Wednesday, September 29, 2010

ALCOHOLISM, SMOKING CUT ACTIVE SEX LIFE (SPREAD, SEPT 29, 2010)

A PROFESSOR of Medicine at the School of Medical Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Sciences, Prof. J.W. Acheampong, has cautioned men against excessive alcoholism and smoking if they do not want to lose their sexual life.
He pointed out that smoking and excessive drinking were causing erectile dysfunction otherwise known as impotency in many men with its associated social and psychological problems to the victims and their partners.
Prof. Acheampong, who was speaking in Kumasi at the launch of “Big Ben”, a herbal dietary supplement specially formulated for men, said statistics on erectile dysfunction in Ghana was scary.
The last one, which was conducted by Mr Emmanuel Akaba of Pfizer during the introduction of Viagra in the country about 10 years ago put the figure at 500,000.
However, global statistics indicate that one in every 10 men in the world has erectile dysfunction.
In the United States of America, 30 million men suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Smokers have a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction. Men who smoke more than one pack per day have a 50 percent higher chance of impotency than non-smokers the same age.
The likelihood of erectile dysfunction increases with age: 39 per cent at age 40, and 65 per cent over the age of 65.
However, Prof. Acheampong indicated that healthy men could be sexually active even at the age of 80.
He noted that a number of men suffering from impotency were unwilling to talk about their problem or seek treatment, thus resulting in the underreporting of erectile dysfunction.
He, however, urged men to get the courage to talk to their doctors since the problem could be treated.
Sexual life, he said, was important to every man but regrettably some men did not adhere to what was needed to protect it.
He also urged people suffering from erectile dysfunction to avoid self-medication since it could create additional medical problems for them.
Prof. Acheampong described Big Ben as a medically proven adjuvant for maintaining male sexual performance.
Prof. Kwame Sarpong of the KNUST noted that sexual impairment was both medical and social problem.
He, therefore, urged men not to keep such issues to themselves but discuss them with their partners and doctors.
Giving the pharmaceutical analysis of the drug, Mr Addy Kwaku Martin, Marketing Executive of 1st African Page Limited, the importers of Big Ben dietary supplement, said all the ingredients in the supplement had passed the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) test and had, therefore, met the approval of both the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and the Ghana Standards Board.

OSEI-BIO, KRONBON WIN STANBIC INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT (PAGE 63, SEPT 29, 2010)

THE Stanbic Golf Invitational Tournament took place at the Royal Golf Club in Kumasi last Saturday with M. Osei-Bio and Mary Kronbong winning in the men’s and ladies events.
Osei-Bio won with the score of 40 points to sweep aside other contestants. The second position went to Y.A. Boateng who beat K.O. Agyeman to third place on count back after both tied at 37 points.
The fourth and fifth positions were won by I. Adams and Joshua Annan, with the latter beating the former on count back as they tied at 36 points.
In all, 84 golfers, made up of 74 men and 10 ladies, played in the one-day championship which was sponsored by Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, teed off for the tournament to start at about 7 a.m.
In the ladies category, Mary Kronbong, with 84 stable fold points, beat Vivian Jake on count back to emerge winner. Judith Donkor Baah placed third after she was also beaten on count back.
For the seniors’ division, 84-year-old Prof. J. Owusu-Addo won, while the prizes for the badly-played player for the day, better known as the boogie prize, went to Gloria Sotomey (ladies) and Francis Oppong (men).
The longest drive (hole 9) went to J.S Turkson for the men and Mercy Ampofo for women. Popular name, Kojo Kyei, won the prize for the closest drive to the pin.
The Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Mr Alhassan Andani, in an address after the tournament, said the bank was highly impressed with the output of the players.
“Our association with the Royal Golf Club has so far been a success and we hope to build on it,” he said.
“We are confident that this association will grow in the coming years so that, together, we will continue to promote golf in the country,” he added.
Mr Andani stated that the tournament was in line with the bank’s social responsibility to the people of Kumasi, saying it was the desire of the bank to build on its presence in Kumasi, using Golf as one of its weapons.
He commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his continued support for the bank.
The President of the Royal Gold Club, Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule, praisedStanbic Bank for its interest in the activities of the Royal Golf Club.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

WORK STARTS ON 2 SCHOOL PROJECTS IN SEKYERE EAST (PAGE 29, SEPT 29, 2010)

TWO separate ceremonies for the construction of two six-unit classroom blocks have taken place. The blocks are for the Asokore Methodist and the Seniagya District Assembly Primary Schools in the Sekyere East District in the Ashanti Region.
Both projects, funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) at a cost of GH¢140,000 each, are to be completed within a period of 10 months.
When completed, the classroom blocks, which would also have libraries, offices and stores, would replace the dilapidated classroom blocks used by the schools.
The Asokore Methodist Primary School block, for instance, which was constructed in 1927, had since not be seen rehabilitated.
At the sod-cutting ceremonies, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kwadwo Adae, said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government attached much importance to education because it was the cornerstone to the development of the nation.
He stressed that it was the desire of the government to get every child of school age in school, adding “This forms part of the “Better Ghana” agenda.
Mr Adae further stated that the distribution of free exercise books and school uniforms were all clear testimony of the government’s commitment to improve education in the country.
He entreated the contractors working on the projects to do an excellent job, warning that the assembly would not tolerate any shoddy work.
The headmistress of Asokore Methodist Primary School, Mrs Cecilia Oteng Dapaah, said the junior high school block was renovated recently through the assistance of the Omanhene of Asokore, Susubribi Krobea Asante.
She was grateful to the government for going to the aid of the school and expressed the hope that the projects would be completed on schedule to enhance teaching and learning.
Mrs Dapaah stated that the school had produced many people who were holding high positions in society, and called on them to the school to help it in various ways.
Present at the ceremony was Nana Antwi Boasiako, the Dwantoafohene of Asokore, Mr Mohammed Mutaka, Sarki Zongo of Asokore, and Mr Richard Donkor, the District Information Officer.

HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE FOR UNITY OIL COMPANY DIRECTOR (PAGE 29, SEPT 29, 2010)

THE International Ministerial Council of Europe, and the International Pentecostal Charismatic College (IPPC) of Germany have conferred an honorary Doctor of Science and Development degree on the Managing Director of Unity Oil Company, Mr Kwame Kyei.
The ceremony, held at the Pentecost Central Church at Kwadaso in Kumasi, was attended by some leaders of the awarding institutions both within Ghana and outside.
In a citation accompanying the award, Mr Kyei was described as a man who had brought hope to many families in the country.
“Mr Kyei’s businesses have created jobs for many people,” the citation said.
It said Mr Kyei had also been a Christian and a role model to the youth.

FARMERS EMBRACE COCOA TRAY FERMENTATION PROJECT (PAGE 29, SEPT 29, 2010)

THE Cocoa tray fermentation project introduced into the cocoa industry about three years ago is receiving high patronage from farmers.
So far about 1,800 farmers in the Sankore and Sefwi Wiawso cocoa districts in the Brong Ahafo and Western Regions have signed on to the project and the number is expected to increase in the coming years.
The tray fermentation project, an initiative of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) in conjunction with Armajaro Ghana Limited, a leading licensed cocoa buying company (LBC) with headquarters in Kumasi and Tom’s Confectionary Group of Denmark sought to find alternative ways of fermenting cocoa apart from the traditional heap fermentation.
It involves the construction of special wooden trays with openings at the back by CRIG in which the cocoa beans are dried.
Clients of Ghana’s cocoa industry demand cocoa beans fermented and dried under environmentally sound conditions cocoa.
The incidence of purple beans, which resulted in financial losses to licensed buying companies (LBCs) and became a major threat to the cocoa industry between 2005 and 2007, was traced, among other things, to improper fermentation.
Brong Ahafo and Western Regions are piloting tray fermentation project, the success of which will result in its replication in other cocoa-growing regions of the country.
A review forum has been held at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region.
Stakeholders in the tray fermentation project assessed progress made so far in the three years of the project life and the way forward as a viable and sustainable alternative to the traditional heap fermentation method.
The workshop, on the theme: “Tray fermentation: Adding value to Ghana cocoa,” elicited from participating farmers their experiences so far with the project and was also a platform for sensitising new farmers to the project
Submissions by farmers revealed, among other things, that the method was environmentally friendly; reduced fermentation period, that is four days instead of six days for heap and ensured shorter drying period (8-10 days).
They further testified that the beans had more weight; there was uniformity of bean size and colour, and that the trays had become unit of measure in themselves as two full trays gave one bag, hence no litigation about the weighing scale.
A research officer at CRIG, Dr S.T. Lowor said CRIG had constructed thousands of the trays and supplied them to farmers with financial support from Armajaro Ghana Limited.
He stated that proper fermentation was crucial to building a strong cocoa industry, which is why every effort is being made to get many farmers to adopt the tray system.
Ms Lene Lorenzen of the Tom’s Group said special chocolate made with tray-fermented cocoa from Ghana was in high demand.
He said there was, therefore, the need for farmers to adopt the method for the benefit of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
The Managing Director of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Rahu Gopinath, gave the assurance that the company would not relent in its efforts to get the best for Ghana’s cocoa industry.

