THE Ministry of Transport is to purchase additional engines for the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC), to ensure efficient and safe transportation of goods and passengers on the lake..
Mr Mike Hammah, the Minister of Transport, who made this known at a durbar to launch the inland water transport safety education campaign at Yeji, said $2 million out of a $3 million World Bank funding would be used for the exercise.
Mr Hammah said the decision by the ministry to purchase the new engines was a clear demonstration of how the ministry and the government attached great importance to transportation on the Volta Lake and for that matter other inland waterways.
The inland water transport safety campaign, which is an initiative of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) in conjunction with the ministry, is to educate all stakeholders on the lake, especially boat operators and passengers, on safety and other related issues to help minimise accidents on the lake.
Mr Hammah announced that the ministry intended to introduce the first batch of fibre glass boats into the system as soon as arrangements for the necessary funding materialised, in view of the scarcity of hard woods such as Kusia and Odum for the construction of boats.
He gave the assurance that the ministry was working around the clock to ensure that the removal of tree stumps in the Volta Lake, which has also been identified as one of the causes of accidents on the lake, begins by the end of April, this year.
Mr Issaka Peter Azuma, the Director-General of the GMA, said since its establishment in 2007, the authority had undertaken several measures to improve safety on the lake and had also helped to reduce the rampant spate of fatal boat accidents.
He added that his outfit, in conjunction with the ministry, had also launched an inland Water Safety Code, since part of the problem was lack of safety awareness among boat owners, operators and the travelling public.
He stated further that the authority had signed an agreement with the Regional Maritime University to run training programmes for boat operators and outboard motor mechanics and so far over 690 people from six boat centres including Yeji had benefited from the programme.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru Constituency, Alhaji Masoud Baba Abdul-Rahman, for their part lauded the ministry for the swift response to repair the broken-down engine of the only pontoon that serves as a means of transport on the lake between Yeji and the northern part of the country.
Mr Yussif Appeh Apetrogbor, a representative of Yeji Boat Owners and Operators Association, appealed to the government to help remove the tree stumps in the lake to prevent accidents.
Pemampem Yaw Kagbrese V, Omanhene of Yeji Traditional Area and Vice-President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, who chaired the durbar, appealed to the government to provide the naval task force team stationed at Yeji with speed boats to enforce safety measures on the lake.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
ATEBUBU-AMANTIN DISTRICT WORRIED ABOUT LAND SALE (PAGE 16, MARCH 29, 2010)
Members of the Atebubu-Amantin District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region have urged the management of the assembly to take steps to protect all public lands within its jurisdiction.
This is to halt the indiscriminate sale of these lands by traditional authorities and their agents in the district.
The Assembly members, who were so passionate about the issue ,cited the sale of a parcel of public land along the main Atebubu-Yeji road by some chiefs and their agents to a private developer who had also written to the assembly to demolish structures on the land to make way for a new building.
According to the assembly members, the land in question was the government’s transit quarters which was currently housing government workers and national service persons posted to the district.
They said this was just one of the classical examples of the way some chiefs and their agents were disposing of public lands and there was, therefore, the need for the assembly to act now to nip such a practice in the bud.
The assembly members also served notice to some of their colleagues who were in league with the traditional authorities to sell public lands to desist from such unhealthy and unpatriotic acts or else they would be made to face the consequences.
The issue of alleged indiscriminate sale of public lands by chiefs and their agents in the district, especially in the district capital, Atebubu, came up for discussion on the floor of the assembly during the first ordinary meeting of the Atebubu-Amantin District Assembly at Atebubu.
The members said if the assembly did not take immediate steps to protect government lands, the situation would degenerate to what was happening in Accra and other parts of the country where indiscriminate sale of land had led to the loss of lives and property.
They said it would also lead to the formation of land guards, since many of these lands had been sold to two or more people at a time.
The assembly members cited the lead story of the Wednesday, March 24 edition of the Daily Graphic to buttress their point.
They quoted the story which said in part that "chieftaincy and land disputes in two villages in the Northern and Greater Accra regions exploded into violent clashes and mayhem when a group of irate youth decided to take the law into their own hands".
"If the assembly, which is seen as the local body for legislation and good governance, does not take immediate steps to halt this unhealthy development in our district, we would be experiencing such culture of impunity in the near future and posterity would not forgive us," they noted.
The assembly members noted that this was the time for the assembly to act to secure all public lands so as to ensure orderly development in the district and also to prevent the incidence of land guards.
The assembly members said their investigations into the indiscriminate sale of public lands in the district had revealed that some chiefs and their agents in the business were claiming that there were no documents covering these lands.
According to the members, there was, therefore, the need for urgent steps by the management of the assembly to ensure proper documentation to halt the sale of the lands.
Mr. Sanja Nanja, the Atebubu-Amantin District Chief Executive (DCE), in his response to the issue said the problem was within the assembly’s purview and steps were being taken to halt this unhealthy development.
He said plans were also underway to engage chiefs on the issue, since they were the custodians of the land.
Mr Nanja added that the assembly had also contacted the Lands Commission to come to its aid to enable it to properly demarcate and document all public lands in the district to prevent encroachment, as well as protect them for posterity.
This is to halt the indiscriminate sale of these lands by traditional authorities and their agents in the district.
The Assembly members, who were so passionate about the issue ,cited the sale of a parcel of public land along the main Atebubu-Yeji road by some chiefs and their agents to a private developer who had also written to the assembly to demolish structures on the land to make way for a new building.
According to the assembly members, the land in question was the government’s transit quarters which was currently housing government workers and national service persons posted to the district.
They said this was just one of the classical examples of the way some chiefs and their agents were disposing of public lands and there was, therefore, the need for the assembly to act now to nip such a practice in the bud.
The assembly members also served notice to some of their colleagues who were in league with the traditional authorities to sell public lands to desist from such unhealthy and unpatriotic acts or else they would be made to face the consequences.
The issue of alleged indiscriminate sale of public lands by chiefs and their agents in the district, especially in the district capital, Atebubu, came up for discussion on the floor of the assembly during the first ordinary meeting of the Atebubu-Amantin District Assembly at Atebubu.
The members said if the assembly did not take immediate steps to protect government lands, the situation would degenerate to what was happening in Accra and other parts of the country where indiscriminate sale of land had led to the loss of lives and property.
They said it would also lead to the formation of land guards, since many of these lands had been sold to two or more people at a time.
The assembly members cited the lead story of the Wednesday, March 24 edition of the Daily Graphic to buttress their point.
They quoted the story which said in part that "chieftaincy and land disputes in two villages in the Northern and Greater Accra regions exploded into violent clashes and mayhem when a group of irate youth decided to take the law into their own hands".
"If the assembly, which is seen as the local body for legislation and good governance, does not take immediate steps to halt this unhealthy development in our district, we would be experiencing such culture of impunity in the near future and posterity would not forgive us," they noted.
The assembly members noted that this was the time for the assembly to act to secure all public lands so as to ensure orderly development in the district and also to prevent the incidence of land guards.
The assembly members said their investigations into the indiscriminate sale of public lands in the district had revealed that some chiefs and their agents in the business were claiming that there were no documents covering these lands.
According to the members, there was, therefore, the need for urgent steps by the management of the assembly to ensure proper documentation to halt the sale of the lands.
Mr. Sanja Nanja, the Atebubu-Amantin District Chief Executive (DCE), in his response to the issue said the problem was within the assembly’s purview and steps were being taken to halt this unhealthy development.
He said plans were also underway to engage chiefs on the issue, since they were the custodians of the land.
Mr Nanja added that the assembly had also contacted the Lands Commission to come to its aid to enable it to properly demarcate and document all public lands in the district to prevent encroachment, as well as protect them for posterity.
GOT/AGI COLLABORATION WILL ENHANCE INDUSTRIAL GROWTH (PAGE 39, MARCH 31, 2010)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, has given the assurance that the government will continue to engage the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to help remove all bottlenecks militating against the growth of local industries.
He stated that the government recognised the AGI as a partner in development and would, therefore, continue to listen to their suggestions and recommendations to help the government in its effort to use industrialisation as a catalyst for the country’s socio-economic development.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo gave the assurance when the executive council members of the AGI led by the President, Nana Owusu Afari called on him at his office in Sunyani last weekend.
The visit was part of their familiarisation tour to interact with stakeholders in the industrial sector of the economy in the region.
Other members of the AGI delegation were Mr Samuel Appenteng, vice-president; Mr Joe Hyde, National Treasurer; Rev. Lincoln Donkor, Council Member; Mr Cletus Kosiba and executive director of the AGI.
The visit was also to interact with members of the AGI in the region and to know at first-hand their challenges and how best it could be addressed to ensure growth in the industrial sector of the economy.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo further gave the assurance that the government was working around the clock to put in place measures to protect local industries from unfair trade competition and also against the dumping of inferior goods on the nation.
He called for a vigorous campaign for the patronage of Made-in-Ghana goods to boost industrial growth.
The regional minister urged the planning authorities of the various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to protect areas that had been zoned for industrial purposes in the region from being encroached upon.
He urged the MDAs to engage Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs) in their fee-fixing resolution in order to come out with realistic fees to ensure the growth of industries in their areas of jurisdiction since SMSEs played an important role in the local economy.
In response to an appeal for office accommodation for the regional branch of the AGI, the regional minister said since the growth of industries was dear to the heart of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), the council was ready to grant the request of the association.
Nana Afari had earlier in his remarks, said the cost of doing business in Ghana was too high.
He said for that matter, the association would impress upon the government to address the situation to promote growth and expansion in the industrial sector of the economy.
Nana Afari, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afari Group of Companies, called on the government to review the country’s trade policies that were inimical to the growth of local industries.
He urged the government to put in place measures to curtail the importation of inferior goods especially products that are already being manufactured in the country to protect local industries from collapsing.
Nana Afari said it was the desire of the AGI to have offices in all the 10 regions of the country and the Brong Ahafo Region would be the first to have such facility, this year, to help champion the cause of industries in the region.
On behalf of the council, Nana Afari presented some publications of the association to the minister.
Members of the AGI delegation also visited the Oti Yeboah Complex Limited, an indigenous wood processing company at Abesim, near Sunyani, to acquaint themselves with the operations of the company.
He stated that the government recognised the AGI as a partner in development and would, therefore, continue to listen to their suggestions and recommendations to help the government in its effort to use industrialisation as a catalyst for the country’s socio-economic development.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo gave the assurance when the executive council members of the AGI led by the President, Nana Owusu Afari called on him at his office in Sunyani last weekend.
The visit was part of their familiarisation tour to interact with stakeholders in the industrial sector of the economy in the region.
Other members of the AGI delegation were Mr Samuel Appenteng, vice-president; Mr Joe Hyde, National Treasurer; Rev. Lincoln Donkor, Council Member; Mr Cletus Kosiba and executive director of the AGI.
