Story: Samuel Duodu, Drobo
THE District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jaman South, Mr Julius Atta Bediako, has cautioned farmers in the district against starting bush fires.
He, therefore, advised the people in the area to prepare their food at home during this harmattan season to prevent bush fires.
The DCE reminded them of the havoc the 1993 bush fires caused to food and cash crops and property with some people losing their lives.
He, therefore, warned hunters, palm-wine tappers, honey extractors and cigarette smokers to be careful about the way they handled fire in the bush in order to prevent bush fires in the area.
Mr Atta Bediako was speaking at a fund-raising durbar organised by the Adomabea family of Atuna, near Drobo in the Jaman South District of the Brong Ahafo Region in aid of an education endowment fund to support brilliant, needy students.
He stressed that the time had come for the people in the area to inject more funds into education and the general development of the communities instead of relying solely on the government.
Mr Atta Bediako advised the people in the area to let education of their children be their priority as it was the cornerstone of the country’s human resource development.
The DCE urged the people in the area not to allow religious, tribal and political differences to divide them, and be united to move the district forward.
He called on the youth to be disciplined, law abiding, adding that they should not take the laws into their own hands and disturb the prevailing peace in the country.
Mr Atta Bediako reminded the people that as this year is an action one, most of the towns in the district would be connected to the national grid while the roads would be constructed for smooth transportation in the area, in addition to the supply of school uniforms, water, among other development projects.
He praised the Anomabea family for organising such an important programme and urged them not to let it be a nine-days’ wonder.
The DCE urged the other families in the area to emulate such a good example.
The newly elected assembly member for Anomana Electoral Area, Mr Ahmed Abuu Konadu, thanked the people for giving him the mandate..
Nana Amera Yeboa, who chaired the function, commended the DCE for his hard work and expressed the hope that by the end of the year, he would be described as the action man of the year.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
SUNYANI GETS BIOMETRIC PASSPORT APPLICATION CENTRE (SPREAD, JAN 21, 2011)
A biometric passport application centre has been inaugurated in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Chris Kpodo.
The opening of the centre means residents of the region who want to acquire biometric passports do not need to travel to Accra to have their documents processed.
The Brong Ahafo Region is one of the six pilot regions in the country to benefit from the biometric passport application centre project, which is in line with the government’s e-governance policy to decentralise biometric passport application.
Mr Kpodo urged those mandated to manage the centre to exhibit high moral standards by not delaying the process unduly or carrying out underhand dealings for monetary gain.
He said the migration from the old passport to the new biometric system was in conformity with international standards. Besides, the change-over would enhance the dignity of Ghanaians travelling all over the world, as the new passport had security features that would eliminate impersonation and other fraudulent activities associated with the old system.
Mr Kpodo said the new system had one-off payment of GH¢50 for normal processing and GH¢100 for those who wanted it urgently.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, expressed the appreciation of the people in the region to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for choosing the region as one of the six pilot regions to benefit from the project.
He asked holders of the old passports not to rush for the biometric ones, since the old ones would be valid till 2015.
He said the new system required the physical presence of an applicant, which would also help eliminate the use of middlemen or passport contractors, thereby saving time and cost and reducing fraud.
The Omanhene of the Seikwa Traditional Area in the Tain District, Nana Kwaku Dwuma Ankoana II, who chaired the function, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the region thanked the government for the centre, saying it would save the people the time and cost involved in acquiring a passport.
The opening of the centre means residents of the region who want to acquire biometric passports do not need to travel to Accra to have their documents processed.
The Brong Ahafo Region is one of the six pilot regions in the country to benefit from the biometric passport application centre project, which is in line with the government’s e-governance policy to decentralise biometric passport application.
Mr Kpodo urged those mandated to manage the centre to exhibit high moral standards by not delaying the process unduly or carrying out underhand dealings for monetary gain.
He said the migration from the old passport to the new biometric system was in conformity with international standards. Besides, the change-over would enhance the dignity of Ghanaians travelling all over the world, as the new passport had security features that would eliminate impersonation and other fraudulent activities associated with the old system.
Mr Kpodo said the new system had one-off payment of GH¢50 for normal processing and GH¢100 for those who wanted it urgently.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, expressed the appreciation of the people in the region to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for choosing the region as one of the six pilot regions to benefit from the project.
He asked holders of the old passports not to rush for the biometric ones, since the old ones would be valid till 2015.
He said the new system required the physical presence of an applicant, which would also help eliminate the use of middlemen or passport contractors, thereby saving time and cost and reducing fraud.
The Omanhene of the Seikwa Traditional Area in the Tain District, Nana Kwaku Dwuma Ankoana II, who chaired the function, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the region thanked the government for the centre, saying it would save the people the time and cost involved in acquiring a passport.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
SUSTAIN CAMPAIGN ON MALARIA PREVENTION (PAGE 42, JAN 19, 2011)
MEDIA practitioners, especially journalists and radio presenters, have been urged to sustain the campaign on malaria prevention and treatment through their reportage as the disease is the leading cause of death in the country.
Available statistics from the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) indicates that about 4,500 deaths caused by malaria are recorded annually in public health facilities across the country, while 1,500 children under-age five and 60 pregnant women die every year from the disease.
Media practitioners have therefore been advised to pay special attention to malaria prevention and treatment programmes to reduce the disease to its barest minimum.
Journalists and radio presenters were further tasked to provide effective and factual reportage on malaria and seek accurate information on it before reporting on the disease.
Speaking at a day’s training workshop for journalists and radio presenters in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, Mr Morris Ocquaye, the Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Adviser of Promoting Malaria Prevention and Treatment (ProMPT), said media practitioners, especially broadcasters, by passing on accurate information on malaria to the populace, would help in the control and prevention of the disease.
He stated that apart from being a killer disease, malaria could also retard the mental development of children.
Malaria, Mr Ocquaye said, is preventable and curable, so media practitioners should give equal attention to the dissemination of accurate information on the disease to the public.
Mr Ocquaye said one of the effective strategies for the prevention of malaria was the use of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets (LLINS) for night-time prevention of mosquito bites.
He said the workshop was also aimed at equipping media practitioners, especially journalists and radio presenters with the requisite information on malaria to clear the misconceptions associated with the disease in the country.
The NMCP Officer at the Ghana Health Service (GSH), Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, who presented a paper on malaria, burden, epidemiology and vector control, said everyone in Ghana could get malaria but children under age five and pregnant women were most vulnerable.
He said malaria was transmitted or spread naturally through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito and could also be transmitted accidentally through blood transfusion or through injection with blood contaminated with the malaria parasites.
Mr Gakpey said the typical breeding sites for mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite included stagnant waters and rain pools, overflow water, roadside ditches, potholes, rice fields, tidal swamps, semi permanent stagnant waters along streams, rivers, among others.
He mentioned the main interventions for malaria control as the use of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets (LLINs) for night-time prevention of mosquito bites, Indoor Residual Spraying of insecticides and Intermittent Prevention Treatment for pregnant women (IPTp) with Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP).
On the national anti-malaria drug policy, Mr Gakpey stated that chroloquine was no more an effective drug for malaria treatment and it had also been banned in the country, stressing that it was also an offence to sell or trade in chroloquine in the country.
He said artesunate-amodiaquine combination was the recommended drug for the treatment of malaria in the country, mentioning other approved drugs as artemether–lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin piperaquine.
Mr Gakpey said the additional ACTs would be used for patients who could not tolerate the artesunate-amodiaquine combination as quinine drug of choice for the management of malaria in the event of treatment failure.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Health Promotion Officer, Mr William Sopiimeh, who represented the regional health directorate, urged journalists to partner the GHS to spread the information on malaria prevention to reduce the disease burden.
A media consultant for PROMPT, Ms Rosemary Ardayfio, said the workshop was to update the knowledge of media personnel to enable them to give out accurate information on malaria control and prevention.
She said it was also aimed at introducing the affordable medicines facility for malaria (AMFm), the drug and treatment policies and shift from targeted distribution to universal coverage of LLINs.
Available statistics from the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) indicates that about 4,500 deaths caused by malaria are recorded annually in public health facilities across the country, while 1,500 children under-age five and 60 pregnant women die every year from the disease.
