Mr. Adda says the project was the brainchild of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under President Kufour.

“This project started in 2008; a delegation including myself and current President Akufo went to the Far East and China to look for funds for this project.”

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region has chided President Akufo-Addo for failing to give former President Mahama credit for the project which was commissioned on Monday.

President Akufo-Addo at the commissioning of the project on Monday, said, “it was in his (President Kufuor’s) time that the financing for this project was secured, as far back as 2008. But, unfortunately, after he left [office in 2008], it took five years under the NDC successor governments before the construction of the project began.”

President Akufo-Addo added that “God has his own way of doing things. A project that was started by Kufuor is going to be commissioned by Akufo-Addo. That is the way the Almighty works” he said.

But the NDC says the project was started by them under President Mahama. The party in a statement signed by the Upper West Regional Director of Communications, Issaku Issa Jerry, said “President Akufo Addo is deceiving Ghanaians to score cheap political points.”

He added that “President Akufo Addo and the NPP must provide evidence that the project started under Kufour.”

But speaking to Citi News, Joseph Kofi Adda said the NDC has no hand in the project.

“It’s surprising NDC wants to lay claim over this project. Where were they when we conceived the idea to provide the people of Wa with water.”

The $55.50 million water project at Jambusie, which was constructed with a facility from the Korean Exim Bank, will supply 3.3 million gallons of water per day to the 100,705 residents of Wa.

President Akufo-Addo urged residents of Wa to “look after the project and make sure you use the water with care. Turn off the taps [when not in use], continue to conserve water, and settle the little bills that would come, so that the project would continue to run and provide you with the service.”

The President commissioned the project on Monday as part of two-day tour of the region.
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By: Sammy Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The move is in fulfillment of a long-held NPP campaign pledge to build a database of Ghanaians and other nationals resident in Ghana.

Four Committees; Legal, Technical, Financial and Oversight are expected to spearhead the project.

President Nana Akufo Addo had promised to complete the National Identification system that was commenced by the erstwhile Kufuor administration within its first year in office, few days after he was elected.

Nana Akufo-Addo, who was speaking at a meeting with the Private Enterprise Federation at the Ghana Institute of Management And Public Administration (GIMPA), said the system will help ensure the country has a solid database.

A statement from the presidency indicated that the “National Identification project is expected to be completed within the first year of the NPP administration, in fulfillment of a manifesto pledge to complete the registration of all residents in Ghana under the National Identification Scheme, thereby establishing an integrated Data Warehouse of databases from key public institutions, using the National Identification System as the unique identifier for data items, and automating the processes involved in accessing public services at both national and local government offices.”

“The NPP government believes the National ID scheme would help formalize the economy through the establishment of a national database, using the National Identification System as the primary identifier, with linkages to the databases of institutions such as the Police, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Passport Office, Immigration, Courts, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA),” the statement added.

The move follows a broad consultative meeting chaired by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on Wednesday, January 25, 2017, where all the major stakeholders, including the Births and Deaths Registry (BDR), National Identification Authority (NIA), Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Ghana Revenue Authority and National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) underscored the need to have a single national database to aid policy planning and implementation.

Also in attendance were officials from the Ministry of Finance, Minister designate for Communications, Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Electoral Commission (EC), Driver Vehicle and Licence Authority (DVLA), Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GHIPSS) and industry experts.

Addressing the representatives of the key stakeholders, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia noted that there has been too much talk around the issue of national ID cards but very little effective action or results even though $50 million has been spent on the project since 2009.

A single national ID system would, among others, track immunization of children and health care of citizens, issue drivers licenses and passports linked to digital identity registry, eliminate ghost names from the civil service payroll, and reduce cost of maintaining multiple Identity databases, the Vice President stated.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The statistics, released by the World Health Organization, also provide new evidence on the causes of women dying in pregnancy or childbirth.

The WHO says most are preventable, highlighting the need for more investment in pregnancy care.

In 1990, more than half a million women died in pregnancy or childbirth – by 2013 the figure was 289,000.

But the WHO say the figure it still too high – with 33 maternal deaths around the world every hour.

The gap between rich and poor countries is wide. In sub-Saharan Africa, a 15-year-old girl has a one in 40 risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. In Europe, that risk is one in 3,300.

The WHO says the study highlights the need for poorer countries to invest more in health care.

But there is also evidence that in some rich countries such as the United States, maternal mortality is rising, say health experts.

More than one in four maternal deaths is caused by pre-existing conditions which complicate pregnancy, such as diabetes, HIV, malaria and obesity.

Source: BBC

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