Hot!
M-CODe to hold three-day empowerment forum from Wednesday
The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) is to hold a three-day empowerment forum from Wednesday, August 30th, to Friday, September 1st, for journalists in the Eastern Region to ensure that reportage against open defecation is upscaled.
The three-day journalist empowerment forum forms part of the “M-CODe 2023 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy activities, which is being supported by World Vision Ghana, a statement signed by Mr. Francis Ameyibor, M-CODe National Convenor, stated.
Mr. Ameyibor said apart from the journalists, other stakeholders include the Regional Coordinating Council, Environmental Health Department, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Department of Community Development, Department of Gender, and the National Commission for Civic Education.
Others, such as Regional Environmental Officers, the Environmental Protection Agency, CONIWAS, Kings Hall Media, World Vision, and representatives of civil society organisations, will participate in the three-day empowerment forum.
The rest are Regional Officers of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Sanitation, and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, among others, to revamp and sustain the activism to change the parameters and create an open defecation-free society.
M-CODe considers empowerment through capacity building, linking strategic stakeholders in the fight against open defecation together, and creating a platform to expose communities still practicing the act as part of national efforts towards ending the practice.
The M-CODe National Convenor said the empowerment of journalists, who serve as critical partners, to rejuvenate public awareness campaign towards the global target of eliminating open defecation (OD) by 2030 was important.
M-CODe acknowledges Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 6, which requires a substantial acceleration in toilet use, stressing that “open defecation is an affront to the dignity, health, and well-being, especially of girls and women.”
Mr. Ameyibor said open defecation could lead to the spread of germs from one stage to the next if not contained.
He said M-CODe will continue to engage strategic stakeholders, including Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Sanitation, among others, to sustain the campaign create an open defecation-free society.
The M-CODe 2023 Anti-OD Nationwide Advocacy also focuses on religious and traditional leaders, media personnel, celebrities, politicians, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other strategic stakeholders in the environmental, health, and sanitation sectors, as well as industry players.
The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation reiterated its call on the corporate world to support the national efforts to end open defecation, which also requires investment in the construction, maintenance, and use of latrines and other basic services.
Hot!
GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
Hot!
Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
