THERE was drama at the Suame Police Station in Kumasi last Saturday when a former confidant of the Head of the International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, invoked the Ashanti river deity, Antoa Nyamaa, to curse the bishop for denying that he had once sent him (the confidant) to perform some rituals at a rival’s prayer camp in Kumasi.
Frank Annor, who claimed to have worked with the bishop not long ago, alleged that Bishop Obinim had asked him to bury suspected human bones, a dead snake and candles at the prayer camp of Rev. Ebenezer Adarkwa-Yiadom of the Ebenezer Prayer Ministry at Ahenema Kokoben in Kumasi.
Bishop Obinim and Rev. Adarkwa-Yiadom, two popular men of God in Kumasi, recently engaged each other in a war of words on radio and television over which of them was the more powerful and who was the true man of God.
The Suame District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwaku Duah, told the Daily Graphic last Saturday that Bishop Obinim was being investigated for a conspiracy to attack Annor.
Bishop Obinim was summoned to the police station over a complaint Annor had lodged against him and three of Obinim’s junior pastors for an attack on him (Annor).
Bishop Obinim denied ever knowing Annor or sending him to perform any rituals, but Annor, in the full glare of the police and onlookers, invoked Antoa Nyamaa to “deal” with the bishop for denying his story.
DSP Duah said the bishop was granted bail after his caution statement had been taken and was requested by the police to produce the other suspects in the case for investigations to continue.
He said the police would initially deal with the case of attempted attack on Annor but when the bones were proved to be human parts, the police would move into that area for further investigations.
According to the district commander, Annor alleged that he had been contracted by Bishop Obinim about a month ago to bury the bones, a dead snake and some candles at the Ebenezer Prayer Centre for a fee of GH¢4,000.
He said Annor claimed that after doing the job, Bishop Obinim failed to give the money to him and instead got some people to attack him, a development which prompted him to report the matter to the police.
DSP Duah said Annor led police investigators to the area where the alleged ritual took place and the items were exhumed.
Even though Bishop Obinim persistently denied ever knowing Annor or sending him to bury the said items, Annor insisted on his allegation and further accused the Bishop of stage-managing his supposed miracles.
Annor alleged that Bishop Obinim contracted people from the Volta Region to be paraded as those he had healed of various ailments.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
KUMASI DECONGESTION WILL CONTINUE (PAGE 18. NOV 28)
THE Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Samuel Sarpong, has given the assurance that the decongestion started in Kumasi about two months ago will be sustained.
He consequently debunked rumours that the assembly had the intention of allowing hawkers back onto the streets and pavements to take advantage of brisk business activities during Christmas.
He said the assembly was determined to sustain the exercise, and asked the people to co-operate with the KMA to ensure its success.
Mr Sarpong stated this at a meeting with representatives of media houses in Kumasi last Tuesday.
The meeting was in recognition of the support the media had given to the assembly since the new government took office and it was used to look for ways to build on what had been achieved so far.
According to him, the assembly had put in extra efforts to ensure that nothing disrupted the successful implementation of the exercise.
He mentioned the recent passing out of 60 city guards after training at the Police Training Depot in Kumasi as one of the measures to sustain the decongestion.
He said Kumasi needed to be kept clean as a way of regaining some of its lost image.
“My administration will not compromise on indiscipline in the metropolis,” he said.
He praised the media for supporting the assembly over the period and asked them to offer constructive criticisms to ensure that the wrongs were corrected.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Nana Yaw Osei, in his remarks, commended Mr Sarpong for his “open administration” which had brought some appreciable level of development to the metropolis within the relatively short period that he had been in office.
He gave the assurance that journalists in the region would criticise where necessary and give praise where praise was due.
“Don’t, therefore, see our criticisms as attempts to torpedo your efforts at changing the face of development in Kumasi,” he added.
He consequently debunked rumours that the assembly had the intention of allowing hawkers back onto the streets and pavements to take advantage of brisk business activities during Christmas.
He said the assembly was determined to sustain the exercise, and asked the people to co-operate with the KMA to ensure its success.
Mr Sarpong stated this at a meeting with representatives of media houses in Kumasi last Tuesday.
The meeting was in recognition of the support the media had given to the assembly since the new government took office and it was used to look for ways to build on what had been achieved so far.
According to him, the assembly had put in extra efforts to ensure that nothing disrupted the successful implementation of the exercise.
He mentioned the recent passing out of 60 city guards after training at the Police Training Depot in Kumasi as one of the measures to sustain the decongestion.
He said Kumasi needed to be kept clean as a way of regaining some of its lost image.
“My administration will not compromise on indiscipline in the metropolis,” he said.
He praised the media for supporting the assembly over the period and asked them to offer constructive criticisms to ensure that the wrongs were corrected.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Nana Yaw Osei, in his remarks, commended Mr Sarpong for his “open administration” which had brought some appreciable level of development to the metropolis within the relatively short period that he had been in office.
He gave the assurance that journalists in the region would criticise where necessary and give praise where praise was due.
“Don’t, therefore, see our criticisms as attempts to torpedo your efforts at changing the face of development in Kumasi,” he added.
NGO ASSISTS AYIGYA ORPHANAGE (NOV 28, PAGE 23)
A NON-GOVERNMENTAL Organisation (NGO), the Juliana Antwi Foundation (JAMFUND), has embarked on a number of projects at the All Nations Charity Home at Ayigya, a suburb of Kumasi, as part of its contribution to bringing hope to the inmates of the orphanage.
The projects included the construction of water tanks with standing pipes, renovation of the boys’ dormitory, re-electrification of some of the structures and provision of funds for feeding.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after sponsoring the inmates on a familiarisation tour of the Kumasi Zoo, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Tim Boateng, said the organisation had so far spent about GH¢4,650 on a number of projects at the home.
He explained that JAMFUND was established to assist the needy in the society, and that the support to the orphanage was a typical example.
He stated that the organisation was run from the United Kingdom, and that he as a founder, facilitated the channelling of funds from various quarters to institutions.
Mr Boateng said JAMFUND had sent a shipment of second hand clothing to the orphanage.
The orphanage currently has about 40 inmates, and is under the care of Rev. Philip Kwasi Nyamekye.
The projects included the construction of water tanks with standing pipes, renovation of the boys’ dormitory, re-electrification of some of the structures and provision of funds for feeding.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after sponsoring the inmates on a familiarisation tour of the Kumasi Zoo, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Tim Boateng, said the organisation had so far spent about GH¢4,650 on a number of projects at the home.
He explained that JAMFUND was established to assist the needy in the society, and that the support to the orphanage was a typical example.
He stated that the organisation was run from the United Kingdom, and that he as a founder, facilitated the channelling of funds from various quarters to institutions.
Mr Boateng said JAMFUND had sent a shipment of second hand clothing to the orphanage.
The orphanage currently has about 40 inmates, and is under the care of Rev. Philip Kwasi Nyamekye.
UNEASY CALM IN KUMAWU AREA (NOV 28, PAGE 3)
THERE is uneasy calm in the Kumawu Traditional Area of the Ashanti Region as the area searches for a successor to the late Omanhene, Barima Asumadu Sakyi II.
Two royal families — Ankaase and Ananangya — are claiming the right to the Kumawu Stool, regarded as one of the most powerful in Asanteman.
Even though the matter is awaiting a ruling by the Asanteman Council, members from both factions are engaged in verbal exchanges and threatening action if the decision of the council does not go in their favour.
Barima Asumadu Sakyi, 65, died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, on July 11, 2007. He reigned for 34 years after succeeding his late uncle, Barima Otuo Acheampong I.
Sources at Kumawu told the Daily Graphic that tension had been mounting, even though the Asanteman Council was determined to come up with a decision that would settle the issue once and for all.
The Queen of the area, Nana Serwaa Amponsah, sister of the late Omanhene, insists that members of the Ankaase Royal Family, where she belongs, are the rightful occupants of the stool.
Consequently, she is said to have made moves to nominate a candidate for enstoolment as Omanhene for the area, but that has been fiercely resisted by the Ananangya Royal Family.
According to the Ananangya faction, it was its turn to ascend the stool and questioned the eligibility of the queen to nominate a candidate from her family.
Some names have already come up as possible contestants but they are yet to be confirmed. Among the names in contention are Yaw Sarpong from the Ankaase faction and one Oduro from the Ananangya faction.
Two royal families — Ankaase and Ananangya — are claiming the right to the Kumawu Stool, regarded as one of the most powerful in Asanteman.
Even though the matter is awaiting a ruling by the Asanteman Council, members from both factions are engaged in verbal exchanges and threatening action if the decision of the council does not go in their favour.
Barima Asumadu Sakyi, 65, died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, on July 11, 2007. He reigned for 34 years after succeeding his late uncle, Barima Otuo Acheampong I.
Sources at Kumawu told the Daily Graphic that tension had been mounting, even though the Asanteman Council was determined to come up with a decision that would settle the issue once and for all.
The Queen of the area, Nana Serwaa Amponsah, sister of the late Omanhene, insists that members of the Ankaase Royal Family, where she belongs, are the rightful occupants of the stool.
Consequently, she is said to have made moves to nominate a candidate for enstoolment as Omanhene for the area, but that has been fiercely resisted by the Ananangya Royal Family.
According to the Ananangya faction, it was its turn to ascend the stool and questioned the eligibility of the queen to nominate a candidate from her family.
Some names have already come up as possible contestants but they are yet to be confirmed. Among the names in contention are Yaw Sarpong from the Ankaase faction and one Oduro from the Ananangya faction.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
NGO DONATES TO TWO HEALTH INSTITUTIONS (PAGE 39, NOV 26)
HEALTH Care Foundation Project, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the United States, has presented a number of pieces of medical equipment to two health institutions in the Ahafo-Ano North District.
The institutions are the Tepa District Hospital and the Health Assistants Training School at Anyinasuso, near Tepa.
The items included anaesthesia circuit sets, oxygen masks and tubing, nebulizer supplies, chest tubes and drainage unit, surgical kits and medical books.
At the presentation ceremony, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Addai Amankwaah, was confident that the equipment would go a long way to address some of the challenges facing the hospital.
He said the government’s quest to improve health delivery in the country would be achieved with the support of the private sector.
The DCE, therefore, commended the NGO for the support and expressed the hope that the beneficiary institutions would take good care of the equipment.
The Omanhene of Tepa, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, who facilitated the donation, stated that last year, the organisation made a similar donation to the Tepa Hospital, which boosted the activities of the hospital.
He was confident that the bond of friendship between the NGO and the Tepa Hospital would grow in the coming years.
According to Nana Ampem, another container of hospital equipment from the foundation was expected to arrive at the hospital before the end of the year.
The Medical Superintendent of the Tepa Hospital, Dr Isaac Akuamoah Boateng, praised the exceptional support from the organisation.
The institutions are the Tepa District Hospital and the Health Assistants Training School at Anyinasuso, near Tepa.
The items included anaesthesia circuit sets, oxygen masks and tubing, nebulizer supplies, chest tubes and drainage unit, surgical kits and medical books.
At the presentation ceremony, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Addai Amankwaah, was confident that the equipment would go a long way to address some of the challenges facing the hospital.
He said the government’s quest to improve health delivery in the country would be achieved with the support of the private sector.
The DCE, therefore, commended the NGO for the support and expressed the hope that the beneficiary institutions would take good care of the equipment.
The Omanhene of Tepa, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, who facilitated the donation, stated that last year, the organisation made a similar donation to the Tepa Hospital, which boosted the activities of the hospital.
He was confident that the bond of friendship between the NGO and the Tepa Hospital would grow in the coming years.
According to Nana Ampem, another container of hospital equipment from the foundation was expected to arrive at the hospital before the end of the year.
The Medical Superintendent of the Tepa Hospital, Dr Isaac Akuamoah Boateng, praised the exceptional support from the organisation.
DISQUIET IN ASHANTI REGIONAL SECRETARIAT OF NDC (PAGE 16, NOV 25)
THERE is a considerable disquiet in the Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over alleged attempts by some of the party members to use lawyers sympathetic to the New Patriotic Party to frustrate the party’s constituency elections through court actions.
Currently, four of such cases had stalled the constituency elections in the Bantama, Kwabre West, Bekwai and Atwima Kwanwoma constituencies.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi last Monday, the Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Doe Tamakloe, said if the trend was allowed to continue, it could not only disrupt the regional elections, but also create an image problem for the party.
“Some of these lawyers have been sitting on radio castigating the NDC in various ways and they will be happy to see the party divided. And because we don’t want to interfere in the court process, we have decided to remain quiet to allow justice to take its course,” he said.
He refused to mention names, but said “ the lawyers and their clients know themselves”.
Mr Tamakloe, therefore, cautioned its membership against the practice, which was doing more harm than good to the NDC.
He warned that the party would move to deal with party members who engaged in such practice.
He urged aggrieved party members to use the laid-down processes to address their grievances rather than resorting to the courts.
“Court action should be the last resort after all the due processes have been exhausted,” he stressed.
The Regional NDC Secretary said so far, 22 constituency elections had been completed peacefully, and expressed the hope that all other knotty issues would be resolved to enable the remaining constituency elections to be held to pave the way for the election of national executives.
He said the NDC was bent on building an even stronger party in the region before the next general election in 2012.
Mr Tamakloe stated that the party had the potential to improve on its performance over the 2008 elections, come 2012 general election.
It was, therefore, important that all party members forget about the past and work in unison to break through the NPP stronghold.
Currently, four of such cases had stalled the constituency elections in the Bantama, Kwabre West, Bekwai and Atwima Kwanwoma constituencies.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi last Monday, the Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Doe Tamakloe, said if the trend was allowed to continue, it could not only disrupt the regional elections, but also create an image problem for the party.
“Some of these lawyers have been sitting on radio castigating the NDC in various ways and they will be happy to see the party divided. And because we don’t want to interfere in the court process, we have decided to remain quiet to allow justice to take its course,” he said.
He refused to mention names, but said “ the lawyers and their clients know themselves”.
Mr Tamakloe, therefore, cautioned its membership against the practice, which was doing more harm than good to the NDC.
He warned that the party would move to deal with party members who engaged in such practice.
He urged aggrieved party members to use the laid-down processes to address their grievances rather than resorting to the courts.
“Court action should be the last resort after all the due processes have been exhausted,” he stressed.
The Regional NDC Secretary said so far, 22 constituency elections had been completed peacefully, and expressed the hope that all other knotty issues would be resolved to enable the remaining constituency elections to be held to pave the way for the election of national executives.
He said the NDC was bent on building an even stronger party in the region before the next general election in 2012.
Mr Tamakloe stated that the party had the potential to improve on its performance over the 2008 elections, come 2012 general election.
It was, therefore, important that all party members forget about the past and work in unison to break through the NPP stronghold.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monsignor Addoh commends Rev. Father Billson-Ogoe (PAGE 39, NOV 23)
A SEND-OFF/thanksgiving service has been held for the Reverend Father Stephen Billson-Ogoe, the Assistant Parish Priest of the Saint Paul’s Catholic Church at Amakom in Kumasi, who is on transfer to the newly established Catholic Seminary at Parkoso, near Kumasi.
The priest, who was ordained in July, 2007, was posted to the St Paul’s Catholic Church at Amakom where he had been serving as the Assistant Parish Priest.
In a fraternal message, Monsignor James Baffoe Addoh, the Episcopal Vicar for Priest and Religious in the Kumasi Archdiocese, commended the congregation at Amakom for the regular support towards the development of the church and the proper upkeep of their priest.
He urged the congregation to continue supporting their priests and any activity geared towards the development of the church since without them there would not be any church.
The Monsignor said a new seminary, which would be opened in Kumasi, would help train more priests for the church in the country and the world as a whole to support evangelisation.
The citation recounted the priest’s regular interaction with the youth on issues bothering them.
Very Reverend Fr John Opoku, the Parish Priest, also thanked Rev. Fr Billson-Ogoe for his dedication and commitment during the two-year stay at Amakom, which led to great changes and development in the church.
The Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, who was the guest of honour for the function, called on the congregation to support the priests in the church with prayers at all times.
Rev Fr Billson-Ogoe, preaching the sermon earlier, thanked the congregation for their prayers and support during his stay at Amakom, and urged them to remember him in prayers as he moved to the seminary to teach.
The priest, who was ordained in July, 2007, was posted to the St Paul’s Catholic Church at Amakom where he had been serving as the Assistant Parish Priest.
In a fraternal message, Monsignor James Baffoe Addoh, the Episcopal Vicar for Priest and Religious in the Kumasi Archdiocese, commended the congregation at Amakom for the regular support towards the development of the church and the proper upkeep of their priest.
He urged the congregation to continue supporting their priests and any activity geared towards the development of the church since without them there would not be any church.