PROF ADARKWA LEAVES INDELIBLE MARK AT KNUST (PAGE 29, SEPT 29, 2010)

ON Thursday, September 30, 2010, Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa will officially bow out as the eighth Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and his seat will be occupied by Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof E.O. Ellis.
Four years as the boss of one of Africa’s finest universities has been an eventful one for the Professor of Transportation Planning, who turns 60 on December 16, this year.
“It’s a stressful position but I am happy that I worked hard to build on the image of this great university,” Prof. Adarkwa told this writer in an interview at his office in Kumasi last week.
He plans to be with the university even when he leaves office as the Vice Chancellor, for he says, “I am going back to my department (Planning) to teach.”
The Aburi-Akuapem citizen served as the Pro-VC of KNUST during the vice-chancellorship of the late Prof Kwesi Andam.
“Initially, I didn’t want to be the Pro-VC because I had a lucrative job as a consultant. But upon the advice of Prof. Andam, I accepted the challenge and when his (Andam) term ended, I applied and became the VC in 2006,” he stated
When Prof. Adarkwa took over, there were a number of uncompleted projects in the university but through hard work and the team-play attitude that he employed, many of the projects were completed while new ones were also initiated, with most of them having been completed and inaugurated.
Among the physical development projects undertaken during his four-year administration were the rehabilitation of the Unity Hall roundabout, the construction of the Royal Parade Grounds, the examination halls/lecturers’ office complex, and the semi-detached bungalows, and the rehabilitation of 19 laboratories at the College of Science Department.
Other projects completed include the Business School Complex, the Students Clinic, rehabilitation of laboratories/classrooms at the School of Medical Sciences, and the construction of the Kwame Nkrumah statue.
Indeed projects completed during the tenure of office of Prof. Adarkwa are about 60, which were financed with internally generated funds and some government support, as well as other sources that came as interventions.
The KNUST has a population of 27,000, but has been able to stabilise the student population growth for some time and future growth is expected to be tied to improvement in infrastructural facilities.
Universities grow with introduction of new programmes of study. Over the period, various academic programmes have been introduced, including emergency nursing, veterinary medicine, real estate management, agriculture biotechnology, landscape design and management, petrochemical engineering and actuarial science.
The KNUST also expanded its scope of activities in the distance learning programmes from two to 14, out of which five are postgraduate programmes. As part of the expansion programme, offices have been established in all the regional capitals except Wa and Bolgatanga.
Under Prof. Adarkwa’s administration, there was a vast improvement in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy direction of the university.
Computer access on campus increased from 20 students to one computer in 2006 to eight students to one computer in 2010, while Internet connectivity was extended to halls of residence and many other areas of the university.
The achievements are enormous but suffice it to say that these were realised in the midst of some challenges.
The university machinery, according to Prof. Adarkwa, is very frustrating. Funds from the central government do not come in time, a situation that sometimes stalls development projects and programmes.
But the university has been able to do well through effective internal revenue generation to facilitate growth.
One remarkable moment for Prof. Adarkwa was the way he followed the path his predecessor trod with respect to admissions for students from less endowed schools.
As a result of the development, many students who would otherwise not have tasted university education found themselves in KNUST.
The students financial services office established at the KNUST is assisting many needy students to undertake their programmes of study.
Prof. Adarkwa, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning from the Michigan State University in the USA, is a Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Planners, member of the Chartered Institute of Transport, the Ghana Institute of Logistics and Transport, the International Forum for Rural Transport Development and Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Prof. Adarkwa is married to Mrs Gertrude Adarkwa and they have two children.

Monday, September 27, 2010

GHANA NEEDS VIBRANT JUDICIAL SERVICE (PAGE 12, SEPT 27, 2010)

Ghana needs a vibrant judicial service to advance Ghana’s democracy and not the resignation of the Chief Justice as some politicians are calling for.
Foundation For True Justice, a non governmental organisation (NGO) in Kumasi devoted to fighting corruption and abuses in institutions, has consequently called on the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, to withstand the current pressures, and resist all attempts from any political quarters to resign her position.
A press statement signed by the founder of the organisation, Okesseku Minta-Afari, said Ghana was blessed for having a competent Chief Justice in Justice Wood and therefore commended her for her remarkable performance as the first female Chief Justice of Ghana.
The statement called for support from political parties, civil society, private sector and, indeed, all Ghanaians for the judiciary to enable it perform its constitutional duties.
It noted there was nothing wrong with cleaning the judiciary as mentioned by the NDC National Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei.
“But the political twist, which the NDC boss and other members of the party gave to such an important point, leaves much to be desired,” he added.
“It looks like anything good in this country has been politicised by the NDC and NPP and if care is not taken, these two political parties will bring our hard won democracy to an end,” it said.
It said it was important for the government not to pay any attention to Dr Adjei’s statement but to focus on areas that would accelerate the pace of development of the nation.
The organisation challenged the judiciary to play to the rules of the game and not allow people to suspect wrong doings within their ranks.
It stated that if the judiciary were corrupted, Ghana’s democracy would be in danger of losing its image.
“Judges, therefore, owe it a duty to perform their duties with integrity, honesty and fairness without fear or favour to create an enviable image for the judiciary,” the statement said.

RESPECT VARIOUS COURT RULINGS — Chief of Twedie (PAGE 13, SEPT 27, 2010)

THE Chief of Twedie in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region, Nana Kwarteng Panin Akosa II, has called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to respect various court rulings declaring the town as the rightful capital of the district.
Expressing his disappointment with the ministry over the stand taken on the matter relating to the siting of the district capital after the case had travelled from the High Court up to the Supreme Court with all decisions going in favour of Twedie, the chief said the people were law abiding and respected the rule of law and that was why they did not resort to violence but decided to use the courts to fight their case.
At a news conference at Twedie last Monday, attended by the chiefs and people of the area, he said that strangely, the ministry continued to show disrespect to the very laws that guided the nation.
In 2008, the ruling NPP government created the Atwima Kwanwoma District with the capital at Foase.
The siting of the capital raised tension in the area as Twedie swore never to allow that decision to stand.
The chiefs and people of Twedie consequently challenged the NPP government’s decision at the High Court by seeking an order to declare the siting of the capital at Foase null and void. This was granted.
Nana Akosa who filed that motion on behalf of his people, argued that in 2007, the then NPP government decided to create new assemblies out of some existing ones.
Among the newly created assemblies was the Atwima Kwanwoma District, which was created out of the then Atwima District.
He said the Executive Instrument 2007 which established the Atwima Kwanwoma District named Twedie as the capital of the new administration and never mentioned Foase as the capital.
The anticipated opening of Twedie as the capital gingered the chiefs and people of the town to reactivate all former local government projects in the town in preparation for the take off.
But they were to receive the shock of their lives because, on the day of the inauguration on February 29, 2008, Foase and not Twedie was inaugurated as the new capital.
This, the people of Twedie, would not accept because according to them, they had been made to understand that some of the factors the government took into consideration in siting the capital were the availability of residential quarters for the District Chief Executive and premises for members of the District Assembly, offices and police station, none of which existed at Foase.
According to the chief, Twedie was the local political seat of the colonial administration within the Atwima Kwanwoma Traditional Area since 1946, and as such Twedie should have been made the district capital and not Foase.
He stated that in terms of infrastructure facilities and development, Foase came nowhere near Twedie and therefore described the government’s decision then as “a travesty of justice”.

OTOKO, SMART TV SIGN 3-YEAR DEAL (PAGE 63, SEPT 27, 2010)

KUMASI Asante Kotoko and Smart TV have signed a three-year agreement under which the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) will broadcast the first ever football club television in Ghana.
To be known as Kotoko TV, the broadcast will be aired exclusively on
GBC’s digital terrestrial television by the end of November 30, this year and will have contents that will showcase the historic past and current developments of the club.
The contents include behind the scenes access to the club. This includes interviews with the coach, past and present players who made the club tick.
Kotoko TV would also show classic match actions that celebrate the club’s greatest moments such as the Miracle of Kumasi where Kotoko beat Zamalek 5-1 in a Champions League match.
Another area for broadcast will be the Circles corner where activities of the supporters’ base will be captured on the TV screens.
The historic event also saw Smart TV presenting a brand new 30-seater Hyundai County Bus to Asante Kotoko as part of the sponsorship deal.
Speaking to the media after the signing ceremony, the Country Manager of Next Generation Broadcasting (Smart TV), Mrs Yvonne Osei-Tutu, said her outfit was happy to be associated with one of Africa’s giants, Asante Kotoko.
Mrs Osei-Tutu gave the assurance that her outfit, as part of its social responsibility, would explore further platforms for creating similar opportunities for other clubs in the country.
The Executive Chairman of Asante Kotoko, Dr K.K. Sarpong, said the groundbreaking deal was in line with his administration’s avowed aim to bring only the best for the club.
“This is one of the many initiatives being taken in managing thePorcupine brand,” he said.
Dr Sarpong said management also intended to establish a radio station for the club.

NDC DENIES DEFECTION STORY (PAGE 12, SEPT 25, 2010)

THE Executive of the Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has debunked recent media reports that 65 members of the party in the area have defected to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to the executive, the story was a political propaganda work undertaken by the NPP.
A press statement signed by the secretary, Mr Kingston Opoku, and issued by the constituency executives, said, “we want the general public to treat the story with contempt.”
The statement said the 65 members were misled by a story from the NPP camp, which made them believe that they were being cheated by the NDC.
It alleged that the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Appiah Kubi, convinced the NDC members to go out and condemn the NDC so that he would give them money.
According to the statement, the MP allegedly told them that he would build a mosque and also help develop the Zongo community for them if they publicly announced their defection from the NDC.
“We are therefore informing the general public that these people have confessed that they have nothing to do with NPP and that it was a political work of the NPP,” the statement said.
The NDC statement advised the MP to use legitimate means to address his waning image rather than what he tried to do with the NDC members.

