Tuesday, June 23, 2009

GEORGE ARTHUR FUNDS A SCHOOL (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani

AFTER retiring from active football about eight years ago, former Ghanaian international football star, George “King” Arthur, has turned his attention to education with the establishment of a school in Sunyani.
The King’s Cambridge International School located off the Sunyani-Abesim road is one of the best things to happen to the educational sector in the Sunyani municipality.
Speaking to Graphic Nsempa in Sunyani, Arthur said the establishment of the school was to show appreciation to society for the support they gave him during his football career.
The former B/A United, Asante Kotoko and Al-Ahly player said his success, as a player both locally and internationally was particularly due to the encouragement he had from his admirers especially those in Sunyani where he started it all.
George Arthur, a native of Fiapre near Sunyani, started his football carrer at B/A United when he was a student at the Sunyani Secondary School in the late 1970s.
He was one of the brilliant right-wingers Ghana had ever produced, and in his days, he was a great bother to many defenders. No wonder he caught the eyes of the management of Asante Kotoko who signed him on from B/A United.
In Kotoko, Arthur was one of the architects of many of the victories chalked by the Porcupine Warriors.
Egyptian giants, Al-Ahly, eventually signed him on but a frosty relationship with the club saw him abrogating his contract.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, banned him for his action but the ban was later lifted paving the way for him to return to Asante Kotoko, where he eventually retired form active football and entered into various businesses including the hospitality industry.
The establishment of the school, he says, is one of the best things to happen to his life. The former international said education was key to development and said even in football, a player, no matter his or her performance would face some teething problems, if the person lacked formal education.
Asked whether sports was going to be a priority area in the training of the pupils, he answered in the affirmative. According to him, he intends to develop a football academy in the school to run alongside the main educational system.
Currently, the school in its third year and from all indications, the future looks bright for the school in the years ahead.

KOTOKO TO GET 49-SEATER BUS FROM TIGO (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

HEADLINE sponsors of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Tigo, is to present a brand-new 49-seater Mercedes Benz Bus to the club. The bus, which is currently being branded, will to be presented to the club in the first week of July.
Officials of Kotoko and the sponsors have already inspected the bus in Accra and both are happy about the development. The question of whether Tigo would present the bus to Kotoko as promised had been a thorny issue for some time now.
While the sponsors had made several presentations to the club in line with the sponsorship package, that of the bus kept long in coming.
Consequently, the supporters kept pressing management of the club to impress on the sponsors to honour their promise.
Last week, Tigo finally announced that it was finalising arrangements to present the bus to Kotoko.

NUGS HONOURS PROF OKAI (PAGE 44)

The Dean of the Faculty of Technology Education of the University of Education, Winneba (Kumasi Campus), Prof. Reynolds Okai, has urged students to take their education seriously in order prepare a better future for themselves and their nation.
He said no nation or society could develop without education and it was, therefore, incumbent on students to make the most out of their time in school.
Prof. Okai was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic after the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) honoured him for being a role model for the students and the youth of the country.
Prof. Okai was honoured alongside six others at the first national awards day of NUGS in Accra.
The purpose of the awards was to acknowledge, encourage, reward and, most importantly, promote the positive achievements of students and the youth in general.
In the citation accompanying Prof. Okai’s award, NUGS said the award was the result of his prominent historical antecedence of innovation in the world of technology and research work.
Prof. Okai holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and MSc and PhD in Forest Products Science and Technology specialising in Mechanical Engineering for Biological Materials from the University of Nagoya, Japan.
He has about 50 scientific publications to his credit in international journals, conference proceedings and technical papers.
Among his publications are Development of New Technology for Sawing using tip-inserted saw, which is now in use in New Zealand and Japan; control of wash boarding in band saw; utilisation of agriculture residue such as cornstalk and empty fruit bunch of the oil palm; utilisation of discarded oil palm trunk for furniture production.
Prof. Okai once worked with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as research assistant, and taught as a part-time lecturer at KNUST.

GOVT REVIEWS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDIES ABROAD (PAGE 55)

THE government is reviewing scholarships awarded for study abroad to ensure that only critical courses not offered locally are given funding from the state.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who disclosed this at the 43rd congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) over the weekend said, such courses must be critical for national development.
He said the measure was part of government’s efforts to rationalise the use of national resources.
He said in recent years, the nation appeared to have lost its sense of prioritisation in respect of funding students outside, and pledged the government’s commitment to ensure sanity in the award of scholarships.
The government’s decision comes a few days after about 350 Ghanaian students studying various foreign languages abroad cried out for support as funding from the state was not forthcoming.
The government had to respond quickly by releasing about US$2 million to save the situation.
The Vice-President said the government would continue to place emphasis on science and technology and would give priority in allocation of bursaries and scholarships to students who opted to pursue these programmes in tertiary institutions within and outside Ghana.
Mr Mahama also announced that the administration of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) was to be decentralised to help improve upon prioritisation of the fund.
He said since its establishment over a decade ago, the GETFund had become the main source of funding for provision of infrastructure in educational institutions.
He said regrettably, over the last years, the fund had been overcommitted, leading to a shortage of funds for the required accelerated educational infrastructural development.
This, he said, was evidenced in the numerous slow moving and uncompleted structures littered over campuses all over the country, and said it was to improve the situation that the government intended to decentralise its administration to improve upon its prioritisation.
The Vice-President announced that the government had allocated GH¢3.7 million to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) from the GETFund for the 2009 financial year to enable the university to complete its ongoing projects on campus.
In all, 900 graduates from the College of Social Sciences were presented with certificates last Saturday in the last batch of the 43rd congregation ceremony, which was organised in 10 batches this year. The last batch of graduates were from the Faculty of Law, Business School and School of Graduate Studies.
He entreated the new graduates to accept postings to the hinterlands during their national service to have a first-hand experience of real life situation.
He added that the government was aware of the continuous efforts made by the KNUST to ensure that its academic programmes and research projects fulfil the needs and aspirations of the country.
Mr Mahama said introduction of such programmes as Petroleum Engineering, Agribusiness and Extension, Landscape Design and Management, Real Estate, Veterinary Medicine and others were not only timely, but also capable of addressing contemporary challenges of the nation.
The Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, said the university was aiming at growing the proportion of postgraduate students which stood from 10 per cent to about 30 per cent over the next five years.
The Vice Chancellor said as a policy, all departments that did not run postgraduate programmes would be required to do so before the end of the next academic year.
In a motivational speech, Mr Alfred Sakyi, Head of Consumer Finance at Ecobank Ghana, urged the authorities to incorporate the culture of entrepreneurship into the educational system.
He said there was also the need to set up an entrepreneurial fund and identify entrepreneurial graduates and assist them to open their own businesses.
He said if that was done, the university would be able to train “employers instead of employees which is currently the situation”.
On behalf of Ecobank Ghana, he donated GH¢3,000 to support research activities at the KNUST Business School.

