He said God had shown him mercy and love through the period he took ill and left Ghana for a medical leave in the United Kingdom.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZstzSkTE0Q8xwpaUujCXtvyF22aTxrGI”]Speaking to congregants of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) at Abossey Okai in Accra, the Vice President expressed gratitude to all those who stood with him prayers during those tough moments.

“You all heard a few weeks ago, I wasn’t well. I had to go to London for some rest. But I know and I believe that the hand of God healed me and I came back. On my return, I believe that as God says, for all things, we have to be thankful. I thought I should come here and pray for my successful healing and thank God for my successful healing and also ask you to pray for my boss, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia left Ghana for the United Kingdom on Friday January 20 after the Presidency revealed that he had taken ill a day before, on January 19, and had undergone medical tests.

He subsequently returned to Ghana on Thursday 1st February, 2018, after being on medical leave for 12 days.

In an earlier Facebook post, Dr. Bawumia expressed appreciation to everyone who prayed and supported him when he was unwell.

“I appreciate the fellow feeling, love and best wishes expressed during my recent medical leave. I am most grateful to the Almighty God for his mercies. In particular, I thank President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Chief of Staff, the Government, my lovely wife Samira Bawumia, my family, and you, the Ghanaian people, for the support.”

“My sincere gratitude also goes to the mosques, churches and individuals who in diverse ways interceded on my behalf, as well as the medical staff who discharged their duties in a most professional manner,” the Vice President added.

Some had criticized the government for flying Dr. Bawumia out of the country to seek better medical care elsewhere, an indication that politicians do not trust the country’s healthcare system, and yet have failed to improve same.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post The hand of God healed me – Bawumia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the nomadic herdsmen, who settled in parts of the region about a year ago, agreed to vacate the area within six-months, but are still there, even though the grace period expired in September.

[contextly_sidebar id=”byMeRUtGbEbvQSMJgi64vgEUAVP13lV6″]He noted that, the leaders of the herdsmen pleaded with chiefs of the community for an additional one month to finally leave, which they agreed.

But the assembly member for  Abesaasi-Twebaabi  says majority of the herdsmen still remain on their lands.

“A few have left, but many of them are still there, on our lands.”

Last Friday, heads of the Fulani herdsmen failed to turn up at a meeting with the municipal security, regional security, as well as chiefs of the area, because according to reports, the nomads were bereaved and therefore couldn’t make it to the meeting.

A situation the chiefs and the security agencies deemed “disrespectful.”

“If you have done such a thing, you should have come to the security agents and not wait for them to call you. So MISEC (Municipal Security Council) decided that they have given them  (Fulani herdsmen) a period (to leave), and the period has elapsed, so they’re expecting them to go in peace. If not, they will write to the regional security council to request for military personnel to support the police personnel at Berekum so they can mount up Operation Cow Leg to drive them  away from these communities.”

The decision to resort to the use of ‘Operation Cow Leg,’ was the outcome of the meeting, and it is expected to be implemented by a joint military and police task-force.

Mr. Atta Jacob also stressed that, no further extension will be given to the Fulani herdsmen for evacuation, and that drastic measures will be taken to ensure their immediate eviction.

“They have exhausted all the time they have, so right now if they are there, they are there at their own risk.”

He said he was hopeful that the herdsmen will leave willingly and immediately, to avoid the use of force which may degenerate into brutalities.

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By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline/Ghana

The post Berekum to launch operation against Fulani herdsmen appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It said persons who engage such electricians risk being denied connection to the national grid.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9qghMd9I48FLk7MBqmESWnzGdDCyCLt5″]According to the Commission, the move is to avert incidents of fire outbreaks related to faulty electrical wiring.

The Head of Public Affairs for the Energy Commission, Victor Owusu, told Citi News that, a proper regulation to guide electrical wiring in the country will ensure high professional standards.

“It has become necessary for the Energy Commission to inject professionalism into the electrical wiring profession; that is the reason we have gone all this way to make sure the wiring profession is regulated by law,” he said.

He added that “when a profession is regulated, the members of that profession would have to behave professionally, and this means that things they did that were untoward, they will not do them anymore. When we do this, the incidents of fire outbreaks connected with faulty electrical wiring, will come to halt. If a client fails to use a certified electrical wiring professional, he stands a risk of not being connected to the national grid, the utility distribution company will not give that client a meter.”

More than 300 fire incidents that occurred between January and July 2017 across the country, have been as a result of faulty electrical wiring.

The Energy Commission in 2016 initiated moves to upgrade the competence of electrical wiring, to reduce the high incidents of domestic fires resulting from poor wiring.

Mr. Solomon Sarpong, the Principal Programmes Officer of the Commission, had said that the upgrade program, put together by the Nexans Kabelmetal Ghana, and the Commission, would help the contractors to do things professionally and guarantee the safety of all.

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By: Farida Ussif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Energy Commission to clamp down on unprofessional electricians appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It says stakeholders must not relent in their efforts to address the galamsey menace to sustain the production of quality water for Ghanaians.

Prior to the launch of the campaign against galamsey, most of the company’s production plants had been shut down due to difficulties in treating the heavily polluted water for subsequent distribution to homes.

