THE Executive Director of Dolan-Ayana Farms in Tamale, Alhaji Yakubu Ayana, has presented quantities of assorted items to the Nyohini Children's Home in Tamale.
The items included baby cots, plastic chairs, bicycles, lanterns, blankets toiletries and other rubber products totalling GH¢3,000.
He also donated an Urvan bus worth GH¢12, 000 to the leadership of the Nyohini Central Mosque in Tamale, at a separate ceremony.
According to Alhaji Ayana, the limited resources available to the Home, coupled with the passion and concern his organisation had for the underprivileged in society, motivated him to support the orphaned children.
He commended the management of the Home for their hard work of offering hope and future for the children and gave a promise to liaise with his foreign partners to mobilise more support for the inmates to help put smiles on their faces at all times.
The Supervisor of the Home, Madam Augustina Quainoo, expressed appreciation to their benefactor for the assistance.
She entreated other individuals and organisations to also come to the aid of the inmates.
Madam Quainoo said a lack of a fence, inadequate water supply, unavailability of drugs and means of transport were some of the problems facing the Home.
Later, after presenting a bus to the Imam in charge of the Nyohini Central Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim, Alhaji Ayana said it was high time individuals and public-spirited organisations supported the cause of Islam.
“We have to begin to promote our own welfare, instead of having to depend on others for our own well-being,'' he intimated.
The director, therefore, urged Muslim parents and guardians to ensure that they did not only enrol their wards in school, but also guaranteed their stay.
“Let us give our children, particularly the girls, the opportunity to study to any high level of education they can in order that they grow up into responsible adults to accelerate the development of their respective communities,” he exhorted.
Sheikh Ibrahim commended the exemplary role of Alhaji Ayana and gave the assurance that the vehicle would be put to viable use.
Friday, June 27, 2008
CONFLICTS LINKED WITH PRIMARIES WORRYING (PAGE 15)
PEACE and Violence-Free Advocacy Foundation International (PAVFAF), a Sunyani-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), has described as worrying the conflicts associated with parliamentary primaries across the country.
The foundation has, therefore, called on the various political parties to find an antidote to the phenomenon, which has the potential to destroy the beauty of the country’s democracy.
Three officials of the foundation, Messrs Frank Opoku Adjapong, Edem Quao Yewoenao and Baba Gausu, expressed their sentiments in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani.
They described the trend as a disturbing spectacle, which if not checked, would undermine the country’s peace and democratic credential.
According to them, one of the ways through which the various political parties could stem primary-related violence is to allow all card-bearing members to vote to select parliamentary candidates.
That, they observed, would make it difficult for people vying for parliamentary slots of the various parties to influence delegates, by camping them at a particular place prior to the primaries.
The officials of PAVFAF said if all card-bearing members were allowed to vote, it would be practically impossible for aspiring parliamentarians to influence them.
“If we are not careful,these little, little things would endanger the democracy of the country and destroy the relative peace we are enjoying,” they stressed.
“Who thought Cote d’ Ivoire would ever be a war zone today? They added that things started on a small scale such as who is eligible to vote and be voted for.
They continued that the political quagmire in Cote d’Ivoire was as a result of the inaction of the various political actors in that country.
Touching on conflicts in the country, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu called on ‘the big men’ to stop buying arms and ammunition for factions involved in conflicts.
They expressed regret that many of ‘the big men’ talk about peace, but the message was not from their hearts, adding that peace was a priceless commodity that could not be bought with money.
The officials of PAVFAF appealed to the people of Bawku and Buipe, as well as other parts of the country where there are conflicts to give peace a chance
They also stressed the need for school authorities to impress on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by troublemakers.
On the Zimbabwean political crisis, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu urged African leaders to be proactive in resolving the conflict before it degenerate into a war.
The foundation has, therefore, called on the various political parties to find an antidote to the phenomenon, which has the potential to destroy the beauty of the country’s democracy.
Three officials of the foundation, Messrs Frank Opoku Adjapong, Edem Quao Yewoenao and Baba Gausu, expressed their sentiments in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani.
They described the trend as a disturbing spectacle, which if not checked, would undermine the country’s peace and democratic credential.
According to them, one of the ways through which the various political parties could stem primary-related violence is to allow all card-bearing members to vote to select parliamentary candidates.
That, they observed, would make it difficult for people vying for parliamentary slots of the various parties to influence delegates, by camping them at a particular place prior to the primaries.
The officials of PAVFAF said if all card-bearing members were allowed to vote, it would be practically impossible for aspiring parliamentarians to influence them.
“If we are not careful,these little, little things would endanger the democracy of the country and destroy the relative peace we are enjoying,” they stressed.
“Who thought Cote d’ Ivoire would ever be a war zone today? They added that things started on a small scale such as who is eligible to vote and be voted for.
They continued that the political quagmire in Cote d’Ivoire was as a result of the inaction of the various political actors in that country.
Touching on conflicts in the country, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu called on ‘the big men’ to stop buying arms and ammunition for factions involved in conflicts.
They expressed regret that many of ‘the big men’ talk about peace, but the message was not from their hearts, adding that peace was a priceless commodity that could not be bought with money.
The officials of PAVFAF appealed to the people of Bawku and Buipe, as well as other parts of the country where there are conflicts to give peace a chance
They also stressed the need for school authorities to impress on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by troublemakers.
On the Zimbabwean political crisis, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu urged African leaders to be proactive in resolving the conflict before it degenerate into a war.
TAXI DRIVER SETS WIFE ABLAZE ...Out of jealously (BACK PAGE)
Residents of Asafufu, a village near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, yesterday morning woke up to the horrible news that a taxi driver, Stephen Kwaku Badu, popularly known as ‘Opete’, had set his wife ablaze, burning her beyond recognition.
According to both police and fire service personnel who went to the scene, another charred body that was found inside the chamber and hall residence of the couple was believed to be that of the man.
The charred body of the victim, Madam Efua Ackon, who is believed to be in her 40s and a teacher at Dumesua in the Sunyani West District, was conveyed to the Regional Hospital morgue in Sunyani while efforts were being made to establish the identity of the other charred body.
One of the four children of the couple, Angela Aba Achia, aged four, who was miraculously rescued, according to personnel of the Sunyani Municipal Fire Station, also sustained severe burns and is on admission at the Regional Hospital.
According to fire service and police personnel on the scene, there were six people in the room comprising those who were burnt to death and four children of the couple, who are all alive.
The chamber and hall residence of the couple has also been totally razed down by the fire.
The police and neighbours have cited marital misunderstandings between the couple as possible reason for the action of the husband.
By 7.30 a.m. a thick crowd had gathered on the scene, but the charred body of the woman had been covered and was later exposed when the police arrived on the scene to convey the body to the mortuary.
However, the second body, which, according to the fire service personnel, was discovered after that of the woman had been conveyed to the hospital, was yet to be identified, but they believe it would be that of the husband.
The Sunyani Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Kwesi Baffour-Awuah, told the Daily Graphic team that his men arrived on the scene at 5.45 a.m. after receiving a distress call around 5.30 a.m. because they had difficulty locating the place.
He said the fire personnel managed to put the fire under control, broke into the room and found the body of the victim completely burnt beyond recognition.
Mr Baffour-Awuah disclosed further that the elderly child of the couple, Rockson Badu, aged 15, told the personnel that he saw his father holding a gallon which he hid in a nearby bush during the evening of the previous day.
He said for sometime now his father had been having misunderstandings with their mother and each time the father threatened to burn their mother.
Young Rockson said their mother was also a co-host of a radio programme on Ark FM, a local FM station in Sunyani to which their father had asked her to stop but she refused. He said the latest misunderstanding arose when their mother informed their father that she wanted to further her education in Kumasi and their father again refused.
He said while he and his other siblings were standing in the porch, he saw his father with the gallon containing petrol, which he sprinkled on their mother to set her ablaze. He said he tried to stop him but he pushed him out of the room.
Young Rockson said he asked his mother to leave the room but their father took a lit candle in the room and threw it on their mother setting her and the entire house ablaze. He said he heard their mother shouting “Jesus” and thereafter he did not hear anything again until the fire service were called in to come and put out the fire.
The Assembly Member for the area, Madam Evelyn Richardson, who was also on the scene, told the Daily Graphic that she came to meet the burnt house and the charred body of the victim inside the building.
Mr Andrew Kwarteng, the host of the radio programme of which the victim was part, also intimated that he and the victim were on air the previous evening after which the victim narrated her marital problem to him.
He said he even told the victim not to sleep in her marital home that night but she refused only to see her burnt body the following morning.
When contacted, the Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Charles Botwe, confirmed the incident but said two bodies had been discovered but could not say whether the other was that of the man, though that of the woman had been conveyed to the Regional Hospital morgue by the police.
According to both police and fire service personnel who went to the scene, another charred body that was found inside the chamber and hall residence of the couple was believed to be that of the man.
The charred body of the victim, Madam Efua Ackon, who is believed to be in her 40s and a teacher at Dumesua in the Sunyani West District, was conveyed to the Regional Hospital morgue in Sunyani while efforts were being made to establish the identity of the other charred body.
One of the four children of the couple, Angela Aba Achia, aged four, who was miraculously rescued, according to personnel of the Sunyani Municipal Fire Station, also sustained severe burns and is on admission at the Regional Hospital.
According to fire service and police personnel on the scene, there were six people in the room comprising those who were burnt to death and four children of the couple, who are all alive.
The chamber and hall residence of the couple has also been totally razed down by the fire.
The police and neighbours have cited marital misunderstandings between the couple as possible reason for the action of the husband.
By 7.30 a.m. a thick crowd had gathered on the scene, but the charred body of the woman had been covered and was later exposed when the police arrived on the scene to convey the body to the mortuary.
However, the second body, which, according to the fire service personnel, was discovered after that of the woman had been conveyed to the hospital, was yet to be identified, but they believe it would be that of the husband.
The Sunyani Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Kwesi Baffour-Awuah, told the Daily Graphic team that his men arrived on the scene at 5.45 a.m. after receiving a distress call around 5.30 a.m. because they had difficulty locating the place.
He said the fire personnel managed to put the fire under control, broke into the room and found the body of the victim completely burnt beyond recognition.
Mr Baffour-Awuah disclosed further that the elderly child of the couple, Rockson Badu, aged 15, told the personnel that he saw his father holding a gallon which he hid in a nearby bush during the evening of the previous day.
He said for sometime now his father had been having misunderstandings with their mother and each time the father threatened to burn their mother.
Young Rockson said their mother was also a co-host of a radio programme on Ark FM, a local FM station in Sunyani to which their father had asked her to stop but she refused. He said the latest misunderstanding arose when their mother informed their father that she wanted to further her education in Kumasi and their father again refused.
He said while he and his other siblings were standing in the porch, he saw his father with the gallon containing petrol, which he sprinkled on their mother to set her ablaze. He said he tried to stop him but he pushed him out of the room.
Young Rockson said he asked his mother to leave the room but their father took a lit candle in the room and threw it on their mother setting her and the entire house ablaze. He said he heard their mother shouting “Jesus” and thereafter he did not hear anything again until the fire service were called in to come and put out the fire.
The Assembly Member for the area, Madam Evelyn Richardson, who was also on the scene, told the Daily Graphic that she came to meet the burnt house and the charred body of the victim inside the building.
Mr Andrew Kwarteng, the host of the radio programme of which the victim was part, also intimated that he and the victim were on air the previous evening after which the victim narrated her marital problem to him.
He said he even told the victim not to sleep in her marital home that night but she refused only to see her burnt body the following morning.
When contacted, the Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Charles Botwe, confirmed the incident but said two bodies had been discovered but could not say whether the other was that of the man, though that of the woman had been conveyed to the Regional Hospital morgue by the police.
Monday, June 23, 2008
FARMER REMANDED FOR RAPE (NSEMPA, PAGE 3)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
A Twenty-five-year-old farmer who appeared before the Sunyani High Court for allegedly raping a seven-month pregnant woman at Kwaesi, near Donkro-Nkwanta in the Nkoranza District in the Brong Ahafo Region has been remanded in prison custody.
The accused, Yaw Abongo Frafra, a farmer at Kyeredeso, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape, is to reappear before the court presided over by Mr Justice Ato Assan on July 3, 2008.
