Journalist Manasseh Azure Azuni has revealed that he has passed up an opportunity to get a jab of the coronavirus vaccine today as the country rolls-out an elaborate programme to get citizens vaccinated against the deadly virus.

According to Manasseh Azure Awuni he received an invitation from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as part of the selected journalists expected to receive the jab today.

Writing on his Facebook page on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, Azure said while he is eager to get a jab, he is willing to defer it so that those with underlying health conditions who need it urgently can get the opportunity to be vaccinated.

He said: “I’m relatively young and do not have any known underlying health condition. I know many active or retired journalists are old. I also know journalists who are young but have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the vagaries of Covid-19.

“With the limited doses available, I don’t think it is right to go and get the jab while those who need it more than I may not have the opportunity”.

Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 1, 2021, became the first person in the country to take the much-awaited coronavirus vaccine that arrived sometime last week.

The President’s jab which was telecast on national television was among other things done to allay fears of a section of the public regarding the effects of the vaccine. It was also to demonstrate the confidence the president had in the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Ghana acquired 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India on Wednesday, February 24, becoming the first African country to do so.

Designated persons to take the vaccine will begin the exercise on Tuesday, March 2. The roll-out of the vaccine is expected to break the transmission of the virus which has seen a surge in Ghana over the last couple of weeks.

Source: GhanaWeb

Five ministerial nominees out of the 30 so far vetted have been deferred by the Minority MPs on Parliament’s Appointments Committee to reappear for further questioning.

They are Communication MInister nominee, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful; Railway Minister nominee, John Peter Amewu; Roads Minister nominee, Kwasi Amoako-Attah; Attorney General and Minister of Justice nominee, Godfred Dame and Health Minister nominee, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has been accused of being discriminatory in the closure of some radio stations.

The nominee during her vetting two weeks ago said, the NCA acted in accordance with the Electronic Communication Law of 2008 in shutting down radio stations.

She stated, “Ursula has not closed down any radio station…it was by operation of the Law…the NCA conducted an audit exercise which indicated that 144 radio stations had committed several infractions which necessitated that they are sanctioned”.

Also, the NDC MPs cited flaws in her answers regarding the Kelni GVG CMP deal.

This Common Monitoring Platform (CMP) contract was set up with the objective of providing a means of verifying the information provided by telecom companies for tax revenue purposes in accordance with the law.

She, however, justified the implementation of the programme, claiming that it has helped the country to boost its tax collections from the sector.

The Hohoe MP, John Peter Amewu will be answering questions pertaining to the PDS contract and the beating up of a bailiff in his constituency.

During his vetting, Mr Amewu took responsibility for the botched PDS deal owing to the fact that he was sector Minister at the time.

However, he denied any involvement in the incident with the bailiff, claiming that he only found out a week after it has happened.

Godfred Dame has also been summoned to answer additional questions pertaining to a petition filed against him by the family of Gregory Afoko.

Source: MyJoyOnline

Former President John Dramani is expected to be at the Police Hospital today March 2, 2021 to take the Coronavirus vaccine.

Reports suggest he’ll take his jab at 10am this morning.

On Monday, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia took their first doses of the vaccine to shore up public confidence in the vaccine.

Below is the list of priority persons for vaccination

Group 1 

• Persons most at risk and frontline State officials
• Healthcare workers
• Frontline security personnel
• Persons with underlying medical conditions
• Persons 60 years and above
• Frontline members of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary

Group 2

• Other essential service providers and the rest of the security agencies
• Water and electricity supply services
• Teachers and students
• Supply and distribution of fuels
• Farmers and food value chain
• Telecommunications services
• Air traffic and civil aviation control services
• Meteorological services
• Air transport services
• Waste management services
• Media
• Public and private commercial transport services
• Police Service
• Armed Forces
• Prisons Service
• Immigration Service
• National Fire Service
• CEPS Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority
• Other members of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature

Group 3

Consists of the rest of the public, that is all persons over 18 years, except for pregnant women.

Group 4

This final group will include pregnant mothers and persons under the age of 18, and they will be vaccinated when an appropriate vaccine, hopefully, is found, or when enough safety data on the present vaccines are available according to the President.

GhanaFeed.com