Story: Samuel Duodu, Kenyase No. 2
The first Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, has bemoaned the drop-out rate among girls at the senior high school (SHS) level, in spite of the interventions introduced by the government to ensure that the gender gap in education is bridged.
She has, therefore, appealed to parents to be more responsive towards the education of their female children to the highest level.
Mrs Kufuor’s concern was contained in a speech read on her behalf by her aide, Ms Lydia Osei, at the maiden Speech and Prize-giving Day of the OLA Girls’ Senior High School at Kenyasi No.2 in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region at the weekend.
It was on the theme, “Girl Child Education — The Role of the State, Society and Parents”.
The OLA Girls’ Senior High School was founded by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA Sisters), in collaboration with the late Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, the Most Rev James Kwadwo Owusu, and the then Omanhene of the Kenyasi No.2 Traditional Area, Nana Nsiah Ababio, in 1974. It was the first all-female high school to be established in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The First Lady noted that the introduction of the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme by the government had increased enrolment and helped to bridge the gender gap between girls and boys in basic schools in the country.
She noted that more girls were in basic school now than in the past, since parents did not need to pay school fees at the basic level.
Mrs Kufuor was, however, not happy with the situation of girls in SHS and said the necessary support and encouragement must be given to them to continue to the highest levels of education.
She observed that although it was the constitutional responsibility of the state to make education accessible and affordable to all children, the collective effort of all, right from the community to the national levels, was required, stressing that the education of girls was the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
The First Lady also noted that the government, in its bid to remove the phobia associated with the study of Science and Mathematics at the SHS level by girls, had decentralised the Science and Mathematics Education clinics to the regions and districts.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, gave the assurance that the government would continue to fulfil its constitutional mandate in the educational sector by pursuing sound policies and programmes to enable females to excel.
She said many teachers handling Mathematics, Science and technical subjects were all men who, because of their stereotyped expectations, discouraged girls from enrolling in Mathematics and Science-based careers.
The headmistress of the school, Rev Sister Martha Davis, in her address, said the school had made a name across the country through the moral training of its students.
Students who had distinguished themselves academically were presented with awards, while both teaching and non-teaching staff members of the school were also honoured for their meritorious services to the school.
Monday, May 26, 2008
COMMITTEES ACTION RECIPE FOR TROUBLE (PAGE 19)
Story: Chris Nunoo, Wa
THE Dankpanyiri family of Charia in the Upper West Region has described the declaration of one Kofi Bagah as the substantive chief of Charia as a miscarriage of justice which could re-awaken the disturbances in the town and mar the current peace in the area.
The family has, therefore, called on the National House of Chiefs and the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs to institute a thorough investigation into the latest development and probe the committee set up by the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs to handle the chieftaincy dispute in Charia.
Addressing a press conference in reaction to a publication in the May 22, 2008 edition of the Daily Graphic, the spokesperson for the Dankpanyiri family, who is also a sub-chief of the area, Naa J.B. Bagbligbee, described the action of the committee as a recipe for trouble.
“As a result of these injustices we are appealing to the National House of Chiefs and the Minister responsible for Chieftaincy Affairs to set up an independent body to investigate the conduct of the committee,” he stated.
This, according to Naa Bagbligbee, would give a fair chance to all parties to get to the bottom of the matter in order to lay the prolonged Charia chieftaincy dispute to rest.
Naa Bagbligbee further explained that after the enskinment of Martin Dong Bakaana as the chief of Charia, who died a few weeks after his enskinment, the Yidana of Dakpanyiri, Seuri Yipaala Naa, brought a suit against them.
He said during preparations for the late Martin Bakaana’s funeral, an injunction from the Regional House of Chiefs was placed on the family not to bury the deceased as a chief, which they obliged for the sake of peace.
Naa Bagbligbee said after several postponements of the case by the committee at the Regional House of Chiefs which led to the deceased lying in the morgue for close to 17 months, a meeting was finally convened by the committee.
He said the committee ruled that they could go ahead with the funeral of the deceased, but with a caveat, not to bury him as a chief after which the substantive case would be heard.
Naa Bagligbee further noted that the committee assured them that their side of the case would be heard after the funeral rites of the late Martin Bakaana, but they never had that opportunity.
However, he said on April 8, 2008, they were served with a letter from the committee that judgement on the case would be passed on May 8, 2008.
This, Naa Bagligbee said, did not go down well with the family, and so they petitioned against the decision since their side of the story was yet to be heard as agreed by the committee before the burial of the deceased.
