Story: Samuel Duodu, Fiapre
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has been elected as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate to contest the Sunyani West Constituency seat in the Brong Ahafo Region during the December general elections.
At the party’s constituency delegates’ conference held at Fiapre in the Sunyani West District on Monday and supervised by the Sunyani Municipal Directorate of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Baffour Awuah polled 110 votes out of the 113 votes cast, while his main opponent, Dr Joseph Adu-Mensah, a lecturer at the Kwadaso Agriculture College in the Ashanti Region, obtained three votes.
The 113 delegates out of a total of 115 voted while two were absent. Two other aspirants, Madam Evelyn Adarkwa Frema, the Proprietress of St Declan Preparatory School at Odumase No. 1, and Prof. Acheampong Yaw Amoateng, Director of Child, Youth and Social Development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), who had filed their nominations withdrew from the contest some few minutes to voting.
Mr Ofori Pewiah, the Municipal Director of the EC, after the counting of the ballots cast which went in favour of Mr Baffour Awuah, subsequently declared him as the winner amidst thunderous applause from the crowd that had gathered outside the Fiapre Methodist Church, the venue for the primaries.
In his victory speech, Mr Baffour Awuah pledged to work closely with all the aspirants to ensure that the party recorded a wider margin in both the presidential and the parliamentary elections.
He thanked the delegates for electing him to contest on the party’s ticket for the Sunyani West Constituency in the forthcoming general elections and pledged that he would provide the polling station executive with the necessary logistics to embark on a vigorous campaign to retain the parliamentary seat for the party.
Mr Baffour Awuah urged supporters of the party to close their ranks and work hard to ensure that the party retained power and the Sunyani West parliamentary seat in the December polls.
He also promised to use his wealth of experience to lobby for more development projects to the constituency and therefore appealed to the electorate to vote massively for him.
Conceding defeat, Dr Adu-Mensah pledged to throw his weight behind Mr Baffour Awuah to ensure that the party retained the parliamentary seat.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
ZOOMLION LAUNCHES NEW WASTE MANAGEMENT CONCEPT (PAGE 21)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has called on assembly members, traditional authorities and religious leaders to lead the crusade against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and littering in their various communities.
He said the poor sanitary habits exhibited by some people could be corrected if assembly members, chiefs and religious leaders, who lived closer to the people in their vicinities, would take it upon themselves to educate people to desist from such negative acts.
Mr Baffour-Awuah made the call at the launch of a new waste management concept by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company.
The new concept is aimed at actively involving assembly members in waste collection in their electoral areas, especially the door-to-door collection, in the spirit of public-private participation in waste management.
Under the project, Zoomlion would provide the necessary logistics for assembly members to educate the public on good sanitation.
To this end, Zoomlion would provide trucks equipped with public address systems to be used for the waste collection at the cost of GH¢19,500.
Mr Baffour-Awuah attributed the sharp increase in malaria cases and other preventable diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera to the insanitary conditions created in the cities, towns and villages.
Those diseases, he stated, could easily be prevented if people desisted from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in gutters and drains that tended to be the breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects.
The regional minister appealed to the various municipal and district assemblies to rigidly enforce their sanitation bye-laws to help protect the environment, stressing that the public must also assist by keeping their surrounding clean at all times.
Mr Baffour-Awuah expressed the hope that the new concept, which was a further collaboration between Zoomlion and the district assemblies, would enhance waste collection and management in the country.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zoomlion, Nana Yaw Sarkodie, stated that the new concept was not the first time that Zoomlion was working in collaboration with the assemblies to ensure national development, especially in the areas of health and sanitation.
He expressed the hope that the project would go a long way to improve environmental sanitation in the country.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinator of Zoomlion, Mr Kwame Gariba, said the trucks to be used by the assembly members for the waste collection and public education, would be given to each municipal and district assembly on hire purchase basis.
He said payment would be spread over a period of five years, while Zoomlion would be responsible for the servicing, repairs and maintenance cost of the truck.
Mr Gariba added that under the project, Zoomlion would also provide GH¢200 for the public education component, while assembly members would only be responsible for the payment of the driver’s salary and fuelling of the trucks.
According to him, under the project, residents were expected to pay a token to support its sustainability.
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has called on assembly members, traditional authorities and religious leaders to lead the crusade against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and littering in their various communities.
He said the poor sanitary habits exhibited by some people could be corrected if assembly members, chiefs and religious leaders, who lived closer to the people in their vicinities, would take it upon themselves to educate people to desist from such negative acts.
Mr Baffour-Awuah made the call at the launch of a new waste management concept by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company.
The new concept is aimed at actively involving assembly members in waste collection in their electoral areas, especially the door-to-door collection, in the spirit of public-private participation in waste management.
Under the project, Zoomlion would provide the necessary logistics for assembly members to educate the public on good sanitation.
To this end, Zoomlion would provide trucks equipped with public address systems to be used for the waste collection at the cost of GH¢19,500.
Mr Baffour-Awuah attributed the sharp increase in malaria cases and other preventable diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera to the insanitary conditions created in the cities, towns and villages.
Those diseases, he stated, could easily be prevented if people desisted from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in gutters and drains that tended to be the breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects.
The regional minister appealed to the various municipal and district assemblies to rigidly enforce their sanitation bye-laws to help protect the environment, stressing that the public must also assist by keeping their surrounding clean at all times.
Mr Baffour-Awuah expressed the hope that the new concept, which was a further collaboration between Zoomlion and the district assemblies, would enhance waste collection and management in the country.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zoomlion, Nana Yaw Sarkodie, stated that the new concept was not the first time that Zoomlion was working in collaboration with the assemblies to ensure national development, especially in the areas of health and sanitation.
He expressed the hope that the project would go a long way to improve environmental sanitation in the country.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinator of Zoomlion, Mr Kwame Gariba, said the trucks to be used by the assembly members for the waste collection and public education, would be given to each municipal and district assembly on hire purchase basis.
He said payment would be spread over a period of five years, while Zoomlion would be responsible for the servicing, repairs and maintenance cost of the truck.
Mr Gariba added that under the project, Zoomlion would also provide GH¢200 for the public education component, while assembly members would only be responsible for the payment of the driver’s salary and fuelling of the trucks.
According to him, under the project, residents were expected to pay a token to support its sustainability.
Monday, April 28, 2008
DRIVER FINED FOR DRINK DRIVING (PAGE 32)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
A 30-year-old driver who was arrested for taking in alcohol beyond the statutory 0.08 per cent in the Sunyani township by personnel of the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) has been sentenced to a fine of GH¢6,000 or in default serve two years’ imprisonment in hard labour by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court.
The convict, Kwaku Fosu, who pleaded guilty to the offence of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol concentration in his blood was above the prescribed limit, was sentenced on his own plea by the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Yartey.
According to the Regional Police Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ansu Frimpong, on April 16, 2008 at about 6.50 a.m. Fosu who was driving a Nissan mini bus was travelling from Kumasi to Sunyani with passengers on board.
He said on reaching the Sunyani township personnel from the regional MTTU who were on patrol duties stopped the convict to produce his driving licence, but he struggled to alight from the driver’s seat.
ASP Frimpong stated further that the police became suspicious that the convict was drunk and he (convict) was therefore escorted to the Regional Police MTTU office and when he was tested with the breathalyser it showed 120 per cent instead of the 0.08 per cent.
He said the convict was shown the result of the test and he admitted at the police station to have taken in some alcohol.
He was subsequently put before the court.
A 30-year-old driver who was arrested for taking in alcohol beyond the statutory 0.08 per cent in the Sunyani township by personnel of the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) has been sentenced to a fine of GH¢6,000 or in default serve two years’ imprisonment in hard labour by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court.
The convict, Kwaku Fosu, who pleaded guilty to the offence of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol concentration in his blood was above the prescribed limit, was sentenced on his own plea by the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Yartey.
According to the Regional Police Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ansu Frimpong, on April 16, 2008 at about 6.50 a.m. Fosu who was driving a Nissan mini bus was travelling from Kumasi to Sunyani with passengers on board.
He said on reaching the Sunyani township personnel from the regional MTTU who were on patrol duties stopped the convict to produce his driving licence, but he struggled to alight from the driver’s seat.
ASP Frimpong stated further that the police became suspicious that the convict was drunk and he (convict) was therefore escorted to the Regional Police MTTU office and when he was tested with the breathalyser it showed 120 per cent instead of the 0.08 per cent.
He said the convict was shown the result of the test and he admitted at the police station to have taken in some alcohol.
He was subsequently put before the court.
DON'T POLITICISE PROJECTS — BAFFOUR-AWUAH (PAGE 9)
Story: Samuel Duodu,
Sunyani.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has urged Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operators in the region not to politicise the Ghana Government (GOG) and the World Bank (WB) project for MSMEs in the country.
They should rather strive to derive the full benefits from the project.
According to him, the MSMEs project, which is jointly financed by the government and the World Bank was aimed at supporting entrepreneurship development, trigger growth and lower poverty levels in the country.
The minister noted that the project was so important to the region that it could not be underestimated.
“The region, therefore, sees the launching of the project as timely and good opportunity for the business community to further improve upon their enterprises, increase their production levels and generate more job opportunities”, he stressed.
Mr Baffour Awuah said this in an address read on his behalf by Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, at the regional launch of the GOG/WB MSME project in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The MSME project is a Government of Ghana initiative to provide essential financing and technical support to enhance MSMEs development in the country.
It is expected that the project would generate growth in the national economy and lower poverty levels by increasing the competitiveness and employment levels of MSMEs.
Mr Baffour-Awuah observed that though MSMEs contributed towards the overall development of the nation and the region in particular, there were challenges that their operations faced and mentioned some of them as poor road network to the rural areas, irregular supply of electricity and water, inaccessibility of credits to small and medium enterprises at the bank’s since most banks insist on collaterals which they find difficult to get.
However, he stated that despite these challenges that the operators were confronted with, it was his expectation that the vigorous infrastructure development programme that the government was pursuing would solve some of the challenges.
Mr Baffour-Awuah also expressed the hope that the project would go a long way to free MSMEs operators from the problems associated with capacity building, access to market and technical assistance.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist on the project, David Oppong, said the $119 million nationwide project, which would last for a period of five years, would reduce business constraints faced by the MSMEs, such as technical barriers to trade.
It would also develop and strengthen the capacity of local intermediaries to deliver financial and non-financial services to MSMEs as well as build the capacity of MSMEs.
Sunyani.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has urged Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operators in the region not to politicise the Ghana Government (GOG) and the World Bank (WB) project for MSMEs in the country.
They should rather strive to derive the full benefits from the project.
According to him, the MSMEs project, which is jointly financed by the government and the World Bank was aimed at supporting entrepreneurship development, trigger growth and lower poverty levels in the country.
The minister noted that the project was so important to the region that it could not be underestimated.
