Friday, May 22, 2009

RICE IMPORTERSDENY TAX INVASION ALLEGATION (PAGE 14)

Ghanaian merchants who import rice from La Cote d'Iviore have denied allegations that they connive with officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to engage in smuggling and tax evasion to the detriment of the country.
They further refuted accusations that they were involved in arms and cocaine importation into the country.
Rather, they said, they were genuine businessmen and women going about their legitimate enterprises to earn a living for themselves and their families, as well as contribute to the development of the state.
Addressing a press conference at Kofi Badu Krom, a town on the Ghana-La Cote d'Iviore border in the Dormaa West Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Kwabena Nketiah-Dardom, a spokesperson for the importers, said they had not connived with any CEPS official at the border to evade taxes due the state.
The importers were reacting to a publication in an Accra daily captioned “Smuggling Scandal Uncovered, Billions Go Down The Drain As CEPS Officials Join Smuggling Syndicate To Loot Mother Ghana”.
Mr Nketiah-Dardom described the allegations as unfounded, false and calculated to kill indigenous Ghanaian businesses which had contributed significantly towards national revenue generation.
He said they were a group of law abiding citizens engaged in genuine business of rice importation and, therefore, debunked suggestions that they had constituted themselves into any smuggling syndicate.
Mr Nketiah-Dardom, who showed some of the documents covering the taxes paid to the state at the press conference, said they had been in the rice importation business for over seven years now and had been diligent in honouring all their tax obligations to the state.
“All documents covering the taxes and duties that we have paid since we commenced our businesses over seven years ago are available for any interested party to check," he stated.
He debunked the assertion that a 40 footer container truckload of rice attracted a duty of GH¢50, saying the duties ranged from a minimum of GH¢500 to GH¢23,000, depending on the consignment.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

TWO MINISTRIES TO PUBLISH ROYALTIES...Paid to assemblies (PAGE 16)

THE Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is liaising with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to ensure that all royalties paid to the various district assemblies are published in the dailies to ensure their judicious use for the benefit of the people.
The move is also to promote transparency and accountability at the local level of governance and also to ensure that all stakeholders, especially nananom, have a say in the use of such monies received by the assemblies so as to initiate development projects for the benefit of the people.
The Minister of Lands and a Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said this at a durbar organised in his honour by the Ahafo South Divisional Council at Dadiasoba in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region to congratulate him on his appointment as cabinet minister.
The membership of the council, comprising divisional chiefs from Abuom, Ayomso, Mehame and Dadiasoaba honoured the minister by giving him a traditional title, Oseadeeyo Alhaji Collins Dauda. He was presented with a smock and two rams. A local private radio station, Nananom FM, a subsidiary of Angel group of companies, also presented him with two bulls at the durbar for his contribution towards the growth of the station.
Also honoured by the council was the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo. He was also presented with a smock.
Alhaji Dauda, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South, stated that apart from the MLGRD publishing the royalties received by the assemblies, the government had also tasked the ministry to publish the common fund received by the assemblies so that Nananom and the people could hold District Chief Executives (DCEs) accountable for how they utilise the funds which were for development to bring improvement in their living conditions.
He charged the yet-to-be swornin District and Municipal Chief executives in the region, most of who were present at the durbar, to make provision of social amenities in deprived communities of their respective districts a top priority to alleviate the plight of the people.
He thanked the council for the honour done him and promised to serve his constituents and the nation as a whole.
Alhaji Dauda called on the chiefs and people of the communities to rally behind the government to bring into fruition all the electoral promises made to them .
He pledged that by the close of the year, the government would reshape all the bad roads in the area to make travelling on them comfortable, adding that that would also boost commerce.
The Asutifi South MP also called on the people who cultivate cocoa in the various forest reserves in the area to desist from such act, since the government had plans to start the re-afforestation project to revamp the depleted forests.
For his part, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo thanked the council for the honour done them and promised that he would use his position as the regional minister to serve the region.
He stressed the need for all citizens of the Brong-Ahafo Region to come together to better their lot irrespective of their political affiliation.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, called on traditional rulers who were fanning ethnic sentiments in their various traditional areas to put a stop to it, since it was a potential threat to national unity and social integration.
The Ayomsohene, Oyeeman Appiah Kubi, who read the speech on behalf of the council, had earlier called on the government as a matter of urgency to reconstruct the Mahame Junction-Sienchem road and provide a new bridge on the Tano River.
He also called for the rehabilitation of the Goaso-Ayomso, Nkasiem-Nkrankrom, Sankore-Abuom and Goaso-Tepa roads, since their deteriorated state was hampering the progress of the Ahafo area.
Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong and Madam Cecilia Johnson, members of the Council of State, Mr I.K. Adjei Mensah, a former Minister of Works and Housing, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, and some party functionaries at the regional level, including Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, the NDC Brong Ahafo Regional Secretary.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

TAIN ASSEMBLY STARTS CAMPAIGN ON SWINE FLU (PAGE 21)

