Yesterday October 11, 2018, I had the honour to be joined by Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah, MCE Ga East, Mrs Bernice Ofori, Ga East Municipal Education Director, Dome-Kwabenya Constituency Executives, Head Teachers, Staff and Pupils of the Atomic Hills Demonstration School as I commissioned a Fully Furnished Three Unit Classroom Block with a Computer Laboratory and Toilet Facility.
The Construction of this Three Unit Classroom Block is my modest contribution to easing congestion in the classrooms to aid the effective learning and teaching of our Future Leaders. Similar school projects are ongoing across the Constituency all in the bid to ensure that we provide the best and ideal environments for these young ones to study in.
The Construction of this Three Unit Classroom Block is my modest contribution to easing congestion in the classrooms to aid the effective learning and teaching of our Future Leaders. Similar school projects are ongoing across the Constituency all in the bid to ensure that we provide the best and ideal environments for these young ones to study in.
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com on 10/3/2018
Four centuries ago Africans were taken from the Ghanaian coast and shipped to the Americas, and now 400 years later the country is calling her descendants back home.
At a luncheon on Sept. 28, American and Ghanaian dignitaries, Pan African advocates, spiritual leaders and the President of Ghana His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, launched The Year of Return Ghana 2019.
His Excellency Nana Addo Dankway Akufo-Addo, president of the Republic of Ghana, addressing the audience at the Year of Return Launch Program, Sept. 28, at the National Press Club in Northwest, Washington, D.C.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the Auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture along with the Office of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, the PANAFEST Foundation and the Adinkra Group of USA hosted the program at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The goal is to get African Americans to return to Ghana and have a transformative experience of connecting with the continent from which they were taken 400 years ago.
President and CEO of the Adinkra Group, Diallo Sumbry explained that the collaboration with Ghana should “have an impact at least nine generations deep,” and if not, “then we’re making a serious misstep right now,” Sumbry said. “We have an opportunity. It takes work, it takes commitment and it takes sacrifice.”
The President of Ghana dedicated “the ceremony to the memory of the prodigal son,” because he was lost and found. As the leader of Ghana, the President welcomed the lost children of Africa and people of any descent seeking to learn more about the country’s rich history. He also said he would try to ensure that the acquisition of visas becomes easier.
The President and other dignitaries, like Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin) and Rep. Sheila Jackson- Lee (D- Texas), mentioned the importance of welcoming people of all races to see the important sites in Ghana.
“I will imagine, that when the return starts, there will not [only] be people who look like me, and in this nation I hope that America will rise to the point where we glorify in each other’s history,” Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) told the crowd. The Texas congresswoman rushed to the National Press Club after having been in a Senate Judiciary committee listening to critical testimonies and debates and voting on the decision to do an FBI investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual harassment allegations.
As someone who studied abroad in Ghana, Jackson-Lee said that those who have the opportunity to return there are bound to have a transformational experience.
“Those who have never been- that if they go- there’ll be a certain coming of age, that will be grander than we’ve ever imagined,” she said.
The congresswoman said the invitation from Ghana to return for a historic and transformational experience makes for a strong union.
“The continent which I honor and Ghana with its amazing history, will be in the forefront of galvanizing and cementing this wonderful relationship between the nation of the United States of America, the people of the United States of America and the great Republican nation of Ghana with this wonderful President and First Lady, who [are] leading us into the 21st and 22nd century.”
Events surrounding The Year of 2019 include the “Bra Fie” Concert hosted by Damien Marley, son of celebrated reggae artist Bob Marley, in January, a Homecoming and Investment Summit in June; Panafest and Emancipation in July, Ghana Carnival in November and Afrochella in December.
In partnership with the Adinkra Group, artists such as The Crossrhodes with Raheem DeVaughn and Wes Felton, the band Black Alley and Farafina Kan will be returning to Accra, Ghana, Feb. 25- March 8, where they’ll perform. Through the Adinkra Group, legendary go-go band Backyard, also returned to Ghana and performed. As part of Friday’s luncheon program, guests had the opportunity to view the trailer for a film documenting Backyard’s trip to Ghana called “Back2Africa.”
The many celebrations and performances is a means of celebrating “the resilience of the African spirit,” the Minister of Tourism the Honorable Cather Afeku said.
Diallo Sumbry is the U.S. Coordinator for the Year of Return and can be reached at info@yearofreturn.com and (240) 389-4044.
Government will ensure that Kantanka automobile is given the same incentives as the other foreign automobile companies in order to enhance their operations, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed.
According to him, both indigenous and international automobile companies operating in Ghana will have the full and equal backing from government.
Dr. Bawumia made this statement whiles speaking at the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition in Accra on Tuesday.
He announced that another international automobile company, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, has also expressed interest in setting up an assembly plant in the country
‘We have had discussions for example with our local producers like Kantanka to make sure that whatever incentives we are providing to all companies who are becoming interested in our automobile industry like the Nissans and VWs, are also available to the Kantanka of Ghana so that they can also produce with those same types of incentives,’ the Vice President said.
