Friday, October 30, 2009

COUNCIL HELPS SOLVE SCHOOL'S ACCOMODATION PROBLEM (PAGE 21, OCT 30)

THE Tepa Traditional Council in the Ashanti Region has initiated action to complement the efforts of the government to solve the accommodation problem confronting the Health Assistants’ Training School at Anyinasuso near Tepa.
Currently, the council is spending about GH¢50,000 to renovate some abandoned structures of the former Tepa Training College, and construct a new one for use as dormitory blocks for the school.
When completed the projects would add up to the old one at the main campus at Anyinasuso.
Anyinasuso is about five kilometres from Tepa.
 According to the Omanhene of the area, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, the council’s initiative was in response to concerns raised by the authorities of the school on accommodation problems.
  Speaking in to the Daily Graphic after he and some officials from the Ministry of Health had inspected the projects, the Omanhene said the council was being supported by some development partners, including the district assembly and Tepa citizens abroad to put the initiative into fruition.
 He said the school was important to the council, and gave the assurance that everything would be done to ensure its completion.
 About 80 per cent of the projects have been completed and at the time of the inspection, contractors were working hard to complete the works.
 Nana Ampem said matters relating to health needed to be taken seriously “because healthy people make a healthy community.”
 He gave an assuarance of the council’s support for other needy areas in the traditional area.
 The Principal of the School, Mrs Victoria Amoah, thanked the traditional council for the assistance, which she said, would go a long way to meet the accommodation needs of the school.
 She called for the provision of security at the project site when completed since it is situated within the the town. 

ARMAJARO DENIES NON-PAYMENT OF BONUSES TO NYAKROM FARMERS (PAGE 31, OCT 30)

ARMAJARO Ghana Limited, a licensed cocoa-buying company, with its headquarters in Kumasi, has denied media reports that it had refused to pay bonuses meant for cocoa farmers at Agona Nyakrom in the Central Region.
According to the company, it had received an amount covering the payment of bonuses from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and there was no cause for alarm.
Reacting to the media reports, the Operations Manager of Armajaro, Mr Nelson Kpodo-Tay, said the delay in paying the bonus was the creation of the purchasing clerk for the area, Mr Malik Asare, and not the company.
He said the purchasing clerk owed the company some amount of money relating to purchases of cocoa so the company decided not to release the money meant for the payment of bonuses to him.
“We did not trust him, so we asked him to organise the farmers so that we go to Nyakrom to pay them, yet he refused, demanding that we release the money to him instead,“ Mr Kpodo-Tay said.
The chief operations manager said the area manager had been tasked to go to Nyakrom and pay the affected farmers.
On purchases for the season, he said Armajaro was confident to exceed the 60,000 tonnes target set for itself this year.
Mr Kpodo-Tay said last year, the company targeted to purchase 48,000 tonnes but exceeded it by buying 51,000 tonnes at the end of the season.
“We’ve done the preparatory work and we are hopeful to get there,” Mr Kpodo-Tay said.

ASSEMBLY MEMBERS TO GET MOTORBIKES (BACK PAGE, OCT 30)

Assembly members in the country are to receive motorbikes by the end of November this year to facilitate their work in their electoral areas.
The procurement process, started by the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), will be completed by November 7, 2009 to pave the way for the suppliers to deliver the motorbikes to NALAG for onward delivery to the various assemblies.
The acting President of NALAG, Mr Isaac K. Kodobisah, who made this known at the opening of the 16th national delegates conference of the association in Kumasi yesterday, said the motorbikes would also serve as motivation for assembly members.
He said the motorbikes would be procured from the supplier with deductions from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
Mr Kodobisah, who is also the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, said the system of allocation would be arranged at the local level.
The three-day NALAG conference, which will elect new officers to steer the affairs of the association, is on the theme, “District Assemblies’ Response to the Global Financial Crisis – Consolidating Development at the Local Level”.
Mr Kodobisah was convinced that in the absence of an attractive ex gratia, the motorbikes would motivate assembly members to work extra hard in their respective areas.
He commended the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh-Chireh, for the importance he attached to activities of NALAG.
He stated that the construction of an office complex for NALAG was on course but said the association needed about GH¢1.8 million to complete the work.
He indicated that NALAG was planning seminars for chiefs on how to improve local governance.
Mr Yieleh-Chireh, who officially opened the conference, said after 20 years of the decentralisation programme, the NDC government had seen it useful to review it to meet the challenges of the time.
He said over the years, NALAG had done its best to improve local governance and expressed the hope that the conference, would come up with decisions to enrich the programme.
The minister challenged the conference to bear in mind the Millennium Development Goals and come up with suggestions to meet the targets set under the goals.
He commended NALAG for initiating the office project and assured the association that the ministry would support it to complete it.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, described the conference as very important, especially as the government was poised to strengthen the local government machinery, and urged the participants to ensure that the election of new executives was conducted peacefully.
In his welcoming address, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, said people in the communities were looking up to their respective assemblies to develop strategies to address their development challenges, adding, “We dare not fail.”
“We should be seen by our people as leaders who are ready to promote their economic well-being and not hide behind constraints or challenges and leave them in a state of despair,” he stressed.
He pointed out that the assemblies could implement national and local policies and programmes when they generated enough revenue and judiciously invested it in projects that would yield direct benefits for the people.

TWO ASSAULT SHOP ASSISTANT (MIRROR, OCT 31, PAGE 25)

From Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

A LARGE number of people at the Kumasi Central Market looked on in utter shock when two young women using blades, inflicted wounds on a 24-year-old shop attendant and bit her left breast.
One of the assailants identified as Wasila alias Princess, was arrested but the other, whose name was given as Jemai is on the run and police have mounted a search for her.
The victim, Adisa Ahmed, was rushed to the Manhyia Hospital, but was transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for further medical examination.
Narrating her ordeal to The Mirror, Adisa expressed shock about the attack, especially as she had no problems with the two ladies.
According to her, the women had beaten up her junior sister the previous day when she was not present.
She stated that she never said anything about the attack on her sister and wondered why the two turned on her later.
Adisa recalled however that about a year ago, Wasila’s mother threatened to harm her (Adisa), something she reported to the police.
Since then, the case had been pending at the Ashanti New Town Court.
Adisa appealed to the police to speed up investigations into the attack to ensure that justice took its course.
Meanwhile, the Zongo police says they are doing everything possible to put the suspect before court.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

PARLIAMENT CAN'T BITE ...Appiah-Mensah declares (LEAD STORY)

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

THE outspoken politician, Mr Akenten Appiah-Menka, has described Parliament, as structured under the 1992 Constitution, as an appendage of the Executive and recommended the establishment of a constitutional review board to “rescue the Legislature from Executive control”.
He argued that since the 1992 Constitution came into effect, the Majority in each successive Parliament had, without exception, been whipped into accepting anything from the Executive, a development he attributed to the enormous powers the Constitution conferred on the Executive.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi when the Fifth Parliament under the Constitution resumed sitting yesterday, Mr Appiah-Menka, who is a founder member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said “both the NDC and the NPP governments are guilty of this”.
He explained that since the Constitution allowed the President to appoint majority of his ministers from Parliament, the Legislature had not been able to assert its independence because of the desire of members to aspire to ministerial positions.
That, he said, had been a serious drawback of the country’s governance and suggested that a body made up of representatives of all the political parties, the National House of Chiefs, the Judiciary, the Trades Union Congress, religious organisations, the Ghana Journalists Association and the Civil Servants Association be formed to remedy it.
He called on the government to wake up to national concerns over what he described as inherent disabilities in the 1992 Constitution and consider setting up an independent national constitutional review body to study the document and bring out the necessary proposals.
Mr Appiah-Menka suggested that Ghana adopt the American system where ministers are selected from outside Parliament so that they could exercise their independence and check abuses, if any, at the Presidency.
He noted that the present Constitution was pregnant with dictatorial tendencies in favour of the Presidency which must be checked.
He also called for the appointment of an Ombudsman to receive and investigate all complaints relating to tribal practices and provide the necessary rulings and recommendations.
Expressing grave concern over the victimisation of a number of innocent Ghanaians in various ways, especially by officialdom and for ethnic reasons, he said the appointment of the Ombudsman called for amendments to the Constitution.
He said he was frightened by the two evils of ethnicity and corruption that were creeping into the body politic of the Fourth Republic.
Mr Appiah-Menka, who is also a member of the Council of Elders of the NPP, accused the two major political parties, the NDC and the NPP, for contributing to the emergence of the “two evils”.
He was not happy about the failure of the two parties to wake up to their national expectations and responsibilities and challenged them to be up and doing.
He said Ghanaians should remember what happened to other African countries as a result of tribalism and corruption and suggested that any amendments to the Constitution should aim at neutralising the canker.
Calling for a national crusade against tribalism, he suggested that at least a day be set aside every month for the nation to condemn tribalism and mobilise national conscience against it.
He also stressed the need for the separation of the Attorney-General’s office from the Ministry of Justice as a way of dealing with corruption.
On how to ensure free and fair elections, Mr Appiah-Menka indicated that the best way was to introduce the electronic voting system, saying that the question of support in that regard should not be a problem once the Electoral Commission put in a request to the government.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

KOTOKO'S GOALIE SUPERB (GRAPHIC SPORTS, BACK PAGE)

