NPP Presidential primaries have been rigged in favor of Dr. Bawumia - Sam George | AM Show

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Transcript
00:00:00 Good morning to you, welcome on the AM show. As we enter a new month, I don't
00:00:05 know why God put this on my heart today. You know what some people say, revenge is
00:00:09 a dish best served cold. Revenge. I'd like to remind you of the words of Romans
00:00:15 12 verse 19, "Going." And it is written there, "Vengeance is the Lord's." Vengeance
00:00:21 belongs to the Lord. So I don't know what someone may have done to you in the past
00:00:25 month, how someone may have rubbed you the wrong way, but this morning I just
00:00:30 want to tell you that God is in control. Let go and let God do his work with you.
00:00:36 Take yourself, set yourself free from the prison of, well, grievance. Let it go and
00:00:42 live in peace. That's my message to you as we kick-start a new month, the first
00:00:46 day of the 11th month, and a Wednesday, fitting if you like. Well, coming up this
00:00:51 morning I'll be serving you the news and right after that, guess who joins me? It's
00:00:54 a Wednesday and as always, Dr. Kwame Asasante will be in the picture. And
00:00:59 right after that we'll have Muftahu Nabila Abdollahi presenting sports for us
00:01:04 and then we get into our big stories. Now today, as we know from yesterday as
00:01:09 Parliament resumed, Speaker of Parliament Albon Bagman has ordered a
00:01:12 parliamentary probe into the Akosumbo Dam spillage. It's affected people in
00:01:16 seven regions, displaced many. The VRA has started a fumigation exercise and all of
00:01:22 that. Zoom Lion is supporting. But where do we go from there? We'd also contemplate
00:01:28 the upcoming presidential primary of the new patriotic party. Joining us for a
00:01:33 conversation we have from the NDC's end, Member of Parliament for Lingua Pram Pram,
00:01:37 Sam George, and from the NPP's end, Member of Parliament for Mpriya So, Davis, Ansa
00:01:42 Opoku. Both of them join us for that all-important conversation. But then
00:01:47 again, how about we kick-start the next segment with this quote by Dr. Tanya
00:01:52 Trippett who says, "No child should be denied the cure of their cancer." Of course,
00:01:57 that is if you detect it early. A couple of weeks ago, we had a conversation on a
00:02:02 philanthropist seeking to build a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind
00:02:05 cancer treatment center in Ghana. Today we'll get back to that project and give
00:02:10 you updates about how exactly it's shaping up. Also look forward to a
00:02:15 conversation where we tell you about the Ghana Digital Innovation Week. It's a
00:02:20 nationwide series of events showcasing and celebrating milestones in Ghana's
00:02:25 digital innovation ecosystem. And also the GIMPA lecture series. We'll be
00:02:30 telling you about the ECOWAS setup and what exactly has been happening in the
00:02:34 fray. All of these on the chopping board for today on the AM Show. But what's the
00:02:39 show without you? We'd love to hear from you. So shoot us a message in the course
00:02:43 of the live stream and when we cap it all off, be sure to give us a call. My
00:02:48 name is Benjamin Akaku. It's a pleasure having you together with my co-host
00:02:50 Bernice Aboubeid Lansa. Up next, the news.
00:03:12 The Ashanti region recorded 390 fire outbreaks in the first quarter of 2023
00:03:18 compared to 485 fires the same period in 2022 according to the Ghana National
00:03:25 Service. Notwithstanding the reduction, the response time to fire outbreaks
00:03:30 could have been better but for the poor state of fire tenders in the region,
00:03:34 municipal chief executive for Forukrum, Abraham Kwesi-Entry says requests from
00:03:39 the fire department for repairs on a fire tender have not been heeded because
00:03:44 the assembly cannot afford the cost.
00:03:48 The fire engine was huge and we didn't have the financial wherewithal. We have also written to some agencies, some feeding stations, some major institutions within our municipality.
00:04:05 The regional fire chief reported at Red Sick and then I said that he should let his people at the
00:04:10 discretion request because they also don't have the responsibility to fix.
00:04:15 But when they don't have the resource, we the beneficiaries would cannot do so.
00:04:20 Meanwhile, Ashanti regional PRO for the fire service, DO3, Peter Ade explains
00:04:26 their ongoing plans to fix more functioning tenders. He however expects
00:04:31 all sectors to collaborate with the fire department. I know the regional command
00:04:36 has put in measures to fix it. As of now, we have been able to secure some of
00:04:42 the parts to fix it. But like the MC said, the amount involved is so huge that we cannot do it on our own.
00:04:52 You see, fire safety like we always say, it's a shared responsibility.
00:04:56 Even though the tender is for fire service, indirectly it is for the municipality.
00:05:05 It is serving the people of Forukrum. All of us have a role to play, especially the assembly.
00:05:11 If you go to the assembly act, it is stated there categorically, I think section 115,
00:05:16 that the assembly is supposed to provide fire services for its inhabitants.
00:05:22 So that tells you that they have a major role to play in providing that service for the inhabitants.
00:05:29 And all of these things are part of it, helping fix the fire tender when it goes down,
00:05:35 providing resources like fuel and other things.
00:05:39 There are currently 21 fire tenders serving 43 districts in the Ashanti region.
00:05:45 Reporting for JNU's Clinton, Yaboie.
00:05:48 [Music]
00:06:08 Well, thank you for staying with us. Time now for us to get into the news review.
00:06:11 And we host Dr. Kwame Asa Asanti. Before I introduce him, before I usher him into the show,
00:06:18 let me just let you know that this segment is always brought to you by Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic.
00:06:22 And as always, they're offering, if you're a man, prostate screening for free.
00:06:26 If you're a woman, fertility screening for free. Here's where you can locate them.
00:06:31 Here in a crowd, they are at Spintex opposite the Shell signboard.
00:06:33 In Kumasi, Kronomuawehiya, behind the Angel Educational Complex. There's Takra Dianaji State,
00:06:39 Tema Community 22, Techiman Hansua, and Esiama Nzema.
00:06:43 Their call lines 0244-867-068 or 0274-234-321.
00:06:54 Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic, the end to chronic disease.
00:06:59 They are helping us kickstart the news review.
00:07:02 Let me now bring in Dr. Kwame Asa Asanti. He's a political scientist.
00:07:06 He also is director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Ghana.
00:07:10 Doc, good morning to you.
00:07:15 It appears we'll have to reconnect with Dr. Kwame Asa Asanti, the feeder, just leaving us.
00:07:21 But there are a few issues I wanted to talk about this morning in the course of the news review.
00:07:27 One of them has to do with utilities. And I don't know about you,
00:07:32 but electricity supply has been erratic over the last week or two.
00:07:38 Yes, we've seen the statements from the VRA, among others.
00:07:42 Yes, Dubek Mahama, Samuel Dubek Mahama, the managing director of ECG, has said there's no doomsaw.
00:07:49 But what is our reality? The power supply has been very erratic over the last few days.
00:07:56 He has said that the debt owed WAPCO will be settled by close of week.
00:08:01 Let's see how things pan out. We're talking about twelve million dollars thereabouts.
00:08:06 In the interim, people still continue to sleep in darkness, have their gadgets,
00:08:12 you know, malfunction on the back of the switches or fluctuation as far as electricity is concerned.
00:08:19 The other day, just about two or so days ago, Monday, yes, to be specific,
00:08:25 the lights went off in my area, my neighborhood about seven times.
00:08:32 Seven times. What does that do to your gadgets?
00:08:37 The other bit I want to talk about as well, even as we moan about electricity supply and how erratic it is,
00:08:44 there is also water supply. I've not had water flowing through my tap for a week, one week.
00:08:50 And we don't know what is going on. We don't know what is happening.
00:08:54 It's just so imagine power supply, not stable, electricity, you know, water supply, non-existent.
00:09:03 Quite, quite the scenario. How swell. Just fantastic.
00:09:08 Yeah. And the final thing, now that I know that Dr. Kwame Asa Asante is back.
00:09:13 So I've been complaining about power supply and how erratic it is.
00:09:17 Water supply for a week. I've had no water flowing through my tap.
00:09:21 And there's also the creation of twenty five new constituencies.
00:09:24 The Electoral Commission has come out to say, no, that is not what we're going to do.
00:09:29 There was a lot of noise being made, a lot of spontaneous reaction.
00:09:33 People saying, wait, what's this about? Are there any attempts to do anything?
00:09:37 But they say they're only going to create the one constituency to correct that anomaly that we faced in the last election.
00:09:45 Do you have any reflections on these matters and anything else you'd like to add, Doc, before we move forward?
00:09:51 Yeah, I am happy that they've clarified the issue that they are going to, you know,
00:09:57 bring out only one constituency to deal with the problem we had the last time.
00:10:04 So my hope and prayer that they do it and do it very fast so that the people who were not able to vote in that election for that particular constituency,
00:10:15 they will be able to also have their day in the election is a good thing. And I support the EC to establish that so that at the end of the day, nobody will be disenfranchised.
00:10:26 All right, then let's proceed into the papers and the daily graphic this morning.
00:10:31 Defining moment for MPP on Saturday. That story is on page 16.
00:10:35 There's also Sam Jonah, Lord's government for lithium mine agreements.
00:10:39 Of course, we know the role he's played in our extractive sector, specifically gold with Ashanti gold or Anglo gold Ashanti before.
00:10:47 Then there's also countries youth make future bright. German chancellor says so.
00:10:51 He's been in town and 2023, 2024, SHS academic calendar out.
00:10:56 First year students to report December 4. And I've always had concerns with all of these.
00:11:02 The calendar, the academic calendar was so stable back in the day.
00:11:05 Now you don't even know what is what. There is the daily graphic on the back page.
00:11:09 Rainstorm kills five at Bidu and Fiaho community appeals for relief items.
00:11:15 A.M.E. Zion Church goes to its aid. I'll actually start from that.
00:11:20 Now, residents of Fiaho and its surrounding communities in the Anglongan district in the Volta region have called on the government to send relief items to the area to assuage their suffering following the flood that has submerged all communities in the area.
00:11:34 The over 500 residents have had their situation worsened by rising water in the Keta Lagoon,
00:11:40 which is also fed by floodwaters from the spillage of the Akosombo Dam and some of those areas mentioned there.
00:11:50 The road from Kome Junction, Henwe, Alakpule, Atito, Kome, Deta, Kodji to Fiaho have all been taken over by these floods.
00:12:00 Churches, schools and the chief's palace have all been engulfed with residents marooned in their flooded homes.
00:12:07 And linking it to the other story also involving the rain in this instance,
00:12:13 a rainstorm that hit Bidu, a farming community in the Thaim district in the Bona region last Monday afternoon, has claimed five lives.
00:12:23 In addition, more than 20 people, including children who were injured, are currently battling for their lives at the Thaim district and the Wenchi Methodist hospitals.
00:12:33 The deceased, who are yet to be named, are said to be between the ages of 17 and 29.
00:12:39 The victims were spectators at the Bidu RC school park during a football competition organized by the Bidu Traditional Council as part of activities marking the Fodjo annual yam festival, dubbed Bom Tuo.
00:12:52 The incident was said to have happened at about 3.30pm during the intellectual area football competition.
00:13:02 Our condolences to their families and to all of us losing five young people, vibrant ones like this.
00:13:10 Any reactions, Doc?
00:13:12 Yeah, I think Ben, it's unfortunate that a match which is supposed to bring honor, glory and joy to the people has turned out to be something like this
00:13:21 because of a heavy downfall.
00:13:23 Our condolences to the Bidu family.
00:13:26 We hope and pray that this thing will not occur again, but whatever that needs to be done, I believe that the authorities are taking political notice of it,
00:13:37 they will work at it and then restore hope to the people anytime it rains.
00:13:43 Let's look at also Siavo, Siavo's story.
00:13:48 I believe that we need to quicken our efforts to get our people relief items.
00:13:54 They are in dire need of these things.
00:13:56 If we look at it against the backdrop that we are in a minor season where it's raining and then you have also constant pool of water that have submerged their villages and towns and all that,
00:14:09 then we can't wait any longer.
00:14:11 It brings to mind the need for this country to be able to build a fund to deal with this thing so that, yes, much as people want to contribute to support the needy, the vulnerable in such a distress situation,
00:14:29 the state will also, when such a fund exists, will be able to jump into the situation and then rescue people, support people in no time before others are coming.
00:14:40 So I think we must look at that direction if we want to have an enlasting solution to some of such problems.
00:14:49 Let's get into other stories now and countries youth make future bright.
00:14:53 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described Ghanaian youth, especially those in tertiary institutions,
00:14:59 as fascinating with ideas and innovations capable of driving the country towards the path of development.
00:15:04 Quoting him, he says, I can tell you with such youth, you don't have to worry about the future of your country.
00:15:10 It was really very impressive. I have no doubt that the next generation has what it takes to continue that path of development and innovation for your country.
00:15:19 He said, speaking, of course, to the president earlier, Chancellor Scholz had visited and interacted with students of Ashesi University in the eastern region.
00:15:29 He indicated that he had a discussion on the students perspective for the future.
00:15:33 And these discussions, quoting him, with these young and bright students had been impressive.
00:15:39 He noted that innovations were the holding block of the future of Ghana and Germany, which were, quote, also the cornerstone of our relations.
00:15:48 So that's to do with Olaf Scholz and his visit to Ghana.
00:15:54 There's that story on page nine as well. But let me let me look at these stories and then I'll get to that one on page nine.
00:16:03 Defining moment for MPP on Saturday. That's sorry, on page 16, delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party go to the polls on Saturday to elect a flag bearer in a defining moment for the party towards the 2024 general election.
00:16:19 And of course, we know the candidates, Dr. Mohammed Ubaomia, Kennedy Ejapong, Dr. Uso Efriakotu, Francis Adeinimo, all in the fray.
00:16:27 From 10, it was whittled down to five and one decided not to proceed. Now there are four left.
00:16:34 And in the politics segment of the paper, page 17, former President Mohammed's search for a second term.
00:16:42 There's a bit of an opinion piece there. The quotes there today from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet and philosopher.
00:16:49 A people are free in proportion as they form their own opinions. A people are free in proportion as or if you like, to the extent that they form their own opinions.
00:17:02 And finally, on page nine, this is where I'll wrap. So you come back in.
00:17:06 Biden signs order on AI safeguard days ahead of summit and Gaza surgeons operate in corridors as hospitals fill.
00:17:16 Now, when Gaza's Indonesian hospital received a sudden influx of patients badly injured by Israeli bombing yesterday,
00:17:23 medics set up an operating room in a corridor because the main surgical theatres were full.
00:17:27 They said juggling dwindling supplies of medicine, power cuts and air or artillery strikes that shake hospital buildings.
00:17:34 Surgeons in Gaza work through the night trying to save a constant stream of patients, quoting one of them.
00:17:41 We take it an hour at a time because we don't know when we will be receiving patients.
00:17:46 Several times we've had to set up surgical spaces in the corridors and even sometimes in the hospital waiting areas, said Dr.
00:17:53 Mohammed Al-Rul. He was speaking soon after a bombardment damaged the Indonesian hospital near the front line where Israel's military is pushing into the tiny,
00:18:03 crowded Palestinian enclave and with fuel supply for his generators about to run out, according to doctors.
00:18:10 I like looking at both sides of this coin. The devastation caused the Israelis, some of whose families are still mourning hostages that have been taken.
00:18:20 I read a story yesterday about two Tanzanians who were there, you know, learning more about agriculture who have been hostages.
00:18:28 But then the other side of the coin as well, the Palestinians and the constant bombardment.
00:18:33 It's a humanitarian crisis and the blood is the same whether you cut a Palestinian or you cut an Israeli.
00:18:40 It's still red blood that will ooze out. Your take, Doc?
00:18:44 Yes, I think it's unfortunate what we are witnessing in Gaza is an ugly spectacle.
00:18:52 And nothing more, nothing else. Innocent people are being killed by the day and destruction of property, life and the rest of them.
00:19:02 Very difficult. I watched the DW TV this dawn and the story is nothing but what a sad one.
00:19:13 We hope and pray that there will be a ceasefire and that also Palestinians will also be beside for relief.
00:19:24 It's unfortunate, too, that the Israelis have also lost people and all that situation.
00:19:29 We need the world should be able to find lasting solution to it so that it dies off.
00:19:36 But its recurrence doesn't help anybody.
00:19:39 I'm also in support of the German ambassador's observation that the youth that we have in this country are the future of this country.
00:19:53 Yes, there's no doubt about that. But we cannot sit down and fold our arms without doing anything if we have just the human resource.
00:20:03 We need to build their capacity. We need to train them and we need to direct them, equip them with entrepreneurial skills so that they can fit into the world of work out there.
00:20:15 These are things we need to do and we must do it without paying lip service to it.