Narrating the facts of the case to the court, Ms Angela Oboshie Torto, an Assistant State Attorney at the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) office in Sunyani, said the complainant/victim was a 30-year-old farmer who was seven months pregnant and lived with her husband at Kwaesi near Donkro-Nkwanta in the Nkoranza District, while the accused, Yaw Abongo Frafra, was a 25 year old farmer at Kyeredeso near Nkoranza.
She said on July 1, 2007, the complainant/victim and her rival, Ama Nyarko went to Kyeredeso to mill their maize and on their way to the house at about 7.30pm, they got to a bush and realised somebody was running after them.
Ms Torto told the court that Nyarko who was then behind, turned and saw the accused running after them naked.
She said the victim and her rival took to their heels, but due to her pregnancy the victim could not run fast and the accused caught up with her, pushed her to the ground, tore her pant and forcibly had sex with her.
The victim struggled with the suspect to free herself, but she was not successful.
Ms Torto said the accused, after the act, took to his heels.
She told the court that two weeks later, the accused was arrested by the Donkro-Nkwanta Police, and brought to the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).
The accused, in his cautioned statement admitted the offence.
A Twenty-five-year-old farmer who appeared before the Sunyani High Court for allegedly raping a seven-month pregnant woman at Kwaesi, near Donkro-Nkwanta in the Nkoranza District in the Brong Ahafo Region has been remanded in prison custody.
The accused, Yaw Abongo Frafra, a farmer at Kyeredeso, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape, is to reappear before the court presided over by Mr Justice Ato Assan on July 3, 2008.
Narrating the facts of the case to the court, Ms Angela Oboshie Torto, an Assistant State Attorney at the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) office in Sunyani, said the complainant/victim was a 30-year-old farmer who was seven months pregnant and lived with her husband at Kwaesi near Donkro-Nkwanta in the Nkoranza District, while the accused, Yaw Abongo Frafra, was a 25 year old farmer at Kyeredeso near Nkoranza.
She said on July 1, 2007, the complainant/victim and her rival, Ama Nyarko went to Kyeredeso to mill their maize and on their way to the house at about 7.30pm, they got to a bush and realised somebody was running after them.
Ms Torto told the court that Nyarko who was then behind, turned and saw the accused running after them naked.
She said the victim and her rival took to their heels, but due to her pregnancy the victim could not run fast and the accused caught up with her, pushed her to the ground, tore her pant and forcibly had sex with her.
The victim struggled with the suspect to free herself, but she was not successful.
Ms Torto said the accused, after the act, took to his heels.
She told the court that two weeks later, the accused was arrested by the Donkro-Nkwanta Police, and brought to the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).
The accused, in his cautioned statement admitted the offence.
SURETY ORDERED TO PRODUCE ACCUSED (PAGE 53)
A Sunyani High Court has given a man who stood surety for a teacher standing trial for allegedly raping a female student of the Yamfo Senior High School (SHS) in the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region two weeks to produce the accused.
The accused, Gideon Agyagbo, 31, who was not in court when the case was called at the court, presided over by Mr Justice Ato Assan, was said to have been granted bail earlier by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court and was ordered by the court to report himself to the police twice a week but he failed to do so.
According to the police, the accused had been reporting himself at the station until two weeks ago when he went there to seek permission to attend a funeral in Ho in the Volta Region but he did not return.
The police continued that several phone calls to the accused also hit a dead end and the police had no option but redeem the bail bond.
The presiding judge, after listening to the explanation by the police, asked the man who stood as surety for the accused to bring him (accused) to court at the next adjourned date.
The court, therefore, adjourned hearing the rape case to July 3, 2008 to enable the man who stood surety to look for the accused.
The facts of the case, as read in court by Ms Angela Oboshie Torto, an Assistant State Attorney, were that the victim, aged 18, was a student of the Yamfo SHS who was writing an examination in the school which was being invigilated by the suspect, who is a teacher of the school.
She said during the examination, the accused caught the victim collecting a written answer from a male student in the examination room and collected the paper.
Ms Torto said the accused, after the examination, told the victim and other students to see him for their punishment and asked them to bring machetes to weed but the victim claimed she did not get a machete that day so she did not go to the accused for the punishment.
The Assistant State Attorney said on December 12, 2007, the victim alone went to the accused person’s house for her punishment and she was given some dirty clothes by the accused to wash. While she was washing them, the accused went behind her and started fondling her breasts.
Ms Torto told the court that the victim became offended and asked the suspect to stop what he was doing. He stopped, but later went back and did it again and when she asked him to stop, this time he rather pulled her into his room.
She continued that in the room, the accused demanded to have sex with the victim but she refused, so he allegedly forcibly pulled the victim’s pants to one side and had sex with her without her consent.
Ms. Torto said immediately after the act, the victim rushed to the school and reported the incident to the assistant headmistress. The headmistress and two other female workers in her office took the victim to her house on the school compound to examine her and they allegedly found semen in her vagina.
The Assistant State Attorney said on December 17, 2007, the victim’s father reported the offence to the police. The victim was issued with a police medical form to the hospital for treatment.
The accused was arrested and after investigations, he was charged with the offence.
The accused, Gideon Agyagbo, 31, who was not in court when the case was called at the court, presided over by Mr Justice Ato Assan, was said to have been granted bail earlier by the Duayaw Nkwanta Circuit Court and was ordered by the court to report himself to the police twice a week but he failed to do so.
According to the police, the accused had been reporting himself at the station until two weeks ago when he went there to seek permission to attend a funeral in Ho in the Volta Region but he did not return.
The police continued that several phone calls to the accused also hit a dead end and the police had no option but redeem the bail bond.
The presiding judge, after listening to the explanation by the police, asked the man who stood as surety for the accused to bring him (accused) to court at the next adjourned date.
The court, therefore, adjourned hearing the rape case to July 3, 2008 to enable the man who stood surety to look for the accused.
The facts of the case, as read in court by Ms Angela Oboshie Torto, an Assistant State Attorney, were that the victim, aged 18, was a student of the Yamfo SHS who was writing an examination in the school which was being invigilated by the suspect, who is a teacher of the school.
She said during the examination, the accused caught the victim collecting a written answer from a male student in the examination room and collected the paper.
Ms Torto said the accused, after the examination, told the victim and other students to see him for their punishment and asked them to bring machetes to weed but the victim claimed she did not get a machete that day so she did not go to the accused for the punishment.
The Assistant State Attorney said on December 12, 2007, the victim alone went to the accused person’s house for her punishment and she was given some dirty clothes by the accused to wash. While she was washing them, the accused went behind her and started fondling her breasts.
Ms Torto told the court that the victim became offended and asked the suspect to stop what he was doing. He stopped, but later went back and did it again and when she asked him to stop, this time he rather pulled her into his room.
She continued that in the room, the accused demanded to have sex with the victim but she refused, so he allegedly forcibly pulled the victim’s pants to one side and had sex with her without her consent.
Ms. Torto said immediately after the act, the victim rushed to the school and reported the incident to the assistant headmistress. The headmistress and two other female workers in her office took the victim to her house on the school compound to examine her and they allegedly found semen in her vagina.
The Assistant State Attorney said on December 17, 2007, the victim’s father reported the offence to the police. The victim was issued with a police medical form to the hospital for treatment.
The accused was arrested and after investigations, he was charged with the offence.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
FIVE POLICEMEN GRANTED BAIL (PAGE 19)
THE Sunyani Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, has granted bail in the sum of Gh¢5,000 with two sureties each to be justified to five policemen of the Dragon Unit of the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command for allegedly extorting CFA100, 000 from two Ivorian traders in the Techiman Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The court also granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties to be justified to a Techiman-based businessman, Mr Kwadwo Adjei, who is also alleged to have extorted CFA 450,000 from the two Ivorians, namely Amadu Watara and Salifu Watara.
The five policemen, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of extortion, are Sergeant Peter Okanta, Corporal Martin Adjei, Lance Corporal Richard Oppong, Constables Gabriel Yaw Ansong and William Nutakor.
They are to appear before the court on July 7, 2008.
The presiding Judge granted the bail following an application by the counsel of the five policemen and the civilian and upheld that the charge preferred against the accused persons was a second degree felony, for which, according to him, the court had the jurisdiction to grant bail, adding that the granting of bail in such cases was also at the discretion of the court.
Police Superintendent (Supt) Ernest Owusu, who presented the facts of the case in court, said the complainants were Ivorian traders from the Northern side of La Cote d’Ivoire, which is being held by the rebels and following the war, there had been a shortage of the smaller denominations of the CFA franc in that part of the country.
He said the complainants therefore decided to come to a border town in Ghana called Kaba, where they met a middleman called Adama, who told them that he knew someone who would be able to change the higher CFA franc denominations into coins.
The prosecutor told the court that on June 1, 2008 Adama led them to Techiman at about 2.30pm and met Kwadwo Adjei, who drove them in his car with registration number RT 1765 AF to Techiman and assured the complainants that he could change the money into coins for them.
Supt. Owusu said Adjei took the complainants to a house at Dwomo, a suburb in the Techiman municipality, and collected CFA450, 000 francs from them to go and change into loose change for them, adding that while waiting for Adjei in the house, another taxi-cab with three occupants pulled up and they told the complainants that Adjei had asked them to bring them to the office.
He said the occupants drove the taxi-cab to the Techiman-Wenchi road and at a distance, they were signalled by Adjei who was driving his car, to stop, but they did not stop and while on the road, the five policemen who were also on board a police service vehicle with registration number GP 1626 over-took them and asked them to stop.
Supt Owusu said the policemen jumped out of their vehicle with their rifles and the complainants took to their heels, but they were pursed by the policemen who caught up with one of the complainants, Amadu, and subjected him to a search and collected CFA 100,000 franc from him.
He stated that thereafter the policemen took Amadu to the Tuobodom Police Station, also in the Techiman Municipality, and about 8.10 pm on the same day, the five policemen came back to the police station and released him (Amadu) from custody.
Supt Owusu further told the court that the policemen took Amadu back to Adjei and he (Adjei) drove him (Amadu) in his car to Jakoline, another suburb of Techiman and abandoned him there.
A report was made to the police, which led to the arrest of the five policemen and the civilian and after investigation, they were charge with the offence and arraigned.
Supt Owusu told the court that investigation into the case was still ongoing.
The court also granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties to be justified to a Techiman-based businessman, Mr Kwadwo Adjei, who is also alleged to have extorted CFA 450,000 from the two Ivorians, namely Amadu Watara and Salifu Watara.
The five policemen, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of extortion, are Sergeant Peter Okanta, Corporal Martin Adjei, Lance Corporal Richard Oppong, Constables Gabriel Yaw Ansong and William Nutakor.
They are to appear before the court on July 7, 2008.
The presiding Judge granted the bail following an application by the counsel of the five policemen and the civilian and upheld that the charge preferred against the accused persons was a second degree felony, for which, according to him, the court had the jurisdiction to grant bail, adding that the granting of bail in such cases was also at the discretion of the court.
Police Superintendent (Supt) Ernest Owusu, who presented the facts of the case in court, said the complainants were Ivorian traders from the Northern side of La Cote d’Ivoire, which is being held by the rebels and following the war, there had been a shortage of the smaller denominations of the CFA franc in that part of the country.
He said the complainants therefore decided to come to a border town in Ghana called Kaba, where they met a middleman called Adama, who told them that he knew someone who would be able to change the higher CFA franc denominations into coins.
The prosecutor told the court that on June 1, 2008 Adama led them to Techiman at about 2.30pm and met Kwadwo Adjei, who drove them in his car with registration number RT 1765 AF to Techiman and assured the complainants that he could change the money into coins for them.
Supt. Owusu said Adjei took the complainants to a house at Dwomo, a suburb in the Techiman municipality, and collected CFA450, 000 francs from them to go and change into loose change for them, adding that while waiting for Adjei in the house, another taxi-cab with three occupants pulled up and they told the complainants that Adjei had asked them to bring them to the office.
He said the occupants drove the taxi-cab to the Techiman-Wenchi road and at a distance, they were signalled by Adjei who was driving his car, to stop, but they did not stop and while on the road, the five policemen who were also on board a police service vehicle with registration number GP 1626 over-took them and asked them to stop.
Supt Owusu said the policemen jumped out of their vehicle with their rifles and the complainants took to their heels, but they were pursed by the policemen who caught up with one of the complainants, Amadu, and subjected him to a search and collected CFA 100,000 franc from him.
He stated that thereafter the policemen took Amadu to the Tuobodom Police Station, also in the Techiman Municipality, and about 8.10 pm on the same day, the five policemen came back to the police station and released him (Amadu) from custody.
