Recent surveys have shown the drug is also used among market women, drivers, and in some cases, students.

The abuse of Tramadol, a pain relief drug, according to medical experts, functions like heroin and can cause psychotic problems as well as damage vital organs in the human body.

The following report put together by Zoe Abu-Baidoo and Philip Nii Lartey highlights the growing appetite for the drug among a teeming number of youth, and the role of the appropriate authorities in dealing with this trend.

Click on audio to listen to report 

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Abuse of Tramadol pain killer increases among Ghanaian youth [Report] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Assembly said the move has become necessary following the neglect of promising stars by people in authority and other critical stakeholders.

It said this has resulted in a sharp decline and non-development of some sporting disciplines in a city that used to be a haven for outstanding sporting talents.

Speaking at the launch in Kumasi, Chief Executive for the KMA, Osei Assibey Antwi pledged to develop youth within the metropolis through sports and education.

He said the Assembly will support the teams in terms of management to enable them upgrade their skills.

He indicated that the Assembly will also support the coaches who are managing the various code teams to enable them develop the talents of the youth. 

Mr Antwi further indicated that the Assembly will include Members of Parliament from constituencies within the metropolis to help in the development of the code teams.

“The reason why we are bringing the MPs on board is that, we can have a solid code team when we have a funding source. And they are well-placed to help us to raise funding to support our code teams. Sports Jerseys and Football were also to seventy (70) schools and forty-seven (47) code teams from each electoral area within the Kumasi metropolis. 

NSA Board Chair

Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Kwadwo Baah Agyemang commended the KMA and said the Assembly’s initiative fits into the plans of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to develop a multi-purpose sports facilities in every community across the country.

He urged the KMA to liaise with the Ministry to provide the needed facilities to enable sports development in the communities.

Mr Agyemang also implored other Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country to emulate such gestures and also take up initiatives in the other sporting disciplines aside soccer.

He indicated that Government embraces the initiative and will do everything possible to help it succeed.

Ashanti Regional Minister

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah emphasized the need to develop sports among the youth because of its enormous health benefits.

He said such initiatives will help make sports vibrant in the Ashanti Region.

Mr Osei Mensah urged the youth not to only see football as sports, but also business.

He encouraged parents to take advantage of the initiative to enable their wards develop both in their education and sports.

Black Stars Coach

Coach of the Black Stars, Kwesi Appiah who was also present at the event commended the KMA for the initiative.  

He also appealed to the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority(NSA) to support the initiative to make it sustainable.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Dr. Ibin Chambas said this when he spoke on Wednesday at the inaugural UPSA Annual Leadership Lecture in Accra, organized by the University.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NRuMmJw8DZ69rpaZYtkfyivq5ksKS7Kr”]He said the youth have to be critical thinkers, and be able question the world around them, while also being able to identify existing challenges, power structures and barriers, to be able to expose contradictions and biases.

He also noted that, the youth must be change makers, stating that they should have the power to act and mobilize others, and do more to promote African culture.

“Young people have displayed remarkable talent and skill in developing and exposing African culture through the film and music industries, with far reaching influence. Today, Nollywood is the world’s second-largest cinematographic power in terms of the number of films since 2009, with a regular audience of an estimated at 150 million viewers,” he said.

“Also growing in the industry is Ghana and Kenya amongst others. Additionally, the African fashion industry is successfully promoting and cultivating African and African-inspired design talent on the continent and the world stage.”

Ibn Chambas,  a strong advocate of youth development, urged young Africans to be innovators and to proudly display their remarkable skills to the rest of the world.

According to him, when young people are empowered with the knowledge of their rights and supported to develop leadership skills, they can drive change in their communities and countries.

Ibn Chambas added that, the youth have to take the mantle into their own hands in creating the kind of Africa they want to live in by coming together and defining their own culture and value systems.

“The youths themselves must intentionally create a culture that encourages the building and shaping of the Africa that they want. The change they want begins with them coming together and developing their own culture and value system for thinking, planning, implementation, accountability, integrity, and collaboration. It is up to the African youth to step up shape the narrative of our continent, ” he said.