Friday, September 24, 2010

SNAKE BITES MAN'S GENITALS (PAGE 27, MIRROR, SEPT 25, 2010)

From Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

A 35-YEAR-OLD man narrowly escaped death after a snake bit his genitals while using a pit latrine at Jacobu in the Ashanti Region.
Doctors at the local hospital worked very hard to save the life of the victim, Paul Agyekum, when he was rushed there for treatment.
A neighbour who identified himself as Ben Owusu, told The Mirror that the incident happened at about 3 p.m. on September 12.
According to Owusu, Agyekum was the only one who was using the facility at that period.
“We had to use a rope to tie the manhood to prevent the poison from the bite from getting to the upper part of the body before he was rushed to the hospital,” Owusu said.
According to him, the latrine was used by people in the area where the incident occurred.
He said while standing outside with others, they saw Agyekum with his trousers dropped to the knee, shouting for help.
He said when they enquired from him what had happened he narrated that a snake had bitten him on the tip of his genital from the pit.
The neighbour stated that they rushed him to the local hospital where he was admitted.
A hospital source confirmed the story and said the man was treated and discharged the very day of the incident.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

CHASS SOUNDS ALARM...Over SHS admissions (1B, SEPT 23, 2010)

WITH just five days to begin the academic year, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has given strong signals that some of the schools will not be able to admit boarding students because of lack of residential accommodation.
However, the Ministry of Education says the Headmasters should do everything possible, including improvising, to ensure that qualified students were not denied Senior High School (SHS) education.
Echoing the disturbing situation the Headmasters find themselves, the CHASS President, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, said, “The stark reality on the ground is that in some schools there is nothing available to improvise from.”
Mr Ofori-Adjei was speaking at the opening of the 48th Annual CHASS Conference in Kumasi yesterday.
The theme for the one-week conference is, “Quality SHS Education- A prerequisite for national development.”
Mr Ofori-Adjei said for some schools there were no hostels, science laboratories, libraries or assembly halls to use temporarily while they awaited the construction of new structures to accommodate first year students.
He further expressed concern that some schools had been given more fresh students than the numbers they requested.
Notwithstanding the gloomy situation in some schools, the CHASS President said the association had adopted positive measures to face up to the future.
The measures include meetings with government officials and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to quickly mobilise resources to get some quick-fix structures and enough furniture in schools within their jurisdictions.
Besides, he said, CHASS was also trying to get the Ghana Education Service to possibly adjust the re-opening date for form one students to prevent them from beginning their SHS education on a drab note.
Mr Ofori-Adjei called on the council and management of the GES to come up with well-structured and adequately financed capacity building programmes for heads and managers of the educational enterprise.
In apparent reaction to the CHASS President’s concerns, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, in a speech read on his behalf, said the government would count on the managerial expertise of the headmasters to admit all students sent to their schools through the Computerised Placement System.
He called on stakeholders in education to help give permanency to amendments to the 2008 Education Act, which had now made SHS education three years.
Stressing the importance of SHS education, the minister said it played the midfield position in the educational structure and as such must continuously be strengthened.
The Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof K.K. Adarkwa, who was the guest speaker, touched on the hiccups that the educational reforms had suffered over the years for which several committees had to review the system.
“There is a perception that the reforms have largely been at the whims and caprices of our political leaders.
“In my opinion, the various shake-ups are an ample testimony to the fact that education remains one of the major issues of our development process and rightly so,” Professor Adarkwa added.
He called for the strengthening of career guidance and counselling in SHS to ensure that subjects were chosen with broad understanding and appreciation of one’s future career paths.
Other speakers at the ceremony included the Asantehene’s Adontenhene, Nana Adu Gyamfi, and the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr Joseph Onyina.

CHASS SOUNDS ALARM...Over SHS admissions (1B, SEPT 23, 2010)

WITH just five days to begin the academic year, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has given strong signals that some of the schools will not be able to admit boarding students because of lack of residential accommodation.
However, the Ministry of Education says the Headmasters should do everything possible, including improvising, to ensure that qualified students were not denied Senior High School (SHS) education.
Echoing the disturbing situation the Headmasters find themselves, the CHASS President, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, said, “The stark reality on the ground is that in some schools there is nothing available to improvise from.”
Mr Ofori-Adjei was speaking at the opening of the 48th Annual CHASS Conference in Kumasi yesterday.
The theme for the one-week conference is, “Quality SHS Education- A prerequisite for national development.”
Mr Ofori-Adjei said for some schools there were no hostels, science laboratories, libraries or assembly halls to use temporarily while they awaited the construction of new structures to accommodate first year students.
He further expressed concern that some schools had been given more fresh students than the numbers they requested.
Notwithstanding the gloomy situation in some schools, the CHASS President said the association had adopted positive measures to face up to the future.
The measures include meetings with government officials and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to quickly mobilise resources to get some quick-fix structures and enough furniture in schools within their jurisdictions.
Besides, he said, CHASS was also trying to get the Ghana Education Service to possibly adjust the re-opening date for form one students to prevent them from beginning their SHS education on a drab note.
Mr Ofori-Adjei called on the council and management of the GES to come up with well-structured and adequately financed capacity building programmes for heads and managers of the educational enterprise.
In apparent reaction to the CHASS President’s concerns, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, in a speech read on his behalf, said the government would count on the managerial expertise of the headmasters to admit all students sent to their schools through the Computerised Placement System.
He called on stakeholders in education to help give permanency to amendments to the 2008 Education Act, which had now made SHS education three years.
Stressing the importance of SHS education, the minister said it played the midfield position in the educational structure and as such must continuously be strengthened.
The Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof K.K. Adarkwa, who was the guest speaker, touched on the hiccups that the educational reforms had suffered over the years for which several committees had to review the system.
“There is a perception that the reforms have largely been at the whims and caprices of our political leaders.
“In my opinion, the various shake-ups are an ample testimony to the fact that education remains one of the major issues of our development process and rightly so,” Professor Adarkwa added.
He called for the strengthening of career guidance and counselling in SHS to ensure that subjects were chosen with broad understanding and appreciation of one’s future career paths.
Other speakers at the ceremony included the Asantehene’s Adontenhene, Nana Adu Gyamfi, and the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr Joseph Onyina.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

ADMIT QUEENS INTO HOUSES OF CHIEFS (PAGE 13, SEPT 22, 2010)

THE Head of Human Rights and Gender at the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mrs Chris Dadzie, has expressed concern about the continuous refusal of the National House of Chiefs (NHC) to admit queens into the various houses of chiefs.
Describing it as discriminatory, she said both the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act provide for queens to be members of the NHC and, therefore, expressed surprise as to why the NHC had closed its eyes to the matter.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after a validation meeting of women groups on the Constitution review in Kumasi, last Friday, Mrs Dadzie said the Network for Women Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) was working hard to ensure that the right thing was done.
The 1992 Constitution defines who a chief is. It says he or she has to be properly nominated, elected and enstooled. It says it does not state whether that person is a woman or a man.
The Chieftaincy Act also talks about membership of the NHC as including the Asantehene and any paramount chief.
Mrs Dadzie said there was an area in the country where the paramount chief was a woman yet she had been prevented from holding membership of her Regional House of Chief because she was a woman.
The three-day forum organised by NETRIGHT in collaboration with the Women Manifesto Coalition and Window of Hope Foundation discussed the proposed drafts of a working group set up by NETRIGHT to review the 1992 Constitution.
About 120 participants from some identifiable groups in the northern sector attended the workshop.
Earlier in her address at the forum, Mrs Dadzie said various proposals relating to marriage, working rights of women, and employment among others, would be made to the Constitution Review Commission for consideration.
For instance, she said foreigners who married Ghanaian women should not be discriminated against. This was so because the emphasis had always been on discrimination against Ghanaian women who marry foreigners.
She noted that most Ghanaian women were in the informal working sector and their work was not recognised. There was, therefore, the need for a constitution review to give recognition to them, especially, when discussing micro-economic indicators.
“We want to fight for fairness and not just to tilt the scales in favour of women,” she said.
She stated that a constitutional provision would be sought to ensure that all social, cultural and other practices, which discriminate, dehumanise, or were injurious to the health or physical and mental well-being of a person were prohibited.
Again, she said a proposal was to be made for the National Health Insurance Law to cover maternity costs and address maternal mortality,
There was also the need for laws to tackle gender discrimination in customs and practices related to land and property.
In a welcoming address, the Executive Director of Window of Hope Foundation, Mrs Elizabeth Adubofuor, said the era where women played second fiddle to men in certain areas of national development were gone.
There was, therefore, the need for women who thought they were second-rate citizens to rise up and assert their rightful places in the socio-economic development of the nation.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

MAKE AGRIC ATTRACTIVE TO THE YOUTH — ALHAJI AKATI (PAGE 35, SEPT 22, 2010)