“The region, therefore, sees the launching of the project as timely and good opportunity for the business community to further improve upon their enterprises, increase their production levels and generate more job opportunities”, he stressed.
Mr Baffour Awuah said this in an address read on his behalf by Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, at the regional launch of the GOG/WB MSME project in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The MSME project is a Government of Ghana initiative to provide essential financing and technical support to enhance MSMEs development in the country.
It is expected that the project would generate growth in the national economy and lower poverty levels by increasing the competitiveness and employment levels of MSMEs.
Mr Baffour-Awuah observed that though MSMEs contributed towards the overall development of the nation and the region in particular, there were challenges that their operations faced and mentioned some of them as poor road network to the rural areas, irregular supply of electricity and water, inaccessibility of credits to small and medium enterprises at the bank’s since most banks insist on collaterals which they find difficult to get.
However, he stated that despite these challenges that the operators were confronted with, it was his expectation that the vigorous infrastructure development programme that the government was pursuing would solve some of the challenges.
Mr Baffour-Awuah also expressed the hope that the project would go a long way to free MSMEs operators from the problems associated with capacity building, access to market and technical assistance.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist on the project, David Oppong, said the $119 million nationwide project, which would last for a period of five years, would reduce business constraints faced by the MSMEs, such as technical barriers to trade.
It would also develop and strengthen the capacity of local intermediaries to deliver financial and non-financial services to MSMEs as well as build the capacity of MSMEs.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
2 Sunyani schools get litter bins
April 16 (page 21)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Environmental Network Committee (RENC), the regional advisory committee on environment, has presented litter bins worth GH¢300 to two basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality at separate ceremonies in Sunyani.
The beneficiary schools were the Ridge Experimental ‘A’ School (north campus) and High Street Junior High School (JHS) at Penkwasi, a suburb of Sunyani. Each of the schools received two litter bins.
The committee which comprises representatives from the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Health Directorate and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) was set up to identify environmental problems in the region and make recommendations for their solution.
Presenting the items, the Chairman of RENC, Mr Nat Dzadey, who is also a Deputy Director at the RCC, said the donation was aimed at inculcating the habit of environmental sanitation in schoolchildren in the municipality.
Another objective of the donation, he said, was to promote environmental sanitation in public basic schools in the municipality and to create the awareness among schoolchildren on the need to keep their surroundings clean always.
Mr Dzadey stated that the litter bins were purchased through an appeal made to certain individuals and organisations in the municipality to help procure them for distribution to basic schools, lorry parks and markets to reduce indiscriminate disposal of refuse.
He thanked the sponsors and expressed the hope that others would support the RENC to ensure a clean and safe environment in the region.
Mr Dzadey urged the schoolchildren to desist from littering the environment, especially with plastic waste that could not decompose easily.
The Regional Director of the EPA, Mr Isaac Osei, who is a member of the committee, said schoolchildren were targeted for the programme because they were seen as agents of change in the society.
The Headmistress of Ridge Experimental, Mrs Rosemary Annor Sakyi, and Mr Emmanuel Boafo, the Headmaster of High Street JHS, expressed their gratitude to the committee.
He noted that the litter bins would go a long way to enhance sanitation in their schools.
They pledged to take good care of the bins and advised the schoolchildren to use them instead of littering the school compound.
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Environmental Network Committee (RENC), the regional advisory committee on environment, has presented litter bins worth GH¢300 to two basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality at separate ceremonies in Sunyani.
The beneficiary schools were the Ridge Experimental ‘A’ School (north campus) and High Street Junior High School (JHS) at Penkwasi, a suburb of Sunyani. Each of the schools received two litter bins.
The committee which comprises representatives from the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Health Directorate and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) was set up to identify environmental problems in the region and make recommendations for their solution.
Presenting the items, the Chairman of RENC, Mr Nat Dzadey, who is also a Deputy Director at the RCC, said the donation was aimed at inculcating the habit of environmental sanitation in schoolchildren in the municipality.
Another objective of the donation, he said, was to promote environmental sanitation in public basic schools in the municipality and to create the awareness among schoolchildren on the need to keep their surroundings clean always.
Mr Dzadey stated that the litter bins were purchased through an appeal made to certain individuals and organisations in the municipality to help procure them for distribution to basic schools, lorry parks and markets to reduce indiscriminate disposal of refuse.
He thanked the sponsors and expressed the hope that others would support the RENC to ensure a clean and safe environment in the region.
Mr Dzadey urged the schoolchildren to desist from littering the environment, especially with plastic waste that could not decompose easily.
The Regional Director of the EPA, Mr Isaac Osei, who is a member of the committee, said schoolchildren were targeted for the programme because they were seen as agents of change in the society.
The Headmistress of Ridge Experimental, Mrs Rosemary Annor Sakyi, and Mr Emmanuel Boafo, the Headmaster of High Street JHS, expressed their gratitude to the committee.
He noted that the litter bins would go a long way to enhance sanitation in their schools.
They pledged to take good care of the bins and advised the schoolchildren to use them instead of littering the school compound.
Bawa defects to NPP
April15
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
A former Brong Ahafo Regional Deputy Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Dauda Bawa, 67, has announced his defection from the party to join the Nasara club of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Alhaji Bawa who announced his defection at a press conference held in Sunyani, stated that his decision to defect from the NDC to the Nasara Club of the NPP was based on his personal convictions.
Alhaji Bawa, who was flanked by the executives of the Nasara club, stated that he had no problem with the NDC as a party and expressed his admiration for former President Rawlings for his good work during his rule, but added that he was moved by the dedication and selfless service rendered by the NPP government led by President Kufuor that had brought development to every nook and cranny of the country.
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
A former Brong Ahafo Regional Deputy Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Dauda Bawa, 67, has announced his defection from the party to join the Nasara club of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Alhaji Bawa who announced his defection at a press conference held in Sunyani, stated that his decision to defect from the NDC to the Nasara Club of the NPP was based on his personal convictions.
Alhaji Bawa, who was flanked by the executives of the Nasara club, stated that he had no problem with the NDC as a party and expressed his admiration for former President Rawlings for his good work during his rule, but added that he was moved by the dedication and selfless service rendered by the NPP government led by President Kufuor that had brought development to every nook and cranny of the country.
Three widows will soon be free
April 15, 2008
Story: Samuel Duodu,
New Longolo
THE three ‘royal’ widows of the Mo Traditional Council in the Brong Ahafo Region have consented to the latest agreement by the council to elect Nana Adjei Adinkra II, Krontihene of New Longolo, as the acting President of the traditional council to perform the final funeral rites for the late chief.
This means that the widows, Madam Yaa Nsia, Madam Afua Nkume and Madam Ama Sumaa, who have performed widowhood rites for nine years since the death of their husband, Nana Kwaku Dimpo 11, chief of New Longolo in the Kimtampo North District, will be free after the funeral rites.
This develpoment follows a meeting held at New Longolo on April 4, 2008 between the family of the late chief and the Mo Traditional Council to elect an acting president for the council. During the meeting, July 25 to 31, 2008 was slated for the celebration of the final funeral rites of Nana Dimpo 11, who died in 1999.
The decision which was reached at the meeting has been communicated to the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, which has also given its approval for the funeral of the late chief to be performed to ‘free’ the women.
The culture of the Mo Traditional Area demands that the successor to the deceased chief should perform the final funeral rites of his predecessor and that after the final funeral rites of the late chief that the widows would be freed from widowhood.
It will be recalled that the Daily Graphic in its April 5, 2008 edition published an appeal by the three ‘royal’ widows asking the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs to expedite action on the settling of the disputes among the three gates of the Mo stool for the final funeral rites of their late husband to be performed for them to be free.
The widows, who have been confined to their rooms and the compound of their homes for the past nine years, had rejected earlier moves by the head of their late husband’s family to perform the initiation to relieve them of widowhood describing such an action as a breach of tradition.
Story: Samuel Duodu,
New Longolo
THE three ‘royal’ widows of the Mo Traditional Council in the Brong Ahafo Region have consented to the latest agreement by the council to elect Nana Adjei Adinkra II, Krontihene of New Longolo, as the acting President of the traditional council to perform the final funeral rites for the late chief.
This means that the widows, Madam Yaa Nsia, Madam Afua Nkume and Madam Ama Sumaa, who have performed widowhood rites for nine years since the death of their husband, Nana Kwaku Dimpo 11, chief of New Longolo in the Kimtampo North District, will be free after the funeral rites.
This develpoment follows a meeting held at New Longolo on April 4, 2008 between the family of the late chief and the Mo Traditional Council to elect an acting president for the council. During the meeting, July 25 to 31, 2008 was slated for the celebration of the final funeral rites of Nana Dimpo 11, who died in 1999.
The decision which was reached at the meeting has been communicated to the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, which has also given its approval for the funeral of the late chief to be performed to ‘free’ the women.
The culture of the Mo Traditional Area demands that the successor to the deceased chief should perform the final funeral rites of his predecessor and that after the final funeral rites of the late chief that the widows would be freed from widowhood.
It will be recalled that the Daily Graphic in its April 5, 2008 edition published an appeal by the three ‘royal’ widows asking the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs to expedite action on the settling of the disputes among the three gates of the Mo stool for the final funeral rites of their late husband to be performed for them to be free.
The widows, who have been confined to their rooms and the compound of their homes for the past nine years, had rejected earlier moves by the head of their late husband’s family to perform the initiation to relieve them of widowhood describing such an action as a breach of tradition.
Friday, April 25, 2008
MINING COMPANIES MUST TAKE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SERIOUSLY (MIRROR, PAGE 15)
From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has urged Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine, to take environmental issues seriously so that the people affected by its activities could farm in areas where mining has ceased.
He said the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) would not like to see a situation where activities of the company would degrade the environment to the extent of depriving the communities of their means of livelihood and other economic activities and also bring health hazards to them.
“I will therefore urge the company to strengthen its environment programmes to make life meaningful to the people in the communities affected by mining”, he stressed.
Mr Baffour-Awuah said this at the inauguration of the 2008 Newmont/Community Crop Rates Review Committee (CRRC) in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The committee made up of NGGL, representatives of farmers and communities, regulatory agencies and non-governmental organisations is to review, negotiate and establish agreement for crop compensation rates in a transparent manner that would be acceptable to all parties. NGGL and its stakeholders have had three successful rates review exercises since 2004.
The inaugural ceremony preceded a training workshop aimed at building the negotiation skills of farmers and community representatives who are members of the review committee.
Mr Baffour-Awuah observed that destruction of the environment by some mining companies had led to civil strife and the disruption of their operations in some parts of the country, saying ‘we do not want such disturbance here’.
The Regional Minister noted that most of the company’s concessions were farmlands on which various cash and food crops were cultivated by the local people and therefore expressed the hope that the company would take the necessary steps to compensate all farmers whose farms would be affected by mining.
Mr Baffour-Awuah entreated the negotiation team to let the current micro-economic trend in the country to reflect in the negotiation.
The Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ghana Minerals Commission, Mr Amponsah Tawiah, urged farmers to desist from speculative farming, since often land designated for mining by mining companies ended up not being used which made them run into huge debts.
He added that with the coming into force of act 703, the Minerals and Mining act of 2006, due recognition is given to land without crops on it to make it a candidate for compensation, saying it would therefore be out of place for community members to quickly rush to plant in areas which they were aware had been designated for farming.
Mr Tawiah, however, stated that in this era of Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), “I will humbly plead with both the Management of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and the Crop Rates Review Committee to cause the publication of the figures arrived at and the basis for public consumption. By so doing, there will be peace wherever the company intends to commence mining activity”.
Mr Randy Barnes, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, for his part, stated the company would continue to engage all stakeholders to promote mutual understanding and harmony at all times.
Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP) who chaired the function urged all to approach the negotiations with good sense so that nobody loses at the end of the review exercise, and added that should be a win-win affair.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has urged Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine, to take environmental issues seriously so that the people affected by its activities could farm in areas where mining has ceased.
He said the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) would not like to see a situation where activities of the company would degrade the environment to the extent of depriving the communities of their means of livelihood and other economic activities and also bring health hazards to them.
“I will therefore urge the company to strengthen its environment programmes to make life meaningful to the people in the communities affected by mining”, he stressed.
Mr Baffour-Awuah said this at the inauguration of the 2008 Newmont/Community Crop Rates Review Committee (CRRC) in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The committee made up of NGGL, representatives of farmers and communities, regulatory agencies and non-governmental organisations is to review, negotiate and establish agreement for crop compensation rates in a transparent manner that would be acceptable to all parties. NGGL and its stakeholders have had three successful rates review exercises since 2004.
The inaugural ceremony preceded a training workshop aimed at building the negotiation skills of farmers and community representatives who are members of the review committee.
Mr Baffour-Awuah observed that destruction of the environment by some mining companies had led to civil strife and the disruption of their operations in some parts of the country, saying ‘we do not want such disturbance here’.
The Regional Minister noted that most of the company’s concessions were farmlands on which various cash and food crops were cultivated by the local people and therefore expressed the hope that the company would take the necessary steps to compensate all farmers whose farms would be affected by mining.
Mr Baffour-Awuah entreated the negotiation team to let the current micro-economic trend in the country to reflect in the negotiation.
The Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ghana Minerals Commission, Mr Amponsah Tawiah, urged farmers to desist from speculative farming, since often land designated for mining by mining companies ended up not being used which made them run into huge debts.
He added that with the coming into force of act 703, the Minerals and Mining act of 2006, due recognition is given to land without crops on it to make it a candidate for compensation, saying it would therefore be out of place for community members to quickly rush to plant in areas which they were aware had been designated for farming.
Mr Tawiah, however, stated that in this era of Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), “I will humbly plead with both the Management of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and the Crop Rates Review Committee to cause the publication of the figures arrived at and the basis for public consumption. By so doing, there will be peace wherever the company intends to commence mining activity”.
Mr Randy Barnes, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, for his part, stated the company would continue to engage all stakeholders to promote mutual understanding and harmony at all times.
Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP) who chaired the function urged all to approach the negotiations with good sense so that nobody loses at the end of the review exercise, and added that should be a win-win affair.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
'POLITICIANS MUST GUARD AGAINST BREACH OF PEACE' (PAGE 17)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, has appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns within the confines of the legal and constitutional framework of the country.
He said they must guard against a breach of the peace in the region before, during and after the 2008 general election.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh, who also drew the attention of political parties and their supporters to the Public Order Act (Act 419), the Public Elections Registration of Voters Regulations, 1995 (CI 12) and the Public Elections Regulations, 1996 (CI 15), cautioned that the Regional Police Command would apply the electoral laws to the letter.
He, however, gave the assurance that the police would be fair and firm to everybody in the discharge of their duties to ensure that law and order prevailed in the region.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh made the appeal at his maiden meeting with the chairmen of political parties in the Brong Ahafo Region at the Regional Police Headquarters in Sunyani.
The meeting was attended by Mr Peter Amoh for the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP); Mr Bright Kwame Ameyaw for the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Mr John Owusu Agyemang for the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Mr Amanfo Antwi for the Democratic People’s Party (DPP); Mr Collins Kyere for the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Mr Eric Adom Marfo for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh urged Ghanaians to learn from the experiences of neighbouring countries and endeavour to resolve all their political differences with dialogue, compromise, as well as the legal and constitutional structures, to ensure that the country continue to enjoy peace before, during and after the elections.
In a release signed by Chief Inspector Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, the Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, and issued to the press in Sunyani, the Regional Police Commander stated that the Community Protection Unit (CPU) was under the command and control of the Ghana Police Service.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh, therefore, appealed to all to co-operate with the personnel of the unit in the performance of their duties.
The Regional Police Commander noted that the activities of members of the CPU in the region had been prescribed by him and, therefore, he expected them to be encouraged and respected by all.
He appealed to the gathering and the public to disabuse their minds of the fear that the CPU was there because of the upcoming general election instead of crowd and traffic control duties.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Charles K. Tokor; the Regional Crime Officer, Mr Kwame Barima-Acheampong, and the Staff Officer to the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah.
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, has appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns within the confines of the legal and constitutional framework of the country.
He said they must guard against a breach of the peace in the region before, during and after the 2008 general election.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh, who also drew the attention of political parties and their supporters to the Public Order Act (Act 419), the Public Elections Registration of Voters Regulations, 1995 (CI 12) and the Public Elections Regulations, 1996 (CI 15), cautioned that the Regional Police Command would apply the electoral laws to the letter.
He, however, gave the assurance that the police would be fair and firm to everybody in the discharge of their duties to ensure that law and order prevailed in the region.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh made the appeal at his maiden meeting with the chairmen of political parties in the Brong Ahafo Region at the Regional Police Headquarters in Sunyani.
The meeting was attended by Mr Peter Amoh for the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP); Mr Bright Kwame Ameyaw for the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Mr John Owusu Agyemang for the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Mr Amanfo Antwi for the Democratic People’s Party (DPP); Mr Collins Kyere for the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Mr Eric Adom Marfo for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh urged Ghanaians to learn from the experiences of neighbouring countries and endeavour to resolve all their political differences with dialogue, compromise, as well as the legal and constitutional structures, to ensure that the country continue to enjoy peace before, during and after the elections.
In a release signed by Chief Inspector Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, the Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, and issued to the press in Sunyani, the Regional Police Commander stated that the Community Protection Unit (CPU) was under the command and control of the Ghana Police Service.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh, therefore, appealed to all to co-operate with the personnel of the unit in the performance of their duties.
The Regional Police Commander noted that the activities of members of the CPU in the region had been prescribed by him and, therefore, he expected them to be encouraged and respected by all.
He appealed to the gathering and the public to disabuse their minds of the fear that the CPU was there because of the upcoming general election instead of crowd and traffic control duties.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Charles K. Tokor; the Regional Crime Officer, Mr Kwame Barima-Acheampong, and the Staff Officer to the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
CASHEW FARMERS WANT PRICE REGULATORY BODY (BACK PAGE)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
Cashew farmers in Brong Ahafo Region have appealed to the government to set up a body to regulate the pricing of cashew to stop the current practice where local and international buying agencies determine the price of the crop.
They suggested that in the interim, the COCOBOD could be given the mandate to regulate the sale and purchase of cashew and made to take charge of the promotion of cashew as in the case with cocoa, coffee and shea butter.
The farmers said it was unfortunate that while the government had established a cashew development project to support farmers to increase their produce, it had left the farmers at the mercy of buyers who determine the price for purchasing the crop.
The farmers made the appeal at an advocacy meeting of the Jaman North Cashew Farmers’ Association with officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) which brought together cashew farmers groups in the region.
The advocacy action to improve pricing and development of cashew as a cash crop and foreign exchange earner of the country was sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.
It is also aimed at dialoguing with the authorities to provide a commodity price at the national level and setting up an institution that would promote the crop along the same line as cocoa, coffee and shea nut.
The farmers noted that some private agencies and buyers often cunningly complained that the cashew was of low quality and took advantage to fix low selling prices to their advantage and to the disadvantage of the farmers.
They said farmers were unable to repay loans secured from the Cashew Development Project and financial institutions because of the high operational costs.
Prices offered for the crop during the season fluctuate between GH 0.60p and GH 0.20p per kilo. The unstable nature of pricing during the season is not dependent on the quality available for purchase or on the world market price but mostly on the whims and caprices of the buyers as a way of maximising their profits at the expense of the farmers.
Samuel Kwame Seiy , the Regent of Sampa and the acting Regional Chairman of the Cashew Farmers Union, on behalf of the farmers called on MoFA to intervene by putting in place measures to address this constraint of their efforts at promoting cashew as a major foreign exchange earner for the country in the future are to yield meaningful fruit.
He said the cashew tree has a lifespan of 70 years and its fruit and nuts have high economic value which if processed could provide oil, alcohol, juices, animal feed and others, and expressed regret that farmers were making little to attract a higher price.
Mr Michael Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Simida Consult Limited, the business provider, said the action was to discuss the problems facing the cashew industry and share thoughts on ways to promote the sustainability of the industry towards poverty reduction and improved standard of living of farmers in the region.
He added his voice to the call of the farmers on the government to set up a regulatory body for the sale and purchase of cashew in the country, since the crop had the potential of being a major foreign exchange earner apart from cocoa, coffee and shea nut, if given the needed a attention.
Cashew farmers in Brong Ahafo Region have appealed to the government to set up a body to regulate the pricing of cashew to stop the current practice where local and international buying agencies determine the price of the crop.
They suggested that in the interim, the COCOBOD could be given the mandate to regulate the sale and purchase of cashew and made to take charge of the promotion of cashew as in the case with cocoa, coffee and shea butter.
The farmers said it was unfortunate that while the government had established a cashew development project to support farmers to increase their produce, it had left the farmers at the mercy of buyers who determine the price for purchasing the crop.
The farmers made the appeal at an advocacy meeting of the Jaman North Cashew Farmers’ Association with officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) which brought together cashew farmers groups in the region.
The advocacy action to improve pricing and development of cashew as a cash crop and foreign exchange earner of the country was sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.
It is also aimed at dialoguing with the authorities to provide a commodity price at the national level and setting up an institution that would promote the crop along the same line as cocoa, coffee and shea nut.
The farmers noted that some private agencies and buyers often cunningly complained that the cashew was of low quality and took advantage to fix low selling prices to their advantage and to the disadvantage of the farmers.
They said farmers were unable to repay loans secured from the Cashew Development Project and financial institutions because of the high operational costs.
Prices offered for the crop during the season fluctuate between GH 0.60p and GH 0.20p per kilo. The unstable nature of pricing during the season is not dependent on the quality available for purchase or on the world market price but mostly on the whims and caprices of the buyers as a way of maximising their profits at the expense of the farmers.
