Thursday, August 26, 2010

POLICE PROBE DEATH OF FARMER (PAGE 3, AUGUST 26, 2010)

THE Anyinam police have intensified investigations into circumstances surrounding the death of a 61-year-old farmer, Opanin Kwabena Nkansah.
His badly decomposed body was found in the bush about two kilometres from Abomosu, near Kwabeng in the Eastern Region.
The late Opanin Nkansah, a farmer at Kwabeng, left home for his farm within the vicinity of Kwabeng on July 21, 2010 but did not return and a police investigation led to the discovery of his body last Tuesday.
Due to the very bad state of the body, which was virtually in a skeletal form, it was buried on Wednesday at Kwabeng upon the advice of a medical officer after consultations with the family.
According to the Anyinam District Police Commander, DSP (Rev) John Opoku, when the police found the body in such a badly decomposed state, a medical officer was invited to the scene and he recommended that it should be buried with no post-mortem, as a medical examination could not determine the cause of death.
He said the family members who were also at the scene agreed to the medical officer’s suggestion after consultations with him and the police after which a shovel was used to remove the body parts to be buried at Kwabeng.
DSP Opoku, however, indicated that since the location of the body was far from the deceased’s farm at Kwabeng, the police suspected foul play, adding that “we have intensified our investigations to apprehend the murderers”.
“My men are on the ground and I hope we will get the criminals, although it may take a long time,” DSP Opoku stated.
He, therefore, appealed to the public to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of the criminals.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

AKYEMMANSA, UPPER MANYA ASSEMBLIES HOLD MEETINGS (PAGE 35, AUGUST 26, 2010)

THE Akyemmansa and Upper Manya District assemblies have held their ordinary meetings at Akyem Ofoase and Asesewa, their respective capitals.
At the separate meetings, the two assemblies discussed the various development projects and programmes that have been initiated in the various communities.
The projects and programmes include roads, schools and other poverty alleviation measures aimed at improving the lot of the people in the area, especially the villages which lack some of the basic necessities of life.
Addressing assembly members at Ofoase, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akyemmansa, Mr Tom Budu, said most of the projects initiated in the area since 2008 had been completed or at the final stages of completion.
Some of the completed projects include a European Union/District Assembly-funded three-unit classroom blocks with offices, stores and KVIP places of convenience for junior high schools at Akyem Ayirebi and Zevor and market shells for Akyem Bontodiase.
Others projects such as a court building at Ofoase, official residential accommodation for the DCE and Co-ordinating Director at Ofoase and classroom blocks with all the necessary facilities at Chia, are at advanced stages of completion.
According to Mr Budu, a number of other projects, including roads such as the 20.4 kilometre Anyinase Junction-Pawudu-Praho road, the 5.7 kilometre Camp Junction-Zevor road and the Ayirebi-Ofoase road, are also being rehabilitated, as well as modern public places of convenience at Ofoase, Brenase, Kotokuom, Chia and Ofoase Zongo.
On revenue mobilisation, the DCE stated that GH¢113,010 was budgeted for the year in respect of internally-generated revenue out of which GH¢40,518.36 had been collected as at the end of the second quarter, representing 35.85 per cent of the budgeted figure.
He urged the revenue collectors to work harder than before in order to generate more revenue for the assembly.
With regard to expenditure, Mr Budu, said GH¢42,806.80 was spent within the period as against GH205,605.00 budgeted for.
The DCE briefed the assembly on proposals for the creation of additional electoral areas for the acceleration of the development of the communities.
He called on the assembly members to redouble their efforts for the success of development programmes.
At the assembly meeting at Asesewa, the Upper Manya District Chief Executive, Mr Joseph Tetteh-Angmor, said most of the projects, which were stated since 2008, had been completed.
The projects include the conversion of an old oil palm factory into offices at a cost of GH¢86,370, conversion of a four-unit classroom block to offices for the assembly with a contract sum of GH52,764, both at Asesewa, street lights at Apimsu, boreholes at Mensah Dawa, Anyaboni and Sekesua, a clinic at Tenguanya and a slaughter house at Asesewa.
Mr Tetteh-Angmor stated that those amenities were financed with the Common Fund and the intervention by the European Union and other sources.
The projects were sited at Asesewa, Samlesi, Anyaboni, Sekesua and other parts of the district.
The DCE said when the rehabilitation of road network in the district was completed, it would tremendously transform the area and improve the living standards of the people.
With regard to the National Youth Employment Programme, Mr Tetteh-Angmor, stated that so far, 221 young persons had been engaged.