The Monsignor said a new seminary, which would be opened in Kumasi, would help train more priests for the church in the country and the world as a whole to support evangelisation.
The citation recounted the priest’s regular interaction with the youth on issues bothering them.
Very Reverend Fr John Opoku, the Parish Priest, also thanked Rev. Fr Billson-Ogoe for his dedication and commitment during the two-year stay at Amakom, which led to great changes and development in the church.
The Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, who was the guest of honour for the function, called on the congregation to support the priests in the church with prayers at all times.
Rev Fr Billson-Ogoe, preaching the sermon earlier, thanked the congregation for their prayers and support during his stay at Amakom, and urged them to remember him in prayers as he moved to the seminary to teach.
BONSAASO MILLENNIUM VILLAGE PROJECT MAKES PROGRESS (PAGE 40, NOV 23)
ABOUT four years ago, Bonsaaso, a village in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region, was selected among other short-listed communities in the Ashanti, Western and Brong Ahafo regions, to benefit from the Millennium Villages Project (MVP).
The selection procedure was rigorous and at the end of the exercise, Bonsaaso won after demonstrating exceptional self-help spirit.
Currently running in a cluster of 30 predominantly farming communities with a total population of some 30,000 in the Amansie West District is the Bonsaaso MVP.
Bonsaaso, lying 37 kilometres away from Manso Nkwanta, the district capital and 57 kilometres from Kumasi, is the nerve centre of the project, hence the name Bonsaaso MVP.
The MVP is an initiative of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Millennium Promise.
It is running in 13 sites in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Bonsaaso happens to be the only site in Ghana where the project is being undertaken.
Because of the location of Bonsaaso, a number of people may not know the immense benefits being derived by the people of the area as a way of reducing extreme poverty among them.
The MVP is no doubt the single biggest poverty reduction project to surface in the deprived district of Amansie West and if the success achieved by the project in its four years of existence is anything to go by, then the initiators of the project did not make the mistake of selecting Bonsaaso and, for that matter, Amansie West District as the sole beneficiary in Ghana.
It aims at ending extreme poverty and meeting the MDG’s eight globally endorsed targets that address the problems of poverty, health, gender equality and disease.
Initiating a paradigm shift, the Millennium Villages promote an integrated approach to rural development, using evidence-based technologies and strategies in each sector, with sufficient investment over a sufficient period of time.
This approach also combines a critical cost-sharing and planning partnership with local and national governments, and rural African communities, while focusing on capacity building and community empowerment by improving access to clean water, sanitation and other essential infrastructure, education, food production, basic health care, and environmental sustainability.
Millennium Villages ensure that communities living in extreme poverty conditions have a real and sustainable opportunity to lift themselves out of the poverty trap.
Launched on June 1, 2006, the MVP was originally planned to run for five years but a second phase has been planned for 2011-2015.
Bonsaaso is characterised by high levels of malnutrition manifested mainly in protein deficiency in the diet of many of the people.
Consequently, the agricultural strategy of the MVP is focused on how to reverse the situation and thus bring hope to the people. This is manifested in making hybrid seeds and fertilisers easily available to farmers, introduction of quality protein maize on a large scale, and improved extension services to farmers.
Besides, the project is assisting farmers to undertake activities, including fish farming and animal rearing as a way of using them to improve protein deficiency among the people.
To date, about 6,000 farmers have been supported with 43.5 tonnes of improved seed maize, 4.5 tonnes of improved cowpea seeds, 750,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings, 13,894 improved citrus seedlings and 252.4 tonnes of fertiliser to boost agricultural production.
Funding for projects undertaken under the MVP is in three-fold. Millennium Promise and the Japanese government bear 60 per cent of project cost, while the Government of Ghana takes 30 per cent, with the beneficiary community taking one per cent of the cost in the form of communal labour.
Through this system, about 84 different development projects have been initiated in the communities within the Bonsaaso MVP cluster. Some of the projects have been completed while others are ongoing.
Notable among the projects are construction of teachers’ quarters and household latrines, as well as an electrification project, at Dantano.
Among the other communities which have benefited from projects and programmes under the Bonsaaso MVP are Takorase, Afraso, Dadease, Tontokrom, Watreso, Aboaboso, Apenemadi and Yawkasakrom.
Also benefiting under the MVP in the Bonsaaso cluster are communities like Adagya, Numbers One and Two, Assamang, Essienkyem, Wonipanindue, Ayiem, Keniago, Manukrom, Taabosere, Hiamankwa, Dawsoso, Fahiakobo, Kobriso and Akyerekyerekrom.
In all these communities, projects covering electricity, education, environment, health and agriculture, among others have been provided, which have gone a long way to change the face of development of the area and improve the living conditions of the people.
In the health sector, some of the significant benefits the people have derived from the project are increase in the number of health extension workers from zero at the start of the project in 2006 to 38 in 2008; reduction in maternal mortality from 341 per 100,000 births in 2006 to zero in 2008; two functioning health facilities in 2006 to six in 2008.
These and many others have led to a significant improvement in the health of the people.
In educational development, some of the indicators include 71 classroom facilities in good health at the start of the project in 2006 to 93 in 2008, and scholarships for Senior High School (SHS) students rising from nil in 2006 to 29 in 2008.
The MVP has also established a pilot school meals project in the Bonsaaso cluster, where communities and schools are supported to provide low-cost, nutritious meals for pupils on sustainable basis.
From three schools in 2007, the programme now covers 12 out of the 22 primary schools in the cluster, with about 3,248 pupils benefiting from it.
There are many other benefits.
From all indications, the people have come to appreciate the MVP, especially those supporting the funding.
With a committed team of professionals led by the Cluster Manager manning the Bonsaaso MVP, Mr Samuel Afram, the future looks even brighter for the people in this otherwise neglected cluster of communities.
In view of this Mr Afram told this writer during a visit to the cluster recently that, “We have a duty to ensure that we guard this project with the support of the beneficiary communities, to bring hope to the people, and we are committed to delivering on that”.
The selection procedure was rigorous and at the end of the exercise, Bonsaaso won after demonstrating exceptional self-help spirit.
Currently running in a cluster of 30 predominantly farming communities with a total population of some 30,000 in the Amansie West District is the Bonsaaso MVP.
Bonsaaso, lying 37 kilometres away from Manso Nkwanta, the district capital and 57 kilometres from Kumasi, is the nerve centre of the project, hence the name Bonsaaso MVP.
The MVP is an initiative of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Millennium Promise.
It is running in 13 sites in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Bonsaaso happens to be the only site in Ghana where the project is being undertaken.
Because of the location of Bonsaaso, a number of people may not know the immense benefits being derived by the people of the area as a way of reducing extreme poverty among them.
The MVP is no doubt the single biggest poverty reduction project to surface in the deprived district of Amansie West and if the success achieved by the project in its four years of existence is anything to go by, then the initiators of the project did not make the mistake of selecting Bonsaaso and, for that matter, Amansie West District as the sole beneficiary in Ghana.
It aims at ending extreme poverty and meeting the MDG’s eight globally endorsed targets that address the problems of poverty, health, gender equality and disease.
Initiating a paradigm shift, the Millennium Villages promote an integrated approach to rural development, using evidence-based technologies and strategies in each sector, with sufficient investment over a sufficient period of time.
This approach also combines a critical cost-sharing and planning partnership with local and national governments, and rural African communities, while focusing on capacity building and community empowerment by improving access to clean water, sanitation and other essential infrastructure, education, food production, basic health care, and environmental sustainability.
Millennium Villages ensure that communities living in extreme poverty conditions have a real and sustainable opportunity to lift themselves out of the poverty trap.
Launched on June 1, 2006, the MVP was originally planned to run for five years but a second phase has been planned for 2011-2015.
Bonsaaso is characterised by high levels of malnutrition manifested mainly in protein deficiency in the diet of many of the people.
Consequently, the agricultural strategy of the MVP is focused on how to reverse the situation and thus bring hope to the people. This is manifested in making hybrid seeds and fertilisers easily available to farmers, introduction of quality protein maize on a large scale, and improved extension services to farmers.
Besides, the project is assisting farmers to undertake activities, including fish farming and animal rearing as a way of using them to improve protein deficiency among the people.
To date, about 6,000 farmers have been supported with 43.5 tonnes of improved seed maize, 4.5 tonnes of improved cowpea seeds, 750,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings, 13,894 improved citrus seedlings and 252.4 tonnes of fertiliser to boost agricultural production.
Funding for projects undertaken under the MVP is in three-fold. Millennium Promise and the Japanese government bear 60 per cent of project cost, while the Government of Ghana takes 30 per cent, with the beneficiary community taking one per cent of the cost in the form of communal labour.
Through this system, about 84 different development projects have been initiated in the communities within the Bonsaaso MVP cluster. Some of the projects have been completed while others are ongoing.
Notable among the projects are construction of teachers’ quarters and household latrines, as well as an electrification project, at Dantano.
Among the other communities which have benefited from projects and programmes under the Bonsaaso MVP are Takorase, Afraso, Dadease, Tontokrom, Watreso, Aboaboso, Apenemadi and Yawkasakrom.
Also benefiting under the MVP in the Bonsaaso cluster are communities like Adagya, Numbers One and Two, Assamang, Essienkyem, Wonipanindue, Ayiem, Keniago, Manukrom, Taabosere, Hiamankwa, Dawsoso, Fahiakobo, Kobriso and Akyerekyerekrom.
In all these communities, projects covering electricity, education, environment, health and agriculture, among others have been provided, which have gone a long way to change the face of development of the area and improve the living conditions of the people.
In the health sector, some of the significant benefits the people have derived from the project are increase in the number of health extension workers from zero at the start of the project in 2006 to 38 in 2008; reduction in maternal mortality from 341 per 100,000 births in 2006 to zero in 2008; two functioning health facilities in 2006 to six in 2008.
These and many others have led to a significant improvement in the health of the people.
In educational development, some of the indicators include 71 classroom facilities in good health at the start of the project in 2006 to 93 in 2008, and scholarships for Senior High School (SHS) students rising from nil in 2006 to 29 in 2008.
The MVP has also established a pilot school meals project in the Bonsaaso cluster, where communities and schools are supported to provide low-cost, nutritious meals for pupils on sustainable basis.
From three schools in 2007, the programme now covers 12 out of the 22 primary schools in the cluster, with about 3,248 pupils benefiting from it.
There are many other benefits.
From all indications, the people have come to appreciate the MVP, especially those supporting the funding.
With a committed team of professionals led by the Cluster Manager manning the Bonsaaso MVP, Mr Samuel Afram, the future looks even brighter for the people in this otherwise neglected cluster of communities.
In view of this Mr Afram told this writer during a visit to the cluster recently that, “We have a duty to ensure that we guard this project with the support of the beneficiary communities, to bring hope to the people, and we are committed to delivering on that”.
FAISAL TERMINATE OPEELE'S APPOINTMENT (PAGE 31, NOV 21)
THE league is still in its embryonic stage, but the first casualty in the department of coaching has been recorded.
Kumasi King Faisal have, in what they described as a “mutual agreement,” dispensed with the services of coach Isaac “Opeele” Boateng, less than six months after engaging him.
A club source said the decision was reached following a “mutual agreement” between the club’s management and the coach.
“The two parties sat down and agreed that the contract be terminated,” the source told the Daily Graphic yesterday.
However, other sources linked it to the unimpressive performance of the club so far in the league.
Faisal who were among the top four of last year’s league, are now 11th on the league table, something very unusual of the club.
The season may be very young, but looking at the competitive nature of the league, officials of the club are clearly concerned.
Opeele Boateng joined King Faisal from Asante Kotoko after what was seen as an acrimonious exit from the Porcupine Warriors. He first joined Asante Kotoko as assistant coach, later became the head coach before reverting to his earlier role as assistant coach.
The entry of the bespectacled coach at King Faisal was seen as one of the best things to happen to the club, and the management led by CEO, Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, organised a big news conference to introduce him to the club and its supporters.
It is not known where the coach will be heading to next.
Kumasi King Faisal have, in what they described as a “mutual agreement,” dispensed with the services of coach Isaac “Opeele” Boateng, less than six months after engaging him.
A club source said the decision was reached following a “mutual agreement” between the club’s management and the coach.
“The two parties sat down and agreed that the contract be terminated,” the source told the Daily Graphic yesterday.
However, other sources linked it to the unimpressive performance of the club so far in the league.
Faisal who were among the top four of last year’s league, are now 11th on the league table, something very unusual of the club.
The season may be very young, but looking at the competitive nature of the league, officials of the club are clearly concerned.
Opeele Boateng joined King Faisal from Asante Kotoko after what was seen as an acrimonious exit from the Porcupine Warriors. He first joined Asante Kotoko as assistant coach, later became the head coach before reverting to his earlier role as assistant coach.
The entry of the bespectacled coach at King Faisal was seen as one of the best things to happen to the club, and the management led by CEO, Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, organised a big news conference to introduce him to the club and its supporters.
It is not known where the coach will be heading to next.
KESSBEN CALL FOR TIGHT SECURITY AT LEN CLAY (PAGE 31, NOV 21)
LEAGUE leaders, Kessben FC have called for tight security in their Glo premier league match against New Edubiase United at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium tomorrow.
This followed alleged threats by supporters of Obuasi Ashanti Gold FC to attack officials and players of Kessben when they travel to Obuasi tomorrow.
In a statement to the Premier League Board (PLB) dated November 19, 2009, Kessben said, “We wish to lodge a formal complaint about threats being issued by some supporters of Ashgold Football Club via radio stations to attack officials and the team of Kessben FC tomorrow when we visit the Len Clay Stadium for our seventh Week Premier League encounter with New Edubiase.
“The threats follow Ashgold’s away 2-1 defeat last Wednesday, November, 18, 2009 in the sixth week league match with Kessben FC at Abrankese where some supporters who were not in favour of the score line resorted to using abusive language and vandalised property amid throwing of stones at PLB officials present and Management / team of Kessben FC”.
The statement said in view of the threats being openly made on the airwaves, “we would like to draw the attention of all stakeholders, especially the security services to be on the alert for unruly behaviour from anybody or group of persons seeking to disrupt the match”.
Kessben FC expressed the hope that the matter would be taken seriously to protect life and property.
This followed alleged threats by supporters of Obuasi Ashanti Gold FC to attack officials and players of Kessben when they travel to Obuasi tomorrow.
In a statement to the Premier League Board (PLB) dated November 19, 2009, Kessben said, “We wish to lodge a formal complaint about threats being issued by some supporters of Ashgold Football Club via radio stations to attack officials and the team of Kessben FC tomorrow when we visit the Len Clay Stadium for our seventh Week Premier League encounter with New Edubiase.
“The threats follow Ashgold’s away 2-1 defeat last Wednesday, November, 18, 2009 in the sixth week league match with Kessben FC at Abrankese where some supporters who were not in favour of the score line resorted to using abusive language and vandalised property amid throwing of stones at PLB officials present and Management / team of Kessben FC”.
The statement said in view of the threats being openly made on the airwaves, “we would like to draw the attention of all stakeholders, especially the security services to be on the alert for unruly behaviour from anybody or group of persons seeking to disrupt the match”.
Kessben FC expressed the hope that the matter would be taken seriously to protect life and property.
Friday, November 20, 2009
WAAPP SPONSORS 11 RESEARCH PROGRAMMES IN GHANA (PAGE 31, NOV 20)
West African Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is sponsoring 11 research programmes in the country this year at the cost of $1,290,000.
The research programmes are meant to boost agricultural production in the country.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of a three-day regional steering committee meeting of WAAPP in Kumasi last Thursday.
While welcoming the sponsorship, Mr Ahwoi said, "It is clear university research could do with a further boost when we arrive at the stage where educational curricula is linked with research activities."
Officials from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana are attending the three-day meeting.
Three countries - Ghana, Mali and Senegal - are involved in the first phase of WAAPP, a programme conceived with the major objective of improving agricultural productivity through the promotion of regional integration as an instrument for accelerating broad-based growth and poverty reduction in West Africa.
Its approach includes the integration and harmonisation of national agricultural policies and the establishment of direct linkages among research, extension, producers and private economic operators.
Mr Ahwoi called for the introduction of "funding commitments" to allow for research institutes and universities to be more strategic in their planning.
He also called for an integrated national strategy for research under the guidance of a single council representing the government, research and industry.
He said that would result in a more coherent system which would have the universities and research institutions playing complementary roles in the national innovation system.
The minister expressed concern over the weakening of research activities in the universities and expressed the hope that the implementation of the single spine salary structure would stem the tide and keep researchers happy.
He said the current economic situation offered African governments the opportunity to identify and remove constraints to economic growth and unlock new sources of productivity to enhance competitiveness.
