As part of measures to curb and prevent the surge in Diabetes and in global solidarity with the World Diabetic Day 2022,FOHA in partnership with DORAM Pharmacy brought free health screening on Diabetes, blood pressure,Malaria test, Nutritionist Consult and General Medical CONSULT to the people of Sunyani Central market on the 14th November, 2022. The programme was also used as an opportunity to carry out it's vaccine hesitancy project in the Sunyani Municipality. The head of the FOHA Medical Team was Dr. Oppong Yeboah Emmanuel. Other Medical Team members were Rev.Jak, FOHA CEO,Joshua Kwame Gbadagba - Nurse Anaesthetist & FOHA coordinator for the Ahafo Region, Dennis Ansu Gyeabour- Foha Administrator & Coordinator for Ashanti Region, Paulina Adjei - Nutritionist, Amina Abass - Nurse, Abigail Nipaah.
We acknowledge the support of VODAFONE, Aspire Clinic for their support in kind.
Implementation of any good governance policy such as the E- LEVY must be research driven through proper data collection and analysis, intellectual debate and listening to the ordinary citizens before carrying out any policy intervention. Ghanaians are not against taxation and for the records, we have being paying tax for years now. Every Ghanaian including myself believe that we need to pay tax for developmental projects. The question on the mind of discerning Ghanaians is how these taxes are going to be accounted for? We have and we are still experience wanton and reckless waste of our financial resources by our duty bearers across various sectors of the economy without proper accountability.
According to the Auditor General's report, whopping GHS 9 billion cedis was stolen/ misappropriated by various state Ministries and Agencies between 2017 and 2019.The latest Auditor General's report for 2020 suggest Ghana lost GHS 12.8 billion due to infractions and other irregularities committed by State Institutions.
E -LEVY is projected to give us GHS 6.7 billion in a year, which is even less than half of the state monies stolen in 2020 alone. Is it not common logic to recover all these monies and make sure policies and systems are designed by government to stop the leakage and the siphoning of state money? Where is the economic recovery team? We put leaders and managers of the economy to ensure that all these waste are reduced to the bearest minimum if not avoided. If the same strength used in defending E- LEVY is used in protecting and prosecuting those implicated in the lost of these colossal amount of money, the economic fortunes will turn around in 90 days. The above questions should be answered by all those supporting the E- LEVY. Until we get the analysis right, we will get Leadership and management wrong. The hard truth is that the managers of our economy have be reckless in protecting our monies. We cannot take the excuses any more. From my point of view and from my background as a Minister of God, and using the analogy of the Scripture of the Man who gave the talents to his servants; the Master gave five more and two more for those who were good steward and faithful to the management of the talents they received. Contemporary equivalent of the talent is money. It is unwise and unscriptural to give more money to people wasting resources.
Ghanaians are not against taxation, but are against our taxes being wasted. Truth be told, our rich resources are being wasted on daily basis and the onus lies on leadership and managers of the economy to recover the monies stolen, prosecute alll thieves to serve as a Stern deterrent to all.
Cut down on government expenditure to all the three alms of government; when there is scarcity of food at home, parents do not eat whiles children fast. There are many ways to restore the economy other than E- LEVY; government must listen to the ordinary citizens, do not use your numbers in parliament to pass the E- LEVY, you may get it done, but you shall surely pay for it one day, you can ask former President Mahamah and he can give you his experience! During his few years and months as President, his government did not resonate with the pulse of the nation. Feedback must be listened to and if taken, it only bring progress and development to the receiver.
I do not subscribe to the E- LEVY for my objective analysis of the current situation in Ghana using the available data.
The Association of Private Commercial Transport Operators has announced 30 percent increase in transport fare by Friday 18th February, 2022 as fuel prices increase to GHS 7.9.This means cost of goods and services are also going to increase; ie food prices, utility, accommodation, and by extension cost of living is going to be very high for the ordinary citizen. Going ahead to implement the E- LEVY at this time would be grave insensitivity, lack of empathy and disconnect from the citizens.
Policies and programmes that increases the plight of the people is not a good one, not supported by Scripture and God cannot bless such a policy.