00:20:19 This means that we need to put in a lot of resources to be able to train these people and get the best out of them for this country.
00:20:29 Then the defining moment of the MPP. Yes, it is a defining moment.
00:20:35 My caution to the party is that election is not a do or die affair.
00:20:42 It is a way that we express ourselves in a way that we want to so as to elect our leaders.
00:20:48 So we believe that people will proceed with this type of mindset and go there just to go and elect who they think has what it takes to lead the party for 2024 elections.
00:21:02 This means that we don't want to see any incidents in the election.
00:21:06 Invective should not be part of the program. Let us listen to what ideas and issue-driven discussions is what we are looking forward to.
00:21:20 And then we want equal playing field for all contestants so that at the end of the day, whoever will lose the election will accept defeat and abide by the rules of the game by congratulating the winner and the rest of them.
00:21:34 We have heard a lot about their campaign and all that.
00:21:37 And I think it's a it's a discussion for another day.
00:21:42 But my quick take on all that I've seen is that all is not well, because virtually, if you listen to some of the contestants, especially Kenneth Jepung and all that,
00:21:55 he's saying virtually a lot of things that you don't want to hear about a democracy where issue of money is used to induce people.
00:22:06 Material resources are given to induce people. Inducement is key in the issue of corruption manifesting itself clearly.
00:22:16 And these are things, the evils that undermine a true democracy.
00:22:21 We expect the anti-corruption agencies and all that to be alive to this situation and see how best we can deal with this,
00:22:31 because when these things take better part of Indian party machinery, I'm afraid you are not just having a democracy, but you are having something else.
00:22:40 Let us remember that we have fought very hard to build this democracy.
00:22:44 So any effort at undermining it, you and I must rise up to the occasion and fight it.
00:22:50 Just a quick one on the back of, you know, you reminded me of what I had said initially about the Electoral Commission ahead of the next election.
00:22:58 Would you then be surprised, though the EC, like I mentioned at the start, has come out to debunk the claim that new constituencies are going to be created?
00:23:06 But would you be surprised on the back of the the rumours we've heard and the backlash?
00:23:12 Would you be surprised if that is put forward ahead of election 2024?
00:23:18 The question is, why do we need another constituency apart from the one anomaly, the one anomaly that happened in the last election?
00:23:30 Why do we need one? The many constituencies doesn't mean anything at all.
00:23:36 The few we have, let's work with it and move on. Right.
00:23:40 So I'll be so much surprised to see EC coming out that you want to demarcate certain areas and all that as constituencies.
00:23:47 It doesn't mean anything. It's a waste of everybody's time and resources.
00:23:52 And you poison people's mind as to your real intention and all that.
00:23:57 I don't want the EC to be on that path. It is not a good thing.
00:24:01 The one we need to have, let it come on. And then after all, there are many 275. You add one, 276. We are good to go.
00:24:09 Right. If it is a problem that they are afraid of, the even number, they know that it doesn't count at all,
00:24:14 because people are saying that when you have even numbers, it doesn't help. It's not true.
00:24:19 1969, we had 140 MPs. The Fourth Republic, we began, and even the Third Republic, we also had 140.
00:24:28 The Fourth Republic, we began with 200 and then moved to 200 and I think 50, 230, and the rest of them.
00:24:39 Even numbers. So what are they talking about? It's the quality of people that you have.
00:24:43 That liven up debate and then help us to decide effectively on issues that confront the state. That is the way to go.
00:24:51 The Ghanaian Times newspaper now. Parliament to inquire into Akosu Mbodam's spillage.
00:24:55 That's according to the Speaker of Parliament. The bit about the President's meeting the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
00:25:03 Global community must seek resolution of Israel-Hamas war.
00:25:07 Nugwa Stul vows to enforce Supreme Court ruling on Adjiragano and Botiman lands.
00:25:12 Akosu Mbodam's spillage. 19,743 school kids displaced in 71 schools in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions.
00:25:22 That's according to Child Rights International. Five die, 20 others injured at Bedu following downpour and windstorm.
00:25:31 We've taken a look at that story. But the update there when it comes to the spillage,
00:25:35 19,743 school children displaced in 71 schools in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions.
00:25:44 That's according to Child Rights International.
00:25:47 Let me go to page four. Now, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford-Bakman,
00:25:54 has hinted that the House would inquire into the spillage of the Akosu Mbodam's,
00:25:59 which have left thousands of people homeless. In the view of the Speaker,
00:26:03 the spillage was ill thought through and without security and safety considerations.
00:26:08 It is unacceptable, quoting him, that an activity as potentially distractive as a dam spillage was done without a well thought through security and safety preparedness plan.
00:26:18 As such, Parliament will take the necessary action to inquire into the matter and make recommendations for the protection of property and lives along the Volta River and lake and other settlements along riverbeds.
00:26:30 We know that the energy minister has also said that there are questions to be answered.
00:26:38 And, you know, in case the VRA is called upon to do the same, I mean, there are questions to be answered.
00:26:44 And he would want those to be seen to, if need be.
00:26:52 Let me see. There's also La General Hospital project to begin this month.
00:26:57 And construction work on the abundant La General Hospital projects will begin in November this year.
00:27:03 The MCE of La Dadekotopo Municipal Assembly, Solomon Kote Nikwe, has assured.
00:27:07 The regional minister assured me, he said, in the presence of other metropolitan,
00:27:11 municipal and district chief executives in a crowded meeting and repeated the assurance when he came to my house in La, he said.
00:27:17 But pardon my being not too optimistic about this.
00:27:22 The reason for how many years we took this edifice down now, members of that community have to trek to other health facilities,
00:27:31 sometimes private ones at extra cost to get health care.
00:27:35 And now we see another promise. Hopefully the promise lives up to expectation.
00:27:41 Your reactions, Doc? Sometimes I ask myself whether we are able to do due diligence before we embark upon public policy programs.
00:27:52 Right. If we did, we would not have such problems always rearing their ugly heads in situations like this.
00:28:00 Why do you take off or pull down the building when you yourself,
00:28:04 you are not ready to start the process and get it finished for people to have health support?
00:28:14 It's a difficult thing. But I believe that the earlier they do something better about this, the better.
00:28:22 Because the people can know it. Health issues are always emergency issues.
00:28:29 So we don't want to waste time at all. Authorities must put their act together and get this facility built and then given to the people for use.
00:28:40 That is the way to go. Now I will look at also Parliament and then the fact that they want to probe into the spillage and all other issues.
00:28:53 Yeah, good move and all that. But I want Parliament to be able to, which I trust,
00:29:00 they will do a good job and come out so that we'll be able to know what has happened.
00:29:05 But if you put your ears on the ground, the professionals there will also tell you a lot of things that our government have also not been able to do.
00:29:16 That has also undermined all that they are doing or their efforts.
00:29:22 The issue of the Pualugu Dam, for instance, is a critical one. What has happened to it after a flood was capped?
00:29:31 What is the next issue we have heard about it? The issue of helping VRE to be able to move people really very close to the water bodies.
00:29:47 And then the politics of it, where authorities always run away from the fact that they will lose boats and all that.
00:29:56 Has the government been able to get the political will to address this issue head on?
00:30:02 Of course, the good news is that Parliament wants to go into it, but we are all waiting patiently that something good must come.
00:30:10 And then let us deal with this situation as a whole. Because what the people of Guta Region are willing to do,
00:30:17 and I would want to wish that on anybody, they are in a very, very difficult situation.
00:30:23 We need to rise up to the occasion and help them, because this is not the first time or the last time that we are going to have the spillage of water from the dam.
00:30:31 It is going to continue. But what is the solution there for them if such an incident happens? And that is what I am looking forward to.
00:30:43 Let me acknowledge this message that comes through from Ongwubiko Michael in Nigeria.
00:30:51 You say, "Good morning, Joy News. It's Ongwubiko Michael watching from Kashimbila Hydropower Plant in Taraba State, Nigeria.
00:31:00 Happy New Month to all my Ghanaian people." Well, happy new month to you too.
00:31:05 Thank you for doing the watching and we wish you the very best of the month.
00:31:09 Hopefully you guys don't engage in any spillage that will affect many lives.
00:31:15 On the back page of the Ghanaian Times newspaper, in the spotting segment,
00:31:21 Black Queens booked Zambia date after five nil demolition of Benin in Olympic qualifiers.
00:31:28 And the Black Queens yesterday books qualification to the third phase of qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament
00:31:36 to face the Chipolopolo of Zambia.
00:31:39 This was after overcoming the Amazons of Benin 2-0 at the Acrossport Stadium to round up a 5-0 aggregate.
00:31:46 I think now they've gone, is it nine or ten matches unbeaten?
00:31:50 And we keep saying, like I have said here, I will reiterate, why are we still paying the men more than the women?
00:32:00 Especially when the women are the ones lifting high the Black Star of Ghana.
00:32:05 They are the ones, so to speak, they are the ones giving us some dignity.
00:32:09 Our men are failing, yet we keep giving them lump sums of money and they keep failing.
00:32:15 Look at the recent one. It was Mexico-USA were thrashed by how many goals?
00:32:20 We couldn't even net a goal.
00:32:22 And that was the first time seeing the United States just run roughshod over us, walk over us like that, yet will not give the women their due.
00:32:31 It's high time we started celebrating the women, not just by word of mouth.
00:32:35 I said it, Hazaka's ladies went to the African Cup, the Club African Cup.
00:32:42 They didn't get anything from CAF. Governments could have done something.
00:32:46 The sports authority, the ministry could have done something.
00:32:48 We didn't. How then do we want these young women to continue on that trajectory?
00:32:54 Thank you. Doc, any reflection before we get into the debate?
00:32:59 That you expect the team to put up a performance, a great performance, but you are not ready to reward them for the work that they do.
00:33:12 More so when you want to even pay their male counterparts more than what is expected of them.
00:33:20 That is unfair. It's unfair.
00:33:23 As you rightly pointed out, the women are making a sprout and you should not just see we being happy that they are making a sprout.
00:33:31 They need to reward them adequately so as to boost their morale, to win more laurels for this country.
00:33:41 So authorities must look at that because all these things, things that really undermine their efforts.
00:33:50 And we want them to be there for us at all times.
00:33:54 Let's support them. Let's give them the resources so that we encourage them to deliver when we need them.
00:34:01 Anytime we extend invitation to them. Doc, we should be gone in some two and a half, three minutes.
00:34:07 Let's do this daily guide. I'll not repeat the stories that are already tied to what we know.
00:34:13 So there is a rainstorm kills five.
00:34:16 But you have mentioned that non-custodial sentencing bill coming. I'll get into that.
00:34:21 But Omiya says you can bet on me. That's what he's been telling delegates.
00:34:25 But on page three, plans are far advanced for the introduction of non-custodial sentencing into Ghana's criminal justice system as part of moves to decrease the population in the country's heavily congested prisons.
00:34:39 Stakeholders at a day's validation workshop on the final draft of the community service bill,
00:34:44 which started as far back as 2014, all reiterated the need for the bill to reduce the prisoner population while improving on the health conditions of those incarcerated.
00:34:56 Community service is an alternative punishment to custodial sentencing,
00:35:00 where a court convicts convicts an accused person of a minor offence to undertake unpaid community service for a period of time.
00:35:07 That's the Daily Guide newspaper. Now, the Finder newspaper.
00:35:12 There is avoid wood fuel to protect health and save the environment.
00:35:18 Of course, wood fuels are pretty popular in these parts, but they are also wreaking havoc on our population.
00:35:25 There's also Richard Ahiagba, donates to lower Volta Basin flood victims, communications director with the MPP.
00:35:33 And finally, the Ghanaian publisher. Why OSP cleared a Dubuahin of corruption charges or corruption allegations?
00:35:40 But now we know that Shraj, Mr. Nitu, Mr. Whittle, I beg your pardon, is pursuing that.
00:35:48 And there are attempts. I've listened to Senanu, the anti-graft campaigner on this matter.
00:35:57 And there are there are attempts to revive, you know, any proceedings against Charles Dubuahin.
00:36:04 Any quick reflections as we wrap? Yes, I think the long custodial sentences regime is a good thing.
00:36:12 That would depopulate prisons and then create a very healthy atmosphere for those incarcerated.
00:36:19 This thing has been on our plan for a very long time.
00:36:24 We need to work the talk so that all the problems that we have in prisons, we use this one to also address some of them.
00:36:33 But we should also go in there and then help maintain very meaningful standards in prison.
00:36:41 I just it is part of our duty as a state to do that.
00:36:46 Wood for anything, takes on the environment and the rest of them. We know it too well, but we have not had the courage to be able to,
00:36:59 you know, support our people in this direction. So we continue to depend on wood or fuel and all that.
00:37:07 That really tells the future relative to the forest that we have and the rest of them.
00:37:15 The environment is being, you know, degraded every now and then.
00:37:20 And we need to fix this. Remember that now all manner of health issues are coming out from the environment.
00:37:29 So we need to up our game in this direction. Right. We really want to help our society stay healthy at all times.
00:37:38 All right. Thank you very much, Doc, for joining the conversation this morning.
00:37:42 As always, we're grateful for your time. We wish you the best of the day, sir. All right.
00:37:48 I see a lot. I'm just going to do this important message.
00:37:53 But you also see that Evans meant to please help me ask these questions.
00:37:57 Some of you confuse our voices and you think we are one in the same. We're not.
00:38:01 Anyway, I draw the hour says, let me veer off from politics a little.
00:38:05 The issue of SHS one students spending two months in school instead of four bothers me as a parent.
00:38:11 Why did the minister adopt the vocabulary or the word semester?
00:38:15 Does a semester imply two months if they stay in for December?
00:38:18 At least it will be close to three months, but two months to learn four month topics.
00:38:22 That's what she how she puts it is unheard of. Please help me draw the minister's attention to that.
00:38:28 And she adds that this heartening thing is that these four months students are coming to stay home from December to March 2024.
00:38:35 What kind of education is that? That's what's.
00:38:40 I do. I do. I send through. Well, that's how we cap off the news review this morning.
00:38:46 A very happy birthday to not a delay. Doco. Today is another milestone that you mark.
00:38:52 We celebrate you. Fantastic person. Keep being you and keep being sweet.
00:38:57 We we love you and we wish you the very best in life.
00:39:00 And interestingly, you're kickstarting the month for us.
00:39:03 Now, I do. Happy birthday to you.
00:39:07 To cap off the news, of course, I would have to remind you that Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic is offering you prostate screening for free fertility screening.
00:39:15 If you're a woman for free, here's where you can locate them.
00:39:18 You have a crowd spintex opposite the Shell signboard.
00:39:21 Kumasi, Cronin, we're here behind the Angel Educational Complex at Takwadi Energy State.
00:39:25 Tema Community 22, Techieman Hansua and Asiama and the other call lines zero two four four eight six seven zero six eight or zero two seven four two three four three two one.
00:39:38 Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic. The end to chronic disease.
00:39:41 But it's just the start of sports. Up next.
00:39:44 [Music]
00:40:05 Good morning. Let's do sports here on the EM show with me, Mufti Abdullah.
00:40:10 And on November 17, the Black Stars will begin his journey to qualify for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup to be staged in USA, Mexico and Canada.
00:40:21 The senior national team will come up against Madagascar at the Bavariana Sports Stadium, the facility that has been designed or chosen by CAF to host the World Cup qualifiers.
00:40:33 CAF, in a statement that was sent to the Ghana Football Association earlier this week, had said that the Cape Coast Sports Stadium,
00:40:40 which was the venue used by Ghana for its qualifying matches, is not fit for purpose and cannot host any other international competition,
00:40:49 including the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group stage matches.
00:40:54 And that they recommended at the Ghana Football Association and the government of Ghana regressed the entire playing field
00:41:02 and also work on the benches as well as the dressing rooms of the stadium to make it up to standard to be able to host some international matches.
00:41:13 So the Black Stars will now have to play its matches at the Bavariana Sports Stadium.
00:41:18 In the last tournament that Ghana participated in, which happened in Qatar,
00:41:23 the senior national team exited the competition at the group stage after losing to Portugal and that of the Uruguayans, which happened on December 2.
00:41:33 And we'll move on now and talk about other stories where the Black Queens of Ghana,
00:41:38 they were able to secure a ticket to the third round of the Paris Olympic qualifiers after defeating Benin 2-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium, winning the tie 5-0 on aggregate.
00:41:51 My colleague Lawrence Bede was there and comes to this report.
00:41:55 It's nine wins in a row for Nora Hapto and the Black Queens who have now secured a place in the third round of qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games.
00:42:05 And Evelyn Bedu's second half strike and an own goal from Benin sealed a 2-0 win at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the Black Queens ending up with a 5-0 win.
00:42:15 Just like the first leg, it was an uncomfortable win for Ghana, but Nora Hapto will take anything.