"In this line of thought, increasing the effectiveness of scientific research for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and our universities is of great importance because it can instigate firm innovation, which lies at the heart of productivity growth," he stressed.
He expressed the hope that WAAPP would continue to support research and development to better position countries under the organisation to improve agriculture.
The research programmes are meant to boost agricultural production in the country.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of a three-day regional steering committee meeting of WAAPP in Kumasi last Thursday.
While welcoming the sponsorship, Mr Ahwoi said, "It is clear university research could do with a further boost when we arrive at the stage where educational curricula is linked with research activities."
Officials from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana are attending the three-day meeting.
Three countries - Ghana, Mali and Senegal - are involved in the first phase of WAAPP, a programme conceived with the major objective of improving agricultural productivity through the promotion of regional integration as an instrument for accelerating broad-based growth and poverty reduction in West Africa.
Its approach includes the integration and harmonisation of national agricultural policies and the establishment of direct linkages among research, extension, producers and private economic operators.
Mr Ahwoi called for the introduction of "funding commitments" to allow for research institutes and universities to be more strategic in their planning.
He also called for an integrated national strategy for research under the guidance of a single council representing the government, research and industry.
He said that would result in a more coherent system which would have the universities and research institutions playing complementary roles in the national innovation system.
The minister expressed concern over the weakening of research activities in the universities and expressed the hope that the implementation of the single spine salary structure would stem the tide and keep researchers happy.
He said the current economic situation offered African governments the opportunity to identify and remove constraints to economic growth and unlock new sources of productivity to enhance competitiveness.
"In this line of thought, increasing the effectiveness of scientific research for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and our universities is of great importance because it can instigate firm innovation, which lies at the heart of productivity growth," he stressed.
He expressed the hope that WAAPP would continue to support research and development to better position countries under the organisation to improve agriculture.
MAKE JUDICIOUS USE OF POVERTY REDUCTION FUNDS (PAGE 16, NOV 20)
District assemblies have been asked to make judicious use of poverty reduction funds, instead of spending them on frivolous activities.
The Director of the Planning Formulation Unit of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr Kwabena Okyere, who made the call, said the assemblies were sometimes guilty of using parts of such funds on entertainment and other unnecessary activities, to the disadvantage of the poor.
Speaking at the first national workshop on planning issues under the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) in Kumasi on Wednesday, Mr Okyere noted that many poverty reduction strategies had not achieved their objectives because of poor implementation strategies.
“We are tired of poverty reduction strategies without concrete action to effectively implement them,” he said.
About 100 participants, including assembly members, youth leaders and the self-employed, attended the two-day workshop, organised by the Social Investment Fund (SIF), which was aimed at addressing urban poverty.
Mr Okyere said a number of people were drifting from the rural areas to the urban centres, despite efforts by the government and other development partners to control the problem.
The irony of the situation was that that development added up to the problem of urban poverty, he noted.
He stressed the need for the rural poor to be empowered economically to enable them to come out of their challenges.
Mr Okyere said the country needed visionary district chief executives to see through the effective implementation of development programmes.
The Executive Director of the SIF, Mrs Ama Serwaa Dapaa, said the project had benefited a good number of people in the country, adding that more were in the pipeline to better the lot of the people.
She said emphasis was being placed on sanitation and waste management, which had been major sources of concern in the urban areas.
The executive director stated that the SIF had engaged a consultant to help the assemblies strengthen their capacities on waste management. Besides, it was moving to assist the assemblies in their revenue generation efforts.
The Director of the Planning Formulation Unit of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr Kwabena Okyere, who made the call, said the assemblies were sometimes guilty of using parts of such funds on entertainment and other unnecessary activities, to the disadvantage of the poor.
Speaking at the first national workshop on planning issues under the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) in Kumasi on Wednesday, Mr Okyere noted that many poverty reduction strategies had not achieved their objectives because of poor implementation strategies.
“We are tired of poverty reduction strategies without concrete action to effectively implement them,” he said.
About 100 participants, including assembly members, youth leaders and the self-employed, attended the two-day workshop, organised by the Social Investment Fund (SIF), which was aimed at addressing urban poverty.
Mr Okyere said a number of people were drifting from the rural areas to the urban centres, despite efforts by the government and other development partners to control the problem.
The irony of the situation was that that development added up to the problem of urban poverty, he noted.
He stressed the need for the rural poor to be empowered economically to enable them to come out of their challenges.
Mr Okyere said the country needed visionary district chief executives to see through the effective implementation of development programmes.
The Executive Director of the SIF, Mrs Ama Serwaa Dapaa, said the project had benefited a good number of people in the country, adding that more were in the pipeline to better the lot of the people.
She said emphasis was being placed on sanitation and waste management, which had been major sources of concern in the urban areas.
The executive director stated that the SIF had engaged a consultant to help the assemblies strengthen their capacities on waste management. Besides, it was moving to assist the assemblies in their revenue generation efforts.
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN RECTOR (PAGE 3, NOV 20)
THE Kumasi Polytechnic branch of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) has passed a vote of no confidence in the Rector of the institution, Dr B.E.K. Prah, accusing him of maladministration, corruption and incompetence.
At a news conference in Kumasi yesterday, the association called on the authorities not to extend the rector’s term of office when it expired on December 3, 2009, warning that it would use all available means at its disposal to make work uncomfortable for him if his term was extended.
The K’Poly branch Chairman of POTAG, Mr S. Abu-Frimpong, who read the nine-point allegation against the rector at the news conference, alleged that Dr Prah awarded a contract on the assembling of computers to his nephew, one Andrew Prah, based in the US, for a fee of $19,000 without recourse to tender procedure.
He said in spite of his failure to go strictly according to the procurement procedure, Dr Prah made sure that the polytechnic paid for his nephew’s air ticket to and from Ghana.
Mr Abu-Frimpong further alleged that although the previous Finance Officer of the polytechnic retired in September 2009, a three-year annual leave had been commuted into cash of GH¢11,000 and paid to him and wondered why the rector had allowed the “illegal money” to be paid to the man.
He said Dr Prah had also failed to account for fees running into tens of thousands of Ghana cedis collected from non-HND programmes being run by the polytechnic.
At a news conference in Kumasi yesterday, the association called on the authorities not to extend the rector’s term of office when it expired on December 3, 2009, warning that it would use all available means at its disposal to make work uncomfortable for him if his term was extended.
The K’Poly branch Chairman of POTAG, Mr S. Abu-Frimpong, who read the nine-point allegation against the rector at the news conference, alleged that Dr Prah awarded a contract on the assembling of computers to his nephew, one Andrew Prah, based in the US, for a fee of $19,000 without recourse to tender procedure.
He said in spite of his failure to go strictly according to the procurement procedure, Dr Prah made sure that the polytechnic paid for his nephew’s air ticket to and from Ghana.
Mr Abu-Frimpong further alleged that although the previous Finance Officer of the polytechnic retired in September 2009, a three-year annual leave had been commuted into cash of GH¢11,000 and paid to him and wondered why the rector had allowed the “illegal money” to be paid to the man.
He said Dr Prah had also failed to account for fees running into tens of thousands of Ghana cedis collected from non-HND programmes being run by the polytechnic.
BIG RELIEF FOR COACH FABIN (PAGE 47, NOV 20)
UNDER pressure coach Paa Kwesi Fabin had a huge relief when Asante Kotoko posted a 2-1 victory over Real Tamale United in their Glo Premier League match at the Baba Yara Stadium on Wednesday night.
Jordan Opoku and former RTU striker, Kabiru Moro, scored the two goals that saved the coach from further troubles with the fans.
The former RTU hit man, who joined Asante Kotoko this season, crowned a fine night with a great goal that sent the fans cheering.
With about five minutes to end the game, Kabiru found space to meet a pass and dispatched the ball past the despairing lunge of keeper Nana Bonsu.
The first half had looked ominously familiar of Asante Kotoko. A catalogue of faulty passes and wayward shooting saw the Porcupine Warriors struggling.
Jordan Opoku was presented with the first opportunity to open the scores on the seventh minute but he whisked a free kick just around the area over the bar.
Kwabena Yaro, who partnered Kabiru in attack, was denied by Nana Bonsu in post on the 9th minute, plucking the striker’s header from 6 yards out.
Daniel Coleman worked hard to put the brakes on Yaro and the fans expressed their fury by shouting at the gangling striker to buck up.
Upfront for RTU, the going was difficult, with their strikers finding it extremely difficult to find space off Isaac Owusu, Omar Gariba, and Ofosu Appiah.
Determined to match Kotoko boot for boot RTU ended up conceding free kicks near the area but Kotoko failed to take advantage.
The second half started with Kotoko a transformed side, threading their passes well and keeping the pressure on Coleman, Baker, Iddrisu and Ibrahim at the RTU back.
When the heat became unbearable, the RTU defence caved in on the 76th minute, and what a moment to score that elusive goal.
Jordan trapped a pass on the chest before putting the ball out of the reach of the keeper.
The fans called for more goals and the home players responded, cutting into the area, one of which resulted in Kabiru’s goal.
But RTU fought hard to pull one back inside injury time.
Jordan Opoku and former RTU striker, Kabiru Moro, scored the two goals that saved the coach from further troubles with the fans.
The former RTU hit man, who joined Asante Kotoko this season, crowned a fine night with a great goal that sent the fans cheering.
With about five minutes to end the game, Kabiru found space to meet a pass and dispatched the ball past the despairing lunge of keeper Nana Bonsu.
The first half had looked ominously familiar of Asante Kotoko. A catalogue of faulty passes and wayward shooting saw the Porcupine Warriors struggling.
Jordan Opoku was presented with the first opportunity to open the scores on the seventh minute but he whisked a free kick just around the area over the bar.
Kwabena Yaro, who partnered Kabiru in attack, was denied by Nana Bonsu in post on the 9th minute, plucking the striker’s header from 6 yards out.
Daniel Coleman worked hard to put the brakes on Yaro and the fans expressed their fury by shouting at the gangling striker to buck up.
Upfront for RTU, the going was difficult, with their strikers finding it extremely difficult to find space off Isaac Owusu, Omar Gariba, and Ofosu Appiah.
Determined to match Kotoko boot for boot RTU ended up conceding free kicks near the area but Kotoko failed to take advantage.
The second half started with Kotoko a transformed side, threading their passes well and keeping the pressure on Coleman, Baker, Iddrisu and Ibrahim at the RTU back.
When the heat became unbearable, the RTU defence caved in on the 76th minute, and what a moment to score that elusive goal.
Jordan trapped a pass on the chest before putting the ball out of the reach of the keeper.
The fans called for more goals and the home players responded, cutting into the area, one of which resulted in Kabiru’s goal.
But RTU fought hard to pull one back inside injury time.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
NPP NEEDS NEW STRATEGIES TO WIN ELECTIONS — FRIMPONG (PAGE 17, NOV 19)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre East, Mr Kofi Frimpong, has said that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) needs new strategies to win the 2012 elections.
The strategies, he said, must be designed and implemented at the local level instead of being imposed on them by the national headquarters.
Mr Frimpong who stated this at the Kwabre East Constituency elections of the NPP at Mampongteng, the constituency headquarters, predicted the 2012 elections would be fiercely contested but stressed that, “with the right approach we shall emerge victorious.”
The constituency election, which was supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission, saw the re-election of Mr Samuel Boakye Ansah aka Sabas, a retired teacher as constituency chairman.
The positions of first and second vice chairman went to Messrs Owusu Asiedu and Nyamaa Boakye respectively.
Other elected officers were Mr Opoku Agyemang Owusu, secretary, Mr Adu Donkor, assistant secretary, Mr Adams Mohammed, organiser, Ms Afia Sarpong, women’s organiser, Victoria Cobinna, treasurer, and Williams Asiedu, youth organiser.
The MP commended the party’s members for the maturity they showed during the elections.
“The fact that everything went on peacefully and the vanquished embraced the victors with smiles portrayed the constituency as very disciplined and ready to work in unity to achieve the ultimate,” he said.
Mr Frimpong urged the elected executives to always consult the defeated party members in decisions affecting the well-being of the party.
“We need to prove to all that we are a matured constituency, determined to grow bigger in the years ahead,” he said.
The Ashanti Regional Women’s Organiser of the NPP, Mrs Mary Brobbey, who swore the executives into office congratulated them and noted that the victory was for the entire NPP and not the elected individuals .
She urged them to go to every corner of the constituency to sell the message of the party.
On behalf of the executive, the chairman, Mr Boakye Ansah, promised that they would work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them.
The strategies, he said, must be designed and implemented at the local level instead of being imposed on them by the national headquarters.
Mr Frimpong who stated this at the Kwabre East Constituency elections of the NPP at Mampongteng, the constituency headquarters, predicted the 2012 elections would be fiercely contested but stressed that, “with the right approach we shall emerge victorious.”
The constituency election, which was supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission, saw the re-election of Mr Samuel Boakye Ansah aka Sabas, a retired teacher as constituency chairman.
The positions of first and second vice chairman went to Messrs Owusu Asiedu and Nyamaa Boakye respectively.
Other elected officers were Mr Opoku Agyemang Owusu, secretary, Mr Adu Donkor, assistant secretary, Mr Adams Mohammed, organiser, Ms Afia Sarpong, women’s organiser, Victoria Cobinna, treasurer, and Williams Asiedu, youth organiser.
The MP commended the party’s members for the maturity they showed during the elections.
“The fact that everything went on peacefully and the vanquished embraced the victors with smiles portrayed the constituency as very disciplined and ready to work in unity to achieve the ultimate,” he said.
Mr Frimpong urged the elected executives to always consult the defeated party members in decisions affecting the well-being of the party.
“We need to prove to all that we are a matured constituency, determined to grow bigger in the years ahead,” he said.
The Ashanti Regional Women’s Organiser of the NPP, Mrs Mary Brobbey, who swore the executives into office congratulated them and noted that the victory was for the entire NPP and not the elected individuals .
She urged them to go to every corner of the constituency to sell the message of the party.
On behalf of the executive, the chairman, Mr Boakye Ansah, promised that they would work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
KNUST, ASSOCIATION OF BANKERS ENTER INTO AGREEMENT (PAGE 11, NOV 18)
THE College of Art and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (CASS-KNUST), has entered into partnership with the Ghana Association of Bankers to carry out training programmes for staff of the banks.
As part of the partnership, the association has established a 40,000 Chair at the college to cover a period of two years renewable depending on the success of the programme.
Prof. Dr Dr Daniel Buor, Provost of the College told the Daily Graphic that the training programmes would sharpen the skills of the banking staff to enable them to provide quality services for the people.
Speaking after the 25th intra college public lecture of CASS-KNUST, the Provost said the college was well positioned to partner industry to grow and contribute positively to national development.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor said through the linkage with the Association of
Bankers, the college had purchased a brand new pick up to facilitate the programme.
He urged the industry to continue to have faith in the college saying “we have the expertise to take them through programmes and activities that would change their fortunes for the better”.
The Provost indicated that the college had plans to assist staff of the banks to enrol in various programmes of study within the college.
“This is possible if we get a pre-university course for the staff who do not have university education,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that the KNUST Business School, which formed part of the college, had been the most attractive area of study in the university.
“We will continue to grow the Business School to enable it provide the right education to the people,” he added.
The Provost appealed to the government and the corporate world to help equip laboratories in the KNUST that were in deplorable conditions.
Earlier, the Provost had told the public lecture that, academic development was a two-way affair stressing that both the lecturer and the student needed to play their part effectively in that respect.
Another speaker at the lecture was Prof. Susan Bandoni Muench, Associate Professor at the Department of Biology åof the State University of New York at Geneseo, United States.
As part of the partnership, the association has established a 40,000 Chair at the college to cover a period of two years renewable depending on the success of the programme.
Prof. Dr Dr Daniel Buor, Provost of the College told the Daily Graphic that the training programmes would sharpen the skills of the banking staff to enable them to provide quality services for the people.
Speaking after the 25th intra college public lecture of CASS-KNUST, the Provost said the college was well positioned to partner industry to grow and contribute positively to national development.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor said through the linkage with the Association of
Bankers, the college had purchased a brand new pick up to facilitate the programme.
He urged the industry to continue to have faith in the college saying “we have the expertise to take them through programmes and activities that would change their fortunes for the better”.
The Provost indicated that the college had plans to assist staff of the banks to enrol in various programmes of study within the college.
“This is possible if we get a pre-university course for the staff who do not have university education,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that the KNUST Business School, which formed part of the college, had been the most attractive area of study in the university.
“We will continue to grow the Business School to enable it provide the right education to the people,” he added.
The Provost appealed to the government and the corporate world to help equip laboratories in the KNUST that were in deplorable conditions.