He explained that the welcoming of automobile companies in Ghana is in line with government’s plans to boost the economy through industrialization.
This, he said, will also have a good impact on the private sector, once the economy is industrialised.
‘We have added the automobile industry into our key initiatives to move the industrial transformation of this country but people were doubting. I tell you we have received a massive response from the private sector after we send the strong signal of industrializing the economy,’ the Vice President added.
Nissan Motor now joins German car manufacturer, Volkswagen and Sinotruck International from China as the international automobile companies looking to assemble plants in the country.
After lots of entreaty by the public for Kantanka Automobile Company to manufacture and produce vehicles in which individuals can use for Uber Services in the country, it was quite interesting to find out that people have already started using the Ghana made vehicles built by the Ghanaian company for such services as requested by the public.
Few days ago, Kantanka.net got impressed with one Uber driver, Kofi Boakye Yiadom using one of the Kantanka vehicles branded Amoanimaa for his routine Uber Services.
According to Boakye, he has been using the vehicle over a year now with great performance on the road. He continued, “I have been getting lots of calls from customers around the city who always want a ride with my vehicle. Most of my customers now prefer to call me Kofi Amoanima, he ridiculed”.
To get a drive with Kofi Boakye Yiadom uber services contact 0208900704.
The local car manufacturing company, Kantanka Automobile Ltd has produce locally built vehicles ranging from SUVs, Mini SUVs, Pickups and Saloons with a vision of introducing smaller vehicles ranging from 0.800 CC and 1000 CC to the market by the end of this year or early next year.
I attended the inaugural meeting of the International Congress of Parliamentary Women's Caucuses 2018 in Dublin, Ireland from 9-10 September, 2018.
The conference brought together Female Parliamentarians and Cross-Party groups from across the globe to share their perspectives and experiences on issues facing women such as Sexual Harassment, Violence against Women Leaders, Affirmative Action, Gender mainstreaming and the state of Gender inequalities, and how, as Parliamentarians, we can create the right synergies to address them in our respective countries.
The Congress resolved to commit to the following; • Working towards the establishment of a Women's caucus in every Parliament by 2020. • Create a network of Women's Caucuses which can meet on. Regular basis to further the aims of the Congress. • That all Parliaments encourage the continuity of their caucuses by investing in institutional memory which can support their work. • That each Caucus would develop a clear plan of action aimed at influencing policies and actions which encourage greater participation by women in Politics. • That each Caucus would strengthen links with Civil Society groups working in areas that affect Women. • That each Caucus and Parliamentarian will continue to strive in their representative roles to improve the lives of Women.
I represented the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as the Chairperson of the maiden Ghana Procurement and Supply Chain Awards on Friday September 7, 2018 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel where awards were presented to deserving Procurement and Supply Chain Institutions and Individuals.
H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was presented with the Prestigious 'Outstanding Change Leadership Award' for his immense contribution to the Procurement Industry, which I received on his behalf.
In line with my role and position as the first ever Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurements, I was awarded the 'Sustainable Procurement Transformation Award'
In line with my role and position as the first ever Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurements, I was awarded the 'Sustainable Procurement Transformation Award'
One major challenge with vehicles imported into Ghana is the cost involved in clearing them from the ports. Most vehicle importers become overwhelmed with the clearing cost which they may have not anticipated to be such high either due to misinformation or no information at all about the clearing cost forcing disappointed importers to abandon vehicles at the ports due to their inability to raise funds to clear their vehicles.
Many however believed that Kantanka cars which is produced locally in Ghana would have been cheaper for an average Ghanaian to purchase.
Yet the question is about what determines the inflated price of a kantanka car and the answer is simply put Government of Ghana.
Kantanka Automobile Showroom doors are always opened for you, Kindly come and make an order for free delivery, free After Sales Services, Free Registration of the vehicle at the DVLA, Three Years Warranty, Flexible Payment Plan and other amazing packages for you. Not Just Any Car, It's Our Car. Contact us Now: 0248307330 / 0242037429
Kantanka.net has it that, the price of Kantanka Mensah, a brand new 2.4 AT sedan car for example is as low as GHC115,000, the cheapest for everyone to afford. But to get you informed government is charging GHC25,000 as duty tax on every kantanka car purchased making it difficult for competition on the local market.
According to Kwadwo Safo jnr, Kantanka Automobile Ltd has sent letters to past and current governments about a simple tax waiver but proves futile.
What would have passed out as a bragging right for the Akufo-Addo government was on Wednesday, boycotted by senior ministers’ in-charge of the country’s security, as well as the top hierarchy of the Police administration, including the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Appeatu.
Government three days ago, presented a total of 105 vehicles as part of retooling the Ghana Police Service to combat crime in the country, but there are fears that government, as well as the Police administration, would rather leave the cars to gather dust and rust, while the state finds money to settle its US$9.1 million indebtedness to Amalgamated Security Service Limited owned by one Joseph Kwabena Boateng-Aidoo.