Supt Owusu further told the court that the policemen took Amadu back to Adjei and he (Adjei) drove him (Amadu) in his car to Jakoline, another suburb of Techiman and abandoned him there.
A report was made to the police, which led to the arrest of the five policemen and the civilian and after investigation, they were charge with the offence and arraigned.
Supt Owusu told the court that investigation into the case was still ongoing.
CONFLICTS IN PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES WORRYING (PAGE 14)
PEACE and Violence-Free Advocacy Foundation International (PAVFAF), a Sunyani-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), has expressed concern about the conflicts associated with parliamentary primaries across the country.
The foundation has, therefore, called on the various political parties to find an antidote to the phenomenon, which has the potential of destroying the beauty of the country’s democracy.
Three officials of the foundation, Messrs Frank Opoku Adjapong, Edem Quao Yewoenao and Baba Gausu, expressed the sentiments in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani.
The foundation described the trend as a disturbing spectacle, which, if not checked, would undermine the country’s peace and democratic credential.
According to it, one of the ways through which the various political parties could stem primary-related violence was to allow all card-bearing members to vote to select parliamentary candidates.
That, it observed, would make it difficult for people vying for parliamentary slots of the various parties to influence delegates including camping them at a particular place prior to the primaries.
The officials of PAVFAF said if all card-bearing members were allowed to vote, it would make it practically impossible to influence them.
“If we are not careful, little things would endanger the democracy of the country and destroy the relative peace we are enjoying,” they stressed.
They stated that the political quagmire in Cote d’Ivoire was as a result of inaction by the various political actors in that country.
Touching on conflicts in the country, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu called on what they termed ‘the big men’ to stop buying arms and ammunition to factions involved in conflicts.
They expressed regret that many of ‘the big men’ talked peace but the message was not from their heart, adding that peace was a priceless commodity which could not be bought with money.
The PAVFAF officials appealed to the people of Bawku and Buipe, as well as other parts of the country where there were conflicts, to give peace a chance.
They also stressed the need for school authorities to impress on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by troublemakers.
On the Zimbabwean political crisis, the three men urged African leaders to be proactive in resolving the conflict before it degenerated into war.
The foundation has, therefore, called on the various political parties to find an antidote to the phenomenon, which has the potential of destroying the beauty of the country’s democracy.
Three officials of the foundation, Messrs Frank Opoku Adjapong, Edem Quao Yewoenao and Baba Gausu, expressed the sentiments in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani.
The foundation described the trend as a disturbing spectacle, which, if not checked, would undermine the country’s peace and democratic credential.
According to it, one of the ways through which the various political parties could stem primary-related violence was to allow all card-bearing members to vote to select parliamentary candidates.
That, it observed, would make it difficult for people vying for parliamentary slots of the various parties to influence delegates including camping them at a particular place prior to the primaries.
The officials of PAVFAF said if all card-bearing members were allowed to vote, it would make it practically impossible to influence them.
“If we are not careful, little things would endanger the democracy of the country and destroy the relative peace we are enjoying,” they stressed.
They stated that the political quagmire in Cote d’Ivoire was as a result of inaction by the various political actors in that country.
Touching on conflicts in the country, Messrs Adjapong, Yewoenao and Gausu called on what they termed ‘the big men’ to stop buying arms and ammunition to factions involved in conflicts.
They expressed regret that many of ‘the big men’ talked peace but the message was not from their heart, adding that peace was a priceless commodity which could not be bought with money.
The PAVFAF officials appealed to the people of Bawku and Buipe, as well as other parts of the country where there were conflicts, to give peace a chance.
They also stressed the need for school authorities to impress on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by troublemakers.
On the Zimbabwean political crisis, the three men urged African leaders to be proactive in resolving the conflict before it degenerated into war.
Friday, June 20, 2008
DEFEND THE POOR ...Attorney-General urges lawyers (SPREAD)
THE Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, has called on lawyers in private practice to consider defending the poor who seek justice as a way of giving back something to society.
According to him, under the 1992 Constitution, everybody had the right to a counsel but because of the high legal fees, many people could not access justice.
He, therefore, called on private legal practitioners to extend their services to the poor to ensure fairness and access to justice by all in the country.
“We have reached a stage in our country where we must guarantee our people access to justice,” he stressed.
Mr Ghartey, who made the call when he interacted with members of the Brong Ahafo Regional Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in Sunyani, stated that it was against that background that his ministry initiated the “Justice for All” programme in September last year to ensure that the under-privileged, such as those in the prisons, would receive justice.
He, therefore, urged all who had something to do with the delivery of criminal justice in the country, especially lawyers in private practice, to support the programme and commended members of the Brong Ahafo GBA for supporting it.
Illustrating the need for the “Justice for All” programme, Mr Ghartey said a boy who attempted to steal a mobile phone but failed was kept in custody for a long time, while the complainant failed repeatedly to show up for the continuation of the case because he had his phone back.
Again, he cited the case of a bicycle thief who was apprehended and imprisoned, although the bicycle was returned to the owner, adding that many people with similar stories were languishing in prison, hence the “Justice for All” programme, which was first aimed at remand prisoners but had now been extended to convicts to decongest the country’s prisons.
Mr Ghartey noted that under the programme, the Chief Justice would give judges cases reviewed by prison officers to ensure that people who had been in custody longer than the sentence they would have been given had their cases gone to trial would be released.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice suggested that instead of custodial sentences for minor offences, the law must allow such offenders more probationary period, in which case such convicts could be made to work for Zoomlion, a waste management firm, clothed in distinct uniforms, which would go a long way to benefit the society.
He said since he took office as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, he had evolved several strategies to attract lawyers to the Attorney-General’s Office to compete with those in private practice, saying that since that move, 85 lawyers had so far joined the A-G’s Office and he was aiming at 100 lawyers to join the office by the end of the year.
Mr Ghartey appealed to the Regional Bar Association to endeavour to organise educational programmes on the Money Laundering Act, in view of the oil find, since within two to four years the country would be prosperous.
According to him, under the 1992 Constitution, everybody had the right to a counsel but because of the high legal fees, many people could not access justice.
He, therefore, called on private legal practitioners to extend their services to the poor to ensure fairness and access to justice by all in the country.
“We have reached a stage in our country where we must guarantee our people access to justice,” he stressed.
Mr Ghartey, who made the call when he interacted with members of the Brong Ahafo Regional Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in Sunyani, stated that it was against that background that his ministry initiated the “Justice for All” programme in September last year to ensure that the under-privileged, such as those in the prisons, would receive justice.
He, therefore, urged all who had something to do with the delivery of criminal justice in the country, especially lawyers in private practice, to support the programme and commended members of the Brong Ahafo GBA for supporting it.
Illustrating the need for the “Justice for All” programme, Mr Ghartey said a boy who attempted to steal a mobile phone but failed was kept in custody for a long time, while the complainant failed repeatedly to show up for the continuation of the case because he had his phone back.
Again, he cited the case of a bicycle thief who was apprehended and imprisoned, although the bicycle was returned to the owner, adding that many people with similar stories were languishing in prison, hence the “Justice for All” programme, which was first aimed at remand prisoners but had now been extended to convicts to decongest the country’s prisons.
Mr Ghartey noted that under the programme, the Chief Justice would give judges cases reviewed by prison officers to ensure that people who had been in custody longer than the sentence they would have been given had their cases gone to trial would be released.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice suggested that instead of custodial sentences for minor offences, the law must allow such offenders more probationary period, in which case such convicts could be made to work for Zoomlion, a waste management firm, clothed in distinct uniforms, which would go a long way to benefit the society.
He said since he took office as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, he had evolved several strategies to attract lawyers to the Attorney-General’s Office to compete with those in private practice, saying that since that move, 85 lawyers had so far joined the A-G’s Office and he was aiming at 100 lawyers to join the office by the end of the year.
Mr Ghartey appealed to the Regional Bar Association to endeavour to organise educational programmes on the Money Laundering Act, in view of the oil find, since within two to four years the country would be prosperous.
Monday, June 16, 2008
9 TECHIMAN COMMUNITIES TO GET ELECTRICITY (NSEMPA, PAGE 15)
By Samuel Duodu, Techiman.
THE Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, has cut the sod for the extension of electricity from the national grid to 19 communities in the Techiman Municipality.
At the ceremony at Techiman, Mr Amporfo-Twumasi said the project was part of a three-year electrification programme costing $90 million.
Under the programme, 70 towns in the Brong Ahafo Region would benefit from the national grid. He said nationwide, 580 towns will benefit from the facility.
According to the deputy minister, $81 million of the amount was sourced from the Chinese government with the Ghana government providing the rest.
Mr Amporfo-Twumasi added that presently 56 percent of the country benefits from electrical power and that other sources like solar would be harnessed to power towns and villages, which cannot immediately access power from the national grid.
He said it is the policy of government that from this year at least five towns in each district would be connected to the national grid as part of a wide plan to get power to every town and village in the country in the near future.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Techiman, Mr. Prince Yaw Donyina, in his speech to mark the occasion, said the project was initiated by the former Member of Parliament for Techiman South, Prince Oduro Mensah.
He expressed the hope that the project would help boost industrial activity in the beneficiary towns.
The project, which is to be undertaken by the Chinese Water and Electrical company is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Nana Ameyaw Boateng, the Odikro of Twemiankwanta, chaired the function.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Mr Ishaq Bonsu, District Chief Executive for Asunafo North, Mr George Yaw Boakye, District Chief Executive for Asunafo South and Mr Antwi Darkwa, the Director of Power at the Ministry of energy.
THE Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, has cut the sod for the extension of electricity from the national grid to 19 communities in the Techiman Municipality.
At the ceremony at Techiman, Mr Amporfo-Twumasi said the project was part of a three-year electrification programme costing $90 million.
Under the programme, 70 towns in the Brong Ahafo Region would benefit from the national grid. He said nationwide, 580 towns will benefit from the facility.
According to the deputy minister, $81 million of the amount was sourced from the Chinese government with the Ghana government providing the rest.
Mr Amporfo-Twumasi added that presently 56 percent of the country benefits from electrical power and that other sources like solar would be harnessed to power towns and villages, which cannot immediately access power from the national grid.
He said it is the policy of government that from this year at least five towns in each district would be connected to the national grid as part of a wide plan to get power to every town and village in the country in the near future.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Techiman, Mr. Prince Yaw Donyina, in his speech to mark the occasion, said the project was initiated by the former Member of Parliament for Techiman South, Prince Oduro Mensah.
He expressed the hope that the project would help boost industrial activity in the beneficiary towns.
The project, which is to be undertaken by the Chinese Water and Electrical company is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Nana Ameyaw Boateng, the Odikro of Twemiankwanta, chaired the function.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Mr Ishaq Bonsu, District Chief Executive for Asunafo North, Mr George Yaw Boakye, District Chief Executive for Asunafo South and Mr Antwi Darkwa, the Director of Power at the Ministry of energy.
WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL DAY IN SUNYANI (NSEMPA, PAGE 15)
By Samuel Duodu,
Sunyani
THE World Environment Day has been celebrated in Sunyani with a call on Ghanaians to collectively work to protect the country’s forests.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of African Media Aid, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu Junior, who made the call when he spoke with journalists said, the loss of the forests had direct negative consequences on the environment and national development.
He attributed deforestation in Ghana to factors including illegal farming in the forest reserves, surface mining, slash and burn agriculture and bush fires among others.
The CEO revealed that currently forest products account for between five to six per cent of Ghana ’s Gross Domestic Product and are the fourth most important export earner for the country.
This potential, Mr. Ahenu Junior noted, was however, under threat because of human activities.
The CEO pointed out that successful wildfire management would play an important role of restoring forest cover.
Mr Ahenu Jr. called for the enforcement of wildfire management laws in the forest areas and the country as a whole to bring the wildfire menace under control.
According to him, African Media Aid, in collaboration with Centre for Domestic Development Services, another NGO, is to implement an environmental project dubbed, “ Rural Environmental Empowerment and Wood Fuel Development Project (REEWODEP)” in three districts of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He mentioned the beneficiary districts as Kintampo North, Wenchi and Tain.
Mr Ahenu Jr said under the project about 1,200 farmers selected from 12 communities in the beneficiary districts would be assisted to go into plantation development.
The CEO appealed to international organizations interested in environmental issues to support the project.