Earlier, the Provost had told the public lecture that, academic development was a two-way affair stressing that both the lecturer and the student needed to play their part effectively in that respect.
Another speaker at the lecture was Prof. Susan Bandoni Muench, Associate Professor at the Department of Biology åof the State University of New York at Geneseo, United States.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
IT WAS A REGAL HOST (GRAPHIC SPORTS, NOV 17, SPREAD)
After coming from behind on two occasions to draw level with Mali in their final world cup qualifying game at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi last Sunday, the entire team of the Black Starts and their Malian counterparts descended on the Manhyia Palace Gardens where a red carpet treatment was rolled out for them to dine and wine with the occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and his wife, Lady Julia .
The red carpet dinner, according to Otumfuo Osei Tutu, “ was in appreciation of your gallant performance during the world cup qualifying series which saw you qualifying for the 2010 tournament earlier than expected, and at a time many renowned teams in Africa and Europe were struggling to qualify.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who had planned ahead to honour the players and technical team of the Black Stars moments after they won their fourth consecutive World Cup qualifying match, took opportunity of the last game in Kumasi to invite them to the Manhyia Palace where he extended to them a golden handshake and a royal dinner.
To prevent uninvited guests from invading the palace, security at the gates was very tight.
Abrante Amakye Dede and his bandsmen were at the palace to provide highlife music to reflect the serene atmosphere at the royal dinner.
Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Akyempemhene, Oheneba Adusei Poku, who gave the welcome address, the Paramount Chief of Kushia, Nana Pra Agyensen, the Sports Minister, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and his Vice, Messrs Kwesi Nyantakyi, and Fred Pappoe, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, The Mayor of Kumasi, Mr Samuel Sarpong as well as Mr Akenten Appiah Minkaha, a statesman, and the Anglican Bishop of Kumasi, Rt Rev. Daniel Yinkah Sarfo .
Others were the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Mr Nii Nortey Dua and Messrs Randy Abbey and Jones Alhassan-Abu, both GFA members.
Prior to the dinner, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who arrived at the Royal gardens with his wife, interacted with the Black Stars players and technical team.
After shaking their hands with the players and officials, the Asantehene gave them pieces of advice on the expectations of Ghanaians as they feverishly prepare to take Africa by storm during the January 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
In his address, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said the gallant performance of the Stars during the World Cup qualifying series was very commendable , saying he planned to dine with the team some months ago, and with this he hoped to raise funds to support their preparations towards the tournament to enable them perform creditably in South Africa.
He said the performance of the Stars in Germany four years ago did not only market Ghana as one of the soccer giants in world soccer, but had also built confidence in the players.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said following the recent performance of the Satellites which saw them conquering the world at the under-20 level, and also saw Dominic Adiyiah winning the Best player and Golden Boot awards at the same tournament, the Stars have a huge responsibility of doing better than what they did in Germany.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also commended the other West Africa countries which qualified alongside Ghana for the 2010 tournament in South Africa, saying their qualification has proves that West Africa is home for Africa soccer.
He, therefore, challenged governments in the sub-region to increase their budget allocations for the development of soccer in particular, and other sports programmes in general, as a way of unearthing talents to promote sports.
He commended the GFA, the technical team and the entire players of both the Satellites and the Black Stars and urged them to focus on their training programmes and also be disciplined in all their endeavours to enable them bring more laurels for themselves and the nation.
Earlier, both Mr Nyantakyi and Mr Pelpuo outlined the preparations for the Stars for the Angola and South Africa tournaments.
The red carpet dinner, according to Otumfuo Osei Tutu, “ was in appreciation of your gallant performance during the world cup qualifying series which saw you qualifying for the 2010 tournament earlier than expected, and at a time many renowned teams in Africa and Europe were struggling to qualify.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who had planned ahead to honour the players and technical team of the Black Stars moments after they won their fourth consecutive World Cup qualifying match, took opportunity of the last game in Kumasi to invite them to the Manhyia Palace where he extended to them a golden handshake and a royal dinner.
To prevent uninvited guests from invading the palace, security at the gates was very tight.
Abrante Amakye Dede and his bandsmen were at the palace to provide highlife music to reflect the serene atmosphere at the royal dinner.
Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Akyempemhene, Oheneba Adusei Poku, who gave the welcome address, the Paramount Chief of Kushia, Nana Pra Agyensen, the Sports Minister, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and his Vice, Messrs Kwesi Nyantakyi, and Fred Pappoe, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, The Mayor of Kumasi, Mr Samuel Sarpong as well as Mr Akenten Appiah Minkaha, a statesman, and the Anglican Bishop of Kumasi, Rt Rev. Daniel Yinkah Sarfo .
Others were the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Mr Nii Nortey Dua and Messrs Randy Abbey and Jones Alhassan-Abu, both GFA members.
Prior to the dinner, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who arrived at the Royal gardens with his wife, interacted with the Black Stars players and technical team.
After shaking their hands with the players and officials, the Asantehene gave them pieces of advice on the expectations of Ghanaians as they feverishly prepare to take Africa by storm during the January 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
In his address, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said the gallant performance of the Stars during the World Cup qualifying series was very commendable , saying he planned to dine with the team some months ago, and with this he hoped to raise funds to support their preparations towards the tournament to enable them perform creditably in South Africa.
He said the performance of the Stars in Germany four years ago did not only market Ghana as one of the soccer giants in world soccer, but had also built confidence in the players.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said following the recent performance of the Satellites which saw them conquering the world at the under-20 level, and also saw Dominic Adiyiah winning the Best player and Golden Boot awards at the same tournament, the Stars have a huge responsibility of doing better than what they did in Germany.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also commended the other West Africa countries which qualified alongside Ghana for the 2010 tournament in South Africa, saying their qualification has proves that West Africa is home for Africa soccer.
He, therefore, challenged governments in the sub-region to increase their budget allocations for the development of soccer in particular, and other sports programmes in general, as a way of unearthing talents to promote sports.
He commended the GFA, the technical team and the entire players of both the Satellites and the Black Stars and urged them to focus on their training programmes and also be disciplined in all their endeavours to enable them bring more laurels for themselves and the nation.
Earlier, both Mr Nyantakyi and Mr Pelpuo outlined the preparations for the Stars for the Angola and South Africa tournaments.
FANS JEER ...At Adiyiah's absence (GRAPHIC SPORTS, LEAD STORY, NOV 17)
IT was a below average performance, and the fans in Kumasi did not take kindly to Milovan Rajevac’s failure to use World Under-20 best player, Dominic Adiyiah, in the Ghana-Mali World Cup qualifier last Sunday.
With Mali’s defence of Adama Tamboura, Adama Coulibaly, Bakari Soumare and Drissa Diakate making mince meat of the Black Stars attack, some impatient fans had very harsh words for the Ghanaian technical team headed by Milovan Rajevac for allowing the young, but impressive Adiyiah, to sit on the bench for the entire duration while the Black Stars attack struggled to find a way past the Malian defence.
Indeed, all may not be well with the Black Stars and it is time they accept the fact and put in corrective measures before the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup in 2010.
Yes, the team may have a collection of players, some of whom are established stars in their own right, but it also remains a fact that the coordinated play typical of the national team has been missing of late.
For some of the fans who kept shouting at Rajevac to bring on board Adiyiah, his inclusion would have been a plus for the striking department that looked pale.
Asamoah Gyan blew away clear chances and was not the fighting striker everybody knows. Striking partner Matthew Amoah, even though scored Ghana’s first goal, was slow to react.
But the coach would not have anything from the fans and kept the striker on the bench.
Struggling to contain a Malian side without the likes of Fredrick Kanoute and Mamadou Diarra was enough to tell the handlers of the Ghanaian team that more work must be done.
That the Black Stars need to toughen up in defence as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup is an understatement.
Against Mali last Sunday, the defence was fortuitous than a fortress and the Malian attack of Keita and Ndiaye cut through with ease.
In many ways the second half saw more action than the first, with the Black Stars defence looking very vulnerable as the Malians’ pacy attack came threatening.
Once again keeper Richard Kingson proved his agility, saving some sticky situations that could have brought disaster to the Black Stars.
John Paintsil, Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah and Eric Addo were in all sorts of trouble at the back and the coach’s decision to withdraw the big three, Essien, Appiah and Muntari, was the best thing to do on the night. Appiah’s passes could not go through, Muntari was just destroying the game plan and Essien looked a bit tired, perhaps due the launch of his Foundation a day before the match.
But the three players drew loud applause from the half-full stadium as they left the pitch at various stages of their withdrawal, waving to the crowd.
The coach must revise his notes as they prepare for the task ahead in South Africa and Angola in 2010.
With Mali’s defence of Adama Tamboura, Adama Coulibaly, Bakari Soumare and Drissa Diakate making mince meat of the Black Stars attack, some impatient fans had very harsh words for the Ghanaian technical team headed by Milovan Rajevac for allowing the young, but impressive Adiyiah, to sit on the bench for the entire duration while the Black Stars attack struggled to find a way past the Malian defence.
Indeed, all may not be well with the Black Stars and it is time they accept the fact and put in corrective measures before the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup in 2010.
Yes, the team may have a collection of players, some of whom are established stars in their own right, but it also remains a fact that the coordinated play typical of the national team has been missing of late.
For some of the fans who kept shouting at Rajevac to bring on board Adiyiah, his inclusion would have been a plus for the striking department that looked pale.
Asamoah Gyan blew away clear chances and was not the fighting striker everybody knows. Striking partner Matthew Amoah, even though scored Ghana’s first goal, was slow to react.
But the coach would not have anything from the fans and kept the striker on the bench.
Struggling to contain a Malian side without the likes of Fredrick Kanoute and Mamadou Diarra was enough to tell the handlers of the Ghanaian team that more work must be done.
That the Black Stars need to toughen up in defence as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup is an understatement.
Against Mali last Sunday, the defence was fortuitous than a fortress and the Malian attack of Keita and Ndiaye cut through with ease.
In many ways the second half saw more action than the first, with the Black Stars defence looking very vulnerable as the Malians’ pacy attack came threatening.
Once again keeper Richard Kingson proved his agility, saving some sticky situations that could have brought disaster to the Black Stars.
John Paintsil, Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah and Eric Addo were in all sorts of trouble at the back and the coach’s decision to withdraw the big three, Essien, Appiah and Muntari, was the best thing to do on the night. Appiah’s passes could not go through, Muntari was just destroying the game plan and Essien looked a bit tired, perhaps due the launch of his Foundation a day before the match.
But the three players drew loud applause from the half-full stadium as they left the pitch at various stages of their withdrawal, waving to the crowd.
The coach must revise his notes as they prepare for the task ahead in South Africa and Angola in 2010.
Monday, November 16, 2009
IMPOSTOR GRABBED (PAGE 3, NOV 16)
THE police in Kumasi have arrested a 26-year-old man who posed as a policeman and extorted money from drivers.
Yaw Amoah, who posed as a police constable, was arrested in full police gear at a point near the Kejetia Terminal where he was stopping cars and collecting money from drivers.
He claimed to have received the police uniform from a policeman at the Asokwa Police Station in Kumasi and the Ashanti Regional Police Command has launched investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.
Briefing journalists at his office, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, said the MTTU in Kumasi had long heard of the activities of the suspect and had been doing everything to trace him.
He said last Saturday a policeman spotted Amoah, who claimed to be a native of Barekese-Achiase in the Ashanti Region, stopping cars and extorting money from drivers near Kejetia.
He was quickly arrested and sent to the Regional Police Headquarters.
DCOP Timbillah said a search on the suspect revealed a wrap of leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and a quantity of GH¢1 notes suspected to have been collected from drivers.
Amoah told the police that he collected the uniform from his policeman friend at Asokwa, whom he named only as Mike.
According to the suspect, Mike released the uniform to him after he (Amoah) had convinced him that he wanted to wear it to collect a debt on behalf of his (Amoah’s) friend.
He further stated that he had long wanted to become a policeman but his parents refused to help him.
Amoah stated that he had, therefore, been happy to wear the uniform to perform the duties of a policeman in town.
Yaw Amoah, who posed as a police constable, was arrested in full police gear at a point near the Kejetia Terminal where he was stopping cars and collecting money from drivers.
He claimed to have received the police uniform from a policeman at the Asokwa Police Station in Kumasi and the Ashanti Regional Police Command has launched investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.
Briefing journalists at his office, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, said the MTTU in Kumasi had long heard of the activities of the suspect and had been doing everything to trace him.
He said last Saturday a policeman spotted Amoah, who claimed to be a native of Barekese-Achiase in the Ashanti Region, stopping cars and extorting money from drivers near Kejetia.
He was quickly arrested and sent to the Regional Police Headquarters.
DCOP Timbillah said a search on the suspect revealed a wrap of leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and a quantity of GH¢1 notes suspected to have been collected from drivers.
Amoah told the police that he collected the uniform from his policeman friend at Asokwa, whom he named only as Mike.
According to the suspect, Mike released the uniform to him after he (Amoah) had convinced him that he wanted to wear it to collect a debt on behalf of his (Amoah’s) friend.
He further stated that he had long wanted to become a policeman but his parents refused to help him.
Amoah stated that he had, therefore, been happy to wear the uniform to perform the duties of a policeman in town.
FOUR WOMEN ARRESTED ... For dealing in fake tickets (PAGE 71, NOV 16)
FOUR women were arrested at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi last Saturday for allegedly selling fake tickets for the Ghana-Mali World Cup qualifier.
Police gave their names as Akua Adusei, 28, seamstress, Margaret Appiah, 27, trader, Charity Ababio, 23, hairdresser, and Christiana Manu, 26, seamstress.
Nine fake booklets containing tickets, some of which had already been sold out, were found with them.
Also found on them was cash of GH¢385, being proceeds realised from the sale of the fake tickets.
Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that two friends went to the stadium last Saturday to purchase advance tickets for yesterday’s match.
Because they wanted to sit close to one another the two friends demanded tickets with close serial numbers.
However, after buying the tickets, they realised that the tickets had the same serial numbers.
The police were informed and the four women were arrested.
Upon interrogation, they said the one Regina Asmah who was in charge of the sale of advance tickets for the match engaged them.
However, the fake tickets were given to them by another person (name withheld) to sell.
Chief inspector Tanko said police were looking for the alleged source of the fake tickets.
The four suspects are in police custody pending further investigations.
Police gave their names as Akua Adusei, 28, seamstress, Margaret Appiah, 27, trader, Charity Ababio, 23, hairdresser, and Christiana Manu, 26, seamstress.
Nine fake booklets containing tickets, some of which had already been sold out, were found with them.
Also found on them was cash of GH¢385, being proceeds realised from the sale of the fake tickets.
Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that two friends went to the stadium last Saturday to purchase advance tickets for yesterday’s match.
Because they wanted to sit close to one another the two friends demanded tickets with close serial numbers.
However, after buying the tickets, they realised that the tickets had the same serial numbers.
The police were informed and the four women were arrested.
Upon interrogation, they said the one Regina Asmah who was in charge of the sale of advance tickets for the match engaged them.
However, the fake tickets were given to them by another person (name withheld) to sell.
Chief inspector Tanko said police were looking for the alleged source of the fake tickets.
The four suspects are in police custody pending further investigations.
GUINNESS GIVES GH¢584,000 (PAGE 71, NOV 16)
GUINNESS, the flagship brand of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), has lived up to its annual commitment to the Black Stars with the presentation of a cheque for GH¢ 584,000 to the team.
The presentation, made last Friday at Royal Lamerta Hotel in Kumasi where the team camped for the last World Cup qualifier against Mali, also witnessed the unveiling of a new limited edition label for Guinness.
The limited edition, which is in recognition of the outstanding performance of the Black Stars in the 2010 World Cup and CAN 2010 qualifiers, is to whip up the enthusiasm of the nation and show loyalty to the team.
Making the presentation, the Marketing Director of GGBL, Ms Ama Okyere, noted that the relationship that had existed between Guinness and the Black Stars over a decade was still healthy, and expressed the hope that the relationship would grow in the coming years.
She reiterated GGBL’s resolve to support Ghana football to grow, especially as the sport was the passion of the nation.
Ms Okyere said the Black Stars’ performance, as the first African team to qualify for the World Cup was something the entire nation was proud of.
“Undoubtedly, having achieved such a feat can only be described as greatness.
“It is, therefore, imperative that GGBL stays true to its word as always supporting the Black Stars to even greater heights in the coming major football year,” Ms Okyere stressed.
The marketing director stated that the new limited edition of Guinness would become the “dressing for Guinness” in the major football year.
The clarion call to the Black Stars and the nation, she said, was “Together let’s reach for greatness”.
