THE Quality Control Division (QCD) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has started a series of educational programmes for cocoa farmers throughout the Nkrankwanta Cocoa District in the Dormaa Municipality.
The aim is to introduce new farming methods to the farmers and also to ensure that they spray their farms at the right time to increase production.
Addressing one of such rallies at Kwame Yeboakrom near Nkrankwanta, the Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of QCD, Mr Peter Kwaw Sekyim, asked cocoa farmers to strictly follow the practices imparted to them to increase crops yield.
He mentioned some of the practices as weeding their farms regularly, spraying against black-pod disease, capside and other insects as well as removing mestletoes, basal chupons, harvesting ripe pods regularly and a six-day fermentation and drying.
Mr Sekyim advised them to ensure that they sold good quality cocoa beans at all times to ensure that they earned more money to be able to increase their income, saying “it will be wasteful to produce more purple beans and receive less payment.”
Mr Adu Parkoh, the Nkrankwanta District QCD Officer, also reminded the farmers that cocoa was the life blood of the economy and they should do their work in a manner that would help boost the industry.
He said there was more joy in farming now and the government would continue to do more than that to boost their morale.
The Chief of Kwame Yeboakrom, Nana Ata Yeboah, who chaired the function, also appealed to the COCOBOD to speed up repairs on all the cocoa roads before this year’s main cocoa season to ensure the smooth transportation of cocoa and foodstuffs from the area to the marketing centres.
He mentioned especially the road from Kwame Yeboahkrom to Di Asem Pa where the farmers had to carry their produce to travel about six kilometres before they got to Kwame Yeboakrom to sell.
The Assembly member for the area, Mr Peter Baah, also appealed to the COCOBOD to give the villages solar-light, cocoa clinic and schools.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
PRESBY CHURCH CHOIRS CELEBRATE FIRST ANNIVERSARY (PAGE 35, JUNE 30, 2010)
THE West Brong Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Choirs Union has held their first anniversary at Drobo in the Jaman South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
As part of the celebrations, the delegates donated various food items including beverages and yams to patients of the Drobo St. Mary’s Hospital.
In their interaction with the patients, members of the choir shared the word of God with them to give them hope and encouragement for quick recovery.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Julius Atta Bediako, the Jaman South District Chief Executive (DCE), stressed that members of the choir were to sing songs that would attract non-Christians to change their ways and serve God.
He urged Ghanaians to lead decent and moral lives, stop prostitution, drunkness and drug abuse.
Mr Atta Bediako stated that the government was on course and therefore, urged Christians to continue to support the nation with prayers to enhance peace and prosperity.
He expressed gratitude to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for its contributions towards the building of the nation, especially in terms of education and health.
Mr Bediako advised the youth to participate in the upcoming District Assembly elections and called on women to show interest in governance of the country.
Preaching the sermon, Rev. Dr Effa Ababio, Minister incharge of the West Brong Presbytery, called on Christains to be united to speed up the development of the nation.
The Chairman of the Presbytery, Rev. Dr Ababio appealed to churches to use the pulpit to impress the youth in the country to eschew negative activities such as drug abuse, crime and alcholism.
For his part, Mr Joseph Mensa-Diawuo, Choir Presbytery President, also advised the choiristers to be up and doing in their local congregations.
Mr Mensa-Diawuo urged them to pay their taxes, get involved in all church activities and show leadership skills.
As part of the celebrations, the delegates donated various food items including beverages and yams to patients of the Drobo St. Mary’s Hospital.
In their interaction with the patients, members of the choir shared the word of God with them to give them hope and encouragement for quick recovery.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Julius Atta Bediako, the Jaman South District Chief Executive (DCE), stressed that members of the choir were to sing songs that would attract non-Christians to change their ways and serve God.
He urged Ghanaians to lead decent and moral lives, stop prostitution, drunkness and drug abuse.
Mr Atta Bediako stated that the government was on course and therefore, urged Christians to continue to support the nation with prayers to enhance peace and prosperity.
He expressed gratitude to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for its contributions towards the building of the nation, especially in terms of education and health.
Mr Bediako advised the youth to participate in the upcoming District Assembly elections and called on women to show interest in governance of the country.
Preaching the sermon, Rev. Dr Effa Ababio, Minister incharge of the West Brong Presbytery, called on Christains to be united to speed up the development of the nation.
The Chairman of the Presbytery, Rev. Dr Ababio appealed to churches to use the pulpit to impress the youth in the country to eschew negative activities such as drug abuse, crime and alcholism.
For his part, Mr Joseph Mensa-Diawuo, Choir Presbytery President, also advised the choiristers to be up and doing in their local congregations.
Mr Mensa-Diawuo urged them to pay their taxes, get involved in all church activities and show leadership skills.
NKRUMAH'S STATUE, BUSTS OF CHIEFS READY FOR SUNYANI JUBILEE PARK (SPREAD, JUNE 29, 2010)
ALL is now set for the erection of the statue of the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, and the busts of the seven gallant chiefs who fought for the creation of the Brong Ahafo Region at the Kwame Nkrumah Park, now Jubilee Park, in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The seven gallant chiefs fought for the creation of the region two years (April 4, 1959) after Ghana attained independence.
The statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the chiefs, also of blessed memory, would be erected in addition to that of the late Dr Kofi Abrafi Busia, Prime Minister of the Second Republic and illustrious son of the region, which is already standing at the park.
The seven gallant chiefs whose busts will be erected in memory of their sacrifices are Nana Ameyaw Akumfi III, Techimanhene; Osagyefo Dr Agyeman Badu, Dormaahene; Nana Fosu Gyeabour II, Bechemhene; Nana Bosea Gyinatwi, Drobohene; Nana Kwasi Apraku I, Odumasi No. One Hene; Nana Kwame Agyeman, Abeasehene, and Nana Yaw Frimpong II, Kukuomhene.
This came to light when a group of journalists on a fact-finding mission visited the centre where the statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the seven chiefs had been made in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and were ready for erection at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani before the close of this year.
The visit was prompted by the summoning of the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, before Parliament last Friday to answer questions on how the total revenue received from both public and private sources amounting to GH¢462,894.42 for the BA@50 anniversary celebration last year was disbursed.
The erection of the statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the seven gallant chiefs was supposed to have been erected in November, last year at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani to coincide with the grand durbar of the chiefs and people of Brong Ahafo to climax the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of the region but it was stalled by a court injunction.
The celebration, which was unanimous and overwhelming, was aimed at paying tribute to the founding fathers and those who toiled to give the region its status and also to serve as a rallying point for the development of the region.
The two sculptors, Mr George Sekyere and Mr Emmanuel Obeng Bonsoo, who worked on the statue and the busts, told the journalists that the statue and busts were completed and ready for erection at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani in November, last year, but the process was stalled by a court injunction.
According to them, through the intervention of some prominent clergy in the region the issue of the erection of the statue and busts in addition to that of Dr Busia, which was already at the park, had been resolved amicably out of court.
The seven gallant chiefs fought for the creation of the region two years (April 4, 1959) after Ghana attained independence.
The statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the chiefs, also of blessed memory, would be erected in addition to that of the late Dr Kofi Abrafi Busia, Prime Minister of the Second Republic and illustrious son of the region, which is already standing at the park.
The seven gallant chiefs whose busts will be erected in memory of their sacrifices are Nana Ameyaw Akumfi III, Techimanhene; Osagyefo Dr Agyeman Badu, Dormaahene; Nana Fosu Gyeabour II, Bechemhene; Nana Bosea Gyinatwi, Drobohene; Nana Kwasi Apraku I, Odumasi No. One Hene; Nana Kwame Agyeman, Abeasehene, and Nana Yaw Frimpong II, Kukuomhene.
This came to light when a group of journalists on a fact-finding mission visited the centre where the statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the seven chiefs had been made in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and were ready for erection at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani before the close of this year.
The visit was prompted by the summoning of the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, before Parliament last Friday to answer questions on how the total revenue received from both public and private sources amounting to GH¢462,894.42 for the BA@50 anniversary celebration last year was disbursed.
The erection of the statue of Dr Nkrumah and the busts of the seven gallant chiefs was supposed to have been erected in November, last year at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani to coincide with the grand durbar of the chiefs and people of Brong Ahafo to climax the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of the region but it was stalled by a court injunction.
The celebration, which was unanimous and overwhelming, was aimed at paying tribute to the founding fathers and those who toiled to give the region its status and also to serve as a rallying point for the development of the region.
The two sculptors, Mr George Sekyere and Mr Emmanuel Obeng Bonsoo, who worked on the statue and the busts, told the journalists that the statue and busts were completed and ready for erection at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani in November, last year, but the process was stalled by a court injunction.
According to them, through the intervention of some prominent clergy in the region the issue of the erection of the statue and busts in addition to that of Dr Busia, which was already at the park, had been resolved amicably out of court.
Monday, June 28, 2010
GOVT TO EXPAND TRAINING CENTRES (PAGE 54, JUNE 28, 2010)
THE government is to re-equip and expand training facilities in all the 168 community training centres under the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to provide the unemployed youth with employable skills.
Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, the sector minister who said this, therefore called on corporate bodies operating in the catchment areas of these centres to help provide skills training for the youth, as part of their social responsibility to the communities.
Speaking at the first graduation ceremony of the Gyedu Vocational/Technical Training Centre in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Mensah stated that investing in the youth was one of the thematic areas of the government which it would not renege on.
The sector minister also called on traditional authorities to release more lands for the expansion of the centres, as their contribution towards human resource development in their traditional areas.
The training centre at Asutifi is run by Opportunities Industrialisation Centre International (OICI) and the Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES), which is funded by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine, as one of its initiatives under its Skill Development and Income Improvement Programme (SDIIP).
In all, 347 students who underwent a four-year training in catering, dressmaking, carpentry, masonry, welding, fabrication, electrical installation and Agriculture Vocational Training were presented with the National Vocational Technical Institute (NVTI) certificates.
The ceremony coincided with the sod-cutting for expansion work at the centre which is being financed by Newmont at an estimated cost of $195,000.
Mr Mensah stated that skills training was important since the advanced countries used that as a tool for their socio-economic development.
Mr Dan V. Michaelson, General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, said the company was involved in the running of the centre because of the impact its operations had on the lives of the people in the affected communities.
He disclosed that Newmont had spent $150,000 annually to support the running of the centre over the past three years.
Mr Henry Nii Charway Hammond, the Programme Manager of the centre, in his annual report said the centre introduced Agriculture Vocational Training to enhance the knowledge and skills of trainees in improved farming practices and also encourage the youth to take agriculture as their source of livelihood.
He stated that to enable graduates to go into self-employment after completing their training and enhance their managerial capabilities, the centre offered entrepreneurship and business skill training as part of its curriculum.