Media practitioners have therefore been advised to pay special attention to malaria prevention and treatment programmes to reduce the disease to its barest minimum.
Journalists and radio presenters were further tasked to provide effective and factual reportage on malaria and seek accurate information on it before reporting on the disease.
Speaking at a day’s training workshop for journalists and radio presenters in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, Mr Morris Ocquaye, the Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Adviser of Promoting Malaria Prevention and Treatment (ProMPT), said media practitioners, especially broadcasters, by passing on accurate information on malaria to the populace, would help in the control and prevention of the disease.
He stated that apart from being a killer disease, malaria could also retard the mental development of children.
Malaria, Mr Ocquaye said, is preventable and curable, so media practitioners should give equal attention to the dissemination of accurate information on the disease to the public.
Mr Ocquaye said one of the effective strategies for the prevention of malaria was the use of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets (LLINS) for night-time prevention of mosquito bites.
He said the workshop was also aimed at equipping media practitioners, especially journalists and radio presenters with the requisite information on malaria to clear the misconceptions associated with the disease in the country.
The NMCP Officer at the Ghana Health Service (GSH), Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, who presented a paper on malaria, burden, epidemiology and vector control, said everyone in Ghana could get malaria but children under age five and pregnant women were most vulnerable.
He said malaria was transmitted or spread naturally through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito and could also be transmitted accidentally through blood transfusion or through injection with blood contaminated with the malaria parasites.
Mr Gakpey said the typical breeding sites for mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite included stagnant waters and rain pools, overflow water, roadside ditches, potholes, rice fields, tidal swamps, semi permanent stagnant waters along streams, rivers, among others.
He mentioned the main interventions for malaria control as the use of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets (LLINs) for night-time prevention of mosquito bites, Indoor Residual Spraying of insecticides and Intermittent Prevention Treatment for pregnant women (IPTp) with Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP).
On the national anti-malaria drug policy, Mr Gakpey stated that chroloquine was no more an effective drug for malaria treatment and it had also been banned in the country, stressing that it was also an offence to sell or trade in chroloquine in the country.
He said artesunate-amodiaquine combination was the recommended drug for the treatment of malaria in the country, mentioning other approved drugs as artemether–lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin piperaquine.
Mr Gakpey said the additional ACTs would be used for patients who could not tolerate the artesunate-amodiaquine combination as quinine drug of choice for the management of malaria in the event of treatment failure.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Health Promotion Officer, Mr William Sopiimeh, who represented the regional health directorate, urged journalists to partner the GHS to spread the information on malaria prevention to reduce the disease burden.
A media consultant for PROMPT, Ms Rosemary Ardayfio, said the workshop was to update the knowledge of media personnel to enable them to give out accurate information on malaria control and prevention.
She said it was also aimed at introducing the affordable medicines facility for malaria (AMFm), the drug and treatment policies and shift from targeted distribution to universal coverage of LLINs.
Monday, January 17, 2011
PROF DJANG-FORDJOUR IS NEW S-POLY RECTOR (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE, JAN 17, 2011)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
PROF. Thomas Kwadwo Djang-Fordjour, 56, a former Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Education, Winneba, Asante Mampong campus, has been inducted into office as the new Rector of the Sunyani Polytechnic.
The new Rector who is a Prof. in Veterinary Medicine took over from Prof. Kwesi Nsiah Gyaabah, who retired after serving for 12 years.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour who has a lot of experience in the field of tertiary education, also served as Head of Department of Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Sokoto in Nigeria, between 1988 and 1992, and acting Head of Department at the Department of Animal Science at the University of Development Studies (UDS), Tamale from 1993 to 2005.
The acting Chairman of the Sunyani Polytechnic Governing Council, Mr Stephen Kofi Mensah, inducted Prof. Djang-Fordjour into office at a well-attended investiture ceremony at the Polytechnic auditorium in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital.
Among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony were the Chairman of the Conference of Polytechnics Rectors, Dr Y.S. Paligah, the Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawirie II and Omanhene of Berekum Traditional Area, Daasebre Amankona Diawuo II.
Also present were some rectors of the sister polytechnics, some members of the various Polytechnics Governing Councils and academic staff from the University of Education, Winneba, Asante Mampong campus.
Addressing the investiture ceremony, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, stressed the importance of polytechnic education to national development, saying it produces highly technical and skilled level manpower to run the economy.
He gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide the necessary support for polytechnic education, especially in the areas of the provision of infrastructure to facilitate teaching and learning as well as accommodation for teachers and students.
Mr Opoku reiterated the call on tertiary institutions, including the polytechnics, to tailor their training policies to the needs of the oil and its related industries, saying it is unacceptable for the country to continue to import expertise when a lot of the country’s youth remained unemployed.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour, in his address, said his vision for the Sunyani Polytechnic was to make it a prominent institution recognised nationally and worldwide for Polytechnic Education in technical, vocational, commerce, finance and management studies.
He said the road map to achieving this goal includes effective management of existing resources as outlined in the government’s White Paper on Education Reform Review, 2007 (Polytechnic).
Prof. Djang-Fordjour gave the assurance that he would embark upon an open administration that would allow the committee system to operate, respect the views of staff, students and other stakeholders, and also open all communication lines to help check rumour mongering, fear and panic.
He stated that he and his management team would work to secure the accreditation for the Bachelors of Technology in Hospitality and Tourism Management, General Agriculture, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Higher National Diploma (HND) in Wood, Bricks and Tiles Technologies and Computer Science Engineering as soon as possible.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour asked for the co-operation of the Council, the Academic Board, Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana and all unions on the polytechnic’s campus so that together they could build an enviable polytechnic in the country.
The new rector who is a native of Kutire No. 1 in the Berekum Municipality is married to Mrs. Diana Djang-Fordjour and has four children.
PROF. Thomas Kwadwo Djang-Fordjour, 56, a former Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Education, Winneba, Asante Mampong campus, has been inducted into office as the new Rector of the Sunyani Polytechnic.
The new Rector who is a Prof. in Veterinary Medicine took over from Prof. Kwesi Nsiah Gyaabah, who retired after serving for 12 years.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour who has a lot of experience in the field of tertiary education, also served as Head of Department of Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Sokoto in Nigeria, between 1988 and 1992, and acting Head of Department at the Department of Animal Science at the University of Development Studies (UDS), Tamale from 1993 to 2005.
The acting Chairman of the Sunyani Polytechnic Governing Council, Mr Stephen Kofi Mensah, inducted Prof. Djang-Fordjour into office at a well-attended investiture ceremony at the Polytechnic auditorium in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital.
Among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony were the Chairman of the Conference of Polytechnics Rectors, Dr Y.S. Paligah, the Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawirie II and Omanhene of Berekum Traditional Area, Daasebre Amankona Diawuo II.
Also present were some rectors of the sister polytechnics, some members of the various Polytechnics Governing Councils and academic staff from the University of Education, Winneba, Asante Mampong campus.
Addressing the investiture ceremony, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, stressed the importance of polytechnic education to national development, saying it produces highly technical and skilled level manpower to run the economy.
He gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide the necessary support for polytechnic education, especially in the areas of the provision of infrastructure to facilitate teaching and learning as well as accommodation for teachers and students.
Mr Opoku reiterated the call on tertiary institutions, including the polytechnics, to tailor their training policies to the needs of the oil and its related industries, saying it is unacceptable for the country to continue to import expertise when a lot of the country’s youth remained unemployed.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour, in his address, said his vision for the Sunyani Polytechnic was to make it a prominent institution recognised nationally and worldwide for Polytechnic Education in technical, vocational, commerce, finance and management studies.
He said the road map to achieving this goal includes effective management of existing resources as outlined in the government’s White Paper on Education Reform Review, 2007 (Polytechnic).
Prof. Djang-Fordjour gave the assurance that he would embark upon an open administration that would allow the committee system to operate, respect the views of staff, students and other stakeholders, and also open all communication lines to help check rumour mongering, fear and panic.
He stated that he and his management team would work to secure the accreditation for the Bachelors of Technology in Hospitality and Tourism Management, General Agriculture, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Higher National Diploma (HND) in Wood, Bricks and Tiles Technologies and Computer Science Engineering as soon as possible.