Mr Fred Pappoe, Vice-President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) who received the cheque on behalf of the team, thanked GGBL for the support to the national team and promised that the players would not disgrace the nation during the World Cup.
He said Guinness had shown it had not only Ghana football at heart but also the entire nation since football was “the heart of the nation”.
The captain of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah, commended GGBL and said, “We are proud to be associated with you”.
He gave the assurance that the team would go all out and raise the image of the nation on the world stage.
The deputy Skipper of the Black Stars, Michael Essien, who is Guinness’ Brand Ambassador, said, “It’s good to have Guinness as a true supporter of the Black Stars”.
He said the team would always make the nation happy with great outputs.
The presentation, made last Friday at Royal Lamerta Hotel in Kumasi where the team camped for the last World Cup qualifier against Mali, also witnessed the unveiling of a new limited edition label for Guinness.
The limited edition, which is in recognition of the outstanding performance of the Black Stars in the 2010 World Cup and CAN 2010 qualifiers, is to whip up the enthusiasm of the nation and show loyalty to the team.
Making the presentation, the Marketing Director of GGBL, Ms Ama Okyere, noted that the relationship that had existed between Guinness and the Black Stars over a decade was still healthy, and expressed the hope that the relationship would grow in the coming years.
She reiterated GGBL’s resolve to support Ghana football to grow, especially as the sport was the passion of the nation.
Ms Okyere said the Black Stars’ performance, as the first African team to qualify for the World Cup was something the entire nation was proud of.
“Undoubtedly, having achieved such a feat can only be described as greatness.
“It is, therefore, imperative that GGBL stays true to its word as always supporting the Black Stars to even greater heights in the coming major football year,” Ms Okyere stressed.
The marketing director stated that the new limited edition of Guinness would become the “dressing for Guinness” in the major football year.
The clarion call to the Black Stars and the nation, she said, was “Together let’s reach for greatness”.
Mr Fred Pappoe, Vice-President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) who received the cheque on behalf of the team, thanked GGBL for the support to the national team and promised that the players would not disgrace the nation during the World Cup.
He said Guinness had shown it had not only Ghana football at heart but also the entire nation since football was “the heart of the nation”.
The captain of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah, commended GGBL and said, “We are proud to be associated with you”.
He gave the assurance that the team would go all out and raise the image of the nation on the world stage.
The deputy Skipper of the Black Stars, Michael Essien, who is Guinness’ Brand Ambassador, said, “It’s good to have Guinness as a true supporter of the Black Stars”.
He said the team would always make the nation happy with great outputs.
STARS STRUGGLE TO DRAW (BACK PAGE, NOV 16)
GHANA’s Black Stars completed the journey to the 2010 World Cup on a difficult note, drawing 2-2 at home with the Hawks of Mali at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
The home fans had been waiting for an outstanding final lap, but against the well-drilled Malian side, Ghana laboured for the greater part of the game.
And for once the big three — Essien, Muntari and skipper Appiah — were substituted with young players, Kwadwo Asamoah, Lee Addy and Emanuel Agyemang Badu in the second half as the Black Stars had to fight from behind, twice, to earn a point.
Mali served an early warning, playing tactically in a bid to draw the Black Stars out of defence. It was not until the first quarter mark when Asamoah Gyan found himself in space, only to drive his shot wide.
Gradually Mali began asserting themselves in the game, and when they came closer, keeper Richard Kingson had to draw on his experience to deny Keita Sidi Yaya on the 22nd minute.
It appeared Ghana were having problems on the left side of defence as the lanky Keita took out his markers and run across, with his players looking for opportunity to deliver the kill. But on the few occasions that they came close, Keita and Fane Lansana lazily rolled the ball away from the post.
The midfield action remained fierce, with Fane Lansana and Diarra Lasanna overshadowing Essien and Annan.
Ghana’s defence was caught-off guard on the 30th minute, as Mali fired the opener through Fane Lansana who profited from lousy defending to whip the ball past Kingson.
It was a shocker, but when Essien came close on the 30th minute heading just wide the stadium, came alive as the fans called for the goals.
Mali’s keeper Mahamadou Sidibe kept a clean sheet, when he denied the Ghanaian attack of Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan some few chances.
There was a lot of action on restart and Asamoah Gyan missed with a close header on the 52nd minute, while Matthew Amoah grazed the bar a minute later.
Ghana’s defence of Inkoom, Paintsil, Jonathan Mensah and Eric Addo wobbled but they fought to resist falling as the Malians looked like making a mockery of Ghana.
Against the run of play, the Black stars drew level on the 65h minute as Amoah scored on a rebound off keeper Sidibe.
But when all thought Ghana were going to add to the score, the defence caved in on the 70th minute as substitute Ndiaye Tenema beat off a challenge from Paintsil to head home the second for his side.
Just a minute after Essien was substituted, Ghana drew level again. With the scoreboard reading 82 minutes, a clinical freekick went into the Mali area and Annan whipped it home with a flick header.
Asamoah Gyan added to his near misses, firing away from just 12 yards out on the 88th minute.
The home fans had been waiting for an outstanding final lap, but against the well-drilled Malian side, Ghana laboured for the greater part of the game.
And for once the big three — Essien, Muntari and skipper Appiah — were substituted with young players, Kwadwo Asamoah, Lee Addy and Emanuel Agyemang Badu in the second half as the Black Stars had to fight from behind, twice, to earn a point.
Mali served an early warning, playing tactically in a bid to draw the Black Stars out of defence. It was not until the first quarter mark when Asamoah Gyan found himself in space, only to drive his shot wide.
Gradually Mali began asserting themselves in the game, and when they came closer, keeper Richard Kingson had to draw on his experience to deny Keita Sidi Yaya on the 22nd minute.
It appeared Ghana were having problems on the left side of defence as the lanky Keita took out his markers and run across, with his players looking for opportunity to deliver the kill. But on the few occasions that they came close, Keita and Fane Lansana lazily rolled the ball away from the post.
The midfield action remained fierce, with Fane Lansana and Diarra Lasanna overshadowing Essien and Annan.
Ghana’s defence was caught-off guard on the 30th minute, as Mali fired the opener through Fane Lansana who profited from lousy defending to whip the ball past Kingson.
It was a shocker, but when Essien came close on the 30th minute heading just wide the stadium, came alive as the fans called for the goals.
Mali’s keeper Mahamadou Sidibe kept a clean sheet, when he denied the Ghanaian attack of Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan some few chances.
There was a lot of action on restart and Asamoah Gyan missed with a close header on the 52nd minute, while Matthew Amoah grazed the bar a minute later.
Ghana’s defence of Inkoom, Paintsil, Jonathan Mensah and Eric Addo wobbled but they fought to resist falling as the Malians looked like making a mockery of Ghana.
Against the run of play, the Black stars drew level on the 65h minute as Amoah scored on a rebound off keeper Sidibe.
But when all thought Ghana were going to add to the score, the defence caved in on the 70th minute as substitute Ndiaye Tenema beat off a challenge from Paintsil to head home the second for his side.
Just a minute after Essien was substituted, Ghana drew level again. With the scoreboard reading 82 minutes, a clinical freekick went into the Mali area and Annan whipped it home with a flick header.
Asamoah Gyan added to his near misses, firing away from just 12 yards out on the 88th minute.
BLOODY WEEKEND...Boy, 6, beheaded at Abesim, Woman, 30, killed at Okorase, 4 Robbers gunned down in Ksi (LEAD STORY, NOV 16)
Story; Akwasi Ampratwum Mensah & Samuel Duodu at Abesim, Nana Konadu Agyeman at Okorase & Kwame Asare Boadu in Kumasi
THE grisly murder of a famous business woman, 30, near Koforidua, the gruesome beheading of a six-year-old boy near Sunyani and the gunning down of four armed robbers in Kumasi in a shootout with the police marked a weekend of blood and horror for some residents of those parts of the country.
At Abesim, near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, hundreds of residents besieged the crime scene, eager to catch a glimpse of Ernest Kwame Awuah, alias President, who was on display with the mutilated body of his six-year-old nephew, Charles Sey.
Awuah allegedly pierced Charles’s right eye and ear and then slashed his throat.
The victim was the son of the suspect’s younger brother.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after the bizarre incident which happened about 11 a.m. on Saturday, the Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Charles Botwe, said following a report from a resident, he dispatched a team of policemen to the deceased’s grandmother’s house where the little boy lived and the team found the suspect carrying the body of the boy on his lap in a room where he had allegedly committed the crime.
Charles’s body has been deposited at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani for autopsy.
According to Mr Botwe, the police had found it difficult to take a statement from the suspect, since he was behaving abnormally, but noted that a caution statement had been taken from the suspect’s father, while the police were yet to take another one from Charles’s grandmother, after which Awuah would be put before court.
An uncle of the boy’s, Mr Kwasi Ollu, a farmer, told the Daily Graphic that Charles’s mother, who is staying in Techiman, was yet to be informed about her son’s death, saying that she separated with the boy’s father about five years ago when they were staying together at Tanoano, a farming community near Abesim.
At Okorase in the New Juaben municipality of the Eastern Region, news of the Sunday morning murder of Rita Baah, affectionately called Afia Atta, allegedly by a fetish priest, spread like bush fire throughout the town.
The deceased, a resident of Effiduase in Koforidua who operates a cosmetics shop and a boutique at the Daasebre Roundabout in Koforidua, was said to have been hit several times on the forehead with a hammer by the fetish priest at his shrine at Okorase about 12.30 a.m.
After the crime, Joseph Tetteh, the 35-year-old traditional priest, popularly known as Mallam, was reported to have tied the victim’s hands and legs, covered it with a cloth and placed it on his motorbike in an attempt to dump it at a spot far away from Okorase and create the impression that she had been knocked down by a vehicle.
However, luck eluded him when he was spotted by some passengers travelling along the Okorase-Mamfe road about 1.30 a.m. with the body of the deceased strewn across the motorbike.
He was reported to have swerved to the left of the road where he abandoned both the body and the motorbike and fled into a nearby bush at Tei Nkwanta near Okorase.
That was after the passengers in the vehicle travelling from Aburi to Koforidua attempted to question him over where he was taking the body to.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Koforidua, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John A. Naami, said about 12.30 a.m. the police received a distress call from some travellers at Tei Nkwanta that they had spotted a man conveying a dead body on a motorbike.
He said the passengers told the police that the fetish priest had been seen driving from Okorase to dump the body by the roadside to create the impression that the deceased had been knocked and killed by a vehicle.
When the passengers attempted to question him as to where he was taking the body, the fetish priest was said to have fled into the bush.
Supt Naami said a team of police investigators was immediately dispatched to the scene where they found Rita’s tied body covered in a cloth and strewn across the motorbike, with registration number GN 8843 Z.
He said the police traced the motorbike to the fetish priest’s house but they never found him. However, some of the youth of Okorase and Tei Nkwanta, two neighbouring communities, mounted an intensive search and arrested Tetteh in a bush at Tei Nkwanta where he was hiding about 1 a.m. on Sunday.
The timely intervention of the police saved him from being lynched.
During interrogation, Tetteh was reported to have told the police that some unknown people had killed Rita but that he had only attempted taking it to dump it somewhere.
The New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, who indicated that the police were carrying out further investigation into the murder, commended the residents of Okorase and Tei Nkwanta for helping to arrest the fetish priest.
Meanwhile, when the Daily Graphic visited the New Juaben Central Police Station, a large gathering of residents, including the family of the business woman and her boyfriend, was seen in utter shock and tears over Rita’s death.
In the Ashanti Region, the regional Police Command took the fight against armed robbery to another level at the weekend when they shot dead four suspected armed robbers, all believed to be in their late 30s, during a gun battle at Konkromase, a suburb of Kumasi.
Friday night’s operation was the second biggest police offensive against armed robbery in Ashanti this year and the dead suspects brought to 26 the number of armed robbers killed by the police in the region this year.
One of the four robbers was identified as Abdul Razak Ibrahim, alias Fante-Fante.
Razak, described as a hardened criminal, had earlier been arrested in a robbery case but he was granted bail by a Kumasi High Court in November 2006 but had since failed to appear before court.
Two others were identified only as Fiifi and Rashid, both ex-convicts, with the fourth one yet to be identified.
They were among a group of seven armed robbers who had gone on a robbery spree on the rainy night. They were actually in the process of attacking their fourth victim when men from the Police Buffalo Unit encountered them.
According to the police, those who managed to escape bolted with cash of GH¢95,000 believed to have been taken from victims of the robbery operations.
A number of offensive weapons, including four pump action guns, three locally manufactured pistols, 21 live ammunition, eight spent cartridges, one heavy-duty cutter and two mobile phones, were retrieved by the police from the scene of the shooting.
A KIA taxi, which the robbers had snatched from its driver, and a Nissan Pathfinder, which they took from its female owner after shooting her in the right shoulder, were later found abandoned at various locations in the city.
The woman was treated and discharged at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Briefing journalists, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbillah, said it all started about 6 p.m. when the robbers snatched the KIA taxi from its driver at gunpoint at Buokrom, a Kumasi suburb.
They then used the taxi in the second operation in which they attacked a woman about 7 p.m. at Atonsu, also in Kumasi, and snatched her Nissan Pathfinder from her.
DCOP Timbillah said the robbers shot the woman, who was returning from work, before taking her vehicle away.
They abandoned the taxi and used the Nissan Pathfinder to attack a man who had just arrived in Kumasi from Accra at Asokwa and took away his bag containing GH¢95,000.
DCOP Timbillah it was when the robbers went on the fourth operation at Konkromase that the police pounced on them. About 8.30 p.m., they attacked a house at Konkromase and when the police reached there, the robbers opened fire on them.
He said the police returned fire, killing the four, while the three others escaped.
The Nissan Pathfinder was later found abandoned at Buokrom, together with the bag which contained the GH¢95,000.
THE grisly murder of a famous business woman, 30, near Koforidua, the gruesome beheading of a six-year-old boy near Sunyani and the gunning down of four armed robbers in Kumasi in a shootout with the police marked a weekend of blood and horror for some residents of those parts of the country.
At Abesim, near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, hundreds of residents besieged the crime scene, eager to catch a glimpse of Ernest Kwame Awuah, alias President, who was on display with the mutilated body of his six-year-old nephew, Charles Sey.
Awuah allegedly pierced Charles’s right eye and ear and then slashed his throat.
The victim was the son of the suspect’s younger brother.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after the bizarre incident which happened about 11 a.m. on Saturday, the Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Charles Botwe, said following a report from a resident, he dispatched a team of policemen to the deceased’s grandmother’s house where the little boy lived and the team found the suspect carrying the body of the boy on his lap in a room where he had allegedly committed the crime.
Charles’s body has been deposited at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani for autopsy.
According to Mr Botwe, the police had found it difficult to take a statement from the suspect, since he was behaving abnormally, but noted that a caution statement had been taken from the suspect’s father, while the police were yet to take another one from Charles’s grandmother, after which Awuah would be put before court.
An uncle of the boy’s, Mr Kwasi Ollu, a farmer, told the Daily Graphic that Charles’s mother, who is staying in Techiman, was yet to be informed about her son’s death, saying that she separated with the boy’s father about five years ago when they were staying together at Tanoano, a farming community near Abesim.
At Okorase in the New Juaben municipality of the Eastern Region, news of the Sunday morning murder of Rita Baah, affectionately called Afia Atta, allegedly by a fetish priest, spread like bush fire throughout the town.
The deceased, a resident of Effiduase in Koforidua who operates a cosmetics shop and a boutique at the Daasebre Roundabout in Koforidua, was said to have been hit several times on the forehead with a hammer by the fetish priest at his shrine at Okorase about 12.30 a.m.
After the crime, Joseph Tetteh, the 35-year-old traditional priest, popularly known as Mallam, was reported to have tied the victim’s hands and legs, covered it with a cloth and placed it on his motorbike in an attempt to dump it at a spot far away from Okorase and create the impression that she had been knocked down by a vehicle.
However, luck eluded him when he was spotted by some passengers travelling along the Okorase-Mamfe road about 1.30 a.m. with the body of the deceased strewn across the motorbike.
He was reported to have swerved to the left of the road where he abandoned both the body and the motorbike and fled into a nearby bush at Tei Nkwanta near Okorase.
That was after the passengers in the vehicle travelling from Aburi to Koforidua attempted to question him over where he was taking the body to.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Koforidua, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John A. Naami, said about 12.30 a.m. the police received a distress call from some travellers at Tei Nkwanta that they had spotted a man conveying a dead body on a motorbike.
He said the passengers told the police that the fetish priest had been seen driving from Okorase to dump the body by the roadside to create the impression that the deceased had been knocked and killed by a vehicle.
When the passengers attempted to question him as to where he was taking the body, the fetish priest was said to have fled into the bush.
