According to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, the US is ready to support Ghana to create enough jobs to curtail the menace.

He spoke to Citi News after interacting with the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed in Tamale on Tuesday January 30, 2017.

The US Ambassador to Ghana thereby tasked the Regional Coordinating Council to identify and provide a list of youth groups that will be empowered to be self-reliant.

He said the US government will invest more in the agro-processing industry that will engage majority of the unemployed youth.

Ambassador Robert P. Jackson added that, the US government will advance its Young African Leaders initiative to turn African youth into business and entrepreneurial moguls.

“For years and of course as part of our Young African Leaders initiative, we are training young entrepreneurs and we give them small grants to start or to grow businesses, but the focus of what the regional minister and I are talking about tonight, is looking at youth employment in the context of agro industry.”

“We talked specifically about Shea industry, the cashew industry and mangos, and there are a lot of crops that flourish in this region. And I believe there is great potential. We need to explore this more, and we need to bring in other companies so we will continue to work and attract private investment with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.”

Ambassador Robert P. Jackson explained that, he visited the Northern and Upper East Regions to interact with chiefs, duty bearers, inspect USAID funded projects, and inaugurate some completed CHPS compounds.

He said four of the completed CHPS compounds were located in the Mion and Yendi districts in the Northern Region, where primary health care is a major priority.

He emphasized that, maternal and child health care remained the US government’s major priority, hence the construction of modern health facilities in deprived communities.

“The US government will support the key sectors of education, health, agriculture and security to tackle the poverty situation in Northern Ghana,” he underscored.

He further pledged his administration’s commitment to form synergy with the Northern Regional Peace Council (NRPC) to deepen peaceful coexistence in the identified hotspots.

The Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, thanked the US government for alleviating the plight of the rural poor through its social intervention programmes under the auspices of the USAID and its allies.

He lobbied for more CHPS compounds for under-served communities where traditional healers served as caregivers.

Salifu Saeed appealed to the US government to support the Shea industry, saying, “We need technological support and multinationals to develop the shea nut industry which is the economic mainstay of most rural dwellers.

He further asked the US government to help government construct cargo warehouses at the Tamale International Airport.

He reiterated the need for peaceful coexistence to attract investors to the region.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Political vigilantism: US gov’t to create jobs for Ghanaian youth appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Presenting the award, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson affirmed that “Charlotte Osei epitomizes the phrase, woman of courage.”

Mr. Jackson in his speech praised Charlotte Osei for her bravery before, during and after the 2016 general elections.

In her acceptance speech, Charlotte Osei said “I owe my courage to the resilient women of Ghana, who are working daily to overcome male chauvinism and patriarchy in all its forms from the micro to the macro level of our society.”

“I am inspired daily by their refusal to accept the status quo, and to dare to make a difference,” she added.

Below is Charlotte Osei’s full acceptance speech:

WOMAN OF COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY MRS. CHARLOTTE OSEI, CHAIR, ELECTORAL COMMISSION

US AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE, ACCRA
AUGUST 22, 2017

Your Excellency Robert P. Jackson, Ambassador of the United States to Ghana, and Mrs. Babette P. Jackson;
Honourable Ministers of State and Members of Parliament;
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Representatives of Civil Society organisations, Special Invited Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media;
My Colleagues from the Electoral Commission, My Family and My Friends;

Good evening to you all.

What can I say?

This is indeed a great honour and I am totally overwhelmed and humbled by this recognition. I would like to sincerely thank the government of the United States of America, through the Embassy in Ghana, for this honour.

I take this opportunity to firmly place on the record, that the success of the 2016 elections were not and could not be the results of one person’s efforts. Numerous people contributed in diverse ways to our successful elections and the national peace and stability we continue to enjoy. Let me begin by first acknowledging the truly invaluable guidance and support I received and continue to receive from my predecessor, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, the support of my colleague Commissioners (some of who are present here), Directors and staff of the EC, who from the first day I stepped into office at the Commission and even in our most trying times, continue support me and help deliver on the constitutional mandate of the Commission. This award is for all of us.

There were many days in the last two years when I felt very heavily, the burden of leadership. The weight of, as it seemed, carrying the entire peace and stability of the nation on my shoulders. But through it all, I could always count on the love and support of my husband, my children and my friends. I lost a lot of acquaintances, but I gained a lot of true friends. And for that, I recognize that I am a very blessed person. I just want to take a minute to thank them: my husband, my children, my dad, my siblings and my very, few and supportive special friends: their unwavering love and support- bearing the brunt of falsehoods and insults, and many provocations- has kept me steady and given me the strength to go on.

My beloved daughters have endured not only my long days away from home without complaining, but made many sacrifices for me and continue to understand and do whatever it takes to keep Mummy going; thanks girls.

In those trying moments, the values of truth, integrity, honesty, and fairness, which my parents instilled in me from my childhood kept me focused on delivering on my promise to the people of Ghana.

In receiving an award for courage, I have had to ask myself, what really is courage? The words of the American Actress Shannen Doherty, a recipient of a similar honour for her courageous fight against cancer rang true to me: “Courage isn’t something that comes to you immediately…. It’s not something that you have fully. Courage is something that you gain and it grows. Courage is facing every day and every obstacle one step at a time. Courage is knowing that fear is not going to find a solution….” Courage is really, ignoring your fears and going on, focused on the end goals and the solutions to the challenges.

