The Ministry of Education has given a firm assurance that schools that are reporting food shortages should expect “full” supplies by Tuesday, July 12.
This follows a meeting of the sector minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, with the leadership of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) over the weekend.
The Upper West Region chapter of CHASS wrote to the Ghana Education Service (GES) directorate last week that schools risked shutting down as a result of a dearth in supplies.
“If sufficient money and food is not received in the schools by Friday, 15th July 2022, we will be compelled to tell parents and guardians to either feed their wards or come for them since it will be impossible to continue feeding them with nothing,” Upper West CHASS said in its letter.
This forced the meeting between Dr Adutwum and the leadership of CHASS.
“The issue has been resolved and all affected schools are expected to receive full supplies latest by Tuesday 12th July 2022,” a brief statement signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry, Kwesi Kwarteng, said.
The Executive Director of African Education Watch (Eduwatch), Mr Kofi Asare, has advised Ghanaians not to blame the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for the seeming food shortages in some Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country.
According to him, the current food shortage challenges were a result of the Ministry of Finance refusing to release enough cash to pay suppliers of food to the schools.
Responding to questions on the AM SHOW on JoyNews on Monday via Zoom, Mr Kofi Asare said, the Education Ministry and the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) had put in place prudent policies and cash flow projections to ensure that the SHS keep running without challenges.
He explained that the Finance Ministry’s refusal to release the right amount of funds to pay the food suppliers made it difficult for them to have enough cash to buy and supply to the schools.
“Look until the Finance Ministry makes it a point of releasing funds to the suppliers regularly and on time, it would be difficult for this shortage issue to end since they cannot continue borrowing money to buy food stocks at huge sums for supply in the schools”. The Ex. Director said.
Mr Asare suggested that the feeding component of the Free Senior High School should be looked at critically and make parents who can afford to pay.
The Ex. Director’s call follows recent media reports of food shortages in some SHS in the country leading to many parents getting worried about how their children and wards would be fed while in school.
But the Spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Mr Kwasi Kwarteng, in a Facebook post over the weekend said the government has met the leadership of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to find a lasting solution to the issue.
He said the Ministry and the leadership of CHASS have resolved the issue and food would be supplied to the affected schools by Tuesday.
Hopeson Adorye, a prominent NPP member, has vowed to organize a protest against the person accused of being behind the recent brutality towards Ideal College students and staff. Hopeson Adorye claims that there is good reason to doubt Mr. Clement Gyato’s actions, who is alleged to have invaded the school with men in police uniform and suspected land guards to destroy an assembly hall that was being built. “I’m heading here to set up a protest. He yelled on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen program, “If Clement Gyato is a man, he should enter the land again.
Hopeson Adorye, who was furious, claimed that Clement Gyato’s actions had put a burden on the current administration since he was allegedly going around illegally razing the homes of Ghanaian citizens while pretending to be reclaiming public land. To the best of his knowledge, according to Hopeson Adorye, Gyato lacks such legitimate authority and instead abuses the government for personal benefit at the expense of defenseless individuals. Therefore, he requested that the president, the inspector general of police, and the minister for lands and natural resources look into Gyato’s actions and prosecute him.
“This guy, I’m going to rebel against my own country over this if Samuel Abu Jinapor doesn’t get fired. We cannot allow this lunacy to win, he raged.
The director of Ideal College reportedly attempted to question the alleged land guards during the demolition on Thursday. Ideal College has now claimed that the interview was an illegal exercise. Some pupils were interested in the incident when the director was supposedly attacked by the enraged land guards during the process. A total of 23 students suffered injuries of varying severity after joining the group of students who rushed to the director’s aid.
Following the tragedy, some Mempeasem residents—where Ideal College is located—have claimed that Clement Gyato’s actions have also subjected them to similar atrocities. A victim who spoke on “Ekosii Sen” claimed that Gyato and his men unlawfully took possession of his legally bought land, causing him to lose both his 20+ year-old bakery and a four-bedroom home. The victims claimed that, in spite of the state allegedly seizing their properties, new private owners were invariably given the properties as soon as they were booted off.