ASAMOAH PROPELS KOTOKO TO VICTORY (PAGE 70)

Striker Alex Asamoah emerged from the substitutes bench to score a great goal that propelled Kumasi Asante Kotoko to a lone-goal victory over Wa All Stars in their Glo League match at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
The victory raised Kotoko's chance of successfully defending the league championship as leaders Hearts of Oak faltered yet again in Accra and saw their lead whittle down after drawing at home.
However, it was a difficult match for the rejuvenated Porcupine Warriors and they had to dig deep into their experience to overcome a difficult All Stars side who gave a good account of themselves.
The visitors played very well, raiding the Kotoko goalmouth on many occasions, but lacked the finishing power to punish Kotoko who were given a real scare.
Both teams began the game on a fierce note, but after the early exchanges, it was Kotoko who came closest to scoring when enterprising Daniel Nii Adjei missed the target narrowly on the ninth minute.
Peter Robert Dabuo was brilliant in post for All Stars as he made point-blank saves to deny Francis Coffie and Kwadwo Poku some really good chances in what was a balanced first half.
Kotoko stepped up the game later in the second half when Asamoah replaced Stephen Manu on the 51st minute. Asamoah profited from a miskick by an opponent around the centre circle on the 63rd minute and raced brilliantly with the ball into the All Stars goalmouth and displaced goalkeeper Dabuo on the run for the match winner.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

70 GRADUATE FROM KWASO RURAL DEVELOPMENT COLLEGE (PAGE 23)

SEVENTY students have passed out from the Kwaso Rural Development College in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality, with a call on them to help change the face of development in rural communities.
At the 26th graduation ceremony of the college at Kwaso, the Director of the institution, Mr J.K. Bonye, said the rural population needed support from people such as the graduates who knew rural development better.
He stated that former graduates of the college had excelled in their various fields of endeavour and expectations were that the current ones would follow suit.
“You should inspire confidence in rural people and provide leadership that will transform their mindset and make them believe in themselves,” he said.
The college was established in 1983 by the Department of Community Development to train its staff but, with time, it became necessary to open it to the public due to the interest they showed in its programmes.
Mr Bonye said since human resource development was crucial to the transformation of the lives of rural dwellers, the college would continue to play a significant role in the development of human capital.
The director said in spite of the modest developments, the college faced some challenges that called for serious attention.
He mentioned some of them as electricity supply, poor state of the road leading to the school and lack of a library and appealed to the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Assembly to help recondition the road leading to the school to avoid any disaster on it.
Mr Bonye also appealed to the government to help in the provision of other infrastructure for the institution.
A citizen of Kwaso, Wing Commander J. Addo (retd), who chaired the function, commended the authorities of the college for working hard to improve standards of teaching and learning there.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES IN ASHANTI HIT THE ROAD (PAGE 23)

METROPOLITAN, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) across the country recently completed an orientation workshop in Accra to pave way for them to begin work.
In the Ashanti Region, the MMDCEs, who are representatives of the President in the region, quickly moved to their offices to begin work, bearing in mind their duty to help President Mills to carry out his promise to make life better for the people.
From the outside, one may think that the President’s representatives will have a Herculean task in handling affairs in the region, which is the biggest opposition area in the country.
However, anybody who has followed the history of the region over the years will agree with me that the people always look for development, no matter the government in power. This accounts for the comparatively high growth rate of the region.
Perhaps this is what the MMDCEs will be counting on to deliver as they sit down to work.
With its thriving gold mining, agriculture and business activities, especially in the capital, Kumasi, Ashanti is arguably the richest region in Ghana.
This is not to say, however, that all is well with the people.
Indeed, very few local people benefit from the natural resources of the region and, to make matters worse, they are now faced with the consequences of a changing climate, which has negatively affected the production of some traditional crops, including cocoa.
Agriculture remains a key area that the MMDCEs will have to focus attention on if they are to make any meaningful impact in their administration.
Some of the major problems facing agricultural production in the region are the high cost involved in land acquisition, high cost of production due to the high cost of farm inputs, lack of standardised pricing system for farm produce, insufficient credit and loan facilities for farmers, poor rate of repayment of loans received by farmers, lack of storage and processing facilities and over dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
As heads of government business in their areas of jurisdiction, the chief executives must move to get the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to address the challenges in the sector so that the people can get the most out of their toils.
In tackling the challenges, efforts should be made to liaise with the relevant research and training institutions for information and assistance for the promotion of agriculture in the districts.
Action should also be initiated to ensure that agricultural development programmes and projects are implemented in accordance with the rules, regulations and quality standards of MoFA.
Getting agriculture to play the expected role in the economic development of the region is one of the surest ways of reducing poverty among the people.
The poverty reduction strategy should, therefore, be focused on agriculture in order to achieve the desired impact. In particular, the district assemblies must collaborate with MoFA to develop schemes that will assist those engaged in agricultural and related activities.
The Ashanti Region has a good number of its people operating in the private sector but the sector, as presently constituted with such high proportions of single-person enterprises, cannot be an engine of growth.
Such enterprises do not expand to absorb the ever-increasing labour force. Moreover, they contribute next to nothing to taxes.
Consequently, the MMDCEs should get their respective assemblies to come up with policies aimed at improving the private sector and creating an enabling environment with the aim of empowering it to expand its base in order to absorb extra labour.
Appropriate policies to integrate this sector into the various social sector schemes will have to be evolved. Such integration can even have an indirect positive effect on the growth and expansion of private sector enterprises.
The road sector is another area where serious emphasis should be placed. The state of many of the roads in the region is nothing to write home about and there is the need for the chief executives to take realistic measures in tackling them.
With the rains setting in, a number of communities are already feeling the pinch and no effort should be spared to get them in shape.

Friday, June 19, 2009

ROW IN HEARTS CAMP (GRAPHIC SPORTS, LEAD STORY)