Sunyani
THE World Environment Day has been celebrated in Sunyani with a call on Ghanaians to collectively work to protect the country’s forests.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of African Media Aid, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu Junior, who made the call when he spoke with journalists said, the loss of the forests had direct negative consequences on the environment and national development.
He attributed deforestation in Ghana to factors including illegal farming in the forest reserves, surface mining, slash and burn agriculture and bush fires among others.
The CEO revealed that currently forest products account for between five to six per cent of Ghana ’s Gross Domestic Product and are the fourth most important export earner for the country.
This potential, Mr. Ahenu Junior noted, was however, under threat because of human activities.
The CEO pointed out that successful wildfire management would play an important role of restoring forest cover.
Mr Ahenu Jr. called for the enforcement of wildfire management laws in the forest areas and the country as a whole to bring the wildfire menace under control.
According to him, African Media Aid, in collaboration with Centre for Domestic Development Services, another NGO, is to implement an environmental project dubbed, “ Rural Environmental Empowerment and Wood Fuel Development Project (REEWODEP)” in three districts of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He mentioned the beneficiary districts as Kintampo North, Wenchi and Tain.
Mr Ahenu Jr said under the project about 1,200 farmers selected from 12 communities in the beneficiary districts would be assisted to go into plantation development.
The CEO appealed to international organizations interested in environmental issues to support the project.
ACCUSED DIES IN POLICE CUSTODY (NSEMPA, PAGE 10)
By Samuel Duodu, Wenchi.
A MAN accused of stealing a goat at Nsawkaw in the Brong Ahafo Region, had died in police custody at Wenchi.
Yaw Fosu, the deceased, was in custody with an accomplice, Kwasi Amoah, after a Wenchi Magistrate Court presided over by Mr Essel Walker had remanded them in custody.
They pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and were remanded in prison custody to reappear on June 12 but Fosu died three days later.
The two were arrested when they took the carcass to a pork seller, Joe Dagati, to dress it for them.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prince Osae who confirmed the story said, the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.
Sources close to the court told Graphic Nsempa that the deceased and Amoah lived at a shrine called “Bosomkese” at Nsawkaw in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
For sometime now, goats had went missing in the town and people suspected the deceased and Amoah to be those behind the stealing.
On June 3, the deceased and his accomplice stole a goat, killed it and hid the carcass at the shrine.
About 8pm on the same day, they took the carcass to Dagati to dress it for them.
Some residents who saw them approached Dagati and questioned him about how he got the goat.
Dagati explained that it was the deceased and his accomplice who brought it to him to dress it for them.
The people, therefore, went to the shrine and arrested the deceased and Amoah and handed them over to the Wenchi Police. Dagati was also arrested.
A MAN accused of stealing a goat at Nsawkaw in the Brong Ahafo Region, had died in police custody at Wenchi.
Yaw Fosu, the deceased, was in custody with an accomplice, Kwasi Amoah, after a Wenchi Magistrate Court presided over by Mr Essel Walker had remanded them in custody.
They pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and were remanded in prison custody to reappear on June 12 but Fosu died three days later.
The two were arrested when they took the carcass to a pork seller, Joe Dagati, to dress it for them.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prince Osae who confirmed the story said, the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.
Sources close to the court told Graphic Nsempa that the deceased and Amoah lived at a shrine called “Bosomkese” at Nsawkaw in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
For sometime now, goats had went missing in the town and people suspected the deceased and Amoah to be those behind the stealing.
On June 3, the deceased and his accomplice stole a goat, killed it and hid the carcass at the shrine.
About 8pm on the same day, they took the carcass to Dagati to dress it for them.
Some residents who saw them approached Dagati and questioned him about how he got the goat.
Dagati explained that it was the deceased and his accomplice who brought it to him to dress it for them.
The people, therefore, went to the shrine and arrested the deceased and Amoah and handed them over to the Wenchi Police. Dagati was also arrested.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
1,200 ENGAGED BY NYEP IN BA (PAGE 25)
ONE thousand two hundred people in the Sunyani municipality have so far been engaged under the various modules of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) since its introduction.
According to Mr. Alfred Annye, the Municipal Coordinator of the NYEP, 167 were engaged under the Health Extension Work, 144 for the Community Protection Unit (CPU), 91 for Agriculture Business, 90 for Waste and Sanitation Management and 90 for the vocation jobs placement.
Mr Annye told the Daily Graphic in Sunyani that more than 400 people in the municipality had also benefited from the internship programme.
He gave the breakdown for those who had benefited from the internship in various institutions as 132 at the Regional Hospital, 17 at the Sunyani Nursing Training College, 32 at the 3 Garrison, 11 at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), 11 at the Department of Social Welfare, 11 at the Ghana Highway Authority, seven at the Non-Formal Education Division, four at Feeder Roads and two at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly.
Mr Annye disclosed further that through the internship programme, several people had been able to secure permanent jobs at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and in some private institutions.
He stated that the NYEP had helped to reduce the high youth unemployment situation in the municipality and apart from giving the youth jobs, it had also helped to put money in their pockets and lessened the financial burden on parents.
Mr Annye debunked the assertion that people who were engaged under the NYEP were NPP members and explained that the secretariat did not demand party membership cards before one was engaged.
He buttressed his point with the examples that the forms that were given out to those who had applied did not ask for one’s political affiliation, but only the bio-data of the applicant.
According to Mr. Alfred Annye, the Municipal Coordinator of the NYEP, 167 were engaged under the Health Extension Work, 144 for the Community Protection Unit (CPU), 91 for Agriculture Business, 90 for Waste and Sanitation Management and 90 for the vocation jobs placement.
Mr Annye told the Daily Graphic in Sunyani that more than 400 people in the municipality had also benefited from the internship programme.
He gave the breakdown for those who had benefited from the internship in various institutions as 132 at the Regional Hospital, 17 at the Sunyani Nursing Training College, 32 at the 3 Garrison, 11 at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), 11 at the Department of Social Welfare, 11 at the Ghana Highway Authority, seven at the Non-Formal Education Division, four at Feeder Roads and two at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly.
Mr Annye disclosed further that through the internship programme, several people had been able to secure permanent jobs at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and in some private institutions.
He stated that the NYEP had helped to reduce the high youth unemployment situation in the municipality and apart from giving the youth jobs, it had also helped to put money in their pockets and lessened the financial burden on parents.
Mr Annye debunked the assertion that people who were engaged under the NYEP were NPP members and explained that the secretariat did not demand party membership cards before one was engaged.
He buttressed his point with the examples that the forms that were given out to those who had applied did not ask for one’s political affiliation, but only the bio-data of the applicant.
WOODWORKERS UNION DONATES TO KOKOAGO (PAGE 36)
THE Timber and Woodworkers Union of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has presented building materials worth GH¢15,000 to the chiefs and people of Kokoago, a deprived farming community in the Techiman municipality.
The items, which included 20 bags of cement, four packets of roofing sheets and nails, as well as GH¢100 cash are meant to assist the community to rebuild a three-classroom block for the lower primary of the Local/Authority (L/A) Basic School which collapsed during a rainstorm that hit the community two weeks ago.
The donation coincided with a tree-planting exercise organised by the union in collaboration with the Techiman Traditional Council as part of activities marking this year’s World Environment Day and also to inculcate the habit of tree planting in the people.
Presenting the items at a brief ceremony, Mr Joshua Ansah, the General Secretary of the Union, said the donation formed part of the union’s social responsibility towards communities in which the union had forest plantations.
He expressed the hope that the gesture would go a long way to assist the community to reconstruct the school’s building to enable the children to go back to school.
Mr Ansah stated that as part of efforts to restore the country’s vegetative cover, the union in association with the Techiman Traditional Council, had planted teak and other species of trees covering 600 acres in the Kokoago community.
He said the move was to help sustain the wood industry, reduce the effects of climatic change on agriculture, generate employment for the local people and help reduce poverty.
Mr Ansah called for co-operation from the local people to protect the plantation, which, he said, would provide some economic benefit for the people when the time came for harvesting.
Nana Owusu Gyare II, the Akwamuhene of the Techiman Traditional Area and Coordinator for the forest plantation project, said the collaboration between the traditional council and the union was to help protect the environment and also recover the country’s depleted forests.
He urged the people to plant trees to serve as windbreaks.
Nana Haruna Kyeremeh, the Odikro of Kokoago, expressed gratitude to the union for the gesture, which he described as timely and pledged their cooperation to the success of the project.
The items, which included 20 bags of cement, four packets of roofing sheets and nails, as well as GH¢100 cash are meant to assist the community to rebuild a three-classroom block for the lower primary of the Local/Authority (L/A) Basic School which collapsed during a rainstorm that hit the community two weeks ago.
The donation coincided with a tree-planting exercise organised by the union in collaboration with the Techiman Traditional Council as part of activities marking this year’s World Environment Day and also to inculcate the habit of tree planting in the people.
Presenting the items at a brief ceremony, Mr Joshua Ansah, the General Secretary of the Union, said the donation formed part of the union’s social responsibility towards communities in which the union had forest plantations.
He expressed the hope that the gesture would go a long way to assist the community to reconstruct the school’s building to enable the children to go back to school.
Mr Ansah stated that as part of efforts to restore the country’s vegetative cover, the union in association with the Techiman Traditional Council, had planted teak and other species of trees covering 600 acres in the Kokoago community.
He said the move was to help sustain the wood industry, reduce the effects of climatic change on agriculture, generate employment for the local people and help reduce poverty.
Mr Ansah called for co-operation from the local people to protect the plantation, which, he said, would provide some economic benefit for the people when the time came for harvesting.
Nana Owusu Gyare II, the Akwamuhene of the Techiman Traditional Area and Coordinator for the forest plantation project, said the collaboration between the traditional council and the union was to help protect the environment and also recover the country’s depleted forests.
He urged the people to plant trees to serve as windbreaks.
Nana Haruna Kyeremeh, the Odikro of Kokoago, expressed gratitude to the union for the gesture, which he described as timely and pledged their cooperation to the success of the project.
GTZ DONATES OFFICE EQUIPMENT TO RCC, 3 DISTRICTS (PAGE 36)
THE German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) has presented office equipment valued at GH¢23,000 to the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and three other district assemblies in the region, namely Tano North, Kintampo South and Pru.
The items, which included computers and their accessories, printers, air conditioners, photocopiers, scanners and laptops, are to support the RCC and the beneficiary districts to establish an effective District Database System (DDS) for internal revenue generation and planning.
The gesture formed part of the GTZ’s support towards the country’s decentralisation reform programme.
The Programme Director of the Support for the Decentralisation Reform Programme of the GTZ, Mr Nikolas Beckman, who presented the items, said the donation was only a token to support the efforts of the beneficiary districts towards effective planning and revenue generation.
He mentioned the success of the Tain District, an earlier beneficiary under the programme, for the establishment of its database system, which has increased internally generated revenue by over 400 per cent.
He expressed the hope that the new beneficiary districts would take advantage of the gesture to increase their revenue generation.
Mr Beckman stressed the importance of the ongoing District Development Fund (DDF).
He said it was no surprise that assessments carried out nation-wide on performance had seen districts in the Brong Ahafo Region standing out among the others.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano North, Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, expressed gratitude on behalf of the RCC and the other beneficiary districts, giving the assurance that the equipment would be put to good use.
He also appealed to the country’s development partners for further assistance to the district assemblies to deepen the decentralisation process of the nation.
The Fiscal Decentralisation and Financial Management Advisor of the GTZ, Ms Lynda Amengor, said the programme had led to an improvement in district planning, budgeting and revenue mobilisation since the inception of the programme in 2004.
Seven districts, namely Jaman North and Jaman South, Asunafo North and Asunafo South, Dormaa, Wenchi and Tain, have so far been supported under the programme to establish functional databases, which had led to a significant improvement in their planning and revenue mobilisation.
The items, which included computers and their accessories, printers, air conditioners, photocopiers, scanners and laptops, are to support the RCC and the beneficiary districts to establish an effective District Database System (DDS) for internal revenue generation and planning.
The gesture formed part of the GTZ’s support towards the country’s decentralisation reform programme.
The Programme Director of the Support for the Decentralisation Reform Programme of the GTZ, Mr Nikolas Beckman, who presented the items, said the donation was only a token to support the efforts of the beneficiary districts towards effective planning and revenue generation.
He mentioned the success of the Tain District, an earlier beneficiary under the programme, for the establishment of its database system, which has increased internally generated revenue by over 400 per cent.