A FORMER national best farmer, Alhaji Abdul Salam Akate, has called on the government to repackage agriculture to make it attractive to the youth if the nation is anxious to achieve food sufficiency.
He said Ghanaian farmers in their present state were incapable of producing enough food to meet national demands, and if the status quo prevailed, the nation would continue to import to meet the shortfall.
According to Alhaji Akate, the current state of agriculture was not attractive enough to the youth who were expected to take over from the ageing farmers.
“There is, therefore, the urgent need for the government to provide substantial interventions and support for farmers to enable them to deliver,” he said.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi on a wide range of issues within the agricultural sector, Alhaji Akate, who won the 2007 national best farmer, suggested to the government to help create mega-farmers in the country as in the case of the advanced countries.
He stated that if the country was able to create at least five of such farmers who would be engaged in large-scale farming, the nation would be on the way to meet its food needs, and export in large quantities.
“We don’t need many people to farm to feed the nation. With the right approach, few people can do that work and food will be cheaper and we can also export,” Alhaji Akate said.
The former national best farmer, who maintained that agriculture was among the best businesses in the world, said it was unacceptable for Ghana to continue to import rice and maize when all the opportunities were available to cultivate such cereals with the right approach.
Ghana’s rice import bill hit a staggering $600 million in 2009 and there are no immediate indications that the trend will change for the better in the near future.
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) figures reveal that while the estimated national rice consumption stands at 561,400 metric tonnes per year, rice produced locally is 107,900 metric tonnes, leaving a gap of 453,500 metric tonnes, which have to be imported.
Insisting that farmers were not asking for free money from the government to develop their businesses, Alhaji Akate said, “But considering the fact that interest on loans from the banks for instance remains very high, it tells you that farmers will not be in the position to go for such loans looking at the risks associated with the farming business.”
He, therefore, called on the government to find ways of providing concessionary loans for farmers to enable them to expand their businesses for the benefit of the nation.
Alhaji Akate maintained that Ghana had large tracts of land for maize production but it was regrettable that the country still imported maize for both human consumption and to feed the poultry industry.
It is a good sign that four high-yielding seed maize varieties imported from the US have recently been introduced into the country for distribution to maize farmers throughout the country as part of the Millennium Development Authority’s (MiDA) programme to increase maize production for local consumption and for export.
The seed maize, known as “Pioneer maize”, is drought resistant and could yield 42 bags per acre.
Alhaji Akate also stressed the need for subsidies to be introduced to the agricultural sector, saying if the so-called advanced nations were doing it, Ghana could not afford to remain indeferrent.
He described the National Farmers Day as one of the best things to happen to agricultural development in the country.
According to him, the fact that the awards have been devoid of political influence over the years has made it win international respect.
Alhaji Akate stated that winning the award in 2007 gingered him to increase production “so I can say that the awards scheme is very good”.

NATIONAL ONCOLOGY TRAINING CENTRE TO BE SET UP IN KSI (PAGE 18, SEPT 21, 2010)

PLANS are underway to establish a national Oncology training centre for nurses at the Peace and Love Hospital, a private medical facility at Oduom in Kumasi.
Oncology is the study and treatment of tumors in the body.
The Chief Executive of the Hospital, Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, who made this known, said the Ministry of Health had expressed interest in playing a major role in the establishment of the centre.
Consequently, the Ministry had asked for a review of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Breast Care International (BCI) and the National Cancer Coalition (NCC) of the US who are spearheading the creation of the training centre so that the ministry would have a place in the project.
Dr Wiafe-Addai made this known at the opening of a three-day in-service Oncology training programme at the hospital for 20 nurses drawn from public and private hospitals in seven regions of the country including Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Northern, Greater Accra, Western and Upper East, last Friday.
The training programme, the first in a series for nurses in the country, was undertaken by the BCI, a health-related NGO with special emphasis on breast cancer, in collaboration with the NCC with sponsorship from the Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals in the US.
The training was aimed at equipping nurses in the country with the basic knowledge and skills to diagnose breast and cervical cancers at their early stages at the district levels and know when to refer patients for treatment at the referral facilities.
Established in 2002, Peace and Love Hospital has been the office of the BCI. Dr Wiafe-Addai, a specialist surgeon, is also the President of BCI.
Dr Wiafe-Addai said the collaboration between BCI and NCC had resulted in the supply of cancer drugs worth millions of US dollars to some health facilities in Ghana free of charge.
“This was done to ensure that cancer patients have access to the drugs whose cost are mostly beyond the reach of patients,” she said.
Dr Wiafe Addai said lack of Oncology nurses in the district hospitals was a major threat to health delivery and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and that was why the two organisations were determined to help in addressing the shortfalls.
She noted that cancers kill more than Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined, and as such serious attention needed to be created about the dangers of the disease and upgrade the knowledge of health personnel to handle cases.
Dr Tom Ronne, Vice President of NCC, said his outfit receives and distributes about US$150 million every year.
In a statement read on her behalf, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Ms Anima Wilson, commended the two organisations for making the best out of their collaboration.
She said breast cancer was a threat to the development of women and every effort to check the disease would be supported by the government.

GAG OF CRIMINALS KILL COP...In retalliation for gunning down of member (PAGE 3, SEPT 21, 2010)

SWEET Pub, a drinking spot at Danyame, a suburb of Kumasi, witnessed a bloody night on Sunday, when a gang of suspected criminals carried out the brutal murder of a policeman in retaliation for the killing of one of their members.
Constable Frank William Blankson of the Police Striking Force in Kumasi had shot and killed a young man whom he suspected to be an armed robber and little did he know the group would react with an even greater force.
They pounced on the policeman, hit him with stones and cement blocks before using his official AK 47 assault rifle to fire through his midsection, killing him instantly.
The gangsters then left the rifle behind and fled in waiting vehicles and on motorbikes.
The police have rounded up seven suspects to assist in investigations while a search has been mounted for other suspects.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, accompanied by DCOP John Kudalor, the Director General (Operations), DCOP Patrick Timbillah, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, and ACP Kwasi Mensah Duku, the Deputy Regional Commander, visited the crime scene yesterday.
Even though it rained in the night, bloodstains were found all over the place and the IGP shook his head in apparent disbelief when Mr Timbillah pointed the exact spot where the Constable finally fell.
The Regional Commander said the police found a bullet at the place but said it was not an AK 47 bullet.
Mr Quaye and his entourage later moved to the morgue at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to have a look at the remains of the fallen policeman.
Many people in Kumasi had raised questions as to why the police should ensure security at a drinking spot when there were other serious security concerns in the metropolis.
There have been some conflicting accounts about the incident. While eyewitnesses said Constable Blankson was officially assigned to the drinking spot in the night, the police maintained that he was on foot patrols.
DCOP Timbillah said the deceased was detailed with two others to patrol the road in the area because a number of judges and other high-ranking officials lived in the area.
However, eyewitnesses said the policeman was on duty at the drinking joint. In fact they maintained that that was not the first time a policeman was on duty there.
An eyewitness said at about 10:30 pm, the men, using unlicensed motorbikes, parked at a place which the policeman found unsafe.
Consequently, he asked them to move the motorbikes away but they refused, resulting in fierce exchange of words.
In the heat of the confusion, Constable Blankson fired at one of them as he tried to speed off.
The witnesses said other members of the gang picked up the injured member into a taxi and drove off to hospital but the man died on the way.
Unknown to the deceased, the gang had gone to mobilise more men, who pounced on him, demobilised him of his gun and pounded him with all manner of objects.
Having become very weak, one of the gang members used the police rifle to fire at the hapless policeman, killing him on the spot.
The IGP condemned the act by the gang and said every effort should be made to arrest them.
“Elsewhere it is a crime to assault a policemen let alone kill him. This act must be condemned and we will get to the bottom of it,” he assured.
Mr Quaye expressed concern about the growing acts of radicalism, fanaticism and hooliganism in the country and said the police would have to take a second look at their operational methods to face up to the challenges.

Monday, September 20, 2010

REVOLVING FUND LAUNCHED FOR EJISU PIG FARMERS (PAGE 22, SEPT 18, 2010)

A REVOLVING fund to support members of the Ejisu-Juaben Pig Farmers and Processors Association to develop their businesses has been launched at Ejisu.
The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) has provided $141,000 to start the fund, with the Development Solutions Centre (DSC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Accra as the main implementing agency.
Under the fund, beneficiary farmers would be provided money to develop and expand their businesses at an interest rate of 12.5 per cent.
Speaking at the launch of the fund, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DSC, Mr Charles Nornoo, said the association had become a beneficiary of financial support from USADF because of the desire of the members to take keen interest in their businesses.
He said the association had earlier received $100,000 in grants from the USADF.
Mr Nornoo urged the members to make good use of the money when they were released to them.
He stated that if the fund was well managed, it would grow to enable the farmers and processors to reap more benefits from it.
Mr Nornoo said there was virtually no barrier in accessing the facility at the disbursing bank.
The Programmes Manager of DSC, Mr Sebastian Deh, said USADF had organised training programmes for the association to sharpen their skills in their businesses.
He urged members of the association to continue to support themselves even as they received external assistance to grow.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Kwame Dei Ampofo, commended USADF for its continued support, which had gone a long way to benefit members of the association.
He gave the assurance that they would make good use of the money, promising to pay back the loans on time.

