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AM News with Benjamin Akakpo on JoyNews (21-10-23)
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Thank you for staying with us. Welcome to the News Belt on the AM Show.
00:04 Now we start with something on the economic plane.
00:07 And former President John Romani Mahama says the clergy and civil society organizations
00:12 should be partly blamed for the country's economic woes.
00:16 He's blaming these groups for failing to criticize government for its profligate spending of
00:21 loans contracted.
00:22 Speaking at the Tichiman timber market as part of his two-day tour of the Bono East
00:26 region, Mr Mahama said the NDC was prepared to turn around the fortunes of the country.
00:32 Nnene Ojima is on the tour and came through with this report.
00:35 According to the former president, loans contracted by the NPP government, which he pegs at $3
00:46 billion annually, were not invested in productive ventures.
00:52 He says the watchdog roles of various actors were left to the NDC alone.
01:12 The clergy, civil society and others in authority reneged on their watchdog role.
01:19 In 2018, all vigilant people noticed the economy continued to dip.
01:25 The economic crisis was imminent.
01:27 Only the NDC told the president that his brother, who serves as finance minister, has refused
01:34 to use the $3 billion loans contracted every year judiciously.
01:39 To the NDC, the willing government has admitted its inability to put the country on the right
01:58 track.
01:59 The president himself, in response to questions on the economy, admitted it would take the
02:12 next president to fix the country.
02:15 He has lost hope himself.
02:30 We know that the John Mahama administration is the government to fix the challenge.
02:42 The building Ghana Tor made a stop at Tetchiman magazine, where a town hall meeting was organized
02:49 to seek the concerns of the public for the NDC manifesto for 2024.
03:01 A National Apprenticeship Program campaign policy was preferred as a solution to challenges
03:07 of apprenticeship raised in the meeting.
03:18 Skills training is one of the means of reviving the economy.
03:22 Even graduates will have to learn a skill.
03:25 Even if you want to travel abroad, it is easier to get a job as a skilled person.
03:30 No matter your qualification, you should learn a skill.
03:39 At Benkrum in the Kintampo North constituency, a donation was made to victims of the recent
03:45 floods in the area.
03:47 The former president called on government to resource the National Disaster Management
03:53 Organization for such purpose.
04:12 When we were in government, we released funds for the NADMO promptly for disaster management.
04:17 But this time when the floods happened, NADMO told us they haven't received funding for
04:22 the last two years.
04:29 I will plead with government to fund NADMO to support disaster victims.
04:58 Similar town hall meetings were held at Kintampo South and Mkwanza North.
05:09 The Mbunu East edition of the Building Ghana tour has been brought to an end.
05:14 Opinions and challenges of various groupings invited to the town hall meetings will be
05:20 packaged into a manifesto.
05:22 It will be replicated in other parts of the country.
05:26 For Joy News, Nene Ojima reporting.
05:32 Now Vice President Dr Mahmoud Baoumia has criticized former President John Dhramani
05:36 Mahama for what he sees as empty promises to Ghanaians in the former president's quest
05:41 to return to power.
05:42 Dr Baoumia contends that Mr Mahama lacks a thorough understanding of his own policies,
05:47 particularly the 24-hour economic initiative.
05:52 Now he wants Ghanaians not to take Mahama's promises seriously and rather support him
05:56 to bring in new policies for the transformation of the country.
05:59 Samuel Mbura reports from the Vice President's homecoming tour in the northern regions.
06:03 The
06:27 Vice President was warmly welcomed by enthusiastic party supporters during his homecoming tour
06:32 in his native region, North East.
06:35 His visit included a courtesy call on the overlord of the Mampuruku Kingdom in Nalirigu,
06:40 followed by a grand rally in Tamale, the northern regional capital.
06:45 Notable party figures including the MPP National Chairman, Majority Leader and the entire northern
06:51 MPP MPs caucus joined him.
06:54 Dr Baoumia addressed the supporters, expressed surprise at the campaign messages of NDC flag
07:00 and John Mahama.
07:27 He particularly criticised his understanding of the 24-hour economic policy.
07:55 While highlighting his own achievements as Vice President, Dr Baoumia challenged Mahama
08:13 to present a single idea from his tenure as Vice President.
08:41 Majority Leader Ossechi Mbunsu asserted that Dr Baoumia is pivotal to reshaping the economy,
08:48 a reason all of them are supporting.
09:11 Minister for Land, Natural Resources and MP for Damangu, Samoa, Abu Dinapur also emphasised
09:18 that Dr Baoumia's selection to lead the MPP is based on his integrity, not because he
09:24 is a Nodna.
09:52 The Vice President's homecoming tour will extend to Yendi, Bimbila and Damangu in the
09:58 Savannah region later in the day.
10:01 Samuel Mbura, Joy News, Tamale.
