FRANK Media, operators of Adepa Fm at Techiman, Dinpa Fm in Sunyani both in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Sompa Fm in Cape Coast in the Central Region, have presented fowls and rice valued at GH¢4,106 to 306 widows and six widowers in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The gesture was to help the beneficiaries and their children to celebrate Christmas like fortunate families and also to encourage them not to lose hope in life.
Apart from the donation, the widows and widowers were also entertained and given inspirational messages by some ministers of the gospel who advised them not to lose hope.
Presenting the items at a ceremony at the forecourt of Adepa Fm at Techiman, Mr Kwame Baffoe-Adjei, the Events and Promotions Manager of Frank Media, who deputised for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Frank Asare, said the gesture formed part of the social responsibility of the company.
He said the company had decided to focus on the vulnerable group in the society to let them feel that they were part of the society and that they had not been neglected.
Mr Baffoe-Adjei said the management of the company had planned to use the platform to form an association for the widows and widowers, adding that that the company would continue to assist the less privileged and marginalised in society.
He, on behalf of the board, management and staff of the company, wished all widows, widowers and orphans merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
In the words of exhortation, Pastor George Asare Duah of the Apostles Continuation Church International and Pastor Emmanuel Oppong of Fountain Gate Chapel International branch urged the widows and widowers not to grieve over the death of their partners but to have faith in God, since God had plans for their future.
They also encouraged them not to give up but rather work hard to take care of their children to make them responsible citizens of the nation.
Pastor Duah appealed to the government to make provision for vulnerable groups, especially widows and orphans in the national budget to cater for some of their needs.
The Atipenhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Mohammed Twi-Brempong, who chaired the function, thanked Frank Media for coming to the aid of the less privileged in society urged other corporate organisations to emulate the company.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK FOR NKORAMAN SHS (PAGE 22, DEC 24, 2010)
A GH¢260,000 six-classroom block for the Nkoraman Senior High School (SHS) at Seikwa in the Brong Ahafo Region has been jointly inaugurated by the Tain District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, and the Omanhene of Seikwa Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Dwumah Ankoanna II.
The project was financed by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) under the government’s emergency classroom block projects to help provide classroom accommodation for first-year SHS students.
Nkoraman SHS is among the 20 SHSs selected to benefit from the first phase of the emergency classroom project in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Brains Construction Works Limited, a Sunyani based construction firm undertook the project.
Speaking at the ceremony to inaugurate the project, Mr Tawiah thanked President J.E.A. Mills for the initiative to help ease congestion in the classrooms and also for the smooth beginning of the three-year SHS programme.
He pledged that the district assembly would monitor closely the use of the facility, and therefore urged the management of the school to maintain the building in order to lengthen its lifespan.
Mr Tawiah stated that the government would continue to provide school infrastructure for all educational institutions to enhance teaching and learning.
He implored teachers to also give their best to ensure high academic standards.
The DCE stressed that the classroom block must not only add beauty to the school, but must also result in high academic performance of the institution.
Mr Tawiah announced that the school would also benefit from the construction of a one-storey building to be used for administration, as well as Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, adding that the GETFund would finance the project.
The Tain DCE said the assembly in conjunction with the Member of Parliament for the area was also working around the clock to provide the three SHSs in the district namely Nkoraman, Badu and Manje, with computers to help bridge the digital gap between the students and their counterparts in well-endowed schools in the urban areas.
Mr Agyeman Duah, the Planning Officer at the Regional Education Directorate, commended the contractor, Brains Construction Works Limited, for not only completing the project on schedule, but also executing it according to specification.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Kofi Obeng-Badu, thanked the government for the gesture and said the facility would go a long way to ease congestion in the classrooms.
He added that the facility would also help improve academic performance of the students
The project was financed by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) under the government’s emergency classroom block projects to help provide classroom accommodation for first-year SHS students.
Nkoraman SHS is among the 20 SHSs selected to benefit from the first phase of the emergency classroom project in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Brains Construction Works Limited, a Sunyani based construction firm undertook the project.
Speaking at the ceremony to inaugurate the project, Mr Tawiah thanked President J.E.A. Mills for the initiative to help ease congestion in the classrooms and also for the smooth beginning of the three-year SHS programme.
He pledged that the district assembly would monitor closely the use of the facility, and therefore urged the management of the school to maintain the building in order to lengthen its lifespan.
Mr Tawiah stated that the government would continue to provide school infrastructure for all educational institutions to enhance teaching and learning.
He implored teachers to also give their best to ensure high academic standards.
The DCE stressed that the classroom block must not only add beauty to the school, but must also result in high academic performance of the institution.
Mr Tawiah announced that the school would also benefit from the construction of a one-storey building to be used for administration, as well as Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, adding that the GETFund would finance the project.
The Tain DCE said the assembly in conjunction with the Member of Parliament for the area was also working around the clock to provide the three SHSs in the district namely Nkoraman, Badu and Manje, with computers to help bridge the digital gap between the students and their counterparts in well-endowed schools in the urban areas.
Mr Agyeman Duah, the Planning Officer at the Regional Education Directorate, commended the contractor, Brains Construction Works Limited, for not only completing the project on schedule, but also executing it according to specification.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Kofi Obeng-Badu, thanked the government for the gesture and said the facility would go a long way to ease congestion in the classrooms.
He added that the facility would also help improve academic performance of the students
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
CRI RELEASES NEW VARIETIES OF MAIZE (PAGE 35, DEC 22, 2010)
THE Crops Research Institute (CRI) in collaboration with the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DMTA) Project, has released four new varieties of maize onto the market.
The maize is not only high-yielding, but also capable of withstanding drought, and has between two and three months maturity period.
The maize varieties are ‘Enibi’, quality protein white hybrid maize maturing in 105-110 days, ‘Aburohemaa’, ‘Omankwa’, both white maize maturing in 80-85 days and ‘Abontem’, a yellow maize maturing in 80-85 days, which is good for the livestock industry.
The project is being sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) Project.
The project is aimed at helping to reduce poverty and hunger and increase food and income security of resource-poor farm families and maize consumers in Ghana through the development and dissemination of nutritious, high and stable-yielding maize varieties tolerant to the major biotic and stress in the country.
Speaking at one of the national maize variety trials and a farmers’ field day at the Subingya Irrigation Project site at Wenchi, the Head of Cereals Programme at the CRI, Dr Kwadwo Obeng-Antwi, said the varieties were developed as a result of the climate change and its attendant shortening of the rainy seasons in Ghana, to help farmers reap the full benefits of their toil.
He said the trials sought to evaluate performance of new varieties against existing ones to determine which varieties would go into on-farm trials and subsequent release.
Dr Obeng-Antwi said the field day was also to allow farmers and other stakeholders to appreciate the performance of seven new hybrid maize varieties (PAN 53 imported by Wienco and eight Pioneer hybrids imported by AGRISERV) alongside 36 other varieties, including the recently released CRI/DTMA.
He said the 43 varieties of maize were tested in three groups based on their maturity periods, such as Eztra early varieties (75-80 days), Early (90-95 days) and Medium/Intermediate (105-110 days and late 120 days).
Dr Obeng-Antwi added that the field day would also expose farmers to the new maize varieties before they were released.
An official from the USAID, Mr Alfred Osei, pledged the agency’s support for such initiatives to increase productivity and incomes of farmers, as well as to ensure food security in the country.
The maize is not only high-yielding, but also capable of withstanding drought, and has between two and three months maturity period.
The maize varieties are ‘Enibi’, quality protein white hybrid maize maturing in 105-110 days, ‘Aburohemaa’, ‘Omankwa’, both white maize maturing in 80-85 days and ‘Abontem’, a yellow maize maturing in 80-85 days, which is good for the livestock industry.
The project is being sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) Project.
The project is aimed at helping to reduce poverty and hunger and increase food and income security of resource-poor farm families and maize consumers in Ghana through the development and dissemination of nutritious, high and stable-yielding maize varieties tolerant to the major biotic and stress in the country.
Speaking at one of the national maize variety trials and a farmers’ field day at the Subingya Irrigation Project site at Wenchi, the Head of Cereals Programme at the CRI, Dr Kwadwo Obeng-Antwi, said the varieties were developed as a result of the climate change and its attendant shortening of the rainy seasons in Ghana, to help farmers reap the full benefits of their toil.
He said the trials sought to evaluate performance of new varieties against existing ones to determine which varieties would go into on-farm trials and subsequent release.
Dr Obeng-Antwi said the field day was also to allow farmers and other stakeholders to appreciate the performance of seven new hybrid maize varieties (PAN 53 imported by Wienco and eight Pioneer hybrids imported by AGRISERV) alongside 36 other varieties, including the recently released CRI/DTMA.
He said the 43 varieties of maize were tested in three groups based on their maturity periods, such as Eztra early varieties (75-80 days), Early (90-95 days) and Medium/Intermediate (105-110 days and late 120 days).
Dr Obeng-Antwi added that the field day would also expose farmers to the new maize varieties before they were released.
An official from the USAID, Mr Alfred Osei, pledged the agency’s support for such initiatives to increase productivity and incomes of farmers, as well as to ensure food security in the country.
VRA DONATES TO BRONG AHAFO FLOOD VICTIMS (PAGE 35, DEC 22, 2010)
THE Volta River Authority (VRA) has donated 130 bags of maize to communities which were recently affected by floods in the Kintampo North Municipality, Pru and Sene Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The communities were flooded as a result of the opening of the Bagri Dam in Burkina Faso and the torrential rains that hit the northern parts of the country that made the White Volta and its tributaries to overflow their banks.
The donation to the flood victims in the Brong Ahafo Region formed part of a GH¢10,000 relief package for communities affected by the recent floods in the northern part of the country.
The Sunyani Area Manager of the Northern Electrification Department (NED) of the VRA, Mr Noble Dormenu, presented the relief items on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Kweku Awortwi.
He said the gesture was to help mitigate the plight of the flood victims.
Mr Dormenu expressed the hope that the relief items would go a long way to solve the food situation of the affected communities whose farmlands had been destroyed as a result of the flooding.
The Principal Community Relations Officer of the NED of the VRA, Alhaji M.E. Siam, said most of the communities affected were predominately farming communities which relied on agriculture as their source of livelihood, and therefore, needed to be assisted with the food items.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who received the items on behalf of the victims, thanked the VRA for the gesture.
He said the government had already provided some relief items to the communities but it could not do it all alone, and therefore, welcomed such assistance from other corporate institutions such as the VRA.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo appealed to other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the communities affected by the floods to help mitigate their suffering.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr J.B. Nyarko, appealed to the VRA and the Pru District Assembly to construct drains along the roads in some of the VRA resettlement town at Yeji to help address the perennial flooding experienced by the people in the area each year.
The communities were flooded as a result of the opening of the Bagri Dam in Burkina Faso and the torrential rains that hit the northern parts of the country that made the White Volta and its tributaries to overflow their banks.
The donation to the flood victims in the Brong Ahafo Region formed part of a GH¢10,000 relief package for communities affected by the recent floods in the northern part of the country.
The Sunyani Area Manager of the Northern Electrification Department (NED) of the VRA, Mr Noble Dormenu, presented the relief items on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Kweku Awortwi.
He said the gesture was to help mitigate the plight of the flood victims.
Mr Dormenu expressed the hope that the relief items would go a long way to solve the food situation of the affected communities whose farmlands had been destroyed as a result of the flooding.
The Principal Community Relations Officer of the NED of the VRA, Alhaji M.E. Siam, said most of the communities affected were predominately farming communities which relied on agriculture as their source of livelihood, and therefore, needed to be assisted with the food items.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who received the items on behalf of the victims, thanked the VRA for the gesture.
He said the government had already provided some relief items to the communities but it could not do it all alone, and therefore, welcomed such assistance from other corporate institutions such as the VRA.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo appealed to other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the communities affected by the floods to help mitigate their suffering.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr J.B. Nyarko, appealed to the VRA and the Pru District Assembly to construct drains along the roads in some of the VRA resettlement town at Yeji to help address the perennial flooding experienced by the people in the area each year.
DROBO CELEBRATES MUNUFIE KESE FESTIVAL (PAGE 35, DEC 22, 2010)
THE people of Drobo in the Jaman South District have held a grand durbar to climax the celebration of their week-long Munufie Kese festival.
The festival symbolised family reunions, planning for development projects, a remembrance and thanksgiving of the ancestors for protecting the people over the years and asked for more years ahead.
The celebration also marked the 29th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Omanhene of Drobo Traditional Area, Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi II.
Speaking at the durbar, Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi advised his people to take keen interest in the education of their children to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
He stressed that the only legacy parents could bequeath their children was good education, and therefore, urged parents to reduce their high expenditure on funeral activities and rather invest the money on the education of their children.
Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi advised the people, most of whom are cocoa farmers in the Sefwi area, to use the Akuafo cheque system when selling their cocoa beans.
