A SPECIAL church service to display the mascot for the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Apostolic Church of Ghana was on Sunday held at the Kaneshie assembly of the church.
The anniversary, which would be officially launched at a date to be decided in September, this year, would involve a number of activities to be climaxed in September 2010, the exact month missionaries from Bradford, England established the church in the then Gold Coast in 1935.
Unveiling the mascot at the service that was attended by all the apostles administering the various areas in the country, the President of the church, Apostle John Annan Addotey, said the church, despite a number of internal and external challenges over the years, increased its membership significantly.
Apostle Addotey, who is also the President of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, attributed such a steady growth of the church to the dedication of its leaders, especially the clergy and the eldership, who through the sound Apostolic doctrine offered good spiritual and physical guidance to the members who in turn drew more people to the church.
Later in a sermon based on 1st Kings Chapter 19, Apostle Addotey entreated members of the church to bear good fruits to be able to win more souls for Christ, which he said would also increase the numerical strength of the church.
The Vice-President of the church who is also the chairman of the planning committee for the celebrations, Apostle Kwabla Senuvie, asked members for support to make the event a success.
The Kaneshie District Pastor, Apostle Abraham Ofori Kuragu, and Apostle Ami Narh from the Tema area also spoke at the gathering and asked Christians to follow the teachings of Christ.
The Apostolic Church of Ghana, which is now considered as the mother of Pentecostal churches in Ghana, currently has branches in almost every town or community in the country.
It is administered through a chain of leadership ranging from the local and district pastors to the area apostle with the president who is also an apostle as the national head.
A national council made up of some of the apostles is the supreme body of the church.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
NATIONWIDE MOSQUITO SPRAYING EXERCISE LAUNCHED (PAGE 47)
A NATIONWIDE mosquito spraying exercise to get rid of the insect and reduce malaria infection has been launched in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The exercise, which is to be carried out by Zoomlion, a private waste disposal company, involve 5,000 sprayers equipped to spray homes, gutters and other public places.
Two hundred motorcycles have also been provided for the sprayers to enable them to reach out to communities, while arrangements are being made for aerial spraying of stagnant waterbodies and other mosquito-infested areas that are inaccessible.
Apart from the spraying exercise, pregnant women and newly delivered women would be given insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
The exercise is being funded by the government with support from the Cuban government and other organisations.
The impressive launching ceremony was attended by dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; his deputy, Mr Baba Jamal; other ministers of state, all the 21 municipal and district chief executives in the region, the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and other traditional leaders.
Launching it, the Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, said the exercise, the first of its kind in the country, would cover every potential mosquito-breeding space.
He spoke about plans to collaborate with neighbouring countries like Togo and Cote d‘Ivoire for them to undertake a similar exercise to ensure that mosquitoes did not “migrate” from those countries into Ghana or vice versa.
Giving the rationale behind the exercise, Dr Yankey said mosquito bites accounted for malarial cases at the hospitals and that about 25 per cent of all cases and deaths was attributed to malaria.
He said in all, $760 million was spent annually on malaria in the country and that a time had come for all to come together to eliminate mosquitoes to reduce the prevalence of malaria.
He expressed appreciation to the Cuban government and organisations such as Ashanti Gold, for helping to control malaria in the country.
The Co-ordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme, Mr Abuga Pele, said so far 20,000 youth had been engaged for waste disposal in the country, indicating that their activities were helping to eradicate mosquitoes and reduce malaria in the communities.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, gave the assurance that his ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the fight against mosquitoes.
For his part, a representative of the Cuban Embassy in Accra, Mr Nelson Page’s Vila, said since 2004, Cuba had been assisting Ghana to get rid of mosquitoes.
He said the two countries had over the years co-operated in many areas such as health, agriculture and sports.
The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who chaired the function, called for attitudinal change to clean the environment to ensure the eradication of mosquitoes.
Earlier in a welcoming address, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the region recorded approximately 700,000 cases of malaria in 2007, out of which about 224 persons died.
He, therefore, called on inhabitants of the region to help in the crusade against mosquitoes.
The exercise, which is to be carried out by Zoomlion, a private waste disposal company, involve 5,000 sprayers equipped to spray homes, gutters and other public places.
Two hundred motorcycles have also been provided for the sprayers to enable them to reach out to communities, while arrangements are being made for aerial spraying of stagnant waterbodies and other mosquito-infested areas that are inaccessible.
Apart from the spraying exercise, pregnant women and newly delivered women would be given insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
The exercise is being funded by the government with support from the Cuban government and other organisations.
The impressive launching ceremony was attended by dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; his deputy, Mr Baba Jamal; other ministers of state, all the 21 municipal and district chief executives in the region, the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and other traditional leaders.
Launching it, the Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, said the exercise, the first of its kind in the country, would cover every potential mosquito-breeding space.
He spoke about plans to collaborate with neighbouring countries like Togo and Cote d‘Ivoire for them to undertake a similar exercise to ensure that mosquitoes did not “migrate” from those countries into Ghana or vice versa.
Giving the rationale behind the exercise, Dr Yankey said mosquito bites accounted for malarial cases at the hospitals and that about 25 per cent of all cases and deaths was attributed to malaria.
He said in all, $760 million was spent annually on malaria in the country and that a time had come for all to come together to eliminate mosquitoes to reduce the prevalence of malaria.
He expressed appreciation to the Cuban government and organisations such as Ashanti Gold, for helping to control malaria in the country.
The Co-ordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme, Mr Abuga Pele, said so far 20,000 youth had been engaged for waste disposal in the country, indicating that their activities were helping to eradicate mosquitoes and reduce malaria in the communities.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, gave the assurance that his ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the fight against mosquitoes.
For his part, a representative of the Cuban Embassy in Accra, Mr Nelson Page’s Vila, said since 2004, Cuba had been assisting Ghana to get rid of mosquitoes.
He said the two countries had over the years co-operated in many areas such as health, agriculture and sports.
The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who chaired the function, called for attitudinal change to clean the environment to ensure the eradication of mosquitoes.
Earlier in a welcoming address, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the region recorded approximately 700,000 cases of malaria in 2007, out of which about 224 persons died.
He, therefore, called on inhabitants of the region to help in the crusade against mosquitoes.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
SOUTH AKIM RURAL BANK DOUBLES PROFIT (PAGE 29)
THE South Akim Rural Bank with its head office at Nankese in the Eastern Region has doubled its net profit after from GH¢172,984 in 2007 to GH¢361,910 last year.
The 109 per cent increase in margin is the largest ever recorded by the bank since its establishment about 25 years ago.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr William Kwadwo Boateng, announced the feat at the 24th annual general meeting of the bank at Nankese.
Mr Boateng said the bank in the last few years had turned its fortunes around with total assets increased from GH¢6.65 million GH¢7.89 million, while deposits rose from GH¢5.43 million to GH¢6.42 million within the period under review.
Shareholders fund, he also indicated rose from GH¢559,271 to GH¢826,064 as the stated capital increased from GH¢126,911 to GH¢253,107, all within the period under review.
The chairman told the shareholders that the bank disbursed a total of GH¢3.68 million in loans for last year as against GH¢2.45 million in 2007.
To ensure the efficiency of the bank to better serve customers, he said a computerisation programme to link all the agencies and the head office had been completed, while the Bank of Ghana had given its approval for the upgrading of its outlet at Osenase to a fully-fledged agency.
As part of its social responsibility towards its catchment areas, the bank offered scholarships to 65 needy students in senior high schools and acquired water pumps for two villages, namely Akote and Ayisikrom, among others.
Mr Boateng said plans were far advanced for the construction of buildings for a proposed senior high school for Nankese.
He expressed the board’s appreciation to the management, staff and customers of the bank for their co-operation that had made it possible for the bank to attain a higher height as one of the best rural banks in the country as a whole.
The Nankesehene, Nana Annor Maafo II, was full of praise for the bank for its assistance to the community and suggested to the bank to improve staff emoluments so as to attract and retain qualified staff.
The 109 per cent increase in margin is the largest ever recorded by the bank since its establishment about 25 years ago.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr William Kwadwo Boateng, announced the feat at the 24th annual general meeting of the bank at Nankese.