00:42:21 In her presser, she says she's looking to improve her team in the subsequent games.
00:42:27 Generally, I'm never worrying. I'm just working on the things.
00:42:33 And normally you need to find out what exactly needs to be levelled up.
00:42:39 I think today we got in good positions to cross, but the technical execution was not good.
00:42:46 I think the decisions itself have been good.
00:42:49 We wanted to play the ball, there was a lot of space on the second post, which we overloaded, but the technical delivery was bad.
00:42:57 So the final pass we need to work on.
00:43:00 It's also in Benin we trained on artificial turf, it was another kind of pitch.
00:43:06 So we struggled a bit technically today.
00:43:08 And then you need to really point what was wrong and screw the right screw.
00:43:14 Alex Kusi adds that the team is under no pressure to secure qualification to the Olympic Games.
00:43:20 There is no pressure like that. We don't compare ourselves to the Blasters.
00:43:26 We do our best and the mission is to qualify for World Cup and qualify for Olympics.
00:43:31 So we stick to our lane and stay focused on what matters.
00:43:34 It's not about the Blaster, we are well focused in our matches ahead of us.
00:43:39 Now we have to play Namibia to qualify for the World Cup. We are still focused on hoping to win the maximum point to qualify for the World Cup.
00:43:47 We have nothing to do or compare ourselves to the Blaster team.
00:43:51 The Black Wings will face Zambia in February, but before that they would have to play Namibia in the qualifiers for the 2024 Cup of Nations.
00:44:00 Reporting for Joy Sports, Lawrence Beidou from the Akar Sports Stadium.
00:44:07 The next tie for the Black Wings will be against Zambia in February next year.
00:44:13 But before that they will engage in Namibia as you heard from my colleague.
00:44:17 And their qualifiers for the Afro-American Women's Cup of Nations.
00:44:21 Now let's talk about the Ghana Premier League.
00:44:23 There is going to be midweek action today.
00:44:25 It is March 8th of the Ghana Premier League.
00:44:27 We take a look at the fixtures for the competition at Ibn Miktir Retain in midweek.
00:44:32 We also have some test fixtures including the likes of Bechem United vs Great Olympics.
00:44:38 We have a crowdhouse of people come up against Midyama FC.
00:44:42 Nations FC will play Real Tamale United.
00:44:44 Dreams FC will be at home against Brecon Chelsea.
00:44:47 Diana Starks will come up against Bofako Tano and Carla United will come up against Bibiane Gosa.
00:44:52 And FC Samartex will play Legon City.
00:44:55 And as I mentioned, Bechem United will play Great Olympics.
00:44:59 These are the fixtures for March 8th in the Ghana Premier League.
00:45:05 Now let's also bring you fixtures of the African Football League.
00:45:09 It is entering its final leg where the two teams that will be fighting for the $14.4 million prize money in place will be known.
00:45:20 So later today, the second leg of the tie between Esperance vs Wydad will be happening.
00:45:26 That game is going to be live on Joy Prime and also will bring you the second leg of the tie between Al Ahly vs Mbembele Sundowns.
00:45:34 So Wydad Casablanca, they lead this tie 1-0 and Bechem United have an advantage.
00:45:42 However, as they head to Tunis to come up against Esperance, the tie is still balanced because anything can still happen.
00:45:50 Also, Mbembele Sundowns will be travelling to Egypt as well with a one goal advantage as they come up against the serial winners of Africa's Cup Champions League.
00:46:01 That game, as I mentioned, will also be on Joy Prime.
00:46:05 To some boxing, after winning a world title for Ghana, he lost it.
00:46:12 However, there was a first defence that was successful against Ndunore Otaki.
00:46:16 Then he lost back to back against Emmanuel Navarrete.
00:46:20 But now, his technical advisor says he's no longer in a position to be able to win a world title.
00:46:26 That is his opinion.
00:46:27 Here, I'm referring to Isaac Dubey who won a world title for Ghana in April 2018.
00:46:33 Now, the man who says that he played a crucial role in ensuring that Isaac Dubey won a world title,
00:46:39 Yofi Boham says that the boxer, having decided to move up in weight, has made it very difficult for him to be able to lay his hands on another world title.
00:46:49 In my experience, it's a no-go area for him.
00:46:56 I don't think.
00:46:57 Take his height into consideration.
00:47:01 But you saw the height and you still came in to advise him.
00:47:03 Oh, as a super, up to the super bantamweight level, up to the super bantamweight class, he can still feature.
00:47:15 But he has now jumped to featherweight.
00:47:17 Featherweight.
00:47:18 Featherweight.
00:47:19 The experience that we have with Azuma's participation, we've come across a lot of featherweights.
00:47:27 A lot of featherweights.
00:47:29 And Isaac Dubey did not match them at all.
00:47:31 Talk of DK Poison, who calls me commander.
00:47:35 DK Poison, yes.
00:47:38 He featured as a featherweight all along.
00:47:41 Going in for lightweight, in his time, there were no supers and all that.
00:47:48 And it was difficult.
00:47:50 So would you advise Isaac to drop back to the...
00:47:52 And can he drop?
00:47:54 That's a challenge too.
00:47:56 That's a challenge. A massive, massive challenge.
00:47:59 That's right.
00:48:00 So I've been a technical person.
00:48:02 I tell you, that's the end of the road for him when talking about world championship.
00:48:11 That's your sports for now.
00:48:13 We do have more sports stories on myjoyonline.com.
00:48:16 We appreciate your time.
00:48:19 [music]
00:48:40 Welcome back on the AM Show.
00:48:42 We get into our big stories.
00:48:44 And shortly, we'll be having an interaction with our guests.
00:48:47 But to kickstart the conversation, two major matters we're going to be contemplating.
00:48:52 And we already know over 19,000, almost 20,000 schoolchildren have been displaced across different regions.
00:49:00 And all of that has to do with the Akosombo Dam's spillage.
00:49:05 Now, the waters are receding in some parts that have been affected in Metha and other places.
00:49:12 The VRA, together with Zoom Lion, has started a fumigation exercise.
00:49:18 Today, we contemplate as one of the matters the Speaker of Parliament, Albin Bagby,
00:49:23 saying that there is the need for a probe and that some things that must have been thought through were not thought through.
00:49:31 We'll be contemplating that matter together with the MPP's presidential primary coming up on November 4th,
00:49:38 among a plethora of other matters.
00:49:41 But let's start from what has happened on the back of the dam's spillage.
00:49:45 Carlos Kaloni is my colleague. He's been on that beat. He's been reporting for us this morning.
00:49:51 He's going to give us some updates on what exactly has happened and what we can look forward to.
00:49:57 Carlos, good morning to you. And what's the latest you can share on this disaster and what is happening in those affected communities?
00:50:08 All right, Benjamin. So, like you rightly pointed, the water has receded significantly.
00:50:15 And if you watch the earlier videos, you will see that the water level at some point were at roof level,
00:50:24 some way beyond the window level.
00:50:27 But as we speak, in most of the communities we have been visiting, the water level has dropped to about the footing level,
00:50:36 some below window level.
00:50:39 And some houses have completely been cleared.
00:50:43 So people are now moving into their houses.
00:50:47 Some are clearing the debris in their rooms and all that.
00:50:51 But there are places that I would describe as very low-lying areas that still have stagnant water, heavily polluted.
00:51:02 The stench in those areas is very unbearable.
00:51:07 You have public toilets still submerged in those areas.
00:51:11 And so it appears that the water in those low-lying areas is not going anywhere. It's going to be there.
00:51:21 So what the NADMO officials are considering now is that they are going to create a tunnel for that water to move out of the community.
00:51:34 But, Benjamin, there is a major problem in Mbefe Township itself, which is that the township has no drains at all, very limited drains.
00:51:44 And so tunneling this water out has become the headache for a disaster management committee.
00:51:52 So NADMO is saying that they are collaborating with other agencies to create a tunnel for this water to move out of the community.
00:52:01 In areas that they cannot do that, what they are considering doing is to pump the water out of the community.
00:52:08 But, indeed, as you mentioned also, fumigation is ongoing.
00:52:11 Yesterday, the Zumlaion was able to fumigate about 1,284 homes and structures, and it's an ongoing exercise there.
00:52:22 So that's fairly the update on the situation on the ground, Benjamin, as you speak.
00:52:27 How have the people reacted to the fumigation exercise?
00:52:30 And if you have any scoop as far as education is concerned, as Child Rights International has mentioned,
00:52:37 close to 20,000 school-going children have been affected by this.
00:52:42 What is the state of education as well in these communities? Anything you can share?
00:52:46 Yes, indeed, Benjamin. You know that the senior high schools, according to the MP for the area, are going to be reopening soon.
00:52:56 And Kizito Senior High School is one of the safe havens, and that has really affected education.
00:53:05 I mean, students in that school.
00:53:07 So yesterday, I spoke with the MP, the D.C. for the area, Divine Ferno, who is saying that they are considering looking for a place for the flood victims,
00:53:20 so they can open the school fully for students to go to the Kizito area.
00:53:26 And primary schools and basic schools across the Mercer Township, most of the schools are still closed
00:53:33 because those schools are serving as safe havens.
00:53:36 So, indeed, as we speak, education is seriously under threat in that community as most kids are out of school.
00:53:47 Right. And maybe my final bit to you, Carlos, I'd like to find out.
00:53:55 The Speaker has said what he has in respect of a probe being initiated into this matter.
00:54:01 You've heard from the energy minister as well.
00:54:05 But have these people, those you've interacted with, have they heard of this call?
00:54:09 And what has been their reaction so far? Is there anything to share on that?
00:54:13 There is. There is, Benjamin.
00:54:15 So yesterday, I spoke with one opinion leader who actually expressed his appreciation to the call made by the Speaker
00:54:25 that they believe that some sort of probe should go into this because they still hold the view that the VRA did not act appropriately
00:54:34 in terms of giving them enough warnings and all of that.
00:54:39 And so they would want a parliamentary probe into it.
00:54:43 But most importantly to these flood victims, they are looking at what Parliament is going to do
00:54:50 in terms of, you know, resettlement and compensation.
00:54:55 They are very heavy on that.
00:54:56 I mean, they are thinking that beyond the probe, they want to see something significant come out of the probe
00:55:03 so that those of them whose businesses have been affected and then houses collapsed and all that
00:55:09 can actually get some compensation and resettlement.
00:55:14 Some of them are also looking at the permanent relocation.
00:55:19 And so they are saying that instead of just rebuilding their collapsed homes,
00:55:24 they are looking forward to Parliament and the decision makers to give them a permanent place that they can move to.
00:55:32 So yes, they are very much happy with the call being made by the Speaker of Parliament.
00:55:38 And they are actually looking forward to an outcome of that particular probe.
00:55:43 Benjamin.
00:55:44 Thank you so much for joining the conversation, Carlos Kaloni.
00:55:49 And we're grateful for the details you've given us.
00:55:51 He has been bringing us up to speed in terms of the latest development as far as the Akosombud Dam spillage is concerned.
00:56:01 But let's cross over now and also get a bit of the scoop, the latest when it comes to that incident in Garu.
00:56:09 Now, we followed right from the start.
00:56:11 We brought you details of that right from the allegations now proven true that national security operatives who are who embarked on a counter terrorism project were attacked, shot at.
00:56:28 They were followed to a police station, still shot at, and special measures had to be put in place for them to be extracted from the scene.
00:56:37 Then the follow up by the military getting into some of these areas and beating up to a pulp, in some cases, some of the men, the residents there.
00:56:49 And we've been talking about the different dimensions to that conversation.
00:56:54 But what is the latest so far? Joining us for a conversation, Albert Sori reports from the Upper East.
00:57:02 Albert, good morning to you. What is the latest you can report on this incident in Garu that has got all of us talking?
00:57:10 Yes, Benjamin. So the latest is that the youth of Garu and Tampani yesterday jointly held a press conference.
00:57:21 This was after the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, visited the area two days ago.
00:57:28 And his visit there was to show concern for the victims who sustained various injuries in the incident and also to talk to the leaders, chiefs and elders of the community about what they were going to do next.
00:57:48 So his assurances basically were that those of the men in the area who had run away from their homes for fear that the military could return should return home because the operation was not going to be repeated.
00:58:05 And he also made a promise to make a cash donation of 10,000 CEDs to help support the medical bills of the victims who sustained various injuries in the incident.
00:58:21 So he basically gave them some assurance also that the eight men who were arrested and taken out of the town will return home once the investigations are completed and they are cleared after they were arrested.
00:58:42 And so that's what the regional minister has been doing. But the youth feel that a lot of the information, especially even what's contained in the National Security Ministry's press statement, are not entirely accurate.
00:59:02 And so they've been trying to recount the incident, explain how the national security vehicle was sort of attacked by some of the youth who they described as people who were only trying to be vigilant because of the call for people to see something when they see something with all the security and terrorism issues going on.
00:59:31 And so they've been saying that if you're looking for people who allegedly shot at the national security vehicle and shot at the police station, why come into the community and brutalize innocent people, many of whom you did not arrest or charge for anything.
00:59:52 You just beat them up and left them with severe injuries and went away. And so they are calling on the National Security Ministry and also the Ghana Armed Forces to render an unqualified apology to the people of Garu.
01:00:08 They also want a full-scale investigation into the incident. And one of the claims they are making, even when the regional minister visited the area, was that some of the people had their personal belongings, like mobile phones, in some cases even money, taken away from some of the soldiers.
01:00:28 And they want that the investigation should be made and those things returned back to the people.
01:00:36 Now, as far as those specific people who were involved in the shootout with these national security operatives, do we as yet know who exactly they are or who exactly they were?
01:00:50 At the moment, no, because nothing has been said about that so far, not from the National Security Ministry and not from the police. And so that is one of the areas that a lot of us are still trying to understand.
01:01:08 From what it looks like, it appears these eight people who were arrested, the security operatives probably believe that they had something to do with that.
01:01:20 But many people, even the elders and leaders of the community are wondering why, if you are even looking for the perpetrators of this act, why just come into the area and brutalize everybody to that extent?
01:01:38 That is the main concern. In fact, for many of the residents, they feel that if you are looking for a culprit, you could even talk to the people, ask for information, because Garu people are very peace-loving people.
01:01:53 And they may even be able to help you with your investigation and hopefully arrest the perpetrators of this crime. But the method they used is what is making the people of Garu angry.
01:02:07 So moving forward, what can we expect in the community, especially as, like you said, the call has been put out for those men who fled their own homes to return. Has some normalcy returned to these communities or that community to be specific?
01:02:24 And how are the people reacting? What have been the interactions? What can we expect moving forward?
01:02:30 So at the moment, the major thing for most of the families who had their relatives injured was the issue of medical bills.
01:02:42 Remember, this is a very rural area and a lot of people are poor. So you expect that once something like this happens, they will definitely have to run around looking for money for medical bills, etc.
01:02:59 And this is something that is due to no fault of theirs. And so at the moment, that is the major thing for them. I believe it is the reason the Minister decided to support.
01:03:11 But the day after the incident, some of them were discharged. There were others who were still in hospital. In fact, there were two people whose injuries were so serious. One of them had a head and chest injury.
01:03:25 A 24-year-old young man who had to be transferred to the Samali Teaching Hospital in order so he can get specialty treatment.
01:03:35 So that is the extent of injuries. It is going to take a bit of time for the people of Garut to recover from this incident.
01:03:43 But I would say that generally, things are returning to normal, especially for those who have returned home.
01:03:50 But a lot of them still feel that they were beaten for absolutely no reason at all, and it is not fair to them.
01:03:59 Thank you very much Albert for bringing us the latest on that development. Anything else you would like to add?
01:04:06 For now, I think these are the issues. For the leaders, the elders of Garut, they are hoping that this issue will not just end here.
01:04:19 And that the government will actually fulfill their promise of helping with the medical bill.
01:04:29 And also for the people who got injured to be given some compensation of a sort.
01:04:38 Because as I said earlier, a lot of them just feel that the soldiers just beat them up because they are in uniform and the civilians cannot do anything in return.
01:04:50 And for them, it shouldn't just be swept under the carpet.
01:04:55 Thank you so much Albert Sore for bringing us the latest as far as that development is concerned.
01:05:02 And for the ministry, of course, bringing us those snippets from the Upper East Region, Garut to be specific.
01:05:12 Now, let's get into our major conversations, even as we reflect on some of these matters.
01:05:20 And one of our guests for today is here with me.
01:05:25 And we shall have the other one join shortly. Member of Parliament for Ningor-Prampram, Sam Jata George is in the building.
01:05:39 And we will also have joined in the conversation at the right time.
01:05:46 Another guest. OK, so here we go.
01:05:52 Sam, good morning. Morning. And good morning to our viewers. I hope you're doing well. It's been a while.
01:05:57 I am. I am doing well under the circumstances I always say. We must make the most of the circumstances no matter what.
