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Veteran highlife musician K K Kabobo is dead

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K K Kabobo

Ghanaian highlife musician, Kwabena Kwakye Kabobo, popularly known as K K Kabobo, has died.

He died at the University of Ghana Medical Centre on Thursday (14 March).

The veteran musician  who last appeared on Asaase Radio in June 2023, had been battling liver disease over the past few months.

The Onyame Ehu Wu hit maker, who recently revealed that he has 17 children with five different women, said his music career began by joining the band at an early age.

Pupil teacher

Last year K K Kabobo told Asaase Radio he  was a pupil teacher at a point in life due to lack of funds to further his education.

Speaking with Benjamin Offei-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (7 June), Kabobo said: “I became a pupil teacher because, I had no money to continue my education, so the school master I was staying with applied for that job for me.”

“I was employed by the Methodist Educational Unit, I started at New Edubiase Methodist Primary School in 1976…”

Touching on his stint with different bands, Kabobo said: “I played about 18 months before coming out with a solo album. I played Sidiku Buari Express, Ampofo Aburi, I joined F Michaels Band. I just wanted to be a studio artist so after one year, when the bands I was playing with were not recording, I moved on.”

Jinapor: Africa must leverage on technology and nature-based solutions to tackle climate change

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Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has appealed to African countries to leverage on technological innovations as a means to bolster global initiatives aimed at fostering climate resilience, noting that this approach is crucial in fortifying the environment against the adverse effects of climate change.

Delivering an address at the Africa Energy Technology Conference on Wednesday, 13th March 2024, Hon. Jinapor reinforced his absolute belief in the potential of technological advancement in ensuring efficiency and reducing waste in the harnessing of natural resources, thereby contributing to global efforts toward the building of resilient climate.

Speaking on the theme “Advancing Energy Technologies for a Sustainable Future: Mitigating Climate Change, Protecting Environment, and Safeguarding Public Health,’ the Lands Minister expressed the conviction and expectation that the conference will help expedite efforts towards the diversification of the energy mix of African countries which will culminate in the reliance on green energy.

“ To get the best out of these minerals to support the energy transition, we need to adopt innovative measures for their exploitation to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development, while contributing to the fight against climate change. It is by harnessing the power of innovation that we can maximise efficiency, reduce waste, and create knowledge-driven mining and energy sectors”, he said.

“It is by the power of technology that we can address the historical environmental and social challenges associated with mining, promote energy efficiency and build a circular economy. And it is through innovation that we can increase production and add more value to the minerals we produce to support this energy transition,” he added.

The Minister disclosed that government, through the implementation of Green Minerals Policy has set course towards the sustainable and environment friendly exploitation of resources while also playing a role in transition and evolution of green energy.

He accentuated that the drive towards green energy affords African leaders a unique platform to use technology, innovation and value addition to develop their respective countries.

“Ghana, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, has adopted a Green Minerals Policy, which aims at promoting value addition and beneficiation across the value chain of our green minerals, while contributing, substantially, to the green energy transition. We are, also, promoting, through this Policy, local content and local participation across the value chain of our green minerals, from exploration, through mining to downstream production, to ensure that Ghanaians, who are by our national Constitution, the owners of these minerals, benefit optimally from them.”

He, however, stated that while technological advancement are playing their parts, governments can through the implementation of nature-based climate action as evidenced by Ghana’s policies such as the Green Ghana Project help attenuate the impact of climate change.

“While some technologies are being developed to reduce emissions in these areas, they are not yet market-ready. According to the IEA, half of global emission reduction technologies needed to reach net zero are not yet on the market. Rapid innovation is, therefore, needed to bring to market clean technologies, in particular, for those parts of the energy system where emissions are harder to address, such as heavy industry and long-distance transport.

“But even as we continue to develop these technologies, we must, also, pay particular attention to those other mitigating factors that are not too difficult to achieve, such as nature-based climate action. While technologies for carbon capture and storage continue to evolve, forests and other nature-based solutions have proven to be a more cost-effective means of carbon sequestration,” he said.

The Africa Energy Technology Conference is Africa’s premiere energy technology driven exhibition and networking conference that seeks to create a distinctive platform for key stakeholders and industry players within the energy ecosystem as part of making Africa the ultimate destination for global energy-centered discussions and policies that propel industry development.

Lands Commission reviews fees and charges upward from 25 March

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The Lands Commission has announced plans to review upwards fees and charges for all services effective Monday 25 March, an official notice has said.

According to the notice, the adjustment is in accordance with fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023(LI2481).

