From Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani.
The Sunyani and Goaso Magistrate Courts in the Brong Ahafo Region have imposed a total fine of GH¢2,020.00 on a number of drivers who were arraigned before them separately for committing various motor and traffic offences.
The recalcitrant drivers were arrested during a special exercise conducted by the regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service on the Goaso-Kukuom road, Goaso-Kumasi road, and the Berekum- Dormaa Ahenkro road and at the Bechem Junction.
They were charged for driving without license, use of motor vehicles with worn-out tyres, failing to equip their vehicles with fire extinguishers and warning triangle, use of vehicles with crashed windscreens, among other traffic offences.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah, the Regional MTTU Commander, told The Mirror in Sunyani that a total of 52 drivers were arrested during the first exercise on the Goaso-Kukuom and Goaso-Kumasi roads, out of which 39 were processed for the Goaso court, presided over by Mr Sydney Braimah.
ASP Baah indicated that the court then convicted 16 of the drivers who were found guilty to pay a total fine of GH¢1, 120.00 and issued a bench warrant for the arrest of 20 others who failed to appear before the court.
For the exercise carried out on the Berekum-Dormaa Ahenkro road and at the Bechem Junction, the MTTU Regional Commander explained that, in all, 38 drivers were arrested for indiscipline but 25 of them were sent to the Sunyani Magistrate Court ‘‘B’’, presided over by Mr J. Mensah.
He said the court then convicted nine of them to pay a total of GH¢900 and issued a bench warrant for the arrest of 16 while he directed the police to write warning letters to 13 others.
According to Mr Baah, his outfit would continue to instil discipline on the roads, especially with the approach of Christmas and even after the festivities.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
KENYASE HEALTH CENTRE UPGRADED (PAGE 22, DEC 29, 2010)
THE Kenyase Health Centre in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region has been rehabilitated and upgraded at a cost of $85,000.
The project involved re-roofing of the building, extension of water to the centre from the main Small Town Water System at Kenyasi, the provision of water closet toilet facility as well as the construction of new male and female wards and two nurses quarters, among other expansion works.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) operating the Ahafo Mine in the district financed the project after being given the green light by the District Assembly and the Ghana Health Service.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the new look facility at a ceremony at Kenyase, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said it was the aim of the company to ensure a sustainable development of communities within the operational area of the mine concession.
He stressed that the assistance to the health centre was a demonstration of the company’s commitment towards the promotion of quality healthcare delivery in its operational area.
Mr Bedu-Addo added: ‘‘We hope this contribution will go a long way to make health care more accessible to the community and at the same time, attract qualified health personnel to reside in the community.”
He said Newmont in partnership with the GHS and other stakeholders such as the International Finance Company had broadened the scope of education and prevention of malaria control, through its treated bed net distribution programme in local communities and workplaces.
Mr Bedu-Addo disclosed that the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria voted NGGL as a leading company in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention this year.
He stated that the worldwide coalition of 200 corporate organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and its affiliates, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) also voted the company’s work place HIV/AIDS and malaria programme as the best in the work place HIV/AIDS and malaria category.
The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr D. Aquaye, said health issues were paramount in the effective development of any nation hence the government’s intervention to provide the necessary infrastructure in the health sector.
He, however, said the central government could not shoulder the burden alone and, therefore, urged private individuals and groups to contribute their quota in the development of all facets of the economy.
Mr Aquaye commended the management of Newmont for the gesture and gave the assurance that the assembly would contribute towards the maintenance of the facility to prolong its lifespan.
The project involved re-roofing of the building, extension of water to the centre from the main Small Town Water System at Kenyasi, the provision of water closet toilet facility as well as the construction of new male and female wards and two nurses quarters, among other expansion works.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) operating the Ahafo Mine in the district financed the project after being given the green light by the District Assembly and the Ghana Health Service.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the new look facility at a ceremony at Kenyase, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said it was the aim of the company to ensure a sustainable development of communities within the operational area of the mine concession.
He stressed that the assistance to the health centre was a demonstration of the company’s commitment towards the promotion of quality healthcare delivery in its operational area.
Mr Bedu-Addo added: ‘‘We hope this contribution will go a long way to make health care more accessible to the community and at the same time, attract qualified health personnel to reside in the community.”
He said Newmont in partnership with the GHS and other stakeholders such as the International Finance Company had broadened the scope of education and prevention of malaria control, through its treated bed net distribution programme in local communities and workplaces.
Mr Bedu-Addo disclosed that the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria voted NGGL as a leading company in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention this year.
He stated that the worldwide coalition of 200 corporate organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and its affiliates, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) also voted the company’s work place HIV/AIDS and malaria programme as the best in the work place HIV/AIDS and malaria category.
The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr D. Aquaye, said health issues were paramount in the effective development of any nation hence the government’s intervention to provide the necessary infrastructure in the health sector.
He, however, said the central government could not shoulder the burden alone and, therefore, urged private individuals and groups to contribute their quota in the development of all facets of the economy.
Mr Aquaye commended the management of Newmont for the gesture and gave the assurance that the assembly would contribute towards the maintenance of the facility to prolong its lifespan.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
KENYASE HEALTH CENTRE REHABILITATED (MIRROR, PAGE 35, DEC 24, 2010)
From Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Kenyasi
Rehabilitation and upgrading works on the Kenyase Health Centre in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region have been completed at a total cost of $85,000 and handed over to the district health administration.
The project included re-roofing the building, extending water to the centre from the main Small Town Water System at Kenyase, providing water closet toilet facility as well as constructing new female and male wards and two nurses quarters.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in the district, financed the project, in consultation with the District Assembly, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other stakeholders in the district’s health delivery.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially hand over of the new facility at Kenyase, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said it was the aim of the company to ensure a healthy and sustainable development of communities within the area of the mine concession.
He said NGGL’s assistance to the health centre was a demonstration of its commitment towards the promotion of quality health care delivery in the its host communities, adding that “We hope this contribution will go a long way to make health care more accessible to the community and at the same time, attract qualified health personnel to reside in the community.”
The External Affairs Manager said Newmont, in partnership with the GHS and other stakeholders such as the International Finance Company, had broadened the scope of education and prevention of malaria control through its treated bed net distribution programme in local communities and the workplace, saying the programme had been acknowledged world-wide.
Mr Bedu-Addo disclosed that the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria voted NGGL as a leading company in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention this year.
He explained that the world-wide coalition of 200 corporate organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and its affiliates such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), also voted the company’s work place HIV/AIDS and malaria programme as the best in the work place HIV/AIDS and Malaria category.
The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr D. Acquaye, noted that health issues were paramount in the effective development of any nation, hence the government’s intervention to provide the necessary infrastructure in the health sector.
However, he said, the central government could not shoulder the burden alone and, therefore, urged private individuals and groups to contribute their quota in the development of all facets of the economy.
Mr Acquaye commended the management of Newmont for the gesture and gave the assurance that the Assembly would contribute towards the maintenance of the facility in order to prolong its life span.
Rehabilitation and upgrading works on the Kenyase Health Centre in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region have been completed at a total cost of $85,000 and handed over to the district health administration.
The project included re-roofing the building, extending water to the centre from the main Small Town Water System at Kenyase, providing water closet toilet facility as well as constructing new female and male wards and two nurses quarters.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in the district, financed the project, in consultation with the District Assembly, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other stakeholders in the district’s health delivery.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially hand over of the new facility at Kenyase, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said it was the aim of the company to ensure a healthy and sustainable development of communities within the area of the mine concession.
He said NGGL’s assistance to the health centre was a demonstration of its commitment towards the promotion of quality health care delivery in the its host communities, adding that “We hope this contribution will go a long way to make health care more accessible to the community and at the same time, attract qualified health personnel to reside in the community.”