01:06:05 But I see you're growing a bit of a stub. Is it the politics? Is it the work? Is it running around or the economy that is?
01:06:16 It's a combination of all. My wife doesn't like the stub.
01:06:20 She doesn't like it. She says that because the stub is all grey.
01:06:24 And once it grows, she says that then it shows that I'm aging too fast.
01:06:28 And so I don't like it. But you're not getting any younger. We are all we are all getting.
01:06:35 She doesn't want that one. She wants to keep. She says that I look young and nice without the stub.
01:06:39 So we can walk. OK, walk. Pass. She's going to tell me.
01:06:44 Well, I'm going to lend my support to her. She's actually right.
01:06:50 This fits you. It's not bad. But, you know, I mean, I kept the beard for a while and it was all grey.
01:06:57 And I said maybe grey hair is a sign of being the MP for Ngo Prampramp.
01:07:03 If you understand what I mean. You know, MPs for Ngo Prampramp carry grey either on the hair or on the beard.
01:07:09 You remind me of ET. May he so rest in peace.
01:07:14 But that's something I have. I'm just starting on a lighter note.
01:07:17 There's something I've noticed about leadership and sometimes the toll it takes on people.
01:07:21 Do you remember Obama when he took office? I mean, black, head of hair and everything.
01:07:27 Within a short period, tell it about Ngo Grey. I mean, he had all these tufts of.
01:07:32 And then former president Mahama. I was actually surprised because when I saw that it was within a certain period,
01:07:38 I was like, hey, what's what's going on? Unfortunately, you can't see on the radio because he is completely bald.
01:07:45 Please. But this table you are shaking. I know. I'm just saying you would have seen the same with him.
01:07:50 But he's bald. He doesn't have hair to show. President Kufu, I'm just trying to think about whether I don't think I really saw.
01:07:56 I haven't really seen him with former president Kufu. I'm sure we didn't see that because of Yomo.
01:08:02 Oh, yes. Look, chief, you can't sit in that job. Sam George, you can't sit in that job and not grey.
01:08:09 So I'm pretty confident that if because I like your point, I don't remember seeing president Kufu with grey hair.
01:08:15 I don't recall it after the presidency. Many years. But I'm sure if he would.
01:08:20 I don't know about the Yomo, but I have seen I have seen now that you talk about Yomo,
01:08:26 I have seen former under the NDC and under the MPP, I've seen some of your aging members.
01:08:33 In fact, sometimes it's so obvious you and you can actually see because you interview that you can see the man.
01:08:39 And you're like, why are you fighting? What's going on? Yeah.
01:08:41 But you see, when you when you when you when you are entrusted with setting positions, it's not just political.
01:08:49 The pressure comes with the pressure. And it's real. And, you know, for me, I play football and in the time it takes me to recover after every game now, it's increasing.
01:09:02 Yes, I can tell that, you know, when I celebrate a birthday, I say I did one year, but I have aged five.
01:09:10 You get it. So but he's not reacting the same way. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
01:09:14 It's like when you get a spare for politics, it's like your age, you become dog years. You know, they say one year for dogs.
01:09:20 Yeah. Twelve years or so. You might you might. Yes. Because the pressure, the shepherds you have to deal with.
01:09:25 But I mean, it's it's what it is. And we choose to do this and we have to deal with it.
01:09:29 But that's the moral reason why we need to take our health very seriously and make sure that we have regular checkups.
01:09:36 And not just for us, everybody you need to check up regularly.
01:09:40 I am not a fan of hospitals, but my wife has insisted, Charlie, you need to get yourself checked at the beginning of the year, mid year, you know, just to be sure that everything is intact.
01:09:52 You know, recently we lost a member of Parliament, Honorable Baswa.
01:09:57 He's still resting in peace and I mean, it was health, it was stress related.
01:10:03 You know, he had a bit of complication and that's the time Parliament was sitting till almost midnight.
01:10:09 Sat till midnight the previous day. He gets home, goes to bed and doesn't wake up, you know, and it was clearly stress, you know.
01:10:16 So, yeah, I mean, we need to manage this thing and the sedentary nature, especially for members of Parliament, you go sit in the Parliament, in the chamber for hours on end, you know.
01:10:26 And we all just need to we all just need to take care of ourselves.
01:10:29 I mean, and as Ghanaian people and I've been talking about it, especially with this dialysis thing.
01:10:34 Yeah, you know, and I'm saying that when you look at people reporting kidney failures, it's young people.
01:10:40 It's more and more younger people.
01:10:43 And it's because we look, I'm going to say some of the things we are eating.
01:10:48 I'm going to say something that Ghanaian youth would not be very happy about, but we are very responsible when it comes to our health care and our life choices.
01:10:57 The people who have developed kidney challenges by no fault of theirs, but a majority of the young people reporting with these things as just horrible, irresponsible life choices.
01:11:09 They are smoking like locomotive engines.
01:11:12 They've dumped cigarettes and have jumped on that killer called Shisha.
01:11:18 And it is killing you drive around Accra, around East Lagoon and you see young people putting off steam like locomotive engines.
01:11:30 All in the name of fashion.
01:11:32 The flavour death for you in pineapple and whatever and watermelon and you are you are you are licking death.
01:11:39 I mean, we're not eating well.
01:11:41 Alcohol, a country that has a country of just 33 million people, we have almost 100 different types of bitters.
01:11:48 I mean, all kinds of concoction in the names of aphrodisiacs.
01:11:54 I mean, it's like we're sex crazy generation that needs to do anything and everything just to prove a point.
01:12:02 We're drinking the wrong things, eating the wrong things and smoking our lungs into oblivion.
01:12:09 I mean, we need to check our life choices as a country.
01:12:12 It's a problem. It's a pandemic.
01:12:14 You know, the way the US has declared the opioid crisis as a pandemic.
01:12:18 We need to look at what's even obesity in the US.
01:12:22 But is it not also because for some youth and we get to interact with a lot of them, they feel they suffer from despondency, depression.
01:12:31 I'll tell you for a fact that while we don't have the statistics, a lot of Ghanaian youth are depressed.
01:12:36 No, absolutely. And it's on the back of the failures sometimes or most of the time of the misleadership.
01:12:44 We suffer the NDC and the MPP. You've been in power.
01:12:47 But young people across the board feel they feel nothing is going for them.
01:12:52 Look, there are people go today, go to a bilingue around a certain I don't want to mention the name close to the fire service.
01:12:58 You see people killed every day of a so-called Canada.
01:13:01 You see pregnant women with another baby at the back in the queue.
01:13:06 It tells you that something is not happening. And sometimes, you know, when someone has nothing to lose, they act as though I mean, there were indeed nothing to lose.
01:13:14 Yeah, I mean, I agree 100 percent with you that there's been a certain failure of leadership across the board with how we've treated the young people of our country,
01:13:24 even worse so under the last seven years because of the kinds of promises that were told to them.
01:13:29 But you see, I keep saying to the young people of this country, our destiny is ours to shape.
01:13:36 And so you can see on the back of despondency in this same climate, the young people who are breaking the mold and making it, making something out of their lives.
01:13:46 They are young people. So it comes back to what decisions you choose to make and how much of a fighting spirit you have.
01:13:52 OK, people say, oh, Sam George, it's easy for you to say because you are in politics.
01:13:57 Well, I didn't get into politics on a silver platter when I chose to come in there.
01:14:01 I fought against a giant of the game. It's the same thing as someone who's trying to start a business.
01:14:08 Nobody got you on a silver platter. And so it comes back. You could easily have said, why?
01:14:12 There are several young people who've tried and failed at what they've done in politics.
01:14:16 So it comes back to the decisions you make and the amount of effort you're willing to put in.
01:14:20 It's not important. Yes, I agree that times are tough. I agree that the situation is dire.
01:14:25 But out of these ruins can also raise can raise phoenixes.
01:14:29 And for me, it comes back to the decisions we make. And the fact that the times are tough is not an excuse for you to kill yourself.
01:14:37 It's not an excuse for you to engage in in dangerous lifestyle behavior.
01:14:41 I mean, at the end of the day, when you lose your life, have you solved the problem?
01:14:45 No, I mean, you have a point. We'll get into the hard matters shortly.
01:14:49 But I couldn't help but recall and I actually told him I've just his name has escaped me.
01:14:55 Maybe my producer will help me. He is gunning for your seat from the other side, the MPP side.
01:15:01 I've just forgotten his name. And he was here in the studio some weeks back.
01:15:08 And he. Yes. John Akwetimandje. Are you familiar with him?
01:15:15 I think I saw his poster for the first time two days ago. OK.
01:15:19 Yeah. He was in the studio here with me a few days ago. And I said that, you know, one of these days we had to arrange for both of you to sit in the studio and elaborate on what you have for the people of Ningo Prampam.
01:15:28 I want to ask you about when he becomes what is what is shaping up when and if he becomes candidate.
01:15:33 Yes. Yes. Yes. How is Ningo Prampam shaping up, especially as when he came here?
01:15:39 He mentioned how much of an indigent he was of the area, schools, roads and all of that.
01:15:44 He basically suggested in a nutshell that the worst thing that has happened to Ningo Prampam.
01:15:49 How do you react to that? That's an indictment on his government and his president.
01:15:54 You see, I keep saying that when people want to get into office, they need to understand the office they want to occupy.
01:15:59 And that's the problem. I've been on. I'm on record to have said this on Twitter, on social media, in your studios, that people must understand what the role of a member of parliament is.
01:16:09 So if you're running and going in for office and your promise to the people is I'm going to build you roads, I'm going to build you a hospital.
01:16:15 I mean, he spoke of a number of things. OK, or build you schools.
01:16:18 Clearly, that person is a dishonest person who doesn't have what it takes to be a member of parliament and be in the title honorable because that person is peddling falsehood and deception.
01:16:29 Why? As an MP, you don't get money to build roads. As MP, you don't get money to build schools or hospitals.
01:16:37 So clearly, if he's promising you that those are functions of the district assembly and the executive government on the 15th of November, the budget for next year is going to be brought.
01:16:47 We're going to pass appropriations. The money for building hospitals is going to be given to the Ministry of Health.
01:16:52 The money for building markets is going to be given to the minister for local government. The money for building schools will be education.
01:17:00 So roads, roads and highways, it doesn't come to you, the MP. Your job is to lobby. Now, if he's saying and I agree with him and I've said notice on a bridge in Ningo,
01:17:12 that if the president doesn't work on it and I see him crossing my constancy again, I'll stop his convoy.
01:17:17 I will stop the convoy of the president's. Absolutely. With my constructs, with my cause, the office of the president for when the president was campaigning.
01:17:26 Was he not being stopped on the campaign trail and was stopping and campaigning to the people?
01:17:30 Have you not seen several times they will tell you that, oh, the president was moving and a cow came out and he came to say, we love you, Mr.
01:17:37 President, or they stopped him and he stopped. I didn't know why he was looking for votes.
01:17:41 He stopped there. Now we've given him the votes. Now you say we can't tell him when I have written.
01:17:47 You can tell him, but to stop, stop the convoy. Look, difficult. That's not a border on illegality.
01:17:53 There is no law against it. The president is not above the people giving him power.
01:17:57 If you're impeding his movement, what is that? Why are you impeding him?
01:18:01 Because he needs to see what is going on in Ningo. Look, I'm going to share the videos with your production right now so I can put it on screen for people to see why I am taking such drastic measures.
01:18:11 And it is not as though, look, I have spent the last six months literally begging and kissing every, forgive my Greek, every ass I need to kiss in this country to fix that.
01:18:20 You could use euphemistic terms. Every backside. Thank you. Kissing every backside I need to kiss.
01:18:28 They are waiting for my constituents to die before they fix that bridge.
01:18:32 And I think I need to you need to put it because you see, people don't appreciate why you are speaking that way.
01:18:38 They think that, oh, some judge just wants to do politics. But look, I'm sharing this right now with with with your your producer.
01:18:47 So you can you can guarantee that this is from that bridge.
01:18:50 Well, I feel like the way you and you have people who are watching your TV, your TV show.
01:18:55 So share with my team. Yes. And when they put it off, anybody says I am lying, please feel free.
01:18:59 But this is from this is the doing is on the doing a feign stretch and I've sent it to echo right now.
01:19:06 You know, it is it is an eyesore that we have such a breach for the last six months.
01:19:12 And I've been saying to them and they will fix it until somebody falls in that bridge or a car somersaults and dies and has an accident.
01:19:19 People die. Then you see the government come there to come and commission it and shed crocodile tears.
01:19:25 For how long must I beg the people we pay a salary with our taxes that people pay taxes?
01:19:32 We are begging. We're not even talking about the road now. We're just talking about the bridge.
01:19:37 This bridge has deteriorated over the past year. And I'm saying to them, fix this bridge.
01:19:43 That's all we're asking for. That's all we're asking for.
01:19:47 You know, how hard can it be? And I don't know if I could have received it, but they should please play.
01:19:51 Because you ask yourself, what crime have the people of Ngo Pram Pram committed?
01:19:55 I've asked the minister questions. I've written letters. I've gone to his office.
01:19:59 So what can I do? Here's what we're going to do. Please send those videos to me as well.
01:20:04 Share with me. And let's let's take it from there as we try to play those videos.
01:20:11 And so if you have my number, please share with both of us. But the point, that's the point.
01:20:17 The point I'm making here is this. So when the young man comes here to say that there's there's been no developments in those spaces,
01:20:26 it is government that has to declare your roots, his president.
01:20:32 And I hear he says when I read his profile two days ago, they said he says he's a member of the communications team or whatever of the MPP and worked in the IT secretariat.
01:20:41 His president declared two years of roots, years of root twice, part one and part two, like a Kumar Wood movie.
01:20:49 What did they do? What's the country? Where are the roots?
01:20:53 Give me a number. Where are the roots? Where are the roots that that's the claimed? Where are the roots that they claimed?
01:21:02 The fix? How do you blame me? Agenda one, one, one. I've been fighting that my district deserves a district hospital.
01:21:09 The president announced agenda one, one. I, I congratulated the president.
01:21:14 I said, thank you, because I don't care who builds the hospital or not.
01:21:21 I just care that my people have health care, because imagine that a woman has a breech position during her pregnancy.
01:21:28 They have to take her to battle or to my general hospital. She would die in this happening.
01:21:33 So when the president announced agenda one, I celebrated it and said, thank you, Mr. President.
01:21:37 The promise that I was going to be completed in 2021, when 2023, my agenda one, one, one is still sitting there.
01:21:44 You blame me or the president who we pay taxes to?
01:21:49 His president, his party's leader, he comes to see that I'm the worst thing.
01:21:55 If not for me and the interventions I've made in Ngo Prang, our situation would have been worse.
01:22:01 But I'm confident that by God's grace, come 2025, John Mahama will be elected as president.
01:22:07 And after he's elected, I will get the opportunity to serve with him.
01:22:12 My people will elect me as well. And then they will see what proper governance is.
01:22:16 People forget that my two terms have all been in opposition. And look, it's not about Sam George saying it.
01:22:21 Nanado himself said it. If you didn't vote for him, he doesn't consider you worthy of anything.
01:22:27 Because when he went to Mepi, he told the people of Mepi, India, look, he said this in a campo.
01:22:33 Chief, have you been to Mepi during this period? Have you gone to any of the camps?
01:22:37 I haven't. I have. The situation there is dire. You can't, you cannot.
01:22:43 We've been on the ground. I know you've been there.
01:22:46 Chief, trust me, when you go there and speak to your colleagues who've gone there, when you go there, the footages don't do justice to it.
01:22:53 When you get on the ground and see how your fellow human beings are living, you see what has happened to their livelihood.
01:23:03 I always felt like, oh, it was fine until I went there. And since I've gone there, almost every three days,
01:23:09 I'm arranging some kind of relief material through friends I have and say, look, let's go there and go and help.
01:23:14 Because you understand, except you lack a milk of human compassion. You can't go to Mepi and not feel sad.
01:23:21 Look, the statistics Child Rights International put out, almost 20,000 children have been affected.
01:23:27 Some of them are now being sexually abused. Just yesterday, I asked a friend to say, I said, look, everybody's sending food and mattresses.
01:23:34 But when I went there, I realized that there are many young girls. Yeah. The menstrual cycle has been waged. Sanitary pads and all of that.
01:23:39 So I said to him, he was going to buy food and food items, almost a million Ghana cities worth.
01:23:43 I said, go and buy sanitary towels and listen to them. And yesterday we sent it to Okujeto's place.
01:23:48 Because, look, chief, everybody seems to have forgotten that these are human beings.
01:23:52 In that condition, President Akufo-Addo went in the studio and was talking about votes. That's what matters to him.
01:23:57 And so if that is his behavior, you think that he will come and do something for Sam George when he knows that Sam George did not vote for him and campaigns against him.