Prof. Djang-Fordjour asked for the co-operation of the Council, the Academic Board, Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana and all unions on the polytechnic’s campus so that together they could build an enviable polytechnic in the country.
The new rector who is a native of Kutire No. 1 in the Berekum Municipality is married to Mrs. Diana Djang-Fordjour and has four children.
GOVT URGED TO GRANT LONG-TERM LOANS TO FARMERS (PAGE 22, JAN 15, 2011)
A farmer in the Brong Ahafo Regional Nana Yaa Badu, has appealed to the government to grant long term loans to farmers to enable them to expand their farms.
She said that would encourage farmers to diversify their crops by growing more cashew, pepper, maize and also engage in poultry and fish farming to settle the loans which would be granted them.
Nana Badu made the appeal at a meeting with a cross-section of farmers at Senase, near Berekum.
She expressed concern about indiscriminate bush burning in the municipality that had resulted in bush fires in the municipality, destroying large quantities of agricultural produce.
Nana Badu, therefore, appealed to the municipal assembly to provide logistics such as uniforms and wellington boots to the fire volunteers to ensure effective prevention of fire.
She stressed the need for farmers to invest in the education of their children up to the university level for them to become responsible adults in the future since education is the key to success in life.
Nana Badu admonished the farmers to refrain from wasting their money on marrying many women and expensive funerals.
She reminded the farmers that the increase in the producer price of cocoa to GH¢200 was to help them to sponsor their children’s education and to ensure an improvement in their standard of living.
Nana Badu implored the farmers to cultivate the habit of saving with the banks to enable them to secure financial assistance, whenever they were in need.
As an opinion leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Badu advised the youth of the party not to take the law into their own hands by removing Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) from office which did not augur well for party unity and cohesion.
She, therefore, advised them to be disciplined and law abiding by impressing upon the MDCEs to deliver qualitative leadership to the people.
She commended the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, for his outstanding performance in the region, describing him as the "action man of the year."
She said that would encourage farmers to diversify their crops by growing more cashew, pepper, maize and also engage in poultry and fish farming to settle the loans which would be granted them.
Nana Badu made the appeal at a meeting with a cross-section of farmers at Senase, near Berekum.
She expressed concern about indiscriminate bush burning in the municipality that had resulted in bush fires in the municipality, destroying large quantities of agricultural produce.
Nana Badu, therefore, appealed to the municipal assembly to provide logistics such as uniforms and wellington boots to the fire volunteers to ensure effective prevention of fire.
She stressed the need for farmers to invest in the education of their children up to the university level for them to become responsible adults in the future since education is the key to success in life.
Nana Badu admonished the farmers to refrain from wasting their money on marrying many women and expensive funerals.
She reminded the farmers that the increase in the producer price of cocoa to GH¢200 was to help them to sponsor their children’s education and to ensure an improvement in their standard of living.
Nana Badu implored the farmers to cultivate the habit of saving with the banks to enable them to secure financial assistance, whenever they were in need.
As an opinion leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Badu advised the youth of the party not to take the law into their own hands by removing Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) from office which did not augur well for party unity and cohesion.
She, therefore, advised them to be disciplined and law abiding by impressing upon the MDCEs to deliver qualitative leadership to the people.
She commended the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, for his outstanding performance in the region, describing him as the "action man of the year."
BRONG AHAFO CPP, PNC INITIATES UNITY MOVES (PAGE 13, JAN 15, 2011)
The Brong Ahafo Regional branches of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) have initiated moves to force their national executive to form a united Nkrumahist political party to contest the 2012 elections.
At a forum in the Sunyani municipality, the rank and file of the two Nkrumahist parties publicly declared to the whole nation their position on unification before the 2012 general election.
The meeting was held in collaboration with Nkrumah Rising, an organisation composed of CPP and PNC members desirous of creating sufficient internal pressure at the grass roots within the PNC and the CPP to bring about the total unification of the two parties.
Addressing the forum, the CPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, used the opportunity to announce her intention to contest the chairmanship of the CPP, with the reason that she wanted to be in a better position to facilitate and cement the unity agenda that was before the CPP and the PNC.
She noted that the unity of Nkrumaist groups was not a luxury but an absolute necessity if they wanted to win political power in order to transform the country.
“This cannot be achieved by a tradition that boasts not more than three MPs and, therefore, requires a different mind-set. Since 1992, unity among the Nkrumahist parties has eluded us, but we are at a junction where we either unite or we perish. We must unite or perish,” she stated.
“We in the PNC and the CPP are descendants of the same tradition. We are a family and no matter our current challenges, it is imperative that a tradition like ours emphasises unity above all else. Symbols and names are important, but we have to learn to focus on what unites us,” the only CPP MP added.
Ms Nkrumah said there was very little that divided the two parties, looking at their manifestos, and called on all to have faith in the Nkrumahist vision and work towards it.
She stated that this was the time for the PNC, the CPP, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and other Nkrumahist groups to form a formidable, unified, alternative political force to contest the 2012 elections as one Nkrumahist party.
She commended the Brong Ahafo Regional executives of the PNC and the CPP for working together before any other group started talking about unity on the ground.
“We recognise your pioneering role in this endeavour and I am here to be part of this process, without which our revival as one Nkrumahist party will not be possible,” Ms Nkrumah stated.
At a forum in the Sunyani municipality, the rank and file of the two Nkrumahist parties publicly declared to the whole nation their position on unification before the 2012 general election.
The meeting was held in collaboration with Nkrumah Rising, an organisation composed of CPP and PNC members desirous of creating sufficient internal pressure at the grass roots within the PNC and the CPP to bring about the total unification of the two parties.
Addressing the forum, the CPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, used the opportunity to announce her intention to contest the chairmanship of the CPP, with the reason that she wanted to be in a better position to facilitate and cement the unity agenda that was before the CPP and the PNC.
She noted that the unity of Nkrumaist groups was not a luxury but an absolute necessity if they wanted to win political power in order to transform the country.
“This cannot be achieved by a tradition that boasts not more than three MPs and, therefore, requires a different mind-set. Since 1992, unity among the Nkrumahist parties has eluded us, but we are at a junction where we either unite or we perish. We must unite or perish,” she stated.
“We in the PNC and the CPP are descendants of the same tradition. We are a family and no matter our current challenges, it is imperative that a tradition like ours emphasises unity above all else. Symbols and names are important, but we have to learn to focus on what unites us,” the only CPP MP added.
Ms Nkrumah said there was very little that divided the two parties, looking at their manifestos, and called on all to have faith in the Nkrumahist vision and work towards it.
She stated that this was the time for the PNC, the CPP, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and other Nkrumahist groups to form a formidable, unified, alternative political force to contest the 2012 elections as one Nkrumahist party.
She commended the Brong Ahafo Regional executives of the PNC and the CPP for working together before any other group started talking about unity on the ground.
“We recognise your pioneering role in this endeavour and I am here to be part of this process, without which our revival as one Nkrumahist party will not be possible,” Ms Nkrumah stated.
Friday, January 14, 2011
BUSH FIRE MENACE IN BRONG AHAFO (MIRROR, PAGE 21, JAN 15, 2011)
From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.
BUSHFIRE destroyed 224 farmlands cultivated with food and cash crops as well as livestock estimated at the cost of GH¢390,491.00 (¢3.9billion) with one death and four injuries in the Brong Ahafo Region in the year 2009 and 2010.
Out of the 224 bushfire cases recorded for the period between 2009 and 2010, 59 were reported while 165 were not reported with Techiman and Wenchi municipalities recording the highest cases of 105 and 60 cases respectively.
The region also recorded a total of 258 fires from January to December, 2010, as compared to 249 cases recorded for the same period in 2009.
The breakdown is 115 domestic fires for the same period in 2010 as against 105 in 2009, electrical fire 20 for 2010, 25 for 2009, vehicular fires 40 for 2010, 33 for 2009, commercial fires one for 2010, five for 2009, institution fires one for 2010, none for 2009 while others are 19 for 2010 and 24 for 2009.
The Regional Fire Command also attended to 40 road accidents from January to November 2010 and 44 for the same period for 2009 which resulted in the death of 21 people in 2010 as compared to 24 deaths recorded for the same period for 2009 as well as 86 and 60 injuries for the period respectively.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Officer, Mr Paul Opoku, who gave the statistics on the fire situation, said the command has banned group hunting in the region which begun from November, 2010 and ends in March, 2011 since it has been identified as the major cause of bushfires during the dry season in the region.