NEW JUABEN FACELIFT GAINS MOMENTUM (PAGE 35, AUGUST 26, 2010)

THE new Juaben Municipal Assembly has started a number of development projects to facelift the municipality.
The projects include a GH¢453,668.38 three-storey shopping mall at Srodae-Pentoawala, an area formerly inhabited by criminals, another three-storey block of stores and offices costing GH¢298,545.25 in the centre of Koforidua, a GH¢74,173.30 car park and a GH¢246,885.82 beads market at Adweso, a suburb of Koforidua at a cost of GH¢246,865.82.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Alex K. Asamoah, made this known at the assembly’s ordinary meeting in Koforidua at the weekend.
He said in June, this year, the assembly received GH¢381,526.86 from the Social Investment Fund (SIF) for the construction of seven other social amenities.
Mr Asamoah mentioned some of the projects as a six-unit classroom block and a modern public place of convenience for the St Dominic School at Adweso.
According to him, many projects were being undertaken in the municipality with the assemblies share of the common fund and the SIF.
The projects include the rehabilitation of some old school buildings and paving of the Zongo market.
The MCE further stated that the assembly would procure a grader to rehabilitate roads in the area and also support street children.
He stated that 6,970 pupils in a cluster of six schools in the municipality were being offered free meals in line with the School Feeding Programme.

Friday, August 20, 2010

WHO WINS ATIWA BYE-ELECTION (PAGE 12, AUGUST 20, 2010)

THE Atiwa Constituency in the Eastern Region is currently the hot-bed of Ghana politics. This is because political parties, including the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NDC), Peoples’ Convention (PNC) and a political group which is little known, the New Vision Party (NVP), will be contesting for the parliamentary seat in the constituency in a by-election slated for August 31.
The seat became vacant due to the death of the occupant, Kwasi Annoh Ankama, who passed away in the middle of the year.
Currently all the four contesting parties are ready for the poll.
According to Mr Paul Boateng, Eastern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), by the close of nominations on August 10, all the contesting parties had filed the names of their candidates without any problem.
They are Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum, a Human Resource person who is also currently the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa for the NDC, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, a Lawyer and the present Presiding Member of the Atiwa District Assembly for the NPP, Mr Kasum Abdul Karim, a farmer, for the PNC, and Mr George Apraku Padmore, a journalist, representing the NVP.
Although no vigorous campaign has so far been mounted by any of the four parties, the NPP has already fired the salvo to re-capture the seat with the appearance of its re-elected flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at Kwabeng during the party’s recent constituency primaries to solicit support for the party.
Almost at the same time, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and Mr Atta Twum, the DCE, also cut the sod for the commencement of work to rehabilitate roads within Kwabeng, the district and constituency headquarters, ostensibly to also win the support of the people.
The PNC and the NVP have not yet made any move in that direction.
The campaign for the constituency is expected to be very expensive because it is vast with few good roads linking only the few big towns such as, Kwabeng, Anyinam, its commercial centre, Sekyere and Abomosu while the numerous communities, villages and hamlets are difficult to reach, especially during this rainy season, due to the bad nature of the roads.
Looking at such a situation, the contesting political parties have a herculean task of reaching out to voters most of whom live in the remote villages almost inaccessible by road except footpaths.
In reality, the odds favour the NPP considering the results of previous elections, especially that of 2008 when its parliamentary candidate the late Kwesi Annoh Ankama secured 26,423 constituting 76.43 per cent of the votes as against the NDC’s Emmanuel Atta Twum’s 7,851 (22.71 per cent) and the PNC’s Kasum Abdul Karim’s very poor showing of 296 votes (0.86 per cent).
Although Mr Amoako Atta, the NPP candidate for the by-election, is a new face in the contest, his popularity as the Presiding Member of the Assembly where he had led a crusade against political party partisanship in the House, which to him hinder the work of assembly members developing the communities had made him a leader interested in the welfare of all the people in the communities.
Such an attribute in addition to the constituency being a stronghold of the NPP has the tendency of possibly making him the winner.
Mr Amoako Atta who also surprisingly lost the NPP Atiwa Constituency primaries to the late Kwasi Annoh Ankama has also won the sympathy of the party supporters, especially the foot soldiers, who are determined to go to the various communities to solicit support for him and the party.
The NPP parliamentary candidate has also exhibited his readiness to play his part when he declared during his election as the parliamentary candidate about a fortnight ago that nothing will prevent him from winning the seat and that he will personally contribute his quota for an NPP victory.
On the other hand, the NDC realising that Atiwa had always been its achilles heel, is more determined than ever before to increase its votes and take the seat.
The election of Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum therefore seemed to be the right choice to achieve such a dream which most political pundits will brush aside, except to agree that the NDC is only going to increase its votes in the constituency to indicate its full preparedness for the 2012 polls.
However, the short period that Mr Atta Twum was appointed the DCE, the assembly had continued from where the NPP left off by providing numerous infrastructural amenities such as school buildings, roads and water and sanitation facilities. The sod has been cut for the commencement of work on the Kwabeng town roads and this has won the hearts of many of the inhabitants.
Moreover he is contesting the seat for the second time and therefore well known to the voters, an advantage over his main opponent, Mr Amoako Atta.
Considering the chances of the other two candidates, Messrs Kasum Abdul Karim of the PNC and George Apraku Padmore of the NVP to capture the parliamentary seat, it is only a heavenly sent miracle that would make such goals possible since the PNC and the NVC are really dead in the area and will therefore not be able to make any headway at the polls.
This is the “prophesy” although I am not an angel of doom since it is the reality on the ground.
Despite these positive and negative factors, almost all the towns, communities, villages and hamlets in the next few days left for the elections are going to be the “political battle grounds” for the contesting parties, especially the two main parties, the NPP and the NDC, both of which are gearing for action to undo each other.
It is however expected that the polls, dubbed “Atta-and Atta contest” since the two main contestants, Amoako Atta and Atta Twum bear the same name will be peaceful.
This is because the two men who are friends and currently leading the assembly to develop the area last week stood on a common platform at Kwabeng to appeal to their supporters from the NPP and the NDC not to do anything to mar the beauty of the election.
“We the two Attas are friends leading the assembly to develop the communities in this constituency so if you want either of us to be your MP, the only thing to do is to canvass for votes for that person in a friendly atmosphere since only one of us can occupy the seat to help develop the area” Amoako Atta and Atta Twum told assembly members during assembly meeting last Friday August 13 at Kwabeng.
The stand taken by the two main opponents in the by-election calling for peace on a common platform, the first of its kind in the region if heeded would make the Atiwa by-election different from the previously held Akwatia by-election where supporters of the NPP and the NDC were at each others’ throat, resulting in injuries and a near blood bath.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