“We wish to inform our valued clients that, in accordance with fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023(LI2481), there will be an adjustment in the fees and charges for all services provided by the Lands Commission.”

“This adjustment will take effect from Mondy 25 March 2024,” the Lands Commission notice said.

 

 

About Lands Commission

The Lands Commission is established by Article 258 of the 1992 Constitution and the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767) as a body corporate with perpetual succession, a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.

The current Lands Commission, as part of the Public Sector Reform Programs and the Land Administration Project, has been substantially remodelled by Act 767 to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.

The Commission on behalf of the Government, manage public lands and any other lands vested in the President by the Constitution or by any other law and any lands vested in the Commission.

It also advises the Government, local authorities and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of the country to ensure that the development of individual pieces of land is coordinated with the relevant development plan for the area concerned.

 

Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra

Lands Commission review fees and charges upward from 25 March

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The Lands Commission has announced plans to review upwards fees and charges for all services effective Monday 25 March, an official notice has said.

According to the notice, the adjustment is in accordance with fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023(LI2481).

“We wish to inform our valued clients that, in accordance with fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023(LI2481), there will be an adjustment in the fees and charges for all services provided by the Lands Commission.”

“This adjustment will take effect from Mondy 25 March 2024,” the Lands Commission notice said.

 

 

About Lands Commission

The Lands Commission is established by Article 258 of the 1992 Constitution and the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767) as a body corporate with perpetual succession, a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.

The current Lands Commission, as part of the Public Sector Reform Programs and the Land Administration Project, has been substantially remodelled by Act 767 to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.

The Commission on behalf of the Government, manage public lands and any other lands vested in the President by the Constitution or by any other law and any lands vested in the Commission.

It also advises the Government, local authorities and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of the country to ensure that the development of individual pieces of land is coordinated with the relevant development plan for the area concerned.

 

Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra

Atlantic Lifesciences Limited to begin local production of dialysis device

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Kidney dialysis

Atlantic Lifesciences Limited, a manufacturing firm in the pharmaceutical industry, is to begin the production of peritoneal dialysis devices to help address dialysis challenges confronting the country.

The company is set to begin production of the devices locally from July this year would serve as an alternative to traditional dialysis solutions currently in use across the country.

It forms part of efforts by the company to ease the financial burden of patients on dialysis since the device, which would be produced locally could be used at home without necessarily spending money to go to the hospital for treatment.

Visit

The Quality Assurance Manager at Atlantic Lifesciences, Smart Bediako, revealed this to journalists when the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana paid a courtesy call to management of the company at Lakpleku in the Ningo-Prampram District of Accra.

The society toured the various production lines to familiarise themselves with the facility.

He said company’s aim was to bring innovative health solutions to the people of Ghana and Africa.

Mr Bediako explained that peritoneal dialysis devices were an essential solution for patients with very chronic kidney disease.

“Atlantic Lifesciences is a solution-oriented company and so, we are looking at the problems the Ghanaians are facing,” he said in recognition of the increasing kidney cases reported in the country.

With peritoneal dialysis devices, he said, kidney patients can use it in the comfort of their homes, saving them the trouble of going to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and other dialysis centres frequently.

“Our efforts to produce these devices will augment those of the Ministry of Health in trying to resolve the costs that patients incur,” Mr Bediako said.

Welcome news

President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Dr. Samuel Kow Donkoh, described the move to produce such crucial devices domestically as welcoming.

Credit: Graphiconline

Gary Nimako Marfo appointed board chairman of NLA

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Gary Nimako Marfo

 The managing partner at Marfo & Associates, Gary Nimako Marfo, has been appointed the board chairman of the National Lottery Commission.

Prior to the appointment, Gary Nimako Marfo was the board chairman of the Gaming Commission.

His appointment is contained a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante.

“I have been directed by the President of the Republic to inform you that effective Monday, 11 March 2024, you have been reassigned to chair the Governing Board of the National Lottery Authority pending receipt of the constitutionally required consultations with the Council of State.

“Kindly prepare your handing over notes as the Chairperson of the Gaming Commission (the “Commission”) and deliver same to the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission pending the appointment of the new Chairperson.”

“The President thanks you for your service to the Commission. Please accept the President’s best wishes,” the appointment letter further read. the letter said.

About NLA

The NLA is a public service institution designed to provide a corporate platform that encourages creativity, innovation, and best management practices.

The Authority was first established as the Department of National Lotteries in 1958, with a mandate to organise prize raffles for the public. In 1960 the Lotto and Betting Act (Act 94) was passed into law to launch a lottery in Ghana to raise revenue to support national development.

