THE Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has announced the banning of street processions by political parties in the Berekum municipality with immediate effect.
The decision of the council followed the violent clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Berekum on Sunday, September 21, 2008.
A letter signed by the Regional Co-ordinating Director (RCD), Mr F.O. Boateng, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, and issued in Sunyani on Thursday said following the clash between the two parties, the REGSEC, chaired by the regional minister, had met the following day to discuss the issue and take measures to stop such acts in the run-up to this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in December.
The letter, which was addressed to the municipal chief executive (MCE) for Berekum, with copies to the regional police commander, all the political parties, as well as the media, stressed that “the REGSEC had decided to ban street processions before and after political rallies in the municipality with immediate effect”.
The letter also directed the Municipal Security Committee to inform political party executives in the area accordingly and again urged the security agencies to strictly enforce the ban.
In a related development, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Charles Oteng, has directed that all the district police commands in the region form election security task forces.
He said the membership of the task forces should include representatives of the security agencies, namely, the military, the Fire Service, the Immigration Service, the Customs, Exercise and Preventive Service and the Prisons Services.
Addressing a meeting of senior police officers in the region in Sunyani, ACP Oteng disclosed that already the regional police command had formed its task force, charged with the responsibility of educating the various political parties on the Public Order Act, among other duties.
He charged the officers to embark on intensive patrols before, during and after the elections, adding that they should also provide adequate security for the electoral officers, as well as all materials earmarked for the elections.
ACP Oteng urged the officers to ensure that their junior officers behaved themselves at all times in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Ghana Police Service and cautioned that any officer who failed in that direction would first face sanctions.
The Regional Police Commander again urged the officers to submit reports on activities in their various jurisdictions for action by the regional headquarters or the national headquarters.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
3 CUSTOMARY LAND SECRETARIATS INAUGURATED (PAGE 22)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinator of the Land Administration Project (LAP), Mr Sandy A. Mensah, has observed with concern that neither the district assemblies nor a majority of traditional authorities were judiciously applying stool revenues for projects that would benefit their communities.
He stated that it was incumbent on Nananom to ensure that whatever revenue that accrued on lands for which they were trustees, went to benefit the generality of their people but noted “some Nananom treat these revenues as personal incomes”.
Under Article 267 (1) of the Constitution, “All stool lands in Ghana shall be vested in the appropriate stool on behalf of and in trust for the subjects of the stool in accordance with customary law and usage.”
The Constitution also established the Office of the Administration of Stool Lands (OASL), charged with the responsibility of collection, management and disbursement of stool land revenue.
According to Mr Mensah, 55 per cent of such revenue went to the district/municipal assemblies while Nananom, the trustees of those lands, received 45 per cent on behalf of their stools.
Mr Mensah, who is also the Regional Lands Officer, made the observation in his welcoming address at the inauguration of three new Customary Land Secretariats (CLSs) for Drobo, Techiman and Nkoranza Traditional Areas in Sunyani.
CLSs are specialised offices established by the local land-owning communities with the support from the government to improve land management and administration in the country.
Mr Mensah stated that the government was providing assistance under the LAP, which was being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines (MLFM).
As of August 31, 2008, 38 CLSs, had been established and were being inaugurated in a series to strengthen Customary Land Administration in the country, under component II of the LAP.
According to the regional LAP co-ordinator, those secretariats were to be front runners in transaction in their localities, by capturing the requisite data on sales, transactions, user and parties involved, such that proper records would be kept to avoid multiple transactions and unlawful repossession, as well as to promote good governance, transparency and accountability in land administration.
He explained that about 80 per cent of all lands in the country were in traditional ownership, and that Nananom as community leaders were supposed to organise, motivate, inspire and lead their community members to the attainment of sustainable development.
“However, evidence on the ground shows that neither the district assemblies nor majority of Nananom are applying these revenues for projects that would benefit their communities, to the extent that some Nananom treat the revenue as personal incomes,” Mr Mensah emphasised.
The Regional Lands Officer stated that admittedly Article 267 clause 6(a) talked about a percentage of the revenues going to Nananom for the maintenance of the stool, in keeping with its status as the embodiment of the souls and aspirations of a community.
He, therefore, explained that the maintenance of the status of the stool did not only refer to the person or the occupant, but also the socio-economic standing of the particular community, in terms of development, failing which the chief and his subjects might have been seriously compromised.
Mr Mensah said the various assemblies had no guidelines on the use of stool revenue and consequently, the revenue was likely to be used for recurrent expenditure.
“It is my view some guidelines should be put in place for the use of stool revenue by the assemblies just as there are guidelines for the use of the District Assemblies Common Fund,” he suggested.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Andrews Adjei-Yeboah, who performed the inaugural ceremony, noted with satisfaction that the government through the LAP had made great strides in the transformation of the land administration systems in the country since October, 2003.
He said there had been a consistent pursuit of the project objective of reforming the systems and structures of the land sector for the country to reap the full benefits of the available land and natural resources, reduce poverty and promote socio-economic development.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah stated that the institutional reform aimed at establishing a one-stop-shop public land sector agency was on course, adding that the new Lands Commission Bill was before Parliament.
He expressed the hope that during the last session of Parliament this year, the bill would be passed into law.
He said the preparation of the construction of a modern office complex for a one-stop-shop service in Accra was at an advanced stage.
According to the deputy minister, all the necessary consultations for the purpose of drafting a new Lands Bill, had been completed and the drafting committee had started its work.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah announced that customary landowners across the country had come to appreciate the innovations in land administration that had been introduced through the establishment of CLSs.
He said that had resulted in the receipt of many requests for assistance for the establishment of secretariats from various families, clans, stools, and traditional councils from all the 10 regions of the country.
Representatives from the three traditional areas signed a memorandum of understanding and were also presented with equipment, including motorbikes and computers for use at their respective secretariats.
He stated that it was incumbent on Nananom to ensure that whatever revenue that accrued on lands for which they were trustees, went to benefit the generality of their people but noted “some Nananom treat these revenues as personal incomes”.
Under Article 267 (1) of the Constitution, “All stool lands in Ghana shall be vested in the appropriate stool on behalf of and in trust for the subjects of the stool in accordance with customary law and usage.”
The Constitution also established the Office of the Administration of Stool Lands (OASL), charged with the responsibility of collection, management and disbursement of stool land revenue.
According to Mr Mensah, 55 per cent of such revenue went to the district/municipal assemblies while Nananom, the trustees of those lands, received 45 per cent on behalf of their stools.
Mr Mensah, who is also the Regional Lands Officer, made the observation in his welcoming address at the inauguration of three new Customary Land Secretariats (CLSs) for Drobo, Techiman and Nkoranza Traditional Areas in Sunyani.
CLSs are specialised offices established by the local land-owning communities with the support from the government to improve land management and administration in the country.
Mr Mensah stated that the government was providing assistance under the LAP, which was being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines (MLFM).
As of August 31, 2008, 38 CLSs, had been established and were being inaugurated in a series to strengthen Customary Land Administration in the country, under component II of the LAP.
According to the regional LAP co-ordinator, those secretariats were to be front runners in transaction in their localities, by capturing the requisite data on sales, transactions, user and parties involved, such that proper records would be kept to avoid multiple transactions and unlawful repossession, as well as to promote good governance, transparency and accountability in land administration.
He explained that about 80 per cent of all lands in the country were in traditional ownership, and that Nananom as community leaders were supposed to organise, motivate, inspire and lead their community members to the attainment of sustainable development.
“However, evidence on the ground shows that neither the district assemblies nor majority of Nananom are applying these revenues for projects that would benefit their communities, to the extent that some Nananom treat the revenue as personal incomes,” Mr Mensah emphasised.
The Regional Lands Officer stated that admittedly Article 267 clause 6(a) talked about a percentage of the revenues going to Nananom for the maintenance of the stool, in keeping with its status as the embodiment of the souls and aspirations of a community.
He, therefore, explained that the maintenance of the status of the stool did not only refer to the person or the occupant, but also the socio-economic standing of the particular community, in terms of development, failing which the chief and his subjects might have been seriously compromised.
Mr Mensah said the various assemblies had no guidelines on the use of stool revenue and consequently, the revenue was likely to be used for recurrent expenditure.
“It is my view some guidelines should be put in place for the use of stool revenue by the assemblies just as there are guidelines for the use of the District Assemblies Common Fund,” he suggested.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Andrews Adjei-Yeboah, who performed the inaugural ceremony, noted with satisfaction that the government through the LAP had made great strides in the transformation of the land administration systems in the country since October, 2003.
He said there had been a consistent pursuit of the project objective of reforming the systems and structures of the land sector for the country to reap the full benefits of the available land and natural resources, reduce poverty and promote socio-economic development.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah stated that the institutional reform aimed at establishing a one-stop-shop public land sector agency was on course, adding that the new Lands Commission Bill was before Parliament.
He expressed the hope that during the last session of Parliament this year, the bill would be passed into law.
He said the preparation of the construction of a modern office complex for a one-stop-shop service in Accra was at an advanced stage.
According to the deputy minister, all the necessary consultations for the purpose of drafting a new Lands Bill, had been completed and the drafting committee had started its work.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah announced that customary landowners across the country had come to appreciate the innovations in land administration that had been introduced through the establishment of CLSs.
He said that had resulted in the receipt of many requests for assistance for the establishment of secretariats from various families, clans, stools, and traditional councils from all the 10 regions of the country.
Representatives from the three traditional areas signed a memorandum of understanding and were also presented with equipment, including motorbikes and computers for use at their respective secretariats.
WORK PROGRESSESON BUI HYDROELECTRIC POWER PROJECT (PAGE 22)
ON Friday, August 24, 2007, President John Agyekum Kufuor performed a symbolic sod-cutting ceremony for the commencement of the construction of the Bui Dam, also known as the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project (HPP), at the Bui Camp in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
All manner of people, including bankers, administrators, farmers, engineers, schoolchildren, fishermen, Ministers of State, parliamentarians, traditional and religious leaders, witnessed the ceremony.
There was drumming and dancing by some selected groups, some of who sang “Aba mu awie”, meaning that the dream of the project had become a reality.
The project was in fulfilment of the 2000 campaign promise made by President Kufuor to the people of the Brong Ahafo Region that he would construct the Bui Dam which had remained on the drawing board since the 1920s.
Subsequent to his promise, the President used the occasion of the Africa-China Summit held in Beijing in November 2006, to hold discussions with the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, to seek funding for the project. The funds were part of the Chinese government’s promise to roll out a $5 billion package for Africa .
The 400 megawatt (MW) power project is considered to be the most technically and economically attractive hydro power site in Ghana after the Akosombo and the Kpong Hydro Power plants.
It has, therefore, been the subject of many studies, namely, a detailed one by J.S. Zhuk Hydroproject of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1966, a feasibility study by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) of Australia in 1976 and another study by Coyne Bellier of France in 1995.
According to a technical brief by the Bui Power Authority (BPA), the feasibility study of 1995 was subsequently updated by Coyne Et Bellier in October 2006, and on that basis the project’s feasibility and economic viability were confirmed.
Primarily, the project is designed to generate power but it also has irrigation potential of about 30,000 hectares for agricultural production and also has the potential for ecotourism and fisheries
Project cost and plementation
The project is being financed through a hybrid credit facility comprising a concessional loan from the government of the People’s Republic of China and a buyer’s credit facility from the Export and Import Bank of China. The total cost of the project is about $630 million, including a provisional sum for irrigation, resettlement, employers’ permanent facilities, as well as project engineering and administration costs.
The government has entered into an engineering and construction contract with Sinohydro Corporation, a major Chinese dam construction firm of international repute that has constructed over 200 dams in China and around the world.
The company is involved in the construction of the three gorges dam project in China, which is considered to be the largest dam project in the world, with an installed capacity of 26,000MW.
The government has already made a contribution of $60 million to the project, which is currently under vigorous execution, with work progressing steadily.
According to the BPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Fred Oware, if the momentum of the work was sustained, the project would be completed ahead of schedule or within the stipulated time of February 2012.
From the technical brief, detailed field investigations were completed in March 2008.
Environmental and social impact of the project
Based on the environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) carried out by ERM consultants of the United Kingdom (UK) in October 2006, one of the key impacts is the resettlement of about 900 people living in seven villages within the Bui National Park.
Others are the loss of fauna and flora along the banks, social impact during the construction phase, that is, the influx of migrant workers, including health implications, cultural differences and potential tension, the need to protect the hippopotamus population, as well as increased hunting for displaced animals by the local people and the need to equip the Game and Wildlife Department for monitoring and supervision of the park.
The project has completed about 50 housing units to settle four out of the seven villages at the Jama resettlement site in the Bole District of the Northern Region. The four towns are Agbegikuro and Lucene villages in Bole and Brewohodi and Damsite villages in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
A housing unit comprises two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.
The four villages are made up of two major tribes, namely, Ewes and Dargatis, who are engaged in farming, with the Ewes engaging in fishing, in addition to the farming activities.
Recently, the Minister of Energy, Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, visited the Jama resettlement site where the construction of the camps to resettle 48 households, made up of 216 people, have been completed and the camps are occupied by the people.
Construction work on a community centre and a nursery was progressing steadily at the site at the time of the minister’s visit, while a second KVIP toilet facility was almost completed. Two boleholes to provide potable water and a solar panel street lighting system had also been constructed.
The project has also provided two acres of farmland for each household, in addition to financial assistance for the cultivation of crops. Besides, each member of a household is being treated as a government worker with a monthly allowance of GH¢67.50 for the next eight months, according to officials of the BPA.
Benefits expected from the project
Apart from adding 400MW to the power generation capability of the system and the multiple potential for fisheries, tourism and irrigation, the project will also improve power supply to northern Ghana. It has the potential of exporting power to Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and other countries within the West Africa Power Pool arrangement.
The project, according to the technical brief by the BPA, will also involve the construction of a nucleus township which will be the construction of a planned metropolis to be called the Bui City.
The Bui HPP is, therefore, envisaged to be the basis for a major economic and social transformation of the area.
All manner of people, including bankers, administrators, farmers, engineers, schoolchildren, fishermen, Ministers of State, parliamentarians, traditional and religious leaders, witnessed the ceremony.