QUICK ACTION LAUNCHES ARISE ALBUM (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 19 AUGUST 19, 2010,

By Della Russel Ocloo

People from all walks of life last Saturday made it to the premises of the Sheepfold Chapel on the Spintex Road, to support music producer and sound engineer, Yosef Appiah, popularly known as Quick Action, to launch his Arise album.
The praise and worship album features popular radio presenter, Abeiku Aggrey Santana of Tema-based Adom FM. The two and a half-hour launch ceremony saw patrons heartily dancing to music from guest artistes, Mary Ghansah and Gifty Osei.
The Arise album, according to Quick Action, was a project that had been on his mind for over a decade. Songs on the album, such as Nkunim, Agyenkwan, My Faith and Yesu Do were rendered as worship medleys with instrumentation and keyboard works performed by Quick Action.
He said the decision to feature Abeiku on the album was informed by the kind of motivation the latter had provided over the years to his listeners through his late afternoon radio programme on Adom FM.
Speaking to Showbiz after the launch, Quick Action stated that working with certain gospel musicians over the years, especially Mary Ghansah, influenced the making of the Arise album.
Sharing his thoughts on the album, Abeiku pointed out that though people know him well for his humorous approach to issues, he accepted to feature on the Arise album to showcase other talents he possesses. To him, it is a thanksgiving offering to God for all the good things that have happened and continue to occur in his life.
“God’s abundant grace has kept me through some turbulent times and I must thank Him for that,” he stated.
Quick Action intends to embark on a nationwide tour soon, starting from Takoradi in the Western Region, to promote the Arise work.
The launch ceremony was sponsored by Healthy Life with support from Adom FM and Winnies Foods.