Mr Boateng said the bank in the last few years had turned its fortunes around with total assets increased from GH¢6.65 million GH¢7.89 million, while deposits rose from GH¢5.43 million to GH¢6.42 million within the period under review.
Shareholders fund, he also indicated rose from GH¢559,271 to GH¢826,064 as the stated capital increased from GH¢126,911 to GH¢253,107, all within the period under review.
The chairman told the shareholders that the bank disbursed a total of GH¢3.68 million in loans for last year as against GH¢2.45 million in 2007.
To ensure the efficiency of the bank to better serve customers, he said a computerisation programme to link all the agencies and the head office had been completed, while the Bank of Ghana had given its approval for the upgrading of its outlet at Osenase to a fully-fledged agency.
As part of its social responsibility towards its catchment areas, the bank offered scholarships to 65 needy students in senior high schools and acquired water pumps for two villages, namely Akote and Ayisikrom, among others.
Mr Boateng said plans were far advanced for the construction of buildings for a proposed senior high school for Nankese.
He expressed the board’s appreciation to the management, staff and customers of the bank for their co-operation that had made it possible for the bank to attain a higher height as one of the best rural banks in the country as a whole.
The Nankesehene, Nana Annor Maafo II, was full of praise for the bank for its assistance to the community and suggested to the bank to improve staff emoluments so as to attract and retain qualified staff.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
TERMINATE CONTRACTS ON SHODDY ROAD PROJECTS (PAGE 38)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has directed municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the region not to hesitate to terminate any road contracts that are not being properly executed.
This, he said, should be based on technical advice from road engineers assigned to their districts and municipalities.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo gave the directive when he addressed the opening ceremony of a two-week training programme for engineers of the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) in Koforidua on Monday.
The programme, which is being sponsored by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), is to better equip the engineers with the rudiments of road construction and rehabilitation to enable them to offer the necessary supervision that would compel contractors to do good jobs.
The regional minister said a lot of state resources and donor funds were being used for road construction and rehabilitation in the rural areas to ease transportation and any shoddy work by contractors would derail such noble objectives that would help alleviate poverty in rural communities.
He, therefore, directed road engineers in the districts to offer technical advice to the MDCEs to enable them to identify and terminate contracts on roads that would not be properly executed.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated that the DFR was being decentralised and District Works Departments in the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies were to take over the maintenance of feeder road networks and some assembly projects and expressed the hope that the department would not put any impediment on the transfer of such functions to the assemblies.
The regional minister expressed his appreciation to DANIDA for its assistance to the road sector.
A representative of the Quality Assurance and Technical Services Directorate of the Local Government Service Secretariat, Madam Mabel Adoattor, stated that the continuous unplanned increase in the road network, the inability of road agencies to strictly follow annual programmes, as well as failure of the Road Fund to mobilise the required finances for routine maintenance activities, had resulted in a backlog of routine maintenance.
She said since studies had shown that improvement in road condition improved access to social amenities such as educational institutions, health centres, farm gates and the marketing centres, the training of engineers had become necessary to ensure that road construction and maintenance were properly executed.
Answering questions relating to what some of the participants referred to as punitive transfers of engineers of the DFR, the Director of Feeder Roads, Mr E.N.K. Ashong, stated that transfers were normally effected based on a number of factors such as requests from the engineers due to family reasons and some MDCEs who were displeased with the demeanour of some of the engineers.
This, he said, should be based on technical advice from road engineers assigned to their districts and municipalities.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo gave the directive when he addressed the opening ceremony of a two-week training programme for engineers of the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) in Koforidua on Monday.
The programme, which is being sponsored by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), is to better equip the engineers with the rudiments of road construction and rehabilitation to enable them to offer the necessary supervision that would compel contractors to do good jobs.
The regional minister said a lot of state resources and donor funds were being used for road construction and rehabilitation in the rural areas to ease transportation and any shoddy work by contractors would derail such noble objectives that would help alleviate poverty in rural communities.
He, therefore, directed road engineers in the districts to offer technical advice to the MDCEs to enable them to identify and terminate contracts on roads that would not be properly executed.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated that the DFR was being decentralised and District Works Departments in the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies were to take over the maintenance of feeder road networks and some assembly projects and expressed the hope that the department would not put any impediment on the transfer of such functions to the assemblies.
The regional minister expressed his appreciation to DANIDA for its assistance to the road sector.
A representative of the Quality Assurance and Technical Services Directorate of the Local Government Service Secretariat, Madam Mabel Adoattor, stated that the continuous unplanned increase in the road network, the inability of road agencies to strictly follow annual programmes, as well as failure of the Road Fund to mobilise the required finances for routine maintenance activities, had resulted in a backlog of routine maintenance.
She said since studies had shown that improvement in road condition improved access to social amenities such as educational institutions, health centres, farm gates and the marketing centres, the training of engineers had become necessary to ensure that road construction and maintenance were properly executed.
Answering questions relating to what some of the participants referred to as punitive transfers of engineers of the DFR, the Director of Feeder Roads, Mr E.N.K. Ashong, stated that transfers were normally effected based on a number of factors such as requests from the engineers due to family reasons and some MDCEs who were displeased with the demeanour of some of the engineers.
SET UP MARRIAGE FUND FOR THE YOUTH (PAGE 47)
THE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), the Rt Rev Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, has identified the establishment of special marriage funds for the youth as key to the growth of the church.
Consequently, he has asked branches of the church across the country to emulate their Pentecostal colleagues and establish special funds to cater for the marital needs of the youth.
The Moderator noted that the establishment of such a fund would go a long way in retaining the church’s youthful population who, he said, were deserting the PCG for the Pentecostal churches which had packages for the youth who intended to enter into holy matrimony.
He was speaking at the ordination ceremony for 14 ministers of the gospel who had completed a five-year course in the ministry to be posted to the various presbyteries of the PCG.
The Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso said very often funds were set up for funerals, while the vulnerable and the needy, especially the youth who could not pay their marital expenses to get their future partners, were left to fend for themselves.
He said it was time the various presbyteries focused on financial assistance in that respect.
The newly ordained ministers were Isaac Kwasi Asare, Nyavor Horla Kwabla, Emanuel Okyere Otu, Duke John Hammond, Vincent Kpakpan, Godfred Amoako Sakyiama, Jonathan Akuetteh Abbey, Isaac Otu Adu, Thomas Odame Asare and Alexander Boateng.
The rest were Christian Amankwa Kwafo, Stephen Nii Lankwei Lawson, Jonathan E.T. Kuwornu Adjaotor and Alexander Narh Amanya.
“Helping the poor is what all of us should do, and by doing so we will not only retain the youthful membership but also ensure that they enter holy matrimony without feeling the financial difficulties after the marriages had been contracted and this will enable them to live happily,” the Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso stated.
In a sermon on the theme, “Sow a Seed of Faith”, which was based on a number of Biblical texts, such as Isaiah 11:1-5 and Luke 17: 8, he said Ghanaians, especially politicians, must sow seeds of goodwill, love and unity which would bring about togetherness and advance the country’s development, instead of hatred that would plunge Ghana into chaos.
On the newly ordained ministers, he said they should always be guided by the principles of the church in dealing with its members, whom he said must be helped to overcome both spiritual and physical difficulties.
The Clerk of the General Assembly of the church, Rev Herbert Anim Opong, told the gathering that the newly ordained ministers had been well nurtured and supervised and expressed the hope that they would not be found wanting in the course of their duties.
Consequently, he has asked branches of the church across the country to emulate their Pentecostal colleagues and establish special funds to cater for the marital needs of the youth.
The Moderator noted that the establishment of such a fund would go a long way in retaining the church’s youthful population who, he said, were deserting the PCG for the Pentecostal churches which had packages for the youth who intended to enter into holy matrimony.
He was speaking at the ordination ceremony for 14 ministers of the gospel who had completed a five-year course in the ministry to be posted to the various presbyteries of the PCG.
The Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso said very often funds were set up for funerals, while the vulnerable and the needy, especially the youth who could not pay their marital expenses to get their future partners, were left to fend for themselves.
He said it was time the various presbyteries focused on financial assistance in that respect.