And that is our greatest need in Ghana- solutions.
Our society faces two major challenges: ignorance and the need for bold leadership at all levels to address these challenges.

My office reception is adorned with a beautiful artwork by a young Ghanaian lady, Lourraine Ocloo- highlighting the basic needs of the ordinary Ghanaian. Those needs are nothing complex. They are the simple things to enable them live a decent and acceptable life.

The ordinary Ghanaian needs education, clean water, affordable and accessible health care, opportunities to work and earn a decent living and take care of their families, governance without corruption; peace and stability; a safe and clean environment; a justice system that works, nothing fancy, nothing complex. All very basic.
As the saying goes: If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way. We need to deal with the small things in our country.

I am inspired and motivated anew every day to work towards these needs. The starting point of course, is an electoral system that works and ensures that the process of electing our political leaders is credible and transparent and ensures national peace, stability and cohesion in its aftermath.

Today, I am being honored for my courage. But the truth is, I owe my courage to the resilient women of Ghana, who are working daily to overcome male chauvinism and patriarchy in all its forms from the micro to the macro level of our society. I am inspired daily by their refusal to accept the status quo, and to dare to make a difference.

Courage really is ‘doing it afraid’. The famous Napolean Bonaparte said: ‘Courage isn’t having the strength to go on, it is going on when you don’t have the strength.’

I have received strength from many: leaders of faith based organisations, including my own spiritual father, the Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, many clergy men and women and the national chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu. I thank them all for the daily spiritual backing. I am very grateful to His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene for his constant support and wise counsel; to former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuour; and of course, to the two leading Presidential candidates of the 2016 elections, then President John Dramani Mahama and HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for their responsible leadership and statesmanship during and after the elections. As a nation, we owe the peaceful conclusion of the process and the peace we continue to enjoy to their maturity and willingness to wait for the Commission to do what was right within its constitutional mandate.

And to the many citizens of Ghana, known and unknown, who reach out to me daily, quietly, behind the scenes and offer support, prayers and encouragement, this is a good time to say thank you.

As a Commission and personally, we have also had wonderful support and encouragement from the National Peace Council, the National Elections Security Task Force, the Security Agencies, NCCE, NMC, GJA, GIBA, the diplomatic community especially EU, USAID, the Canadian government, UN and UNDP, and the many others time will not permit me to list. We the Commission, and I are truly grateful.

To quote Actress Shannen Doherty again, “I don’t view it as me accepting the Courage Award for myself,” I’m accepting the Woman of Courage Award on behalf of every Ghanaian and African woman out there embracing the odds and making a difference in the lives of their families, communities, and countries. I dedicate this award to your daily struggles without recognition, reward or remuneration. You are really the women of courage!

In spite of all the challenges, obstacles, attacks and hurdles I have faced in my 6-year journey in public service, I still truly believe that it is a great honour and a privilege to serve one’s country. And it is a special privilege to serve in the capacity of the Chair of the Electoral Commission. I truly am grateful for the honour and the privilege and I thank all of you who have been a part of my journey.

Once again, my sincere thanks to the American Embassy for this acknowledgement particularly knowing that there are other equally deserving recipients of this honour.

I wish to also thank each one of you for taking time to be here tonight. I thank you for your time and I thank you for your attention.

God bless the United States of America;
God bless our homeland Ghana; and
God bless us all.
Thank you. Thank you.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Charlotte Osei’s speech after receiving US award [Full text] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, UK pumped about 4 million pounds worth of medicines into Ghana which were destroyed in the fire hence the UK Parliament’s seeming interest in the case.

“In the Central Medical stores, there were 4 million pounds worth of medicines bought by the UK through our DFID programme that were there and were destroyed and we had to account for that money and questions were asked in the UK Parliament. So we had to say what had happened and what was being done about it. So I think that was a legitimate reason for us to raise our concerns,” added Jon Benjamin.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nyNkASfMpauVEm7jq5YSKybfuxz7yOyY”]About $80 million worth of medicines were burnt into ashes in 2015 when fire razed the Central Medical Stores at Tema in the Greater Accra Region resulting in the destruction of medical supplies and equipment.

A committee established to investigate the case blamed it on arson, naming one Samuel Dogbe, a labourer at the Medical Stores as being behind the fire.

In 2016, 12 officials of the Ghana Health Service who were also accused of playing various roles in the arson were also interdicted.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, the outspoken Jon Benjamin subtly called for the prosecution of persons indicted in the arson.

He noted that the interdiction of the officials was in the right direction but called for “sanctions for people found lawfully guilty of being the perpetrators.”

Donors threaten to cut funds to Ghana

Jon Benjamin’s remark comes on the back of comments by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu that some donor partners have threatened to cut funds to Ghana if government fails to bring the suspected arsonists in the Central Medical Stores case to book.

The Minister said the donors are “threatening to withdraw some of the donations they give to us until some issues have been resolved.”

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson, had also questioned the lack of action or prosecution on the matter of the arson.

He insisted that the arson could not be swept under the carpet because the warehouse had about $7 million worth of items donated by American taxpayers.

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

The post UK Parliament worried over Central Medical Stores fire – Jon Benjamin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.