There was drumming and dancing by some selected groups, some of who sang “Aba mu awie”, meaning that the dream of the project had become a reality.
The project was in fulfilment of the 2000 campaign promise made by President Kufuor to the people of the Brong Ahafo Region that he would construct the Bui Dam which had remained on the drawing board since the 1920s.
Subsequent to his promise, the President used the occasion of the Africa-China Summit held in Beijing in November 2006, to hold discussions with the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, to seek funding for the project. The funds were part of the Chinese government’s promise to roll out a $5 billion package for Africa .
The 400 megawatt (MW) power project is considered to be the most technically and economically attractive hydro power site in Ghana after the Akosombo and the Kpong Hydro Power plants.
It has, therefore, been the subject of many studies, namely, a detailed one by J.S. Zhuk Hydroproject of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1966, a feasibility study by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) of Australia in 1976 and another study by Coyne Bellier of France in 1995.
According to a technical brief by the Bui Power Authority (BPA), the feasibility study of 1995 was subsequently updated by Coyne Et Bellier in October 2006, and on that basis the project’s feasibility and economic viability were confirmed.
Primarily, the project is designed to generate power but it also has irrigation potential of about 30,000 hectares for agricultural production and also has the potential for ecotourism and fisheries
Project cost and plementation
The project is being financed through a hybrid credit facility comprising a concessional loan from the government of the People’s Republic of China and a buyer’s credit facility from the Export and Import Bank of China. The total cost of the project is about $630 million, including a provisional sum for irrigation, resettlement, employers’ permanent facilities, as well as project engineering and administration costs.
The government has entered into an engineering and construction contract with Sinohydro Corporation, a major Chinese dam construction firm of international repute that has constructed over 200 dams in China and around the world.
The company is involved in the construction of the three gorges dam project in China, which is considered to be the largest dam project in the world, with an installed capacity of 26,000MW.
The government has already made a contribution of $60 million to the project, which is currently under vigorous execution, with work progressing steadily.
According to the BPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Fred Oware, if the momentum of the work was sustained, the project would be completed ahead of schedule or within the stipulated time of February 2012.
From the technical brief, detailed field investigations were completed in March 2008.
Environmental and social impact of the project
Based on the environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) carried out by ERM consultants of the United Kingdom (UK) in October 2006, one of the key impacts is the resettlement of about 900 people living in seven villages within the Bui National Park.
Others are the loss of fauna and flora along the banks, social impact during the construction phase, that is, the influx of migrant workers, including health implications, cultural differences and potential tension, the need to protect the hippopotamus population, as well as increased hunting for displaced animals by the local people and the need to equip the Game and Wildlife Department for monitoring and supervision of the park.
The project has completed about 50 housing units to settle four out of the seven villages at the Jama resettlement site in the Bole District of the Northern Region. The four towns are Agbegikuro and Lucene villages in Bole and Brewohodi and Damsite villages in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
A housing unit comprises two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.
The four villages are made up of two major tribes, namely, Ewes and Dargatis, who are engaged in farming, with the Ewes engaging in fishing, in addition to the farming activities.
Recently, the Minister of Energy, Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, visited the Jama resettlement site where the construction of the camps to resettle 48 households, made up of 216 people, have been completed and the camps are occupied by the people.
Construction work on a community centre and a nursery was progressing steadily at the site at the time of the minister’s visit, while a second KVIP toilet facility was almost completed. Two boleholes to provide potable water and a solar panel street lighting system had also been constructed.
The project has also provided two acres of farmland for each household, in addition to financial assistance for the cultivation of crops. Besides, each member of a household is being treated as a government worker with a monthly allowance of GH¢67.50 for the next eight months, according to officials of the BPA.
Benefits expected from the project
Apart from adding 400MW to the power generation capability of the system and the multiple potential for fisheries, tourism and irrigation, the project will also improve power supply to northern Ghana. It has the potential of exporting power to Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and other countries within the West Africa Power Pool arrangement.
The project, according to the technical brief by the BPA, will also involve the construction of a nucleus township which will be the construction of a planned metropolis to be called the Bui City.
The Bui HPP is, therefore, envisaged to be the basis for a major economic and social transformation of the area.
Friday, September 26, 2008
IT IS RELIGIOUSLY WRONG TO ABUSE PRESIDENT (PAGE 17)
THE Drobo Area Pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, Reverend Nti Anane, has denounced the way and manner some people insult and castigate people in leadership positions, including the President, with impunity, under the cover of free speech and political expediency.
He explained that it was religiously wrong to openly abuse the President and, indeed, people in leadership positions, since it was God who appointed such personalities to be leaders, saying such insults were invariably directed at God.
Rev Anane made the condemnation at Dwenem, near Drobo, when he contributed at a durbar organised by the Jaman South Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Japekrom in the Brong Ahafo Region. It was on the theme, “Tolerance Towards Violence-Free Elections on December 7”.
The area pastor observed with concern that because of politics some individuals could mount political platforms and make unsavoury statements against their opponents, adding that “we should not allow politics to divide us because we are all one people with a common destiny”.
A director at the NCCE head office in Accra, Mr Michael Dadzie, advised the people to let tolerance be their watchword and avoid the politics of vilification, pointing out that the framers of the 1992 Constitution, in their wisdom, made room for the multi-party system of democracy, which meant that different people could come together to form a political party, and that it was not a crime for someone to belong to a party of his or her choice.
He said the Constitution also guaranteed the free participation of people in party activities, free expression of one’s views, without fear of intimidation or prosecution, but cautioned that such pronouncements should not be inflammatory, adding that for the upcoming general election, there was the need for peace and mutual understanding.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Michael Amponsah, also explained that the democratic concept was such that every citizen had a say in governance, while there was always a struggle for power to rule, without resorting to arbitrariness, and stressed that whoever emerged victorious in an organised election was given the power to govern the state.
The Roman Catholic Catechist at Dwenem, Mr Peter Yaw Yeboah, noted that for peace to prevail, the media had a crucial role to play by reporting in a circumspect manner, while politicians refrained from personality attacks.
He explained that it was religiously wrong to openly abuse the President and, indeed, people in leadership positions, since it was God who appointed such personalities to be leaders, saying such insults were invariably directed at God.
Rev Anane made the condemnation at Dwenem, near Drobo, when he contributed at a durbar organised by the Jaman South Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Japekrom in the Brong Ahafo Region. It was on the theme, “Tolerance Towards Violence-Free Elections on December 7”.
The area pastor observed with concern that because of politics some individuals could mount political platforms and make unsavoury statements against their opponents, adding that “we should not allow politics to divide us because we are all one people with a common destiny”.
A director at the NCCE head office in Accra, Mr Michael Dadzie, advised the people to let tolerance be their watchword and avoid the politics of vilification, pointing out that the framers of the 1992 Constitution, in their wisdom, made room for the multi-party system of democracy, which meant that different people could come together to form a political party, and that it was not a crime for someone to belong to a party of his or her choice.
He said the Constitution also guaranteed the free participation of people in party activities, free expression of one’s views, without fear of intimidation or prosecution, but cautioned that such pronouncements should not be inflammatory, adding that for the upcoming general election, there was the need for peace and mutual understanding.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Michael Amponsah, also explained that the democratic concept was such that every citizen had a say in governance, while there was always a struggle for power to rule, without resorting to arbitrariness, and stressed that whoever emerged victorious in an organised election was given the power to govern the state.
The Roman Catholic Catechist at Dwenem, Mr Peter Yaw Yeboah, noted that for peace to prevail, the media had a crucial role to play by reporting in a circumspect manner, while politicians refrained from personality attacks.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
BEREKUM NDC SURRENDERS 9 SUPPORTERS AFTER CLASH (PAGE 15)
THE executive of the Berekum Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has surrendered nine supporters of the party to the Berekum Municipal Police Command for their alleged involvement in the clash between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and NDC last Sunday during which six people were injured.
The police have consequently taken the statements of the nine suspects after which they were granted police enquiry bail.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles A. Koosono in charge of the command who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the names of the nine came up during police investigations that they actively took part in the violence.
He, however, declined to mention the names of the nine suspects for security reasons.
According to him, some members of the NPP whose names had also been mentioned as having participated in the clash, were yet to be invited for questioning. He said the police had a long list, including two key persons, who were mentioned by a victim of the clash.
He added that the police were relying on independent witnesses to the clash, since both the NDC and NPP were mentioning various people who took part in the violence, and that as soon as the police concluded their investigations those found culpable would be put before court.
So far, ASP Koosono said the situation in the municipality was calm with people going about their normal business.
The Berekum Municipal Security Council (MISEC) directed the security agencies to arrest anybody whose name had been mentioned in connection with the violent clash that erupted between the NPP and NDC supporters at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region on Sunday.
The council also directed that all those who would be found guilty should be made to face the full rigours of the law, no matter their political, religious, social and ethnic backgrounds, to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Kwabena Kyere-Yeboah, Chairman of MISEC and Berekum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), who reported this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the decision was taken following an emergency meeting held by MISEC as measures to forestall any future occurrence of such violent clashes in the municipality before, during or after the December 7 general election.
He said further that the police were directed to deal with all related political cases that happened before the Sunday clash with dispatch, adding that the Municipal Election Task Force had also been directed to meet all political parties to take copies of their programmes and also to ensure that political activities involving opposing parties in the municipality would not take place at the same time to prevent such incidents.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah said MISEC also decided that the Election Task Force should monitor all radio phone-in programmes to ensure that callers would not make any inflammatory statements that could incite the people to violence and that anybody who called into radio programmes to make any allegations that could inflame passion should be called in to substantiate them or be made to face the full rigours of the law for creating unnecessary tension that could lead to violence in the municipality.
He appealed to all religious groupings in the municipality to fast and pray for a violence- free electioneering in the municipality.
The police have consequently taken the statements of the nine suspects after which they were granted police enquiry bail.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles A. Koosono in charge of the command who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the names of the nine came up during police investigations that they actively took part in the violence.
He, however, declined to mention the names of the nine suspects for security reasons.
According to him, some members of the NPP whose names had also been mentioned as having participated in the clash, were yet to be invited for questioning. He said the police had a long list, including two key persons, who were mentioned by a victim of the clash.
He added that the police were relying on independent witnesses to the clash, since both the NDC and NPP were mentioning various people who took part in the violence, and that as soon as the police concluded their investigations those found culpable would be put before court.
So far, ASP Koosono said the situation in the municipality was calm with people going about their normal business.
The Berekum Municipal Security Council (MISEC) directed the security agencies to arrest anybody whose name had been mentioned in connection with the violent clash that erupted between the NPP and NDC supporters at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region on Sunday.
The council also directed that all those who would be found guilty should be made to face the full rigours of the law, no matter their political, religious, social and ethnic backgrounds, to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Kwabena Kyere-Yeboah, Chairman of MISEC and Berekum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), who reported this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the decision was taken following an emergency meeting held by MISEC as measures to forestall any future occurrence of such violent clashes in the municipality before, during or after the December 7 general election.
He said further that the police were directed to deal with all related political cases that happened before the Sunday clash with dispatch, adding that the Municipal Election Task Force had also been directed to meet all political parties to take copies of their programmes and also to ensure that political activities involving opposing parties in the municipality would not take place at the same time to prevent such incidents.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah said MISEC also decided that the Election Task Force should monitor all radio phone-in programmes to ensure that callers would not make any inflammatory statements that could incite the people to violence and that anybody who called into radio programmes to make any allegations that could inflame passion should be called in to substantiate them or be made to face the full rigours of the law for creating unnecessary tension that could lead to violence in the municipality.
He appealed to all religious groupings in the municipality to fast and pray for a violence- free electioneering in the municipality.
Monday, September 22, 2008
MINE SAFETY, FIRST AID COMPETITION HELD (PAGE 13)
By Akwasi Ampratwu-
Mensah, Sunyani
THIS year’s Zone Two Mine Safety and First Aid Competition involving five mining companies in the country, took place at the Newmount Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) Plant Site at Kenyasi in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Central African Gold Company Limited at Bibiani in the Western Region emerged champions when the company’s team scored 64.3 points.
The other companies that participated in the Oral Safety and First Aid Quiz as well as Practical Safety and First Aid Test were: AngloGold Ashanti at Obuasi, which placed 2nd with 62.5 points, NGGL, 3rd with 62 points: Chirano Mines at Chirano in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in the Western Region followed with 51.8 points, while Ghana Bauxite Company, Awaso in the Western Region placed 5th with 49.6 points.
Qualification
Central African Gold and AshantiGold have thus qualified to participate in the national contest which has the overall aim of bringing together mining companies and community representatives and creating safety and first aid awareness among them.
The general theme for this year’s programme was: The Right Way, The Safety Way, Everyday.
For the Community Representative competition, NGGL community team scored 72 points to emerge winners followed by Chirano with 70 points and Central African Gold community with 69 points. The first two teams have therefore, qualified to compete in the national event.
All the teams that participated were presented with prizes and certificates.
Speaking at the function, the General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility of NGGL, Mr Dan Michaelsen, dismissed the perception by people that, mining companies cared little about the safety of human life and the environment.
He explained that mining companies rather had a great responsibility to ensure that their activities were carried out under the safest conditions and with minimum negative impact on the environment, adding, “This responsibility extends not only to employees but also to communities in which we operate.”
Awareness
Mr Michaelsen further explained that the ever-increasing global awareness about workplace safety and the environment, had led to a corresponding increase in public expectation for extractive industries to be responsible in their activities.
The General Manager stressed that it was precisely the growing attention of the public and other stakeholders that had spawned many of the safety and environmental initiatives that modern mining companies now supported, adding that, one of such initiatives was the zonal safety and first aid competition.
He said that it was within the context of self-regulation that the Ghana Chamber of Mines in partnership with other stakeholders, instituted the mine safety competition to celebrate and reinforce the safety values now demonstrated by the mining industry and their communities.
Mr Michaelsen expressed satisfaction about the community involvement in the programme because it emphasised the fact that safety was as important to communities as it was for the mining companies and that his company was proud to be hosting the competition for the first time at the cost of GH¢50,000.
Blasting Standards
Ms Joyce R. Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said in a speech read on her behalf that, the lack of indigenous blasting standards that suited local conditions, had been a major concern for the mining industry and that, the industry had therefore, had to rely on standards from other countries, such as Australia and the United States of America.