Embattled Hearts of Oak coach, Kosta Papic’s frosty relationship with the league leaders finally snapped under the weight of criticism yesterday after the club decided to fire him.
The decision, a fallout from Hearts’ 0-1 loss to a nine-man King Faisal side at the Baba Yara Stadium last Wednesday opens another chapter in Hearts’ bid to win the Glo Premier League Cup this year.
According to a well-placed source in Hearts, the Serbian was due to be handed his sacking letter yesterday afternoon.
The latest development was preceded by a near brawl in the dressing room of the Baba Yara Stadium Wednesday when officials of Hearts engaged beleaguered coach Kosta Papic in a heated verbal war over his poor delivery.
It was in the aftermath of the crushing 1-0 defeat to a nine-man King Faisal in a Glo Premier match, and Hearts officials, including Frank Nelson and Nii Ayibonte, asked the embattled Serbian to resign in the dressing room before he was booted out of office.
Papic ignored them but gave indications to take a decision when he got to Accra, saying he was tired of the bashing.
Unable to contain the pressure on him, Papic and Hearts officials traded harsh words, with tempers reaching boiling point. And as the combatants left the dressing room, Hearts officials also signalled their resolve to give him the sack today.
As they collided in the dressing room, angry supporters of the club waited outside, calling for the dismissal of the coach.
Chanting war songs, the disappointed supporters called for the appointment of a coach who could open the magical curtain for the team to return to its glorious days.
It was not only Papic who was at the receiving end of the suffering supporters. Management and players also had their share as they were hooted at while they boarded their vehicles back to Accra.
The Serbian, whose arrival at Hearts less than a year ago was touted as one of the best things to happen to Ghana’s oldest existing club, had turned the destroyer of Hearts unable to devise the strategy to outdo under-strength King Faisal.
Losing three times on the trot all, to Ashanti-based sides, was something unusual of Hearts and the management had reason to question Papic’s ability to deliver, especially as the league still has some long way to go.
The coach seemed to have lost the enthusiasm for his job and can barely find the antidote to lead a Hearts team that had looked so promising in the first round of the league.
Quite characteristic of him, Papic blamed his players for refusing to play to instructions when indeed everything pointed to the fact that he was bereft of ideas.
“My players were disappointing. They were not ready to stick to the game plan and I am surprised at their behaviour on the field, “ he said after the match.
Hearts were a sorry sight before Faisal last Sunday. The team appeared tattered, with the players unable to run, shoot and pass well.
They were an apology of a team leading the premier league, and for once it dawned on Hearts that the league is far from won. Surely they may have come to the realisation that only an improved performance can see them maintain their leadership.
Faisal were a magical lot, dancing around the numerically superior Hearts who went about kicking anyhow. When they were reduced to nine men, their bench varied their tactics, playing only Eric Poku upfront, with Samad Oppong, Bashiru Osman and Thomas Avorgbedor maintaining a strong showing in the middle, while defenders Eric Agyemang, Kwadwo Boateng, Daniel Addo and Awudu Nafiu cut out Hearts at the back.
The Hearts attack of Eric Gawu, Samuel Affum were nothing to write home about, and indeed only midfielder Francis Bossman showed some seriousness in the entire team.

CIVIL SOCIETY AGAINST WITCH-HUNTING FORMED (PAGE 14)

A NEW pressure group, Civil Society Against Witch-Hunting (CSAW), has been formed in Kumasi with the aim of championing the fight against the perceived harassment of appointees of the erstwhile New Patrotic Party (NPP) government by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
The spokesperson for the group, Mr J.K. Owusu-Boakye, told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi yesterday that the continuous harassment of the former appointees should be a source of concern to any person who genuinely believed in democracy.
Mr Owusu-Boakye a.k.a Abito who is also the special assistant to the Member of Parliament for Tafo/Pankrono, Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, said it was regrettable that a government that ascended to power in a democratic era would decide not to play to the rules of the game.
He said the use of state apparatus to flex muscles and trample on the human rights of former government officials were bad practices that must not be entertained.
Mr Owusu-Boakye described the ongoing acts as a face saving political game by the government to cover up for its inactivity.
“Civil Rights groups and human rights organisations in Ghana should as a matter of expediency and fairness, call government to order and seek to protect the interest of the citizenry against unwarranted acts of vendetta,” he said.
The spokesperson observed that what was going on was “laughable in the eyes of the international community,” and added that it painted a bleak picture for the nation.
Mr Owusu-Boakye said the era of President Kufuor helped to build on the democratic credentials of the nation and it was regrettable that the NDC under President Mills was only working to undo what Mr Kufuor did.
He said it was the plea of CSAW to all friendly countries of Ghana to prevail on President Mills to show to the world that he is indeed in charge and alive to the task ahead of him.
“This is not the better Ghana the NDC promised and we call on them to change for the real better situation,” he said.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

SANSA INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS WORKSHOP CLOSES IN KUMASI (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 3)

By Kwame Asare Boadu

THE 3rd Sansa International Artists’ Workshop (Sansa 3) has ended at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi.
The programme, which included visits by artists and critics, video presentations and an open day, was aimed at creating a forum for critical dialogue between artists from diverse countries and cultures while stimulating creativity and networking.
The workshop is a project of Sansa Artists Association and the Kumasi Centre for Book and Paper Arts, and is part of triangle artists’ workshops in over 20 countries. Founded by Robert Kider, a British patron of the arts, and renowned British sculptor, Anthony Caro, it also focused at creating opportunity for uninterrupted work and interaction between artists.
Furthermore, it provides room for artists to visit each others’ studio for observation and discussions on the various stages in the creation of arts work. The first Sansa workshop was held in 2004 at the College of Art of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. It offered participants the opportunity to attain aesthetic distance and critical discourse that is virtually free from academic constraints.
Sansa 3 was on the theme, “Hands on Art: Community, Collaboration or Commodity?” The workshop was organised with some input from the British Museum. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, observed that the Sansa agenda was a bold step to help galvanise the efforts of the various nations into a strong force that could move the wheels of development worldwide.
He observed the importance of culture in the development of a group of people and said art plays a role in making this possible. Mr Opoku-Manu said it was not for nothing that Kumasi was chosen for the workshop explaining that apart from being centrally located in Ghana, Kumasi is also the cultural hub of the nation. The Director of the Kumasi Centre for National Culture, Mr S.F. Adjei, noted that art in the form of painting, sculpture, pottery and ceramic carving among others, is, apart from its aesthetic beauty, a means of expressing the people’s beliefs and philosophy of life.

ASAMANG RESIDENTS RESIST SITING OF MAST (PAGE 14)

TENSION is mounting at Asamang in the Ashanti Region over an attempt by Vodafone, a telecommunication company, to erect a mast in a residential area.
Last Monday, enraged residents chased away workers who were preparing the site for the erection of the mast.
Vodafone has paid compensation to the traditional authorities for the land and believed that they had the legal right to the land.
However, the residents said it was better for the company to go for the money because there was no way they would allow them to put up the mast.
When the Daily Graphic visited the town last Monday, the situation had calmed down a little as the men working on the site had left.
However, some residents who had gathered at the scene accused the traditional authorities of giving the go-ahead for the company to work in the area when there was every indication that it would have negative effects on the life of the people.
They, therefore, appealed to the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology to intervene to prevent the eruption of any nasty situation.
A spokesman for the residents, whose building is very close to the project site, Mr Kwabena Konadu, said the site was purely a residential area and children constituted the majority of the population.
He stated that the location of the mast could pose health hazards to the people especially children.
Mr Konadu said media reports had quoted experts as saying that radiation from the telecommunication mast could have affects on brain activity.
Accordingly, he called on the authorities to ensure that the proper thing was done.

