He therefore encouraged the private sector to be more involved in running of the economy, and take a keen interest in the growth of the sector.

He noted that, lack of adequate funding and capacity by individuals and communities, has motivated government to adopt Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, to boost and build the capacity of individuals and businesses, to enhance ownership and sustainability of interventions in the country.

Dr. Kwakye Afriyie made these revelations at a day stakeholder engagement on the need and importance of PPP in the country’s development. It was organised by the WMA, and attended by assembly members, heads of departments, business and investment communities, and facilitated by officials of the Ministry of Finance.

He noted that the training became necessary to facilitate grassroots participation in governance to reduce suspicion, and complains at the assembly for the betterment of the municipality, and encouraged participants to take the knowledge gained seriously to formulate all PPP agreements to benefit the people.

“The private sector continues to play a significant role in our quest to transform the economy, and so if we meet to share experiences and ideas, we will together lay a strong foundation for development, and attract more foreign partners to participate in our development initiatives”, he said.

He appealed to industry players in the area to take advantage of available potentials and the exploitation of resources for their mutual benefit.

Some assembly members at the end of the training commended the assembly for equipping them with skills, and pledged to help the assembly to enter into only productive PPP arrangement going forward. They also called for the need to embrace integrated approach to the areas of development by tapping into all sectors of the economy.

The Assembly later commissioned a 26-seater toilet facility under a PPP arrangement. The facility was constructed by Stephen Gyamfi, a native and businessman to address the problem of open defecation in the municipality.

He therefore appealed donors, philanthropists and businesses, to venture into other sectors to boost the image of Wenchi and create job opportunities for the youth.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He emphasized that the government was creating the enabling environment for both  businesses to thrive and create job opportunities for Ghanaians.

Dr. Kwakye Afriyie made the statement at a Public Consultative Forum organised by the assembly as a platform to engage stakeholders in the area on the government’s flagship programmes.

The programme was aimed at soliciting support and share experiences to enhance the implementation and success of the intervention. It drew participants from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Clergy, Artisans, Opinion Leaders, Heads of Department and Assembly members.

He said the municipality was endowed with enough natural resources to propel its development  and lamented the lack of capital exploit them.

On the one district one factory initiative, he disclosed the project was private sector led and encouraged businesses and individuals to take advantage of the opportunity for business expansion and growth.

Dr. Kwakye Afriyie appealed to the stakeholders to conduct proper needs assessments in sanitation, provision of portable water, agriculture; infrastructure and infrastructure enable the government to identify priority areas for investment.

He lamented a number of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) were defunct due to mismanagement and corruption and assured such unpatriotic behaviour will not be entertained in a development oriented NPP government.

The Anantahene of the Wenchi Traditional Council, Nana Baffour Owusu Ansah Agyapong commended the government for initiating interventions in an attempt to fulfill its campaign promises.

He appealed to the government to establish a cashew factory in the area to process cashew produced from plantations in the area and as well as revamp Tomacan, a defunct tomato factory in the area to employ the youth in the area.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The illegal lumber was headed for neighboring Burkina Faso, but was intercepted in the Wenchi district on the Wenchi-Wa highway in the Brong Ahafo Region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QlUGAJNKAkPdQfvIf0glz6gefqDcJO8U”]The Minister and members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), seized the trucks reportedly carrying about 2,400 lumber, as they returned to Sunyani from Banda Ahenkro on a fact-finding mission, and to restore calm in that area following recent threats of attacks on non-indigenes.

The trucks impounded include; 6 DAF and MAN Diesels with registration numbers AW 5459-11, PS 422-W, 32HL 4431, 11 H2768 and GT 4279-V.

They were suspected to have engaged in the illegal act at Deaba, a farming community in the Asunafo South District, and they decided to outwit security agencies by using Dormaa- Sampa- Nsawkaw road through Banda Ahenkro, where they were to join the Wenchi-Wa highway to Burkina Faso at Tinga junction.

Luck however eluded them when REGSEC and the Minister intercepted the trucks based on suspicion considering the quantity of lumber that was being transported.

The Regional Minister in an interview with the media on the matter lamented the rate at which the region’s forest cover was being depleted, and pledged his outfit’s readiness to put a stop to the act he described as “criminal”.

He said he will set up a task-force to monitor the activities of illegal loggers.

The truck drivers upon interrogation, admitted carting the lumber from Deaba in the Asunafo South District for a Burkinabe contractor with invoices that under declared the cost of the wood.

Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwame Techi- Poku, has since ordered the trucks be impounded and kept at the Wenchi Police command for further investigations together with the Forestry Commission in Sunyani.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post B/A: Minister seizes 7 trucks of illegal chainsaw lumber appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A psychologist at the hospital, Reverend Kyei Baffour, who spoke to Citi News, described this as alarming, though he noted that suicide has always been a problem in Ghanaian society.

[contextly_sidebar id=”z3oNSq06xwaQYkTEzluIsRRSfzVaMHV8″]“Issues of suicide have always been… but now because of social media, when it happens, within the twinkle of an eye, everybody hears of it.”

Rev. Baffour also explained that, the numbers were not necessarily reflective of the Wenchi Municipality.

“Within the Wenchi Municipality, the Methodist hospital in Wench is a referral centre which receives cases from Banda area, Tain and other northern parts of the country. Some of the cases didn’t necessarily happen in Wenchi town, but some of the communities in and around Wenchi.”

Suicide and its relating concerns have come to the fore following the death of the daughter of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akyem Central Constituency, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi. She is believed to have hanged herself.

Since that incident, there have been six other cases involving a University of Ghana female student who died.

This called into question the country’s attitude to mental health which a psychologist and suicidologist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Joseph Osafo, said has contributed to the increasing trend of suicide in the country.

The recent spate of suicides, involving persons as young as 16, and a number of students, has prompted MPs to advocate for the strengthening of counselling and guidance mechanisms at the various tertiary institutions.

On the floor of Parliament, the MP for Oforikrom, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, asserted that more had to be done by way of psychological support systems in schools.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Over 15 attempted suicide cases recorded at Wenchi Methodist Hospital appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The 53 year old named his 26-man provisional World Cup squad on Monday, in what was largely greeted with respect for its independent nature.

 “I have set my boundaries, so they know the limit they can go,” the Black Stars coach told Nhyira fm.

Appiah did not call up the experienced duo of John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah, as well as Anthony Annan.

“Although one or two people can serve as obstacles, none of them will be held responsible when things don’t go well, so I mostly make my interest supreme.”

“Because I compose myself, the Ghana FA treats me well by avoiding any kind of interference in my job.”

Next for the coach is to take his team to their paces in the Netherlands and the USA before cutting down the squad to 23 by the first week of June, as Fifa demand.

“God gave this job to me, but through man, so I know he will always guide me, Kwesi Appiah said.

The Ghana coach is one of only two Africans who will be in the dugout in Brazil among the 32 coaches to be there – the other being Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi.

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