IT was refreshing that for once an Ashantigold-Asante Kotoko match at Len Clay did not record any nasty incident, but the day surely belonged to Kotoko’s safest pair of hands, Isaac Amoako.
After watching the heroics of Amoako at Len Clay last Sunday, and in many matches over the past two years, it surprised me that this fine goalkeeper has still not found a permanent place in the senior national team.
Keeping the post for Kotoko in the top league match at Obuasi, Amoako was in superb form, making an impressive contribution to the game which ended 1-1.
With commanding supremacy in the entire penalty area, matched by absolute confidence and reliability, Amoako’s stunning reflexes made him almost flawless in the match, and his 85th minute penalty save crowned an afternoon of brilliance.
The goal that beat the agile goalkeeper on the 15th minute could have beaten many a great goalkeeper.
From a very advantageous position, Ashantigold’s Mohammed Aminu unleashed a powerful shot, and the power behind it was too hot for Amoako to handle.
Matches between the two regional rivals have been characterized by tension and skirmishes, but the security arrangements and the comportment of the fans, ensured a clean game last Sunday.
Coach Paa Kwasi Fabin appeared not to have gotten his first team, but so far he has not performed badly.
The coach who had a successful stint with Kpando Heart of Lions joined Asante Kotoko at the beginning of the season, and he believes with time the team will get kicking.
At the opposite end, Coach David Duncan proved his ability to guide Ashantigold to a successful season after the team narrowly escaped relegation last season.
The Obuasi side showed great talent in the game, and but for wayward shooting by their strikers, and great goalkeeping by Amoako, they would have won the day.
It looks like both sides are in a sort of rebuilding and they can only get better as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, as the Glo Premier League receives a GH¢600,000 boost in TV rights from Optimum Media Prime (OMP), perennial underachievers, Liberty Professionals, will be called to duty tomorrow against much-hyped New Edubiase United in an outstanding Glo Premier League encounter at the Dansoman Carl Reindorf Park.
The game, originally scheduled for the opening day, had to be rescheduled by the Premier League Board (PLB) to enable Liberty Professionals to honour their WAFU Cup assignment with ASFA Yennega of Burkin Faso.
The duel promises to be thrilling following Liberty Professionals’ good form, vis-à-vis New Edubiase’s determination to make the most out of their maiden Premiership outing.
The Dansoman-based club is currently sixth with four points, as against their opponents’ three points in the 12th position.
Tomorrow’s game will give the other clubs a temporary breather ahead of Sunday’s fourth week pairings which will see league leaders, Ashantigold, storming the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra as guests of bottom-placed Great Olympics.
In Kumasi, fifth-placed Asante Kotoko will be home to Arsenal in another tough battle, while struggling defending champions, Hearts, find themselves in another hot encounter against rejuvenated Hasaacas at Sekondi.
Fast-improving Kessben will welcome Eleven Wise to the Anane Boateng Stadium at Abrankese, All Stars will be trouble again at home against Liberty Professionals at Wa, Chelseas versus RTU at the Sunyani Coronation Park, with Aduana Stars facing Heart of Lions at Dormaa Ahenkro.
At the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium, New Eduabiase will play host to King Faisal in another exciting contest.

NALAG CONGRESS IN KUMASI THIS WEEK (PAGE 16, OCT 27)

THE National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), the umbrella organisation of all local government authorities in Ghana, goes to congress in Kumasi this week to elect new national executives for a two-year term.
Apart from the position of General Secretary, which is a full time one, all other positions would be contested at the congress.
But even before members of the association congregate in the Garden City from October 29 –30, intense lobbying is going on for the position of the President and Vice President of the association.
The Daily Graphic has learnt that by consensus, members of the association had decided to cede the position of national president to the Brong Ahafo Region.
The immediate past president of the association came from the Volta Region.
The local authorities include all the 110 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in Ghana.
One name that has emerged strongly for the position of national president in the build up to the congress is the Asunafo North Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Kwaku Doku.
Mr Doku is widely seen as an experienced chief executive, who has the wherewithal to lead the association to greater heights.
It remains to be seen how this will be translated into votes at the congress.
The name of Mr Ebenezer Akuoko-Frimpong, the District Chief Executive for Sekyere Central, has also emerged for the position of the national vice president.
Mr Akuoko-Frimpong, who holds a Master of Philosophy Degree in Sociology from the University of Ghana, could come up against other contenders in the race.

ASHGOLD, KOTOKO BATTLE TO DRAW (BACK PAGE, OCT 26)

OBUASI Ashantigold failed to put their steamroller on track when Asante Kotoko forced them to a 1-1 drawn game at the Len Clay Stadium at Obuasi yesterday.
Not even an 85th minute penalty awarded Ashgold could see them on top as keeper Isaac Amoako, who was in great shape, saved Owusu Sefa’s poor kick.
The Obuasi side had given early signals of a third straight win in the premier league, but it was a false signal as Kotoko came back strongly in the second half to earn a deserving point.
Asante Kotoko, who played with ten men for the last 33 minutes following a red card flashed at Prince Boateng, played constructively launching fiery attacks on the counter.
The game started explosively with Ashgold taking the game to Kotoko but the defence withstood the barrage of attacks with Ofosu Appiah in great shape.
Persistent attacks from Ashgold cracked the Kotoko defence in the 15th minute when striker Mohammed Aminu lashed a powerful shot into the net with Isaac Amoako making a fruitless attempt to salvage it.
It was a great way to open the afternoon and Ashgold surged forward with Isaac Neequaye and Aminu getting the needed balls from the middle but again the Kotoko defence sporting Isaac Owusu, Ofosu Appiah, Louis Quainoo and Gideon Baah stood up to the test.
Kotoko lacked the cutting edge and with only Kabiru Moro upfront, he appeared isolated unable to threaten Ashgold in the final third.
As Kotoko briefly came out of their shells, goalkeeper Fatau Dauda drove out of his line to deal with a threatening ball on the 18th minute. With the game becoming difficult for Kotoko, coach Paa Kwesi Fabin got out of his technical area to urge his players on.
On the 40th minute Nana Yaw Afranie was booked for a savage tackle on Abdul Samad Oppong.
Kotoko resumed the second half aggressively and Daniel Nii Adjei brought them on level on 52 minutes when he rose majestically to head home a brilliant in-swinger.
The huge crowd that followed Asante Kotoko to the stadium roared to greet the goal but they nearly had a shock a minute later as Ashgold exploded into their area only to mess up the great opportunity.
After missing the penalty Ashgold attempted to get back into the picture but their efforts in the final third were always a failure.
Both sides made changes in a bid to change their fortunes but they did not have the ideas to break the deadlock.

MAD RUSH TO REGISTER FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE IN KUMASI (BACK PAGE, OCT 24)

LACK of job opportunities is driving a number of post national service persons to apply for enrolment in the voluntary national service programme in the Ashanti Region.
The region is billed to take on board 3,000 volunteers this year, but about twice that number has applied for engagement.
The Regional Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Mr Kwesi Quainoo, described the rush for voluntary enrolment as unprecedented in the history of the NSS and said it was a source of concern to the secretariat because of the limited vacancies available.
He told the Daily Graphic that because of the lack of employment avenues, many people were refusing to leave the scheme on completion of their two-year voluntary national service.
Under the National Service Act, anyone who has completed his or her mandatory one-year national service can be engaged in the voluntary national service for a maximum of two years on application.
However, Mr Quainoo said, the secretariat could not absorb the growing number of applicants because of financial constraints.
“We are, therefore, turning away some of the applicants,” he said.
He noted that if the secretariat continued to take many people on board, the system would be choked.
In all, 10,000 national service persons, made up of 7,000 fresh ones and 3,000 voluntary, will be posted to various establishments in the Ashanti Region this year.
Mr Quainoo indicated that most of the service persons were being posted to schools to teach, adding that to make the registration exercise smooth, the regional secretariat had created three centres in Kumasi.
He underlined the importance of national service in the development of the economy and urged the service persons to accept posting to anywhere in the country.
The director pointed out that the situation where prospective service persons attempted to apply various tricks to change their postings was not in the interest of the secretariat and the nation.
He explained that national service enabled fresh graduates to taste independent lives, which helped them in their working lives later.
He said the problem of irregular payment of allowances was now a thing of the past.
Mr Quainoo urged user agencies to monitor the performance of service persons and report to the secretariat.

Friday, October 23, 2009

KUMASI DVLA BANS 10 HOUSES (PAGE 17, OCT 23)

THE Kumasi Office of the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) has placed a ban on 10 vehicles, including 207 Benz buses and Urvan mini buses, from using the road.
 This followed an exercise conducted by the DVLA Task Force in conjunction with the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) in Kumasi over the weekend.
During the exercise the vehicles, some of which had their rear brakes disconnected, were found to be unsafe for use on the road.
The exercise was to check illegal driving and the use of unsafe vehicles.
 In all, the task force observed 165 commercial and private vehicles, and their drivers.
 The Ashanti Regional Licensing Officer, Mr N.T. Matey, who led the exercise, said the drivers and owners of the 10 prohibited vehicles had been asked to put them in good shape before they would be allowed back on the road.
 He said after the vehicles had been reconditioned, the DVLA would examine them and give the green light before allowing them to operate.
 Mr Matey said the issue of defective brakes was a major concern to the DVLA and gave the assurance that with the co-operation of the police the DVLA would do everything possible to bring the situation under control.
 He, therefore, asked drivers and car owners to do what was right and remember that human lives were precious than the vehicles they used.

MY CHANCES FOR GEN-SEC POSITION BRIGHT — EFFAH-DARTEH (PAGE 16, OCT 23, 2009)

A FORMER Member of Parliament for Berekum, Captain Nkrabea Effah-Darteh (retd) says his chances of winning the general secretary position of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) keep increasing by the day. 
After visiting Kumasi at the weekend to meet party members as part of his campaign strategies, Capt. Effah-Darteh said: “I am more than convinced that I will win the position”.
“The reception and promises from the party leaders and members were good and I know this will translate into votes at the national delegates congress,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He said the Ashanti Region was strategic to his aspirations and promised that he would lead by example when voted into office.
He said the NPP needed a new direction from the top and that he would offer that from the position of general secretary when voted into office.
The former MP, therefore, urged delegates to the future national delegates congress to vote massively for him.
Capt. Effah-Darteh said even though the NPP had abundant talents, he believed he had what it took to lead the party from its position to win back power in 2012.
The former MP urged the party’s members to close their ranks and work towards unseating the NDC in the next elections.
“We should not fight among ourselves when we have a battle ahead of us in 2012,” he said.
Capt. Effah-Darteh stated that he did not believe that there were any serious divisions in the party as was being suggested in some circles.
He said the fact that some party members were backing one leader or another in the contest for positions did not mean the party was in crisis.
Capt. Effah-Darteh challenged the party members to prove to the opponents of the NPP that “we are united behind the party”.
He said his meeting with members of TESCON on the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba, suggested that the youth would be behind a general secretary who had the wherewithal to galvanise the forces to march to victory.
“And that person is Captain Effah-Darteh, who is no stranger to NPP politics,” he added.