HEARTS FANS HOLD COACH HOSTAGE (BACK PAGE)

FANATICAL supporters of Accra Hearts of Oak yelled out for the sacking of Coach Kosta Papic after a nine-man King Faisal outran, outjumped, outplayed and eventually nailed a miserable Hearts side 1-0 in a Glo Premier League match at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
The Hearts fans had turned up in their numbers seeking a redemption from the side that lost by the same margin to Asante Kotoko last Sunday, but Coach Kosta Papic was unable to produce the tactical formula to overpower a reduced Faisal.
It was Hearts’ third defeat on the trot, and unable to bear the pain, the supporters gathered around the Hearts bus and held the coach hostage in the dressing room for a considerable period of time.
King Faisal had promised to make history, and did just that, as it was the first time that Hearts had been beaten by a hugely reduced side from Kumasi in a league match.
The defeat cut Hearts’ lead on the league table to five points, and their dream of winning the title looked more threatened, looking at the tricky games they have away to Arsenal and Kessben.
Faisal appeared venomous right from kick-off, and just eight minutes into the game they shot ahead.
A seemingly harmless attack from the left following a short corner kick saw the Hearts rear looking on sheepishly for Eric Poku to finish off with what looked a harmless shot.
Upfront, Eric Gawu and Samuel Affum looked moribund and wandered in the game, as Kosta Papic was kept static on his bench, unable to fathom how to reorganise his game plan.
Referee Mohammed Awal sent off Faisal keeper, Samuel Okyere, just 14 minutes into the game after he fouled advancing Affum just outside the box. Veteran keeper Osei Boateng was thrown into the game, replacing forward player Prince Arko.
The referee again threw out Faisal playmaker, Ebo Andoh, out of the game on 40 minutes after a second bookable offence, and when all thought Hearts were going to seize the opportunity to run over their hosts, they rather were at the receiving end as Faisal kept threatening, while at the same time employing the delay tactics to wear Hearts out.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

DEPARTMENTAL HEADS URGED TO WORK HARD (PAGE 40)

THE District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie West in the Ashanti Region, Mr Charles Oti-Prempeh, has asked heads of departments in the district to work hard to raise the image of the district.
He said the district lagged behind in development but with the co-operation of the heads of decentralised departments, he was sure things could change for the better.
Mr Oti-Prempeh made the call at a meeting with heads of departments in the district at Manso-Nkwanta to outline his vision to the heads.
He said no political office holder could succeed in his administration without the help of the supporting staff in the civil service.
The DCE, therefore, promised that he would give them all the needed support to enable them to deliver.
Mr Oti-Prempeh charged workers in the departments to be punctual at work and avoid absenteeism, which retarded progress.
He also urged them to furnish his office with their action plans to enable the administration to act on them.

BEKWAI MARKS WORLD CHILD LABOUR DAY (PAGE 40)

THE Bekwai Municipality has celebrated the World Child Labour Day at Dotom with a call on parents to put value on the education of their children.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Noah Asante-Manu, who made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony, said the provision of quality education for the children would guarantee them a better future for the benefit of themselves, their families, communities and the nation at large.
Consequently, he warned that the authorities would not take kindly to parents who shirked their responsibilities in the upbringing of their children.
Mr Asante-Manu also cautioned parents against using their children as farmhands on cocoa farms.
He stated that the government was determined to prevent any such activity in cocoa-growing areas because the international community had spoken against it.
The MCE promised that the assembly would continue to come up with policies and programmes to help develop the potential of children.
Speaking on the topic: “The concept of child labour and its consequences”, an officer of the Statistical Service, Mr Kofi Worae Kusi, noted that children who were made to overwork the body had difficulty in learning.
He said the fact that the child could accompany the parents to the farm did not mean they could do every other work on the farm.
The Municipal Co-operative Officer, Mr Yaw Offe, who spoke on the topic: “The child, the root of the nation“, said no nation could develop if it neglected its children; that was why Ghana as a nation had come out with various laws to protect the interest of children.
Mr Offe said even though the government was doing its part, parents also had a big responsibility to honour their obligations to their children in order to prepare the children for a better adult life.
He stressed the need for girls to be educated, adding that many parents in the municipality did not attach importance to girls’ education and said there must be a change to it.
The Bekwai Municipal Social Welfare Officer, Mr Maxwell Kuffuor, said his outfit was determined to play its co-ordinating role effectively in the programme to check child labour on cocoa farms.
He commended the people of Dotom for their massive turnout at the function and urged them to put what they had learnt into practice.

Monday, June 15, 2009

LACK OF NETS RENDER TENNIS COURT INOPERATIVE (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

IT may sound unbelievable but the grim reality is that lack of nets at the ultra-modern tennis court at the Baba Yara Stadium has resulted in the inability of the court being used for competitions.
The average cost of a good net is GH¢600 while the net posts cost GH¢500.
The story paints a bad picture for not only Kumasi but also the entire Ashanti Region, which was noted for producing great tennis players in the past.
In the mid 1970s for instance, the entire national junior team was made up of players from the Ashanti Region. They included Jude Banahene, Ernest Abankroh, Emmanuel Paddy and Agnes Tetteh.
No wonder in recent times, the region has not been able to produce players for the national team.
The Ashanti Regional Tennis Coach of the National Sports Council (NSC), Mr Joseph Acquah, told Graphic Nsempa in Kumasi that the lack of attention for the sport could kill the interest in it.
Consar Limited, contractors for the tennis court project, handed over the projest about a year and half ago. The handing-over raised hopes for a massive revival of the sport in Kumasi and indeed the entire Ashanti Region, but the needed support has not been forthcoming to whip up the enthusiasm in the sport.
Mr Joseph Acquah, told Graphic Nsempa that the tennis court could hold important national and international competitions if the nets were available. “The future of the sport in this region is bright provided we all come together to move it forward,” he said.
In spite of the lack of nets, Mr Acquah said his outfit was doing its best to gather some children to do some training at the tennis court so that the place would not be left lying idle.Over the months, the regional tennis coach had managed to gather some children at the under 13 and 10 levels to train on the court.
The training programme is meant to get talents to feed the national Under 13, 16 and 18 tennis teams. “I have seen a lot of talents in many of these children and if we keep our eyes on them they can be great national assets for the future,” coach Acquah said.
At least 50 children living around the Baba Yara Stadium have been gathered for the training programmes, which take place during the weekends.
Mr Acquah said fortunately, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) had started a project to start playing the Under 10 competition. He indicated that the Ashanti Region would want to take advantage to get the children to play the game.
He urged parents to take interest in the sport by providing equipment for the children to train with. He also called for sponsorship for the game so that the needed interest would be built in the youth.