The visit was also to interact with members of the AGI in the region and to know at first-hand their challenges and how best it could be addressed to ensure growth in the industrial sector of the economy.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo further gave the assurance that the government was working around the clock to put in place measures to protect local industries from unfair trade competition and also against the dumping of inferior goods on the nation.
He called for a vigorous campaign for the patronage of Made-in-Ghana goods to boost industrial growth.
The regional minister urged the planning authorities of the various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to protect areas that had been zoned for industrial purposes in the region from being encroached upon.
He urged the MDAs to engage Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs) in their fee-fixing resolution in order to come out with realistic fees to ensure the growth of industries in their areas of jurisdiction since SMSEs played an important role in the local economy.
In response to an appeal for office accommodation for the regional branch of the AGI, the regional minister said since the growth of industries was dear to the heart of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), the council was ready to grant the request of the association.
Nana Afari had earlier in his remarks, said the cost of doing business in Ghana was too high.
He said for that matter, the association would impress upon the government to address the situation to promote growth and expansion in the industrial sector of the economy.
Nana Afari, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afari Group of Companies, called on the government to review the country’s trade policies that were inimical to the growth of local industries.
He urged the government to put in place measures to curtail the importation of inferior goods especially products that are already being manufactured in the country to protect local industries from collapsing.
Nana Afari said it was the desire of the AGI to have offices in all the 10 regions of the country and the Brong Ahafo Region would be the first to have such facility, this year, to help champion the cause of industries in the region.
On behalf of the council, Nana Afari presented some publications of the association to the minister.
Members of the AGI delegation also visited the Oti Yeboah Complex Limited, an indigenous wood processing company at Abesim, near Sunyani, to acquaint themselves with the operations of the company.
Monday, March 29, 2010
TECHIMANHENE SPEAKS ON TUOBODOM ISSUE (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 5, MARCH 29, 2010)
By Samuel Duodu, Techiman.
THE Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw II has debunked claims in the media that he was present at his palace when the Omanhene of Tuobodom Nana Asare Baffour was arrested at Wenchi and sent there.
Techimanhene, who is also a banker, said he was at his office in Sunyani when he was informed that the Omanhene of Tuobodom had been sent to his palace at Techiman and therefore quickly called the police to pick him up and further instructed other members of the Techiman Traditional Council to contact the Techiman Municipal Police Commander to ensure that the right thing was done.
He stated further that he also informed the Regional Police Commander of the unfolding scenario, but before his team reached Techiman, the Municipal Police Commander had already put the Omanhene of Tuobodom behind bars.
“Therefore, there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as being misrepresented by the media. Even through I am not a lawyer by profession, I am aware that according to the Criminal Code, citizens have the right to arrest any suspect.
“This was exactly what those he conspired to murder did,” the Techimanhene stated.
Addressing a press conference at his palace in Techiman last Tuesday, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said when the Omanhene of Tuobodom was detained by the Police, his lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Minister of State, allegedly went on radio stations to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom who eventually took arms, attacked and killed Kwasi Takyi, a nephew of the rival chief of Tuobodomhene, Nana Obeng Ameyaw, who owes allegiance to Techiman.
He added that the unfortunate situation sparked the current conflict and noted that all the confusion were tactics employed by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime by the Paramount Chief in Tuobodom.
“As for the statement of Asantehene, the least said about it, the better. On second thought, some of us would like to believe that the Asantehene had been misinformed about the whole issue and decided to swallow whatever he heard, hook line and sinker. That is why he has been insulting me,” the Techimanhene stated.
“We have decided to watch him from the sidelines with sadness, because he has allowed himself to be misled,” he said.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw observed that leadership in whatever sphere of life must be used to uplift society to bring about progress, to help colleagues, peers, friends and, indeed, everybody to achieve their life goals and objectives to ensure peaceful co-existence.
“Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law. If the Asantehene is stating that he will catch me, I leave everything to the security services to decide, because I am a law-abiding citizen and the last thing I will do is to threaten the life of an innocent citizen,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw added.
The Techimanhene also appealed to the media to be circumspect in any reportage about the Tuobodom stand-off and allow reasoning and the truth to prevail.
He added that the chiefs and people of Techiman believed in ‘jaw jaw’ rather than ‘war war’, that was why they had always resorted to the law court to seek redress in matters of the Tuobodom issue.
THE Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw II has debunked claims in the media that he was present at his palace when the Omanhene of Tuobodom Nana Asare Baffour was arrested at Wenchi and sent there.
Techimanhene, who is also a banker, said he was at his office in Sunyani when he was informed that the Omanhene of Tuobodom had been sent to his palace at Techiman and therefore quickly called the police to pick him up and further instructed other members of the Techiman Traditional Council to contact the Techiman Municipal Police Commander to ensure that the right thing was done.
He stated further that he also informed the Regional Police Commander of the unfolding scenario, but before his team reached Techiman, the Municipal Police Commander had already put the Omanhene of Tuobodom behind bars.
“Therefore, there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as being misrepresented by the media. Even through I am not a lawyer by profession, I am aware that according to the Criminal Code, citizens have the right to arrest any suspect.
“This was exactly what those he conspired to murder did,” the Techimanhene stated.
Addressing a press conference at his palace in Techiman last Tuesday, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said when the Omanhene of Tuobodom was detained by the Police, his lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Minister of State, allegedly went on radio stations to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom who eventually took arms, attacked and killed Kwasi Takyi, a nephew of the rival chief of Tuobodomhene, Nana Obeng Ameyaw, who owes allegiance to Techiman.
He added that the unfortunate situation sparked the current conflict and noted that all the confusion were tactics employed by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime by the Paramount Chief in Tuobodom.
“As for the statement of Asantehene, the least said about it, the better. On second thought, some of us would like to believe that the Asantehene had been misinformed about the whole issue and decided to swallow whatever he heard, hook line and sinker. That is why he has been insulting me,” the Techimanhene stated.
“We have decided to watch him from the sidelines with sadness, because he has allowed himself to be misled,” he said.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw observed that leadership in whatever sphere of life must be used to uplift society to bring about progress, to help colleagues, peers, friends and, indeed, everybody to achieve their life goals and objectives to ensure peaceful co-existence.
“Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law. If the Asantehene is stating that he will catch me, I leave everything to the security services to decide, because I am a law-abiding citizen and the last thing I will do is to threaten the life of an innocent citizen,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw added.
The Techimanhene also appealed to the media to be circumspect in any reportage about the Tuobodom stand-off and allow reasoning and the truth to prevail.
He added that the chiefs and people of Techiman believed in ‘jaw jaw’ rather than ‘war war’, that was why they had always resorted to the law court to seek redress in matters of the Tuobodom issue.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
WOMEN URGED TO RESPOND POSITIELY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (PAGE 11, MARCH 27, 2010)
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Women, Ms Malonin Asibi, has urged women, especially those in the rural areas, to be more responsive to the challenges of the environment in order to help improve on their health status and that of their families.
She said most activities and livelihoods of women were dependent on the environment, and there was, therefore, the need for women to always ensure a clean and a healthy environment to help address environmental concerns that led to the spread of diseases like malaria and diarrhoea.
Ms Asibi made the statement when she addressed some market women and traders at the Techiman Central Market and the main lorry park after a five-hour clean-up exercise in the Techiman Municipality as part of activities marking the regional celebrations of this year’s International Women’s Day.
The exercise was organised by the Regional Directorate of the Department of Women in collaboration with Zoomlion Company Limited, a waste management company, and the Techiman Municipal Assembly.
She advised women to observe good personal hygiene, in addition to keeping their environment clean and also join hands with their male counterparts so that together “we would build a healthy and a prosperous nation”.
Speaking on the theme for the celebration: “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity, Progress for All”, Mrs Mercy Larbi, a legal practitioner at the Brong Ahafo office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), stated that a lot of interventions were also put in place after the Beijing Conference, to promote the welfare of women and also to eliminate all forms of negative cultural practices that militated against the rights of women.
She said through the efforts of civil society groups and other governmental agencies, the rights of women and children had been entrenched in national legislation and many women were being encouraged to go into public life.
She noted that since women were agents of change, there was the need for them to lead the crusade for environmental cleanliness and desist from littering, as well as indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
Mrs Larbi commended all stakeholders who helped to ensure the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill into law in 2007, to give more meaning to the right and protection of all, especially the vulnerable in society.
In another development, the Assistant Programme Officer of the Department of Women in the Volta Region, Mrs Thywill Eyra Kpe-Boni, has stated that the low representation of women in parliament and other levels of decision-making did not give them the needed platform to articulate their views on issues affecting them, reports Tim Dzamboe.
Mrs Kpe-Boni said it was unfortunate that out of 230 parliamentarians in the country only 19 were women and that out of the 18 District Chief Executives (DCEs) in the Volta Region, none was a woman.
She said the tide could only change, if young women would identify their own areas of competence and develop them and also develop leadership potential and actively participate in leadership activities while in school.
Speaking at the launch of the Women’s Week celebration of the Ho Polytechnic, on the theme, “Equipping Today’s Woman to Become an Asset for National Development” she said the 2000 World’s Population Monitoring Report indicated that that sex was the price expected to be paid by millions of women across the world, for many life opportunities.
It mentioned that the opportunities range from gaining admission to overcrowded classrooms, to passing examinations and securing employment.
She also said women should learn to assert themselves as young females and take advantage of opportunities available to them to develop their academic potential, as well as having a role model to look up to.
Mrs Kpe-Boni advised women, especially female students, not to compromise their integrity for short-term favours and advised them to set achievable goals at each stage of their lives and strive to excel in their jobs.
She said when these problems were addressed, then one could talk about women’s empowerment and equipping women with skills for national development, stressing that “empowerment is not something that could be taken for granted but a person needs to aspire to attain the level of empowerment he or she desires”.
Quoting from a 2003 report on population programmes by the UN Economic and Social Council, she talked about the importance of girls’ education and said that was the first step to equipping women for national development.
Launching the week, the Headmistress of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Mawuko Girls Senior High School, Madam Janet Kwasi, asked the students to be focussed and assertive and explore opportunities in motivational talks and others relating to the use of the Internet to enhance their public status.
In a welcoming address, the women’s commissioner, Miss Mavis Yawa Dusu, urged female students to participate actively in all programmes slated for the week. They are Health Talk, Crowning of African Queen, Cooking and eating competition for gentlemen only, Music and Dance, clean-up exercises, Love in the air — Ladies and Gents Nite and a thanksgiving service.
She said most activities and livelihoods of women were dependent on the environment, and there was, therefore, the need for women to always ensure a clean and a healthy environment to help address environmental concerns that led to the spread of diseases like malaria and diarrhoea.
Ms Asibi made the statement when she addressed some market women and traders at the Techiman Central Market and the main lorry park after a five-hour clean-up exercise in the Techiman Municipality as part of activities marking the regional celebrations of this year’s International Women’s Day.
