The Mankrado Ankobeahema of Suhum in the Eastern region, Nana Akosua Korang Larbi on Friday, July 7, 2023 donated sanitary pads to over 500 girls in eight basic schools in the Suhum Municipality.

The idea is to imbide in the students the need to enhance personal hygiene among them.

The beneficiary schools are; Kokooso Aboabo Basic School in Gojiase, Roman Catholic Basic School, Presbyterian A,B,&C Basic School, Anglican A,B&C Basic School, S.D.A Basic School and M/A Basic School A,B&C.

The rest are, Methodist Basic School, and Presbyterian New Town Basic Basic School.

She went to the aforementioned Schools with a nurse to educate and teach the girls on how to use the pads and keep themselves neat during and after menstruation to help them stay healthy.

Speaking to Kingdom FM’s KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH, Nana Akosua Korang Larbi stated, that the welfare of the girl child is her priority, hence the move to donated the sanitary pads to them.

Nana Korang Larbi said, this wouldn’t be nine day wonder because, according to her, she has a lot of things to offer the young girls in Suhum to better their standard of living.

She appealed to gov’t to consider the plight of the girl child and rescind its decision of taxing sanitary pads, since, for her, the management of menstruation,a natural cause, could not be handled to the disadvantage of the girl child.

” Menstruation is a natural cause and already most of them find it difficult to afford one when menstruating especially those in the villages and if being tax it would be a disaster for them”. She explained

After receiving the sanitary pads together with the exercise books, pens and toothpaste, some of the Gojiase Basic School students show their appreciation to the Mankrado Ankobeahemaa for the gift and also pleaded with the gov’t to not tax the sanitary pads which will eventually lead to increament of prices.

One of the teachers who wants to remain anonymous said, “sometimes they have to buy the girls sanitary pads when menstruating because that place is a village and money is scarce over there, so gov’t should listen to their cry and abort that decision”.

Meanwhile, the Obaahemaa for Suhum, Nana Arko Bensua also advice the female school children to focus much on their education and abstain from men to avoid any unwanted pregnancy.

“Because at this stage of menstruating, the possibility of getting pregnant is very high, so they shouldn’t allow themselves for any man to use money or mobile to deceive and get them pregnant and destroy their future”, she told KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Hundreds of scores on Saturday, July 1, 2023 joined the Presbyterian College of Education in Akropong in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region to celebrate its 175th Anniversary Celebration.

Speaking at the program, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum Ampofo said, research has proven, that, every country’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio has a lot to do with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and teachers have a key role to play to ensure the economy is well grown.

“So, for the instructors and lecturers, ones they have this responsibility in mind and get so much committed to it, then we are sure, that the gross tertiary enrollment ratio would definitely goes high and when that happens the GDP of the country would also increase”, she noted.

Gifty Twum Ampofo, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region emphatically stated, that, if the economy does not do well it is not the economy or the finance minister but rather it is the teacher because the performance of the economy depends on the country’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio.

In addition, the Moderator for Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante noted, Colleges of Education are now offering degree programs and as at now their tuitors don’t know whether they should call themselves lectures or not thou they keep receiving school teachers salaries.

He prayed the gov’t to do something about it as soon as possible.

“I’m saying this because, we have had a situations where some of our tutors go get higher degrees and then they would be porched by the Universities which is not good at all and is big challenges confronting the colleges of Education and call on gov’t to stop them”, he fumed.

For his part, Senior Presidential staffer, Nana Yaw Osafo Marfo who represented President Akufo-Addo questioned about the level of indiscipline currently denting the image of Presbyterians compared to their era where disciplne was key to their success. On that score, he called for a review to help maintain disciplinary level of the institution

He furthered that, there is saying, all other professions can brag but a teacher taught them all and he find it to be true because he is who he is today because someone taught him how to read and right.

Nana Yaw Osafo Marfo continue to say, Teachers are the foundation of knowledge and civilization for the society and they must be taking good care of.

Meanwhile, the Principal for the Akropong Presbyterian College of Education, Rev.Dr. Nicholas Apreh Siaw indicate that, despite chopping some success, there are other challenges facing them and one of them is inadequate staff accommodation.

He also mention that, they need financial support to fence their lands because some people have resorted encroaching it.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

More than 2, 480 Basic Education Certificate Examination Candidates (BECE) in the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly of Eastern Region has been enrolled onto Michael Okyere Baafi special classes program.

The purpose of which the Member of Parliament for the constituency initiated the program is to help the candidates come out with good results.

Addressing the candidates at the Full Gospel Church International in Betom on Saturday, June 24, 2023, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South Constituency, Michael Okyere Kofi Baafi who spearheaded the program challenge the the pupils acquire better grades after their examination.

He promised to reward a candidate who will obtain aggregate six to nine a laptop, school items and a drive when enroll to Senior High School to continue its education.

