He has also cautioned all chiefs and landowners(Tindaanas) within the traditional area, not to lease out lands for any mining activity without the approval of the Talensi traditional council.

[contextly_sidebar id=”6Y2QmF3mBubtzjtrJR4ooA9OCWGI53AC”]This decision according to Tongoraa, is to allow for comprehensive investigations into all mining activities in Gbane in order to curb the precarious mining practices that have led to the loss of lives and environmental degradation.

“We the Talensi traditional council have extended the temporary ban beyond the Shaanxi Ghana Mining company limited to cover all licensed and illegal miners in Gbane. We are doing it through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amemu, the Minerals Commission and the Upper East Regional Police command…”

Addressing a press conference at his palace in Tongo, Tongoraan Kulgbilsong Nanlebegtang said the perilous nature of mining in the area has not only polluted water bodies and destroyed farm lands, but the use of mercury and cyanide by the miners also has a serious effect on humans and the soil water.

“The top soil of farms in the area have been destroyed by graders and bulldozers. There is so much degradation of the land and water such that if it is not stopped now, future generations will curse us for not catering for them.”

The Tongraan blamed the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency for failing the fight against Galamsey in the area.

“The Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have not been able to effectively play their roles as regulators and policing agencies collectively to curb Galamsey destruction of farm lands and water bodies within the mining areas,” he said.

The Minerals Commission has approved over 30 small scale miners in the Talensi traditional area.

“The situation has led to an increase in land boundary disputes and the incessant deaths of over 100 young people through collapsed pits and explosive toxic chemicals since 2006,” the Tongraan stated.

Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebetang also disclosed that, the Minerals Commission has never involved the Talensi traditional council before issuing permits or licenses to mining companies operating in the area.

Gov’t suspends Chinese mining firm’s operations in Talensi 

This comes after the government temporarily suspended the operations of Shaanxi Ghana Mining Company Limited operating at Gbane in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

According to a letter signed by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, the suspension is to allow for thorough investigations into the company’s underground operations, and the alleged death of about seven miners in the area.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Chief Executive Officer of YEA, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the new management has detected fraudulent activities, including allowances to thousands of people who do not work for the agency.

There are about ten separate modules under the YEA programme, with over six hundred thousand beneficiaries according to their website.

The CEO, Justin Kodua Frimpong, told Citi News that the payment has been suspended for three weeks, to investigate the irregularity.

“The payment of beneficiary allowances for the Youth Employment Agency has been suspended and the reason being that a common excel verification exposed certain things to us. We realized that YEA pays beneficiaries through e-zwich then it became suspicious and abnormal finding out that there were about three people with different names using the same e-zwich number. We also realized that there are about 2,999 people on the beneficiary payroll who do not work, but at every month they withdraw allowances and also another anomaly we found was that, some  people are also working, but as far as May 2016 have not been paid.”

The CEO added that, others also do not have appointment letters or assumption of duty letters.

“So looking at all these and in the interim, we realized that if we should proceed to pay the allowances, we are going to face serious challenges. What we are interested in now is how we are going to save the public purse.”

In a separate statement signed by Acting Deputy CEO, Bashiru Ibrahim, he said the suspension will save the agency “and the Ghanaian taxpayer GHc1, 067,700 per month.”

The statement further noted that, based on the findings, management of YEA has commissioned the Internal Audit Agency to conduct a special audit into the operations of the Agency.

“This has become necessary in order to provide a platform for the new administration to take measures to prevent the scandals that rocked the Agency in the past. By this communication, management appeals to beneficiaries to remain calm as we work to complete the validation process. We apologize for the inconvenience caused,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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This follows the demise of the Queenmother of the the Asante Kingdom, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a press conference today [Saturday], at the their regional party office, announced that all rallies and noisemaking related campaigns, have been put on hold until after the Queenmother is buried as custom demands.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Ys2xcGEbu9DZe9qlpxPlzFQGuFgG2Ilq”]The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, noted however that, candidates who want to campaign can use the house-to-house campaign method.

He also added that, all party faithfuls in the region will be in party colors in solidarity with the Manhyia Palace.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has also in a press release indefinitely postponed the Kumasi version of “JM TOASO HEALTH WALK”.