“They will painfully remove you, and within two days the ground will be covered in fence walls. In the interim, we have legitimate land titles and documentation,” the victim said.
Ghanaians have been urged by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make sacrifices so that the government can guide Ghana through its current economic difficulties.
On Saturday, July 9, 2022, the president addressed Muslims at an Eid-Ul-Adha ceremony and, taking inspiration from the significance of the holiday, urged Ghanaians to forgo a little comfort to support the government in its struggle with the economy.
“National Chief Imam, Ulama, yet another lesson from Hajj is the Prophet Ibrahim’s almost-sacrifice of his son Ishmael. In order to provide us the room to navigate the choppy waters of the current economic difficulties, I implore you, my fellow Ghanaians, to make some sacrifices.
The government is making certain sacrifices to help the situation, and President Akufo-Addo asked the populace to do the same.
“The government is making its fair share of contributions in this area. The president announced that, among other things, “we have reduced the discretionary spending of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies by thirty percent (30%), reduced the salaries of political appointees by thirty percent (30%) for the remainder of the year, reduced their fuel coupon allocation by fifty percent (50%) and put a ban on the purchase of imported vehicles.
While their leadership continues to negotiate their demands with the government, President Akufo-Addo also used the occasion to urge the various teacher union members who are on strike to think about going back to the classroom.
“We are in a difficult place. The world is in a difficult place. Leaders around the world, like we are doing here in Ghana, are working assiduously to resolve the fundamental challenges that have plunged the world into the current economic condition in which it finds itself. But, just as the efforts of Hagar resulted in the discovery of the Zamzam well, from which we drink to this day, I am confident that, soon, we shall also discover our own Zamzam,” he added.
The government has come under a lot of strain as Ghana’s economic problems worsen.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has joined other world leaders to sympathize with the people of Japan over the assassination of their former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, which occurred today Friday, July 8, 2022.
Shinzo Abe died after being shot twice at a political campaign event.
President Akufo-Addo in a message on Facebook said the assassination was a “most cowardly and despicable act, which must receive the firm condemnation of all”.
“Shinzo Abe did not deserve to die this way”, he stated.
Read the full post below;
On behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, I send sincere condolences and deep sympathies to Emperor Naruhito, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the Government and people of Japan, and to his family, on the tragic murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which occurred today. It is a most cowardly and despicable act, which must receive the firm condemnation of all. Shinzo Abe did not deserve to die this way.
As modern Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister and one of its most successful, I recall my official visit to Japan in December 2018, where, amongst others, Ghana and Japan pledged to continue to strengthen the excellent relations that exist between our two countries. During that visit, he was a most gracious host, and demonstrated his strong commitment to democratic governance, and respect for human rights and individual liberties. Unfortunately, it was in the exercise of these rights that he met his untimely death. Japan has lost a noble son, a patriot and a distinguished democrat. He will be missed by all who had the privilege and pleasure of knowing and meeting him.
The leading contender for the position of New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Alan Kyeremanteng says discussions over who will be the new flagbearer should be put on hold. He thinks that given the catastrophic situation the nation is in, it is essential to concentrate on finding a way to revive Ghana’s economy.
Before discussing peoples’ political aspirations, in Alan Kyeremanteng’s opinion, Ghana’s economy needs to be stabilized.
In an interview with Good Evening Ghana, he disclosed this.
“Paul, you know, I’m an old horse in this game and I feel that where we are as a country, particularly at this critical juncture, conversation becomes less critical and important than us trying to work together to see how we can agree on the kind of package that we can get from the IMF and how we can work ourselves out.”
You can be sure that we will have that conversation. It doesn’t seem to matter to me that our country’s focus right now is on any particular political party or presidential candidate or wannabe. I believe that right now is the perfect opportunity for us to work together to build Ghana.,” he said.
