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NewsTranscript
00:00 Good afternoon, welcome to Journey.
00:01 So they were coming to you live from our studios
00:03 in Kokomlemli, we're on DTT because we're free to air
00:06 on DSTV channel 421 and GO TV channel 125.
00:10 We are a home of independent, fearless
00:12 and credible journalism.
00:14 Coming up this afternoon, President Ekofo Ado
00:17 empathizes with flood victims in Mepe
00:20 as he promises governmental intervention
00:24 to ease the plight after the flood waters recede.
00:28 Also in the National Maths and Science piece,
00:31 Keta SHS qualifies for the semi-final stage
00:35 as it beats Central Gadsden and Tamale SHS
00:39 in the quarter-final stage.
00:41 And in our story of hope today,
00:45 we'll tell you about two carpenters, Jessica and Sylvia,
00:48 who ventured into the profession to save a family business
00:51 but has grown to love a nature of its interest.
00:57 They're coming to you live also on Facebook,
00:59 YouTube, Instagram and XRJourneys on TV.
01:03 My personal handle is @DenanaAisha, please stay for details.
01:26 President Ekofo Ado has visited the nine affected districts
01:29 including Mepe in the North Tongue District
01:31 of the Volta region.
01:32 While addressing local chiefs and flood victims,
01:35 he pledged collaborative efforts between his office,
01:39 the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture
01:42 to devise solutions for easing the plight
01:45 of the flood victims.
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04:00 (people chattering)
04:03 (people chattering)
04:06 (people chattering)
04:09 (people laughing)
04:18 - That was the president getting firsthand information
04:36 on the situation.
04:38 We'll be bringing you his sounds
04:40 as to how government intends to send relief to the people.
04:45 But MP for North Tongue, Samuel Okwujetuwa Blakwa
04:47 has launched a mobile relief caravan initiative
04:50 targeted at 10,000 flood victims in 19 camps
04:54 across the North Tongue constituency.
04:57 He's been addressing newsmen.
04:59 - Relief caravan.
05:00 You are all aware of the disaster which has struck.
05:05 The Volta River Authority has been spilling
05:08 from the Akosombo Dam and the Bon Dam.
05:12 In the process, my constituency is submerged.
05:16 Large parts of my constituency has had this spillage,
05:21 destroyed homes, destroyed properties,
05:26 and it has displaced over 10,000 people in my constituency.
05:31 As a member of parliament,
05:32 I cannot just look on as my people languish in pain,
05:37 in loss, and as they are traumatized.
05:42 So I decided to mobilize resources.
05:46 And today we are launching what we call
05:49 the mobile relief caravan.
05:52 So you can see that it's really mobile.
05:57 We have food items, so bags of rice, bags of maize,
06:02 bags of sugar.
06:03 We also have canned fish.
06:07 We also have personal effects.
06:11 You know that the women will need their hygiene items,
06:15 sanitary pads.
06:16 We also have mosquito nets.
06:18 We have mosquito coils.
06:20 We also have tissues because in times like this,
06:25 we have set up 19 shelters,
06:31 or what you may call safe havens, or camps, 19 in all.
06:35 And so we need to have a way of reaching out to all of them.
06:40 They are already distressed.
06:43 They are not all at one place.
06:45 So the only way to get to them
06:47 is to have a mobile relief program,
06:51 which moves from camp to camp.
06:53 And so that's what we are launching today.
06:55 We want all of our constituents in those 19 camps
06:59 to know that they have not been abandoned.
07:01 They are not alone.
07:03 We are with them,
07:05 and we will be with them throughout this ordeal.
07:08 This disaster should not have occurred.
07:11 It's manmade.
07:12 It's lack of planning, lack of preparedness,
07:15 lack of proper community engagement and awareness creation.
07:20 But that is water under the bridge.
07:24 We cannot say that because it is self-induced,
07:28 it is manmade, we are only going to sit back
07:31 and be crying wolf and be complaining
07:34 and be pointing accusing fingers.
07:36 We believe that leadership is about solutions.
07:39 It's about ameliorating the pain of the people.
07:44 And if we have the means
07:46 and we can mobilize resources, why not?
07:49 So we want to also send a message to philanthropists,
07:53 NGOs, good-spirited Ghanaians,
07:57 compassionate Ghanaians,
07:58 the Association of Ghana Industries,
08:05 Corporate Ghana, diplomatic community,
08:09 everybody who wants to reach out.
08:12 You can see the effort we are doing on our own
08:15 to help our people,
08:16 because they say charity begins at home.
08:18 You have to show that as local leaders,
08:22 you also care and you consider the crisis,
08:25 you know, a crisis that demands attention
08:30 and demands compassion and the solidarity of everybody.
08:36 And so we are showing that today.