STREAMLINE PROCUREMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 29, SEPT 18, 2010)

A PROCUREMENT expert has called on the government to harness its buying power for job creation and long-term national development.
Dr Douglas Boateng, the President of Institute of Operations Management Africa, a South Africa based non-governmental organisation, said the government could set aside a portion of the procurement budget to strategically source from local suppliers whose total acquisition costs were relatively higher but within reason.
“From a long-term developmental perspective, there is nothing wrong in governments setting aside a portion of the procurement budget to strategically source from local suppliers whose total acquisition costs are relatively higher but within reason.
“In the short-term, smaller local suppliers (owed to lack of economy of scale) may not be able to compete on total acquisition cost, however, in the long-term, with volume growth, they may”.
In a paper on “Strategic Sourcing in Africa” copied to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, Dr Boateng, said unfortunately, such initiatives continue to be hijacked by “politically-driven box-ticking initiatives and short-term self interest, stifling government efforts to create and support a new generation of local and indigenous suppliers - the undoubted engine for sustainable long-term growth and job creation”.
He said success stories from other parts of the world had proven that strategic sourcing could support small and medium enterprise (SME) development, long-term creation of new industries and empowerment of indigenous suppliers with real jobs.
He noted that for every 10 SMEs created out of strategic sourcing, two or three may survive to become major industrial conglomerates.
Dr Boateng expressed regret that there was more politically driven pontificating from business executives and policy makers than was real actionable policies for SMEs development.
He said in countries where strategic sourcing had been successfully applied in various public and private sector organisations, it continues could achieve quantifiable savings on procurement spend.
Regrettably, he said, in many of the African continent, there were still a general focus on price rather than a holistic product lifecycle management view of sourcing and long-term supplier development.
He noted that to date, the return on investment from enterprise-wide systems continues to be sketchy, especially within the public sector.
“Yet, organisations and governments continue to invest in more systems without undertaking some reflective stock taking to understand why the existing and previous systems failed to produce the desired outcome”.
He called for creative but legitimate ways to address the chronic unemployment in Ghana and other countries in Africa.
Dr Boateng called on companies and governments to leverage the potential for bulk procurement and associated total acquisition gain share.
He said governments in Africa must look at sourcing from an economic development agenda point of view, and not just in terms of competitive pricing, while business leaders must view strategic sourcing as a means to sustainably increase shareholder value.
He noted that innovative strategic sourcing by government could encourage service providers to relocate to certain regions to service local needs at a reasonable price, thereby, spreading economic activity and creating jobs.

Friday, September 17, 2010

JUABEN BANK TO HELP WORKERS OWN HOUSES (PAGE 22, SEPT 17, 2010)

THE Juaben Rural Bank is to assist salaried workers under the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) to own their houses.
Announcing this at the 25th Annual General Meeting of shareholders of the bank at Juaben in the Ashanti Region, the Board Chairman, Mr Kwabena Appiagyei Asante-Krobea, said a system was being developed under which workers could apply for loans to start housing projects.
He said the bank had great interest in the welfare of workers and would continue to assist them to plan their future well.
Mr Asante-Krobea said the bank had supported a number of development programmes in its catchment area in line with its corporate responsibility policy.
He added that the bank would take advantage of the numerous government interventions designed at uplifting the living standards of the rural people to alleviate the poverty in its catchment area.
 Mr Asante-Krobea said during the year under review, the total loans portfolio of the bank rose from a previous year’s figure of GH¢5,352,899 to GH¢6,117,023, an increase of 14.28 per cent.
He said the loans went into agriculture, cottage industries, trading, transportation and micro-finance.
Mr Asante-Krobea said the bank’s profit continued to grow, recording 100.58 per cent increase in profit before tax from GH¢354,049.45 in 2008 to GH¢710,163.60 in 2009.
He said with the significant performance, the bank placed fourth in the national rural banks ranking and third in the Ashanti Region in terms of profit, which is unprecedented in its 25-year history.
Mr Asante-Krobea stated that as a result of prudent management of its resources, the bank was first in the cost/income ratio among the banks in the region.
The board chairman further said due to the confidence the bank had won in the business community, it had consistently remained a member of Ghana Club 100.
He urged shareholders to endeavour to increase their shares in the bank as a way of increasing the capital of the bank.
The Deputy Head of Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Franklin Belnye, told the gathering that the emergence of new financial intermediaries was complicating competition for customers and business.
 He said it was, therefore, important for rural banks to position themselves effectively for the challenges if they were to remain in business.
Mr Belnye urged rural banks to inject capital in their banks either through fresh equity contribution or deployment of part of their retained earnings or both.
He challenged rural banks to find innovative ways of mobilising deposits and extending credit by developing appropriate products and services.
He commended the bank for the strides it had made in its 25-year history and expressed the hope that it would post more positive results in the years ahead.
The Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siribuo, appealed to the bank to support the police station project being undertaken by the Juaben community.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

ARMAJARO RELEASES $3.5M FOR DEV PROJECTS...In cocoa growing areas (PAE GE 42, SEPT 15, 2010)

OVERSEAS clients of licensed cocoa buying company (LBC), Armajaro Ghana Limited, with headquarters in Kumasi, have released a total of $3.5 million for development projects in some cocoa-growing areas in the country this year under the company’s traceable cocoa project.
The projects, some of which have begun in the Ashanti Region, included schools and the provision of potable water.
The projects are expected to improve the living conditions of people in cocoa-growing areas.
Mr Neil Fuller of the Armajaro Trading Limited in the United Kingdom, made this known at a workshop for franchise holders and accountants of Armajaro Ghana Limited in Kumasi last Friday.
The workshop was organised on the theme: “Traceability and sustainability — Our future.”
The Armajaro traceable cocoa project, which is being implemented in conjunction with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), seeks to trace the source of cocoa purchased by the company with a view to rewarding the communities where the produce comes from.
The reward comes in the form of financial support to undertake development projects in the respective communities.
Mr Fuller commended Armajaro Ghana Limited for being the only LBC in Ghana hooked to the traceable cocoa project.
He stated that there was a high demand for chocolate developed with certified cocoa and therefore challenged the cocoa industry in Ghana to live up to the challenge.
Certification of cocoa focused on best practices by farmers, including improved socio-economic environment in the cocoa production areas.
Mr Fuller said cocoa farmers needed to work in conducive environment to enable them to improve production.
He gave the assurance that his outfit would do everything possible to help Ghana meet the demands of the certification programme.
The Deputy Chief Executive (Agronomy and Quality) of COCOBOD, Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, said the cocoa project was participatory because the beneficiary communities were allowed to decide how they would use the monies advanced to them.
He commended Armajaro Ghana Limited for its performance in the cocoa industry.
“They are exporting 30,000 tonnes of traceable cocoa today and are the third best LCB in the country after a relative short period of operation, which is very good,” Mr Adu-Ampomah said.
The Board Chairman of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Fred Quaynortey, urged the field staff of the company to redouble their efforts in their delivery for the betterment of the company and the cocoa industry.
He expressed the hope that one day, all cocoa produced in Ghana would become traceable.
“The Ivory Coast is working fast on this and Ghana has to work hard to catch up,” he said.
The Operations Manager of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Nelson Kpodo-Tay, said the company had zero scale policy, where nothing was done to tamper with weighing scales, stressing that farmers should demand transparency.
Present at the ceremony was the Managing Director of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Rawul Gopinath-Nair.
         

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MILLENNIUM VILLAGES PROJECT...Opoku Manu advises beneficiary communities (PAGE 42, SEPT 15, 2010)

THE third annual review meeting of the Bonsaaso Millennium Villages Project (MVP) has been held in Kumasi with a call on the stakeholders of the project to take advantage of the available opportunities to fight poverty in the project area.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, who made the call, said the fight against extreme poverty demanded sacrifices and hard work to achieve results, and it was important that the stakeholders worked extra hard.
Mr Opoku-Manu, who is also the board chairman of the MVP, stated that it was important for the Amansie West District Assembly, which is the implementing district, to incorporate best practices for the project implementation in the beneficiary communities.
The MVP has, among its objectives, been eliminating hunger and malnutrition by increasing production, access and utilisation of nutritious foods, and improving livelihood and incomes of people in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Opoku-Manu stressed the need for the district to take advantage of the MVP for the realisation of the objectives of its poverty reduction strategies.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Charles Oti Prempeh, stated that the effective collaboration built between the district assembly and the MVP had created a platform for the exchange of ideas, which had sustained the gains of the project.
“We cannot afford to lose the good interventions of the project and everything possible will be made to continue the programmes that have been initiated,” he added.
Mr Prempeh touched on the threat of galamsey operations to the project, adding that in spite of efforts to arrest the problem, it appeared the battle was far from being won.
He said action plans for the execution of projects under the MVP had been formulated at the community levels as a way of getting the people involved in the project execution.
The DCE said the project was also building the capacity of community members in the cluster to address development needs of the areas.
He stated that the school meals programme that had been established under the MVP was one sure way of getting the children to enrol and stay in school.
The Bonsaaso Cluster Manager of the MVP, Mr Samuel Afram, said the project had improved access to medical services in the area as a result of equipping and establishing new clinics.
He said it had also increased access to the Internet and mobile phone services in the beneficiary communities.