Samuel Kwame Seiy , the Regent of Sampa and the acting Regional Chairman of the Cashew Farmers Union, on behalf of the farmers called on MoFA to intervene by putting in place measures to address this constraint of their efforts at promoting cashew as a major foreign exchange earner for the country in the future are to yield meaningful fruit.
He said the cashew tree has a lifespan of 70 years and its fruit and nuts have high economic value which if processed could provide oil, alcohol, juices, animal feed and others, and expressed regret that farmers were making little to attract a higher price.
Mr Michael Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Simida Consult Limited, the business provider, said the action was to discuss the problems facing the cashew industry and share thoughts on ways to promote the sustainability of the industry towards poverty reduction and improved standard of living of farmers in the region.
He added his voice to the call of the farmers on the government to set up a regulatory body for the sale and purchase of cashew in the country, since the crop had the potential of being a major foreign exchange earner apart from cocoa, coffee and shea nut, if given the needed a attention.
MAN, 50, KILLED BY IRATE YOUTH (BACK PAGE)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Agyemankrom
Irate youth from Agyemankrom, a farming community near Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region, have shot and killed a man believed to be in his 50s whom they alleged to be a member of a serial killing gang.
The deceased, Kwesi Kyeremeh, who was in the company of three other men now at large, was arrested by the youth following an alarm raised by a farmer, James Oppong, of Agyemankrom.
Oppong was said to have claimed that the four men, including the deceased, had chased him on his farm with the intention to kill him for ritual purposes.
According to eyewitness accounts, Oppong mobilised the youth, after his escape, back into the bush and Kyeremeh was arrested.
Kyeremeh was then sent to the Agyemankrom chief’s palace where a thick crowd had gathered. After the chief had been briefed about the alleged intention of the deceased and his friends, he was said to have requested to contact the police but immediately he left the palace he heard a gunshot, only to go back to find the deceased in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred around 11.00 p.m. on Monday.
No arrest has been made but the Dormaa-Ahenkro Police have invited the chief, the farmer who raised the alarm and a Customs officer who witnessed the alleged attack on the farmer for questioning.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Dormaa-Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital but reports say medical personnel at the hospital have refused to perform the autopsy, asking the family of the deceased to go for the body and send it to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
Irate youth from Agyemankrom, a farming community near Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region, have shot and killed a man believed to be in his 50s whom they alleged to be a member of a serial killing gang.
The deceased, Kwesi Kyeremeh, who was in the company of three other men now at large, was arrested by the youth following an alarm raised by a farmer, James Oppong, of Agyemankrom.
Oppong was said to have claimed that the four men, including the deceased, had chased him on his farm with the intention to kill him for ritual purposes.
According to eyewitness accounts, Oppong mobilised the youth, after his escape, back into the bush and Kyeremeh was arrested.
Kyeremeh was then sent to the Agyemankrom chief’s palace where a thick crowd had gathered. After the chief had been briefed about the alleged intention of the deceased and his friends, he was said to have requested to contact the police but immediately he left the palace he heard a gunshot, only to go back to find the deceased in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred around 11.00 p.m. on Monday.
No arrest has been made but the Dormaa-Ahenkro Police have invited the chief, the farmer who raised the alarm and a Customs officer who witnessed the alleged attack on the farmer for questioning.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Dormaa-Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital but reports say medical personnel at the hospital have refused to perform the autopsy, asking the family of the deceased to go for the body and send it to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
Monday, April 21, 2008
DR GYAN BAFFOUR GOES UNOPPOSED (NSEMPA, PAGE 10)
By Samuel Duodu, Wenchi.
A DEPUTY Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof. George Gyan Baffour has been elected unopposed as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for the Wenchi Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region for the forthcoming general election.
Prof. Gyan Baffour who is also the sitting NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi, was declared unopposed by Mr Samuel Kwaah, the Wenchi Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) at the constituency delegate conference held at Wenchi over the weekend.
According to Mr Kwaah, Prof Gyan Baffour was the only person who had filed his nominations to contest the Wenchi Parliamentary seat on the NPP ticket as at the close of nomination and therefore had to be declared unopposed.
Addressing the delegates’ conference earlier, Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP, disclosed that the party right from the national to the polling station level, had put in place effective and vigorous campaign strategies to increase its parliamentary seats from 128 to about 200 in this year’s election.
He stated that the party had therefore increased the polling station executives from five to 15, to embark on a vigorous door to door campaign to ensure that the party retained power and increased its representation in parliament.
Mr Adu Gyan therefore urged the party’s polling station executives to close their ranks and eschew all divisive tendencies and work hard for the retention of power to ensure that the party’s parliamentary candidates won.
He said the Busia-Danquah tradition had its roots from Wenchi because of the late Dr Kofi Abrafi Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic hailed from there and therefore called on members of the party to ensure that the party recorded a higher margin in both the presidential and the parliamentary polls.
Prof Gyan Baffour in his remarks thanked the constituency and polling station executives, for the confidence they had reposed in him by retaining him as the Parliamentary candidate and pledged to work with all, to ensure another victory in the December election.
He stated that the national election in the constituency was not about NPP and NDC, but was about development and non-development as well as the modernity of Wenchi, saying that the NPP within its seven and a half years of rule had brought massive development to the area to restore Wenchi to its past glory as one of the major towns in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He pledged that when elected, he would collaborate with his colleague MPs along the northern corridors of the country, to lobby for the construction of the Wenchi-Bole-Bambio-Wa-Hamile road to be completed, adding that the construction of the road would make Wenchi the gateway to the north-western part of the country.
Dr Gyan Baffour also added that he would also ensure the reconstruction of the Wenchi-Techiman road to further enhance commercial activities in the town.
A DEPUTY Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof. George Gyan Baffour has been elected unopposed as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for the Wenchi Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region for the forthcoming general election.
Prof. Gyan Baffour who is also the sitting NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi, was declared unopposed by Mr Samuel Kwaah, the Wenchi Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) at the constituency delegate conference held at Wenchi over the weekend.
According to Mr Kwaah, Prof Gyan Baffour was the only person who had filed his nominations to contest the Wenchi Parliamentary seat on the NPP ticket as at the close of nomination and therefore had to be declared unopposed.
Addressing the delegates’ conference earlier, Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP, disclosed that the party right from the national to the polling station level, had put in place effective and vigorous campaign strategies to increase its parliamentary seats from 128 to about 200 in this year’s election.
He stated that the party had therefore increased the polling station executives from five to 15, to embark on a vigorous door to door campaign to ensure that the party retained power and increased its representation in parliament.
Mr Adu Gyan therefore urged the party’s polling station executives to close their ranks and eschew all divisive tendencies and work hard for the retention of power to ensure that the party’s parliamentary candidates won.
He said the Busia-Danquah tradition had its roots from Wenchi because of the late Dr Kofi Abrafi Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic hailed from there and therefore called on members of the party to ensure that the party recorded a higher margin in both the presidential and the parliamentary polls.
Prof Gyan Baffour in his remarks thanked the constituency and polling station executives, for the confidence they had reposed in him by retaining him as the Parliamentary candidate and pledged to work with all, to ensure another victory in the December election.
He stated that the national election in the constituency was not about NPP and NDC, but was about development and non-development as well as the modernity of Wenchi, saying that the NPP within its seven and a half years of rule had brought massive development to the area to restore Wenchi to its past glory as one of the major towns in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He pledged that when elected, he would collaborate with his colleague MPs along the northern corridors of the country, to lobby for the construction of the Wenchi-Bole-Bambio-Wa-Hamile road to be completed, adding that the construction of the road would make Wenchi the gateway to the north-western part of the country.
Dr Gyan Baffour also added that he would also ensure the reconstruction of the Wenchi-Techiman road to further enhance commercial activities in the town.
FIVE NEW DCEs CONFIRMED IN BA (PAGE 9)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
FIVE newly appointed Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) including a female in the Brong Ahafo Region, who have been confirmed by their various assemblies were recently sworn into office by the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah at a brief ceremony held at the residency in Sunyani.
The appointees were Nana Atta Fena and Mr Atta Amponsah for the Wenchi and Dormaa Municipalities, Mr Ankamah Kyeremeh, Mr Boanyah Mensah and Madam Grace Donkor for the Sunyani West, Sene and the Nkoranza North Districts respectively.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony, Mr Baffour Awuah urged the new appointees, to discharge their duties in a transparent manner with integrity, humility, respect and selflessness.
He reminded them that they were coming into office at the last lap of President Kufuor's two terms in office and therefore they must put in all their best, to move their respective areas of jurisdiction forward.
Mr Baffour Awuah called on the new appointees, not to meddle in chieftaincy matters and to also eschew all divisive tendencies that have the potential to breach the maintenance of law and order in their various municipalities and districts.
He stated that they as the heads of the municipal and district security councils must always be on top of security issues and expressed the hope that they would be opened to all shades of opinions that would help speed up the development of their areas.
Nana Atta Fena, the Municipal Chief Executive for Wenchi on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the President for nominating them and the assembly members for their endorsement.
He pledged that they would work assiduously to move their areas forward in order to justify the confidence reposed in them by the President and the assembly members to serve the people.
FIVE newly appointed Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) including a female in the Brong Ahafo Region, who have been confirmed by their various assemblies were recently sworn into office by the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah at a brief ceremony held at the residency in Sunyani.
The appointees were Nana Atta Fena and Mr Atta Amponsah for the Wenchi and Dormaa Municipalities, Mr Ankamah Kyeremeh, Mr Boanyah Mensah and Madam Grace Donkor for the Sunyani West, Sene and the Nkoranza North Districts respectively.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony, Mr Baffour Awuah urged the new appointees, to discharge their duties in a transparent manner with integrity, humility, respect and selflessness.
He reminded them that they were coming into office at the last lap of President Kufuor's two terms in office and therefore they must put in all their best, to move their respective areas of jurisdiction forward.
Mr Baffour Awuah called on the new appointees, not to meddle in chieftaincy matters and to also eschew all divisive tendencies that have the potential to breach the maintenance of law and order in their various municipalities and districts.
He stated that they as the heads of the municipal and district security councils must always be on top of security issues and expressed the hope that they would be opened to all shades of opinions that would help speed up the development of their areas.
Nana Atta Fena, the Municipal Chief Executive for Wenchi on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the President for nominating them and the assembly members for their endorsement.
He pledged that they would work assiduously to move their areas forward in order to justify the confidence reposed in them by the President and the assembly members to serve the people.
ASUTIFI PEOPLE GRATEFUL TO GOVT ...For Sunyani-Acheresua Road (PAGE 40)
From Samuel Duodu, Kenyase No. 1
THE chiefs and people in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region have commended the government for reconstructing the Acherensua-Ntotroso-Sunyani trunk road.
According to them, the repair of the road had reduced the number of hours used in travelling from Sunyani to Acherensua, that is from three hours to only 45 minutes.