On road accidents, Mr Opoku, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade 1 of the GNFS, said the command has intensified its education campaign to help minimise fire outbreak in the region, especially domestic and bushfires which increase during the dry season (harmattan).
The Regional Fire Officer said the command in collaboration with the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had set up anti-bush fire task forces which include the military, police, GNFS and NADMO to prevent and check those who would set fire during the dry season.
Mr Opoku said the command had trained 7,000 fire volunteers in the region while plans were underway to recruit more volunteers across the region to help combat the bushfire menace in the region.
BUSHFIRE destroyed 224 farmlands cultivated with food and cash crops as well as livestock estimated at the cost of GH¢390,491.00 (¢3.9billion) with one death and four injuries in the Brong Ahafo Region in the year 2009 and 2010.
Out of the 224 bushfire cases recorded for the period between 2009 and 2010, 59 were reported while 165 were not reported with Techiman and Wenchi municipalities recording the highest cases of 105 and 60 cases respectively.
The region also recorded a total of 258 fires from January to December, 2010, as compared to 249 cases recorded for the same period in 2009.
The breakdown is 115 domestic fires for the same period in 2010 as against 105 in 2009, electrical fire 20 for 2010, 25 for 2009, vehicular fires 40 for 2010, 33 for 2009, commercial fires one for 2010, five for 2009, institution fires one for 2010, none for 2009 while others are 19 for 2010 and 24 for 2009.
The Regional Fire Command also attended to 40 road accidents from January to November 2010 and 44 for the same period for 2009 which resulted in the death of 21 people in 2010 as compared to 24 deaths recorded for the same period for 2009 as well as 86 and 60 injuries for the period respectively.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Officer, Mr Paul Opoku, who gave the statistics on the fire situation, said the command has banned group hunting in the region which begun from November, 2010 and ends in March, 2011 since it has been identified as the major cause of bushfires during the dry season in the region.
On road accidents, Mr Opoku, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade 1 of the GNFS, said the command has intensified its education campaign to help minimise fire outbreak in the region, especially domestic and bushfires which increase during the dry season (harmattan).
The Regional Fire Officer said the command in collaboration with the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had set up anti-bush fire task forces which include the military, police, GNFS and NADMO to prevent and check those who would set fire during the dry season.
Mr Opoku said the command had trained 7,000 fire volunteers in the region while plans were underway to recruit more volunteers across the region to help combat the bushfire menace in the region.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
PRU NDC SUPPORTS DCE (PAGE 12, JAN 13, 2011)
THE Executive Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Pru constituency have reaffirmed their support for the Pru District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Mohammed Masawud.
“So far as we are concerned the DCE is delivering and his relationship with the constituency executives as well as the rank and file of the party is cordial”, they said.
According to them, the party was also solid on the ground and coupled with the hard work of the DCE, the party was poised to retain the parliamentary seat and increase its vote margin in the 2012 general election.
The Pru Constituency Organiser of the party, Mr Mustapha Alhaji Seidu said this at an executive meeting to evaluate and assess the performance of the party for last year at Yeji, the district capital. Mr Seidu congratulated the DCE for his good work since he assumed office.
He debunked reports in a section of the private press that the NDC was collapsing in Yeji, saying the party was united and stronger and this would be manifested in the 2012 general election.
He called on supporters of the party in the constituency to close their ranks and rally behind the executive and the DCE to deliver the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda to the people of the district.
Mr Seidu further cautioned those who wanted to disturb the current peace prevailing in the constituency to desist from such act.
He appealed to the supporters as well as the youth wing to respect the party hierarchy and also work together as a team with the executive to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the 2012 election.
The constituency chairman, Alhaji Mumuni Inusah, said the executive would not allow a few disgruntled and selfish individuals who were using a section of the private press to create confusion in the party in the constituency and cautioned those members to turn over a new leaf or risk being sanctioned.
He reiterated that the entire constituency executive had no problem with the DCE since he was in constant touch with the party and had contributed immensely to the growth and development of the party before and after taking office as the DCE.
“So far as we are concerned the DCE is delivering and his relationship with the constituency executives as well as the rank and file of the party is cordial”, they said.
According to them, the party was also solid on the ground and coupled with the hard work of the DCE, the party was poised to retain the parliamentary seat and increase its vote margin in the 2012 general election.
The Pru Constituency Organiser of the party, Mr Mustapha Alhaji Seidu said this at an executive meeting to evaluate and assess the performance of the party for last year at Yeji, the district capital. Mr Seidu congratulated the DCE for his good work since he assumed office.
He debunked reports in a section of the private press that the NDC was collapsing in Yeji, saying the party was united and stronger and this would be manifested in the 2012 general election.
He called on supporters of the party in the constituency to close their ranks and rally behind the executive and the DCE to deliver the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda to the people of the district.
Mr Seidu further cautioned those who wanted to disturb the current peace prevailing in the constituency to desist from such act.
He appealed to the supporters as well as the youth wing to respect the party hierarchy and also work together as a team with the executive to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the 2012 election.
The constituency chairman, Alhaji Mumuni Inusah, said the executive would not allow a few disgruntled and selfish individuals who were using a section of the private press to create confusion in the party in the constituency and cautioned those members to turn over a new leaf or risk being sanctioned.
He reiterated that the entire constituency executive had no problem with the DCE since he was in constant touch with the party and had contributed immensely to the growth and development of the party before and after taking office as the DCE.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
REVIEW LAW ON BUSH FIRES — OPOKU (PAGE 42, JAN 13, 2011)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Officer, Mr Paul Opoku, has called for the review of PNDC Law 299, (1990) on bush fires, since the law has outlived its usefulness.
He stated that the anti-bush fire law was outmoded, weak and did not prescribe enough stringent sanctions to deter people from causing bush fires in the country.
Mr Opoku stated that the law on bush fires, which was promulgated 20 years ago, was not consistent with the present times and had also weakened the resolve of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to fight bush fires in the country, especially during the dry seasons.
Mr Opoku, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade 1 of the GNFS, made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani following the ban on hunting and other bush fire-related activities in the Brong Ahafo Region from November, 2010 to March, 2011.
He said in recent times bush fires caused by hunters in search of game during the prohibition period had caused destruction to both food and cash crop plantations running into thousands of Ghana cedis in the region.
The Regional Fire Officer said because the law on bush fire was weak and outmoded, the “economic saboteurs” had been made to go scot free by the law courts after they had been arrested and arraigned.
Mr Opoku stated that the state of affairs in the region had not only weakened the resolve of the GNFS to fight the rampant bush fires in the region, but had also made the investment of people into farming to go waste.
“If offenders of such crimes are not brought to book to assuage the pains of victims, it will serve as a disincentive or de-motivation for those who are desirous to venture into commercial farming, more especially at a time that the government is encouraging the youth to embrace farming as a commercial venture,” he stressed.
Mr Opoku gave statistics on the bush fire situation in the region from 2009 to 2010 to buttress his point.
He said bush fires destroyed 224 farmlands cultivated with food and cash crops, as well as livestock in the region worth GH¢390,491, and also resulted in one death and four injuries.
He said out of the 224 bush fire cases recorded in 2009 and 2010, 59 were reported while 165 were not reported, adding that Techiman and Wenchi Municipalities recorded the highest cases of 105 and 60, respectively in the region.
The Regional Fire Officer said his outfit in collaboration with the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had set up an anti-bush fire task force, which included the military, the police, the GNFS and NADMO to cause the arrest of people who would set fire during the ban period.
Mr Opoku said the command had re-trained the 7,000 fire volunteers in the region while plans were under way to recruit more volunteers across the region to help combat the bush fire menace in the area.
He stated that the command had also intensified its anti-bush fire educational campaigns in the region as part of the broader strategy to deal with the menace, which is rampant between January and March.
Mr Opoku appealed to residents in the region to co-operate with the GNFS to help combat bush fires during the prohibition period, since it was a shared responsibility
He stated that the anti-bush fire law was outmoded, weak and did not prescribe enough stringent sanctions to deter people from causing bush fires in the country.