He also urged governments across the continent to engage youth from all walks of life on national issues in order to ensure their involvement in the quest to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“If countries are to succeed in achieving the SDGs, leaving no one behind along the way, governments must seek out an active and substantive engagement of young women and men from diverse backgrounds in national-level planning, implementation, and monitoring”

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By: Farida Yusif/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This according to the Assembly will boost the socio-economic activities of the municipality, and reduce the rising unemployment amongst the youth.

Chief Executive of the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Alidu Seidu, said this at a ceremony to graduate 112 youth who were taken through a five-day skills training in soap making, batik tie and dye production, leather works, baking and confectionery making.

He said the Assembly will soon role out similar skills enhancement programs to train the youth in mobile phone repairs, tailoring, hair dressing and many others.

He indicated that, the development of the youth within the municipality was key to the Assembly, and efforts are underway to provide the needed support to help the youth contribute their quota to national development.

Alhaji Seidu also announced that the Assembly will set up a Vocational Training Center which will be equipped with the needed facilities by the Rural Enterprises Programme to train women, the vulnerable, the disabled and the entire youth within the municipality.

“I have special interest in BAC, and with the Management of Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly, we will continue to support the BAC in its quest to develop and promote enterprises as well as our youth in the Municipality.”

The Chief Executive advised the youth to work hard, and take advantage of opportunities the Assembly was providing for them.

He further said the Nana Akufo-Addo administration was also focused in enhancing the skills and capacities of Ghanaian youth to improve their lives.

Head of Business Advisory Centre (BAC) at the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly (AMMA), Agyapong Aikins, mentioned that the training cost GHC 18,000 with the Rural Enterprise absorbing Ghc 13,580, and the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly contributing Ghc 4,420.

Out of the 112 participants, 18 were men and the rest women.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Asokore Mampong Assembly pledges to empower youth appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking during a lecture on leadership and public service dubbed ‘An afternoon with Kofi Annan’ organized by the alumni of his alma mater Mfantsipim College, Kofi Annan asked African governments to “offer our growing population, the opportunity for employment.”

He was quick to add that African leaders  “must allow African youth to lead us into the future with enlightened modernity rooted in African values.”

He also entreated African leaders to “remember the youth of the past leaders.”

Kofi Annan recalled that since “Kwame Nkrumah was 48 when he became the first leader of Ghana in March 1957 and Gamel Abdul Nasser was 38 when he became Egypt’s second president in 1956,” African leaders must “remember that one is not too young to lead nor too old to learn.”

He also chided African leaders for their desire to clinch to power through fraudulent elections.

“A growing number of Presidents are changing their constitutions and subverting elections to remain in power indefinitely. According to international watch dogs, democratic freedoms seem to be in retreat on our continent. Although governments organize elections, many lack integrity.”

In light of the challenges he mentioned, Kofi Annan asked African leaders to “ponder important questions” on whether they had “invested our revenues in areas that will benefit the people, particularly the young?”

He believes African leaders could harness the potentials of the youth by strengthening the three pillars of healthy democratic societies thus, ensuring peace and security, inclusive development, rule of law and respect for human rights.

Kofi Annan said these pillars should be taken holistically and serve as the foundation for Africa’s development agenda.

“A leader must listen…a leader must listen to what is said… and above all, to what is not said. A good leader must also be a good follower and when leaders failed to lead, the people will lead and make them follow …We need strong institutions to buttress our system, we also need to think beyond the State, strong businesses, strong civil societies to hold government to the promises they make to the people will just as be important”.

Masters of our own destinies

Kofi Annan indicated that African leaders “cannot fail to meet our youth’s aspiration with opportunity” adding that the decisions African leaders “take today, both in government, in business and civil society will determine whether the continent can ride the fourth wave successfully.”

“More than ever, out future is in our hands. A bright African future is one that requires Africa’s people as central agents. We must ride the wave that begun long ago at independence to come together to affirm the way forward for the continent.”