KNUST LAUNCHES PHD PROGRAMME IN SOIL SCIENCE (PAGE 42, SEPT 15, 2010)

THE Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, has launched a PhD programme in Soil Science for West Africa at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with a call on Western donors to exhibit fairness about their decisions on subsidies for agriculture.
“Anytime we talk about subsidy for agriculture, we meet challenges from the Western donors, yet they turn round to give subsidies to their farmers,” he said.
Mr Ahwoi stated that the position of the Western donors had contributed to the low use of fertiliser in the country.
Ghana is among the lowest fertiliser users in the world with an average of eight kilogrammes per hectare compared with NEPAD’s minimum recommendation of 20 kilogrammes per hectare.
This has been so because cost of the product was beyond the reach of the average farmer while information on its use is minimal.
The PhD programme, being run by KNUST in conjunction with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), seeks to establish a centre of excellence at KNUST for the teaching and training of research scientists in soil science for the West Africa sub-region.
Its goal is to develop and strengthen regional human and institutional capacity to develop innovative and adaptable technologies for halting the rapid soil degradation to improve agriculture productivity in Africa.
Twenty students from Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have been admitted to undertake the fully sponsored four-year PhD programme.
Mr Ahwoi stressed the need for the cost of fertiliser to be reduced while information on its use was stepped up.
He said how to increase crop yield or by implication how to increase soil fertility was the single most important challenge of agriculture in Africa.
It is estimated that Africa has the highest percentage reduction of 0.72 per cent in poverty for a one per cent increase in yields compared with 0.48 per cent for East and South Asia and 0.10 per cent for Latin America.
Mr Ahwoi said poverty in Africa could be addressed to a very large extent when food security was achieved.
He stated that MOFA’s Agricultural Sector Development Policy framework had set out key agricultural development objectives to build on what had been achieved in the agricultural sector.
These included good security and emergence preparedness, improved growth in incomes, sustainable management of land and environment, and improved institutional co-ordination.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K.K. Adarkwa, underscored the need to find ways of sustaining soil quality in crop production in the face of current land degradation.
He, however, expressed concern about the inadequate manpower to facilitate the achievement of the required soil quality, and therefore, welcomed the new PhD programme at KNUST.
The President of AGRA, Dr Ngongi Namanga, said the organisation wanted to have a gender-balanced PhD programme.
He called on MOFA to set aside a little of its budget to support training programmes in agriculture.

MANSO NKWANTA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL HOLDS PUBLIC FORUM (PAGE 42, SEPT 15, 2010)

IT is rare for traditional councils in the Ashanti Region to hold public forums to discuss measures to improve development in their areas.
However, the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Council, under the able leadership of Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah, the Omanhene, has taken a giant step in organising a successful public forum at which many ideas for getting the best for the Amansie West District came up.
Amansie West is a deprived district with various challenges. Many of the roads are bad, several schools are in deplorable conditions and health facilities are not the best.
It was to address those and other challenges that the traditional council initiated the public forum to discuss how to reverse the rot in the area.
The forum was attended by the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Charles Oti Prempeh and the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mrs Grace Addo, and heads of departments in the district, including education, environment, health and sanitation.
Nana Appiah said at the forum that it was important for the people to meet to discuss their development because the area deserved to move away from its present poor state.
He commended the departmental heads for their contributions to the development of the district and assured them of the traditional council’s support for them to deliver.
The Omanhene called on parents to invest in their children through education instead of using their little resources on unprofitable ventures.
Nana Appiah called for unity between the DCE and the MP so that together they could lead the district to achieve the expected development.
The District Director of Education, Mr Samuel Kena, stated that educational standard was gradually improving, adding the district recorded 77.7 per cent in the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as against 64.4 per cent in 2008.
He, however, expressed concern about the number of untrained teachers in the district, which numbered 800 as against 400 trained teachers.
Most of the teachers in the district have no decent accommodation, a situation that must be addressed to attract qualified teachers to the district.
Amansie West has only one hospital, 20 health centres and five clinics with five doctors, two medical assistants and 20 midwives.
This is one of the highest in the region but the situation is attributed to the presence of the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), which receives external support from the UN.
The District Director of Health Services, Mr Joseph Adomako, said HIV/AIDS was on the increase in the district.
He stated that the UN, in collaboration with the MVP, was supporting the district with funds to undertake educational programmes on the disease as a way of reducing its spread.
In his remarks, the DCE said through the District Assemblies’ Common Fund, the assembly had been able to complete a number of development projects started by the previous government.
 

Monday, September 13, 2010

OVERSEAS CLIENTS SUPPORT ARMAJORO PROJECTS (PAGE 46, SEPT 11, 2010)

OVERSEAS clients of a licensed cocoa buying company, Armajaro Ghana Limited, have committed $3.5 million to development projects in some cocoa growing areas of the country this year, under the company’s traceable cocoa project.
The projects, some of which have begun in the Ashanti and Central regions, include the construction and rehabilitation of schools, provision of potable water, among others.
They are expected to improve the living conditions of people in cocoa growing areas where the traceable cocoa project is being implemented.
Mr Neil Fuller of the Armajaro Trading Limited in the United Kingdom, an overseas client of Armajaro Ghana Limited, made this known at a workshop for franchise holders and accountants of Armajaro Ghana Limited in Kumasi.
The workshop was organised on the theme,” Tractability and Sustainability – Our Future”.
The Armajaro traceable cocoa project, which is being implemented in conjunction with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), seeks to trace the source of cocoa purchased by the company with the view to rewarding the communities where the produce came from.
The reward comes in the form of financial support to undertake development projects in the respective communities.
Mr Fuller commended Armajaro Ghana Limited for being the only licensed cocoa buying company in Ghana hooked onto the traceable cocoa project.
He indicated that there was a high demand for chocolate developed with certified cocoa, and therefore, challenged the cocoa industry in Ghana to live up to the challenge posed by the certification of cocoa focused on best farmer practices including improved socio-economic environment in the cocoa production areas.
Mr Fuller said cocoa farmers needed to work in a conducive environment to enable them improve production.
He gave the assurance that his outfit would do everything possible to help Ghana meet the demands of the certification programme.
The COCOBOD Deputy Chief Executive (Agronomy and Quality), Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, said the project was participatory because the beneficiary communities were allowed to decide how they would use the money advanced to them.
He commended Armajaro Ghana Limited for its performance in the cocoa industry.
“They are exporting 30,000 tonnes of traceable cocoa today, and is the third best licensed cocoa buying company in the country after a relative short period of operation, which is very good,” he said.
The Board Chairman of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Fred Quaynortey, urged the field staff of the company to redouble their efforts in their performance for the betterment of the company and the cocoa industry.
He expressed the hope that one day all cocoa produced in Ghana would become traceable.
“The Ivory Coast is working fast on this and Ghana has to work hard to catch up,” he said.
Mr Nelson Kpodo-Tay, Operations Manager of Armajaro Ghana Limited, said the company had a zero scale policy where nothing was done to tamper with weighing scales, stressing that “farmers demand transparency”.
Present was the Managing Director of Armajaro Ghana Limited, Mr Rawul Gopinath-Nair.

ADUANA SHOCK FAISAL (BACK PAGE, SEPT 13, 2010)

Defending champions Aduana Stars produced a vintage performance that signalled their determination to retain the championship when they overpowered King Faisal 1-0 in a Premier League match at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
Joseph Bugri’s goal 13 minutes into the game decided the match for the visitors who lifted the league trophy in their debut last season.
• From Obuasi Nana Yaw Barimah reports that Ashgold yesterday scored a narrow 1-0 win over visiting Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs in their second week Glo Premier League match at the Len Clay Stadium.
Theophilus Anobaah beat two Dwarfs defenders in a row and delivered a shot to beat Dwarfs keeper, George Owu, in the 29th minute.
It was a match which Ashgold could have won by a wide margin, but complacency, poor shooting and indecisions by Sunyani-based referee, Yaw Ametepey and his two lines men Isaac Hagan and Joseph Sey caused them dearly.
• The Glo Premier League regional derby between Berekum Arsenal and debutantes, B.A. Stars, ended 1-1 at the packed-to-capacity Berekum Golden City Park yesterday, reports Samuel Duodu.
Arsenal’s David Amankwah got the opener when his harmless shot beat goalkeeper Ernest Adu of BA Stars in the 10th minute.
But BA Stars equalised after 41 minutes through Larbi Koomson’s connection to Osei Kwame Junior’s cross from the left.

EXIMQUARANTY COMPANY ASSISTS KATH (PAGE 18, SEPT 11, 2010)

EXIMGUARANTY Company has presented new medical equipment to the Child Health Directorate of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to facilitate the directorate’s operations.
The items, made up of a suction machine and BP measurement equipment, were presented to the hospital as part of the company’s efforts to contribute to the health needs of children in the Ashanti Region.
The company has, since its incorporation in 1994, focused its social responsibility initiatives on improving the health and education of children in the belief that the two areas were key to national development.
At the presentation ceremony, the board chairman of Eximguaranty Company, Mr Felix Ntrakwah, said the company was convinced that without the society it would not have reached where it is now. It was, therefore, important that the company paid something useful back to society.
Mr Ntrakwah stated that the company strongly believed that it was worth investing in education and health and pledged the company’s continuous support for the needy in the society.
He indicated that the initiative was not the first of its kind in the history of the company, explaining that for the past 15 years, the company, as a finance house, had made similar donations in the Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
He said having opened a new office in Kumasi to serve Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and the three regions in northern Ghana, the company was going to spread its tentacles in the area of community support.
The Managing Director of Eximguaranty Company, Mrs Felicity Acquah, noted that as part of good corporate governance, it was mandatory for them to take concrete measures to support the deprived in the society and assist community development.
She said the future of the country depended on how today’s children were moulded and promised that “we shall continue to work closely with institutions such as KATH who share our corporate social responsibility vision.”
The Head of Paediatric Unit at KATH, Dr Emmanuel Addo-Yobo, thanked Eximguaranty for the kind gesture and said the items would go a long way to boost their operations.
He said hypertensive children could develop kidney problems.
He noted that KATH was growing bigger by the day and, therefore, looks ahead for such support from the public.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

ASOKORE COUNCIL SUPPORTS SEKYERE EAST DCE (PAGE 13, SEPT 9, 2010)