The exercise was organised by the Regional Directorate of the Department of Women in collaboration with Zoomlion Company Limited, a waste management company, and the Techiman Municipal Assembly.
She advised women to observe good personal hygiene, in addition to keeping their environment clean and also join hands with their male counterparts so that together “we would build a healthy and a prosperous nation”.
Speaking on the theme for the celebration: “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity, Progress for All”, Mrs Mercy Larbi, a legal practitioner at the Brong Ahafo office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), stated that a lot of interventions were also put in place after the Beijing Conference, to promote the welfare of women and also to eliminate all forms of negative cultural practices that militated against the rights of women.
She said through the efforts of civil society groups and other governmental agencies, the rights of women and children had been entrenched in national legislation and many women were being encouraged to go into public life.
She noted that since women were agents of change, there was the need for them to lead the crusade for environmental cleanliness and desist from littering, as well as indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
Mrs Larbi commended all stakeholders who helped to ensure the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill into law in 2007, to give more meaning to the right and protection of all, especially the vulnerable in society.
In another development, the Assistant Programme Officer of the Department of Women in the Volta Region, Mrs Thywill Eyra Kpe-Boni, has stated that the low representation of women in parliament and other levels of decision-making did not give them the needed platform to articulate their views on issues affecting them, reports Tim Dzamboe.
Mrs Kpe-Boni said it was unfortunate that out of 230 parliamentarians in the country only 19 were women and that out of the 18 District Chief Executives (DCEs) in the Volta Region, none was a woman.
She said the tide could only change, if young women would identify their own areas of competence and develop them and also develop leadership potential and actively participate in leadership activities while in school.
Speaking at the launch of the Women’s Week celebration of the Ho Polytechnic, on the theme, “Equipping Today’s Woman to Become an Asset for National Development” she said the 2000 World’s Population Monitoring Report indicated that that sex was the price expected to be paid by millions of women across the world, for many life opportunities.
It mentioned that the opportunities range from gaining admission to overcrowded classrooms, to passing examinations and securing employment.
She also said women should learn to assert themselves as young females and take advantage of opportunities available to them to develop their academic potential, as well as having a role model to look up to.
Mrs Kpe-Boni advised women, especially female students, not to compromise their integrity for short-term favours and advised them to set achievable goals at each stage of their lives and strive to excel in their jobs.
She said when these problems were addressed, then one could talk about women’s empowerment and equipping women with skills for national development, stressing that “empowerment is not something that could be taken for granted but a person needs to aspire to attain the level of empowerment he or she desires”.
Quoting from a 2003 report on population programmes by the UN Economic and Social Council, she talked about the importance of girls’ education and said that was the first step to equipping women for national development.
Launching the week, the Headmistress of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Mawuko Girls Senior High School, Madam Janet Kwasi, asked the students to be focussed and assertive and explore opportunities in motivational talks and others relating to the use of the Internet to enhance their public status.
In a welcoming address, the women’s commissioner, Miss Mavis Yawa Dusu, urged female students to participate actively in all programmes slated for the week. They are Health Talk, Crowning of African Queen, Cooking and eating competition for gentlemen only, Music and Dance, clean-up exercises, Love in the air — Ladies and Gents Nite and a thanksgiving service.
CAPITAL RURAL BANK MAKES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS (PAAGE 23, MARCH 2010)
DESPITE the rapid depreciation of the cedi, high inflation rate in the first half of 2009, coupled with a decline in financial inflows and remittances from abroad as a result of the world economic downturn, the Capital Rural Bank at Abesim, near Sunyani, made significant progress in 2009.
The bank was able to record a net profit of GH¢245,610 in 2009 as against GH¢106,286 in 2008.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Dr E. Yaw Peprah-Agyemang, announced this at the bank’s fifth annual general meeting (AGM) at Abesim.
He said shareholders’ funds rose from GH¢363,064 in 2008 to GH¢542,085 in 2009, while the bank’s total assets in 2009 amounted to GH¢4,511,425 as against GH¢2,964,828 in 2008, with the total deposits growing to GH¢3,365,542 as against GH¢2,273,765 during the same period.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang stated that the total investments of the bank also amounted to GH¢905,540 in the year under review compared with GH¢452,978 recorded in 2008.
He said the bank’s total income jumped from GH¢670,685 in 2008 to GH¢245,610 in 2009, while the total credits amounted to GH¢2,361,926 as against GH¢1,872,536 in 2008.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the bank would continue with the implementation of its scholarship scheme for needy but academically promising and deserving students for the pursuit of tertiary education programmes.
He said the scheme, which was in its third year, was taking care of seven university students in public institutions in the country, adding that in the 2010/2011 academic year, three more scholarships would be offered since the bank attached serious importance to education.
The board chairman said the scholarship scheme was opened to the children and wards of all shareholders and customers of the bank.
He, therefore, urged all parents and guardians to have suitable accounts for their children and wards so that they would be in a good stead to enjoy the bank’s scholarship scheme.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang stated further that the bank’s affordable housing project was still in force, using innovative mortgages to finance the development of beautiful and affordable homes for many families at Capital Premier Estates, just off the Abesim-Tanoso road.
He added that the first batch of beneficiaries had taken up residence and many more were under construction, saying the high quality and eco-friendly homes that the bank had supported were the first of their kind in the region.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the bank had also put in place a financial literacy education programme to help customers to plan and manage their finances better now and in the future.
He gave the assurance that the bank would continue to provide easy access to credit at attractive interest rates for customers to expand their businesses.
The bank was able to record a net profit of GH¢245,610 in 2009 as against GH¢106,286 in 2008.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Dr E. Yaw Peprah-Agyemang, announced this at the bank’s fifth annual general meeting (AGM) at Abesim.
He said shareholders’ funds rose from GH¢363,064 in 2008 to GH¢542,085 in 2009, while the bank’s total assets in 2009 amounted to GH¢4,511,425 as against GH¢2,964,828 in 2008, with the total deposits growing to GH¢3,365,542 as against GH¢2,273,765 during the same period.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang stated that the total investments of the bank also amounted to GH¢905,540 in the year under review compared with GH¢452,978 recorded in 2008.
He said the bank’s total income jumped from GH¢670,685 in 2008 to GH¢245,610 in 2009, while the total credits amounted to GH¢2,361,926 as against GH¢1,872,536 in 2008.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the bank would continue with the implementation of its scholarship scheme for needy but academically promising and deserving students for the pursuit of tertiary education programmes.
He said the scheme, which was in its third year, was taking care of seven university students in public institutions in the country, adding that in the 2010/2011 academic year, three more scholarships would be offered since the bank attached serious importance to education.
The board chairman said the scholarship scheme was opened to the children and wards of all shareholders and customers of the bank.
He, therefore, urged all parents and guardians to have suitable accounts for their children and wards so that they would be in a good stead to enjoy the bank’s scholarship scheme.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang stated further that the bank’s affordable housing project was still in force, using innovative mortgages to finance the development of beautiful and affordable homes for many families at Capital Premier Estates, just off the Abesim-Tanoso road.
He added that the first batch of beneficiaries had taken up residence and many more were under construction, saying the high quality and eco-friendly homes that the bank had supported were the first of their kind in the region.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the bank had also put in place a financial literacy education programme to help customers to plan and manage their finances better now and in the future.
He gave the assurance that the bank would continue to provide easy access to credit at attractive interest rates for customers to expand their businesses.
Friday, March 26, 2010
ADUANA WANT FA TO PUNISH EDUBIASE (PAGE 11, GRAPHIC SPORTS, MARCH 26, 2010)
The Board and Management of Dormaa-based Aduana Football Club (FC) have called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Professional League Board (PLB) to sanction New Edubiase for assaulting some board and management members as well as some fans of the club at the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium last Sunday.
Mr. Yaw Boatey Agyekum a.k.a Yaw BA, a Board Member of Club, who made the call when he called at the Graphic Office in Sunyani said the board and management members and fans of the club that accompanied the team to Obuasi for the Premier League match against New Edubiase were subjected to intimidation and assaulted by supporters of the home team.The match ended 0-1 in favour of New Edubiase.
According to Yaw BA, if the GFA and the PLB did not step in and institute punitive action against New Edubiase, then intimidation and assault would become the order of the day in Ghana Football and for that matter in the elite division.
He said the worst affected was Sulemana Ibrahim, a supporter of the team who was admitted at the Obuasi Government Hospital as a result of the attack on the supporters of Aduana Stars.
Yaw BA who showed copies of the Police medical forms issued to some of the Aduana supporters who were beaten, said such barbaric acts in Ghanaian football should be condemned and the perpetrators be brought to book to ensure sanity in the game.
The Board Member stated that the playing body including some board and management members on board the club’s bus arrived at the Len Clay Stadium at 1.45pm and subsequently entered the Stadium at 2.05.
He said after the team entered the stadium and the Porter of the team and himself were attacked by some mob who claimed they were looking for Kofi Manu a.k.a Bule Boy ,the Accra Representative of Aduana, but since he was not on the bus they were used as the sacrificial lamb until, they were rescued by the police.
"After our rescue, myself and the team’s porter have to seek refuge at the Obuasi Central Police station to secure our dear lives as the fans had sworn to teach us a lesson", Yaw BA added.
The board member stated that about 65 supporters of Aduana who also paid their gate fees and entered the stadium were chased out by the fans of New Edubiase and they have to listen to radio commentary at the Obuasi Central Police Station.
Mr. Yaw Boatey Agyekum a.k.a Yaw BA, a Board Member of Club, who made the call when he called at the Graphic Office in Sunyani said the board and management members and fans of the club that accompanied the team to Obuasi for the Premier League match against New Edubiase were subjected to intimidation and assaulted by supporters of the home team.The match ended 0-1 in favour of New Edubiase.
According to Yaw BA, if the GFA and the PLB did not step in and institute punitive action against New Edubiase, then intimidation and assault would become the order of the day in Ghana Football and for that matter in the elite division.
He said the worst affected was Sulemana Ibrahim, a supporter of the team who was admitted at the Obuasi Government Hospital as a result of the attack on the supporters of Aduana Stars.
Yaw BA who showed copies of the Police medical forms issued to some of the Aduana supporters who were beaten, said such barbaric acts in Ghanaian football should be condemned and the perpetrators be brought to book to ensure sanity in the game.
The Board Member stated that the playing body including some board and management members on board the club’s bus arrived at the Len Clay Stadium at 1.45pm and subsequently entered the Stadium at 2.05.
He said after the team entered the stadium and the Porter of the team and himself were attacked by some mob who claimed they were looking for Kofi Manu a.k.a Bule Boy ,the Accra Representative of Aduana, but since he was not on the bus they were used as the sacrificial lamb until, they were rescued by the police.
"After our rescue, myself and the team’s porter have to seek refuge at the Obuasi Central Police station to secure our dear lives as the fans had sworn to teach us a lesson", Yaw BA added.