01:24:08 And I tell him to his face that I'll keep beating his party. So let's do this.
01:24:12 We have the videos now that you've sent. OK, we're going to share that.
01:24:15 I think that when you have a bridge, this is a bridge. That is the bridge that you're looking at there.
01:24:22 Wow. So tell me this. This is a death trap. Absolutely.
01:24:30 And if you use the stretch at night without if you don't know the bridge, look at what is going to happen to you.
01:24:35 Wait, do vehicles still use vehicles? Don't use this school. Children still walk on this thing.
01:24:41 The structure underneath is broken and that is broken. So you have to gauge and you need metal.
01:24:47 It's all metal. It's you go you if you look through the hole, you see many of the metal beams all all lose, lose enough.
01:24:54 OK, so that's that's a motorbike using it right now. Cars still use it.
01:25:00 And I know for six months, you know, we had the recent one. Is it the Doli Bridge?
01:25:06 Yes. That's what they are waiting for. They want they want this one to to collapse with people in it on it before they come and fix it.
01:25:13 What crime have you committed? When was the last time you spoke to the the roads minister on this? Six weeks ago.
01:25:19 Six weeks ago. Six weeks ago. Because I went this. How long have you been speaking to him on this matter?
01:25:24 I started speaking to him in April on this bridge in April because it had been deteriorating.
01:25:29 We had written letters, filed questions in April. I went to his office with videos, these videos and showed it to him.
01:25:34 They said, oh, some they will come when I sent when I sent this video to his office.
01:25:41 He then sent it was a Wednesday. That's Saturday. The following Saturday, he sends the director of bridges to come and look at the bridge for himself.
01:25:50 The director of bridges was shocked and then immediately called for the bridge engineering unit of the Ghana Highways Authority to come from Kofo Redia where they are based.
01:25:58 So we have a director of bridges. Yes, there is a director of bridges in this country. So he came Saturday morning.
01:26:06 I met him there with my team. He looked at it. They were sent to come. The the the the whoever the engineers came after they came.
01:26:14 What they said to me is that the the they are waiting for approval for funds.
01:26:20 The last time I checked and I checked with Dr. Bass, Dr. Bass, the chief director.
01:26:25 I called him. I said, look, what is going on? Then they say to me, oh, we've been able to get their plates, the metal plates and the metal beams.
01:26:32 But we need money. Come and do installation. It's been another six weeks.
01:26:37 No. So in other words, they finally after the six months or so, they finally procured the metal plate.
01:26:43 That's what they claim. We haven't seen anything. But but they don't have the logistics to to come and execute.
01:26:48 That's that's the story we have been told. That's the story we have been told. But I'm saying to you, God forbid touch wood, knock on wood.
01:26:55 Let somebody die in that which the tomorrow to come and fix it. I don't know what human sacrifice they want before they fix.
01:27:01 They do their job. I mean, look, and so when I speak with the kind of passion I do, it's because of this.
01:27:10 And look, as for the road that leads to this, it's an eyesore. I'm not even talking about the road.
01:27:15 We are managing the road. Our bones shake. We know you won't do it for us. There's a contract on it.
01:27:19 Seeming gone seven years. Seven years. But fine.
01:27:25 Just fix the bridge, because, look, this bridge, this road is what links the tema, a costume book and tema flower roots.
01:27:35 So if you were coming from, say, Japan and going to Suga, copy.
01:27:40 When you get to a feeling, all you need to do is take this road and come and come out of doing that and then head for Suga.
01:27:49 That's if you were coming along the coast and more of the front. But now, given the state of the you have to go all the way to them.
01:27:58 And then come through the mind. I mean, why? So, I mean, as we move the conversation forward, Mr. President.
01:28:08 I know you can't resolve all the problems in one fell swoop, but this is a this is the plight of the people of Ningo.
01:28:17 The Afina Dawenya bridge. It's something that I mean, it's it's a disaster in the waiting.
01:28:25 Could you please, Your Excellency, get Kwesi Amwakwata, the road minister, to get this fixed.
01:28:33 In as short a period as possible. We don't need for someone to die.
01:28:39 Before we we do something about it. That's a humble plea to you this morning, Mr. President. Thank you.
01:28:46 All right. So let's get into it's interesting because on Friday and my blunts thoughts, there are some interesting things I'm bringing up.
01:28:52 And one of them has to do with roads. In fact, the road I'm going to bring to your attention, but I will not tell you about it on Friday.
01:29:00 You will see. And then I'll I'll show you some dynamics to make you wonder why as a country we do what we do.
01:29:06 But let's get into it's good. You've shared the videos with us.
01:29:10 We've put them out and I'm sure some attention will come. I'm most grateful to come to enjoy for supporting us in this.
01:29:18 Again, we have the Akosombo situation, the dam spillage.
01:29:23 Well, we in a related story, rain, a rainstorm has killed five at Bidu.
01:29:30 I'm sure you followed that story. It had to do with, you know, activities marking the annual YAM YAM festival.
01:29:37 And unfortunately, they were simply playing football on the pitch. Five people, young people gone.
01:29:43 You look at the front page of the Daily Graphic. Country's youth make future bright.
01:29:47 That's according to Olaf Schultz, the German chancellor and the youth. This is what is happening to them.
01:29:53 But when you you look at the dams spillage and everything that has happened, I know we started talking about it from where you sit.
01:30:03 What more can be done, especially now that the speaker of Parliament, Albin Sumana, Kingsford Bagman, says there must be a probe into the matter.
01:30:12 I've heard the energy minister speak speak on that matter.
01:30:17 Where do you sit and do you think we really should be apportioning blame or healing and moving forward?
01:30:24 Both. You can heal if you don't hold people responsible for their actions and inactions.
01:30:33 I'll state one thing here, and people should not misconstrue what I'm about to say.
01:30:39 I am not against the spillage. Because the spillage was inevitable.
01:30:45 The dam is a work of engineering. It has a limit of what I can take.
01:30:52 If we did not spill the dam. There would be no.
01:30:58 In fact, you were talking about the disaster in Mipi. The whole of Akosombo Township, Pong, the whole of Adan, Shai Osudoku, Ningo Prampam, Pungkatamansu, Asiaman, Thema.
01:31:15 All the way to Adenta and parts of Madina would have been washed into the sea.
01:31:19 Yeah, completely literally submerged. Not submerged.
01:31:22 They would have been washed into the sea. There would be none of those cities again.
01:31:27 So the dam spillage was inevitable. However.
01:31:34 The dam spillage did not happen, was not occasioned overnight.
01:31:40 GMAT is on record to have been providing the forecast and projections of rainfall pattern to the engineers at VRE.
01:31:51 That has not always been correct. I mean, they will tell you, for example, that there was a time when there was a forecast.
01:31:57 Yes. Nothing happened. And because they had made the announcements and everything.
01:32:02 And then what? So with rain, sometimes it's not projected that it will rain that heavily.
01:32:07 And then you have to have. But if you look at the projections, GMAT had been making, it was clear that we're having some significant rainfalls upstream.
01:32:14 It was clear. OK. And there's no there's no there's no weather forecast that's 100 percent perfect.
01:32:20 I mean, you can't be good. OK. You don't make rain.
01:32:24 So so you can expect a certain level of discontent with the facts.
01:32:30 But given what GMAT provided, we were clearly seeing the water levels rise.
01:32:35 Now, the question you should ask yourself is this. There are several measures that are used to control the water level.
01:32:43 One of them is to start firing all the six turbines in the dam, because when you fire all the six turbines, each turbine turns on the back of water.
01:32:54 So the water held in the reservoir, because most times they fire only three turbines. Right.
01:32:59 They fire only three turbines. In fact, the VRE has been telling us that they were even controlling the spillage using two or three because they couldn't do it.
01:33:06 But most times what you do, what you do more of a disaster. Yeah. What you do is you fire all the six turbines.
01:33:11 You use more water in the dam. How soon did they start doing that?
01:33:17 One, two. You need to ask yourself, when was the last time the VRE dredged downstream the lake?
01:33:25 That has come into question in recent times because you see, you've had a lake that has been the downstream of the lake.
01:33:33 You've had a lot of building going on in the Adan area, Akosombo area, and all of this has brought debris and silt into the lake.
01:33:44 Has the VRE done any desilting in the last 30 years? You should come and tell us.
01:33:49 Because you see, if you desilt the lake, the basin is deeper and is able to hold a lot more water.
01:33:56 The volume of water. Right. But when you allow silt to build up, the slightest spill will break its banks.
01:34:03 So first and foremost, the VRE has to come and tell us, one, when did they start firing all six turbines?
01:34:08 Two, what contingency measures did they make relative to the rising waters?
01:34:14 Three, did they do any dredging of the dam downstream, the lake downstream?
01:34:20 And then four. Is that the prerogative of the VRE though, in terms of the dredging?
01:34:24 Yes. And of course, the cost involved?
01:34:27 The lake is, yes. It's, yes, yes. The dredging is their responsibility. It's no other person's responsibility.
01:34:32 It is VRE's responsibility. They have a barge that does dredging.
01:34:39 That's a whole different story.
01:34:41 Not even talk about, even as we talk about this, lest I forget, the stumps in some areas.
01:34:46 Yes. In some of the areas.
01:34:47 And the dangers they pose to people on camoos and other things.
01:34:50 Look, and when it comes to the barge, the dredging barge, that's a completely different story for another.
01:34:55 It's a scandal on its own. We'll come to it.
01:34:58 Then they must also tell us, at what time, what calculations did they do to begin the spillage?
01:35:05 They started the spillage in September, around the 15th of September.
01:35:09 Why did that spilling not start two weeks earlier?
01:35:12 Why do you think it should have started two weeks earlier?
01:35:14 Because if you had started it earlier, you have been spilling out in a controlled measure over a longer period of time.
01:35:23 What caused this flooding in Mipi?
01:35:24 They have explained that they were interacting with members of the communities.
01:35:28 They had to get people in the know and all of that. That takes time, doesn't it?
01:35:31 That's, that's, that thing is an insult to all of us.
01:35:35 And I don't want to insult them.
01:35:37 Because I would have insulted them in Ghana.
01:35:39 Please don't.
01:35:40 Because, because you see, you can't come and tell me.
01:35:43 You go to a community. You've been doing spillage every, every year.
01:35:47 But you've been doing controlled spillage.
01:35:49 They do 20,000 gallons per second, which is what they started on the 15th of September.
01:35:55 And so if you are doing 20,000 gallons and the people know that when you normally spill, this is what the effect is.
01:36:01 And you knew that you were going to move from 20,000 to 50,000 to 100,000 gallons per second.
01:36:08 Second though, did you tell the people that this is what is going to happen?
01:36:13 And when you say you told, you engaged the people, did you give them a relocation place?
01:36:18 So, Ben, I come to you and say, I'm coming to spill water.
01:36:22 So go, go where? Go where?
01:36:26 Did they make any arrangement for them?
01:36:27 If you were not going, did you do a forced evacuation?
01:36:30 Look, there are clear failures on the part of VRA, on the part of central government.
01:36:38 And, you know, a bigger failure is our inability to have a response mechanism to this.
01:36:44 When VRA decided to move to 100,000 gallons per second, they knew what was going to happen.
01:36:51 They knew. They knew that the towns were going to be submerged.
01:36:55 What conversation did you have?
01:36:56 But that was it was a catch 22 situation. It's either that or the dam is breached.
01:37:02 And that's what I'm saying.
01:37:03 And that's why I'm saying while we are sensitive to what is happening to our brothers and sisters, you would look at.
01:37:08 I started by saying that I'm not against the spillage. The lesser evil.
01:37:10 I started by saying I'm not against the spillage. But this is like a doctor to whom we take a sick patient.
01:37:16 When we take a sick patient to the doctor, instead of the doctor, the child, the person has an infection.
01:37:23 When the person has an infection, he needs a treatment of antibiotics to deal with the infection.
01:37:30 The doctor chose to be administering paracetamol until the infection got so deep that the person is on the point of death.
01:37:41 And then he now starts administering a 70 dose.
01:37:45 Of antibiotics on the to the patient dies, who killed the patient?
01:37:50 The doctor will tell you that, yes, he administered antibiotics. But when that patient came 10 days ago, if you had administered antibiotics,
01:37:58 possibly you'd have completed a 70 day dose and that would have given the patient a better chance of survival.
01:38:03 But you did not do that until two days to the person died.
01:38:06 So if you start spilling at a certain point in time and nobody's against the spillage, I've said that already.
01:38:13 We need to protect the integrity of the dam. Yes. But why didn't you start spilling earlier?
01:38:18 Because you're giving the projections and the calculations.
01:38:21 And the point is and the point on disaster management is that not more has been useless.
01:38:28 Completely useless. They complain about the fact that they simply don't have the resources to do exactly because we've run out more useless.
01:38:35 How much money do we give to not more? How much money do we give to not more?
01:38:40 You look at other jurisdictions, FEMA in the US, FEMA moves and responds with resources.
01:38:49 And you are able to get. I mean, there's no way you can justifiably expect not more to do anything without resources.
01:38:55 They are handicapped. They can't. It's a failure of government. That's why I said VRA is responsible.
01:39:00 Then central government is responsible because when this happened, we should have had immediate response for them.
01:39:06 OK. Do you know how many people at the last count were displaced?
01:39:14 You know how many tents not more send there? Three.
01:39:23 I know certain safe havens were created, but but let's let's school business without just blocks, without doors and windows.
01:39:30 I get your point. But even as we talk about the problem, I want us to quickly talk about the MPP primaries before we we end.
01:39:37 What what are your solutions? Solutions for the for the no, no, no.
01:39:41 For this entire bit we are talking about the spillage and everything in between.
01:39:46 You've mentioned dredging. What else do we do to forestall? I mean, it's happened.
01:39:50 No, I mean, what do we do to forestall similar? I've had talks about, oh, we want the water is receding.
01:39:55 We are going to look at fumigating the buildings. Look, you can't live in those buildings.
01:40:00 I've seen it. People's fecal matter was fecal matter was on the surface of the water.
01:40:05 It stayed in people's houses for weeks. You can't expect human beings to live in those buildings.
01:40:10 Government must have a proper resettlement plan. When the Apiati disaster happened, what did the government do?
01:40:17 Government set up a fund and reached out to private sector to put money into it.
01:40:22 And they started and they built they built a new Apiati township. We need to build a new Mpepe township at the very least.
01:40:29 Government must put its its money where its mouth, where its money is.
01:40:33 When the Champa announced for the money, do we? Oh, IMF bailout, even the 600 million dollars that we're anticipating.
01:40:41 I mean, to be realistic, do we have the funds to do this?
01:40:45 Do we? The money that's going to be spent on the MPP primaries between Thursday and Saturday will build a new Mpepe township.
01:40:54 The money that's going to be paid to delegates of the MPP.
01:40:59 Between Thursday night and Saturday, when they will have their primaries, will build a new Mpepe township.
01:41:04 Do you have any evidence based on which you have seen an interview of Kennedy Japan's campaign manager that has been debunked?
01:41:13 Where he says campaign, the Bamiya campaign team, where he's always where he says inducements are paid.
01:41:22 And that's a fact. I have said it before. But the levels of inducement being paid by the Bamiya campaign and even by the Ken campaign.
01:41:32 I put it together. So when we say we don't have money.
01:41:36 But Bamiya can find that money. Where is he getting the money from?
01:41:39 But I'm telling you the 800 million dollar claim. I mean, I have not. That is absurd.
01:41:43 I haven't said it. That is absurd. And his campaign has debunked it. I mean, 800 million dollars as a country.
01:41:49 We are getting how much from the. It sounds. It sounds. Yes.
01:41:52 No, but when you consider that a minister who have.
01:41:57 More than sanitation and water resources. Yes, but that's sanitation and water resources.
01:42:03 That do with borderline. The minister responsible for that had enough money in her house that one million dollars was stolen and she didn't recognize.
01:42:14 Then the money that is there. Remember, she I see the money is big.
01:42:18 This is the real. The money is big. So if the minister had this, the vice president, the.
01:42:26 All right. Look, if you're not so the solution, the individuals in the MPP themselves are in a position to give the financial bailout.
01:42:35 You're taking from the IMF. The money's diluted and your evidence is.
01:42:41 But my name is. But my name. I'm really asking you, where's your evidence?
01:42:46 We see them. We see their lifestyles. We see the things they're saying and they themselves are saying it.
01:42:51 You've had Ken himself, your colleague members of Parliament. They say these things.
01:42:55 Oh, we've had on that side. We've had we've had an MPP MP who is contesting for re-election saying that only the he has dollars.
01:43:05 He's going to be that that I have been here.
01:43:08 And you also because it or something for our for the win for my boss.
01:43:12 And I don't know if that's his conscience. He's from the Western region there somewhere.