Messrs Pamford William Bray and Seth Victor Appraku-Mensah, OICI Board Chairman and ICCES Director respectively, in their addresses, lauded the partnership between their respective organisations and Newmont in running the centre.
They, however, appealed for government support to enable the centre to expand and increase the intake of trainees. An exhibition was mounted by the graduating students of the centre to showcase their handiwork and creativity.
Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, the sector minister who said this, therefore called on corporate bodies operating in the catchment areas of these centres to help provide skills training for the youth, as part of their social responsibility to the communities.
Speaking at the first graduation ceremony of the Gyedu Vocational/Technical Training Centre in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Mensah stated that investing in the youth was one of the thematic areas of the government which it would not renege on.
The sector minister also called on traditional authorities to release more lands for the expansion of the centres, as their contribution towards human resource development in their traditional areas.
The training centre at Asutifi is run by Opportunities Industrialisation Centre International (OICI) and the Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES), which is funded by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine, as one of its initiatives under its Skill Development and Income Improvement Programme (SDIIP).
In all, 347 students who underwent a four-year training in catering, dressmaking, carpentry, masonry, welding, fabrication, electrical installation and Agriculture Vocational Training were presented with the National Vocational Technical Institute (NVTI) certificates.
The ceremony coincided with the sod-cutting for expansion work at the centre which is being financed by Newmont at an estimated cost of $195,000.
Mr Mensah stated that skills training was important since the advanced countries used that as a tool for their socio-economic development.
Mr Dan V. Michaelson, General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, said the company was involved in the running of the centre because of the impact its operations had on the lives of the people in the affected communities.
He disclosed that Newmont had spent $150,000 annually to support the running of the centre over the past three years.
Mr Henry Nii Charway Hammond, the Programme Manager of the centre, in his annual report said the centre introduced Agriculture Vocational Training to enhance the knowledge and skills of trainees in improved farming practices and also encourage the youth to take agriculture as their source of livelihood.
He stated that to enable graduates to go into self-employment after completing their training and enhance their managerial capabilities, the centre offered entrepreneurship and business skill training as part of its curriculum.
Messrs Pamford William Bray and Seth Victor Appraku-Mensah, OICI Board Chairman and ICCES Director respectively, in their addresses, lauded the partnership between their respective organisations and Newmont in running the centre.
They, however, appealed for government support to enable the centre to expand and increase the intake of trainees. An exhibition was mounted by the graduating students of the centre to showcase their handiwork and creativity.
SCRAP DEALER JAILED 15 YEARS FOR THEFT (PAGE 54, JUNE 28, 2010)
A 26-year-old scrap dealer who stole copper cables worth GH¢24,200.00 belonging to the Northern Electrification Department (NED) of the Volta River Authority has been sentenced to a 15-year jail term by the Fiapre Circuit Court.
The convict, Kwabena Dennis, was found guilty on three counts of stealing, causing damage and carrying offensive weapons.
Passing judgement, the presiding judge, Mr Benjamin Yaw Osei, said there had been rampant theft of electricity cables in the Brong Ahafo Region and the culprits always carried offensive weapons and threatened to harm those who tried to apprehend them.
He said the court decided to hand him that sentence to serve as a deterrent to others.
The facts of the case as presented by Superintendent of Police Fredrick Kwadwo Agyei were that for some time, the VRA NED office in Sunyani had detected thefts of copper and aluminium bare conductors (cables) within the Sunyani Municipality. They, therefore, decided to collaborate with the police to clamp down on the culprits.
Mr Agyei told the court that at about 2.30 a.m. on March 26, this year a combined team of police and VRA security who went on patrol duties at the SSNIT Flats area in Sunyani noticed a power outage in the Regional Police Commander’s bungalow, the Regional Minister’s residence and the entire SSNIT Flats area.
He said the team quickly moved to the area and found that the copper cables on the electricity poles, valued at GH¢24,200.00, had been cut and some parts taken away.
According to the prosecutor, while searching the area, the team found one big cable, a cutter, a fertiliser sack and other items which they sent to the police to make a report.
Mr Agyei said at about 2.20 a.m. on March 28, this year the patrol team saw the convict in the same area, parking his motorbike and carrying a black bag containing some copper cables, two fertiliser sacks and also armed with a jackknife.
The convict was subsequently confronted by the team but he could not offer any tangible reason for being at the place and was, therefore, arrested.
Mr Agyei stated that prior to his arrest, the convict and his accomplices had gone to Abesim area to cut the electricity cables leading to the Ghana Water Company Headworks, the main source of water supply to the municipality and its environs, thereby damaging the company’s main automatic circuit breaker valued at GH¢10,000.00.
As a result of the action, the prosecutor said, the operations of the machines of the Ghana Water Company were disrupted and water supply to the municipality was interrupted for four days.
The convict, Kwabena Dennis, was found guilty on three counts of stealing, causing damage and carrying offensive weapons.
Passing judgement, the presiding judge, Mr Benjamin Yaw Osei, said there had been rampant theft of electricity cables in the Brong Ahafo Region and the culprits always carried offensive weapons and threatened to harm those who tried to apprehend them.
He said the court decided to hand him that sentence to serve as a deterrent to others.
The facts of the case as presented by Superintendent of Police Fredrick Kwadwo Agyei were that for some time, the VRA NED office in Sunyani had detected thefts of copper and aluminium bare conductors (cables) within the Sunyani Municipality. They, therefore, decided to collaborate with the police to clamp down on the culprits.
Mr Agyei told the court that at about 2.30 a.m. on March 26, this year a combined team of police and VRA security who went on patrol duties at the SSNIT Flats area in Sunyani noticed a power outage in the Regional Police Commander’s bungalow, the Regional Minister’s residence and the entire SSNIT Flats area.
He said the team quickly moved to the area and found that the copper cables on the electricity poles, valued at GH¢24,200.00, had been cut and some parts taken away.
According to the prosecutor, while searching the area, the team found one big cable, a cutter, a fertiliser sack and other items which they sent to the police to make a report.
Mr Agyei said at about 2.20 a.m. on March 28, this year the patrol team saw the convict in the same area, parking his motorbike and carrying a black bag containing some copper cables, two fertiliser sacks and also armed with a jackknife.
The convict was subsequently confronted by the team but he could not offer any tangible reason for being at the place and was, therefore, arrested.
Mr Agyei stated that prior to his arrest, the convict and his accomplices had gone to Abesim area to cut the electricity cables leading to the Ghana Water Company Headworks, the main source of water supply to the municipality and its environs, thereby damaging the company’s main automatic circuit breaker valued at GH¢10,000.00.
As a result of the action, the prosecutor said, the operations of the machines of the Ghana Water Company were disrupted and water supply to the municipality was interrupted for four days.
NEWMOUNT LAUDED OVER SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (PAGE 2, JUNE 26, 2010)
NEWMONT Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in the Brong Ahafo Region, has been commended for living up to the content of its social responsibility pact signed with the government and the communities affected by its operations.
Within its five years of operations, the company has created 4,000 jobs and also abided by the quota for employment for people from the affected communities.
Statistics available indicate that 35 per cent of the 98 per cent Ghanaians engaged by Newmont are from the affected communities, while the company has also invested heavily in skills training for the youth of the area.
The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, gave the commendation at the enrolment and promotion of students under the Newmont Apprenticeship Programme held at the Ahafo Mine Site in Kenyasi in the Asutifi District.
The programme, which is aimed at training senior high school (SHS) graduates in the affected communities for full employment at the Ahafo Mine, forms part of the employment pact signed under the Ahafo Social Responsibility Agreement between the company and the affected communities.
The training cost of $255,000 for the 15 students who were enrolled into the four-year programme would be borne by Newmont. This brings to 54, the number of beneficiaries.
Mr Mensah called on other mining companies to emulate Newmont’s example by abiding with the social responsibility agreements signed with communities and the government.
“As a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, we scrutinised the social responsibility pacts signed with the government and communities affected by mining and it is only Newmont that has been able to execute to the letter the content of its agreement with the government and the affected communities,” he stated.
He said the government was going to get tough on mining companies that failed to live up to their social responsibility agreements.
Mr Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, urged the beneficiaries of the programme to work hard and be disciplined to justify the investment made in them.
The General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, Mr Dan V. Michaelson, said the programme had deepened the company’s social responsibility commitment to its host communities and helped in honouring its commitment to develop the people in pursuit of excellence.
He said apart from the apprenticeship programme, the company had instituted a scholarship package for tertiary and senior high school (SHS) students.
“As I speak to you, 406 tertiary and SHS students drawn from our host communities in Ahafo are benefiting from the package worth about GH¢368,000,” he stated.
Mr Michaelson said the company was also constructing five educational facilities for four communities, namely, Wamahinso, Gyedu, Susuanso and Afrisipakrom, at the cost of over GH¢204,088.33.
The Communications Manager of Newmont, Mr Agbeko Kwame Azumah, said the trainees for the programme, who were selected from 10 host communities, had completed SHS and had the ability to write and understand English.
Within its five years of operations, the company has created 4,000 jobs and also abided by the quota for employment for people from the affected communities.
Statistics available indicate that 35 per cent of the 98 per cent Ghanaians engaged by Newmont are from the affected communities, while the company has also invested heavily in skills training for the youth of the area.
The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, gave the commendation at the enrolment and promotion of students under the Newmont Apprenticeship Programme held at the Ahafo Mine Site in Kenyasi in the Asutifi District.
The programme, which is aimed at training senior high school (SHS) graduates in the affected communities for full employment at the Ahafo Mine, forms part of the employment pact signed under the Ahafo Social Responsibility Agreement between the company and the affected communities.
The training cost of $255,000 for the 15 students who were enrolled into the four-year programme would be borne by Newmont. This brings to 54, the number of beneficiaries.
Mr Mensah called on other mining companies to emulate Newmont’s example by abiding with the social responsibility agreements signed with communities and the government.
“As a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, we scrutinised the social responsibility pacts signed with the government and communities affected by mining and it is only Newmont that has been able to execute to the letter the content of its agreement with the government and the affected communities,” he stated.
He said the government was going to get tough on mining companies that failed to live up to their social responsibility agreements.
Mr Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, urged the beneficiaries of the programme to work hard and be disciplined to justify the investment made in them.
The General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, Mr Dan V. Michaelson, said the programme had deepened the company’s social responsibility commitment to its host communities and helped in honouring its commitment to develop the people in pursuit of excellence.
He said apart from the apprenticeship programme, the company had instituted a scholarship package for tertiary and senior high school (SHS) students.
“As I speak to you, 406 tertiary and SHS students drawn from our host communities in Ahafo are benefiting from the package worth about GH¢368,000,” he stated.
Mr Michaelson said the company was also constructing five educational facilities for four communities, namely, Wamahinso, Gyedu, Susuanso and Afrisipakrom, at the cost of over GH¢204,088.33.
