Akufo-Addo hails Peace Council for roles in resolution of Dagbon Conflict, others
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lauded the National Peace Council for the critical roles it played in the resolution of the protracted Dagbon conflict. He disclosed that the Council also intervened in the Bawku, the Alavanyo/Nkonya, Chereponi conflicts among several others to keep the peace of the country. In a speech read on his behalf by Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul at the launch of the Peace Fund in Accra President Akufo-Addo said “I cannot but also mention the important roles the Peace Council has played in conflict interventions around the country including the Bawku, Dagbon, the Alavanyo/Nkonya, Chereponi among several others to keep the peace of the country” According to him “The Peace Council, perhaps is the only institution which has a governing board with the representation of all the faith-based organizations in the country, besides civil society and our respected traditional institution. They have the influence, the credibility and clout to change behaviour of our people” To this end, he disclosed that the launch of the fund established in section 20 of Act 818, on the theme ‘promoting national peace and cohesion through a sustainable peace Fund’ is aimed at supplementing the government’s budgetary allocation. President Akufo-Addo is optimistic that “a peaceful Ghana will produce dividends that will inure to all the people of Ghana, regardless of ethnicity, political persuasion, religion or other beliefs! We will have peace on our academic institutions, businesses and the investor community will feel safe to invest more and create the jobs and teaming youths are demanding from us, and promote Ghana’s democratic credentials in the comity of nations” Dagbon Peace Background The Committee of Eminent Chiefs, on November 16, 2018, made a declaration to bring finality to the decades-old Dagbon conflict between the Abudu and the Andani Royal families when it presented a road map to peace in the troubled kingdom to President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra. The committee was set up by former President John Kufuor in 2002 to find a lasting solution to the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute after the killing of Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II in Yendi in March 2002. The road map gave the Abudu Royal Family two weeks to perform the funeral of Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV from December 14 to 28, 2018, after which the final funeral rites of Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II would take place from January 4 to 18, 2019. The latter’s funeral was delayed for a week due to some misunderstanding. With the funerals of the two Yaa Naas over, the four kingmakers of Dagbon, who include Kuga-Naa Abdulai Adam and the Gushie Naa, consulted the oracles to guide them in the choice of the right candidate for the ‘Namship’ before settling on the Paramount Chief of the Savelugu Traditional Area, Yoo Naa Abukari, who was subsequently enskinned. —mynewsgh Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
EPA Boss Imports UN-Banned Poisonous Chemical Into Ghana
Details are emerging that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry KwabenaKokofu, has imported an internationally banned chemical into the country, on the instructions of a foreign country for the treatment of teak wood to be shipped to India. The chemical, Bromomethane, commonly known as methyl bromide, is described as a highly toxic substance, which all United Nations-recognized countries, agreed to ban under the 1987 Montreal Protocol. However, an agreement dated September 2, 2021, and sighted by The Herald, reveals that Ghana’s EPA, has granted authorization to a company called Q&Q Services for the importation and provision of technical assistance on the methyl bromide. Financial Proceeds from the importation, sell and use of the banned substances, will be shared on 50-50 basis between the company and the EPA. Q&Q Services company Ltd, is said to be an Indian company based in Tema. The substance was banned, because it dissipates rapidly into the atmosphere, it is most dangerous at the fumigation site. Human exposure to high concentrations of methyl bromide, can cause central nervous system and respiratory system failures and can harm the lungs, eyes, and skin. It was described as colorless, odorless, nonflammable gas produced both industrially and biologically, and recognized as an ozone-depleting chemical. In Ghana, the substance was banned in 2015. Yet the EPA CEO, has allowed the importation of the dangerous chemical into the country on the request of the government of India, to have teak wood from Ghana treated with the banned chemical, before shipment to that country at a time the world is discussing measures to take against climate change and global warming. India, has banned the substance from being used in that country, because of how dangerous it is. The agreement, said Q & Q Services is located at Community 7, Tema in the Greater Accra Region, and described as “The Service Provider” acting through its representative Mr James Rajamani. It described “Methyl bromide” as “a fumigant used in controlling pests in agriculture as one of the controlled substances identified by the Montreal Protocol, as an ozone