08:39 And we want to use this opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians,
08:43 to appeal to Corporate Ghana, to appeal to NGOs,
08:47 to appeal to the diplomatic community
08:49 that we have this mobile relief caravan
08:54 and your donation will reach its destination.
08:59 We have a system now
09:00 with a very efficient distribution plan
09:04 that will get to all the 19 camps that we have established.
09:07 So you can be rest assured that when you make a donation
09:11 in the affected constituencies,
09:15 it is not going to be stuck in somebody's home
09:19 or somebody's office or somebody's warehouse.
09:22 So that is the message we are sending today,
09:24 that we care for our people.
09:27 We are with our people.
09:29 We are going to find solutions.
09:31 We are not going to leave them alone.
09:32 We will not abandon them.
09:34 They will not be forsaken,
09:36 but also we have a distribution network.
09:39 And so we urge the good people of Ghana, Corporate Ghana,
09:44 to reach out to us and make their donation.
09:47 Once they make their donation,
09:49 this caravan is available to send the items to all of...
09:54 - We can now listen to the President Nnane Okoforado
09:59 who visited the nine affected districts,
10:02 including Mepen, the North Tongue District
10:04 of the Volta region,
10:05 and also addressed local chiefs and flood victims,
10:08 pledging collaborative efforts between his office,
10:12 Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agric
10:15 to devise solutions for easing the plight
10:18 of the flood victims.
10:20 - What NADMO is doing,
10:21 we have also to think about the future.
10:24 I'm aware that you are farming people.
10:38 The people who are farming on the banks of the rivers.
10:48 River banks that have overflown
10:51 and destroyed many of the farms.
10:53 One of the things that the Ministry of Agriculture,
11:01 the Ministry of Finance,
11:03 and the office of the President is going to be working
11:06 with the district assembly is to decide exactly
11:10 the nature of the support...
11:11 The water has gone away.
11:15 To enable you to be the farmers.
11:19 (speaking in foreign language)
11:23 - This is why I'm saying that the committee
11:34 is working in several phases.
11:35 One, immediately...
11:37 (speaking in foreign language)
11:43 (speaking in foreign language)
11:47 - And then tomorrow.
11:51 But I want you to know that...
11:55 In its powers to assist,
12:00 to make sure that things are all right.
12:03 (speaking in foreign language)
12:13 - Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organization,
12:16 NADMO, has introduced a systematic approach
12:18 to distribute relief items fairly,
12:21 guaranteeing assistance reaches all affected individuals.
12:25 My colleague Carlos Coloni visited one of the centers
12:28 and reports on how the relief items are being distributed
12:31 at the St. Kizito Senior High School.
12:34 - While the Volta River Authority continues
12:37 to battle the flood situation
12:39 and continues to spill more water,
12:42 the National Disaster Management Organization
12:45 is equally doing it big
12:46 and sharing relief items to affected victims.
12:50 As you can see here in your picture,
12:52 there are a number of items in here.
12:55 We have tea roll, and then we have some cooking oil.
12:59 There's also buckets and all these.
13:01 We don't understand what procedure the NADMO is using
13:05 to actually share these items.
13:07 And so I have with me the district director of NADMO
13:10 to give us details as to what formula
13:13 they are using to share the items.
13:14 So we see these items in the bucket.
13:16 Can you tell us how you went about arranging this,
13:19 who are supposed to benefit and all that?
13:21 - Actually, this is North Tongue District NADMO.
13:24 We actually take data every day.
13:28 Actually, we receive the relief items
13:33 from NADMO and then the VRA.
13:36 So, for this thing, we cannot distribute the thing
13:39 actually to just to the populace.
13:42 So we have decided to move to every room per household
13:46 so that we can get everybody on board to get at least
13:50 the full staff, bathing, toilet, everything,
13:54 so that nobody will stay without any relief items.
13:59 - So the explanation is that what we see here
14:01 is per household, is that it?
14:03 - Yeah, per household.
14:04 - Okay, so I see in the three toilet papers
14:08 and about two buckets and some soft drinks.
14:12 If a household has about 10 people,
14:15 how are they gonna share this?
14:17 - No, it's more than 10.
14:18 The soft drink is more than 10.
14:20 The cup is more than four.
14:22 Any house, every house, we make it up to 20.
14:25 Every household, we made it up to 20.
14:29 So if any household is around six or eight,
14:34 we normally find average for those things
14:37 and give them the food items.
14:39 - Here, it's for a household of 20 people.
14:45 Is that the case?
14:45 - At times, six people, eight people.
14:47 It depends.
14:48 Because we'll be using the data to share it.
14:51 We'll be using the data.
14:52 Maybe some rooms or a household is up to four,
14:55 six, eight, and a 20.
14:57 - Okay, so those--
14:59 - The distribution is done according
15:01 to the number of the household.