The Communications Manager of Newmont, Mr Agbeko Kwame Azumah, said the trainees for the programme, who were selected from 10 host communities, had completed SHS and had the ability to write and understand English.
Friday, June 25, 2010
CORNMILLER JAILED 14 YEARS (MIRROR, PAGE 35, JUNE 26, 2010)
From Samuel Duodu, Dormaa Ahenkro.
A 21 year old miller, Kwaku Augustine, a.k.a “Apulley” from Aboabo No. 4 in the Dormaa Municipality, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by the Dormaa Circuit Court for defiling an eight year old school girl in 2002.
The convict fled the town and later returned in November, 2009, and was arrested by the police and charged with the offence.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Matthew Yeboah told the court, presided over by Justice Isaac Bright Akwantey, that Apulley invited the girl, who was only eight years by then, into his shop at Aboabo No 4 and asked her to buy him iced water.
Chief Inspector Yeboah said the innocent girl complied and when she returned, the miller lured her into his bedroom near the corn mill and forcibly had sex with her on several occasions after which he warned her of grievous consequences if she dared disclose her ordeal to anyone.
He said three days after the ordeal, a close friend of the victim detected while visiting the lavatory with her that blood was coming from her private part and, therefore, reported what she saw to the victim’s mother.
The prosecution said after a report to the police, the girl was rushed to the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital where her private part was discovered to have been tampered with and seriously damaged.
The convict, sensing danger, vanished from the town and all attempts to locate him proved futile until November 22, 2009 when the police had a tip-off that he had returned to the town thinking that eight years was long enough for the victim’s parents and the police to forget his crime.
Chief Inspector Yeboah said that when the police arrested the convict he denied any knowledge of the victim and vowed that he never sent her for iced water but evidence led in the court proved that he defiled the girl and ran away from the town to escape arrest.
A 21 year old miller, Kwaku Augustine, a.k.a “Apulley” from Aboabo No. 4 in the Dormaa Municipality, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by the Dormaa Circuit Court for defiling an eight year old school girl in 2002.
The convict fled the town and later returned in November, 2009, and was arrested by the police and charged with the offence.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Matthew Yeboah told the court, presided over by Justice Isaac Bright Akwantey, that Apulley invited the girl, who was only eight years by then, into his shop at Aboabo No 4 and asked her to buy him iced water.
Chief Inspector Yeboah said the innocent girl complied and when she returned, the miller lured her into his bedroom near the corn mill and forcibly had sex with her on several occasions after which he warned her of grievous consequences if she dared disclose her ordeal to anyone.
He said three days after the ordeal, a close friend of the victim detected while visiting the lavatory with her that blood was coming from her private part and, therefore, reported what she saw to the victim’s mother.
The prosecution said after a report to the police, the girl was rushed to the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital where her private part was discovered to have been tampered with and seriously damaged.
The convict, sensing danger, vanished from the town and all attempts to locate him proved futile until November 22, 2009 when the police had a tip-off that he had returned to the town thinking that eight years was long enough for the victim’s parents and the police to forget his crime.
Chief Inspector Yeboah said that when the police arrested the convict he denied any knowledge of the victim and vowed that he never sent her for iced water but evidence led in the court proved that he defiled the girl and ran away from the town to escape arrest.
COMPLETE DUADASO POWER PROJECT — NANA ABABIO (PAGE 22, JUNE 25, 2010)
THE chief of Duadaso Number Two in the Jaman North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Nana Kwaku Ababio, has appealed to the government to help complete the Duadaso electrification project started about eight years ago.
Making the appeal at Duadaso Number Two, Nana Ababio called on the government to ensure that towns in the area which are to be connected to the national grid this year, which included Number One, Duadaso Number Two and Kokoa were quickly attended to since the project was left with only the laying of cables and erection of some poles for its completion.
He stressed that the provision of power in the town would also minimise the drifting of the youth from the area to the urban centres in search of non-existent jobs.
According to him, the electrification project would also reduce the number of youth on the streets, adding that it would encourage them to remain in the area to continue their farming activities.
Nana Ababio called on the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, who is also the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, to team up with the District Chief Executive (DCE), Madam Hajia Amina Amadu, to ensure the early completion of the project this year.
Commenting on the road network of Sampa-Duadaso, the chief also appealed to the government to tar it once and for all instead of rehabilitating it every year at a huge cost.
He suggested that if the tarring of Drobo-Sampa trunk road could be extended to Duadaso Number Two and its surrounding areas, it would alleviate the suffering of the drivers and people plying the road.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Nana Ababio said it was a laudable policy and should, therefore, not be politicised since it had nothing to do with politics.
He stated that the development of every nation largely depended on the good health of the people, and therefore, urged the men to register their wives and children to enable them to benefit from the scheme.
Nana Ababio called for unity and urged all factions involved in the numerous chieftaincy disputes across the length and breath of the country to use dialogue to amicably resolve their differences instead of using violent means.
The Akyeamehene of Duadaso Number Two, Nana Kojo Kontor advised the people in the area to let the education of their children be their topmost priority.
He urged them to use the monies they spent on expensive funeral activities and clothing on the education of their children.
Making the appeal at Duadaso Number Two, Nana Ababio called on the government to ensure that towns in the area which are to be connected to the national grid this year, which included Number One, Duadaso Number Two and Kokoa were quickly attended to since the project was left with only the laying of cables and erection of some poles for its completion.
He stressed that the provision of power in the town would also minimise the drifting of the youth from the area to the urban centres in search of non-existent jobs.
According to him, the electrification project would also reduce the number of youth on the streets, adding that it would encourage them to remain in the area to continue their farming activities.
Nana Ababio called on the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, who is also the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, to team up with the District Chief Executive (DCE), Madam Hajia Amina Amadu, to ensure the early completion of the project this year.
Commenting on the road network of Sampa-Duadaso, the chief also appealed to the government to tar it once and for all instead of rehabilitating it every year at a huge cost.
He suggested that if the tarring of Drobo-Sampa trunk road could be extended to Duadaso Number Two and its surrounding areas, it would alleviate the suffering of the drivers and people plying the road.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Nana Ababio said it was a laudable policy and should, therefore, not be politicised since it had nothing to do with politics.
He stated that the development of every nation largely depended on the good health of the people, and therefore, urged the men to register their wives and children to enable them to benefit from the scheme.
Nana Ababio called for unity and urged all factions involved in the numerous chieftaincy disputes across the length and breath of the country to use dialogue to amicably resolve their differences instead of using violent means.
The Akyeamehene of Duadaso Number Two, Nana Kojo Kontor advised the people in the area to let the education of their children be their topmost priority.
He urged them to use the monies they spent on expensive funeral activities and clothing on the education of their children.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
MP FOR TAIN ASSURES STUDENTS (PAGE 13, JUNE 24, 2010)
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, has assured tertiary students in the district of government’s support to improve on standards of education.
In an interaction with the students at Nsawkaw, capital of Tain, he warned against the politicisation of educational programmes in the district, saying “education is a crucial sector which must be devoid of politics”.
Last year, according to the MP, he used his share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to pay 50 per cent of the fees of tertiary students who were engaged to complement the efforts of teachers in the district during the long vacation. In all, he said he spent GH¢15,000 on the students.
The exercise, he also said impacted positively on the performance of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2009.
Pupils in the district were said to have scored 60 per cent passes in the all subjects.
The legislator said since the district was lagging behind, that initiative should not be politicised as it was about the future of the young ones in the district.
Early this year, to reinforce his commitment towards the development of education in the district, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim procured one thousand dual desks for distribution to selected schools in the district to enhance teaching and learning in the district.
In an interaction with the students at Nsawkaw, capital of Tain, he warned against the politicisation of educational programmes in the district, saying “education is a crucial sector which must be devoid of politics”.
Last year, according to the MP, he used his share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to pay 50 per cent of the fees of tertiary students who were engaged to complement the efforts of teachers in the district during the long vacation. In all, he said he spent GH¢15,000 on the students.
The exercise, he also said impacted positively on the performance of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2009.
Pupils in the district were said to have scored 60 per cent passes in the all subjects.
The legislator said since the district was lagging behind, that initiative should not be politicised as it was about the future of the young ones in the district.
Early this year, to reinforce his commitment towards the development of education in the district, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim procured one thousand dual desks for distribution to selected schools in the district to enhance teaching and learning in the district.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
UNCERTIFIED GAS STATIONS TO BE CLOSED DOWN (PAGE 42, JUNE 24, 2010)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Command is to close down all Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) filling stations in the region that do not meet fire safety requirements.
Twelve out of the 32 filling stations in the region, have no fire certificates to operate.
The decision was taken following the recent gas explosion that occurred near the STC bus Terminal and the Sunyani Polytechnic, which resulted in three injuries.
Mr Paul Opoku, the Regional Fire Officer made this known at a ceremony at the Regional Fire Service Headquarters in Sunyani at the weekend to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day.
The day was to encourage male personnel of the service to take up their responsibilities both at the work place and in their homes. It was also used to honour the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister; Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who is the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for his hard work and helping to maintain peace and security in the region as well as being the father of the region.
Giving an overview of the command, Mr Opoku said the command had fire stations in 12 out of the 22 municipalities and districts in the region and plans were underway to open offices in the remaining eight by the close of the year.
He said the new stations to be opened would be at Kwame Danso, Kukuom, Yefiri, Chiraa, Nsoatre, Nkrankwanta, Abesim, Bechem, Odumase and Wamfie in the Sene, Asunafo South, Nkoranza, Sunyani West, Dormaa East, Sunyani East, Dormaa West and Tano South municipalities and districts respectively.
Mr Opoku explained that the reason to open more fire stations in the region was to ensure that every community could respond to emergency situations quickly.
The regional fire officer disclosed further that the command had 12 fire engines but at the moment only five were serviceable and expressed the hope that the region would be considered when new fire engines ordered by the government for the service arrived before the close of the year.
Mr Opoku said 161 fire outbreaks were recorded between January and May, this year in the region, giving the breakdown as 57 domestic, 56 bushfire, 15 vehicular, seven industrial, 11 electrical, one commercial and 13 others while four deaths and six injuries were recorded for the period.
As part of measures to reduce fire outbreaks in the region, Mr Opoku said the command had intensified its fire prevention education campaign and had also planned to inaugurate more fire volunteer squads to help prevent bushfires this year and beyond.
The Regional Fire Officer appealed to the government to help complete the Regional Fire Service Headquarters building, started in 1999, as soon as possible to enhance effective and efficient operation of the service.
In response, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed his appreciation to the service for recognising his efforts to ensure peace and security in the region, saying this would not serve as a source of motivation to him but to all in the various security services in the region.
He gave the assurance that the government would meet the logistical needs such as accomodation of the personnel of the various security agencies in the region since the region was a beneficiary of the government’s housing project for security personnel.
