URSULA: Girls-In-ICT Must Be Sustained

 

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has called for the sustenance of the Girls-In-ICT Initiative - a Ghana government program which encourages and empowers girls and young women to pursue Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education and jobs.

"The impact it (Girls-In-ICT Initiative) has had on the girls’ lives is significant. Some of the early beneficiaries are now in universities, pursuing geodetic engineering and other advanced fields, thanks to the exposure they received from this program. We need to find a way to sustain it", Ursula noted to journalists when she toured the Girls-In-ICT training centers in the Greater Accra Region to interact with the beneficiaries.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful expressed her excitement about the impact of the training so far, saying, "I am glad that so many of you already know about some of the opportunities in ICT".

Encouraging the girls, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so they can develop their own gaming programs, create codes, and more.

Briefing the media, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation stated that there will be a mentorship session where women currently working in the ICT field share their personal and professional experiences with the girls to encourage and guide them in their future careers and endeavors.

She also added that the climax event of the Girls-In-ICT program in the Greater Accra Region will involve the presentation of awards for the top 100 performing girls, remarks by coaches and mentors, and the presentation of certificates to all participants. As part of the motivation package, prizes such as laptops, modems, and more will be awarded to the girls who excel in the competition, with the top three girls receiving cash prizes. Additionally, ICT labs will be set up in the schools of the girls who performed very well in the competition.

Over one thousand (1,000) girls from thirty-one (31) districts in the Greater

Accra Region were selected to participate in the training program, with the assistance of 100 trained teachers.

Meanwhile, two thousand (2,000) girls from the Ashanti and Volta Regions will also benefit from the program this year.

Training areas include basic ICT skills, coding, website design, social media and internet safety, game development, and animation development.

The ongoing two-day tour, taking place on Tuesday, July 2nd and Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, focuses on encouraging young girls to pursue careers in ICT and develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

It covers modules such as Introduction to Computer, Programming, Cyber Security, Animation Development, Game Development, Coding, Scratch, and Website Design.

The training centers visited included: Ola R/C Basic School, Kotobabi 3&2 Basic School, and St. Joseph Anglican Basic School. The remaining training centers to be toured on Wednesday, July 3rd, are Dansoman CIC Regional Office, Dansoman 6 School, Wesley Grammar School, Weija Model Basic School, and New Gbawe MA School.

In total, the Ministry will train 3,000 girls and 300 teachers across three regions.

The districts in the Greater Accra Region include Ada East, Ada West, La Nkwantang, Ayawaso West, Krowor, Ledzokuku, Tema Metro, Tema West, Ashiaman, Shai Osudoku, Adentan, Prampram, KponeKatamanso, La Dadekotopon, Ayawaso East, KorleyKlottey, Ablekumah West, Ablekumah North, Ablekumah Central, Okaikwei North, WeijaGbawe, Ga West, Ga East, Ga Central, Ga North, Ga South, Accra Metropolitan, Avawaso East, Ayawaso North, and Ayawaso Central.

The Girls-In-ICT program was introduced in 2012 by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The global theme for this year's celebration is "Leadership."

Ghana Fuels Digital Growth through Data Strategy

 

The Data Protection Commission (ADC), operating under the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MoCD), recently spearheaded a two-day consultative stakeholder Validation Workshop in collaboration with Smart Africa, GIZ, the National Communications Authority (NCA), and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), along with other key partners to finalize Ghana’s National Data Strategy.

The two-day workshop, held at the Alisa Hotel from June 27-28, 2024, convened key stakeholders from the data ecosystems of Ghana and Benin. The participants shared experiences and insights, discussed challenges, and identified opportunities for their respective National Data Strategies. This workshop aimed to serve as a blueprint for the Republic of Benin, which is embarking on the development of its own National Data Strategy.

At the workshop's closing ceremony, Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mr. Charles Acheampong, speaking on behalf of Sector Minister Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, noted that Ghana, in partnership with GIZ and the Smart Africa Secretariat, developed the Continental Data Governance Blueprint.

 This blueprint, based on the African Union's Continental Data Policy Framework, offers clear strategies, model licenses, standards, and tools for African governments to adopt for effective data governance. Mr. Acheampong highlighted that Ghana is one of the countries implementing these measures to enhance digital skills, including data skills, through the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA).

" Ghana has taken deliberate initiatives to digitalize the economy, believing that deploying critical IT systems and technologies acquired will best maximise the use of data by unlocking its potential, promoting data sharing, analytics, and reuse for the general public good.  With an increasing adoption of advanced technology in the management of data, the prioritisation of data governance is critical to the success of the digitization effort", he noted.

Mrs. Patricia Adusei-Poku, Executive Director of the Data Protection Commission (DPC), stressed the strategic alignment of Ghana’s National Data Governance Strategy with the country’s long-term National Development Plan and medium-term policy frameworks.