BOFOAKWA GIVES HOPE TO SUPPORTERS (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani

GRADUALLY, Bofoakwa Tano are picking up form in the Zone IB of the National First Division League. This has raised the hopes of their supporters of a possible return to the premier division next season.
Lying fourth on the league table, four points adrift of leaders, Bechem United, Bofoakwa are capable of climbing into the top two to enable them participate in the middle league, for promotion to the premier division.
But, this would demand extra efforts from the players and management, looking at the strength of the teams in the league.
It is regrettable that the once-upon-a-time top premiership side from Sunyani had to find themselves in the lower division.
Since the club was relegated to division one some three seasons ago, things have not gone down well for them as they struggle to maintain even their division one status.
Last season for instance, they had to fight hard to avoid relegation to division two.
For a club that had produced great players like former national captain, Kwasi Owusu, Dan Owusu, Enoch Asumadu, Philip Opoku Sampene, Emmanuel Acheampong and a host of other former national stars, their current state is nothing to write home about.
Mismanagement, player indiscipline and supporter hooliganism among other negative developments, had contributed to the downward drift of the club.
Perhaps, they can only learn from the past to ensure that the club return to the premiership where they properly belong.
Sunyani is one of the best football centres in the country, no doubt about that. This is manifest in the high patronage of matches and the ability to produce great players.
It is important therefore that stakeholders of the club avoid petty squabbles to enable the club find form and return to the elite division.

Friday, June 12, 2009

FIND COMMON GROUNDS TO REBUILD KUMASI MARKET (PAGE 23)

FORMER Trade and Industry Minister, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has called on the authorities and victims of the recent fire disaster at the Kumasi Central Market to find common grounds for the reconstruction of the site.
He said as someone who had been in government before he knew how difficult it was to take certain decision like asking traders to leave their trading joints on a temporary basis.
However, having spoken with the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Samuel Sarpong, and the traders on separate occasions, he was convinced that “there is an opening to come to a common ground to ensure the peace of the metropolis.”
Mr Krerematen’s appeal came as scores of strong men continued to mount a 24-hour guard at the site of the fire to prevent the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the city authorities from carrying out the threat to demolish the reconstructed sheds.
Mr Kyerematen who was speaking at a meeting with victims of the fire in Kumasi yesterday as part of a visit to sympathise with them stressed the need for the parties to “tone down” because any form of disturbances would not help anybody.
Stressing that he was not in Kumasi because of politics, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant said no one would deny the fact that the Kumasi Central Market needed reconstruction to befit the status of Kumasi even if the fire had not occurred.
He assured the victims that even though he was not in government, he could help them out in other ways.
Mr Kyerematen indicated that the developments concerning the market should not be politicised because the victims cut across all political parties.
He recalled the earlier visits to the fire site by the First Lady, Naadu Mills, and government officials including the Regional Minister and the Metropolitan Chief Executive, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Nana Akufo-Addo and said they were all aimed at finding ways to assuage the pains of the victims and to establish the way forward at seeing them back in business.
“We should therefore desist from politicising this issue,” Mr Kyerematen said.
He appealed to traders to endeavour to take insurance for their businesses so that they would be covered in times of such developments.
He was also happy that no life was lost in the fire.
In an open forum, the traders insisted that there was no way they would allow the authorities to drive them away from the area for any form of reconstruction.
According to them, in the past KMA authorities convinced traders to vacate certain trading points for the development of stores with the promise to allocate them to the traders only to share them to cronies, and other people.
They, therefore, said they would not want a repeat of such situation because that would deny them places to trade.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

NDC ZONGO CAUCUS COMMENDS MILLS (PAGE 16)

THE Ashanti Regional Zongo caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has commended President Mills for directing the National Security to take over investigations into the allegation of financial malfeasance against former Youth and Sports Minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak.
It said it had enough confidence in the national security to come out with the truth of the matter.
The caucus, therefore, advised the public to wait until the investigations were completed before making comments on the issue.
It also urged members of the party, especially those in higher positions, to desist from making any derogatory remarks that had the tendency for destroying the image of Alhaji Mubarak and that of the party.
A statement issued by the caucus in Kumasi said the allegations against the minister bordered on his image and that of the party, so it was appropriate that everybody waited for the truth to come out rather than “hanging the minister”.
“Since the issue is under investigation, everybody and the media should exercise restraint until the investigation is concluded,” he said.
The statement said even though the association would not pre-empt the outcome of the investigations, “We have a firm belief that the minister will be vindicated eventually because of his track record of being honest, truthful and transparent.”
The statement, which was jointly signed by Mr Salu Ibrahim and Alhaji Alhassan Ibn Ibrahim, the Deputy Regional Co-ordinator and Secretary respectively of the association added that at the end of the investigations, whoever was found guilty should be made to face the full rigours of the law.

DON'T POLITICISE ALL ISSUES — ADDO (PAGE 16)

THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Amansie West in the Ashanti Region, Mrs Grace Addo, has stressed the need for Ghanaians to do away with politicisation of every issue and seek the development of the country to save the people from the hardships they were going through.
He said too much politicisation could kill the drive towards development and the consequences could be disastrous for the nation.
The MP stated this at separate ceremonies to thank the people in the communities for voting massively for her in the 2008 parliamentary election.
Some of the communities she visited included Manso-Abraim, Manso-Adubiah, Keniago, Dawuaso, Manso-Abore, Antoakrom, Nsiana, Moseaso, Esaase and Pakyi Number Two.
Mrs Addo promised the people that even though her party was in opposition, she would continue to play her role effectively in Parliament to ensure that the constituency had its fair share of development.
She said the area deserved better and, therefore, called on the people to support her as she moved to champion their cause in Parliament.
Mrs Addo advised parents in the area to take interest in the education of their children.
She stated that without quality education, the expected development could not be achieved.
Mrs Addo, who had instituted vacation classes for final year students in three senior high schools (SHS) in the area, namely Mansoman, Manso-Adubiah and Esaase Bontefufuo SHSs, urged the students to make good use of the opportunity to enable them excel in their final examinations.
She enjoined road contractors working in the district to work hard to improve the road network in the district.
The MP stated that the government would terminate the contract of any contractor who failed to perform.
She presented a number of street bulbs to 50 communities, as well as sets of jerseys and footballs to 40 communities to encourage sports development in the district.
The people appealed to the government to rehabilitate the many roads in the district which were in bad shape.
Mrs Addo also appealed to the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide meters for communities that had been connected to the national grid.