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In a session on Wednesday (July 26), the Nigerian senate voted to lower the age limit for contesting for elections for the offices of state governors and president. The age limit for candidates for president has been reduced from 40 to 35 and, for governorship positions, from 35 to 30. To take effect, the vote still requires endorsement by 24 of Nigeria’s 35 state assemblies as well as the president’s assent. Regardless, the landmark vote marks a triumph for the “Not Too Young To Run” campaign led by a coalition of youth advocacy groups.

The vote comes at a time when public perception favours a younger generation of leaders with a recent survey by NOIPolls showing that a majority of Nigerians hope to elect a president younger than 50 in the 2019 elections. At 53, Goodluck Jonathan was Nigeria’s youngest president at time of taking office since 1999, the start of the current democratic era.

Nigeria is a particularly young country with a median age of 18. UN predicts that while 2.2 billion people could be added to the global population by 2050, Africa will account for more than half of that growth. Nigeria will account for some of that growth spurt as it is projected to become the world’s third largest country with a population of over 300 million.

The current debacle around the health status of Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, 74, also serves as a timely reminder to the perils of electing older presidents. Buhari is currently away in London on his second medical leave in 2017 where he’s spending time getting treatment for an undisclosed ailment. The president has spent more time away getting treatment than he’s been at work this year. A photo of president Buhari released earlier this week was the first time he’d been seen in public in nearly three months.

The Senate also voted to allow independent candidates to run for office, reversing a decades-old trend which has required aspirants to be members of political parties, thus needing the backing Nigeria’s political establishment to seek and possibly win votes.

However, running as an independent candidate, while encouraging more participation, is hardly a guarantee of victory as aspirants will still be up against the deep pockets and network of the country’s largest parties. But, if nothing else, the move is seen as bringing local politics in line with global trends. Long-term, the Senate’s votes today will likely further galvanize young Nigerians who, after becoming more involved in politics, have witnessed repeatedly underwhelming governments and may have become cynical or apathetic.

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Source: Quartz

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He said the youth play a critical part in national discourse, therefore, their capacities should be enhanced to enable them deliver when given the opportunity to serve in leadership roles.

Vice President Bawumia made the call when the leadership of Junior Chamber International (JCI), a youth volunteer group, led by its international Vice President, Mrs. Reem Abdel-Hadi, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House.

The group used the occasion to officially introduce the new JCI leadership in Ghana and outline its plans for the country.

The Vice President lauded the group for its good objectives, saying the continuous existence of the organisation for over hundred years affirms the good works it has been pursuing to better the lives of people in the society.

“The youth are the future of this country and needed to be empowered to deliver. The youth should be innovative, and I encourage you to do more and the sky will be the limit,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia noted that national development was a collective effort and that government was grateful for its contributions, especially offering the youth the opportunity to develop their capabilities.

Mrs Abdel-Hadi lauded Dr. Bawumia for the active role he had played in helping the youth to particpate in nation building and government’s youth-friendly policies.

Mr Stephen Kwaku Darku, the President of the Ghana Chapter, said the Organisation was liaising with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Youth Authority to develop a 10-year national volunteering strategy dubbed: ‘Active Citizens Campaign’, to re-ignite the spirit of volunteerism among the Ghanaian youth.

Mr. Emmanuel Asigri, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, pledged his organisation’s commitment to the “fruitful partnership” with JCI, especially in the quest to encourage youth volunteerism.

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Source: GNA

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She believes the effective sensitization of the youth will help “grow up the society to appreciate the capabilities of women in the society.”

Speaking at the International Women’s day celebration under the theme “Be bold for change” in Accra, she said : “it is important that as individuals who believe in the empowerment of women and making the sexes equal, to see how we can get the young people to appreciate who women are. All these are part of growing up the society so that they can appreciate what a woman is made up of and how capable they are.”

She stated that, for Ghana to get to the point where the rights of women are equally recognized and enforced, “we need to look at things differently.”

“A change of mentality, it is not one day, it is not twenty years, it may even be a 100 years, we don’t know because we may even have a leader who will come into a country and will help to propagate the Gender issue, women’s issues and so women’s issues start moving forward, then you will have another one who doesn’t really care, thinks a few people dotted around as Ministers is enough, and you will have some who will live by example and some who don’t really mind and so you can move forward and backward in a number of ways that can create its own problems,”she added.