To address this concern, she disclosed that the chamber, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, had obtained the support of the Mining Sector Support Programme (MSSP) of the European Union to conduct a study to establish the requisite standards that were relevant for the country.
Mensah, Sunyani
THIS year’s Zone Two Mine Safety and First Aid Competition involving five mining companies in the country, took place at the Newmount Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) Plant Site at Kenyasi in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Central African Gold Company Limited at Bibiani in the Western Region emerged champions when the company’s team scored 64.3 points.
The other companies that participated in the Oral Safety and First Aid Quiz as well as Practical Safety and First Aid Test were: AngloGold Ashanti at Obuasi, which placed 2nd with 62.5 points, NGGL, 3rd with 62 points: Chirano Mines at Chirano in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in the Western Region followed with 51.8 points, while Ghana Bauxite Company, Awaso in the Western Region placed 5th with 49.6 points.
Qualification
Central African Gold and AshantiGold have thus qualified to participate in the national contest which has the overall aim of bringing together mining companies and community representatives and creating safety and first aid awareness among them.
The general theme for this year’s programme was: The Right Way, The Safety Way, Everyday.
For the Community Representative competition, NGGL community team scored 72 points to emerge winners followed by Chirano with 70 points and Central African Gold community with 69 points. The first two teams have therefore, qualified to compete in the national event.
All the teams that participated were presented with prizes and certificates.
Speaking at the function, the General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility of NGGL, Mr Dan Michaelsen, dismissed the perception by people that, mining companies cared little about the safety of human life and the environment.
He explained that mining companies rather had a great responsibility to ensure that their activities were carried out under the safest conditions and with minimum negative impact on the environment, adding, “This responsibility extends not only to employees but also to communities in which we operate.”
Awareness
Mr Michaelsen further explained that the ever-increasing global awareness about workplace safety and the environment, had led to a corresponding increase in public expectation for extractive industries to be responsible in their activities.
The General Manager stressed that it was precisely the growing attention of the public and other stakeholders that had spawned many of the safety and environmental initiatives that modern mining companies now supported, adding that, one of such initiatives was the zonal safety and first aid competition.
He said that it was within the context of self-regulation that the Ghana Chamber of Mines in partnership with other stakeholders, instituted the mine safety competition to celebrate and reinforce the safety values now demonstrated by the mining industry and their communities.
Mr Michaelsen expressed satisfaction about the community involvement in the programme because it emphasised the fact that safety was as important to communities as it was for the mining companies and that his company was proud to be hosting the competition for the first time at the cost of GH¢50,000.
Blasting Standards
Ms Joyce R. Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said in a speech read on her behalf that, the lack of indigenous blasting standards that suited local conditions, had been a major concern for the mining industry and that, the industry had therefore, had to rely on standards from other countries, such as Australia and the United States of America.
To address this concern, she disclosed that the chamber, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, had obtained the support of the Mining Sector Support Programme (MSSP) of the European Union to conduct a study to establish the requisite standards that were relevant for the country.
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY MOVES TO PERMANENT SITE (PAGE 5)
By Akwasi Ampratwum
-Mensah, Fiapre
THE Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG), at Fiapre, which was established in March 2003 at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Sunyani as a temporary campus, has now moved to its permanent site which covers a total land area of 6.1 square miles at Fiapre, near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Land
The Fiapre Traditional Council provided the land free of charge for the development of the university college which was the brainchild of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) in 1998.
At the new site, a cluster of four completed structures namely, a resource centre, which houses the university’s library, computer laboratories and two large lecture theatres with a seating capacity of 700 for one and 500 for the other as well as a classroom block has been provided.
The classroom block contains nine rooms, two of which have been converted into offices for the Registrar, the Vice Chancellor and a third one a Board Meeting room.
In one of the two computer laboratories, 80 of the systems have been put in place while an additional 250 were yet to be delivered.
contract
Professor James H. Ephraim, the Vice Chancellor of CUCG who addressed a press conference at the university’s new campus, indicated that a three-storey hostel was currently under construction and that about 70 per cent of work was complete, while contracts had also been awarded for the construction of 16 staff bungalows with plans far advanced to establish science laboratories for the basic sciences.
He claimed that the university had been able to embark on those massive projects through the efforts of the GCBC, the owners of the university.
The Vice Chancellor explained that, from a modest beginning of 50 students who matriculated on November 13, 2003, the university had a current enrolment of 1,280 who were undertaking degree programmes in Economics and Business Administration, with options in Economics, Accounting, Management as well as Banking and Finance.
According to him, the university was also offering training programmes in Religious Studies up to the Master’s level, BSc. Public Health with options in Health Management, Health Informatics and Health Education as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Education (B.Ed), which had the options of School Administration and Guidance and Counselling.
In addition, he said, the university offers a one year and two year Diploma Programmes in Education respectively for graduate teachers who wanted to have a professional qualification, and that it organises a night school, which provides the opportunity for adults, especially employees, to study for their part-time degrees.
Training
He pointed out that one unique feature of the university’s training programmes was its inbuilt enrichment and religious courses, saying, “Through our interactive pedagogy, our students are empowered with unparalleled excellent tuition, high moral values and profound understanding of socio-cultural challenges in Ghana and it is not surprising that enrolment at the university is growing at an exponential rate,”
On the job market, the Vice- Chancellor mentioned that, the university’s graduates were being sought after by many institutions and “we are getting very positive feedback on the performance of those who are already employed and this could not have been possible without highly qualified staff. Currently, the university is having and continues to attract a cream of the best brains across the world”.
-Mensah, Fiapre
THE Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG), at Fiapre, which was established in March 2003 at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Sunyani as a temporary campus, has now moved to its permanent site which covers a total land area of 6.1 square miles at Fiapre, near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Land
The Fiapre Traditional Council provided the land free of charge for the development of the university college which was the brainchild of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) in 1998.
At the new site, a cluster of four completed structures namely, a resource centre, which houses the university’s library, computer laboratories and two large lecture theatres with a seating capacity of 700 for one and 500 for the other as well as a classroom block has been provided.
The classroom block contains nine rooms, two of which have been converted into offices for the Registrar, the Vice Chancellor and a third one a Board Meeting room.
In one of the two computer laboratories, 80 of the systems have been put in place while an additional 250 were yet to be delivered.
contract
Professor James H. Ephraim, the Vice Chancellor of CUCG who addressed a press conference at the university’s new campus, indicated that a three-storey hostel was currently under construction and that about 70 per cent of work was complete, while contracts had also been awarded for the construction of 16 staff bungalows with plans far advanced to establish science laboratories for the basic sciences.
He claimed that the university had been able to embark on those massive projects through the efforts of the GCBC, the owners of the university.
The Vice Chancellor explained that, from a modest beginning of 50 students who matriculated on November 13, 2003, the university had a current enrolment of 1,280 who were undertaking degree programmes in Economics and Business Administration, with options in Economics, Accounting, Management as well as Banking and Finance.
According to him, the university was also offering training programmes in Religious Studies up to the Master’s level, BSc. Public Health with options in Health Management, Health Informatics and Health Education as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Education (B.Ed), which had the options of School Administration and Guidance and Counselling.
In addition, he said, the university offers a one year and two year Diploma Programmes in Education respectively for graduate teachers who wanted to have a professional qualification, and that it organises a night school, which provides the opportunity for adults, especially employees, to study for their part-time degrees.
Training
He pointed out that one unique feature of the university’s training programmes was its inbuilt enrichment and religious courses, saying, “Through our interactive pedagogy, our students are empowered with unparalleled excellent tuition, high moral values and profound understanding of socio-cultural challenges in Ghana and it is not surprising that enrolment at the university is growing at an exponential rate,”
On the job market, the Vice- Chancellor mentioned that, the university’s graduates were being sought after by many institutions and “we are getting very positive feedback on the performance of those who are already employed and this could not have been possible without highly qualified staff. Currently, the university is having and continues to attract a cream of the best brains across the world”.
3 DIE IN TRUCK ACCIDENT AT TECHIMAN (PAGE 3)
By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Techiman
THREE persons died on the spot, when an Obuasi-bound Ford cargo truck loaded with pieces of sawned timber, on which they were travelling from Techiman to Sunyani, plunged into an abandoned bridge project on River Tano at the outskirts of Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
At 9.30 a.m when newsmen got to the accident scene, the three bodies had been retrieved from the truck, whose number plate bearing its registration number was difficult to trace.
A large crowd had also gathered at the scene of the accident discussing the accident, which was said to have occurred at about 8.30 p.m last Wednesday.
The deceaseds' names were only given as Isiu, the driver, Karim and Abu.
According to the Techiman Municipal Commander of Police MTTU, Assistant Superintend of Police (ASP) D.S. Yacubu, information reaching him indicated that the driver of the truck was travelling on the road for the first time.
He alleged that since there were no diversion signs to caution road users about the construction work on the bridge and the dangers ahead, the driver went straight ahead, thereby plunging straight into the river.
When newsmen contacted the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Prince Yaw Donyinah, he showed the press men a letter, which indicated that, the project was being undertaken by an Accra-based construction company, Messrs B. ISEMG Limited at the cost of GH¢230,393,8250 and described the accident as bad.
He admitted that for almost one year now the contractor could not be traced and that he had persistently approached him to expedite action on the project, adding that the contractor whose name he only gave as Prince, had given the assurance that the project would be completed in three months time.
Asked why the assembly did not border to put up diversion signs, considering to the looming danger, the MCE said since it was not the assembly that gave out the contract, it could not do so and added that, if assembly had done that, “ I would have taken it back from him,”
“I have even warned the contractor not to greet me in town, because I will slap him as a result of the delay on the bridge,” he stressed.
When asked further whether he had been to the accident scene, Mr Donyinah said he was there on the night of the incident, but for security reasons, he had been advised not to go there again for fear of being lynched by some aggrieved persons.
According to the MCE, he had been worried over the delay, especially since he had been accused by his political opponents that he had not seen to the completion of the work on time.
He showed newsmen two letters, one written to him by the Techiman Traditional Council and signed by the Omanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw on August 8, 2008 about the delay of the project and another by a Youth Non-governmental Organisation, “Achievers’ Alliance” in Techiman on August 14, 2008, about their intended peaceful demonstration, due to the slow pace at which the project was moving and the danger it posed to the travelling public and pedestrians.
THREE persons died on the spot, when an Obuasi-bound Ford cargo truck loaded with pieces of sawned timber, on which they were travelling from Techiman to Sunyani, plunged into an abandoned bridge project on River Tano at the outskirts of Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
At 9.30 a.m when newsmen got to the accident scene, the three bodies had been retrieved from the truck, whose number plate bearing its registration number was difficult to trace.
A large crowd had also gathered at the scene of the accident discussing the accident, which was said to have occurred at about 8.30 p.m last Wednesday.
The deceaseds' names were only given as Isiu, the driver, Karim and Abu.
According to the Techiman Municipal Commander of Police MTTU, Assistant Superintend of Police (ASP) D.S. Yacubu, information reaching him indicated that the driver of the truck was travelling on the road for the first time.
He alleged that since there were no diversion signs to caution road users about the construction work on the bridge and the dangers ahead, the driver went straight ahead, thereby plunging straight into the river.
When newsmen contacted the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Prince Yaw Donyinah, he showed the press men a letter, which indicated that, the project was being undertaken by an Accra-based construction company, Messrs B. ISEMG Limited at the cost of GH¢230,393,8250 and described the accident as bad.
He admitted that for almost one year now the contractor could not be traced and that he had persistently approached him to expedite action on the project, adding that the contractor whose name he only gave as Prince, had given the assurance that the project would be completed in three months time.
Asked why the assembly did not border to put up diversion signs, considering to the looming danger, the MCE said since it was not the assembly that gave out the contract, it could not do so and added that, if assembly had done that, “ I would have taken it back from him,”
“I have even warned the contractor not to greet me in town, because I will slap him as a result of the delay on the bridge,” he stressed.
When asked further whether he had been to the accident scene, Mr Donyinah said he was there on the night of the incident, but for security reasons, he had been advised not to go there again for fear of being lynched by some aggrieved persons.
According to the MCE, he had been worried over the delay, especially since he had been accused by his political opponents that he had not seen to the completion of the work on time.
He showed newsmen two letters, one written to him by the Techiman Traditional Council and signed by the Omanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw on August 8, 2008 about the delay of the project and another by a Youth Non-governmental Organisation, “Achievers’ Alliance” in Techiman on August 14, 2008, about their intended peaceful demonstration, due to the slow pace at which the project was moving and the danger it posed to the travelling public and pedestrians.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
TECHIMAN TO FORM MUNICIPAL PEACE COUNCIL (PAGE 15)
THE Techiman Traditional Council is to form a Municipal Peace Council that will handle complaints that may arise from activities of political parties within the Techiman Municipality before, during and after the December 7 election.
Membership of the council would include the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, pastors, heads of the security service, Nananom and other eminent citizens who are desirous to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who disclosed this at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, pointed out that now that Ghanaians had decided to embrace liberal democracy, “we should be prepared to accept dissenting views, because our political opponents are not our enemies”.
The Omanhene, who was addressing the annual Ohene Ameyaw Fofie Yam festival, entreated Nananom in particular to preach a message of peace and unity to their people and let them understand that in spite of their political differences, they were all Ghanaians and should, therefore, avoid any form of violence for a better Ghana.
The celebration of the Fofie Yam festival by the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area provides not only the spiritual significance of their way of life, but also sets the platform for evaluating social, economic and political lives of the people.
It is again the period for the people to express their appreciation to the Almighty God for giving them a bumper harvest, a time to feed the spirits of their ancestors and pour libation to invoke their spirits to positively redirect the people.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw pointed out that, “whatever happens in the forthcoming December election, only one political party would emerge victorious and so all others should be prepared to accept defeat, since that would go a long way to sustain the peace we are currently enjoying in the country.”
He, however, reminded Nananom to be aware that their active participation in party politics was inimical to the chieftaincy institution as they were the embodiment of culture and the society at large.
“For this reason, we cannot be treated as just ordinary people. Any little remarks in favour of a political faction erodes the confidence of the opposition faction in you, and so you should maintain your political neutrality and be tactful and diplomatic in your approaches to political party issues,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw advised.