The Omanhene of Kenyasi No 1 Traditional Area, Nana Kofi Osei Abiri, made the commendation at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the various traditional areas in the district in honour of the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo at Kenyasi No 1 .
The other paramount chiefs who attended the colourful durbar, were Agyewodin (Prof) Adu Gyamfi Ampem, the Omanhene of Acherensua, Odeneho Kwabena Nsiah Ababio, the Omanhene of Kenyasi No 2, Nana Twereko Ampem, the Ntotrosohene, Nana Atta Mensah, Dadiesoabahene and a representative of the Hwidiemhene, Nana Twie Baffour, the Akwamuhene of Kenyasi.
On behalf of the chiefs, Nana Abiri appealed to the minister to increase the allowances paid to Nananom and also improve the conditions of service of the staff of the chieftaincy secretariat posted to all traditional councils in the country.
He urged Mr Boafo to ensure that the provision under which chiefs were consulted in the appointment of people to the district assemblies, was maintained.
Nana Abiri implored him to use his good office to ensure that Kenyasi being the district capital was given a facelift.
He specifically mentioned the rehabilitation of the town roads and extension of the telecommunication services to the town.
The chief also stressed the need for the government to rehabilitate two bridges over the Tano River on the Sunyani-Acherensua and the Kenyasi-Hwidiem roads.
Nana Abiri urged the minister to ignore chieftaincy contractors in the area, who were fond of writing unnecessary letters to tarnish the image of some personalities within the district.
In his response, Mr Boafo assured the chiefs and people that their concerns would be looked at and addressed appropriately by the government.
He appealed to people fomenting chieftaincy disputes to desist from such negative acts since they retarded the socio-economic development of the area.
Mr Boafo announced that he was in the region to identify the problems confronting chiefs and other traditional rulers in the region as well as workers of his ministry.
He noted that the chieftaincy institution was very relevant that was why the Kufuor administration had set up the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture.
Mr Boafo’s tour took him to the Techiman, Dormaa, Berekum and Nkoranza municipalities, as well as Tano North, Tano South and Jaman South districts, where the chiefs and people held similar durbars in his honour.
Currently, there are about 54 chieftaincy disputes pending before the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs.
Although the Regional House of Chiefs now has a counsel, members of the judicial committee of the house have failed to attend meetings resulting in delay in the settlement of the disputes.
THE chiefs and people in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region have commended the government for reconstructing the Acherensua-Ntotroso-Sunyani trunk road.
According to them, the repair of the road had reduced the number of hours used in travelling from Sunyani to Acherensua, that is from three hours to only 45 minutes.
The Omanhene of Kenyasi No 1 Traditional Area, Nana Kofi Osei Abiri, made the commendation at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the various traditional areas in the district in honour of the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo at Kenyasi No 1 .
The other paramount chiefs who attended the colourful durbar, were Agyewodin (Prof) Adu Gyamfi Ampem, the Omanhene of Acherensua, Odeneho Kwabena Nsiah Ababio, the Omanhene of Kenyasi No 2, Nana Twereko Ampem, the Ntotrosohene, Nana Atta Mensah, Dadiesoabahene and a representative of the Hwidiemhene, Nana Twie Baffour, the Akwamuhene of Kenyasi.
On behalf of the chiefs, Nana Abiri appealed to the minister to increase the allowances paid to Nananom and also improve the conditions of service of the staff of the chieftaincy secretariat posted to all traditional councils in the country.
He urged Mr Boafo to ensure that the provision under which chiefs were consulted in the appointment of people to the district assemblies, was maintained.
Nana Abiri implored him to use his good office to ensure that Kenyasi being the district capital was given a facelift.
He specifically mentioned the rehabilitation of the town roads and extension of the telecommunication services to the town.
The chief also stressed the need for the government to rehabilitate two bridges over the Tano River on the Sunyani-Acherensua and the Kenyasi-Hwidiem roads.
Nana Abiri urged the minister to ignore chieftaincy contractors in the area, who were fond of writing unnecessary letters to tarnish the image of some personalities within the district.
In his response, Mr Boafo assured the chiefs and people that their concerns would be looked at and addressed appropriately by the government.
He appealed to people fomenting chieftaincy disputes to desist from such negative acts since they retarded the socio-economic development of the area.
Mr Boafo announced that he was in the region to identify the problems confronting chiefs and other traditional rulers in the region as well as workers of his ministry.
He noted that the chieftaincy institution was very relevant that was why the Kufuor administration had set up the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture.
Mr Boafo’s tour took him to the Techiman, Dormaa, Berekum and Nkoranza municipalities, as well as Tano North, Tano South and Jaman South districts, where the chiefs and people held similar durbars in his honour.
Currently, there are about 54 chieftaincy disputes pending before the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs.
Although the Regional House of Chiefs now has a counsel, members of the judicial committee of the house have failed to attend meetings resulting in delay in the settlement of the disputes.
GOVT TO PAY COMPENSATION TO TRADITIONAL COUNCILS (PAGE 40)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE government has set up a machinery under which traditional councils whose stool lands have been acquired will be paid the requisite compensation.
In this regard, some traditional councils have lodged their documents with the Ministry for Chieftaincy and Culture for the payment of compensation.
The sector Minister, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, who disclosed this, urged others who had not presented their documents to do so.
He was responding to an appeal by the Sunyanihene, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, when the minister called on him at his palace in Sunyani as part of the his week-long tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Nana Bosoma had complained that most of the stool lands belonging to the traditional council had been vested in the government, while no compensation had been paid for those that had been acquired.
He also requested that some of the vested lands which were not in use should be returned to the traditional council, since it was from those lands that the chiefs also got some funds to run their activities and programmes.
Mr Boafo stated that his visit was to learn at firsthand the problems that confronted the chiefs and how best they could be resolved and gave the assurance that the issues raised would be taken on board for discussion.
The minister added that the chieftaincy institution was still relevant for the socio-economic development of the country, hence the government’s decision in setting up a ministry for the institution to make it play a more effective role in nation building.
He said since the ministry came into being, it had been able to provide some logistics, such as four-wheel-drive vehicles, for all the regional houses of chiefs to facilitate their administration.
Mr Boafo added that there was a Chieftaincy Bill in the offing in which the issue of capacity building for both chiefs and staff of the Chieftaincy Secretariat and the traditional council registries would be addressed, saying the ministry was also working hard to ensure that the registries were provided with at least a computer each to enhance their filing systems.
He disclosed further that the working conditions and remuneration of staff of the Chieftaincy Secretariat would also be looked at in order to attract and retain high calibre personnel to enhance the institution in the country.
He reiterated the call on various traditional councils in the country to codify their succession to take away the numerous disputes that had bedevilled the institution in recent times.
Mr Boafo and his entourage later inspected the ongoing GH¢520,000 modern palace complex for the Sunyani Traditional Council in Sunyani.
Earlier in the day, he had called on the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, in his office.
THE government has set up a machinery under which traditional councils whose stool lands have been acquired will be paid the requisite compensation.
In this regard, some traditional councils have lodged their documents with the Ministry for Chieftaincy and Culture for the payment of compensation.
The sector Minister, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, who disclosed this, urged others who had not presented their documents to do so.
He was responding to an appeal by the Sunyanihene, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, when the minister called on him at his palace in Sunyani as part of the his week-long tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Nana Bosoma had complained that most of the stool lands belonging to the traditional council had been vested in the government, while no compensation had been paid for those that had been acquired.
He also requested that some of the vested lands which were not in use should be returned to the traditional council, since it was from those lands that the chiefs also got some funds to run their activities and programmes.
Mr Boafo stated that his visit was to learn at firsthand the problems that confronted the chiefs and how best they could be resolved and gave the assurance that the issues raised would be taken on board for discussion.
The minister added that the chieftaincy institution was still relevant for the socio-economic development of the country, hence the government’s decision in setting up a ministry for the institution to make it play a more effective role in nation building.
He said since the ministry came into being, it had been able to provide some logistics, such as four-wheel-drive vehicles, for all the regional houses of chiefs to facilitate their administration.
Mr Boafo added that there was a Chieftaincy Bill in the offing in which the issue of capacity building for both chiefs and staff of the Chieftaincy Secretariat and the traditional council registries would be addressed, saying the ministry was also working hard to ensure that the registries were provided with at least a computer each to enhance their filing systems.
He disclosed further that the working conditions and remuneration of staff of the Chieftaincy Secretariat would also be looked at in order to attract and retain high calibre personnel to enhance the institution in the country.
He reiterated the call on various traditional councils in the country to codify their succession to take away the numerous disputes that had bedevilled the institution in recent times.
Mr Boafo and his entourage later inspected the ongoing GH¢520,000 modern palace complex for the Sunyani Traditional Council in Sunyani.
Earlier in the day, he had called on the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, in his office.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
BEREKUM MCE APPEALS TO ASPIRING MP (PAGE 13)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Berekum
THE Berekum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwabena Kyere-Yeboah, has appealed to the seven people vying to contest the parliamentary election in the Berekum Constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to impress upon their supporters to desist from acts that can spark off violence and break the front of the party.
According to him, the aspirants needed to educate their supporters to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order for the party to maintain a united front in the constituency before, during and after the primary to select a candidate.
The MCE also urged supporters of the various aspirants to desist from defacing the posters of their opponents, since that behaviour did not promote party unity and could lead to chaos and confusion in the municipality.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah, who made the appeal at a meeting held at his instance in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region and attended by members of the security agencies, the media and the aspirants, called on the aspirants to also engage in issue-based campaigns devoid of acrimony and insults in order not to divide the party and undermine its fortunes at the polls and also lead to a breach of law and order in the area.
The seven aspirants, who have all been vetted and were present at the meeting are Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, a medical practitioner; Dr Kodjo Opoku-Adomah, a veterinary surgeon; Mr Francis Manu-Gyan, the Volta Regional Administrative Officer of the GBC; Prof Daniel Obeng-Ofori, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon; and Nana Adu-Gyamfi Kumaning, a retired diplomat.
The rest are Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (Retd), the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) and Mr Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, a legal services consultant.
Berekum has always been one of the constituencies in the region where the NPP primary has been hotly contested.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah stated that the aftermath of the primary must be peaceful and, therefore, urged the aspirants to say things that would unite the party, saying that at the end of the day, one person would emerge the winner and all must unite to ensure the success of the party at the polls.
The Constituency Chairman, Mr Kwaku Kankam, for his part, called on the aspirants to abide by the rules and regulations of the party and campaign based on issues, rather than mudslinging and insults, which had the potential to affect the fortunes of the party.
He disclosed that it was only the delegates, aspirants and their observers, who would be allowed into the main hall during the delegates conference, to prevent any confusion and chaos.
The aspirants, for their part, called for a level playing field for all and also urged the constituency executives to maintain their neutrality, since anything short of that could mar the primary.
They also pledged to conduct their campaigns devoid of insults.