THE Tain District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Information Services Department (ISD) has embarked on a campaign to sensitise the people to the swine flu.
The 12-day campaign will cover all the five zones in the district through durbars and talk shows.
Briefing members of the team before their departure from Nsawkaw, the district capital, the District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Hayford Kyere, stated that even though the virus had not been reported in the country, it was prudent for the people to be educated on it because “Prevention is better than cure”.
He urged the team to pursue the campaign vigorously in order to make the desired impact.
Mr Kyere also called on personnel of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Environmental Health Department to monitor the virus in the district.
“We are starting early because of the vast nature of the district and its proximity to Cote d’Ivoire,” he said.
Mr Kyere appealed to pig farmers in the district to report cases of unusual death of their animals and other strange occurrences in their farms to the appropriate authorities.
The co-ordinating director also called on the team to educate the public on the need to cook their pork well before consumption.
He added that pig farmers should see the current situation as a blessing, since locally bred pigs were the safest and therefore urged the public to patronise them.

SEIKWA STUDENTS GREET DCE (PAGE 17)

THE Seikwa Tertiary Students Association (SETSA) has congratulated Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah on his confirmation as the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tain.
The Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region assumed such importance in the political history of the country when it became the decider for the winner of the Presidential run-off in the 2008 election.
A letter signed by the president of the association, Mr Addade Noah Justice, and copied to the press in Sunyani said the association had confidence in the capabilities of the new DCE and, therefore, pledged its support to assist him in his administration.
The association noted that Tain was bedevilled with numerous challenges such as poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.
“It is our hope that you will do your best to create unity which will enable the district to overcome these challenges.”
SETSA further commended the assembly members for the smooth manner in which the confirmation was done, adding that it was a sign of political maturity which was worthy of emulation.
The association also called on the DCE to involve the youth in his decision-making processes in order to prepare them for future leadership positions.
It reiterated the need for the district to do away with political sentiments and focus on the development of the district.
The association also urged chiefs of the area to use their divine wisdom to direct the DCE in order to give the district a facelift.
Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, an educationist, emerged victorious in the first round of the confirmation exercise at Nsawkaw, with 78.3 per cent of the total votes cast.

Monday, May 18, 2009

JAMAN NORTH, SOUTH CONFIRM DCES (PAGE 13)

THE Jaman North and Jaman South District Assemblies in the Brong Ahafo Region have confirmed the nomination of their district chief executives (DCEs), bringing to 21 out of 22 persons whose nominations have been confirmed in the region.
The Jaman North District Assembly confirmed nomination of Hajia Amadu Amina, while the nomination of Mr Julius Atta Bediako was also confirmed by the Jaman South District.
Hajia Amina, 54, a Senior Midwifery Superintendent of the Jaman North District Government Hospital at Sampa, the district capital, polled 27 votes out of the 29 valid votes cast, representing 91.3 per cent of the total votes.
The assembly also elected Mr Twene Adu Asare as its Presiding Member.
Members of the Jaman South Assembly, at their emergency meeting held at Drobo, the district capital, also gave their approval to Mr Bediako, a 59-year-old District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Asunafo North Municipality to be its MCE. He polled 30 out of the 37 votes cast.
The election was conducted by the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Arthur Yeboah.
Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku; the Member of Parliament for Jaman South, Mr Yaw Maama Afful; the Jaman South District Coordinating Director, Mr Muslim Mohammed Saani, and some traditional rulers.
Mr Gabriel Kofi Kyereme was elected the Presiding Member for the Jaman South District Assembly.
In their acceptance speeches, Hajia Amina and Mr Bediako thanked members of their respective assemblies for the confidence reposed in them and gave the assurance that they would work with all stakeholders to ensure rapid socio-economic development of thier districts.
The only assembly left in the region to confirm the President's nominee is the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly, which rejected the nominee, Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, at the assembly's special meeting.
Mr Agyekum, who has to present himself before the assembly for the second time for his confirmation next week, failed to get the two-thirds majority of votes required to get the approval.
He was the defeated parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Nkoranza South Constituency in the 2008 election.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

YAKAM COMES ALIVE IN KINTAMPO (GRAPHIC SHOWBIZ, PAGE 3)