“As I am speaking with you now, a team from Accra is in the region to inspect the proposed sites for the housing project and very soon accommodation for personnel in the region would be a thing of the past”.
Twelve out of the 32 filling stations in the region, have no fire certificates to operate.
The decision was taken following the recent gas explosion that occurred near the STC bus Terminal and the Sunyani Polytechnic, which resulted in three injuries.
Mr Paul Opoku, the Regional Fire Officer made this known at a ceremony at the Regional Fire Service Headquarters in Sunyani at the weekend to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day.
The day was to encourage male personnel of the service to take up their responsibilities both at the work place and in their homes. It was also used to honour the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister; Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who is the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for his hard work and helping to maintain peace and security in the region as well as being the father of the region.
Giving an overview of the command, Mr Opoku said the command had fire stations in 12 out of the 22 municipalities and districts in the region and plans were underway to open offices in the remaining eight by the close of the year.
He said the new stations to be opened would be at Kwame Danso, Kukuom, Yefiri, Chiraa, Nsoatre, Nkrankwanta, Abesim, Bechem, Odumase and Wamfie in the Sene, Asunafo South, Nkoranza, Sunyani West, Dormaa East, Sunyani East, Dormaa West and Tano South municipalities and districts respectively.
Mr Opoku explained that the reason to open more fire stations in the region was to ensure that every community could respond to emergency situations quickly.
The regional fire officer disclosed further that the command had 12 fire engines but at the moment only five were serviceable and expressed the hope that the region would be considered when new fire engines ordered by the government for the service arrived before the close of the year.
Mr Opoku said 161 fire outbreaks were recorded between January and May, this year in the region, giving the breakdown as 57 domestic, 56 bushfire, 15 vehicular, seven industrial, 11 electrical, one commercial and 13 others while four deaths and six injuries were recorded for the period.
As part of measures to reduce fire outbreaks in the region, Mr Opoku said the command had intensified its fire prevention education campaign and had also planned to inaugurate more fire volunteer squads to help prevent bushfires this year and beyond.
The Regional Fire Officer appealed to the government to help complete the Regional Fire Service Headquarters building, started in 1999, as soon as possible to enhance effective and efficient operation of the service.
In response, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed his appreciation to the service for recognising his efforts to ensure peace and security in the region, saying this would not serve as a source of motivation to him but to all in the various security services in the region.
He gave the assurance that the government would meet the logistical needs such as accomodation of the personnel of the various security agencies in the region since the region was a beneficiary of the government’s housing project for security personnel.
“As I am speaking with you now, a team from Accra is in the region to inspect the proposed sites for the housing project and very soon accommodation for personnel in the region would be a thing of the past”.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
TAIN MP GIVES TO CONSTITUENTS (PAGE 11, GRAPHIC SPORTS, JUNE 22, 2010)
To enable most of his constituents in the rural areas to enjoy the ongoing 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tain in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Amed Ibrahim, has donated 20 Television (TV) sets and generators to 20 villages in the Tain district who are yet to be connected to the national grid.
Speaking to the Graphic Sports, Mr. Ibrahim said the initiative had been taken to reduce the inconvenience most of his constituents go through anytime a tournament was ongoing.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said the intervention was a temporal measure to aid beneficiary communities, while plans were being taken to extend electricity to the various towns and villages in the constituency.
Mr. Ibrahim expressed the hope that electricity would be extended to various ends of the district in due course and urged the communities to protect the poles from burning, saying, when a pole is burnt in one community, other communities are denied electricity.
“Prior to the World Cup, 18 out of 56 communities earmarked for electricity supply were connected to the national grid”, he said.
Mr. Ibrahim stated further that failure to connect some of the communities to the national grid was as a result of a bushfire that burnt down most of the teak poles erected to convey the power to various destinations, adding that this poses a major setback to the work as new poles have to be erected again.
Some of the communities benefiting from the TV sets and generators include Kwaekesem, Wiasekrom, Bofourkrom, Hiamankine and others. Some of the inhabitants who spoke to the Graphic Sports commended the legislator for his gesture and urged him to continue.
Speaking to the Graphic Sports, Mr. Ibrahim said the initiative had been taken to reduce the inconvenience most of his constituents go through anytime a tournament was ongoing.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said the intervention was a temporal measure to aid beneficiary communities, while plans were being taken to extend electricity to the various towns and villages in the constituency.
Mr. Ibrahim expressed the hope that electricity would be extended to various ends of the district in due course and urged the communities to protect the poles from burning, saying, when a pole is burnt in one community, other communities are denied electricity.
“Prior to the World Cup, 18 out of 56 communities earmarked for electricity supply were connected to the national grid”, he said.
Mr. Ibrahim stated further that failure to connect some of the communities to the national grid was as a result of a bushfire that burnt down most of the teak poles erected to convey the power to various destinations, adding that this poses a major setback to the work as new poles have to be erected again.
Some of the communities benefiting from the TV sets and generators include Kwaekesem, Wiasekrom, Bofourkrom, Hiamankine and others. Some of the inhabitants who spoke to the Graphic Sports commended the legislator for his gesture and urged him to continue.
EVOLVE MEASURES TO SANCTION NON-PERFORMING MMDCES (PAGE 13, JUNE 22, 2010)
THE Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) has been urged to come out with measures to sanction all non-performing Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) and their staff who failed to qualify for the District Development Facility (DDF).
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who made the call said if sanctions were put in place by the ministry it would make non-performing appointees and their staff sit up and work effectively to enable their areas of jurisdiction to benefit from the fund, apart from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DAFC) to ensure further development.
Mr Opoku was addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day training workshop for MDCEs at Fiapre in the Sunyani West District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The DDF is a multi-donor performance-based funding facility for the assemblies and is accessed based on performance of the assembly after every two years.
Mr Opoku noted that MDCEs and their staff who failed to qualify for the facility are not only denying their people the benefits of further development but also served as a disservice to the government since it was another avenue to get more resources for development.
“ Assemblies that qualify for the facility stand to benefit from an amount almost equal to the annual common fund allocation so why should an appointee or staff of the assembly be made to go scot free for failure to qualify for the DDF I think if punitive measures are put in place, all assemblies would meet the criteria for qualification in order to free other government resources for further development of their district,” he stated.
He said all MDCEs in the region should ensure that their assemblies qualified for the 2010 assessment to justify that they were capable of managing the assemblies as part of the Better Ghana agenda team.
The workshop was to build the management and leadership skills of the participants for better organisational efficiency.
Mr Opoku stated further that the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) was also determined to ensure effective monitoring of the activities of the assemblies to ensure that all the 22 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the region qualified.
The deputy regional minister noted that during the recent assessment, some districts failed to qualify for the DDF, simply because of their failure to produce basic documents such as mid-year and annual reports, minutes of District Co-ordinating and Planning Unit, General Assembly, Entity Tender Committee and Municipal/District Security Committee meeting, among others.
“The quantum of resources a district misses by failing to produce these simple but essential documents is too high to be countenanced repeatedly. The remedy therefore is to build your capacities in these areas and, as managers and leaders, to ensure that responsible persons perform their duties with diligence,” he stated.
Mr Opoku urged all MDCEs to actively and personally get involved in the performance of the fundamental and basic functions of the assemblies to ensure that their assemblies qualify to access the DDF.
He also called on the assemblies to capture the issue of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in their development plans and also provide adequate resources for them.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who made the call said if sanctions were put in place by the ministry it would make non-performing appointees and their staff sit up and work effectively to enable their areas of jurisdiction to benefit from the fund, apart from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DAFC) to ensure further development.
Mr Opoku was addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day training workshop for MDCEs at Fiapre in the Sunyani West District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The DDF is a multi-donor performance-based funding facility for the assemblies and is accessed based on performance of the assembly after every two years.
Mr Opoku noted that MDCEs and their staff who failed to qualify for the facility are not only denying their people the benefits of further development but also served as a disservice to the government since it was another avenue to get more resources for development.
“ Assemblies that qualify for the facility stand to benefit from an amount almost equal to the annual common fund allocation so why should an appointee or staff of the assembly be made to go scot free for failure to qualify for the DDF I think if punitive measures are put in place, all assemblies would meet the criteria for qualification in order to free other government resources for further development of their district,” he stated.
He said all MDCEs in the region should ensure that their assemblies qualified for the 2010 assessment to justify that they were capable of managing the assemblies as part of the Better Ghana agenda team.
The workshop was to build the management and leadership skills of the participants for better organisational efficiency.
Mr Opoku stated further that the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) was also determined to ensure effective monitoring of the activities of the assemblies to ensure that all the 22 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the region qualified.
The deputy regional minister noted that during the recent assessment, some districts failed to qualify for the DDF, simply because of their failure to produce basic documents such as mid-year and annual reports, minutes of District Co-ordinating and Planning Unit, General Assembly, Entity Tender Committee and Municipal/District Security Committee meeting, among others.
“The quantum of resources a district misses by failing to produce these simple but essential documents is too high to be countenanced repeatedly. The remedy therefore is to build your capacities in these areas and, as managers and leaders, to ensure that responsible persons perform their duties with diligence,” he stated.
Mr Opoku urged all MDCEs to actively and personally get involved in the performance of the fundamental and basic functions of the assemblies to ensure that their assemblies qualify to access the DDF.
He also called on the assemblies to capture the issue of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in their development plans and also provide adequate resources for them.
Monday, June 21, 2010
ARCHAEOLOGIST PROPOSES MUSEUM FOR BUI CITY (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 14, JUNE 21, 2010)
By Samuel Duodu, Bui.
An Archaeologist from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, Dr Wazi Apoh, has advocated for the establishment of a museum or community centre as part of the proposed Bui City under the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region to help preserve the findings of an archaeological exercise they carried out there.
He stated that the excavated artifacts from each village in the three communities within the inundation zones of the project could be showcased in the museum to educate the young ones about their past and also to attract tourists to the area.
"As cultural experts, we are interested in documenting, adding value and preserving the settlement histories, archaeological remains, architectural designs and the general cultural remains of the communities in question so as to enhance education and tourism in the area," he stressed.
Dr Apoh made the suggestion in an interview at Bui after the successful completion of a salvage archaeological exercise carried out by himself, Dr Kodzo Gavua and a team of Archaeologists from the university, which was recommended in line with the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the three communities within the inundation zones before the impoundment of the dam next year.
The first phase of the exercise, which ended in December, last year, was carried out in communities such as Old and New Bui Villages as well as Old and New Bator-Akanyakrom while the second phase, which commenced in February and ended in March this year was carried out at the Old and New villages of Dokokyina and the abandoned village of Kassa in the Bui National Park.
The research documented archaeological, historical and ethnographic data from both contemporary villages and their abandoned settlements in the area.
The studies involved conducting ethnographic studies and interviews with elders of the various communities for their migration/settlement histories, cultural identities, architectural designs subsistence and cognitive/ideological structures.