KWADASO MP ASSISTS NEEDY CONSTITUENTS (PAGE 15, OCT 23)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kwadaso Constituency, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has paid the premium for eighty-five needy individuals in the constituency who were finding it difficult to access the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from his share of the Common Fund .
The total amount spent on the premiums of the beneficiaries was GH¢ 1,200.
The beneficiaries included the infirm, aged and disabled, among others.
A ceremony was organised at the MP’s office at Kwadaso during which the NHIS premium certificates were presented to the beneficiaries.
Dr Akoto told them that the significance of his intervention was to help bring quality healthcare to the people.
He said no community could develop without healthy people, and therefore, promised to do everything within his means to help others.
Dr Akoto said in the coming years, many more needy people would be supported in various ways to access quality healthcare.
He advised the people to keep a healthy environment to prevent the outbreak of diseases.
The MP urged the people to come together for the development of the constituency.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the function thanked the MP for the support, describing it as the first in the history of the constituency.
They indicated that without the MP’s intervention there was no way they were going to get money to pay for the premiums.
Present were assembly members from the various areas within the constituency, constituency executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opinion leaders of the constituency.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

KOTOKO PIP WISE 2-1 (BACK PAGE, OCT 22)

A second half strike from new recruit, Kabiru Moro, secured victory for a sub-standard Kumasi Asante Kotoko as they struggled to a 2-1 victory over Sekondi Eleven Wise at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
The gangling former striker of Real Tamale United made up for his unimpressive showing with that brilliant strike from close range on the 48th minute as Kotoko laboured to find their feet in their first home league match.
For the home fans who were expecting a vintage performance from their idol side, it dawned on them that Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin had a lot of work to do on the team to hit real winning form.
Kotoko kicked off in solid fashion, finding the net in just three minutes when midfielder Yahaya Ganiyu run into the box to do the damage from a throw-in.
Not ready to be outclassed in the game, Eleven Wise played impressively with midfield general, Michael Ocansey, spreading the game out from his area, but they found it difficult getting a smooth passage into firing range.
With the exchanges becoming hot, Kotoko’s Ofosu Appiah was booked on the sixth minute for dangerous play.
Wise who looked the more aggressive later were unlucky to even the scores when Abdulai Zakari’s freekick from 30 yards cannoned off the bar.
It appeared Kotoko were in for trouble and assistant coach, Yaw Acheampong, and team manager, Opoku Afriyie, were repeatedly seen joining Paa Kwasi Fabin on the lines to shout out instructions to the players.
Their back line of Ofosu Appiah, Prince Anokye, Gideon Baah and Mutalabi Mohammed struggled to contain the marauding Wise forward line featuring Paa Joe Kumah and Mohammed Alhassan, but the support services from Sam Ayew Yeboah were ineffective.
As Wise moved forward in droves, they left no one in doubt about their ability to cancel the Kotoko lead, and they did just that on the stroke of half-time when they worked out brilliantly from the middle and the last man in that attacking line, Nurudeen Yusuf, fired past Eric Nii Baah.
The restart saw Kotoko spreading the game to the wings and as they cut into the box, confusion surfaced in the Wise area. It was from that development that the homesters fetched the winning goal when Kabiru raced to meet Gideon Baah's cross.
Wise were let down by Mohammed Alhassan who shockingly wasted two glorious opportunities on the 57th and 59th minutes.
Kotoko exhausted their substitution with Isaac Owusu, Francis Coffie and Frank Boateng coming on for Gideon Baah, Prince Amoako and Jordan Opoku respectively, while Wise also made some changes but to no avail.

KWASI OPPONG COMPANY WINS PLATINUM AWARD (PAGE 35, OCT 22))

KWASI Oppong Company Limited was the proud recipient of a Platinum Award at the Sixth Ashanti Business Excellence Award organised in Kumasi to honour hardworking business entities in the region that excelled in their operations last year.
The event, organised by Top Brass, an event organising company, was under the auspices of the Manhyia Palace.
A citation accompanying the award praised the company for its contribution towards the development of the Ashanti Region.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Mr Kwasi Oppong, received the award from the representative of the Asantehene at the ceremony, Nana Adomako Ansa, Ankaasehene.
Kwasi Oppong Company Limited was established in 1982 as a retail entity in the sale and distribution of iron rods, cement, wire nails and other building materials.
The company has since its establishment, grown to be one of the country’s biggest suppliers of iron rods, cement and other building materials, as well as being a manufacturer of quality wire nails and roofing systems in aluminium, aluzinc and galvalum.
In a speech read on his behalf, Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on the financial institutions to devise innovative strategies to mobilise funds internally to support Ghana’s business sector to minimise the adverse effects of the global recession on the economy.
He called on the government to take a serious look at the Boankra Inland Project, whose undue delay was not only a source of concern to the Ashanti Region, but the entire nation.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic later, Mr Oppong said the award would galvanise the management and staff of the company to work hard in the coming years.

OFFINSO CHIEFS SENSITISIED TO TB PREVENTION (PAGE 35, OCT 22)

MEMBERS of the Offinso Traditional Council have been sensitised to the causes, treatment, prevention and management of tuberculosis (TB), at a day’s workshop on the disease at Offinso.
The workshop was part of efforts by the government to partner traditional authorities and other identifiable organisations to devise ways of improving the health of the people.
The one-day sensitisation programme afforded the chiefs the opportunity to ask the resource persons questions bothering their minds about the disease, and they were provided with answers.
The National TB Control Programme provided sponsorship for the programme.
The Nifahene of Offinso, Nana Kwaku Duah II, under whose initiative the sensitisation programme was organised, told the Daily Graphic that Nananom played a crucial role in the overall development of their people.
“As chiefs we are always with the people and are ready to inform them on the dangers of diseases,” he said.
Nana Duah was confident that ways would be found to get the chiefs informed on other areas of health.
The Ashanti Regional Head of Laboratory Services, Mr Emmanuel Awuah Nyantakyi, who was a resource person at the workshop, said the Ministry of Health took serious view of the re-emergence of TB and had consequently put in place measures to check it.
He said vaccination against the disease was ongoing and expressed the hope that parents would send their children to the health centres for vaccination.
Mr Nyantakyi said the government was spending so much resource on the disease, and expressed the hope that the collaboration with traditional authorities would prevent the spread of the disease and reduce some of the burden of the government.
He called for intensive education on the disease since that was one of the surest ways of addressing the dangers of the disease.
Mr Nyantakyi stated that if not treated well, TB could bring about a bigger problem.
Consequently, he asked patients to take their treatment regime with all seriousness.
The Omanhene of Offinso, Nana Wiafe Akenten III, commended the National TB Control Programme for supporting their efforts at checking the spread of the disease in the traditional area.
He gave the assurance that the traditional council would take the exercise seriously.

AMANSIE WEST ASSEMBLY HOLDS 2ND MEETING (PAGE 35, OCT 22)

THE Amansie West District Assembly is grappling with how to settle a debt of GH¢600,000 inherited from the previous administration.
The debt was, among others, the result of deferred payments of completed projects some dating back to 2006.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Charles Oti Prempeh, who disclosed this at the second ordinary meeting of the assembly this year at Manso Nkwanta, said efforts would be made to find a solution to the situation.
He said the financial situation of the assembly was nothing to write home about, explaining that even though revenue generation recorded marginal increase, expenditure moved up astronomically as a result of increases in prices of goods and services.
Mr Prempeh stated that a revenue campaign team was being put in place to ensure effective revenue mobilisation.
He said the assembly was channelling more resources into education because without quality education, the district could not progress.
Mr Prempeh said while acknowledging the modest achievements recorded by the district in the academic area, more needed to be done to reach generally accepted standards.
He said the assembly was collaborating with the Department of Feeder Roads and the Ghana Highway Authority to rehabilitate the deplorable roads in the district.
The DCE added that the assembly had acquired a grader, which would assist in reconditioning roads in the district.
He commended the Millennium Development Project for the role it had played in improving the lives of the people of the district.
Mr Prempeh urged the people to rekindle their communal spirit to complement the efforts of the government and the assembly in accelerating the development process of the district.