Supt Naami said a team of police investigators was immediately dispatched to the scene where they found Rita’s tied body covered in a cloth and strewn across the motorbike, with registration number GN 8843 Z.
He said the police traced the motorbike to the fetish priest’s house but they never found him. However, some of the youth of Okorase and Tei Nkwanta, two neighbouring communities, mounted an intensive search and arrested Tetteh in a bush at Tei Nkwanta where he was hiding about 1 a.m. on Sunday.
The timely intervention of the police saved him from being lynched.
During interrogation, Tetteh was reported to have told the police that some unknown people had killed Rita but that he had only attempted taking it to dump it somewhere.
The New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, who indicated that the police were carrying out further investigation into the murder, commended the residents of Okorase and Tei Nkwanta for helping to arrest the fetish priest.
Meanwhile, when the Daily Graphic visited the New Juaben Central Police Station, a large gathering of residents, including the family of the business woman and her boyfriend, was seen in utter shock and tears over Rita’s death.
In the Ashanti Region, the regional Police Command took the fight against armed robbery to another level at the weekend when they shot dead four suspected armed robbers, all believed to be in their late 30s, during a gun battle at Konkromase, a suburb of Kumasi.
Friday night’s operation was the second biggest police offensive against armed robbery in Ashanti this year and the dead suspects brought to 26 the number of armed robbers killed by the police in the region this year.
One of the four robbers was identified as Abdul Razak Ibrahim, alias Fante-Fante.
Razak, described as a hardened criminal, had earlier been arrested in a robbery case but he was granted bail by a Kumasi High Court in November 2006 but had since failed to appear before court.
Two others were identified only as Fiifi and Rashid, both ex-convicts, with the fourth one yet to be identified.
They were among a group of seven armed robbers who had gone on a robbery spree on the rainy night. They were actually in the process of attacking their fourth victim when men from the Police Buffalo Unit encountered them.
According to the police, those who managed to escape bolted with cash of GH¢95,000 believed to have been taken from victims of the robbery operations.
A number of offensive weapons, including four pump action guns, three locally manufactured pistols, 21 live ammunition, eight spent cartridges, one heavy-duty cutter and two mobile phones, were retrieved by the police from the scene of the shooting.
A KIA taxi, which the robbers had snatched from its driver, and a Nissan Pathfinder, which they took from its female owner after shooting her in the right shoulder, were later found abandoned at various locations in the city.
The woman was treated and discharged at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Briefing journalists, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbillah, said it all started about 6 p.m. when the robbers snatched the KIA taxi from its driver at gunpoint at Buokrom, a Kumasi suburb.
They then used the taxi in the second operation in which they attacked a woman about 7 p.m. at Atonsu, also in Kumasi, and snatched her Nissan Pathfinder from her.
DCOP Timbillah said the robbers shot the woman, who was returning from work, before taking her vehicle away.
They abandoned the taxi and used the Nissan Pathfinder to attack a man who had just arrived in Kumasi from Accra at Asokwa and took away his bag containing GH¢95,000.
DCOP Timbillah it was when the robbers went on the fourth operation at Konkromase that the police pounced on them. About 8.30 p.m., they attacked a house at Konkromase and when the police reached there, the robbers opened fire on them.
He said the police returned fire, killing the four, while the three others escaped.
The Nissan Pathfinder was later found abandoned at Buokrom, together with the bag which contained the GH¢95,000.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
DRIVER RUNS INTO STUDENTS KILLING 18 (1B, NOV 14)
EIGHTEEN students sustained various degrees of injury yesterday when a driver ignored police signals to stop and drove his vehicle into a procession of students in Asante Mampong.
The condition of three of the injured who are receiving medical attention at the Mampong Hospital is said to be serious.
Kwasi Agyei, 28, who was in charge of the Urvan mini bus which did the damage, was said to be driving at top speed in the centre of the town.
The Mampong Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Edward Oduro Kwateng, told the Daily Graphic that the accident occurred about 7:30 a.m.
He said students of the St Monica’s Schools in Mampong, made up of the junior high school, the senior high school and the teacher training college, as well as those of the Mampong Midwifery School, were on their annual procession.
When the procession reached a point near the lorry park, Agyei, driving the Urvan bus with registration number AS 4656 P, appeared at the far end of the road at top speed.
Sensing danger, the police kept signalling the driver to slow down but he ignored them and ran into the procession.
The injured included a lady who was selling mobile phone credit cards by the roadside.
The driver is assisting the police in investigations.
The condition of three of the injured who are receiving medical attention at the Mampong Hospital is said to be serious.
Kwasi Agyei, 28, who was in charge of the Urvan mini bus which did the damage, was said to be driving at top speed in the centre of the town.
The Mampong Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Edward Oduro Kwateng, told the Daily Graphic that the accident occurred about 7:30 a.m.
He said students of the St Monica’s Schools in Mampong, made up of the junior high school, the senior high school and the teacher training college, as well as those of the Mampong Midwifery School, were on their annual procession.
When the procession reached a point near the lorry park, Agyei, driving the Urvan bus with registration number AS 4656 P, appeared at the far end of the road at top speed.
Sensing danger, the police kept signalling the driver to slow down but he ignored them and ran into the procession.
The injured included a lady who was selling mobile phone credit cards by the roadside.
The driver is assisting the police in investigations.
Friday, November 13, 2009
KUMASI PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE (PAGE 29, NOV 13)
THE management of China Geo Engineering Corporation, the company working on the Komfo Anokye Roundabout – Abuakwa Road Project, which include the Sofoline Interchange in Kumasi, has debunked reports of a delay in the completion of the project as a result of workers’ agitation.
It said the projects were on course and that allegations of workers’ concerns over certain grievances were untrue.
A statement signed by the Executive Project Manager of the company, Mr Zhao Yexuan, said the management was aware of an anonymous letter purported to have come from the local union of the company giving a seven-day notice to the management to react to the workers’ concerns over certain grievances raised at a meeting held about a week ago.
According to the statement, the said letter from the workers threatened management of the consequences that would follow if it failed to react to the concerns.
It said the letter had no basis whatsoever and should be treated with the contempt it deserved.
The statement indicated that the executive, of the local union had in a letter dated November 3, 2009 and signed by its secretary, Mr Rudolf Asoalla, dissociated the union from the anonymous letter. Consequently, the statement said, the contents of that letter could not threaten the project in any way.
Meanwhile, work on the interchange is progressing steadily.
It said the projects were on course and that allegations of workers’ concerns over certain grievances were untrue.
A statement signed by the Executive Project Manager of the company, Mr Zhao Yexuan, said the management was aware of an anonymous letter purported to have come from the local union of the company giving a seven-day notice to the management to react to the workers’ concerns over certain grievances raised at a meeting held about a week ago.
According to the statement, the said letter from the workers threatened management of the consequences that would follow if it failed to react to the concerns.
It said the letter had no basis whatsoever and should be treated with the contempt it deserved.
The statement indicated that the executive, of the local union had in a letter dated November 3, 2009 and signed by its secretary, Mr Rudolf Asoalla, dissociated the union from the anonymous letter. Consequently, the statement said, the contents of that letter could not threaten the project in any way.
Meanwhile, work on the interchange is progressing steadily.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
ZOOMLION CALLS FOR SUPPORT IN CONTROLLING MALARIA (PAGE 20, NOV 11)
THE Ashanti Regional office of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company, has called for community participation in the nationwide mosquito control programme being undertaken by the company with support from the Ministry of Health, to ensure the success of the exercise.
The office reporsentative said the practice whereby mosquito-prone areas were sprayed by the company’s spraying gangs only for people to return within days to dump refuse indiscriminately undermined the success of the programme.
The nationwide mosquito control programme has the overall goal of reducing the incidence of malaria in the country by attacking the source of breeding of mosquitoes.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi last Tuesday, the Ashanti Regional Vector Control Officer of Zoomlion, Mr Le-Roy Gyimah-Boadi, said such an exercise demanded that the people participate in efforts to achieve the desired results.
He said mosquitoes were a menace that continued to create both health and economic problems, as thousands of people continued to report daily at the health institutions with malaria.
He said that was why Zoomlion was doing everything possible to ensure that the very source of mosquito breeding was attacked.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi said 656 people of both sexes had been recruited and trained to handle mosquito control in the region using various approaches.
He said they had been grouped into gangs and were operating in the sub-metropolitan areas and the municipal and district assemblies.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi said currently, the spraying gangs were engaged in source reduction and source modification in the communities across the region.
Source reduction involves eliminating the source of breeding mosquitoes, while source modification is the changing of the original breeding grounds.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi further said his outfit was also spraying public toilets, refuse dumps and other areas identified by environmental officers in the sub-metros and the assemblies.
He said Zoomlion had acquired a powerful insecticide for larvaeciding (killing of mosquito larvae), adding that what was more refreshing was that the insecticide was injurious to only mosquitoes.
The officer commended the district assemblies for supporting the programme through public education.
He expressed the hope that the programme would achieve significant success by the end of the year.
The office reporsentative said the practice whereby mosquito-prone areas were sprayed by the company’s spraying gangs only for people to return within days to dump refuse indiscriminately undermined the success of the programme.
The nationwide mosquito control programme has the overall goal of reducing the incidence of malaria in the country by attacking the source of breeding of mosquitoes.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi last Tuesday, the Ashanti Regional Vector Control Officer of Zoomlion, Mr Le-Roy Gyimah-Boadi, said such an exercise demanded that the people participate in efforts to achieve the desired results.
He said mosquitoes were a menace that continued to create both health and economic problems, as thousands of people continued to report daily at the health institutions with malaria.
He said that was why Zoomlion was doing everything possible to ensure that the very source of mosquito breeding was attacked.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi said 656 people of both sexes had been recruited and trained to handle mosquito control in the region using various approaches.
He said they had been grouped into gangs and were operating in the sub-metropolitan areas and the municipal and district assemblies.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi said currently, the spraying gangs were engaged in source reduction and source modification in the communities across the region.
Source reduction involves eliminating the source of breeding mosquitoes, while source modification is the changing of the original breeding grounds.
Mr Gyimah-Boadi further said his outfit was also spraying public toilets, refuse dumps and other areas identified by environmental officers in the sub-metros and the assemblies.
He said Zoomlion had acquired a powerful insecticide for larvaeciding (killing of mosquito larvae), adding that what was more refreshing was that the insecticide was injurious to only mosquitoes.
The officer commended the district assemblies for supporting the programme through public education.
He expressed the hope that the programme would achieve significant success by the end of the year.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
KOTOKO COACH SITTING ON POWDER KEG?
Kumasi Asante Kotoko coach, Paa Kwesi Fabin, is under pressure to perform, but he insists he will need some time to put the team in winning shape.
Going down unbelievably 1-3 to Liberty Professionals last Sunday, which sent them down to 10th placing on the league table, the coach admitted it had been difficult so far but pleaded with the entire Kotoko family to give him time to get the team on track.
The best coach in the last season, whose entry into Asante Kotoko was touted as one of the best things to happen to the two times Africa champions, said he entered Kotoko few days to the league and noted that what was even serious was the fact that he met a bloated team that was difficult to deal with.
“I came to Kotoko to meet 48 players which was too huge a number to deal with, and I did not have the luxury of time to observe them.
“As you see I have been rotating the players, but after some time, I am about to settle on 18, and this is the team I am going to use,” he told the Graphic Sports yesterday.
The coach may be justified in his explanation, but it is difficult whether the impatient supporters would accept his explanation, especially as the league was becoming keener by the day.
Lying 10th on the Glo Premier League table with six points from five games is uncharacteristic of Kotoko, and the supporters are already murmuring in disagreement over the performance and asking the coach and the players to buck up before they react.
Reports from the Accra match against Liberty Professionals, which Kotoko lost 1-3, spoke of a near-nasty situation as angry supporters of the Porcupine Warriors turned their fury on the players who had to be escorted into their bus under heavy police guard.
And Fabin insists that the supporters were justified in their action because the performance last Sunday was highly abysmal.
“They played as if nothing was at stake,” the coach said of his players and warned that any player who does not show commitment to the Kotoko cause, could only find himself on the sidelines.
He was surprised that after doing everything to prepare the team for the Liberty match, the players went to the pitch to fumble and tumble.
“We cannot continue to play this way. The time is now to get serious action and I promise the fans that very soon they will see a different Asante Kotoko”.
Asante Kotoko is the only Ghanaian side that will be participating in Africa this season, but their performance so far does not portray them as a side ready to conquer the continent.
Their supporters would want to see a very serious team that could rub shoulders with the big guns on the continent.
The coach was expected to submit his report on the Liberty Professionals match to management yesterday.
The Kotoko management had expressed confidence in the team and were giving him all the support to deliver.
Mr Fabin promised that the next game against Real Tamale United would see a better stuff from the team and asked the supporters to remain calm.
Going down unbelievably 1-3 to Liberty Professionals last Sunday, which sent them down to 10th placing on the league table, the coach admitted it had been difficult so far but pleaded with the entire Kotoko family to give him time to get the team on track.
The best coach in the last season, whose entry into Asante Kotoko was touted as one of the best things to happen to the two times Africa champions, said he entered Kotoko few days to the league and noted that what was even serious was the fact that he met a bloated team that was difficult to deal with.
“I came to Kotoko to meet 48 players which was too huge a number to deal with, and I did not have the luxury of time to observe them.
“As you see I have been rotating the players, but after some time, I am about to settle on 18, and this is the team I am going to use,” he told the Graphic Sports yesterday.
The coach may be justified in his explanation, but it is difficult whether the impatient supporters would accept his explanation, especially as the league was becoming keener by the day.
Lying 10th on the Glo Premier League table with six points from five games is uncharacteristic of Kotoko, and the supporters are already murmuring in disagreement over the performance and asking the coach and the players to buck up before they react.
Reports from the Accra match against Liberty Professionals, which Kotoko lost 1-3, spoke of a near-nasty situation as angry supporters of the Porcupine Warriors turned their fury on the players who had to be escorted into their bus under heavy police guard.
And Fabin insists that the supporters were justified in their action because the performance last Sunday was highly abysmal.
“They played as if nothing was at stake,” the coach said of his players and warned that any player who does not show commitment to the Kotoko cause, could only find himself on the sidelines.
He was surprised that after doing everything to prepare the team for the Liberty match, the players went to the pitch to fumble and tumble.
“We cannot continue to play this way. The time is now to get serious action and I promise the fans that very soon they will see a different Asante Kotoko”.
Asante Kotoko is the only Ghanaian side that will be participating in Africa this season, but their performance so far does not portray them as a side ready to conquer the continent.
Their supporters would want to see a very serious team that could rub shoulders with the big guns on the continent.
The coach was expected to submit his report on the Liberty Professionals match to management yesterday.
The Kotoko management had expressed confidence in the team and were giving him all the support to deliver.
Mr Fabin promised that the next game against Real Tamale United would see a better stuff from the team and asked the supporters to remain calm.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN GLOBAL COCOA TRADE — Urges Dr Akoto (page 17)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has stressed the need for the country to take maximum advantage of the new opportunities in the global cocoa trade by putting in measures to increase production.
He stated that the world cocoa industry was on a fundamental upswing with world prices reaching the highest levels in 30 years, stressing, “the right mix of policies is crucial and urgently required from the Government to take advantage of the situation”.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, Dr Akoto, a former economic advisor to the International Coffee Organisation in London, mentioned the right payment of producer prices to farmers and mass cocoa spraying exercise as two of the key areas that should be tackled with seriousness and honesty.
The MP, who is expected to put an urgent question in Parliament tomorrow on the new cocoa price, said the new producer price announced by the Government for the 2009/2010 marketing season, was “disappointing” because it did not reflect the high price paid on the world market.
“Many farmers across the country have expressed disappointment and there is widespread scepticism about the impact of the revision on future production and export earnings for Ghana,” he said.
Dr Akoto discounted claims by the Government that the new producer price amounted to 70 per cent of the world market price.
“If the Government had kept its campaign promise to pay 70 per cent of the world market price to cocoa farmers, the price should have been more than doubled to G¢¢3,500 per metric tonne and not GH¢2,208.
According to the MP, by calculations, the new price was only 43.9 per cent of the world price compared to 62.8 per cent in 2008.
“When the new reality of the unfolding market in the global cocoa industry is taken into account, the Ghanaian cocoa farmer is far worse off now than a year ago,” he said.
Dr Akoto said if the cocoa industry in Ghana was to see real growth, the nominal price increase awarded to cocoa farmers by the Government should compensate for their toil.
While expressing regret at reports of smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, Dr Akoto said that could be tackled if the right price was paid to farmers.
That notwithstanding, he appealed to the farmers to consider the nation first and stop the smuggling.