Mr Opoku stated that the law on bush fires, which was promulgated 20 years ago, was not consistent with the present times and had also weakened the resolve of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to fight bush fires in the country, especially during the dry seasons.
Mr Opoku, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade 1 of the GNFS, made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani following the ban on hunting and other bush fire-related activities in the Brong Ahafo Region from November, 2010 to March, 2011.
He said in recent times bush fires caused by hunters in search of game during the prohibition period had caused destruction to both food and cash crop plantations running into thousands of Ghana cedis in the region.
The Regional Fire Officer said because the law on bush fire was weak and outmoded, the “economic saboteurs” had been made to go scot free by the law courts after they had been arrested and arraigned.
Mr Opoku stated that the state of affairs in the region had not only weakened the resolve of the GNFS to fight the rampant bush fires in the region, but had also made the investment of people into farming to go waste.
“If offenders of such crimes are not brought to book to assuage the pains of victims, it will serve as a disincentive or de-motivation for those who are desirous to venture into commercial farming, more especially at a time that the government is encouraging the youth to embrace farming as a commercial venture,” he stressed.
Mr Opoku gave statistics on the bush fire situation in the region from 2009 to 2010 to buttress his point.
He said bush fires destroyed 224 farmlands cultivated with food and cash crops, as well as livestock in the region worth GH¢390,491, and also resulted in one death and four injuries.
He said out of the 224 bush fire cases recorded in 2009 and 2010, 59 were reported while 165 were not reported, adding that Techiman and Wenchi Municipalities recorded the highest cases of 105 and 60, respectively in the region.
The Regional Fire Officer said his outfit in collaboration with the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had set up an anti-bush fire task force, which included the military, the police, the GNFS and NADMO to cause the arrest of people who would set fire during the ban period.
Mr Opoku said the command had re-trained the 7,000 fire volunteers in the region while plans were under way to recruit more volunteers across the region to help combat the bush fire menace in the area.
He stated that the command had also intensified its anti-bush fire educational campaigns in the region as part of the broader strategy to deal with the menace, which is rampant between January and March.
Mr Opoku appealed to residents in the region to co-operate with the GNFS to help combat bush fires during the prohibition period, since it was a shared responsibility
TANOSO NURSES' TRAIING SRC APOLOGISES ...For students demonstration (PAGE 11, JAN 12, 2011)
THE Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Tanoso Community Health Nurses’ Training School at Tanoso, near Sunyani in the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region, has apologised on behalf of the students of the school to the principal and the administration for a demonstration organised by the students on November 24, last year.
The demonstration by the students took place 20 days after the new Principal of the College, Mr William Abotzabire, took office from the immediate past Principal, Ms Josephine Koranteng Asare, who served as principal since the establishment of the school about eight years ago.
The students organised the demonstration to call the attention of the school authorities to the poor quality of food served them, the delay in the release of their allowances, overcrowding in the hostels leading to the spread of skin diseases, poor lighting system on the school campus, broken-down furniture and the non-utilisation of the development fee of GH¢25 paid by the students.
An apology letter signed by the SRC President, Enoch Damoah, and all the executive members to the principal, and copied to the Daily Graphic said, “On accounts of the demonstration which occurred on November 24, 2010, the whole school stands to apologise to our dear principal and the whole administration for demonstrating against them particularly the principal who has not yet settled”.
It said: “They realised their demonstration was not done at the right time and even should not have been done at all because we now know it was baseless. Please sir, the whole students have regretted and are appealing to you to forgive us again as your sons and daughters,” the letter stated.
The students pledged to abide by the rules and regulations of the school.
A visit by this reporter to the school to ascertain whether the issues raised by the students have been resolved, indicated that the poor lighting system and the poor quality of food have been improved while steps were being taken by the principal to resolve the others.
When contacted, Mr Abotzabire said the problems raised by the students had persisted before he took over as the principal and while he was in the process of solving some of the problems the students embarked on the demonstration.
The principal stated that within his short stay in office, he had been able to improve on the quality of food, the lighting system, the public address system and also was in the process of repairing broken furniture.
On the overcrowding in the hostels, Mr Abotzabire said he was making efforts to resolve them.
He explained that his predecessor signed some admission letters in replacement of students who did not honour their admission for the 2010/2011 academic year at the time he had taken over as the principal, which had increased the number of students from 170 to 176.
Mr Abotzabire noted that although the students had apologised he still stood by his earlier appeal to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to set up an independent committee to investigate the students’ demonstration, since he had a strong conviction that there might be some ‘forces’ behind it.
“I fear the staff because I do not know who is behind the demonstration because there is no smoke without fire. I came to meet some of the grievances of the students,” he said.
Mr Abotzabire said if the independent body came to investigate and made its recommendations he would be acting with a reference point.
He added that the investigation by an independent body would also help curb further demonstrations in the future.
Further inquiries by this reporter revealed that since the inception of the school about eight years ago students have been paying for entertainment and sports fees but no item for such activities have been bought and now the students are demanding items such as ludo, draught, footballs and whistles, for sports and games.
The demonstration by the students took place 20 days after the new Principal of the College, Mr William Abotzabire, took office from the immediate past Principal, Ms Josephine Koranteng Asare, who served as principal since the establishment of the school about eight years ago.
The students organised the demonstration to call the attention of the school authorities to the poor quality of food served them, the delay in the release of their allowances, overcrowding in the hostels leading to the spread of skin diseases, poor lighting system on the school campus, broken-down furniture and the non-utilisation of the development fee of GH¢25 paid by the students.
An apology letter signed by the SRC President, Enoch Damoah, and all the executive members to the principal, and copied to the Daily Graphic said, “On accounts of the demonstration which occurred on November 24, 2010, the whole school stands to apologise to our dear principal and the whole administration for demonstrating against them particularly the principal who has not yet settled”.
It said: “They realised their demonstration was not done at the right time and even should not have been done at all because we now know it was baseless. Please sir, the whole students have regretted and are appealing to you to forgive us again as your sons and daughters,” the letter stated.
The students pledged to abide by the rules and regulations of the school.
A visit by this reporter to the school to ascertain whether the issues raised by the students have been resolved, indicated that the poor lighting system and the poor quality of food have been improved while steps were being taken by the principal to resolve the others.
When contacted, Mr Abotzabire said the problems raised by the students had persisted before he took over as the principal and while he was in the process of solving some of the problems the students embarked on the demonstration.
The principal stated that within his short stay in office, he had been able to improve on the quality of food, the lighting system, the public address system and also was in the process of repairing broken furniture.
On the overcrowding in the hostels, Mr Abotzabire said he was making efforts to resolve them.
He explained that his predecessor signed some admission letters in replacement of students who did not honour their admission for the 2010/2011 academic year at the time he had taken over as the principal, which had increased the number of students from 170 to 176.
Mr Abotzabire noted that although the students had apologised he still stood by his earlier appeal to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to set up an independent committee to investigate the students’ demonstration, since he had a strong conviction that there might be some ‘forces’ behind it.
“I fear the staff because I do not know who is behind the demonstration because there is no smoke without fire. I came to meet some of the grievances of the students,” he said.
Mr Abotzabire said if the independent body came to investigate and made its recommendations he would be acting with a reference point.
He added that the investigation by an independent body would also help curb further demonstrations in the future.
Further inquiries by this reporter revealed that since the inception of the school about eight years ago students have been paying for entertainment and sports fees but no item for such activities have been bought and now the students are demanding items such as ludo, draught, footballs and whistles, for sports and games.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
LET CHIEFS SELECT GOVT APPOINTEES — AHWOI (PAGE 12, JAN 11, 2011)
A LOCAL Government consultant, Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, has suggested that the President’s power to appoint 30 per cent of assembly members should be taken away and given to the National House of Chiefs.
According to him, that power given to the President has often been abused by the various Presidents at one time or the other and needs to be changed “if we are to achieve an effective and efficient decentralisation system in the country.”
Mr Ahwoi, who is also a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), made the suggestion at a public lecture on Ghana’s decentralised system in Sunyani on the topic: “One Step Forward: The significance of L.I. 1961 in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies’ Capacity.”
The lecture was organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, in conjunction with the Local Government Service (LGS), and was attended by traditional rulers, municipal and district chief executives, directors and staff of decentralised departments in the region.