10:07 Let's talk health now.
10:08 40% of children living with HIV and AIDS are unaware of their status in Western Central
10:14 Africa while mother to child transmission remains high, reaching 64% in these two regions.
10:22 This revelation came to light at the opening of a three-day regional HIV and AIDS summit
10:27 in Accra by the Executive Director of the Civil Society Institute for Health in Western
10:31 Central Africa, Nguisali Turpin.
10:35 Now the primary objective of this conference is to devise effective strategies to significantly
10:41 reduce these figures, aligning with the 2030 UN HIV goals.
10:46 Carlos Caloni has the rest of the story.
10:50 Members from government and civil society organisations across 20 African countries,
10:55 along with donor organisations such as World Health Organisation and the USAIDS have convened
11:02 at a three-day regional summit addressing the end of AIDS in children in West and Central
11:08 Africa.
11:10 Speaking to Joy News on the sidelines, the Director of the Civil Society Institute for
11:14 Health in West and Central Africa, Nguisali Turpin, emphasised the summit's crucial role
11:21 in crafting viable solutions to empower CSOs in the sector.
11:25 Unfortunately, we only have 60% of children living with HIV that actually know their status.
11:35 We also see that unfortunately we have a rate of around 65% new HIV infections that were
11:43 acquired to, that were transmitted to children because their mothers did not receive the
11:51 adequate ARV treatment that is in existence.
11:55 So what we are really trying to put the focus on is that community organisations, civil
12:01 society organisations need to be empowered.
12:04 They need to be given the means to do testing, to do outreach and also to contribute in terms
12:11 of care and support.
12:12 Underlining the necessity for stronger collaboration between state and non-state actors, Programme
12:17 Manager for the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Stephen A. Siadu, highlighted key interventions
12:24 by the Ghana Health Service in combating HIV in Ghana.
12:28 Based on all the analysis, we've realised that if we have to end the epidemic, the public
12:35 sector alone, the private sector alone cannot.
12:38 We need to work closely with the civil society organisations and already we have started
12:44 that discussion.
12:45 Last year, the Global Fund to Fight ASTV Malaria has provided resources to strengthen further
12:54 this partnership and collaboration with non-state actors.
13:00 The Ghana Health Service is going to work very closely with civil society organisations
13:07 to implement community initiatives in the cascade of care from testing, treatment, retention
13:13 and viral suppression.
13:15 On his part, President of the Ghana HIV/AIDS Network, NS Otsen, underscored that funding
13:20 remains a significant challenge for CSOs in Ghana.
13:24 He stressed the importance of allocating resources to combat the disease considering the country's
13:30 high HIV prevalence.
13:31 If you look at our statistics, we have about 354,000 persons living with HIV in this country.
13:39 About 80% of them are children.
13:42 So that is quite high a number.
13:45 And that is why we need the support of government in addressing pediatric HIV.
13:52 This is something that we can achieve.
13:55 So all we need is for government to provide domestic resources to address this issue of
14:03 pediatric HIV.
14:05 Otsen also expressed commitment of CSOs in Ghana to work towards making Ghana the first
14:12 country in the region to achieve the 2030 goals on the disease.
14:16 What we are committed to doing as a civil society group working with the government
14:21 is to make sure that Ghana will become the first country in the South of the Sahara to
14:26 eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV and AIDS.
14:31 We also want to be the first country to, by 2030, eliminate HIV and AIDS as a public health
14:38 concern.
14:39 The Member of Parliament for Dafyama Bwisi-Isa constituency and member of the Parliamentary
14:44 Select Committee on Health, Sebastian Sandari, emphasized the legislature's role in ensuring
14:50 that allocated resources for the fight are effectively utilized.
14:55 What we can do as legislature, as members of parliament, is to ensure that there are
15:03 enough budgetary allocations for HIV care, is to ensure that we play our oversight role,
15:12 you know, to ensure that whatever funds that are dedicated for HIV care are well utilized.
15:20 At the end of the three-day summit, an actionable solution is anticipated to be unveiled further
15:26 strengthening collaboration between government and CSOs to achieve the 2030 goals.
15:33 Carlos Kaloni, JOYNEWS.
15:38 In our next story, advocates for neonatal care are asking government to include their
15:44 health care in the National Health Insurance Scheme.
15:47 According to the advocates, a child's first benefit from the state is the ability to live
15:52 when born before the 40-week gestational period, an assistance which, when denied, could lead
15:59 to death.
16:00 Currently documented as one of the leading causes of death among newborns, the advocates
16:05 want government to increase funding for neonatal care as a means of ending preventable deaths
16:10 of newborns and children under five years in its quest to achieve the SDG target 3.2
16:17 by 2023.
16:18 Hanold Ami has more in this report.
16:25 Mothers of preterm babies often have to stay in hospitals for as long as their babies receive
16:31 care.
