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Ghana has legalized the use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes as it joins other African countries hoping to derive economic and health benefits from the substance.

On Friday the country’s Parliament passed into law the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2019.

The law now makes the country’s Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) a Commission with enhanced powers to oversee the industrial use of some narcotic substances.

The Commission, however, will have the mandate to control and eliminate the trafficking of prohibited narcotic drugs to ensure public safety.

Health experts have always campaigned for addicts of narcotic drugs to be properly rehabilitated and not treated as criminals.

The new law makes provision for that as well now classifying drug abuse a public health issue.

With the legalization of Cannabis for industrial and health purposes, Ghana joins countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa who are changing their laws on narcotics.

Ghana’s new laws will make room for cannabis to be used to make medicines and hemp fibres.

Hemp fibres are used to make clothes, biofuel, paper and other products.

Ghana is hoping to rake in some revenue as well when industrial production of cannabis begins.

Industrial deals already signed

In Ghana, there is already the Hemp Association of Ghana (HAG) which has signed a deal with a Ghanaian-owned Cannabis business operator based in Portugal.

The deal will gross a staggering $ 56 million in five years from merely cultivating and exporting industrial hemp from a land size approximating 100 acres.

It will rake in around $2.8 million per harvest of HAG’s industrial hemp on the planned 100 acres.

Taxes to the Ghanaian government could gross over $ 10 million from just 100 acres of industrial hemp if the authorities evaluate the industrial potential of the plant taking the world by storm currently.

President of the Hemp Association of Ghana Nana Kwaku Agyemang told Africa Feeds that “We seem to get lost in this issue of getting high, and all we can talk about as Ghanaians is smoking.

As President of the Hemp Association of Ghana, we are not promoting smoking, we are promoting the industry, we are promoting cleaning up the environment, we are promoting creating a new revenue stream for government in terms of taxing from cultivation and export and we are talking about promoting medicines that are far better than opioids, medicines that cannot kill you because no one has died from taking cannabis.”

Cannabis Sativa is used for over 50,000 industrial uses, including being used as a cheaper alternative to cotton, paper car dashboards, and building houses and for medicinal purposes.

The Global Cannabis Market is estimated currently at over US$ 100 billion and estimate for the next five years peg the market size at a staggering $ 300 billion.

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A 35-year-old man has been arrested for storming a registration centre of the National Identification Authority (NIA) firing warning shots in an attempt to halt the exercise.

The incident occurred Thursday, March 19, 2020 at about 7:40am at Obeyemi a farming community near Oterkpelu in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The suspect identified as Stephen Tetteh, according to Starr News sources, had threatened the NIA officials to stop working since the exercise could endanger the health of applicants in the midst of coronavirus outbreak.Meanwhile, Ghana has recorded five cases more of the deadly COVID-19 disease bringing the total number of cases to 16.The Ghana Health Service in an update said all five were reported from the Greater Accra region.The first is a 29-year-old Ghanaian lady resident of Accra with no history of travel. Sample taken from her confirmed positive in the laboratory.The second is a 34-year-old Ghanaian lady resident of Accra who had contact of a confirmed case at her place of work.

Also, a 53-year-old Ghanaian male, resident of Tema with no history of travel, no evidence of close contact with a confirmed case. Samples confirmed positive in the laboratory.

A 41-year-old Ghanaian male who arrived in Ghana by KLM on the 15 March 2020; indicated exposure with family members in Amsterdam exhibiting respiratory symptoms and also on the flight with some passengers sneezing and coughing.The fifth person is a 36-year-old Ghanaian male resident of Paris, France; date of arrival in Ghana unconfirmed with no evidence of contact with an infected person.This brings to a total of sixteen (16) confirmed cases in Ghana, with no death.The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 246,777 people around the globe after doubling in less than two weeks.Between the start of the outbreak in December and March 7, there were 100,000 confirmed cases recorded.

But another 100,000 people have been infected in just 11 days since then, largely due to a surge in cases in Europe. Over 10, 000 people have so far died from the deadly virus.

China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany have suffered the highest number of infections.The current death toll suggests 4 percent of patients who catch the virus die from it.But experts say the death rate is probably lower than that because the true number of infections is much higher is far greater because some countries, including the UK, are only testing people hospitalised by the illness.

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50 percent of the victims of the pandemic have recovered so far

50 percent of the victims of the pandemic have recovered so far

Eight Ghanaians who contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are reported to have recovered, a highly placed government official has told kasapafmonline.com.