OFOSU AMPOFO DENIES PUTTING UP BILLIONAIRE MANSION (PAGE 13, AUGUST 18, 2010)

THE EASTERN Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has denied putting up “a billionaire mansion.”
Reacting to a publication headlined “Ofosu Ampofo Grabs Billionaire Mansion” which appeared on the front page of a private newspaper, he said the said house which by all standards was not a billionaire’s mansion belonged to him.
In a letter to the Daily Graphic and other media houses in Koforidua, he indicated that he started constructing the house in 1998 and that for over the years, he had used his salaries and allowances as Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Deputy Eastern Regional minister and national organiser of the National Democratic Congress as well as proceeds from a livestock project to finance the building.
According to the letter dated August 13, and signed by Miss Boahemaa Intsiful, the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Administration, he stated that for instance, between 2001 and 2005 when the salaries of MPs were reviewed and payment effected in 2010, he had over GH¢50,000 which he invested into the building.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who said such an amount excluded the ex-gratia paid earlier to him in 2009, stated further that the plot on which the building was situated was originally two plots but in 1999, somebody sold half of it to a matron in a psychiatric hospital who had built a similar structure on it and had been occupying it for the past five years.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who said he was prepared to take any journalist to the building to check its cost as against his earnings as a public officer over the years, called on the private newspaper to retract the story and render an unconditional apology to him.
“I have been investing all these monies to develop my project yet I have not completed it and I want to leave it to the judgment of fellow Ghanaians if I have grabbed any state money to invest in the building.
“If all workers of Ghana can use their salaries to build houses for themselves and their families, why can’t I do the same?
“You can also check the arrears I received as a Member of Parliament”, the Regional Minister concluded.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

POLICE EXAMS NOT PUNISHMENT (PAGE 35, AUGUST 18, 2010)

THE Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ransford Moses Ninson has stated that the decision to conduct examinations for inspectors and chief inspectors for entry into the Police College is not to punish them but rather to select the best for the officer corps.
That, he said, was due to the fact that policing had become complex and officers had to carry out their duties in line with international standards.
DCOP Ninson gave the clarification when he addressed 31 inspectors undergoing a month’s refresher course in Koforidua at the weekend.
The participants, who were stationed in the region, were being prepared to write an examination for selection to the Police College.
DCOP Ninson said most often, some personnel of the police service did not approach learning for an examination with seriousness because they had the wrong notion that some of their colleagues paid money in order to pass the examination.
He, therefore, asked the participants to discard such a notion and learn hard to pass the examination to enter the college.
“Most often, some personnel of the service do not approach learning towards the examination with the seriousness it deserves because they have a wrong impression that some personnel pay money in order to pass the examination.
“If you approach the examination with such a notion, then you have already failed in advance so discard such a notion and learn very hard that your effort will be crowned with success”, DCOP Ninson stated.
With regard to the writing of examination for promotions within the police service, DCOP Ninson said he personally supported that idea because it enabled the personnel to be imbibed with new ideas to enhance performance whether one was promoted or not.
He gave the assurance that the police administration had taken the necessary steps to prevent leakaged associated with the examsinations.

Monday, August 16, 2010

NDC, NPP CANDIDATES URGE UNITY IN ATIWA (PAGE 12, AUGUST 16, 2010)

THE beautiful side of party politics was displayed at Kwabeng at the weekend when Messrs Kwasi Amoako Atta of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Emmanuel Atta Twum of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the main contestants in the Atiwa bye-election, joined hands on a common platform to appeal to their supporters not to do anything to mar the bye-election.
This is the first time NPP and NDC contestants in a parliamentary election had come together on a common platform.
The bye-election, which is slated for August 31, became necessary as a result of the death of Mr Kwasi Annoh Ankama, the MP for the area, in the middle of the year.
The bye-election, dubbed “Atta and Atta contest” by the people of the constituency, since the two men have a common name (Atta), is expected to be keen because despite the area being an NPP stronghold, the NDC had, within a short period, provided a number of social amenities for the people to win their support.
Mr Amoako Atta, who is the Presiding Member of the Atiwa District Assembly, had, earlier in the morning, gone to the office of Mr Atta Twum, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa, to confer with him before an assembly meeting slated for the same day.
After a joint breakfast in the DCE’s office, the two men joined hands and walked to the Anglican Chapel, about 100 yards away from the venue of the assembly meeting, and took their seats, after which they took turns to appeal to their various supporters not to do any negative thing that would mar the beauty of the bye-election.
Mr Amoako Atta, who set the ball rolling, said, “We are all Ghanaians belonging to different political camps and this should not make us enemies. So I appeal to all of you assembly members to tell your constituents not to do anything that will mar the election.
“We the two Attas are even friends so if you want either of us to be your MP, the only thing to do is canvass for votes for that person in a friendly atmosphere, since only one of us can occupy the seat to help develop the area.”
For his part, Mr Atta Twum said the area needed the support of everybody and that since the two of them were friends who had known each other for a long period, the best legacy voters could bequeath to the area was good conduct in the election to make it free from violence.
That, he said, would help accelerate the development of the area.
The DCE expressed the hope that the assembly members would be able to prevail on the electorate to ensure peace during the election.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