According to the Head of Corporate Communications at the Ghana Water Company Limited, Stanley Martey, the company has seen great improvement in its water production and supply following a massive campaign against the illegal practice.

He noted that the situation can be made even better when the fight against galamsey is sustained.

“We’ve seen some improvement and we are happy about the campaign against galamsey activities. I hope that it will all be sustained…If it is not sustained and this galamsey activity continues or start again, we are going to face the same challenge.”

Mr. Martey also called for the enforcement of regulations on illegal mining to protect the country’s water resources to ensure that the progress made is not reversed.

The Kyebi, Dabuasi and the Odaso water treatment plants which were shut down due to galamsey activities have been reopened to serve their respective catchment areas.

Several water bodies across the country have been under severe threat as the menace of galamsey heightened but reports suggest that after efforts by the Media, NGOs and government, the level of destruction of the resources have at least not worsened.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Water production improves after galamsey fight – GWCL appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows several complaints of poor service of the company by some Ghanaians on the Citi Breakfast Show this week.

[contextly_sidebar id=”eA3VhRndQ4ur8cJ7qQYCcGRvsnUeOZNV”]The company in a statement copied to citifmonline.com said the management of the service intends to create a single customer service department for all product lines and undertake customer service training.

Among other things, it said, it would introduce performance targets for its staff to ensure that they deliver effectively on customer expectations.

Some of the complaints received from Ghanaians on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show on Monday, May 8, 2017 suggested that staff of the company treated some customers with disdain and attached no seriousness to the discharge of their duty.

The discussion brought to the bare the fact that staff of the company did not have key performance targets they had to meet, hence their lackadaisical attitude towards work.

But the company says it is working to change that.

It called on customers to assist in the quest to turn around the company’s fortunes.

Ghana Post Company Limited has since introduced a dedicated email and phone contact to receive complaints of customers about services of the company.

Read the full statement below:

has been in the news lately due to customer service challenges.  We empathize with our customers and hereby apologize to our customers who have not had the best of customer service from us.

Ghana Post is in the process of making wholesale changes to our processes to address our challenges. Major aspects of the plan will include the creation of a single customer service department for all product lines, customer service training, adherence to delivery standards and the introduction of performance management targets for all staff.  We therefore plead with our customers to bear with us as we go through these challenges.

In the interim, we will be happy to take all customer complaints on 0302 668 138 or 050 263 0643 during working hours and [email protected]and we will readily attend to your customer service issues.

We also hope to count on your valuable support in our quest to turn around the fortunes of the company.

Issued by Management of Ghana Post Ltd.

Ghana Post is a national communication and financial agency with nationwide coverage that has served its purpose for more than 5 decades.

In spite of its previous successes and dominance in the communication sector in the past, the company is currently struggling for relevance due to competition from private telecom companies, courier agencies and internet service providers.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post We’re making ‘wholesale changes’ to improve service – Ghana Post appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The CIMG Telecom Operator of the Year, Tigo, in the event dubbed, ‘Blue Light District,’ provided free wi-fi to hundreds of patrons, created a retail goods market, indoor sporting games, and instant digital photo booths.

In partnership with Ghana eSports Association, there was also the video console game for the FIFA 2017 tournament. 64 participants played at the group stage, after which they went through the knock-out stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the finals.

Frank Adotey Kpakpo, also known as ‘Wonderkid’ was the overall champion and walked away with GHS2,500. Yaw Boakye Amponsah, the first runner up, received a sum of GHS1,500 while the third and fourth positions went to Emmanuel Lawson and Kenneth Robinson Larbi, who received GHS700 and GHS300 respectively.

The Strategy Director for Tigo, Efuwa Quansah, was happy with the impressive levels of participation. She explained that the ‘Blue Light District’ was Tigo’s way of engaging both existing and potential customers through an experiential event to get a feel of the greatly improved high-speed internet.

There were thrilling performances by dancehall artistes Epixode and Jupitar.

Partners for the event included the Ghana eSports Association and Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Tigo’s ‘Blue Light District’ thrills many at Achimota Retail Centre appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The day is set aside to recognize and celebrate the contribution of Ghanaian workers to nation building.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo will be the special guest of honour at this year’s national celebration which is being held at the Independence Square in Accra.

The theme for this year’s celebration is, “Ghana @ 60: Mobilising Ghana’s Future through the creation of Decent Jobs.”

Separate parades will be held in other parts of the country to mark the day.

During such parades, the various workers’ unions march with placards bearing various messages commending colleagues and conveying messages of their expectation of government.

The occasion also presents the opportunity to some disgruntled labour unions to express their discontent with government’s handling of issues such as their salaries and conditions of service.

Trade unionism in Ghana

The Trade Union Ordinance of 1941 was enacted by the British colonialists to legalise the formation of trade unions in the country. The move was to avoid the kind of labour struggles that had accompanied the industrial revolution in Europe and elsewhere.

Prior to that, however, the first industrial action had occurred in the country in 1919 when miners embarked on a strike to press home their demand for better wages.