KOTOKO TO MISS INKOOM, HARRISON (PAGE 71)

KUMASI Asante Kotoko will miss Samuel Inkoom, while a question mark hangs over the availability of Harrison Afful in Sunday’s crucial Glo premier league match against archrivals Hearts of Oak at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra.
Inkoom’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC) which would enable him to play for his new club in Switzerland was expected to be released yesterday as per the agreement between the parties.
With regards to Afful, he is billed to travel with the Black Stars on Saturday to Kenya en route to Khartoum for next week’s World Cup match against the Sudanese national team.
The two players have been pillars at the team’s rear and their absence could have a negative effect on the output of Kotoko on Sunday.
Inkoom at the right side of defence and Afful on the left side have been peerless and the coaches could find it difficult finding good replacements for them.
While Kotoko can do very little about Inkoom’s case under the existing circumstances, there is the possibility that their officials will ask for permission for Afful to play the Hearts match on Sunday before flying out to join the Black Stars team in Kenya.
Meanwhile, Asante Kotoko have intensified their preparations towards the match which they see as payback time.
At training, the players look battle-ready especially as their performance had improved tremendously since the appointment of coach Herbert Addo.
The reigning league champions suffered an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Hearts in Kumasi in the first round and have vowed to crush their opponents this time to appease their fans.
It will be a very tricky game as Hearts who are on top of the premier league have also vowed to repeat the dose.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

MCE CALLS FOR TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES' SUPPORT (PAGE 20)

THE Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Mohammed Boakye Agyemang has called for support from traditional rulers in the municipality to enable him to lead efforts aimed at accelerating the pace of development of the area.
He observed the important role traditional rulers played in community development and said “This is what I will need from Nananom to achieve progress for our area.”
Mr Agyemang stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II at his palace.
The visit enabled the MCE to formally introduce himself to the Omanhene and his chiefs in the traditional area following his swearing in as the political head of the municipality.
Mr Agyemang stated that he could not start work without first seeking the blessing of traditional rulers of the land, hence the visit to the Juabenhene.
He thanked President Mills for the confidence reposed in him and gave the assurance that he would not disappoint the President.
The MCE also thanked Nananom, assembly members and the entire population for the support given him just after his nomination by the President, which translated into his confirmation by the assembly.
Mr Agyemang promised to do everything possible to ensure that together they worked to develop the area.
  Welcoming the MCE, the Juabenhene congratulated him on his assumption of office and pledged the unflinching support of the chiefs and people to ensure the success of his administration.
He called for unity in the municipality to ensure that the people moved forward in unison towards progress.
Nana Siriboe also called on the assembly to ensure fair distribution of resources in the municipality.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

BIBIANI LOGGING SHOWS THE WAY (PAGE 21)

FOR an indigenous Ghanaian industry to survive for sixty-three years in the face of sometimes turbulent political, social and economic conditions of the country is something that is worth commending.
That is the story of the Bibiani Logging and Lumber Company (BLLC) Limited, the first indigenous timber company in the country.
At a time that many of the local companies are struggling to hold on to their own, BLLC has maintained a strong showing contributing positively to the nation’s socio-economic development.
As the Executive Director of the company, Mrs Comfort Joyce Wireko-Brobby says, “BLLC represents a classical showcase of Ghanaian entrepreneurship in an industry dominated by foreign ownership and management.”
The Ashanti Region is arguably the centre of the timber business in the country. Many of the major timber firms are located in the region, playing a significant role in the development of the national economy.
Today, the timber industry remains the biggest employer in the region, contributing significantly to national growth.
However, the industry has had to go through various challenges leading to the demise of some of them while others struggle to stand on their feet.
It is against this background that the long years existence of the company needs recognition as we move to encourage local businesses to grow.
The company, a wholly owned Ghanaian one, is managed by Ghanaians and employs more than 500 workers with a lot of forward and backward linkages to the economic activities in the company’s concession areas and factory locations.
Founded in 1946 as a logging company at Bibiani in the Western Region in late 1960, it moved location to Kumasi where it established a sawmill to process timber for export.
Its path to growth and competitiveness was enhanced by the acquisition of a0 480m3 capacity kiln dryers to add value to its products and pave the way for the installation of a moulding mill to further integrate its operations.
Today, the company ranks amongst the first six timber firms in the country in terms of operating capacity.
Mrs Wireko-Brobby, the Executive Director whose late uncle, Mr Kuffour was the original owner of the company, believes indigenous companies needed the support of government to enable them to contribute positively in pushing the development agenda of the nation.
Most of these companies have made significant investments in their operations, yet certain legislation and other developments in the national economy have contributed to slow growth in a number of companies.
BLLC had since 2000 invested over US$5 million in a strategic expansion programme which is further expected to change the face of the company.
Major capital investments in the production of rotary veneer and plywood has the motive of making use of lesser known species and thereby diversify the company’s dependence on the primary species. BLLC has also installed three new slice veneer lines that will generate higher value from its timber resources.
As the executive director puts it: “BLLC is now better integrated and well positioned within the timber industry in terms of its operations and product lines. With these investments, BLLC currently has the capacity to process between 7,000 to 9,000m3 of logs monthly”.
“The quality of our plywood remains unique with a high selling point in Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso”, she stated.
With the country’s forests dwindling at a fast rate, the challenge is on timber companies including BLLC to take on afforestation programmes seriously to meet future challenges.
The company is taking up the challenge because management believes it has to live to cross the hundred years and deep into the future.
During a visit to the company premises recently, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, drummed home the fact that timber concessions were simply not available and that companies that were asking for concessions to enable them stay in business would be making a big mistake if they failed to take on commercial plantation projects.
Until the companies come to terms with the reality, the nation could be moving to a dangerous pitch and the economy would be the loser.

Monday, June 8, 2009

KOTOKO HUMILIATES BA IN KUMASI (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani

MANY supporters of B/A United are looking for answers as to why their team was humiliated 8-2 by Kumasi Asante Kotoko in a friendly encounter at the Baba Yara Stadium on May 31, 2009.
It was the biggest ever defeat suffered by the former premiership side in any match and many of the supporters saw it as a disgrace to the one-time Apostles of Power Soccer.
While the supporters brood over the ignominious defeat, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the club seems to have the answer to this unforgivable loss.
Mr Charles Ntim, the CEO, says his players over-ate in Kumasi resulting in their heavy defeat to Asante Kotoko.
“I am surprised! My players ate so much food and it made them heavy and unable to run during the match,” Mr Ntim a.k.a, Micky Charles told Graphic Nsempa.
“I can’t tell whether they were so hungry. Even if they were that hungry, they should have known that as footballers, eating heavily just before a match would surely have a telling effect on the performance of the team,” he said.
He added that, “I am not happy at all because BA have an image to protect.”
BA United were using the match to fine-tune themselves for the start of the second round of the division one league, while Asante Kotoko were also using the match as a preparatory one for their titanic Glo Premier match against arch rivals, Hearts of Oak at the Ohene Djan Stadium on June 14.
The Sunyani-based side have found themselves at the bottom of the Zone 2 A of the National First Division League after 18 points were deducted from their points build up.
This followed a ruling of the Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) which declared them losers in three matches and further lost nine points for wrongly using a player by name Douglas Amankwaa.
The Committee’s decision came as a shock to United fans who were expecting the club to qualify for the next middle league.
If the decision stands, United stands the danger of slipping to the second division next season.
But, the club has filed an appeal at the GFA, hoping to overturn the disciplinary committee’s decision.
According to United, the decision to strip them of the points was baseless and without any merit and expressed the hope that the truth would come out at the appeal committee’s sitting.