NPP ELECTS AMOAKO ATTAH TO CONTEST ATIWA BY-ELECTION (PAGE 12, AUGUST 12, 2010)

THE Presiding Member of the Atiwa District Assembly, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, has been elected as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Atiwa Constituency by-election.
The by-election slated for August 31 had become necessary due to the death of Mr Kwasi Annor Ankamah, the Member of Parliament of the constituency, in the middle of the year.
Mr Amoako Atta, a lawyer, polled 361 votes to beat two other contestants, Madam Abena Ansa Asare, a banker, who had 196 votes and Mr Kwasi Osei Agyepong, the immediate past District Chief Executive of the area, who obtained 15 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Amoako Atta who was flanked by the newly elected flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, assured the gathering that he would at all cost win the seat which had been occupied by the NPP since 1996.
He therefore called for support from the rank and file of the party and the entire people of the area for a convincing victory on August 31.
Both Madam Abena Ansa Asare and Mr Osei Agyepong assured Mr Amoako Atta of their support.
Nana Akufo-Addo who for the first time appeared in public after his re-election as flag bearer of the NPP at the weekend predicted the doom of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which according to him had failed Ghanaians.
He described the Mills Administration as slow, incompetent and having brought a lot of untold hardships to the people and gave the assurance that the NPP would restore hope to the teeming Ghanaians by reorganising poverty alleviation initiatives such as the youth and agriculture programme, the health insurance scheme and others.
“The go slow Mills Administration has nothing to offer Ghanaians so the NPP will from 2012 start rolling out the good things for Ghanaians who are now worse off after we lost the 2008 elections.”

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

TB NOT CAUSED BY GODS OR WITCHES — DR GEORGE OWUSU (PAGE 35, AUGUST 12, 2010)

PEOPLE suffering from tuberculosis (TB) are not to pay anything at state-owned hospitals and clinics because the treatment is free.
The disease is not also caused by the gods or witches but by bacteria through the air infecting the lungs, brain and the uterus.
The Deputy Eastern Regional Director of Health Services (Public Health), Dr George Bonsu, made this known at a seminar organised by the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for municipal and district information officers in the region last weekend.
The exercise was to equip the information officers on the prevention and treatment of the disease to enable them to disseminate information on the disease to the public.
In a statement issued by one of the public relations officers of the Regional Information Office, Miss Ivy A. Appiah, Dr Bonsu stressed the need for massive public education campaign on the issue since most people did not know that treatment of TB was free.
Dr Bonsu, according to the statement, said every person above the age of 15 could be exposed to TB and that those who coughed continuously for two weeks should immediately report to the hospital for treatment.
He explained that the treatment of the disease normally lasts for six months, but if it was not treated, it would infect approximately between 10 and 15 persons within a year.
Dr Bonsu stated that only 564 out of the 2,149 expected cases of TB were reported in the region last year.
He, therefore, advised people with symptoms of TB to report to the hospitals for treatment.
The Regional Information Officer, Mr Akwasi Amankwa stated that his outfit had embarked on a five-day public education campaign on the issue and urged the participants to discharge their duties with commitment and dedication for the success of the campaign.
Mr Amankwaa expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health as well as the Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for sponsoring and facilitating the workshop.  