Over the past 50 years, the NLA has evolved into an autonomous public service institution with a legal monopoly over the organisation of lotteries in Ghana. It is one of the single most important contributors to government revenue and avenues to employment. In 2006 the passage of the National Lotto Act (Act 722) gave birth to the National Lottery Authority.

Akyem Pankese residents clash with ECG staff over “dumsor and bills”

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Residents of Akyem Pankese, located in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region, have clashed with workers from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The clash erupted when ECG personnel arrived in the community to disconnect customers who had fallen behind on their electricity bill payments amid concerns over intermittent power outages.

Starr News has gathered that residents of Akyem Pankese have accused the ECG of issuing them outrageously high bills, leading to widespread reluctance to settle their dues.

This discontent reached a boiling point as attempts by the ECG to enforce disconnections were met with hostility from the community members.

Some ECG staff members were reportedly assaulted and manhandled by the angry residents.

Witnesses recounted instances where some ECG workers were subjected to physical aggression, including being hit on the head and dragged from a ladder resulting in the loss of a tooth.

“The bills they are presenting to us here are outrageous. Some are paying as high as Ghc8,800. You switch the power off haphazardly, then you’ve come here to remove our fuse what wrong have you done” One of the angry youths lamented.

Another resident said “My mother has a cold store so removing the fuse away do you want the fish and meat in the refrigerator to spoil? Someone’s meter spoilt six months ago yet he has been given a bill of Ghc9,000”

According to Mr. Eric Boafo, the Unit Committee Chairman for Akyem Pankese, tensions escalated on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, when ECG staff attempted to remove fuses from the community’s transformer in a bid to disconnect the entire area.

However, their actions were vehemently resisted by residents, resulting in clashes between the two parties.

“ECG workers came to the community to remove the fuse in the transformer because they said someone had done something against them. They have switched off the light since morning and have come to remove the fuse so we decided to resist them” one of the youths justified their aggression.

After hours of hostile standoff and threats, ECG staff had no option but to be forced to restore the fuse to the transformer.

Efforts to reach the ECG district Engineer in the area were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, leaders in the Akyem Prankese community have reported the incident to the local Police.

Kojo Ansah/ Starrfm

Travelers using KIA to pay extra $20 on round-trip tickets from May 1

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Kotoka International Airport

Starting May 1, 2024, travelers using the Kotoka International Airport in Accra will be required to pay a fee of $20 to help cover the cost of baggage belt repairs and other maintenance work in the airport.

In a letter cited by Accra-based Class FM, the management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) announced to the Chairperson of the Airport Operators Committee of the Kotoka International Airport that the new fee will be implemented for travelers departing from the airport.

The letter dated March 11, 2024, signed by the Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare stated the fee will apply to all round-trip tickets.

In addition to announcing the $20 round-trip airline ticket fee, the GACL also specified that $10 of the fee will be charged to each leg of the trip.

“Further to discussions with the executives of the Airport Operators Committee regarding our baggage belt overhauling and maintenance issues, the Board of Directors of Ghana Airports Company Limited, in consultation with the Ministry of Transport, is instituting maintenance charge of $20 on all round-trip airline tickets ($10 to be charged each way”.

“This fee will be effective May 1, 2024,” the letter indicated.

 

Credit: Myjoyonline

Giant redwoods: World’s largest trees ‘thriving in UK’

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Giant redwoods – the world’s largest trees – are flourishing in the UK and now even outnumber those found in their native range in California.

The giants were first brought to the UK about 160 years ago, and a new study suggests they are growing at a similar rate to their US counterparts.

An estimated 500,000 trees are in the UK compared to 80,000 in California.

However they aren’t yet as tall. In California they can reach 90m-high, but in the UK the tallest is 54.87m.

But that’s because the introduced trees are still very young. Giant redwoods can live for more than 2,000 years, so there’s still plenty of time for the UK’s trees to catch up

“Half a million trees is quite a lot to go under the radar until now, but it’s when you start looking for them in the landscape, and compiling these datasets, that you realise how many there are,” said Dr Phil Wilkes, one of the authors of the study, from Kew’s botanic garden at Wakehurst in Sussex.

BBC/Tony Jolliffe UK giant redwoodBBC/Tony Jolliffe
The UK’s giant redwoods are growing ever taller because of our damp climate

Giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) were first brought to the UK by the Victorians. They were the ultimate botanical status symbol, typically planted in the grand estates of the wealthy.