Okyere Baafi said, since the introduction of his special classes for the BECE in 2021, a lot of students had passed the exams and enrolled into high profile SHS in the country.

Thus, he charged the 2023 candidates to study hard to break the records being set by their seniors in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

The MP who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry distributed exercise books to all the 2,488 candidates.

They would embark on classes on Saturday, July 1, and assured of feed them till the classes is over.

This year’s B.E.C.E would commence in the month of August.

For her part, Lawyer Nana Adwoa Hackman Otchere-Darko who was the guest speaker, urged the candidates to study hard because in years to come, one quarter of works would be done by robots which indicates that human-being are going to loose their jobs.

“At this stage what they have to do is to have different skills and also obtain better grades so that should the robots takes over the works they would be an options and opportunities for them to get job doing”, she noted.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Assembly, Issac Appau Gyesi also advised the candidates to be discipline and focus on their learning materials, adding that once they do that it is possible God will help them to achieve their aim by passing the exams.

He revealed that, since the commencement of the MP’s special classes program for the candidates in his municipality, it has seen positive results unlike those days.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnews.

The Eastern Regional Branch for Forestry Commission has disclosed, that the target set for the Green Ghana project has been achieved in the region.

This, according to the Eastern Regional Manager for the Forestry Commission, Isaac Noble Eshun (Mr.) the Region targeted of planting 600,000 tree seedlings on Friday, June 9, 2023.

However, despite the number given, in the end of the program, they planted 1, 329,935 seedlings which means they exceeded their target by 729,935.

He emphasized that, not only their target was met but the media [Kingdom FM] played a major role in the year’s program that let the people trooped into their various offices in the Region and collected the seedlings for planting.

Noble Eshun was speaking to KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH after the exercise.

He expressed satisfaction over how the project had been embraced by Ghanaians, something he described as a good call.

He furthered by saying, the involvement of the tree planting by President Akufo-Addo has had huge impact on the exercise and deserve commendation.

Isaac Eshun noted, that even thou the tree planting is the work of the Forestry Commission but those days if they nurse the seedlings and asked people to come for it for planting they don’t, but when President Nana Addo stepped in and said everybody should get involve in the exercise the result and the turnout has been massive for the past three years since its introduction.

It could be recalled that, the project was introduced in 2021, by President Akufo-Addo as part of an aggressive national reforestation program to restore the lost forest that has been destroyed by illegal miners.

With this, he underscores the need for a collective responsibility of everybody to help protect the trees being planted.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

A Businessman, William Amankrah has said, undertaking infrastructure projects for the people of New Juaben North are his priority amid his intention to contest the New Juaben North Parliamentary seat in the Eastern Region.

According to him, whenever he visit any of the towns in the constituency and sees there is problem confronting them he help solve them because his slogan is See something, do something.

On Sunday, June 11, he donated 30 bags of cement to Oyoko Presbyterian Basic School to be use to build their ICT lab, and 30 bags of cement to Oyokohene to help build a police station and at the same time donated hospital equipments to Suhen and Jumapo health center.

Suhyen health centre received, screen, SPO 2 machine, BP apparatus, weighing scale, and Gun thermometer whiles Jumapo also got Water Bath Machine is use for doing a lab test for the pregnant women.

“I’m not doing this because I want to become an MP for the constituency, but have been doing this for the past years and whether I win the primaries or not would continue offering support for them,” he told KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH.

He added that, politics is about finding solutions to the problems facing the people but not to attack and insult opponents.

Receiving the cements, the Oyokohene who doubles as Adontenhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Sempei Osei Bonsu thanked him for his kind gesture for fulfilling his promise he made during his coronation.

Nana Osei Bonsu said, when installed as Oyokohene and was addressing his people he mentioned that he wanted to build a police station at Oyoko and William Amankrah fast-forward made a promise to support him with a building material and low and behold he didn’t disgrace himself.

Meanwhile the Physician Assistant at the Jumapo health, Winifred Paddy, headmaster of Oyoko Presbyterian Basic School, Alex Addo Animtete, and Jemima Mensah, Midwifery officer in charge of Suhyen CHPS Compound all show gratitude to William Amankrah for the humanitarian gesture.

By// Konthen Kofi OBOh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

As part of the 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day program, the entire country targeted to plant ten million (10M) seedlings to augment the already existed ones.

In Fanteakwa South District Assembly in the Eastern Region, the Osinohene, Osaberima Otu Darko, the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Kofi Okyere Agyekum, Students, DCE, Ernest Ofosu and other heads from the various department of the Assembly came together to plant 30,000 seedlings.

As such, the entire Eastern Region is targeting of planting 600,000 seedlings.

Speaking to Kingdom FM’s KONTIHEN KOFI at the program, Kofi Okyere Agyekum said, it would be wrong to say the tree planting must be stopped because, the illegal mining activities is still going on.