He expressed the hope that the new beneficiary districts would take advantage of the gesture to increase their revenue generation.
Mr Beckman stressed the importance of the ongoing District Development Fund (DDF).
He said it was no surprise that assessments carried out nation-wide on performance had seen districts in the Brong Ahafo Region standing out among the others.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano North, Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, expressed gratitude on behalf of the RCC and the other beneficiary districts, giving the assurance that the equipment would be put to good use.
He also appealed to the country’s development partners for further assistance to the district assemblies to deepen the decentralisation process of the nation.
The Fiscal Decentralisation and Financial Management Advisor of the GTZ, Ms Lynda Amengor, said the programme had led to an improvement in district planning, budgeting and revenue mobilisation since the inception of the programme in 2004.
Seven districts, namely Jaman North and Jaman South, Asunafo North and Asunafo South, Dormaa, Wenchi and Tain, have so far been supported under the programme to establish functional databases, which had led to a significant improvement in their planning and revenue mobilisation.
UNEMPLOYED, 21, FINED FOR RESISTING ARREST (MIRROR, PAGE 25)
From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
The Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, has sentenced a 21-year-old unemployed man who resisted arrest and with the help of an irate mob assaulted the two policemen who were detailed to effect his arrest for stealing, to a fine of GH¢92 or in default serve a six-month imprisonment with labour.
The convict, Appiah Kubi, pleaded guilty to the counts of stealing, resisting arrest and escape from lawful custody and was subsequently sentenced by the court based on his own plea.
The facts of the case as presented in court by Chief Inspector Alex Fosu were that in October, last year, two policemen, Lance Corporals Emmanuel Akatsi and Solomon Tettey, were detailed to effect the arrest of Appiah Kubi who was being sought for by the police in a stealing case.
He said the two policemen managed to trace the convict to Abesim, and when the policemen were about to arrest him he became furious and resisted arrest.
The prosecutor stated that the policemen managed to handcuff him on the left wrist but he prevented them from handcuffing the other hand and in the process an irate mob besieged the scene and obstructed the policemen and helped the convict to flee.
Chief Inspector Fosu told the court that in the process the policemen were assaulted and all efforts to trace Appiah Kubi proved futile.
Appiah Kubi was arrested again in an assault case by the police at Ejura where he had absconded to.
He said the Ejura police detected a scar on the left wrist of the convict and when he was interrogated he confessed having destroyed the handcuff put on his wrist by the police in Sunyani, at Abesim, but he was helped by a mob to run to Accra where he was assisted by a welder to destroy the handcuff around his left wrist, hence the scar.
Chief Inspector Fosu added that the convict was brought down to Sunyani and after investigations he was charged with the offence and subsequently put before the court.
The Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, has sentenced a 21-year-old unemployed man who resisted arrest and with the help of an irate mob assaulted the two policemen who were detailed to effect his arrest for stealing, to a fine of GH¢92 or in default serve a six-month imprisonment with labour.
The convict, Appiah Kubi, pleaded guilty to the counts of stealing, resisting arrest and escape from lawful custody and was subsequently sentenced by the court based on his own plea.
The facts of the case as presented in court by Chief Inspector Alex Fosu were that in October, last year, two policemen, Lance Corporals Emmanuel Akatsi and Solomon Tettey, were detailed to effect the arrest of Appiah Kubi who was being sought for by the police in a stealing case.
He said the two policemen managed to trace the convict to Abesim, and when the policemen were about to arrest him he became furious and resisted arrest.
The prosecutor stated that the policemen managed to handcuff him on the left wrist but he prevented them from handcuffing the other hand and in the process an irate mob besieged the scene and obstructed the policemen and helped the convict to flee.
Chief Inspector Fosu told the court that in the process the policemen were assaulted and all efforts to trace Appiah Kubi proved futile.
Appiah Kubi was arrested again in an assault case by the police at Ejura where he had absconded to.
He said the Ejura police detected a scar on the left wrist of the convict and when he was interrogated he confessed having destroyed the handcuff put on his wrist by the police in Sunyani, at Abesim, but he was helped by a mob to run to Accra where he was assisted by a welder to destroy the handcuff around his left wrist, hence the scar.
Chief Inspector Fosu added that the convict was brought down to Sunyani and after investigations he was charged with the offence and subsequently put before the court.
STUDENT, 19, FOR STRAYING INTO PRESIDENTIAL LODGE (PAGE 34)
From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
A 19-year-old student who strayed into the presidential lodge at the Residency in Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Regional Minister’s official residence) has been sentenced to a fine of Gh¢360 or in default serve one year imprisonment in hard labour.
The student, David Andani, whose school was not mentioned in court, pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful entry and was subsequently sentenced on his own plea by the Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’ presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah.
Passing judgment, Mr Zoogah said he considered the student’s age and the fact that he was a first offender.
The facts of the case as presented in court by Sergeant Augustine Oppong were that the complainant is a steward supervisor at the presidential lodge at the residency in Sunyani, while the convict is a student.
On June 4, 2008 about 6.30 a.m the complainant reported for duty at the residency and when he opened the main door to the hall of the presidential lodge he saw the convict comfortably seated.
Sergeant Oppong told the court that when the complainant questioned the student as to how he entered the hall he could not give any tangible excuse or reason.
He said the student was, therefore, arrested and handed over to the police and after investigations he was charged with the offence and subsequently arraigned.
A 19-year-old student who strayed into the presidential lodge at the Residency in Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Regional Minister’s official residence) has been sentenced to a fine of Gh¢360 or in default serve one year imprisonment in hard labour.
The student, David Andani, whose school was not mentioned in court, pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful entry and was subsequently sentenced on his own plea by the Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’ presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah.
Passing judgment, Mr Zoogah said he considered the student’s age and the fact that he was a first offender.
The facts of the case as presented in court by Sergeant Augustine Oppong were that the complainant is a steward supervisor at the presidential lodge at the residency in Sunyani, while the convict is a student.
On June 4, 2008 about 6.30 a.m the complainant reported for duty at the residency and when he opened the main door to the hall of the presidential lodge he saw the convict comfortably seated.
Sergeant Oppong told the court that when the complainant questioned the student as to how he entered the hall he could not give any tangible excuse or reason.
He said the student was, therefore, arrested and handed over to the police and after investigations he was charged with the offence and subsequently arraigned.
2 DIE AFTER MISTAKING FERTILISER FOR SALT (PAGE 3)
THREE farmers who were believed to have mistaken fertiliser for salt and used it to prepare a meal died after enjoying the food on a farm at Nsawkaw in the Tain District.
The deceased, Kwaku Num, 22, Kwadwo Dagati, 36, and Kofi Dagati, 34, were said to have used the ‘salt’ to prepare soup and consumed it with fufu.
After taking the meal, they started developing severe abdominal pains and died later on the farm.
Their bodies were found on the farm three days later by a search party.
A fourth person, Bemtolaze Erfaanibe Dagati, who partook of the meal but left earlier for home, was rushed to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital and is responding to treatment.
The Wenchi District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr Prince Sam Kwame Osae, who confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic, said the four had gone to the farm on June 2, 2008 and while they were there, they decided to prepare soup to enjoy it with the fufu that they had pounded.
Mr Osae said upon realising, after preparing the soup, that there was no salt, one of them rode a bicycle somewhere and brought a whitish substance which they believed was salt and put it into the soup.
He said after enjoying the meal, they started experiencing severe stomach pains but Erfaanibe left for home, where he started vomiting blood.
Mr Osae said Erfaanibe became unconscious and was rushed to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital where a test confirmed that he had taken in fertiliser.
He said three days later the families of the three deceased persons realised that their relatives had not returned home so they organised a search party to look for them. Their bodies, which had started decomposing, were found on the farm.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital morgue, while the post mortem conducted also confirmed that they died as a result of the consumption of fertiliser.
The deceased, Kwaku Num, 22, Kwadwo Dagati, 36, and Kofi Dagati, 34, were said to have used the ‘salt’ to prepare soup and consumed it with fufu.
After taking the meal, they started developing severe abdominal pains and died later on the farm.
Their bodies were found on the farm three days later by a search party.
A fourth person, Bemtolaze Erfaanibe Dagati, who partook of the meal but left earlier for home, was rushed to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital and is responding to treatment.
The Wenchi District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr Prince Sam Kwame Osae, who confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic, said the four had gone to the farm on June 2, 2008 and while they were there, they decided to prepare soup to enjoy it with the fufu that they had pounded.
Mr Osae said upon realising, after preparing the soup, that there was no salt, one of them rode a bicycle somewhere and brought a whitish substance which they believed was salt and put it into the soup.
He said after enjoying the meal, they started experiencing severe stomach pains but Erfaanibe left for home, where he started vomiting blood.
Mr Osae said Erfaanibe became unconscious and was rushed to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital where a test confirmed that he had taken in fertiliser.
He said three days later the families of the three deceased persons realised that their relatives had not returned home so they organised a search party to look for them. Their bodies, which had started decomposing, were found on the farm.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital morgue, while the post mortem conducted also confirmed that they died as a result of the consumption of fertiliser.
Friday, June 13, 2008
104 HOUSEHOLDS IN TECHIMAN RECEIVE LEAP GRANT (PAGE 21)
TWO thousand four hundred and fifty Ghana cedis has been disbursed to 104 households from four selected communities in the Techiman Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region, for the second payment of the LEAP grant.
The money is part of a social protection package for people who have been classified as extreme poor in the society.
The amount for the second payment was different from the first payment, which was fixed at GH¢8.00 per household.
Under the new package, one beneficiary in a household received GH¢16, two received GH¢20, three had GH¢24 while four and above received GH¢30 for two months.
The beneficiary communities in the Techiman Municipality were Tanoso where 22 households benefited from the facility; Kenten, 29; Asueyi, 19, and Tuobodom, 34.
The disbursement was done on June 3 and 4, 2008 at the established payment points in the selected communities.
The Deputy Director for Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in charge of LEAP and Social Development at the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Mr Mawutor Ablo, who made the payment, said the LEAP programme started with 21 districts, and 32 more would be added to the number by the end of the year.
He stated that the complementary services that could be useful to the beneficiaries would be added as the programme progressed.
The Regional Director of Social Welfare, Ms Josephine Peace Atsu, advised the beneficiaries to regulate their birth rate such that they could have sizeable families to cater for, instead of producing many children whose maintenance would be a burden for them.
Touching on some of the challenges encountered during the payment days, he sited an instance when one Mr Yaw Ampofo of Tanoso, who was ill, delegated his wife to collect the money on his behalf, but the pay officers refused the request, since the picture on the identity card was not his wife’s.
According to Mr Atsu, the old and disabled in society who were not part of the programme initially but had now been added to it, did not receive the money because their identity cards were not ready at the time of payment.
Some of the beneficiaries said they used the money to purchase school uniforms, books and pens for their children.
A total of 91 households were present at the payment points but 13 of them were absent.
The money is part of a social protection package for people who have been classified as extreme poor in the society.
The amount for the second payment was different from the first payment, which was fixed at GH¢8.00 per household.
Under the new package, one beneficiary in a household received GH¢16, two received GH¢20, three had GH¢24 while four and above received GH¢30 for two months.
The beneficiary communities in the Techiman Municipality were Tanoso where 22 households benefited from the facility; Kenten, 29; Asueyi, 19, and Tuobodom, 34.
The disbursement was done on June 3 and 4, 2008 at the established payment points in the selected communities.
The Deputy Director for Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in charge of LEAP and Social Development at the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Mr Mawutor Ablo, who made the payment, said the LEAP programme started with 21 districts, and 32 more would be added to the number by the end of the year.
He stated that the complementary services that could be useful to the beneficiaries would be added as the programme progressed.
The Regional Director of Social Welfare, Ms Josephine Peace Atsu, advised the beneficiaries to regulate their birth rate such that they could have sizeable families to cater for, instead of producing many children whose maintenance would be a burden for them.
Touching on some of the challenges encountered during the payment days, he sited an instance when one Mr Yaw Ampofo of Tanoso, who was ill, delegated his wife to collect the money on his behalf, but the pay officers refused the request, since the picture on the identity card was not his wife’s.
According to Mr Atsu, the old and disabled in society who were not part of the programme initially but had now been added to it, did not receive the money because their identity cards were not ready at the time of payment.
Some of the beneficiaries said they used the money to purchase school uniforms, books and pens for their children.