On the mass cocoa spraying exercise, Dr Akoto said the decision to sack experienced sprayers and replace them with party activists did not help matters, stressing, “This has brought the spraying programme to a virtual standstill in many districts”.
He said “the negative effects of inadequate producer price and the disruption in the spraying programme are bound to cause further delays in reaching the production target of one million metric tonnes of cocoa”.
Dr Akoto said the potential loss to the economy would be enormous, particularly the loss in rural income, employment, internal trade, exports and foreign earnings.
He stated that the world cocoa industry was on a fundamental upswing with world prices reaching the highest levels in 30 years, stressing, “the right mix of policies is crucial and urgently required from the Government to take advantage of the situation”.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, Dr Akoto, a former economic advisor to the International Coffee Organisation in London, mentioned the right payment of producer prices to farmers and mass cocoa spraying exercise as two of the key areas that should be tackled with seriousness and honesty.
The MP, who is expected to put an urgent question in Parliament tomorrow on the new cocoa price, said the new producer price announced by the Government for the 2009/2010 marketing season, was “disappointing” because it did not reflect the high price paid on the world market.
“Many farmers across the country have expressed disappointment and there is widespread scepticism about the impact of the revision on future production and export earnings for Ghana,” he said.
Dr Akoto discounted claims by the Government that the new producer price amounted to 70 per cent of the world market price.
“If the Government had kept its campaign promise to pay 70 per cent of the world market price to cocoa farmers, the price should have been more than doubled to G¢¢3,500 per metric tonne and not GH¢2,208.
According to the MP, by calculations, the new price was only 43.9 per cent of the world price compared to 62.8 per cent in 2008.
“When the new reality of the unfolding market in the global cocoa industry is taken into account, the Ghanaian cocoa farmer is far worse off now than a year ago,” he said.
Dr Akoto said if the cocoa industry in Ghana was to see real growth, the nominal price increase awarded to cocoa farmers by the Government should compensate for their toil.
While expressing regret at reports of smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, Dr Akoto said that could be tackled if the right price was paid to farmers.
That notwithstanding, he appealed to the farmers to consider the nation first and stop the smuggling.
On the mass cocoa spraying exercise, Dr Akoto said the decision to sack experienced sprayers and replace them with party activists did not help matters, stressing, “This has brought the spraying programme to a virtual standstill in many districts”.
He said “the negative effects of inadequate producer price and the disruption in the spraying programme are bound to cause further delays in reaching the production target of one million metric tonnes of cocoa”.
Dr Akoto said the potential loss to the economy would be enormous, particularly the loss in rural income, employment, internal trade, exports and foreign earnings.
KWADASO NPP ELECTS NEW EXECUTIVE (NOV 10, PAGE 16)
THE Kwadaso Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) went to the polls last Sunday to elect new executive for the next four years.
At the end of the peaceful election, a Kumasi-based businessman, Mr Yaw Bonnah-Boadi polled 232 votes to become the new chairman.
His main challenger, Alhaji Atta polled 50 votes, but he showed maturity when he embraced the winner after the electoral commission official who supervised the polls had announced the result.
The incumbent women’s organiser, Madam Florence Sarhene, was defeated after polling 66 votes as against 217 by Madam Constance Osei, who emerged as the new women’s organiser.
All the other positions went unopossed. They included Mr Edward Kyeremeh, first vice chairman, Mr Samuel Osei Bonsu, second vice chairman, Mr Kofi Amankwa Konadu, secretary, Mr Moses Agyei, assistant secretary, Mr Frank Amoako, youth organiser, Mr Stephen K. Kyamfi, financial secretary and Samuel Donkor, treasurer.
In his acceptance speech, the new chairman thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and his team, and pledged to work hard to put the party on a sound footing for the 2012 general election.
Addressing the gathering after the election, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the peaceful nature of the polls was a testimony of the unity that prevailed in the party in the area.
He said the NPP was bent on winning the next general election to right the wrongs of the NDC.
Dr Akoto noted that the constitutional amendments made by the party at its last national congress, had helped to bring discipline in various elections within the party.
He described the newly-elected executive members as people who had so much love for the party and expressed the hope that they would work hard to achieve results.
In attendance were some regional executive members of the party.
At the end of the peaceful election, a Kumasi-based businessman, Mr Yaw Bonnah-Boadi polled 232 votes to become the new chairman.
His main challenger, Alhaji Atta polled 50 votes, but he showed maturity when he embraced the winner after the electoral commission official who supervised the polls had announced the result.
The incumbent women’s organiser, Madam Florence Sarhene, was defeated after polling 66 votes as against 217 by Madam Constance Osei, who emerged as the new women’s organiser.
All the other positions went unopossed. They included Mr Edward Kyeremeh, first vice chairman, Mr Samuel Osei Bonsu, second vice chairman, Mr Kofi Amankwa Konadu, secretary, Mr Moses Agyei, assistant secretary, Mr Frank Amoako, youth organiser, Mr Stephen K. Kyamfi, financial secretary and Samuel Donkor, treasurer.
In his acceptance speech, the new chairman thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and his team, and pledged to work hard to put the party on a sound footing for the 2012 general election.
Addressing the gathering after the election, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the peaceful nature of the polls was a testimony of the unity that prevailed in the party in the area.
He said the NPP was bent on winning the next general election to right the wrongs of the NDC.
Dr Akoto noted that the constitutional amendments made by the party at its last national congress, had helped to bring discipline in various elections within the party.
He described the newly-elected executive members as people who had so much love for the party and expressed the hope that they would work hard to achieve results.
In attendance were some regional executive members of the party.
Monday, November 9, 2009
HOUSEWIFE JAILED FOR ASSAULT (PAGE 3, NSEMPA)
By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi
A 28 YEAR-OLD housewife who did the unthinkable by beating and forcing her seven-year old stepson to eat his own excreta has been handed a one-year jail term by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
Adwoa Pinaman, the convict, was sentenced for the assault charge to which she pleaded guilty.
She would be sent back to the court later for trial to proceed on the other offence in which she is accused of forcing the little boy to eat his own faeces.
Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Collins Nana Fosu, said that Pinamang and her husband whose name was not given, lived with the child at Akropong near Kumasi over the past eight months.
He said the mother of the victim, Afua Tawiah, also lived in the town.
Chief Inspector Fosu stated that on the morning of October 19, this year, Pinamang found the boy to have wetted his bed. and also defecated on his bed sheet.
Not happy with the development, an angry Pinamang descended on the boy and beat him resulting in cuts over his body while his face got swollen.
The prosecutor said the worst of it all was when Pinamang forced the boy to eat his faeces.
According to the prosecutor, a witness in the case sneaked to inform the biological mother of the boy who reported the matter to the Akropong police leading to the arrest of the woman.
Meanwhile the father of the victim is on the run and police had mounted a search for him,
A 28 YEAR-OLD housewife who did the unthinkable by beating and forcing her seven-year old stepson to eat his own excreta has been handed a one-year jail term by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
Adwoa Pinaman, the convict, was sentenced for the assault charge to which she pleaded guilty.
She would be sent back to the court later for trial to proceed on the other offence in which she is accused of forcing the little boy to eat his own faeces.
Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Collins Nana Fosu, said that Pinamang and her husband whose name was not given, lived with the child at Akropong near Kumasi over the past eight months.
He said the mother of the victim, Afua Tawiah, also lived in the town.
Chief Inspector Fosu stated that on the morning of October 19, this year, Pinamang found the boy to have wetted his bed. and also defecated on his bed sheet.
Not happy with the development, an angry Pinamang descended on the boy and beat him resulting in cuts over his body while his face got swollen.
The prosecutor said the worst of it all was when Pinamang forced the boy to eat his faeces.
According to the prosecutor, a witness in the case sneaked to inform the biological mother of the boy who reported the matter to the Akropong police leading to the arrest of the woman.
Meanwhile the father of the victim is on the run and police had mounted a search for him,
TEACHER EDUCATION MUST LOOK BEYOND CLASSROOMS (NOV 9, PAGE 11)
THE Principal of the College of Technology of Education (Kumasi Campus) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Prof. James Flolu, has stressed the need for teacher education in the country to look beyond classroom teachers.
He said the age-long tradition of defining teacher education which was limited to classroom teachers had outlived its usefulness because teachers were found in every organisation and establishment in the country.
“Teachers are found in the banks, ministries, accounting firms and the rest and those of us in teacher training institutions should make the best out of this,” he stressed.
Outlining his vision statement for the Kumasi Campus, Prof. Flolu said there was the need for the university to design programmes that would equip products of the university to teach in other establishments outside the traditional classroom.
Prof. Flolu who took over from Prof. Steve Sobotie about a month ago was until his appointment, the Dean of the School of Creative Arts at the Main Campus of the UEW.
The principal noted that the graduates of the University of Cape Coast were getting employment in various organisations because of the systematic development of programmes tailored towards industry.
Those of us in UEW can also do well in that area and we need to perform better through the institution of appropriate programmes, he noted.
Prof. Flolu stressed the importance of research in academic work and said, “any academic who does not subject his or her teaching to research can be described as being behind knowledge”.
He gave the assurance that every effort would be made to help lecturers at the Kumasi Campus with masters degrees to enrol for the PhD programmes in local universities.
“We are negotiating with the local universities to make this dream a reality,” he said.
Prof. Flolu said he would not encourage on-line degrees for teaching “because teaching has something special to it”.
He stated that many of the projects on the campus were being funded by internally generated funds and said his administration would explore other areas of funding.
The principal said the Kumasi Campus was attracting high-level students because of various reasons including introduction of new academic programmes.
Currently the student population stands at over 10,000 and Prof. Flolu said it called for the expansion of facilities.
“We will strengthen existing programmes of study to ensure that we get the best of products in the country,” he said.
He said the age-long tradition of defining teacher education which was limited to classroom teachers had outlived its usefulness because teachers were found in every organisation and establishment in the country.
“Teachers are found in the banks, ministries, accounting firms and the rest and those of us in teacher training institutions should make the best out of this,” he stressed.
Outlining his vision statement for the Kumasi Campus, Prof. Flolu said there was the need for the university to design programmes that would equip products of the university to teach in other establishments outside the traditional classroom.
Prof. Flolu who took over from Prof. Steve Sobotie about a month ago was until his appointment, the Dean of the School of Creative Arts at the Main Campus of the UEW.
The principal noted that the graduates of the University of Cape Coast were getting employment in various organisations because of the systematic development of programmes tailored towards industry.
Those of us in UEW can also do well in that area and we need to perform better through the institution of appropriate programmes, he noted.
Prof. Flolu stressed the importance of research in academic work and said, “any academic who does not subject his or her teaching to research can be described as being behind knowledge”.
He gave the assurance that every effort would be made to help lecturers at the Kumasi Campus with masters degrees to enrol for the PhD programmes in local universities.
“We are negotiating with the local universities to make this dream a reality,” he said.
Prof. Flolu said he would not encourage on-line degrees for teaching “because teaching has something special to it”.
He stated that many of the projects on the campus were being funded by internally generated funds and said his administration would explore other areas of funding.
The principal said the Kumasi Campus was attracting high-level students because of various reasons including introduction of new academic programmes.
Currently the student population stands at over 10,000 and Prof. Flolu said it called for the expansion of facilities.
“We will strengthen existing programmes of study to ensure that we get the best of products in the country,” he said.
Friday, November 6, 2009
COURT JAILS 3 ARMED ROBBERS 180 YEARS (SPREAD)
THE Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced three armed robbers to 180 years with hard labour.
The convicts, Isahaku Abubakar, 28; Aminu Mohammed, 24, and Gideon Adjei, alias Nana Yaw, 31, undertook two robbery expeditions on October 5, 2009 and October 8, 2009.
Each of the robberies carried a sentence of 30 years for each of the convicts.
Another man, Alhassan Nifal Bobdal, mentioned in the case for selling a locally manufactured pistol to the robbers, was jailed 25 years for abetment of crime.
According to the prosecution, about 10 p.m. on October 8, 2009, Isahaku hired a taxi, with registration number AS 7431-09, from Asafo to Bantama in Kumasi.
On the way to Bantama, Adjei and Aminu joined the taxi and the three men attacked the driver with a locally made pistol and snatched the taxi, together with cash of GH¢433, from him.
The robbers drove the vehicle away but it ran into a ditch around South Suntreso.
The prosecution said Isahaku sustained serious injuries but Adjei and Aminu managed to escape.
Before the accident, the driver of the taxi had reported the robbery to the police and so on hearing of the accident, the police rushed to the scene.
When it turned out that the taxi was the stolen vehicle, the police arrested Isahaku and took him first to hospital for treatment.
It stated that Isahaku later led the police to arrest Adjei and Aminu and, upon interrogation, they mentioned Bobdal as the one who had supplied the gun to them.
Bobdal was also arrested.
In the other case, which happened on October 5, 2009, Isahaku, Adjei and Aminu attacked one Lucy Afram, a trader at Atwima Boko, near Kumasi, in her store and made away with assorted provisions valued at about GH¢3,000, two mobile phones and cash of GH¢110.
After robbing the woman, they sped off in a waiting taxi, but the victim lodged a complaint with the police.
On October 15, 2009, the woman went to the police station to follow up on the case, where she spotted Adjei and showed him to the police as one of the people who had robbed her.
Adjei later mentioned Isahaku and Aminu as the other persons who had embarked on the robbery.
The convicts, Isahaku Abubakar, 28; Aminu Mohammed, 24, and Gideon Adjei, alias Nana Yaw, 31, undertook two robbery expeditions on October 5, 2009 and October 8, 2009.
Each of the robberies carried a sentence of 30 years for each of the convicts.
Another man, Alhassan Nifal Bobdal, mentioned in the case for selling a locally manufactured pistol to the robbers, was jailed 25 years for abetment of crime.
According to the prosecution, about 10 p.m. on October 8, 2009, Isahaku hired a taxi, with registration number AS 7431-09, from Asafo to Bantama in Kumasi.
On the way to Bantama, Adjei and Aminu joined the taxi and the three men attacked the driver with a locally made pistol and snatched the taxi, together with cash of GH¢433, from him.
The robbers drove the vehicle away but it ran into a ditch around South Suntreso.
The prosecution said Isahaku sustained serious injuries but Adjei and Aminu managed to escape.
Before the accident, the driver of the taxi had reported the robbery to the police and so on hearing of the accident, the police rushed to the scene.
When it turned out that the taxi was the stolen vehicle, the police arrested Isahaku and took him first to hospital for treatment.
It stated that Isahaku later led the police to arrest Adjei and Aminu and, upon interrogation, they mentioned Bobdal as the one who had supplied the gun to them.
Bobdal was also arrested.
In the other case, which happened on October 5, 2009, Isahaku, Adjei and Aminu attacked one Lucy Afram, a trader at Atwima Boko, near Kumasi, in her store and made away with assorted provisions valued at about GH¢3,000, two mobile phones and cash of GH¢110.
After robbing the woman, they sped off in a waiting taxi, but the victim lodged a complaint with the police.
On October 15, 2009, the woman went to the police station to follow up on the case, where she spotted Adjei and showed him to the police as one of the people who had robbed her.
Adjei later mentioned Isahaku and Aminu as the other persons who had embarked on the robbery.
ENSURE HONESTY IN ACTIVITIES — YAMOA-PONKOH (PAGE 21, NOV 6)
THE new Ashanti Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Afrifa Yamoa-Ponkoh, has called on managers and staff of the various schemes in the region to ensure honesty in their activities.
He said the people would derive maxium benefits from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) when those managing the schemes worked with dedication and honesty.
In an interview with the Daily Grapic just after he officially assumed office as the regional manager, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said the Government had so far shown commitment to the development of the scheme to another height, and that must be complemented with hard work from its operators.
He promised to take “immediate action” against corrupt practices in the operations of the health insurance scheme in the region.
Expressing regret about alleged financial mismanagement in some of the schemes in the region, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said, “I am here to ensure that things are put right for the people to derive the best services from us”.
He stated that the scheme was very dear to the heart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and would, therefore, not allow any selfish individuals to run it down.
“The Government is determined to ensure that the people derived the expected results from the scheme and we in management positions must work towards making this a reality,” he stressed.
Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh stated that a healthy nation was made up of a healthy people, adding, “Therefore anything concerning health delivery needs to be taken seriously”.
He reiterated the Government’s determination to introduce the one-time premium, saying, “It will surely come to pass”.
The regional manager, who is a firebrand member of the NDC in the Ashanti Region, said his political activities would not disrupt his new position.
“I will reshuffle my activities to ensure that my political activities do not take over my new position,” he emphasised.
On a recent allegation made in some private newspapers suggesting that he infected a woman with the HIV virus, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said he took a serious view of the allegation and at the appropriate time he would initiate action against his accusers.