01:43:15 He says he he's waiting for anybody who contest him. He knows they want to take him out.
01:43:19 Whatever they pay, he'll pay more. He has dollars. He's got the dollars.
01:43:24 It's not me saying it. He's the one saying it. The other one saying it.
01:43:28 So this is not some George alluding. That's not even what I got.
01:43:31 But my name because they are saying it is not my allegation.
01:43:35 They don't confess. You've already started on that trajectory just to cap off the conversation.
01:43:39 The the MPP primaries, both presidential and primary teacher could do in Tepper.
01:43:46 And you know, so says ex-president Mahama has been leading in all polls because the MPP hasn't chosen its flag bearer yet.
01:43:54 The polls will start to tilt toward Bamiya when he's chosen as the flag bearer.
01:43:59 I'll leave it off here. The rest are acknowledgments and all of that.
01:44:03 On November the 4th, the MPP will choose its presidential candidate, the flag bearer.
01:44:13 Dr. Bamiya has said that he is the only one who can get the NDC quaking in its boots.
01:44:21 He has said as the Daily Guide newspaper captures today, you can bet on me.
01:44:26 And the other contenders, while they've had their grievances, Dr. Freak, who has had his grievances,
01:44:32 a dining mall has had his grievances. Kennedy, Japan has had his grievances.
01:44:37 But the acknowledgment is that he is in a pole position. He's in a comfortable lead to actually become flag bearer and lock horns with John Mahama.
01:44:48 How do you react? And what do you make of all of this?
01:44:52 Let me just, just so that I am clear, that you can bet on me.
01:44:55 Was it, is it a direct quote or it is the stories, the newspapers own couching? Is it a direct quote from you?
01:45:02 Let me, because I see it's in the inverted commas. I want to be sure it's it because I want to say something about that.
01:45:11 Well, I do see here his saying to crown it all. I am the one the NDC fears the most.
01:45:16 And with good reason, they know with me as candidate, they will not have a campaign message.
01:45:20 I'll look for it to find out whether he actually goes. If he had said you can bet on me directly, I'd have been asking myself why?
01:45:27 Now, as a Muslim betting is allowed. Well, it says here that he has urged delegates to put their bet on him.
01:45:33 So he's voting betting. So this is our vice president.
01:45:36 But to bet on me is, is it doesn't necessarily mean he's promoting.
01:45:44 It means continue and then finish when you go and call somebody. You know, but is he no matter what it is that is said or no matter how much there's a saying that no matter the amount of milk, you know, or the amount of rain that is poured on a leopard, they won't lose a spot.
01:46:08 We know about me in the words of his own wife, Samira, we know him, we see him and we can see the colossal failure he has been.
01:46:19 How does anybody think that the man we made responsible for our economy and the management of our economy?
01:46:29 That has turned this economy. Since this economy into an IMF bailout program, the man who was sold to us as an economic whiskey.
01:46:41 We were told he knows where the money is present for brought him. Remember that soundtrack soundbite by President Kufuadu that he picked Baumia because he was at the government bank of Ghana.
01:46:51 He knows where the money is. That's why he made a famous yet. It's kind of so and so. Come there. That man.
01:46:59 Was brought in and then the dollar he inherited at four cities that led Gabby to say to launch a hashtag, bring back our city campaign.
01:47:10 Now that dollar yesterday is trading at 12.1. 12.1. The man who was brought in at a time we're buying a gallon of fuel at 15 Ghana cities.
01:47:25 Today, we're buying a liter. It's dropped from the almost 17 cities to about 13 cities, 12 cities thereabout. A liter.
01:47:35 The man who came in when cement was 20 Ghana cities. Today, we are buying cement at 92 Ghana cities under his watch.
01:47:46 And they say that he's the Messiah. But if you have all this, assume you have all this baggage on him, you should actually be rooting for him to be.
01:47:54 Oh, me, I want him to be elected. You do? Oh, yes. Like my own cousin, the MP for Boteano, Sylvester Tete.
01:48:04 You know, he used to be under he used to be Alan's campaign manager before Alan transmogrified from an elephant to a butterfly.
01:48:11 And Sly couldn't have the balls to also transmogrify to a butterfly. But when Sly was campaigning. Such words, please.
01:48:18 Oh, elephant to butterfly. Why? No, the guts or something. No, I said not the transmogrify. No, the B word. That's that's what I'm.
01:48:27 They didn't have the potu. Like that one rather. To transmogrify from an elephant to butterfly.
01:48:36 But when Sly was the Greater Accra campaign manager, he said something very telling.
01:48:41 He said if Bamiya is elected, all the NDC needs are cinema bands. Our campaign is done.
01:48:48 We should just go and play all of Bamiya's lectures. I would just come here. I'll come and buy airtime from you and play his lecture and ask what has changed.
01:48:56 He's 170 questions to the late Mr. Hata. I'll ask him. So me, I want Bamiya. I want Bamiya. You get it.
01:49:05 You think he'll win? Oh, the election is rigged for him. The kind of intimidation that's going on.
01:49:11 MPs are being whipped. Chief executives are being whipped. They are threatening people.
01:49:16 Oh, I do. I've always said I look. The NDP is a classic mafia organization, criminal organization, criminal organization mindset.
01:49:25 And that is what you're referring to. The ruling administration, the party that is not.
01:49:31 They have their criminal mind. What is what is criminal about their activities?
01:49:35 In the mafia, when the don speaks, his enforcers go and enforce it.
01:49:42 Nanado has made it clear. His hair apparent who he wants is Bamiya.
01:49:47 And now all his ministers, all his chief executives, all his MPs are running around as enforcers because the don has spoken.
01:49:54 Yeah, but but if if the party has decided we want a specific candidate, does that make them?
01:50:01 Is the party Nanado? No, but does it make the party criminal? Is the party Nanado?
01:50:05 Is the does that make the party criminal? Oh, no. The criminality part is, for example, where they said party Niasica.
01:50:11 So they destroyed all our water bodies with Galamsey. Galamsey existed before this party.
01:50:16 Not like this. Not like this. Before this government came into office, we all saw the river Praha and the river Densu.
01:50:22 We saw those rivers. We knew what those rivers were like. They were not like this with chocolate drink.
01:50:28 It is this government that has come in and created the mess that we see because party Niasica.
01:50:35 So so when I say they are a criminally minded organization, they put our water safety at risk.
01:50:42 To enrich themselves. Typical example. So yeah, party Niasica, the country can go to hell.
01:50:48 Our water bodies can be destroyed with impunity. OK, so it's a couple of the conversation.
01:50:53 I know what you're saying then is that come November the 4th, you are rooting for Dr. Muhammad.
01:50:58 Oh, because that's in the fix. It is like a fix match. It's like a fix match.
01:51:02 It's Koko Fufu body are playing. They are going to they are going to me.
01:51:05 I can't. Can't. You know, don't don't don't.
01:51:09 And then we'll see. Is that the number for we'll see the showdown? The showdown is not on November 4th.
01:51:14 That one day Ken is going into this fight with his two hands tied behind his back.
01:51:20 All he has is with his leg to run around and do be punching, punching him all over the place.
01:51:23 You will see they will they will deal with Ken.
01:51:26 But we will win. You win with like 70 something percent.
01:51:30 They've cooked the thing. They have the figures already. They'll give him like 70 something about 74, 75 percent.
01:51:35 That's what we'll give to him. Then he will emerge.
01:51:38 I didn't know you were working with the Electoral Commission because they are going to be handling this.
01:51:41 But apparently I'm just I have all the data.
01:51:44 I'll show you. I have the results for 2024.
01:51:47 I'm telling you, you think we're going to sit down for Jimenez and then be able to cook figures like they did in 2020 and change the figure six times.
01:51:56 What does that mean?
01:51:59 I'll get to 2024. You see. No, but why?
01:52:02 I won't know. This sounds like a threat. Why? Why?
01:52:05 It's not a threat.
01:52:07 Did the MPP not declare results? Did Jimenez not change her results six times to match what the MPP declared?
01:52:14 OK. OK, I have to run. But this just came to my on the back of what you said.
01:52:17 Please, briefly, briefly, briefly. The talk about 25 new constituencies to be created has been debunked by the EC.
01:52:24 They say it's only the one constituency they are going to create. But should there be a move to create more constituencies?
01:52:31 What would you say to that? It's absolute. 20 seconds.
01:52:35 And look, yesterday, they tried to fly that kite in Parliament and they realized that it won't fly.
01:52:39 We are creating one and that's what we are creating. We don't need to create 25 more constituencies.
01:52:44 Look, people already complained about 275 MPs. We want to make it 300 MPs.
01:52:48 And do you know that out of the 24 that were going to be created, 11 were going to be created in the Ashanti region alone? Why?
01:52:56 They think that that's the way they will rig the election.
01:52:58 Well, Mohammed, if you bring it.
01:53:00 Sam George is a member of Parliament for Ningo Pampam. He joined us for a conversation this morning.
01:53:05 Mr. George, thank you for your time. Thank you. Let's go find some cocoa and drink and make some life for ourselves in this economy.
01:53:11 But hope is coming. We'll build the Ghana we want together with John Mahama in 2025.
01:53:17 Inshallah. Well, thank you for staying. Up next, we talk health.
01:53:23 As Dr. Tanya Trippett says, no child should be denied the cure of their cancer.
01:53:28 But that is only if you find it early. A couple of weeks ago, we had a conversation on a philanthropist seeking to build a state of the art, first of its kind cancer treatment center in Ghana.
01:53:39 Today, we'll bring you an update on that project and how much more we all can contribute to make it a success.
01:53:46 That conversation up next on The AM Show. Do stay.
01:54:09 Welcome back on The AM Show. We talk health now. Even in Ghana, childhood cancers are becoming ever more prevalent.
01:54:17 We're seeing many of our children, some of them are Kolibu in different parts, some with the assistance of others, are able to receive the health care they need.
01:54:26 There are a lot of them who don't even report these cases because of the cost involved.
01:54:32 And sometimes because they wait for so long, parents among others, so that by the time the cancer is detected, it's almost terminal.
01:54:40 But no child has to go down that road, which is why we have Dr. Tanya Trippett in the studio with us this morning.
01:54:47 She's a pediatric oncologist and she is president of Wish for Life Foundation.
01:54:52 They are focusing on some of these matters to bring relief to some of these children.
01:54:58 Dr. Trippett, good morning. Good morning. Thank you for joining us on The AM Show.
01:55:02 Thank you for having me. How did all of this start?
01:55:05 Actually, this started from a child. It was a wish from a patient of mine in New York City.
01:55:11 He was a young man that lived in Africa, in Rwanda, and was diagnosed with cancer.
01:55:16 And one month into his treatment, he said to me, instead of having a Make-A-Wish, which we offer our children,
01:55:22 he wanted the wish for me to travel to Africa to make sure the children in Africa were receiving the same kind of cancer care that he was receiving in the United States.
01:55:32 Hence the name of the foundation, Wish for Life.
01:55:35 Wish for Life. And so how long has this foundation been active?
01:55:39 So it's been active since 2013 in the United States and throughout. And we are going strong to date.
01:55:50 In terms of Ghana, how long have you been here and what exactly have you been up to?
01:55:56 You've come here before and shared stories with us of what you've done so far, but how long have you been in Ghana and what have you been up to?
01:56:04 So we joined the community in Ghana in 2017, and we began to look at ways to partner together to look at building an international children's cancer center here.
01:56:17 And we started with working with the government authorities, looking at the feasibility of building the hospital here.
01:56:26 So we have a site in Asakam now that's 22 hectares in size, and we'll actually situate the hospital in a portion of the country where many of the children don't have access to cancer care.
01:56:40 They don't come to Accra for care. So there's a great need.
01:56:44 The second thing that we've begun to do is once we build the hospital, we know we need to have an operational staff that's used to practicing cancer care as we do in the United States and in Europe.
01:56:57 And why that's important is our cure rates are 80 to 85 percent of children now are cured of their cancer.
01:57:04 When I look at the numbers in Ghana, they're 25 percent. In other countries in Africa, it's much less.
01:57:12 And so we want to fill in that gap and bridge that gap.
01:57:16 So we've conducted educational courses in cancer genomics and also in clinical trial development here in the country through the University of Ghana Medical Center and through Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
01:57:31 We've been partnering with those institutions to have educational programs.
01:57:36 We're also helping on a food program at Sunshine House, the house that was built by the first lady for outpatient families at Corleyboro.
01:57:46 And we've been finding that that's been a wonderful, enriching experience by providing meals for the children there in the house.
01:57:54 So this is a little bit about what we've been doing.
01:57:56 Let's dive right into the hospital project because I'm looking at the figures here, the budgeted amount.
01:58:02 And these are huge. But of course, you cannot put any monetary tag on a human life.
01:58:07 Not even one human life can be valued in monetary terms.
01:58:11 But walk us through what it will take to put up this edifice.
01:58:15 I'm looking at the figure, but I want it to come from your own mind.
01:58:17 So remember that that figure is for the entire complex.
01:58:20 It's a cancer center complex.
01:58:23 The hospital itself is worth about $170 million.
01:58:27 $174 million from what I have here.
01:58:30 But the total expense is $261 million.
01:58:32 Yes, so the total expense will include equipment, the state-of-the-art equipment,
01:58:37 but also housing and residential facilities for the patients and their families and also for the medical staff.
01:58:45 And then for the groundwork surrounding and supporting the hospital, as well as the information technology system, security, energy, and also there's a chapel on the site.
01:58:59 So I see here the hospital, external works, family housing, staff housing.
01:59:04 Of course, some families will have to come and stay with the patients because that will be required.
01:59:09 The chapel, medical equipment alone valued at $40 million.
01:59:13 That's right.
01:59:15 And the site is to come 20 hectares donated in cooperation with the Osagiefor Nana Amwetia Ofori Pinin II and the Achin Ibuaka community.
01:59:28 Interesting sighting there.
01:59:31 But looking at this cost, how are you raising these funds?
01:59:34 So we're doing it in a number of ways.
01:59:37 One is the community campaign, which we'll talk about in just a second, which is the Voices for Life campaign,
01:59:43 which is rolling out as a global campaign to support the building of a cancer center and also the operational side.
01:59:51 And then we have seven revenue streams that we've been looking at from many different demographics throughout the globe, multinational funding,
02:00:01 also high net individuals and corporations, religious community, a variety of communities that we're tapping in for support.
02:00:10 And we've been very lucky that we have a number of sponsors that are working with us.
02:00:14 We're providing in-kind donations.
02:00:16 So that dollar tag goes down each time they provide a service or a portion of the needs of the hospital.
02:00:24 And so this is how we're dealing with the cost.
02:00:28 I see here your strategy where you have those mentioned groups, high net individuals, U.S.-based funding institutions,
02:00:35 multinational funding agencies, corporations and foundations, and the Ghana government administration.
02:00:40 I see the 20. Is that 20 million?
02:00:43 So we're looking at just a 20 million fragment, which we hope to be able to support through businesses here as a part of their gift to the community.
02:00:55 It will also incorporate the community fund.
02:00:59 And the purpose behind the community engagement is it speaks to the rest of the world that children's lives are important.
02:01:07 And so the community is making investment in it. But we don't expect for them to take that ticket cost of 250 million dollars.
02:01:15 We'll do that through the rest of the world in terms of working with people who are like minded like us.
02:01:20 And I must say it's an amazing project that you've taken up, especially anything targeting children.
02:01:27 I'm very fond of children and especially with the situation in our part of the world and everything vis-a-vis what you find in your part of the world.
02:01:36 It's very heartwarming. But for those who are watching us this morning, those CEOs, heads of businesses, small, medium scale, big, people of goodwill.
02:01:49 How can they, if they wanted to contribute to this project, how can they go about it?
02:01:53 There's a number of ways. We encourage our business partners to give not just their dollars, but to show their heart commitment.
02:02:01 And so what we mean by heart commitment is leveraging a strong part of our ethos of our foundation, which is called intellectual philanthropy.
02:02:12 Most times, persons get nervous about giving one million dollars to 20 million dollars or what have you, but they don't realize another gift that they can give is their wealth of knowledge in the space in which they practice.
02:02:25 So we have attorneys that are donating their legal services for free. We have persons, for example, Electa is a developer, a manufacturer of radiation equipment.
02:02:37 They helped to custom design the radiation suite for this hospital for free.
02:02:42 So they spent two years during COVID with us on Zoom, custom designing the radiologic, the radiation therapy suite.
02:02:50 If we captured those dollars, it would be millions of dollars of intellectual support.
02:02:55 We're going to need that for the operational side of the hospital, not just for the construction.
02:03:00 So persons that have business savvy, we want to make the hospital sustainable, that we cut costs, but maintain quality.
02:03:09 And persons that run businesses have a good sense of how do we make sustainable, resilient businesses.