A total of 91 households were present at the payment points but 13 of them were absent.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
CHILDREN RESCUED FROM CHILD LABOUR PROVIDED UNIFORMS, FOOTWEAR (PAGE 17)
THE government, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), has donated school uniforms and footwear valued at GH¢3,819.70 to 132 children rescued from child labour in the Techiman municipality.
This was made possible with the support of the Techiman Municipal Assembly and the Bureau of Rural Urban Mobilisers for Development (BRUM), a non-governmental organisation.
Techiman is one of the 20 districts selected by the government to benefit from this project nation-wide.
In all, 10 communities were selected as beneficiaries, with six of them located in the Techiman, namely, Wangara Line, Tunsuase, Abanim, Dagomba Line, Ahenbronoso and Dwomo.
The rest are Tanoso, Asueyi, Offuman and Tuobodom.
Mr Davis Boamah Asumadu, the co-ordinator of BRUM, said at the presentation ceremony that the Techiman Municipal Assembly had provided funds to facilitate the withdrawal of 200 children working under worst forms of child labour, particularly head portage (Kayayei), at the markets and in commercial agriculture.
He also said BRUM had been able to withdraw 132 children, from a targeted figure of 150, and placed them in schools since its inception in June 2007.
Again, 50 children had been identified and registered to receive vocational skills training, he said, adding that so far nine of them had been placed with master craftsmen and women to undergo training in hairdressing, tailoring, bakery, aluminium modelling and fabrication.
Mr Asumadu mentioned that a total sum of GH¢915.00 had been spent on the rescued children so far, while GH¢3,819.70 had been used in providing the aforementioned support.
He disclosed that well-packed support programmes had been earmarked for beneficiaries, including their parents.
He, therefore, urged Community Child Labour Committee members from the various beneficiary communities to join the NGO to collate and compile the names of all the parents and guardians of the beneficiary children.
In a speech, the Techiman Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Prince Yaw Donyina, advised the beneficiaries to carry the news about the good policies of the New Patriotic Party government, which included the Capitation Grant, the school feeding programme, the health insurance scheme, among others, to their parents.
He said the government would continue to come up with good policies to move the nation forward.
This was made possible with the support of the Techiman Municipal Assembly and the Bureau of Rural Urban Mobilisers for Development (BRUM), a non-governmental organisation.
Techiman is one of the 20 districts selected by the government to benefit from this project nation-wide.
In all, 10 communities were selected as beneficiaries, with six of them located in the Techiman, namely, Wangara Line, Tunsuase, Abanim, Dagomba Line, Ahenbronoso and Dwomo.
The rest are Tanoso, Asueyi, Offuman and Tuobodom.
Mr Davis Boamah Asumadu, the co-ordinator of BRUM, said at the presentation ceremony that the Techiman Municipal Assembly had provided funds to facilitate the withdrawal of 200 children working under worst forms of child labour, particularly head portage (Kayayei), at the markets and in commercial agriculture.
He also said BRUM had been able to withdraw 132 children, from a targeted figure of 150, and placed them in schools since its inception in June 2007.
Again, 50 children had been identified and registered to receive vocational skills training, he said, adding that so far nine of them had been placed with master craftsmen and women to undergo training in hairdressing, tailoring, bakery, aluminium modelling and fabrication.
Mr Asumadu mentioned that a total sum of GH¢915.00 had been spent on the rescued children so far, while GH¢3,819.70 had been used in providing the aforementioned support.
He disclosed that well-packed support programmes had been earmarked for beneficiaries, including their parents.
He, therefore, urged Community Child Labour Committee members from the various beneficiary communities to join the NGO to collate and compile the names of all the parents and guardians of the beneficiary children.
In a speech, the Techiman Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Prince Yaw Donyina, advised the beneficiaries to carry the news about the good policies of the New Patriotic Party government, which included the Capitation Grant, the school feeding programme, the health insurance scheme, among others, to their parents.
He said the government would continue to come up with good policies to move the nation forward.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
ENCOURAGE GIRLS TO PURSUE MATHEMATICS, SCIENCES (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, PAGE 3)
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS), Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, has entreated male teachers not to discourage girls from pursuing Mathematics, science and technical based careers.
She noted that gender discrimination, continued to negatively affect girls who had interest in science based careers and, therefore, urged teachers to guide and counsel females in their class to achieve greater heights.
Mrs. Baiden-Amissah said this at the maiden Speech and Prize-giving Day of the OLA Girls Senior High School (SHS) at Kenyasi No.2 in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region. It was on the theme “Girl Child Education, The Role of the State, The Society and Parent”.
The school was founded in 1974 by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA Sisters) and it was the first all-female secondary school to be established in the Brong Ahafo Region.
She gave the assurance that, the government would continue to fulfil its constitutional mandate in the education sector by pursuing sound policies and programmes to enable more girls to study in areas dominated by boys such as medicine, engineering, mathematics and science.
She gave the assurance that the six-unit classroom block, sick bay and other assistance rrequested for by the headmistress of the school would be considered.
Ms. Lydia Osei, who represented the First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, as the special guest of honour in her address, stressed the need for the talents of the youth to be harnessed and tapped for national development, saying “this would require collective efforts from all”.
Rev. Sister Martha Davis, the Headmistress of the school commended the government for the introduction of the Computerised System for Selection into Senior High School (CSSPS), which she noted had eased a lot of pressure on heads of schools.
She, however, observed that the CSSPS had not favoured the school in realising its aim of bringing quality education to rural girls, since those who were weak academically and had between aggregate 18 and 30 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were those who had admission to the school.
Rev. Sis. Davis, therefore, appealed to the Ghana Education Service to give the school the permission to enrol young girls from the rural areas who obtainedwith weak grades at the BECE into SHS One.
Three students namely Belinda Aferi, Josephine Bugri and Efia Baaw Afriyie were adjudged the Overall Best Students for SHS forms three, two and one respectively. They were presented with awards, while some teaching and non-teaching staff were also rewarded for their good services to the school.
She noted that gender discrimination, continued to negatively affect girls who had interest in science based careers and, therefore, urged teachers to guide and counsel females in their class to achieve greater heights.
Mrs. Baiden-Amissah said this at the maiden Speech and Prize-giving Day of the OLA Girls Senior High School (SHS) at Kenyasi No.2 in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region. It was on the theme “Girl Child Education, The Role of the State, The Society and Parent”.
The school was founded in 1974 by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA Sisters) and it was the first all-female secondary school to be established in the Brong Ahafo Region.
She gave the assurance that, the government would continue to fulfil its constitutional mandate in the education sector by pursuing sound policies and programmes to enable more girls to study in areas dominated by boys such as medicine, engineering, mathematics and science.
She gave the assurance that the six-unit classroom block, sick bay and other assistance rrequested for by the headmistress of the school would be considered.
Ms. Lydia Osei, who represented the First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, as the special guest of honour in her address, stressed the need for the talents of the youth to be harnessed and tapped for national development, saying “this would require collective efforts from all”.
Rev. Sister Martha Davis, the Headmistress of the school commended the government for the introduction of the Computerised System for Selection into Senior High School (CSSPS), which she noted had eased a lot of pressure on heads of schools.
She, however, observed that the CSSPS had not favoured the school in realising its aim of bringing quality education to rural girls, since those who were weak academically and had between aggregate 18 and 30 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were those who had admission to the school.
Rev. Sis. Davis, therefore, appealed to the Ghana Education Service to give the school the permission to enrol young girls from the rural areas who obtainedwith weak grades at the BECE into SHS One.
Three students namely Belinda Aferi, Josephine Bugri and Efia Baaw Afriyie were adjudged the Overall Best Students for SHS forms three, two and one respectively. They were presented with awards, while some teaching and non-teaching staff were also rewarded for their good services to the school.
Monday, June 9, 2008
DENTAL PROJECT INAUGURATED AT KINTAMPO (PAGE 28)
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd) , has urged Ghanaians to take care of their oral health and to regularly visit dental facilities for professional advice and care.
He advised that people should not wait till their jaws get swollen before rushing to dental units.
Major Quashigah made the appeal when he inaugurated a 6.5-million euro Ghana Dental Project at the Kintampo North Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The ceremony also marked a symbolic inauguration of 21 Dental Clinics built nationwide under the Ghana Dental Project, which is a collaboration between the governments of Ghana and The Netherlands.
Three of the clinics are in Brong Ahafo Region and are located at Kintampo North Municipality and Goaso, the capital of the Asunafo North Municipality, and Sampa, the capital of the Jaman North District.
The project is to ensure availability and access to essential health services of high quality for individuals, especially those in deprived communities.
Major Quashigah recalled that in his school days, teachers inspected the teeth of pupils to ensure that they had the best of oral hygiene.
He noted that teachers were no longer “inspecting teeth” and this made it imperative for parents to supervise their children to clean their teeth.
He stressed the need for personnel manning the dental clinics to adopt good maintenance culture for the equipment at the facilities.
He commended the Kintampo Health Training School’s Research Centre for winning an international award for research.
The acting Director of the Kintampo Health Training School, Mr Moses Solaga, said the school received 7,651 applications for admission for the 2007/2008 academic year but was able to admit only 491, 33 men and 158 women.
Mr Solaga said intake of students had increased from 20 per class to as high as 100 or more per class but infrastructure development had not kept pace with the increased intake.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North, Mr Awudulai Razak, appealed to the Ministry of Health to help fence the school to prevent further encroachment of its land.
He advised that people should not wait till their jaws get swollen before rushing to dental units.
Major Quashigah made the appeal when he inaugurated a 6.5-million euro Ghana Dental Project at the Kintampo North Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The ceremony also marked a symbolic inauguration of 21 Dental Clinics built nationwide under the Ghana Dental Project, which is a collaboration between the governments of Ghana and The Netherlands.
Three of the clinics are in Brong Ahafo Region and are located at Kintampo North Municipality and Goaso, the capital of the Asunafo North Municipality, and Sampa, the capital of the Jaman North District.
The project is to ensure availability and access to essential health services of high quality for individuals, especially those in deprived communities.
Major Quashigah recalled that in his school days, teachers inspected the teeth of pupils to ensure that they had the best of oral hygiene.
He noted that teachers were no longer “inspecting teeth” and this made it imperative for parents to supervise their children to clean their teeth.
He stressed the need for personnel manning the dental clinics to adopt good maintenance culture for the equipment at the facilities.
He commended the Kintampo Health Training School’s Research Centre for winning an international award for research.
The acting Director of the Kintampo Health Training School, Mr Moses Solaga, said the school received 7,651 applications for admission for the 2007/2008 academic year but was able to admit only 491, 33 men and 158 women.
Mr Solaga said intake of students had increased from 20 per class to as high as 100 or more per class but infrastructure development had not kept pace with the increased intake.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North, Mr Awudulai Razak, appealed to the Ministry of Health to help fence the school to prevent further encroachment of its land.
THREE DROWN IN RIVER VOLTA (PAGE 50)
Three workers at the Bui Hydroelectric project site drowned in the River Volta when they went on an expedition after close of work on Thursday evening.
The victims were identified as Evans Afful, a native of Biadan in the Berekum Municipality; Aborigio Daniel alias Abongo, from Bamboi; and Kofi Owusu Adams from Chiraa, near Sunyani. Their bodies were retrieved from the river (the Black Volta) by a search party and deposited at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani.
The Police at Banda Ahenkro and the Police Patrol Team resident at the Bui Project site both confirmed the story and said on June, 5, 2008 the three local workers who were in the company of two others, namely Victor Anane and Sulemana Salifu, did not go home after the day’s work at 5.30 p.m.
They said Mr Hung She Wen, the Chinese in charge of blasting for the hydro project, announced that blasting for the whole day was over and therefore asked all workers off duty to go home, but the five, including the three deceased persons, did not go home.
The victims and their two other colleagues went into the bush at the riverside up-stream of the dam construction area to hunt for alligators, but their expedition did not yield any result as no alligator was caught.
At the same time, another worker, Kwesi Gota, was in his boat at the other side of the river fishing on his way home up-stream after work and decided to attend to the call of nature at the bank of the river.
Gota had been joined in the boat by the three deceased persons. The victims, who did not know boating, saw that the boat was moving in circles on the river, which made them anxious, and therefore mishandled the boat.
According to the police sources and eyewitnesses accounts, the boat shook severely and the victims mishandled it the more. At last the boat capsized and the three fell into the river.
One of the three victims, Evans Afful, swam to the riverside and Victor Anane, who was already on the riverside, made an attempt to save Evans by stretching his foot for Evans to hold but Evans’s weight rather pulled Anane and both of them fell into the river.