The External Affairs Manager said Newmont, in partnership with the GHS and other stakeholders such as the International Finance Company, had broadened the scope of education and prevention of malaria control through its treated bed net distribution programme in local communities and the workplace, saying the programme had been acknowledged world-wide.
Mr Bedu-Addo disclosed that the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria voted NGGL as a leading company in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention this year.
He explained that the world-wide coalition of 200 corporate organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and its affiliates such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), also voted the company’s work place HIV/AIDS and malaria programme as the best in the work place HIV/AIDS and Malaria category.
The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr D. Acquaye, noted that health issues were paramount in the effective development of any nation, hence the government’s intervention to provide the necessary infrastructure in the health sector.
However, he said, the central government could not shoulder the burden alone and, therefore, urged private individuals and groups to contribute their quota in the development of all facets of the economy.
Mr Acquaye commended the management of Newmont for the gesture and gave the assurance that the Assembly would contribute towards the maintenance of the facility in order to prolong its life span.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
1,979 CONTEST ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN BRONG AHAFO (PAGE 13, DEC 22, 2010)
ONE thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine persons, made up of 1,830 males and 149 females have been duly nominated in the 766 electoral areas of the Brong Ahafo Region to contest the upcoming District Assembly elections.
Mr George Gyabaah, the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani indicated that one female contestant each was vying to be elected into the Kintampo South and Pru district assemblies.
Giving the breakdown of the contestants for the other districts, Mr Gyabaah said the Techiman Municipal assembly had the highest number of 131 candidates with nine women to stand the December 28, 2010 local poll, with Asutifi and Berekum having 124 contestants apiece including 13 and 10 females respectively.
The Tain and Kintampo North follow with 108 and 106 aspirants respectively, followed by Sene, 101 with six female contestants; Tano South, 100 with 14 women; Dormaa Municipal, 96 with 10 females; Jaman South, 95 also with 10 women contestants; Sunyani West, 93; Atebubu/Amantin, 91; Sunyani Municipal, 87 and Wenchi, 85.
According to the Regional EC Director, the Asunafo North and Nkoranza South follow with 78 each; Tano North, 72; Asunafo South, 66); Nkoranza North and Dormaa East, 64 and Jaman North, 63.
Mr Gyabaah said the regional office had taken delivery of notice of polls, which gave proof of all persons that had been duly nominated to contest the elections in the region, adding that the notice was meant to educate the electorate on how the ballot papers would look like and the position of the candidate, on the paper, their pictures, names, occupation and age.
He also indicated that his office had started mounting platforms for candidates in all the districts while training of Returning Officers and their deputies had been completed, who in turn were expected to go out to train Presiding Officers and Polling Assistants.
He, however, said that the office was yet to receive the ballot papers for the election but expressed the hope that they would be sent in from Accra by the close of the week.
At the time of the interview, district officers of the EC were taking away their respective materials for the polls, including notices of the poll, statement of poll, declaration of results forms, collation of results forms and guides to election officials.
Mr Gyabaah appealed to the electorate to participate fully in the elections by voting in their numbers in choosing those they found capable of leading them in their various communities and also be at the polling stations on time to avoid rush.
In a related development, 306 candidates are to contest the district assembly and unit committees' elections in the Sekyere Central District in the Ashanti Region.
Mr Raymond Nartey, the District Electoral Officer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nsuta that 84 of the candidates comprising 75 males and seven females would contest for the assembly poll in the 27 electoral areas.
He said 222 made up of 194 men and 28 women were contesting to join the unit committees.
Mr Nartey said three of the electoral areas, Hemame, Awanya and Nkwagri had no one contesting for the unit committee election.
He said campaign platform mounted by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the candidates in the district officially ended on Sunday December 19, 2010.
The candidates, however, have the right to do their own house-to-house campaign.
Mr George Gyabaah, the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani indicated that one female contestant each was vying to be elected into the Kintampo South and Pru district assemblies.
Giving the breakdown of the contestants for the other districts, Mr Gyabaah said the Techiman Municipal assembly had the highest number of 131 candidates with nine women to stand the December 28, 2010 local poll, with Asutifi and Berekum having 124 contestants apiece including 13 and 10 females respectively.
The Tain and Kintampo North follow with 108 and 106 aspirants respectively, followed by Sene, 101 with six female contestants; Tano South, 100 with 14 women; Dormaa Municipal, 96 with 10 females; Jaman South, 95 also with 10 women contestants; Sunyani West, 93; Atebubu/Amantin, 91; Sunyani Municipal, 87 and Wenchi, 85.
According to the Regional EC Director, the Asunafo North and Nkoranza South follow with 78 each; Tano North, 72; Asunafo South, 66); Nkoranza North and Dormaa East, 64 and Jaman North, 63.
Mr Gyabaah said the regional office had taken delivery of notice of polls, which gave proof of all persons that had been duly nominated to contest the elections in the region, adding that the notice was meant to educate the electorate on how the ballot papers would look like and the position of the candidate, on the paper, their pictures, names, occupation and age.
He also indicated that his office had started mounting platforms for candidates in all the districts while training of Returning Officers and their deputies had been completed, who in turn were expected to go out to train Presiding Officers and Polling Assistants.
He, however, said that the office was yet to receive the ballot papers for the election but expressed the hope that they would be sent in from Accra by the close of the week.
At the time of the interview, district officers of the EC were taking away their respective materials for the polls, including notices of the poll, statement of poll, declaration of results forms, collation of results forms and guides to election officials.
Mr Gyabaah appealed to the electorate to participate fully in the elections by voting in their numbers in choosing those they found capable of leading them in their various communities and also be at the polling stations on time to avoid rush.
In a related development, 306 candidates are to contest the district assembly and unit committees' elections in the Sekyere Central District in the Ashanti Region.
Mr Raymond Nartey, the District Electoral Officer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nsuta that 84 of the candidates comprising 75 males and seven females would contest for the assembly poll in the 27 electoral areas.
He said 222 made up of 194 men and 28 women were contesting to join the unit committees.
Mr Nartey said three of the electoral areas, Hemame, Awanya and Nkwagri had no one contesting for the unit committee election.
He said campaign platform mounted by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the candidates in the district officially ended on Sunday December 19, 2010.
The candidates, however, have the right to do their own house-to-house campaign.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
ASUTIFI HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME REGISTER MORE (PAGE 29, DEC 15, 2010)
THE Asutifi District Health Insurance Scheme (DHIS) in the Brong Ahafo Region registered new members and renewed expired cards of existing ones, all totalling 4,203, during a special promotional programme organised recently by the public relations (PR) department of the scheme in the area.
The special exercise, which took place simultaneously at Nkaseim, Acherensua, Gambia and Kenyase on November 16 and 17, 2010, generated a total of GH¢6,124 premium paid for the new and old registrants.
At Nkaseim, 1,178 members were registered while Acherensua, Gambia and Kenyase registered 1,074, 977 and 974, respectively.
Before the commencement of the two-day special exercise, the PR section had mounted a two-week awareness creation on the local FM radio stations, visited churches, mosques and institutions in the district to educate the people on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in general and the uniqueness of the promotional exercise in particular.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DHIS, Mr Owusu Berchie, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at Hwediem.
He stated that his outfit decided to visit some of the communities at dawn in the sensitisation efforts through the use of public address systems which, he said, was a very good strategy to reach predominantly farming communities.
Touching on the renewals, Mr Berchie said all expired cards were replaced irrespective of the expiry date while in the case of the new ones, the registrants were given a one month waiting period instead of the previous three months to obtain their national identification (ID) cards.
According to the PRO, while waiting for their permanent cards, the newly roped in members were issued with temporary cards to enable them to attend health facilities whenever they fell sick.
He added: “With all these packages, the renewal and premium fees remained the same to enable people who wish to register to get on board the scheme.”