AMPA FOUNDATION EDUCATES PUBLIC ON WATER PURITY (PAGE 35, AUGUST 12, 2010)

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation (NGO) dedicated to the preservation of the environment, especially water bodies in the Akuapem South Municipality, Ampa Resource Foundation, has organised a day’s seminar at Nsawam to educate the people in the town on sound environmental practices to maintain the purity of the Densu River.
The Densu Basin is a large area of communities, villages and hamlets drained by the Densu River which is the main source of drinking water for the inhabitants.
The participants numbering 40 included traditional rulers, assembly members, water and sanitation workers, especially from Zoomlion, a private waste management company and others from the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly.
They were taken through the rudiments of safe environmental practices by Mr Godwin Bansah, a Water and Sanitation Consultant and Mr Ronald Abrahams, an officer of the Densu Basin Water Resources Commission.
They advised the participants to impart the knowledge they had acquired to the people in the various communities in the Densu Basin.
Welcoming the participants, the Executive Director of Ampa Resource Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Minta Kwaafo, said his organisation was dialoguing with the communities in Akuapem North District and Akuapem South Municipality as well as allied agencies to make the Densu River pure.
Mr Kwaafo said Zoomlion and the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly were doing their best to clear the area of filth.
He, however, stated that increase in population in the municipality had compounded the situation, and for that reason, there was the need for the people to be properly educated on sound environmental practices which his outfit would champion.

KWABIA TEYI ENJOYS POTABLE WATER (PAGE 35, AUGUST 12, 2010)

THE inhabitants of Kwabia Teyi, a small farming community and 15 other scattered farming settlements near Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region heaved a sigh of relief at the weekend.
The reason is that, the area, the most deprived in the district where the people and cattle compete for drinking water from the same unwholesome source, now has potable water, a borehole provided by the Maranatha Power Ministries, a religious organisation.
At the inaugural ceremony for the project, which brought together pastors and members of the church both in Ghana and abroad, the villagers sang and danced for hours, demonstrating their joy for the provision of the facility.
According to them, they had for years depended on unwholesome water which they shared with cattle as a result of which they contracted water-borne diseases.
They, therefore, expressed their appreciation to the Maranatha Power Ministries for providing the facility.
The General Overseer of Maranatha Power Ministries, Rev. Francis Afotey Odai, said the church, which had established a branch in the area, had to provide the people with potable water to alleviate their suffering.
He stressed that the church did not only seek the spiritual welfare of its members, but also their physical need.
Rev. Afotey stated that his organisation would also inaugurate another borehole it sunk for the people of Kwasi Tenten near Nsawam this week, and urged the beneficiaries of the facilities to take good care of them.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo, Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, who witnessed the ceremony, said about 30 more villages in the area would also be provided with water pumped from the nearby Volta Lake.
He said the government was doing its best to alleviate poverty in the area through long-term programmes such as the capitation grant, free meals and school uniforms for pupils in first cycle educational institutions, as well as other interventions.
The DCE, therefore, called on the people to support the government in completing its development agenda to make life worth living for all, especially those in deprived communities.

KDUA HOSTS NATIONAL SERVICE WEEK (PAGE 35, AUGUST 12, 2010)

THE National Service Scheme (NSS) has resolved not to accept any assurance letters from organisations given to prospective service persons to be posted to such organisations.
Furthermore, any prospective service person, who would present such letters of assurance, would be severely sanctioned.
This is because it is only the NSS which determines the placements of servicemen.
The Executive Director of the NSS, Mr Vincent Kuagbenu made this known at the national launch of the National Service Week at Koforidua.
The event on the theme: “National Service in the Drive Towards Better Ghana” brought together a large number of service persons from all parts of the region, including the regional directors.
The function was attended by dignitaries, including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, his Deputy, Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed and the Omanhene of Akyem Bosome Traditional Area, Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Owurae Agyekum 111, who chaired the occasion.
According to Mr Kuagbenu, it had been the habit of prospective service persons to present letters of assurance from organisations of their choice mostly in the cities and urban centres to be posted there for their comfort.
He stated that such a practice was against the aims and objectives of the NSS which had to post service persons primarily to the hinterland to assist in the development of the deprived communities.
Mr Kuagbenu warned that, henceforth, any prospective service person who would approach the secretariat with letters of assurance would not only be turned away, but also severely dealt with.
He said the NSS, which was finding solutions to its challenges, was embarking on a number of income-generation activities such as crop and fish farming in various parts of the country where service persons would be solely engaged.
Mr Kuagbenu stated that such ventures were in line with the “Better Ghana Agenda.”
He added that the NSS have also broken new grounds by posting some of its personnel to be research assistants to Members of Parliament (MPs).
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said since the NSS among others, was to imbibe into the service persons the culture of vigorous work ethics, self employment, inculcating into the youth a sense of patriotism, it was therefore imperative for management of the scheme to interact with them at the end of their service to ascertain whether the outlined objectives had been achieved.
He also urged directors of the scheme to groom students and prepare them adequately for places they would be posted to.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo appealed to the people in the communities to give the service persons the needed support.
The regional minister further stated that the government’s “Better Ghana Agenda” would be a mirage if the youth did not get the opportunity to fully develop their potential.
He added that it was in that respect that the government was making quality education not only accessible, but also affordable with the free supply of exercise books and school uniforms for pupils in basic schools.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo dwelt extensively on other aspects of the NSS and youth development, stressing that the government had revamped the micro-credit schemes to help students in vocational and technical institutions to establish themselves after training.
The National President of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), Mr Gabriel Osei, appealed to management of the various organisations to increase their intake of service persons.
He deplored difficulties in accommodation for service persons, as well as delays in payment of monthly allowances, which he said, had been increased from GH¢144 to GH¢202.
Mr Osei expressed the hope that challenges facing service persons would be addressed.
Earlier, the Eastern Regional Director of the NSS, Nana Fosu-Amankwah Agyepong said although some of the service persons in the region had not lived up to expectation, on the whole, they had contributed a lot towards the development of the area.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