He warned farmers along the boarder towns to avoid smuggling of cocoa to the neighbouring countries.
The Omanhene appealed to the Berekum Municipal and Jaman South District Assemblies to take realistic measures to rehabilitate the deplorable Berekum-Drobo road.
He advised drivers plying the road to be cautious in order to minimise accidents.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who is a citizen of the area, congratulated the Drobo Omanhene on his achievements.
He also commended the people in the area for their co-operation and unity.
The Queen of the Drobo Traditional Area, Nana Yaa Ansua, urged the people of Drobo to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He appealed to the people not to politicise the scheme since it had nothing to do with politics.
The festival symbolised family reunions, planning for development projects, a remembrance and thanksgiving of the ancestors for protecting the people over the years and asked for more years ahead.
The celebration also marked the 29th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Omanhene of Drobo Traditional Area, Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi II.
Speaking at the durbar, Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi advised his people to take keen interest in the education of their children to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
He stressed that the only legacy parents could bequeath their children was good education, and therefore, urged parents to reduce their high expenditure on funeral activities and rather invest the money on the education of their children.
Beyeeman Bosea-Gyinantwi advised the people, most of whom are cocoa farmers in the Sefwi area, to use the Akuafo cheque system when selling their cocoa beans.
He warned farmers along the boarder towns to avoid smuggling of cocoa to the neighbouring countries.
The Omanhene appealed to the Berekum Municipal and Jaman South District Assemblies to take realistic measures to rehabilitate the deplorable Berekum-Drobo road.
He advised drivers plying the road to be cautious in order to minimise accidents.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who is a citizen of the area, congratulated the Drobo Omanhene on his achievements.
He also commended the people in the area for their co-operation and unity.
The Queen of the Drobo Traditional Area, Nana Yaa Ansua, urged the people of Drobo to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He appealed to the people not to politicise the scheme since it had nothing to do with politics.
88 CLASSROOM BLOCKS UNDER CONSTRUCTIO IN BA...To replace schools under trees (PAGE 35, DEC 22, 2010)
THE government has released a total of GH¢13,902,160.21 this year for the construction of 88 classroom blocks to phase out schools under trees in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, made this known at the inauguration of a GH¢120,000 six-classroom block with a staff common room and sanitary facilities for the Bamiri Local Authority Basic School, near Techiman.
The project was financed through the District Development Fund (DDF), a grant under the Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) and executed by E. NAK-CO Construction Limited, a Techiman-based construction firm.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, said 20 Senior High Schools (SHS) in the region would also benefit from the emergency six-classroom block project at a total cost of GH¢5,324,649.60 to accommodate first year SHS students to ensure the smooth implementation of the three-year SHS programme.
He said the money was for the first phase of the project, which would cover 20 SHS, while another amount, higher than the former, would be released to take on other SHS which were not part of the first phase.
According to him, the government had also spent GH¢20,208,900 this year in providing other educational infrastructure such as dormitories, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres and libraries for SHS in the region.
He said in addition to the already mentioned educational infrastructure, the government had supplied 44,000 free uniforms and 717,864 free exercise books to basic schoolchildren in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo called on parents, especially those in the countryside, to take advantage of the interventions by the government such as the free school uniform and exercise books policy, the provision of modern classroom infrastructure, to enrol all their children of school age in school.
He added that the government had increased the number of beneficiary schools of the school feeding programme, especially those in deprived communities, as a measure of increasing enrolment. The regional minister, therefore, appealed to the people in the area to let the education of their children be their priority, as education is the cornerstone of the country’s human resource development and social uplift.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo explained that the government’s interventions in the education sector were geared to lessen the financial burden on parents.
The Techiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Alex Kyeremeh, said since he took office, he had been able to initiate the construction of about 30 classroom blocks for basic schools in the municipality.
He said 17, out of the 30 classroom blocks had been completed and handed over to the schools for use, while the rest where at various stages of completion.
Mr Kyeremeh said the assembly had so far spent GH¢30,000 as financial support for needy students from the municipality in various SHS and tertiary institutions.
He said plans were also underway to start a nurses’ training college at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital next year.
Mr Kyeremeh said the assembly had made education a top priority since it was the bedrock for the development of the municipality.
The Municipal Director of Education, Mr Godfred Axorlu, urged the community and the management of the school to take good care of the facility.
He also urged parents to take advantage of the numerous government interventions to enrol their children in school.
The Chief of Bamiri, Nana Obiri Yaw Kokroko, who chaired the function, thanked the government for the provision of the classroom block.
He appealed for the tarring of the Bamiri-Techiman road, the extension of electricity to newly developed areas of the town and a mechanised borehole.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, made this known at the inauguration of a GH¢120,000 six-classroom block with a staff common room and sanitary facilities for the Bamiri Local Authority Basic School, near Techiman.
The project was financed through the District Development Fund (DDF), a grant under the Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) and executed by E. NAK-CO Construction Limited, a Techiman-based construction firm.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, said 20 Senior High Schools (SHS) in the region would also benefit from the emergency six-classroom block project at a total cost of GH¢5,324,649.60 to accommodate first year SHS students to ensure the smooth implementation of the three-year SHS programme.
He said the money was for the first phase of the project, which would cover 20 SHS, while another amount, higher than the former, would be released to take on other SHS which were not part of the first phase.
According to him, the government had also spent GH¢20,208,900 this year in providing other educational infrastructure such as dormitories, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres and libraries for SHS in the region.
He said in addition to the already mentioned educational infrastructure, the government had supplied 44,000 free uniforms and 717,864 free exercise books to basic schoolchildren in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo called on parents, especially those in the countryside, to take advantage of the interventions by the government such as the free school uniform and exercise books policy, the provision of modern classroom infrastructure, to enrol all their children of school age in school.
He added that the government had increased the number of beneficiary schools of the school feeding programme, especially those in deprived communities, as a measure of increasing enrolment. The regional minister, therefore, appealed to the people in the area to let the education of their children be their priority, as education is the cornerstone of the country’s human resource development and social uplift.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo explained that the government’s interventions in the education sector were geared to lessen the financial burden on parents.
The Techiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Alex Kyeremeh, said since he took office, he had been able to initiate the construction of about 30 classroom blocks for basic schools in the municipality.
He said 17, out of the 30 classroom blocks had been completed and handed over to the schools for use, while the rest where at various stages of completion.
Mr Kyeremeh said the assembly had so far spent GH¢30,000 as financial support for needy students from the municipality in various SHS and tertiary institutions.
He said plans were also underway to start a nurses’ training college at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital next year.
Mr Kyeremeh said the assembly had made education a top priority since it was the bedrock for the development of the municipality.
The Municipal Director of Education, Mr Godfred Axorlu, urged the community and the management of the school to take good care of the facility.
He also urged parents to take advantage of the numerous government interventions to enrol their children in school.
The Chief of Bamiri, Nana Obiri Yaw Kokroko, who chaired the function, thanked the government for the provision of the classroom block.
He appealed for the tarring of the Bamiri-Techiman road, the extension of electricity to newly developed areas of the town and a mechanised borehole.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
HELP MINIMISE CHIEFTAINCY, LAND DISPUTES (PAGE 22, DEC 21, 2010)
The codification of the Ghanaian customary laws regarding chieftaincy, family and land ownership will help minimise the numerous protracted and costly chieftaincy and land disputes in the country.
The Omanhene of the Kokofu Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region, Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, who made the observation, said even though customary law was an important source of law in Ghana, the rules and practices of some communities were not always clear.
He said the uncertainty in the customary law had contributed greatly to chieftaincy and land disputes in the country.
According to him, the nation stood to benefit if those customary laws were codified and documented to serve as reference to resolve chieftaincy and land disputes that had choked the courts.
Barima Okogyeasuo, who is also a Joint Steering Committee member of the Ascertainment of Customary Law Project (ACLP), made the remarks at the opening of a two-day workshop to validate the findings of data collected from two pilot areas in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The pilot areas are Duayaw Nkwanta and Nkoranza traditional areas.
The project, an initiative of the National House of Chiefs, in collaboration with the Law Reform Commission with the support of the German Development Co-operation (GTZ), is to ascertain and codify the customary law rules and practices on land and family in Ghana .
It constituted the first initiative to be taken towards fulfilling the important constitutional mandate given to the National House of Chiefs in Article 272 (b) of the 1992 Constitution.
The article mandates the National House of Chiefs to undertake the progressive study, interpretation and codification of customary law with a view to evolving, in appropriate cases, a unified system of rules of customary law and compiling the customary laws and lines of succession applicable to each stool or skin.
Barima Okogyeasuo said the gaps in the knowledge of customary law also accounted for the high incidence of chieftaincy disputes, and that the state of affairs reinforced the need for the ascertainment and codification of customary laws which were easily ascertainable and accessible to help resolve such disputes.
Giving a background of the project, the Kokofumanhene said it began in December 2006 and among the objectives were: to pilot the ascertainment, validation and codification of customary law on land and family with variations, ascertain customary law on land and family validate and codify the ascertained customary law on land and harmonise codified customary law on land and family.
Barima Okogyeasuo said the project was in three phases; the pilot phase, collection of variation of customary laws phase and final validation, codification and harmonisation phase.
He said the project was currently in the pilot phase in which 20 traditional areas; two from each of the 10 regions of the country, had been selected for collection of data.
The Kokofumanhene mentioned the traditional areas as Offinso and Tepa in Ashanti’ Duayaw Nkwanta and Nkoranza in Brong Ahafo; Eguafo and Assin Attandanso in Central; Akuapem and Yilo Krobo in Eastern, Kpone and Osudoku in Greater Accra, Gonja and Mamprusi in Northern, Bolga and Paga in Upper East; Kaleo and Nandom in Upper West; Asogli and Kete Krachi in Volta and Lower Axim and Sefwi Chiraano in the Western Region.
The Executive Secretary of ACLP, Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, who presented the Land Law findings of the two traditional areas for Brong Ahafo, said the validation workshop was to fine tune the information or data collected during the research before the final report.
The National Research Co-ordinator of ACLP, Mr Thomas Tagoe, said focused group discussions and group interviews were used for the collection of the data.
The participants at the workshop who were mainly members of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs raised objection on the boundary demarcation mentioned in the report of the findings and also the term stool lands and vested lands.
According to them, vested lands did not belong to the government but to nananom, and that it was the administrative functions that had been transferred to the state which were to be administered for and on behalf of the stool.
They also said the customary laws on land in the region did not discriminate against women owning and having access to land as captured in the findings and called for an amendment of that portion.
The President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, in his welcoming address, expressed the hope that the project would be extended to many other traditional areas to ensure its sustenance in the country.
The Omanhene of the Kokofu Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region, Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, who made the observation, said even though customary law was an important source of law in Ghana, the rules and practices of some communities were not always clear.
He said the uncertainty in the customary law had contributed greatly to chieftaincy and land disputes in the country.
According to him, the nation stood to benefit if those customary laws were codified and documented to serve as reference to resolve chieftaincy and land disputes that had choked the courts.
Barima Okogyeasuo, who is also a Joint Steering Committee member of the Ascertainment of Customary Law Project (ACLP), made the remarks at the opening of a two-day workshop to validate the findings of data collected from two pilot areas in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The pilot areas are Duayaw Nkwanta and Nkoranza traditional areas.
The project, an initiative of the National House of Chiefs, in collaboration with the Law Reform Commission with the support of the German Development Co-operation (GTZ), is to ascertain and codify the customary law rules and practices on land and family in Ghana .
It constituted the first initiative to be taken towards fulfilling the important constitutional mandate given to the National House of Chiefs in Article 272 (b) of the 1992 Constitution.
The article mandates the National House of Chiefs to undertake the progressive study, interpretation and codification of customary law with a view to evolving, in appropriate cases, a unified system of rules of customary law and compiling the customary laws and lines of succession applicable to each stool or skin.
Barima Okogyeasuo said the gaps in the knowledge of customary law also accounted for the high incidence of chieftaincy disputes, and that the state of affairs reinforced the need for the ascertainment and codification of customary laws which were easily ascertainable and accessible to help resolve such disputes.
Giving a background of the project, the Kokofumanhene said it began in December 2006 and among the objectives were: to pilot the ascertainment, validation and codification of customary law on land and family with variations, ascertain customary law on land and family validate and codify the ascertained customary law on land and harmonise codified customary law on land and family.
Barima Okogyeasuo said the project was in three phases; the pilot phase, collection of variation of customary laws phase and final validation, codification and harmonisation phase.
He said the project was currently in the pilot phase in which 20 traditional areas; two from each of the 10 regions of the country, had been selected for collection of data.