However, he declared that “we should condemn in no uncertain terms, insults, character assassination, coercion and any form of intimidation or ethnic sentiments, and our arguments, presentations on political platforms, discussions on radio stations as well as phone-ins should be issue-based”.
On the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, the Omanhene said he supported the call for its deletion from the statute books because of the perception that it was dividing the society, and this is the time for each one of us to talk about unity, to write about unity and do things that reinforce unity amongst Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s political lineage, tribe or religion. We need to build bridges and not to burn them”.
Membership of the council would include the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, pastors, heads of the security service, Nananom and other eminent citizens who are desirous to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who disclosed this at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, pointed out that now that Ghanaians had decided to embrace liberal democracy, “we should be prepared to accept dissenting views, because our political opponents are not our enemies”.
The Omanhene, who was addressing the annual Ohene Ameyaw Fofie Yam festival, entreated Nananom in particular to preach a message of peace and unity to their people and let them understand that in spite of their political differences, they were all Ghanaians and should, therefore, avoid any form of violence for a better Ghana.
The celebration of the Fofie Yam festival by the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area provides not only the spiritual significance of their way of life, but also sets the platform for evaluating social, economic and political lives of the people.
It is again the period for the people to express their appreciation to the Almighty God for giving them a bumper harvest, a time to feed the spirits of their ancestors and pour libation to invoke their spirits to positively redirect the people.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw pointed out that, “whatever happens in the forthcoming December election, only one political party would emerge victorious and so all others should be prepared to accept defeat, since that would go a long way to sustain the peace we are currently enjoying in the country.”
He, however, reminded Nananom to be aware that their active participation in party politics was inimical to the chieftaincy institution as they were the embodiment of culture and the society at large.
“For this reason, we cannot be treated as just ordinary people. Any little remarks in favour of a political faction erodes the confidence of the opposition faction in you, and so you should maintain your political neutrality and be tactful and diplomatic in your approaches to political party issues,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw advised.
However, he declared that “we should condemn in no uncertain terms, insults, character assassination, coercion and any form of intimidation or ethnic sentiments, and our arguments, presentations on political platforms, discussions on radio stations as well as phone-ins should be issue-based”.
On the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, the Omanhene said he supported the call for its deletion from the statute books because of the perception that it was dividing the society, and this is the time for each one of us to talk about unity, to write about unity and do things that reinforce unity amongst Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s political lineage, tribe or religion. We need to build bridges and not to burn them”.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
TECHIMAN TO FORM MUNICIPAL PEACE COUNCIL (PAGE 15)
THE Techiman Traditional Council is to form a Municipal Peace Council that will handle complaints that may arise from activities of political parties within the Techiman Municipality before, during and after the December 7 election.
Membership of the council would include the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, pastors, heads of the security service, Nananom and other eminent citizens who are desirous to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who disclosed this at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, pointed out that now that Ghanaians had decided to embrace liberal democracy, “we should be prepared to accept dissenting views, because our political opponents are not our enemies”.
The Omanhene, who was addressing the annual Ohene Ameyaw Fofie Yam festival, entreated Nananom in particular to preach a message of peace and unity to their people and let them understand that in spite of their political differences, they were all Ghanaians and should, therefore, avoid any form of violence for a better Ghana.
The celebration of the Fofie Yam festival by the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area provides not only the spiritual significance of their way of life, but also sets the platform for evaluating social, economic and political lives of the people.
It is again the period for the people to express their appreciation to the Almighty God for giving them a bumper harvest, a time to feed the spirits of their ancestors and pour libation to invoke their spirits to positively redirect the people.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw pointed out that, “whatever happens in the forthcoming December election, only one political party would emerge victorious and so all others should be prepared to accept defeat, since that would go a long way to sustain the peace we are currently enjoying in the country.”
He, however, reminded Nananom to be aware that their active participation in party politics was inimical to the chieftaincy institution as they were the embodiment of culture and the society at large.
“For this reason, we cannot be treated as just ordinary people. Any little remarks in favour of a political faction erodes the confidence of the opposition faction in you, and so you should maintain your political neutrality and be tactful and diplomatic in your approaches to political party issues,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw advised.
However, he declared that “we should condemn in no uncertain terms, insults, character assassination, coercion and any form of intimidation or ethnic sentiments, and our arguments, presentations on political platforms, discussions on radio stations as well as phone-ins should be issue-based”.
On the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, the Omanhene said he supported the call for its deletion from the statute books because of the perception that it was dividing the society, and this is the time for each one of us to talk about unity, to write about unity and do things that reinforce unity amongst Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s political lineage, tribe or religion. We need to build bridges and not to burn them”.
Membership of the council would include the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, pastors, heads of the security service, Nananom and other eminent citizens who are desirous to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who disclosed this at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, pointed out that now that Ghanaians had decided to embrace liberal democracy, “we should be prepared to accept dissenting views, because our political opponents are not our enemies”.
The Omanhene, who was addressing the annual Ohene Ameyaw Fofie Yam festival, entreated Nananom in particular to preach a message of peace and unity to their people and let them understand that in spite of their political differences, they were all Ghanaians and should, therefore, avoid any form of violence for a better Ghana.
The celebration of the Fofie Yam festival by the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area provides not only the spiritual significance of their way of life, but also sets the platform for evaluating social, economic and political lives of the people.
It is again the period for the people to express their appreciation to the Almighty God for giving them a bumper harvest, a time to feed the spirits of their ancestors and pour libation to invoke their spirits to positively redirect the people.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw pointed out that, “whatever happens in the forthcoming December election, only one political party would emerge victorious and so all others should be prepared to accept defeat, since that would go a long way to sustain the peace we are currently enjoying in the country.”
He, however, reminded Nananom to be aware that their active participation in party politics was inimical to the chieftaincy institution as they were the embodiment of culture and the society at large.
“For this reason, we cannot be treated as just ordinary people. Any little remarks in favour of a political faction erodes the confidence of the opposition faction in you, and so you should maintain your political neutrality and be tactful and diplomatic in your approaches to political party issues,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw advised.
However, he declared that “we should condemn in no uncertain terms, insults, character assassination, coercion and any form of intimidation or ethnic sentiments, and our arguments, presentations on political platforms, discussions on radio stations as well as phone-ins should be issue-based”.
On the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, the Omanhene said he supported the call for its deletion from the statute books because of the perception that it was dividing the society, and this is the time for each one of us to talk about unity, to write about unity and do things that reinforce unity amongst Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s political lineage, tribe or religion. We need to build bridges and not to burn them”.
Monday, September 15, 2008
GOVT EARMARKS PROJECTS TO IMPROVE HEALTH SECTOR (SPREAD)
A number of projects to improve the health sector have been earmarked to start before the end of the year.
They include a $20-million General Hospital and Malaria Research Centre at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region and a $7.5-million Cancer Hospital at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
A new urology department valued at $8 million will also be built at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, while the Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine unit at the same hospital will be extended at a cost of $7.5 million.
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who announced this at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region at the weekend, said work would start on the second phase of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, which will cost $11.0 million.
In a speech read on his behalf by the regional minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, at the third congregation of the Kintampo Rural Health Training School (KRHTS), the vice-president said a major rehabilitation and upgrading of the Tamale Teaching Hospital would also commence.
The theme for the ceremony was “Pursuing Excellence in Medical Education and Training for Optimum Health: The Role of KRHTS”.
In all, 754 trainees, including 23 medical laboratory or biomedical scientists and 25 medical assistants, graduated.
The Vice-President said the government had put in place pragmatic policies to improve the situation of health managers in the country.
These polices, he said, included the extension to the health training institutions to allow for increased intake of trainees and the review of the remuneration package and service conditions of health workers to make it attractive for them to work in Ghana.
Alhaji Mahama said intake into health training institutions had increased dramatically as a result of the expansion programme.
He explained that from a total of 968 in the 1999/2000 academic year, intake into those institutions had gone up to 7,066 for the 2006/2007 academic year, and that general nursing alone had risen from 648 in 1999/2000 to 2,434 for the same period.
Alhaji Mahama said the number of Community Health Nursing trainees, had increased from 102 in 1999/2000 to 1,841 in 2006/2007, while that of trainee midwives went up from 48 to 614 over the same period, adding that new programmes such as the Health Assistant training, had been introduced and currently had an intake of 964.
He said Ghana was firmly on the road to producing the required numbers of health personnel for the health institutions, stressing that apart from the increases, there had also been some modest improvements in the health status of Ghanaians.
Alhaji Mahama further pointed out that since 2001, 205 new hospitals and clinics, including three key district hospital projects in the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions, had been constructed in the country, while 48 clinics had been upgraded to hospital status, with 33 hospitals and clinics having undergone complete rehabilitation.
Currently, he said, 77 projects, including the new $75 million National Trauma Centre at the KATH were ongoing with 18 earmarked for completion by the end of this year.
The Vice-President commended the KRHTS for the role it had played in the overall achievements in the health sector, resulting in the government’s decision to undertake some investments in the institution, aimed at improving training and supporting the school to pursue excellence in medical education and training.
He stated that as part of the HIPC benefits, a block of lecture halls had been completed, while security posts, pavements and walkways had been constructed. Landscaping of the main school campus had been completed, while a dental facility for service provision and training of Community Oral Health Professionals had also been completed and was in use through a joint effort between the government and the Netherlands government
Alhaji Mahama further said the government had provided a 62-seater modern bus to facilitate students’ clinical field practice and that a three-storey hostel accommodation complex was under construction with a government of Ghana-HIPC support, while the Kintampo Municipal Assembly was also putting up a single-storey hostel accommodation, which was about 90 per cent completed.
Touching on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Vice-President noted that its introduction had led to a three-fold increase in hospital attendance in some areas, saying that outpatients department (OPD) attendance had moved from a yearly average of 0.38 per capita in 2001 to 0.7 at the end of 2007.
Alhaji Mahama pointed out that in some areas, including the Brong Ahafo Region, OPD attendance had reached the 1.02 per capita mark, which meant that more and more people who needed to use health services now had the opportunity and means to do so under the NHIS.
The Vice-President again indicated that the government was pursuing a “close-to-client” service policy through the expansion of the Community-Based Health Service programme, under which qualified health workers were placed within identified communities to be responsible for ensuring that basic health care was made available to those communities.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr (Mrs) Gladys Ashitey, said the Ministry of Health (MoH) had the objective to promote and sustain quality health for Ghanaians within the broader framework of creating wealth through health, saying that could only be achieved, if the MoH was endowed with competent professionals.
Dr E.T. Adjase, the Director of KRHTS, announced that efforts were being made to transform the school into a university college but noted that “this cannot happen without the extra support from the central government, development partners, corporate bodies, alumni, traditional authorities and other concerned individuals and groups”.
According to Dr Adjase, financing options from the private sector for quality training of health professionals had to be looked at critically at this point of dwindling central government support.
The occasion was also used to honour and award personalities, including Major Quashigah, Dr Moses E.K. Adibo, a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, and Alhaji Asuma Banda, a business executive, for their outstanding contributions to the development of the KRHTS.
They include a $20-million General Hospital and Malaria Research Centre at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region and a $7.5-million Cancer Hospital at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
A new urology department valued at $8 million will also be built at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, while the Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine unit at the same hospital will be extended at a cost of $7.5 million.
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who announced this at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region at the weekend, said work would start on the second phase of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, which will cost $11.0 million.
In a speech read on his behalf by the regional minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, at the third congregation of the Kintampo Rural Health Training School (KRHTS), the vice-president said a major rehabilitation and upgrading of the Tamale Teaching Hospital would also commence.
The theme for the ceremony was “Pursuing Excellence in Medical Education and Training for Optimum Health: The Role of KRHTS”.
In all, 754 trainees, including 23 medical laboratory or biomedical scientists and 25 medical assistants, graduated.
The Vice-President said the government had put in place pragmatic policies to improve the situation of health managers in the country.
These polices, he said, included the extension to the health training institutions to allow for increased intake of trainees and the review of the remuneration package and service conditions of health workers to make it attractive for them to work in Ghana.
Alhaji Mahama said intake into health training institutions had increased dramatically as a result of the expansion programme.
He explained that from a total of 968 in the 1999/2000 academic year, intake into those institutions had gone up to 7,066 for the 2006/2007 academic year, and that general nursing alone had risen from 648 in 1999/2000 to 2,434 for the same period.
Alhaji Mahama said the number of Community Health Nursing trainees, had increased from 102 in 1999/2000 to 1,841 in 2006/2007, while that of trainee midwives went up from 48 to 614 over the same period, adding that new programmes such as the Health Assistant training, had been introduced and currently had an intake of 964.
He said Ghana was firmly on the road to producing the required numbers of health personnel for the health institutions, stressing that apart from the increases, there had also been some modest improvements in the health status of Ghanaians.
Alhaji Mahama further pointed out that since 2001, 205 new hospitals and clinics, including three key district hospital projects in the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions, had been constructed in the country, while 48 clinics had been upgraded to hospital status, with 33 hospitals and clinics having undergone complete rehabilitation.
Currently, he said, 77 projects, including the new $75 million National Trauma Centre at the KATH were ongoing with 18 earmarked for completion by the end of this year.
The Vice-President commended the KRHTS for the role it had played in the overall achievements in the health sector, resulting in the government’s decision to undertake some investments in the institution, aimed at improving training and supporting the school to pursue excellence in medical education and training.
He stated that as part of the HIPC benefits, a block of lecture halls had been completed, while security posts, pavements and walkways had been constructed. Landscaping of the main school campus had been completed, while a dental facility for service provision and training of Community Oral Health Professionals had also been completed and was in use through a joint effort between the government and the Netherlands government
Alhaji Mahama further said the government had provided a 62-seater modern bus to facilitate students’ clinical field practice and that a three-storey hostel accommodation complex was under construction with a government of Ghana-HIPC support, while the Kintampo Municipal Assembly was also putting up a single-storey hostel accommodation, which was about 90 per cent completed.
Touching on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Vice-President noted that its introduction had led to a three-fold increase in hospital attendance in some areas, saying that outpatients department (OPD) attendance had moved from a yearly average of 0.38 per capita in 2001 to 0.7 at the end of 2007.