02:03:16 And this is what we would like to see. The novelty that we're bringing into country can be leveraged as a social enterprise.
02:03:23 So what we mean by that is that it can be a for-profit entity that helps a nonprofit by the revenue that they generate.
02:03:31 A portion goes to the hospital to maintain it.
02:03:34 So some of the areas that we give an example is for the isotopes that will be made inside of the hospital, in the isotope facility, that can become a business.
02:03:44 But it's not going to be a business that's run by me from the United States or a U.S. partner.
02:03:49 It's actually going to be built by persons from here.
02:03:53 So it will become a business.
02:03:55 So the technological transfer, the transfer of know-how.
02:03:58 That's right. That's right.
02:04:00 So we have specialists that work in that area at my hospital in Sloan Kettering who are transferring that knowledge.
02:04:06 So now they're working in concert with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority to begin to shape that type of cooperative venture.
02:04:16 So what it does is it helps the hospitals in the region to have new modalities of treatment, which we're bringing in PET imaging, which is really crucial for cancer care.
02:04:26 And we'll provide the isotope for the region.
02:04:29 So that generates revenue that then goes back to the state.
02:04:31 And speaking of the region, I mean, the Kolebu Teaching Hospital, our premier hospital in the country, if you like, the University of Ghana Medical School.
02:04:40 They become centers of health tourism, so to speak.
02:04:44 People from the sub-region come here.
02:04:46 You say this is going to be an international cancer center.
02:04:49 This also implies, from what you're saying, that the sub-region will benefit.
02:04:53 Other countries that don't have facilities like this will have their people come in, and that will also be beneficial to Ghana.
02:05:00 Yes, that's correct.
02:05:01 So we've already begun to hear from doctors in Nigeria that would like to send their pediatric patients here.
02:05:07 And so we'll open the doors to the eco-last nations and beyond for the children to be able to be treated at the hospital.
02:05:14 All right.
02:05:15 So to cap off the conversation, and then right before I allow you to reach out one more time to all of those watching us, has the project taken off in any shape or form yet?
02:05:25 You're still soliciting funds, but what is on the ground as of now?
02:05:29 So what's on the ground right now, we've completed the title transfer.
02:05:33 Our team is on the ground.
02:05:35 We've completed the topographical survey of the site, and now we're moving into the full stage towards construction, which is the enabling works.
02:05:45 So we're ready to fence off the property and clear, and then we'll move, we hope, at the end of the first quarter into the initial stages of construction.
02:05:58 Our plan is two-year builds, and we'll look at having--
02:06:02 Two years.
02:06:03 Two years, yes.
02:06:04 So the plan is from 2024 to 2026.
02:06:07 All right.
02:06:08 Finally, what has been your engagement with-- I saw the code being put up.
02:06:13 What has been your engagement with the health ministry?
02:06:16 Have you had any interactions with--
02:06:18 Yes, yes.
02:06:19 --the president, for example?
02:06:20 Yes, exactly.
02:06:21 What has the interactivity been like?
02:06:22 So we've been very, very fortunate.
02:06:23 From the first day that we arrived in Ghana, we were welcomed by the president, Nana Akufo-Addo.
02:06:28 It was very fortunate to meet him, and he's opened his doors for me to meet with him and give him updates.
02:06:33 So I really thank him for that.
02:06:36 We have had an engagement with the Ministry of Health, particularly the oncology division.
02:06:41 They've been very informative, and they've been very helpful with the steps that we have to follow to meet regulations and country.
02:06:48 Also, we've spoken to HEFRA and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a variety of agencies who have helped to guide us so that when we build, we're building with respect for the community,
02:07:02 respect for the regulations, but also making sure that we keep the quality very high.
02:07:07 Well, Dr. Trippett, we can only wish you the best in all of this, as we wish ourselves the best, because we're all going to benefit from this.
02:07:15 No child should have to suffer that.
02:07:17 Dr. Tania Trippett is a pediatric oncologist and president of Wish for Life Foundation.
02:07:23 And of course, as you can see at the bottom of your screen, that is the code to which you can donate, *718*25*958#.
02:07:33 That is it.
02:07:34 And then we also have the account numbers. Wish for Life Foundation, that is Stambic Bank, Spintex branch. The current account number is 940011166886.
02:07:56 The USD account is 940011167211.
02:08:06 And the SWIFT code is at the bottom as well.
02:08:09 Of course, you would need that for certain levels of transactions.
02:08:12 SBIC, that is Stambic, SBIC, GHAC.
02:08:19 Let's all donate. This is for us, by us, hopefully.
02:08:24 Dr. Trippett, once more, one more time, thank you for coming.
02:08:27 Well, we veer into our next conversation now.
02:08:30 We're going to be talking about the ECOWAS system, legally speaking, and what we can expect.
02:08:35 Well, there is a lecture series, the latest of which will be held tomorrow on the GIMPA campus.
02:08:40 That conversation up next on the AM Show Tuesday.
02:08:44 (music)
02:09:05 Welcome back on the AM Show. Established in 1975, ECOWAS was supposed to bring together members of this economic community in West Africa.
02:09:14 But has it lived up to expectation?
02:09:17 There are the pluses, the minuses, the pros and the cons, and what some people say, well, are the things we could do a lot better.
02:09:24 And that's why we have this conversation this morning.
02:09:27 Joining me in the studio, George Bafo Asareafriye Esquire, in Basimbia. I don't want any trouble.
02:09:35 He's a lecturer at the GIMPA Faculty of Law. And come tomorrow, he'll be talking on a very important subject.
02:09:43 I'll not take the wind out of his sail. I'll just let him go to it himself. George, good morning.
02:09:48 Good morning.
02:09:49 So it's and George, by the way, we go back quite a bit.
02:09:54 I just had to mention that. Why this entire lecture?
02:10:00 Tell us what you're going to be talking about tomorrow and why it is even important to us at a time like this.
02:10:05 All right. Thank you, Benjamin. So, like you said, ECOWAS has been in existence since 1975.
02:10:15 There are so many things that ECOWAS was expected to have been doing by now.
02:10:23 But it appears we haven't done much. ECOWAS has so many protocols.
02:10:30 For example, one that I think everybody in this part of the world knows is this free movement of goods and services.
02:10:38 The businessmen will tell you, the businessmen will tell you if somebody is moving from Togo to Ghana, so many issues that they face.
02:10:46 If I say issues, they will stop you. They will check your this. They will check your passport. They will do this.
02:10:52 Meanwhile, we have a protocol that is supposed to be on free movement of goods and services because of this regional integration.
02:11:02 But we have not lived up to that expectation. If you compare ECOWAS to, for example, EU or other regional or sub-regional organizations,
02:11:12 they have really respected what their protocol on free movement of goods and services are.
02:11:17 For example, those who have been there, and we have the Schengen visa and all of those things.
02:11:24 There are no restrictions. Once you have the right document, you can move from one country to the other.
02:11:33 So, these are some of the things that we'll be talking about. I'm tempted to say everything, but I don't want to say everything.
02:11:39 You're not going to give us all the scoop right here. You know, what you're saying even reminds me of the after, and to extend it, even Agora,
02:11:45 where now the United States is trying to get some countries off because, like you said, they are not meeting the requirements.
02:11:50 But speaking about this colloquium and the theme, if you'd like to tell us what the theme is, I have it right here in front of me.
02:12:00 So, the theme for the colloquium that will be held tomorrow is giving the ECOWAS teeth a case of a supranational government for the West African sub-region.
02:12:12 Right. Giving the ECOWAS teeth a case of a supranational government for the West African sub-region.
02:12:17 What does that mean, a supranational government? What does that mean?
02:12:21 It's to give a very independent body to make sure that it implements whatever policies that we have.
02:12:32 Because the membership of ECOWAS, as we know, comprises of almost all the, there are 15 members of West Africa.
02:12:43 But because of how the appointments of those who are supposed to administer, or those who are supposed to ensure the enforcement of those principles,
02:12:52 based on nationality and other things, some of them are not able to do what they are expected to do.
02:12:59 But if we were to give them the teeth for them to be very independent, if I say independent,
02:13:06 it doesn't mean you have to appoint one person from this country or that, but to kind of have an independent body or independent person who doesn't care,
02:13:18 for them to administer, or for them to enforce those protocols, those policies, those rules, and other things that they are supposed to do.
02:13:30 And this colloquium, would it be the first?
02:13:34 No. So Gimpal Law Faculty has been organising a series of these. It does it every month. So it's not going to be the first.
02:13:45 But you've been talking about the ECOWAS. This wouldn't be the first time that you are talking about the ECOWAS.
02:13:49 No. For example, on the 9th of September, I spoke about ECOWAS courts of justice at the University of Florida.
02:13:59 They have an African Centre there. That time I also spoke on ECOWAS, but not on the same thing.
02:14:03 That time was on the courts, because most people do not even know the existence of these ECOWAS courts.
02:14:10 And there are also issues about the ECOWAS courts.
02:14:13 It's also the view held by some that ECOWAS is losing its grip on the sub-region.
02:14:19 You know what I'm talking about. We are talking about trade interconnectivity, but there's also the pushes, the military escapades, if you like, into governance that we have seen.
02:14:29 That also impacts the ECOWAS arrangement. Do you agree that there is that disconnect?
02:14:34 Yes. It's all because of the fact that we don't have a supranational government.
02:14:43 And that's what you're going to be focusing on tomorrow?
02:14:45 It's part of the things I'm going to talk about.
02:14:47 What, from where you sit, beyond this, what are some of the challenges that you feel ECOWAS is facing?
02:14:53 Some of the things that people can expect you to talk about come tomorrow?
02:14:57 We'll talk about, okay, so come tomorrow, the main thing will be on the enforcement.
02:15:03 We'll also talk about some of the achievements of ECOWAS.
02:15:06 I was going to ask, are there any success stories? So you'll be sharing those as well?
02:15:09 Yes, yes. So we'll talk about, I mean, for those who don't know anything about ECOWAS, it will be a day or an occasion for them to know something about ECOWAS.
02:15:16 We'll talk about the structure of ECOWAS, the achievements, and I would dwell on the challenges to be specific on this supranational government issue.
02:15:29 Ade, can you give us some sneak peeks, at least, some of these challenges, some of these things that you're going to be focusing on tomorrow?
02:15:37 Don't give us the whole thing, but at least tell us something.
02:15:40 I'm putting you on the spot.
02:15:42 I wish, but I want to reserve it so that at least we'll talk about it tomorrow.
02:15:47 Okay, so before we get to other bits of the conversation, there are some interesting luminaries, legal luminaries, who are going to be at the event tomorrow.
02:15:57 Sure.
02:15:58 Can you give us an idea of some of them?
02:16:00 So, Professor Kofi Abuchi, former dean of the Faculty of the Lord Gemba Law School, who is now the UPSA Law School dean, will be there.
02:16:14 Some justices of the Court of Appeal, too, will be there.
02:16:19 And other lawyers, senior lawyers, and my former students, and current students, and other world leaders will be there.
02:16:29 In fact, apart from these people, the first female dean of students, University of Ghana, has also assured me that she will be there, and other people.
02:16:46 Okay, so interesting conversation we have going on tomorrow.
02:16:50 It's all about how we can give the ECOWAS a teeth, of course.
02:16:55 It must bite, but bite in the right way to ensure that we have that regional integration.
02:16:59 That will benefit all of us.
02:17:01 And when you were speaking about, you know, even Togo, you know, there are experiences people share where even if you're crossing the border, and it's interesting, if you're crossing from the Ghana end, things seem to be a lot more structured and a bit more straightforward, though you go through the protocols.
02:17:15 But if you're crossing from the Togolese end, and you're Ghanaian, it tends to be pretty difficult.
02:17:21 And these are all the frustrations.
02:17:22 The last time I spoke to a Nigerian who was sharing his, not ordeal, but the person was basically saying that the ECOWAS thing doesn't work.
02:17:31 It doesn't work.
02:17:32 It doesn't allow for the things that, you know, the protocols say it should allow for.
02:17:37 And that's what makes it so interesting, this, you know, delivery that you're going to have.
02:17:42 But finally, who can attend this event?
02:17:45 Is it open to the public, or is it just restricted to a few people?
02:17:50 Students of law, non-student of law.
02:17:54 So both within and outside.
02:17:57 So any other person can be there.
02:18:01 Okay, so it's not restricted.
02:18:03 It's not restricted.
02:18:04 Where is the, where in GIMPA is it going to be held?
02:18:07 Okay, the Moot Court Room at the Faculty of Law at GIMPA.
02:18:12 Moot Court Room, Faculty of Law, GIMPA.
02:18:15 What's the time?
02:18:16 4.30pm.
02:18:18 Okay, and it's going to last for about how long?
02:18:21 Maximum two hours.
02:18:23 All right.
02:18:24 It starts at 4.30, we hope to end by 6pm.
02:18:28 All right.
02:18:29 And that is the main speaker.
02:18:30 As you can see, the topic, "Giving the Equo-West Teeth, a Case of Supranational Government for the West African Subregion."
02:18:37 The speaker is in the studio, George Bafo Asareye-Frie, a lawyer, also a lecturer at the GIMPA Faculty of Law.
02:18:45 And those are the stalwarts that he's made mention of.
02:18:49 Justice Remsai, among others, will all be there.
02:18:51 Any final words, George?
02:18:53 I invite all of you to come and listen and let us contribute to make Equo-West a better subregional group.
02:19:03 Because it appears it is the best subregional group in Africa.
02:19:07 And we hope we can resolve some of these challenges so that we all be proud of where we belong to.
02:19:14 Well, Ghana 4, masuma mawate.
02:19:19 So let's help the Equo-West cut some teeth and serve the purpose for which we all would like it to serve.
02:19:27 The one who has joined us in the studio today, George Bafo Asareye-Frie Esquire.
02:19:32 He's a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at GIMPA, and he will be delivering the speech tomorrow.
02:19:37 George, thank you so much for having joined us.
02:19:39 Thank you for having me.
02:19:41 So coming up next, we still have a few conversations for you.
02:19:45 And then we shall hear from you on your take on some of the subjects we've been discussing.
02:19:50 Up next, we'll be telling you about the Ghana Digital Innovation Week that is coming up next on the AM Show.
02:19:57 Do stay.
02:19:58 [MUSIC]
02:20:18 Here we go again.
02:20:19 And now we're going to be talking about innovation moving forward.
02:20:23 No country can make it out there without innovating.
02:20:25 Well, this program we're about to talk about up next is a nationwide series of events showcasing and celebrating milestones in Ghana's digital innovation ecosystem.
02:20:36 Now, it's a week-long series of events, and it's going to be climaxed with a high-profile conference graced by ministers of state, diplomats, and business leaders, among others.
02:20:47 Joining us for our conversation, we have Emmanuel Mumuni.
02:20:50 He is component manager with GIZ.
02:20:54 We also have David N.P. Ofori, director of innovation at the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program.
02:21:02 Gentlemen, a very good morning to you.
02:21:04 Good morning.
02:21:05 So for me, this is my first time actually hearing about this digital innovation drive.
02:21:12 But I know it's been rolling out for quite a while.
02:21:16 So I'll start with you, David.
02:21:17 How long has this been in the pipeline, so to speak?
02:21:20 So this is the third edition, Ben.
02:21:22 It's been a very good progress.
02:21:26 I mean, we talk about digitalization.
02:21:28 We talk about innovation.
02:21:30 But as a country, we've not set out to really pause to take stock of what we've done so far.
02:21:36 So it sounds like we get caught up in the business of this whole conversation.
02:21:40 But this week is dedicated for that, where we have all the entire ecosystem across the country.
02:21:47 So the third edition, what makes it unique is that we even have regional conferences happening.
02:21:54 So the one in Tamale, in Kufa, and also in Kumasi.
02:21:58 And this is to say that innovation doesn't just occur in a club.
02:22:03 It happens around the country.
02:22:05 We don't normally nurse it here.
02:22:07 And that's something of a problem that we have in this country.
02:22:10 Everything comes to these areas.
02:22:12 But we have to spread them across for that development effect to be felt.
02:22:15 But to you, Emmanuel, the Ghana Digital Innovation Week, what is it all about?
02:22:20 He's already started.
02:22:21 This is the third installment of it.
02:22:23 But what is it all about?
02:22:25 I think since 2021, we've been on this journey of, like David said, promoting the digital ecosystem.
02:22:33 And Ghana has a very good reputation for early adopting of technology across the continent.
02:22:41 But one of the diagnoses that we found was that the actors in the ecosystem are still a bit isolated.
02:22:48 So Benjamin can be doing one thing, Emmanuel is doing another thing, but we are not really connecting the dots.
02:22:54 So this platform is really to draw the lines between what every actor is doing and how we can work together to make the push even bigger.
02:23:03 So it's all about the synergies, working together.