Widen tax net and look at property tax, prudent use of the state resources will be key at this time,cut down on your allowances, cutting down on extravagance lifestyle by government officials and state Institutions.
In conclusion, remember that E- LEVY is not a panacea of the economic crisis in Ghana. Let your interventions be driven by research and learn to dialogue and listen to the voice of the citizens.
As a Ministers of the gospel, we are supposed to be the pillar of truth, and speak truth to power, for God will judge us one day.
I leave the rest of the conclusion to duty bearers and discerning Ghanaians; posterity and history will be the best judge.
In 2007, Sunyani, the capital city of the then Bono - Ahafo and now Bono region was adjuged as the cleanest city in Ghana. This was great and good news for the citizens and the indigens of the region, the floodgate of many investors and companies were opened and Sunyani has seen expansion in private sector development than never before.
Decades down the line, Sunyani is being described as the hub of DUST in Ghana due to its poor road network. Notable among these poor roads are the New Dorma - Yawhima road which has lingered for the past 12 years plus under successive governments. At least 45 people have lost their lives due to the bad nature of this road. This is the only road the links Sunyani to Wenchi, Techiman, Nkoranza, Kintampo, Tamale, Wa, etc. What acceptable reason can be given to the neglect of this road for years without any feedback from duty bearers? All houses along this stretch has been devoted to dust and most abandoned by their owners because of the influx of dust. All the foods sold along these roads are all bathed with dust, pharmacy and chemical shops, clinics and health facilities along this roads have all had their portion of the dust especially during the harmattan season. People are just eating dust on daily basis, accessing health care in dust, buying food in dust, trading in dust. God and posterity shall not forgive leaders who have failed to construct these roads. Churches and mosques along this road have also had their fair share of the dust. When you see anyone in Sunyani township in this 21st century with dust all over the clothings, chances are 100% that he/ she is coming from New Dorma - Kotokrom road. A lot of students live on this stretch, business owners, government workers, farmers and traders. Waiting for car for not less than 30 minutes to an hour in this era of digitalization is a norm for the people of Kotokrom and Yawhima. This is counter productive and counter development against all the speeches of development. Only God knows how many sods have been cut on these roads, how many successive presidents have ploughed these roads for their campaigns. Why do you take tax from citizens and not give them basic needs such as roads?
This is primitive and bad precedent to say the least. Ghana is portrayed as the beacon of development across Africa and the world, but it is time to pay attention to your home and fix the basic problems in this country.
Many streets lights are not working in Sunyani, fix them.
There is a positive correlation between transport and economic growth. How can you improve upon the economic status of your people if there is no good roads to enable traders to transport their goods and services? We need to get our economic indicators right. Time wasting has a bearing on the economy. Interview for yourself the citizens, students and hear the plight and challenge they go through on daily basis in order to get to Sunyani township. A journey that should take not more than 10 minutes now takes on the average 30 minutes and sometimes to an hour because no driver wants to go there, the roads are bad.
If only we have leaders in this town and this areas, please rise up and make sure these problems are addressed.
In the interim, can the leaders entrusted with our tax must make a plan for the road to be watered continuously at least two times in a day. Once in month, you will see water tanker usually at the police check point and few metres away from the the check point, go back into habination and come at any time they seem fit, no one questions anyone, this can not be right.
Be citizens and not spectators.
Where is the MCE, Regional Minister, Assembly member( s), Sunyani is sinking too low and you can not be proud of being a leader in a city of dust, let it not be that Sunyani sank low in development under your watch. You are the eyes of the government in the region, you need to read the pulse and the temperature of the people. Just find time and plough the road and see for yourselves the struggle citizens go through on daily basis.
Can you imagine the money that are lost to washing of cars; after going on that stretch for once every driver have to send their car to the washing bay, time is wasted, money is wasted. We can not continue to wallow in this situation. Already the economic situations of the citizens are enough, at least if you can not lessen it, do not add to the problem.
The regional hospital also gets its share of the dust on daily basis. How can hospital be operating in dust ? Patients and pedestrians crossing over to the hospital have to struggle to cross, no road markings, no zebra crossing, nursing training junction too, students have to struggle to cross because not all drivers will slow down for pedestrians to cross, are we surprised at accidents and deaths?