“The committee subsequently went ahead to pass judgement against us and pronounced one Kofi Bagah as the chief of Charia; this is a clear case of injustice,” Naa Bagbligbee stressed.
THE Dankpanyiri family of Charia in the Upper West Region has described the declaration of one Kofi Bagah as the substantive chief of Charia as a miscarriage of justice which could re-awaken the disturbances in the town and mar the current peace in the area.
The family has, therefore, called on the National House of Chiefs and the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs to institute a thorough investigation into the latest development and probe the committee set up by the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs to handle the chieftaincy dispute in Charia.
Addressing a press conference in reaction to a publication in the May 22, 2008 edition of the Daily Graphic, the spokesperson for the Dankpanyiri family, who is also a sub-chief of the area, Naa J.B. Bagbligbee, described the action of the committee as a recipe for trouble.
“As a result of these injustices we are appealing to the National House of Chiefs and the Minister responsible for Chieftaincy Affairs to set up an independent body to investigate the conduct of the committee,” he stated.
This, according to Naa Bagbligbee, would give a fair chance to all parties to get to the bottom of the matter in order to lay the prolonged Charia chieftaincy dispute to rest.
Naa Bagbligbee further explained that after the enskinment of Martin Dong Bakaana as the chief of Charia, who died a few weeks after his enskinment, the Yidana of Dakpanyiri, Seuri Yipaala Naa, brought a suit against them.
He said during preparations for the late Martin Bakaana’s funeral, an injunction from the Regional House of Chiefs was placed on the family not to bury the deceased as a chief, which they obliged for the sake of peace.
Naa Bagbligbee said after several postponements of the case by the committee at the Regional House of Chiefs which led to the deceased lying in the morgue for close to 17 months, a meeting was finally convened by the committee.
He said the committee ruled that they could go ahead with the funeral of the deceased, but with a caveat, not to bury him as a chief after which the substantive case would be heard.
Naa Bagligbee further noted that the committee assured them that their side of the case would be heard after the funeral rites of the late Martin Bakaana, but they never had that opportunity.
However, he said on April 8, 2008, they were served with a letter from the committee that judgement on the case would be passed on May 8, 2008.
This, Naa Bagligbee said, did not go down well with the family, and so they petitioned against the decision since their side of the story was yet to be heard as agreed by the committee before the burial of the deceased.
“The committee subsequently went ahead to pass judgement against us and pronounced one Kofi Bagah as the chief of Charia; this is a clear case of injustice,” Naa Bagbligbee stressed.
DEPARTMENT INTENSIFIES EDUCATION AGAINST CULTURAL PRACTICES (PAGE 11)
STORY: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
The Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Department of Women has initiated an intensive education in support of the fight against cultural practices that impinge on the rights of vulnerable groups, especially women and children, in the region.
The initiative is also to remove the fear and superstition deeply associated with the perceived consequences of the non-performance of these customs and traditions.
Some of the cultural practices in the region are widowhood rites, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), betrothal and early marriage of girls.
These cultural practices such as FGM, some outmoded aspects of widowhood rites and early marriages of girls, which are prevalent in the Kintampo North, Tain, Jaman North and Atebubu districts of the region, are practised especially in the Mo, Siekwa, Banda, Sampa and Atebubu traditional areas.
Following media exposure of the plight of the three ‘royal’ widows of the Mo Traditional Area in the Kintampo North District, the Department of Women in the region has decided to collaborate with traditional rulers, including queens, and all other stakeholders to educate the people to desist from customary practices and traditions that militate against the progress and development of girls and young women.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, Madam Victoria Owusu-Kyeremaa, the Regional Director of the department, said to reform and make these cultural practices more responsive to the needs of the people, the department had come up with several programmes and advocacy training workshops in those districts of the region where such customs and traditions still persisted.
She said the department had developed a training programme for paramount chiefs and queens from the Kintampo North, Tain and Jaman North districts on women’s rights and development, as well as socio-cultural issues affecting the rights of women.
Madam Owusu-Kyeremaa stated further that the department had also planned an advocacy training workshop for all actors in local governance, including district chief executives, presiding members, assembly members and unit committee members in the districts where such practices were prevalent.
She said the department would involve the Church and Muslim leaders and also mount awareness campaign on discrimination, violence and harmful traditional practices against women and girls, as well as intensify advocacy on local FM stations.