The newly ordained ministers were Isaac Kwasi Asare, Nyavor Horla Kwabla, Emanuel Okyere Otu, Duke John Hammond, Vincent Kpakpan, Godfred Amoako Sakyiama, Jonathan Akuetteh Abbey, Isaac Otu Adu, Thomas Odame Asare and Alexander Boateng.
The rest were Christian Amankwa Kwafo, Stephen Nii Lankwei Lawson, Jonathan E.T. Kuwornu Adjaotor and Alexander Narh Amanya.
“Helping the poor is what all of us should do, and by doing so we will not only retain the youthful membership but also ensure that they enter holy matrimony without feeling the financial difficulties after the marriages had been contracted and this will enable them to live happily,” the Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso stated.
In a sermon on the theme, “Sow a Seed of Faith”, which was based on a number of Biblical texts, such as Isaiah 11:1-5 and Luke 17: 8, he said Ghanaians, especially politicians, must sow seeds of goodwill, love and unity which would bring about togetherness and advance the country’s development, instead of hatred that would plunge Ghana into chaos.
On the newly ordained ministers, he said they should always be guided by the principles of the church in dealing with its members, whom he said must be helped to overcome both spiritual and physical difficulties.
The Clerk of the General Assembly of the church, Rev Herbert Anim Opong, told the gathering that the newly ordained ministers had been well nurtured and supervised and expressed the hope that they would not be found wanting in the course of their duties.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
BOSTON STUDENTS CALL ON ER MINISTER (PAGE 22)
NINETEEN students from the Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts in the United States, currently on an educational tour of Ghana, at the weekend called on the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, at his Koforidua residence.
Dr Shirley Malone-Fenner, the Dean of the Science Faculty of the college who led the students, expressed the group’s appreciation for the country’s democratic process.
She said their few days’ stay in the country had enabled them to be acquainted with the hospitality of Ghanaians and the indigenous culture which would be beneficial to the students.
Dr Malone-Fenner thanked Mr Ofosu Ampofo for hosting them and added that such a wonderful reception would forever be on their minds.
The regional minister briefed the visitors about the system of political administration in the country, the indigenous culture, tourist attractions, economic activities, and the cultivation of food and cash crops such as cocoa.
The group later visited the Basco Orphanage at Suhum where they took the inmates through some lessons.
Dr Shirley Malone-Fenner, the Dean of the Science Faculty of the college who led the students, expressed the group’s appreciation for the country’s democratic process.
She said their few days’ stay in the country had enabled them to be acquainted with the hospitality of Ghanaians and the indigenous culture which would be beneficial to the students.
Dr Malone-Fenner thanked Mr Ofosu Ampofo for hosting them and added that such a wonderful reception would forever be on their minds.
The regional minister briefed the visitors about the system of political administration in the country, the indigenous culture, tourist attractions, economic activities, and the cultivation of food and cash crops such as cocoa.
The group later visited the Basco Orphanage at Suhum where they took the inmates through some lessons.
Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua
A 23-year-old woman, Aishetu Gariba, has become the latest victim of the underworld business of money doubling and “sakawa” which is fast expanding in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, and the country as a whole.
Aishetu was driven by the urge to get rich quick but her big dream turned into a nightmare when she fell into the trap of two self-styled spiritualists who promised to multiply her GH¢150 many times over instantly.
After an initial agreement to undergo the needed rituals, Aishetu gave up when the processes got scary. She then sought refuge at the New Juaben Municipal Police Command where she reported the scam to the commander in charge.
But that was not before the suspects in the deal, Ibrahim Abass, 20, and Latif Awudu, 21, both residents of Koforidua, had vanished with the GH¢150.
Confirming the story to the Daily Graphic, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, said the suspects would be arraigned soon to answer charges of fraud by false pretences.
According to information available to the police, Awudu and Ibrahim went to Aishetu two weeks ago to introduce themselves as spiritualists who could make her rich overnight.
They claimed that she could become rich provided she could provide an empty Key soap packing case for them to cover with red and white linen to be placed in her room and from which she would collect the conjured money daily.
According to Supt Naami, the two men convinced the woman that after they had performed some rituals on the empty packing case, it would be filled with money to be collected every day.
He stated that when Aishetu brought the packing case, Ibrahim placed a plastic bowl containing water near the empty packing case and took some money from the water.
Supt Naami said Ibrahim then covered the empty packing case with the red and white linen and requested Aishetu to put GH¢50 into an envelope to be dropped into the packing case.
The packing case was then kept in Aishetu’s room, but instead of conjuring the money, Ibrahim rather asked her on different occasions for various sums of money amounting to GH¢150.
After some time, the second suspect, Awudu, asked Aishetu to produce three black cowries to continue with the rituals. When she failed to do that, she was ordered to give them GH¢50 to save her two children from dying.
It was at that stage that Aishetu got scared and reported the matter to the police, who arrested the two men.
At the police station, Ibrahim told the police to allow him to take a bath, after which the policemen would get a lot of money. But the police declined the offer.
A 23-year-old woman, Aishetu Gariba, has become the latest victim of the underworld business of money doubling and “sakawa” which is fast expanding in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, and the country as a whole.
Aishetu was driven by the urge to get rich quick but her big dream turned into a nightmare when she fell into the trap of two self-styled spiritualists who promised to multiply her GH¢150 many times over instantly.
After an initial agreement to undergo the needed rituals, Aishetu gave up when the processes got scary. She then sought refuge at the New Juaben Municipal Police Command where she reported the scam to the commander in charge.
But that was not before the suspects in the deal, Ibrahim Abass, 20, and Latif Awudu, 21, both residents of Koforidua, had vanished with the GH¢150.
Confirming the story to the Daily Graphic, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, said the suspects would be arraigned soon to answer charges of fraud by false pretences.
According to information available to the police, Awudu and Ibrahim went to Aishetu two weeks ago to introduce themselves as spiritualists who could make her rich overnight.
They claimed that she could become rich provided she could provide an empty Key soap packing case for them to cover with red and white linen to be placed in her room and from which she would collect the conjured money daily.
According to Supt Naami, the two men convinced the woman that after they had performed some rituals on the empty packing case, it would be filled with money to be collected every day.
He stated that when Aishetu brought the packing case, Ibrahim placed a plastic bowl containing water near the empty packing case and took some money from the water.
Supt Naami said Ibrahim then covered the empty packing case with the red and white linen and requested Aishetu to put GH¢50 into an envelope to be dropped into the packing case.
The packing case was then kept in Aishetu’s room, but instead of conjuring the money, Ibrahim rather asked her on different occasions for various sums of money amounting to GH¢150.
After some time, the second suspect, Awudu, asked Aishetu to produce three black cowries to continue with the rituals. When she failed to do that, she was ordered to give them GH¢50 to save her two children from dying.
It was at that stage that Aishetu got scared and reported the matter to the police, who arrested the two men.
At the police station, Ibrahim told the police to allow him to take a bath, after which the policemen would get a lot of money. But the police declined the offer.
Friday, June 12, 2009
MPAKADAN POLICE DENY MEDIA REPORT (PAGE 22)
THE Police at Mpakadan, a fishing community near Akosombo in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region, have denied a newspaper report that they and a fishing company were terrorising citizens of the town.
According to the Akosombo District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Mohammed Cantona, no fishing company in the area and the police had terrorised the citizens of the town.
He, therefore, described the report as “blatantly false; calculated to cause confusion in the town”.
Under the headline: “Guns blaze at Mpakadan as fishing company and police terrorise citizens”, a report which appeared in the Monday, June 8 edition of The Insight, stated that Tropo Farms Limited, a fishing company which produces tilapia on the Volta River, had teamed up with the police to terrorise the citizens, most of whom were fisherman plying their trade on the river.
ASP Cantona said the only cases in the town were the arrest of a fisherman who was caught stealing from one of the fishing cages belonging to Tropo Farms and a motor accident on Sunday leading to the death of one person, and added that the cases were being handled by his outfit.
When contacted on the issue, the Secretary of the Inland Canoe Fishermen Association in the town, Mr Francis Avegbedor corroborated ASP Cantona’s story.