Mr Ahwoi further stated that because of the power to appoint 30 per cent of assembly members was conferred on the President by the 1992 constitution, political parties in power had used that to reward their members by appointing people who were incompetent to the assemblies.
He cited instances, especially during the reign of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President J.A. Kufuor, when such government appointees to the assemblies were sacked or removed en bloc to pave way for the President to appoint a new set of people just to vote to approve his nominees for the position of District Chief Executive (DCE).
He added that after the approval of the President’s nominee for DCE those who were sacked were re-appointed by the President and this was not helpful to the country’s decentralisation process.
Mr Ahwoi allayed the fears of the staff of the civil service who would be migrated to the Local Government Service that they rather stood to benefit since a LGS Act had been put in place to regulate conditions of service and conduct.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, suggested that a second look be taken at the role of the Regional Co-ordinating Councils (RCCs), especially in the consideration of resource allocation.
He stated further that the responsibilities assigned to and undertaken by the RCCs far outweighed the resources allocated for the purpose.
That, he said, made it extremely difficult for the RCCs to discharge these important assignments, a situation that normally tended to portray the RCCs as ineffective in performing their functions.
“I am sure I speak on behalf of all the RCCs and their functionaries in making a strong appeal that this issue be given an early and urgent attention.
The Head of the Local Government Service Secretariat, Mr Akwasi Opong Fosu, said the passage of L.I. 1961 was significant in the local government system in the country.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, who chaired the function, said if the decentralisation system was fully implemented, it would create employment to absorb unemployed graduates at the district level, which would also bring about a remarkable improvement in the living conditions of the people.
According to him, that power given to the President has often been abused by the various Presidents at one time or the other and needs to be changed “if we are to achieve an effective and efficient decentralisation system in the country.”
Mr Ahwoi, who is also a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), made the suggestion at a public lecture on Ghana’s decentralised system in Sunyani on the topic: “One Step Forward: The significance of L.I. 1961 in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies’ Capacity.”
The lecture was organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, in conjunction with the Local Government Service (LGS), and was attended by traditional rulers, municipal and district chief executives, directors and staff of decentralised departments in the region.
Mr Ahwoi further stated that because of the power to appoint 30 per cent of assembly members was conferred on the President by the 1992 constitution, political parties in power had used that to reward their members by appointing people who were incompetent to the assemblies.
He cited instances, especially during the reign of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President J.A. Kufuor, when such government appointees to the assemblies were sacked or removed en bloc to pave way for the President to appoint a new set of people just to vote to approve his nominees for the position of District Chief Executive (DCE).
He added that after the approval of the President’s nominee for DCE those who were sacked were re-appointed by the President and this was not helpful to the country’s decentralisation process.
Mr Ahwoi allayed the fears of the staff of the civil service who would be migrated to the Local Government Service that they rather stood to benefit since a LGS Act had been put in place to regulate conditions of service and conduct.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, suggested that a second look be taken at the role of the Regional Co-ordinating Councils (RCCs), especially in the consideration of resource allocation.
He stated further that the responsibilities assigned to and undertaken by the RCCs far outweighed the resources allocated for the purpose.
That, he said, made it extremely difficult for the RCCs to discharge these important assignments, a situation that normally tended to portray the RCCs as ineffective in performing their functions.
“I am sure I speak on behalf of all the RCCs and their functionaries in making a strong appeal that this issue be given an early and urgent attention.
The Head of the Local Government Service Secretariat, Mr Akwasi Opong Fosu, said the passage of L.I. 1961 was significant in the local government system in the country.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, who chaired the function, said if the decentralisation system was fully implemented, it would create employment to absorb unemployed graduates at the district level, which would also bring about a remarkable improvement in the living conditions of the people.
3BN READY FOR ANY SPILLOVER FROM IVORIAN CRISIS — CO (PAGE 19, JAN 11, 2011)
The Commanding Officer (CO) of the Third Battalion of Infantry (3BN) in Sunyani, Lt. Col. Cornelius Lithur, has given an assurance that the unit has placed special focus on the Brong Ahafo section of the Ghana/Cote D’Ivoire border to prevent any spillover of violence into the country.
He said the unit would continue to closely monitor developments in the country.
He said so far the border appeared to be calm but the unit was alert and would not take things for granted.
Lt. Col Lithur gave the assurance at the battalion’s West African Soldiers Social Activity (WASSA) held at the Liberation Barracks Poolside in Sunyani on Friday.
The CO in his address also called for greater collaboration and co-operation between the military and the police and other security agencies to help fight armed robbery in the country, which continues to be a menace.
Lt. Col. Lithur urged the men and women of the battalion to continue to exhibit a high sense of tolerance in the New Year, adding that as professional peacekeepers they had to go about their duties with a high level of tolerance despite extreme and unwarranted provocation at times.
On discipline, he said the period under review was encouraging but urged the soldiers to improve on it in order to attain the highest standard required.
“Let me, therefore, admonish the few indisciplined ones to desist from irresponsible attitudes which will be responded to with severe disciplinary sanctions to make such negative practices very unattractive,” he stressed.
He also advised personnel to plan well and prepare adequately for their exit from the service “to avoid the surprised look on our faces even after serving for 25 years or more”, adding that it was also necessary for them to attach some importance to the education of their children.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, for his part, commended the security agencies for sustaining the country’s relative peace and stability which had gained the country the accolade of ‘oasis of peace’ in the sub-region.
He noted that the security of the region was at the beginning of last year tested by the Tuobodom incident but with the prompt response of the security forces peace was restored, while another unfortunate incident at Bechem was also nipped in the bud.
Mr Opoku expressed the hope that the cordial relationship between the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the 3BN would continue to grow so that together they would create a congenial environment for all to go about their business without fear or hindrance.
Present at the end-of-year get-together was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command, Brigadier-General Charles K. Ocran.
Prizes were awarded various companies within the unit which excelled in certain sporting activities such as football, volley, tug-of-war, among others, while the Alpha Company of the 3BN was adjudged the overall best company, receiving a trophy as their prize.
He said the unit would continue to closely monitor developments in the country.
He said so far the border appeared to be calm but the unit was alert and would not take things for granted.
Lt. Col Lithur gave the assurance at the battalion’s West African Soldiers Social Activity (WASSA) held at the Liberation Barracks Poolside in Sunyani on Friday.
The CO in his address also called for greater collaboration and co-operation between the military and the police and other security agencies to help fight armed robbery in the country, which continues to be a menace.
Lt. Col. Lithur urged the men and women of the battalion to continue to exhibit a high sense of tolerance in the New Year, adding that as professional peacekeepers they had to go about their duties with a high level of tolerance despite extreme and unwarranted provocation at times.
On discipline, he said the period under review was encouraging but urged the soldiers to improve on it in order to attain the highest standard required.
“Let me, therefore, admonish the few indisciplined ones to desist from irresponsible attitudes which will be responded to with severe disciplinary sanctions to make such negative practices very unattractive,” he stressed.
He also advised personnel to plan well and prepare adequately for their exit from the service “to avoid the surprised look on our faces even after serving for 25 years or more”, adding that it was also necessary for them to attach some importance to the education of their children.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, for his part, commended the security agencies for sustaining the country’s relative peace and stability which had gained the country the accolade of ‘oasis of peace’ in the sub-region.
He noted that the security of the region was at the beginning of last year tested by the Tuobodom incident but with the prompt response of the security forces peace was restored, while another unfortunate incident at Bechem was also nipped in the bud.
Mr Opoku expressed the hope that the cordial relationship between the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the 3BN would continue to grow so that together they would create a congenial environment for all to go about their business without fear or hindrance.
Present at the end-of-year get-together was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command, Brigadier-General Charles K. Ocran.
Prizes were awarded various companies within the unit which excelled in certain sporting activities such as football, volley, tug-of-war, among others, while the Alpha Company of the 3BN was adjudged the overall best company, receiving a trophy as their prize.
Monday, January 10, 2011
CHELSEA MAINTAIN LEAD (BACK PAGE, JAN 10, 2011)
Berekum Chelsea maintained their lead in the ongoing Glo Premiership when they defeated visiting Mighty Jets 2-1 at the Golden City Park yesterday.