THE Berekum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwabena Kyere-Yeboah, has appealed to the seven people vying to contest the parliamentary election in the Berekum Constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to impress upon their supporters to desist from acts that can spark off violence and break the front of the party.
According to him, the aspirants needed to educate their supporters to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order for the party to maintain a united front in the constituency before, during and after the primary to select a candidate.
The MCE also urged supporters of the various aspirants to desist from defacing the posters of their opponents, since that behaviour did not promote party unity and could lead to chaos and confusion in the municipality.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah, who made the appeal at a meeting held at his instance in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region and attended by members of the security agencies, the media and the aspirants, called on the aspirants to also engage in issue-based campaigns devoid of acrimony and insults in order not to divide the party and undermine its fortunes at the polls and also lead to a breach of law and order in the area.
The seven aspirants, who have all been vetted and were present at the meeting are Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, a medical practitioner; Dr Kodjo Opoku-Adomah, a veterinary surgeon; Mr Francis Manu-Gyan, the Volta Regional Administrative Officer of the GBC; Prof Daniel Obeng-Ofori, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon; and Nana Adu-Gyamfi Kumaning, a retired diplomat.
The rest are Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (Retd), the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) and Mr Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, a legal services consultant.
Berekum has always been one of the constituencies in the region where the NPP primary has been hotly contested.
Mr Kyere-Yeboah stated that the aftermath of the primary must be peaceful and, therefore, urged the aspirants to say things that would unite the party, saying that at the end of the day, one person would emerge the winner and all must unite to ensure the success of the party at the polls.
The Constituency Chairman, Mr Kwaku Kankam, for his part, called on the aspirants to abide by the rules and regulations of the party and campaign based on issues, rather than mudslinging and insults, which had the potential to affect the fortunes of the party.
He disclosed that it was only the delegates, aspirants and their observers, who would be allowed into the main hall during the delegates conference, to prevent any confusion and chaos.
The aspirants, for their part, called for a level playing field for all and also urged the constituency executives to maintain their neutrality, since anything short of that could mar the primary.
They also pledged to conduct their campaigns devoid of insults.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Traditional council reintroduces puberty rites
Story: Samuel Duodu, Dwayaw Nkwanta
Marc 31
Queens in the Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Area of the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region have reintroduced puberty rites to prevent young girls in the area from contracting sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy.
Three girls aged between 18 and 19 who have undergone the traditional rites at Duayaw Nkwanta have been presented with GH¢800. While one received GH¢400, the other two received GH¢200 each from the district assembly.
The assembly presented the money to the girls in fulfilment of a pledge made to them during an initiation ceremony recently.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, the Tano North District Chief Executive (DCE), commended the queens for re-instituting a very good cultural practice that made the girls keep their virginity till they marry, adding that the tradition had been abandoned in the area a long time ago.
He expressed his gratitude to the parents of the girls and the girls themselves for availing themselves and going through the rites, which would go a long way to make them role models to their peers in their various communities.
He called on the queen of Duayaw Nkwanta and her elders to put in place an effective monitoring system at every stage to ensure that the girls lived up to expectation.
Mr Anane Agyei charged the girls to also strive hard to live above all reproach in order not to bring disgrace to the traditional council, the assembly, their communities and family once they had undergone the rites.
He further pledged that the assembly would give scholarship to the two girls at the junior high school level to enable them go through the senior high school (SHS), while it would also assist the SHS student to pursue tertiary education.
Nana Birago, for her part, said she and her elders re-instituted the ‘Bragro’ (puberty rites) to help minimise the incidence of teenage pregnancy and prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among girls in the area.
She said puberty rites were cultural practices that was observed in the area some 30 years ago, but were stopped leading to immoral behaviours among the youth, especially girls in the area.
Nana Birago was optimistic that the traditional rites would encourage the girls to lead decent lives and abstain from pre-marital sex and other anti-social practices.
She thanked the assembly for its immense support to the programme and added that once a girl started menstruation and the queens were informed the girls would be monitored till they attained the age of 18 before they could undergo the rites.
Marc 31
Queens in the Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Area of the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region have reintroduced puberty rites to prevent young girls in the area from contracting sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy.
Three girls aged between 18 and 19 who have undergone the traditional rites at Duayaw Nkwanta have been presented with GH¢800. While one received GH¢400, the other two received GH¢200 each from the district assembly.
The assembly presented the money to the girls in fulfilment of a pledge made to them during an initiation ceremony recently.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, the Tano North District Chief Executive (DCE), commended the queens for re-instituting a very good cultural practice that made the girls keep their virginity till they marry, adding that the tradition had been abandoned in the area a long time ago.
He expressed his gratitude to the parents of the girls and the girls themselves for availing themselves and going through the rites, which would go a long way to make them role models to their peers in their various communities.
He called on the queen of Duayaw Nkwanta and her elders to put in place an effective monitoring system at every stage to ensure that the girls lived up to expectation.
Mr Anane Agyei charged the girls to also strive hard to live above all reproach in order not to bring disgrace to the traditional council, the assembly, their communities and family once they had undergone the rites.
He further pledged that the assembly would give scholarship to the two girls at the junior high school level to enable them go through the senior high school (SHS), while it would also assist the SHS student to pursue tertiary education.
Nana Birago, for her part, said she and her elders re-instituted the ‘Bragro’ (puberty rites) to help minimise the incidence of teenage pregnancy and prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among girls in the area.
She said puberty rites were cultural practices that was observed in the area some 30 years ago, but were stopped leading to immoral behaviours among the youth, especially girls in the area.
Nana Birago was optimistic that the traditional rites would encourage the girls to lead decent lives and abstain from pre-marital sex and other anti-social practices.
She thanked the assembly for its immense support to the programme and added that once a girl started menstruation and the queens were informed the girls would be monitored till they attained the age of 18 before they could undergo the rites.
Computer literacy programme launched at Berekum
Story: Samuel Duodu, Berekum
March 28
Students from the Yale University in the United States of America (USA) and the World of Friends International School at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region have launched a computer literacy programme to complement the efforts of the government in making every school-age child computer literate under the new educational reform.
The Yale University students, who are also members of the World of Friends International, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), and their Ghanaian counterparts at Berekum had also inaugurated a computer laboratory worth $20,000 at the World of Friends International School at Berekum to ensure the success of the programme.
The computer literacy programme is aimed at making all school-age children, especially the under-privileged, in the Berekum municipality and its environs, computer literate, in order to help bridge the digital gap between the urban and the rural child in the country.
The computer laboratory is also connected to the Internet and equipped with educational programmes ranging from Mathematics, English, Science as well as games that would stimulate learning in the child.
Nana (Dr) Henne Ababio, the Co-ordinator for the World of Friends, Ghana, who conducted newsmen round the school premises, near Nsapor on the Berekum Dormaa Ahenkro Highway, said the computer laboratory would be opened to all schoolchildren in the Berekum municipality to enable them to acquire skills and knowledge in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).
He noted that the World of Friends School near Nsapora at Berekum was established by the World of Friends, Sweden, and their Ghanaian counterparts and the school currently had a pupil population of 400, out of which 60 were orphaned and under-privileged.
Nana Ababio said the 60 orphans and the under-privileged children were being catered for by World of Friends, Sweden, and other NGOs, adding that the World of Friends also ran a Children’s Home at Baiden, near Berekum but was putting up a GH¢200,000 hostel on the school premises to relocate the home from Baiden.
He disclosed further that the school also gave pupils other options of training in photography, mural painting and needle work among others so as to expose the children to other vocations early.
Dr Ababio said the week-long visit by the 12-member student delegation from the University of Yale was facilitated by Prof. Galizi Paulo, a Law Professor from the Fordham University, USA, who also helped with the establishment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) law school.
The 12-member student delegation, including six males and six females, jointly led by Evan Leitner and Andy-Beck, said their visit was to help establish the computer laboratory to help children of school-age from rural areas and especially the orphaned and the deprived ones to acquire knowledge and skills in ICT.
He said the computer laboratory was a project that would bridge the digital gap between children in the developed world and those of the developing world and felt Ghana should not be left out in this ICT revolution.
They said the ICT programme would also provide a cutting edge for children in the future when it came to employment, since the world was now in the digital age.
March 28
Students from the Yale University in the United States of America (USA) and the World of Friends International School at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region have launched a computer literacy programme to complement the efforts of the government in making every school-age child computer literate under the new educational reform.
The Yale University students, who are also members of the World of Friends International, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), and their Ghanaian counterparts at Berekum had also inaugurated a computer laboratory worth $20,000 at the World of Friends International School at Berekum to ensure the success of the programme.
The computer literacy programme is aimed at making all school-age children, especially the under-privileged, in the Berekum municipality and its environs, computer literate, in order to help bridge the digital gap between the urban and the rural child in the country.
The computer laboratory is also connected to the Internet and equipped with educational programmes ranging from Mathematics, English, Science as well as games that would stimulate learning in the child.
Nana (Dr) Henne Ababio, the Co-ordinator for the World of Friends, Ghana, who conducted newsmen round the school premises, near Nsapor on the Berekum Dormaa Ahenkro Highway, said the computer laboratory would be opened to all schoolchildren in the Berekum municipality to enable them to acquire skills and knowledge in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).
He noted that the World of Friends School near Nsapora at Berekum was established by the World of Friends, Sweden, and their Ghanaian counterparts and the school currently had a pupil population of 400, out of which 60 were orphaned and under-privileged.
Nana Ababio said the 60 orphans and the under-privileged children were being catered for by World of Friends, Sweden, and other NGOs, adding that the World of Friends also ran a Children’s Home at Baiden, near Berekum but was putting up a GH¢200,000 hostel on the school premises to relocate the home from Baiden.
He disclosed further that the school also gave pupils other options of training in photography, mural painting and needle work among others so as to expose the children to other vocations early.
Dr Ababio said the week-long visit by the 12-member student delegation from the University of Yale was facilitated by Prof. Galizi Paulo, a Law Professor from the Fordham University, USA, who also helped with the establishment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) law school.
The 12-member student delegation, including six males and six females, jointly led by Evan Leitner and Andy-Beck, said their visit was to help establish the computer laboratory to help children of school-age from rural areas and especially the orphaned and the deprived ones to acquire knowledge and skills in ICT.
He said the computer laboratory was a project that would bridge the digital gap between children in the developed world and those of the developing world and felt Ghana should not be left out in this ICT revolution.
They said the ICT programme would also provide a cutting edge for children in the future when it came to employment, since the world was now in the digital age.
Baffour Awuah launches campaign
Story: Samuel Duodu, Nsoatre
March 28
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has formally launched his campaign to contest the Sunyani West Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December general election.
He has therefore pledged to bring to bear his youthful exuberance and political experience to lobby for more development projects to the constituency.
According to the Regional Minister, he had served in various capacities at the governmental level for a long time and had gained a lot of experience to represent the people in Parliament satisfactorily.