The board member stated that about 65 supporters of Aduana who also paid their gate fees and entered the stadium were chased out by the fans of New Edubiase and they have to listen to radio commentary at the Obuasi Central Police Station.
TECHIMANHENE DEBUNKS MEDIA REPORTS (PAGE 20, MARCH 26, 2010)
THE Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw II, has debunked claims in the media that he was present at his palace at Techiman when the Omanhene of Tuobodom, Nana Asare Baffour, was arrested at Wenchi and brought to his palace.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw, who is a banker, said he was at his office in Sunyani when he was informed that the Omanhene of Tuobodom had been brought to his palace.
He claimed that he quickly called in the police to pick up the chief, and further instructed other members of the Techiman Traditional Council to contact the Techiman Municipal Police Commander to ensure that the right thing was done.
The Techimanhene stated further that he also informed the Regional Police Commander of the unfolding scenario but before the police team reached Techiman, the Municipal Police Commander had put the Omanhene of Tuobodom behind bars.
He said, “Therefore, there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as is being misrepresented by the media."
"Even though, I am not a lawyer by profession, I am aware that citizens have the right to arrest any criminal like Nana Asare Baffour, who organised an assassination attempt on me and my convoy, and hand him or her to the police," he said, quoting the Criminal Code.
Addressing a news conference at his palace in Techiman last Monday, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw said when the suspected criminal was put behind bars, his lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Minister of State, allegedly went on radio stations to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom, who took arms, attacked and killed Kwasi Takyi, a nephew of the Tuobodomhene and Nana Obeng Ameyaw, who owes allegiance to Techiman.
He said such unfortunate situation sparked off the current conflict, adding that the confusion formed part of the tactics employed by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime committed by the paramount chief of Tuobodom.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw Akumfi said, "As for the statement of the Asantehene, the least said about it the better. On second thought, some of us would like to believe that the Asantehene was misinformed about the whole issue and he decided to swallow whatever he heard, that is why he has been insulting me,” the Techimanhene stated.
“We have decided to watch him from the sideline with sadness, because he has allowed himself to be misled. His action led to the unfortunate situation where macho men, allegedly hired by the Manhyia Palace, attacked buses coming to Techiman and assaulted the passengers. Meanwhile, these people were not all Techiman citizens, but some of them were from all over the country, including Ashanti Region,” he said.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw observed that leadership in whatever sphere of life must be used to bring progress, to help colleagues, peers, friends and, indeed, everybody to achieve their goals and objectives.
The Techimanhene stated further that it was rather the Asantehene and Lawyer Obiri Boahen who were planting conflict in society, and advised the Asantehene to cool down and allow the law to take its course.
“Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law. If the Asantehene is stating that he will catch me and behead me, I leave everything to the security services to decide, because I am a law-abiding citizen, and the last thing I will do is to threaten the life of an innocent citizen,” Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw added.
The Techimanhene also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the Tuobodom stand-off and allow reasoning and truth to prevail.
He stated that the chiefs and people of Techiman believed in ‘jaw-jaw’ rather than going to war, and as such they had always resorted to the law courts to seek redress in any matter that might crop up as a result of the Tuobodom issue.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw, who is a banker, said he was at his office in Sunyani when he was informed that the Omanhene of Tuobodom had been brought to his palace.
He claimed that he quickly called in the police to pick up the chief, and further instructed other members of the Techiman Traditional Council to contact the Techiman Municipal Police Commander to ensure that the right thing was done.
The Techimanhene stated further that he also informed the Regional Police Commander of the unfolding scenario but before the police team reached Techiman, the Municipal Police Commander had put the Omanhene of Tuobodom behind bars.
He said, “Therefore, there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as is being misrepresented by the media."
"Even though, I am not a lawyer by profession, I am aware that citizens have the right to arrest any criminal like Nana Asare Baffour, who organised an assassination attempt on me and my convoy, and hand him or her to the police," he said, quoting the Criminal Code.
Addressing a news conference at his palace in Techiman last Monday, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw said when the suspected criminal was put behind bars, his lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Minister of State, allegedly went on radio stations to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom, who took arms, attacked and killed Kwasi Takyi, a nephew of the Tuobodomhene and Nana Obeng Ameyaw, who owes allegiance to Techiman.
He said such unfortunate situation sparked off the current conflict, adding that the confusion formed part of the tactics employed by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime committed by the paramount chief of Tuobodom.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw Akumfi said, "As for the statement of the Asantehene, the least said about it the better. On second thought, some of us would like to believe that the Asantehene was misinformed about the whole issue and he decided to swallow whatever he heard, that is why he has been insulting me,” the Techimanhene stated.
“We have decided to watch him from the sideline with sadness, because he has allowed himself to be misled. His action led to the unfortunate situation where macho men, allegedly hired by the Manhyia Palace, attacked buses coming to Techiman and assaulted the passengers. Meanwhile, these people were not all Techiman citizens, but some of them were from all over the country, including Ashanti Region,” he said.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw observed that leadership in whatever sphere of life must be used to bring progress, to help colleagues, peers, friends and, indeed, everybody to achieve their goals and objectives.
The Techimanhene stated further that it was rather the Asantehene and Lawyer Obiri Boahen who were planting conflict in society, and advised the Asantehene to cool down and allow the law to take its course.
“Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law. If the Asantehene is stating that he will catch me and behead me, I leave everything to the security services to decide, because I am a law-abiding citizen, and the last thing I will do is to threaten the life of an innocent citizen,” Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw added.
The Techimanhene also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the Tuobodom stand-off and allow reasoning and truth to prevail.
He stated that the chiefs and people of Techiman believed in ‘jaw-jaw’ rather than going to war, and as such they had always resorted to the law courts to seek redress in any matter that might crop up as a result of the Tuobodom issue.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
GOVT TO EXPAND AGRIC PROGRAMME (PAGE 32, MARCH 25, 2010)
The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) is being expanded by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to cover livestock farming, aquaculture and agribusiness to create more job opportunities for the youth.
The YIAP has so far concentrated only on block farming in six regions but it is now being extended to all the 10 regions.
At the fourth matriculation and third congregation of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Methodist University College Ghana (MUCG), Wenchi Campus in the Brong Ahafo Region, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said under the YIAP, 12,000 hectares of maize, rice and soybean had been cultivated, while 47,000 people had been gainfully employed.
“The plan for 2010 is to expand the programme to cover all the four components and also all the districts in the 10 regions. The President has directed ministers and all political leaders, Council of State members, parliamentarians and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to also engage in one agricultural venture or another,” he said.
At the joint ceremony, 80 students were officially admitted to the university college to pursue degree, diploma and certificate courses in General Agriculture, Agro-processing and Horticulture, while 10 students graduated with Diploma in General Agriculture.
It was on the theme, “Enhancing quality food production and agric-business through value chain development”.
Mr Ahwoi said the ministry was also pursuing the irrigation development programme and had completed the rehabilitation of selected irrigation projects across the country.
He said the second phase of the rehabilitation of the Tono Irrigation Project had been completed, while efforts were being made to rehabilitate 30 other dams in the Greater Accra and Volta regions.
Furthermore, he said, 500 boreholes were being constructed for irrigation and agro-processing in all the 10 regions, while studies had been completed to activate the Accra Plains Irrigation Project, which could irrigate 150,000 hectares.
Mr Ahwoi commended the Faculty of Agriculture of the MUCG for being a trailblazer in commodity value chain development in the country.
He noted that the initiatives of the college had also helped farmers to produce for the ultimate benefit of the final consumer and expressed the hope that those efforts would be replicated in other parts of the region and subsequently in all parts of the country.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana and Chairman of MUCG Council, the Most Rev Prof Emmanuel K. Asante, in his address, said the aim of programmes of the faculty in the field of agricultural was to impact positively on the lives of farmers in and around the Wenchi municipality.
He urged the graduate to put into practical use the knowledge they had acquired by venturing into farming to boost food production to address poverty, particularly in the rural communities.
The Principal of the MUCG, the Very Rev Prof Samuel K. Adjepong, said the curriculum of the faculty was designed to prepare students to be self-employed in farming business, stressing that courses in the faculty had been carefully selected and prepared, taking cognisance of national agricultural policies and the human resource needs of the agricultural sector.
He said the faculty produced yoghourt and fresh fruit drink which did not contain any additives for sale, saying as soon as the faculty purchased industrial machines, it would flood the market with those products.
The Very Rev Prof Adjepong appealed to MoFA to assist the faculty with a processing machine to enable it to go into large-scale production and also set up a mechanisation centre.
The YIAP has so far concentrated only on block farming in six regions but it is now being extended to all the 10 regions.
At the fourth matriculation and third congregation of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Methodist University College Ghana (MUCG), Wenchi Campus in the Brong Ahafo Region, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said under the YIAP, 12,000 hectares of maize, rice and soybean had been cultivated, while 47,000 people had been gainfully employed.
“The plan for 2010 is to expand the programme to cover all the four components and also all the districts in the 10 regions. The President has directed ministers and all political leaders, Council of State members, parliamentarians and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to also engage in one agricultural venture or another,” he said.
At the joint ceremony, 80 students were officially admitted to the university college to pursue degree, diploma and certificate courses in General Agriculture, Agro-processing and Horticulture, while 10 students graduated with Diploma in General Agriculture.
It was on the theme, “Enhancing quality food production and agric-business through value chain development”.
Mr Ahwoi said the ministry was also pursuing the irrigation development programme and had completed the rehabilitation of selected irrigation projects across the country.
He said the second phase of the rehabilitation of the Tono Irrigation Project had been completed, while efforts were being made to rehabilitate 30 other dams in the Greater Accra and Volta regions.
Furthermore, he said, 500 boreholes were being constructed for irrigation and agro-processing in all the 10 regions, while studies had been completed to activate the Accra Plains Irrigation Project, which could irrigate 150,000 hectares.
Mr Ahwoi commended the Faculty of Agriculture of the MUCG for being a trailblazer in commodity value chain development in the country.
He noted that the initiatives of the college had also helped farmers to produce for the ultimate benefit of the final consumer and expressed the hope that those efforts would be replicated in other parts of the region and subsequently in all parts of the country.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana and Chairman of MUCG Council, the Most Rev Prof Emmanuel K. Asante, in his address, said the aim of programmes of the faculty in the field of agricultural was to impact positively on the lives of farmers in and around the Wenchi municipality.
He urged the graduate to put into practical use the knowledge they had acquired by venturing into farming to boost food production to address poverty, particularly in the rural communities.
The Principal of the MUCG, the Very Rev Prof Samuel K. Adjepong, said the curriculum of the faculty was designed to prepare students to be self-employed in farming business, stressing that courses in the faculty had been carefully selected and prepared, taking cognisance of national agricultural policies and the human resource needs of the agricultural sector.