The release signed by the NDC Regional Secretary, Raymond Tandoh, stated that, “the NDC holds the Chieftaincy institution in high esteem and would therefore not engage in activities that can be construed as a sign of disrespect to the memory of our departed Queenmother.”

The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who was on a 5-day campaign tour of the Ashanti region, has subsequently suspended his activities in respect of the rich tradition of the Ashanti Kingdom.

Noise making, drumming, merry-making and funerals, have been banned in the Asante Kingdom until the Queen Mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II is laid to rest.

This was announced by the Otumfuo’s Chief Linguist, Nana Nsuase Poku Agyeman III on Thursday.

The Manhyia Palace officially announced the sad news on the passing of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who died at the age of 111 on Thursday.

Nana Afia Kobi, who reigned for 39 years, reportedly died Tuesday evening.

Emissaries from the Manhyia Palace have since been dispatched to various paramount chiefs within the Asante Kingdom to inform them about the passing of the queenmother, as custom demands.

Nana Afia Kobi was enstooled in 1977 as the 13th queenmother of the Asante Kingdom in 1695, after the late Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II, who reigned from 1945 to 1977.

The late Asantehemaa was the mother of the current Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. She witnssed the reign of the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, as Asantehene, who reigned from 1970 to 1999.

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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com

The post NDC, NPP suspend political activities in Ashanti appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Eva Lokko, who was the running mate of the PPP during the 2012 elections passed away on Thursday after a short illness.

She was also the party’s hopeful for the Klottey Korle constituency.

The PPP in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond asked its members to suspend campaigning to “observe a three day mourning period from Monday, October 10, 2016 until Thursday, October 13, 2016.”

“The PPP will open our condolence book at 2pm Friday, October 7, 2016 at the party’s Asylum Down Headquarters for signing,” the statement added.

The statement from the party is below

“REST IN PEACE PERFECT PEACE” – EVA LOKKO

The Progressive People’s Party learned, with profound shock and dismay, of Madam Eva Naa Merle Lokko’s demise late this Thursday afternoon. We express PPP’s heartfelt condolences to her husband, children, family, and well-wishers in this moment of grief, and pray her soul rests in perfect peace with the good Lord.

Madam Eva, as she was affectionately called, was an engineer who rose to become the first female Managing Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. In 2012, she entered frontline politics when she accepted the nomination to become Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom’s Running Mate in the 2012 Presidential Election. She was looking forward to the December 2016 Parliamentary Elections, eager, to contest, win, and represent the people of Osu Klottey Korle in the next Parliament of Ghana.

She worked in over forty countries across the world in various capacities and served as regional programme coordinator of the UNDP initiative for internet development in Africa. She also served as chairperson of the UN Federation of International Civil Servants Association and the United Nations Staff Council and was a member of the UNDP News Advisory Board.

She had a profound passion for youth empowerment and development and this passion found expression in the NGO – Totally Youth – she founded. She was of the firm belief that the dignity of the youth is largely rooted in enterprise and work. Hence, her continuous push for job creation and job opportunities for the youth, a belief she fought for until her untimely death.

As a wife, mother, colleague, and friend, who won the admiration of the party and country, she will be sorely missed and fondly remembered as a straight shooter, an inspiring trainer, and an effective administrator. Her death is a painful loss to our party and Ghana, and we join her family in mourning.

Consequently, we will defer to and be guided by her family’s wishes regarding all related communications and funeral services.

The National Broadcast by Dr. Nduom to tell Ghanaians what to expect from a PPP administration planned for Saturday October 8, 2012 has been postponed.  Moslems in PPP should pray for her today while Christians should pray for her this Sunday.  The party asks members to suspend campaigning to observe a three day mourning period from Monday, October 10, 2016 until Thursday, October 13, 2016.  The PPP will open our condolence book at 2pm Friday, October 7, 2016 at The Party’s Asylum Down Headquarters for signing.

Party leadership will pay a courtesy call to the family and request all members wear party cloth or red or black. Party representatives are encouraged to pay tribute to Madam Eva when they have the opportunity to speak during this period of mourning.  Further announcements will be made in consultation with the family.

—SIGNED—

Nii Allottey Brew-Hammond

National Chairman

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By; Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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