The brutal murder of Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, has shocked former president John Dramani Mahama. Shinzo Abe, the former prime leader of Japan, passed away on June 8, 2022, after being shot twice during a political rally.
He was in the middle of giving a speech when a shooter opened fire behind him.
On June 8, 2022, former president Mahama wrote on Facebook: “The murder of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stunned me a great deal. Ghana, Africa, and the rest of the globe will cherish their memories of him for a very long time.”
“I found him to be a leader passionate about opening up Japan’s role on the world stage, inclusive of growing Japan-Africa relations,” he said, describing him as someone who strengthened the bond between Japan and Africa as well as opened up Japan on the international stage.
Full statement
I am greatly shocked by the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His legacy will be remembered fondly by Ghana, Africa and the world at large for a long time to come.
As President of Ghana, through my side meetings with him at international conferences and two official visits to Japan, I found him to be a leader passionate about opening up Japan’s role on the world stage, inclusive of expanding Japan-Africa relations.
I recall our last meeting in May of 2016, which led to the official publication of the restoration of the Yen loan portfolio to Ghana and the announcement of Japan’s commitment to assist Ghana with a number of important new and ongoing projects. These included the Tema motorway interchange project, expansion of the Sekondi fishing harbour, expansion and upgrade of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research into an Advanced Research Centre for Infectious diseases, and the construction of a new bridge over the Southern Volta river at Volivo, among others.
At this time, my thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family and the Japanese people in the wake of this senseless crime.
Kwasi Kwarteng arrives at the Cabinet Office on Whitehall in London on Aug. 20, 2019. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images
On Thursday, July 7, 2022, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from his position as leader of the Conservative Party after losing the backing of key cabinet members.
At the entrance to Number 10 Downing Street on Thursday, Johnson said, “The process of selecting that new leader should begin now.” And as I will until a new leader is in place, I have constituted a cabinet today.
“Thank you for that fantastic mandate, the largest Conservative majority since 1987, and the biggest proportion of the vote since 1979,” Johnson said in his thank-you speech to the electorate.
“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019,” he added.
With millions of people wondering who will take over as prime minister, Boris Johnson’s statement has sparked the second leadership contest for the ruling Conservative Party in the past three years.
Before the party convention in October, a new leader is anticipated to be chosen, but Johnson is still in charge until then.
Kwasi Kwarteng, a British citizen with Ghanaian origin, is among those predicted to follow Boris Johnson, along with others like Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, and Dominic Raab.
The Business Secretary and Spelthorne’s MP is Kwasi Kwarteng. During a discussion in Room 10, he was one of the Cabinet ministers who asked the Prime Minister to step aside.
Tweeting after Boris Johnson’s announcement, the 47-year-old said, “we now need a new Leader as soon as practicable. Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country, and set out a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families.”
Following Paul Boateng, Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed Business Secretary on January 8, 2021, as part of a mini-reshuffle. Paul Boateng was the first black man to hold a position in the Cabinet.
Brief about Kwasi Kwarteng.
Kwasi Kwarteng describes himself as having been born and raised in London by his Ghanaian parents, Alfred K. Kwarteng and Charlotte Boaitey-Kwarteng, on his website, kwasi.kwarteng.mp@parliament.uk.
At Cambridge University, he majored in Classics and History before attending Harvard University on a Kennedy Scholarship. In 2000, he earned his PhD in economic history from Cambridge. Kwasi held jobs as an author and a financial analyst in the City before to entering politics.
On May 6, 2010, he was chosen to serve as the MP for Spelthorne, and he was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Kwasi has held positions on the Public Accounts Committee, the Work and Pensions Select Committee, and the Transport Select Committee since being elected.
Kwarteng has also worked as the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s and the Leader of the House of Lords’ Parliamentary Private Secretary. He was appointed as a Minister of State in the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in 2019 after serving as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union in 2018.
Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed to the position of Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in January 2021.
The MP in Spelthorne has continuously backed regional businesses, and in 2013 he established the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition to identify and help the region’s upcoming business leaders. Since then, every year has seen a successful completion of the competition with the exception of 2020 owing to the pandemic.
Kwasi Kwarteng has written several books and continues to have a keen interest in history, as well as in music and languages.
Boris Johnson stepped out of No 10 to the sound of applause from some political supporters, Downing St colleagues and his wife. Here is his resignation speech in full:
“Good afternoon everybody.
“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.
“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.
“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.
“So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time, thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.
“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.
“And of course, I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the Continent for over half a century, reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.
“And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.
“And at the same time in this country, we’ve been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology – the biggest for a century. Because if I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population.
“But opportunity is not, and that’s why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential of every part of the United Kingdom. And if we can do that, in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe.
“And in the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term, after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.
“And I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.
“But as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves.
“And my friends in politics, no-one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.
“Not just helping families to get through it, but changing and improving the way we do things, cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.
“And to that new leader, I say whoever he or she may be, I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public.
“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world.
“But them’s the breaks
I want to thank Carrie and our children, and all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long.
“I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and, of course, our fantastic NHS, who at (a) critical moment, helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world.
“And our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible. I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Chequers – here at Number 10, and of course at Chequers. And our fantastic prop force detectives, the one group by the way, who never leak.
“Above all, I want to thank you, the British public, for the immense privilege that you have given me and I want you to know that from now on until the new prime minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.
“Being prime minister is an education in itself. I have travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and, in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has praised the printing company Appointed Time Printing (ATP) Limited—a subsidiary of the Jopsong Group of Companies (JGC)—following the production of its first batch of science textbooks for basic schools across the country.
He said the government awarded ATP a contract to print science textbooks for basic schools under the new curriculum, while other local printers were contracted to print various other subjects.
“I am very happy and satisfied with the printing job done by Appointed Time Printing, and I am even more impressed with the state-of-the-art printing machines imported by the company to use in its printing operations,” he expressed with satisfaction.
Dr. Osei Adutwum made the commendation while paying a working visit to ATP’s head office in Accra on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. He said ATP has amply shown that printing government textbooks can be done in the country and by local printers.
“The Akufo-Addo administration made it a policy that all government textbooks should be printed in the country, and ATP has indeed demonstrated printing made-in-Ghana,” he said.
He reiterated President Akufo-Addo’s policy of ensuring improvement in education, hence the urgent need for textbooks to be made readily available for all basic schools throughout the country.
Dr. Osei Adutwum also used the space to commend ATP for employing Ghanaians in its operations.
The Head of Marketing of Appointed Time Printing Ltd., Mr. Charles Aidoo, expressed appreciation to the Education Minister for his visit.
He disclosed that his company is expected to print over 600,000 science textbooks, but was quick to reveal that “as we speak now, we are about 50% through”. He is confident that by the end of August this year, his outfit will finish production of the textbooks.
This, he assured, is against a backdrop of the huge investment made into equipment by his company.
“It has been our plan to complete production ahead of the timelines set for us. That will ensure the textbooks reach schools early enough and enable our schoolchildren to get them and study,” he indicated.
According to him, this first batch of textbooks will be distributed to the Greater Accra, Volta, and Central Regions – adding that each of these regions has a specific quantity to be supplied.
“Yes, we are 50% through with the job, but we are still printing, folding, and distributing.” So, as and when the drivers come, the ones that are ready will be given to them for distribution,” Mr. Aidoo noted.
In late May this year, the government, through the Ministry of Education, contracted five local printers, including ATP, to print government textbooks for basic schools across the country. Under the contract, both the publishers and printers were given 120 days to deliver. ATP was selected to print about 750,000 science basic school textbooks, and production commenced in June 2022.
The company aims to finish production by the end of August 2022.