Mr Berchie said even though the scheme had field agents working in the various communities for the special programme, its officials were deployed to the communities to sensitise and carry out the registration alongside the renewals.
He emphasised that hitherto the people felt reluctant to join the scheme or renew their cards but this time round, the involvement of the scheme staff had whipped up their enthusiasm to get on board.
The PRO also disclosed that as of October, this year, a total of 97,592 people, made up of 42,391 males and 55,201 females out of the district’s population of approximately 120,000, had registered with the scheme.
The special exercise, which took place simultaneously at Nkaseim, Acherensua, Gambia and Kenyase on November 16 and 17, 2010, generated a total of GH¢6,124 premium paid for the new and old registrants.
At Nkaseim, 1,178 members were registered while Acherensua, Gambia and Kenyase registered 1,074, 977 and 974, respectively.
Before the commencement of the two-day special exercise, the PR section had mounted a two-week awareness creation on the local FM radio stations, visited churches, mosques and institutions in the district to educate the people on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in general and the uniqueness of the promotional exercise in particular.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DHIS, Mr Owusu Berchie, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at Hwediem.
He stated that his outfit decided to visit some of the communities at dawn in the sensitisation efforts through the use of public address systems which, he said, was a very good strategy to reach predominantly farming communities.
Touching on the renewals, Mr Berchie said all expired cards were replaced irrespective of the expiry date while in the case of the new ones, the registrants were given a one month waiting period instead of the previous three months to obtain their national identification (ID) cards.
According to the PRO, while waiting for their permanent cards, the newly roped in members were issued with temporary cards to enable them to attend health facilities whenever they fell sick.
He added: “With all these packages, the renewal and premium fees remained the same to enable people who wish to register to get on board the scheme.”
Mr Berchie said even though the scheme had field agents working in the various communities for the special programme, its officials were deployed to the communities to sensitise and carry out the registration alongside the renewals.
He emphasised that hitherto the people felt reluctant to join the scheme or renew their cards but this time round, the involvement of the scheme staff had whipped up their enthusiasm to get on board.
The PRO also disclosed that as of October, this year, a total of 97,592 people, made up of 42,391 males and 55,201 females out of the district’s population of approximately 120,000, had registered with the scheme.
Friday, December 10, 2010
CHIEFTAINCY DISPUTES IN BRONG AHAFO INCREASE (MIRROR, PAGE 35, DEC 11, 2010)
From Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani
A TOTAL of 56 chieftaincy cases, made up of 46 petitions and 10 appeals, are currently pending before the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs.
This was against 54 recorded cases which comprised of 43 petitions and 11 appeals that were brought before the Committee in December 2009.
At the beginning of this year, the number of chieftaincy disputes that came before the committee were 63, as a result of seven more petitions and two additional appeals.
However, the Committee was able to dispose of four of the petitions and three appeals, thereby, bringing the final number to 56, which the Committee is making frantic efforts to deal with.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II , the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, who disclosed this when he addressed the end of year general meeting of the House in Sunyani, the regional capital, could however, not catalogue the pending cases but mentioned the disposed petitions and appeals.
The disposed petitions are the Bassa Paramount stool, Bouyem-Techiman, Toubodom-Techiman and Tanoso- Techiman, while the settled appeal cases were Nkoranza Gyase, Odomase-Adantia as well as Nkoranza-Krabonso.
Osahene Aterkyi expressed the hope that Nananom would take action on the remaining cases pending so that the number would be drastically reduced in a few months time, saying, ‘‘We have already taken steps to ensure expeditious reduction of pending cases to the barest minimum.”.
He said it was rather regrettable thatfull attendance on hearing days was still not encouraging, and therefore, appealed to the panel members to ensure speedy discharge of the outstanding cases, to save the House from possible embarrassment.
According to the President, the House attempted to settle some of the pending cases through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism but indicated that most of them failed to yield positive results, adding, ‘‘Nonetheless, we shall pursue this further in the coming year’’.
Osahene Aterkyi, who is also the Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area, pointed out that in the coming year, the house would plan to move into mediation process to resolve serious rifts/misunderstandings, arising in conflict areas to prevent legal tussle between royal families and kingmakers.
He gave the assurance that, in the early part of 2011, he plans to take a tour of the entire region, starting from Amanten through Atebubu to Bassa, Wiase, Dwan to Kadjaji area, to help patch up cracks in royal families/kingmakers that may possibly crystallise into open conflict.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, stressed that chieftaincy and land disputes did not augur well for the effective development of the country, pointing out that investors were scared of such conflicts and therefore, urged Nananom to ensure the speedy resolution of all pending cases.
A TOTAL of 56 chieftaincy cases, made up of 46 petitions and 10 appeals, are currently pending before the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs.
This was against 54 recorded cases which comprised of 43 petitions and 11 appeals that were brought before the Committee in December 2009.
At the beginning of this year, the number of chieftaincy disputes that came before the committee were 63, as a result of seven more petitions and two additional appeals.
However, the Committee was able to dispose of four of the petitions and three appeals, thereby, bringing the final number to 56, which the Committee is making frantic efforts to deal with.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II , the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, who disclosed this when he addressed the end of year general meeting of the House in Sunyani, the regional capital, could however, not catalogue the pending cases but mentioned the disposed petitions and appeals.
The disposed petitions are the Bassa Paramount stool, Bouyem-Techiman, Toubodom-Techiman and Tanoso- Techiman, while the settled appeal cases were Nkoranza Gyase, Odomase-Adantia as well as Nkoranza-Krabonso.
Osahene Aterkyi expressed the hope that Nananom would take action on the remaining cases pending so that the number would be drastically reduced in a few months time, saying, ‘‘We have already taken steps to ensure expeditious reduction of pending cases to the barest minimum.”.
He said it was rather regrettable thatfull attendance on hearing days was still not encouraging, and therefore, appealed to the panel members to ensure speedy discharge of the outstanding cases, to save the House from possible embarrassment.
According to the President, the House attempted to settle some of the pending cases through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism but indicated that most of them failed to yield positive results, adding, ‘‘Nonetheless, we shall pursue this further in the coming year’’.
Osahene Aterkyi, who is also the Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area, pointed out that in the coming year, the house would plan to move into mediation process to resolve serious rifts/misunderstandings, arising in conflict areas to prevent legal tussle between royal families and kingmakers.
He gave the assurance that, in the early part of 2011, he plans to take a tour of the entire region, starting from Amanten through Atebubu to Bassa, Wiase, Dwan to Kadjaji area, to help patch up cracks in royal families/kingmakers that may possibly crystallise into open conflict.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, stressed that chieftaincy and land disputes did not augur well for the effective development of the country, pointing out that investors were scared of such conflicts and therefore, urged Nananom to ensure the speedy resolution of all pending cases.
FOUR REMANDED ON SUSPICION OF MURDER (BACK PAGE, DEC 9, 2010)
THE Duayaw Nkwanta Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mr. D. K. Ahiado, has remanded in prison custody four persons suspected to have murdered a 35-year-old mason at Yamfo in the Tano North District in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The suspects, Kofi Kabie, 22, a driver’s mate; Kudjo Eminilbon, 34, a tractor operator; Gyamfi Kyeremeh, 47, a drinking bar operator; and Evans Peprah Tabiri, a 58-year-old road contractor, are alleged to have conspired to murder Kwasi Yeboah, also known as Kwasi Dada.
The body of the deceased, which was found on the outskirts of the town on Thursday, November 12, 2010, had since been buried after autopsy.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent of Police, Mr Eric Amoako, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, however, indicated that the police were yet to charge the suspects, who were picked on different occasions after the act.
The crime officer pointed out that Kabie and Eminilbon were the first to be arrested on November 13, 2010 and arraigned at the court on November 15, 2010, while Kyeremeh and Tabiri were picked on November 24 and November 27, 2010 respectively.