It also involved the plotting of features and mapping of the villages. A number of historical and prehistorical sites in these areas were also excavated archaeologically.
Dr Apoh said the exercise was a success although it posed many challenges, saying, “we faced a lot of challenges on the field but I am glad the field work had been successfully executed.”
According to the lecturer, the team was hopeful that something fascinating would come out of the exercise after the analysis of the artifacts has been concluded.
"We excavated lots of pottery/ceramics, animal bones, glass remains, beads and metal artifacts from our study areas." Dr Apoh stated.
He stated that as part of the research methods, the team undertook a visual anthropological exercise with still and video cameras to record the current nature, environment, cultural practices and architectural designs of the villages.
Dr Apoh added that their aim was to exhibit most of the photos in the proposed community museum and to make a documentary film about the life in the communities before resettlement.
He further disclosed that the team intends to write a book on the history of the affected communities, which would educate readers and posterity about the people.
An Archaeologist from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, Dr Wazi Apoh, has advocated for the establishment of a museum or community centre as part of the proposed Bui City under the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region to help preserve the findings of an archaeological exercise they carried out there.
He stated that the excavated artifacts from each village in the three communities within the inundation zones of the project could be showcased in the museum to educate the young ones about their past and also to attract tourists to the area.
"As cultural experts, we are interested in documenting, adding value and preserving the settlement histories, archaeological remains, architectural designs and the general cultural remains of the communities in question so as to enhance education and tourism in the area," he stressed.
Dr Apoh made the suggestion in an interview at Bui after the successful completion of a salvage archaeological exercise carried out by himself, Dr Kodzo Gavua and a team of Archaeologists from the university, which was recommended in line with the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the three communities within the inundation zones before the impoundment of the dam next year.
The first phase of the exercise, which ended in December, last year, was carried out in communities such as Old and New Bui Villages as well as Old and New Bator-Akanyakrom while the second phase, which commenced in February and ended in March this year was carried out at the Old and New villages of Dokokyina and the abandoned village of Kassa in the Bui National Park.
The research documented archaeological, historical and ethnographic data from both contemporary villages and their abandoned settlements in the area.
The studies involved conducting ethnographic studies and interviews with elders of the various communities for their migration/settlement histories, cultural identities, architectural designs subsistence and cognitive/ideological structures.
It also involved the plotting of features and mapping of the villages. A number of historical and prehistorical sites in these areas were also excavated archaeologically.
Dr Apoh said the exercise was a success although it posed many challenges, saying, “we faced a lot of challenges on the field but I am glad the field work had been successfully executed.”
According to the lecturer, the team was hopeful that something fascinating would come out of the exercise after the analysis of the artifacts has been concluded.
"We excavated lots of pottery/ceramics, animal bones, glass remains, beads and metal artifacts from our study areas." Dr Apoh stated.
He stated that as part of the research methods, the team undertook a visual anthropological exercise with still and video cameras to record the current nature, environment, cultural practices and architectural designs of the villages.
Dr Apoh added that their aim was to exhibit most of the photos in the proposed community museum and to make a documentary film about the life in the communities before resettlement.
He further disclosed that the team intends to write a book on the history of the affected communities, which would educate readers and posterity about the people.
GOVT RELEASES GH¢2.2 BILLION FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 10, JUNE 21, 2010)
By Samuel Duodu, Nkoranza.
The government has released a total of Gh¢2.2 billion for the construction of additional classrooms in 20 Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Brong Ahafo Region
This is to facilitate the implimentation of the three- year SHS programme scheduled to take-off in September this year.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who disclosed this, further revealed that an amount bigger than the GH¢ 2.2 billoin was soon to be released to take care of expansion works in the rest of the SHS in the region.
“As I am speaking now the contractors are on site and have started work to enable the first year students who would begin the three year SHS programme in September to have classrooms and other infrastructure for the smooth take off of the programme”, he stressed.
Mr Opoku said this when he led the Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama’s entourage to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV, at his palace at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region over the weekend.
The visit by the wife of the Vice-President to the Nkoranzahene’s palace was a prelude to the donation of medical equipment by Mrs Mahama’s organisation, Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP) to three health facilities namely, St Theresa’s Hopital, Busunya Health Centre and the Kintampo South Government Hospital in the Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Politically or administratively, the beneficiary health institutions are in three separate districts but traditionally they are in the Nkoranza Traditional Area of the region.
Mr Opoku, in response to an appeal by the Nkoranzahene for the Nkoranza-Kintampo, Nkoranza-Atebubu and Nkoranza-Busunya roads, as well as the Nkoranza township roads to be rehabilated to ensure smooth transportation of people and farm produce during the rainy season, said those roads were on the priority list of the government and would be given the needed attention immediately.
He therefore called on the chiefs and people of Nkoranza to exercise restraint, as the government was determined to excute all development projects due to the area before the end of its first four-year term.
Mr Opoku also appealed to all traditional authorities in the region to mobilise their people and ensure that they participated in the forthcoming national census programme to ensure its success.
Mrs Mahama, in a brief remark, said her organisation had as its objective the need to champion the welfare of the vulnerable in the society, especially widows and orphans and the donation of the medical equipment to the three beneficiary health institutions was aimed at helping to improve the quality of health-care delivery in the country.
She called on Ghanaians to be patient with the government and rather rally behind it to achieve its ‘Better Ghana agenda’.
The Omanhene of Nkoranza, Okatakyie Kudom, in his remarks, also appealed for the elevation of the Nkoranza South District to the status of a municipality by the government and also ensure the tarring of all roads linking Nkoranza to the other districts, especially Kintampo, Busunya and Atebubu, as well as the Nkoranza township roads.
He thanked the Second Lady for her gesture and appealed for more assistance for the health facilities in his traditional area.
The government has released a total of Gh¢2.2 billion for the construction of additional classrooms in 20 Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Brong Ahafo Region
This is to facilitate the implimentation of the three- year SHS programme scheduled to take-off in September this year.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who disclosed this, further revealed that an amount bigger than the GH¢ 2.2 billoin was soon to be released to take care of expansion works in the rest of the SHS in the region.
“As I am speaking now the contractors are on site and have started work to enable the first year students who would begin the three year SHS programme in September to have classrooms and other infrastructure for the smooth take off of the programme”, he stressed.
Mr Opoku said this when he led the Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama’s entourage to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV, at his palace at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region over the weekend.
The visit by the wife of the Vice-President to the Nkoranzahene’s palace was a prelude to the donation of medical equipment by Mrs Mahama’s organisation, Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP) to three health facilities namely, St Theresa’s Hopital, Busunya Health Centre and the Kintampo South Government Hospital in the Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Politically or administratively, the beneficiary health institutions are in three separate districts but traditionally they are in the Nkoranza Traditional Area of the region.
Mr Opoku, in response to an appeal by the Nkoranzahene for the Nkoranza-Kintampo, Nkoranza-Atebubu and Nkoranza-Busunya roads, as well as the Nkoranza township roads to be rehabilated to ensure smooth transportation of people and farm produce during the rainy season, said those roads were on the priority list of the government and would be given the needed attention immediately.
He therefore called on the chiefs and people of Nkoranza to exercise restraint, as the government was determined to excute all development projects due to the area before the end of its first four-year term.
Mr Opoku also appealed to all traditional authorities in the region to mobilise their people and ensure that they participated in the forthcoming national census programme to ensure its success.
Mrs Mahama, in a brief remark, said her organisation had as its objective the need to champion the welfare of the vulnerable in the society, especially widows and orphans and the donation of the medical equipment to the three beneficiary health institutions was aimed at helping to improve the quality of health-care delivery in the country.
She called on Ghanaians to be patient with the government and rather rally behind it to achieve its ‘Better Ghana agenda’.
The Omanhene of Nkoranza, Okatakyie Kudom, in his remarks, also appealed for the elevation of the Nkoranza South District to the status of a municipality by the government and also ensure the tarring of all roads linking Nkoranza to the other districts, especially Kintampo, Busunya and Atebubu, as well as the Nkoranza township roads.
He thanked the Second Lady for her gesture and appealed for more assistance for the health facilities in his traditional area.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
ENSURE QUALITY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY (MIRROR, PAGE 34, JUNE 19, 2010)
From Samuel Duodu, Nkoranza.
The Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama has called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders in the health sector, especially health workers to help ensure quality healthcare delivery to all in the country.
She noted that the government alone could not achieve the objective of providing quality healthcare to all citizens and therefore it behoves every Ghanaian to assist in that direction.
Mrs Mahama made the call when she presented some medical equipment and other items on behalf of her Non-governmental organisation (NGO), Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP) to the St. Theresa Hospital at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region over the weekend.
The wife of the Vice- President also made similar donations at separate ceremonies to the Kintampo South District Government Hospital at Jema, the district capital and the Busunya Health Centre at Busunya also the capital of the Nkoranza North District ,all in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The equipment and items, which were solicited for from an Israeli NGO by the Second Lady through her organisation, included wheel chairs, clutches, surgical equipment, beds, matresses, bedsheets, pillows, drugs, orthopaedic wheel chairs, uniforms and infusion stands.
According to Mrs Mahama, the donation of the medical equipment and items was part of her efforts to help ensure good quality healthcare delivery for all, especially in less endowed areas of the country and gave the assurance that she would ask for more of such assistance for other health facilities across the nation to help improve on healthcare delivery.
Mrs Mahama in her address also urged nurses to show more concern for the sick, saying “ I urge you to take care of your patients. When people are sick, they need a lot of care and I urge you to show them nothing but love and care”.
She expressed the hope that the equipement and the items would go a long way to restore good health to all who would visit the beneficiary health facilities.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku who was part of the Second Lady’s entourage gave the assurance that the government would fulfil its campaign promise of the One Time National Health Insurance Premium to Ghanaians and urged all citizens to exercise restriant and rather rally behind the government to achieve its ‘better Ghana agenda’.
He also gave the assurance that plans were under way to upgrade the Busunya Health Centre to the status of a district hospital and also the expansion of infrastructure in all health facilities across the country as a way of improving the quality of health delivery.
Madam Salamatu Ibrahim and Madam Grace Kafui Anyande, District Health Directors for Nkoranza South and Kintampo South respectively ,who received the items on behalf of their various health institutions, expressed their gratitude to the Second Lady for the gesture.
They appealed for the provision of more infrastructure for their respective facilities and also accommodation for health personnel to help retain them in the area.
Also present at the separate ceremonies were Messrs Emmanuel Agyekum, Kwadwo Agyei Dwomo and Kwadwo Nyame Dartiakwa, District Chief Executives (DCEs) for Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South respectively. Ensure quality health care delivery
The Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama has called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders in the health sector, especially health workers to help ensure quality healthcare delivery to all in the country.