“Those illegal miners are attacking the new areas not the old places, the Forestry Commission have laws that protect trees and before someone would cut down the trees from his or her own land that person have to go for a permit from the Forestry C’ssion before cutting down the tree(s)”, he noted.

Okyere Agyekum adds, the Forestry Commission must enforce their laws to arrest and prosecute those illegal miners who are destroying the water bodies, lands and the forest to serve a deterrent to others.

He however noted that for people to call for an end of the tree planting due to the activities of illegal mining won’t help as a country, because without trees human beings can’t live.

Addressing the short ceremony held at the forecourt of the Fanteakwa South District Assembly, the DCE for the District, Ernest Ofosu said, there are so many benefit human-being get from the tree; hence the tree planting must be a shared responsibility.

Furthermore, the Osinohene, Osaberima Otu Darko who chaired the program said, its very unfortunate that the illegal miners are destroying the forest and the lands but looking at it from the different angle, most of this galamseyers are graduates who don’t have any job doing.

He stated that, man must eat too, and if they complete school and have nothing doing they have no option than to join the illegal miners for survival.

‘So to reduce the menace, there must be a social interventions that would help the youth to get job doing after completing school,’ he added.

In conclusion, the Begoro Assistant District Manager for the Forestry C’ssion, Robert Adomako Asare added that, out of the targeted 30,000 seedlings Fanteakwa South is targeted for the tree planting, they have planted about 10,000 alongside roads, schools, communities etc and have planted about 20,000 in the forest as well and hoping to see most of them survive like the previous ones.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Parliamentary Candidate for New Juaben North Constituency on the ticket of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region, Samuel Adongo has bemoaned over the deplorable roads in the area, particularly, the farming communities such as Suhyen, Asikasu, Kofikrom, Jumapo , Akwadum Mpaemu and other adjoining communities.

According to him, he has received series of calls and petitions from the farmers and traders in the aforementioned farming communities appealing for their roads to be get fixed.

He made this known to the media when he toured the constituency to inspected those poor road networks himself and ceased the opportunity and appeal to government to come to their aid as soon as possible to get those roads fixed to enable the farmers to convey their farm produce to the market and sell them to get money to feed their families.

He called on Ghanaians to vote against any political party whose government wait till bi-election periods before constructing their roads for them.

Samuel Adongo described such practice as disrespectful and indictment on the right of the citizens which shouldn’t be entertained.

“We have come far as a country, therefore such lackadaisical attitude from politicians must come to an end and must be kicked against it”, he noted.

“Look at what happened at Kumawu and what is currently happening at Assin North, so had it not been the bi-election that means nothing would have been done about their roads right?, he asked.

“it is insulting and disrespecting us; hence I will urge every Ghanaian to change their voting patterns towards such parties and let them know that they can’t take us for granted untill elections are being held” he said.

Samuel Adongo fumed that, New Juaben North Constituency is known to be one of the NPP’s stronghold in the region but lag infrastructure projects therefore urging the constituents to vote him and NDC in 2024 because is only the NDC government that listen to the plight of its people.

On the other hand, some of the residents who are dominantly farmers in the visited communities expressed their deep concern about the deplorable roads in the area saying they also deserve good roads.

They said, their harvested crops get rotten in the farms due to the nature of their roads because drivers can’t ply on it or opt for higher charges of the lorry fare before transporting them from the farm to the market places.

Meanwhile, others also say, a number of miscarriages cases have been recorded in the nearby health facilities all in the name of their bad roads.

However, they appealed to government to come to their aid and construct their roads for them especially those farming communities because they are food basket of Koforidua.

By// Ansah Stephen.

Source// Obohnewsonline.Com.

The Eastern Regional Manager for Forestry Commission, Isaac Noble Eshun has said, the region is targeting planting 600,000 seedlings to support President Akufo-Addo’s vision to make Ghana green once again.

This year’s Green Ghana day is slated for Friday, June 9, 2023 where the entire country is also targeted to plant Ten Million (10m) seedlings to augment the already existed ones.

Noble Eshun adds, they have distributed the 600,000 seedlings to all their offices in the region that is; Begoro, Kyebi, Donkorkrom, Mpraeso, Somanya, Kade, and Oda including their main office in Koforidua so anyone who needed some of the seedlings can walk into the aforementioned offices and grab some for planting.

“The Regional office would partner with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (ERCC) and New Juaben North and South Municipal Assemblies respectively to go planting on that day whiles their other offices would also collaborated with the remaining 31 Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to do same”, he told Kingdom FM’s KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH.

He ceased the opportunity and entreated all and sundry to take part of this year’s program.

The Green Ghana day was introduced in 2021, by President Nana Addo as part of an aggressive national afforestation or reforestation program to restore the lost forest cover of Ghana and to contribute to the global effort to mitigate climate change.