By Samuel Duodu

Kintampo, one of the major towns in the Brong Ahafo Region considered to be the geographical centre of Ghana can boast of many tourist attractions, but not enough top-class hotels for the many local and foreign visitors to the three northern regions of the country.
Tourists, travellers, executives and people from all walks of lives have no cause to worry anymore now that Yakam Hotel has warmed its way onto the hospitality scene.
Yakam Hotel is situated at the approaches to the Kintampo township along the Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale road .The hotel has nine guest rooms that are well served by air-conditioners, satellite television, restaurant and other comfort facilities.
Besides the facilities, the hotel provides the best of green world for the relaxation of its guests and its serene environment makes it an ideal place for those who want to enjoy home-away-from-home.
Guests to the hotel enjoy the executive, king, queen and standard room options, have their peace of mind and privacy. Those who have already tried Yakam have described it as a chosen destination for business travellers and visitors who want to experience true holidays in the centre of Ghana.
While on stay at the hotel, guests can visit the various tourist attractions in and around Kintampo such as the Kintampo and Fuller waterfalls which are about 10 and 20 minutes drive respectively from the hotel, the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, the Bono Manso Slave routes, Tanoboase caves and monastery and even the Mole National Park.
Mr. Ampaw Nyantakyi, the Hotel Manger told Showbiz that Yakam was the only facility in the Kintampo North Municipality that can compare to any choice hotel in any of the big cities in the country.
He said the hotel has hosted several personalities and executives travelling to up north and the neighbouring landlocked countries, tourists, scientists and resource persons to the Kintampo Health Research Centre, where scientists are currently conducting tests on a new malaria vaccine and visitors to the municipal assembly.
The hotel manager continued that the hotel was ideal for travellers who wanted to have a break on their journey to up north and the landlocked countries since Kintampo serves as a midpoint between the north and the south of the country.
Mr. Nyantakyi added that the hotel has plans to increase its rooms to 15, add a conference room and a one stop internet and secretarial centre by the close of this year.

KOTOKO FALL AT BEREKUM (BACK PAGE)

Berekum Arsenal came back from a goal deficit to defeat defending champions, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, 3-1 in their Glo Premier League match at Berekum Golden City Park yesterday.
Kotoko drew first blood after just 10 minutes when Alex Asamoah’s thunderous grounder from outside the box, following a pass from Louis Agyemang, zoomed into the net to wild cheers from the fans.
Arsenal, who were determined to prove a point, and also to maintain their home invincibility in recent games, responded with a flurry of attacks from all angles and succeeded in cancelling the lead through a header by Prince Attakora Gyimah.
Substitute Richard Awuah put Arsenal ahead in the 78th minute with a clinical strike after the Kotoko defence failed to clear their lines.
Francis Aggrey then made victory certain in the 83rd minute when he took advantage of loose marking by the Kotoko defence to score the third goal for his side.
The early goals brought the stadium alive and promised an excitement that few might have anticipated despite the toughness of the tie. Thereafter it was Arsenal who kept the pressure on the Fabulous boys whose midfield and defence could not hold as they kept committing blunders in their vital area, thereby putting pressure on goalkeeper Soulama Abdulai till the end of the first half.
Immediately after recess, Arsenal lifted their game while Kotoko, who could not find their rhythm, chased their shadows with their central defence leaking badly.
Kotoko exhausted their substitution list during the second half, but that could not alter the trend of the game as Arsenal kept the pressure to score twice within a space of five minutes to seal victory and avenge recent defeats to Kotoko as Asamankese-based Referee Vincent Otoo ended proceedings.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

SENE ASSEMBLY CONFIRMS NAPARE AS DCE (PAGE 17)

The Sene District Assembly has overwhelmingly confirmed Mr Dominic Napare, 47, an educationist, as the District Chief Executive (DCE) in a peaceful election.
The event was witnessed by a large number of residents and representatives of the four traditional paramountcies in the district, namely Wiase, Dwan, Bassa and Nkomi.
He polled 100 per cent of the votes as all the 38 assembly members present endorsed him at the emergency assembly meeting held at Kwame Danso, the district capital last week.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Arthur-Yeboah, led a team of officers to supervise the voting, while the Magistrate Court Judge, Mr Godwin Kpogli, administered the oath of office to the DCE.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who was also present at the meeting commended the assembly members for their maturity by endorsing the nominee.
He was delighted that the assembly members placed the interest of their people first before any other thing.
Mr Opoku called for total political and administrative support to enable the DCE to execute projects in their respective communities for the benefit of all, and expressed the hope that the assembly would not rest on its laurels by working hard.
He called on other assemblies in the region to emulate the example of the Sene District by endorsing the President’s nominees to enable the government’s development agenda for their districts to commerce in earnest.
Mr Napare until his nomination and subsequent approval by the assembly as the DCE was the Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
In his acceptance speech, he thanked the assembly for the confidence reposed in him and pledged that he would work hard in honesty, transparency and accountability.
He pledged his commitment to run an administration of consensus building and, therefore, said he would liaise with all stakeholders to help sustain the prevailing peace in the district.
Mr Napare also gave the assurance that his administration would embrace all irrespective of one’s political affiliation.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Jones Nsiah Abronye, commended members for the confidence reposed in him, and urged them to support him to bring development to the area.
Earlier, representatives of the four traditional areas in the district met with the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister where they appealed to the government as a matter of urgency to construct the Atebubu-Deiffour-Battor road which also linked the district capital, as well as provide a ferry on their side of the Volta Lake to transport farm produce, and to enhance commercial activities from overseas communities in the district.
Mr Opoku in his response pledged the government’s commitment to ensure that every community in the country got its fair share of development projects, saying that their request for the construction of the road was a top priority of the government.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

UNTRAINED TEACHERS HAMPER EDUCATIONAL DEV IN BA (PAGE 20)