They are to reappear on December 21, 2010.
He explained that the police had started investigations into the case and appealed to the public, including the people of Yamfo, to volunteer any relevant information.
Mr Amoako gave the assurance that any such information would be treated with the confidentiality it deserved.
The suspects, Kofi Kabie, 22, a driver’s mate; Kudjo Eminilbon, 34, a tractor operator; Gyamfi Kyeremeh, 47, a drinking bar operator; and Evans Peprah Tabiri, a 58-year-old road contractor, are alleged to have conspired to murder Kwasi Yeboah, also known as Kwasi Dada.
The body of the deceased, which was found on the outskirts of the town on Thursday, November 12, 2010, had since been buried after autopsy.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent of Police, Mr Eric Amoako, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, however, indicated that the police were yet to charge the suspects, who were picked on different occasions after the act.
The crime officer pointed out that Kabie and Eminilbon were the first to be arrested on November 13, 2010 and arraigned at the court on November 15, 2010, while Kyeremeh and Tabiri were picked on November 24 and November 27, 2010 respectively.
They are to reappear on December 21, 2010.
He explained that the police had started investigations into the case and appealed to the public, including the people of Yamfo, to volunteer any relevant information.
Mr Amoako gave the assurance that any such information would be treated with the confidentiality it deserved.
Monday, December 6, 2010
POLICE WILL HELP ERADICATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING (PAGE 43, DEC 6, 2010)
THE Police Administration has given the assurance that the police will continue to collaborate with other security agencies to eliminate human trafficking in the country.
He, however, stated that it was the duty of society to rescue victims of human trafficking, and also eliminate the menace which is known to be modern-day slavery.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Seth Charles Oteng, gave the assurance when he inaugurated the regional anti-human trafficking unit of the Ghana Police Service in Sunyani.
The establishment of the unit throughout the country is a collaborative effort between the Police Administration and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to international labour estimates, about 2.4 million people were victims of human trafficking between 1995 and 2005 while the United States Department of State report also revealed that about one million children were exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year.
DCOP Oteng stated that human trafficking impacted negatively on the economy since it contributed to streetchildren, unskilled labour and commercial sex activities.
He said those who engaged in prostitution contracted all kinds of venereal diseases, including HIV and AIDS, which was a killer.
‘‘This is why the Police Administration in collaboration with the other security agencies, is determined to eliminate human trafficking in our society. We would not relent in our efforts until trafficking in human beings is no more practised in our society,’’ he stressed.
The regional police commander emphasised that human trafficking was very exploitative as children were trafficked and forced into all kinds of forced hazardous labour, such as stone quarrying, fishing, salt mining and worse of all, young ladies were forced into prostitution.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said many years ago, there was the tendency of some women in parts of the country, who were enticed or induced to migrate to Abidjan, La Cote d’ Ivoire under the guise of finding gainful employment, only to be forced into prostitution by circumstances beyond their control.
He said some of them arrived to realise that they had been deceived because the promised jobs were non-existent and prostitution was the only avenue open to them to earn a living.
‘‘Occasionally, these Abidjan-based women visited home in fancy clothing which also enticed others to go along with them,’’ the Regional Minister stated.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, however, stated that human trafficking had assumed a new dimension with the recruitment and transportation of young boys and girls who were sold into slavery, either within or across national borders by the use of force, abduction or deception.
He, however, stated that it was the duty of society to rescue victims of human trafficking, and also eliminate the menace which is known to be modern-day slavery.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Seth Charles Oteng, gave the assurance when he inaugurated the regional anti-human trafficking unit of the Ghana Police Service in Sunyani.
The establishment of the unit throughout the country is a collaborative effort between the Police Administration and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to international labour estimates, about 2.4 million people were victims of human trafficking between 1995 and 2005 while the United States Department of State report also revealed that about one million children were exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year.
DCOP Oteng stated that human trafficking impacted negatively on the economy since it contributed to streetchildren, unskilled labour and commercial sex activities.
He said those who engaged in prostitution contracted all kinds of venereal diseases, including HIV and AIDS, which was a killer.
‘‘This is why the Police Administration in collaboration with the other security agencies, is determined to eliminate human trafficking in our society. We would not relent in our efforts until trafficking in human beings is no more practised in our society,’’ he stressed.
The regional police commander emphasised that human trafficking was very exploitative as children were trafficked and forced into all kinds of forced hazardous labour, such as stone quarrying, fishing, salt mining and worse of all, young ladies were forced into prostitution.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said many years ago, there was the tendency of some women in parts of the country, who were enticed or induced to migrate to Abidjan, La Cote d’ Ivoire under the guise of finding gainful employment, only to be forced into prostitution by circumstances beyond their control.
He said some of them arrived to realise that they had been deceived because the promised jobs were non-existent and prostitution was the only avenue open to them to earn a living.
‘‘Occasionally, these Abidjan-based women visited home in fancy clothing which also enticed others to go along with them,’’ the Regional Minister stated.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, however, stated that human trafficking had assumed a new dimension with the recruitment and transportation of young boys and girls who were sold into slavery, either within or across national borders by the use of force, abduction or deception.
CHELSEA BEAT LIBERTY 2-0 (BACK PAGE, DEC 6, 2010)
Bechem Chelsea continued to enjoy their stay at the summit of the Glo Premier League when they beat visiting Liberty Professionals 2-0 at the Golden City Park in Berekum yesterday.
Chelsea got the opener on the 10th minute when they struck through skipper Abdul Basit Mohammed. From a carefully tendered cornerkick, Chelsea’s Bismark Idan struck at goal, but his left-footed shot was blocked, and the ball fell to Basit Mohammed to finish off with a shot from the rebound.
Chelsea kept dictating the pace of the game but could not add to their lead in the first half.
The restart saw Liberty lifting their game, but their attack found Chelsea’s defence unbeatable until the scales turned in favour of the homesters who secured a penalty for their efforts later on, and striker Emmanuel Clottey made no mistake to slot it home.
Chelsea got the opener on the 10th minute when they struck through skipper Abdul Basit Mohammed. From a carefully tendered cornerkick, Chelsea’s Bismark Idan struck at goal, but his left-footed shot was blocked, and the ball fell to Basit Mohammed to finish off with a shot from the rebound.
Chelsea kept dictating the pace of the game but could not add to their lead in the first half.
The restart saw Liberty lifting their game, but their attack found Chelsea’s defence unbeatable until the scales turned in favour of the homesters who secured a penalty for their efforts later on, and striker Emmanuel Clottey made no mistake to slot it home.
KINTAMPO HEALTH SCHOOL DEVELOPS 5-YEAR PLAN (PAGE 11, DEC 3, 2010)
THE authorities at the Kintampo Rural Health Training School (KRHTS), in the Brong Ahafo Region have developed a five-year strategic plan for 2011 to 2016.
It has the objective of transforming the school into a world-class health university that will continue to respond to the health needs of communities.
The KRHTS aspires to become an international resource centre for training and operational research, by working towards developing and delivering Bachelor and Masters’ Degrees in appropriate subjects in affiliation with other institutions.
Furthermore, as the school, which was established about 41 years ago endeavours to achieve steady growth in student numbers, it is determined to develop partnerships with national health and research institutions, local and international universities and health authorities to encourage and support staff to gain higher qualifications up to the PhD level.
That would certainly enhance the quality of teaching and learning as well as service delivery and research, thereby attracting international students to participate in its training and other programmes.
Dr Emmanuel Teye Adjase, the Director of KRHTS disclosed this at the 2010 Matriculation of 672 freshers, made up of 411 males and 251 females.
He indicated that the first priority of the strategic plan was for the school to emerge as a full research degree awarding university, by working with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for a University College status by 2011.