He said before Tropo Farms started operations in 2005, each of the fishermen was given GH¢300 as compensation after which the company was to prepare a different landing site for them along the river.
Mr Avegbedor stated that under an agreement, the local fishermen were not to fish within a 100-acre radius of the area that the Volta River Authority had allocated to the company.
According to him, although most of the fishermen took the money, others rejected it and said there were instances where some of the fishermen were caught stealing fish from the cages of Tropo Farms.
Throwing more light on the issue, the Site Manager of Tropo Farms, Mr Richard Bryant, said the company acquired the 100-acre water body through a concession granted by the VRA after which the company gave GH¢300 to each of the local fishermen and most of them accepted the money.
He wondered why the fishermen who were also fishing in the river and had been allowed to use a landing bay near the cages of Tropo Farms till the company constructed a new one for them, should rather steal fish from the cages.
Mr Bryant said although the company’s security men had been armed to protect its property, they had not fired any shot at anybody.
“We have not fired at anybody; we only arrest the thieves and hand them over to the police”, he stated.
According to the Akosombo District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Mohammed Cantona, no fishing company in the area and the police had terrorised the citizens of the town.
He, therefore, described the report as “blatantly false; calculated to cause confusion in the town”.
Under the headline: “Guns blaze at Mpakadan as fishing company and police terrorise citizens”, a report which appeared in the Monday, June 8 edition of The Insight, stated that Tropo Farms Limited, a fishing company which produces tilapia on the Volta River, had teamed up with the police to terrorise the citizens, most of whom were fisherman plying their trade on the river.
ASP Cantona said the only cases in the town were the arrest of a fisherman who was caught stealing from one of the fishing cages belonging to Tropo Farms and a motor accident on Sunday leading to the death of one person, and added that the cases were being handled by his outfit.
When contacted on the issue, the Secretary of the Inland Canoe Fishermen Association in the town, Mr Francis Avegbedor corroborated ASP Cantona’s story.
He said before Tropo Farms started operations in 2005, each of the fishermen was given GH¢300 as compensation after which the company was to prepare a different landing site for them along the river.
Mr Avegbedor stated that under an agreement, the local fishermen were not to fish within a 100-acre radius of the area that the Volta River Authority had allocated to the company.
According to him, although most of the fishermen took the money, others rejected it and said there were instances where some of the fishermen were caught stealing fish from the cages of Tropo Farms.
Throwing more light on the issue, the Site Manager of Tropo Farms, Mr Richard Bryant, said the company acquired the 100-acre water body through a concession granted by the VRA after which the company gave GH¢300 to each of the local fishermen and most of them accepted the money.
He wondered why the fishermen who were also fishing in the river and had been allowed to use a landing bay near the cages of Tropo Farms till the company constructed a new one for them, should rather steal fish from the cages.
Mr Bryant said although the company’s security men had been armed to protect its property, they had not fired any shot at anybody.
“We have not fired at anybody; we only arrest the thieves and hand them over to the police”, he stated.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
POLICE DISCOVER LARGE 'WEE' FARMS IN BOTI AREA (BACK PAGE)
FOURTEEN farms with a total area of approximately 70 acres cultivated with Indian hemp, have been discovered in the thicket near the Boti Falls in the Yilo Krobo District in the Eastern Region.
The farms, believed to be the largest ever to be found in the Eastern Region, had some of the plants already harvested, while the rest were either ready for harvesting or had just been planted.
The New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, who led a contingent of policemen, community police and men belonging to the neighbourhood watch-dog committee from Korle Nkwanta, a suburb of Koforidua, all totalling 60, had to spend a whole day to destroy just a fraction of the farms by either spraying the crops with weedicides or through burning.
Since it would take the contingent about two weeks to destroy the farms, Superintendent Naami had to call for more men to have it done on time for fear of the farmers harvesting them.
So far four persons namely Dawutey Tawiah, 32, Narteh Felix, 17, a second-year pupil of the Boti Roman Catholic Junior High School, Emmanuel Narh, 54, Emmanuel Akuteye, 60, and 16 others suspected to be owners of the farms have been rounded up.
Also apprehended for questioning was the Chief of Boti, Nene Tei Okletey II.
According to Superintendent Naami, the police had information that the main occupation of the people in the Boti area was Indian hemp cultivation so after carrying out undercover investigations on the matter, the police had to carry out a swoop in the village at dawn last Tuesday, during which some of the suspects were arrested.
He said Akuteye was arrested on the farm during the day while Tawiah, Felix and Narh were apprehended near the farms.
Superintendent Naami who said the 60-man police force would take not less than two weeks to destroy the farms, therefore, had to call for more policemen to do so because most of the crops were ready for harvesting.
Chief Inspector Christopher Tawiah, the officer in charge of police public relations, who was also in the police team to the village, appealed to the inhabitants to volunteer information for the arrest of the culprits, since Indian hemp cultivation is a serious crime.
Meanwhile those arrested in the swoop were being screened to identify those cultivating the crops.
The farms, believed to be the largest ever to be found in the Eastern Region, had some of the plants already harvested, while the rest were either ready for harvesting or had just been planted.
The New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, who led a contingent of policemen, community police and men belonging to the neighbourhood watch-dog committee from Korle Nkwanta, a suburb of Koforidua, all totalling 60, had to spend a whole day to destroy just a fraction of the farms by either spraying the crops with weedicides or through burning.
Since it would take the contingent about two weeks to destroy the farms, Superintendent Naami had to call for more men to have it done on time for fear of the farmers harvesting them.
So far four persons namely Dawutey Tawiah, 32, Narteh Felix, 17, a second-year pupil of the Boti Roman Catholic Junior High School, Emmanuel Narh, 54, Emmanuel Akuteye, 60, and 16 others suspected to be owners of the farms have been rounded up.
Also apprehended for questioning was the Chief of Boti, Nene Tei Okletey II.
According to Superintendent Naami, the police had information that the main occupation of the people in the Boti area was Indian hemp cultivation so after carrying out undercover investigations on the matter, the police had to carry out a swoop in the village at dawn last Tuesday, during which some of the suspects were arrested.
He said Akuteye was arrested on the farm during the day while Tawiah, Felix and Narh were apprehended near the farms.
Superintendent Naami who said the 60-man police force would take not less than two weeks to destroy the farms, therefore, had to call for more policemen to do so because most of the crops were ready for harvesting.
Chief Inspector Christopher Tawiah, the officer in charge of police public relations, who was also in the police team to the village, appealed to the inhabitants to volunteer information for the arrest of the culprits, since Indian hemp cultivation is a serious crime.
Meanwhile those arrested in the swoop were being screened to identify those cultivating the crops.
Monday, June 8, 2009
BOY, 17, KILLED IN ACCIDENT (MIRROR, PAGE 29)
From A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua
A SEVENTEEN year-old-boy, Mutaka Sumaila, who thought he could be richer by GH¢10 if he accompanied a driver of a septic tanker to discharge its contents, died on the spot when the vehicle was involved in an accident.
The body of Mutaka had been deposited at the morgue of the Regional Hospital, Koforidua while the driver, Haruna Shaibu, who also sustained multiple wounds was being treated at the same hospital.
The tragic incident occurred at midday on Monday, May 11 near the site off the Koforidua-Akwadum Road where the human excreta was to be discharged.
According to the Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Police, Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, relatives and friends of the boy objected to Haruna taking Sumaila on the trip since Haruna normally did not live up to his promise of rewarding those who accompanied him.
Mr Sarfo said Sumaila however ignored his relatives and friends and went on the trip with Haruna. The story had it that when they got near the site where the vehicle was to discharge its contents, two of its rear tyres burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle which fell on its side, trapping Sumaila in the process.
He said the tanker with its worn out tyres was purchased from the Tema Municipal Assembly and that it was operating illegally because its owner had not effected change of ownership.
Superintendent Peprah said further investigations are ongoing.
A SEVENTEEN year-old-boy, Mutaka Sumaila, who thought he could be richer by GH¢10 if he accompanied a driver of a septic tanker to discharge its contents, died on the spot when the vehicle was involved in an accident.
