SARPONG'S BLOG

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong sarpong007@gmail.com The Ghana Statistical Services (GSS) has started conducting a survey on Maternal Health and pregnancy related issues across the country. The 2017 Maternal Health survey is in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) with funding coming from the European Union (EU), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and MoH. The survey started on the 27 th January, 2017 and expected to end on the 13 th April, 2017. Mr. Peter Peprah, the Project Coordinator explained that the data collection exercise aims at determining the level of maternal mortality and causes of maternal deaths in the country. “The exercise consists of data collection at the household level as well as among the level of individual women,” he stated. The Daily Express told that the project involves two phases. The first phase consists of visiting about 900 selected areas, where the enumerators/field wo...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong sarpong007@gmail.com Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency and the former Deputy Minister of Education has confirmed that he was part of the minority Members of Parliament (MPs) who received some of the GHc100,000 alleged bribe. According to the Hon. member, he received GHc3,000 from Hon. Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, the Minority Chief Whip and the MP for Asawase Constituency as committee allowances, together with his other minority colleagues who are part of the Appointments Committee. Speaking on Adom FM Dwaso Nsem, an Accra based radio station on Monday January 30, 2017, Hon. Ablakwa stated that they knew the money was their sitting allowances. “A day before we receive the GHc3,000 each, the Appointments Committee Chairman, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu assure the committee members that he had written to the Speaker of the House concerning our sitting allowances. So we thought the GHc3,000 given to each ...

Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, assumed office as Ghana’s Finance Minister after having been sworn-in on January 27, 2017, by his Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo. A statement from the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Finance said the minister brings to the Ministry over 30 years’ experience   in Ghanaian and international financial sector. Hon. Ofori-Atta and twelve other Minister designates were approved by Parliament on Friday, January 27, after going through a successful vetting process by the Appointments Committee of Parliament. According to the statement, the Hon Minister’s immediate priority is to protect the public purse, stabilize Ghana’s macro economy, spearhead anti-corruption, increase revenue and introduce policy initiatives to grow the economy for the private sector to thrive and create jobs. “We will create wealth and improve people’s lives by ensuring economic freedom as the mainstay of the economy. I am committed to cleaning up our public financ...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong sarpong007@gmaail.com The Chiefs and people of Akuapem-Apirede in the Okere Constituency of the Akuapem North Municipality have put in place strategic plans to promote tourist sites in the town. Apiredehene, Nana Saforo Okoampah III told the Daily Express that their vision is to develop Apirede in a modern way. “We want to have a modern society and environment. We are doing this on the basis of promoting tourism here,” he added. According to the Apiredehene, it’s their plan to promote the historic sites and the geographical location of the community. Apirede is one of the 17 towns that forms the Akuapem State and historically, it used to house the armours of the Akuapem State. The community is part of the Nifa division of Akuapem. He stated that one of those things was called ‘Odosu’ (the war god for Okuapemhene). “The Chief Executioner in those days for Akuapem also came from Apirede and items that he used were also kept here,” he st...

PRESS RELEASE                                                                               FAKS Investigative Services , a Ghanaian r esearch and background investigations company has completed the survey on the performance of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Regional Ministers, Members of Parliament and the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for the year 2016. The survey took place between the months of October and December, 2016. FAKS used these three months period to seek opinion from Ghanaians as to which of the people listed above did exceptionally well and need to be recognized. The 2016 survey was the 5 th Edition since FAKS started assessing the performance of Ministers, Deputies, Regional Minist...

The National Investment Bank (NIB) and four other institutions have supported the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards 2016 GHc30,000 for business and financial journalism in the country. The NIB donated GHc10,000 while GCB Bank, the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), Vivo Energy and the Central Securities Depository donated GHc5,000. A statement signed by the President of IFEJ, Mr. Lloyd Evans said the awards is slated to be held on Friday January 27, 2017 at the Dubois Memorial Centre. The theme for this year awards is:  Strengthening micro finance institutions to enhance the growth of rural and micro enterprises. It noted that the Guest Speaker for the evening is Professor Ernest Aryeetey, immediate former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon. “The essence of the annual awards is to recognise business and financial journalists and editors who have provided high quality coverage of the business and financial environment in Ghana,” the statement said.