A 27th minute spot kick awarded Chelsea by referee William Agbovi, after Richard Ofori handled the ball in the box, was beautifully converted by Bismark Idan to put the homesters ahead.
However, Mighty Jets cancelled the lead in the 83rd minute through Abubakar Sadick following a goalmouth melee.
As the game was heading for a draw, nimble-footed Obed Owusu won the day for Chelsea when his 35-metre deceptive shot in the 88th minute caught keeper Frank Oduro unawares.
A 27th minute spot kick awarded Chelsea by referee William Agbovi, after Richard Ofori handled the ball in the box, was beautifully converted by Bismark Idan to put the homesters ahead.
However, Mighty Jets cancelled the lead in the 83rd minute through Abubakar Sadick following a goalmouth melee.
As the game was heading for a draw, nimble-footed Obed Owusu won the day for Chelsea when his 35-metre deceptive shot in the 88th minute caught keeper Frank Oduro unawares.
TWO KILLED BY COLLAPSING BUILDING (BACK PAGE, JAN 8, 2011)
Two persons died on the spot, while three others sustained injuries, when a storey building under construction at Antwrifo in the Dormaa West municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region collapsed on them on Wednesday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Papa Solo, 32, and Edward Cudjoe, 18, both residents of Antwrifo, who were chatting at the site when the incident occurred.
The names of the injured were given as John Adu, a middle-aged man who is the owner of the collapsed building and clearing agent at Elubo in the Western Region; Alfred Tawiah, the Catechist of the local Presbyterian Church, and Henry Obeng, aka Ata.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Dormaa Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital morgue, while the three injured persons are also on admission at the same hospital.
It took a rescue team, led by the Divisional Officer Grade One of the Dormaa West Municipal Fire Station, Mr Charles Kumi Amponsah, about two hours to remove the dead and the injured who were trapped under the debris.
Among the security agencies that took part in the rescue operation were the police and a military patrol team, as well as the Dormaa West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, who provided a generator to assist in the operation, since Antwrifo has no electricity.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, Mr Amponsah said the disaster occurred between 4.15 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday but the station received the distress call at 5 p.m. and rushed to the scene immediately.
He said the Fire Service rescue team cut the iron rods and the concrete debris under which the victims were trapped to remove them.
He attributed the collapse of the building, which was at the first floor level, to shoddy work, since those working on it did not allow the concrete works to dry before removing the bamboo sticks and others that had been used to support the concrete works for the first floor.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, also visited the scene later and expressed his sympathy and that of the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council to the bereaved families.
He urged the various municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) in the region to strictly enforce their bye-laws and other regulations on building construction to forestall the future recurrence of that disaster.
The deceased have been identified as Papa Solo, 32, and Edward Cudjoe, 18, both residents of Antwrifo, who were chatting at the site when the incident occurred.
The names of the injured were given as John Adu, a middle-aged man who is the owner of the collapsed building and clearing agent at Elubo in the Western Region; Alfred Tawiah, the Catechist of the local Presbyterian Church, and Henry Obeng, aka Ata.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Dormaa Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital morgue, while the three injured persons are also on admission at the same hospital.
It took a rescue team, led by the Divisional Officer Grade One of the Dormaa West Municipal Fire Station, Mr Charles Kumi Amponsah, about two hours to remove the dead and the injured who were trapped under the debris.
Among the security agencies that took part in the rescue operation were the police and a military patrol team, as well as the Dormaa West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, who provided a generator to assist in the operation, since Antwrifo has no electricity.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, Mr Amponsah said the disaster occurred between 4.15 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday but the station received the distress call at 5 p.m. and rushed to the scene immediately.
He said the Fire Service rescue team cut the iron rods and the concrete debris under which the victims were trapped to remove them.
He attributed the collapse of the building, which was at the first floor level, to shoddy work, since those working on it did not allow the concrete works to dry before removing the bamboo sticks and others that had been used to support the concrete works for the first floor.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, also visited the scene later and expressed his sympathy and that of the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council to the bereaved families.
He urged the various municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) in the region to strictly enforce their bye-laws and other regulations on building construction to forestall the future recurrence of that disaster.
Friday, January 7, 2011
NO VIOLENT CRIME RECORDED IN SUNYANI (MIRROR, PAGE 21, JAN 8, 2011)
From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
NO violent crime was recorded in the Sunyani Municipality, the capital of the Brong Ahafo Region, during the Christmas and the new year periods.
The municipality, however, recorded a total of 38 assault cases, 12 offensive conduct cases and 13 stealing cases during the period.
Some of the cases are in court, while others are still under investigations. Majority of the assault cases recorded for the period were mostly among households and family members and were also as a result of drunkenness or under the influence of alcohol.
Police Superintendent (Supt), Maxwell Osei, the Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, who disclosed this in an interview with The Mirror in Sunyani, said some of the offenders in the assault cases who acted under the influence of alcohol or were drunk during the act after sobriety and regaining their composure regretted their actions and had resolved their differences with their victims.
He attributed the calmness during the festive period in the municipality to the deployment of a number of police patrol teams and others on foot in the municipality who helped to maintain law and order.
Supt. Osei also commended residents in the municipality who co-operated with the police to ensure a peaceful Yuletide and New Year and urged them to continue to assist with policing of the municipality by reporting suspicious characters in their vicinities to the police and also provide useful information for the arrest of criminals in their hide-outs.
NO violent crime was recorded in the Sunyani Municipality, the capital of the Brong Ahafo Region, during the Christmas and the new year periods.
The municipality, however, recorded a total of 38 assault cases, 12 offensive conduct cases and 13 stealing cases during the period.
Some of the cases are in court, while others are still under investigations. Majority of the assault cases recorded for the period were mostly among households and family members and were also as a result of drunkenness or under the influence of alcohol.
Police Superintendent (Supt), Maxwell Osei, the Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, who disclosed this in an interview with The Mirror in Sunyani, said some of the offenders in the assault cases who acted under the influence of alcohol or were drunk during the act after sobriety and regaining their composure regretted their actions and had resolved their differences with their victims.
He attributed the calmness during the festive period in the municipality to the deployment of a number of police patrol teams and others on foot in the municipality who helped to maintain law and order.
Supt. Osei also commended residents in the municipality who co-operated with the police to ensure a peaceful Yuletide and New Year and urged them to continue to assist with policing of the municipality by reporting suspicious characters in their vicinities to the police and also provide useful information for the arrest of criminals in their hide-outs.
Monday, January 3, 2011
OSAGYEFO AGYEMAN BADU URGES POLITICAL TOLERANCE (SPREAD, JAN 3, 2011)
Ghanaians, especially supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have been advised to be tolerant of one another’s view, since democracy thrives on the free expression of divergent views and opinions.
Speaking at an end-of-year get-together organised by the Dormaa Traditional Council, the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, said, “The fact that you disagree with the views or opinions expressed by someone who does not share your political ideology does not make the person an enemy.”
He, therefore, appealed to supporters of political parties to accommodate one another’s views to ease the political tension in the country as the nation entered 2011, a year before the 2012 general election.
The occasion was also used to present scholarship packages to 128 senior high and tertiary students from the traditional area. The packages were provided by the Dormaaman Educational Endowment Fund (DORMEEF).
Osagyefo Agyeman Badu noted that the traditional area had not been spared the intolerance that had crept into the country’s politics, sometimes leading to undesired consequences.
In that regard, he appealed to supporters of the NDC and the NPP within his jurisdiction not to allow their political differences to divide them as a people, saying that they should rather unite for the sake of Dormaa and Ghana as a whole.
“At the end of the day, we are one people with a common destiny and politics must not make us enemies,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the government to use 2011 to extend electricity to all towns and villages in the traditional area that had not been connected to the national grid.
“Sleeping in darkness is against the fundamental human rights of citizens, so in 2011 all communities in the traditional area must have electricity,” he stressed.
The Dormaahene further appealed to the government to tar Dormaa Ahenkro town roads and upgrade the Dormaa-Nkrankwanta-Sefwi and the Gambia-Kyeremasu roads to facilitate commercial activities in the traditional area.
Osagyefo Agyeman Badu commended the government for the provision of massive educational infrastructure in the traditional area during its two-year stay in office.