If this road menace is not addressed, apart from God's protection, we should expect more accidents possible deaths; am not a prophet of doom but the system to protect lives is non- existent.
We live in a region where citizens have to pray virtually for everything including but not limited to good roads, good health care in the midst of dust and a lot of carelessness and recklessness on our roads.
As a pastor, I can not just understand why these things keeps happening, we have prayed enough and the time to demand clear cut policies and strategic plans that drives development is now, we must leave the place of prayer to the place of action and good governance that respects and values the fundamental rights of the citizens. These are fundamental rights and as signatures of the sustainable development goals, it is only fair to remind our president as the co - chair of the SDGs to be guided by it's framework and timeline, scale out equal development and leave no region behind.
Providing the required support systems for nurses and midwives plagued by drug addiction
"In recent times, we have seen an increasing rise in the number of nurses and midwives plagued by drug addiction which has unfortunately or unfortunately exposed the unprofessional way in which such cases are handled. In many of those cases, instead of having or providing the required support systems, such persons are vilified and rather punished by the system. We wish to assure all our Employers that we are willing to collaborate in terms of developing clear policies and protocols on addressing drug addiction among nurses and midwives and other health workers and wish to use this opportunity to call for the establishment of referral pathways and the creation of support systems especially rehabilitation units in every region or district to support such persons." -- Mrs. Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, President, GRNMA [Speech delivered at the opening of the #GRNMAConference21]
For I told him I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them... 1 SAMUEL 3:13
Eli was a judge, a priest and a leader over the house of God. In his regime as a leader, he appointed his sons: Hophni and Phinehas as as ministers serving under his charge. The sons of Eli corrupted the sacrifices of the Lord and took the better portion of the sacrifices that belonged to God. The sons of Eli violated all the provisions of the priesthood, yet their father, Eli, a renowned priest and judge and leader failed to discipline and restrain them according to scripture. The text today was God's response to Eli's leadership and management failure. Leaders must see a potential problem before it becomes an actual problem. Eli, as the leader who had the ultimate responsibility to ensure that things are done according to a set order and principle can not be exonerated from the sins of the ministers serving under his regime, he has to bear ultimate liability and pay the supreme price of negligence. Leaders given the responsibility of governance and public administration from presidents to corporate leadership, Ministers of the gospel especially bishops( overseers, superintendents, bishops, senior pastors) must know that they have responsibility towards preserving the principles, precepts and the interest of God and that of humanity. God will judge all leaders who fail to deal with corrupt practices from the pews to the pulpit. The verdict of God's judgement on the house of Eli is a warning to all leaders and governors across the world. How you finish the race is more important than how you begin. Today, money and the desire for wealth has taken away the moral compass of a lot of men of God in Ghana and Africa especially, truth has been traded for lies and principle. The supreme judge shall settle the score and He is faithful to His justice system.
Leaders supervising corruption and corruption related practices must be warned that they shall never escape the judgement of God, time and posterity will judge them.
Many general overseers today have sacrifice truth and setting up a good system of leadership that corrects and sanctions wrong irrespective of who committed the wrong, the love for money and other wealth have succeeded in eroding the gospel fiber and integrity. We can not escape the sword of the Lord if we do not change and repent of this neglect of duty.
General overseers and leaders have a duty to correct junior pastors and ministers under their charge. Do not allow gifts and money to take away your judgement. The time to repent is now or face the judgement of God for yourself and your family. Think about death even if Jesus delays, amend your ways and ensure discipline and order in the body of Christ, in your leadership and administration.
If you can not be in charge, do not run for the office position.
What sin has the people of Sunyani committed to deserve these bad roads and underdevelopment. Most of the road network in the Bono Region is just too bad and will only predispose the citizens to seasonal diseases such as upper respiratory tract infection, cold, and asthmatic attack for those who are known asthmatic patients. In this write up, I will be focusing on the NEW DORMAA - YAWHIMA road in the Bono Region of Ghana.