As at Friday, March 20, 2020, Ghana has confirmed and recorded 16 cases of the corona virus.

Considering the number of recorded cases, it means 50 percent of victims have recovered.

They are reported to be showing no signs of the symptoms of the disease after undergoing numerous tests by the Noguchi Memorial Laboratory.

President Akufo-Addo last Sunday announced the shut down of all educational institutions – universities, second cycle schools and basic schools effective, March 16, 2020, until further notice in the wake of the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19.

However, BECE and WASSCE candidates will be allowed to prepare for their examination under prescribed social distancing protocols.

All public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, political rallies, sporting events, such as services in churches and mosques have been suspended for the next four weeks.

Private burials are however permitted but with limited numbers not exceeding 25 people in attendance.

He reiterated that travel bans announced are still in force.

The NIA is being pressured to suspend its ongoing exercise in the Eastern Region.

The Eastern Regional Communication Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), David Prah, has promised that members of the party in the region will gang up and deal mercilessly with members of the opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should they attempt to disrupt the work of the National Identification Authority (NIA).

Speaking on Happy98.9FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’, Mr. Prah said, “we have asked our people to beat anyone who attempts to disrupt the process. The lawlessness of the NDC is within their party only and cannot transcend outside the NDC. Anyone who thinks he can put the law into his hands and disrupt the process should know that, we in the Eastern region will beat them”.

According to him, he does not understand why the NDC will try to disrupt the peaceful and orderly NIA process. “There is orderliness in the Eastern region with people waiting patiently in line to get their cards done. There are not more than 20 people in a queue at a time. Hand sanitizers are at the disposal of the NIA staff and all present. With all this in place, why would the NDC act this poorly because of political expediency”.

He went on to dare the General Secretary and other bigwigs of the NDC to lead the charge themselves to disrupt the NIA registration in the Eastern region. “If they come, we will beat them too. All they want to do is to disrupt the peace in Ghana and we are not ready to tolerate their bullying,” he added.

The Communication Director assured the NIA officials that their safety is guaranteed and that they should go on with their work.

“Markets, banks and chop bars are working because they are all essential services. These essential service providers will not stop working, and as the NIA is a part of these providers, they should also go on with their work”, he added.

David Prah disclosed that, the NDC want to disrupt the peaceful NIA process because they believe the Eastern region is a political stronghold of the NPP, and they will gain political advantage if the registration process is halted.

He commended the NIA boss, Professor Kenneth Attafuah for providing NIA personnel with the necessary materials to protect them against the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and other civil societies have called on the NIA to suspend its ongoing mass registration exercise in the Eastern region in the interest of public health and safety.

Source: Happyghana.com

Kumasi Asante Kotoko

FIFA has ordered that Kumasi Asante Kotoko must be relegated from the Ghana Premier League by next month if the Porcupine Warriors fail to pay the full $180,000 owed Tunisian giants Esperance.

The Porcupine Warriors have just just 18 days to settle the long standing debt or they will be playing in Ghana’s second tier league and will still be required to pay the debt.

The Kumasi-based giants were ordered to pay Esperance by April 6 or the Ghana FA will be ordered by FIFA to relegate the two-time African champions to the Division One League.

The Porcupine Warriors have received the letter from the world governing body and the Ghana FA has also been informed of the impending sanction.

Esperance have already frozen $150,000 they have to pay Kotoko over the transfer of Kwame Bonsu which means the Ghanaian side must be pay $30,000 to clear the debt.

Kotoko now have just over two weeks to mobilize the whopping $30,000 to pay Esperance over the contentious transfer of former Berekum Chelsea striker Emmanuel Clottey.

“Kotoko have received a letter from FIFA which orders them to pay us $180,000 for the wrongful signing of Emmanuel Clottey,” Esperance vice President Walid Arem told Nhyira FM

“We don’t owe them but rather they owe us $30,000 and they have to settle us before the date stated in the letter from FIFA.”

“We bought Kwame Bonsu for $150,000 and they also owe us $180,000. We need the money badly, so we’re waiting for it.”

Kotoko sparked their own woes when they reported the Tunisian club to FIFA claiming the transfer fee of their former midfielder Kwame Bonsu was still unpaid.

But Esperance hit back by responding to FIFA to remind them that Kotoko had still not paid the $180,000 which led to the letter from the world governing body to the Ghanaian side.