02:23:05 Like you mentioned, you are with the GIZ, the German institution.
02:23:10 You are with the NEIP.
02:23:12 You are working hand in glove to ensure that this works.
02:23:15 But that brings me to my next question.
02:23:17 The team spearheading this entire drive.
02:23:21 What makes this team unique for this year's event?
02:23:24 Great.
02:23:25 So just a back story, just a small back story.
02:23:28 This is born out of trilateral cooperation between Ghana, Germany, and Israel.
02:23:34 And that's where we gave birth to this Ghana Digital Innovation Week.
02:23:38 And so the team is very diverse.
02:23:40 So you have actors from Ghana, actors from, of course, the German institution, GIZ, and also Mashable of Israel coming together.
02:23:49 And you're interested to know that even state actors from regulators, from policymakers, ministers, even the vice president was part of the major addition.
02:23:58 So it's a cross-sectional, and it really batters the point that Emmanuel made that the synergies are being drawn.
02:24:05 We have the Ghana Hub Network.
02:24:07 And Emmanuel talked about the respectability of Ghana in the digital adaptation.
02:24:12 It is really real because as a country, we have about 125 hubs across the country.
02:24:18 And it's a huge network where young innovators can go to to get mentorship, to try their solutions, try the ideas, and then get help when they need that.
02:24:28 And it's the platform to crown it all, to say, look, what are we doing as a nation in the area of policy, in the area of regulation, in the area of even things like funding?
02:24:37 All of it is talked about, things like what people are actually innovating in their spaces.
02:24:42 So how do we amplify them, highlight them, and bring them to the floor so that as a people, we can see that, yeah, we're doing something right, but we also need to do more in that space.
02:24:53 I also know that the sessions, the speakers you are inviting, you spoke about Israel and Germany.
02:24:59 These are countries with cutting-edge technology, which is going to be reflected in the digital space.
02:25:04 They are also at the very forefront of developments.
02:25:07 But what are going to be the various sessions we're going to have?
02:25:12 Who are the speakers that we're going to be seeing in the course of this week?
02:25:15 Right. I mean, so it's a broad section, so every day and multiple speakers.
02:25:23 So I can speak to some of them and not all of them.
02:25:25 I was actually hoping both of you would share.
02:25:28 Exactly. So we have speakers from academia, speakers from academia across all our universities.
02:25:36 We have speakers from industry, regulators from the CSR.
02:25:40 It's good you mentioned industry because you can't just have academics come and tell us.
02:25:43 Not at all. And that's one of the unique things about the GDIW.
02:25:46 It brings all these people into the room.
02:25:48 So all these speakers come to us and it will be various subject matter.
02:25:52 So for instance, even if you're a young innovator, what are the liberties that you have in the area of taxes?
02:25:58 How do you get to know? If you're going to go into an innovative space,
02:26:02 what are the regulations you need to know as a young person?
02:26:05 All of that will be discussed in that forum.
02:26:07 And we will look at broad sectional policy work as well.
02:26:10 What is government doing or what should government be doing in that sense as well?
02:26:14 Okay. Any others that you'd like to add? Sessions, speakers?
02:26:17 So the setup is such that we have like a big opening ceremony, which is really graced by diplomats.
02:26:24 What is the opening ceremony?
02:26:25 So it's on the set of Monday, set of November, which runs till the 8th of November, Wednesday.
02:26:32 But the first day is the opening ceremony where we have the big speeches.
02:26:36 We also have very high level showcases from innovators telling us about what they've built over this period.
02:26:43 And then we would have some performances in between.
02:26:46 And then once it ends, we move into the sessions, which would seek to build capacity.
02:26:52 So we have workshops, we have master classes, we have training.
02:26:55 We focus a lot on the hands-on side of things so that it's practical. People can take something home.
02:27:01 We have people also coming to exhibit to showcase what they have to show.
02:27:05 And it's really identifying what you couldn't have done alone
02:27:10 and how you can work with another person in terms of partnership to move things forward.
02:27:16 Yeah, I just wanted to share a few examples of sessions that would happen.
02:27:22 So because I'm here at Joy FM, I'll start with the media one because we're having a session that would look at data storytelling for media professionals.
02:27:30 So inviting.
02:27:35 And then we have something around maker spaces. Maker spaces is a big topic here in Africa.
02:27:41 We'll be looking at that as well. And then design thinking.
02:27:45 Design thinking Ghana will be hosting a session on how to use design thinking to integrate digital tools.
02:27:51 We have eSports coming to tell us how to use sports as a tool for a digital workplace.
02:27:59 HSE University is hosting a session on innovation ecosystem.
02:28:05 The UNCDF is hosting a session on sex disaggregated data.
02:28:12 Looks like you have practically every angle covered.
02:28:14 So we have over 30 sessions. If you give me one hour, I can go through everything.
02:28:19 I know you don't have all the time, but this is a few.
02:28:22 We have topics around AI, gig economy, you name it. It's quite a range.
02:28:27 So everything digital that you can think of is going to be featured here at some point.
02:28:32 I'd like to find out from you gentlemen, Emmanuel and David, biblical names by the way.
02:28:37 So I have heavy weights in the studio this morning.
02:28:40 When it comes to those who can participate, I would have you split them.
02:28:44 So maybe you can tell us about those who can participate, who is invited, who can just walk in, participate in these events.
02:28:49 And then again, what format will the sessions take?
02:28:52 Are they going to be online only? Are they going to be physical only?
02:28:55 Or is it going to be a hybrid? So I think I'll start with that.
02:28:57 So who can participate? I think it's open to all.
02:29:00 Everyone can participate. You just have to register because we have a finite space.
02:29:05 So we can just have the whole country trans there.
02:29:08 But more so is making sure that not just have the high level people speak, but also the beneficiaries.
02:29:16 So this time around, we're going to have a lot of SHS students there because that's our formative ages.
02:29:22 And we need to understand these things.
02:29:25 They are all into robotics, AI, fitting for them to take advantage.
02:29:30 Correct. They have to be the eggs.
02:29:32 So we have schools, the general public are welcome to be there,
02:29:36 especially there will be showcases for them to visit and see for themselves.
02:29:40 And perhaps also investors who may come around to see which ones of these innovators
02:29:45 they can snap and partner with and do business with.
02:29:48 So who can participate is open to all. You just have to register so that we have a fair idea of the numbers that will be there.
02:29:54 When you say register, so how do they go about it? Is it online? What do they have to register?
02:29:58 Register online, yes.
02:29:59 So where do they go?
02:30:00 It's www.gdiw.org.
02:30:02 www.gdiw.org. Let's do that again. www.gdiw.org.
02:30:13 And then they click to attend.
02:30:17 It shows you all the sessions and you just need to click, OK, I want to attend this, I don't want to attend this,
02:30:21 and then it populates everything for you.
02:30:24 So limited spots available. Just take advantage. Get registered now if you want to participate.
02:30:29 And it's free, right?
02:30:30 Yes, it's free. And it's happening at the Accra International Conference Centre.
02:30:34 That's the physical event in the course of the week.
02:30:37 So we're also talking about, is it going to be hybrid?
02:30:40 Yes, absolutely. I mean, if we hold a digital conference without...
02:30:45 That would have been interesting.
02:30:47 So we do have an online opportunity for you to join.
02:30:51 In the last two years we've run this activity, we've seen people joining from other countries.
02:30:57 So you might be a Ghanaian in the US, you're interested in the digital space, you want to be part of it.
02:31:03 So we have that option, but you can only connect if you register, because then you would have your details to send you the links.
02:31:10 Alright. So are there any, beyond throwing it out to the public, are there any specific groups you're hoping will take full advantage of this event, this week-long event?
02:31:21 And finally, if you have any other words to share with us, both of you. This time I'll start with Imani.
02:31:26 I think we are open to kind of revealing innovations that are still on it.
02:31:34 And David will speak a bit about the innovations that he's found out in some very unusual spaces.
02:31:41 So we want to reveal those innovations, but also inspire.
02:31:45 So we are looking for students as well, if you want to come and be part of it, just to see what people are doing.
02:31:53 So that it becomes an inspiration for you to be confident enough to go ahead and innovate something.
02:31:59 So we have innovators, we have digital enthusiasts, we have people from academia, private sector.
02:32:06 Private sector, like you mentioned, industry is very important for us.
02:32:10 And then development organizations like ourselves, we are also there to support and be part of it, just to know what the ecosystem needs,
02:32:18 and how we can align with the needs of the people that we are working for.
02:32:24 I posted something in recent times, I just remembered a Zimbabwean who was innovating for a long time,
02:32:32 didn't really get support from his country. I think right now he's somewhere in Silicon Valley.
02:32:37 And that is the problem. Even the ones we have who innovate.
02:32:40 He was doing amazing things with gadgets, vehicles and all of that. He's ended up there.
02:32:45 He's better off, but it's our loss as a continent. So keeping such people here is also crucial.
02:32:52 Absolutely. And that's one thing that the GDIW seeks to solve.
02:32:57 Because, again, even if there's no platform at all for people to get noticed, GDIW is one platform.
02:33:04 And the organization I work with, which is the NEIP, that's one of the things that we live and breathe every day,
02:33:09 where we identify and we also do call-outs for people who can walk into us and say, "I have this innovation, how can you support me?"
02:33:16 I've been around the country, been to high schools, and they are innovating around smart houses, innovating around urban gardening.
02:33:24 So it is there an age. You can grow tomatoes in your backyard, but if you live in concrete, you can still grow them.
02:33:31 They have different ways to do that. And all of these will be showcased there as well.
02:33:35 And I think that it's important that we give room for that so we don't get a Zimbabwean story.
02:33:40 Because a lot of times that's where the issues are.
02:33:42 So we would want innovators to take part of this because some of the things that we will even discuss will be intellectual property rights.
02:33:48 So, for instance, how do you protect your IP if you've come up with an innovation?
02:33:52 It has to be patented. Patents, copyrights, trademarks, and all of that.
02:33:56 So that will be discussed. And funding. How do you get funding to help boost your business?
02:34:01 How do you get to know which regulations you need to abide by to be able to ensure that your business is operating within a serene environment?
02:34:08 So these are all things that will be discussed at GDIW and will be showcased there as well.
02:34:13 So people to benefit from will be enthusiasts, innovators who are out there who think that, oh, they're a bit hidden.
02:34:19 And you don't have to be all digital as well because sometimes you do have TVET, the area of TVET, and people are innovating in that space.
02:34:26 But you can add digital to be able to amplify your business and be able to improve upon your sales.
02:34:31 So even if you're a shoe manufacturer, for instance, you can have a digital platform to be able to sell to the whole of Ghana by having a digital presence.
02:34:40 So, yeah, all of that.
02:34:42 All right. Any final words, Imanogil?
02:34:45 All I can say is to show up and to be expectant because there's so much to see and there's so much to engage with.
02:34:54 There's so much to learn.
02:34:55 There's so much to learn as well. And also for the journalists as well.
02:35:00 They say when the Amega meets the Amega, then you see that one is Amega ho-ho.
02:35:04 Sometimes it takes iron to sharpen iron.
02:35:06 Absolutely.
02:35:07 So you come, you meet others. And sometimes it takes sharing of ideas.
02:35:10 Sometimes you can have two or three people coming together. Oh, your idea fuses together with mine and then you have something much bigger.
02:35:17 But all the best on that event, that week-long program, the Ghana Digital Innovation Week.
02:35:23 You should be a part of it.
02:35:24 So get registered. The website again where you can go and get registered www.gdiw.org.
02:35:32 That's correct.
02:35:33 And you'll be sorted.
02:35:35 Those who joined us in the studio, Emmanuel Mumuni, Components Manager with GIZ,
02:35:40 and of course, David Empio, Director of Innovation, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program under the office of the president.
02:35:48 Thank you, gentlemen.
02:35:49 Thank you, sir.
02:35:50 Thank you for having us.
02:35:51 And as we proceed, we have a bit more time before we knock off for Joy News Desk.
02:35:57 We'd love to hear from you. This morning we had Sam Jata George in the studio.
02:36:02 If you are affected by that bridge, the Wenya Afinya Bridge, among others, share your thoughts with us.
02:36:08 Let us know. There have been some recurrent erratic power situations.
02:36:13 I have faced them. I'm sure you have. And I've not had water for a week.
02:36:17 So I don't want to go on. Hit me up when we return after the break.
02:36:43 Here I am. There you are. We're capping off the show.
02:36:46 But what is the show without you? Some of you have shared your messages.
02:36:49 Well, we'd love to hear from you. Pick up the phone. And if you are minded to do so, give us a buzz on that number at the bottom of your screen.
02:36:57 0302 211 691 0302 211 691.
02:37:03 If you find yourself in that catchment area affected by the spillage of the Akosungu Dam, you could call.
02:37:09 If you have any concerns about some of the matters we've discussed here today,
02:37:13 if you find yourself in the Wenya Afinya area, Ningopampam constituency, that bridge we've been speaking of, give us a call.
02:37:21 Let us know what your take is. We've also been talking about the Electoral Commission saying that they are not creating new constituencies apart from the Gwan constituency,
02:37:30 which did not get to vote in the last election. What is your take on that?
02:37:34 Or maybe for you it is the utilities. I've not had water for a week.
02:37:39 What's your situation? Electricity supply has been erratic.
02:37:43 What's your situation? You get to share some of those with us this morning.
02:37:48 We're offering you the opportunity, giving you a say. So call that number 0302 211 691.
02:37:57 There's also this bit on the Akosungu Dam spillage about the close to 20,000 school going children who have been affected.
02:38:05 The regions include the Greater Accra, Easton and Volta regions. Can't go to school.
02:38:12 It's going to take quite a bit of work to get these communities back.
02:38:17 And reflecting on what the member of parliament for Ningopampam said today, some of these houses have been so polluted,
02:38:26 so to speak, with everything that has happened that is going to be difficult to even get them back into those same communities.
02:38:36 But for starters, let's go to Kumasi. We have Bruce on the line. Good morning, Bruce.
02:38:42 How are you? I'm well. How about you? I'm fine. I'm doing well.
02:38:49 Great. What is your take, Bruce? What would you like to share your thoughts on this morning?
02:38:55 Well, concerning the spillage, we are thinking that the government should have made the citizens aware,
02:39:04 should have given them some awareness or education ahead of time.
02:39:11 Some awareness was created, but whether it was timely is the question.
02:39:16 It wasn't enough. It wasn't enough.
02:39:20 Bruce, thank you for those straight to the point comments, succinct comments you've shared with us.
02:39:26 And that is a sentiment that has been shared by many people as well, that we could have averted a lot of what has happened as far as this disaster is concerned.
02:39:36 How about you? What is your take? We still have a few minutes, maybe about two minutes more to take your calls.
02:39:41 0302 211 691 0302 211 691. There's also that other story of those five who died in Bidu with 20 others injured.
02:39:55 Also on the back of a downpour and flooding in there.
02:40:00 Another sad situation. Five people lost their lives, five very young people.
02:40:06 And then there is the MPP presidential and, of course, parliamentary primaries.
02:40:13 Ibrahim, good morning. Good morning. Where are you calling from?
02:40:17 I'm calling from Kwanzaa in the Guna East region. In Kwanzaa East. Interesting.
02:40:23 What is your take? What would you like to share your thoughts on?
02:40:27 Yes, basically about the dam in the Volta region and other parts of the country.
02:40:34 If you observe it critically, you realize that we seem not to be a serious country.
02:40:40 Why do you say that? Because in a very serious country, I think the CEO of the VRE should not be as pushy as we think.
02:40:50 But they've explained themselves concerning why they had to spill.
02:40:55 It's the management of it that is the problem, which is why Parliament now wants to probe.
02:41:05 So, Ibrahim, I think the problem is you are listening to me on the TV instead of on the phone.
02:41:10 It's always better to listen on the phone. Ibrahim, are you still with me?
02:41:13 It has to do with the intermittent light out. I think the management of ECG must also take steps to address that.
02:41:23 A lot of electrical gadgets have been damaged because of that.
02:41:29 OK. Thank you, Ibrahim, for sharing your thoughts with us. That's how we're going to cap it off.
02:41:34 And ECG, we beg you. Our gadgets are not just the stuff in the fridges and freezers.
02:41:44 The gadgets themselves are now falling victim to your incessant power outages.
02:41:51 Please do something about it for us. Mr. Dubik, Samuel Dubik, Mahama, I know you don't like it when we bash you.
02:41:58 I'm trying to be soft, not to be hard here.
02:42:01 Anyway, that's the note on which we cap off the AM Show this morning.
02:42:05 It's been exciting coming your way. It's been good having you join the conversation.
02:42:10 But stay on this network because up next, we bring you the latest tidbits by way of news on Joy News Desk.
02:42:19 That is up next. Do stay.

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