The students would pursue programmes in Medical Assistant Psychiatry, Post Basic Medical Assistant, Post Basic Community Oral Health Direct Medical Assistant, Field Technician, Disease Control, Human Information, Laboratory Technician, Registered Dental Surgery, Assistant Nutrition and Community Mental Health.
Again, the Director said, the authorities would work with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for the full university status by 2016, developing a reputation for the training institution for excellence in learning, teaching and research.
Under the same first strategic priority, Dr Adjase pointed out that, the school would encourage the staff to develop the research environment of the training institution by hosting conferences, editing journals and publishing research findings.
The Director also mentioned the remaining five-year strategic priority areas as: Becoming an international resource centre for training and operational research, to become a well-resourced institution to contribute to the ever changing global health needs, increase the number and variety of students served and enhance their experience of higher education and finally, ensure an excellent human, financial, physical and intellectual infrastructure for the training institution.
Dr Adjase was joined by the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the KRHTS, Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, who is also the immediate past Dean of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to launch the plan.
They also launched an Online Portal for the school, which was installed by Fleet Technologies Limited in Accra, Specialists in Online Services for educational institutions and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Prof. Agbenyega commended the authorities of the school for turning out health professionals who were rendering dedicated services in all parts of the country, saying that, graduates from the school were the crop of health personnel who worked harder with the absence of medical officers who sought to seek greener pastures elsewhere after their training in Ghana.
It has the objective of transforming the school into a world-class health university that will continue to respond to the health needs of communities.
The KRHTS aspires to become an international resource centre for training and operational research, by working towards developing and delivering Bachelor and Masters’ Degrees in appropriate subjects in affiliation with other institutions.
Furthermore, as the school, which was established about 41 years ago endeavours to achieve steady growth in student numbers, it is determined to develop partnerships with national health and research institutions, local and international universities and health authorities to encourage and support staff to gain higher qualifications up to the PhD level.
That would certainly enhance the quality of teaching and learning as well as service delivery and research, thereby attracting international students to participate in its training and other programmes.
Dr Emmanuel Teye Adjase, the Director of KRHTS disclosed this at the 2010 Matriculation of 672 freshers, made up of 411 males and 251 females.
He indicated that the first priority of the strategic plan was for the school to emerge as a full research degree awarding university, by working with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for a University College status by 2011.
The students would pursue programmes in Medical Assistant Psychiatry, Post Basic Medical Assistant, Post Basic Community Oral Health Direct Medical Assistant, Field Technician, Disease Control, Human Information, Laboratory Technician, Registered Dental Surgery, Assistant Nutrition and Community Mental Health.
Again, the Director said, the authorities would work with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for the full university status by 2016, developing a reputation for the training institution for excellence in learning, teaching and research.
Under the same first strategic priority, Dr Adjase pointed out that, the school would encourage the staff to develop the research environment of the training institution by hosting conferences, editing journals and publishing research findings.
The Director also mentioned the remaining five-year strategic priority areas as: Becoming an international resource centre for training and operational research, to become a well-resourced institution to contribute to the ever changing global health needs, increase the number and variety of students served and enhance their experience of higher education and finally, ensure an excellent human, financial, physical and intellectual infrastructure for the training institution.
Dr Adjase was joined by the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the KRHTS, Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, who is also the immediate past Dean of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to launch the plan.
They also launched an Online Portal for the school, which was installed by Fleet Technologies Limited in Accra, Specialists in Online Services for educational institutions and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Prof. Agbenyega commended the authorities of the school for turning out health professionals who were rendering dedicated services in all parts of the country, saying that, graduates from the school were the crop of health personnel who worked harder with the absence of medical officers who sought to seek greener pastures elsewhere after their training in Ghana.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
FOOD PRODUCTION BOOMS IN ASUTIFI DISTRICT (MIRROR, NOV 27, 2010, PAGE 35)
From Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Ntotroso
Food production, especially plantain, cassava, cocoyam and maize in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, witnessed a steady percentage increase over the past four years, mainly due to the adoption of good agricultural practices by farmers.
Additionally, increased extension services, farmer to farmer training by field officers as well as the supply of and use of high quality yielding inputs.
In 2009, a total of 301,438 metric tonnes (Mt) of plantain was produced as against 274,748Mt recorded the previous year while in 2007, the production level was 225,381Mt and a total of 216,713Mt in 2006.
For cassava, the district recorded 264,002Mt in 2009; 243,710Mt in 2008; 262,629Mt the previous year and 236, 178Mt in 2006, representing 10.54 per cent while in the case of cocoyam, the figures recorded were, 137,213Mt, in 2009; 118,427Mt in 2008; 104,137Mtin 2007 and 101,104Mt the previous year.
The consistent food productivity levels was as a result of the provision of a total of $10million by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) operating the Ahafo Mine in the district to about 5,000 farmers, who have been affected by the development of the mine to re-establish their livelihood, under a programme known as the Agricultural Improvement and Land Access Programme (AILAP).
The Asutifi District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Kodwo A. Intsuah, disclosed this at the 2010 Farmers Open Day organised by the company at Ntotroso in the district on Tuesday with the theme, “ Grow More Food: Food Security, our Priority”.
Giving the recorded statistics for maize during the period, Mr. Intsuah indicated that 13,983Mt was produced in 2009; 14,043Mt in 2008; 13,868 in 2007 and 12,165Mt produced in 2006, while yam had 2,014Mt in 2009; 1,919Mt the previous year, 1,647Mt in 2007 and 1,551 in 2006.
For rice, the district MoFA Director pointed out that a total of 388Mt was produced in 2009 while 312Mt was recorded in 2008; 291 in 2007 and 286 produced the previous year, adding that in view of the increase in productivity, there was always bumper harvests at the peak of the harvesting season.
He therefore called for proper marketing avenues and value chain additions.
The External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said there had been an increase in farm size for the production of maize from 5,840 hectares in 2004 to 6,102 hectares in 2009, adding that Newmont had a vested interest in the improvement of livelihoods and economic development of communities in the area.
He appealed to the farmers and other stakeholders in the community to focus on projects that would enhance the development of agriculture and agro-business in the district, since mining would not be a feature of the district forever.
“The mine will come to the end of its life in a couple of decades so we all need to begin to build legacies that can support and sustain the livelihood and development of the Asutifi District and its communities,” Mr Bedu-Addo explained.
The District Chief Executive for Asutifi, Mr Eric Addae, commended the management of the company for the assistance extended to the farmers who had been affected by the operation of the mine and expressed the hope that the farmers would continue to work harder to earn a decent living all the time.
Food production, especially plantain, cassava, cocoyam and maize in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, witnessed a steady percentage increase over the past four years, mainly due to the adoption of good agricultural practices by farmers.
Additionally, increased extension services, farmer to farmer training by field officers as well as the supply of and use of high quality yielding inputs.
In 2009, a total of 301,438 metric tonnes (Mt) of plantain was produced as against 274,748Mt recorded the previous year while in 2007, the production level was 225,381Mt and a total of 216,713Mt in 2006.
For cassava, the district recorded 264,002Mt in 2009; 243,710Mt in 2008; 262,629Mt the previous year and 236, 178Mt in 2006, representing 10.54 per cent while in the case of cocoyam, the figures recorded were, 137,213Mt, in 2009; 118,427Mt in 2008; 104,137Mtin 2007 and 101,104Mt the previous year.
The consistent food productivity levels was as a result of the provision of a total of $10million by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) operating the Ahafo Mine in the district to about 5,000 farmers, who have been affected by the development of the mine to re-establish their livelihood, under a programme known as the Agricultural Improvement and Land Access Programme (AILAP).
The Asutifi District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Kodwo A. Intsuah, disclosed this at the 2010 Farmers Open Day organised by the company at Ntotroso in the district on Tuesday with the theme, “ Grow More Food: Food Security, our Priority”.