The current Kotoko management is struggling to find the documents for Clottey’s transfer after he joined the club from Esperance five years ago under controversial circumstances.

FIFA ruled that Clottey signed for Kotoko while he was still under contract with Esperance which led to the $180,000 transfer amount sanction by FIFA.

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The Ghana Health Service has confirmed two more cases of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana.

“The first is a 59-year-old Ghanaian woman, resident in the United Kingdom who recently returned to Ghana and currently living in Kumasi, reported to a private hospital with the history of fever (temp of 39.1), general malaise, cough and runny nose. Her condition was suspected to be COVID-19. Sample was subsequently collected and sent to KCCR and the report was received this early morning as positive for COVID-19.

“The second case is a 61-year-old Lebanese male trader and resident in Kumasi. He felt unwell and reported to a health facility with fever (temp 39.4 ? ), and cough. The sample tested positive for COVID-19.

“Both case patients are being managed in isolation and responding to treatment,” the Ministry’s website disclosed

So far the confirmed cases in Ghana are from Turkey, Norway, Germany, France, United States of America, United Kingdom (UK) and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com

NIA Boss, Professor Ken Attafuah holding a Ghana Card

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has reacted to critics who have slammed them for refusing to suspend their registration exercise in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Contrary to claims that the NIA has defied the orders of the president for public gatherings to be suspended, the NIA says it has not violated any directive since it has adopted measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

The NIA in a statement issued today [Thursday] said it has adopted a numbering and appointment system to prevent overcrowding at the registration centres.

Read the full statement below

“All public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, such as services in churches and mosques, have been suspended for the next four (4) weeks. Private burials are permitted, but with limited numbers, not exceeding twenty-five (25) in attendance”.* These were the words of His Excellency The President in relation to public gatherings when he addressed the nation last Sunday night on Ghana’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The NIA’s decision to continue with the mass registration exercise after this Presidential directive has come under severe criticism condemnation, with some describing the ongoing registration as defying the orders of the President, and calling for the immediate cessation of the exercise.

The NIA’s conduct does NOT violate the President’s directives on public gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, the NIA decision is harmonious with both the letter and spirit of the following equally compelling directive of His Excellency The President, ” *Businesses and other workplaces can continue to operate, but should observe prescribed social distancing between patrons and staff”.* The state of Ghana is not in a lock-down, and the business of Government is not expected to cease. The activities of NIA are consistent with this position and the above directive of the President. The issue is not whether or not NIA should continue with the registration exercise but rather its implementation of the social distancing and personal hygiene protocols.

NIA is using a numbering and appointment system to manage queues at the registration centres and ensure that there is no crowd build-up and violation of social distancing protocols. All NIA field staff are being supplied with the requisite Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), such as hand sanitizers and gloves. Veronica Buckets, water bowls, liquid soap and hand towels are also being provided at each registration centre.

In addition, applicants’ details and telephones numbers are taken on arrival, and they are given specific times to report at the center for registration or card issuance, instead of congregating at the centres. All staff and applicants at registration centres are regularly advised by the Supervising Registration Officer (SRO) to observe the appropriate two-meter social distancing instruction, as well as personal hygiene protocols.

These measures are consistent with the Directives of His Excellency The President, as well as the advice of the health experts.

Kwabena Maanu died on Sunday, March 15

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has registered its first Coronavirus death as one of its elders in Denmark has been killed by the virus.

Kwabena Maanu died on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

He is one of three Ghanaians to have died from the virus.

The other two, according to Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, passed on in Italy.

Mr. Maanu, one of the elders of NPP-Denmark, accordingly suffered brain hemorrhage in December 2019 and had been in and out of coma at an Intensive Care Unit of a Hospital in Denmark.

However his condition is reported to have stabilized.

But he somehow got exposed to the the virus at his recovery ward, got infected and given his weakened immune system, succumbed to it.

Mr. Maanu was a very influential figure in Denmark in the 80s and early 90s within the music circles.

He teamed up with Danish music moguls at the time to promote annual Afro-Caribbean music festival in Denmark in the 80s.

It was through him that big names like AfroMoses, Kojo Antwi and Youssou N’Dour first visited Europe before going on to become super stars.

His death has reportedly received a wide coverage in the Danish media.

“They refer to him as the man who brought African rhythm to Denmark. He’s indeed a legend here and we are saddened by his passing. May the good Lord accept his soul, Kennedy Adjei Chair, NPP-Denmark, said in a statement.