The Kokofumanhene mentioned the traditional areas as Offinso and Tepa in Ashanti’ Duayaw Nkwanta and Nkoranza in Brong Ahafo; Eguafo and Assin Attandanso in Central; Akuapem and Yilo Krobo in Eastern, Kpone and Osudoku in Greater Accra, Gonja and Mamprusi in Northern, Bolga and Paga in Upper East; Kaleo and Nandom in Upper West; Asogli and Kete Krachi in Volta and Lower Axim and Sefwi Chiraano in the Western Region.
The Executive Secretary of ACLP, Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, who presented the Land Law findings of the two traditional areas for Brong Ahafo, said the validation workshop was to fine tune the information or data collected during the research before the final report.
The National Research Co-ordinator of ACLP, Mr Thomas Tagoe, said focused group discussions and group interviews were used for the collection of the data.
The participants at the workshop who were mainly members of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs raised objection on the boundary demarcation mentioned in the report of the findings and also the term stool lands and vested lands.
According to them, vested lands did not belong to the government but to nananom, and that it was the administrative functions that had been transferred to the state which were to be administered for and on behalf of the stool.
They also said the customary laws on land in the region did not discriminate against women owning and having access to land as captured in the findings and called for an amendment of that portion.
The President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, in his welcoming address, expressed the hope that the project would be extended to many other traditional areas to ensure its sustenance in the country.
Monday, December 20, 2010
MERRY CHRISTAS...Minister, MMDCEs wish their people (BACK PAGE NSEMPA, DEC 20, 2010)
By Ernestina Kyerewaa Oppong, Kumasi &
Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo ,
Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Sunyani.
CHRISTMAS is here with us again and I wish to take the opportunity, which Christmas offers for all people, especially Christians, to share in the love of Christ and to call on all chiefs, queenmothers, MMDCEs, parliamentarians, the security agencies, heads of departments of ministries, staff of the regional office and residents of the region, to unite and help sustain the relative peace in the region to ensure its rapid development.
The region has potential in agriculture, agro processing and tourism, but this can only be harnessed when there is peace and stability in the region.
I, therefore, urge all in the region to desist from politicising every issue, which has the potential to threaten the peace and stability of the region.
We should be circumspect and exercise a high sense of decency anytime we call into radio programmes and also desist from insulting each other.
The region in 2010, was relatively calm except the Tuobodom chieftaincy dispute, which nearly breached the peace and stability of the region, but was swiftly dealt with. The region also experienced some highway robberies that were also dealt with swiftly by the security agencies.
I pray for an incident free Christmas, so police/military patrol teams have been deplored on the highways in the region, especially the Techiman-Kintampo Highway, Atebubu-Yeji and other places in the region to nip in the bud any armed robbery attempts.
I wish to also assure all that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Security Council would continue to work hard to create a peaceful environment for all to go about their daily activities as well as maintain law and order.
The region, under President Atta Mills’ watch, has witnessed massive infrastructural development in the various sectors of the economy. On roads, the government released a total amount of Gh¢8,885,634.58 for the construction of some culverts and bridges, upgrading and surface dressing of major feeder roads, as part of efforts aimed at enhancing access to the hinterlands to facilitate movement of goods and people in the region.
Some of the roads are Prang-Zambarama-Abease-Kintampo Road, Yeji, Sampa and Goaso town raods.
On Education, the government released an amount of GH¢20,208,900, for the provision of various educational infrastructure in the region under a Special Infrastructure Project. These include the construction of classrooms, dormitories, science and computer laboratories and libraries, among other facilities in the various senior high schools (SHS).
Government is also committed to the establishment of the University of Energy and Natural Resources in the region and plans are far advanced to admit the pioneers for the university by next year.
On Health, government will continue to streamline, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), improve it and achieve better access to health services, increase education and training for all levels of medical personnel, improve rural access to medical care, provide clean and potable water, improve sanitation as well as provide high level support for the health sector.
The Tain District has been selected to benefit from the construction of a District Hospital financed by Euroget De- Invest SA of Egypt and a 70-acre land has been acquired and structural designs are in their final stages for its implementation.
On Agriculture, under the National Food Security Programme, maize stock levels in the region which have been stored in pro-cocoon facilities in Sunyani, Wenchi, Atebubu and Tain collection points stand at 21,227 mini bags.
The Fertilizer Subsidy Programme is on course in the region. In 2009, a total of 319,650 bags of fertiliser were distributed to farmers in the region and as at September 2010, a total of 125,545 bags of various types of fertilisers had been supplied to farmers in the region.
All these interventions have helped in cultivating a total of 11,555 hectares of various crops, which comprise of maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean and tomatoes under the block-farming project.
I wish to assure all that the government will work hard in the coming years to help bring into fruition the better Ghana Agenda and an improvement in the living conditions of the people of this region.
Let’s bury our differences and rally behind the government to improve on the lot of the region. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
Mr John Alex Ackon,
Obuasi Municipal
Assembly, Obuasi.
OBUASI as a town has been a great blessing to my administration since I assumed office about a year and half ago. I have really enjoyed the co- operation of the residents and the assembly members to the fullest.
One important tool that helped me in the achievement of our goals for 2010 is the unity amongst us all.
This has reflected in the fact that there has been absolute peace in the municipality, which resulted in higher security performance, and the rate of robbery, which had gone up previously, has reduced.
I would like to use this opportunity to wish Nananom, the security services and government agencies and all the people in my municipality a merry Christmas and prosperous near year.
I am assuring them that although there had been a lot of challenges this year, I want them to believe that with the support of my committed staff we will overcome our challenges next year.
Amongst the challenges we encountered was sanitation, which stood tall, and it was because the assembly was paying for everything. There are over 39,000 households in the area and each house would be asked to pay GH¢8 a month.
Households have been divided into three zones with three different contractors handling each zone. With these measures in place and the support of the citizenry sanitation problem is going to be a thing of the past.
Have a merry, merry Christmas!
Kaakyire Oppong
Kyekyeku Afigya
Kwabre District, Kodie.
I AM so grateful to the chiefs, queens, members of parliament, assembly members, security services and government agencies and the entire residents in my district.
But for their support, I would not have been where I am now. My coordinating director and the entire staff have been of great help to me and I consider them as the wheels, which drove me to my destination of success.
My prayer for all this Christmas is that God grant you all your heart’s desires and also give you maximum protection throughout the year 2011.
The Afigya Kwabre District has achieved a lot this year and is hopeful to climb the ladder to the top next year.
Among our achievements this year is our first qualification for the District Development fund, which enabled us to undertake a lot of projects.
The qualification for the fund is based on assessment of good management and we qualified because of our good management skills.
On education, we commissioned eight schools and we also constructed 80 boreholes to make potable water accessible to all.
Next year, we are going to continue all projects initiated this year.
Afigya Kwabre does not have a district education directorate and as from next year we are going to have our own offices.
We can now boast that there is no school under trees in our district because all have been eliminated this year. The shift system is also going to be abolished totally because currently Atimatim and Asiwa.
Only five schools were benefiting from the school feeding project and as from 2011 it would be expanded to cover more schools.
This district has so many developing areas known as new sites and electricity would be extended to all those areas. I hope to have the continued support of all to better the lot of us all in the district.
I wish you all God’s blessings, merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year
Mr Ohyeaman Appau,
Mampong Municipal
Assembly, Mampong.
I wish all a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year, to Nananom, MPs, staff of government agencies, the security services and to all residents of Mampong most especially, my assembly members who have rendered support to me in diverse ways.
My fervent prayer is that the coming year brings everyone good tidings.
I really appreciate what the assembly members did for me because if they had not supported me, the assembly would not have been able to execute our plans.
The 2011 has already been declared as the action year by the President of Ghana, His Excellency, Professor J.E.A. Mills and Mampong will not be left out in the action.
We are going to construct a lot of roads, build school blocks and also make sure education moves up the ladder.
One major challenge faced by the Mampong Municipal Assembly was the nature of our roads and we hope to repair them next year.
I have already spoken to the Department of Feeder Roads and they are prepared to bring down their tools and start work early next year.
We have done our best this year; it is not enough and we hope to continue what we started next year. Afehyia pa oo.
Mr Kwame Adarkwa,
Bosome Freho
District, Awisa.
IT IS yet another Christmas and the year is coming to an end. We thank God we are all alive because not all were able to live and witness the end of this season.
Glory be to the name of the Almighty God for giving us long life to witness this.
I would like to use this opportunity to wish all in this district, Nananom, MPs, security services, heads of departments, assembly members and the people of this district a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
This year has been very fruitful, because we have had a lot of projects including new school buildings, health centres and new market stalls.
Next year, a lot of things are going to happen in the district, which includes motivation for teachers. They will be given a special package in the district. Furniture will also be provided for schools.
To my dear cocoa farmers, I want to assure them that, next year their farms will be sprayed at least three times before the year ends.
The assembly will also, among other things, build an Information Technology Centre at Asiwa and renovate the health centres there.
We have done our best this year and we will continue to do more in the coming year to improve the living standards of people in the district.
Afehyia pa oo!
Madam Martha Bruckner
Ejura-Sekyeredumase District
Ejura.
I wish to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to the chiefs of Ejura and Sekyeredumase in particular, all traditional and religious leaders, officers and staff of Ejura Sekyeredumase district assembly, the security agencies, departmental heads and staff and all related government agencies for your moral, spiritual and material support given to my administration.
Nananom, my brothers and sisters, your support and co-operation did not only improve our lot but most significantly, brought our district to the limelight to the admiration of many.
It is, therefore, my fervent prayer and hope that you will continue to offer more support and co-operation to the assembly so that together we will move Ejura Sekyeredumase forward in the right direction.
We have done a lot in the year and promise to continue with more projects in the coming year, which the President has declared as the year of action.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
May God bless you all.
Mr Adam Iddssah,
Kwabre East,
Mamponteng.
Afehyia pa! To all Ghanaians, most especially to the residents of the Kwabre East District, Nananom, traditional and spiritual leaders, security agencies, heads of departments of governments agencies.
I believe and hope that we will all live to see the coming year. I do not have much to say, except that Kwabre East has seen a lot of developments this year and I am urging all to keep their fingers crossed because more projects are in the pipeline.
Among the many projects that will be tackled in the coming year are a new market at Mamponteng the building of more schools and bore holes.
Next year will be full of action as the President promised and I wish to appeal to all and sundry to believe in God and also have hope in the government that Kwabre East will really move forward in the right direction.
I will count on your support, which was invaluable this year, to make new strides in the coming year. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo ,
Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Sunyani.
CHRISTMAS is here with us again and I wish to take the opportunity, which Christmas offers for all people, especially Christians, to share in the love of Christ and to call on all chiefs, queenmothers, MMDCEs, parliamentarians, the security agencies, heads of departments of ministries, staff of the regional office and residents of the region, to unite and help sustain the relative peace in the region to ensure its rapid development.
The region has potential in agriculture, agro processing and tourism, but this can only be harnessed when there is peace and stability in the region.
I, therefore, urge all in the region to desist from politicising every issue, which has the potential to threaten the peace and stability of the region.
We should be circumspect and exercise a high sense of decency anytime we call into radio programmes and also desist from insulting each other.
The region in 2010, was relatively calm except the Tuobodom chieftaincy dispute, which nearly breached the peace and stability of the region, but was swiftly dealt with. The region also experienced some highway robberies that were also dealt with swiftly by the security agencies.
I pray for an incident free Christmas, so police/military patrol teams have been deplored on the highways in the region, especially the Techiman-Kintampo Highway, Atebubu-Yeji and other places in the region to nip in the bud any armed robbery attempts.
I wish to also assure all that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Security Council would continue to work hard to create a peaceful environment for all to go about their daily activities as well as maintain law and order.
The region, under President Atta Mills’ watch, has witnessed massive infrastructural development in the various sectors of the economy. On roads, the government released a total amount of Gh¢8,885,634.58 for the construction of some culverts and bridges, upgrading and surface dressing of major feeder roads, as part of efforts aimed at enhancing access to the hinterlands to facilitate movement of goods and people in the region.
Some of the roads are Prang-Zambarama-Abease-Kintampo Road, Yeji, Sampa and Goaso town raods.
On Education, the government released an amount of GH¢20,208,900, for the provision of various educational infrastructure in the region under a Special Infrastructure Project. These include the construction of classrooms, dormitories, science and computer laboratories and libraries, among other facilities in the various senior high schools (SHS).
Government is also committed to the establishment of the University of Energy and Natural Resources in the region and plans are far advanced to admit the pioneers for the university by next year.
On Health, government will continue to streamline, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), improve it and achieve better access to health services, increase education and training for all levels of medical personnel, improve rural access to medical care, provide clean and potable water, improve sanitation as well as provide high level support for the health sector.
The Tain District has been selected to benefit from the construction of a District Hospital financed by Euroget De- Invest SA of Egypt and a 70-acre land has been acquired and structural designs are in their final stages for its implementation.
On Agriculture, under the National Food Security Programme, maize stock levels in the region which have been stored in pro-cocoon facilities in Sunyani, Wenchi, Atebubu and Tain collection points stand at 21,227 mini bags.