A TOTAL of 10,751 teachers, out of the current 21, 554 in the Brong Ahafo Region are untrained, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, has stated.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the large number of pupil teachers in the region was a major contributory factor to the poor academic performance of pupils at the basic levels of education.
The unfortunate situation, the regional minister said, prevented a large number of them from progressing in their educational pursuit.
He said this at a symposium to launch the annual week celebration of the Sunyani Polytechnic branch of the Brong Ahafo Students Union (BASU) in Sunyani over the weekend.
The celebration was on the theme: “Brong Ahafo Region @50. The contribution of BASU”.
The regional minister tasked the various municipal and district assemblies in the region to sponsor more students to Teacher Training Colleges in order to come back and take up teaching appointments at the basic levels of education across the region to help reverse the unfortunate trend.
He stressed the need for assemblies that would sponsor teacher trainees to bond the beneficiaries, so that they would come back to serve in their communities after the professional programme at the college.
The regional minister appealed to all stakeholders in education in the region, especially the various traditional councils to consider establishing Educational Trust Funds to sponsor students from their areas to pursue higher education, to enable them contribute their quota towards the socio-economic development of the nation.
He stated that among the other roles that the various students unions in tertiary educational institutions across the country could play to reverse the trend was to conduct research to find out the reasons why the region had low number of students in those institutions and come out with the appropriate recommendations.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed concern about the high level of irregular migration among the youth from the region who used the desert to Europe for greener pastures.
He called for concerted efforts to arrest the situation, adding that the student unions should also conduct research into the situation and find out why most people from the region, especially the youth, embarked on such tortuous journey at the peril of their lives
He also called on the students union, which is a force to reckon with, to lead the fight against the spread of the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region, as well as other social vices that hindered the development of the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo used the occasion to reiterate the call on all citizens of the region, both within and outside the country, to consider the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of the region as a rallying point to hasten the socio-economic development of the area.
He further implored them to market the area to investors as one of the viable investment destinations in the country, so as to create jobs for the youth.
The regional minister paid glowing tribute to the late traditional rulers for the gallant roles they played in the struggle for the creation of the region, which was then known as Western Ashanti.
He was also grateful to the various governments that had contributed towards the tremendous infrastructural development of the region, particularly roads, electricity and potable water.
The Sunyani Polytechnic Chapter President of BASU, Mr Ankomah Twene, had earlier in his welcoming address stated that the vision of the union was to unite all the alumni from the polytechnics and other tertiary educational institutions in the region, in particular and the nation as a whole, to uplift the image of the region.

GHANA IS ROLE MODEL FOR DEMOCRATIC DEV — OBANIKORO (PAGE 20)

THE Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu O.Obanikoro says Ghana is a political icon and role model for democratic and constitutional development in the West African sub-region.
He expressed the sentiment when he paid a courtesy call on the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo at the Residency in Sunyani.
Senator Obanikoro observed that Ghana was one of the most important countries in the sub-region, which his country wanted to learn from and partner with.
He particularly praised Ghana for successfully holding the 2008 general election which went into third round, adding that Ghana’s election was relatively better than that of Nigeria.
Senator Obanikoro expressed concern about what he termed “the bad nuts” among the hard working and law abiding Nigerians residing in Ghana, stressing that his outfit would solicit the support of “the good citizens” to deal with the deviants who were giving Nigeria a bad name.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the visit of Senator Obanikoro was very important and that it would further strengthen the relations between Ghana and Nigeria.
He recalled with nostalgia his youthful days when many hardworking Nigerians were engaged in petty trading in his community.
He was quick to add that no Nigerian had been apprehended in the Brong Ahafo in connection with any criminal activity.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo told Senator Obanikoro that Brong-Ahafo would be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and he would be invited to attend the grand durbar to climax the celebration.
The regional minister gave an assurance that the National Democratic Congress(NDC) government would ensure that subsequent general elections to be held in the country would be free and fair to further deepen the country’s democratic credentials.
Senator Obanikoro also paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Sunyani, Nana Bosoma Aso Nkrawiri at his palace and later interacted with the Nigerian community in Sunyani

Monday, May 11, 2009

PRU CONFIRMS DCE (PAGE 13)

The President’s nominee for the position of District Chief Executive (DCE) for Pru in the Brong Ahafo Region who was rejected by the assembly a week ago has received the assembly’s endorsement.
The nominee, Mr Masawud Mohammed, got the nod from the assembly last Thursday at the same venue.
Mr Mohammed, a tutor at the Atebubu Training College, managed to sail through this time around at the Pru District Assembly Hall where he polled 28 votes out of the total number of 34 assembly members present with six votes against him to get the nod.
He obtained more than the two-thirds majority of votes required to be confirmed. 
Addressing a special assembly meeting at Yeji to confirm the nominee, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, stated that the government of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) was against politics of ethnicity because it was a potential threat to national unity and cohesion.
He stated further that that was why President J.E.A. Mills during the electioneering and his subsequent swearing-in and inauguration as President of Ghana pledged that he would be a President for all Ghanaians no matter one’s political, ethnic and religious background.
He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to guard against any utterances and acts that would work against the President’s resolve to unite the country.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo also called on assembly members to let the development of their various electoral areas be their priority.
Mr Mohammed in his acceptance speech thanked the President for nominating him for the position and also expressed his profound gratitude to the assembly members for endorsing him.