The body of Mutaka had been deposited at the morgue of the Regional Hospital, Koforidua while the driver, Haruna Shaibu, who also sustained multiple wounds was being treated at the same hospital.
The tragic incident occurred at midday on Monday, May 11 near the site off the Koforidua-Akwadum Road where the human excreta was to be discharged.
According to the Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Police, Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, relatives and friends of the boy objected to Haruna taking Sumaila on the trip since Haruna normally did not live up to his promise of rewarding those who accompanied him.
Mr Sarfo said Sumaila however ignored his relatives and friends and went on the trip with Haruna. The story had it that when they got near the site where the vehicle was to discharge its contents, two of its rear tyres burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle which fell on its side, trapping Sumaila in the process.
He said the tanker with its worn out tyres was purchased from the Tema Municipal Assembly and that it was operating illegally because its owner had not effected change of ownership.
Superintendent Peprah said further investigations are ongoing.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
GOVT WORRIED OVER ROAD EXPENDITURE (PAGE 23)
THE government is to pay GH¢1,155,641 million on 1,066 road projects awarded on contract this year to cover the period 2010.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, made this known when he addressed the closing ceremony of a three-day retreat organised by the ministry for road engineers, technicians and other technocrats in the road sector at Koforidua.
He said the numerous projects with such a huge sum were a cause of worry to the government since the budget could not contain it.
Mr Gidisu, therefore, asked road engineers and others responsible for the award of contracts to come out with a more prudent and rationalised programme which could be implemented within the current constraints of the budget.
According to Mr Gidisu, his office had been informed that a number of officers in the regions and some at the head office of the ministry and its agencies had formed companies to which lucrative contracts were awarded and payments effected, adding that the implications of such actions were serious and contrary to the conduct of public servants.
He therefore warned public officers involved in the practice to immediately put a stop to it because the names of some of them and their companies had been made available to the national security apparatus.
Mr Gidisu also advised road engineers not to allow political leanings and trappings to influence their conduct at their workplace adding that their management and engineering decisions and implementation strategies should be devoid of any political prejudices.
The minister further told them to be judicious and transparent at all times in the course of their deliberations.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, asked the engineers to give attention to feeder roads to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs from the rural areas to the urban centres.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, made this known when he addressed the closing ceremony of a three-day retreat organised by the ministry for road engineers, technicians and other technocrats in the road sector at Koforidua.
He said the numerous projects with such a huge sum were a cause of worry to the government since the budget could not contain it.
Mr Gidisu, therefore, asked road engineers and others responsible for the award of contracts to come out with a more prudent and rationalised programme which could be implemented within the current constraints of the budget.
According to Mr Gidisu, his office had been informed that a number of officers in the regions and some at the head office of the ministry and its agencies had formed companies to which lucrative contracts were awarded and payments effected, adding that the implications of such actions were serious and contrary to the conduct of public servants.
He therefore warned public officers involved in the practice to immediately put a stop to it because the names of some of them and their companies had been made available to the national security apparatus.
Mr Gidisu also advised road engineers not to allow political leanings and trappings to influence their conduct at their workplace adding that their management and engineering decisions and implementation strategies should be devoid of any political prejudices.
The minister further told them to be judicious and transparent at all times in the course of their deliberations.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, asked the engineers to give attention to feeder roads to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs from the rural areas to the urban centres.
ZOOMLION TRAINS 100 SANITATION GUARDS (PAGE 29)
SANITATION giant, Zoomlion, in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has organised a four-day training programme for 100 sanitation guards in the Kumasi Metropolis.
The programme was to sharpen their skills in the implementation of sanitation programmes in the metropolis.
The guards, who constituted part of the National Youth Employment programme (NYEP), have been assisting environmental health officers in carrying out their duties.
The participants were the first batch of 370 sanitation guards who would be trained by Zoomlion in the Ashanti Region by the middle of June, this year, to enable them to play significant roles in environmental sanitation in the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).
Under the decentralisation programme, environmental health officers have been posted to the MMDAs but their number is not adequate to meet the challenges in their respective areas.
The need to recruit sanitation guards to complement the efforts of the environmental officers therefore was crucial in order to meet the sanitation goals of the ministry.
After successfully piloting the programme at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, it was replicated in other areas.
Among the topics treated at the workshop were duties of the environmental and sanitation unit, public education on sanitation, detection of nuisance, and structures within the environmental and sanitation unit.
In an interview after the opening ceremony, the Zonal Coordinator of Zoomlion in Kumasi, Mr S. Gyekye-Darko, said the sanitation guards were permanently employed and as such they needed all the support to enable them to improve their performance.
He also stressed the need to intensify public education on sanitation because of the apathetic attitude of many of the people to matters relating to sanitation.
Mr Gyekye-Darko said the services of the sanitation guards were tailored to suit areas such as churches, lorry stations and schools.
He described the whole programme as one of the best to happen to the MMDAs, because apart from helping to make the environment clean, it would also serve as an employment avenue for the youth.
Resource persons for the workshop were drawn from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Other officials who participated in the workshop included Mr J.Y. Donkor, the Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, and Mr Sekyere Boateng, the Ashanti West Zonal Officer for Zoomlion, who is also a postgraduate student at the KNUST.
The programme was to sharpen their skills in the implementation of sanitation programmes in the metropolis.
The guards, who constituted part of the National Youth Employment programme (NYEP), have been assisting environmental health officers in carrying out their duties.
The participants were the first batch of 370 sanitation guards who would be trained by Zoomlion in the Ashanti Region by the middle of June, this year, to enable them to play significant roles in environmental sanitation in the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).
Under the decentralisation programme, environmental health officers have been posted to the MMDAs but their number is not adequate to meet the challenges in their respective areas.
The need to recruit sanitation guards to complement the efforts of the environmental officers therefore was crucial in order to meet the sanitation goals of the ministry.
After successfully piloting the programme at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, it was replicated in other areas.
Among the topics treated at the workshop were duties of the environmental and sanitation unit, public education on sanitation, detection of nuisance, and structures within the environmental and sanitation unit.
In an interview after the opening ceremony, the Zonal Coordinator of Zoomlion in Kumasi, Mr S. Gyekye-Darko, said the sanitation guards were permanently employed and as such they needed all the support to enable them to improve their performance.
He also stressed the need to intensify public education on sanitation because of the apathetic attitude of many of the people to matters relating to sanitation.
Mr Gyekye-Darko said the services of the sanitation guards were tailored to suit areas such as churches, lorry stations and schools.
He described the whole programme as one of the best to happen to the MMDAs, because apart from helping to make the environment clean, it would also serve as an employment avenue for the youth.
Resource persons for the workshop were drawn from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Other officials who participated in the workshop included Mr J.Y. Donkor, the Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, and Mr Sekyere Boateng, the Ashanti West Zonal Officer for Zoomlion, who is also a postgraduate student at the KNUST.
ENGINEERS ASKED TO BE PRUDENT (PAGE 43)
THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has urged road engineers and other technocrats to be prudent in their activities because of the huge commitment of the country’s financial resources to road construction and its rehabilitation.
He said road projects that had been charged to the Consolidated Fund were in excess of GH¢800 million over a period of three years (2009-2011), while the Road Fund had also been over-committed to the extent that road maintenance activities would be jeopardised until the end of the year.
The Vice-President expressed these concerns when he addressed a road sub-sector retreat organised by the Ministry of Roads and Highways at Koforidua last Thursday.
The three-day event, on the theme “Towards Better Roads Management”, was attended by road engineers, technicians and technocrats drawn from all parts of the country, as well as some regional directors of the Road Safety Commission and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
It was to take stock of the sector’s activities and plan for the future with the view to ensuring prudent management.
According to the Vice-President, the seriousness of the situation was that the over-commitment of financial resources had on two occasions compelled the authorities to contract funds from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), which delayed the completion of road projects.
He said apart from that, some of the contracts were poorly executed, abandoned or awarded to contractors who, under normal circumstances, could not execute such projects and therefore, had to sell them to competent ones.
Mr Mahama, who said all those factors had adversely affected road construction and rehabilitation, therefore, asked all those responsible for such malpractices to mend their ways.