Mr Baffour Awuah made the pledge at a rally attended by some ministers of state, Members of Parliament (MP) and other NPP party faithful that preceded the launching of his campaign at Nsoatre, his hometown.
He urged NPP supporters to undertake the electioneering based on policies and programmes introduced by the government that were aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.
Mr Baffour Awuah observed that the NPP was poised to retain power and capture all the parliamentary seats in the region and therefore appealed to members not to be complacent but go all out to ensure an overwhelming victory for the party.
He advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used by self seeking politicians to foment trouble during, before and after the general elections and so to desist from all acts that could threaten the peace and stability of the nation.
Mr Baffour Awuah also appealed to supporters of the party to conduct their campaigns devoid of insults and acrimony, adding that such behaviours had the tendency to create confusion which could mar the elections.
He cautioned that voting the National Democratic Congress back to power would spell doom for the country since the party had nothing to offer Ghanaians.
March 28
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has formally launched his campaign to contest the Sunyani West Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December general election.
He has therefore pledged to bring to bear his youthful exuberance and political experience to lobby for more development projects to the constituency.
According to the Regional Minister, he had served in various capacities at the governmental level for a long time and had gained a lot of experience to represent the people in Parliament satisfactorily.
Mr Baffour Awuah made the pledge at a rally attended by some ministers of state, Members of Parliament (MP) and other NPP party faithful that preceded the launching of his campaign at Nsoatre, his hometown.
He urged NPP supporters to undertake the electioneering based on policies and programmes introduced by the government that were aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.
Mr Baffour Awuah observed that the NPP was poised to retain power and capture all the parliamentary seats in the region and therefore appealed to members not to be complacent but go all out to ensure an overwhelming victory for the party.
He advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used by self seeking politicians to foment trouble during, before and after the general elections and so to desist from all acts that could threaten the peace and stability of the nation.
Mr Baffour Awuah also appealed to supporters of the party to conduct their campaigns devoid of insults and acrimony, adding that such behaviours had the tendency to create confusion which could mar the elections.
He cautioned that voting the National Democratic Congress back to power would spell doom for the country since the party had nothing to offer Ghanaians.
Construction of Bui Dam affects 1,800 people
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
March 25, 2008
ONE thousand eight hundred people from seven communities in Brong Ahafo and some parts of the Northern Region will be affected by the construction of the Bui Hydro Electric Dam.
The social impact on the 1,800 people, who will be displaced by the project from three traditional areas, namely, Banda and Mo in Brong Ahafo and Bole-Bamboi in the Gonja Traditional Area in the Northern Region, will be minimal, since the areas are sparsely populated, compared with the Akosombo and Kpone areas where dams have been constructed.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area and Member of the Bui Development Secretariat, disclosed this at the official signing ceremony of the acquisition plan and reports which involved the secretariat and 32 land and environmentally related agencies and departments in Sunyani on Tuesday.
The government has acquired the 443,503 acres of land needed for the commencement of the construction of the Bui Dam, which will take five years.
He assured the people and the communities that would be affected by the project of adequate compensation, which he said would be paid promptly.
He said lessons had been learnt from the construction of the Akosombo and Kpong dams and that those would impact positively on the Bui Dam project.
Among the agencies and departments whose representatives appended their signatures were the Lands Commission, the Land Valuation Board, the Administrator of Stool Lands, Town and Country Planning, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).
Osahene Aterkyi explained that the signing of the acquisition plan and reports signified that the government had formally acquired the land under the State Lands Act of 1962 (Act 125) which ‘empowered the President, where it is in the public interest, to declare any land required in the public interest’.
He said 21 per cent of the Bui Game and Wildlife Reserve Park would be taken and another land would be provided to make up for what had been taken, adding that lands that had been acquired for the project consisted of both state and stool lands, saying that provision for prompt and adequate compensation had been made.
Mr Godfred D. Boateng, the Bui Secretariat Project Co-ordinator, reiterated that because pre-evaluation had been done, money had been set aside for prompt and adequate compensation.
He added that the Chinese government was also positioned to help in the resettlement and irrigation projects in order to make life comfortable for those who would be displaced to peacefully co-exist with the contractors for the smooth take-off of the project.
Nana Abraham Kwadwo Kwakye, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, who chaired the signing ceremony, in his remarks, called on the Bui Secretariat to ensure that all the knotty issues were resolved to guard against speculative activities which would give room for people to claim undue compensation.
March 25, 2008
ONE thousand eight hundred people from seven communities in Brong Ahafo and some parts of the Northern Region will be affected by the construction of the Bui Hydro Electric Dam.
The social impact on the 1,800 people, who will be displaced by the project from three traditional areas, namely, Banda and Mo in Brong Ahafo and Bole-Bamboi in the Gonja Traditional Area in the Northern Region, will be minimal, since the areas are sparsely populated, compared with the Akosombo and Kpone areas where dams have been constructed.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area and Member of the Bui Development Secretariat, disclosed this at the official signing ceremony of the acquisition plan and reports which involved the secretariat and 32 land and environmentally related agencies and departments in Sunyani on Tuesday.
The government has acquired the 443,503 acres of land needed for the commencement of the construction of the Bui Dam, which will take five years.
He assured the people and the communities that would be affected by the project of adequate compensation, which he said would be paid promptly.
He said lessons had been learnt from the construction of the Akosombo and Kpong dams and that those would impact positively on the Bui Dam project.
Among the agencies and departments whose representatives appended their signatures were the Lands Commission, the Land Valuation Board, the Administrator of Stool Lands, Town and Country Planning, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).
Osahene Aterkyi explained that the signing of the acquisition plan and reports signified that the government had formally acquired the land under the State Lands Act of 1962 (Act 125) which ‘empowered the President, where it is in the public interest, to declare any land required in the public interest’.
He said 21 per cent of the Bui Game and Wildlife Reserve Park would be taken and another land would be provided to make up for what had been taken, adding that lands that had been acquired for the project consisted of both state and stool lands, saying that provision for prompt and adequate compensation had been made.
Mr Godfred D. Boateng, the Bui Secretariat Project Co-ordinator, reiterated that because pre-evaluation had been done, money had been set aside for prompt and adequate compensation.
He added that the Chinese government was also positioned to help in the resettlement and irrigation projects in order to make life comfortable for those who would be displaced to peacefully co-exist with the contractors for the smooth take-off of the project.
Nana Abraham Kwadwo Kwakye, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, who chaired the signing ceremony, in his remarks, called on the Bui Secretariat to ensure that all the knotty issues were resolved to guard against speculative activities which would give room for people to claim undue compensation.
Friday, April 18, 2008
LANDS COMMISSION NEEDS GOVT SUPPORT — EXECUTIVE SECRETARY (BACK PAGE)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
The Lands Commission is unable to deal with issues of wanton encroachments on public lands, frivolous court suits and haphazard development in the country because of the lack of political will on the part of governments to back the actions of the commission.
Alhaji Ibrahim Baryeh, Executive Secretary of the commission, has therefore called on the government to back the commission with the needed political will to deal with the problems that have bedevilled the commission, noting that this is the time to ensure that such unhealthy developments are dealt with to ensure discipline in the system.
Alhaji Baryeh made the call at a five-day annual review conference of the Lands Commission at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region on the theme: “Achieving the Goals of the Citizens’ Charter — A challenge for the Lands Commission”.
The Executive Secretary announced that the commission was preparing for the total computerisation of its operations and had therefore developed a modern Geo-Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory that had been equipped to start scanning all the central records, convert the manual registers into digital formats, as well as purchase a generator to address the frequent power outages that interfere with the commissions’ operations.
Alhaji Baryeh noted that the commission, recognising that dependence on donor funding alone could not completely address key issues confronting it, had decided to undertake a number of projects to support its operations.
These, he said, included funding from the internally generated funds and the construction of deed registries in Ho, Cape Coast, Tamale and Sunyani.
To improve records management at the commission, Alhaji Baryeh disclosed that the commission had contracted the Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD) to review and upgrade its headquarters filing systems.
Touching on the Citizens’ Charter, the Executive Secretary stated that the commission had set for itself three major objectives in the execution of the Charter instruments.
This, he said, was to ensure quick and efficient service delivery to meet with charter objectives, ensure that complaints about poor services were dealt with in a prompt and transparent manner to the satisfaction of the client and help drive the improvement of service delivery within the commission.
To achieve these objectives, Alhaji Baryeh stated that the commission would focus on staff attitudinal change, improvement in working conditions, effective monitoring mechanisms and computerisation of lands records.
A Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr Andrews Adjei–Yeboah in his address called on the management and staff of the Lands Commission to purge itself of all corrupt practices in the delivery of services to the public, which tended to cast a slur on the image of the commission.
According to him, poor information flow, poor staff attitudes, delays in providing services and the perennial accusations of corrupt practices had given the commission a bad image.
“The ministry therefore expects that to clean up this poor image, the commission will fully equip the client services unit and train the staff to provide quality, prompt and efficient services to the public,” he stressed.
The Lands Commission is unable to deal with issues of wanton encroachments on public lands, frivolous court suits and haphazard development in the country because of the lack of political will on the part of governments to back the actions of the commission.
Alhaji Ibrahim Baryeh, Executive Secretary of the commission, has therefore called on the government to back the commission with the needed political will to deal with the problems that have bedevilled the commission, noting that this is the time to ensure that such unhealthy developments are dealt with to ensure discipline in the system.
Alhaji Baryeh made the call at a five-day annual review conference of the Lands Commission at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region on the theme: “Achieving the Goals of the Citizens’ Charter — A challenge for the Lands Commission”.
The Executive Secretary announced that the commission was preparing for the total computerisation of its operations and had therefore developed a modern Geo-Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory that had been equipped to start scanning all the central records, convert the manual registers into digital formats, as well as purchase a generator to address the frequent power outages that interfere with the commissions’ operations.
Alhaji Baryeh noted that the commission, recognising that dependence on donor funding alone could not completely address key issues confronting it, had decided to undertake a number of projects to support its operations.
These, he said, included funding from the internally generated funds and the construction of deed registries in Ho, Cape Coast, Tamale and Sunyani.
To improve records management at the commission, Alhaji Baryeh disclosed that the commission had contracted the Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD) to review and upgrade its headquarters filing systems.
Touching on the Citizens’ Charter, the Executive Secretary stated that the commission had set for itself three major objectives in the execution of the Charter instruments.
This, he said, was to ensure quick and efficient service delivery to meet with charter objectives, ensure that complaints about poor services were dealt with in a prompt and transparent manner to the satisfaction of the client and help drive the improvement of service delivery within the commission.
To achieve these objectives, Alhaji Baryeh stated that the commission would focus on staff attitudinal change, improvement in working conditions, effective monitoring mechanisms and computerisation of lands records.
A Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr Andrews Adjei–Yeboah in his address called on the management and staff of the Lands Commission to purge itself of all corrupt practices in the delivery of services to the public, which tended to cast a slur on the image of the commission.