KUMASI GEARS UP FOR EVERTON GAME (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

KUMASI is gearing up for the international friendly between Barclays English Premier League side Everton and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Stadium on July 12, this year.
Soccer fans have been discussing the match in almost every corner of the city, an indication of how eager they are to witness this historic friendly.
It will be the first time that Everton will be playing in Ghana and they might not have chosen a better side to play than Asante Kotoko.
The Ghanaian side have a rich history in African football having won the continental club championship twice.
They are the only Ghanaian club ranked amongst the 100 best clubs in the world.
July 12 would therefore provide an opportunity for Asante Kotoko to prove their might as one of the best on the continent.
Reports early this week that the English side was considering playing Accra Hearts of Oak instead of Asante Kotoko later proved false.
This was after an Everton official spoke to a Kumasi radio station confirming the date with Asante Kotoko.
From all indications, the match will be a sell out as fans are ready to pay to watch the losing finalist in this year’s English FA Cup.
While in Kumasi, Everton will make a donation to the Otumfuo Education Fund.

EIGHT YEARS IN THE MORGUE ...Otumfuo orders late queen's burial (MIRROR, PAGE 29)

From Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

After eight years in the morgue, the remains of the late queen of Donyina in the Ashanti Region, Nana Akosua Gyamfua Boahemaa, will finally be laid to rest on Thursday, June 11, 2009.
The body of the queen has been kept in the morgue for this long period due to a bitter chieftaincy dispute in the town.
The dispute started just after the late queen had nominated Nana Osei Yaw as chief of the town.
The faction opposed to the chief was alleged to have prevented him from entering the town, creating a state of insecurity in the community.
The matter went before the court of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, which decided in favour of Nana Osei Yaw, yet the situation remained threatening until Otumfuo decided that the body could now be buried.
Following a directive by the Otumfuo, the Overlord of Ashanti, the body is set to be buried next week at the royal mausoleum.
The chieftaincy dispute had consigned the remains of the queen, who died at the age of 64, to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) mortuary since June 1, 2001, leaving in its trail misery and other forms of hardship for the family.
The Chief of Donyina, Nana Osei Yaw, told The Mirror that all was set for the two-day funeral, beginning next Wednesday, June 10.
He noted that the long delay in the burial of the late queen had stalled development in the town but he was confident that something positive would come out of the funeral.
The chief thanked the Asantehene for his decision and called on the people to reciprocate it by ensuring a peaceful funeral.
A daughter of the late queen, Ms Salome Boahemaa, also said, “The entire family is relieved by the development. Now my mother can have a place to rest,” adding that many things had gone wrong during the eight years.

ONE KILLED IN POLICE SHOOT-OUT WITH ROBBERS (PAGE 3)

A shoot-out between the police and four armed robbers at Sawaba in Kumasi in the early hours of yesterday has left one of the robbers dead.
A policeman was also injured in the melee.
The robber, believed to be about 30, was shot in the head, chest and legs, leading to his instant death.
The injured policeman was hit in the waist and is on admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DSP) Patrick Timbillah, told journalists that about 12 midnight a police patrol team spotted a taxi at Dote, a Kumasi suburb, with only the driver inside.
About 12.30 a.m. the team met the taxi again, that time at Sawaba and with five persons, including the driver, on board.
DSP Timbillah stated that the police signalled the driver to stop, saying that just as he stopped the four robbers came out and opened fire on the police.
At that point, the taxi sped off, leaving behind the four robbers. The police returned fire, which killed the victim, while the others fled.
The commander appealed to health institutions to be on the look out for any men who would report there with gunshot wounds, since they could be the suspects.
In another development, the police retrieved two vehicles that had been snatched from their owners by armed robbers at midnight yesterday.
The vehicles are a VW Vento, with registration number GW 2594 T, and a Nissan pick-up, with registration number GE 1118 Z belonging to the ministry of Mines and Energy.
DSP Timbillah gave the assurance that the police would take the war to the criminals and appealed to the public to volunteer information on suspected criminals.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

ARMED FORCES TO FARM IN DEGRADED FORESTS (PAGE 21)

THE Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is working out modalities to cede parts of the country’s degraded forests to the Ghana Armed Forces for farming.
The sector minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, who made this known in Kumasi last Monday, said apart from assisting the military to generate some income to support their operations, it would also help check chainsaw operations, which had been on the ascendancy.
“The presence of the military in the forest areas would put fear in the chain saw operators, to complement the efforts of the ministry in addressing the canker,” he said.
Alhaji Dauda stated this when he toured a number of timber companies to acquaint himself with their operations.
Among the companies he visited were LLL Limited, BLLC Limited, Hanmax Limited, Maxwell Owusu Timbers, Wood Processing Limited and Naja David
Veneer and Plywood Limited.
Alhaji Dauda admitted that not much had been done by policy makers over the years to check chainsaw operations, a situation which had contributed greatly to the depletion of timber resources.
Alhaji Dauda stated that plans were underway to repackage the task force of the Forestry Commission (FC) with the view to making it potent to check the illegal activities.
“The practice where the task force only resorted to chasing the illegal operators to the markets has been found ineffective and this time around, they will be in the forests, roads and the markets to trap the operators,” he said.
The minister said the failure of the timber companies to sell 20 per cent of their products locally as required by law had also contributed to the demand for chain sawn lumber.
He painted a gloomy picture for the timber industry in the not-too-distant future if the companies failed to take on commercial plantation development.
Alhaji Dauda said day in and day out, timber companies were requesting for concession in order to sustain their operations but added, “We will be deceiving ourselves if we think that there are any concessions out there to share.”
He expressed regret that companies had pushed for the amendment of the Timber Resource Utilisation Act, which placed emphasis on forestation.
The minister stated that reforestation was high on his agenda and gave the assurance that the ministry would do everything to support firms that embarked on forestation.
The Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Prof. Nii Ashie Kotei, said the extent of degradation of the forests was very serious and this could have dire consequences on the economy if not arrested.
He said the commission was encouraging timber companies to enter into plantations to arrest the problem.
Welcoming the minister to the BLLC Limited, the Executive Director of the company, Mrs Comfort Joyce Wireko-Brobby, said the company was working hard to overcome the challenges in the industry but appealed to the ministry to do something about allocation of concessions so that they could get the required raw materials to work with.
Officials who accompanied the minister included the Regional Manager of the Forestry Services Division (FSD), Mrs Edith Abroquah, and others from the ministry and the FC headquarters in Accra.