He expressed the hope that President Mills would make good his declaration that 2011 was going to be an action year that would bring tremendous improvement into the living standards of every Ghanaian.
He commended his people for sustaining the peace and stability in the area and contributing to the development of the area and hoped that 2011 would be a prosperous one for them all.
Touching on the Ivorian crisis, the Dormaahene called for dialogue, instead of military force, to resolve the matter.
The Gyasehene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Barima Oppong Yaw Ababio, earlier in his welcoming address, had pledged the support of the traditional council to all assembly members and unit committee members in the traditional area and urged them to team up with the assembly for the development of the area.
Speaking at an end-of-year get-together organised by the Dormaa Traditional Council, the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, said, “The fact that you disagree with the views or opinions expressed by someone who does not share your political ideology does not make the person an enemy.”
He, therefore, appealed to supporters of political parties to accommodate one another’s views to ease the political tension in the country as the nation entered 2011, a year before the 2012 general election.
The occasion was also used to present scholarship packages to 128 senior high and tertiary students from the traditional area. The packages were provided by the Dormaaman Educational Endowment Fund (DORMEEF).
Osagyefo Agyeman Badu noted that the traditional area had not been spared the intolerance that had crept into the country’s politics, sometimes leading to undesired consequences.
In that regard, he appealed to supporters of the NDC and the NPP within his jurisdiction not to allow their political differences to divide them as a people, saying that they should rather unite for the sake of Dormaa and Ghana as a whole.
“At the end of the day, we are one people with a common destiny and politics must not make us enemies,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the government to use 2011 to extend electricity to all towns and villages in the traditional area that had not been connected to the national grid.
“Sleeping in darkness is against the fundamental human rights of citizens, so in 2011 all communities in the traditional area must have electricity,” he stressed.
The Dormaahene further appealed to the government to tar Dormaa Ahenkro town roads and upgrade the Dormaa-Nkrankwanta-Sefwi and the Gambia-Kyeremasu roads to facilitate commercial activities in the traditional area.
Osagyefo Agyeman Badu commended the government for the provision of massive educational infrastructure in the traditional area during its two-year stay in office.
He expressed the hope that President Mills would make good his declaration that 2011 was going to be an action year that would bring tremendous improvement into the living standards of every Ghanaian.
He commended his people for sustaining the peace and stability in the area and contributing to the development of the area and hoped that 2011 would be a prosperous one for them all.
Touching on the Ivorian crisis, the Dormaahene called for dialogue, instead of military force, to resolve the matter.
The Gyasehene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Barima Oppong Yaw Ababio, earlier in his welcoming address, had pledged the support of the traditional council to all assembly members and unit committee members in the traditional area and urged them to team up with the assembly for the development of the area.
DORMAA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL SUPPORTS EDUCATION (PAGE 11, JAN 3, 2011)
THE Dormaa Traditional Council has so far spent a total of Gh¢120,000.00 (¢1.2billion) on 1,070 students, from the traditional area, in senior high and tertiary institutions in the country under its Educational Endowment Fund christened “Dormaaman Educational Endowment Fund” (DORMEEF) established ten years ago.
A total of 128 students which comprises 78 at the senior high school (SHS) and 50 at the tertiary levels are being sponsored under the fund for the 2010/2011 academic year.
Speaking at the annual award of the bursary to the 128 beneficiaries for the 2010/2011 academic year at Dormaa Ahenkro, which was held together with an end of year get together of the chiefs and citizens of Dormaa to usher in the new year, Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyeman Badu II, the Omanhene of Dormaa Traditional Area, said the bursary was in its 10th year and had provided financial support to academically promising, needy students from the area to pursue SHS and tertiary education.
He noted that the traditional council saw education as the key to the socio-economic development of every society and would, therefore, continue to make education one of its top most priority.
Nana Agyeman Badu also used the occasion to commend the government for the provision of massive educational infrastructure in the traditional area and expressed the hope that in the coming years, the government would do more to raise the standard of education in the area.
The Secretary to the Board of Trustees for DORMEEF, Mr S H Baah, who presented the bursary on behalf of the President of the Dormaa Traditional Council and the initiator of the fund, Nana Agyeman Badu, expressed the hope that the beneficiaries of the fund would reciprocate the gesture by maintaining a high academic standard.
A total of 128 students which comprises 78 at the senior high school (SHS) and 50 at the tertiary levels are being sponsored under the fund for the 2010/2011 academic year.
Speaking at the annual award of the bursary to the 128 beneficiaries for the 2010/2011 academic year at Dormaa Ahenkro, which was held together with an end of year get together of the chiefs and citizens of Dormaa to usher in the new year, Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyeman Badu II, the Omanhene of Dormaa Traditional Area, said the bursary was in its 10th year and had provided financial support to academically promising, needy students from the area to pursue SHS and tertiary education.
He noted that the traditional council saw education as the key to the socio-economic development of every society and would, therefore, continue to make education one of its top most priority.
Nana Agyeman Badu also used the occasion to commend the government for the provision of massive educational infrastructure in the traditional area and expressed the hope that in the coming years, the government would do more to raise the standard of education in the area.
The Secretary to the Board of Trustees for DORMEEF, Mr S H Baah, who presented the bursary on behalf of the President of the Dormaa Traditional Council and the initiator of the fund, Nana Agyeman Badu, expressed the hope that the beneficiaries of the fund would reciprocate the gesture by maintaining a high academic standard.
ADUANA WILL TAKE AFRICA BY STORM — DORMAAHENE (PAGE 31, JAN 3, 2011)
The Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, who is also the Life Patron and bankroller of league champions, Dormaa-based Aduana Stars, says the club is poised to take Africa by storm as it represents Ghana in the CAF Champions League in 2011.
He said the club had proved in its short stay in the domestic top flight that it was a force to reckon with and would exhibit that same character in Africa.
Nana Agyeman Badu II, who said this at an annual get-together of the chiefs and people of Dormaa Traditional Area at Dormaa-Ahenkro to usher in the new year, said Aduana was also poised to retain the Glo Premier League title in the 2010/2011 season.
According to him, teams that had taken the lead in the premiership, especially Bechem Chelsea, also from the Brong Ahafo Region, are good but Aduana was going to assume the top spot in the second round.
He noted that the team used the first round to warm up and now that everything was set, it was poised to reclaim the top spot and go ahead to retain the title.
The Dormaahene called on Ghanaians to support the club as it ventured into Africa so as to bring back the glory associated with Ghanaian teams on the continental front.
The Life Patron of Aduana Stars also appealed for prayers and financial support from all and sundry from the Dormaa State to enable the club to retain the premiership title and also cause a stir in Africa.
Barima Oppong Yaw Ababio, the Gyasehene of Dormaa Traditional Area, earlier in a welcome address thanked all who had supported the club both in prayers and cash.
He reiterated the appeal to all citizens of Dormaa, as well as Ghanaians, to support Aduana Stars spiritually and financially as it prepares to represent the nation in Africa.
He said the club had proved in its short stay in the domestic top flight that it was a force to reckon with and would exhibit that same character in Africa.
Nana Agyeman Badu II, who said this at an annual get-together of the chiefs and people of Dormaa Traditional Area at Dormaa-Ahenkro to usher in the new year, said Aduana was also poised to retain the Glo Premier League title in the 2010/2011 season.
According to him, teams that had taken the lead in the premiership, especially Bechem Chelsea, also from the Brong Ahafo Region, are good but Aduana was going to assume the top spot in the second round.
He noted that the team used the first round to warm up and now that everything was set, it was poised to reclaim the top spot and go ahead to retain the title.
The Dormaahene called on Ghanaians to support the club as it ventured into Africa so as to bring back the glory associated with Ghanaian teams on the continental front.
The Life Patron of Aduana Stars also appealed for prayers and financial support from all and sundry from the Dormaa State to enable the club to retain the premiership title and also cause a stir in Africa.
Barima Oppong Yaw Ababio, the Gyasehene of Dormaa Traditional Area, earlier in a welcome address thanked all who had supported the club both in prayers and cash.
He reiterated the appeal to all citizens of Dormaa, as well as Ghanaians, to support Aduana Stars spiritually and financially as it prepares to represent the nation in Africa.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)