According to him, poor information flow, poor staff attitudes, delays in providing services and the perennial accusations of corrupt practices had given the commission a bad image.
“The ministry therefore expects that to clean up this poor image, the commission will fully equip the client services unit and train the staff to provide quality, prompt and efficient services to the public,” he stressed.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
PROF GYAN BAFFOUR RETAINED UNOPPOSED (PAGE 17)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Wenchi
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof. George Gyan Baffour, has been retained as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for the Wenchi Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Prof. Gyan Baffour who is also the sitting NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi was declared unopposed by Mr Samuel Kwaah, the Wenchi Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), at the constituency delegate conference held at Wenchi last weekend.
According to Mr Kwaah, Prof Gyan Baffour was the only person who had filed his nomination to contest the Wenchi Parliamentary seat on the NPP ticket as of the close of nomination, and therefore he had to be declared unopposed.
Prof. Gyan Baffour is therefore the first sitting MP of the NPP in the country to be elected by popular acclamation.
Addressing the delegates conference earlier, Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP, said that the party, right from the national to the polling station level had put in place effective and vigorous campaign strategies to increase its parliamentary seats from 128 to about 200 in this year’s election.
He stated that the party had therefore increased the polling station executive from five to 15 to embark on a vigorous door to door campaign to ensure that the party retained power and increased its representation in parliament.
Mr Adu Gyan therefore urged the party’s polling station executives to close their ranks and eschew all divisive tendencies and work hard to retain power as well as ensure that the party’s parliamentary candidates won.
He said the Busia-Danquah Tradition had its roots from Wenchi because of the late Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic who hails from there, and therefore called on members of the party to ensure that the party recorded a higher margin in both the presidential and the parliamentary polls.
Prof. Gyan Baffour in his remarks thanked the constituency and polling station executives for the confidence they had reposed in him by retaining him as the parliamentary candidate and pledged to work with all to ensure another victory in the December election.
He stated that the national election in the constituency was not about the NPP and the NDC but was about development and non-development as well as the modernity of Wenchi, saying that the NPP within its seven and a half years of rule, and as the MP for the area, had brought massive development to the area to restore Wenchi to its past glory as one of the major towns in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Prof. Gyan Baffour, therefore urged the electorate to vote for him and the flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, to continue with the development of Wenchi and the country as a whole.
He pledged that when elected he would collaborate with his colleague MPs along the northern corridors of the country to lobby for the construction of the Wenchi-Bole-Bambio–Wa-Hamile road , adding that the construction of the road would make Wenchi the gateway to the north-western part of the country.
Dr Gyan Baffour also added that he would also ensure the reconstruction of the Wenchi-Techiman road to further enhance commercial activities in the town.
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof. George Gyan Baffour, has been retained as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for the Wenchi Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Prof. Gyan Baffour who is also the sitting NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi was declared unopposed by Mr Samuel Kwaah, the Wenchi Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), at the constituency delegate conference held at Wenchi last weekend.
According to Mr Kwaah, Prof Gyan Baffour was the only person who had filed his nomination to contest the Wenchi Parliamentary seat on the NPP ticket as of the close of nomination, and therefore he had to be declared unopposed.
Prof. Gyan Baffour is therefore the first sitting MP of the NPP in the country to be elected by popular acclamation.
Addressing the delegates conference earlier, Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP, said that the party, right from the national to the polling station level had put in place effective and vigorous campaign strategies to increase its parliamentary seats from 128 to about 200 in this year’s election.
He stated that the party had therefore increased the polling station executive from five to 15 to embark on a vigorous door to door campaign to ensure that the party retained power and increased its representation in parliament.
Mr Adu Gyan therefore urged the party’s polling station executives to close their ranks and eschew all divisive tendencies and work hard to retain power as well as ensure that the party’s parliamentary candidates won.
He said the Busia-Danquah Tradition had its roots from Wenchi because of the late Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic who hails from there, and therefore called on members of the party to ensure that the party recorded a higher margin in both the presidential and the parliamentary polls.
Prof. Gyan Baffour in his remarks thanked the constituency and polling station executives for the confidence they had reposed in him by retaining him as the parliamentary candidate and pledged to work with all to ensure another victory in the December election.
He stated that the national election in the constituency was not about the NPP and the NDC but was about development and non-development as well as the modernity of Wenchi, saying that the NPP within its seven and a half years of rule, and as the MP for the area, had brought massive development to the area to restore Wenchi to its past glory as one of the major towns in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Prof. Gyan Baffour, therefore urged the electorate to vote for him and the flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, to continue with the development of Wenchi and the country as a whole.
He pledged that when elected he would collaborate with his colleague MPs along the northern corridors of the country to lobby for the construction of the Wenchi-Bole-Bambio–Wa-Hamile road , adding that the construction of the road would make Wenchi the gateway to the north-western part of the country.
Dr Gyan Baffour also added that he would also ensure the reconstruction of the Wenchi-Techiman road to further enhance commercial activities in the town.
I SHALL INVOLVE ALL STAKEHOLDERS — ATTA FENA (Page 39)
Story Samuel Duodo, Wenchi
THE Wenchi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Atta Fena, has stated that he will engage all stakeholders in the municipality in his administration for the rapid development of the area.
According to him, one of the first steps he would adopt to realise that objective would be to call a meeting of all stakeholders to brainstorm on how to move the newly elevated municipality forward.
Nana Fena made the remark after he had received a 100-per cent endorsement from the 30 Assembly members at an emergency meeting held at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region to confirm him as the President’s nominee for the position of MCE.
He pledged to work in close collaboration with the Assembly members, the Member of Parliament (MP), Nananom, the various religious bodies, as well as the youth, in uniting all sections of the society for the progress of the municipality.
He mentioned education, health care and sanitation, among others, as areas of his priority and appealed to all and sundry to play their respective roles to make the municipality one of the best in the country.
Nana Fena also assured the people that he would complete all development projects initiated by his predecessor and support the MP at all times for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retain the parliamentary seat in the area.
He gave the assurance that he would not discriminate against anybody in the discharge of his official duties.
The MCE thanked the Assembly members for the confidence reposed in him and assured them that he would live up to expectation.
THE Wenchi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Atta Fena, has stated that he will engage all stakeholders in the municipality in his administration for the rapid development of the area.
According to him, one of the first steps he would adopt to realise that objective would be to call a meeting of all stakeholders to brainstorm on how to move the newly elevated municipality forward.
Nana Fena made the remark after he had received a 100-per cent endorsement from the 30 Assembly members at an emergency meeting held at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region to confirm him as the President’s nominee for the position of MCE.
He pledged to work in close collaboration with the Assembly members, the Member of Parliament (MP), Nananom, the various religious bodies, as well as the youth, in uniting all sections of the society for the progress of the municipality.
He mentioned education, health care and sanitation, among others, as areas of his priority and appealed to all and sundry to play their respective roles to make the municipality one of the best in the country.
Nana Fena also assured the people that he would complete all development projects initiated by his predecessor and support the MP at all times for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retain the parliamentary seat in the area.
He gave the assurance that he would not discriminate against anybody in the discharge of his official duties.
The MCE thanked the Assembly members for the confidence reposed in him and assured them that he would live up to expectation.
RAINSTORM CAUSES HAVOC AT DUAYAW-NKWANTA (PAGE 21)
PUBLISHED MARCH 18
Story: Samuel Duodu, Duayaw-Nkwanta
A severe rainstorm hit Duayaw-Nkwanta, the capital of the Tano North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, and its environs at the weekend, rendering many people homeless.
Some of the victims are staying with their relatives and friends while others are putting up in classrooms.
The rain disaster has worsened the plight of the people in the area. Two weeks ago, a bushfire burnt down 16 communities destroying a lot of property and 900 bags of maize.
No casualties or injuries were recorded in both disasters but property estimated at GH¢10 million was destroyed.
The storm ripped off the roofs of both public and individual buildings, the most seriously affected ones being the Duayaw Nkwanta Girls’ Vocational Institute and Dwenase Primary School.
The communities affected by the bushfire included Brede and Sereso, both farming communities, which had their farmlands and crops including 500 and 400 bags of maize, respectively, destroyed.
The District NADMO Co-ordinator, Mr Isaac B. Kyere, who briefed the Daily Graphic team that toured the affected communities, described the situation as a double agony, since the district was hit by the rainstorm and a bush fire within of two weeks.
According to Mr Kyere, he, in the company of the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, and other officials from the district assembly, had visited the towns affected by the disasters to sympathise with the victims.
He stated that the district assembly had already gone to the aid of the victims, while the District NADMO office had also mobilised some second-hand clothing for their upkeep.
The District NADMO Co-ordinator, however, made a passionate appeal to the NADMO headquarters in Accra, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Ernest Debrah, who is also the Minister of Food and Agriculture, and others to come to the aid of the victims.
Mr Kyere disclosed that one Karikari from Susuanho, a farming community in the district, had been arrested as the prime suspect for the bushfire and had been remanded in prison custody by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court.
He appealed to the people to desist from bush burning, adding that even though the rains had begun early setting bush fire was still dangerous.
Story: Samuel Duodu, Duayaw-Nkwanta
A severe rainstorm hit Duayaw-Nkwanta, the capital of the Tano North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, and its environs at the weekend, rendering many people homeless.
Some of the victims are staying with their relatives and friends while others are putting up in classrooms.
The rain disaster has worsened the plight of the people in the area. Two weeks ago, a bushfire burnt down 16 communities destroying a lot of property and 900 bags of maize.
No casualties or injuries were recorded in both disasters but property estimated at GH¢10 million was destroyed.
The storm ripped off the roofs of both public and individual buildings, the most seriously affected ones being the Duayaw Nkwanta Girls’ Vocational Institute and Dwenase Primary School.
The communities affected by the bushfire included Brede and Sereso, both farming communities, which had their farmlands and crops including 500 and 400 bags of maize, respectively, destroyed.
The District NADMO Co-ordinator, Mr Isaac B. Kyere, who briefed the Daily Graphic team that toured the affected communities, described the situation as a double agony, since the district was hit by the rainstorm and a bush fire within of two weeks.
According to Mr Kyere, he, in the company of the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, and other officials from the district assembly, had visited the towns affected by the disasters to sympathise with the victims.
He stated that the district assembly had already gone to the aid of the victims, while the District NADMO office had also mobilised some second-hand clothing for their upkeep.
The District NADMO Co-ordinator, however, made a passionate appeal to the NADMO headquarters in Accra, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Ernest Debrah, who is also the Minister of Food and Agriculture, and others to come to the aid of the victims.
Mr Kyere disclosed that one Karikari from Susuanho, a farming community in the district, had been arrested as the prime suspect for the bushfire and had been remanded in prison custody by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court.
He appealed to the people to desist from bush burning, adding that even though the rains had begun early setting bush fire was still dangerous.
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