The regional director further disclosed that the department would bring on board queens, chiefs, heads of families, district assemblies, town/area councils, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Ladies Association, among others.
Madam Owusu-Kyeremaa noted that these negative cultural practices still persisted in some parts of the country although Ghana was a signatory to many international conventions and had passed laws for the protection of women and girls. She called for the strict enforcement of these laws and conventions.
Touching on the issue of the three ‘royal widows’ of the Mo Traditional Area who are performing widowhood rites, nine years after the death of their husband, she said the department had made several contacts with them to secure their ‘freedom’, but they had always expressed the fear that something may happen to them if they did not observe the customs and traditions of the area.
She appealed for support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society groups and corporate bodies to enable the department to perform its duties effectively.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Department of Women has initiated an intensive education in support of the fight against cultural practices that impinge on the rights of vulnerable groups, especially women and children, in the region.
The initiative is also to remove the fear and superstition deeply associated with the perceived consequences of the non-performance of these customs and traditions.
Some of the cultural practices in the region are widowhood rites, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), betrothal and early marriage of girls.
These cultural practices such as FGM, some outmoded aspects of widowhood rites and early marriages of girls, which are prevalent in the Kintampo North, Tain, Jaman North and Atebubu districts of the region, are practised especially in the Mo, Siekwa, Banda, Sampa and Atebubu traditional areas.
Following media exposure of the plight of the three ‘royal’ widows of the Mo Traditional Area in the Kintampo North District, the Department of Women in the region has decided to collaborate with traditional rulers, including queens, and all other stakeholders to educate the people to desist from customary practices and traditions that militate against the progress and development of girls and young women.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, Madam Victoria Owusu-Kyeremaa, the Regional Director of the department, said to reform and make these cultural practices more responsive to the needs of the people, the department had come up with several programmes and advocacy training workshops in those districts of the region where such customs and traditions still persisted.
She said the department had developed a training programme for paramount chiefs and queens from the Kintampo North, Tain and Jaman North districts on women’s rights and development, as well as socio-cultural issues affecting the rights of women.
Madam Owusu-Kyeremaa stated further that the department had also planned an advocacy training workshop for all actors in local governance, including district chief executives, presiding members, assembly members and unit committee members in the districts where such practices were prevalent.
She said the department would involve the Church and Muslim leaders and also mount awareness campaign on discrimination, violence and harmful traditional practices against women and girls, as well as intensify advocacy on local FM stations.
The regional director further disclosed that the department would bring on board queens, chiefs, heads of families, district assemblies, town/area councils, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Ladies Association, among others.
Madam Owusu-Kyeremaa noted that these negative cultural practices still persisted in some parts of the country although Ghana was a signatory to many international conventions and had passed laws for the protection of women and girls. She called for the strict enforcement of these laws and conventions.
Touching on the issue of the three ‘royal widows’ of the Mo Traditional Area who are performing widowhood rites, nine years after the death of their husband, she said the department had made several contacts with them to secure their ‘freedom’, but they had always expressed the fear that something may happen to them if they did not observe the customs and traditions of the area.
She appealed for support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society groups and corporate bodies to enable the department to perform its duties effectively.
ESTABLISH SPECIAL COURTS TO DEAL WITH ASSEMBLIES (PAGE 23)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Sunyani Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Kwasi Baffour-Awuah, has called for the establishment of special courts to deal with municipal and district assemblies bye-law-related cases to ensure their speedy trial.
According to him, the normal courts were already beset with a lot of cases that were always delayed.
The problem, he said, had made the enforcement of the assemblies bye-laws, especially those on environmental protection, rather difficult.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade Three of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), made the call at the first ordinary meeting of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly in Sunyani.
The ceremony was also used to elect Mr Isaac K. Amankwah, an architect, as the new Presiding Member of the assembly.
Mr Baffour-Awuah noted with concern that only eight out of the 28 people who were arrested in the municipality for causing bushfires, when the ban on bush burning was in force between November 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, were prosecuted in the law court.
He said out of the eight suspects standing trial at the District Magistrate’s Court in Sunyani, only one was remanded in prison custody, the rest granted bail, while the remaining 20 suspects were yet to be arraigned by the police.
He said in view of that development, the fight against bushfires had become difficult, since many people had realised they could commit the offence with impunity.
Mr Baffour-Awuah said when the ban was in force, food and cash crop farms and part of forest reserves, especially the Tain One and Tain Two forests were destroyed by bushfires, causing losses running into several millions of cedis.