He said he kept quiet on the allegation for a while because he had just been appointed to his new position.
“I don’t understand why this unfounded story was thrown out just after I was appointed to my current position?”
“It was purely political and they will have to prove where I was tested HIV positive,” Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh added..
He said the people would derive maxium benefits from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) when those managing the schemes worked with dedication and honesty.
In an interview with the Daily Grapic just after he officially assumed office as the regional manager, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said the Government had so far shown commitment to the development of the scheme to another height, and that must be complemented with hard work from its operators.
He promised to take “immediate action” against corrupt practices in the operations of the health insurance scheme in the region.
Expressing regret about alleged financial mismanagement in some of the schemes in the region, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said, “I am here to ensure that things are put right for the people to derive the best services from us”.
He stated that the scheme was very dear to the heart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and would, therefore, not allow any selfish individuals to run it down.
“The Government is determined to ensure that the people derived the expected results from the scheme and we in management positions must work towards making this a reality,” he stressed.
Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh stated that a healthy nation was made up of a healthy people, adding, “Therefore anything concerning health delivery needs to be taken seriously”.
He reiterated the Government’s determination to introduce the one-time premium, saying, “It will surely come to pass”.
The regional manager, who is a firebrand member of the NDC in the Ashanti Region, said his political activities would not disrupt his new position.
“I will reshuffle my activities to ensure that my political activities do not take over my new position,” he emphasised.
On a recent allegation made in some private newspapers suggesting that he infected a woman with the HIV virus, Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh said he took a serious view of the allegation and at the appropriate time he would initiate action against his accusers.
He said he kept quiet on the allegation for a while because he had just been appointed to his new position.
“I don’t understand why this unfounded story was thrown out just after I was appointed to my current position?”
“It was purely political and they will have to prove where I was tested HIV positive,” Mr Yamoa-Ponkoh added..
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
GOVT URGED TO PASS RIGHT TO INFORMATION BILL (PAGE 16)
THE Western Regional Chapter of the Right to Information Coalition has urged the government to take steps to pass the Right to Information Bill (RIB) as a pre-requisite for good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
According to the chapter, it had, since 2003, been at the forefront of the campaign for the enactment of the Right to Information Law.
It, therefore, called on the good people of Ghana to add their voices to the clarion call by urging Members of Parliament (MPs) to urge the Executive to lay the bill on the floor of Parliament without further delay.
Speaking at a press conference in Takoradi, a spokesperson for the chapter, Mr Nathaniel Mensah, noted that the passage of the RIB had become more critical now with technological advancement which had made information dissemination faster and more efficient and at lower cost.
“It is in the light of this that the coalition wishes to bring to the notice of MPs to, as a matter of urgency, take steps to urge the President and Cabinet to submit the RIB to Parliament without further delay for its passage into law,” he explained.
He said the longer the passage of the bill delayed, the more it bred suspicion, mistrust and unsubstantiated rumours among the citizenry.
Mr Mensah said transparency, mutual respect, open and constructive dialogue should be upheld as the hallmark of the country’s democracy.
He said the Right to Information Law would make it possible for majority of Ghanaians to have access to public information and demand accountability from their leaders and institutions without adopting apathetic attitudes towards governance.
He called on the President to take due consideration of the proposals the coalition had made and assure Ghanaians of his government’s commitment to put in place a substantial legal framework that would facilitate full enjoyment of the fundamental right to information.
The spokesperson said in the absence of effective and transparent monitoring mechanisms by which the people would be empowered to participate in governance and development processes through access to information, the potential benefits of the oil find in the region would still meet similar challenges.
“Ghanaians, especially residents of the Western Region, have become keen on accessing information on the oil sector, its resource allocation, management, development, distribution, environmental challenges and its effects on the ocean,” he pointed out.
He added that adequate responses to those issues could be secured with a right to information law in place.
According to the chapter, it had, since 2003, been at the forefront of the campaign for the enactment of the Right to Information Law.
It, therefore, called on the good people of Ghana to add their voices to the clarion call by urging Members of Parliament (MPs) to urge the Executive to lay the bill on the floor of Parliament without further delay.
Speaking at a press conference in Takoradi, a spokesperson for the chapter, Mr Nathaniel Mensah, noted that the passage of the RIB had become more critical now with technological advancement which had made information dissemination faster and more efficient and at lower cost.
“It is in the light of this that the coalition wishes to bring to the notice of MPs to, as a matter of urgency, take steps to urge the President and Cabinet to submit the RIB to Parliament without further delay for its passage into law,” he explained.
He said the longer the passage of the bill delayed, the more it bred suspicion, mistrust and unsubstantiated rumours among the citizenry.
Mr Mensah said transparency, mutual respect, open and constructive dialogue should be upheld as the hallmark of the country’s democracy.
He said the Right to Information Law would make it possible for majority of Ghanaians to have access to public information and demand accountability from their leaders and institutions without adopting apathetic attitudes towards governance.
He called on the President to take due consideration of the proposals the coalition had made and assure Ghanaians of his government’s commitment to put in place a substantial legal framework that would facilitate full enjoyment of the fundamental right to information.
The spokesperson said in the absence of effective and transparent monitoring mechanisms by which the people would be empowered to participate in governance and development processes through access to information, the potential benefits of the oil find in the region would still meet similar challenges.
“Ghanaians, especially residents of the Western Region, have become keen on accessing information on the oil sector, its resource allocation, management, development, distribution, environmental challenges and its effects on the ocean,” he pointed out.
He added that adequate responses to those issues could be secured with a right to information law in place.
HEARTS ARE A DISGRACE ...Lambasts Odotei (GRAPHIC SPORTS, BACK PAGE)
Former Hearts of Oak CEO, Vincent Sowah Odotei, has described the decision of the club not to participate in Africa as not only disappointing, but also a disgrace to the club.
“The Hearts board and management should bow down their heads in shame for running this great club down”, he told a Kumasi-based radio station, Angel FM, at the weekend.
Mr Odotei, currently the CEO of King Faisal, said he had been vindicated about the fears he expressed some two years ago about the future of Hearts of Oak.
“That was the time I was sacked as CEO for attempting to inject professionalism into the management of Hearts of Oak”, he said.
Mr Odotei expressed regret that some people at the helm of affairs at Hearts of Oak were not ready to accept modern trends in football management.
“At a point I told them that if they did not stop their old ways of doing things, a time would come when Hearts of Oak would not have money to buy even pure water, and I am being proved right”, he said.
He said it was amazing that a big club like Hearts could be plunged into such a financial mess.
Mr Odotei stated that when he took over as acting CEO, he started “a strategic recruitment’’ with the view to building a strong team for the future, for Africa but the big guns in the club saw this move as a waste.
Meanwhile, Mr Odotei said King Faisal were yet to decide as to whether to participate in Africa or not. “The chances are 50-50,’’ he stressed.
“The Hearts board and management should bow down their heads in shame for running this great club down”, he told a Kumasi-based radio station, Angel FM, at the weekend.
Mr Odotei, currently the CEO of King Faisal, said he had been vindicated about the fears he expressed some two years ago about the future of Hearts of Oak.
“That was the time I was sacked as CEO for attempting to inject professionalism into the management of Hearts of Oak”, he said.
Mr Odotei expressed regret that some people at the helm of affairs at Hearts of Oak were not ready to accept modern trends in football management.
“At a point I told them that if they did not stop their old ways of doing things, a time would come when Hearts of Oak would not have money to buy even pure water, and I am being proved right”, he said.
He said it was amazing that a big club like Hearts could be plunged into such a financial mess.
Mr Odotei stated that when he took over as acting CEO, he started “a strategic recruitment’’ with the view to building a strong team for the future, for Africa but the big guns in the club saw this move as a waste.
Meanwhile, Mr Odotei said King Faisal were yet to decide as to whether to participate in Africa or not. “The chances are 50-50,’’ he stressed.
Monday, November 2, 2009
SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES TAKES STEPS TO BOOST TEACHING (PAGE 11, NOV 2)
THE School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has spent GH¢1,179,000 of its internally generated funds to undertake a number of development projects to boost teaching and learning, and expand access to the school.
The projects include the construction of a dining hall, the expansion of the teaching areas and facilities, procurement of modern teaching and laboratory equipment, erection of an overhead water tank, construction of a borehole, construction and rehabilitation of drainage systems among others.
At the inaugural ceremony, a medium-term project including a teaching laboratory, research laboratory, auditorium, offices and boardroom, were outdoored.
The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K. K. Adarkwa, commended the authorities and staff of the College of Health Sciences and the SMS for their foresight, dedication and hard work, which led to the execution of the projects.
He noted that over the years, the KNUST had been the centre of attraction for all students who wished to attain sound and quality science and technology tertiary education.
This, he noted, had culminated in the number of applicants to the undergraduate and graduate programmes increasing by the year.
However, Prof. Adarkwa said, as a result of constraints, only a fraction of applicants gained admission to pursue their dream programmes.
That notwithstanding, the vice chancellor gave the assurance that efforts were ongoing to broaden accessibility and help train more science and technology graduates to man the nation and Africa’s development.
He said this year, the SMS admitted 195 applicants to pursue medical programmes. The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the KNUST, Prof. K. A. Danso, said the strategic plan of SMS was being pursued with all seriousness, saying, “SMS has a great potential for a great future and we must harness it strategically”.
The projects include the construction of a dining hall, the expansion of the teaching areas and facilities, procurement of modern teaching and laboratory equipment, erection of an overhead water tank, construction of a borehole, construction and rehabilitation of drainage systems among others.
At the inaugural ceremony, a medium-term project including a teaching laboratory, research laboratory, auditorium, offices and boardroom, were outdoored.
The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K. K. Adarkwa, commended the authorities and staff of the College of Health Sciences and the SMS for their foresight, dedication and hard work, which led to the execution of the projects.
He noted that over the years, the KNUST had been the centre of attraction for all students who wished to attain sound and quality science and technology tertiary education.
This, he noted, had culminated in the number of applicants to the undergraduate and graduate programmes increasing by the year.
However, Prof. Adarkwa said, as a result of constraints, only a fraction of applicants gained admission to pursue their dream programmes.
That notwithstanding, the vice chancellor gave the assurance that efforts were ongoing to broaden accessibility and help train more science and technology graduates to man the nation and Africa’s development.
He said this year, the SMS admitted 195 applicants to pursue medical programmes. The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the KNUST, Prof. K. A. Danso, said the strategic plan of SMS was being pursued with all seriousness, saying, “SMS has a great potential for a great future and we must harness it strategically”.
KOTOKO, KESSBEN DRAW (BACK PAGE, NOV 2)
• Kessben FC leapt to the top of the Glo Premier League with a hard fought victory over Sekondi Eleven Wise at the Anane Boateng Stadium at Abrankese yesterday, reports Kwame Asare Boadu from Abrankese.
Midfielder Yufa Zugah scored from the spot on both halves to secure victory for his side.
Wise scored a consolation through midfielder Zakariah on the 35th minute.
Midfielder Yufa Zugah scored from the spot on both halves to secure victory for his side.
Wise scored a consolation through midfielder Zakariah on the 35th minute.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The Mabey & Johnson saga...CHARAJ DARES CITED OFFICIALS (1B, OCT 31)
THE Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has given strong indications to drag Ghanaian officials cited in the Mabey and Johnson (M&J) bribery scandal to court if they fail to respond to the allegations as requested by the commission.
The two-week period given by CHRAJ to the officials to respond to the allegations to enable it to proceed with its investigations into the matter officially expires today, but as of yesterday the commission had not heard from any of them.
The officials include Dr George Sipa-Adja Yankey, Dr Ato Quarshie, Mr Lord Attivor, Mr Baba Camara, Alhaji Amadu Seidu and Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface.
The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Francis Emile Short, said in Kumasi yesterday that the commission was clothed with the legal authority to move to court to ensure that the investigations proceeded without any hindrance.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Mr Short stated that after all the necessary information had been gathered, the commission would organise a public hearing on the matter.
Following a UK court ruling implicating the officials in the bribery scandal President Mills asked CHRAJ to investigate the allegations and report to him.
But even before the President's directive, CHRAJ had taken the initiative to conduct its own investigations into the case.
When reached for his response to the issue, Dr Yankey said he had responded to the request from CHRAJ before the close of work yesterday and taken. a receipt for it
Mr Short said the commission had written to all the officials involved in the allegations and so it would be surprising for any of them to deny knowledge of the invitation.
That notwithstanding, CHRAJ was determined to proceed with the issue to its logical conclusion, he emphasised.
According to him, his outfit had written to some ministries for information that was vital in dealing with the matter in question.
Besides, the commission had written to the UK office of Mabey & Johnson, as well as the Serious Fraud Office in the UK, for information on the issue but the commission was yet to hear from the latter.
He urged Ghanaians to have time for the commission to delve into the allegation, saying that "issues like this take time to deal with".
"We are aware that Ghanaians want to know the truth; after our investigations we shall inform the President of our findings and from there Ghanaians will get to the truth," he stressed.
Mr Short appealed to the Asantehene for land to enable the commission to put up a befitting regional office in Kumasi.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended Mr Short and the commission for the good work they were doing to advance the democratic process.
"CHRAJ plays a crucial role in the democracy we are practising and it is good that it has so far lived up to expectation in the midst of all the challenges," he said.
He noted that the law that established CHRAJ placed it in a position where it did not know the government or a big man somewhere.
"You stand in the middle and Ghanaians expect you to remain so," he added.
The Asantehene said no government in Ghana could deny the existence of corruption during its tenure because governments were made up of human beings.
“Since the birth of the Fourth Republic, for instance, successive governments have accused their predecessors of massive corruption but what is important is how to deal with such issues," he said.
Touching on the threats to judicial independence, Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that the system whereby the Judiciary depended on the government for "everything for survival" was a disincentive to judicial independence and democratic governance.
He, therefore, stressed the need for constitutional amendments to address the difficulties that hindered judicial independence.
Responding to CHRAJ’s request for land, the Asantehene gave the assurance that he would direct his land secretariat to work on the request.
The two-week period given by CHRAJ to the officials to respond to the allegations to enable it to proceed with its investigations into the matter officially expires today, but as of yesterday the commission had not heard from any of them.
The officials include Dr George Sipa-Adja Yankey, Dr Ato Quarshie, Mr Lord Attivor, Mr Baba Camara, Alhaji Amadu Seidu and Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface.
The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Francis Emile Short, said in Kumasi yesterday that the commission was clothed with the legal authority to move to court to ensure that the investigations proceeded without any hindrance.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Mr Short stated that after all the necessary information had been gathered, the commission would organise a public hearing on the matter.
Following a UK court ruling implicating the officials in the bribery scandal President Mills asked CHRAJ to investigate the allegations and report to him.
But even before the President's directive, CHRAJ had taken the initiative to conduct its own investigations into the case.
When reached for his response to the issue, Dr Yankey said he had responded to the request from CHRAJ before the close of work yesterday and taken. a receipt for it
Mr Short said the commission had written to all the officials involved in the allegations and so it would be surprising for any of them to deny knowledge of the invitation.
That notwithstanding, CHRAJ was determined to proceed with the issue to its logical conclusion, he emphasised.
According to him, his outfit had written to some ministries for information that was vital in dealing with the matter in question.
Besides, the commission had written to the UK office of Mabey & Johnson, as well as the Serious Fraud Office in the UK, for information on the issue but the commission was yet to hear from the latter.
He urged Ghanaians to have time for the commission to delve into the allegation, saying that "issues like this take time to deal with".
"We are aware that Ghanaians want to know the truth; after our investigations we shall inform the President of our findings and from there Ghanaians will get to the truth," he stressed.
Mr Short appealed to the Asantehene for land to enable the commission to put up a befitting regional office in Kumasi.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended Mr Short and the commission for the good work they were doing to advance the democratic process.
"CHRAJ plays a crucial role in the democracy we are practising and it is good that it has so far lived up to expectation in the midst of all the challenges," he said.
He noted that the law that established CHRAJ placed it in a position where it did not know the government or a big man somewhere.
"You stand in the middle and Ghanaians expect you to remain so," he added.
The Asantehene said no government in Ghana could deny the existence of corruption during its tenure because governments were made up of human beings.
“Since the birth of the Fourth Republic, for instance, successive governments have accused their predecessors of massive corruption but what is important is how to deal with such issues," he said.
Touching on the threats to judicial independence, Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that the system whereby the Judiciary depended on the government for "everything for survival" was a disincentive to judicial independence and democratic governance.
He, therefore, stressed the need for constitutional amendments to address the difficulties that hindered judicial independence.
Responding to CHRAJ’s request for land, the Asantehene gave the assurance that he would direct his land secretariat to work on the request.
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