CHELSEA SINK ASHGOLD (BACK PAGE)

Bechem Chelsea deepened the woes of relegation-threatened Ashgold when they defeated the Obuasi lads 1-0 in their Glo premier league match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park yesterday.
The match winner was scored in the 89th minute by Yaw Alexander who tapped home from a goal-mouth melee to beat enterprising goalkeeper Fatau Dauda in post for Ashgold.
The visitors, who were determined to win the game to lift their team from the relegation zone, could not utilise the chances that came thier way in the first 20 minutes of the game as Elison Mensah failled to beat goalkeeper Abubakari Iddrisu at close range.
Goalkeeper Dauda and Addoquaye Addo of Chelsea were booked by referee Tettey for time wasting.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

MASS JUBILATION HERALDS NANJA'S ENDORSEMENT (PAGE 13)

MASS jubilation and popping of champagne was what greeted the confirmation of Mr Sanja Nanja, the president’s nominee for the position of District Chief Executive for Atebubu Amantin in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr Nanja was rejected a week ago by the assembly members but this time around he polled 26 votes out of the 32 members who voted at the Amantin Roman Catholic School, the same venue for his rejection last week. Five voted against him, while one ballot paper was rejected.
Mr Nanja’s nomination was kicked against by the Omanhene of Atebubu, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, that he was not a native of Atebubu, the district capital, but Mr Nanja managed to sail through.
Before the voting, the Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said the government was against the politics of ethnicity because it was a potential threat to national unity and social cohesion.
He called on the assembly members to see the development of their electoral areas as a top priority and therefore urged them to endorse the President’s nominee for development to take place in the area.
Soon after the proceedings, Wofa Asamoah, the assembly member for Mim Electoral Area in Atebubu, who walked into the jubilant supporters of Mr Nanja, was heckled but was rescued due to the timely intervention of the police and the military.
The DCE in his acceptance speech expressed his profound gratitude to the members for confirming his nomination the second time.
He pledged to work with all the assembly members to bring the needed development to the district.

LOCAL CONTRACTORS IN BA TO ENJOY 50 PER CENT CONTRACTS (MIRROR, PAGE 35)

From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) has pledged to award about 50 per cent contracts on all projects to local contractors in the region, especially those in the road sector.
The move is to help build the capacities of local contractors in the region and help them contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the region.
The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, gave the assurance at a special general meeting of the regional branch of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) of Ghana at the RCC conference room at the Regional Administration in Sunyani.
He stated that the council, and for that matter the government, would also ensure equity in the award of contracts.
Mr Opoku stated that the days when one contractor was awarded almost all the jobs in the region were over and that the RCC and the government would ensure that contracts were shared equally.
He further assured the contractors that the RCC would not delay in the signing of certificates of payments submitted to the office.
The deputy minister, therefore, urged officials of the various awarding agencies to also strive help reduce the delays associated with the signing of certificates and speed up the payment process for contractors.
He stated that the council would review certain contracts that had already been awarded, while those that were far behind schedule would be terminated and re-awarded to quality work.
Mr Opoku said the RCC regarded people in the construction industry as partners in development and would, therefore, do everything possible to assist them to speed up the development of the region.
Responding to some of the concerns raised by some members of the association, Mr Opoku stated that contractors who had been given jobs but could not deliver would be contacted before their contracts were terminated.
He said contractors should not wholly blame the government for the delay in the execution and payment of contracts but continue with their projects since some of the problems encountered by them in the industry were sometimes their own making.
The deputy regional minister also called on financial institutions to set up special credit facilities to help people in the construction industry since most of them had accrued huge debts as a result of the high interest rates and that had led to the collapse of some local construction firms.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of ASROC, Nana Ampaabeng Sikafo, on behalf of the members, stressed the need for local contractors to be given jobs that did not go for competitive bidding, to help build their capacities and also keep them in business.
He said the association had also engaged consultants to work on the reduction of about 37 government officials who were signatories to certificates of payment to ensure that jobs that were duly executed were paid for without delay as that often affected contractors.
Nana Sikafo further implored the government, as a matter of urgency, to put in place the new Road Fund Board whose members were also signatories to cheques for the payment of contractors.
The Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Kasim Nuhu, also advised contractors to build their capacities in the bidding order to enable them bid well for jobs to enable them stay in business.
Mr Nuhu expressed concern about the conduct of some local contractors, who in their desire to get jobs, often bid below the cost to get the jobs and later encountered financial difficulties.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

AYIMA QUUEN INITIATES MATERNITY HOME PROJECT (PAGE 39)