He said the faculty produced yoghourt and fresh fruit drink which did not contain any additives for sale, saying as soon as the faculty purchased industrial machines, it would flood the market with those products.
The Very Rev Prof Adjepong appealed to MoFA to assist the faculty with a processing machine to enable it to go into large-scale production and also set up a mechanisation centre.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
PAY CONTRACTORS IN BA — ARMAH (PAGE 21, MARCH 24, 2010)
THE Chairman of the Brong Ahafo Regional branch of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC), Mr Daniel Armah, has appealed to the government, as a matter of urgency, to release funds for the payment of contractors in the region.
According to him, some members of the association in the region had not been paid for the jobs that they had executed since 2008, and that was seriously affecting them to the extent that some of them were laying off their workers.
Mr Armah made the appeal at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected six-member executive of the association in Sunyani, performed by a Sunyani-based legal practitioner, Mr Alex Amponsah of Adom Consult.
The executive members are Mr Daniel Armah, Chairman; Mr George Damoah, Vice-Chairman; Nana Offeh Atakorah, Treasurer; Kwame Agyarko Nkrumah, Technical Advisor, and two non-executive members, namely Messrs Paul Yaw Ofosu and Thomas Kwame Ankamah.
The Secretary to the executive council is Madam Esther Amankwaa.
Mr Armah also called on members of the association in the region who had not been paid since 2008 to submit their names to his outfit to enable the executive to follow up for payment by the Road Fund.
He said the new executive members were ready to accept constructive criticisms and suggestions, adding that they would move the association forward.
Mr Armah, therefore, urged members of the association not to hesitate to contact the office when they needed any form of assistance.
He further admonished members of the association in the region to unite so that they would be able to present a united front to champion their cause in the road construction industry.
Mr Armah appealed to the various splinter groups to come back to their fold to enable the association to present one voice on any issue concerning their welfare and that of the industry to the government.
He thanked the members for the confidence they reposed in them, and pledged to steer the affairs of the association to their expectation.
According to him, some members of the association in the region had not been paid for the jobs that they had executed since 2008, and that was seriously affecting them to the extent that some of them were laying off their workers.
Mr Armah made the appeal at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected six-member executive of the association in Sunyani, performed by a Sunyani-based legal practitioner, Mr Alex Amponsah of Adom Consult.
The executive members are Mr Daniel Armah, Chairman; Mr George Damoah, Vice-Chairman; Nana Offeh Atakorah, Treasurer; Kwame Agyarko Nkrumah, Technical Advisor, and two non-executive members, namely Messrs Paul Yaw Ofosu and Thomas Kwame Ankamah.
The Secretary to the executive council is Madam Esther Amankwaa.
Mr Armah also called on members of the association in the region who had not been paid since 2008 to submit their names to his outfit to enable the executive to follow up for payment by the Road Fund.
He said the new executive members were ready to accept constructive criticisms and suggestions, adding that they would move the association forward.
Mr Armah, therefore, urged members of the association not to hesitate to contact the office when they needed any form of assistance.
He further admonished members of the association in the region to unite so that they would be able to present a united front to champion their cause in the road construction industry.
Mr Armah appealed to the various splinter groups to come back to their fold to enable the association to present one voice on any issue concerning their welfare and that of the industry to the government.
He thanked the members for the confidence they reposed in them, and pledged to steer the affairs of the association to their expectation.
FALLING KASAPA MAST DESTROYS PROPERTY AT ANYIMA (PAGE 20, MARCH 24, 2010)
MANY buildings and other property of some households were destroyed and a goat killed at Anyima, a farming community in the Kintampo South District in the Brong Ahafo Region, when a mast belonging to Kasapa, a telecommunication company, collapsed during a rainstorm.
It was the second time that a mast of the telecommunication company had collapsed under the same circumstances in the district.
The first was at Apesika, also a farming community in the district, in which three people died instantly with five others sustaining injuries in May, last year.
The people who died during the first incident were Wanipa Magan, Tengatan Tapure and Yaw Terpuan but in the second incident, no casualty was recorded but it destroyed buildings and other property in the area as the inhabitants of the building were not in their rooms when it occurred.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic attributed the two incidents within a period of less than a year in the district to the work of witchcraft and curses, while others said it was as a result of shoddy work on the part of the contractors who constructed the masts.
According to eyewitnesses, the first incident saw the 120-metre tall mast simply sag and tilt over when a strong wind preceded a downpour.
The virtually completed mast, which had been sited about 80 metres from the Apesika market shed, fell over the market destroying the sheds and killing individuals in the process.
The DCE, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said the Kasapa officials contacted him to assist them to locate the relatives of the deceased to arrange for compensation.
He said at the time of the collapse of the first mast, work was progressing on an identical one in Anyima, also in the Kintampo South District.
Mr Datiakwa said authorities of the district assembly quickly issued a stop work order against the construction of the second mast.
That, he said, was based on the fact that the engineering designs on both masts were similar.
Moreover, investigations revealed that wind speeds in both locations were similar.
“We requested them to either maintain their specifications but relocate the mast or reduce the height of the mast or relocate the people living in that area, but the advice fell on deaf ears,” the DCE said.
Mr Datiakwa said all that the contractor did was to write back, saying that nothing would happen in the name of God.
He stated that just a few weeks before the collapse of the mast in Anyima, Kasapa agents came to pay their permit fee for the construction, but he said he rejected it with the explanation that the fee would have given his tacit approval for the construction.
Meanwhile, officials at the Kasapa office in Sunyani have confirmed the incidents and said the company had already paid GH¢16,000 each to the families of those who lost their lives in the first accident at Apesika while efforts were being made to forestall any future occurence.
It was the second time that a mast of the telecommunication company had collapsed under the same circumstances in the district.
The first was at Apesika, also a farming community in the district, in which three people died instantly with five others sustaining injuries in May, last year.
The people who died during the first incident were Wanipa Magan, Tengatan Tapure and Yaw Terpuan but in the second incident, no casualty was recorded but it destroyed buildings and other property in the area as the inhabitants of the building were not in their rooms when it occurred.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic attributed the two incidents within a period of less than a year in the district to the work of witchcraft and curses, while others said it was as a result of shoddy work on the part of the contractors who constructed the masts.
According to eyewitnesses, the first incident saw the 120-metre tall mast simply sag and tilt over when a strong wind preceded a downpour.
The virtually completed mast, which had been sited about 80 metres from the Apesika market shed, fell over the market destroying the sheds and killing individuals in the process.
The DCE, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said the Kasapa officials contacted him to assist them to locate the relatives of the deceased to arrange for compensation.
He said at the time of the collapse of the first mast, work was progressing on an identical one in Anyima, also in the Kintampo South District.
Mr Datiakwa said authorities of the district assembly quickly issued a stop work order against the construction of the second mast.
That, he said, was based on the fact that the engineering designs on both masts were similar.
Moreover, investigations revealed that wind speeds in both locations were similar.
“We requested them to either maintain their specifications but relocate the mast or reduce the height of the mast or relocate the people living in that area, but the advice fell on deaf ears,” the DCE said.
Mr Datiakwa said all that the contractor did was to write back, saying that nothing would happen in the name of God.
He stated that just a few weeks before the collapse of the mast in Anyima, Kasapa agents came to pay their permit fee for the construction, but he said he rejected it with the explanation that the fee would have given his tacit approval for the construction.
Meanwhile, officials at the Kasapa office in Sunyani have confirmed the incidents and said the company had already paid GH¢16,000 each to the families of those who lost their lives in the first accident at Apesika while efforts were being made to forestall any future occurence.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
CHEALSEA NOT READY FOR REPLAY (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 11, MARCH 23, ,2010)
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bechem Chelsea, Mr. Obed Nana Nketiah a.k.a Nana Kwame has dismissed suggestions that the Glo Premier League match between Chelsea and Kessben which ended abruptly at the Abrankese Stadium on February 28, 2010 should be replayed.
According to him, there was no way anybody could call for a replay of that match since all evidence point to the fact that it was Kessben fans that brought the match to an a abrupt end, after they pelted Accra-based referee Silas Okine with satchet water.
Referee Okine who had to seek medical attention could not return for the second half of the game thereby bringing the match to an abrupt end.
“Based on this fact there is no way the Premier League Board(PLB) can order a replay of that match”, he said.
Nana Kwame who dismissed the suggestions in an intervieww with the Graphic Sports at Berekum over the weekend said Chelsea had already sent a protest and was waiting for the response.
The CEO of Bechem Chelsea quoted the Ghana Football Association(GFA) Regulations Article 34 1D and E which stated that “a team, player or supporters of a team intimidate, an act responsible for the abrupt end of a match, the team would lose the points”.
He said Article 34, 5A of the GFA regualtions indicated that Chelsea should be rewarded with the three points and three goals since it was Kessben fans that caused the abrupt end of the match.
Nana Kwame therefore reiterated that with these facts established, there was no need for a replay, adding that the GFA regulations have not changed.
Throwing some light on the incident that led to the abrupt end of the match, the Bechem CEO said it was the technical handlers of Kessben who rushed on the referee who showed Kessben’s goalkeeper’s trainer, Sampson Ampiah, the red card and that led to the throwing of all kinds of objects including sachet water.
Touching on the change of venue for their home matches from the Sunyani Coronation Park to the Berekum Golden City Park, Nana Kwame said it has turned the fortune of the team around, adding that ever since the team started using the Golden City Park as its home gate proceeds had increased tremendously compared with the days when they were played at Sunyani.
He was upbeat that Chelsea would place a respectable position on the Premier League ladder at the end of the competition and urged the supporters to rally behind the team to ensure that the team survive the premiership.
According to him, there was no way anybody could call for a replay of that match since all evidence point to the fact that it was Kessben fans that brought the match to an a abrupt end, after they pelted Accra-based referee Silas Okine with satchet water.
Referee Okine who had to seek medical attention could not return for the second half of the game thereby bringing the match to an abrupt end.
“Based on this fact there is no way the Premier League Board(PLB) can order a replay of that match”, he said.
Nana Kwame who dismissed the suggestions in an intervieww with the Graphic Sports at Berekum over the weekend said Chelsea had already sent a protest and was waiting for the response.
The CEO of Bechem Chelsea quoted the Ghana Football Association(GFA) Regulations Article 34 1D and E which stated that “a team, player or supporters of a team intimidate, an act responsible for the abrupt end of a match, the team would lose the points”.
He said Article 34, 5A of the GFA regualtions indicated that Chelsea should be rewarded with the three points and three goals since it was Kessben fans that caused the abrupt end of the match.
Nana Kwame therefore reiterated that with these facts established, there was no need for a replay, adding that the GFA regulations have not changed.
Throwing some light on the incident that led to the abrupt end of the match, the Bechem CEO said it was the technical handlers of Kessben who rushed on the referee who showed Kessben’s goalkeeper’s trainer, Sampson Ampiah, the red card and that led to the throwing of all kinds of objects including sachet water.