The three workers drowned in the river with the boat disappearing after the incident. The other three workers — Victor, Sulemana and Gota — who were not on the boat, reported it to the security department of the Bui Hydroelectric Project and the police patrol team resident at the Bui Camp went in.
Authorities of Syno Hydro, the Chinese firm working on the Bui Dam, sent the three workers to report the incident to the police at Banda, and immediately the police and personnel of Syno Hydro organised a search party to look for the three workers who had drowned in the river but they were not found.
On June 6, 2008, the search party was able to retrieve the bodies of Evans and Aborigio, while that of Kofi, which was in a decomposed state, was found on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
When officials of the Bui Hydro Project were contacted, they confirmed the incident and added that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that such unfortunate incident did not occur at the project site again.
Among the measures is that every worker should leave the project site after the close of work, while a ban has been placed on hunting and fishing in and around the river.
Meanwhile the owner of the boat has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations, while the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the Sunyani Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
The victims were identified as Evans Afful, a native of Biadan in the Berekum Municipality; Aborigio Daniel alias Abongo, from Bamboi; and Kofi Owusu Adams from Chiraa, near Sunyani. Their bodies were retrieved from the river (the Black Volta) by a search party and deposited at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani.
The Police at Banda Ahenkro and the Police Patrol Team resident at the Bui Project site both confirmed the story and said on June, 5, 2008 the three local workers who were in the company of two others, namely Victor Anane and Sulemana Salifu, did not go home after the day’s work at 5.30 p.m.
They said Mr Hung She Wen, the Chinese in charge of blasting for the hydro project, announced that blasting for the whole day was over and therefore asked all workers off duty to go home, but the five, including the three deceased persons, did not go home.
The victims and their two other colleagues went into the bush at the riverside up-stream of the dam construction area to hunt for alligators, but their expedition did not yield any result as no alligator was caught.
At the same time, another worker, Kwesi Gota, was in his boat at the other side of the river fishing on his way home up-stream after work and decided to attend to the call of nature at the bank of the river.
Gota had been joined in the boat by the three deceased persons. The victims, who did not know boating, saw that the boat was moving in circles on the river, which made them anxious, and therefore mishandled the boat.
According to the police sources and eyewitnesses accounts, the boat shook severely and the victims mishandled it the more. At last the boat capsized and the three fell into the river.
One of the three victims, Evans Afful, swam to the riverside and Victor Anane, who was already on the riverside, made an attempt to save Evans by stretching his foot for Evans to hold but Evans’s weight rather pulled Anane and both of them fell into the river.
The three workers drowned in the river with the boat disappearing after the incident. The other three workers — Victor, Sulemana and Gota — who were not on the boat, reported it to the security department of the Bui Hydroelectric Project and the police patrol team resident at the Bui Camp went in.
Authorities of Syno Hydro, the Chinese firm working on the Bui Dam, sent the three workers to report the incident to the police at Banda, and immediately the police and personnel of Syno Hydro organised a search party to look for the three workers who had drowned in the river but they were not found.
On June 6, 2008, the search party was able to retrieve the bodies of Evans and Aborigio, while that of Kofi, which was in a decomposed state, was found on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
When officials of the Bui Hydro Project were contacted, they confirmed the incident and added that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that such unfortunate incident did not occur at the project site again.
Among the measures is that every worker should leave the project site after the close of work, while a ban has been placed on hunting and fishing in and around the river.
Meanwhile the owner of the boat has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations, while the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the Sunyani Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
DFP FLAF BEARER TOURS BRONG AHAFO (PAGE 16)
THE flag bearer of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, has pledged that if given the mandate in the 2008 elections by the electorate to form the next government, the party will give special attention to agriculture.
He said local farmers would be provided with the needed incentives to improve food production and food security in the country, thereby increasing their income levels to reduce poverty.
According to him, the DFP government, under his administration, would not only pay special attention to the production of cocoa, but also to other traditional food and cash crops in the country for local consumption and export.
Mr Ansah-Antwi made the pledge on Wednesday, when he called on the Techiman and Wenchi Traditional Councils, as well as on the Chief Imams and Zongo chiefs in the two traditional areas, as part of his four-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He promised to set up processing factories to cut the annual glut of food items experienced by farmers in the country.
The policy direction on agriculture by the party, Mr Ansah-Antwi said, would help put the country on the path of industrialisation as local industries would be fed with the required raw materials, which would lead to the creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The DFP flag bearer was accompanied on the tour by Dr Obed Asamoah, the Founder of the party; Mr Bede Ziedeng, the General Secretary; Mr Piesie Anto, the National Organiser; Madam Franklina Asamoah, the National Women Organiser; Madam Frances Asiam, the National Vice-Chairperson, as well as some regional executives of the party.
Speaking at separate courtesy calls in Techiman and Wenchi, Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that, since about 70 per cent of the country’s population was engaged in agriculture as a source of livelihood, the DFP would embark on what he termed “agricultural revolution or the green revolution” to enhance agriculture and improve the income levels of farmers.
He further stated that a DFP government would modernise agriculture, provide subsidies and agricultural inputs as well as grant loans to farmers.
According to Mr Ansah-Antwi, his government would embark on small-scale irrigation projects to ensure all-year-round farming in the country.
The DFP flag bearer said his government would work towards the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, housing, clothing, water, health care, quality education, roads, energy and telecommunications.
Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that a DFP government would review the trade liberalisation policies of the NPP and NDC governments, which he said, had hampered the growth of local industries.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote massively for the DFP to enable it to implement those laudable programmes aimed at improving the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian as well as putting the nation on the path of industrialisation.
Dr Asamoah, for his part, said the party had been set up to introduce civility into the body politic of the country, stressing that the party would not use insults, vilification, intimidation and violence to achieve political ends in the country.
He bemoaned the growing personality attacks and vilification between the NPP and NDC ‘serial callers’ on the airwaves, which if not checked, could disturb the peace and stability of the nation.
Dr Asamoah stressed that the DFP abhorred untoward acts and would, therefore, focus on issues in its campaigns, devoid of insults, abuse, pettiness, violent threats and political vendetta.
For their part, the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa, and the Okomahene of Wenchi, who represented their various traditional councils, called for decorum among the supporters of the various political parties during, before and after the general election.
The DFP flag bearer and his team later opened the Wenchi and Techiman Constituency offices of the party and introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wenchi, Mr Thompson Akotia, a retired educationist to the electorate.
He said local farmers would be provided with the needed incentives to improve food production and food security in the country, thereby increasing their income levels to reduce poverty.
According to him, the DFP government, under his administration, would not only pay special attention to the production of cocoa, but also to other traditional food and cash crops in the country for local consumption and export.
Mr Ansah-Antwi made the pledge on Wednesday, when he called on the Techiman and Wenchi Traditional Councils, as well as on the Chief Imams and Zongo chiefs in the two traditional areas, as part of his four-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He promised to set up processing factories to cut the annual glut of food items experienced by farmers in the country.
The policy direction on agriculture by the party, Mr Ansah-Antwi said, would help put the country on the path of industrialisation as local industries would be fed with the required raw materials, which would lead to the creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The DFP flag bearer was accompanied on the tour by Dr Obed Asamoah, the Founder of the party; Mr Bede Ziedeng, the General Secretary; Mr Piesie Anto, the National Organiser; Madam Franklina Asamoah, the National Women Organiser; Madam Frances Asiam, the National Vice-Chairperson, as well as some regional executives of the party.
Speaking at separate courtesy calls in Techiman and Wenchi, Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that, since about 70 per cent of the country’s population was engaged in agriculture as a source of livelihood, the DFP would embark on what he termed “agricultural revolution or the green revolution” to enhance agriculture and improve the income levels of farmers.
He further stated that a DFP government would modernise agriculture, provide subsidies and agricultural inputs as well as grant loans to farmers.
According to Mr Ansah-Antwi, his government would embark on small-scale irrigation projects to ensure all-year-round farming in the country.
The DFP flag bearer said his government would work towards the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, housing, clothing, water, health care, quality education, roads, energy and telecommunications.
Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that a DFP government would review the trade liberalisation policies of the NPP and NDC governments, which he said, had hampered the growth of local industries.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote massively for the DFP to enable it to implement those laudable programmes aimed at improving the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian as well as putting the nation on the path of industrialisation.
Dr Asamoah, for his part, said the party had been set up to introduce civility into the body politic of the country, stressing that the party would not use insults, vilification, intimidation and violence to achieve political ends in the country.
He bemoaned the growing personality attacks and vilification between the NPP and NDC ‘serial callers’ on the airwaves, which if not checked, could disturb the peace and stability of the nation.
Dr Asamoah stressed that the DFP abhorred untoward acts and would, therefore, focus on issues in its campaigns, devoid of insults, abuse, pettiness, violent threats and political vendetta.
For their part, the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa, and the Okomahene of Wenchi, who represented their various traditional councils, called for decorum among the supporters of the various political parties during, before and after the general election.
The DFP flag bearer and his team later opened the Wenchi and Techiman Constituency offices of the party and introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wenchi, Mr Thompson Akotia, a retired educationist to the electorate.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
INTENSIFY EDUCATION ON GOVT POLICIES AT GRASS ROOTS (PAGE 21)
THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, has called on staff of the Information Services Department (ISD), especially Metropolitan, Municipal and District Information Officers (MMDICs) to disseminate government policies and programmes to the people.
He said such vital information must be intensified at the grass-roots level to enable people to understand and appreciate what the government had done since it assumed power in 2001.
Mr Asamoah Boateng made the call when he met with the staff of the ISD and municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, as part of his five-day working visit to interact with them and find out how the government’s information machinery could be strengthened at the grass-roots level.
According to him, the government had chalked up remarkable successes within its seven-and-a-half-year rule, but information flow to the people at the grass roots had been slow.
The situation, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said, had paved the way for detractors of the government to wage a relentless vile propaganda to discredit it in the eyes of the people.
He, therefore, charged all information officers to put their act together and educate the people on the government's achievements, as well as its policies and programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant, among others, which were aimed at alleviating poverty level of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He urged the staff of the ISD not to be distracted by the lies being peddled about the government, but always endeavour to discharge their duties in a professional manner, devoid of any political colouring.
“You must endeavour to speak the truth always and present the facts as they are, but not to allow your partisan interest to influence your work.”
Mr Asamoah-Boateng noted that the Ghanaian economy was resilient and, therefore, it was able to withstand the recent surge in crude oil prices and food items globally.
He said the government was concerned about the increase in world market prices of crude oil and its negative impact on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian that was why it had put in place several interventions to mitigate the impact on the people.
The minister, however, noted that the government’s move had been politicised. He, therefore, urged the information officers to go to the people and tell them the facts about what the government had done to mitigate the effects of the global problem.
He charged the information officers to leave the partisan aspect to the politicians and focus on real issues to enable the people to appreciate and understand the interventions announced by the President to mitigate the impact of the global problem on them.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng mentioned some of the interventions of mitigating the impact of the rising cost of crude oil on the world market as the reduction in the prices of some petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and pre-mix fuel.
He added that what was left now was a reduction in the prices of imported rice, which the importers had agreed to do.
According to Mr Asamoah-Boateng, the government was also supporting local rice farmers to produce 53,000 metric tonnes of rice by the close of the year, and increase the production figure to 103,300 metric tonnes within the next two to three years.
He called for a cordial relationship between information officers and the MDCEs to ensure the dissemination of government policies and programmes to the people at the local level.
He pledged that the ministry would provide them with the necessary logistics to enable them discharge their duties efficiently.
He said such vital information must be intensified at the grass-roots level to enable people to understand and appreciate what the government had done since it assumed power in 2001.
Mr Asamoah Boateng made the call when he met with the staff of the ISD and municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, as part of his five-day working visit to interact with them and find out how the government’s information machinery could be strengthened at the grass-roots level.
According to him, the government had chalked up remarkable successes within its seven-and-a-half-year rule, but information flow to the people at the grass roots had been slow.
The situation, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said, had paved the way for detractors of the government to wage a relentless vile propaganda to discredit it in the eyes of the people.
He, therefore, charged all information officers to put their act together and educate the people on the government's achievements, as well as its policies and programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant, among others, which were aimed at alleviating poverty level of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He urged the staff of the ISD not to be distracted by the lies being peddled about the government, but always endeavour to discharge their duties in a professional manner, devoid of any political colouring.