15:03 - So so far, how many households do you have
15:05 at St. Kizito so far?
15:07 - 28.
15:09 28.
15:10 We have 28 households.
15:12 - And 28 households in terms of individual numbers.
15:15 What numbers are we looking at?
15:17 - As of now, you are looking at around 560 to 600.
15:22 - 600 people.
15:25 But earlier, your director general told us
15:27 there are about 3,000 or 5,000 people here,
15:30 which means that what you are sharing,
15:32 some people will be left out of it.
15:34 - No, they will not be left out of it.
15:35 It depends upon the district.
15:37 Actually, first, it's 3,000 going there.
15:39 But people, as of now, they are decreasing,
15:42 increasing, decreasing, increasing.
15:44 Do you get the point now?
15:45 So anytime we find average for all these things.
15:48 - 53-year-old Charles Zika Lebene is among hundreds
15:52 of persons displaced in Mipe and other parts
15:55 of the Tum District, paralyzed from the waist down.
15:58 Charles Zika is seeking help from the authorities,
16:01 having lost his national health insurance card
16:04 in the floodwaters.
16:05 Mr. Zika is unable to access the emergency medical center
16:09 set up for the flood victims
16:11 at the St. Kizito Senior High School campus.
16:14 Carlos Kaloni has the rest of the story.
16:17 - Here at Kizito Senior High School,
16:19 which is serving as one of the centers
16:22 for the affected flood victims of Mipe.
16:25 There are a number of people here,
16:27 I mean, the aged, the sick, children, and all that.
16:30 So we have Mr. Lebene, who is a 53-year-old man
16:35 to share his story with us at this particular safe haven.
16:41 So how long have you been here?
16:43 - Five days.
16:45 - How did you even get here?
16:46 - They just carried me with a boy to brought me here.
16:52 - Who brought you here?
16:55 - My sister, Stella Zika, she brought me here.
16:59 - We see your health is not the best.
17:02 Do you mind sharing with us what actually is wrong with you?
17:05 - Yeah, actually, from my waist to my leg,
17:10 you have a problem.
17:11 I can't walk, I can't sit down.
17:14 When I want to sit down, unless I make myself like this,
17:18 before they put the chair on, that's all.
17:22 After the chair, then that means I'm going to bed flatly,
17:26 up to how many hours, six hours, five hours.
17:30 If I'm tired, then I can't come like this again.
17:33 - How long have you been in this situation,
17:35 'cause it's gone--
17:36 - Oh, one year, six months.
17:38 - What really happened?
17:40 - Oh, just my waist, my waist coughing.
17:43 I went to the hospital.
17:45 I come back within three days time,
17:48 then that's all, I can't walk again.
17:50 - So now that you're here at the safe haven,
17:52 what can you tell us?
17:53 Have you received any help from the NADMO,
17:56 the assembly, in terms of your condition?
17:59 Have nurses come to look at you
18:01 and attended to you and all that?
18:02 - Actually, the nurses or the doctor, there's nobody.
18:07 But actually, the NADMO or the government,
18:11 when they brought the thing,
18:12 we are a lot of printing, almost 6,000 people here.
18:16 If you don't get, it's not them are fault.
18:20 So you safe, you also, you can brought your food
18:23 from market or any place to eat.
18:26 - So on the flats in Mepe,
18:29 several other victims are having difficulty
18:32 accessing medical care at the clinic set up
18:35 at the safe havens
18:36 due to misplaced national health insurance cards.
18:39 The loss of these cards, along with personal belongings
18:42 in the flat is hampering the ability
18:45 to receive medical assistance.
18:46 Emergency clinic has thus been turned
18:49 into a cash-based facility
18:51 at the St. Kizito Senior High School safe haven.
18:54 My colleague, Carlos Colon,
18:56 he has been interacting with some nurses at the facility
18:59 and has come through with this report.
19:01 - This is the clinic set up
19:04 by the National Disaster Management Organization
19:07 here at Kizito Senior High School
19:10 for affected flat victims.
19:12 So we'd want to go inside to look at the facilities
19:14 that they have here inside the clinic.
19:18 And so you see, they have a place
19:20 where you can come and sit and you'll be attended to.
19:25 We also have some of the affected flat victims
19:29 here in the clinic who are here to, you know,
19:33 seek medical attention from the officials here.
19:36 And so I'll be speaking with one of the officials
19:40 who is actually, I mean,
19:42 manning this particular health facility
19:45 here on the Kizito campus.
19:48 We are having our clinic here.
19:52 This is a clinic that mounted by the district health director
19:55 to assist those that are here
19:58 who cannot go back to the facility
20:00 to receive a medical care.
20:04 So we are here to help them.