The Fertilizer Subsidy Programme is on course in the region. In 2009, a total of 319,650 bags of fertiliser were distributed to farmers in the region and as at September 2010, a total of 125,545 bags of various types of fertilisers had been supplied to farmers in the region.
All these interventions have helped in cultivating a total of 11,555 hectares of various crops, which comprise of maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean and tomatoes under the block-farming project.
I wish to assure all that the government will work hard in the coming years to help bring into fruition the better Ghana Agenda and an improvement in the living conditions of the people of this region.
Let’s bury our differences and rally behind the government to improve on the lot of the region. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
Mr John Alex Ackon,
Obuasi Municipal
Assembly, Obuasi.
OBUASI as a town has been a great blessing to my administration since I assumed office about a year and half ago. I have really enjoyed the co- operation of the residents and the assembly members to the fullest.
One important tool that helped me in the achievement of our goals for 2010 is the unity amongst us all.
This has reflected in the fact that there has been absolute peace in the municipality, which resulted in higher security performance, and the rate of robbery, which had gone up previously, has reduced.
I would like to use this opportunity to wish Nananom, the security services and government agencies and all the people in my municipality a merry Christmas and prosperous near year.
I am assuring them that although there had been a lot of challenges this year, I want them to believe that with the support of my committed staff we will overcome our challenges next year.
Amongst the challenges we encountered was sanitation, which stood tall, and it was because the assembly was paying for everything. There are over 39,000 households in the area and each house would be asked to pay GH¢8 a month.
Households have been divided into three zones with three different contractors handling each zone. With these measures in place and the support of the citizenry sanitation problem is going to be a thing of the past.
Have a merry, merry Christmas!
Kaakyire Oppong
Kyekyeku Afigya
Kwabre District, Kodie.
I AM so grateful to the chiefs, queens, members of parliament, assembly members, security services and government agencies and the entire residents in my district.
But for their support, I would not have been where I am now. My coordinating director and the entire staff have been of great help to me and I consider them as the wheels, which drove me to my destination of success.
My prayer for all this Christmas is that God grant you all your heart’s desires and also give you maximum protection throughout the year 2011.
The Afigya Kwabre District has achieved a lot this year and is hopeful to climb the ladder to the top next year.
Among our achievements this year is our first qualification for the District Development fund, which enabled us to undertake a lot of projects.
The qualification for the fund is based on assessment of good management and we qualified because of our good management skills.
On education, we commissioned eight schools and we also constructed 80 boreholes to make potable water accessible to all.
Next year, we are going to continue all projects initiated this year.
Afigya Kwabre does not have a district education directorate and as from next year we are going to have our own offices.
We can now boast that there is no school under trees in our district because all have been eliminated this year. The shift system is also going to be abolished totally because currently Atimatim and Asiwa.
Only five schools were benefiting from the school feeding project and as from 2011 it would be expanded to cover more schools.
This district has so many developing areas known as new sites and electricity would be extended to all those areas. I hope to have the continued support of all to better the lot of us all in the district.
I wish you all God’s blessings, merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year
Mr Ohyeaman Appau,
Mampong Municipal
Assembly, Mampong.
I wish all a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year, to Nananom, MPs, staff of government agencies, the security services and to all residents of Mampong most especially, my assembly members who have rendered support to me in diverse ways.
My fervent prayer is that the coming year brings everyone good tidings.
I really appreciate what the assembly members did for me because if they had not supported me, the assembly would not have been able to execute our plans.
The 2011 has already been declared as the action year by the President of Ghana, His Excellency, Professor J.E.A. Mills and Mampong will not be left out in the action.
We are going to construct a lot of roads, build school blocks and also make sure education moves up the ladder.
One major challenge faced by the Mampong Municipal Assembly was the nature of our roads and we hope to repair them next year.
I have already spoken to the Department of Feeder Roads and they are prepared to bring down their tools and start work early next year.
We have done our best this year; it is not enough and we hope to continue what we started next year. Afehyia pa oo.
Mr Kwame Adarkwa,
Bosome Freho
District, Awisa.
IT IS yet another Christmas and the year is coming to an end. We thank God we are all alive because not all were able to live and witness the end of this season.
Glory be to the name of the Almighty God for giving us long life to witness this.
I would like to use this opportunity to wish all in this district, Nananom, MPs, security services, heads of departments, assembly members and the people of this district a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
This year has been very fruitful, because we have had a lot of projects including new school buildings, health centres and new market stalls.
Next year, a lot of things are going to happen in the district, which includes motivation for teachers. They will be given a special package in the district. Furniture will also be provided for schools.
To my dear cocoa farmers, I want to assure them that, next year their farms will be sprayed at least three times before the year ends.
The assembly will also, among other things, build an Information Technology Centre at Asiwa and renovate the health centres there.
We have done our best this year and we will continue to do more in the coming year to improve the living standards of people in the district.
Afehyia pa oo!
Madam Martha Bruckner
Ejura-Sekyeredumase District
Ejura.
I wish to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to the chiefs of Ejura and Sekyeredumase in particular, all traditional and religious leaders, officers and staff of Ejura Sekyeredumase district assembly, the security agencies, departmental heads and staff and all related government agencies for your moral, spiritual and material support given to my administration.
Nananom, my brothers and sisters, your support and co-operation did not only improve our lot but most significantly, brought our district to the limelight to the admiration of many.
It is, therefore, my fervent prayer and hope that you will continue to offer more support and co-operation to the assembly so that together we will move Ejura Sekyeredumase forward in the right direction.
We have done a lot in the year and promise to continue with more projects in the coming year, which the President has declared as the year of action.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
May God bless you all.
Mr Adam Iddssah,
Kwabre East,
Mamponteng.
Afehyia pa! To all Ghanaians, most especially to the residents of the Kwabre East District, Nananom, traditional and spiritual leaders, security agencies, heads of departments of governments agencies.
I believe and hope that we will all live to see the coming year. I do not have much to say, except that Kwabre East has seen a lot of developments this year and I am urging all to keep their fingers crossed because more projects are in the pipeline.
Among the many projects that will be tackled in the coming year are a new market at Mamponteng the building of more schools and bore holes.
Next year will be full of action as the President promised and I wish to appeal to all and sundry to believe in God and also have hope in the government that Kwabre East will really move forward in the right direction.
I will count on your support, which was invaluable this year, to make new strides in the coming year. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
VRA DONATES TO FLOOD VICTIMS (NSEMPA, PAGE 15, DEC 20, 2010)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has donated 130 bags of maize to communities that were affected by the recent floods in the Kintampo North Municipality, Pru and Sene Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The communities in the municipality and the two districts were flooded as a result of the opening of the Bagri Dam in the Burkina Faso and the torrential rains that hit the northern parts of the country that made the White Volta and its tributaries to over flow its banks.
The gesture to the flood victims in the Brong Ahafo Region formed part of a GH¢10,000 relief package to communities affected by the recent floods in the Northern Regions, which included the Brong Ahafo .
Mr Noble Dormenu, the Sunyani Area Manager of the Northern Electrification Department (NED) of the VRA who presented the relief items on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Kwaku Awortwi, said the gesture was to help mitigate the plight of the flood affected communities in the Brong Ahafo Regions situated along the Volta lake and its tributaries.
He expressed the hope that the relief food items would go a long way to also enhance the food situation of the affected communities whose farmlands had been destroyed as a result of the flooding.
For his part, the Principal Community Relations Officer of the NED of the VRA, Alhaji M.E. Siam, said most of the communities affected were predominately farming communities who relied on agriculture as their source of livelihood and therefore, needed to be assisted with the food items.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who received the items on behalf of the victims, thanked the VRA for the gesture.
He said already, the government had provided some relief items to the communities but it could not do it all alone and therefore, welcomed such assistance from other corporate institutions such as the VRA.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo therefore, appealed to other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the communities affected by the floods to help mitigate their suffering.
Mr J.B. Nyarko, the Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for his part, appealed to the VRA and the Pru District Assembly to help construct drains along the roads in some of the VRA resettlement town at Yeji, the Pru District capital, to help address the perennial flooding experienced by the people in the area each year.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has donated 130 bags of maize to communities that were affected by the recent floods in the Kintampo North Municipality, Pru and Sene Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The communities in the municipality and the two districts were flooded as a result of the opening of the Bagri Dam in the Burkina Faso and the torrential rains that hit the northern parts of the country that made the White Volta and its tributaries to over flow its banks.
The gesture to the flood victims in the Brong Ahafo Region formed part of a GH¢10,000 relief package to communities affected by the recent floods in the Northern Regions, which included the Brong Ahafo .
Mr Noble Dormenu, the Sunyani Area Manager of the Northern Electrification Department (NED) of the VRA who presented the relief items on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Kwaku Awortwi, said the gesture was to help mitigate the plight of the flood affected communities in the Brong Ahafo Regions situated along the Volta lake and its tributaries.
He expressed the hope that the relief food items would go a long way to also enhance the food situation of the affected communities whose farmlands had been destroyed as a result of the flooding.
For his part, the Principal Community Relations Officer of the NED of the VRA, Alhaji M.E. Siam, said most of the communities affected were predominately farming communities who relied on agriculture as their source of livelihood and therefore, needed to be assisted with the food items.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who received the items on behalf of the victims, thanked the VRA for the gesture.
He said already, the government had provided some relief items to the communities but it could not do it all alone and therefore, welcomed such assistance from other corporate institutions such as the VRA.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo therefore, appealed to other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the communities affected by the floods to help mitigate their suffering.
Mr J.B. Nyarko, the Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for his part, appealed to the VRA and the Pru District Assembly to help construct drains along the roads in some of the VRA resettlement town at Yeji, the Pru District capital, to help address the perennial flooding experienced by the people in the area each year.
UPSURGE IN CRIME WORRYING (PAGE 20, DEC 20, 2010)
THE Brong-Ahafo Chapter of the Human Rights Reporters Network (HRRN), has expressed worry over the upsurge in crime, especially armed robbery, in the country in recent times.
The network has, therefore, called on the government to establish what it termed “security posts” at vantage points along the country’s highways to help reduce crime.
It also urged security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, to adopt innovative strategies to combat crime in the country.
Speaking with the media, the Regional President of the Network, Mr Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, said even though the police administration claimed that the general statistics across the country showed that crime had reduced by eight per cent as of September, this year, the crime situation still looked very awful.
According to him, the consistent killing of policemen by armed robbers must ginger the police to clamp down on armed robbery in the country.
Mr Alarti-Amoako appealed to the government to resource the security services, especially the police, to make them more efficient and proactive.
With Christmas approaching, the HRRN President reminded the police that criminals would intensify their nefarious activities and, therefore, urged the police to also adopt new tactics to successfully crack down on the criminals.
Mr Alarti-Amoako, implored the general public to release information about criminals living in their areas to the security agencies for their easy arrest.
He urged the media to collaborate with the police and other security agencies to help combat crime in the country.
The network has, therefore, called on the government to establish what it termed “security posts” at vantage points along the country’s highways to help reduce crime.
It also urged security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, to adopt innovative strategies to combat crime in the country.
Speaking with the media, the Regional President of the Network, Mr Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, said even though the police administration claimed that the general statistics across the country showed that crime had reduced by eight per cent as of September, this year, the crime situation still looked very awful.
According to him, the consistent killing of policemen by armed robbers must ginger the police to clamp down on armed robbery in the country.
Mr Alarti-Amoako appealed to the government to resource the security services, especially the police, to make them more efficient and proactive.
With Christmas approaching, the HRRN President reminded the police that criminals would intensify their nefarious activities and, therefore, urged the police to also adopt new tactics to successfully crack down on the criminals.
Mr Alarti-Amoako, implored the general public to release information about criminals living in their areas to the security agencies for their easy arrest.
He urged the media to collaborate with the police and other security agencies to help combat crime in the country.
9 COMMUNITIES INAUGURATED TO BOOST NDC ACTIVITIES IN BA (PAGE 12, DEC 18, 2010)
THE General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has inaugurated nine committees for the Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the party.
The committees made up of the Council of Elders, Finance, Disciplinary, Communications, Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution, Project, Political, Welfare and Legal are to assist in the various aspects of the running of the party in the region.
Some of the personalities serving on some of the committees include Mr. J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Madam Cecilia Johnson, both Council of State Members, Alhaji PMC, Mr. I.K. Adjei Mensah, Board Chairman of Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr. Kwabena Kyere, a former Deputy Minister of Education during the former President Rawlings NDC administration and Nana Diawuo Ninpong.
Speaking at the ceremony in Sunyani, Mr. Nketiah urged members of the committees to meet regularly to deliberate on issues that affected the party and its unity.
He urged them to address specific issues and not to see themselves as one of the various wings of the party but as sa set up.