She believes the men must also rally behind the women to ensure women across the country are empowered.

“For a long time, we started talking about affirmative action. Affirmative action is important because it corrects the imbalances of a society or a group, so to be able to do that, we must accept that there are some discrepancies and injustices going on. We are 52.8 percent of the population. The loudest group are the 48 percent. They should be brought along with us. We cannot deal with empowerment of women alone, we must let the men talk about empowerment of women.”

“We must let them understand that when your daughter becomes empowered, it’s a plus for you the father, it’s a plus for you the husband as well. It is a mythical fear that needs to be dealt with. Nobody should fear women. Encourage us to be what we can be because if women being 52 percent of the population, rise up to the level where men are, we will see the changes that will happen in this country.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The five are 25-year old Musah Muship and Abdulai Mohammed aged 41. The rest are 32-year old Issahaku Sulemana, Adam Mahama 39, and Sulemana Issahaku 32. They are all scrap dealers operating in Accra.

According to the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Effia Tenge “the suspects allegedly seized toll tickets, assaulted the Accra Metropolitan Assemble Revenue Collectors and [also] collected cash to the sum of two thousand Ghana cedis from them.”

She was emphatic that the offence would be immediately investigated and the suspects prosecuted.

Youth allegedly involved with ‘takeovers’ arrested

The Police have also arrested some persons believed to have been part of the forceful takeover of certain state agencies following the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as winner of the December 7 elections.

These youth are largely believed to be members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Amasaman/Trobu

The Divisional Police Command also arrested the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Trobu Constituency Chairman Kwame Ofosu Agyei, for forceful entry and assault.

According to a statement signed by Regional Commander, ACP Timothy Y Bonga, he was arrested “for forcibly entering the Doblo Toll Booth and threatening to take over the revenue collection operations, and in the process assaulted the police officer who was then on duty.”

Mr. Kwame Ofosu Agyei is subsequently being processed for court.

Nima

The Divisional Police Command has arrested three other people for similarly taking over three toilet facilities within Mamobi.

The Police Command says it is poised to clamp down on all such unlawful acts.

“The Regional Police Command will treat such persons as criminal elements”.

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By: Anas Seidu/citifmonlne.com/Ghana

The post 5 arrested for seizing AMA tolls, assaulting collector appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is poised at empowering the youth with alternative livelihood opportunities through programs that will support them to set up their own businesses.

According to the Chief of Staff , there is a concious plan and programme of President Mahama called the National Business Booster Agenda where funds will be made available to existing and potential Ghanaian entrepreneurs through the EXIM bank to start or boost businesses.

He charged the youth to be bold and grab opportunities when they come their way. “You have to be strong and seize the opportunity at all times to take advantage of them when available.

Addressing participants at the Job Summit in Accra, as part of his Greater Accra regional tour to canvass votes for his boss President Mahama, Julius Debrah, underscored the need for the youth to identify the opportunities that abound.

The Chief of Staff held similar Job Summits in the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti and other regions to inform and educate the youth of the opportunities that would exist under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama between 2017 to 2020.

The Chief of Staff and his entourage have been touring the country to campaign strategy aimed for President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress  (NDC)’s parliamentary candidates.

Mr. Julius Debrah cited examples of persons who defied small beginnings and today have big companies in Ghana and elsewhere now.

He mentioned The CEO of Jospong group of companies, Dr. Siaw Agyapong, CEO of Peace Fm  Kwame Despite who used to sell audio cassettes and Kwame Ofosu Kwarteng of Silkens fame, saying if they were able to make it then the youth of today could make it through hardwork and determination.

He said “President Mahama’s administration is ready to support anybody at all , whether you have certificate or not, educated or not, enlightened or not to give you the assistance you need and ensure you become a successful entrepreneur.”

Speakers included the deputy Communication Minister Mr. Ato Sarpong, Presidential Staffer Mawusi Dzirasah and the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.

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By: Richard Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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