20:06 So at this place, we organize CWC,
20:09 which is we, as we normally call it,
20:12 we give immunization, we do family planning,
20:15 we do general treatment here.
20:18 Then psychosocial supports.
20:21 We started on Friday, and Friday, Saturday,
20:25 and yesterday, today, we are here again.
20:28 - Tell us about the numbers.
20:29 Are they coming, the affected victims on this campus?
20:32 - They wish to come, but majority of them,
20:35 because most of their health insurance,
20:38 those who wanted to come,
20:39 their health insurance has submerged in the water.
20:42 So they are not able to come.
20:44 But those that are willing, they are coming.
20:46 And those that are supposed to pay,
20:48 they take, pay token, not money, token.
20:52 Because the drug is not a donor drug.
20:54 It's a drug that the district has bought,
20:56 so they have to pay so that we can get the money
20:59 to pay back and get another.
21:01 - So there's no arrangement for those
21:03 who have misplaced their national health insurance card?
21:07 - For now, I may say no,
21:09 because we cannot take the decision on our own,
21:13 because we have authorities.
21:15 So they have to come in and give us the directive
21:18 before we can comply.
21:20 Without that, we can't do anything on our own.
21:22 - Okay, so what are the numbers since Friday up to now?
21:25 How many people have you recorded
21:26 coming to this clinic so far?
21:28 - About 10 for now, from Friday to today.
21:33 - Okay.
21:34 A number of residents have misplaced
21:37 their health insurance cards in the floodwaters.
21:41 And so that becomes a challenge for them
21:43 to seek help from this clinic,
21:46 which has been set up here.
21:47 I'm told that this nurse also has that challenge,
21:51 so she's gonna share her experience with us.
21:53 How devastating was the flood to you personally?
21:57 - Personally, I feel scared as around 10 o'clock,
22:01 I was staying close to a big dam.
22:05 And that was the major area
22:07 that the water supposed to pass.
22:10 So around 9, 10, then we suspect
22:13 that the water is coming closer.
22:16 So before we realized, then it's almost closer to my door.
22:20 So I have no option than to call
22:22 district health director.
22:25 So immediately he make sure they pick up
22:28 from the health director,
22:30 it's came and pack my things, a safer place.
22:33 And I move, they make sure they get accommodation
22:36 for us for now.
22:37 And my colleagues are here to join me.
22:40 So for now, I'm with my friend at the moment.
22:44 But since health is an issue,
22:49 so I supposed to stay and take care of
22:52 and help my sister for us to run this clinic
22:55 before others to join us.
22:57 - Which means personally,
22:59 you have been affected psychologically,
23:01 but you also wanna assist others who have been affected.
23:04 And so you decided to spend your time
23:07 instead of looking at your things,
23:08 to be here to support others.
23:10 So that volatile piece,
23:12 she is a victim of the flood,
23:14 and she's also a nurse.
23:15 But because of the situation,
23:17 she has decided to as a matter of fact,
23:21 support others who are equally
23:23 or who have equally been affected.
23:25 This baby was delivered a few days to the flood,
23:29 and she has been displaced also.
23:33 And because of that,
23:35 the baby has been brought to this particular clinic here.
23:39 And she has been receiving treatment
23:44 and medical attention from staff here at this clinic.
23:47 And as you can see,
23:49 there are some medications here
23:51 for those who may need it
23:53 as part of arrangement put together
23:56 by the district health directorates
23:59 to ensure that flood victims
24:02 actually get medical attention.
24:06 And so that is the situation from Kizito.
24:09 Reporting from Kizito,
24:11 my name is Carlos Kaloni for JOYNEWS.
24:14 - Well, more than 20,000 displaced individuals
24:18 are yet to be relocated.
24:20 Deputy Director General of NADMO, Sergey Saji,
24:23 noted that approximately 6,000
24:26 have so far been evacuated to safety.
24:29 - Town, the three districts,
24:31 the three town districts are the highest.
24:34 North town is the hardest,
24:35 it's followed by central town.
24:38 Then we have south town.
24:40 But we have safe havens only in north town and central town.
24:45 As for south town,
24:47 all the people affected in the communities
24:50 have moved to stay with their relative and friends.
24:53 We have close to 2,560 people
24:59 500, 600 at central town.
25:03 We have more than 3,000 people in north town.
25:06 North town has about nine safe havens
25:10 and central town,
25:13 they are currently having three safe havens.
25:17 But in both north town and central town,
25:20 they also displaced people who are living
25:22 with friends and families as well in other communities.
25:27 - So all put together, all the three hardest hit districts,
25:31 what are the numbers?
25:32 - Well, we've recorded over 9,000 for north town,
25:37 over 6,000 for central town,
25:41 close to 4,000 for south town.
25:44 But in all the eight districts,
25:45 including Shai, Osudogun, Esu-Jaman, Adan,
25:50 we are getting close to 26,000 as we speak.