THE Asokore Traditional Council in the Ashanti Region has declared its unflinching support for the Sekyere East District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kwadwo Adae, in the midst of agitation by some youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asokore Zongo for his dismissal.
At an emergency meeting of the Council, which was also attended by opinion leaders of the Asokore Zongo community, the council was of the opinion that the DCE had done nothing wrong to warrant his dismissal.
The meeting was called to hear the concerns of the party foot soldiers and how best the council leaders could help resolve them.
Nana Asare Ankomah Boamah III, the Krontihene of the area, who spoke on behalf of the council, indicated that Nananom were disturbed by the behaviour of the youth.
Last week Friday, a group of NDC youth from the Asokore Zongo hoisted a banner with the inscription, “We don’t want Kwasi Adae as DCE,” in the town and followed it up to the Regional Co-ordinating Council offices to present their petition to the Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu.
The group alleged that since assuming office, the DCE had done little to improve their living conditions.
Addressing the traditional council meeting, Nana Boamah advised the youth to eschew conflicts in the area and rather pursue developmental issues since the area was lagging behind in development.
He asked those involved in the agitation for the DCE’s removal to desist from their acts and rather rally behind him to pursue the numerous development projects initiated under his administration.
He noted that in the short period that Mr Adae had been in office, he had worked hard to ensure that communities like Akokoaso, Ahensan, Nkwankwaanua, Attakrom, Awahem and Brofoyedru would soon enjoy electricity.
Nana Boamah further indicated that through the instrumentality of the DCE, a 40 acrae land at Apemso near Asokore was being prepared to be used as industrial village.
The Krontihene stated that Asokore was one of the peaceful areas in the district and as such the traditional leaders would not sit down for the peace to be disturbed.
The Asokore Zongo Chief, Mohammed Murtaka, also expressed disgust about the behaviour of the few aggrieved youth of the NDC and promised to do everything within his authority to stop the feud between the youth and the DCE.
He said as chiefs, they did not dabble in party politics but stressed that they would not sit down unconcerned for political miscreants to disturb the peace of the area.
He said it was incumbent on residents of the area to support the political leaders of the area at any given period to deliver.
The meeting which started peacefully was nearly marred when five young men, who were alleged to have hoisted the banner in the town, entered the meeting grounds and dared anyone who would attempt to prevent them from undertaking their mission to get the DCE removed.
They alleged that the DCE, since assuming office, had not helped them to secure jobs, neither was he prepared to grant them audience whenever they requested so.
Their assertion was debunked by both the Chairman of the Asokore Zongo branch of the NDC, Mohammed Inuwa Hamza, and the Chief Imam of Asokore Zongo, Mallam Maju Tanko. For his part, the DCE denied all the allegations levelled against him by the youth.
He said it was unfortunate for a few party supporters to go that length in a bid to get him removed and stressed that he would always work to project the image of his party and district.
He said he would remain focused in pursuing the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda of the government.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NPP MEMBER RESCINDS INTENTION TO JOIN UFP (PAGE 11, SEPT 8, 2010)

ONE of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members said to be behind the formation of a new party in Kumasi, Mr J.K. Owusu-Boakye, has rescinded his intention to join the party.
Even though his name and signature were on the draft constitution of the yet-to-be born party, Mr Owusu-Boakye says he had learnt his lessons and would not move away from the NPP.
Mr Owusu-Boakye aka Abito, who is also the Special Assistant of the Member of Parliament for New Tafo-Pankrono, Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, rescinded his decision after interventions by a founding member of the party in the region, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, and the Chairman of the regional disciplinary committee of the NPP and former Chief Executive of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare.
Mr Owusu-Boakye told the Daily Graphic that he was still a bonafide member of the NPP and would remain so.
He explained that he was initially brought into the United Front Party (UFP) as a consultant to draft their constitution and was later convinced to join them.
According to him, Dr Akoto-Osei also spoke against any intended moves to join any party and therefore called on the NPP to let the matter die.
He admitted attending meetings with Mr Akwasi Addai of Odike Ventures in Kumasi, the brain behind the formation of the new party, UFP, and others but indicated that later developments had thought him that it would be suicidal on his part to leave the NPP.
He commended Mr Ayisi-Boateng and Dr Nsiah-Asare for the wise counsel and advice, and promised to work hard with others to bring Nana Akufo-Addo to power.
For his part, Mr Ayisi-Boateng said it was important for Mr Owusu-Boakye to back out of any moves to join any party other than the NPP.
“We need the young people of our party to do most of the work for the 2012 elections,” he said.
According to him, every member of the party was important and therefore efforts must be made to prevent them from leaving.
What the NPP needed, he said, was to convince more people to join the party because in party politics numbers are very important.
Meanwhile, the NPP in Ashanti Region says Mr Kwasi Addai is not an NPP member as is being alleged.
According to Mr Ayisi-Boateng, he was aware that the man was a National Democratic Congress member and was working in the interest of the ruling party.
It is therefore dangerous for any NPP member to allow himself or herself to be used by him.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

ADB TO POSITION ITSELF WITHIN TOP 3 (PAGE 29, SEPT 7, 2010)

THE Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) hopes to use its three-year strategic plan to position the bank within the top three performing banks in the country by the end of 2012, the Managing Director of the bank, Mr Stephen Kpordzih, has said.
He noted that since the bank started implementing the strategic plan this year, there had been a dramatic change in the way it conducted its business and this was expected to continue to achieve the ultimate.
Mr Kpordzih stated this at a cocktail party organised for customers of the bank in Kumasi.
“The many initiatives under the new three-year strategic plan have been carefully conceived to bring maximum benefit to all ADB customers,” he said.
The MD said the bouquet had a number of electronic banking propositions to make business transactions easier for the customer.
Mr Kpordzih indicated that the bank was embarking on a major upgrading of its information technology platform to enable it meet the challenges of the time and said, “very soon customers would have our version of full internet banking under the brand name, QuicNet.”
He said the bank had also reorganised its processes, systems and asset utilisation to guarantee ADB customers a much shortened turnaround time and improved integrity of financial transactions.
He admitted that the last few days had presented some challenges for the bank but was confident that when the full upgrading of the IT infrastructure and platform were concluded the challenges would be no more.
The MD disclosed that the bank had launched into relationship banking at the corporate level and was on the verge of introducing its executive banking service for high net worth individual customers.
He commended customers of the bank in Kumasi for their continued faith in the bank and promised them that everything would be done to make them enjoy their relationship with ADB.
He said the Asokea branch would soon be relocated to Nyhiaeso to give the customers the convenience and comfort they deserved.
The Board Chairman of ADB, Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, noted the high patronage the bank had received in Kumasi over the years and urged the business community and other individuals and organisations to make use of the opportunities at the bank.

Monday, September 6, 2010

DOCTOR PATIENT RATIO STILL BAD (PAGE 28, SEPT 4, 2010)

IN spite of continued efforts by the government to address the serious manpower constraints in the health sector, the doctor-patient ratio does not appear any better today.
Latest figures at the Ministry of Health put the doctor-patient ratio in Ghana at 1:17,733, something the ministry describes as very disturbing.
In all there are 1,190 doctors in the country with a large chunk of the number (839 or 70 per cent) based in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.
The Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, made this known in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the third annual scientific meeting of the College of Health Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) at Ejisu near Kumasi last Friday.
It was on the theme: “Reproductive and child health, current trends and challenges.”
The scientific meeting was designed to offer the college the opportunity to evaluate its performance over the previous year, and report on its research work, as well as its role and place in the health delivery system.
It also encouraged professionals in the college to chart a new course that would not only sustain the development of their profession, but also join other co-workers to harness the limited resources at their disposal to deliver better health services to the people.
Dr Kumbuor put the nurse-patient ratio at 1:1,510 while that of the midwife to patient at 1:7,200, adding that an additional 8,000 midwives were needed to fill the existing gap.
Stressing the enormity of the challenges in the human resource area of the sector, the minister said: “The way forward requires education and capacity building of personnel, as well as continued strengthening of health systems.”
He indicated that it was becoming difficult for the nation to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health by 2015.
“There is a real danger that the appalling mortality figures for pregnant women will continue unless communities, agencies, NGOs and other partners renew their efforts at ensuring that the health workforce are available and no woman dies while giving birth,” he said.
In a speech, a maxillofacial surgeon at the KNUST Medical School and one of the brains behind the scientific conference idea, Prof. Dr Dr G. Wireko Brobby, stressed the need for doctors to reciprocate the investment made in them by the people of the nation.
“It behoves us to put our services at the disposal of those who need us most; that is the good people of this country and not the affluent societies of Europe and America,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Brobby further called for qualitative family planning services to prevent maternal deaths and also promote a healthy population.
Expressing regret about the African belief that making more children was a symbol of strength and affluence, the Professor added that, “The African treasures his potency more than the brain.”
Prof. R.C. Abaidoo, Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. K.K. Adarkwa, commended the College of Health Sciences for instituting the annual scientific conference.