Mr Nketiah appealed to the regional, constituencies and branch executives in the region to continue to work hard and innovate strategies to effectively run the party so as to ensure another resounding victory for the party in the 2012 general elections.
Among those who graced the occasion were, Mr. Yaw Boateng Gyan, the National Organiser of the party, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
The committees made up of the Council of Elders, Finance, Disciplinary, Communications, Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution, Project, Political, Welfare and Legal are to assist in the various aspects of the running of the party in the region.
Some of the personalities serving on some of the committees include Mr. J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Madam Cecilia Johnson, both Council of State Members, Alhaji PMC, Mr. I.K. Adjei Mensah, Board Chairman of Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr. Kwabena Kyere, a former Deputy Minister of Education during the former President Rawlings NDC administration and Nana Diawuo Ninpong.
Speaking at the ceremony in Sunyani, Mr. Nketiah urged members of the committees to meet regularly to deliberate on issues that affected the party and its unity.
He urged them to address specific issues and not to see themselves as one of the various wings of the party but as sa set up.
Mr Nketiah appealed to the regional, constituencies and branch executives in the region to continue to work hard and innovate strategies to effectively run the party so as to ensure another resounding victory for the party in the 2012 general elections.
Among those who graced the occasion were, Mr. Yaw Boateng Gyan, the National Organiser of the party, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
MDDCES URGED TO WORK HARDER (PAGE 29, DEC 15, 2010)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, has urged Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region to eschew laziness and work assiduously to ensure the success of the government’s “Better Ghana” agenda of improving the living conditions of the people.
He also entreated the MDCEs to be in touch with the chiefs and people to explain the government’s policies and programmes to them.
According to him, their constant interaction with them would let them know their problems at first-hand and help find solutions to them.
“You should not wait for funerals or any social functions before visiting the various communities within your area of jurisdiction,” he stressed.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo made the call at a meeting with MDCEs, municipal and district co-ordinating directors in the region in Sunyani.
He urged the MDCEs to eschew arrogance and lifestyles which could cast a slur on their office and the government.
The Regional Minister stated that it was through constant interaction with the chiefs and people that would enable them to appreciate the efforts of the government, adding “You must develop good rapport with Nananom and the people.”
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo noted with concern that the region scored zero in the Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) in 2008, and urged the MDCEs to work hard to enable their assemblies to qualify for the facility under the FOAT.
That, he said, was another way of helping the assemblies to get extra funds apart from the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) to implement their development agenda.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, however, commended the MDCEs for embarking on massive physical development within their two-year stay in office, adding “You have done well in terms of the provision of development projects which are dotted throughout the region.”
He entreated the MDCEs to also visit project sites to inspect the progress of work to ensure that they were completed on schedule and according to specifications.
Turning to the co-ordinating directors, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo urged them to be committed to the cause of the government.
He, however, sounded a note of caution to those who were playing politics with their office, warning that those who wanted to do politics must resign.
He also entreated the MDCEs to be in touch with the chiefs and people to explain the government’s policies and programmes to them.
According to him, their constant interaction with them would let them know their problems at first-hand and help find solutions to them.
“You should not wait for funerals or any social functions before visiting the various communities within your area of jurisdiction,” he stressed.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo made the call at a meeting with MDCEs, municipal and district co-ordinating directors in the region in Sunyani.
He urged the MDCEs to eschew arrogance and lifestyles which could cast a slur on their office and the government.
The Regional Minister stated that it was through constant interaction with the chiefs and people that would enable them to appreciate the efforts of the government, adding “You must develop good rapport with Nananom and the people.”
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo noted with concern that the region scored zero in the Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) in 2008, and urged the MDCEs to work hard to enable their assemblies to qualify for the facility under the FOAT.
That, he said, was another way of helping the assemblies to get extra funds apart from the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) to implement their development agenda.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, however, commended the MDCEs for embarking on massive physical development within their two-year stay in office, adding “You have done well in terms of the provision of development projects which are dotted throughout the region.”
He entreated the MDCEs to also visit project sites to inspect the progress of work to ensure that they were completed on schedule and according to specifications.
Turning to the co-ordinating directors, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo urged them to be committed to the cause of the government.
He, however, sounded a note of caution to those who were playing politics with their office, warning that those who wanted to do politics must resign.
STAKEHOLDERS OF BUI POWER PROJECT ATTEND FORUM (PAGE 23, DEC 13, 2010)
A STAKEHOLDERS’ forum to deliberate on measures to achieve cultural integration among the resettled communities under the resettlement programme of the Bui Hydroelectric Project, has been held at Bui in the Tain District in Brong Ahafo Region.
The forum was organised by the Bui Power Authority (BPA) and Ghana Dams Dialogue, a capacity building body for the dam affected communities.
The participants of the forum discussed the various cultural practices of the resettled communities such as festivals, taboos, pouring of libation and other traditional protocols at the resettlement camps.
The stakeholders who attended the forum included chiefs, assembly members and other opinion leaders from the affected communities in Tain District and Bole-Bamboi in the Northern Region.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Dr Liqa Raschid –Sally, who led the Ghana Dams Dialogue team, said her outfit had tabled the discussion to provide tools for improved decision making on dam related issues for equitable, participatory and sustainable development of dams in the country.
She stated that the meeting was held not because the team foresaw crisis ahead of the resettlement, but discussed ways of sharing information and increased awareness about resettlement and dam related issues affecting the local communities in terms of capacity building.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr Jabesh Amissah–Arthur who chaired the dialogue, said the meeting was a historic one since it was the first time chiefs and other opinion leaders in the two districts affected by the project had met.
He, therefore, urged the stakeholders to cooperate with BPA in making the Bui resettlement programme a success.
The chief of Bui, Nana Kwadwo Wuo II, commended BPA and Ghana Dams Dialogue for the capacity building workshop.
He said it would promote peaceful co-existence among the resettled communities and their host.
Giving updates on the resettlement, the Resettlement and Community Relations Officer of BPA, Mr Wumbilla Salifu, disclosed that construction of about 176 housing units to accommodate the three remaining communities — Bui village, Bator Akanyakrom and Dokokyina had been completed.
He expressed hope that those communities would be relocated in the first quarter of next year.
The forum was organised by the Bui Power Authority (BPA) and Ghana Dams Dialogue, a capacity building body for the dam affected communities.
The participants of the forum discussed the various cultural practices of the resettled communities such as festivals, taboos, pouring of libation and other traditional protocols at the resettlement camps.
The stakeholders who attended the forum included chiefs, assembly members and other opinion leaders from the affected communities in Tain District and Bole-Bamboi in the Northern Region.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Dr Liqa Raschid –Sally, who led the Ghana Dams Dialogue team, said her outfit had tabled the discussion to provide tools for improved decision making on dam related issues for equitable, participatory and sustainable development of dams in the country.
She stated that the meeting was held not because the team foresaw crisis ahead of the resettlement, but discussed ways of sharing information and increased awareness about resettlement and dam related issues affecting the local communities in terms of capacity building.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr Jabesh Amissah–Arthur who chaired the dialogue, said the meeting was a historic one since it was the first time chiefs and other opinion leaders in the two districts affected by the project had met.
He, therefore, urged the stakeholders to cooperate with BPA in making the Bui resettlement programme a success.
The chief of Bui, Nana Kwadwo Wuo II, commended BPA and Ghana Dams Dialogue for the capacity building workshop.
He said it would promote peaceful co-existence among the resettled communities and their host.
Giving updates on the resettlement, the Resettlement and Community Relations Officer of BPA, Mr Wumbilla Salifu, disclosed that construction of about 176 housing units to accommodate the three remaining communities — Bui village, Bator Akanyakrom and Dokokyina had been completed.
He expressed hope that those communities would be relocated in the first quarter of next year.
Friday, December 10, 2010
GH¢8,885,634.58 VOTED FOR ROADS DEV IN BA (PAGE 35, DEC 9, 2010)
THE government has voted GH¢8,885,634.58 for the upgrading and surface dressing of major feeder roads in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The move is part of government’s efforts to provide access to the hinterlands to facilitate movement of people and haulage of agricultural produce to the commercial centres in and outside the region.
The roads to be rehabilitated include the Bomaa-Tepa, Tekesse-Yaa Mansa, Badu-Droboso, Mim-Asukese-Kwahu, Weijakrom-Mim, New Kokrompe-Mpaamu Valley Farm Track roads, Tanokrom-Akohasuamu Valley Farm Tracks, Yeji, Sampa and Goaso town roads.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo announced this at a meeting with members of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs at Sunyani.
He stated that the government’s promise to establish a University of Energy and Natural Resources in the region was on course, adding that land had been acquired for the establishment of the institution.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the national and regional task forces set up to oversee the implementation of the project had completed their feasibility studies and submitted their report to the government.
He commended Nananom for donating large hectares of land for the project.
“It is my conviction that the realisation of this project will not only boost standard and access to tertiary education in the region, but will also create economic and employment opportunities in the region,” Mr Nyamekye-Marfo stated.
He said a hospital would be constructed in the Tain District under the Ghana Hospitals Project financed by Euroget De-Invest S.A. of Egypt, which was recently, launched by the Vice-President.
According to him, about 70 acres of land had been acquired for the project and structural design was being finalised for the implementation of the project.
Touching on the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme, the Regional Minister said, as at September 2010, 125,545 bags of different types of fertilisers had been supplied to farmers in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said that had helped the farmers to cultivate 11,555 hectares of crops which comprised maize, rice, sorghum, soya beans and tomatoes.
He said under the National Forest Plantation Development Programme and the Greening Ghana Project, a total of 127,000 seedlings had been planted on 85.5 hectares of land since March, 2010, while 43,892 seedlings had been distributed to the various district assemblies in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said on the national food security programme, 21,227 mini bags of maize had been stored in pro-cocoon facilities in Sunyani, Wenchi, Atebubu and Tain collection points.
He said under the Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, nine mechanisation centres had been set up in the region with 45 tractors to facilitate access to the equipment by farmers.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo mentioned the locations as Tano Obuase, Nkoranza, Kintampo, Wenchi, Amantin Atebubu and Tuobodom.
He called on traditional rulers in the region to use their expertise in conflict resolution to resolve all the chieftaincy disputes pending before the Regional House of Chiefs.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said no meaningful development could take place when there was no peace and stability.
He, therefore, urged Nananom to stem chieftaincy and land disputes in the region to sustain peace.
The President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, who is also Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, pleaded with the house to amicably settle all chieftaincy disputes pending before it.
The move is part of government’s efforts to provide access to the hinterlands to facilitate movement of people and haulage of agricultural produce to the commercial centres in and outside the region.
The roads to be rehabilitated include the Bomaa-Tepa, Tekesse-Yaa Mansa, Badu-Droboso, Mim-Asukese-Kwahu, Weijakrom-Mim, New Kokrompe-Mpaamu Valley Farm Track roads, Tanokrom-Akohasuamu Valley Farm Tracks, Yeji, Sampa and Goaso town roads.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo announced this at a meeting with members of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs at Sunyani.
He stated that the government’s promise to establish a University of Energy and Natural Resources in the region was on course, adding that land had been acquired for the establishment of the institution.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the national and regional task forces set up to oversee the implementation of the project had completed their feasibility studies and submitted their report to the government.
He commended Nananom for donating large hectares of land for the project.
“It is my conviction that the realisation of this project will not only boost standard and access to tertiary education in the region, but will also create economic and employment opportunities in the region,” Mr Nyamekye-Marfo stated.
He said a hospital would be constructed in the Tain District under the Ghana Hospitals Project financed by Euroget De-Invest S.A. of Egypt, which was recently, launched by the Vice-President.
According to him, about 70 acres of land had been acquired for the project and structural design was being finalised for the implementation of the project.
Touching on the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme, the Regional Minister said, as at September 2010, 125,545 bags of different types of fertilisers had been supplied to farmers in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said that had helped the farmers to cultivate 11,555 hectares of crops which comprised maize, rice, sorghum, soya beans and tomatoes.
He said under the National Forest Plantation Development Programme and the Greening Ghana Project, a total of 127,000 seedlings had been planted on 85.5 hectares of land since March, 2010, while 43,892 seedlings had been distributed to the various district assemblies in the region.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said on the national food security programme, 21,227 mini bags of maize had been stored in pro-cocoon facilities in Sunyani, Wenchi, Atebubu and Tain collection points.
He said under the Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, nine mechanisation centres had been set up in the region with 45 tractors to facilitate access to the equipment by farmers.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo mentioned the locations as Tano Obuase, Nkoranza, Kintampo, Wenchi, Amantin Atebubu and Tuobodom.
He called on traditional rulers in the region to use their expertise in conflict resolution to resolve all the chieftaincy disputes pending before the Regional House of Chiefs.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said no meaningful development could take place when there was no peace and stability.
He, therefore, urged Nananom to stem chieftaincy and land disputes in the region to sustain peace.