She noted that the government alone could not achieve the objective of providing quality healthcare to all citizens and therefore it behoves every Ghanaian to assist in that direction.
Mrs Mahama made the call when she presented some medical equipment and other items on behalf of her Non-governmental organisation (NGO), Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP) to the St. Theresa Hospital at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region over the weekend.
The wife of the Vice- President also made similar donations at separate ceremonies to the Kintampo South District Government Hospital at Jema, the district capital and the Busunya Health Centre at Busunya also the capital of the Nkoranza North District ,all in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The equipment and items, which were solicited for from an Israeli NGO by the Second Lady through her organisation, included wheel chairs, clutches, surgical equipment, beds, matresses, bedsheets, pillows, drugs, orthopaedic wheel chairs, uniforms and infusion stands.
According to Mrs Mahama, the donation of the medical equipment and items was part of her efforts to help ensure good quality healthcare delivery for all, especially in less endowed areas of the country and gave the assurance that she would ask for more of such assistance for other health facilities across the nation to help improve on healthcare delivery.
Mrs Mahama in her address also urged nurses to show more concern for the sick, saying “ I urge you to take care of your patients. When people are sick, they need a lot of care and I urge you to show them nothing but love and care”.
She expressed the hope that the equipement and the items would go a long way to restore good health to all who would visit the beneficiary health facilities.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku who was part of the Second Lady’s entourage gave the assurance that the government would fulfil its campaign promise of the One Time National Health Insurance Premium to Ghanaians and urged all citizens to exercise restriant and rather rally behind the government to achieve its ‘better Ghana agenda’.
He also gave the assurance that plans were under way to upgrade the Busunya Health Centre to the status of a district hospital and also the expansion of infrastructure in all health facilities across the country as a way of improving the quality of health delivery.
Madam Salamatu Ibrahim and Madam Grace Kafui Anyande, District Health Directors for Nkoranza South and Kintampo South respectively ,who received the items on behalf of their various health institutions, expressed their gratitude to the Second Lady for the gesture.
They appealed for the provision of more infrastructure for their respective facilities and also accommodation for health personnel to help retain them in the area.
Also present at the separate ceremonies were Messrs Emmanuel Agyekum, Kwadwo Agyei Dwomo and Kwadwo Nyame Dartiakwa, District Chief Executives (DCEs) for Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South respectively. Ensure quality health care delivery
ESTABLISH MUSEUM AT BUI CITY (PAGE 35, MIRROR, JUNE 19, 2010)
From Samuel Duodu, Bui.
An Archaeologist, Dr Wazi Apoh from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, has advocated for the establishment of a museum or community centre as part of the proposed Bui City under the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said this would help preserve the findings of an archaeological exercise they carried out.
He stated that the excavated artifacts from each village in the three communities within the inundation zones of the project could be showcased in the museum to educate the young ones about their past and also to attract tourists to the area.
"As cultural experts, we are interested in documenting, adding value and preserving the settlement histories, archaeological remains, architectural designs and the general culture remains of the communities in question so as to enhance education and tourism in the area," he stressed.
Dr Apoh made the suggestion in an interview at Bui after the successful completion of a salvaged archaeological exercise carried out by himself, Dr Kodzo Gavua and a team of Archaeologists from the University which was recommended in line with the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the three communities within the inundation zones before the impoundment of the dam next year.
The first phase of the exercise, which ended in December last year, was carried out in communities such as Old and New Bui Villages as well as Old and New Bator-Akanyakrom, while \the second phase ,which commenced in February and ended in March this year, was carried out at the Old and New villages of Dokokyina and the abandoned village of Kassa in the Bui National Park.
The research documented archaeological, historical and ethnographic data from both contemporary villages and their abandoned settlements in the area.
The studies involved conducting ethnographic studies and interviews with elders of the various communities for their migration/settlement histories, cultural identities, architectural designs subsistence and cognitive/ideological structures.
It also involved the plotting of features and mapping of the villages. A number of historical and prehistorical sites in these areas were also excavated archaeologically.
Dr Apoh said the exercise was a success although it posed many challenges, saying, "We faced a lot of challenges on the field but I am glad the field work has been successfully executed".
According to the lecturer, the team was hopeful that something fascinating would come out of the exercise after the analysis of the artifacts has been concluded.
"We excavated lots of pottery/ceramics, animal bones, glass remains, beads and metal artifacts, from our study areas." Dr Apoh stated.
He mentioneded that as part of the research methods, the team undertook a visual anthropological exercise with still and video cameras to record the current nature, environment, cultural practices and architectural designs of the villages.
Dr Apoh added that their aim was to exhibit most of the photos in the proposed community museum and to make a documentary film about the life of the communities before resettlement.
He further disclosed that the team intended to write a book on the history of the affected communities, which would educate readers and posterity about the people.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr Jabesh Amissah-Arthur praised the efforts of the archaeological team and added that his outfit would give all the needed support to the salvage archaeological project.
An Archaeologist, Dr Wazi Apoh from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, has advocated for the establishment of a museum or community centre as part of the proposed Bui City under the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said this would help preserve the findings of an archaeological exercise they carried out.
He stated that the excavated artifacts from each village in the three communities within the inundation zones of the project could be showcased in the museum to educate the young ones about their past and also to attract tourists to the area.
"As cultural experts, we are interested in documenting, adding value and preserving the settlement histories, archaeological remains, architectural designs and the general culture remains of the communities in question so as to enhance education and tourism in the area," he stressed.
Dr Apoh made the suggestion in an interview at Bui after the successful completion of a salvaged archaeological exercise carried out by himself, Dr Kodzo Gavua and a team of Archaeologists from the University which was recommended in line with the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project in the three communities within the inundation zones before the impoundment of the dam next year.
The first phase of the exercise, which ended in December last year, was carried out in communities such as Old and New Bui Villages as well as Old and New Bator-Akanyakrom, while \the second phase ,which commenced in February and ended in March this year, was carried out at the Old and New villages of Dokokyina and the abandoned village of Kassa in the Bui National Park.
The research documented archaeological, historical and ethnographic data from both contemporary villages and their abandoned settlements in the area.
The studies involved conducting ethnographic studies and interviews with elders of the various communities for their migration/settlement histories, cultural identities, architectural designs subsistence and cognitive/ideological structures.
It also involved the plotting of features and mapping of the villages. A number of historical and prehistorical sites in these areas were also excavated archaeologically.
Dr Apoh said the exercise was a success although it posed many challenges, saying, "We faced a lot of challenges on the field but I am glad the field work has been successfully executed".
According to the lecturer, the team was hopeful that something fascinating would come out of the exercise after the analysis of the artifacts has been concluded.
"We excavated lots of pottery/ceramics, animal bones, glass remains, beads and metal artifacts, from our study areas." Dr Apoh stated.
He mentioneded that as part of the research methods, the team undertook a visual anthropological exercise with still and video cameras to record the current nature, environment, cultural practices and architectural designs of the villages.
Dr Apoh added that their aim was to exhibit most of the photos in the proposed community museum and to make a documentary film about the life of the communities before resettlement.
He further disclosed that the team intended to write a book on the history of the affected communities, which would educate readers and posterity about the people.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr Jabesh Amissah-Arthur praised the efforts of the archaeological team and added that his outfit would give all the needed support to the salvage archaeological project.
COLLAPSED BUILDING KILLS 65-YEAR-OLD MAN (PAGE 35, JUNE 19, 2010)
From Samuel Duodu, Nikyinikyi near Dermaa.
A-65-year-old man met his untimely death at Nkyinikyi, a farming community near Dermaa in the Tano South District, when a two bedroom mud-house collasped on him during a torrential rain that hit the area on Monday.
The deceased, Opanin Kwadwo Asomah, was said to be asleep in the building with his 15-months-old set of male twins and their mother as well as a seven- year- old boy when the building collasped killing the old man instantly.
According to some residents and an officer of the district office of the National Disaster Management Organisation ( NADMO), the rain started at 7p.m. and stopped at about 4a.m. the following day.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Bechem Government Hospital awaiting autopsy while the 15-months- old twins and their mother, as well as the seven- year- old boy who sustained severe injuries are responding to treatment at the same hospital.
However, one of the twins, who sustained a compound fracture and was in critical condition, has been transferred to the St. John of God Hospital at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North District for surgery and intensive care.
The injured are Christiana Konadu, 22, the mother of the twins, 15-months- old Atta Panin and Atta Kakra and seven-year-old Kwabena Kumah.
Mr Christian Tetteh, the Tano South District Co-ordinator of NADMO, who briefed The Mirror said, the rain began from 7p.m. and at 3.45a.m. the following day, the building collasped.
According to the District NADMO Co-ordinator, it was the only building in the community that collasped during the rain, but others had their roofs ripped off.
He added that NADMO had earlier on advised the occupants of weak mud buildings in the area to vacate them but they failed to do so resulting in the disaster.
Mr Tetteh added that before the beginning of this year’s rainy season, the District NADMO office went on a sensitisation exercise to impress on people living in such weak mud buildings in the district to vacate them and put up with other relatives in order to make way for their demolition to prevent such disasters from occurring but they refused.
He, therefore, reiterated the appeal to those who were still living in those weak mud houses to vacate from them immediately to make way for its demolition to prevent such disasters from occuring.
A-65-year-old man met his untimely death at Nkyinikyi, a farming community near Dermaa in the Tano South District, when a two bedroom mud-house collasped on him during a torrential rain that hit the area on Monday.
The deceased, Opanin Kwadwo Asomah, was said to be asleep in the building with his 15-months-old set of male twins and their mother as well as a seven- year- old boy when the building collasped killing the old man instantly.
According to some residents and an officer of the district office of the National Disaster Management Organisation ( NADMO), the rain started at 7p.m. and stopped at about 4a.m. the following day.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Bechem Government Hospital awaiting autopsy while the 15-months- old twins and their mother, as well as the seven- year- old boy who sustained severe injuries are responding to treatment at the same hospital.
However, one of the twins, who sustained a compound fracture and was in critical condition, has been transferred to the St. John of God Hospital at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North District for surgery and intensive care.
The injured are Christiana Konadu, 22, the mother of the twins, 15-months- old Atta Panin and Atta Kakra and seven-year-old Kwabena Kumah.
Mr Christian Tetteh, the Tano South District Co-ordinator of NADMO, who briefed The Mirror said, the rain began from 7p.m. and at 3.45a.m. the following day, the building collasped.
According to the District NADMO Co-ordinator, it was the only building in the community that collasped during the rain, but others had their roofs ripped off.
He added that NADMO had earlier on advised the occupants of weak mud buildings in the area to vacate them but they failed to do so resulting in the disaster.
Mr Tetteh added that before the beginning of this year’s rainy season, the District NADMO office went on a sensitisation exercise to impress on people living in such weak mud buildings in the district to vacate them and put up with other relatives in order to make way for their demolition to prevent such disasters from occurring but they refused.