Permanent organisations such as the Gold and Silver Smith’s Association, the Colony and Ashanti Motor Union and the Carpenters and Masons Union were all founded in the 1920s.

In 1954, the Gold Coast Trades Union Congress (TUC) was founded, with an initial membership of 6,030 and 14 affiliates. It was an appendage of the ruling Convention People’s Party (CPP).

By 1957, splinter groups had developed in the country, many of them being much more militant than the TUC.

In order to “clip their wings” and strengthen the TUC, the CPP government passed the Industrial Relations Act of 1958, a move which gave legal recognition to the TUC.

The 1966 coup was welcomed by many who were discontent with the TUC’s loyalty to the government. The new military government repealed the compulsory TUC membership for civil servants, a move which made the TUC shrink from 700,000 to 300,000 members.

The years 1966 to 1969 witnessed many strikes, leading to sour relationships between labour and government.

In 1969, when Kofi Abrefa Busia came to power, he expressed his support for the existence of a “free and independent labour movement”  but the relationship was soon to deteriorate.

Following heavy inflation, the TUC called on the Busia administration to raise salaries, a call the government refused to heed. To make matters worse, it introduced a development levy, which was a new tax on all workers.

Angered by Busia’s move, the workers and the TUC criticised the government heavily.

Busia, in a bid to show workers “where power lies,” amended the 1958 Industrial Relations Act in September 1971, dissolving the TUC and freezing all its assets. The move shocked the nation.

It was not until Gen Ignatius Kutu Acheampong assumed office that the TUC was restored.

When the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) came to power in 1981, it sought co-operation with the TUC but it did not receive the support it wanted. It embarked on a series of actions which clearly pointed to the fact that it wanted to undermine the TUC. For example, it established the People’s and Workers Defence Committees parallel to the existing TUC structures. Other actions soured the relationship further.

After democratic rule was restored, the relationship improved.

In 1999, the Ghana Federation of Labour was formed as an umbrella organisation for independent trade unions. In 2003, a tripartite National Labour Commission (NLC) was created to help resolve disputes.

Labour agitations

Every year, the government is confronted with numerous labour agitations over major concerns such as delayed and non-payment of salaries, poor conditions of service among others.

Labour unions such as the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association (FUSSAG) have embarked on various industrial actions seeking their welfare.

Although such grievances have not always been fully addressed by government, it [government] have always sought to negotiate with the unions to avoid chaos on the labour front.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghanaian workers mark May Day with parade appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the caucus, the early signs of the party in government have shown that it has failed to honour its pre-election campaign promises.

[contextly_sidebar id=”khVMGTMCihOjdEfDkV4lhMpPXZ6i8TXn”]Addressing a press conference at the Parliament House on Tuesday, [April 18, 2017], the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, said the NPP’s administration has been characterized by terror due to activities of pro-NPP vigilante groups, Invincible Forces and Delta Force.

“It is sad to say that, for a party that claims to have the men, they have been struggling to find their feet since that shameful inaugural address. They have so far been unconvincing about their mouthwatering campaign promises,” he said.

“They are not creating jobs for the masses, they are not alleviating hardships, same for the 110 ministers and deputy apparatchiks, but they are terrorizing Ghanaians by unleashing their several partisan para-military forces to achieve parochial gains,” he added.

But the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at a town hall meeting hosted by Accra-based Joy FM on Monday to mark the government’s first 100 days in office, noted said that although the government had not made any promises for the first 100 days in office, it has performed creditably well and has made 103 achievements within the period.

He noted that, the achievements were made in sectors including Health, Economy, Education, Finance, Local government, among others.

But according to James Klutse Avedzi, “the early signs of the government of our country under the NPP have been anything but impressive. Instead of an all-action approach towards rolling out their loftily politics and programmes, the initial steps in this government though tentative, gives cause for major concerns.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post 100 days of NPP ‘unimpressive’ – Minority appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The performance captures how Ghanaian music has evolved from traditional music forms to modern forms like rap, hip-life and others.

As part of activities to celebrate 60 years of Ghana’s independence, relived the good old days of music brewed in Ghana.

Ready to mount the stage, are venerated highlife musician Nana Kwame Ampadu, Paapa Yankson, A.B. Crentsil and former Nakorex member, Amadzeba.

Patrons will also be thrilled to performances by Okyeame Kwame, Adane Best and Kwabena Kwabena.

MOGO2017 is streaming live via the Citi 97.3 FM page on Facebook and on air on Citi 97.3 FM.

The 2017 Music of Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) is sponsored by GCB Bank, Freight Consult and Nallem Consult, and is powered by Citi 97.3 FM.

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By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Wogbejeke tells Ghana’s music history at #MOGO2017 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Ministry was allocated GHs884 million to enable it address the country’s worsening power crisis.

Of the total amount allocated, the government was to contribute only GHs84 million, while GHs30 million came from the internally generated funds.

The government was expecting to receive about GHs769 million of the total power ministry budget from development partners.

The infographic below has details of all allocations to the various ministries under the economic sector as captured in the 2016 budget.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post #GhBudget: 40% economic sector budget allocated to Power Ministry in 2016 [Infographic] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.