The President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, who is also Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, pleaded with the house to amicably settle all chieftaincy disputes pending before it.
Monday, December 6, 2010
FARMERS DAY HELD AT ATEBUBU-AMANTIN (NSEMPA, SPREAD, DEC 6, 2010)
By Samuel Duodu, Afrefreso.
Twenty-three farmers, including the three district best farmers in the Atebubu-Amantin District of the Brong Ahafo were honoured at a durbar held at Afrefreso, a farming community, to mark the District Farmers Day on the theme “Grow More Food”.
The awardees who were mostly into food crops, livestock and poultry were given prizes including knapsack spraying machines, wellington boots, machetes, wax prints and bicycles.
Thirty-seven-year-old Issah Abubakari from Lailai was adjudged the District Best Farmer and presented with a motor-bike in addition to a spraying machine, wellington boots, machetes and wax prints.
Ametus Dorsah from Congo/Kokofu and Comfort Akua Mansah from Afrefreso were also adjudged the second and third best district farmers respectively and they were both presented with three and two packets of roofing sheets respectively, in addition to spraying machines, wellington boots, machetes and wax prints.
Mr Sanja Nanja, the Atebubu-Amantin District Chief Executive (DCE), in his address urged the youth in the district not to regard farming as a job for the old but embrace it with all enthusiasm to enhance their livelihoods.
He said the youth should see farming as a business worth investing in since farming, like any other business, needed financial investments so that should not scare them.
Mr Nanja disclosed that the assembly, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), under the Youth in Agriculture programme, cultivated 55 acres of rice and 447 acres of maize, while 80 livestock farmers were supplied with 800 sheep for breeding under the Livestock Development Project (LDP).
He expressed the hope that by the first quarter of next year, 400 sheep would be supplied to farmers, while the Inland Valley Rice Project (IVRP) which would phase out in June, next year continued to provide financial assistance to farmers in communities such as Jato Zongo, New and Old Konkrompe, Mem and Duabone 1 and 11 who had embarked on rice farming.
These and other interventions, he said had been put in place by the government to demonstrate the ‘Better Ghana Agenda” that the government was pursuing in agriculture.
Mr Nanja congratulated all the hard-working farmers in the district, especially the award winners and said the awards should motivate them to work even harder to produce more food to ensure food security in the country.
Mr Wilfred Anonadaga, the District Director of Agriculture, urged farmers in the district to see agriculture as a very lucrative business with high returns.
Twenty-three farmers, including the three district best farmers in the Atebubu-Amantin District of the Brong Ahafo were honoured at a durbar held at Afrefreso, a farming community, to mark the District Farmers Day on the theme “Grow More Food”.
The awardees who were mostly into food crops, livestock and poultry were given prizes including knapsack spraying machines, wellington boots, machetes, wax prints and bicycles.
Thirty-seven-year-old Issah Abubakari from Lailai was adjudged the District Best Farmer and presented with a motor-bike in addition to a spraying machine, wellington boots, machetes and wax prints.
Ametus Dorsah from Congo/Kokofu and Comfort Akua Mansah from Afrefreso were also adjudged the second and third best district farmers respectively and they were both presented with three and two packets of roofing sheets respectively, in addition to spraying machines, wellington boots, machetes and wax prints.
Mr Sanja Nanja, the Atebubu-Amantin District Chief Executive (DCE), in his address urged the youth in the district not to regard farming as a job for the old but embrace it with all enthusiasm to enhance their livelihoods.
He said the youth should see farming as a business worth investing in since farming, like any other business, needed financial investments so that should not scare them.
Mr Nanja disclosed that the assembly, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), under the Youth in Agriculture programme, cultivated 55 acres of rice and 447 acres of maize, while 80 livestock farmers were supplied with 800 sheep for breeding under the Livestock Development Project (LDP).
He expressed the hope that by the first quarter of next year, 400 sheep would be supplied to farmers, while the Inland Valley Rice Project (IVRP) which would phase out in June, next year continued to provide financial assistance to farmers in communities such as Jato Zongo, New and Old Konkrompe, Mem and Duabone 1 and 11 who had embarked on rice farming.
These and other interventions, he said had been put in place by the government to demonstrate the ‘Better Ghana Agenda” that the government was pursuing in agriculture.
Mr Nanja congratulated all the hard-working farmers in the district, especially the award winners and said the awards should motivate them to work even harder to produce more food to ensure food security in the country.
Mr Wilfred Anonadaga, the District Director of Agriculture, urged farmers in the district to see agriculture as a very lucrative business with high returns.
3,223 SCHOOLCHILDREN RECEIVE FREE UNIFORMS (PAGE 43, DECEMBER 6, 2010)
A TOTAL of 3,223 schoolchildren in 15 deprived communities in the Sunyani Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region have benefited from the government’s free school uniform policy.
Some of the beneficiary schools are Atronie Municipal Assembly, Atronie Methodist, Antwikrom, Ohukrom, Daadom, Yawsaekrom and Wawasua Primary schools.
Presenting some of the free school uniforms at ceremonies at Atronie and Wawasua, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwasi Oppong Ababio, stated that the government’s policy to supply free school uniforms to deprived schools was not a nine-day wonder but would continue every year as far as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was concerned.
He gave the assurance that schools in deprived communities in the municipality would also benefit from the school feeding programme, which had been increased by the NDC government to entice more children to enrol in schools.
Mr Ababio said the free school uniforms and exercise books were in fulfilment of the NDC’s manifesto for the realisation of the “Better Ghana” Agenda.
He said already more than 100,000 free exercise books had been distributed to the schools in the municipality.
The MCE stressed that the government’s aim for the intervention was to reduce the burden on parents as far as education financing was concerned.
He stated that the government would ensure the success of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) to enhance quality education delivery since no country could develop without education.
Mr Ababio reiterated the government’s commitment to provide rural communities with the necessary social amenities such as potable water, good roads, electricity and quality classroom blocks to ensure that the people lived in dignity.
He urged the schoolchildren to justify the huge investment being made in them by the government and their parents by studying hard to become responsible future leaders.
The Sunyani Municipal Director of Education, Rev. Father Timothy Kamkam Dwomfuor, who received the uniforms on behalf of the schools, thanked the MCE and the government for the gesture.
He gave the assurance that the uniforms would encourage the children to go to school.
Rev. Fr. Dwomfuor urged the teachers to eschew alcoholism, laziness and absenteeism.
He also entreated parents to take keen interest in the education of their children.
Some of the beneficiary schools are Atronie Municipal Assembly, Atronie Methodist, Antwikrom, Ohukrom, Daadom, Yawsaekrom and Wawasua Primary schools.
Presenting some of the free school uniforms at ceremonies at Atronie and Wawasua, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwasi Oppong Ababio, stated that the government’s policy to supply free school uniforms to deprived schools was not a nine-day wonder but would continue every year as far as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was concerned.
He gave the assurance that schools in deprived communities in the municipality would also benefit from the school feeding programme, which had been increased by the NDC government to entice more children to enrol in schools.
Mr Ababio said the free school uniforms and exercise books were in fulfilment of the NDC’s manifesto for the realisation of the “Better Ghana” Agenda.
He said already more than 100,000 free exercise books had been distributed to the schools in the municipality.
The MCE stressed that the government’s aim for the intervention was to reduce the burden on parents as far as education financing was concerned.
He stated that the government would ensure the success of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) to enhance quality education delivery since no country could develop without education.
Mr Ababio reiterated the government’s commitment to provide rural communities with the necessary social amenities such as potable water, good roads, electricity and quality classroom blocks to ensure that the people lived in dignity.
He urged the schoolchildren to justify the huge investment being made in them by the government and their parents by studying hard to become responsible future leaders.
The Sunyani Municipal Director of Education, Rev. Father Timothy Kamkam Dwomfuor, who received the uniforms on behalf of the schools, thanked the MCE and the government for the gesture.
He gave the assurance that the uniforms would encourage the children to go to school.
Rev. Fr. Dwomfuor urged the teachers to eschew alcoholism, laziness and absenteeism.
He also entreated parents to take keen interest in the education of their children.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
SOAP SELLER STEALS TWO PHONES (MIRROR, NOV 27, 2010, PAGE 27)
From Samuel Duodu, Kintampo.
A-23-year-old trader, who sells a locally made soap known as “Tamale Banku” or “Azumah Nelson Blows” run out of luck when three mobile phones he allegedly stole from other traders at Buipe were retrieved from him by the Police Highway Patrol team stationed at the Soronuase toll booth on the Kintampo-Tamale road.
The patrol team did not only retrieve the phones from Awudu Alidu, but also arrested him and sent him to the Kintampo North Municipal Police station where he was processed after investigations and put before the Kintampo Magistrate court in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Alidu, who appeared before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, was charged with stealing. He pleaded not guilty but was remanded in prison custody and would re-appear before the court.
When Alidu was arrested he told the police that he found the phones in a black polythene bag which was on the ground along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to bath.
But the complainants, John Duut and Peace Boku, who went to the Kintampo Police Station after Alidu was arrested identified the phone as theirs.
Prosecuting, Inspector Wisdom Ahiakpor told the court that the Duut and Peace as well as Alidu are traders and resided at Buipe and Techiman, respectively.
He said on October 25, 2010, Duut and Peace went to the market at Buipe to sell and buy goods and while attending to customers they left their phones on the table where they were selling.
Insp. Ahiapkor said Duut and Peace returned to find out that the phones have been stolen and started to conduct their own investigations.
The prosecutor said on the sameday about 7.10 p.m. the patrol team on duty at Soronuase toll booth stopped a Tico taxi cab at the toll booth and during a search in the taxi, Alidu was found with three mobile phones and a cash of Gh¢68.50.
Insp. Ahiakpor said when the police questioned Alidu as to how he got the said items he could not give any tangible reason so he was arrested and sent to the Kintampo Police Station.
He said during interrogation, Alidu stated that he went to the Buipe Market to sell a locally made soap called “Tamale Banku or Azumah Nelson Blows” where he realised the money from the sale of the soap but he found the phones on the ground hid in a black polythene bag along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to bath.
He said Duut and Peace came to the Kintampo Police station and identified the phones as theirs and after investigation Alidu was charged with the offence.
A-23-year-old trader, who sells a locally made soap known as “Tamale Banku” or “Azumah Nelson Blows” run out of luck when three mobile phones he allegedly stole from other traders at Buipe were retrieved from him by the Police Highway Patrol team stationed at the Soronuase toll booth on the Kintampo-Tamale road.
The patrol team did not only retrieve the phones from Awudu Alidu, but also arrested him and sent him to the Kintampo North Municipal Police station where he was processed after investigations and put before the Kintampo Magistrate court in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Alidu, who appeared before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, was charged with stealing. He pleaded not guilty but was remanded in prison custody and would re-appear before the court.
When Alidu was arrested he told the police that he found the phones in a black polythene bag which was on the ground along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to bath.
But the complainants, John Duut and Peace Boku, who went to the Kintampo Police Station after Alidu was arrested identified the phone as theirs.
Prosecuting, Inspector Wisdom Ahiakpor told the court that the Duut and Peace as well as Alidu are traders and resided at Buipe and Techiman, respectively.
He said on October 25, 2010, Duut and Peace went to the market at Buipe to sell and buy goods and while attending to customers they left their phones on the table where they were selling.
Insp. Ahiapkor said Duut and Peace returned to find out that the phones have been stolen and started to conduct their own investigations.
The prosecutor said on the sameday about 7.10 p.m. the patrol team on duty at Soronuase toll booth stopped a Tico taxi cab at the toll booth and during a search in the taxi, Alidu was found with three mobile phones and a cash of Gh¢68.50.
Insp. Ahiakpor said when the police questioned Alidu as to how he got the said items he could not give any tangible reason so he was arrested and sent to the Kintampo Police Station.
He said during interrogation, Alidu stated that he went to the Buipe Market to sell a locally made soap called “Tamale Banku or Azumah Nelson Blows” where he realised the money from the sale of the soap but he found the phones on the ground hid in a black polythene bag along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to bath.
He said Duut and Peace came to the Kintampo Police station and identified the phones as theirs and after investigation Alidu was charged with the offence.
FARMER SHOOTS RELATIVE AT FUNERAL (MIRROR, NOV 27, 2010, PAGE 35)
From Samuel Duodu, Kintampo
The Kintampo Magistrate Court in the Brong Ahafo Region has remanded in prison custody a farmer who shot and wounded his relative with a musket at the funeral of a deceased relative at Ampoma in the Kintampo South District.
Kennedy Kwabena Adom Oduro was charged for causing harm to Felicia Baffoe in the right hand and stomach.
Oduro, whose plea was not taken, will reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, on Monday, November 29, 2010.
The facts of the case, as presented in court by Inspector Wisdom Ahiakpor, were that Felicia is a housewife residing at Kintampo, while Oduro lives at Ampoma. They are related to each other.