CHRISEC PREPARES FOR 10TH ANNIVERSSARY (PAGE 35, Oct 22)

THIS year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Church of Christ Senior High School (CHRISEC) at Adadientem in the Ejisu-Juaben District, and elaborate preparations are underway to make the event a memorable one.
In 1999, the Church of Christ, having realised the need for a high and disciplined manpower to break through the challenges of life for the growth of society, and the need for getting the youth to lead morally upright lives, established the school in the predominantly farming community of Adadientem, a few kilometres from Ejisu on the main Kumasi-Accra highway.
Over the years, the church has been running the school but plans are far advanced to turn it over to the government.
A decade in the life of a rural school in Ghana definitely would never be smooth. We live in a country where the rural areas continue to be neglected in many aspects of national development. Roads in rural areas are not in the best of shape while potable water supply is still miles away from the people. These and many other challenges have had telling effects on education in the rural areas.
I had my secondary education (“O” and “A” Levels) in a rural school, precisely Acherensua Secondary School, and from experience, I can testify to the challenges that confront such schools.
Even in the current era where technology and development in other sectors have impacted positively on education, the situation cannot be the same in many rural schools. A great number of the schools are in deplorable conditions and are crying for support.
But suffice it to say that CHRISEC has braved the storm by chalking up some significant successes over the period.
Statistics at the school administration indicate that 56 past students of the school have either completed the university or were continuing their studies in the university.
Besides, 64 others are schooling in various tertiary educational institutions, including the polytechnics, Colleges of Education and nurses’ training schools.
Interestingly, most of the students whose grades in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were not good are those who have made it to the university and other tertiary institutions. This shows the commitment of teachers and students to make the best out of the situation.
Indeed, the decision to site the school at Adadientem was not borne out of nothing. The church could have easily established it in Kumasi or any other big town in the Ashanti Region, but it took into consideration the neglect of the rural areas in the provision of quality education and planted the school in the town.
When the school was established, the headmaster went round the communities in the area to convince parents to enrol their children in the institution but things have changed now.
Today, due to academic progress and discipline, the school has attracted students from not only the locality, but also from other parts of the country. Indeed, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has recognised CHRISEC as one of its most disciplined centres in the country.
Starting with some 30 students, the school now has a student population of 550 pursuing courses in Business, General Arts, Home Economics and Science.
It is also worth noting that almost two-thirds of the student population are females. The development is very significant in view of the fact that this cannot be seen in many schools in the country.
“We are doing everything to attract young girls to enrol in our programmes and it is working to expectation,” the headmaster of the school, Mr Cosmos Owusu Afriyie, told this writer.
The headmaster said the respectable student population “is a testimony to the strides we have made over this relatively short period of 10 years”.
A former lay-preacher of the Church of Christ, Mr Owusu Afriyie, has worked hard with the rest of his staff to instil discipline in the school and this has promoted academic discipline.
In line with the mission of the school to use the school system as a means of evangelism and instil moral principles in the youth, the authorities have made the Holy Bible part of its prospectus.
This, however, is not in any way the imposition of any doctrine on students as students are allowed to practise the religion of their choice.
The school regularly invites personalities to the campus to share their experiences with the students. This is a way of getting students to appreciate the stages of life.
Infrastructural development is key to the progress of a school. Even though the church has done well by providing some of the facilities to run the school, there is much more to be done to facilitate teaching and learning. More classroom blocks, teachers’ bungalows, hostels and a science block are needed but all these seem to be beyond the reach of the church.
The church has started the construction of a science block but lack of funds is delaying the completion of the project. The authorities have a vision to make the school a first-class science centre.
The authorities have, therefore, made an appeal to public-spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the school to enable it to improve on the quality of academic performance and moral upbringing of the students.

Monday, October 19, 2009

HOUSE OF CHIEFS WANTS SHARE OF COMMON FUND (OCT 19, PAGE 17)

THE National House of Chiefs (NHC) has made a formal proposal to the government for the allocation of a fraction of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) or the Consolidated Fund to chiefs for development interventions in their traditional areas.
The President of the House, Wulugu Naba Pugansoa Naa Prof. John S. Nabila, who made the request in a position paper to the Minister of Local Government and Rural development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, in Kumasi last Friday said the money should not necessarily be given directly to chiefs but could be channelled to support some viable projects initiated by the chiefs to serve as living monuments and legacies.
Naa Prof Nabila made the appeal at a day’s workshop on the review process on decentralisation and local governance for members of the house.
The meeting, convened at the instance of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the German Development Service, was aimed at providing an opportunity for nananom to contribute to the review process of decentralisation and local governance.
Naa Prof. Nabila also called on the government to reserve the 30 per cent of appointments to the district assemblies for traditional authorities.
He re-emphasised that the nation could not move forward without decentralisation, stressing that,” many of the problems facing the district assemblies could be solved if chiefs are involved in the decentralisation process.”
Mr Yieleh Chireh noted the rich heritage of traditional governance, and said, “the challenge has been how to take advantage of this rich resource in order to achieve a harmonious balance at the local level.”
He said 20 years of the decentralisation programme had yielded various results and experiences in the collaboration between traditional authorities and assemblies, and pointed out that more could be achieved in the years ahead.
He gave the assurance that efforts to develop draft guidelines for assemblies towards managing relations between local and traditional authorities at the district level to which nananom gave their support last year, would be finalised and applied as part of the reforms.
The Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Alex Asum-Ahensan, observed that even though traditional authorities were provided for in the appointment of membership to the assemblies, there was no clearly defined mode as to how such appointments should be conducted and as a result different types of interpretations had been applied depending on the personalities involved in the assemblies.
“Such fluid practice, without doubt, is bound to breed conflict amongst the players and we have instances where chiefs are never consulted in matters affecting the development of their communities,” he said.
He said the nation could derive immense benefits if chiefs were effectively involved in the decentralisation process.

Friday, October 16, 2009

ABUAKWA FORMULATION PLANT SHUT DOWN (PAGE 3, OCT 16)

THE Abuakwa Formulation Plant Limited in Kumasi which produces Confidor, the insecticide used for the mass cocoa spraying exercise, has been shut down and the appointment of all management members and other staff terminated.
This followed the pulling out of the majority shareholder, Bayer Crop Science Limited of Germany, and the inability of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the minority shareholder ,to carry on with operations.
Bayer owned 51 per cent shares in the company, while COCOBOD had 49 per cent equity shares.
A private company has been contracted to import the insecticide from Germany for use by COCOBOD in the mass spraying exercise.
Interestingly, Bayer is producing the imported insecticide in Germany.
Currently, all the equipment of the company are lying idle at Abuakwa, a suburb of Kumasi.
In an interview, Mr Charles Boakye, until the closure the General Manager of the company, expressed surprise at the closure of the company when all the equipment and staff were available for production.
Last year, workers of the company appealed to the government to intervene to suspend plans to close down the company.
In a petition to the government, the workers expressed surprise at the moves to close down the plant and contract a company to import Confidor to be sold at a higher price in Ghana.
According to the workers, they had information that plans were underway to close down the plant for Wienco Limited, a private company, to import finished products for the mass cocoa spraying exercise.
The petition, which was signed by Messrs Charles K. Boateng and John Ayisih-Henaku, the chairmen of the local union and the senior staff association, respectively, alleged that the whole process was being schemed to favour Wienco, which used to be an agent for Bayer Crop Science in the importation of Confidor.
The workers said they felt there was a plot to eventually shut down the formulation plant to enable Wienco to bring in finished products and thus maximise its profit.
They indicated that when that was allowed to go on it would defeat the government’s drive to create employment.
Mr Boakye said COCOBOD could have taken over full operations of the company, adding that “it is surprising that this did not happen”.
The former general manager told this reporter that the company, which initially employed about 100 workers, had to reduce the staff strength considerably when production went down.
Efforts to get officials of COCOBOD in Kumasi to comment on the matter proved futile as the Daily Graphic was directed to speak to people at the national headquarters in Accra.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

FULANI HERDSMEN CREATE PANIC ...In Asante Akim North (PAGE 38)

FULANI herdsmen and their animals are said to be visiting mayhem on communities in the Asante Akim North section of the Afram Plains, creating fear and panic among the people in the vast agricultural area.
Allegations of rape, attacks on innocent farmers and the destruction of the environment have been linked with activities of the herdsmen and the local authorities are planning to involve the military to help contain the situation.
The Asante Akim North Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Osei Bonsu, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on the activities of the Fulani herdsmen, described the situation as terrifying.
“I have spoken with the Eastern Regional Minister who has promised to move the military to the area to save lives and property,” he stated.
He said the lands that were being destroyed by the herdsmen and their cattle were the fertile ones and so if nothing was done about it, it could have disastrous consequences on the economy of the area and that of the nation.
While rampaging herds of cattle were destroying several hectares of farms, creating social and economic problems in the affected communities, farmers who dared challenge the herdsmen over the destruction of their farms were most often attacked by the herdsmen, he said.
Recently, two men, whose names were only given as Peter and Kofi Pee, were attacked with deadly implements at Bebuso, one of the affected communities. They sustained multiple wounds, with Peter having his hand severed with a sharp machete.
Presently, the herdsmen and their cattle have occupied communities, including Nso Nyame Ye, Bebuso, Nyamebekyere, Mankala, Oseikrom, Mpesempese, Mantukwa, Kwame Addo, Kowireso, Oseikrom, among others.
Against the backdrop of the constant attacks and threats to the people, a section of the people in Agogo had staged a massive demonstration in the town to draw the attention of the authorities to the destructive activities of the herdsmen.
At the end of the demonstration organised by a group calling itself the Concerned Group of Agogo Citizens, a petition was read to the press.
The Secretary of the group, Mr Yaw Brako, said the cattle often defecated in the streams that served as sources of drinking water in the area.
According to him, the Bebome Clinic, which served several communities, had virtually closed down as a result of the insecurity posed by the Fulanis and their cattle.
He said farm produce such as yams, maize, plantain, beans, among several others, had been destroyed.
Mr Brako indicated that the brutalities meted out by the Fulani herdsmen to females and schoolchildren had resulted in the virtual collapse of the school at Abrewapon, one of the towns in the area.
“They possess sophisticated weapons and shoot at random, terrorising the people,” he said.
He noted that the presence of the herdsmen had generally halted economic activities and created insecurity in the villages.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

GOLD FIELDS TO SPEND $800,000 IN COMMUNITIES (PAGE 34, OCT 14)

Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has earmarked over $800,000 this financial year for various projects in education in its primary stakeholder communities in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality and the Prestea-Huni Valley District in the Western Region.
Out of the nearly $2 million the foundation spends on corporate social responsibility projects annually, about 40 per cent goes into education.
Gold Fields Ghana Limited, a gold mining company, established the foundation to provide development projects for communities in its operational areas to improve upon the living conditions of the people.
The Head of Corporate Affairs and Social Development of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Dr Toni Aubynn, announced this at the opening ceremony of Gold Fields Ghana-Junior Achievement Innovation Camp/Business Challenge programme held in Tarkwa at the weekend for 100 students from six senior high schools in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and the Prestea-Huni Valley District.
The schools are the Saint Augustine Senior High School at Bogoso, Fiaseman Senior High School at Tarkwa, Tarkwa Senior High School, Prestea Senior High/Technical School, Benso Senior High/Technical School and Huni Valley Senior High School.
The camp, which was sponsored by Gold Fields Ghana with GH¢20,000.00, engaged the students for some period in a business challenge competition to address a specific business challenge.
The students worked in teams of schools to come up with ideas which would best contribute to the solution of the challenge.
Dr Aubynn said Gold Fields Ghana had always demonstrated its commitment to youth development in its stakeholder communities, not only through the numerous schools and the other educational infrastructure it had built, but also through various the scholarships it had awarded to needy brilliant students in the area.
He explained that the company’s motivation for supporting the Junior Achievement Ghana and the 2009 Business Challenge made available to the schools stemmed from the company’s interest in developing the communities.
It also reflected importance Gold Fields Ghana attached to the enhancement of entrepreneurial skills and potentials of the youth.
“We are aware that one of the biggest social problems in Ghana, particularly with the youth, is the lack of entrepreneurial appreciation,” he said, adding, “The scanty efforts to run programmes that seek to develop the entrepreneurial skills of young people, particularly those in the senior high schools, were concentrated in the cities and urban centres and the so-called ivy league secondary schools.”
Dr Aubynn said the company shared in the strong belief that the spirit of entrepreneurship should be inculcated in the youth right from the secondary school level.
He noted that the country’s quest to attain a middle-income status, whether by 2015 or 2020, would be a complete mirage if effective efforts were not made to inculcate and harness the spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth.
“Ghana does not need the youth or high school graduates who will be helplessly seeking for non-existent jobs. Ghana needs the youth, or high school graduates who are entrepreneurial, critical, creative and innovative,” he stressed.
The General Manager of the Tarkwa Mine of Gold Fields Ghana, Mr Peet Van Schalkwyk, said the Innovation Camp was to inspire and prepare the students to succeed in the future.
He deplored the activities of illegal miners in the company’s concession, which he said did not safeguard the safety of the illegal miners themselves, the mine employees and the environment.
Mr Shalkwyk said there were about 2,125 illegal miners operating in the Damang Gold Mine of the company.
He expressed regret that although the Environmental Protection Agency was eager to do everything possible to stop any mining company whose activity degraded the environment, the agency was silent on the activities of the illegal gold miners whose activities were fast degrading the environment.
The Country Representative of Junior Achievement-Ghana, Mr Jefferson W. Agbai, explained that the programme would help the youth to succeed in the global economy.
He said it would also help them to be self-reliant and contribute to the development of the society, as well as to be financially literate.
At the end of the competition, the Saint Augustine Senior High School came first with 418 points, followed by Tarkwa Senior High School with 344 points and Fiaseman Senior High School with 342 points.
The Prestea Senior High/Technical School took the fourth position with 263 points, while the Benso Senior High/Technical School came fifth with 234 points followed by the Huni Valley Senior High School with 123 points.
They were given various prizes and certificates of participation.

Monday, October 12, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION TURNS AWAY 2,707 STUDENTS (PAGE 47, OCT 12)

THE University of Education, Winneba, has turned away 2,707 qualified applicants at its Kumasi and Mampong campuses due to limited facilities and resources.
Out of the number, 2,460 qualified for admission at the College of Technology Education (Kumasi Campus) while 247 were for the College of Agriculture Education (Mampong Campus).
“It was a painful decision to take but the circumstances demanded it,” Prof Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice Chancellor of the university, said at separate matriculation ceremonies at the two campuses last Saturday.
At the Kumasi Campus, 1622 fresh students comprising 1507 males and 584 females registered and were accordingly matriculated while the Mampong campus matriculated 359 students 52 of whom are females to undertake various undergraduate and post graduate programmes.
Speaking at the ceremonies, the vice-chancellor observed that even though the two colleges had achieved a lot within the few years they had been in existence, they still faced challenges especially in respect of decent residential and office accommodation for staff, student accommodation, lecture theatres, laboratories and other teaching and learning facilities.
He consequently appealed to the government and civil society to come to the aid of the university.
In spite of the challenges, Prof Asabere-Ameyaw stated that the university had put in place measures to ensure that the university achieved its vision.
“The university is positioned to provide the training needs of all categories of persons who aspire to become great teachers and is poised to provide at its best what can be described in any part of the world as excellent teacher education.”
Prof Asabere-Ameyaw indicated that the university was committed to ensuring that students who enrolled on its programmes maintained academic excellence to become competent in their professions.
The vice chancellor asked the students to take their studies seriously to enable them to come out fully qualified to meet the challenges in their profession.
“Whether or not our mission to produce excellent, well-grounded teachers who will meet the challenges of our time is fully realised will largely depend on how well you take advantage of the opportunities the university offers,” he told the students.
Meanwhile, the College of Agriculture Education (Mampong Campus) of the University of Education Winneba, has sacked seven second-year students for poor academic work.
A statement from the office of the assistant registrar’s office of the college said 10 others have been put on probation and asked to improve on their performance or get the sack.

FOUR NABBED FOR POSSESSING DRUGS (MIRROR, PAGE 27, OCT 10)

From Kwame Asare Boadu,
Kumasi

“I am innocent. I am only a tester and not the seller.”
This was what a suspect arrested in Kumasi for carrying a quantity of a substance suspected to be cocaine told the police.
 The police would not buy the explanation and consequently arraigned the suspect, Richard Semey, 39.
Semey, in his caution statement to the police, mentioned one Kofi Asamoah, a businessman at Atonsu, as the owner of the narcotic drug, explaining that he was only engaged by Asamoah to test the drug for him.
The police said Asamoah was on the run and that a search had been mounted for his arrest.
Semey, who claimed to be a driver at Accra New Town, was arrested with an accomplice, Nana Asiedu, alias Bruce, 47, on September 23, 2009 and has since been remanded into prison custody after appearing in court.
 Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), told The Mirror that the police had a tip-off that Semey and Asiedu were carrying the drug in a Nissan Urvan mini bus from Emena to Asafo in Kumasi.
A team from the Drug Enforcement Unit lay ambush at the Oforikrom traffic lights where they intercepted the vehicle.
A search on it revealed a quantity of whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocaine concealed in a handkerchief and a wallet.
Chief Inspector Tanko said it was when their caution statements were being taken that Semey denied ownership and said he was just a tester.
Meanwhile, the police has sent the substance to Accra for forensic test. 
In a related development, the Drug Enforcement Unit has arrested two men for possessing a substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
Thirty-two-year-old mechanic, Kofi Agyei, and George Akoto, 34, were arrested at separate locations in Kumasi on September 19, 2009.
 Chief Inspector Tanko said upon a tip-off, the police moved into a house at Old Tafo in Kumasi where they saw Agyei sitting by a basin on his veranda and repackaging the substance into black plastic bags.
 Agyei, who mentioned Akoto as his source of supply, led the police to arrest him from his base.
A search on Akoto revealed one wrapper of the substance. He then led the police to a nearby bush where a black plastic bag containing 28 wrappers of the hemp was hidden.
In his caution statement, Akoto accepted ownership of the substance. 
 The suspects have since been remanded in prison custody by a court of law.

KWADASO MP DENIES ALLEGATION (PAGE 16, OCT 9)

THE leadership of the Kwadaso Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has denied allegations that the due process was not followed in the election of polling station executives.
They stated that there was transparency in the system and anyone who complained was doing so for selfish reasons.
Reacting to a Daily Graphic report last Tuesday, which quoted a source that the entire process was flawed, the constituency chairman, Mr Parlance Kofi Owusu, said all the executives and other party members were duly informed about the processes leading to the elections.
“It is surprising therefore that an anonymous person could come out in the Daily Graphic to say that the process was not transparent.
“I am surprised that the person who granted the interview to the newspaper decided to hide his name,” he said.
Mr Owusu accused the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Ms Josephine Hilda Addo, for being behind the moves to rubbish the elections.
He alleged that Ms Addo was bent on doing everything, including tarnishing the image of the constituency executives, to advance her political ambition
In another reaction, the incumbent MP, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, indicated that it was preposterous for anyone to discredit the elections because what happened was very transparent
He told the Daily Graphic that the rules governing the elections were laid bare before everybody.
Dr Akoto said the election committee set up at the constituency level made sure that all the 61 polling stations started the elections simultaneously and everything went on smoothly.
“I think that the constituency election committee should rather be commended and not condemned as reported,” he said.

NEEDY PEOPLE REGISTERED WITH NHIS (PAGE 30, OCT 8)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo-Ano North, Mr Richard Akuoko Adiyia, has released GH¢10,000 from his share of the common fund to support needy people in his constituency to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Disclosing this to the Daily Graphic at Tepa, Mr Adiyiah said a number of people in the area had not been able to access the NHIS because of financial difficulties.
“That is why I have taken it upon myself to do everything possible to help as many people as possible get access to the scheme,” he said.
The MP further stated that he had decided to use part of his common fund to put up teachers’ quarters to entice teachers to teach in deprived areas.
He admitted that many teachers faced serious difficulties in the deprived communities but appealed to them to consider the plight of the rural people and accept posting to those areas to teach.
Mr Adiyiah appealed to parents to invest in their children’s education, since that was the surest way they could guarantee a better future for the children.
In a related development, Mr Adiyiah has from his share of the common fund financed the tarring of the Tepa lorry park which the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is using. The MP has promised that the other lorry park used by the PROTOA will also be catered for in due course.
Commenting on the tarring of the lorry park, the Tepa branch Chairman of the GPRTU, Mr Michael Owusu Asante, said the MP’s assistance was timely, as it was becoming impossible for drivers to use the park due to its bad state.
He commended the MP for the support and expressed the hope that he would continue to support them.