The fire officer said to ensure that there were no fire outbreaks at the various markets in the municipality, the Sunyani Municipal Fire Station had embarked on an educational drive to sensitise market women to some dos and don’ts within the confines of the markets.
He said the fire prevention campaign at the markets had become necessary, as a result of the rampant reports of fire outbreaks at major markets in the country.
Mr Baffour-Awuah advised market women to procure fire extinguishers at their stalls, adding that they should not cook on the market premises. He also stressed that they must clear all access roads to the market to make way for GNFS fire engines, in case of any fire outbreaks.
THE Sunyani Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Kwasi Baffour-Awuah, has called for the establishment of special courts to deal with municipal and district assemblies bye-law-related cases to ensure their speedy trial.
According to him, the normal courts were already beset with a lot of cases that were always delayed.
The problem, he said, had made the enforcement of the assemblies bye-laws, especially those on environmental protection, rather difficult.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, who is also a Divisional Officer Grade Three of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), made the call at the first ordinary meeting of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly in Sunyani.
The ceremony was also used to elect Mr Isaac K. Amankwah, an architect, as the new Presiding Member of the assembly.
Mr Baffour-Awuah noted with concern that only eight out of the 28 people who were arrested in the municipality for causing bushfires, when the ban on bush burning was in force between November 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, were prosecuted in the law court.
He said out of the eight suspects standing trial at the District Magistrate’s Court in Sunyani, only one was remanded in prison custody, the rest granted bail, while the remaining 20 suspects were yet to be arraigned by the police.
He said in view of that development, the fight against bushfires had become difficult, since many people had realised they could commit the offence with impunity.
Mr Baffour-Awuah said when the ban was in force, food and cash crop farms and part of forest reserves, especially the Tain One and Tain Two forests were destroyed by bushfires, causing losses running into several millions of cedis.
The fire officer said to ensure that there were no fire outbreaks at the various markets in the municipality, the Sunyani Municipal Fire Station had embarked on an educational drive to sensitise market women to some dos and don’ts within the confines of the markets.
He said the fire prevention campaign at the markets had become necessary, as a result of the rampant reports of fire outbreaks at major markets in the country.
Mr Baffour-Awuah advised market women to procure fire extinguishers at their stalls, adding that they should not cook on the market premises. He also stressed that they must clear all access roads to the market to make way for GNFS fire engines, in case of any fire outbreaks.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
POTAG MUST GO TO NEGOTIATING TABLE (PAGE 11)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE government has been called upon to ensure that the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) goes to the negotiations table to resolve all outstanding issues to avert any possible strike action to enable the academic year to end successfully.
The government should not wait for a strike action by polytechnic teachers before it takes any action, since it was students who suffered whenever such strike actions occurred.
The President of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Engineering Students’ Association of Ghana (PESAG), Mr Saeed Mohammed, made the call at the launch of the S-Poly PESAG Week celebration, which has the theme “The Role of Engineering in Economic Development of the Nation”, at Sunyani.
He appealed to the government to grant scholarships for further studies to lecturers in the polytechnics to build on the human resource base to run Higher National Diploma (HND) and Building Technology (B-Tech) Degree programmes in the mechanical and electrical departments, for the socio-economic development of the country.
Mr Mohammed urged the government to consider the use of solar energy as an alternative source of power generation, since it had several advantages which included reliability, high efficiency, was noiseless and smokeless.
“It is obviously known that one of the expectations of engineering is to convert natural resources into products that make life comfortable and mother Ghana is blessed with solar energy, especially in the northern part of the nation where we can get an average sun radiation of about five hours per day”, Mr Mohammed observed.
He, therefore, urged the government to give serious consideration to solar as an alternative source of power generation.
Mr Mohammed said the S-Poly PESAG had expertise in the area of electricity energy generation from solar and that recently the association trained 60 students in solar stand power systems, which could be tapped for the benefit of the nation.
Mr Mohammed also called on the government and other corporate bodies to come to the aid of the polytechnics by helping to equip their engineering departments with research facilities such as computer laboratories and engineering libraries.
Mr Dan Arthur of Ghana Telecom (GT) called on polytechnics to develop websites which would serve them locally and internationally and also help students to register on-line when school was about to re-open, organise alumni and a small library on the internet to increase the knowledge of students.
He also called for the adoption of ICT as a tool by the country for its socio-economic advancement, adding that the Asian countries used ICT for development.