25:53 And we are still getting more people.
25:55 We do a review of the figures normally in the evening
25:59 into the next day.
26:00 Out of this-
26:01 - Now, I respond into questions
26:06 on whether the spillage will cease soon.
26:08 Deputy Chief Executive Officer of VRA
26:11 in charge of engineering and operations,
26:14 Engineer Edward Kenzo explained that despite a decrease
26:17 in inflow to the dam over the past three days,
26:21 the reservoir's level remains significantly high,
26:24 just slightly below the safe operating level,
26:27 insisting the spillage must continue
26:30 to safeguard the dam, lives,
26:31 and other national assets sited along the lake.
26:35 - Level was 277.29 feet.
26:40 That is the level that we recorded.
26:43 I'm sure another data will come in around 12, two o'clock
26:47 to know whether it's increasing or not.
26:49 So we normally collect the levels three times a day
26:53 to make sure we are tracking the level in the dam.
26:56 - So it appears that for the past three days,
26:59 we are seeing some reduction in the inflow of water.
27:02 Give us figures.
27:03 - Yes, for the past, I'll say four days,
27:07 we started around 380, 80 plus thousand cubic feet.
27:12 We came to 360.
27:15 Yesterday it was 342.
27:19 And today it's 286,000 cubic feet of water.
27:23 And the rise today was 0.05.
27:26 Yesterday it was 0.1.
27:28 A day prior was 0.02.
27:31 A day prior was 0.04.
27:33 So per our data, we know that from mid-October
27:37 to the end of October, the water has to recede.
27:40 And it's tracking that.
27:41 So there's a bit of comfort and confidence
27:44 that our data is really coming to play,
27:47 that the inflows reduce and the amount of,
27:50 the rise of the dam was reduced.
27:52 So at least we can safeguard the dam
27:55 and don't topple the dam.
27:57 - But one would ask, why are you still spilling
27:59 if the inflow appears to be reducing?
28:02 - Okay, as I said, the rise is 0.05.
28:06 We are spilling 185.
28:07 The inflow was 200 and today was 286.
28:11 So there's about 100,000 cubic feet.
28:14 That gave us 0.05.
28:17 If I should stop the spilling,
28:19 then I'm going to go to 0.01.
28:21 I have a room of only 0.21 feet
28:25 to reach the maximum operating level of the dam.
28:29 And I can't reach that one.
28:30 So if I should close the gates within two days,
28:33 I'll achieve that level.
28:35 Then what will happen, I have to open all the 12 gates
28:37 to make sure I sustain that 0.7.
28:43 I sustain a 2.7, 7.5.
28:45 For me not to do that, I have to maintain the spillage
28:49 till I see negative rise of the lake.
28:52 If it's negative, I know that at least the inflow
28:54 and outflow, they are not much.
28:56 So I can start reducing the gates opening.
28:59 - So on the devastating effect of the spillage
29:03 from the Akonsombo Dam,
29:04 the executive director of the EPA,
29:07 Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokufu,
29:09 has advised illegal settlers around the Wager Dam
29:12 to learn a lesson.
29:13 Admitting that the plight of the affected is pathetic,
29:17 he however notes that the spillage is a necessary evil.
29:21 He's thus advised illegal settlers residing
29:24 in the waterways around the Wager Dam
29:27 to voluntarily relocate to avoid a similar catastrophe.
29:32 - This goes beyond environmental concerns.
29:36 It's a national issue.
29:38 Life and property are at risk.
29:42 And it is a very sad situation.
29:47 But we must take cue from these things
29:51 and then adhere to advice
29:53 and then also comply with regulations.
29:56 Just recently, we had an opportunity
29:59 to undertake a field trip to Wager Dam,
30:02 where the reservoir for Ghana Water Company is the facility.
30:10 And people have encroached so much and so close
30:14 to the facility, to the riverbanks,
30:17 building up infrastructure from houses
30:22 to farming activities.
30:25 And the moment the reservoir overruns,
30:29 it will cause a huge havoc.
30:32 People will lose their lives,
30:35 they will lose their properties and all that.
30:37 So there have been several attempts to ward off these people
30:40 and encroaches, and then also attempts
30:44 to demolish close to 200 houses.
30:47 But what is happening currently at Akosomo
30:50 is a great lesson for all of us to look at.
30:53 Cheer yourselves up and then voluntarily vacate those places
30:58 for state institutions like EPA or any other
31:03 to come in with the full force of demolishing.
31:06 That does not work out.
31:07 Nobody wants to see anybody suffering.
31:10 But if we are not careful,
31:13 and even if we are unable to do it,
31:15 nature may do it, and it may do it in a more drastic manner.
31:19 - We'll take a break on Joy News today.