Giving the recorded statistics for maize during the period, Mr. Intsuah indicated that 13,983Mt was produced in 2009; 14,043Mt in 2008; 13,868 in 2007 and 12,165Mt produced in 2006, while yam had 2,014Mt in 2009; 1,919Mt the previous year, 1,647Mt in 2007 and 1,551 in 2006.
For rice, the district MoFA Director pointed out that a total of 388Mt was produced in 2009 while 312Mt was recorded in 2008; 291 in 2007 and 286 produced the previous year, adding that in view of the increase in productivity, there was always bumper harvests at the peak of the harvesting season.
He therefore called for proper marketing avenues and value chain additions.
The External Affairs Manager of NGGL, Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, said there had been an increase in farm size for the production of maize from 5,840 hectares in 2004 to 6,102 hectares in 2009, adding that Newmont had a vested interest in the improvement of livelihoods and economic development of communities in the area.
He appealed to the farmers and other stakeholders in the community to focus on projects that would enhance the development of agriculture and agro-business in the district, since mining would not be a feature of the district forever.
“The mine will come to the end of its life in a couple of decades so we all need to begin to build legacies that can support and sustain the livelihood and development of the Asutifi District and its communities,” Mr Bedu-Addo explained.
The District Chief Executive for Asutifi, Mr Eric Addae, commended the management of the company for the assistance extended to the farmers who had been affected by the operation of the mine and expressed the hope that the farmers would continue to work harder to earn a decent living all the time.
FAISAL HOLD ARSENAL (BACK PAGE, NOV 29, 2010)
Alhaji Karim Gruzah’s King Faisal trekked gallantly to the Berekum Golden City Park to hold homesters Arsenal to a pulsating 0-0 draw in their Glo Premier League match yesterday.
Faisal’s determination to run away with victory forced the defence of Arsenal to work extra hard, however, Arsenal’s central defender, Kofi Agyare, was red-carded by Tamale-based Class One referee, Awal Mohammed, on the 89th minute for a second cautionable offence.
The homesters, backed by their teeming supporters, probed for victory but they failed, even with the seven minutes additional time played.
Faisal’s determination to run away with victory forced the defence of Arsenal to work extra hard, however, Arsenal’s central defender, Kofi Agyare, was red-carded by Tamale-based Class One referee, Awal Mohammed, on the 89th minute for a second cautionable offence.
The homesters, backed by their teeming supporters, probed for victory but they failed, even with the seven minutes additional time played.
ORGANISE YOURSELVES INTO STRONG ASSOCIATIONS (PAGE 22, NOV 27, 2010)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, has observed that for the private sector to be the engine of growth, intermediary organisations, such as trade and business association’s (TBSs), should act as the voice of the sector.
He stressed that private businesses must organise themselves into strong associations and through advocacy, use those associations as platforms to articulate their concerns for the attention of policy-makers at the national, regional and district levels.
“They can advise government on the adoption of prudent economic policies that will create the appropriate environment for private sector growth and development. The TBAs should strengthen the capacity of the private sector and determine policy as well as the allocation of resources,” Mr Nyamekye-Marfo suggested.
The Regional Minister made the observation in a speech read on his behalf at a workshop, in Sunyani, on promoting business associations in Ghana.
The workshop, which was organised by the Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF) and sponsored by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, was aimed at improving the members’ capacity on trade and business transactions.
According to Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, TBAs in Ghana were weak, poorly funded and lacked research and lobbying capacity.
He, however, expressed satisfaction that the workshop would strengthen the associations to enable them to have a strong and coherent voice to be able to effectively play their role in the development process and also contribute towards the achievement of the government’s “Better Ghana” agenda.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KAB Governance Consult, Mr Kwasi Afriyie Badu, who presented a paper on “The case for strengthening business associations,” said the policy environment remained relatively weak for the private sector in spite of the government’s declared commitment to private sector development.
He suggested that the leadership of business associations should strive for a strong voice in the determination of policy and the allocation of resources, adding that strengthening business associations was a shared responsibility.
According to Mr Badu, Ghanaian business associations had the potential to become a force to reckon with in the national arena, but said what was required was effective leadership and that the PEF needed to rise to the challenge and offer the required leadership.
The acting Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), Mr Saeed Owusu-Brobbey, in a speech read on his behalf, said in the current competitive business world, it was almost impossible for any small-scale entrepreneur to survive as an individual.
He explained that the resources of an individual alone might not be adequate enough to enable him or her to compete effectively with the larger business concerns which made use of modern and complex scientific methods in production.
He stressed that private businesses must organise themselves into strong associations and through advocacy, use those associations as platforms to articulate their concerns for the attention of policy-makers at the national, regional and district levels.
“They can advise government on the adoption of prudent economic policies that will create the appropriate environment for private sector growth and development. The TBAs should strengthen the capacity of the private sector and determine policy as well as the allocation of resources,” Mr Nyamekye-Marfo suggested.
The Regional Minister made the observation in a speech read on his behalf at a workshop, in Sunyani, on promoting business associations in Ghana.
The workshop, which was organised by the Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF) and sponsored by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, was aimed at improving the members’ capacity on trade and business transactions.
According to Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, TBAs in Ghana were weak, poorly funded and lacked research and lobbying capacity.
He, however, expressed satisfaction that the workshop would strengthen the associations to enable them to have a strong and coherent voice to be able to effectively play their role in the development process and also contribute towards the achievement of the government’s “Better Ghana” agenda.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KAB Governance Consult, Mr Kwasi Afriyie Badu, who presented a paper on “The case for strengthening business associations,” said the policy environment remained relatively weak for the private sector in spite of the government’s declared commitment to private sector development.
He suggested that the leadership of business associations should strive for a strong voice in the determination of policy and the allocation of resources, adding that strengthening business associations was a shared responsibility.
According to Mr Badu, Ghanaian business associations had the potential to become a force to reckon with in the national arena, but said what was required was effective leadership and that the PEF needed to rise to the challenge and offer the required leadership.
The acting Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), Mr Saeed Owusu-Brobbey, in a speech read on his behalf, said in the current competitive business world, it was almost impossible for any small-scale entrepreneur to survive as an individual.
He explained that the resources of an individual alone might not be adequate enough to enable him or her to compete effectively with the larger business concerns which made use of modern and complex scientific methods in production.
GOVT URGED TO ASSIST PRIVATE SCHOOLS (PAGE 22, NOV 27, 2010)
IT is an undeniable fact that education, especially formal education, is the key to the effective development of every nation.
It is in recognition of this fact that governments, the world over, strive to put premium on the education of their citizenry.
In fact, the so-called developed countries attained their current status because they spent a lot of their resources on their respective education sectors which in the final analysis have tremendously transformed their economies.
Having realised this reason, developing countries, including our dear nation Ghana, have decided to concentrate on the education of their children by channelling a greater proportion of their annual budgets to the education sector.
Currently, the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is painstakingly embarking on the infrastructural development of public schools at all levels, an aim the previous administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) sought to achieve. Indeed, it is the wish of every serious-minded government to place education high on its developmental agenda.
Governments are desirous to pay maximum attention to education and in fact, much more attention is placed on public educational institutions. However, the question arises as to what the government is doing to assist the private schools since there are a number of potential benefits to strengthen the private school sector. Admittedly, the private sector is the engine of growth and the education sector should not be an exception.
There is an observation that private schools of varying quality are mushrooming in the developing world. In the private education sector, some schools appear to deliver quality education to the poor than the public schools.
In Ghana, for instance, there is an overall perception among parents that private schools provide better education than the public schools, at the basic level a notion that is substantiated by the results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which is the only criterion considered for entry into the Senior High Schools (SHSs).