Touching on the change of venue for their home matches from the Sunyani Coronation Park to the Berekum Golden City Park, Nana Kwame said it has turned the fortune of the team around, adding that ever since the team started using the Golden City Park as its home gate proceeds had increased tremendously compared with the days when they were played at Sunyani.
He was upbeat that Chelsea would place a respectable position on the Premier League ladder at the end of the competition and urged the supporters to rally behind the team to ensure that the team survive the premiership.
247 BENEFIT FROM CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES (PAGE 20, MARCH 23, 2010)
ATWO hundred and forty-seven individuals, including 67 females, have so far benefited from the capacity building programmes under the Ahafo Linkages Programme (ALP) introduced by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The training programme covered business management, customer care in hospitality industry, good agricultural practices in vegetable and fruit production, upgrading of skills in pottery and bricks production and good husbandry practices in egg production.
The ALP is an initiative of the NGGL, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The primary objective of the programme was to increase income and employment for local communities around Newmont Ahafo Project through capacity building of local enterprises, directly and indirectly related to Newmont’s activities in Ahafo and improved environment for business development.
Speaking at the close-out session of the programme in Sunyani, the General Manager for Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, Mr Dan V. Michaelsen, said 47 local suppliers to Newmont also received capacity building and mentoring in business management, tender and financial management, finance facilitation, accounting, marketing, health and safety, technical productive skills as well as quality improvement as of December, last year.
He said as a result, those local suppliers were able to employ 93 new persons, while salaries paid to their workers amounted to over GH¢400,000.
According to him, 46 businesses had also been able to establish record keeping system through diligent filing of documents on transactions, and official documents such as contract/tender document.
Mr Michaelson stated that financial resources accessed by the businesses during the period under review amounted to GH¢650,000 with the 47 local suppliers accessing 57 new clients apart from Newmont's assistance, through a market diversification drive.
He said total sales generated by the local suppliers as of December 2009 stood at GH¢30million, while total sales made by the businesses in 2007 was GH¢4.7 million, adding that those local suppliers also made GH¢20 million worth of sales from Newmont’s contracts, in addition to GH¢9 million from their other clients.
On the local economic development front, Mr Michaelson said as of December, 2009, 44 businesses, comprising 22 for each group, also received technical assistance, while all the 44 businesses developed basic records keeping in the areas of cashbook, expenditure analysis, credit sales, credit purchase, pay roll, bank operation and raw material inventory.
Mr Michaelson added that the total sale generated by the 44 active group one businesses currently stood at GH¢2 million, creating 94 new jobs in the process, while the 44 local non-mining businesses had accessed $1.4 million dollars as credit from financial institutions.
He lauded the collaborative effort of the IFC, TechnoServe, ALP team and the Ahafo Local Businesses Association (ALBA) for their contributions to the success story of the programme.
The Programme Co-ordinator of ALP, Mr George Owusu said the gains made under the programme were through co-operation, spirit of partnership, dedication and commitment on the part of the implementers, sponsors, managers and beneficiaries.
Mr Owusu expressed hope that the beneficiaries would continue to take advantage of the opportunities presented by NGGL/IFC to better their lot.
Some of the beneficiaries at the function commended Newmont for the initiative that had ensured the consistent growth of their businesses, improvement in their livelihoods and the economics of their communities.
All the 60 local businesses that participated in the ALP were also presented with certificates.
The training programme covered business management, customer care in hospitality industry, good agricultural practices in vegetable and fruit production, upgrading of skills in pottery and bricks production and good husbandry practices in egg production.
The ALP is an initiative of the NGGL, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The primary objective of the programme was to increase income and employment for local communities around Newmont Ahafo Project through capacity building of local enterprises, directly and indirectly related to Newmont’s activities in Ahafo and improved environment for business development.
Speaking at the close-out session of the programme in Sunyani, the General Manager for Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, Mr Dan V. Michaelsen, said 47 local suppliers to Newmont also received capacity building and mentoring in business management, tender and financial management, finance facilitation, accounting, marketing, health and safety, technical productive skills as well as quality improvement as of December, last year.
He said as a result, those local suppliers were able to employ 93 new persons, while salaries paid to their workers amounted to over GH¢400,000.
According to him, 46 businesses had also been able to establish record keeping system through diligent filing of documents on transactions, and official documents such as contract/tender document.
Mr Michaelson stated that financial resources accessed by the businesses during the period under review amounted to GH¢650,000 with the 47 local suppliers accessing 57 new clients apart from Newmont's assistance, through a market diversification drive.
He said total sales generated by the local suppliers as of December 2009 stood at GH¢30million, while total sales made by the businesses in 2007 was GH¢4.7 million, adding that those local suppliers also made GH¢20 million worth of sales from Newmont’s contracts, in addition to GH¢9 million from their other clients.
On the local economic development front, Mr Michaelson said as of December, 2009, 44 businesses, comprising 22 for each group, also received technical assistance, while all the 44 businesses developed basic records keeping in the areas of cashbook, expenditure analysis, credit sales, credit purchase, pay roll, bank operation and raw material inventory.
Mr Michaelson added that the total sale generated by the 44 active group one businesses currently stood at GH¢2 million, creating 94 new jobs in the process, while the 44 local non-mining businesses had accessed $1.4 million dollars as credit from financial institutions.
He lauded the collaborative effort of the IFC, TechnoServe, ALP team and the Ahafo Local Businesses Association (ALBA) for their contributions to the success story of the programme.
The Programme Co-ordinator of ALP, Mr George Owusu said the gains made under the programme were through co-operation, spirit of partnership, dedication and commitment on the part of the implementers, sponsors, managers and beneficiaries.
Mr Owusu expressed hope that the beneficiaries would continue to take advantage of the opportunities presented by NGGL/IFC to better their lot.
Some of the beneficiaries at the function commended Newmont for the initiative that had ensured the consistent growth of their businesses, improvement in their livelihoods and the economics of their communities.
All the 60 local businesses that participated in the ALP were also presented with certificates.
INTER-SCHOOLS FESTIVAL TURNS VIOLENT (BACK PAGE, MARCH 23, 2010)
A two-day inter-school sports festival at the Techiman Senior High School (TESS) turned violent when the students threw stones and other offensive missiles at their fellows from other participating schools and later held 133 of them hostage.
It took the timely intervention of the police who fired tear gas to disperse the irate students who were on rampage and also to free the 133 students.
Sixteen students who were injured in the process were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
The reason for the action of the students of TESS was that students from the other participating schools, had thrown their support behind the female team of Busunya SHS from the Nkoranza North District, which they claimed led to the defeat of the female team of TESS in the final match.
One of the students who sustained serious head injury from the stone throwing has been referred for surgery at the hospital. Two vehicles of the police had their windscreens smashed and three vehicles belonging to some of the participating schools got damaged.
Seven persons made up of six students and a national service person of TESS were arrested and later granted police enquiry bail.
According to the police, the national service person, who is a teacher is alleged to have incited the students to engage in the act.
The other participating schools in the competition were the Tuobodom, Buoyem, Offuman, Akumfi Ameyaw and Busunya senior high schools.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Joseph A. Gyau, said the incident broke out when the Busunya SHS female team defeated their Techiman counterparts in the finals of the soccer competition at the sports festival.
He said it was alleged that the defeat of the host school’s female football team did not go down well with their male counterparts, who, therefore, decided to throw stones at students of the other participating schools for supporting their opponent.
It took the timely intervention of the police who fired tear gas to disperse the irate students who were on rampage and also to free the 133 students.
Sixteen students who were injured in the process were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
The reason for the action of the students of TESS was that students from the other participating schools, had thrown their support behind the female team of Busunya SHS from the Nkoranza North District, which they claimed led to the defeat of the female team of TESS in the final match.
One of the students who sustained serious head injury from the stone throwing has been referred for surgery at the hospital. Two vehicles of the police had their windscreens smashed and three vehicles belonging to some of the participating schools got damaged.
Seven persons made up of six students and a national service person of TESS were arrested and later granted police enquiry bail.
According to the police, the national service person, who is a teacher is alleged to have incited the students to engage in the act.
The other participating schools in the competition were the Tuobodom, Buoyem, Offuman, Akumfi Ameyaw and Busunya senior high schools.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Joseph A. Gyau, said the incident broke out when the Busunya SHS female team defeated their Techiman counterparts in the finals of the soccer competition at the sports festival.
He said it was alleged that the defeat of the host school’s female football team did not go down well with their male counterparts, who, therefore, decided to throw stones at students of the other participating schools for supporting their opponent.
Monday, March 22, 2010
KESSBEN FALL TO ARSENAL (BACK PAGE, MARCH 22, 2010)
WITH six months remaining for the government to implement the four-year senior high school (SHS) programme, the Ministry of Education has tasked groups of consultants who are working feverishly on how to address the problem of additional classrooms and dormitories to accommodate new students.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
KESSBEN FALL TO ARSENAL (BACK PAGE, MARCH 22, 2010)
WITH six months remaining for the government to implement the four-year senior high school (SHS) programme, the Ministry of Education has tasked groups of consultants who are working feverishly on how to address the problem of additional classrooms and dormitories to accommodate new students.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
KESSBEN FALL TO ARSENAL (BACK PAGE, MARCH 22, 2010)
WITH six months remaining for the government to implement the four-year senior high school (SHS) programme, the Ministry of Education has tasked groups of consultants who are working feverishly on how to address the problem of additional classrooms and dormitories to accommodate new students.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The completion of the work of the consultants, which is being fast-tracked, will enable the government to take a firm decision on how more than 140,000 junior high school (JHS) students who are due for admission to SHS in September this year can begin their academic work without any hitch.
As a result of the introduction of the four-year SHS in 2007, many SHSs are faced with the lack of adequate classrooms and dormitories for the increased number of students.
A source at the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this to the Graphic in Accra last Friday, allayed the fears of the public concerning the smooth transition from the three-year SHS to four years and said a solution to the problem would certainly be found.
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHSs may not be able to admit new JHS students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
The source said the government was committed to pursuing its agenda of investing in the people and implementing its educational programmes.
“We are collating the various suggestions being put out and once that is done, we will take a decision,” it said.
It hinted that an amendment to the Education Act to change the four-year SHS to three years had been drafted and approved by Cabinet and that would be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
The House is expected to approve the bill when it resumes in May 2010.
From Kumasi, some SHSs in the Ashanti Region have warned that they will not be able to admit fresh students for the next academic year if the necessary infrastructure is not put in place, reports Kwame Asare Boadu.
The heads of the schools contended that current classroom and residential accommodation available was not enough to meet the change-over of the SHS from three to four years and that it was incumbent on the government to save the situation.
The Headmaster of the Anglican SHS in Kumasi, Rev Canon Emmanuel Yaw Brobe-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that he had told the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to find ways of helping the school, without which there could not be any admission of SHS One students in September.