NDC ELECTS TWUM TO CONTEST ATIWA BY-ELECTION (PAGE 12, AUGUST 10, 2010)

THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum as its candidate to contest the Atiwa Constituency by-election slated for August 31.
The by-election is to find a replacement for Mr Kwasi Annoh Ankama of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who passed away in the middle of the year.
Mr Atta Twum, currently the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa, was declared unopposed at the last hour after his only challenger, Nana Samuel Agyepong, popularly known as Alhaji, pulled out of the contest and pledged his unflinching support to his colleague to wrest the seat from the NPP which had held the seat for years.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Atta Twum said his short period as DCE for the area had made him identify the numerous socio-economic problems facing the people and called on them to vote for him to solicit support from Parliament to continue with the programmes being undertaken by the assembly.
He expressed his appreciation to the party executives, members and especially Nana Agyepong for their support.
Earlier, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, asked the party’s executives and members to drum home the numerous achievements of the NDC administration within a limited period of 18 months to win the support of the people.
Some of the achievements included the provision of numerous social amenities such as health, water and sanitation facilities, school buildings, roads, markets, increase in the capitation grant, free meals, free uniforms and exercise books for pupils in first cycle educational institutions and reduction in inflation to a single digit which, according to him, was boosting economic activities.
The Eastern Regional Organiser of the NDC, Mr Tawia Boateng, urged municipal and district chief executives in the region not to relent in the provision of social amenities, since that would go a long way to win the support of the people to enable the party to win the 2012 election.
For his part, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal Muhamed Ahmed, appealed to the party’s foot soldiers to be patient, since they would be at all cost rewarded, adding that they should enter the communities to tell the people of the good things being done by the government to win their support.
Baba Jamal also called on members and executives of the NDC to put aside their differences and unite for a resounding victory at the 2012 polls.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

DRIVERS AWARDS COMMITTEE LAUNCHED AT KOFORIDUA (PAGE 22, AUGUST 7, 2010)

A NATIONAL and Regional Road Safety Awards Scheme to reward good drivers and other key stakeholders in the transport industry was launched at the Koforidua main lorry park last Wednesday.
On the theme: “Road safety, a shared collective responsibility,” the scheme would help stem the high rate of motor accidents with the associated fatalities in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Ativor, performed the ceremony on behalf of the sector minister, Mr Mike Allen Hammah, at a ceremony attended by drivers, passengers and other stakeholders of the road sector.
Also present were the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ransford M. Ninson and the Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah.
According to Mr Hammah, a national planning committee with membership from the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Driver, Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana National Fire Service, the MTTU), municipal and district assemblies and road users, had already been constituted to come out with the modalities for the scheme.
He, however, did not indicate the packages for the scheme and the actual date they would be given out to the award winners.
Mr Hammah said records had indicated that pedestrians and passengers accounted for about 43 and 23 per cent, respectively of the distribution of crash victims.
He noted that what was most worrying was that some of the dead were children knocked down by vehicles.
The socio-economic cost of the fatalities to affected families and the nation, the minister stated, had been huge.
“It is in this direction that the government has taken steps, including the institution of the award scheme to help bring sanity on the roads because about 80 per cent of road accidents are due to human error which can be prevented,” Mr Hammah added.
He said the Ministry of Transport and the NRSC had also recognised the transport unions and other relevant organisations as important stakeholders that would help reduce the motor accidents.
Mr Hammah mentioned some of the organisations and unions such as the Ghana Private Transport Union, the GPRTU, M. PLAZA, Co-operative, Inter-City STC, PROTOA and OA, and called on them to play an active role in that respect.
The Regional Minister, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, said since the region ranked third in road accidents in the country, the Regional Co-ordinating Council in collaboration with the NRSC and other stakeholders had embarked on emergency and enforcement of traffic regulations to help reduce the motor accidents.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who attributed most of the motor accidents to reckless driving and the use of faulty vehicles, appealed to the law enforcement agencies to help bring the miscreants to book.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ninsin was happy that motor accidents in the region had reduced drastically in the first half of the year from 616 with 114 deaths as against 748 with 143 deaths recorded in the same period last year.
He commended the Transport Minister and officials of the NRSC as well as other stakeholders who had done their best to make the roads accident free.