31:28 We'll be back with more.
31:29 - Hello and welcome to the business segment
31:37 on Joy News today with me, Emma Davis.
31:40 The city is expected to weaken for the third week running.
31:43 This follows rising foreign exchange demand
31:46 from local corporates and importers
31:48 ahead of the festive season.
31:50 There's more in this report.
31:52 - The city continued to depreciate
31:54 following limited foreign exchange support
31:56 from the Bank of Ghana.
31:57 This is despite the central bank's $20 million auction
32:01 to bulk oil distribution companies
32:03 and $2 million spot market interventions.
32:05 These many analysts said were insufficient
32:09 to meet the persistent foreign exchange demand.
32:11 Nonetheless, the rate of depreciation is not alarming.
32:15 The local currency lost 0.17% in value
32:19 against the dollar last week,
32:20 closing at 11.84.
32:24 It also depreciated by 0.86% against the pound
32:28 and 0.60% against the euro on the retail market.
32:33 On the interbank market,
32:35 the city however posted a mixed performance.
32:38 - The Internal Audits Agency
32:45 and the Center for Local Governance Advocacy
32:47 have launched a 2023
32:49 Public Financial Management Compliance League table
32:53 for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies
32:57 to rank and assess the appropriation of funds
32:59 and resources by MMDAs in the country.
33:03 Out of 261 MMDAs in the country,
33:07 only 11 passed the 50% mark.
33:10 Director General of the Internal Audits Agency,
33:13 Dr. Eric Odu Osai,
33:15 described the performance as worrying
33:17 and called for immediate investigation.
33:20 - The Auditor General in its 2022 report
33:23 indicated a 48% increment in irregularity
33:28 at the local government level.
33:30 In an interview with Joy Business,
33:33 the Director General of Internal Audit Agency,
33:36 Dr. Eric Odu Osai said,
33:38 "The situation is very worrying,
33:41 "we need urgent attention."
33:43 - As part of the arrangement,
33:44 we have post publication activities,
33:48 which will require us and CLG and other institutions
33:51 to provide support measures to those assemblies
33:54 that did not perform well,
33:56 so that next year they will be able to perform well.
34:00 This is not to say that we are happy about the performance,
34:03 because when you look at the 261 assemblies,
34:06 only 225 submitted their document for assessment,
34:11 and this represents 86%.
34:13 What happens to the rest of the assemblies?
34:16 We also noted that only 11 passed the 50%,
34:20 which is serious,
34:21 and this is about 4% of local government.
34:24 So that if only 4% of local government in Ghana
34:28 have good financial management systems,
34:30 then it means it should be a cause for us to worry.
34:34 - Dr. Odu Osai also called for the strengthening
34:37 of control systems at the local government level
34:40 to improve the management of public funds
34:43 in order to send a positive signal
34:46 to the International Monetary Fund
34:48 on Ghana's quest for assistance.
34:50 - What we are doing now
34:51 is to strengthen financial management system,
34:54 so that it gives the IMF the assurance
34:57 that the existing control systems within the public sector,
35:00 especially the MMDAs, are strong.
35:03 So if the IMF supports us with funding support,
35:06 they are assured that control systems are there,
35:09 the PFM systems are there,
35:11 so the money will go into good use.
35:14 - A senior development planning officer, Samuel Seth Pasa,
35:18 who represented the local government minister, Dan Buchi,
35:21 called for the sanctioning of poor-performing MMDAs
35:25 to increase compliance.
35:27 - If you do a lot of the prevention of the knock-up
35:30 and do a lot of prevent,
35:31 put a lot of preventive measures in place,
35:34 I think you achieve and will not be having a situation
35:38 where people want to be incentivized
35:42 before they comply to laws.
35:45 The party has discretionary funds,
35:48 yet everybody running hectares,
35:49 get that disillegitimate office
35:53 or head of local government,
35:54 says, "Now this one."
35:55 Where are the sanctions?
35:58 That's a mirror-like thing.
36:00 The paradox of it is that if you have incentives
36:03 with World Bank funding, EU funding,
36:06 what about the sanction regimes?
36:08 - The PFM League table is expected
36:11 to ultimately inject discipline among public institutions,
36:15 reduce corruption, and improve transparency
36:18 and accountability, Jesse Aram Agbakpo's report read to you.
36:24 - That's all for Business on Joy News today
36:26 with me, Emma Davis.
36:28 For more business news,
36:29 do log on to myjoyonline.com/business.
36:34 (dramatic music)
36:37 - Joy News today with me, Mufti Awunogbila Abla.
36:43 Early Wednesday, the Black Stars will come up
36:45 against the USA in an international friendly.
36:48 The senior national team had lost 2-0 to Mexico
36:51 just three days ago, and Chris Hewton,
36:54 head coach of the Black Stars,
36:56 has called on the players to respond to the defeat
36:59 that they suffered against Mexico on Sunday dawn.