Alhaji Mahama pointed out that in some areas, including the Brong Ahafo Region, OPD attendance had reached the 1.02 per capita mark, which meant that more and more people who needed to use health services now had the opportunity and means to do so under the NHIS.
The Vice-President again indicated that the government was pursuing a “close-to-client” service policy through the expansion of the Community-Based Health Service programme, under which qualified health workers were placed within identified communities to be responsible for ensuring that basic health care was made available to those communities.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr (Mrs) Gladys Ashitey, said the Ministry of Health (MoH) had the objective to promote and sustain quality health for Ghanaians within the broader framework of creating wealth through health, saying that could only be achieved, if the MoH was endowed with competent professionals.
Dr E.T. Adjase, the Director of KRHTS, announced that efforts were being made to transform the school into a university college but noted that “this cannot happen without the extra support from the central government, development partners, corporate bodies, alumni, traditional authorities and other concerned individuals and groups”.
According to Dr Adjase, financing options from the private sector for quality training of health professionals had to be looked at critically at this point of dwindling central government support.
The occasion was also used to honour and award personalities, including Major Quashigah, Dr Moses E.K. Adibo, a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, and Alhaji Asuma Banda, a business executive, for their outstanding contributions to the development of the KRHTS.
NCCE HOLDS FORUM IN BEREKUM (PAGE 17)
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Michael Amponsah, has reiterated that the key to the avoidance of any bad political experience lies in tolerance, peaceful co-existence, mutual trust, consultation and consensus buiding on issues that seek to strengthen the country’s democracy.
However, he pointed out that political tolerance could not be achieved on a silver platter but “we need to work for it as a people”.
Mr Amponsah made the call in a presentation at a forum organised by the Berekum Directorate of the NCCE for parliamentary aspirants, political party executives, security personnel, religious bodies and the media, as well as other stakeholders in politics in the Berekum Municipality.
Speaking on the topic, “Ensuring Peaceful Elections 2008”, Mr Amponsah stressed that political tolerance was very crucial to the success of democracy in the country because it enhanced national unity, stability, mutual respect, trust among different political parties as well as ensure effective development.
“We need to come together as a nation to resolve the numerous challenges of our under-development and we need to join hands in unity to fight poverty, disease and ignorance so that we can deepen our democratic dispensation”, he emphasised.
The Deputy Regional NCCE Director observed that religious leaders and their followers were in a very good position to make a great impact on any move that would influence their congregation, adding that, “they should be able to call to order people whose activities or actions were likely to create confusion in the society.
According to Mr Amponsah, the clergy could devote part of their sermons to lecture on peace and tolerance, or call on other resource persons to perform the same duty.
“As we make frantic efforts to promote tolerance, we should try as much as possible to desist from all acts that promote intolerance, such as intimidation, greed, corruption, laying strong emphasis on money in politics, electoral fraud and malpractices, and biased reportage by the media”.
Mr Amponsah noted that the December 2008 election was very critical in the annals of Ghana’s political history, as the country’s democratic governance would be put to the test, hence the need to undertake political activities with decorum.
He said as stakeholders in governance, “we must all be guided by principles that seek to foster peace; what we say and promise should not be different from what we actually do”.
He said the consolidation and deepening of Ghana’s democracy must depend on the level of sincerity towards all the pillars of democracy, especially at this time that the country needs free, fair and transparent elections”.
However, he pointed out that political tolerance could not be achieved on a silver platter but “we need to work for it as a people”.
Mr Amponsah made the call in a presentation at a forum organised by the Berekum Directorate of the NCCE for parliamentary aspirants, political party executives, security personnel, religious bodies and the media, as well as other stakeholders in politics in the Berekum Municipality.
Speaking on the topic, “Ensuring Peaceful Elections 2008”, Mr Amponsah stressed that political tolerance was very crucial to the success of democracy in the country because it enhanced national unity, stability, mutual respect, trust among different political parties as well as ensure effective development.
“We need to come together as a nation to resolve the numerous challenges of our under-development and we need to join hands in unity to fight poverty, disease and ignorance so that we can deepen our democratic dispensation”, he emphasised.
The Deputy Regional NCCE Director observed that religious leaders and their followers were in a very good position to make a great impact on any move that would influence their congregation, adding that, “they should be able to call to order people whose activities or actions were likely to create confusion in the society.
According to Mr Amponsah, the clergy could devote part of their sermons to lecture on peace and tolerance, or call on other resource persons to perform the same duty.
“As we make frantic efforts to promote tolerance, we should try as much as possible to desist from all acts that promote intolerance, such as intimidation, greed, corruption, laying strong emphasis on money in politics, electoral fraud and malpractices, and biased reportage by the media”.
Mr Amponsah noted that the December 2008 election was very critical in the annals of Ghana’s political history, as the country’s democratic governance would be put to the test, hence the need to undertake political activities with decorum.
He said as stakeholders in governance, “we must all be guided by principles that seek to foster peace; what we say and promise should not be different from what we actually do”.
He said the consolidation and deepening of Ghana’s democracy must depend on the level of sincerity towards all the pillars of democracy, especially at this time that the country needs free, fair and transparent elections”.
ESTABLISH MATHS RESOURCE CENTRES IN ALL REGIONS (PAGE 11)
THE President of the Mathematics Association of Ghana (MAG), Mr G. K. Abiw-Abaidoo, has called for the establishment of Mathematics laboratories/resource centers in each of the 10 regions of the country.
He said Mathematics teachers could go to such centres for interaction and avail themselves of the use of current teaching and learning materials that would make their classroom delivery interesting and real.
In addition, he said, there should be a set of standard mathematics textbooks to be used in all schools instead of allowing the proliferation of all sorts of pamphlets on the subject in schools, a situation which does not benefit the students.
He made the call when he addressed the 34th annual conference/workshop of the association at the St. James Seminary/Senior High School at Abesim, near Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The theme for the meeting was, “Practical means of Dealing with the Issues Arising out of the 2007 New Educational Reform in Mathematics”.
The MAG President suggested that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports adopts the MAG Mathematics textbooks which were not only written by a consortium of experienced Mathematics teachers but are also user-friendly, 100 per cent compliant, and had been reviewed to take into consideration the redenomination of the cedi and the latest West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) syllabus just as the Joint Schools Project (JSP) was used in all schools some time ago.
Mr Abiw-Abaidoo called on the Ministry to sponsor Mathematics workshops in the districts to equip them with current changes in the teaching of the subject.
Again, he said, MAG should be fully recognised as a necessary partner in the new educational reform, which he said, would not be complete without a “reformed teacher”.
He said since Mathematics was the “cement that ticks the exact sciences together and the fact that MAG always provides its members with tools or teaching for understanding during its annual workshops, it will not be out of place if MAG is consulted in the selection of resource persons and the planning of future capacity building workshops in Mathematics, such as the one recently held throughout the country”.
The MAG President indicated that the main objective of the founding fathers of MAG in 1960 was to improve the teaching of Mathematics and to acquaint members with new trends in the teaching and learning of the subject in Ghana.
Mr Abiw-Abaidoo explained that membership of MAG was opened to practising teachers of Mathematics in educational institutions, persons who were interested in or concerned with the teaching of Mathematics or with its application in government, commerce or industry, and that honorary membership could be accorded persons who had rendered singular service to promote the teaching and learning of the subject.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, agreed that any policy which sought to make Science and Technology a priority was likely to fail if Mathematics was not given equal or greater attention.
He however noted that Mathematics as a subject had been dreaded by many students, and that the subject could have died or been ignored completely, and not even the existence of MAG could save it if the new educational reform had not made it compulsory at the pre-tertiary levels and as a requirement for tertiary education.
Mr Baffour-Awuah expressed the hope that the influence of MAG would be felt in the new educational reform by accepting the challenges and resolving to encourage Mathematics teachers to build confidence in their students so as to enable the country to move forward in its educational programme.
The Rector of the Sunyani Polytechnic, Prof. Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, observed that the study of Mathematics was very important to every human being, whether literate or illiterate, saying that it was due to the immense role that Mathematics played in the lives of the citizenry that the curriculum designers in the Ghana Education Service (GES) in their wisdom made the subject compulsory at the junior and senior high school levels.
The Rector of the St. James Seminary/Senior High School, Rev. Fr. Alex Ansu Ebow, pointed out that the 21st century society cannot move forward without the conscious study of Mathematics and Science.
He said, society’s answers to energy, housing, food and clothing problems, depended on how scientists were able to use their knowledge in Science and Mathematics to find practical and appropriate solutions to those pertinent problems facing humankind the world over.
He said Mathematics teachers could go to such centres for interaction and avail themselves of the use of current teaching and learning materials that would make their classroom delivery interesting and real.
In addition, he said, there should be a set of standard mathematics textbooks to be used in all schools instead of allowing the proliferation of all sorts of pamphlets on the subject in schools, a situation which does not benefit the students.
He made the call when he addressed the 34th annual conference/workshop of the association at the St. James Seminary/Senior High School at Abesim, near Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The theme for the meeting was, “Practical means of Dealing with the Issues Arising out of the 2007 New Educational Reform in Mathematics”.
The MAG President suggested that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports adopts the MAG Mathematics textbooks which were not only written by a consortium of experienced Mathematics teachers but are also user-friendly, 100 per cent compliant, and had been reviewed to take into consideration the redenomination of the cedi and the latest West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) syllabus just as the Joint Schools Project (JSP) was used in all schools some time ago.
Mr Abiw-Abaidoo called on the Ministry to sponsor Mathematics workshops in the districts to equip them with current changes in the teaching of the subject.
Again, he said, MAG should be fully recognised as a necessary partner in the new educational reform, which he said, would not be complete without a “reformed teacher”.
He said since Mathematics was the “cement that ticks the exact sciences together and the fact that MAG always provides its members with tools or teaching for understanding during its annual workshops, it will not be out of place if MAG is consulted in the selection of resource persons and the planning of future capacity building workshops in Mathematics, such as the one recently held throughout the country”.
The MAG President indicated that the main objective of the founding fathers of MAG in 1960 was to improve the teaching of Mathematics and to acquaint members with new trends in the teaching and learning of the subject in Ghana.
Mr Abiw-Abaidoo explained that membership of MAG was opened to practising teachers of Mathematics in educational institutions, persons who were interested in or concerned with the teaching of Mathematics or with its application in government, commerce or industry, and that honorary membership could be accorded persons who had rendered singular service to promote the teaching and learning of the subject.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, agreed that any policy which sought to make Science and Technology a priority was likely to fail if Mathematics was not given equal or greater attention.
He however noted that Mathematics as a subject had been dreaded by many students, and that the subject could have died or been ignored completely, and not even the existence of MAG could save it if the new educational reform had not made it compulsory at the pre-tertiary levels and as a requirement for tertiary education.
Mr Baffour-Awuah expressed the hope that the influence of MAG would be felt in the new educational reform by accepting the challenges and resolving to encourage Mathematics teachers to build confidence in their students so as to enable the country to move forward in its educational programme.
The Rector of the Sunyani Polytechnic, Prof. Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, observed that the study of Mathematics was very important to every human being, whether literate or illiterate, saying that it was due to the immense role that Mathematics played in the lives of the citizenry that the curriculum designers in the Ghana Education Service (GES) in their wisdom made the subject compulsory at the junior and senior high school levels.
The Rector of the St. James Seminary/Senior High School, Rev. Fr. Alex Ansu Ebow, pointed out that the 21st century society cannot move forward without the conscious study of Mathematics and Science.
He said, society’s answers to energy, housing, food and clothing problems, depended on how scientists were able to use their knowledge in Science and Mathematics to find practical and appropriate solutions to those pertinent problems facing humankind the world over.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
AKUFO-ADDO CONFIDENT OF VICTORY (PAGE 15)
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential aspirant, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has predicted that come January 7, 2009, President John Agyekum Kufuor will hand over the baton of government to him after a decisive victory in the December 7, 2008 elections.
He declared that “if in January 7, 2001, the former President Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings could not hand over the governance of the country to Prof. Evans Atta Mills to be his successor, after serving eight years, we in the NPP are going to make history, as the President of the Republic of Ghana will transfer power to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the next President of Ghana on January 7, 2009”.
Nana Akufo-Addo, therefore, appealed to the teeming supporters and sympathisers of the party to vote massively for the NPP to enable the party to realise its objective to continue with its prudent economic policies.
Addressing well-attended separate rallies in Sunyani, Bechem, Derma, Duayaw Nkwanta and Techimantia, as part of his seven-day campaign tour of the Brong Ahafo Region, he explained that President Kufuor had already laid a solid foundation on which he was ready to build the super structure which every Ghanaian would be proud of.
The NPP flag bearer pointed out that his party was the only credible political group that had pragmatic programmes and policies to administer the country, and that no other party was comparable to the NPP in terms of good governance.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, a government of the NPP, under his leadership, would “banish illiteracy” in the country by ensuring that all children of school age were enrolled in school and would continue to enjoy free education at the basic level through the Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programme, already underway.
He reiterated his promise that as President Kufuor had been able to honour his promise of providing fee-free education at the basic level, he was also going to ensure that education at the senior high school would be free, and teachers at all levels would be well catered for so that they would offer their best to the children.
The flag bearer explained that education should not be the preserve of only the rich, who wanted to take good care of their children, saying that was why he was committed to ensuring that education became free for children of both the poor and the rich.
Nana Akufo-Addo noted that countries such as Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and others had developed effectively because of the sound education policies of their respective governments, adding that, Ghana, having attained independence at the same time as those countries, could also be turned around.
He pointed out that with the oil find, there was no way the country could not undergo structural transformation and an accelerated pace of development in the areas of roads, ports, harbours, airports and general industrialisation, adding that under his government, a factory would be sited in every district to open up employment opportunities for the youth.
According to the flag bearer, monies that would accrue from the oil would be managed prudently and accounted for with the approval of Parliament, saying, “I am not in politics to amass wealth, but I want to help my country develop with my wealth of knowledge and experiences.”
Nana Akufo-Addo, who introduced the various parliamentary candidates in the constituencies he visited, had early on visited the Sunyani Regional Hospital to acquaint himself with the operations there.