The Vice-President said the public expected managers of roads to ensure that roads were well constructed to reduce traffic congestion and also, with the proper functioning of traffic lights, prevent motor accidents and that all these must be done within budgetary allocation.
Referring to the recent postings and changes in positions of personnel within the Ministry of Roads and Highways, its agencies and department, Mr Mahama stated that the changes were properly carried out to ensure good management.
He expressed the hope that the participants would come out with ideas that would further improve the road sector.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Mr Joe Gidisu, said the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had committed itself to over 300 projects to be executed from 2009 to 2011, explaining that the projects were estimated at GH¢833,000,819 to be paid from the Consolidated Fund while the budget for their execution was GH¢51,955,605.
Mr Gidisu, who described the situation as worrying, said similarly the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) also had committed itself to certain projects over the same period, which had the value of GH¢253,101,600 with a budget of GH¢11,700,000 in 2009, while the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) also had a budget of GH¢10,363,113 for commitments of GH¢59,540,000, adding that the budget for 2009 was exhausted in the first quarter of the year.
With regard to the projects, the minister stated that the GHA had committed itself to 322 projects, DFR 541 and the DUR 203, adding that if the ministry was to improve the performance of the sector, there was the need to rationalise dormant and non-performing projects, while some of them would have to be re-packaged or terminated.
Mr Gidisu also told the gathering that the government had recently negotiated US$225 million for the transport sector and that the implementation of the Awoshie-Pokuase Integrated Project was expected to be negotiated, while ongoing projects such as the urban transport and others funded by the African Development Bank, BADEA and the Saudi Fund had been unduly delayed.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr Alex Twumasi, said since the global economic recession was likely to affect the funding of road projects in the country, it was, therefore, necessary for technocrats in the road industry to ensure that the scarce financial resources available would be judiciously utilised.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who chaired the function, briefed the gathering on the state of the road network in the region and said while some were good, others especially feeder roads, were bad and called for more attention to be paid to them.
He also called for the speedy rehabilitation of the Apedwa-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway so that motorists from the Kumasi who had now resorted to going by the Mamfe-Pantang Highway would revert to the normal route to save time.
He said road projects that had been charged to the Consolidated Fund were in excess of GH¢800 million over a period of three years (2009-2011), while the Road Fund had also been over-committed to the extent that road maintenance activities would be jeopardised until the end of the year.
The Vice-President expressed these concerns when he addressed a road sub-sector retreat organised by the Ministry of Roads and Highways at Koforidua last Thursday.
The three-day event, on the theme “Towards Better Roads Management”, was attended by road engineers, technicians and technocrats drawn from all parts of the country, as well as some regional directors of the Road Safety Commission and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
It was to take stock of the sector’s activities and plan for the future with the view to ensuring prudent management.
According to the Vice-President, the seriousness of the situation was that the over-commitment of financial resources had on two occasions compelled the authorities to contract funds from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), which delayed the completion of road projects.
He said apart from that, some of the contracts were poorly executed, abandoned or awarded to contractors who, under normal circumstances, could not execute such projects and therefore, had to sell them to competent ones.
Mr Mahama, who said all those factors had adversely affected road construction and rehabilitation, therefore, asked all those responsible for such malpractices to mend their ways.
The Vice-President said the public expected managers of roads to ensure that roads were well constructed to reduce traffic congestion and also, with the proper functioning of traffic lights, prevent motor accidents and that all these must be done within budgetary allocation.
Referring to the recent postings and changes in positions of personnel within the Ministry of Roads and Highways, its agencies and department, Mr Mahama stated that the changes were properly carried out to ensure good management.
He expressed the hope that the participants would come out with ideas that would further improve the road sector.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Mr Joe Gidisu, said the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had committed itself to over 300 projects to be executed from 2009 to 2011, explaining that the projects were estimated at GH¢833,000,819 to be paid from the Consolidated Fund while the budget for their execution was GH¢51,955,605.
Mr Gidisu, who described the situation as worrying, said similarly the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) also had committed itself to certain projects over the same period, which had the value of GH¢253,101,600 with a budget of GH¢11,700,000 in 2009, while the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) also had a budget of GH¢10,363,113 for commitments of GH¢59,540,000, adding that the budget for 2009 was exhausted in the first quarter of the year.
With regard to the projects, the minister stated that the GHA had committed itself to 322 projects, DFR 541 and the DUR 203, adding that if the ministry was to improve the performance of the sector, there was the need to rationalise dormant and non-performing projects, while some of them would have to be re-packaged or terminated.
Mr Gidisu also told the gathering that the government had recently negotiated US$225 million for the transport sector and that the implementation of the Awoshie-Pokuase Integrated Project was expected to be negotiated, while ongoing projects such as the urban transport and others funded by the African Development Bank, BADEA and the Saudi Fund had been unduly delayed.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr Alex Twumasi, said since the global economic recession was likely to affect the funding of road projects in the country, it was, therefore, necessary for technocrats in the road industry to ensure that the scarce financial resources available would be judiciously utilised.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who chaired the function, briefed the gathering on the state of the road network in the region and said while some were good, others especially feeder roads, were bad and called for more attention to be paid to them.
He also called for the speedy rehabilitation of the Apedwa-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway so that motorists from the Kumasi who had now resorted to going by the Mamfe-Pantang Highway would revert to the normal route to save time.
K'DUA HOSTS RAVI FESTIVAL (PAGE 20)
A FESTIVAL to showcase the activities of community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was held at the Mac Dic Royal Plaza in Koforidua at the weekend.
The festival, on the theme: “Citizen government engagement — A key to sustainable grassroots development”, was organised by Rights and Voice Initiative (RAVI), an NGO, with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID).
The event was to enable the CBOs and the NGOs to share ideas with a view to improving their performances to enhance the living standards of people benefiting from their services.
Some of the activities were in the areas of child labour, environmental cleanliness, HIV/AIDS awareness, inability of children to be enrolled in school, women empowerment in various fields such as poverty alleviation, human rights, particularly the right of women to inherit property, domestic violence and income generation ventures.
In an address, the Project Co-ordinator of RAVI, Mr Sam Ocran, said the decision to hold the festival was to offer the grassroot groups the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from the others for the necessary support.
He stated that his outfit had assisted its partners (CBOs) to promote the rights of the poor, marginalised and disadvantaged sections of the society such as women, children and disabled so that they would be able to enjoy life.
RAVI, he said, had also supported the CBOs and local NGOs to engage the district assemblies in development issues such as education, health, water and sanitation, as well as assisting civil society to deal with negative cultural practices, adding that in all, 104 CBOs and 34 NGOs from all parts of the country had been involved.
Addressing the participants, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration would continue to provide a favourable atmosphere for what he termed “government and citizens” engagement, as well as encourage rights-based civil society activities.
He added that provision had been made in that respect in the NDC manifesto.
He said they included transparency of the government in decision-making, accountability in both public and private sectors, public participation in decision-making, decentralisation, devolution of power and observation of both rights and responsibilities.
The implementation of those provisions, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated, was to buttress the fact that governance must necessarily focus on strengthening the voice and the capacity of the people, especially the poor and the vulnerable.
He expressed his appreciation at the efforts being made by the CBOs and the NGOs to enhance the capacity of the people, and called on them to also assist in dealing with HIV/AIDS.
The festival, on the theme: “Citizen government engagement — A key to sustainable grassroots development”, was organised by Rights and Voice Initiative (RAVI), an NGO, with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID).
The event was to enable the CBOs and the NGOs to share ideas with a view to improving their performances to enhance the living standards of people benefiting from their services.
Some of the activities were in the areas of child labour, environmental cleanliness, HIV/AIDS awareness, inability of children to be enrolled in school, women empowerment in various fields such as poverty alleviation, human rights, particularly the right of women to inherit property, domestic violence and income generation ventures.
In an address, the Project Co-ordinator of RAVI, Mr Sam Ocran, said the decision to hold the festival was to offer the grassroot groups the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from the others for the necessary support.
He stated that his outfit had assisted its partners (CBOs) to promote the rights of the poor, marginalised and disadvantaged sections of the society such as women, children and disabled so that they would be able to enjoy life.