It is also estimated that nearly 75 per cent of all schools in the Greater Accra Region and the other cities in the country are private institutions and those schools mostly serve the poor. As stated earlier, there are a number of potential benefits to be derived if the private sector education is strengthened diversity.
In addition to reducing the burden of financing education from government expenditure, stronger private schools might increase the diversity and choice in educational provision and the access and quality in education as well as improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of schools.
However, there are a number of factors that negatively affect the growth and quality of private schools. They include limited access to financial assistance, which appears to be the major one.
While some private schools are poorly managed financially, owners of those institutions often have few options to finance their business and are forced to rely on their savings and family loans to establish, grow, improve and sustain their schools.
Consequently, many credit institutions are reluctant to provide loans to private schools because they are perceived as risky investments. Many of those schools also lack credible accounting and financial management practices that can allow financial institutions to appropriately evaluate risks.
In the light of this phenomenon, a policy dialogue is needed among the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education, authorities of private schools, donor agencies, parents, among other stakeholders, focusing on how private schools might achieve greater recognition and credibility and determine how they might fit into the country’s education goals in consonance with the Millennium Development Goals.
Given the potential of private schools at both the primary and secondary levels to improve efficiency, access and quality, governments and donors ought to consider private schools as partners in achieving education for all and working with the private sector to achieve such goals.
This, however, requires a new type of programming. The means to achieving such goals requires mobilising and increasing the effective use of financial resources.
It is in response to this thought that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working through The Michel Group Incorporated (TMG) in 2009, launched an Affordable Private Schools (APS) pilot project in Ghana.
The APS is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the needs of the private basic education sector and to gather best practices and lessons learnt specifically about how best to meet the financing and other needs of this sector.
In fact, TMG Incorporated is helping the private education sector in Ghana to improve the internal operations of private schools and enhance their ability to access affordable credit to expand infrastructure and improve the quality of education.
TMG Incorporated, under USAID-funded programme and in partnership with ASKY Services Limited, a private enterprise in Sunyani, is organising a series of training programmes for owners/managers and prospective owners/managers of private schools in internationally accepted best practices in Business and Financial Management four days workshop.
Recently, 20 proprietors and managers attended a four-day workshop in Sunyani. During an interaction with the Daily Graphic, Mr Baba D. Anaba, the Project Co-ordinator of the TMG Assistance to Basic Education in Ghana, stated that the APS pilot programme was geared towards developing a package of operational best practices and lessons learned in enabling quality private education, with focus on stimulating affordable private financing for private schools.
According to Mr Anaba, the focus was also to build the business, managerial and teaching capabilities of private schools, building banks’ capacity to develop appropriate credit products for the schools and developing mutually beneficial relationships between private schools and the Ministry of Education.
The Co-ordinator disclosed that the results from the programme to date included a total of $600,000 loan by partner bank to schools which had benefited from the training so far.
He added that 85 Ghanaian private sector schools had received loans with an average size of $7,680 and a range loan size of between $1,000 and $36,000.
Mr Anaba stated that over 100 schools had participated in the group short-term working capital loan programme.
He said training programmes were currently being conducted in three different regions while more than 230 private school owners who were also members of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) from Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Volta and Upper East Regions, had attended the financial management workshops.
The workshops were aimed at empowering private school proprietors to manage their schools effectively’.
The proprietor of Kasipe Memorial International School at Sampa in the Jaman North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Siaka Stevens, who was a participant at the workshop, told this writer that the programme had been an eye opener and had strengthened him in particular.
‘‘I can now see far because I have learnt new ideas and methods of supervising and managing financial aspects of my school,’’ he stressed.
According to him, the government had never invited proprietors and managers of private schools to any of such workshops and so in the past, he did his own thing until USAID/TMG came in with the programme. Mr Siaka, therefore, commended the group for the support it had offered him so far.
The Headmistress of Hwediem OLA Preparatory/Junior High School in the Asutifi District also in the region, Sister Theresa Anima Kusi, shared a similar experience with this writer, stressing that she had learnt certain ideologies at the workshop, such as effective financial management and proper supervision of both members of staff and students, which hitherto she never knew.
‘‘I now know how to work with my accountant, going by the steps I have learnt here and it will be a reminder to me at all times in managing the school with my other sister colleagues. Henceforth, we shall be as flexible as possible to achieve the maximum results,’’ she stated.
It is in recognition of this fact that governments, the world over, strive to put premium on the education of their citizenry.
In fact, the so-called developed countries attained their current status because they spent a lot of their resources on their respective education sectors which in the final analysis have tremendously transformed their economies.
Having realised this reason, developing countries, including our dear nation Ghana, have decided to concentrate on the education of their children by channelling a greater proportion of their annual budgets to the education sector.
Currently, the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is painstakingly embarking on the infrastructural development of public schools at all levels, an aim the previous administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) sought to achieve. Indeed, it is the wish of every serious-minded government to place education high on its developmental agenda.
Governments are desirous to pay maximum attention to education and in fact, much more attention is placed on public educational institutions. However, the question arises as to what the government is doing to assist the private schools since there are a number of potential benefits to strengthen the private school sector. Admittedly, the private sector is the engine of growth and the education sector should not be an exception.
There is an observation that private schools of varying quality are mushrooming in the developing world. In the private education sector, some schools appear to deliver quality education to the poor than the public schools.
In Ghana, for instance, there is an overall perception among parents that private schools provide better education than the public schools, at the basic level a notion that is substantiated by the results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which is the only criterion considered for entry into the Senior High Schools (SHSs).
It is also estimated that nearly 75 per cent of all schools in the Greater Accra Region and the other cities in the country are private institutions and those schools mostly serve the poor. As stated earlier, there are a number of potential benefits to be derived if the private sector education is strengthened diversity.
In addition to reducing the burden of financing education from government expenditure, stronger private schools might increase the diversity and choice in educational provision and the access and quality in education as well as improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of schools.
However, there are a number of factors that negatively affect the growth and quality of private schools. They include limited access to financial assistance, which appears to be the major one.
While some private schools are poorly managed financially, owners of those institutions often have few options to finance their business and are forced to rely on their savings and family loans to establish, grow, improve and sustain their schools.
Consequently, many credit institutions are reluctant to provide loans to private schools because they are perceived as risky investments. Many of those schools also lack credible accounting and financial management practices that can allow financial institutions to appropriately evaluate risks.
In the light of this phenomenon, a policy dialogue is needed among the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education, authorities of private schools, donor agencies, parents, among other stakeholders, focusing on how private schools might achieve greater recognition and credibility and determine how they might fit into the country’s education goals in consonance with the Millennium Development Goals.
Given the potential of private schools at both the primary and secondary levels to improve efficiency, access and quality, governments and donors ought to consider private schools as partners in achieving education for all and working with the private sector to achieve such goals.
This, however, requires a new type of programming. The means to achieving such goals requires mobilising and increasing the effective use of financial resources.
It is in response to this thought that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working through The Michel Group Incorporated (TMG) in 2009, launched an Affordable Private Schools (APS) pilot project in Ghana.
The APS is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the needs of the private basic education sector and to gather best practices and lessons learnt specifically about how best to meet the financing and other needs of this sector.
In fact, TMG Incorporated is helping the private education sector in Ghana to improve the internal operations of private schools and enhance their ability to access affordable credit to expand infrastructure and improve the quality of education.
TMG Incorporated, under USAID-funded programme and in partnership with ASKY Services Limited, a private enterprise in Sunyani, is organising a series of training programmes for owners/managers and prospective owners/managers of private schools in internationally accepted best practices in Business and Financial Management four days workshop.
Recently, 20 proprietors and managers attended a four-day workshop in Sunyani. During an interaction with the Daily Graphic, Mr Baba D. Anaba, the Project Co-ordinator of the TMG Assistance to Basic Education in Ghana, stated that the APS pilot programme was geared towards developing a package of operational best practices and lessons learned in enabling quality private education, with focus on stimulating affordable private financing for private schools.