He declared that “if in January 7, 2001, the former President Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings could not hand over the governance of the country to Prof. Evans Atta Mills to be his successor, after serving eight years, we in the NPP are going to make history, as the President of the Republic of Ghana will transfer power to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the next President of Ghana on January 7, 2009”.
Nana Akufo-Addo, therefore, appealed to the teeming supporters and sympathisers of the party to vote massively for the NPP to enable the party to realise its objective to continue with its prudent economic policies.
Addressing well-attended separate rallies in Sunyani, Bechem, Derma, Duayaw Nkwanta and Techimantia, as part of his seven-day campaign tour of the Brong Ahafo Region, he explained that President Kufuor had already laid a solid foundation on which he was ready to build the super structure which every Ghanaian would be proud of.
The NPP flag bearer pointed out that his party was the only credible political group that had pragmatic programmes and policies to administer the country, and that no other party was comparable to the NPP in terms of good governance.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, a government of the NPP, under his leadership, would “banish illiteracy” in the country by ensuring that all children of school age were enrolled in school and would continue to enjoy free education at the basic level through the Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programme, already underway.
He reiterated his promise that as President Kufuor had been able to honour his promise of providing fee-free education at the basic level, he was also going to ensure that education at the senior high school would be free, and teachers at all levels would be well catered for so that they would offer their best to the children.
The flag bearer explained that education should not be the preserve of only the rich, who wanted to take good care of their children, saying that was why he was committed to ensuring that education became free for children of both the poor and the rich.
Nana Akufo-Addo noted that countries such as Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and others had developed effectively because of the sound education policies of their respective governments, adding that, Ghana, having attained independence at the same time as those countries, could also be turned around.
He pointed out that with the oil find, there was no way the country could not undergo structural transformation and an accelerated pace of development in the areas of roads, ports, harbours, airports and general industrialisation, adding that under his government, a factory would be sited in every district to open up employment opportunities for the youth.
According to the flag bearer, monies that would accrue from the oil would be managed prudently and accounted for with the approval of Parliament, saying, “I am not in politics to amass wealth, but I want to help my country develop with my wealth of knowledge and experiences.”
Nana Akufo-Addo, who introduced the various parliamentary candidates in the constituencies he visited, had early on visited the Sunyani Regional Hospital to acquaint himself with the operations there.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
DEAL WITH NATIONAL HAJJ COUNCIL (PAGE 43)
AThe Brong Ahafo Regional Hajj Co-ordinating Committee has called on all Muslims who desire to perform this year’s Hajj Pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rely solely on the National Hajj Council (NHC) for all arrangements.
The committee further advised the intended pilgrims not to deal with the Interim Hajj Management Committee (IHMC).
The committee explained that the restructured NHC which was established in September 2005, with the mandate to manage the Pilgrimage of Hajj in Ghana on behalf of Muslims remained the only legitimate Muslims representative body to carry out that duty.
It announced that the NHC had pegged this year’s Hajj fare package at $2,999, and not $3,100 as the IHMC had indicated.
“The council is the product of wide consultations, deliberations and consensus among Muslim representatives from all the 10 regions in the country who assembled at the first National Hajj Conference in 2005 and reassembled recently for the second National Hajj Conference, to assert its authority as the highest policy making body on all matters concerning Hajj,” the Regional Co-ordinating Committee stressed.
Addressing a press conference in Sunyani at the weekend, the Regional Secretary of the committee, Mr Suallah Abdallah, said the same persons who caused last year’s Hajj problems were again resurfacing as the new IHMC.
The secretary insisted that, “When the NHC was getting ready to present the 2008 Hajj fare, the Muslim community is being ruffled from its sense of probity and accountability by the shameless re-emergence of the IHMC, the organisers of the 2006/2007 failed Hajj exercise”.
He, however, said it was imperative that the NHC as advocates of best practice in the conduct of Hajj should deal with the issue sufficiently now to save the nation from yet another nightmare of Hajj failure this year.
Commenting on the preparation of Hajj this year, Mr Abdallah said “we assure the nation and the Muslim community in particular that the NHC shall stand firm to carry out its duty of ensuring a hustle-free Hajj”.
The secretary alleged that the haphazard manner of conducting the Hajj exercise over the years had left in its wake over GH¢400,000.00 as of 2005 in the Hajj accounts at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) without any audit ever to ensure transparency, probity and accountability.
The Regional Hajj Co-ordinating Committee also recalled that the 2006/2007 Hajj tragedy caused over 10 fatalities, adding that 725 paid for their fares but could not undertake the pilgrimage, 1,500 pilgrims had their cargo undelivered and that 35 pilgrims whose pilgrimage were aborted were diverted to Libya through Cotonou before returning to Ghana.
He said the Muslim community fully supported the government’s directive that a probe be instituted into the conduct of the IHMC, which was responsible for 2006/2007 Hajj mess, adding that the former Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, had even called for the arrest of the organisers of the previous Hajj as soon as they returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
However, Mr Abdallah pointed out, “It is almost nine months since their return and nothing has been done and it is unfortunate this purported probe has been unduly delayed with many excuses about constituting a panel and false hopes of starting the probe soon.”
According to the Regional Hajj Co-ordinating Committee, in spite of the government’s knowledge of the mandate to a restructured NHC, government officials or Muslim staffers at the Castle were entertaining direct dealings with the IHMC even though they had not been cleared at any probe.
“The era of government officials or at least Muslim Castle staffers handpicking individuals and imposing them on the Muslim community as Hajj organisers must be considered to allow for due exercise of corporate responsibility by the Muslim community. Handpicking of people by prominent individuals rather than the trust of the Muslim community will not be countenanced,” Mr Abdallah cautioned.
He admitted, however that the government had a role to play in the conduct of Hajj but that should be limited to its diplomatic facilitation and not the imposition of Hajj organisers on the Muslim community by an unacceptable handpicking of individuals, adding that the Muslim community had long been victims of mismanaged Hajj by self-seeking individuals who sometimes posed as philanthropists.
The committee further advised the intended pilgrims not to deal with the Interim Hajj Management Committee (IHMC).
The committee explained that the restructured NHC which was established in September 2005, with the mandate to manage the Pilgrimage of Hajj in Ghana on behalf of Muslims remained the only legitimate Muslims representative body to carry out that duty.
It announced that the NHC had pegged this year’s Hajj fare package at $2,999, and not $3,100 as the IHMC had indicated.
“The council is the product of wide consultations, deliberations and consensus among Muslim representatives from all the 10 regions in the country who assembled at the first National Hajj Conference in 2005 and reassembled recently for the second National Hajj Conference, to assert its authority as the highest policy making body on all matters concerning Hajj,” the Regional Co-ordinating Committee stressed.
Addressing a press conference in Sunyani at the weekend, the Regional Secretary of the committee, Mr Suallah Abdallah, said the same persons who caused last year’s Hajj problems were again resurfacing as the new IHMC.
The secretary insisted that, “When the NHC was getting ready to present the 2008 Hajj fare, the Muslim community is being ruffled from its sense of probity and accountability by the shameless re-emergence of the IHMC, the organisers of the 2006/2007 failed Hajj exercise”.
He, however, said it was imperative that the NHC as advocates of best practice in the conduct of Hajj should deal with the issue sufficiently now to save the nation from yet another nightmare of Hajj failure this year.
Commenting on the preparation of Hajj this year, Mr Abdallah said “we assure the nation and the Muslim community in particular that the NHC shall stand firm to carry out its duty of ensuring a hustle-free Hajj”.
The secretary alleged that the haphazard manner of conducting the Hajj exercise over the years had left in its wake over GH¢400,000.00 as of 2005 in the Hajj accounts at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) without any audit ever to ensure transparency, probity and accountability.
The Regional Hajj Co-ordinating Committee also recalled that the 2006/2007 Hajj tragedy caused over 10 fatalities, adding that 725 paid for their fares but could not undertake the pilgrimage, 1,500 pilgrims had their cargo undelivered and that 35 pilgrims whose pilgrimage were aborted were diverted to Libya through Cotonou before returning to Ghana.
He said the Muslim community fully supported the government’s directive that a probe be instituted into the conduct of the IHMC, which was responsible for 2006/2007 Hajj mess, adding that the former Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, had even called for the arrest of the organisers of the previous Hajj as soon as they returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
However, Mr Abdallah pointed out, “It is almost nine months since their return and nothing has been done and it is unfortunate this purported probe has been unduly delayed with many excuses about constituting a panel and false hopes of starting the probe soon.”
According to the Regional Hajj Co-ordinating Committee, in spite of the government’s knowledge of the mandate to a restructured NHC, government officials or Muslim staffers at the Castle were entertaining direct dealings with the IHMC even though they had not been cleared at any probe.
“The era of government officials or at least Muslim Castle staffers handpicking individuals and imposing them on the Muslim community as Hajj organisers must be considered to allow for due exercise of corporate responsibility by the Muslim community. Handpicking of people by prominent individuals rather than the trust of the Muslim community will not be countenanced,” Mr Abdallah cautioned.
He admitted, however that the government had a role to play in the conduct of Hajj but that should be limited to its diplomatic facilitation and not the imposition of Hajj organisers on the Muslim community by an unacceptable handpicking of individuals, adding that the Muslim community had long been victims of mismanaged Hajj by self-seeking individuals who sometimes posed as philanthropists.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
NYAMEKYE-MARFO ELECTED NDC MP ASPIRANT FOR SUNYANI WEST (PAGE 17)
A former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sunyani, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, 53, has been elected the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary aspirant to contest the December 7, 2008 election for the Sunyani West Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He obtained 157 votes to beat three other contestants in the constituency primaries, held at Mantukwa, a town off the Sunyani-Berekum road.
The defeated aspirants were Mr Ahmed Boadan, Rev. Nana Adjei Ntow and Mr Obeng Apraku Tando. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) and supervised by representatives of the Regional Secretariat of the NDC, led by Mr Mohammed Seidu Maha, the Regional Youth Organiser.
With the Sunyani West Primaries over as the 23rd in the region to be organised by the party, the Sene Constituency was the only one left to be held.
In a brief address before the delegates cast their votes, the Constituency Chairman, Mr Ishak Twamasi Ankrah, appealed to the voters to be patient since all the primaries in the previous 22 constituencies in the region had recorded no violence.
Without any apparent reason, the constituency chairman took media men invited to cover the event to task by insisting that, they reported accurately whatever transpired at the primaries, and cautioned that any media house that failed to do so would face the law and would not be invited to cover any future events of the party in the constituency.
He obtained 157 votes to beat three other contestants in the constituency primaries, held at Mantukwa, a town off the Sunyani-Berekum road.
The defeated aspirants were Mr Ahmed Boadan, Rev. Nana Adjei Ntow and Mr Obeng Apraku Tando. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) and supervised by representatives of the Regional Secretariat of the NDC, led by Mr Mohammed Seidu Maha, the Regional Youth Organiser.
With the Sunyani West Primaries over as the 23rd in the region to be organised by the party, the Sene Constituency was the only one left to be held.
In a brief address before the delegates cast their votes, the Constituency Chairman, Mr Ishak Twamasi Ankrah, appealed to the voters to be patient since all the primaries in the previous 22 constituencies in the region had recorded no violence.
Without any apparent reason, the constituency chairman took media men invited to cover the event to task by insisting that, they reported accurately whatever transpired at the primaries, and cautioned that any media house that failed to do so would face the law and would not be invited to cover any future events of the party in the constituency.
AKUFO-ADDO STORMS BRONG AHAFO (PAGE 17)
THE flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, arrived in Sunyani, capital of the Brong Ahafo Region on Sunday to a rousing welcome to begin a week-long campaign tour of the region.
At about 2:00 p.m, enthusiastic supporters and sympathises of the party, led by the regional executive, gathered at the Sunyani Airport to welcome the flag bearer and some members of his campaign team, including Mr Kwabena Agyepong and Dr Kennedy Agyepong.
The supporters, who displayed the NPP paraphernalia, danced to brass band music and the popular Philippa Baafi’s song, “Go, Go High ” as Nana Akufo-Addo and his entourage were ushered into the Sunyani township proper and made a float in the municipality.
As the convoy moved from the airport, other curious people poured out from their houses to catch a glimpse of the flag bearer, shouting “Nana O, Nana O, woara na wore kro”, meaning you are the only one chosen.
The float took him to Nsoatre on the Sunyani-Berekum road, where he was joined by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who had performed a function at Wenchi earlier in the day together with Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and other dignitaries.
They finally converged at the Fiapre Roman Catholic Park to address the large crowd, where the Vice President noted with satisfaction that, Fiapre had been the stronghold of the NPP since 2000 and therefore urged the people to continue with such an unflinching support by voting massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah as the parliamentary candidate.
“He declared, “Let us show the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Brong Ahafo Region is still the stronghold of the NPP”.
Threatened by the rain, Mr Agyepong in brief said that Ghanaians were now free from intimidation and political bondage from the PNDC/NDC rule.
According to Mr Agyepong, the NPP’s eight years in power was 10 times better than the PNDC/NDC 19 years in government and so appealed the people to rally solidly behind the NPP.
Picking the microphone, Nana Akufo-Addo, rebuffed claims by the NDC that, the NPP was bent on rigging the December elections, saying that even when the party was in opposition in 2000, it was able to defeat the NDC and went ahead to clinch victory in 2004, describing the two elections as “home and away”.
“We are not going to steal the ballot, but rather we will win the elections decisively and in a clean manner. We shall win the elections hands down”, the NPP flag bearer declared.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s brief address ended the rally as the rains started torrentially.
At about 2:00 p.m, enthusiastic supporters and sympathises of the party, led by the regional executive, gathered at the Sunyani Airport to welcome the flag bearer and some members of his campaign team, including Mr Kwabena Agyepong and Dr Kennedy Agyepong.
The supporters, who displayed the NPP paraphernalia, danced to brass band music and the popular Philippa Baafi’s song, “Go, Go High ” as Nana Akufo-Addo and his entourage were ushered into the Sunyani township proper and made a float in the municipality.
As the convoy moved from the airport, other curious people poured out from their houses to catch a glimpse of the flag bearer, shouting “Nana O, Nana O, woara na wore kro”, meaning you are the only one chosen.
The float took him to Nsoatre on the Sunyani-Berekum road, where he was joined by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who had performed a function at Wenchi earlier in the day together with Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and other dignitaries.