He stated that the PTA had agreed to levy each student GHҐ10 for the provision of an additional classroom block, adding, however, that that “is not enough under the present circumstances”.
Rev. Canon Brobe-Mensah said the school needed seven additional classrooms immediately.
“If we get this, then we can be sure to admit students to SHS One,” he added.
The Anglican SHS is one of the model schools that benefited from a number for projects during the NPP administration but the headmaster said unfortunately “no classroom blocks were provided”.
The Headmistress of Jachie Pramso SHS, Ms Afuande Eshun, said the school needed eight additional classrooms to be able to admit fresh students.
“If not, we cannot admit even one person in September,” she said in an interview.
She, therefore, urged the authorities to come in to prevent what could be a major setback in the educational sector.
Painting the same picture, the Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of the T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Mr Ernest Oppong Poku, said the main challenge facing the school was the lack of infrastructure, saying more needed to be provided immediately.
He said there was the need to complete a 12-unit classroom block, the construction of which had been in abeyance, to facilitate academic work.
He indicated that there was congestion in the dormitories, arguing that even if the school would admit students to SHS One, most of them would have to be day students.
With regard to teachers, the heads said the schools did not have a problem with them.
From Koforidua, A. Kofoya-Tetteh reports that most of the SHSs in the region are not prepared to admit new students at the beginning of the academic year in September due to lack of classrooms and dormitories.
The situation is serious at the Ghana SHS and the Koforidua SHS, which have virtually no extra classrooms and dormitories.
An additional 17 classrooms are needed at the Ghana SHS but there is no hope that they will be provided by September this year.
According to the Assistant Headmaster (Administration) of the school, Mr Jacob Afful, apart from the lack of classrooms and dormitories, the dining hall also had to be expanded, since its present size could not cater for additional students.
He said the school was currently not prepared to take in additional students in September and indicated that the administration had filled a form from the Ghana Education Service stipulating its needs and expressed the hope that the challenges would be met before the commencement of the new academic year.
Lack of dormitory facilities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SHSs in the Upper East Region ahead of the 2010/2011 academic year in September this year, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
In an interview with heads of SHSs in Bolgatanga, the common challenge which ran through was the unavailability of dormitories to accommodate new students.
The Headmaster of Bawku SHS, Mr Bismark Simon Kpuli, said the school would have no option but admit new students as day students.
According to him, all the 1,784 students in the boarding house were there under difficult conditions and that until an additional dormitory was provided, it would be difficult to admit more students to the boarding house.
For her part, the Headmistress of Bolgatanga SHS, Mrs Francisca Yizura, expressed the hope that work on the new 12- unit classroom block would be completed on time to accommodate the new students.
She said the major challenge would be accommodation in the boarding house but indicated that the school authorities would meet the PTA and the board to discuss the options available to them.
Mrs Yizura, who is a member of the Upper East Regional executive of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), said the problems associated with the introduction of the new reform had been presented to the Director-General of the GES for the necessary action and solution.
From Wa, Chris Nunoo reports that accommodation for students who will be admitted to SHS next academic year seems to be the headache of most heads in the Upper West Region.
This is because many of the schools are presently grappling with lack of classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls and furniture.
A visit to the Wa Senior High Technical School in the Wa municipality by the Daily Graphic revealed a shocking situation, with students having to convert classrooms into sleeping places after regular classes.
The situation is so appalling that it needs to be tackled as quickly as possible.
The school, situated at the centre of the Wa, has a population of about 494 students. Out of the number, about 95 per cent live on the compound, even though it has no boarding facilities.
In an interview, the Headmistress of the school, Ms Leocadia Zakpala, explained that though it did not have boarding facilities, it had been compelled to host students because majority of them came from very far villages.
She said as a result of the situation, desks had to be taken away from many of the classrooms after classes for students to sleep in them in the night.
Ms Zakpala was very concerned about where the new batch of students would have their lessons, since already there was so much pressure on classroom facilities in the school.
“You will not believe this but during examinations we run a shift system where one batch of students write after which another batch moves in. This is all because there are no halls or classrooms to accommodate students during examinations,” she lamented.
“So if we say we are going to admit fresh students, where will they sleep?” Ms Zakpala asked, and appealed to the contractors working on a new hostel, a classroom and a dining hall to speed up the work.
The Wa SHS is overcrowded, with the classrooms accommodating between 50 and 60 students, instead of a maximum of 45 students in a classroom.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Jonas N Maari, was not happy about the situation, saying, "If we are to admit the next batch of students, then it is going to be a big problem on our hands.”
He mentioned lack of classroom accommodation, dormitories and furniture as the major concerns of the school at the moment.
The Daffiama SHS in the Nadowli District and the Lawra SHS are both confronted with similar challenges which call for a quick solution to enhance the admission of the next batch of students.
The implementation of the four-year SHS programme may run into serious difficulties if the government is not able to apply a fast-track intervention to provide additional infrastructure to solve the acute classroom and dormitory accommodation problems facing majority of schools in the Volta Region, writes Tim Dzamboe from Ho.
This came to light when the Daily Graphic interviewed some headmasters on the challenges their schools might face with respect to admissions in the next academic year.
The Headmaster of Kpedze SHS, Mr M.K. Arku, said the school needed at least 18 classrooms to ameliorate the situation of inadequate classrooms facing the school.
He said there was inadequate dormitory space, inadequate staff accommodation on the compound and inadequate number of computers in the laboratory.
The Headmaster of Awudome SHS, Mr Cyprian Kwasivi Otti said, “We don’t have classroom and dormitory accommodation and the government should come up with a package to salvage the situation before October this year.”
He said right now he was in a quandary and did not know what to do, especially whether the students should be admitted as day students.
In the case of the Kpeve SHS, many structures have already been converted into classrooms and the school will not be able to cope with the pressure when the new batch of students is admitted in September 2010.
The Headmaster, Mr S.K. Kudaya, said a pavilion which could accommodate 100 students was urgently needed, adding that an 18-unit classroom block would be ideal.
He said the needs of the school were numerous, including a science laboratory, staff bungalows and offices for the headmaster and teachers.
The Headmaster of Anloga SHS, Mr W.I.K. Azumah, said there was already congestion in the classrooms and the dormitories and the school would face a greater burden under the four-year SHS programme.
He suggested that pavilions be provided by the end of August, otherwise all new students would be admitted as day students.
For his part, the Principal of Have Senior High Technical School, Reverend G.K. Gidiglo, said a four-unit classroom block was needed, in addition to 350 pieces of furniture.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the GES, Mr Gabriel S. Kploanyi, has corroborated the predicament facing the schools, saying that facilities in the 76 SHS in the region were overstretched.
He said a needs assessment had been conducted and delivered to the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council for their perusal and action.
Mr Kploanyi appealed to headmasters to be creative and innovative to enable them to accommodate the challenge and said they could not simply throw their hands in the air in desperation.
According to him, very good contractors could be engaged to construct pavilion school blocks within two months to meet the exigencies of the time.
In an address read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary of the Mampong Presbyterian SHS in the Akuapem North District on Saturday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, confirmed the government's determination to resource SHSs with the needed infrastructure towards the take-off of the new programme next academic year, reports Nana Konadu.
"I wish to assure stakeholders that the government is seriously working around the clock to ensure that the basic necessities for the take-off of the extension next academic year will be put in place in all second-cycle schools, especially where the need is most critical and urgent," he stated.
The event was also used to inaugurate a two-storey girls’ dormitory that was funded by the PTA of the school.
The Minister of Education said while the four-year SHS programme had become an albatross around the neck of stakeholders, the government was making every strenuous efforts to provide all the SHSs across the country with the needed infrastructure to ensure a smooth take-off next academic year.
According to him, more attention would be given to schools that were in dire need of infrastructure, including the Mampong Presbyterian SHS.
The minister, who commended the PTA of the school for its commitment and support to the development of the school, also appealed to the students to concentrate on their studies to ensure that investments made in their education would yield positive outcomes in the future.
He appealed to the students not to allow the present inadequate learning environment they found themselves in to discourage them from concentrating on their studies.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, also commended the PTA for its commitment to the growth of the institution over the past 20 years.
"With your great strides, you must not relent but continue to give your best support to your children's school, since the provision of education is a shared responsibility among the government, parents and civil society," he stated.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Rev S. M. A. Munyuhitum, had said the school currently had a student population of 952, comprising 236 day students and 716 boarders.
Being a community school, he said, the PTA had played an enormous role in its growth and development, with the government only providing a two-bedroom bungalow and an Isuzu pick-up for the school, apart from books.
"Over the years, it has been our PTA that has provided the school with dining and assembly halls, three classrooms and an office, two storerooms, 500 desks, two boreholes, a generator, two gas tanks for the kitchen and an extended and renovated girls' dormitory," he stated.
The headmaster, who was grateful for the commitment of the PTA, added that the PTA was currently funding the construction of a two-storey boys' dormitory block that could accommodate about 400 students upon completion.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school, saying, "We need two vehicles, a 12-unit classroom block, a boys' dormitory, an administration block and staff bungalows to enhance teaching and learning."
The assurance of the Ministry of Education comes against the backdrop of reports from the regions that SHS may not be able to admit new students for SHS programmes because of lack of space and facilities.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
BRONG AHAFO TOLL BOOTHS YIELD GH¢78,743 (PAGE 22, MARCH 20, 2010)
THE four toll booths in the Brong Ahafo Region recorded a total of GH¢78,743 in two weeks following the recent increase in road tolls as against GH¢38,750 recorded for the same period before the increment.
The toll booths in the region are sited at Bechem on the Sunyani-Kumasi highway, Fiapre on the Sunyani-Berekum road, Babato and Bamboi in the Kintampo North Municipality.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, disclosed this when J. Adom Limited, a Sunyani-based construction firm, donated a brand new Toyota Avensis saloon car valued at GH¢15,000 to the chief of Menji, Nana Alhaji Lamin Adisa II, at a brief ceremony at Menji in the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The company donated the vehicle to Nana Alhaji Adisa, who is said to be over 100 years old and former President of the Tain Divisional Chiefs Council, for his personal use and also to facilitate his movement as a result of his old age.
Apart from the car, the company also presented GH¢1,000 cash to Nana Alhaji Adisa to purchase fuel and also for the maintenance of the vehicle.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo stated that the amount realised from the new tolls would be used for the development of roads in the country,from which the region would also benefit.
He added that the money would also enable the government to undertake sustainable maintenance of the road network in the country.
The regional minister urged Ghanaians to exercise restraint and rally behind the government to achieve its “Better Ghana Agenda.”
He said the government had the welfare of the people of Ghana at heart and would therefore not introduce policies that would be inimical to the well-being of Ghanaians.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed gratitude to J. Adom Limited and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Joseph Adom, for the philanthropic gesture, and expressed hope that it would help the chief in his movement.
