News
‘Maintain clean environments while observing social distancing ‘
Mama Afiakumah II, Queen of the Tsowu-Afede Clan of Ve-Deme in the Afadzato South District of the Volta Region, has said that the social distancing protocol in the wake of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, is no justification to leave the surroundings dirty.
She insisted that communities must still be kept clean while observing the social distancing.
Mama Afiakumah described as highly unpatriotic the lazy attitude of some young people who hid under the social distancing protocol and refused to tidy up their communities in recent times.
She made the remarks while presenting 10 Veronica buckets, 10 buckets, consignments of liquid soap, hand sanitisers, paper towels and masks among other items, worth about GH₵4,000 to the Ve-Deme community to support the hand washing culture in the area.
Mama Afiakumah said that the pandemic should rather prompt the citizenry to renew their patriotic spirit and team up to fight the virus with great zeal and enthusiasm for life to return to normal in the country as soon as possible.
The queen also entreated parents to monitor their children around the clock while schools were shut, to ensure that they did not drift “off course in these trying times”.
She explained that, leaving children to be on their own all the time may cause them to indulge in vices inimical to their future.
“Our children can continue to learn even outside the classroom until the schools re-open,” Mama Afiakumah added.
She pointed out that the crusade against COVID-19 required all hands on deck, for which she called on all and sundry to support the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The queen highlighted the need to maintain high standards of hygiene at all times, saying cleanliness was next to godliness.
She commended the Tsowu-Afede Clan for their strong communal spirit and unity, and urged them to maintain and utilise it to support the community’s set of development objectives.
She announced plans to grow trees along the one-kilometre road between the Ve-Deme junction and the community, with support from the Forestry Commission, saying that the project could be carried out vigorously by the youth in strict adherence to the social distancing protocol.
“There is a lot we can do for ourselves before looking up to the government for support for other projects,” Mama Afiakumah pointed out.
Receiving the items, Togbe Sodzi VI thanked Mama Afiakumah for the unfading concern for the welfare of Ve-Deme and described her as a jewel of the soil.
He gave the assurance that the Ve-Deme community would remain united and focused in its unflinching resolve to support the fight against COVID-19.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ve-Deme
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.