They finally converged at the Fiapre Roman Catholic Park to address the large crowd, where the Vice President noted with satisfaction that, Fiapre had been the stronghold of the NPP since 2000 and therefore urged the people to continue with such an unflinching support by voting massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah as the parliamentary candidate.
“He declared, “Let us show the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Brong Ahafo Region is still the stronghold of the NPP”.
Threatened by the rain, Mr Agyepong in brief said that Ghanaians were now free from intimidation and political bondage from the PNDC/NDC rule.
According to Mr Agyepong, the NPP’s eight years in power was 10 times better than the PNDC/NDC 19 years in government and so appealed the people to rally solidly behind the NPP.
Picking the microphone, Nana Akufo-Addo, rebuffed claims by the NDC that, the NPP was bent on rigging the December elections, saying that even when the party was in opposition in 2000, it was able to defeat the NDC and went ahead to clinch victory in 2004, describing the two elections as “home and away”.
“We are not going to steal the ballot, but rather we will win the elections decisively and in a clean manner. We shall win the elections hands down”, the NPP flag bearer declared.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s brief address ended the rally as the rains started torrentially.
ALIU, OTHERS PAY TRIBUTE TO BUSIA (PAGE 15)
VICE-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama at the weekend joined the family of one of the country’s most revered political leaders, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, and the Local Council of Churches in Wenchi to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the death of the first Prime Minister of Ghana.
By 11 a.m., the Wenchi town park had been parked with church members and sympathisers of Dr Busia’s family and some supporters of the ruling party amidst singing and dancing.
When the Vice-President was introduced to the podium to address the congregation after a song appellation from one of the elder female citizens of the area, he said, “I believe that those who wish to lead ought to demonstrate humility which is a hallmark of exemplary service. In this turbulent times of selfish materialism, Dr Busia’s example recommends itself to all would-be leaders.”
The words of Alhaji Mahama drew a spontaneous applause, which made him hold his breadth for a while, and sounding solemn, he added: “Dr Busia fought to entrench development in freedom. It is that model that has helped us chalk up the modest gains which have repositioned Ghana, giving hope for a better future for our children and a stronger voice in world affairs”.
The Vice-President’s added in his speech, which sounded more like a tribute to the late Prime Minister, that Dr Busia was a man of peace.
“As part of his campaign to go into government he pledged an administration free from pettiness or revenge: And as we are all aware, the Bible says, peacemakers will be blessed and called sons of God”.
Alhaji Mahama urged the people not to underestimate themselves in their quest to lead, saying, “In just about one hundred days, this country will have to make a choice of who leads us into the future.”
He expressed the hope that the players would take their leadership responsibilities seriously and make choices that would influence others to opt for the political principles that Dr. Busia fought for.
In a short homily couched around the national pledge, very Reverend C.K. Konadu, the Methodist Bishop of Wenchi, entreated leaders of the various political parties and their followers to allow the words of the national pledge to serve as their guiding principle in all their endeavours.
“You must, just like us, be faithful and loyal to Ghana our motherland because it is better to be faithful in whatever you do than to be famous for the wrong reasons,” he added.
Very Reverend Konadu said leadership was about caring and the show of love and noted that those who assumed the mantle of leadership only to be selfish were not worthy to be called leaders.
He used the occasion to urge the people to ensure that they honoured their tax obligations at all times to enable the country to raise the needed funds to accelerate its development agenda.
Very Reverend Konadu said paying taxes was one of the surest ways of demonstrating faithfulness and asked the tax authorities to intensify their campaign to get people to pay their taxes.
Professor George Gyan-Baffuor, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said Dr Busia played five roles with excellence, saying he was an academician, a teacher, a family man, a man of religion and a politician.
As a politician, he described Dr Busia as a statesman and a politician who was one of the first two Africans to be appointed as District Commissioners in the British colonial service in the early 1940’s in Sekondi.
Against this background and many more, he urged the youth of Wenchi to immortalise “this great man and to see him as an icon and a role model”.
The family of Dr Busia later presented assorted gifts to Alhaji Mahama for being part of every celebration to commemorate the death of their father and relative.
Madam Ama Busia, a member of the Council of State, said “the Vice-President has demonstrated to us that he really believes in the deeds and works of Dr Busia and has always been part of us anytime we have invited him”.
She said the family was grateful and has, therefore, made him an Honorary Member of the Busia Foundation, a foundation set up by the family in honour of Dr Busia.
The Vice-President and the family later visited the tomb of the late Prime Minister and laid wreaths on behalf of the government and people of Ghana.
Dr Busia was Prime Minister of Ghana from September 1969 to January 1972 when he was over thrown in a bloodless coup led by Kutu Acheampong, then a Colonel of the Ghana Army.
By 11 a.m., the Wenchi town park had been parked with church members and sympathisers of Dr Busia’s family and some supporters of the ruling party amidst singing and dancing.
When the Vice-President was introduced to the podium to address the congregation after a song appellation from one of the elder female citizens of the area, he said, “I believe that those who wish to lead ought to demonstrate humility which is a hallmark of exemplary service. In this turbulent times of selfish materialism, Dr Busia’s example recommends itself to all would-be leaders.”
The words of Alhaji Mahama drew a spontaneous applause, which made him hold his breadth for a while, and sounding solemn, he added: “Dr Busia fought to entrench development in freedom. It is that model that has helped us chalk up the modest gains which have repositioned Ghana, giving hope for a better future for our children and a stronger voice in world affairs”.
The Vice-President’s added in his speech, which sounded more like a tribute to the late Prime Minister, that Dr Busia was a man of peace.
“As part of his campaign to go into government he pledged an administration free from pettiness or revenge: And as we are all aware, the Bible says, peacemakers will be blessed and called sons of God”.
Alhaji Mahama urged the people not to underestimate themselves in their quest to lead, saying, “In just about one hundred days, this country will have to make a choice of who leads us into the future.”
He expressed the hope that the players would take their leadership responsibilities seriously and make choices that would influence others to opt for the political principles that Dr. Busia fought for.
In a short homily couched around the national pledge, very Reverend C.K. Konadu, the Methodist Bishop of Wenchi, entreated leaders of the various political parties and their followers to allow the words of the national pledge to serve as their guiding principle in all their endeavours.
“You must, just like us, be faithful and loyal to Ghana our motherland because it is better to be faithful in whatever you do than to be famous for the wrong reasons,” he added.
Very Reverend Konadu said leadership was about caring and the show of love and noted that those who assumed the mantle of leadership only to be selfish were not worthy to be called leaders.
He used the occasion to urge the people to ensure that they honoured their tax obligations at all times to enable the country to raise the needed funds to accelerate its development agenda.
Very Reverend Konadu said paying taxes was one of the surest ways of demonstrating faithfulness and asked the tax authorities to intensify their campaign to get people to pay their taxes.
Professor George Gyan-Baffuor, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said Dr Busia played five roles with excellence, saying he was an academician, a teacher, a family man, a man of religion and a politician.
As a politician, he described Dr Busia as a statesman and a politician who was one of the first two Africans to be appointed as District Commissioners in the British colonial service in the early 1940’s in Sekondi.
Against this background and many more, he urged the youth of Wenchi to immortalise “this great man and to see him as an icon and a role model”.
The family of Dr Busia later presented assorted gifts to Alhaji Mahama for being part of every celebration to commemorate the death of their father and relative.
Madam Ama Busia, a member of the Council of State, said “the Vice-President has demonstrated to us that he really believes in the deeds and works of Dr Busia and has always been part of us anytime we have invited him”.
She said the family was grateful and has, therefore, made him an Honorary Member of the Busia Foundation, a foundation set up by the family in honour of Dr Busia.
The Vice-President and the family later visited the tomb of the late Prime Minister and laid wreaths on behalf of the government and people of Ghana.
Dr Busia was Prime Minister of Ghana from September 1969 to January 1972 when he was over thrown in a bloodless coup led by Kutu Acheampong, then a Colonel of the Ghana Army.
Monday, September 1, 2008
QUEENS ATTEND COMPETENCY WORKSHOP0 (NSEMPA, PAGE 9)
By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani
Paramount queens in the Brong Ahafo Region have attended a competency workshop on HIV/AIDS with the view to equipping them with the necessary information and skills to enable them to play an active and effective role in the fight against the pandemic in their respective traditional areas.
They were trained to serve as principal advocates to encourage their citizenry to go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) so that each person would know his or her status on the HIV/AIDS menace.
The workshop, which was the second to be held for the traditional authorities by the Ghana Aids Commission, treated topics such as Behaviour Change Communication and HIV and Cultural Practices as well as The Importance of Voluntary Counselling and Testing/Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (VCT/PMTCT).
Mr William Saawil Sopiimeh, the Regional Health Educator and HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, who spoke on the VCT/PMTCT, disclosed that, from January to June this year, only 12,528 people, made up of 10,477 females and 2,105 males in the region, voluntarily tested for HIV.
He underscored the importance of VCT since it helped clients to plan for their future, and said that knowing one’s HIV status also helped to reduce risky behaviour, pointing out that VCT services included early referral for appropriate health services.
According to Mr Sopiimeh, the benefits of VCT for those who tested HIV negative were that clients could get married and plan for the future, and that there could be pregnancy without doubts and fears, and also the reduction of fear, anxiety and hopelessness about past risk behaviours.
He explained that for those who tested positive, the benefits were that clients could learn how to prevent passing the infection on to loved ones while HIV positive clients could make informed decisions about marriage, pregnancy and sexual relations, and that VCT served as an “entry point” for clients who needed other services such as the detection and treatment of tuberculosis, the prevention of other HIV-related infections or the prevention of mother-to-child transmission as well as family planning services.
Again, he pointed out that clients could seek spiritual care early, if desired and they could also be referred for legal assistance and to support groups within communities while HIV positive clients would be counselled to learn about “positive living,” adding that, “Positive living with HIV means taking care of your health in order to stay well and longer.”
Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, requested the Ghana AIDS Commission to assist all the Regional Houses of Chiefs and Traditional Councils in the country to enable them to aggressively get involved in their activities and HIV/AIDS programmes.
He expressed the hope that the programme would be useful not only to the paramount queens but also to their various community members, adding that the workshop was very timely, since the disease was causing a lot of harm to innocent people in the country.
The president of the Brong Ahafo Queen Mothers’ Association, Nana Atoa Sramanagyedua III, who is also the Wenchihemaa, pointed out that it was the duty of Nananom to help educate the people in their respective traditional areas about the dreadful disease so that they would be more careful in their sexual exploits.
“I know we will all go to our traditional areas to put into practice and action all that we have learned here by educating them on the dreadful disease,” she emphasised.
Paramount queens in the Brong Ahafo Region have attended a competency workshop on HIV/AIDS with the view to equipping them with the necessary information and skills to enable them to play an active and effective role in the fight against the pandemic in their respective traditional areas.
They were trained to serve as principal advocates to encourage their citizenry to go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) so that each person would know his or her status on the HIV/AIDS menace.
The workshop, which was the second to be held for the traditional authorities by the Ghana Aids Commission, treated topics such as Behaviour Change Communication and HIV and Cultural Practices as well as The Importance of Voluntary Counselling and Testing/Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (VCT/PMTCT).
Mr William Saawil Sopiimeh, the Regional Health Educator and HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, who spoke on the VCT/PMTCT, disclosed that, from January to June this year, only 12,528 people, made up of 10,477 females and 2,105 males in the region, voluntarily tested for HIV.
He underscored the importance of VCT since it helped clients to plan for their future, and said that knowing one’s HIV status also helped to reduce risky behaviour, pointing out that VCT services included early referral for appropriate health services.
According to Mr Sopiimeh, the benefits of VCT for those who tested HIV negative were that clients could get married and plan for the future, and that there could be pregnancy without doubts and fears, and also the reduction of fear, anxiety and hopelessness about past risk behaviours.
He explained that for those who tested positive, the benefits were that clients could learn how to prevent passing the infection on to loved ones while HIV positive clients could make informed decisions about marriage, pregnancy and sexual relations, and that VCT served as an “entry point” for clients who needed other services such as the detection and treatment of tuberculosis, the prevention of other HIV-related infections or the prevention of mother-to-child transmission as well as family planning services.
Again, he pointed out that clients could seek spiritual care early, if desired and they could also be referred for legal assistance and to support groups within communities while HIV positive clients would be counselled to learn about “positive living,” adding that, “Positive living with HIV means taking care of your health in order to stay well and longer.”
Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, requested the Ghana AIDS Commission to assist all the Regional Houses of Chiefs and Traditional Councils in the country to enable them to aggressively get involved in their activities and HIV/AIDS programmes.
He expressed the hope that the programme would be useful not only to the paramount queens but also to their various community members, adding that the workshop was very timely, since the disease was causing a lot of harm to innocent people in the country.
The president of the Brong Ahafo Queen Mothers’ Association, Nana Atoa Sramanagyedua III, who is also the Wenchihemaa, pointed out that it was the duty of Nananom to help educate the people in their respective traditional areas about the dreadful disease so that they would be more careful in their sexual exploits.
“I know we will all go to our traditional areas to put into practice and action all that we have learned here by educating them on the dreadful disease,” she emphasised.
8TH PRESBY GENERAL ASSEMBLY HELD IN SUNYANI (NSEMPA, PAGE 4)
By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani.
THE Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), last Saturday, held its 8th General Assembly at the Auditorium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-POLY) on the theme, Put On The Whole Armour Of God.
The six-day meeting was attended by delegates from Germany, the Netherlands, United States of America (USA) and Sierra Leone as well as representatives of local churches who all delivered fraternal messages.
Advice
Addressing the opening ceremony, Rt. Rev. Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the Moderator of the General Assembly, urged all the flag bearers of the various political parties to continuously advise their supporters to carry out their campaigns without abusive languages that could degenerate into violence.
The Moderator also appealed to politicians to put to productive use, the youth of the country instead of engaging them in conflicts and acts of vandalism, hooliganism and violence as the country prepared for the December elections.
Rev. Dr Frimpong-Manso declared, “Let us pray for God’s guidance as we use our thumbprints to decide who the Lord will choose to rule the nation for the next four years.”
He urged agents of the church to allow officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to come into the Sunday worship meetings and to educate church members on the electoral processes, especially how to use the ballot papers so that the invalid votes would be reduced to the barest minimum this year.