He called on the community, especially the youth, to offer their assistance and also co-operate with J. Adom Limited, which was currently working on the Nsawkaw-Menji-Sampa road to ensure that the work was completed on schedule.
The Managing Director of J. Adom Limited, Mr Kwabena Agyei Arhin, said the donation was part of the company’s social agenda policy to assist the vulnerable and those who were in need in the society.
He said as part of its policy, the company had assisted a number of workers to construct their own residential accommodation.
Mr Arhin added that the haulage division of the company in Kumasi had also honoured two hardworking staff with building materials worth GH¢6,000 and GH¢4,000 cash.
He stated that the company had also instituted a scholarship scheme for needy students from the senior high school (SHS) to the tertiary educational institution level.
Besides, Mr Arhin said the company had assisted many communities within the areas and it had constructed additional roads free-of-charge for them.
Nana Alhaji Adisa thanked Mr Adom for the gesture and asked for Allah’s blessings for him and for the company.
The toll booths in the region are sited at Bechem on the Sunyani-Kumasi highway, Fiapre on the Sunyani-Berekum road, Babato and Bamboi in the Kintampo North Municipality.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, disclosed this when J. Adom Limited, a Sunyani-based construction firm, donated a brand new Toyota Avensis saloon car valued at GH¢15,000 to the chief of Menji, Nana Alhaji Lamin Adisa II, at a brief ceremony at Menji in the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The company donated the vehicle to Nana Alhaji Adisa, who is said to be over 100 years old and former President of the Tain Divisional Chiefs Council, for his personal use and also to facilitate his movement as a result of his old age.
Apart from the car, the company also presented GH¢1,000 cash to Nana Alhaji Adisa to purchase fuel and also for the maintenance of the vehicle.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo stated that the amount realised from the new tolls would be used for the development of roads in the country,from which the region would also benefit.
He added that the money would also enable the government to undertake sustainable maintenance of the road network in the country.
The regional minister urged Ghanaians to exercise restraint and rally behind the government to achieve its “Better Ghana Agenda.”
He said the government had the welfare of the people of Ghana at heart and would therefore not introduce policies that would be inimical to the well-being of Ghanaians.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed gratitude to J. Adom Limited and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Joseph Adom, for the philanthropic gesture, and expressed hope that it would help the chief in his movement.
He called on the community, especially the youth, to offer their assistance and also co-operate with J. Adom Limited, which was currently working on the Nsawkaw-Menji-Sampa road to ensure that the work was completed on schedule.
The Managing Director of J. Adom Limited, Mr Kwabena Agyei Arhin, said the donation was part of the company’s social agenda policy to assist the vulnerable and those who were in need in the society.
He said as part of its policy, the company had assisted a number of workers to construct their own residential accommodation.
Mr Arhin added that the haulage division of the company in Kumasi had also honoured two hardworking staff with building materials worth GH¢6,000 and GH¢4,000 cash.
He stated that the company had also instituted a scholarship scheme for needy students from the senior high school (SHS) to the tertiary educational institution level.
Besides, Mr Arhin said the company had assisted many communities within the areas and it had constructed additional roads free-of-charge for them.
Nana Alhaji Adisa thanked Mr Adom for the gesture and asked for Allah’s blessings for him and for the company.
MOTHER, 4 CHILDREN DROWN IN VOLTA LAKE (BACK PAGE, MARCH 20, 2010)
A mother and her four children were drowned in the Volta Lake last Wednesday evening after the canoe on which they were travelling capsized during a severe rainstorm on the lake.
The canoe was carrying eight passengers, including the woman and her four children, to their village called Kpeveme after a market day at Sawaba Number One in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region when the disaster occured.
The names of the four children and their mother, whose bodies are yet to be retrieved, were given as Ebenezer Asibe, 11, Mawuyaga Havi, nine, Salome Wumenor, 13, Nani Havi, eight, and Aku Adzevu, 46.
The children, three of whom were boys and the other a girl, were pupils of the Kpeveme Primary School.
The Pru District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Daniel Anane Amoah, told the Daily Graphic that so far two bodies had been retrieved by the rescue team in the community but they were yet to be sent to the morgue because of transportation difficulties.
He said a teacher of the Kpeveme Primary School reported the accident to the police, adding that the four children who died were part of some pupils who had gone to Sawaba Number One to play a football match.
He stated that after the football match, the schoolchildren returned to the village but the four children went to their mother at the Sawaba Number One Market, since it was a market day.
ASP Amoah said when the market closed around 6 p.m., the four children followed their mother to board a canoe to their village but lost their lives on the way.
Meanwhile the only ferry on the Volta Lake at Yeji, the capital of the Pru District, has broken down, making the transportation of goods and people in the area difficult.
The canoe was carrying eight passengers, including the woman and her four children, to their village called Kpeveme after a market day at Sawaba Number One in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region when the disaster occured.
The names of the four children and their mother, whose bodies are yet to be retrieved, were given as Ebenezer Asibe, 11, Mawuyaga Havi, nine, Salome Wumenor, 13, Nani Havi, eight, and Aku Adzevu, 46.
The children, three of whom were boys and the other a girl, were pupils of the Kpeveme Primary School.
The Pru District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Daniel Anane Amoah, told the Daily Graphic that so far two bodies had been retrieved by the rescue team in the community but they were yet to be sent to the morgue because of transportation difficulties.
He said a teacher of the Kpeveme Primary School reported the accident to the police, adding that the four children who died were part of some pupils who had gone to Sawaba Number One to play a football match.
He stated that after the football match, the schoolchildren returned to the village but the four children went to their mother at the Sawaba Number One Market, since it was a market day.
ASP Amoah said when the market closed around 6 p.m., the four children followed their mother to board a canoe to their village but lost their lives on the way.
Meanwhile the only ferry on the Volta Lake at Yeji, the capital of the Pru District, has broken down, making the transportation of goods and people in the area difficult.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
HELP RESOLVE IMPASSE...Between Tuobodomhene, Techimanhene (SPREAD, MARCH 18, 2010)
The National Security Adviser, Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, has called on all stakeholders to help resolve the impasse between the Tuobodomhene and the Techimanhene that led to the recent violent clashes at Tuobodom, near Techiman, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He, therefore, appealed to both sides in the conflict to allow the due process and the law to take its course instead of resorting to violent means to resolve their differences.
Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, who is also the leader of the government delegation tasked to mediate in the conflict, made the call in an interaction with newsmen after the delegation had conferred with the Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, at his palace in Techiman yesterday.
Other members of the delegation were the Presidential Advisor, Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah; the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng Adjei; the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda; the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, and the Board Chairman of the National Sports Council, Mr Kojo Bonsu.
According to Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, the delegation was on a fact-finding mission and now that they had been able to gather what actually led to the disturbances at Tuobodom, they would submit a report to the President immediately for the appropriate action to be taken.
The National Security Adviser said he was not in the position to comment on the action that would be taken against those security personnel who failed to react to avert the clashes but now that the root cause of the violence had been established, the government would help resolve the matter amicably.
Brig-Gen. Nunoo-Mensah also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the conflict in order not to escalate the tension that had been calmed following the visit of the government delegation to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw, at their respective palaces.
He noted that the root cause of the recent disturbances at Tuobodom was as a result of the failure of the security agencies to bring to book the perpetrators who shot into the Techimanhene’s convoy while on his way to Tuobodom for their Yam Festival in 2008, saying since justice delayed was justice denied the people felt they must react and that led to the conflict.
The Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw, who was flanked by other members of the traditional council clad in mourning cloth during the call by the government delegation, appealed to the youth of the area to exercise restraint in the face of extreme provocation and allow the law to take its course in the matter.
He also impressed on the people of Techiman not to do anything that would disturb the peace and stability of the country and urged the media, especially radio stations, not to broadcast inflammatory statements that would further escalate tension.
Five persons who were part of the Techimanhene’s convoy who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and were treated and discharged at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital were also present at the palace. The worst affected was Kwaku Takyi, who is now paralysed and has also lost his speech.
As of the time of arrival of the government delegation at the Techimanhene’s palace both armed police and military personnel had been deployed to keep at bay the crowd that gathered along the main road in front of the palace to show solidarity.
Meanwhile Techiman was calm as people were going about their daily activities. According to Superintendent J.A. Gyau, the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, some youth of the town also attacked some vehicles from Kumasi last Tuesday and smashed the windscreen of a Nissan Urvan bus and a Toyota Comota.
He said the youth was reacting to a similar attack on passengers on board vehicles to Techiman at the Kumasi Kajetia Lorry Park.
He, therefore, appealed to both sides in the conflict to allow the due process and the law to take its course instead of resorting to violent means to resolve their differences.
Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, who is also the leader of the government delegation tasked to mediate in the conflict, made the call in an interaction with newsmen after the delegation had conferred with the Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, at his palace in Techiman yesterday.
Other members of the delegation were the Presidential Advisor, Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah; the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng Adjei; the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda; the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, and the Board Chairman of the National Sports Council, Mr Kojo Bonsu.
According to Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, the delegation was on a fact-finding mission and now that they had been able to gather what actually led to the disturbances at Tuobodom, they would submit a report to the President immediately for the appropriate action to be taken.
The National Security Adviser said he was not in the position to comment on the action that would be taken against those security personnel who failed to react to avert the clashes but now that the root cause of the violence had been established, the government would help resolve the matter amicably.
Brig-Gen. Nunoo-Mensah also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the conflict in order not to escalate the tension that had been calmed following the visit of the government delegation to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw, at their respective palaces.
He noted that the root cause of the recent disturbances at Tuobodom was as a result of the failure of the security agencies to bring to book the perpetrators who shot into the Techimanhene’s convoy while on his way to Tuobodom for their Yam Festival in 2008, saying since justice delayed was justice denied the people felt they must react and that led to the conflict.
The Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw, who was flanked by other members of the traditional council clad in mourning cloth during the call by the government delegation, appealed to the youth of the area to exercise restraint in the face of extreme provocation and allow the law to take its course in the matter.
He also impressed on the people of Techiman not to do anything that would disturb the peace and stability of the country and urged the media, especially radio stations, not to broadcast inflammatory statements that would further escalate tension.
Five persons who were part of the Techimanhene’s convoy who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and were treated and discharged at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital were also present at the palace. The worst affected was Kwaku Takyi, who is now paralysed and has also lost his speech.
As of the time of arrival of the government delegation at the Techimanhene’s palace both armed police and military personnel had been deployed to keep at bay the crowd that gathered along the main road in front of the palace to show solidarity.
Meanwhile Techiman was calm as people were going about their daily activities. According to Superintendent J.A. Gyau, the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, some youth of the town also attacked some vehicles from Kumasi last Tuesday and smashed the windscreen of a Nissan Urvan bus and a Toyota Comota.
He said the youth was reacting to a similar attack on passengers on board vehicles to Techiman at the Kumasi Kajetia Lorry Park.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)