KPEDZE SHS IS 50 YEARS OLD (PAGE 28, SEPT 4, 2010)

Authorities of the Kpedze Senior High School (KSHS) in the Volta Region say they will use the golden jubilee anniversary celebration to bring to the fore the deplorable conditions in the school.
Established in 1962 by the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah on a 198 acre-land, the school has seen no rehabilitation since then.
Inaugurating a 17-member anniversary planning committee at Kpedze at the weekend, Mr Gabriel Anku, Headmaster of the KSHS lamented that the school with a population of 730 students had reached its limits and could take no new entrants if no new accommodation facilities were provided immediately.
Mr Anku said the school had only 15 classrooms which were grossly inadequate, forcing the authorities to hold some classes under trees.
The headmaster also said the dining hall, which was in a dilapidated state, was leaking badly.
He expressed his profound gratitude to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school for assisting to convert a library block into a four–unit classroom to accommodate fresh students this academic year.
The planning committee is under the chairmanship of Mr Nelson Gbesemete, the Chairman of the School’s Board of Governors. Inaugurating the committee, Mr Eric Kwame Atieku, charged members to get in touch with the old boys and girls to contribute their quota to the rehabilitation of the school.
“The contributions of the old students to the development of the school has not been absent,” said Mr Atieku.
The board chairman asked the committee to come up with a theme which would enable them to celebrate the anniversary in a grand style. He hinted that the anniversary would be launched tentatively before January 2011.

NKRUMAH'S STATU UNVEILED AT KNUST (PAGE 3, SEPT 4, 2010)

A STATUE of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has been unveiled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi to serve as a monument for the man whose Presidency saw the birth of the university in 1961.
Alhaji Asuma Banda, Chairman of the Antrak Group of Companies, funded the project, which constituted the first phase of the ‘Osagyefo Memorial Park’ to comprise of various facilities to serve as one of the major attractions of the campus.
The statue project, located at the main entrance of the campus, was one of six projects that were inaugurated at the university last Thursday.
Other projects inaugurated included the refurbished Paa Joe Stadium, examinations complex, security staff quarters, and staff bungalows.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K.K. Adarkwa, said over the years the real presence of Dr Nkrumah had not been felt at the KNUST campus, except for his bust at the old university museum.
He said lack of funds prevented the university administration from implementing the project until Alhaji Banda came in.
The VC eulogised the name of the first president for his vision and aspirations to empower the black man to manage his own affairs that led to the establishment of many educational institutions during his administration.
Prof. Adarkwa commended Alhaji Banda for his support for the project and said the university would always be grateful to him.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, who represented the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, said education in Ghana would not have reached its present stage if Dr Nkrumah had not laid a solid foundation for future development.
“Nkrumah’s exploits, which are so visible have impacted positively on the development of Ghana and indeed the entire Africa that, it is impossible to be obliterated from our records and history.
“Indeed, I consider the whole project as a befitting memorial, which does not only immortalise his leadership and dedicated service to the nation, but also to serve as a source of encouragement and motivation to all Ghanaians,” he said.
He praised the university authorities for working hard to raise the image of the university.
“Let me reiterate the government’s commitment to continue to support this university, as science and technology remain the driving force of our economy,” he said.
Mr Opoku-Manu indicated that KNUST had a huge role to play as Ghana prepared to produce oil in commercial quantities.
“I believe that the University is now poised to strategically offer expert and specialised technical support to ensure that the nation derives maximum benefits from the oil industry,” he stressed.

Friday, September 3, 2010

MOVES TO FORM NEW PARTY REAL — AYISI BOATENG (PAGE 12, SEPT 12, 2010)

A FOUNDING member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, has stated that moves by some elements in the party in the region to form a new party is real, and it was important for the leadership of the party to move in quickly to talk to them to drop their intended action.
He said it would be suicidal for anyone to play down the planned formation of a party, saying he had seen the party logo and the draft constitution.
“When word reached me about this party, I personally planted two people in the group and it came out clearly that they were determined to form the party to be known as the United Front Party (UFP),” he said.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Ayisi-Boateng said the formation of the party at this period could derail the chances of the NPP in winning the 2012 elections and it was important that something was done about it.
According to him, he had started moves to sit some of the names in the proposed party down in a bid to get them to back out of the plan.
However, he said, his moves would need the support of party leadership, stressing that, “We need a united front to prosecute the 2012 elections.”
“Some of the people behind this party are known as business people in Kumasi with the financial clout to get the party going. Many of them are also followers of Mr Alan Kyerematen in the last NPP presidential primary.
“I am happy that Mr Kyerematen has distanced himself from this party but we cannot allow this to stay on the surface, “ he said, pointing out that, “ We must get to the bottom of this issue and prevent the formation of this party.”
The NPP founding member recalled what happened in the 2008 elections when a party formed by Mr Kwabena Agyei alias Bambata, who was a key member of the NPP in the Ashanti Region, broke away to form a new party.
“Some of our people did not take that party serious but I tell you it did a lot of harm to us in 2008,” he said.
Mr Ayisi-Boateng recalled that when Mr Agyei started his moves, he (Ayisi-Boateng) informed President Kufuor about the danger that the party could pose to NPP’s chances.
“At that time President Kufuor tasked former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani and presidential spokesman Kwabena Agyapong, to talk to Mr Agyei to drop his plan.
“I recall as a result of that, Mr Agyei was given some timber concessions but after making a lot of money from the concession, he surprisingly went ahead to form the party to contest the 2008 elections and we all know what happened, ” Mr Ayisi-Boateng said.
The NPP founding member pointed out that, every devil has got its followers so no one should think that any political party formed out of the NPP could not threaten the NPP.
He questioned why the Ashanti Region had always been the ground for the formation of breakaway parties within the Busia-Danquah-Dombo tradition.
“The NLM, UNC were all parties that were formed out of our political tradition at the time the main traditional parties needed a united front to prosecute the various elections and it caused defeats to the parties then, “ he said.
Mr Ayisi-Boateng said, “I think we need to give a good image of the region instead of turning it into the epicentre of breakaway parties.”
He stated that it was clear that the NDC was fumbling in government but said the only way the NPP could capitalise on that to win power was to unite behind the presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CWSA'S INITIATIVES ATTRACT NIGERIAN GOVT (PAGE 42, SEPT 2, 2010)

THE success story of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in the Ashanti Region has attracted the Federal Republic of Nigeria to send a 22-member strong delegation to understudy the project to enable the Federal government to replicate it in that country.
  The African Development Bank (AfDB), which is sponsoring the Ghana project, is about to extend similar support to Nigeria and the Federal government believes the Ghana project is the best to learn from because of the achievements so far made under it.
The Federal Minister of Water Resources, Engineer R.C. Onyeanusi, led the Nigeria delegation comprising politicians, engineers, civil servants and other professionals.
As part of the study tour, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu and visited some of the beneficiary communities in the region to have first hand information about the success story of the project.
The RWSP is an African Development Bank (AfDB) sponsored project currently being implemented in five districts of the Ashanti Region, namely Atwima Mponua, Atwima Nwabiagya, Afigya Sekyere, Asante Akyem South and Kwabre.
The project aims at contributing to meeting the national goal of 85 per cent water coverage by 2015.
Specifically, it is to provide portable water facilities to 250,000 people and adequate sanitation to 280,000 people within the project area.
Among the facilities being provided by the project include 1,406 boreholes, 33 hand dug wells, three rainwater harvesting systems, two small towns pipe schemes, 6,000 institutional latrines and 10 shared septic tank systems.
Welcoming the delegation, Mr Opoku-Manu said the government was determined to get the best for the rural people of the country.
He stated that if the rural areas were provided the needed amenities to make life better for them, the people there would not travel to the urban centres in search of non-existent jobs.
The minister said Ghana and Nigeria had had fruitful relationship over the years and that the study tour was an ample testimony of the determination of both countries to build on their relationship.
In a brief statement, Engineer Onyeanusi praised the CWSA for the able manner it had steered the project and said, “We are happy to learn from you.”
“We hope to get the best out of this visit for our rural people,” the minister said.
In an interview, the Ashanti Regional Director of CWSA, Mr Ofori McCarthy, said 39,750 people had been served under the Ventilated Improved Pits (VIPs) toilet project, representing 66.25 per cent of the target population.
He said a total of 806 boreholes had been successfully built serving a population of 241,800.
According to Mr Ofori, other achievements made were in consultancy services for information, education and communication for local people who managed the facilities.

ASUNAFO NHIS MAKES PROGRESS (PAGE 42, SEPT 1, 2010)

THE Asunafo Mutual Health Insurance Scheme is making giant strides in its operation.
Unlike the past when the scheme delayed in honouring its financial commitments to providers, today the scheme does not owe any provider.
As a result, providers have been motivated to offer the best of services to scheme members.
The scheme manager, Mr Edward Nkrumah told the Daily Graphic at Goaso that, “We are poised to even improve on our services so that the people would continue to have hope and confidence in us.”
He urged the providers to continue to offer quality services to scheme members.
Mr Nkrumah stressed that the scheme was growing from strength to strength, denying as untrue allegations by some people that it was collapsing.
According to him, the government had done well to build the scheme because from January to July 2010 alone, it had sent GH¢400 million to the Brong Ahafo Region to pay off all the vetted claims.
Addressing the congregation of the Church of Pentecost at Akrodie later, the scheme manager assured them that the health insurance had come to stay.
Mr Nkrumah who took that opportunity to explain to the church members how the scheme was faring, urged them not to listen to those who were circulating wrong information that the health insurance programme would be abolished.
He explained that the scheme could not be abolished because it was established by an Act of Parliament.
He advised the church members to do away with lifestyles which could send them to their graves early.
Mr Nkrumah mentioned smoking, excessive drinking, self medication and other negative lifestyles as very dangerous to human life.
He finally advised the people to take their supper early and sleep early after the days work.
The scheme’s Public Relations Officer Mr Stephen Konto, also advised the people to feel free to go to the scheme’s office in case of any problem.
He stressed that antenatal care was free so nobody had the right to collect money from pregnant women.