37:02 - Is that it's exactly the same message for the players,
37:09 is that what we don't want is that we don't want
37:12 to leave this international camp with too poor results.
37:21 And so the result of that is always,
37:24 it's always that you are looking for a reaction
37:28 from the team in the second game.
37:31 And if you are able to get the right reaction,
37:35 which I'm quite sure that we will from the team,
37:38 then it gives you a better possibility
37:41 of putting in a performance that can get something
37:43 out of the game in the second game.
37:45 So certainly it's, what you have to do is you have
37:49 to learn from the things that you didn't do so well
37:52 in this game, the things that lost us the game,
37:56 and endeavour to put them right in the next game.
37:59 - And also Black Stars,
38:04 our former Black Stars head coach, Kwesi Appiah,
38:07 he will be on the bench of Sudan for the next three years.
38:12 He's also been voted onto the executive council
38:15 of the Ghana Football Association
38:16 as a representative of the Premier League clubs.
38:20 According to Randy Abe,
38:21 who is also an executive council member,
38:24 he says Kwesi Appiah comes to the leadership
38:27 of the football government with loads of experience
38:30 that they can count on.
38:31 - Well, Kwesi Appiah is a legend,
38:35 is a legend as a player.
38:37 The captain of the Black Stars has done a lot
38:43 for this country.
38:44 And even as a coach, I mean, he worked with me.
38:49 The first ever international trophy that I won
38:54 as a chairman of a national team was with Kwesi Appiah.
38:57 The All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011.
39:02 And so he brings a lot on board.
39:07 I mean, from a player's perspective
39:09 and from a technical handlers perception.
39:13 And don't forget that he also currently
39:16 is a part of the Kodokwa administration.
39:18 And so I think that he also brings
39:21 a different perspective on the table.
39:25 - One thing that caught my eye was that in this election,
39:28 there was only one woman who took part in the elections
39:31 and it was Mrs. Gifty Owari Mensah.
39:33 In terms of gender, inclusivity, what do you make of it?
39:38 - I mean, it's a shame.
39:41 And it only means that we need to work harder.
39:46 And guess what?
39:47 We've even been able to achieve this
39:49 because through legislation,
39:52 we've decided that it's only women
39:54 who can vie for this position.
39:55 But even when it comes to women's football,
39:57 you see that about 99% of the owners of the clubs are male.
40:02 And a lot of people who even work
40:05 in that part of the industry are male.
40:07 And so if we are even opening it up,
40:10 I'm sure that maybe a woman could not even have come through.
40:15 And so you would even realize that
40:17 as part of even deepening this in the reforms
40:21 that we have embarked on with respect to our statutes,
40:26 we're even looking at make some changes,
40:28 bringing in the position of a second vice
40:32 and letting that position be just for a woman.
40:35 And so we're trying, what we need to do is that
40:37 we need to perhaps be a bit more deliberate.
40:41 Same way that deliberate act has brought a woman
40:46 at all costs onto the school,
40:48 maybe we need to do a lot more
40:50 and to try and get a lot more women
40:52 to contest the other constituents.
40:57 So you're talking about Premier, Division One, RFA,
41:00 the constituent bodies.
41:03 I mean, we need to try and encourage a lot more women
41:07 to get involved and also to put themselves up for elections.
41:10 - That's your sports for now.
41:16 We do have more sports stories on myjoyonline.com.
41:19 Aisha Ibrahim is standing by with the rest of the news.
41:22 - Of course, two sisters, Jessica and Sylvia,
41:25 are proud carpenters.
41:26 They started practicing the profession by default,
41:29 but today are very excited at their choice
41:32 to save a family business, Educraft Furniture.
41:35 I tell their journey on today's story of hope
41:38 by first interviewing their father, Enoch Edutieko.
41:43 Even before he completed secondary school,
41:47 Enoch Edutieko knew the exact career to pursue, woodworks.
41:52 And he had the support of his parents.
41:57 So at age 19, he carved his first works,
42:00 a serving tray and cabinet.
42:03 - I actually started practicing immediately
42:06 I finished school when I was 19 years.
42:10 And my first place of work was Trazaco Furniture Limited.
42:13 I worked there for a year
42:15 and I decided to start something on my own.
42:18 I started my own business under a mango tree.
42:22 And then I didn't have most of the tools.
42:28 So I was just producing serving trays,
42:31 wooden serving trays and the sales was good.
42:33 So that's what I did.
42:35 And I was able to get most of the required tools
42:39 to start the business.
42:40 So the interest developed
42:43 and that was enough motivation for me, you know,
42:48 and I was able to gather a lot of funds
42:52 and then we started in like uncompleted house,
42:59 I shared and then finally we migrated
43:02 to this current place, Atoyarifa.