RAVI, he said, had also supported the CBOs and local NGOs to engage the district assemblies in development issues such as education, health, water and sanitation, as well as assisting civil society to deal with negative cultural practices, adding that in all, 104 CBOs and 34 NGOs from all parts of the country had been involved.
Addressing the participants, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration would continue to provide a favourable atmosphere for what he termed “government and citizens” engagement, as well as encourage rights-based civil society activities.
He added that provision had been made in that respect in the NDC manifesto.
He said they included transparency of the government in decision-making, accountability in both public and private sectors, public participation in decision-making, decentralisation, devolution of power and observation of both rights and responsibilities.
The implementation of those provisions, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated, was to buttress the fact that governance must necessarily focus on strengthening the voice and the capacity of the people, especially the poor and the vulnerable.
He expressed his appreciation at the efforts being made by the CBOs and the NGOs to enhance the capacity of the people, and called on them to also assist in dealing with HIV/AIDS.
ADDRESS PERTINENT NATIONAL ISSUES...Akuapem Presbytery urges govt (PAGE 20)
THE Akuapem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in the Eastern Region has issued a seven-point communiqué calling on the government to address some challenges facing the region and the country as a whole.
A copy of the communiqué, which was issued at the end of its 80th annual Presbytery meeting at Koforidua, was handed over to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
The communiqué specifically dealt with areas such as road accidents, armed robbery, rehabilitation of the Aburi-Nsawam road and activities of Internet operators, all in the region, as well as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), education, the National Youth Employment Programme and polarisation of the country.
The communiqué, which was presented by a three-member delegation comprising Rev Godfred Bamfo, pastor in charge of the Koforidua District; Rev Asiamah Koranteng, who heads the church at Abiriw, and Mr George Larbi, the Public Relations Officer of the Presbytery, stated that the church was worried about the high rate of armed robbery and motor accidents in the region.
It, therefore, urged the regional minister to do his best to ensure that the necessary steps were taken to reduce accidents to the barest minimum.
On education, the Presbytery commended the government for increasing the Capitation Grant and its decision to extend the School Feeding Programme to more schools, but called on the Minister of Education to have a second look at its decision to ban extra classes and hold consultations with all stakeholders before taking that decision.
The communiqué also advised the government to tread cautiously in its attempt to revise the number of years to be spent in the senior high school, adding that reducing it from four years to three might create unnecessary inconvenience for the students which could have some negative impact on their academic progress.
It commended the government for continuing with the NHIS and promised to include public education on the scheme as part of its evangelistic activities to rope more people into the scheme.
With regard to the economy, the communiqué expressed its satisfaction with the manner the government had handled it in terms of the global economic crunch but suggested that efforts should be made to address rising inflation and interest rates in the country.
It further called on the government to unite the country, since it had been polarised after the 2008 general election.
The communiqué urged the media not to inflame passion and children should be prevented from using the Internet for pornography.
The regional minister thanked the Presbytery for concerning itself with such pertinent issues and said the communiqué, which would be given to the government, would also be used by the Regional Co-ordinating Council as a working document.
A copy of the communiqué, which was issued at the end of its 80th annual Presbytery meeting at Koforidua, was handed over to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
The communiqué specifically dealt with areas such as road accidents, armed robbery, rehabilitation of the Aburi-Nsawam road and activities of Internet operators, all in the region, as well as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), education, the National Youth Employment Programme and polarisation of the country.
The communiqué, which was presented by a three-member delegation comprising Rev Godfred Bamfo, pastor in charge of the Koforidua District; Rev Asiamah Koranteng, who heads the church at Abiriw, and Mr George Larbi, the Public Relations Officer of the Presbytery, stated that the church was worried about the high rate of armed robbery and motor accidents in the region.
It, therefore, urged the regional minister to do his best to ensure that the necessary steps were taken to reduce accidents to the barest minimum.
On education, the Presbytery commended the government for increasing the Capitation Grant and its decision to extend the School Feeding Programme to more schools, but called on the Minister of Education to have a second look at its decision to ban extra classes and hold consultations with all stakeholders before taking that decision.
The communiqué also advised the government to tread cautiously in its attempt to revise the number of years to be spent in the senior high school, adding that reducing it from four years to three might create unnecessary inconvenience for the students which could have some negative impact on their academic progress.
It commended the government for continuing with the NHIS and promised to include public education on the scheme as part of its evangelistic activities to rope more people into the scheme.
With regard to the economy, the communiqué expressed its satisfaction with the manner the government had handled it in terms of the global economic crunch but suggested that efforts should be made to address rising inflation and interest rates in the country.
It further called on the government to unite the country, since it had been polarised after the 2008 general election.
The communiqué urged the media not to inflame passion and children should be prevented from using the Internet for pornography.
The regional minister thanked the Presbytery for concerning itself with such pertinent issues and said the communiqué, which would be given to the government, would also be used by the Regional Co-ordinating Council as a working document.
TRANSFORMATION OF ASUOGYAMAN TAKES OFF (PAGE 20)
BEFORE 1988, what is now known as the Asuogyaman District formed part of the vast Kaoga District, which embraced big towns such as Anum, Boso, Akwamu, Frankadua and Somanya, which served as the capital.
In view of the large land area with its many villages and communities, most of which lacked the basic necessities of life such as schools, good drinking water, roads and clinics, it became necessary for the area to be split into two different political entities, namely Yilo Krobo and Asuogyaman.
Two main reasons accounted for such a decision.
The main reason was to ensure that budgetary allocations for each of the two assemblies could cater for the provision of infrastructure in most of the towns, communities, villages and hamlets which lacked such facilities, as well as short-term poverty alleviation initiatives like soft loans for the people to engage in income-generating ventures.
The second reason for the split was to ensure effective administration of the area, which is inhabited by the Krobos, Akwamus, Anums and the Bosos as well the Ewes, who had all co-existed peacefully over the years.
The Asuogyaman District, created in 1988, is bounded by the following districts: Kwahu North (Afram Plains) on the north west; Kpando North, north-east; Ho Municipality on the east; North Tongu, on the south-east and Lower Manya Krobo, south-west.
The district, with total land area of 1,507 square kilometres, is composed of 92 settlements. Some of the big towns in the district are Atimpoku, the capital; Akosombo, Akrade, Anum, Boso, Frankadua, Apeguso, Gyakiti, Adjena and Asikuma.
Most of the people are either peasant farmers or fishermen who fish in the Volta Lake, the largest water body in the area.
With the exception of Akosombo town, which can be described as “a state within a state” because the Volta River Authority is solely responsible for the provision of its social amenities and, therefore, has almost all of such facilities, almost all the other towns and villages lack basic amenities.
In view of that, previous administrations initiated a number of development programmes and projects such as the construction of schools, clinics and roads, some of which have been completed. Small loan schemes were also instituted for the people to either go into farming, fishing or petty trading, the main occupations in the district.
However, while some of the communities benefited from such projects and programmes, others, due to factors such inadequate funds and mismanagement, had to be left in the limbo.
It is in this direction that the district administration, headed by the newly appointed Chief Executive, Mr Johnson Ahiakpor, has decided to come up with a comprehensive development programme that would transform the district into one of the best in terms of social amenities and poverty alleviation.
Under a three-and-a-half-year programme, a number of social amenities such as schools and roads, some of which were constructed years ago and have become dilapidated, would be renovated and new ones built for communities that have not yet benefited from such facilities.
Agriculture will also be boosted through the formation of cooperatives to enable the farmers, fishermen and those engaged in livestock farming get the required inputs and financial support, while satellite markets would be provided for the marketing of the produce.
Micro-finance loans have also been featured in the programme under which beneficiaries would be linked to financial institutions and credited with funds, especially for those engaged in petty trading.
Tourism will also be seriously taken care of, especially cruising on the Volta River and lake from where one can have a clear view of the picturesque Akuapem-Togo Mountain Range, which is truncated by the river.
The district has a lot of arable land for all varieties of crops, particularly banana, citrus fruits and vegetables, while the Volta Lake is also a good source of varieties of fish such as tilapia, lobsters and shrimps, as well as tourism, all of which must be properly harnessed to enable the inhabitants rake in more income for their sustenance.