KWADASO MP INITIATES EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS (PAGE 30, OCT 8)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, is undertaking one of the biggest educational projects in his constituency.
Estimated at GH¢105,914, the project, which targets public basic schools, is expected to address some of the problems militating against effective teaching and learning in public schools.
I recently accompanied Dr Akoto on a visit to basic schools in his constituency and I was shocked by the spectacle that confronted me.
The MP was visiting the schools to assess the infrastructure situation as part of the project he had launched.  
Dilapidated school buildings crying for rehabilitation and overcrowding in the classrooms were some of the scenes that greeted us on the tour.
At the Prempeh Basic Experimental School for instance, an average of 90 pupils were in each of the classrooms. The congestion has forced the authorities to run the shift system.
Indeed, I asked myself whether as a nation we take a serious view of the development of education. 
It is said that education holds the key to the development of every community. But let us ask ourselves whether our leaders really see it as such? 
Persistently, we have been made to believe that the chunk of the government’s resources goes into education but very little results come out of the investment.
Kwadaso is in Kumasi and anyone who hears the name of the area might think that all is well with it. 
But at least the educational sector is not the case and something seriously must be done to it.
Immediately he became the MP for the area, Dr Akoto made the development of educational infrastructure one of his priorities to help improve academic work.
 The Kwadaso constituency has 50 public schools and all of them are crying for various infrastructure. 
 The MP’s initiative has initially picked 10 schools which are located at Nwamase, Tanoso-Pokukrom, Asuoyeboa, Kwadaso township, Amanfrom, Takyiman, Topie-Oduman, Denkyemuoso and Kwadaso Agricultural Station.
When Dr Akoto was asked how he was funding the project, he said he had reached a consensus with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to provide some money to start with.
He is also using part of his share of the common fund to fund the project.
But what he is getting from the two sources are not enough to meet the volume of work.
Consequently, the MP is making efforts to contact the Ministry of Education and some banks for assistance to enable him to complete the project within his four-year term.
 He has also appealed to benevolent individuals and organisations to go the aid of the schools so that they could give the required foundation to the children to enable them to build on it to become useful citizens in future.

MEDICAL TEAM OFFERS FREE SERVICES AT HEALTH FACILITIES (PAGE 30, OCT 8)

AN eight-member medical team from Health Project Cure Foundation, a health-related non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the United States of America, has arrived in the Ahafo-Ano North District to offer free services at the Tepa Government Hospital and the Anyinasuso Health Assistants’ Training School.
 The group comprising three doctors, three nurses, one teacher and one laboratory technician, will spend two weeks in the area.
 In 2007, the organisation donated a container load of medical equipment to the Tepa Hospital while this year, they are in the process of donating another set of medical equipment to the Tepa Hospital and the Anyinasuso Health Assistants’ Training School.
 The Tepa Traditional Council has organised a durbar in honour of the visiting medical team at Tepa.
At the ceremony, the Ahafo-Ano North District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr David Addai Amankwaa, said the support from the NGO had gone a long way to support the activities of the two health institutions.
 He, therefore, commended the organisation for the gesture and expressed the hope that the relationship between the NGO and the district would last very long.
 Mr Amankwaa said the government welcomed and appreciated contributions from individuals and organisations to promote health delivery in the country.
 He advised the authorities of the recipient organisations to put the equipment donated to them to good use.
The Medical Superintendent in charge of the Tepa Hospital, Dr Isaac Akuamoah Boateng, thanked the donors for the gesture and said the hospital needed all the support to enable it to cater for the growing number of patients that visited the facility daily.
He said the Tepa Hospital would be able to improve its services tremendously when it received the next batch of equipment from the NGO.
The leader of the medical team, Dr Bruce Horken, said the members considered the plight of the rural people in the district before shipping the equipment down to Ghana and also coming with a team to render medical services.
He promised the NGO’s continuous support for the two health institutions in the coming years.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo-Ano North, Mr Richard Akuoko Adiyia said he would come out with an elaborate programme to support health delivery in the area.
The Omanhene of Tepa, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, who presided over the function, appealed to the government to speed up the construction of the Regional Hospital at Tepa to help address the health needs of the people.

OTUMFUO CHARGES STARS TO WIN CAN 2010 (OCT 5, PAGE 63)

THE Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has charged the management and players of the Black Stars to use the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola as the springboard for an assault on the South Africa 2010 World Cup.
He said the rest of the world recognised the competitive nature of the Africa Cup of Nations, and as such any nation that won it was seen as a force in the game.
“That is why I want to see the Black Stars win the tournament in Angola to prove that we are ready to take on the rest of the world in South Africa,” he said at the Manhyia Palace after receiving the cup to be contested for in Angola.
Three times Africa Best Footballer Abedi Ayew Pele led representatives of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) and Standard Bank, which is the parent company of Stanbic Bank, to present the trophy to the Asantehene.
Standard Bank is sponsoring the seven-nation tour to introduce the trophy, and Ghana is the first nation to receive the trophy.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who was full of smiles after Abedi Pele had presented the trophy to him said, “This trophy must surely come back to Ghana.”
He said he was aware that the Black Stars were preparing feverishly for the Cup of Nations but stressed that there should not be any form of complacency.
The Asantehene said he was also hopeful that other Africa nations that would compete in South Africa would lift high the flag of the continent.
He commended Abedi Pele for his love for the Ghanaian game, and told him to continue to support the nation to grow football.
Abedi Pele said sending the cup to Ghana would have been incomplete if it had not been presented to the Asantehene.
He said Kumasi was the epicentre of football in Ghana and against the background that one of Ghana’s biggest clubs, Asante Kotoko, is based in the city, it was appropriate that the cup was sent there and to the Asantehene.
He said for some years now Ghana had not been able to win the cup but expressed the hope that this time round the chances of Ghana were bright.
The Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Mr Alhassan Andani, thanked the Asantehene for his dedication to Ghana sports and the bank.
He pledged that the bank would continue to count on the support of the Asantehene as it moves to play various roles not only in sports but also in other areas of national development.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

ARMAJARO TO DISTRIBUTE MOSQUITO NETS TO FARMERS (PAGE 26, OCT 2)

ARMAJARO Ghana Limited, a licensed cocoa buying company, has secured 50,000 mosquito nets for distribution to cocoa farmers in the company’s operational areas.
The exercise is part of the company's efforts to reduce the incidence of malaria among cocoa farmers and their families.
The Operations Manager of Armajaro, Mr Victus Dzah, who disclosed this during the company's annual awards day at Bibiani, said the control of malaria was crucial in maintaining healthy lives for farmers.
At the ceremony, about 40 farmers and purchasing clerks received various items from the company for their efforts in improving purchases.
The overall best farmer award went to Nana Bonya II, while the best purchasing clerk award was won by Mr Anthony Gyinae.
Mr Dzah said the company, in conjunction with the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and Tom's Confectionery Company of Denmark, had introduced a new technology for fermenting cocoa beans.
Known as “tray fermentation”, the technology, which involves the construction of trays to specific dimensions at CRIG for the fermentation of cocoa, helps in producing quality cocoa beans for the international market.
Instead of using the hand to turn the cocoa beans, the new technology allows the liquid in the beans to drip from the cocoa through the trays.
While the traditional system of cocoa fermentation takes six days, the new technology takes four days.
Mr Dzah said the weight of cocoa beans fermented through the new technology was heavier than those fermented through the traditional system.
“The fermentation process is thorough and it is going to project the nation's cocoa industry because our quality will be boosted,” Mr Dzah said.
He said the country's target of producing one million tonnes of cocoa this year was contingent on how farmers were supported through extension services.
The operations manager called for the reorganisation of the cocoa mass spraying exercise because of the abuses in the system.
He said Armajaro had increased its “top up” on the government's minimum price of cocoa from GH¢1 to GH¢2.50 per 32 kilogrammes of cocoa to serve as motivation for farmers to produce more.
In his address, the Managing Director of Armajaro, Mr Vincent McCleer, disclosed that the company was in the process of establishing farmers' shops in five cocoa growing areas, namely, Sefwi Wiawso, New Edubiase, Bibiani, Bonsu Nkwanta and Enchi.
The shops would make farming implements easily available to farmers and on concessionary prices, he said.
Mr McCleer stressed that the company would continue to make fertilisers available to farmers on credit but urged them to pay back so that the system would remain in operation.

SIDALCO TO SPONSOR NEW EDUBIASE (GRAPHIC SPORTS, OCT 2, PAGE 7

NEWLY promoted premiership side, New Edubiase United, have secured a sponsorship package from Sidalco Company Limited, dealers in agro-chemicals.
Under the deal, the company would provide financial and material support to the club to enable them make a meaningful impact on domestic competitions.
At a news briefing in Kumasi last Monday, the President of the club, Mr Abdul Yakubu, said the sponsorship deal was a big relief to the club officials as they move to build a team of high quality.
He stated that the sponsors had already advanced GH¢20,000 to the club for qualifying for the premiership.
He restated the decision by the club to use the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium as their home grounds for the upcoming season and expressed the hope that the entire Adansi area of Ashanti would root for them to perform creditably in the league.
Mr Yakubu recounted the quick rise of the club to the topmost league in the nation and said, “We have come to stay”.
The club president said the club had targeted to qualify for Africa in the shortest time.
He announced that the team was organising a “home-coming” event on October 4 to raise funds to support the team’s domestic engagements.
On recruitment, the Chief Executive of the club, Mr William Mensah, said it was on course and that most of the targeted players had come on board.
The coach of the club, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie, discounted rumours linking him to Hearts of Oak.
He said he was committed to New Edubiase United and pledged to work hard to get the team to the top of the domestic league.
Mr Afranie said the team would not recruit indisciplined old players but look for players with the commitment to get the club going.
Meanwhile, New Edubiase United are billed to play Accra Hearts of Oak on October 11 in Accra.
The match, which is at the instance of Sidalco Company Limited, will enable the two sides to put on display what they have in store in the upcoming season.

