoke about the importance of preventive measures.
23:43 He made these remarks during a keep fit exercise organized by the hospital as part of his 25th
23:49 anniversary. There's more in this report. Dr Ndedu's call comes as non-communicable diseases
23:55 continue to pose a significant health threat worldwide. Well you know and non-communicable
24:00 diseases are becoming a very big global health concern. We want to give an example to the public
24:08 that exercise is a way to health. When you exercise your body regularly you have very active
24:15 circulatory system, your brain is active, your immune system is superb and you're able to fight
24:20 many diseases. So once you use this medium to set an example for all the general public, all our
24:26 clients, all the people of Ghana that we should take exercise as part of our activities so that
24:31 we can always stay healthy. It is not palatable to get sick and come to the hospital. It's an
24:36 expectation that the people of Ghana will not get sick so that even as we come to the hospital
24:41 we can visit them in their homes to do health promotion instead of curative medicine that we
24:45 are practicing. He mentioned the significant strides the hospital has made in the 25 years
24:50 of existence. As you may be aware in 1996 a foundation stone was laid here just adjacent
24:57 where you are standing to pay for the construction of one of the greatest hospitals that Ghana will
25:03 ever have. That is the Central Regional Hospital and now Cape Cotitching Hospital. In 1998 it was
25:08 commissioned and today it is 25 years old. We have indeed reviewed all the progress this hospital has
25:16 made and we are indeed very satisfied amidst the challenges that we have been able to keep this
25:21 hospital together till this end. Director of the pharmacy unit at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital
25:28 Dr Robert Incombe also shared insight into the hospital's commitment to patient care. He
25:35 highlighted the hospital's fully functional pharmacy unit which conducts medication therapy
25:40 reviews for every patient admitted to the medical ward. Over the years Cape Coast Teaching Hospital
25:46 now has a fully fledged clinical pharmacy unit that is used to ensure that every single patient
25:53 that is admitted for instance in the medical ward goes through medication therapy review by the
25:58 clinical pharmacist to ensure that all the drug related issues are resolved here on the ward
26:05 so that this will improve the quality of care and optimize the drug therapy that the patients
26:10 receive in this hospital. So as we are repositioning ourselves for excellence and
26:15 in quality health care delivery Cape Coast Teaching Hospital is expected to expand. We are poised to
26:21 expand the pharmaceutical clinical pharmacy services in the hospital such that every single
26:26 person that passes through Cape Coast Teaching Hospital we ensure that the drug safety all the
26:34 issues relating to medicine safety is very well catered for and that you see the quality medicines
26:40 that you deserve to ensure that you will obtain universal health coverage for the people of central
26:47 region. The event serves as a platform for raising awareness about non-communicable diseases and
26:52 promoting healthy lifestyles through regular exercise reflecting Cape Coast Teaching Hospital's
26:58 dedication to both treatment and prevention in the fight against these diseases.
27:02 And that's how we end the news here on the AM show. I'll be back with a review of what's
27:10 on the news portals. You know as it is on holidays we don't have the papers
27:14 but there's still news making rounds so do join me for that in a moment.
27:29 [Music]
27:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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