The presentation of the car to the Police Service, was done by a jittery looking-Deputy Minister of Information with the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery and his Deputy, Henry Quartey, the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, Bryan Acheampong, minister of State at the National Security and Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere, National Security Advisor, staying away from the event.
The Director-General /Public Affairs Directorate, ACP David Senanu Eklu, who received the vehicles from Nana Dokua Asiamah-Adjei on behalf of the Police Administration at the Police Headquarters Operations in Accra, stated that the vehicles would be used as expected of the Service.
The Deputy Minister of Information, announced that 95 more of the vehicles would be arriving this evening, making a total of 200 vehicles for the Ghana Police service.
The 105 vehicles supplied made up of Toyota Corolla and Camry, The Herald is informed were part of the vehicles gotten from the renegotiated 43 specialized security cars bought for President Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Dr. Bawumia, their spouses and security details.
But strangely, both the Presidency and the Police Service, refused to take delivery of the cars until Wednesday, when the police did after a long battle between it and the suppliers, although same institution, had been complaining about lack of tools to fight crime.
The police cars since March this year, were left at the Tema Habour, because the government does not want to go near it.
Strangely, the 34 vehicles, including bullet proof ones some of which have been allotted to the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and the Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, have also been left at the car park of the National Security Secretariat popularly called Castle Annex or Blue Gate rusting away.
The cars, including Mercedes Benz saloon cars, arrived on a Global African Airlines cargo plane many months ago, but The Herald is informed that, the President was also yet to use any of them for his official duties.
In February this year, then-Minister of Information, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, explained to journalists at a press conference that the Akufo-Addo government renegotiated the terms of purchase of so
The Mahama administration upon agreement with the incoming Akufo-Addo government, ordered the bullet-proof cars at a cost of $9.1 million on January 3, 2017, days before handing over power after the 2016 polls. This was because conventionally a new President, hardly use the official vehicle used by his predecessor.
There was, however, a storm after the Akufo-Addo government refused to use the cars, following a public outcry because it had promised austerity measures. The deal was renegotiated with the police administration cars getting 200 cars to fight crime but strangely, they have refused to take the cars and use them.
It is not clear, whether the 105 police Toyata cars attracted demurrage at the Tema Habour and who pays for them.
At that press conference last year, Dr Abdul-Hamid said: “I hereby report to the Ghanaian people, through you, that government has accepted the VIP fleet, having come to the conclusion that: 1. Government is bound by the terms of the contract signed with Amalgamated Securities Limited.
“2. Abrogating the contract may incur significant liabilities for government. In doing so, government has, however, made sure to obtain maximum gain for the public purse and also for ensuring the security of the state”.
He said: “We have renegotiated the terms of the contract in the following manner: 1. We have reduced the number of vehicles ordered from 43 to 34, which is nine short of the original number. 2. In place of the nine, we have acquired 100 Toyota Corolla cars for use by the Police Service in line with our commitment to retool the Police Service to enable them play effectively, their role of protecting the Ghanaian people. 3. We have done all this with a total amount of 8.8 million United States Dollars”.
Dr. Hamid, explained that, with the risk of a judgement debt hanging over its head, government renegotiated with Amalgamated Securities Limited, purchasing only 34 of the initially agreed 43 cars, saving about three hundred thousand dollars in the process.
With the vehicle not in use, it is clear government might not pay Amalgamated Security Service Limned, thus landing itself in a lawsuit and huge judgment debt awarded the company.
Chief Executive Officer of Kantanka Automobile, Kwadwo Safo has revealed that the bad nature of road network in the country contributed to why the company was only in the production of four wheel drives.
He said his outfit is capable of producing smaller cars which can be used for commercial purposes such as Taxis and Uber.
“You can’t produce smaller cars whereas your roads are not of international standards, when we began we identified that our roads are bad” he told Kweku Owusu Adjei on Kasapa Fm.
Several others have advised that the company gets into production of relatively smaller cars such as the ones used for Uber and taxis in order to catch the market and also gain prominence in the Ghanaian market.
But according to Kwadwo Safo, although the company now produces smaller cars, they come with challenges and become vulnerable to bad roads.
“First of all, if we want to bring smaller vehicles onto the market it will break down early, secondly producing smaller cars are more difficult as compared to producing bigger ones and that is the truth.
“So we began from somewhere and what we were looking for we didn’t get. The company we were partnering with at that time to meet the international standard they didn’t have smaller cars and we had to work with them for a long time which necessitated the involvement of our Research and Development department before we were able to achieve that, so we now have smaller cars” he said.
The automobile firm has expressed concerns over what they believe is the hasty approach government has resorted to in signing the agreement for the establishment of an assembling plant of German car giant VW in Ghana.
In a statement Kantanka said although they are not against the coming of VW into the Ghanaian market, they hoped the government had attached speed and relevance to the numerous proposals that they have submitted to it like it did in the case of VW.
