The people of the Oti Region have pledged their readiness to assist the government to diligently implement its new policies and programmes to enhance the rapid development of the region.

This pledge was expressed by the former municipal/district chief executives (MDCEs) who have been in office since 2001 and after the creation of the Oti Region in February 2020, during a stakeholders’ engagement at Dambai last Friday.

The one-day event, organised by the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC), sought to harness their resources and experience for a solid foundation for the new MDCEs to be appointed by President John Dramani Mahama.

The participants who were from the two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), overwhelmingly agreed that they were one people with a common destiny.

It was a nice, friendly and trustful exchange of views as each of the MDCEs shared the past stories in administration of their districts.

They talked about the various methods they used to overcome challenges that confronted them, especially due to the inadequacy of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) given to them.

At the ceremony, the Oti Regional Minister, John Kudzo Gyapong, said since development was in the district, it was important to bring the former MDCEs together to learn from their experiences for a rapid take-off in development.

Mr Kudzo Gyapong said the fact that they were responsible for law and order at the grass roots, made it crucial for them to be involved in the talks for sustainable peace and development in the region. 

Remain united

The minister said since the region was a new one, they needed to remain united in the spirit of inclusiveness in order to meet the aspirations and hopes of the people.

He asked the former MDCEs to support his call for peace and commended them for their contributions, which he said had become legacies that needed to be replicated.

A former Member of Parliament and Krachi East District Chief Executive, Michael Yaw Gyato, on behalf of the MDCEs, commended the regional minister and the ORCC for bringing them together and allowing them to be part of the development process in the region. 

Mr Gyato mentioned the various methods to improve the mobilisation of revenue, the quest for external funds and lobbying to attract development to their districts. 

He said Dambai, now a regional capital, could not still depend on the raw water of the Oti River for their domestic use and advised the minister to quickly look out for ways to make the water potable.

He said the Oti River could be exploited through irrigation to improve agriculture with the vast fertile lands surrounding the area. He also talked about the lack of a hospital in Dambai and appealed to the minister to work towards it. 

Facelift

Mr Gyato also urged the minister to contact the Lands Commission since he was able to acquire various lands which were documented for various projects during his tenure of office. That, he said, would assist in giving Dambai the facelift it needed.

He told the regional minister that they would be ready for a closed-door meeting for in-depth discussion on the subject.  

A former DCE of Kadjebi, Kofi Adjei Ntim, advised the minister to exploit the various natural resources such as huge deposits of alluvial clay at Kadjebi.

“We need to diversify the economy and ensure that our quest for clay mining and land use does not affect farming activities and the region’s resolve to increase food production,” he said.

Mr Ntim spoke about the need for discipline, which he said was a prerequisite for peace and rapid development.

He advised them to include the traditional authorities in whatever programme they wanted to undertake.

Ghana Stock Exchange rises by GH¢ 228.87 million

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) has seen a positive trading session. The benchmark GSE Composite Index (GSE-CI) advanced by 16.64 points to close at 6,154.92 points, reflecting a Year-To-Date (YTD) return of 25.91%.

The Financial Stock Index (GSE-FSI) also surged by 23.36 points to 3,029.04 points, with a YTD return of 27.23%.

Market capitalisation increased by GHS228.87 million, pushing the total market value to GH¢136.20 billion.

Trading activity has also been robust, with the volume of shares rising to 42.36% (748,650) shares, generating a total turnover of GH¢47,272,505.06.

Top gainers and traded equities

GLD led the gainers’ chart, appreciating by GH¢7.72 to close at GH¢452.22.

Among the top five most traded equities, MTN Ghana (MTNGH) dominated with 276,662 shares, exchanged at a total value of GH¢877,018.54.

Other stocks in the top five by trade volume included CAL Bank (CAL), GLD, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), and Enterprise Group Limited (EGL) in that order

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The Government, through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the free dialysis program recently incorporated into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Benefit Package.

The initiative aims to provide continuous support to renal patients covered by the Scheme.

The NHIA’s Deputy Chief Executive of Operations, Dr. Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, said this to beneficiaries while addressing the Tamale Teaching Hospital’s 2024 Annual Performance Review Meeting.

The event, held under the theme “Transforming Service Delivery through Professional Excellence and Ethical Practice,” brought together key NHIA officials, including the Director of Special Initiatives and Liaison to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anthony Gingong, and Director of Financial Accounting, Dr. Gustav Cruickshank, among others.