ARMAH WINS STANBIC INVITATIONAL GOLF (SEPT 29, PAGE 47)

Kumasi-based golfer J. Armah won the Stanbic Bank Invitational Tournament held at the Kumasi Golf Course last Saturday.
Armed returned a net of 66 to win the main men’s event. He received a trophy and other items as his prize.
While Armah won the men’s event, Cynthia Nyantakyi, also of Kumasi won the women’s event with 72 net.
Ricky Boakye Yiadom placed second in the men’s event with 67 net, while D. Ntim scored 70 net to place third.
For the women, Eno Ofori Atta placed second with 74 net, while Nelly Hage placed third with 77 net.
In all 120 golfers from Kumasi, Obuasi, Tema, Accra and Takoradi participated in the one-day event which was teed off by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
In attendance was the Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Mr Alhassan Andani, Mr Riaan Klopper, Head of Retail Banking at Stanbic Bank, and Mr Mawuko Afadzinu, Head of Marketing and Public Affairs, Stanbic Bank.
In a short address, Mr Andani said the bank was proud to hold the event, describing it as a success.
He commended the golfers for the high performance they put up and gave the assurance that the bank would continue to organise the event in the coming years.
Mr Andani thanked Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for giving the tournament a special touch with his royal presence.

BAFFOUR GYAN JOINS KOTOKO...Coach Fabin too (GRAPHIC SPORTS BACK PAGE. SEPT 29, 2009)

Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the weekend took two significant decisions aimed at propelling the club for a good showing in the coming local and Africa competitions.
In one case, Kotoko settled on Paa Kwesi Fabin as head coach, and in the other signed on former Ghanaian international, Baffour Gyan, on a year’s contract.
Paa Kwesi, who is the technical head of Kpando Heart of Lions, takes over from Herbert Addo who decided to call it quits from Kotoko after his earlier healthy relations with the club turned frosty.
The Heart of Lions coach was expected to append his signature to a three-year contract with Asante Kotoko today.
As of press time, the coach was meeting with management to iron out the final stages of his contract believed to be the biggest for any local coach in the club’s history.
Alhaji Ali Maradona, a management member, would not give details of the amount involved but said it was a reasonable offer.
He told the Graphic Sports: “We have almost completed everything with the coach and by the close of work today he will append his signature to a three-year contract”.
Paa Kwesi, who was once an assistant coach of Kotoko, has risen to become one of the most respected local coaches in recent times.
His brilliant delivery at Heart of Lions has been the envy of all and Kotoko believe he has the wherewithal to help change the fortunes of the club.
Asante Kotoko are billed to play in the Africa Champions League next season and management ia doing everything possible to get a technical brain with the capacity to guard the team to a successful season.
Alhaji Ali said management took into consideration the coach’s disciplinary record and his ability to deliver even at odd times before settling on him.
In the other move, Baffour Gyan, who has decided to relaunch his career at home settled on Asante Kotoko. Alhaji Ali said the player agreed to join Kotoko “free of charge. He took nothing from us before joining the club”, the management member said.
Baffour’s playing days abroad had taken a nosedive in recent times but he is confident that Kotoko will offer him the platform to hit back on the international scene.

Friday, October 9, 2009

98 DOCTORS GRADUATE FROM SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (PAGE 11, SEPT 28)

NINETY-EIGHT doctors of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) made up of 62 males and 36 females, passed out from the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) at a ceremony at the weekend.
The occasion which marked the 16th oath swearing ceremony of the SMS, brought to 1,398 the number of medical doctors produced from the SMS since 1982.
The Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor K.K. Adarkwa, urged the doctors to consider the plight of rural dwellers and accept postings to those areas without any conditions.
“It may interest you to know that your expertise will be better utilised and appreciated in less affluent communities than in your dream communities, Prof. Adarkwa told the graduating doctors.
Prof. Adarkwa said with the needed support from the government and stakeholders, the university hoped to expand its existing infrastructure and enrol more students into its programmes.
He said the clinical students’ hostel under construction at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital was about 80 per cent complete while the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences’ complex was also 50 per cent complete. The completion of these projects by the next academic year would enable the university to offer more applicants the opportunity to undergo training as health care professionals.
The Vice Chancellor said the intake of freshmen for the Human Biology Programme this year was 200, the largest ever, with 21 of them coming from less endowed schools.
The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of KNUST, Prof. Peter Donkor, stressed the need for medical practitioners to be guided by the ethical and legal considerations of their profession as the public became increasingly aware of their rights.
“As a college, we shall collaborate with the Faculty of Law to introduce a course in medical jurisprudence for all final year students in the various degree programmes to prepare them even better for the world out there,” he noted.
The Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council, Dr K.O. Adadey, expressed regret about the number of doctors who were guilty of improper professional conduct, and called for a change in attitude,.
He said the council was taking measures to check some of the wrong doings in the system and mentioned the institution of Continuing Professional Development Programme as one of the measures.
The Dean of the SMS, Prof. K.A. Danso, congratulated the graduating doctors and urged them to go out there to prove their worth.
Remarkably, the females took 10 out of the 12 prizes which were presented.
The awards included the ultimate, Ghana Medical Association (GMA) prize for the best overall student in the MB, ChB Final Part II, which went to Dr Esther Ofosu.
Among the other prizes was the Addo Kufuor prize for the best student in medicine, which went to Dr Dora Dapaah, while the Ben Baffoe-Bonnie prize for the best student in child health, was taken by Dr Esther Momade, and the Beatrice Biamah Wireko Brobby prize for the best student in Otorhinolarngology, won by Dr Ernestina Baidoo-Cudjoe.
The other female doctors who took prizes were Dr Akosua Sika Boateng for the J.W. Hiadzi prize, the best student in clinical examination in surgery, Dr Esinam Vittor for the Kurt Lennert Prize for the overall best student in surgery, and Dr Esther Selorm Botwe who won two prizes in obstetrics and gynaecology, and systemic pathology.
The only male to get a prize was Dr Emmanuel Ato Williams. He won the best student in community health, and best dissertation in community health.
The Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, whose daughter was a prize winner, could not help but applaud ceaselessly as the names of the women were mentioned one after the other to climb the podium for their prizes.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

6 GAIN ADMISSION TO SMS (SEPT 21, PAGE 45)

FOR the first time since the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) introduced a programme to address the skewed distribution of students from the senior high schools (SHS), it has now offered admission to as many as six of such students on a concessionary basis to the School of Medical Sciences (SMS).
The SMS is traditionally considered the preserve of students from the well-endowed schools.
The six students admitted for the medical programme were from the Yilo Krobo SHS, Akwamuman SHS, Drobo SHS and Nkwatia Secondary Commercial School.
Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, who made this known at the 2009 matriculation ceremony of the university last Saturday, said the university was determined to go the extra mile to ensure that promising students from the less-endowed schools found a place in all the programmes of study in the university.
In all, 337 students from less-endowed SHS across the country were admitted to undertake various programmes of study at the undergraduate level this academic year.
The number constituted 3.6 per cent of the university’s enrolment of 9,463 this academic year.
Prof. Adarkwa said 13,385 applicants were qualified according to the university’s entry requirements, but due to various constraints, a number of them could not be admitted.
The Vice Chancellor said the KNUST Alumni Association was also sponsoring three students from less-endowed schools this academic year.
The students, who came from the Akuse Methodist SHS, Yilo Krobo SHS and Kwanyarko SHS, could not mobilise funds to pay their fees.
He commended the alumni for the support and urged other organised groups and corporate institutions to emulate the gesture.
Prof. Adarkwa noted that insufficient funding and the net freeze on public employment had contributed to stalling the university’s expansion programme, “but we believe that these are temporary matters.”
He said the KNUST was strengthening its distance-learning programme in order to increase access to science and technology education.
“So far, there are six regional centres for our institute of distance learning offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. A seventh centre has just been opened in Tamale to cater for the numerous students in northern Ghana.”
With the increasing rate of unqualified students finding their way into the universities, Prof. Adarkwa said the KNUST had adopted a quality management policy, under which students would be scrutinised to ensure that they did not enter the university with fake certificates.
The Vice Chancellor said tertiary education held the key to the development of the nation, and it was important that everything was done to get things moving in the sector.
He advised the fresh students to take their studies seriously, so that they would come out well equipped to serve their country.

WORK RESUMES ON SOFOLINE INTERCHANGE (SEPT 19, PAGE 18)

GHANAIAN workers of China Geo, the construction firm working on the Sofoline interchange project, have resumed work after a strike action to back their demands for improved working conditions.
This followed a meeting held at the Ashanti Regional Labour Office between the regional police crime officer, regional labour officer, metropolitan labour officer, TUC representatives and management of the company.
A statement dated September 14, and signed by the Executive Project Manager of the Sofoline Interchange project, Mr Xiao Shaochao, said “the management of China Geo Engineering Corporation makes it clear that it has taken positive steps to respond to all grievances of workers which led to their sit-down strike action last week”.
The statement said all matters discussed at the meeting had been resolved amicably to enable work to be completed on schedule.
It said stakeholders at the meeting expressed the hope that any acts of indiscipline committed by some of the workers would not be repeated.
According to the statement, the workers’ strike was unfortunate because management was addressing all their grievances.
Among the demands made by the workers was that workers should be issued with appointment letters, and this the statement said were being processed.
The workers also wanted their salaries/wages to be paid through the banks.
The management said it had asked the workers to furnish its finance office with the names of their respective banks and their account numbers to enable payments to be affected accordingly.
According to the statement, the workers demand for 20 per cent salary increase had been accepted and even backdated from the day of their appointments.
The meeting, according to the statement, also resolved that workers registered for the National Health Insurance Scheme and present their receipts for reimbursement.
“Notwithstanding the issues resolved, management has opened its doors to the workers on any matters and it is appealing for calm, mutual working relationship and understanding to facilitate work at the site,” it said.