AYIMA, a farming community in the Kintampo South District in the Brong Ahafo Region lacks good roads, potable water and electricity, while the only health centre which serves a population of more than 8,000 is in a dilapidated state.
It is for this reason that the queen of the town, Nana Saa Gyamfuaa II, has initiated the construction of a maternity home and a nurse’s quarters to help cut down on the high infant and maternal mortality rates in the community.
Nana Gyamfuaa made this known at a fun-draising durbar at Ayima to launch the 15th anniversary celebrations of her enstoolment as the queen of the town.
She succeeded the late Nana Akua Sakyiwaa in October, 1994.
Activities planned to mark the anniversary include fora on girls’ education and health, as well as a grand durbar in October to climax the anniversary.
Nana Gyamfua stated that funds solicited through the anniversary celebrations, would be used not only for the rehabilitation of the existing health centre, but also to construct a maternity home and nurses’ quarters to serve the people.
She observed that the honour and authority of contemporary traditional rulers were measured by the quality of life their people enjoyed as well as investments made in the people for decent living, adding “but unfortunately, Ayima lacks many social amenities and life could not be said to be good for her people”.
“I wish to state that the people of Anima deserve improved living standard. I have, therefore, dedicated the 15th anniversary celebration of my enstoolment to initiate the process of carving a provide better conditions of living for them through self-help”, she added.
Nana Gyamfuaa said her initiative was also to help eliminate the difficulties that pregnant women from the area and the surrounding communities go through in seeking ante-natal and other maternal health care.
“Pregnant women from the area have to travel on the bad roads from the community to the district capital to seek ante-natal and other maternal care which have often resulted in the deaths of some women in labour when they were being transported to the district hospital on foot while others have had miscarriages”, she stressed.
The queen expressed the hope that with the government’s determination to ensure quality healthcare for all, it would support the project to facilitate its completion to serve her people, especially pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.
“Development is all about quality people living quality life. This begins with quality healthcare which should start from the first day of pregnancy”, she emphasised.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku who graced the occasion, pledged that the government would provide financial assistance to complete the project.
He also gave the assurance that Ayima would get its fair share of development projects.
Mr Opoku added that the government would reconstruct the road leading to the town from Jema, the district capital, provide the people with potable water and connect the town to the national grid.
He, therefore, called on the people to rally behind the government to ensure that all its electoral promises were fulfilled.

MINISTRIES RECRUIT GHANAIANS FOR ITALY (PAGE 32)

A Comprehensive mechanism is being developed by the Ministries of the Interior and of Employment and Social Welfare, as well as by the Labour Department for the identification, registration and selection of Ghanaian workers for job opportunities in Italy.
In that connection, a training programme put together by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is scheduled to be organised for officials of the two ministries and the department between May and September, 2009.
The training programme is part of a labour migration project which seeks to ensure that labour migrants travel through legal avenues.
The Head of the Technical Co-operation Department and International Programme Manager of the IOM, Mr Jo Rispoli, announced these in Techiman during the launch of information campaign activities to prevent irregular migration.
Mr Rispoli observed that the initiative also demonstrated that there were legal channels by which people could migrate in a safe and humane manner.
He said other components of the migration project involved the development of the capacity of Libya as a receiving country, so that it could develop labour immigration management.
A three-day workshop is also expected to be organised for delegates from Libya and other African countries as well as for the European Union (EU) to encourage dialogue and build a common approach to labour migration in Africa.
Mr Rospoli stated that the project expected to achieve, among others, enhancement of national capacities for labour migration management in West Africa and Libya by January 2010.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwasi Apea-Kubi, said about 60 per cent of Ghanaians deported from Europe are indigenes of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He recalled the suffering and dangers associated with irregular migration and admonished the youth against the practice.
Touching on the labour migration project, Dr Apea-Kubi expressed the hope that the project would be guided by the Palermo Protocol of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Transitional Organised Crime.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior said the protocol was aimed at the protection of the rights of migrants and the reduction of the power and influence of organised criminal groups who abused migrants.
The Chairman of the Nkoranza Libya Returnees Association, Mr Daniel Asante, thanked the Government of Ghana, the IOM, the European Commission and the Government of Italy for their efforts at discouraging irregular migration.

LOCAL CONTRACTORS IN BA TO ENJOY 50 PER CENT CONTRACTS (PAGE 29)