depleting substance and was therefore phased out by Ghana in 2015, under the Management of Ozone Depleting Substances and Product Regulations of 2015”. “However, the Protocol allows for critical use of methyl bromide for quarantine and pre-shipment. Critical use exemptions are exceptions to the phase out of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting substance restricted by the Montreal Protocol. Ghana received a directive from the government of India requiring that all raw Teak products exported to India must be fumigated with Methyl Bromide”. “Ghana, therefore has to rely on the critical use exemption under the protocol to comply with Indian’s directive as the chemical is banned for use in the country. The Q & Q SERVICES Limited is a professional quality management Service Provider and its services include the provision of Cargo Inspection, Fumigation Services, Factory and Warehouse Audits, Loading and Discharging Supervision, Laboratory and Quality Testing Services and many more”. It disclosed that “the Company per a letter dated 16th June, 2021, made an application to EPA for a permit to use Methyl Bromide for the Pre-Shipment Fumigation of wood, wood products and cashew nuts in compliance with the trade requirement of fumigating products before export to India; The Agency in accordance with the requirements of Section 28 of Act 490 and the Management of Ozone Depleting Substances and Product Regulations, 2005, (LI I 8 12) and the critical use exceptions granted under the protocol, EPA granted provisional approval to the Company for restricted use of Methyl Bromide for wood, wood products and cashew nuts subject to the key conditions stipulated in the permit; The approval is valid for one year and may be renewed upon satisfactory performance and compliance with permit conditions such as the implementation of safety measures among others to safeguard human health and the environment. In addition, the EPA, would provide technical guidance and continuous monitoring and surveillance to ensure compliance. The parties, have agreed that in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of the critical use exemptions of the Protocol, including the stringent reporting and monitoring requirements by Ghana, the EPA is collaborating with the company by providing technical assistance and continuous and consistent monitoring subject to a percentage share of the profit after cost. It said that, “the EPA will conduct continuous and consistent monitoring of the fumigation processes at the warehouses to ensure that at the end of the fumigation process the company does not emit the residual substances but capture the residual substances using Best Available Technology”. “The EPA shall during its monitoring processes check the volume of controlled substances imported, volume used and volume remaining to aid Ghana in fulfilling its reporting obligations under the Montreal Protocol and the Multilateral Fund”. “The EPA will collaborate with the company to create awareness and educate all the company’s workforce to ensure that chemical is used correctly to prevent excess exposure to the workers, during and after the operations and also to the adjourning communities”. The company’s obligation will be to “provide methyl bromide fumigation services using Best Available Technology that recycle or trap Methyl Bromide thus preventing it from escaping into the atmosphere”. “The company will prepare and submit to the EPA, an Environmental Management Plan outlining standard operating procedures and mitigation measures to ensure that the fumigation activity does not impact on the environment, surrounding communities and human health”, the agreement said. It said that “the company is aware that the Methyl Bromide is banned for use in Ghana and the company’s application was considered for restricted use ONLY. The company therefore undertakes to use only trained personnel for the fumigation activity under direct monitoring by EPA. The company further undertakes to implement measures and procedures to meet strict criteria governing safe handling, storage and use of the methyl bromide, to reduce exposure potential. Shall engage Ghanaian staff and contractors, where the appropriate level of experience and expertise is available in Ghana”. “The company
How Energy Minister Almost Got Sacked By Akufo-Addo …As He & Others Plotted To Outsmart President In US$550 Million Oil Transaction
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Energy, Kevin Okyere, has emerged as the trusted front man of the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh alias “NAPO” who came close to being fired by President Akufo-Addo, for showing him utmost disrespect by refusing to carry out a stern instruction over an important transaction priced at US$550 million. In a recently concluded transaction between Occidental (Oxy) and Kosmos Energy for the takeover of the former’s stake in the Jubilee and TEN fields, “NAPO” sought to rely on Kevin to throw a wrench into the transaction that has taken months to negotiate. NAPO, Kelvin, Gabby and KK Sarpong, had wanted to scuttle the Occidental (Oxy) and Kosmos Energy US$550 million deal by forcing in Kevin’s Springfield and International Petroleum Corporation (IPC) quoting US$750 million as their bid price. According to our trusted sources, International Petroleum Corporation (IPC) approached the Energy Minister with a proposal to buy the stake of Oxy in Ghana. Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, rather referred the proposal to his front man to partner IPC with his company (Springfield) to put up a counter bid. In the haste to make a deal out of the situation, IPC, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh and Kevin, assumed some authority they do not have; they made an offer to Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) rather than the company (Oxy) that was selling the assets. With full knowledge of what he was scheming, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, began to frustrate the transaction between Oxy and Kosmos by delaying his approval. This had to take the intervention of the President after he went to Texas to meet Kosmos and Occidental in September. After meeting the companies, the president gave specific instructions for the deal to be approved by the Energy Minister. However, at his usual best, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, ignored the President and kept it at the ministry of energy to frustrate the transaction. This Compelled Oxy to write a letter to Dr. Opoku-Prempeh to strongly indicate that if he (Energy Minister) failed to approve the transaction by October 13, 2021, they would not proceed with the sale of the asset to anybody else. That could only incite the flamboyant anger of the “prince” of Ghana’s Energy sector to entrench his position to frustrate the transaction. It appears Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, was not alone, but had the support of the GNPC boss KK Sarpong and Gabby AsareOtchere-Darko, the President’s trusted cousin with Nana Bediatuo Asante, also in another corner pursuing his own agenda and financial interest. Two clear weeks after President Akufo-Addo had instructed the approval of the Oxy-Kosmos transaction, his cousin; Gabby was using his media house Asaase Radio to tout the benefits of GNPC opting for the Springfield-IPC proposal. KK Sarpong, the expert “Over-valuer”, had also begun engaging Kevin’s Springfield and IPC to put US$750 million bid, as though they were the owners of the asset, having been consumed by the mistaken belief that they could front for Springfield and IPC. While, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, Kevin and KK Sarpong kept to their corner, another member of the Akufo-Addo family, the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, emerged to do more damage to Oxy and Kosmos. He is also believed to have come up with another company, Protronor, at the last hour, despite being privy to the directive of the President for the Minister of Energy to approve the transaction between Oxy and Kosmos. It came to the attention of the President that NAPO and his cousins, have disrespected his orders and kept at a tussle for the assets. On Tuesday October 12, 2021, it came to the attention of President Akufo-Addo that Oxy, had written to Dr. Opoku-Prempeh with Wednesday October13, 2021 deadline. President Akufo-Addo, called for an emergency meeting at the seat of government; Jubilee House to find a solution to the problem. The Herald’s sources indicate that Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, refused to pick the call of the president and hence did not participate in the meeting. However, the presence of Gabby, Egbert Faibille, the CEO of the Petroleum Commission and KK Sarpong was enough for the crunch meeting to agree that Dr. Opoku-Prempeh approves the transaction before the close of day October 13. This left the Energy Minister with no option than to approve the transaction to save his job, after causing the old man to stay up to 12 midnight to find a solution to his mess driven by greed and selfishness. Interestingly yesterday, the Energy Minister, pretended everything was fine betweenhim and the outgoing company he had tried to outsmart when news from his ministry said “Hon. Dr. Matthew OpokuPrempeh, has applauded the move by Anadarko Petroleum Ghana to transfer new shares to Kosmos Energy Ghana”. “At a meeting at the Ministry of Energy in the presence of officials of the National Oil Company, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Energy Minister described Anadarko’s decision to transfer their existing shares in the West Cape Three Points (WCTP) to Kosmos Energy as a step in the direction. He said selecting Kosmos as their preferred buyer is also very much in order as they exit the petroleum agreement between the company and Ghana”. It went on to say that “Dr. Prempeh underscored the essence of due diligence in the transfer process , as he on the back of the available information and briefing expressed consent to the sale and transfer of shares”. “The Minister indicated Ghana’s commitment to sound Investor Relations. This cordiality in his view would ensure that Ghana judiciously exploits its petroleum resources for the benefit of its people”. But interestingly, the sale of Oxy assets of two producing fields (24% on Jubilee and 17% on TEN) at US$550 million raises fundamental questions about the recent Aker Energy’s asking price for its Pecan and AGM fields. Jubilee and TEN are producing fields that generate revenue from day one of purchase. Yet GNPC did not pay attention from the beginning when Oxy wanted to sell, only to appear last hour as a front for other companies. But rather