43:05 - With over three decades experience,
43:09 Mr. Tieko has happily and freely trained over 400 youths
43:13 and students with the skills gained.
43:16 - As I'm talking to you,
43:17 there are five university students right here,
43:20 you know, doing the attachments, some doing internship.
43:23 So sometimes when I look back,
43:26 I pray to God to give me the strength,
43:29 me and my team so that we can help the up and coming.
43:33 - Transitioning into the technology space, however,
43:36 needed extra hands.
43:37 That's how Mr. Tieko's daughters came on board.
43:40 - When my daughter came back from school,
43:42 she started bringing some new laws.
43:44 That anything that comes from the factory
43:46 should come to her for approval.
43:48 Then I said, "Hey, then maybe this group
43:51 will impact positively on this business."
43:54 - But then she's, what about this technology
43:56 and social media aspects?
43:57 How have they helped you with that?
43:59 - Yeah, it's been great.
44:02 They are handling that.
44:03 I wouldn't have done that on my own.
44:06 So now I'm able to go to the schools and teach.
44:11 I feel I've trained over 300.
44:14 (motorcycle engine roaring)
44:17 - Sylvia, the female carpenter,
44:19 shares her motivation for joining her father.
44:22 - I met a client at a book launch.
44:26 And then when I mentioned my name, he was like,
44:28 "Are you related to Edu Crafts?"
44:31 And I said, "Yes, I was his daughter."
44:32 And he's like, "Hey, then you have to go
44:35 and work for your father."
44:37 And I was wondering why.
44:38 He's like, "Because the East Lagoon branch is a mess."
44:42 A few days, I went to the showroom,
44:44 went to see for myself what this client was talking about.
44:47 And I realized that it was true.
44:49 And then I decided to come in and help.
44:53 I also had an arts background from Ibuigel,
44:55 I did visual arts.
44:57 So I came in with the notion of design.
45:00 So that was my approach.
45:01 And I used to work with the bank
45:03 and an insurance company later on.
45:05 - Her sister, Jessica, then explored a new venture
45:08 when clients began to demand for them.
45:10 - With time, the customers kept coming back for more.
45:13 They kept asking, "Oh, if you provide us with bed,
45:16 can you have someone help me with my setup?
45:19 Can you help someone give me curtains here and there?"
45:22 And I was like, "Oh, okay."
45:23 So then there's a gap.
45:24 So why don't I make this an easy shopping experience
45:27 for the clients?
45:28 So then I came up with, "Okay, I do craft curtains."
45:31 I could actually do this and make the drapery
45:33 such that it's nice to fit the aesthetics
45:35 of the client's space.
45:36 - 100 pupils of Lejuku Cluster of Schools
45:42 in the Lejuku municipality have received free eye screening
45:46 from Roberts & Sons Limited
45:47 as part of their corporate social responsibility.
45:51 There's more in this report.
45:53 - Roberts & Sons Limited in 2021
45:57 launched the Vision for Life charity project
46:00 to support sustainable vision programs
46:02 comprising vision awareness creation,
46:05 eye screening, providing treatment,
46:07 and eyeglasses for both young and old at zero cost.
46:11 This year, Roberts & Sons in collaboration
46:13 with the Municipal Education Directorate
46:16 is providing eye screening for 100 pupils and teachers
46:20 of the Lejuku Cluster of Schools.
46:22 The business development manager of Roberts & Sons said,
46:26 "Their vision and mission for this
46:28 is to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences
46:32 and provide underprivileged people
46:34 the opportunity to live a better life through a better sight."
46:38 - It is one of Roberts & Sons'
46:40 largest strategic giving programs
46:42 dedicated to eliminating uncorrected,
46:47 refractive errors in our country.
46:50 This year, Roberts & Sons in collaboration
46:53 with the Lejuku Municipal Education Directorate
46:57 is providing this service under the theme
47:00 33 years of vision care,
47:04 giving hope and future to children with special needs.
47:09 - We are here this morning with our team of staff and doctors
47:14 to screen 100 pupils of the directorate
47:19 from ages seven to 15,
47:23 drawn from various schools within the municipality.
47:26 We will provide eyeglasses and drugs
47:31 to those who may be in need for free.
47:34 And free means absolutely free.
47:39 - And as I wrap up the bulletin this afternoon,
47:42 my name is Ayesha Ibrahim.
47:43 Log on to mygionline.com.
47:44 There's more of the news and developing stories.
47:47 Enjoy the rest of our programs.
47:49 (upbeat music)
47:52 (upbeat music)
47:54 (upbeat music)
47:57 (upbeat music)
48:08 (upbeat music)
48:11 (upbeat music)
48:13 (upbeat music)