Theme for this year’s program is: ” OUR FOREST, OUR HEALTH“.

He stated further that, the seedlings is giving out for free, so being it schools, churches, institutions, individuals who want to join the tree planting can walk into their offices and collect theirs and show them where it will be planted at.

According to him, not every land is suitable for a particular tree to grow well, so they will interact with those who will come for the seedlings to know the exact land they are going to plant them on so that a rightful seedlings can be given to them to be planted, saying they have ornamentals ( Sepale, Odum, Mahogany etc) and Fruits trees ( mango, coconut, avocado, orange).

In addition, the Deputy Eastern Regional Manager for Forestry Commission, Emmanuel Owusu Nkwantabisa said, the previous ones planted in the forest, had over 80% survived while about 70 % of the ones planted on the roadsides, communities, schools, homes, and others also survived.

A development he noted their effort didn’t go waste.

He advice the general public that, after planting the trees they have to protect and take good care of them as well as preventing them from animals for being destroyed.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline. Com.

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region, Michael Okyere Kofi Baafi has clarified, that they are not rehabilitating the 35km Koforidua towns roads as a result of a pressure being mounted on them.

He fumed, that no MP can use three months to lobby for roads in his or her constituency to be constructed unless background works have been done already.

Not long ago, some pressure group called itself Koforidua Development Advocates threatened to embark on massive demonstration against the leaders of New Juaben South for looking at the town roads in the Eastern Regional capital – Koforidua to be deteriorated should nothing be done about it.

According to the New Juaben South MP who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, the said roads were awarded to contract by NPP government in 2017 but due to some challenges they put it on halt and later awarded it to a new contractor to take over the project.

Michael Baafi adds, so early this year, the contract was awarded to Maripoma Enterprise and works have been commenced.

“So therefore, nobody put pressure on us to contract those roads due to some people’s treat to embark on demonstration because plans were far advanced for the construction to be taken place,” he emphasize.

He mentioned this during the press briefing on the state of Koforidua roads which was held at their party office on Monday, June 5, 2023. Saying that all the 35km Koforidua roads would be asphalted.

He furthered by saying, now their main focus is to complete the Koforidua roads and after that, all the other poor roads in the constituency would be attended to.

Against that backdrop, roads network such as the Ada Magazine road, Argavanya to Korly Abansro through to Midwifery and Nursing Training College roads, and Nyamekrom roads have all been awarded to contract and works are expected to commence within a shorter time.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.Com.

Office of the Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region led by the Municipal Chief Executive Alhaji Umar Babs Kofi Bodinga on Sunday, June 4, 2023 worshipped and climaxed the post covid-19 with a thanksgiving service with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Bethel Congregation in Akim New Tafo.

President Akufo-Addo in his last address to the nation on Covid-19 declared, that the virus is no more in existence and as a result he directed all the 261 Chief Executives from the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to set aside 3 days to go to Mosques and Churches to worship and thank God for what he has done for the country.

With the directive, the Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly began theirs on Friday, June 2, where they worshipped with the Muslims in Kukurantumi, and continued from Saturday, June 3 to worship with the Seventh-Day Advantist at Osiem and on climax it on Sunday, June 4, 2023 with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Bethel Congregation in New Tafo.

Addressing the congregation of both the Muslims and Christians, Alhaji Umar Bodinga noted, that the invasion of corona virus into the country made works and developmental projects a standstill and things became tougher for the world and Ghana is not an exceptional.

“…And when the citizens of this Country were facing a lot of challenges where some lives were claimed by the covid and don’t know what to do, President Akufo-Addo in his seventh (7) address asked both the aforementioned religious bodies to used 3 days to fast and pray for the country for God to come into our rescue and low and behold God listened to our prayers” he recounted.

The Abuakwa North MCE adds, so if today World Health Organization, and President Nana Addo has declared that covid-19 is no more in existence then, the President saw it necessary to do same to appreciate the goodness of God; hence the national post-covid thanksgiving Services.

The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Gifty Twum Ampof and her NPP Constituency executives led by their Chairman Alhaji Seidu Ibrahim also joined the Assembly to climax the program with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Bethel Congregation-New Tafo.

The MP told KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH that, when people were dying of covid and President Akufo-Addo asked the religious bodies to fast and pray for the country some people who doesn’t understand and know the importance of it, mocked at him for asking religious bodies to intercede for the country.

She added, that when Jesus healed the 10 leprosies from their sickness, only one out of them gave out and show gratitude to him and they [NPP Government] won’t be like the other ungrateful 9 who didn’t come and thank him because God has cleanse the country and that he deserved the thanksgiving.

Gifty Ampof ceased the opportunity and say, now that Corona virus is over and things are getting better, the drivers should do well to reduce the transport fare to relief some stress off the Ghanaian passengers because fuel prices have been reduced.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.Com.