If the assembly is able to provide the required social amenities for the people, which, I believe, will be possible, it will put in the necessary mechanism to increase locally-generated income to complement donor support funds and the assembly’s share of the Common Fund to finance the projects and programmes to totally transform the place into one of the best in the region,” the DCE stated.
With a professional background in accountancy, it is expected that Mr Ahiakpor, who, until his appointment as a DCE was the accountant in charge of the Koforidua Office of the West African Examinations Council, would keep an eagle’s eye on the assembly’s finances so that the projects and programmes initiated would be carried through.
Much also would depend on the support of the traditional rulers, the people and the assembly members, who, in line with their obligations, have to identify the immediate needs of their communities to be taken care of.
In view of the large land area with its many villages and communities, most of which lacked the basic necessities of life such as schools, good drinking water, roads and clinics, it became necessary for the area to be split into two different political entities, namely Yilo Krobo and Asuogyaman.
Two main reasons accounted for such a decision.
The main reason was to ensure that budgetary allocations for each of the two assemblies could cater for the provision of infrastructure in most of the towns, communities, villages and hamlets which lacked such facilities, as well as short-term poverty alleviation initiatives like soft loans for the people to engage in income-generating ventures.
The second reason for the split was to ensure effective administration of the area, which is inhabited by the Krobos, Akwamus, Anums and the Bosos as well the Ewes, who had all co-existed peacefully over the years.
The Asuogyaman District, created in 1988, is bounded by the following districts: Kwahu North (Afram Plains) on the north west; Kpando North, north-east; Ho Municipality on the east; North Tongu, on the south-east and Lower Manya Krobo, south-west.
The district, with total land area of 1,507 square kilometres, is composed of 92 settlements. Some of the big towns in the district are Atimpoku, the capital; Akosombo, Akrade, Anum, Boso, Frankadua, Apeguso, Gyakiti, Adjena and Asikuma.
Most of the people are either peasant farmers or fishermen who fish in the Volta Lake, the largest water body in the area.
With the exception of Akosombo town, which can be described as “a state within a state” because the Volta River Authority is solely responsible for the provision of its social amenities and, therefore, has almost all of such facilities, almost all the other towns and villages lack basic amenities.
In view of that, previous administrations initiated a number of development programmes and projects such as the construction of schools, clinics and roads, some of which have been completed. Small loan schemes were also instituted for the people to either go into farming, fishing or petty trading, the main occupations in the district.
However, while some of the communities benefited from such projects and programmes, others, due to factors such inadequate funds and mismanagement, had to be left in the limbo.
It is in this direction that the district administration, headed by the newly appointed Chief Executive, Mr Johnson Ahiakpor, has decided to come up with a comprehensive development programme that would transform the district into one of the best in terms of social amenities and poverty alleviation.
Under a three-and-a-half-year programme, a number of social amenities such as schools and roads, some of which were constructed years ago and have become dilapidated, would be renovated and new ones built for communities that have not yet benefited from such facilities.
Agriculture will also be boosted through the formation of cooperatives to enable the farmers, fishermen and those engaged in livestock farming get the required inputs and financial support, while satellite markets would be provided for the marketing of the produce.
Micro-finance loans have also been featured in the programme under which beneficiaries would be linked to financial institutions and credited with funds, especially for those engaged in petty trading.
Tourism will also be seriously taken care of, especially cruising on the Volta River and lake from where one can have a clear view of the picturesque Akuapem-Togo Mountain Range, which is truncated by the river.
The district has a lot of arable land for all varieties of crops, particularly banana, citrus fruits and vegetables, while the Volta Lake is also a good source of varieties of fish such as tilapia, lobsters and shrimps, as well as tourism, all of which must be properly harnessed to enable the inhabitants rake in more income for their sustenance.
If the assembly is able to provide the required social amenities for the people, which, I believe, will be possible, it will put in the necessary mechanism to increase locally-generated income to complement donor support funds and the assembly’s share of the Common Fund to finance the projects and programmes to totally transform the place into one of the best in the region,” the DCE stated.
With a professional background in accountancy, it is expected that Mr Ahiakpor, who, until his appointment as a DCE was the accountant in charge of the Koforidua Office of the West African Examinations Council, would keep an eagle’s eye on the assembly’s finances so that the projects and programmes initiated would be carried through.
Much also would depend on the support of the traditional rulers, the people and the assembly members, who, in line with their obligations, have to identify the immediate needs of their communities to be taken care of.
KOFORIDUA WATER SHORTANGE TO END DEC (BACK PAGE)
THE perennial shortage of water in Koforidua and other parts of the Eastern Region will come to an end by December, this year.
Under the Koforidua Water Project which is now 85 per cent complete, 3.5 million gallons of water would be pumped per day from the Volta Lake near Asesewa in the Upper Manya District to augment the 1.2 million gallons currently being drawn from the Densu and Suyhen rivers.
The project is being funded by the Belgian Government and executed by Denys Corporation also of Belgium.
Currently the first phase, which involve the construction of a treatment plant at Bukornor Junction and the laying of the main pipeline from the Volta Lake, has been completed while the distribution lines at Koforidua and booster stations along the main pipeline are being done.
According to Mr Okomen Mensah of Ekobil Consult, the consultancy firm of the project, Koforidua would definitely be supplied with water from the lake in December this year.
Mr Mensah, who was briefing the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, at the treatment site at Bukornor Junction, said the project, which started in May last year, was six months ahead of schedule.
He said the third phase of extending the project to New Tafo and Osiem, both in the East Akyem Municipality, would commence in January next year.
The Regional Minister, who was at the sites of the treatment plant and the intake and distribution lines, expressed his satisfaction with the pace of work.
He, however, asked the company to speed up the process of compensation to farmers whose lands were affected.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo also asked Denys Corporation to see how best it could provide a social amenity such as a school for the people at Bukornor junction to serve as a souvenir for the company in the area.
The Regional Minister earlier addressed workers of Aqua Vittens Rand, which is responsible for urban water, and gave them the assurance that his outfit would support it to make good drinking water available for the people.
That was after the Distribution Manager, Mr Asante Ansah, and other top officials had briefed the Regional Minister on the water supply situation in the region.
According to them, the company was facing a lot of challenges, especially contamination of water from the Birim River, which supplies water for Anyinam and its environs, due to the activities of illegal gold miners, as well as old pipelines in some areas that had not been rehabilitated for a long period.
Under the Koforidua Water Project which is now 85 per cent complete, 3.5 million gallons of water would be pumped per day from the Volta Lake near Asesewa in the Upper Manya District to augment the 1.2 million gallons currently being drawn from the Densu and Suyhen rivers.
The project is being funded by the Belgian Government and executed by Denys Corporation also of Belgium.
Currently the first phase, which involve the construction of a treatment plant at Bukornor Junction and the laying of the main pipeline from the Volta Lake, has been completed while the distribution lines at Koforidua and booster stations along the main pipeline are being done.
According to Mr Okomen Mensah of Ekobil Consult, the consultancy firm of the project, Koforidua would definitely be supplied with water from the lake in December this year.
Mr Mensah, who was briefing the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, at the treatment site at Bukornor Junction, said the project, which started in May last year, was six months ahead of schedule.
He said the third phase of extending the project to New Tafo and Osiem, both in the East Akyem Municipality, would commence in January next year.
The Regional Minister, who was at the sites of the treatment plant and the intake and distribution lines, expressed his satisfaction with the pace of work.
He, however, asked the company to speed up the process of compensation to farmers whose lands were affected.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo also asked Denys Corporation to see how best it could provide a social amenity such as a school for the people at Bukornor junction to serve as a souvenir for the company in the area.
The Regional Minister earlier addressed workers of Aqua Vittens Rand, which is responsible for urban water, and gave them the assurance that his outfit would support it to make good drinking water available for the people.
That was after the Distribution Manager, Mr Asante Ansah, and other top officials had briefed the Regional Minister on the water supply situation in the region.
According to them, the company was facing a lot of challenges, especially contamination of water from the Birim River, which supplies water for Anyinam and its environs, due to the activities of illegal gold miners, as well as old pipelines in some areas that had not been rehabilitated for a long period.
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