He said on November 1, 2010, Felicia and Oduro attended the burial and final funeral rites for two of their relatives at Ampoma.
Inspector Ahiakpor said while the funeral was underway, there was the firing of musketry and Oduro was one of the musketeers.
He said Oduro fired the shotgun which hit Felicia on the right hand and stomach.
Inspector Ahiakpor said Felicia was rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, from where she was later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi where the pellets were removed and she was admitted.
A report was made to the police, which led to Oduro’s arrest. After investigations, he was charged with the offence.
The Kintampo Magistrate Court in the Brong Ahafo Region has remanded in prison custody a farmer who shot and wounded his relative with a musket at the funeral of a deceased relative at Ampoma in the Kintampo South District.
Kennedy Kwabena Adom Oduro was charged for causing harm to Felicia Baffoe in the right hand and stomach.
Oduro, whose plea was not taken, will reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, on Monday, November 29, 2010.
The facts of the case, as presented in court by Inspector Wisdom Ahiakpor, were that Felicia is a housewife residing at Kintampo, while Oduro lives at Ampoma. They are related to each other.
He said on November 1, 2010, Felicia and Oduro attended the burial and final funeral rites for two of their relatives at Ampoma.
Inspector Ahiakpor said while the funeral was underway, there was the firing of musketry and Oduro was one of the musketeers.
He said Oduro fired the shotgun which hit Felicia on the right hand and stomach.
Inspector Ahiakpor said Felicia was rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, from where she was later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi where the pellets were removed and she was admitted.
A report was made to the police, which led to Oduro’s arrest. After investigations, he was charged with the offence.
USE FOOTBALL TO PROMOTE UNITY (NSEMPA, NOV 29, 2010, BACK PAGE)
By Samuel Duodu, Bechem
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano South District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Zakari Bukari Anaba, has called on football loving fans in the district and the region to use the game to promote unity and peace, instead of using it to create enmity and perpetuate violence, which does not augur well for the development of the game in the region.
Mr Anaba cited the recent violence that broke out during a division one middle league match between Bechem United and B.A. Stars at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park at Bechem, the district capital, as an example.
He said the game was for fun and not to make enemies and therefore, urged fans to learn how to accept defeat when their teams lost a match.
Mr Anaba said this when he donated 12 sets of Jerseys, 12 footballs, three volley balls, whistles and three trophies worth Gh¢9,000 for the hosting of the 28th Annual Inter Basic Schools Games Competition at Bechem on Wednesday.
The donation of the items coincided with the opening of the games at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour’s Park. About 90 Basic Schools from four circuits in the district, namely Bechem Circuits ‘A’ and ‘B’, Techimantia and Dermaa Circuits which comprise of Junior High Schools (JHSs) and Primary Schools from both public and some private schools are taking part in the three-day competition.
Among the games to be competed for are football, volleyball, handball and netball.
Mr Anaba, in his address, said the gesture from the District Assembly was to support other curricular activities such as sports, since it was another way of developing and unearthing the talents of the youth to help them contribute their quota towards national development.
He said the sports equipment was for distribution as prizes to the various schools that would emerge winners in each of the circuits and commended the organisers of the games while urging the various competing schools to comport themselves during the games.
The DCE advised the pupils and students to see the games as one for fun and not to create violence, saying in every competition, there would be winners and losers and all must accept the outcome whether they won or lost.
Mr. Anaba gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide the necessary infrastructure, teaching and learning materials to enhance teaching and learning in the schools in the district and the region..
The District Director of Education, Mrs Mary Gyimah, who received the sports equipment, thanked the DCE and the assembly for the support, saying it would go a long way to boost the morale of the various participating schools.
She called for more support in terms of the provision of classrooms to eradicate schools under trees in the district.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano South District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Zakari Bukari Anaba, has called on football loving fans in the district and the region to use the game to promote unity and peace, instead of using it to create enmity and perpetuate violence, which does not augur well for the development of the game in the region.
Mr Anaba cited the recent violence that broke out during a division one middle league match between Bechem United and B.A. Stars at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park at Bechem, the district capital, as an example.
He said the game was for fun and not to make enemies and therefore, urged fans to learn how to accept defeat when their teams lost a match.
Mr Anaba said this when he donated 12 sets of Jerseys, 12 footballs, three volley balls, whistles and three trophies worth Gh¢9,000 for the hosting of the 28th Annual Inter Basic Schools Games Competition at Bechem on Wednesday.
The donation of the items coincided with the opening of the games at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour’s Park. About 90 Basic Schools from four circuits in the district, namely Bechem Circuits ‘A’ and ‘B’, Techimantia and Dermaa Circuits which comprise of Junior High Schools (JHSs) and Primary Schools from both public and some private schools are taking part in the three-day competition.
Among the games to be competed for are football, volleyball, handball and netball.
Mr Anaba, in his address, said the gesture from the District Assembly was to support other curricular activities such as sports, since it was another way of developing and unearthing the talents of the youth to help them contribute their quota towards national development.
He said the sports equipment was for distribution as prizes to the various schools that would emerge winners in each of the circuits and commended the organisers of the games while urging the various competing schools to comport themselves during the games.
The DCE advised the pupils and students to see the games as one for fun and not to create violence, saying in every competition, there would be winners and losers and all must accept the outcome whether they won or lost.
Mr. Anaba gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide the necessary infrastructure, teaching and learning materials to enhance teaching and learning in the schools in the district and the region..
The District Director of Education, Mrs Mary Gyimah, who received the sports equipment, thanked the DCE and the assembly for the support, saying it would go a long way to boost the morale of the various participating schools.
She called for more support in terms of the provision of classrooms to eradicate schools under trees in the district.
ACCEPT POSTINGS TO DEPRIVED AREAS (NSEMPA, NOV 29, 2010, PAGE 14)
By Timothy Gobah & Samuel Duodu, Berekum
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has expressed concern about the over concentration of health personnel in the urban areas to the detriment of rural and deprived areas in the country where their services are needed the most.
He, therefore, appealed to newly trained health professionals, especially nurses and midwives to accept postings to the deprived areas of the country to cater for the health needs of the people while the government also made efforts to improve conditions of service and come out with incentive packages for them.
The Vice-President noted that certain categories of workers could go on strike but not health professionals such as nurses who were trained to save lives.
Concern
He expressed the concern at the 13th matriculation ceremony of the Berekum Nurses and Midwifery Training College (NMTC) in the Berekum Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region last Friday.
One-Hundred and fifty students out of the 1,358 applicants that gained admission for the 2010/2011 academic year, took the college’s matriculation oath and that of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana at the ceremony.
The Vice-President as part of activities to mark the ceremony, which formed part of the 53rd anniversary celebration of the Berekum NMTC, inaugurated a GH¢700,000 new lecture block for the college the construction which started in April 2008 and got completed in October 2010.
Mr Mahama on behalf of the government also donated a 31-seater air-conditioned bus worth GH¢100,000 ($70,000) to the college.
In his address, he noted that some of the qualities one needed to become a nurse was compassion, kindness, politeness and cheerfulness and therefore, urged the students to cultivate all those character traits in order to offer quality care to the sick after their training.
Achieving MDGs
Touching on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Mr Mahama said Ghana was on track to achieve some aspects of MDG by 2015 but lagged behind in the areas of maternal and child mortality as well as water and sanitation, which were inter-related.
He, therefore, called on all Ghanaians, especially health personnel, not to spare any efforts to ensure that maternal and child mortality rates dropped to zero, saying that all resources must be applied to ensure that the country achieved the MDG’s 4&5 that sought to reduce the under-five and maternal mortality rates.
Mr Mahama gave the assurance that the government would also do its part by ensuring that clinics and hospitals were available at every nook and cranny of the country as well as health personnel to ensure that every pregnant woman received quality healthcare during delivery since majority of deaths recorded at birth were as a result of unsupervised delivery.
The Vice-President congratulated the college for being one of the best health training institutions in the country and urged the students who were privileged to gain admission to the college to uphold the high sense of discipline to come out as well trained professionals ready to serve anywhere in the country.
Advice
The Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, who delivered the keynote address, advised the students not to allow material and monetary gains to take precedence over and above their primary duty to preserve and save lives.
He also reiterated the call on nurses not to strike due to demands for higher pay since that also defeated the very purpose for which the profession was created and had developed and evolved through the centuries.
Most Rev. Gyamfi commended the government for the provision of infrastructure for the Berekum NMTC and called for the continuous collaboration between the Catholic Church and the government in the area of health care.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, for his part said the government had not left out the Brong Ahafo Region when it came to the provision of health infrastructure, adding that the region could boast a modern and state-of-the-art regional hospital, which was a referral health institution.
He disclosed that plans were far advanced for the establishment of a midwifery training school at Goaso by the close of the year, while the Techiman Holy Family Hospital was in the process of securing accreditation to start a nursing training school, adding that very soon, the region would be a nurse exporter to other parts of the country.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, the Minister of Health, in his address, said over the last couple of years, the government had stepped back and decided to repackage the principles of health care delivery to ensure that all barriers to care were removed and the nursing profession remained central to that effort.
Appeal
He entreated the students to be prepared to accept postings to deprived areas after their training, which most people saw as punishment, saying the government was now prepared to recognise and reward appropriately.
The Principal of the Berekum NMTC, Madam Monica Nkrumah, in her welcome address, said the total number of applicants to the college rose to 1,358 from last year’s figure of 882. Out of this, 687 were short-listed for an admission interview, but only 150 were offered admission comprising 50 midwifery students and 100 nursing students.
She expressed her gratitude to the government for the tremendous assistance to the college, such as the construction of a 100-capacity female hostel, now accommodating 284 students and a lecture hall complex comprising a library, skills laboratory and offices, which was inaugurated by the Vice-President.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has expressed concern about the over concentration of health personnel in the urban areas to the detriment of rural and deprived areas in the country where their services are needed the most.
He, therefore, appealed to newly trained health professionals, especially nurses and midwives to accept postings to the deprived areas of the country to cater for the health needs of the people while the government also made efforts to improve conditions of service and come out with incentive packages for them.
The Vice-President noted that certain categories of workers could go on strike but not health professionals such as nurses who were trained to save lives.
Concern
He expressed the concern at the 13th matriculation ceremony of the Berekum Nurses and Midwifery Training College (NMTC) in the Berekum Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region last Friday.
One-Hundred and fifty students out of the 1,358 applicants that gained admission for the 2010/2011 academic year, took the college’s matriculation oath and that of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana at the ceremony.
The Vice-President as part of activities to mark the ceremony, which formed part of the 53rd anniversary celebration of the Berekum NMTC, inaugurated a GH¢700,000 new lecture block for the college the construction which started in April 2008 and got completed in October 2010.
Mr Mahama on behalf of the government also donated a 31-seater air-conditioned bus worth GH¢100,000 ($70,000) to the college.
In his address, he noted that some of the qualities one needed to become a nurse was compassion, kindness, politeness and cheerfulness and therefore, urged the students to cultivate all those character traits in order to offer quality care to the sick after their training.
Achieving MDGs
Touching on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Mr Mahama said Ghana was on track to achieve some aspects of MDG by 2015 but lagged behind in the areas of maternal and child mortality as well as water and sanitation, which were inter-related.
He, therefore, called on all Ghanaians, especially health personnel, not to spare any efforts to ensure that maternal and child mortality rates dropped to zero, saying that all resources must be applied to ensure that the country achieved the MDG’s 4&5 that sought to reduce the under-five and maternal mortality rates.
Mr Mahama gave the assurance that the government would also do its part by ensuring that clinics and hospitals were available at every nook and cranny of the country as well as health personnel to ensure that every pregnant woman received quality healthcare during delivery since majority of deaths recorded at birth were as a result of unsupervised delivery.
The Vice-President congratulated the college for being one of the best health training institutions in the country and urged the students who were privileged to gain admission to the college to uphold the high sense of discipline to come out as well trained professionals ready to serve anywhere in the country.
Advice
The Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, who delivered the keynote address, advised the students not to allow material and monetary gains to take precedence over and above their primary duty to preserve and save lives.
He also reiterated the call on nurses not to strike due to demands for higher pay since that also defeated the very purpose for which the profession was created and had developed and evolved through the centuries.
Most Rev. Gyamfi commended the government for the provision of infrastructure for the Berekum NMTC and called for the continuous collaboration between the Catholic Church and the government in the area of health care.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, for his part said the government had not left out the Brong Ahafo Region when it came to the provision of health infrastructure, adding that the region could boast a modern and state-of-the-art regional hospital, which was a referral health institution.
He disclosed that plans were far advanced for the establishment of a midwifery training school at Goaso by the close of the year, while the Techiman Holy Family Hospital was in the process of securing accreditation to start a nursing training school, adding that very soon, the region would be a nurse exporter to other parts of the country.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, the Minister of Health, in his address, said over the last couple of years, the government had stepped back and decided to repackage the principles of health care delivery to ensure that all barriers to care were removed and the nursing profession remained central to that effort.