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) has pledged to award about 50 per cent contracts on all projects to local contractors in the region, especially those in the road sector.
The move is to help build the capacities of local contractors in the region and help them contribute meaningful to the socio-economic development of the region.
The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, gave the assurance at a special general meeting of the regional branch of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) of Ghana at the RCC conference room at the regional Administration in Sunyani.
He stated that the council, and for that matter the government, would also ensure equity in the award of contracts.
Mr Opoku stated that the days when one contractor was awarded almost all the jobs in the region were over and that the RCC and the government would ensure that contracts were shared equally.
He further assured the contractors that the RCC would not delay in the signing of certificates of payments submitted to the office.
The deputy minister, therefore, urged officials of the various awarding agencies to also strive help reduce the delays associated with the signing of certificates and speed up the payment process for contractors.
He stated that the council would review certain contracts that had already been awarded, while those that were far behind schedule would be terminated and re-awarded to quality work.
Mr Opoku said the RCC regarded people in the construction industry as partners in development and would, therefore, do everything possible to assist them to speed up the development of the region.
Responding to some of the concerns raised by some members of the association, Mr Opoku stated that contractors who had been given jobs but could not deliver would be contacted before their contracts were terminated.
He said contractors should not wholly blame the government for the delay in the execution and payment of contracts but continue with their projects since some of the problems encountered by them in the industry were sometimes their own making.
The deputy regional minister also called on financial institutions to set up special credit facilities to help people in the construction industry since most of them had accrued huge debts as a result of the high interest rates and that had led to the collapse of some local construction firms.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of ASROC, Nana Ampaabeng Sikafo, on behalf of the members, stressed the need for local contractors to be given jobs that did not go for competitive bidding, to help build their capacities and also keep them in business.
He said the association had also engaged consultants to work on the reduction of about 37 government officials who were signatories to certificates of payment to ensure that jobs that were duly executed were paid for without delay as that often affected contractors.
Nana Sikafo further implored the government, as a matter of urgency, to put in place the new Road Fund Board whose members were also signatories to cheques for the payment of contractors.
The Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Kasim Nuhu, also advised contractors to build their capacities in the bidding order to enable them bid well for jobs to enable them stay in business.
Mr Nuhu expressed concern about the conduct of some local contractors, who in their desire to get jobs, often bid below the cost to get the jobs and later encountered financial difficulties.

SPEED UP RESEARCH INTO CHIEFRTAINCY SUCCESSION (BACK PAGE)

THE Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture has been directed to speed up research and codification of succession to traditional stools and skins in the country to help deal with the numerous chieftaincy conflicts.
To this end, the ministry has been tasked to strengthen the research departments of the Regional House of Chiefs and the Centre for National Culture.
The President, Professor John Evans Attah-Mills, said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alex Asum-Ahansan, at a durbar of chiefs and people of Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region to climax their annual Apoo festival.
The Apoo festival provides the platform and immunity for ordinary citizens to criticise their leaders, including those in political authority and to check the misuse of power through open criticisms of those in authority who are thought to have misconducted themselves through cultural tools of music, drama and poetry.
This year’s festival was on the theme “Our culture, our heritage, a tool for social integration.”
President Mills observed that in the Brong Ahafo Region alone, the number of chieftaincy disputes pending before the Regional House of Chiefs had increased from 52 in 2006 to 59, a situation, which he said did not augur well for a peaceful co-existence and development.
He, therefore, called on all to eschew chieftaincy conflicts and support their paramountcies to develop appropriate strategies such as the institution of Educational Trust Funds to assist in the education of the youth and programmes that would attract investors to their traditional areas to provide job opportunities for them.
President Mills announced that the government, through the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture, would provide the necessary support to develop the various tourist sites in the region which would also serve as major cultural attractions and eventually enhance the establishment of cottage industries.
He said Brong Ahafo was considered the food basket of the country, and the government was determined to add value to the food produced in the region by assisting the traditional councils to embark on agro-processing activities.
President Mills also paid glowing tribute to the ancestors of the Techiman Traditional Area for the gallant role they played in the struggle for the creation of the Brong Ahafo Region, which was originally christened Western Ashanti.
For his part, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, called on the people of the region, both within and outside the country, to use the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of the creation of the region as a rallying point to hasten the socio-economic development of the region.
He said the Regional Co-ordinating Council would put the Techiman Tomatoes Factory into good shape to start full operation this year, so as to prevent the annual glut experienced by tomatoes farmers in the municipality as well as create jobs for the unemployed youth in the area.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Techimanhene, Nana Ameyaw, announced plans by the Techiman Traditional Council, the assembly and the University of Michigan in the United States of America (USA) to establish a state-of-the-art cultural centre, which would be christened “Nkwantananso Cultural Centre”.
He also called on the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture and other stakeholders to support the project in cash and in kind.
Nana Ameyaw also suggested to the government to set up a special Traditional Council Development Fund for all traditional councils in the country which would be used to support development projects initiated by Nananom and managed by them as well.
Among the traditional rulers who graced the occasion was Naa Puowelle Karbo III, Lawra Naa, who pledged that the two traditional councils would continue to collaborate for their mutual benefits and those of their people.

Monday, May 4, 2009

VODAFONE EXTENDS COVERAGE IN BA (NSEMPA, PAGE 3)

By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.