COCOA FARMERS' PENSION SCHEME LAUNCHED (SEPT 19, BACK PAGE)

THE first-ever private pension scheme for cocoa farmers has been launched in the country by the Cocoa Abrabopa Association, a non-profit group of cocoa farmers seeking a better life for its members.
The launch coincided with the first annual general meeting of the association in Kumasi last Thursday.
The main objective of the scheme is to provide a long-term retirement plan for members of the association.
Under the scheme, benefits would be paid to members or their nominated beneficiaries in the event of old age, permanent disability or death.
Contributions to the scheme, among other things, are determined at a fixed percentage of a member’s income that was earned before retirement.
In spite of the immense contribution of Ghana’s cocoa farmers to the development of the nation, they have been marginalised, and as a result have been left to fend for themselves when they grow old.
The marginalisation is manifested in all forms of social security arrangements.
This problem is further compounded by the laborious nature of cocoa farming which does not appear attractive to the youth.
Hence in old age, the cocoa farmers’ income from their farms normally cease because the farms become in-operational.
It is for these reasons and others that the Cocoa Abrabopa Association, which was established in January 2008, launched the pension scheme for cocoa farmers.
The core business of the association include the training and education of cocoa farmers on excellent farm maintenance practices and entrepreneurial skills, soil fertility management and how to improve cocoa production, both on a small scale and large scale.
Launching the pension scheme, a member of the council of elders of the association, Mr Kwame Sarpong, said the time had come for the country’s cocoa farmers to be given the necessary support to enable them to produce more for the nation.
He said cocoa remained one of the nation’s biggest foreign exchange earners, and that those who produced it must be given the due recognition.
Mr Sarpong said the association was doing everything possible to get its members to increase production.
The chairman of the council of elders of the association, Mr Graham Ango Kissi, in his welcoming address said the association and its partners sought to push the laudable initiatives to improve the livelihood of cocoa farmers.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

MARKET QUEENS SUPPORT KMA (SEPT 16, PAGE 29)

MARKET queens in Kumasi have thrown their weight behind the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to reconstruct the Kumasi Central Market into a first-class facility.
They made this known at a meeting with the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, at his office in Kumasi last Monday.
The meeting, which afforded the market queens the opportunity to discuss the forthcoming reconstruction of the market in relation to their businesses, also enabled them to formally welcome Mr Sarpong to his new position.
The women were confident that the reconstruction of the market would bring sanity into their operations.
They said they would educate their members on the need to support the KMA to achieve what was best for Kumasi.
However, they appealed to the KMA to get them places to relocate when the construction starts.
According to the KMA Chief Executive, construction work of the market is expected to start before the end of this year.
The market, to comprise of 40,000 stores and stalls, would also have, among other things, a police station, crèche, clinic, and access roads, among others.
Construction work to be undertaken on Build, Operate and Transfer, basis, would be undertaken in phases.
Mr Sarpong stated that the KMA was united as a body to see to the successful execution of the project.
He said everything was on course and that the government had given its full blessing to the execution of the project.
Mr Sarpong noted that some people feared the rebuilding of the market for fear of losing their stores.
“But let me assure you that no legal occupant of any store will lose his or her store,” he said.
He said the KMA would liase with the market queens to compile a list of all legal occupants with their pictures “and these people will be allocated stores accordingly on completion.”
Mr Sarpong said all affected traders would be relocated during the construction stage, adding that sites were being prepared for that purpose.
“I promise you that the reconstruction will not start if we have no place to relocate you,” he stressed.

NOMINATE NEW DCE FOR ADANSI SOUTH...Pleads New Edubiase of NDZ (SEPT 16, PAGE 15)

THE New Edubiase Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has appealed to President J.E.A. Mills to nominate a new DCE for the Adansi South District.
And in making the nomination, they further appealed to the President to consider Oheneba Kobena Andoh, a former Constituency Secretary of the party as District Chief Executive (DCE) for Adansi South.
At a news conference at New Edubiase, the Constituency Chairman of the party, Mr Festus Adade, said the entire party in the constituency was not happy about the absence of a DCE in the district and hoped the nomination of Oheneba Andoh would help speed up the development of the district.
Adansi South District in the Ashanti Region has not had a DCE since the NDC government took office. 
The district assembly twice rejected the first nominee of the President, Mr Opoku Ampofo Manu and since then no one has been nominated for that position.
That compelled the constituency office of the NDC to organise a news conference at New Edubiase last Tuesday where the appeal for the nomination of Oheneba Andoh was made.
The constituency chairman indicated that the entire constituency was behind Oheneba Andoh “whose commitment, loyalty and hard work as a cadre and secretary to the party from 1992 to 2002 cannot go unrecognised.”
“His exploits and record as assembly member for three consecutive times coupled with his experience as sub-committee chairman on finance and social services speak volumes of his in-depth knowledge in local government,” he added.
Mr Adade noted that the New Edubiase Constituency had remained a stronghold of the NDC yet no DCE or any other political appointment had ever come from the constituency, since most appointees were often from the other part of the district (Adansi Asokwa Constituency).
He said the time had come for the President to reward the constituency with a DCE for their loyalty to the party over the years.
Mr Adade gave the assurance that notwithstanding the neglect of the constituency in terms of appointments, they would continue to remain solidly behind the NDC.

PASTOR DENIED MEDIA REPORTS (SEPT 15, PAGE 20)

THE Head Pastor of the Grace Baptist Church in Kumasi, Rev. Dr Kojo Osei-Wusuh, has denied the allegation that he has swindled the widow of his late brother, leaving her in a state of confusion and poverty.
A Kumasi-based weekly newspaper, which carried the allegation in its issue of August 24-30, 2009, alleged that Rev. Dr Osei-Wusuh had gotten hold of the bank accounts of his late brother, and also pocketed all the donations made during the brother’s funeral.
Besides, the reverend minister has refused to allow the woman to sell the house of her late husband to enable her cater for the education of her children, the paper added.
But at a news conference in Kumasi, Rev. Dr Osei- Wusuh said the allegations were baseless and only meant to tarnish his hard-won reputation as a minister of God.
He explained that his late brother, Mr Ernest Peter Osei, who died in 2005, left behind a wife, Madam Sussana Osei, who was the alleged architect of the allegations, and five children, two of whom were from a different mother.
The head pastor stated that when his late brother retired from teaching service, he (Rev. Osei-Wusuh) contributed a substantial amount of money to enable him to put up a two-bedroom house in their hometown at Kotei, near Kumasi, where the late Mr Osei and his family lived.
He said on the death of his brother, he again provided money for two additional rooms to be built at the site.
Later, Sussana approached him with the request to sell the house, because the eldest son of his late husband had threatened to kill her.
“I rejected her request because selling the house would mean throwing the two children, who were not her children, out onto the streets,” Rev. Osei-Wusuh said.
The matter, he said, went to court and the court ordered the sale of the building with instructions to allow any of the stakeholders who wanted to buy the first option.
Rev. Dr Osei-Wusuh said he decided to pay off the widow, so that the late brother’s children would take charge of the house, but the woman quietly sold the building without his knowledge, “and I have decided to go back to the court to get the sale reversed”.
On the proceeds from the funeral, the reverend minister denied ever pocketing anything, and also taking hold of his late brother’s bank accounts.
He said as a minister of God and crusader against injustice of any form, he would be the last person to be involved in such acts as alleged by the newspaper.

ASHANTI FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS HELD IN KUMASI (SEPT 15, PAGE 20)

THE sixth edition of the Ashanti Financial Excellence Awards has taken place in Kumasi, at which 47 institutions were honoured.
Clearly, the decision by Manhyia Palace to support the institution of an award scheme for financial institutions in the Ashanti Region was not borne out of nothing.
Financial institutions have over the years played a very important role in the development of the economy of the region. Apart from supporting businesses with credit facilities to advance their activities, individuals have also made use of their services to improve their lot.
It is said that Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, is the hub of business activities in the country. This goes to suggest why a number of financial institutions have found it prudent to relocate to the city.
The Asantehene has persistently made it clear that he would ensure a sound environment for business to thrive in Kumasi. But to achieve this, a lot would depend on the assistance financial institutions would give to the business.
It is for this reason that the Manhyia Palace has been involved in the awards scheme to give recognition to the financial institutions and to encourage them to do more for the region.
Otumfuo himself was not present at the awards ceremony, but his representative delivered a speech on his behalf. He used the opportunity to advise financial institutions to seek innovative ways of mobilising funds locally to support national development.
The global economic meltdown has affected economic activities in the country, with the region having its share of the downturn. Consequently, Otumfuo stressed the need for the financial institutions to find ways of filling the loopholes.
The award winners were each presented with a citation in recognition of their contribution to the development of the Ashanti Region in particular and Ghana as a whole.
For the first time in the history of the annual event, there were platinum awards.
In the rural banking sector, the Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Bank was adjudged the best, with the State Insurance Company (SIC) winning in the insurance sector, while the Ghana Commercial Bank emerged tops in commercial banking division.
Other institutions that won awards included UT Financial Services in the non-bank sector, and Women’s World Banking Ghana in the savings and loans division.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the region was facing economic challenges, but noted that those were surmountable if prudent measures were put in place to address them.
He was impressed with the healthy competition that was generated in the country’s banking sector, with the emergence of the oft-described Nigerian banks.
He also stressed the need for the banks to make their services accessible to business entities and the general public.
Otumfuo, therefore, pledged the support of Manhyia for them to enable them to continue to deliver quality services to the people.
The Asantehene made reference to the recent fire outbreak in the Kumasi Central Market, and called on insurance companies to embark on vigorous education to sensitise the traders to insure their businesses.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, said Kumasi was the hub of business in the country, and it was not surprising that many financial institutions were operating in the city.
He said the Government would continue to adopt measures that would free financial institutions to do business without any hindrance.