Appeal
He entreated the students to be prepared to accept postings to deprived areas after their training, which most people saw as punishment, saying the government was now prepared to recognise and reward appropriately.
The Principal of the Berekum NMTC, Madam Monica Nkrumah, in her welcome address, said the total number of applicants to the college rose to 1,358 from last year’s figure of 882. Out of this, 687 were short-listed for an admission interview, but only 150 were offered admission comprising 50 midwifery students and 100 nursing students.
She expressed her gratitude to the government for the tremendous assistance to the college, such as the construction of a 100-capacity female hostel, now accommodating 284 students and a lecture hall complex comprising a library, skills laboratory and offices, which was inaugurated by the Vice-President.
DISSOLVE RNC, CRRC — EXTRACTIVE ENGAGEMENT GROUP (NSEMPA, NOV 29, PAGE 3)
By Samuel Duodu, Kenyasi
Members of the Ahafo Extractive Engagement Group (AEEG) have called for the dissolution of the Ahafo Resettlement Negotiation Committee (RNC) and Crop Rate Review Committee (CRRC) since they no longer served the interest of the large majority of the people living in communities affected by mining in the Ahafo area of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The committees set up under the auspices of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in Kenyasi in the Asutifi District in 2004, comprise representatives from communities, government agencies and the company.
The committees were to negotiate on issues concerning compensation and resettlements on behalf of persons in communities affected by the operations of the company, but had reneged on their core functions thereby placing the interest of the mining company above that of the people affected by mining.
AEEG, a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Youth Associations, Students Unions, Farmers Associations and Business Associations operating in the district which acts as the voice of the local communities, promote their welfare and support the development agenda of the district assembly, said some of the members on the committees were representing communities that did not exist.
The group, which also operates under the bigger umbrella of the Ghana Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Coalition, mentioned some of the ghost communities which had a representation on the committees as Bonaa, Kodiwohia, Ba-past, and Subriagya, among others.
In a petition, signed by members of the AEEG calling for the dissolution of the RNC and CRRC, presented to the Asutifi District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Eric Addae, and copied to the Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources, Environment, Science and Technology and the media in Kenyasi, said the committees had compromised their impartiality by accepting contracts from the company.
This practice, the group said, had fragmented the committees while the membership was also too large for effective deliberations to be made. There was also lack of feedback from members of thei communities.
The group stated further that the company together with the committees had reneged on their promises to conduct yearly elections of the members of the RNC made up of community representatives and the moderator.
It added that some prominent communities within the affected areas of mining also did not have representation on the RNC and mentioned one of the communities as Wamahinso.
The AEEG, in calling for the dissolution of the two committees, suggested that there should be one strong and effective committee, which would be responsible for the negotiations of crops, land and resettlement issues.
They suggested further that the total membership of the committee should not be more than 45, while farmers who have been marginalised in terms of education and organisation would be assisted by AEEG to form farmers associations.
It also recommended that farmers should represent the greater membership of the committee at least 30 out of the 45 members, because they were mostly directly affected when it came to compensation and resettlement while farmers’ representatives should be chosen from the various recognised farmers associations in the affected communities within the Asutifi District.
Again, the group suggested that the remaining 15 of the 45 members should comprise of representatives of the traditional authority, government agencies, a legal adviser, moderator and CBOs to serve as advisors and ex-officio members.
“There should also be yearly election of the members of the committee including the moderator.”
The AEEG noted that if the company did not want to go by the suggestions then it should abide by the provisions in the Minerals and Mining Act (Act 703 of 2006) which states that “ The amount of compensation payable should be determined by agreement between the two parties (the property owner and the company” according to section 73 (3).
Members of the Ahafo Extractive Engagement Group (AEEG) have called for the dissolution of the Ahafo Resettlement Negotiation Committee (RNC) and Crop Rate Review Committee (CRRC) since they no longer served the interest of the large majority of the people living in communities affected by mining in the Ahafo area of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The committees set up under the auspices of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine in Kenyasi in the Asutifi District in 2004, comprise representatives from communities, government agencies and the company.
The committees were to negotiate on issues concerning compensation and resettlements on behalf of persons in communities affected by the operations of the company, but had reneged on their core functions thereby placing the interest of the mining company above that of the people affected by mining.
AEEG, a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Youth Associations, Students Unions, Farmers Associations and Business Associations operating in the district which acts as the voice of the local communities, promote their welfare and support the development agenda of the district assembly, said some of the members on the committees were representing communities that did not exist.
The group, which also operates under the bigger umbrella of the Ghana Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Coalition, mentioned some of the ghost communities which had a representation on the committees as Bonaa, Kodiwohia, Ba-past, and Subriagya, among others.
In a petition, signed by members of the AEEG calling for the dissolution of the RNC and CRRC, presented to the Asutifi District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Eric Addae, and copied to the Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources, Environment, Science and Technology and the media in Kenyasi, said the committees had compromised their impartiality by accepting contracts from the company.
This practice, the group said, had fragmented the committees while the membership was also too large for effective deliberations to be made. There was also lack of feedback from members of thei communities.
The group stated further that the company together with the committees had reneged on their promises to conduct yearly elections of the members of the RNC made up of community representatives and the moderator.
It added that some prominent communities within the affected areas of mining also did not have representation on the RNC and mentioned one of the communities as Wamahinso.
The AEEG, in calling for the dissolution of the two committees, suggested that there should be one strong and effective committee, which would be responsible for the negotiations of crops, land and resettlement issues.
They suggested further that the total membership of the committee should not be more than 45, while farmers who have been marginalised in terms of education and organisation would be assisted by AEEG to form farmers associations.
It also recommended that farmers should represent the greater membership of the committee at least 30 out of the 45 members, because they were mostly directly affected when it came to compensation and resettlement while farmers’ representatives should be chosen from the various recognised farmers associations in the affected communities within the Asutifi District.
Again, the group suggested that the remaining 15 of the 45 members should comprise of representatives of the traditional authority, government agencies, a legal adviser, moderator and CBOs to serve as advisors and ex-officio members.
“There should also be yearly election of the members of the committee including the moderator.”
The AEEG noted that if the company did not want to go by the suggestions then it should abide by the provisions in the Minerals and Mining Act (Act 703 of 2006) which states that “ The amount of compensation payable should be determined by agreement between the two parties (the property owner and the company” according to section 73 (3).
GBC'S CHARGES FOR SOCIAL EVENTS WORRY BA RESIDENTS (PAGE 43, NOV 29, 2010)
SOME educational institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals in the Brong Ahafo Region have expressed displeasure about the way Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in the region is treating them.
They allege that the GBC charge them for social events they organise.
According to them, in recent times, whenever they organised events or activities which were for the benefit of the larger society, they were asked to pay monies ranging from GH¢400 to GH¢1,500.
According to them, enquiries from their colleagues and partners from other regions of the country indicated that GBC did not charge them whenever they organised social functions.
They, therefore, appealed to the GBC management and board, the Ministry of Information and the National Media Commission (NMC) to check what they considered a departure from GBC’s role of doing developmental journalism.
According to the Junior Assistant Registrar in-charge of Public Relations of Catholic University College of Ghana, Mr Charles Alex Cosmos, the GBC charged the university GH¢1,000 for covering its matriculation.
He said the university considered the charge unusual, and therefore did not pay and the Ghana Television (GTV) did not turn up for the programme.
An official of the Wenchi Campus of Methodist University College of Ghana, also told the Daily Graphic that the management of the university were asked to pay GH¢500 for coverage when the university was taking over property from BAT to establish a nurses’ training college (NTC).
A research student and an officer in-charge of livestock at the Sunyani Municipal MOFA office, Mr Edward Kwame Awenseba, said he was shocked when the GBC gave him an invoice of GH¢700 to pay for the coverage of his research findings.
Mr Awenseba said his project which was supervised by the University of Cape Coast, was aimed at introducing new technology to small ruminant farmers on how to keep their livestock in confined areas instead of allowing them free-range grazing.
He said as a result of the money factor introduced by the GBC, small livestock farmers across the country had been denied the opportunity to learn the new technology, adding that “even TV3, a private station, came to cover the event without charging any money.”
The officer in charge of Disease Control at the Sunyani Municipal Health Directorate, Mr Samuel Addo, said in a recent National Measles Immunisation Programme, the GHS approached the GBC in Sunyani and other private radio stations in Brong Ahafo to help them propagate the message to the people for massive participation, but GBC gave them an invoice of GH¢546.25 to be paid for the coverage, but surprisingly private media houses like Dinpa FM and Sky FM covered the event for free.
Mr John Abaa of ActionAid in Sunyani said the NGO invited GBC for the 2010 Annual Regional Girls’ Leadership Conference from November 3 to 6, 2010 but GBC demanded GH¢1,500 before covering the programme.
The Chairman of the Munufie Kese Festival Planning Committee, Mr George Adjei Henneh said the GBC charged GH¢800 for coverage of the festival.
He said initially when he sent the letter for coverage, GBC did not say anything about money but later when he sent a member of the committee to follow up on the letter, he was told by the Business Division of the corporation to pay GH¢800.
Mr Henneh said when the emissary expressed surprise about the charge, he was told that it was a new directive.
He said the chiefs and people of Japekrom were highly disappointed about GBC’s treatment, stressing that in the past, they only provided vehicle to convey the news team to and from Japekrom for the festival.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Regional Director of GBC, Madam Eunice Obeng Yeboah on the allegations, she said it was a policy directive by the management of GBC to charge for all social activities that had commercial elements in them.
When asked to give an example of social activities with commercial elements in them, Madam Obeng Yeboah could not provide one, but only said “we have been directed to charge to meet operation cost.”
They allege that the GBC charge them for social events they organise.
According to them, in recent times, whenever they organised events or activities which were for the benefit of the larger society, they were asked to pay monies ranging from GH¢400 to GH¢1,500.
According to them, enquiries from their colleagues and partners from other regions of the country indicated that GBC did not charge them whenever they organised social functions.
They, therefore, appealed to the GBC management and board, the Ministry of Information and the National Media Commission (NMC) to check what they considered a departure from GBC’s role of doing developmental journalism.
According to the Junior Assistant Registrar in-charge of Public Relations of Catholic University College of Ghana, Mr Charles Alex Cosmos, the GBC charged the university GH¢1,000 for covering its matriculation.
He said the university considered the charge unusual, and therefore did not pay and the Ghana Television (GTV) did not turn up for the programme.
An official of the Wenchi Campus of Methodist University College of Ghana, also told the Daily Graphic that the management of the university were asked to pay GH¢500 for coverage when the university was taking over property from BAT to establish a nurses’ training college (NTC).
A research student and an officer in-charge of livestock at the Sunyani Municipal MOFA office, Mr Edward Kwame Awenseba, said he was shocked when the GBC gave him an invoice of GH¢700 to pay for the coverage of his research findings.
Mr Awenseba said his project which was supervised by the University of Cape Coast, was aimed at introducing new technology to small ruminant farmers on how to keep their livestock in confined areas instead of allowing them free-range grazing.
He said as a result of the money factor introduced by the GBC, small livestock farmers across the country had been denied the opportunity to learn the new technology, adding that “even TV3, a private station, came to cover the event without charging any money.”
The officer in charge of Disease Control at the Sunyani Municipal Health Directorate, Mr Samuel Addo, said in a recent National Measles Immunisation Programme, the GHS approached the GBC in Sunyani and other private radio stations in Brong Ahafo to help them propagate the message to the people for massive participation, but GBC gave them an invoice of GH¢546.25 to be paid for the coverage, but surprisingly private media houses like Dinpa FM and Sky FM covered the event for free.
Mr John Abaa of ActionAid in Sunyani said the NGO invited GBC for the 2010 Annual Regional Girls’ Leadership Conference from November 3 to 6, 2010 but GBC demanded GH¢1,500 before covering the programme.
The Chairman of the Munufie Kese Festival Planning Committee, Mr George Adjei Henneh said the GBC charged GH¢800 for coverage of the festival.
He said initially when he sent the letter for coverage, GBC did not say anything about money but later when he sent a member of the committee to follow up on the letter, he was told by the Business Division of the corporation to pay GH¢800.
Mr Henneh said when the emissary expressed surprise about the charge, he was told that it was a new directive.
He said the chiefs and people of Japekrom were highly disappointed about GBC’s treatment, stressing that in the past, they only provided vehicle to convey the news team to and from Japekrom for the festival.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Regional Director of GBC, Madam Eunice Obeng Yeboah on the allegations, she said it was a policy directive by the management of GBC to charge for all social activities that had commercial elements in them.
When asked to give an example of social activities with commercial elements in them, Madam Obeng Yeboah could not provide one, but only said “we have been directed to charge to meet operation cost.”
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