VODAFONE has announced moves to extend its coverage to all parts of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr David Venn, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, said the company had always maintained special relationship with the people of the Brong Ahafo Region beginning from the period when no network was prepared to serve the people.
The CEO disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawire 11, at his palace in Sunyani on Saturday.
Mr. Venn on behalf of Vodafone Ghana presented a cheque for GH¢3,000 to the Sunyanihene to support his efforts towards education in his traditional area.
He announced that the company had voted a seed capital of £200,000 for the establishment of a foundation to be christened the “Vodafone Ghana Foundation”.
The foundation which would be launched this year, is aimed, among other things, to help protect the natural environment and support local communities in which customers, employees, investors and suppliers of the company live and share the benefits of developments in mobile communications technology as widely as possible.
The CEO said the foundation was a way of giving back to the society and the communities in which the company operates.
Mr Venn further disclosed that in the past few weeks, the company had undertaken a number of investments both in infrastructure and people, in order to infuse greater efficiency into its operations and offer its customers the global excellence that Vodafone was famous for.
“Vodafone from our humble beginnings in 1982 has grown to become the world’s largest telecommunications company with operations in 26 countries and partner networks in 40 other countries.
“We have over 70,000 employees and 290 million customers worldwide”, he said.
Mr Venn noted that since the arrival of Vodafone in the country in August 2008, it had deployed new technology and introduced innovative world-class products and services to the Ghanaian market and the company’s mobile network was currently recognised by industry observers and astute customers as the best quality network in Ghana.
This, he said, was achieved through the execution of a planned and deliberate re-development and investment strategy.
Nana Nkrawire in his response reiterated the appeal of the traditional council to Vodafone to construct a modern edifice to be christened ‘Vodafone House’ in place of an old office built through communal labour by the people of Sunyani in 1927, which had been pulled down by the company.
He expressed his appreciation to the CEO and his entourage for the visit and urged the company to replicate its unique and quality services it offered in other countries where it was already operating in Ghana.

STREET PROCESSION HERALDS TECHIMAN MCE'S CONFIRMATION (PAGE 13)

A street procession through the Techiman town was what greeted the endorsement of Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a former Member of Parliament for Techiman North, as the new Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The President’s nominee polled 57 votes out of the total 60 votes cast at the emergency meeting held at Techiman on Wednesday.
Moments after the election result was declared by the Techiman Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Kwabena Asante, it spread through the town like ‘wildfire’ leading to the street procession and jubilation across the town.
Mr Kyeremeh, 47, who holds a Bachelor of Science (Bsc) degree in Accounting and Finance, in his acceptance speech, expressed his appreciation to the assembly members for giving him the nod and pledged to work assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in him.
He said the problems facing the municipality were lack of education, roads, water, irrigation for farmers and extension of electricity to rural communities, and expressed the hope that together with all stakeholders, they would confront the challenges to help bring about an improvement in the living conditions of the people.
Mr Kyeremeh further pledged to champion the cause for the establishment of a tertiary education to help tackle the unemployment problem among the youth of the area.  
The assembly also elected a 39-year-old educationist, Mr Adjei Mensah, as the Presiding Member. He obtained 41 out of the total 60 votes cast.
Two other candidates, Nana Sekyere Boateng and Asa Baffour Seidu, both Assembly Members for Kuntusu and Krobo electoral areas who also filed their nominations to contest withdrew before voting began.     
The new MCE and the PM were sworn in by the Techiman Circuit Court Judge, Mr Michael Ntumy.
Among the dignitaries who witnessed the proceedings were the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo and Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area.
Both personalities commended the assembly members for showing maturity by voting to endorse the President’s nominee.                     

         

100 PREGNANT GIRLS WROTE BECE IN BA (PAGE 23)

ONE Hundred schoolgirls who were pregnant wrote the just ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Eric Opoku, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister has mentioned.
According to him, 98 out of the 100 did not disclose the names of the men who were responsible for their pregnancies but it was believed that most of those who impregnated them were their age mates.
Mr Opoku stated that the pregnancy cases came to light at a meeting he held with heads of the various Junior High Schools in the region just after the BECE.
He said the pregnant candidates were detected by the heads of their schools during their visits to the various examination centres in the region.
Mr Opoku made this known at a durbar of the people of Ayima, a farming community in the Kintampo South District in the Brong Ahafo Region to launch the 15th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of the Queen of the town, Nana Saa Gyamfuaa II at a ceremony at Ayima.
He described the situation as alarming and called on parents not to shirk their responsibilities towards their children, especially girls when they were in the adolescent age.
“This is the period that your female children need your care, advice and love in order not to fall prey to unscrupulous men and young boys hovering around in your communities,” he stressed.
The deputy minister, therefore, urged traditional rulers, especially queens to liaise with their respective district assemblies to enact bye-laws to curb increasing teenage pregnancies in their various traditional areas in the region.
He called for the re-introduction of some of the good cultural practices in the various traditional areas that helped girls to keep their virginity till marriage, to help curb such social menace in the region.
He said the government had directed that 60 per cent of government’s scholarships should be offered to JHS graduates who would gain admission to Senior High Schools, especially those from rural and deprived communities.
Mr Opoku added that the government had also directed the district assemblies to use two per cent of their common fund to support education.
He, therefore, enjoined the assemblies to pay admission fees of all JHS graduates who would gain admission to SHS but could not pay their admission fees.
He stated that the government would fulfil its campaign promise of providing free school uniforms and exercise books for all pupils in public basic schools in the country as well as making Ghanaians to pay a premium under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In response to an appeal by the queen, Mr Opoku said the government had earmarked some roads in the region for construction this year and the Ayima township would be a beneficiary.
He added that the town would also benefit from the Small Town Water Project and in addition be connected to the national grid.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Nana Gyamfuaa stated that her town was one of the deprived communities in the region which lacked many social amenities.
She, therefore, appealed to the government to come to their aid in terms of development projects to enhance the living standard of her people.