He, therefore, reiterated the appeal to those who were still living in those weak mud houses to vacate from them immediately to make way for its demolition to prevent such disasters from occuring.
ENSURE SUCCESS OF FOREST PLANTATION DEV PROGRAMME (PAGE 22, JUNE 19, 2010)
THE Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has called on the various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to work in close collaboration with the Forest Service Division (FSD) to ensure the success of the National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP).
President John Evans Atta Mills launched the programme in the Ashanti Region in January this year.
Mr Dauda stated that the project was dear to the heart of the government and therefore gave the assurance that the government would provide the necessary logistics and incentives to motivate the workers engaged under the programme to deliver to expectation.
Alhaji Dauda said this when he visited the Asantekwaa reserve plantation site in the Kintampo Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region as part of his two-day inspection tour of the various plantation sites and nursery centres in the region to access the progress of work.
Asantekwaa is the first plantation site in the region to have planted a total of 50 hectares with teak while the remaining sites are due to begin and end planting by the close of this month.
A total of 5,500 hectares, out of the 6,600 hectares earmarked in the region, has been prepared for planting while the same number of people have been engaged as workers.
Alhaji Dauda said he was impressed with the progress of work done so far in the region and commended the workers for embracing the project wholeheartedly.
He and expressed the hope that they would put in their best to help the nation restore its lost forest cover.
The minister stated that the change in climate and rainfall pattern in the country was due to the depletion of the country’s forest cover and that was why the government decided to embark on the programme to safeguard the environment.
Alhaji Dauda urged the workers to form fire volunteer squads to help protect the plantations from bush fires during the dry season, adding that the various communities living close to the forests must also help protect them.
He appealed to traditional rulers and land owners to release more land for the programme as they stood to benefit from an equal share of 50/50.
The minister added that the government would pay the workers engaged in the project as well as provide the tree seedlings for planting on the land till they matured.
Messrs William Baah and Walter Gyabaah, the Brong Ahafo Regional and Assistant Regional FSD Managers who accompanied the minister on the tour, said each municipality and district in the region would plant a total of 300 hectares each while each worker engaged under the project would also work on one hectare.
They said the tree species to be planted under the programme included Mahogany, Emire, Teak, Ceiba, Cedrialla and Wawa, while a greenbelt would also be established to protect the plantations from bush fires.
President John Evans Atta Mills launched the programme in the Ashanti Region in January this year.
Mr Dauda stated that the project was dear to the heart of the government and therefore gave the assurance that the government would provide the necessary logistics and incentives to motivate the workers engaged under the programme to deliver to expectation.
Alhaji Dauda said this when he visited the Asantekwaa reserve plantation site in the Kintampo Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region as part of his two-day inspection tour of the various plantation sites and nursery centres in the region to access the progress of work.
Asantekwaa is the first plantation site in the region to have planted a total of 50 hectares with teak while the remaining sites are due to begin and end planting by the close of this month.
A total of 5,500 hectares, out of the 6,600 hectares earmarked in the region, has been prepared for planting while the same number of people have been engaged as workers.
Alhaji Dauda said he was impressed with the progress of work done so far in the region and commended the workers for embracing the project wholeheartedly.
He and expressed the hope that they would put in their best to help the nation restore its lost forest cover.
The minister stated that the change in climate and rainfall pattern in the country was due to the depletion of the country’s forest cover and that was why the government decided to embark on the programme to safeguard the environment.
Alhaji Dauda urged the workers to form fire volunteer squads to help protect the plantations from bush fires during the dry season, adding that the various communities living close to the forests must also help protect them.
He appealed to traditional rulers and land owners to release more land for the programme as they stood to benefit from an equal share of 50/50.
The minister added that the government would pay the workers engaged in the project as well as provide the tree seedlings for planting on the land till they matured.
Messrs William Baah and Walter Gyabaah, the Brong Ahafo Regional and Assistant Regional FSD Managers who accompanied the minister on the tour, said each municipality and district in the region would plant a total of 300 hectares each while each worker engaged under the project would also work on one hectare.
They said the tree species to be planted under the programme included Mahogany, Emire, Teak, Ceiba, Cedrialla and Wawa, while a greenbelt would also be established to protect the plantations from bush fires.
Friday, June 18, 2010
DORMAA SOCCER FANS ATTACK VRA OFFICE (PAGE 11, JUNE 18, 2010)
A group of irate youth from Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region last Sunday attacked the Dormaa Office of the Volta River Authority (VRA), and in the process destroyed the windscreen of a pick –up vehicle belonging to the Authority.
Their reason for the attack was that their lights went off 20minutes into the Ghana- Serbia match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which Ghana won by a lone goal through an 85th minutes spot-kick beautifully converted by Asamoah Gyan, Ghana’s leading marksman.
Mr. John k. Arthur, the Dormaa Municipal Police Commander who confirmed the incident to the Graphic Sports at Dormaa-Ahenkro said someone rang his office a few minutes after the light went off during the match and reported that a group of young men, believed to have been infuriated by the intermittent outage which punctuated the World Cup matches for the second day running was heading towards the VRA offices ostensibly to vent their anger on the staff.
He said when his men got to the scene, the mob had already damaged the car and left the VRA premises and attempts to arrest any suspects in connection with the crime proved futile.
The Police Commander stated further that his men learnt upon their arrival at the scene that the VRA security man on duty that day could not withstand the threat and advancement of the mob and therefore ran away to protect his life.
He said his men also gathered that the mob again regrouped and with shouts of “Yen ani abre koo”, “Yen ani abre koo” rushed to the residence of the Municipal VRA Officer but didn’t meet him.
He stated that his office was taking measures to beef up security at the VRA Office to offset any similar disturbances during the duration of the World Cup tournament.
Meanwhile, the Chairman for Dormaa Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) ,Mr. Vincent Oppong Asamoah, who is also the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has led a team from the Council to express worry over the incident on local FM stations at Dormaa-Ahenkro during which he also called on the youth to exercise restraint and seek redress to grievances appropriately.
He gave the assurance that his office would liaise with the VRA to ensure that frequent un- announced power cuts in the municipality would be a thing of the past.
The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu II, has also deplored the mob action and urged the youth to remain calm and do nothing to jeopardize the peace.
He advised staff of VRA to make public their challenges so that their clients would understand them better.
Their reason for the attack was that their lights went off 20minutes into the Ghana- Serbia match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which Ghana won by a lone goal through an 85th minutes spot-kick beautifully converted by Asamoah Gyan, Ghana’s leading marksman.
Mr. John k. Arthur, the Dormaa Municipal Police Commander who confirmed the incident to the Graphic Sports at Dormaa-Ahenkro said someone rang his office a few minutes after the light went off during the match and reported that a group of young men, believed to have been infuriated by the intermittent outage which punctuated the World Cup matches for the second day running was heading towards the VRA offices ostensibly to vent their anger on the staff.
He said when his men got to the scene, the mob had already damaged the car and left the VRA premises and attempts to arrest any suspects in connection with the crime proved futile.
The Police Commander stated further that his men learnt upon their arrival at the scene that the VRA security man on duty that day could not withstand the threat and advancement of the mob and therefore ran away to protect his life.
He said his men also gathered that the mob again regrouped and with shouts of “Yen ani abre koo”, “Yen ani abre koo” rushed to the residence of the Municipal VRA Officer but didn’t meet him.
He stated that his office was taking measures to beef up security at the VRA Office to offset any similar disturbances during the duration of the World Cup tournament.
Meanwhile, the Chairman for Dormaa Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) ,Mr. Vincent Oppong Asamoah, who is also the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has led a team from the Council to express worry over the incident on local FM stations at Dormaa-Ahenkro during which he also called on the youth to exercise restraint and seek redress to grievances appropriately.
He gave the assurance that his office would liaise with the VRA to ensure that frequent un- announced power cuts in the municipality would be a thing of the past.
The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu II, has also deplored the mob action and urged the youth to remain calm and do nothing to jeopardize the peace.
He advised staff of VRA to make public their challenges so that their clients would understand them better.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
GOVT RELEASES FUNDS FOR SHS BLOCKS IN BA (PAGE 22, JUNE 12, 2010)
THE government has released a GH¢2.2 million for the construction of additional classroom blocks in 20 senior high schools (SHSs) in the Brong Ahafo Region for the implementation of the three-year SHS programme scheduled to begin in September, this year.
The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who made this known, said the amount was for the first phase of the project on the 20 SHSs.
He said more money was expected to be released this week for the remaining SHSs in the region for the provision of similar infrastructure before the beginning of the new academic year.
“As I am speaking now, the contractors are on site and have started work to enable the first-year students who would begin the three-year SHS programme in September to get classrooms and other infrastructure for the smooth take-off of the programme,” he stressed.
Mr Opoku said this when he led the Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama, and her entourage to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV, at his palace at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The visit by the wife of the Vice-President to the Nkoranzahene’s palace was a prelude to the donation of medical equipment by Mrs Mahama’s organisation, Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP), to three health facilities, namely St. Theresa’s Hospital, Busunya Health Centre and the Kintampo South Government Hospital in the Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Politically or administratively, the beneficiary health institutions are in three separate districts but traditionally, they are in the Nkoranza Traditional Area of the region.
Mr Opoku in response to an appeal by the Nkoranzahene for the Nkoranza-Kintampo, Nkoranza-Atebubu and Nkoranza-Busunya roads, as well as the Nkoranza town roads, to be rehabilitated to ensure smooth transportation of people and farm produce during the rainy season, said those roads were on the priority list of the government and would be given the needed attention immediately.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of Nkoranza to exercise restraint, as all development projects due the area would be executed by the government before the end of its first four-year term in office.
Mr Opoku also appealed to all traditional authorities in the region to mobilise their people and ensure that they participated in the forthcoming national census programme to ensure its success.
Mrs Mahama in a brief remark said her organisation had the objective to champion the welfare of the vulnerable in the society, especially widows and orphans.
She said the donation of the medical equipment to the three beneficiary health institutions was aimed at improving the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.
She called on Ghanaians to be patient with the government and rather rally behind it to achieve its “‘better Ghana agenda”.
The Omanhene of Nkoranza, Okatakyie Kudomalso, appealed for the elevation of the Nkoranza South District Assembly to the status of a municipality.
He also called for the tarring of all roads linking Nkoranza to the other districts, especially Kintampo, Busunya and Atebubu, as well as the Nkoranza town roads.
He thanked the Second Lady for her gesture and appealed for more assistance for the health facilities in his traditional area.
The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, who made this known, said the amount was for the first phase of the project on the 20 SHSs.
He said more money was expected to be released this week for the remaining SHSs in the region for the provision of similar infrastructure before the beginning of the new academic year.