“You must endeavour to speak the truth always and present the facts as they are, but not to allow your partisan interest to influence your work.”
Mr Asamoah-Boateng noted that the Ghanaian economy was resilient and, therefore, it was able to withstand the recent surge in crude oil prices and food items globally.
He said the government was concerned about the increase in world market prices of crude oil and its negative impact on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian that was why it had put in place several interventions to mitigate the impact on the people.
The minister, however, noted that the government’s move had been politicised. He, therefore, urged the information officers to go to the people and tell them the facts about what the government had done to mitigate the effects of the global problem.
He charged the information officers to leave the partisan aspect to the politicians and focus on real issues to enable the people to appreciate and understand the interventions announced by the President to mitigate the impact of the global problem on them.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng mentioned some of the interventions of mitigating the impact of the rising cost of crude oil on the world market as the reduction in the prices of some petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and pre-mix fuel.
He added that what was left now was a reduction in the prices of imported rice, which the importers had agreed to do.
According to Mr Asamoah-Boateng, the government was also supporting local rice farmers to produce 53,000 metric tonnes of rice by the close of the year, and increase the production figure to 103,300 metric tonnes within the next two to three years.
He called for a cordial relationship between information officers and the MDCEs to ensure the dissemination of government policies and programmes to the people at the local level.
He pledged that the ministry would provide them with the necessary logistics to enable them discharge their duties efficiently.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
CONSULT COMMUNITY LEADERS BEFORE SITING PROJECTS (PAGE 20)
MUNICIPAL and District Assemblies (MDAs) have been urged to always consult community leaders when siting development projects especially school blocks and markets in rural communities, to prevent those projects from becoming ‘white elephants’.
Most infrastructure, such as school buildings and markets built for communities are not being used and are overgrown with weeds because the communities were not involved in the siting of those projects.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, made the call in response to a question posed by this writer at the Brong Ahafo Regional meet-the-press session held in Sunyani on Thursday.
He was replying to why community leaders were not consulted in the siting of development projects in their areas resulting in the refusal of the communities to use those projects after completion.
According to the regional minister, it was not only school buildings in some parts of the region that were neglected after completion, but also many new markets dotted around the region that were not being utilised.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, therefore, urged the MDAs to consult with communities before siting them.
He stressed that if possible, the assemblies should sign a memorandum of understanding with the communities to the effect that after the completion of such projects, they would use them before the assemblies would go ahead to provide them with new projects.
Touching on the upgrading of some institutions into model schools, Mr Baffour-Awuah announced that work on those schools were about 95 per cent complete in the beneficiary schools across the region, which had turned those schools into first class institutions.
Mr Baffour-Awuah stated that $75 million had been earmarked for the Sunyani water project, adding that a memorandum to that effect was currently before Cabinet.
He appealed to Nananom to allocate land for the proper disposal of waste in their communities to improve sanitation.
The regional minister announced that the region had been designated as one of the beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Project Scheme for workers.
He said land had therefore been acquired for the project while contractors had also been selected for the project to start as soon as possible.
Mr Baffour Awuah stated that the region had benefited from massive infrastructure development, mentioning in particular road construction and provision of school blocks for basic schools.
He named some of the projects as the Sunyani-Ntotroso-Acherensua road and the ongoing construction of the Drobo-Sampa road.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for his part, said the regional meet-the-press series had been instituted by his ministry to afford the regional ministers the chance to deal with issues within their regions and the localities.
He noted that the NPP government was committed to the total development of the country so every Ghanaian, especially media practitioners, had a role to play to ensure the forward march of the country.
Most infrastructure, such as school buildings and markets built for communities are not being used and are overgrown with weeds because the communities were not involved in the siting of those projects.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, made the call in response to a question posed by this writer at the Brong Ahafo Regional meet-the-press session held in Sunyani on Thursday.
He was replying to why community leaders were not consulted in the siting of development projects in their areas resulting in the refusal of the communities to use those projects after completion.
According to the regional minister, it was not only school buildings in some parts of the region that were neglected after completion, but also many new markets dotted around the region that were not being utilised.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, therefore, urged the MDAs to consult with communities before siting them.
He stressed that if possible, the assemblies should sign a memorandum of understanding with the communities to the effect that after the completion of such projects, they would use them before the assemblies would go ahead to provide them with new projects.
Touching on the upgrading of some institutions into model schools, Mr Baffour-Awuah announced that work on those schools were about 95 per cent complete in the beneficiary schools across the region, which had turned those schools into first class institutions.
Mr Baffour-Awuah stated that $75 million had been earmarked for the Sunyani water project, adding that a memorandum to that effect was currently before Cabinet.
He appealed to Nananom to allocate land for the proper disposal of waste in their communities to improve sanitation.
The regional minister announced that the region had been designated as one of the beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Project Scheme for workers.
He said land had therefore been acquired for the project while contractors had also been selected for the project to start as soon as possible.
Mr Baffour Awuah stated that the region had benefited from massive infrastructure development, mentioning in particular road construction and provision of school blocks for basic schools.
He named some of the projects as the Sunyani-Ntotroso-Acherensua road and the ongoing construction of the Drobo-Sampa road.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for his part, said the regional meet-the-press series had been instituted by his ministry to afford the regional ministers the chance to deal with issues within their regions and the localities.
He noted that the NPP government was committed to the total development of the country so every Ghanaian, especially media practitioners, had a role to play to ensure the forward march of the country.
Monday, June 2, 2008
ISD EMBARKS ON EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN B/A (PAGE 40)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Information Services Department (ISD) has started a two-week campaign to educate people in the region about government policies and programmes.
The acting Regional Director of the ISD, Mr Bossman Amoh-Poku who disclosed this to newsmen in Sunyani, said the objective of the exercise was to let the public know exactly what the government was doing rather than they relying on hearsay.
He said various crews from the department would tour all the towns and villages in the region to give talks and feature film shows for the public to have a “real feel” of what was happening.
Mr Amoh-Poku mentioned some of the issues being discussed as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Metro Mass Transit, free medical care for pregnant women which would start in July 2008.
According to Mr Amoh-Poku, the exercise would also enable the ISD to get feedback from the people in the various communities being toured.
Prior to the commencement of the exercise, the Regional Director of ISD had summoned all the district officers, commentators and assistant camera operators to Sunyani for a briefing on how they should go about the education campaign and the role of each member of staff during the exercise.
Mr Amoh-Poku warned the ISD staff not to “do any politics” during the campaign, stressing that “the education should be devoid of politics.”
He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the district assemblies that were yet to provide office accommodation to ISD staff, to do so without further delay to ensure the effectiveness of the department in the districts.
The acting Regional Director of the ISD, Mr Bossman Amoh-Poku who disclosed this to newsmen in Sunyani, said the objective of the exercise was to let the public know exactly what the government was doing rather than they relying on hearsay.
He said various crews from the department would tour all the towns and villages in the region to give talks and feature film shows for the public to have a “real feel” of what was happening.
Mr Amoh-Poku mentioned some of the issues being discussed as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Metro Mass Transit, free medical care for pregnant women which would start in July 2008.
According to Mr Amoh-Poku, the exercise would also enable the ISD to get feedback from the people in the various communities being toured.
Prior to the commencement of the exercise, the Regional Director of ISD had summoned all the district officers, commentators and assistant camera operators to Sunyani for a briefing on how they should go about the education campaign and the role of each member of staff during the exercise.
Mr Amoh-Poku warned the ISD staff not to “do any politics” during the campaign, stressing that “the education should be devoid of politics.”
He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the district assemblies that were yet to provide office accommodation to ISD staff, to do so without further delay to ensure the effectiveness of the department in the districts.
USE DIALOGUE TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES (PAGE 40)
THE Asunafo North District Chief Executive (DCE), Alhaji Ishak Abubakar Bonsu, has added his voice to the appeal to the various factions in the Bawku conflict to embrace peace and use dialogue to resolve their differences.
According to him, the Bawku municipality and its environs were predominantly a Muslim community where ‘brothers are killing brothers’ at the instigation of personalities craving for power and wealth.
The DCE, therefore, implored his fellow Muslim brothers involved in the conflicts to rethink their stand and let the Islamic faith that propagates the universal phenomenon of peace, influence their thought and actions for peace to prevail in the area.
Alhaji Bonsu made the appeal at the ninth annual symposium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Chapter of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) in Sunyani.
It was on the theme: “Crisis in Islam, the Role of the Muslim Youth.” Muslim students from other second cycle and tertiary educational institutions in the Sunyani municipality attended the ceremony.
Alhaji Bonsu condemned the attitude of some Muslim youth, who allow themselves to be used by politicians and other opinion leaders to carry out negative activities.
He therefore urged members of the association to educate their less privileged brothers and sisters at home to remain resolute and live peaceful lives, since no matter how grave their differences, they should use dialogue and consensus building to resolve them.
Alhaji Bonsu expressed concern about the perennial crisis associated with the organisation of the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
He was not happy the way the performance of a religious obligation in the lives of Muslims had been turned into a money-making venture pursued by organisers of the pilgrimage without taking into consideration the untold hardships they bring to their fellow Muslims.
An official of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Sunyani, Mr Ibrahim Ishaku, who also spoke on the topic: “Islam and Politics, the Way Forward,” said religion could not be separated from politics.
He therefore urged Muslim students, who want to enter mainstream politics to acquire more knowledge through formal education and also develop the art of public speaking and organisational ability.
Mr Ishaku stressed that since Muslims were important stakeholders in the politics of the country, they must enter into politics not only to protect their interests, but also for the socio-economic development of the country.
The President of the S-Poly Chapter of the GMSA, Mr Oteng-Mensah Salia, said the aim of the association, was to promote the spirit of unity, brotherliness and understanding among all Muslims for the good of humanity.
He called for the enforcement of the Education Act (1961), Act 87, section 22, which encourages freedom of worship so as to free Muslim students from the problems they usually face in relation to religious practices in most non-Islamic institutions.
Mr Salia also stressed the need for Muslim students, especially ladies in the various basic and second cycle schools, to be allowed to put on the veil to school and if possible to dress as Muslims on campus.
He further appealed to all politicians to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order to sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
According to him, the Bawku municipality and its environs were predominantly a Muslim community where ‘brothers are killing brothers’ at the instigation of personalities craving for power and wealth.
The DCE, therefore, implored his fellow Muslim brothers involved in the conflicts to rethink their stand and let the Islamic faith that propagates the universal phenomenon of peace, influence their thought and actions for peace to prevail in the area.
Alhaji Bonsu made the appeal at the ninth annual symposium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Chapter of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) in Sunyani.
It was on the theme: “Crisis in Islam, the Role of the Muslim Youth.” Muslim students from other second cycle and tertiary educational institutions in the Sunyani municipality attended the ceremony.
Alhaji Bonsu condemned the attitude of some Muslim youth, who allow themselves to be used by politicians and other opinion leaders to carry out negative activities.
He therefore urged members of the association to educate their less privileged brothers and sisters at home to remain resolute and live peaceful lives, since no matter how grave their differences, they should use dialogue and consensus building to resolve them.
Alhaji Bonsu expressed concern about the perennial crisis associated with the organisation of the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
He was not happy the way the performance of a religious obligation in the lives of Muslims had been turned into a money-making venture pursued by organisers of the pilgrimage without taking into consideration the untold hardships they bring to their fellow Muslims.
An official of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Sunyani, Mr Ibrahim Ishaku, who also spoke on the topic: “Islam and Politics, the Way Forward,” said religion could not be separated from politics.
He therefore urged Muslim students, who want to enter mainstream politics to acquire more knowledge through formal education and also develop the art of public speaking and organisational ability.
Mr Ishaku stressed that since Muslims were important stakeholders in the politics of the country, they must enter into politics not only to protect their interests, but also for the socio-economic development of the country.
The President of the S-Poly Chapter of the GMSA, Mr Oteng-Mensah Salia, said the aim of the association, was to promote the spirit of unity, brotherliness and understanding among all Muslims for the good of humanity.
He called for the enforcement of the Education Act (1961), Act 87, section 22, which encourages freedom of worship so as to free Muslim students from the problems they usually face in relation to religious practices in most non-Islamic institutions.
Mr Salia also stressed the need for Muslim students, especially ladies in the various basic and second cycle schools, to be allowed to put on the veil to school and if possible to dress as Muslims on campus.
He further appealed to all politicians to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order to sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
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