This road has being under construction for not less than 12 years. It is only God who knows how many times sods have been cut for this road to be constructed. In September 14th, 2020, the road minister Mr. Kwasi Amoako - Atta in his address with the media indicated that the Bono Region is receiving it's fair share of government's implementation of the year of road. The minister indicated that the Bono Region is receiving the execution of 48 road projects under the ministry of roads and highways. The minister added that the asphalt overlay of the New Dormaa- Yawhima road was on the agenda. It is over 12 months now( above 1 year) when this speeches were made. The president also came to inspect the same road somewhere in October before the 2020 election. The contractor on the road had gone on vacation for time that only God knows; the day before the arrival of the president , at night the contractor brought all his machines on the road and work began, it is over a year now and the road is still not asphalted.
When it rains, the road becomes muddy, as the harmattan season approaches, the citizens of Ghana from Yawhima, Kotokrom, New- Dormaa can not dress in white shirt to town. Most cars do not go to Kotokrom and Yawhima because of the bad nature of the road. On Monday 15th November, 2021 as at 7:45 Am, this bad road was flood with 51 people by my count from Kotokrom to New - Dormaa who were standing waiting for car in order to catch up with business. School children, and government workers, traders have to always struggle in order to get car to town and back to their homes. On few ocassion the will be watered in the morning, but in most cases the dust has taken over the road and sometimes drivers have to struggle to see the next car ahead of them. This can not be right in this country. We pay tax and drivers pay road toll, why can we not complete this road that has lingered for 12 years plus. This is the major road in the Bono Region; cars going to Techiman, Nkoranza, Wenchi, Chira, Tamale, Kintampo, and Burkina Faso all use this road. Why will the government not see the completion of this road as a priority, give pressure to whichever contractor that has been awarded the country to complete the road? Over 45 people have been knocked down on this single road that is supposed to be a dual carriage road. We are fearless but we can not be careless, this road must be fixed, enough of the blood shed on these roads.
As we are approaching the harmattan season, we are going to have the interplay of fog and mist in conjunction with dust, will it be surprising if we record accident cases? Let us rise up now and fix this road. Enough is enough. I challenge the regional ministers to drive on the road in the morning from 7- Am and in the evening and see for herself the struggle the citizens are going through. The Municipal Chief executive is also called upon rise and make sure we get the contractor to compete this road. This is situation is turning Sunyani into a village, you need to always carry mirror in order to measure the amount of dust in your hair, where you do not have mirror, you can measure the dust in your hair by what you see in your neighbour's hair. We can not accept this as our lot after paying tax and drivers paying road tolls. The police are checking for road Worthy, they must start looking for car worthiness; the road is not worthy of the cars that are ploughing it.
Transport is a major driver in economic growth and development. Road is needed to enhance transportation of goods and services.
Can you imagine the productive hours lost to this country because citizens have to wait for long hours before getting cars to work and businesses, we must fix the road in order to improve upon transportation thereby enhancing productivity in this country. Mr. President, Sunyani deserve more than this, the Member of Parliament must rise to the occasion and demand that this road is fixed.
The dignity and decent life that the people of this enclave must enjoy is being undermined.
I think we have prayed enough, waited enough, kept quiet enough, it is time to demand accountability from duty bearers.
Why can central government not invest road tolls into building of roads in Ghana?
When you get to New - Dormaa, I always pity those who sell by the road side; we can keep quiet over this, dusty road contributes to bad health. Those who are known asthmatics must relocate from these areas, more people are going to fall sick, come to the hospital and still expend the little premium paid to health insurance, then we will spend money to import drugs and ask health workers to embark upon needless campaigns which could have been prevented anyway.
Enough of the politics, just fix the road, think about the health of the people in these areas, we have lost enough lives to the roads already.
The answers does not lie in prayer, it lies in having an action plan and ensuring that we follow the plan.
Hon. Regional Minister, Hon. MCE, follow up and see the dust for yourselves, at least making sure the road is watered two times can be an interim measure to save lives and preserve the dignity the citizens of this area.
Posterity will not forgive successive leaders who have failed to ensure lives are preserved.
Bono & Ahafo have been denied of decent road for longer time, the time to speak up and demand better roads is now.
Let us learn to separate politics from development.
No propaganda on my wall, purely developemental issues.
I charge all citizens of Sunyani to demand that this road is fixed, especially those in New - Dormaa Kotokrom.
Good Governance demands accountability, we are all called upon to ensure the development of this country, when you see something, say something.