“As I am speaking now, the contractors are on site and have started work to enable the first-year students who would begin the three-year SHS programme in September to get classrooms and other infrastructure for the smooth take-off of the programme,” he stressed.
Mr Opoku said this when he led the Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama, and her entourage to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV, at his palace at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The visit by the wife of the Vice-President to the Nkoranzahene’s palace was a prelude to the donation of medical equipment by Mrs Mahama’s organisation, Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP), to three health facilities, namely St. Theresa’s Hospital, Busunya Health Centre and the Kintampo South Government Hospital in the Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Politically or administratively, the beneficiary health institutions are in three separate districts but traditionally, they are in the Nkoranza Traditional Area of the region.
Mr Opoku in response to an appeal by the Nkoranzahene for the Nkoranza-Kintampo, Nkoranza-Atebubu and Nkoranza-Busunya roads, as well as the Nkoranza town roads, to be rehabilitated to ensure smooth transportation of people and farm produce during the rainy season, said those roads were on the priority list of the government and would be given the needed attention immediately.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of Nkoranza to exercise restraint, as all development projects due the area would be executed by the government before the end of its first four-year term in office.
Mr Opoku also appealed to all traditional authorities in the region to mobilise their people and ensure that they participated in the forthcoming national census programme to ensure its success.
Mrs Mahama in a brief remark said her organisation had the objective to champion the welfare of the vulnerable in the society, especially widows and orphans.
She said the donation of the medical equipment to the three beneficiary health institutions was aimed at improving the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.
She called on Ghanaians to be patient with the government and rather rally behind it to achieve its “‘better Ghana agenda”.
The Omanhene of Nkoranza, Okatakyie Kudomalso, appealed for the elevation of the Nkoranza South District Assembly to the status of a municipality.
He also called for the tarring of all roads linking Nkoranza to the other districts, especially Kintampo, Busunya and Atebubu, as well as the Nkoranza town roads.
He thanked the Second Lady for her gesture and appealed for more assistance for the health facilities in his traditional area.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
NO POWER INTERRUPTION IN BA — VRA ASSURES (PAGE 31, JUNE 8, 2010)
The Brong-Ahafo Area Office of the Volta River Authority’s (VRAs) Northern Electricity Department (NED) has assured residents in the region of uninterrupted power supply during the South Africa 2010 World Cup tournament and beyond.
Mr Alaasan Abaaba, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Brong-Ahafo Region VRA NED, who gave the assurance in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani at the weekend, said adequate mechanisms had been put in place to forestall any power outage that might occur during that period and beyond.
He noted that football was the passion of the nation and therefore enough preparation had been made by the VRA NED to ensure that residents in the region enjoyed constant and efficient power supply during the period for the tournament and beyond.
He, however, noted that there was the need for the public to understand that there were two kinds of outages, the planned and unplanned, adding that with the planned outages it was within the control of the VRA and, therefore, everything was being done to avoid it adding, however, that with regard to the unplanned ones, the VRA did not have control over them.
Mr Abaaba said those unplanned outages included trees falling on the lines of the VRA during severe rainstorm, transformers being struck by thunder, as well as the interference of humans, such as the cutting of electricity cables by thieves, among others.
Apart from these unplanned outages, the VRA would do its best to ensure constant power supply, and when there was any outage the authority would do its possible best to restore power immediately.
According to Mr Abaaba, the region also has in place a stand-by team to attend to all distress calls and emergencies so as to restore supply as soon as they occurred.
He noted that electricity distribution work was a shared responsibility and therefore the VRA was 95 per cent prepared to ensure efficient power supply during the tournament, but the public would have to ensure that the network was free of any inteference from them.
Meanwhile, officials at the Regional Office of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have also assured residents in the region of clear television signals and reception.
According to them once there was constant and adequate supply of power there would not be any interruption in the transmission and telecast of all matches during the tournament.
Mr Alaasan Abaaba, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Brong-Ahafo Region VRA NED, who gave the assurance in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani at the weekend, said adequate mechanisms had been put in place to forestall any power outage that might occur during that period and beyond.
He noted that football was the passion of the nation and therefore enough preparation had been made by the VRA NED to ensure that residents in the region enjoyed constant and efficient power supply during the period for the tournament and beyond.
He, however, noted that there was the need for the public to understand that there were two kinds of outages, the planned and unplanned, adding that with the planned outages it was within the control of the VRA and, therefore, everything was being done to avoid it adding, however, that with regard to the unplanned ones, the VRA did not have control over them.
Mr Abaaba said those unplanned outages included trees falling on the lines of the VRA during severe rainstorm, transformers being struck by thunder, as well as the interference of humans, such as the cutting of electricity cables by thieves, among others.
Apart from these unplanned outages, the VRA would do its best to ensure constant power supply, and when there was any outage the authority would do its possible best to restore power immediately.
According to Mr Abaaba, the region also has in place a stand-by team to attend to all distress calls and emergencies so as to restore supply as soon as they occurred.
He noted that electricity distribution work was a shared responsibility and therefore the VRA was 95 per cent prepared to ensure efficient power supply during the tournament, but the public would have to ensure that the network was free of any inteference from them.
Meanwhile, officials at the Regional Office of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have also assured residents in the region of clear television signals and reception.
According to them once there was constant and adequate supply of power there would not be any interruption in the transmission and telecast of all matches during the tournament.
Friday, June 4, 2010
MP FOR TAIN SUPPORTS STUDENTS (PAGE 11, JUNE 4, 2010)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, has assured tertiary students in the District of his continuous support for education to help bring a remarkable improvement in the standard of education in the district.
He gave the assurance when he interacted with tertiary students, whom he had engaged last year, to teach in the various basic schools at Nsawkaw, the Tain District capital.
Last year, the MP used his share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to pay fifty per cent of the fees for each tertiary student after they were engaged to complement the efforts of teachers in the district during the long vacation.
In all, more than GH¢15,000 was spent last year on the students.
The exercise, according to the Tain District Directorate of Education, had impacted positively on the performance of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) with pupils scoring more than sixty percent (60 per cent) passes in all the subjects.
The Tain legislator, however, warned against the politicisation of the programme to ensure its sustainability, saying education was a crucial sector which must be devoid of politics and since the district was lagging behind ,the initiative should not be politicised as it was about the future of the young ones in the district.
Early this year, Mr Ahmed procured 1000 dual desks for distribution to selected schools in the district to enhance teaching and learning.
He gave the assurance when he interacted with tertiary students, whom he had engaged last year, to teach in the various basic schools at Nsawkaw, the Tain District capital.
Last year, the MP used his share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to pay fifty per cent of the fees for each tertiary student after they were engaged to complement the efforts of teachers in the district during the long vacation.
In all, more than GH¢15,000 was spent last year on the students.
The exercise, according to the Tain District Directorate of Education, had impacted positively on the performance of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) with pupils scoring more than sixty percent (60 per cent) passes in all the subjects.
The Tain legislator, however, warned against the politicisation of the programme to ensure its sustainability, saying education was a crucial sector which must be devoid of politics and since the district was lagging behind ,the initiative should not be politicised as it was about the future of the young ones in the district.
Early this year, Mr Ahmed procured 1000 dual desks for distribution to selected schools in the district to enhance teaching and learning.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
WORLD ATHLETICS DAY CELEBRATED AT HO (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 11, JUNE 1, 2010)
This year’s World Athletics Day was last Saturday celebrated with an athletics competition for some selected basic and second cycle schools in the Ho municipality and its environs at the Ho Sports Stadium in the Volta Region on the theme “Athletics, Basis for all Sports”.
As part of activities to mark the day, a tree planting exercise dubbed “Green Project” also took place which trees were planted at the stadium and in all the participating Schools for the athletics competition organized by the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA).
Among the participating schools were the Ho Kpodzi Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) School,Bankoe EP Primary, Kabore Primary School, Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Royal Academy, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS),Mawuli SHS, OLA SHS and the St. Prospers’ College.
The various schools competed in the 80metre (m) race for both Boys and Girls (B/G) 100m B/G, 200m B/G, High Jump B/G, Long Jump B/G, Javelin B/G and Medley relay which saw over 100 school children and over 600 hundred spectators witnessing the events.
Mawuli SHS and OLA Girls topped the day in the U/15-17 competitions while Kabore Primary .School and Bankoe EP Primary thrilled the spectators with their outstanding performance which drew a lot of applause.
In their addresses to mark the day, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Col. Cyril Necky(retd) and the Volta Region Athletics Chairperson, Mrs. Patience Ivy Buami, urged the youth to cultivate interest in athletics since it was one of the sporting disciplines that had made countries such as the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and Jamaica in recent times popular at the World Olympics and other International Athletics indoor competitions.
The two speakers at the ceremony also commended the participating teams for their performance and urged them to keep it up since through sports they could one day become famous and earn a living like the world class sprinters and other sports men and women.
Col. Necky and Mrs. Buami also urged the youth to desist from drug abuse and other lifestyles that could jeopardize their future, as well affect their health, and rather channel their energies into sports.
Among officials who graced the occasion were Messrs Richard Agyapong and George Osafo Agyei, National Treasurer and General Secretary of the GAA respectively
At the end of the competition all the participating schools were given Tree seedlings to plant in their school’s compound.
As part of activities to mark the day, a tree planting exercise dubbed “Green Project” also took place which trees were planted at the stadium and in all the participating Schools for the athletics competition organized by the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA).
Among the participating schools were the Ho Kpodzi Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) School,Bankoe EP Primary, Kabore Primary School, Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Royal Academy, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS),Mawuli SHS, OLA SHS and the St. Prospers’ College.
The various schools competed in the 80metre (m) race for both Boys and Girls (B/G) 100m B/G, 200m B/G, High Jump B/G, Long Jump B/G, Javelin B/G and Medley relay which saw over 100 school children and over 600 hundred spectators witnessing the events.
Mawuli SHS and OLA Girls topped the day in the U/15-17 competitions while Kabore Primary .School and Bankoe EP Primary thrilled the spectators with their outstanding performance which drew a lot of applause.
In their addresses to mark the day, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Col. Cyril Necky(retd) and the Volta Region Athletics Chairperson, Mrs. Patience Ivy Buami, urged the youth to cultivate interest in athletics since it was one of the sporting disciplines that had made countries such as the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and Jamaica in recent times popular at the World Olympics and other International Athletics indoor competitions.
The two speakers at the ceremony also commended the participating teams for their performance and urged them to keep it up since through sports they could one day become famous and earn a living like the world class sprinters and other sports men and women.
Col. Necky and Mrs. Buami also urged the youth to desist from drug abuse and other lifestyles that could jeopardize their future, as well affect their health, and rather channel their energies into sports.
Among officials who graced the occasion were Messrs Richard Agyapong and George Osafo Agyei, National Treasurer and General Secretary of the GAA respectively
At the end of the competition all the participating schools were given Tree seedlings to plant in their school’s compound.
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