Today, some form sweeping avenues while others stand in ones or twos. But they’re easy to spot: their dense, cone-shaped crowns stand proud of everything around them.

To assess how these towering giants are adapting to their UK home, scientists selected a sample of nearly 5,000 trees to study at Wakehurst, Benmore Botanic Garden in Argyllshire, Scotland and Havering Country Park in Essex.

They used laser scanners to measure the heights and volumes of some of the trees – it’s also a way to weigh the trees without cutting them down.

The researchers found that the trees were growing about as fast as the giant redwoods in their native home in the mountains of Sierra Nevada. The UK climate seems to suit them, says Dr Wilkes.

“Where they grow in California, it’s cooler and moister than you would typically envisage California to be,” he explained.

“And we have a reasonably similar climate here – it’s very wet and they need the moisture to grow.”

Phil Wilkes Scan of giant redwoodPhil Wilkes
Scientists are making 3D scans of the trees

The scientists also looked at how much carbon dioxide the trees were absorbing – trees soak up and store the greenhouse gas and planting more trees can play a role in helping to tackle climate change.

The researchers found that because of their sheer size, giant redwoods can lock up large amounts of carbon dioxide in their wood – although not as much as their US counterparts.

The trees at Wakehurst, which are about 45m tall, have about 10 to 15 tonnes of carbon stored in them, Dr Wilkes explained.

“But compare this to the largest tree in California, which has about 250 tonnes of carbon stored in it, and they’re quite small. But you know, these could get as big.”

The scientists involved in the research are quick to point out that planting forests of giant redwoods would not be enough to significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But these majestic giants can play a part in a mixed forest plantation with a variety of other trees, both native and imported.

Getty Images Giant redwoods in CaliforniaGetty Images
The trees in California’s ancient forests are under threat from climate change

In California, the natural wonders are under threat from climate change – they’re not faring well with hotter and drier weather and more intense wildfires.

So could the UK become their new home?

In an avenue of trees originally planted as a grand entrance to a now demolished mansion in Havering Country Park, Prof Mat Disney, from University College London, says he thinks it’s more than possible.

“In terms of climate, it’s probably the case that they’re going to have a less pressured existence here than they do in California,” he said.

Although he pointed out that conditions are also changing in the UK with climate change.

BBC/Tony Jolliffe UK giant redwoodsBBC/Tony Jolliffe
It will be a few more centuries before the UK’s trees grow as tall as those in California

Giant redwoods are being planted as saplings all over the country, often by local authorities in public parks or recreation grounds.

Prof Disney says they have a long life ahead of them – and they won’t stay small for long.

“They’re very fast growing, and they grow large. Once they reach about 60m, they will be the tallest trees in Britain, and then they will keep on growing,” he said.

However, while the trees are doing well in the UK, there’s little chance of them taking over our native forests any time soon – they’re not reproducing here as they need very specific conditions to take seed.

The study is published in the Royal Society journal Open Science.

BBC

Fix ‘Dumsor’ whether its for 12 hours or everyday – Yvonne Nelson tells Akufo-Addo

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Akufo-Addo and Yvonne Nelson

Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has chided government for the recent intermittent power outages across the country.

The actress in a tweet on X, Tuesday called on President Akufo-Addo’s government to find a lasting solution to the power outages experienced in the country.

“Mr President, DUM SOR is DUM SOR whether it’s for an hour, 12 hours, 24hrs or every day. FIX IT!” she tweeted on March 12.

 

The famous actress led a demonstration against the John Mahama government over power outages in 2015.

 

Yvonne Nelson during John Mahama’s administration in 2015 joined forces with other celebrities like Van Vicker, Prince David Osei, DKB and others to demand a lasting solution to the power outages at the time.

Yvvone Nelson and colleagues during the demonstration

Meanwhile, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) cautioned Ghanaians to brace themselves for more power outages during peak demand hours between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.

ECG revealed in a social media post that 630 distribution transformers in communities across its operational zones are currently above capacity due to increased power consumption.

This, it claimed, might result in blown fuses and broken conductors, causing outages, particularly during the peak load time (7pm –11pm) in the affected locations.

“However, we wish to assure our customers that transformer upgrading, and new projects are on-going to relieve these transformers to ensure a more reliable power supply,” the post added.

The ECG called for the support and patience of affected customers as it continues to work to improve Ghana’s power distribution system.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Managing Director (MD) of the ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, in addressing the frequent power disruptions (dumsor), said the company was facing some maintenance issues.

Credit: 3News