CHILD LABOUR COMMITTEE INAUGURATED AT TEPA (PAGE 36)

THE Ahafo Ano North District Child Labour Protection Committee has been inaugurated at Tepa.
Tasked with coming up with policies to reduce child labour in cocoa-growing areas of the district, the six-member committee has Mr Anthony Obeng, the District Social Welfare Officer, as its chairman.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr David Addai-Amankwah, charged the committee to work hard to
reduce or eliminate the incidence of worst forms of child labour in the cocoa industry.
He said the committee was working not only for the district, but also for the nation and urged the members to take active interest in the various activities.
The District Coordinating Director, Mr Annin Yeboah said Ghana risked facing a ban on the export of its cocoa if child labour was not banned from cocoa growing.
He, therefore, urged the committee to do its best by monitoring the communities to ensure success in their activities.
The District Planning Officer, Mr Ted Oppong, took the members of the committee through the goals and objectives of the programme as well as the functions and roles of the district child planning protection committees.
Eight bicycles and a motorbike were presented to the members to facilitate their work in the communities.

DONT INCITE NPP SUPPORTERS TO REACT TO NDC PROVOCATION (PAGE 11)

A PRIVATE legal practitioner and New Patriotic Party (NPP) activist in Kumasi, Mr Yaw Boafo, has cautioned the party’s leaders against inciting party supporters to react violently when they are provoked by supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said the NPP was built on the principles of peace and accommodation, which were key prerequisites for effective democracy.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic last Monday, Mr Boafo, the son of a former Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr S.K. Boafo, said Ghana needed peace to develop and no one should encourage violence as a means of settling scores with their political opponents.
Referring to the recent news conference by the former NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr Boafo said much as he had the right to speak his mind on national issues, “I think the issue of militancy which he raised was somehow unfortunate.”
“Our peace is more important and our leaders must learn from former President Kufuor, who always moved for peace,” Mr Boafo said.
That notwithstanding, Mr Boafo said Nana Akufo-Addo raised legitimate issues that needed to be tackled by the NDC government if it wanted to realise the “better Ghana” they promised.
He stated that the NDC government was confused and was driving the country into a ditch so anything that would bring them back on track was welcome.
Asked whether the news conference re-energised the NPP, the legal practitioner said, “That is very difficult to say for now.”
The NPP activist argued that it would have been better if the news conference had been organised by the leadership of the party, since all that was said would have been the official position of the party and not one person.
However, by virtue of the fact that Nana Akufo-Addo led the party in the last presidential elections, the legal practitioner said he believed that many of the things that he said received the attention of many people.
Mr Boafo stressed the need for the NPP to start building its structures instead of wasting time on who should become the flag bearer for the 2012 general election.
“We seem not to be interested in building the party at the grassroot and are thinking about who should lead us in 2012, which is very far away,” he said.
Mr Boafo said when it was time for the election of the presidential candidate, the party should look out for someone who had the capacity to win votes outside the traditional NPP areas.
“In 2000 and 2004 Mr Kufuor made inroads into non-NPP areas and that won the two general elections but that was the direct opposite of what we saw in the last election,” he said.
He said a winnable presidential candidate was not necessarily the most brilliant person, most successful or most articulate person but the one who could garner the votes.
Mr Boafo further stated that the NPP should also start looking at the causes for its defeat in the 2008 elections so that the wrongs could be corrected before the next election.

POLICE INVESTIGATE HEADMASTER'S DEATH (PAGE 11)

POLICE have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of the headmaster of Kofi Agyei Senior High School (SHS) at Bampanase near Kumasi after enjoying meals prepared by the Home Economics Department of the school.
The headmaster, Mr Nyame Kwarteng, popularly called Nyame K., died on the way while being rushed to hospital in the early hours of Saturday.
Family members suspect foul play with some attributing it to poisoning.
However, police said it was too early to apportion responsibility for the death.
Police Superintendent Comfort Boateng, Kwabre District Police Commander, told the Daily Graphic that they were awaiting autopsy report before taking the next line of action.
“At the moment we cannot say whether it was food poisoning or deliberate poisoning and we would all have to wait for the autopsy report,’’ she said.
Mr Kwarteng had enjoyed the meals prepared by the Home Economics Department of the school during one of their practical sessions last Friday.
When he got home, he could not take dinner and went to bed only to die .
The deceased who looked hearty when he went to bed the previous night shouted for help in the night complaining of severe abdominal pains.
His wife who was sleeping by him woke up to find him foaming in the mouth.
He died on the way while being rushed to hospital and the body has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Friday, June 5, 2009

IMPLEMENT SINGLE-SPINE SALARY WITH DISPATCH (PAGE 3)

TEACHERS in the Ashanti and Upper East regions have called on the government to act with dispatch in the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
While the Ashanti Regional branch of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) cautioned the government against hiding behind threats by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to drag its feet over the implementation of the SSSS, the Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) said it was displeased with the slow pace of implementation of the SSSS.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Ashanti regional chapter of the women’s wing of NAGRAT otherwise known as “Women of Excellence”, the regional chairman of NAGRAT, Mr Daniel Boama Duku, said it appeared the government was being forced by the doctors’ rejection of the SSSS to delay the implementation of the new salary scheme against the wishes of other groups of workers.
“Our patience is running out and if we don’t see any road map with regards to the implementation within the shortest possible time, we will advise ourselves,” Mr Duku said.
He noted that “times are hard and government cannot continue to play with our lives” and advised against aggravating confusion in the educational front.
Mr Duku maintained that it was only when teachers were motivated that they could offer their best.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the women’s wing, Mrs Adelaide Biyaa-Powers, pledged that the association would play its role effectively in the fight against child labour, teenage pregnancy and other vices that threatened the lives of the youth.
The Headmistress of St Louis Senior High School, Mrs Theresa Addai, who chaired the function, said the female graduate teacher could do a lot to bring sanity into the educational system.
At a teachers forum in Bolgatanga, the Regional Secretary of GNAT, Mr Linus Cofie Attey, announced that teachers had decided to put on red bands to work to express their frustration at what they termed the foot dragging on the part of the government in the implementation of the scheme.
Mr Attey said any further delay in solving the salary issue would lead to another action that was yet to be determined.
“Our plight has been made worse by rising inflation and high cost of utilities, rent and other consumables are whittling away the real values of earnings,” he added.
He said it had been the hope of teachers that by January 2009 each of them would have been enjoying a fairer salary structure devoid of distortions and disparity that would motivate them in their work, but this had not been the case.
“Our patience all this while is now turning into frustrations,” he said, adding that “the same applies to the national pension Act, Act 766 which is also suffering undue delay”.
He announced that based on this delay, the teachers in the region had decided to wear red bands to work as a warning to the government to expedite action on the implementation of the SSSS.
He, however, cautioned teachers in the region that the wearing of red band should not be misconstrued as a strike action and, therefore, advised them to go about their normal duties while they waited for a response from the government.