Friday, August 6, 2010

SHAKESPEARE APOLOGISES FOR RUDE BEHAVIOUS (PAGE 14, AUGUST 6, 2010)

DUA Shakespeare Ofori-Atta, Secretary of the Abuakwa South Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who allegedly locked out officers of the National Health Insurance Scheme at Kyebi and spoke on radio daring anybody to arrest him but was arrested and put before court, has apologized for his actions.
At a press conference at Koforidua yesterday Ofori Atta who was accompanied by the Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Anthony Gyampoh, the Abuakwa South Constituency Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mohamed and other members of the party said he had regretted acting in such a way that had created a bad image not only for the NDC but for President John Evans Atta Mills.
Ofori-Atta who looked remorseful asked the Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who was also present at the gathering to intercede and apologize to President Mills on his behalf since his misdeeds had impacted negatively on the President.
“I sincerely apologize for my misdeed, a big mistake which I made and I will never again do such a thing because what I said on the radio did not only negatively affect the NDC but Ghanaians as a whole.
“I said so many unpleasant things on air and I beg you to intercede and apologize to the President and never again will I do such a thing, Ofori-Atta pleaded with Mr Ofosu Ampofo.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo who accepted to relay Ofori Atta’s apology to the President said it was wrong for the Abuakwa South NDC Constituency Secretary to act in such a manner that had created tension and bad image for the NDC and urged every executive or member of the party with grievances to seek redress through the party’s laid-down mechanism.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo who for the first time spoke with anger rebuked Ofori-Atta saying “you as an executive but not a foot soldier of the party should have known better that there are laws and regulations within the NDC through which you can address your grievances but rather resorted to such a bad thing.
The Regional Minister further said it was the duty of the rank and file of the party to drum home the numerous achievements of the party within a very limited period and mentioned some of them as improvement in capitation grant, free meals, exercise books and uniforms for basic schools, poverty alleviation initiatives and reduction in inflation to a single digit.
“Let us learn to portray the good things the government is doing instead of acting in such a way that would create a bad image for the party and government”, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo who indicated that he was hopeful the President and entire members and executives of the NDC would accept Ofori-Atta’s apology asked him to “go and sin no more”.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

RAMADAN STARS AUGUST 10 OR 12 (PAGE 51, AUGUST 4, 2010)

THIS year’s Ramadan will start on Wednesday, August 11 if the new moon is sighted on Tuesday, August 10.
However, if the new moon is not sighted on August 10, then Thursday, August 12 shall be the automatic day for the commencement of the Ramadan.
These were contained in a communiqué issued at the 16th National Ramadan conference held at the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, on Saturday.
The conference, which was attended by all the regional chief imams, a representative of the National Chief Imam, as well as some Muslim chiefs, was addressed by the Catholic Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifa-Agyekum, and Baba Jamal, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, who represented the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama.
It said: “That by consensus Tuesday, August 10 2010, shall be the first sighting day for the new moon of the month of Ramadan and if sighted on this day, Wednesday August 11, 2010 shall be the first day of Ramadan but if not sighted on the said day, Wednesday, August 11, 2010, shall complete the month of by calculation and Thursday, August 12, 2010, shall be an automatic day for the commencement of the fast,” the communiqué stated.
The communiqué asked all Muslims to educate their youth, do away with their differences and unite for a common goal for the betterment of Islam and the nation.
It also asked Muslims to be concerned about national issues and come in their numbers to be counted in the forthcoming national population census scheduled to take place in September, this year.