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Joy Prime’s Prime Morning celebrates May Day with gallant officers of Ghana Navy
The flagship morning show on Joy Prime, Prime Morning, became the first in Ghana to host a morning show on a ship at sea with the Ghana Navy.
The Ghana Navy protects the maritime territory of Ghana, making them mostly based at sea. As a result, they are not well known in the country.
As part of this year’s May Day celebrations, the team decided to recognise the effort of the Ghana Navy in nation-building, thereby transmitting the four-hour show live from the Western Naval Command in Takoradi.
The spotlight of the day was based on the activities that take place at sea and the responsibilities of the Ghana Navy as a wing of the Ghana Armed Forces in safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country.
Activities include how ships navigate around the sea, the drill, diving training, how boat arrests are conducted at sea, and the medical aspect of the ship, among other experiences at sea.
The presenters, Roselyn Felli, Asieduwaa Akumia, and KMJ, the Royal Host, participated in some of the activities just to get a feel of how the work is done.
The show brought to life the Ghana Navy by highlighting the untold stories of the personnel at work on the ship and educating viewers who may have an interest in venturing into the force.
Some social media users could not hold their excitement over the impact the show has on them and took to Joy Prime’s pages to share their thoughts.
The Flag Officer Commanding of the Ghana Navy, Commodore E.A. Kwafo, who spoke on the show, shared the recruitment requirement for interested persons.
“You have to be a Ghanaian, and because of the nature of our military training, we don’t forgive. So, you’ll require academic qualifications, and it will determine which branch you belong to. Whether an officer or another rang, we have first-degree holders from various qualifications taking into our various branches. We also have professionals like doctors, lawyers, and engineers. So, it depends on your qualifications and also on your age. The age limit varies, and we have up to a minimum of seventeen and half (17 1/2). But for graduates, it gets to 24 or 25,” Commodore Kwafo explained
He also added that “for lawyers and doctors who, by virtue of their education, are likely to be older, we could extend the age to about thirty-two (32) and normally we take degrees with a science background because sometimes it involves calculation.”
AB2 Akutor Sarah Precious, a 21-year-old diver among the only three female divers in the Ghana Navy, also shared her experience so far after joining the force.
“My experience is that so far, when you get under the water, you can face a lot of challenges. You can see maybe submarines and a lot of other things, but you need to comfort yourself while coming out. You need to be calm and brave.”
The Ghana Navy was initiated by the colonial British administration to conduct seaward patrols and served under the command of British Royal Navy officers. It was later established on July 19, 1959, by an Act of Parliament with two divisions based at the Western regional capital, Takoradi, and Greater Accra, respectively.
Historically, the force was headed by the British until September 1961, when Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, terminated the employment of British officers in the armed forces.
The command structure consists of the Naval Headquarters at Burma Camp, Accra. Its three operational commands are the Western Naval Command at Sekondi, the Eastern Naval Command at Tema, and the Naval Training Command at Nutekpor-Sogakope in the Volta Region.
The force is organised in different departments to monitor and supervise fishing activities and evacuation operations of Ghanaian and other nationals from troubled spots, amongst a broad range of roles.
It was certainly an unforgettable experience for the Prime Morning team at sea with the Ghana Navy in celebration of the 2024 May Day, also called Labour Day.
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