The strategy aims to achieve several key objectives: developing essential and sector-specific infrastructure, enhancing public access to data, establishing trust mechanisms across both public and private sectors of the economy, and fostering capacity-building initiatives for individuals and institutions. These goals are designed to strengthen Ghana's data governance framework and support its socio-economic development aspirations.

Mrs. Adusei-Poku also added that "good data governance strategy includes a well-designed governance program involving a Governance Team to steer the affairs and develop the data management standards and Data Stewards to implement, monitor, and enforce the related policies and procedures".

She highlighted the African Union's efforts in documenting various policies, with particular emphasis on the AU data policy.

 “African Union is documenting various policies, and the significant one in this discussion is the AU data policy. If anyone is listening to me who hasn’t downloaded the AU data policy, they should download it and see, because it details all the different project that has to happened in the region towards the digitalisation of the African continent to enable the free flow of data across the continent to power the single African market,” she urged.

 

Background

The validation workshop on Ghana's Data Strategy aims to bring together stakeholders to shape the country's future through data-driven initiatives. Focused on fostering innovation and informed decision-making, the workshop seeks to establish a collective vision for leveraging data as a strategic asset in national development.

Emphasizing inclusivity, it aims to engage diverse stakeholders from various sectors to ensure a broad spectrum of perspectives and knowledge sharing.

The workshop included a full-day technical session on June 27, 2024, where the national taskforce members conducted an in-depth review and finalized the draft data strategy. This was followed by a half-day main validation workshop on June 28, 2024, which was open to the public.

 This event marked a significant step in formalizing a comprehensive National Data Strategy for Ghana, reflecting collaborative efforts to harness data for sustainable  development and societal advancement.

 

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"I’ll extend presidential term of office to five years- Alan Kyerematen

 

Independent presidential candidate, Honorable Alan Kyerematen, has put forward a bold plan to increase the presidential term to five years and allow for the option of seeking re-election for a second term.

He made the statement during the official launch of his "Great Transformational Plan (GTP)" in Accra on Monday, June 24, 2024.

“We will amend Article 66 (1) to extend the term of the office of the President of the Republic, from four years to five years and be eligible for reelection for the second term. But under this arrangement no person shall have the right to be elected as president for more than two terms,” he emphasized 

During the launch, Mr. Kyerematen, leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), pointed out that the two main parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have extensively borrowed over the last three decades to finance their electoral promises. He argued that they have reached their limits in terms of skills and abilities and should not be re-elected.

“Both NDC and NPP have had the opportunity of being in charge of the country for the last 32 years. I believe in all sincerity that they have exhausted their competencies and capabilities and ought not to be retain in power.

“Between the two leading parties, they have over the three decades that they have been in power, resulted to extensive borrowing to finance their manifesto promises”, he said.

He stated that, with only five months remaining until the general election, citizens were still waiting for the manifestos of the two leading parties saying, “the culture of unrestrained borrowing is what has landed us into the ditch”.

Addressing the state of the economy, Mr. Kyerematen remarked that the current situation is a result of decisions made by our own actions.

“Whilst there may be a myriad of contributing factors, the tree that clearly stands out are; a failure of leadership, the divisiveness in our body politic and political space, our own unproductive attitude, behaviour and mindset as a people”, he stated.

 Mr Kyerematen said what was needed was a transformational leadership, a paradigm shifts in the governance system as well as a mindset change.  

“We have an opportunity in the General Election in December this year to cross that bridge, and move Ghana into a new era of peace and prosperity by electing me as the first Independent Candidate to become the President of Ghana.” 

The GTP, according to Alan Kyerematen "is a blueprint to Ghana’s economic transformation and outlines robust policy prescriptions and practical steps towards building an enterprise economy in the country."

Mr. Kyerematen also indicated that the introduction of the comprehensive policy framework, the GTP, aims to lead Ghana from instability to stability, growth, resilience, and ultimately prosperity.

He outlined that the GTP is structured around six interconnected clusters: Economic, Governance, Infrastructure, Social Services, Environment, Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Management, as well as Behavioural and Mindset Change.

Each cluster encompasses several pillars, thematic areas, and actionable policy recommendations. He emphasized that the GTP differs significantly from traditional party manifestos by offering precise, transparent, and action-focused policy solutions.

Speaking on Joy News, Duke Aaron Sasu, the Youth Leader and Spokesperson for the Movement for Change, urged Ghanaians to access the GTP booklet. He emphasized that it presents a comprehensive framework outlining how a presidential aspirant plans to advance the country's progress, marking the first of its kind.

According to him, what makes Alan different from the rest of the presidential aspirants is that “Alan lays down the what, the how, the why and the challenges and how those challenges should be addressed.

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Stonebwoy sues Baba Sadiq

 

Afro-dancehall star Stonebwoy, real name Livingstone Etse Satekla, has taken aspiring politician and entertainment critic Baba Sadiq (Sadiq Abdulai Abu) to court over comments made on his X page (formerly Twitter).

In a High Court writ filed on May 31, 2024, Stonebwoy, the reigning Ghanaian Artist of the Year, demands that Baba Sadiq delete the offending tweets and issue an unqualified apology for his comments.