Theme
The Moderator explained that the theme of the general assembly required Ghanaians to counteract acts that could cause conflicts with prayers, sound Christian lives and the power of God, adding, “I urge all our members to cast their votes on Sunday, December 7, for us to elect credible people to represent us as our leaders.”
He also stressed the need for Ghanaians to guard against anything that would derail the gains of the current church growth and the democratic dispensation.
The Moderator said, “It is in the light of this that we appeal to all the parties and their members to exercise restraint in the event of any extreme provocations during the electioneering campaigns, as well as during and after the elections,”
Rev. Dr Frimpong-Manso further appealed to the traditional rulers to avoid disputes and conflicts that tend to tear the nation apart and also not to prevent their people from voting, particularly in Bawku, Buipe and other areas in the country, where there were ethnic conflicts and chieftaincy disputes.
He noted that recently, there had been stories of revived ritual murders in some parts of the country, which he said, had been a matter of concern to all well-meaning Ghanaians.
Serious prayers
That, he observed, was an indication that the forces of darkness and the old obnoxious cultural values of human sacrifices were still prevalent among some people in certain parts of the country, which he said, called for serious prayers and a national crusade against such practices.
Apart from praying about this, the Moderator emphasised that the church should “Put on the whole armour of God” in order to bring about effective evangelisation and the understanding that Jesus Christ had paid the last price for mankind, through his death on the cross, adding, “So we don’t need any human sacrifice to atone for our sins,”
He declared, “This is our belief and this is what we must proclaim loud and clear as we put on the whole armour of God.”
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, in a speech read for him, gave the assurance that the government was ever prepared to deepen its partnership with the church, especially in the area of education, agriculture and health.
He also appealed to the church to continue to pray for the success of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections so that they would be trouble-free, adding that the church should also educate its congregation on their civic responsibilities so as to help them exercise their franchise wisely.
THE Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), last Saturday, held its 8th General Assembly at the Auditorium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-POLY) on the theme, Put On The Whole Armour Of God.
The six-day meeting was attended by delegates from Germany, the Netherlands, United States of America (USA) and Sierra Leone as well as representatives of local churches who all delivered fraternal messages.
Advice
Addressing the opening ceremony, Rt. Rev. Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the Moderator of the General Assembly, urged all the flag bearers of the various political parties to continuously advise their supporters to carry out their campaigns without abusive languages that could degenerate into violence.
The Moderator also appealed to politicians to put to productive use, the youth of the country instead of engaging them in conflicts and acts of vandalism, hooliganism and violence as the country prepared for the December elections.
Rev. Dr Frimpong-Manso declared, “Let us pray for God’s guidance as we use our thumbprints to decide who the Lord will choose to rule the nation for the next four years.”
He urged agents of the church to allow officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to come into the Sunday worship meetings and to educate church members on the electoral processes, especially how to use the ballot papers so that the invalid votes would be reduced to the barest minimum this year.
Theme
The Moderator explained that the theme of the general assembly required Ghanaians to counteract acts that could cause conflicts with prayers, sound Christian lives and the power of God, adding, “I urge all our members to cast their votes on Sunday, December 7, for us to elect credible people to represent us as our leaders.”
He also stressed the need for Ghanaians to guard against anything that would derail the gains of the current church growth and the democratic dispensation.
The Moderator said, “It is in the light of this that we appeal to all the parties and their members to exercise restraint in the event of any extreme provocations during the electioneering campaigns, as well as during and after the elections,”
Rev. Dr Frimpong-Manso further appealed to the traditional rulers to avoid disputes and conflicts that tend to tear the nation apart and also not to prevent their people from voting, particularly in Bawku, Buipe and other areas in the country, where there were ethnic conflicts and chieftaincy disputes.
He noted that recently, there had been stories of revived ritual murders in some parts of the country, which he said, had been a matter of concern to all well-meaning Ghanaians.
Serious prayers
That, he observed, was an indication that the forces of darkness and the old obnoxious cultural values of human sacrifices were still prevalent among some people in certain parts of the country, which he said, called for serious prayers and a national crusade against such practices.
Apart from praying about this, the Moderator emphasised that the church should “Put on the whole armour of God” in order to bring about effective evangelisation and the understanding that Jesus Christ had paid the last price for mankind, through his death on the cross, adding, “So we don’t need any human sacrifice to atone for our sins,”
He declared, “This is our belief and this is what we must proclaim loud and clear as we put on the whole armour of God.”
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, in a speech read for him, gave the assurance that the government was ever prepared to deepen its partnership with the church, especially in the area of education, agriculture and health.
He also appealed to the church to continue to pray for the success of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections so that they would be trouble-free, adding that the church should also educate its congregation on their civic responsibilities so as to help them exercise their franchise wisely.
NCCE: MEDIA MUST EXAMINE POLITICAL SPEECHES CAREFULLY (PAGE 13)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Charles K. Nkromah, has advised media practitioners to critically examine speeches by politicians and party functionaries before publishing them in order to foster an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
He said phone-in segments of radio programmes and text messages sent to presenters for public consumption, needed to be in good taste in order not to inflame passions.
Citing instances across the African continent, Mr Nkromah said “it stands to reason that media men ought to be very careful and circumspect in their reportage to the public”.
The NCCE Regional Director, who was addressing a forum organised by the commission for media practitioners in the region, pointed out that Article 162(1) of the 1992 Constitution guaranteed the freedom of the media and also encouraged practitioners to deal with issues or make reports of whatever happened in the country dispassionately.
“In fact, the nation should count on your high level of integrity in the performance of your duties and the media, both the print and electronic, have a vital role to play in ensuring that the 2008 elections are peaceful,” he said.
Additionally, he said if what the media offered the public sought to promote peace, there would be peace in the country; however, if they put up calls for provocation and violence, there would be violence among the people.
Mr Nkromah called on all stakeholders to work creditably and conscienteously to ensure credible elections in December, to give a further boost to the country’s democracy.
“If elections become free, fair and transparent, it gives room for all citizens to participate in the government process, inject trust, respect and confidence in the people to freely go about their duties, reduces intimidation, authoritarianism, conflicts and violence in society”, he observed.
The NCCE Director pointed out that elections were about politicians expressing their views and plans for the development of the people they wanted to lead but not about actions that would mar the nation’s peace and tranquillity, adding, “It is indeed a responsibility on all of us to exhibit civility and Godly virtues so that the country would experience peace before, during and after the elections”.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Charles Koomson, noted that the future of Ghana’s democratic progress was closely linked to the growth and development of the media, since practitioners did not only reflect the society but even more critically, provide the country’s system of government with the vital ingredient for it to remain a truly functional democratic state.
Mr Koomson, who is also the Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), cautioned that, any journalist who, during the upcoming elections would decide to work as a formal domestic observer or party agent “shall not be accorded journalistic rights and privileges, adding that journalists should always be circumspect in their coverage.
“Journalists covering the elections should know and understand basic electoral terms such as polling agent, polling staff, polling assistant, presiding officer, impersonation, irregularities and multiple voting and all journalists should strive to use open and direct means to gather information during the elections,” the Regional GJA chairman stressed.
Reverend Richard Owusu-Achiaw, Founder and General Overseer of Living Grace Ministry in Sunyani, who chaired the function, stated that misinformation eroded trust and undermined the credibility that the media strived valiantly to maintain and that credibility was the very foundation of the media in any democratic society.
He said phone-in segments of radio programmes and text messages sent to presenters for public consumption, needed to be in good taste in order not to inflame passions.
Citing instances across the African continent, Mr Nkromah said “it stands to reason that media men ought to be very careful and circumspect in their reportage to the public”.
The NCCE Regional Director, who was addressing a forum organised by the commission for media practitioners in the region, pointed out that Article 162(1) of the 1992 Constitution guaranteed the freedom of the media and also encouraged practitioners to deal with issues or make reports of whatever happened in the country dispassionately.
“In fact, the nation should count on your high level of integrity in the performance of your duties and the media, both the print and electronic, have a vital role to play in ensuring that the 2008 elections are peaceful,” he said.
Additionally, he said if what the media offered the public sought to promote peace, there would be peace in the country; however, if they put up calls for provocation and violence, there would be violence among the people.
Mr Nkromah called on all stakeholders to work creditably and conscienteously to ensure credible elections in December, to give a further boost to the country’s democracy.
“If elections become free, fair and transparent, it gives room for all citizens to participate in the government process, inject trust, respect and confidence in the people to freely go about their duties, reduces intimidation, authoritarianism, conflicts and violence in society”, he observed.
The NCCE Director pointed out that elections were about politicians expressing their views and plans for the development of the people they wanted to lead but not about actions that would mar the nation’s peace and tranquillity, adding, “It is indeed a responsibility on all of us to exhibit civility and Godly virtues so that the country would experience peace before, during and after the elections”.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Charles Koomson, noted that the future of Ghana’s democratic progress was closely linked to the growth and development of the media, since practitioners did not only reflect the society but even more critically, provide the country’s system of government with the vital ingredient for it to remain a truly functional democratic state.
Mr Koomson, who is also the Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), cautioned that, any journalist who, during the upcoming elections would decide to work as a formal domestic observer or party agent “shall not be accorded journalistic rights and privileges, adding that journalists should always be circumspect in their coverage.
“Journalists covering the elections should know and understand basic electoral terms such as polling agent, polling staff, polling assistant, presiding officer, impersonation, irregularities and multiple voting and all journalists should strive to use open and direct means to gather information during the elections,” the Regional GJA chairman stressed.
Reverend Richard Owusu-Achiaw, Founder and General Overseer of Living Grace Ministry in Sunyani, who chaired the function, stated that misinformation eroded trust and undermined the credibility that the media strived valiantly to maintain and that credibility was the very foundation of the media in any democratic society.
EC REGISTERS 187,604 IN BRONG AHAFO (PAGE 13)
A total of 187,604 persons in the 19 districts of the Brong Ahafo Region, registered during the nationwide voter registration exercise that was organised by the Electoral Commission (EC) some weeks ago.
Out of the number, 62,216 33,156 males and 29,050 females had attained 18 years, the targeted group for the exercise while 22,741 males and 19,754 females had attained 19 years.
For 20 years and above, the number of males who registered was 43,388 with females being 38,586.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the EC, Mr Mark Anyimadu, who gave the statistics to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, said a total of 1,295 persons had their registration challenged while the total number of the completed form IA was 139,531 out of which, 47,073 did not get their photographs taken.
According to the statistics, the Sunyani Municipality recorded the highest number of those registered which is 20,000, followed by the Techiman Municipality with 18,956 and the Dormaa Municipality, 14,775.
The Asutifi district was next with 11,492 followed by Tain, 11,447; Berekum, 11,062; Nkroranza, 10,024; Asunafo North Municipality, 9,626; Asunafo South, 9,467; Kintampo North, 8,900; Jaman South, 8,877; Wenchi, 7,833; Atebubu/Amantin,7,448; Tano South, 7,003; Tano North, 6,816; Jaman North, 6,268; Sene, 6,144; Pru, 5,351, and Kintampo South, 5,105.
The figures also showed that in three districts, namely Jaman South, Nkoranza and Sene, nobody’s registration was challenged while the Asutifi District recorded the highest number of challenged registration of 262 followed by Asunafo North, 255, and Asunafo South, 243.
Dormaa followed with 161 challenged registration; Jaman North, 138; Techiman, 61; Pru, 37; Berekum, 31; Kintampo South, 24; Atebubu/Amantin, 21; Tain, 15; Kintampo North, 13; Wenchi, 12 followed by Tano North, Tano South and Sunyani with single digits of nine, eight, and five in that order.
Giving the statistics for the total number of the limited registered voters in 2006, Mr Anyimadu said it stood at 48,522, and gave the percentage increase of the 2008 figure over the 2006 as 18.7 per cent.
Asked when those who were not issued with their cards would be provided, the EC Regional Director indicated that arrangements were underway for them to get their photo identification (ID) cards very soon.
He said, however, that the headquarters of the EC was working out the arrangements for the replacement of ID cards, the transfer of voters and the final exhibition of the voters register.
Out of the number, 62,216 33,156 males and 29,050 females had attained 18 years, the targeted group for the exercise while 22,741 males and 19,754 females had attained 19 years.
For 20 years and above, the number of males who registered was 43,388 with females being 38,586.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the EC, Mr Mark Anyimadu, who gave the statistics to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, said a total of 1,295 persons had their registration challenged while the total number of the completed form IA was 139,531 out of which, 47,073 did not get their photographs taken.
According to the statistics, the Sunyani Municipality recorded the highest number of those registered which is 20,000, followed by the Techiman Municipality with 18,956 and the Dormaa Municipality, 14,775.
The Asutifi district was next with 11,492 followed by Tain, 11,447; Berekum, 11,062; Nkroranza, 10,024; Asunafo North Municipality, 9,626; Asunafo South, 9,467; Kintampo North, 8,900; Jaman South, 8,877; Wenchi, 7,833; Atebubu/Amantin,7,448; Tano South, 7,003; Tano North, 6,816; Jaman North, 6,268; Sene, 6,144; Pru, 5,351, and Kintampo South, 5,105.
The figures also showed that in three districts, namely Jaman South, Nkoranza and Sene, nobody’s registration was challenged while the Asutifi District recorded the highest number of challenged registration of 262 followed by Asunafo North, 255, and Asunafo South, 243.
Dormaa followed with 161 challenged registration; Jaman North, 138; Techiman, 61; Pru, 37; Berekum, 31; Kintampo South, 24; Atebubu/Amantin, 21; Tain, 15; Kintampo North, 13; Wenchi, 12 followed by Tano North, Tano South and Sunyani with single digits of nine, eight, and five in that order.
Giving the statistics for the total number of the limited registered voters in 2006, Mr Anyimadu said it stood at 48,522, and gave the percentage increase of the 2008 figure over the 2006 as 18.7 per cent.
Asked when those who were not issued with their cards would be provided, the EC Regional Director indicated that arrangements were underway for them to get their photo identification (ID) cards very soon.
He said, however, that the headquarters of the EC was working out the arrangements for the replacement of ID cards, the transfer of voters and the final exhibition of the voters register.
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