Dr. Djokoto’s presence was part of the new NHIA Chief Executive, Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe’s, maiden working visit to the Northern and Upper East Regions.

He emphasised NHIA’s dedication to ensuring a sustainable and progressive environment for delivering efficient healthcare services under the NHIS.

“With this move, I am certain that there will be no interruption to the services that are being rendered by accredited facilities.”

Recognizing the contributions of healthcare providers, Dr. Djokoto reiterated the government’s support and called for stronger partnerships between the NHIA and teaching hospitals to advance the free primary healthcare agenda.

“The Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) was launched on Wednesday. It will adopt a comprehensive approach to addressing chronic illnesses. For individuals with hypertension, diabetes, and those requiring interventions like dialysis, a visionary policy is necessary to support them in mitigating the devastating financial consequences of their conditions.”

Tamale Teaching Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adam Atiku, expressed appreciation for the NHIA’s prompt reimbursement of accredited healthcare facilities for services rendered to NHIS members. He emphasized the need to sustain the dialysis program and ensure continuous support for patients.

Speaking on behalf of the Health Minister, the Acting Director for Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hafez Adams, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritizing healthcare for all Ghanaians.

File photo of a mining site

The mining sector is set for further improvements in local procurement and mineral revenue retention, driven by new mining projects currently in development, Chief Executive Officer-Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Sulemanu Koney, has said.

In 2023, producing member companies of the Chamber spent US$3.1billion on locally sourced goods and services, accounting for 53 percent of the industry’s total mineral revenue of US$5.9billion. This reflects a growing commitment to strengthening the local supply chain.

According to Dr. Koney, data from the Minerals Commission further underlines the sector’s deepening local economic impact. He noted that the Commission’s tracking of expenditure on 50 key mining-related items shows that mining companies purchased inputs worth US$2.4billion from local vendors – including both manufacturers and retailers – accounting for 41 percent of total mineral revenue in 2023.

Given these trends, he emphasized that with a pipeline of new mining projects underway, the industry anticipates even greater economic contributions through increased local procurement and higher levels of mineral revenue retention.

Dr. Koney was speaking at the commissioning of the FLSmidth Service Centre in Accra and said: “Ghana’s mining sector is poised to deepen its developmental footprint and become a major hub for mining support services”.

To this end, he stressed that the “true value of our industry extends beyond extraction, it lies in how we leverage technology, innovation and local expertise to enhance productivity, sustainability and socio-economic benefits”.

As the ecosystem of local mining support service providers expands, the sector is not only generating more employment opportunities but also improving value retention within the country.

This shift is fostering broader economic development, creating a more resilient mining industry that prioritises local capacity building and long-term sustainability.

Dr. Koney recognised that “the mining sector’s greatest impact on job creation is through its relationship with mining support service providers, such as FLSmidth”.

To optimise this potential, he stated that the Chamber and its member companies prioritise purchases of goods and services from resident companies.

FLSmidth is a leading mining technology and service supplier. The company, this year, plans to open or expand seven service centres in strategic locations across the globe.

These facilities are in direct support of FLSmidth’s CORE’26 mining strategy, which includes targetting service growth and adds to its already comprehensive global network of service centres that can enhance mining customers’ productivity.

Countries where the new facilities are expected to be opened besides Ghana are Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, whereas expansions are planned for Brazil, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Dr. Koney acknowledged that the FLS Service Centre plays a crucial role in advancing in-country value and local content for the mining sector. He added that it offers world-class equipment servicing, spare-parts and technical support to minimise downtime and improve operational efficiency for mining firms, among others.

“The success of Ghana’s mining industry hinges on collaborative partnerships between government, the private sector and key stakeholders. In that regard, I commend FLSmidth for its foresight in establishing this facility and for reaffirming its commitment to Ghana’s industrial and economic progress.”

He urged other industry players to explore similar value-enhancing initiatives that promote efficiency, sustainability and long-term sectoral growth.

Also, Head-Professional Services, FLSmidth, Christian Fabry said: “Our service centres serve primarily as workshops for improving or repairing customer equipment and can also have warehousing capabilities for distribution.

“With these new openings and expansions, we further strengthen our service capabilities and best-in-class service offerings to customers.”