News
GNASSM nat’l executives inaugurated.
A nine-member national executives of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), has been elected and sworn into office by the Supervising High Court Judge, Justice Kofi Akrowiah, in Kumasi.
Headed by Mr Philip Akufu as President, he polled 160 votes to beat Emmanuel Yirenkyi Antwi who managed to get 57 votes in a hot contest conducted in the 10 mining districts of GNASSM.
Sampson Kofi Wiredu went unopposed as vice president whilst Godwin Armah beat Stephen Baidoo massively to maintain the General Secretary position.
Alhaji Baba Ahmed was re-elected as the National Organiser by defeating Philip Kwabena Bawa with a wide margin while Razak Abdul Alhassan went unopposed to become the Director of Communication.
Former Communication Director, Francis Opoku is the new Financial Director following massive endorsement by delegates when he locked horns with one Nana Meisu Adu.
The rest of the elected executives are Joseph Blankson Aidoo, National Technical Director, Janet Esi Kusi, National Treasurer, and Victoria Adobea Guerrieri, National Women Coordinator.
Two hundred and twenty-six delegates participated in the election which was supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The election was initially scheduled for March 24, 2020, but it was delayed due to the emergence of COVID-19.
Mr Richard Kofi Afenu, a former Director of the Minerals Commission, in his keynote address stressed the importance of the GNASSM in the mining industry describing it as a key sector to the economy.
He reminded the association of the provisions of Act 933 which regulated the industry and urged members to monitor their own activities in order not to operate outside the law to sustain the industry.
Mr Afenu urged the members to ensure good mining practices as well as maintain peaceful co-existence with communities in which they operate.
The newly elected President of GNASSM hinted that he would work hard to rebrand the association, to re-position it to promote and regulate small scale mining as well as seek the welfare of members.
He assured that the new executives would work vigorously to avoid illegal mining and sustain the mining industry.
The national president said he would promote women in mining in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure gender balance as part of transformational measures to develop the fortunes of the GNASSM.
He said his administration would work to promote a responsible and sustainable small scale mining sector and promised an all-inclusive, transparent administration that would respect existing structures.
Mr Akufu, therefore, called for support of all members to enable the executives turn round the fortunes of the association.
The Chairman of GNASSM Election Transition Management Team (ETMT), Frank Osei, commended all members and urged members to support the national executives as they chart a new direction for the association for the needed change.
From Kingsley E.Hope, Kumasi
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