16:33 This affects their finances and general well-being.
16:37 Some are thrown into a state of despair, confusion and guilt.
16:43 Olivia Sakwa has been at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital for the past three weeks
16:49 waiting for her third child born at 32 weeks to be discharged.
16:55 The financial burden, she says, is draining, reason why governmental support is needed.
17:01 If you, the mother, you've been discharged, it means you have no bed to sleep on.
17:08 So you have to sit till daybreak so you can take care of your baby as well.
17:14 And aside that, buying drugs, going for labs, it also stresses us.
17:21 So actually if the government can provide beds for mothers being taken care of premature
17:29 babies.
17:30 Despite that, some mothers continue to live in denial about the situation of their babies.
17:37 But Gloria Abaka, who delivered at 33 weeks, encourages her fellow mothers to give their
17:44 best love to the children during these moments as that aids the growth of their babies.
17:55 I realize that when we love our children, when they are in this situation, they come
18:02 out faster than we thought.
18:09 An NGO, African Foundation for Premature Babies and New Natal Care, occasionally supports
18:16 these mothers through diverse means to alleviate their plight.
18:20 Selena Bintum has been leading this cause.
18:23 The cost of care in the NICU is expensive.
18:27 The NHIS covers very little portion, probably less than 10%.
18:32 And for the amount that it covers, it does not extend to essential parts of care, like
18:38 medication that is expensive that the baby needs to survive.
18:42 And so it is not an excuse for a Ghanian, a baby who is born Ghanian at that age to
18:48 be to die.
18:49 Even if it's just one baby dying every year because of this, it is still not fair and
18:53 we can do more.
18:55 Stambic Investment Management Services, which is assured of continuous support for the mothers,
19:01 also promised to be a voice so government can respond urgently by increasing investment
19:08 in new natal care.
19:10 Desmond Bredou is head of client coverage.
19:14 For us, we believe in sustainability.
19:15 So we are not just looking at just a one-time thing, but how can we partner other institutions,
19:19 how can we echo the message because that's where we can get to have more people come
19:23 on board.
19:24 From the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, I am Hannah Odame for JOYNE News.
19:35 Now some concerned residents in Hopedo, a suburb of Ho, are worried about the construction
19:40 of a liquefied petroleum gas station in a residential area.
19:44 They argue that siting the station very close to an electricity transformer increases the
19:50 risk factor of a disaster in the enclave since it harbours several homes.
19:54 They are asking relevant authorities to step in and prevent the developer from going ahead
19:59 to construct the LPG station in their vicinity.
20:04 Hopedo lies in the northeastern side of the Volta Regional Capital.
20:10 The suburb serves as home to hundreds of residents and harbours some businesses, educational
20:15 institutions and churches.
20:17 However, there is a new development in the area that has injected fear into the residents.
20:23 [Speaking in Hopedo] "I am afraid that the gas station will be built in the area.
20:43 I am afraid that the gas station will be built in the area.
21:06 It's heavily objected by the residents."
21:13 [Speaking in Hopedo] "Some men came that they had wanted, even they were saying filling
21:19 station.
21:20 They want to make filling station here so that some of us will be collecting petrol
21:28 free for one year or at least six months.
21:33 Even the whole area, nobody agreed to that suggestion."
21:40 It is however surprising that the developer has decided to go ahead with the project after
21:45 five years.
21:46 The residents are alarmed because the station is in close proximity to homes while an electricity
21:52 transformer is situated at the entrance of the site.
21:55 They fear the least form of disaster may ravage their homes and businesses and destroy their
22:00 lifetime properties.
22:01 [Speaking in Hopedo] "We have built a pipe park here.
22:05 We have built a pipe park here.
22:10 We have built a pipe park here.
22:14 We have built a pipe park here.
22:18 We have built a pipe park here.
22:22 We have built a pipe park here.
22:26 We have built a pipe park here.
22:30 We have built a pipe park here.
22:35 We have built a pipe park here.
22:39 We have built a pipe park here.
22:43 We have built a pipe park here.
22:47 We have built a pipe park here.
22:51 We have built a pipe park here.
22:55 We have built a pipe park here.
22:59 We have built a pipe park here.
23:03 We have built a pipe park here.
23:07 We have built a pipe park here.
23:11 We have built a pipe park here.
23:15 We have built a pipe park here.
23:19 We have built a pipe park here.
23:23 We have built a pipe park here.
23:27 We have built a pipe park here.
23:31 We have built a pipe park here.
23:35 We have built a pipe park here.
23:39 We have built a pipe park here.
23:43 We have built a pipe park here.
23:47 We have built a pipe park here.
23:51 We have built a pipe park here.
23:55 We have built a pipe park here.
23:59 We have built a pipe park here.
24:03 (dramatic music)