According to Mr Anaba, the focus was also to build the business, managerial and teaching capabilities of private schools, building banks’ capacity to develop appropriate credit products for the schools and developing mutually beneficial relationships between private schools and the Ministry of Education.
The Co-ordinator disclosed that the results from the programme to date included a total of $600,000 loan by partner bank to schools which had benefited from the training so far.
He added that 85 Ghanaian private sector schools had received loans with an average size of $7,680 and a range loan size of between $1,000 and $36,000.
Mr Anaba stated that over 100 schools had participated in the group short-term working capital loan programme.
He said training programmes were currently being conducted in three different regions while more than 230 private school owners who were also members of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) from Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Volta and Upper East Regions, had attended the financial management workshops.
The workshops were aimed at empowering private school proprietors to manage their schools effectively’.
The proprietor of Kasipe Memorial International School at Sampa in the Jaman North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Siaka Stevens, who was a participant at the workshop, told this writer that the programme had been an eye opener and had strengthened him in particular.
‘‘I can now see far because I have learnt new ideas and methods of supervising and managing financial aspects of my school,’’ he stressed.
According to him, the government had never invited proprietors and managers of private schools to any of such workshops and so in the past, he did his own thing until USAID/TMG came in with the programme. Mr Siaka, therefore, commended the group for the support it had offered him so far.
The Headmistress of Hwediem OLA Preparatory/Junior High School in the Asutifi District also in the region, Sister Theresa Anima Kusi, shared a similar experience with this writer, stressing that she had learnt certain ideologies at the workshop, such as effective financial management and proper supervision of both members of staff and students, which hitherto she never knew.
‘‘I now know how to work with my accountant, going by the steps I have learnt here and it will be a reminder to me at all times in managing the school with my other sister colleagues. Henceforth, we shall be as flexible as possible to achieve the maximum results,’’ she stated.
INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE AFFECTS LESS-ENDOWED SCHOOLS (PAGE 11, NOV 26, 2010)
INADEQUATE and run-down infrastructure such as classrooms, teachers’ bungalows, dormitories or hostels have, over the years, made it difficult for less- endowed schools in the country to put up their best, the Dean of the Faculty of Art at the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Daniel A. Ohene Adu, has observed.
He said challenges of inadequate staff members, library facilities and poorly stocked libraries had contributed to the abysmal performance of the less-privileged schools in the country.
“The inability of students to pay their school fees as a result of poor income levels, lack of exposure, their relatively poor numeracy and language skills and inadequate textbooks in the less-privileged schools could not be downplayed in assessing the challenges of less-endowed schools in their attempt to educate the youth for national development,” Prof. Adu pointed out.
The Dean of the Faculty of Art made these observations when he addressed the first Speech and Prize-giving day of Berekum Presbyterian Senior High School (Berekum PRESEC) on the theme: “Educating the Youth for National Development: The Role and Challenges of Less-Endowed Schools.”
Prof. Adu said it was evident that problems of education related to funding, teacher quality and quantity, poor student academic performance, equal educational opportunity as well as curriculum, in relation to labour force needs and global competition.
He, therefore, called on all stakeholders, including the government, parents and guardians, old students or alumni, headmasters, teachers, staff and students, to play their individual and collective roles well, in order to provide sustainable solutions to the myriad of problems that confronted the less-endowed schools.
Prof. Adu, however, pointed out that the problems that plague the less-privileged schools and by a wider stretch the entire educational sector do not in any way preclude such schools from performing their roles in properly educating the country’s youth for national development.
He declared: “Less-endowed schools have on many occasions provided the sole opportunity for some youth to attain education. Such schools must, therefore, continue to provide the needed avenue for the training of the country’s youth for national development.”
The Dean of KNUST maintained that the quality of the human resource base of every country was, undoubtedly, one of the most valued and important resources through which that country could accelerate development and achieve competitive advantage in the global world, which was characterised by competition, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as a high level research, among others.
In his report, Mr Joseph Mensah-Diawuo, the Headmaster of Berekum Presec, indicated that the school which started with a student population of 40 in 1993 had increased steadily over the years to the current figure of 1,700, adding that enrolment could have been bigger but for the lack of classroom accommodation.
He announced that the school’s performance in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) had been very impressive, as it had recorded 100 per cent pass over the years, adding: “Our school has put aside our numerous constraints to turn our less-endowed students into teachers, nurses, soldiers, policemen/women, teaching assistants in the universities and great international footballers, such as John Paintsil of the Ghana Black Star fame.”
Mr Mensah-Diawuo stated that the time had come for the government to direct its attention to the less-endowed schools, by providing them with the basic infrastructure needs to promote teaching and learning, stressing that in spite of its constraints, Berekum Presec was doing very well academically under strict Presbyterian discipline.
The school’s Senior Prefect, Master Seth Effah, said despite its impressive performance, the school lacked a number of facilities, including an assembly hall, science laboratory, dormitories, an administration block and classrooms, among other pressing needs.
He said challenges of inadequate staff members, library facilities and poorly stocked libraries had contributed to the abysmal performance of the less-privileged schools in the country.
“The inability of students to pay their school fees as a result of poor income levels, lack of exposure, their relatively poor numeracy and language skills and inadequate textbooks in the less-privileged schools could not be downplayed in assessing the challenges of less-endowed schools in their attempt to educate the youth for national development,” Prof. Adu pointed out.
The Dean of the Faculty of Art made these observations when he addressed the first Speech and Prize-giving day of Berekum Presbyterian Senior High School (Berekum PRESEC) on the theme: “Educating the Youth for National Development: The Role and Challenges of Less-Endowed Schools.”
Prof. Adu said it was evident that problems of education related to funding, teacher quality and quantity, poor student academic performance, equal educational opportunity as well as curriculum, in relation to labour force needs and global competition.
He, therefore, called on all stakeholders, including the government, parents and guardians, old students or alumni, headmasters, teachers, staff and students, to play their individual and collective roles well, in order to provide sustainable solutions to the myriad of problems that confronted the less-endowed schools.
Prof. Adu, however, pointed out that the problems that plague the less-privileged schools and by a wider stretch the entire educational sector do not in any way preclude such schools from performing their roles in properly educating the country’s youth for national development.
He declared: “Less-endowed schools have on many occasions provided the sole opportunity for some youth to attain education. Such schools must, therefore, continue to provide the needed avenue for the training of the country’s youth for national development.”
The Dean of KNUST maintained that the quality of the human resource base of every country was, undoubtedly, one of the most valued and important resources through which that country could accelerate development and achieve competitive advantage in the global world, which was characterised by competition, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as a high level research, among others.
In his report, Mr Joseph Mensah-Diawuo, the Headmaster of Berekum Presec, indicated that the school which started with a student population of 40 in 1993 had increased steadily over the years to the current figure of 1,700, adding that enrolment could have been bigger but for the lack of classroom accommodation.
He announced that the school’s performance in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) had been very impressive, as it had recorded 100 per cent pass over the years, adding: “Our school has put aside our numerous constraints to turn our less-endowed students into teachers, nurses, soldiers, policemen/women, teaching assistants in the universities and great international footballers, such as John Paintsil of the Ghana Black Star fame.”
Mr Mensah-Diawuo stated that the time had come for the government to direct its attention to the less-endowed schools, by providing them with the basic infrastructure needs to promote teaching and learning, stressing that in spite of its constraints, Berekum Presec was doing very well academically under strict Presbyterian discipline.
The school’s Senior Prefect, Master Seth Effah, said despite its impressive performance, the school lacked a number of facilities, including an assembly hall, science laboratory, dormitories, an administration block and classrooms, among other pressing needs.
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