Stonebwoy is also asking the court to award him damages of GHS 3 million for the harm which the tweets have caused to his reputation on the basis that Baba Sadiq acted maliciously and with intent to defame Stonebwoy by publishing statements that he knew to be false.

The lawsuit does not surprise those familiar with the tweets. Social media observers had voiced concerns about Stonebwoy's initial choice to ignore Sadiq's troubling remarks.

Sadiq's comments insinuated that Stonebwoy is a violent abuser of women, prompting widespread unease and ultimately leading to the legal action. Stonebwoy’s decision to take the matter to court reflects the serious nature of these accusations and the impact they have on his reputation.

The comments went viral and ignited heated discussions among fans and the general public because Stonebwoy has a long-standing record of championing women’s rights and has spearheaded several philanthropic activities aimed at supporting women.

The writ confirms that the Ghanaian icon is committed to protecting his hard-won reputation, as he has resorted to the legal system to vindicate his rights.

 

KiDi and Drew beef over TGMA award

 

The recent Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) sparked a public dispute between artists KiDi and Mr. Drew over the “Collaboration of the Year” award.

KiDi, alongside Stonebwoy, won the award for their song “Liquor,” beating out Mr. Drew’s “Case,” which featured Mophty, as well as other collaborations from Oseikrom Sikani, Amerado, King Paluta, FRA, and Akwaboah.

Mr. Drew expressed his frustration in an interview with 3music, arguing that his song was the most impactful in the category.

 He pointed out that “Case” featured an unknown artist and still managed to achieve significant success, suggesting that this should have secured him the award.

“No song was bigger or more impactful than ‘Case.’ To feature an artist that nobody knew and for the song to become that big and change both artists’ lives is the impact we are looking for. Isn’t that what collaboration means? It didn’t make sense to me,” Mr. Drew stated.

Despite his disappointment, he mentioned he has no ill feelings toward KiDi for winning the award.

KiDi responded to Mr. Drew’s comments with a sarcastic reaction video posted on X, seemingly mocking Mr. Drew's remarks. This post has since generated numerous reactions on the platform, adding to the ongoing debate among fans and the public.

The 25th Telecel Ghana Music Awards, held on June 1, 2024, was a notable event, with Stonebwoy clinching six trophies, including the coveted Artiste of the Year award.

 The awards ceremony highlighted the achievements of various artists in the Ghanaian music industry, but the controversy between KiDi and Mr. Drew has particularly captured public attention.

Mahama pledges to boost creative arts sector if elected president

  

John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer, vowed to enhance the creative arts sector if elected president.

Amidst a meeting with industry members on June 7, he vowed to address existing challenges and revive initiatives stalled under the current administration.

Mahama urged the government to prioritize investments in the creative sector, emphasizing his commitment to implementing solutions.

He underscored initiatives initiated during his presidency that have been hindered. If elected, Mahama aims to improve conditions for the creative arts industry, offering reassurance and advocating for increased support from the government.

 “…we are going to find those solutions together. In the past we have tried to assist. We assisted to provide cars to some of you because some of you really were using trotro and other things to go around and so to protect your dignity, we asked the Ministry of Tourism to procure some cars fand distribute to you and it was just the first phase and we were going to do it in phases.

“Unfortunately, we left office and that programme has not been continued and I also hear that some of the cars were seized from you and I think it’s unfortunate,” Mahama told members of the creative arts sector in a meeting.

He continued: “Nkrumah believed in creative arts and he put money in the creative arts and I believe that government must put money into the creative arts.”

 

Ambulance case: AG advised to save himself

 

In a dramatic turn of events, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has been advised to recuse himself from a high-stakes case involving a €2.37 million financial loss, currently unfolding at the High Court in Accra.

The recommendation came from Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe during the hearing on Thursday, June 6 ,2024. The judge stressed that removing the A-G from the case would help protect the integrity of the judicial process and bolster public confidence, ensuring that justice is perceived to be served solely within the courtroom.

Central to the judge's advice was a secret audio recording of a conversation between A-G Dame and Richard Jakpa, one of the accused in the ambulance case. The judge ruled that the contents of the recording was not related to the criminal proceedings. Specifically, she noted that Dame did not solicit Jakpa's help to strengthen the case against Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the primary accused.

Justice Asare-Botwe stated, "It is my considered view that it will be prudent to strongly advise the A-G not to be directly involved in the conduct of this case. This is one way of ensuring that the judicial process is protected and to gain public confidence and not give a perception that cases can be held at any other place except the court room."

However, the judge highlighted a portion of the audio where Dame suggested Jakpa seek a medical excuse, saying these matters fell under the General Legal Council's jurisdiction regarding lawyers' professional conduct.

Despite the ruling, Attorney-General Dame continued to lead the prosecution after the court session ended.

In an unrelated note, the case has drawn increased public scrutiny and media attention, adding pressure on the legal proceedings and the individuals involved. The coming days are expected to bring further developments as the trial progresses.