THE government has been called upon to ensure that the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) goes to the negotiations table to resolve all outstanding issues to avert any possible strike action to enable the academic year to end successfully.
The government should not wait for a strike action by polytechnic teachers before it takes any action, since it was students who suffered whenever such strike actions occurred.
The President of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Engineering Students’ Association of Ghana (PESAG), Mr Saeed Mohammed, made the call at the launch of the S-Poly PESAG Week celebration, which has the theme “The Role of Engineering in Economic Development of the Nation”, at Sunyani.
He appealed to the government to grant scholarships for further studies to lecturers in the polytechnics to build on the human resource base to run Higher National Diploma (HND) and Building Technology (B-Tech) Degree programmes in the mechanical and electrical departments, for the socio-economic development of the country.
Mr Mohammed urged the government to consider the use of solar energy as an alternative source of power generation, since it had several advantages which included reliability, high efficiency, was noiseless and smokeless.
“It is obviously known that one of the expectations of engineering is to convert natural resources into products that make life comfortable and mother Ghana is blessed with solar energy, especially in the northern part of the nation where we can get an average sun radiation of about five hours per day”, Mr Mohammed observed.
He, therefore, urged the government to give serious consideration to solar as an alternative source of power generation.
Mr Mohammed said the S-Poly PESAG had expertise in the area of electricity energy generation from solar and that recently the association trained 60 students in solar stand power systems, which could be tapped for the benefit of the nation.
Mr Mohammed also called on the government and other corporate bodies to come to the aid of the polytechnics by helping to equip their engineering departments with research facilities such as computer laboratories and engineering libraries.
Mr Dan Arthur of Ghana Telecom (GT) called on polytechnics to develop websites which would serve them locally and internationally and also help students to register on-line when school was about to re-open, organise alumni and a small library on the internet to increase the knowledge of students.
He also called for the adoption of ICT as a tool by the country for its socio-economic advancement, adding that the Asian countries used ICT for development.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
EDUCATE DRIVERS ON LAWS OF ROAD SAFETY ACT (PAGE 20)
Sstory: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, has appealed to the various transport unions in the Sunyani Municipality to educate their members on the laws relating to the Road Traffic Act, 204 (ACT 683) in order not to fall foul of the law.
He also urged all road users in the municipality, both commercial and private, to be abreast of matters relating to road safety and the law to ensure a harmonious relationship between them and the police.
He, therefore, urged commercial drivers, especially taxi drivers in the municipality, to discard the notion that the police was there to harass them.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh made the appealed in response to concerns raised by a section of taxi drivers in the municipality on Thursday that they were being harassed by the police on the roads and the slightest offence they were also hauled before the law courts.
He stated that the police were there to enforce the laws in the country, which were being applied everywhere and therefore the police in the course of the discharge of their duties would not target a section of the populace as was being perceived by the taxi drivers in the municipality.
The Regional Police Commander also urged the leadership of the various unions to impress upon their members to endeavour to operate within the confines of the Road Traffic ACT, which had been in existence since 2004, saying that it was not any new law that is being enforced as they perceived.
Touching on the fines imposed by the law courts for traffic offences, DCOP Oppong-Boanuh stated that the judges were only applying the penalties or punishments prescribed by the law, saying that a traffic offence such as failing to stop when signalled by the police to do so even attracted a fine of 250 penalty units. A penalty unit is GH¢12 (¢120,000).
“The police are only enforcing the law and the law courts are also imposing the fines as prescribed by law and therefore it should not be perceived as a form of harassment, but to ensure that there is disciplined and safety on the roads,” the Regional Police Commander observed.
He appealed to drivers to be courteous and disciplined at all times and cooperate with the police to ensure safety on the roads.
A section of taxi drivers in the Sunyani Municipality on Thursday converged on the forecourt of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) to channel their concerns, about what they termed as police harassment of taxi drivers in the municipality, to the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah.
The Regional Minister in his response to their concerns urged them to be polite, courteous and cooperate with the police to ensure discipline and safety on the roads.
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, has appealed to the various transport unions in the Sunyani Municipality to educate their members on the laws relating to the Road Traffic Act, 204 (ACT 683) in order not to fall foul of the law.
He also urged all road users in the municipality, both commercial and private, to be abreast of matters relating to road safety and the law to ensure a harmonious relationship between them and the police.
He, therefore, urged commercial drivers, especially taxi drivers in the municipality, to discard the notion that the police was there to harass them.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh made the appealed in response to concerns raised by a section of taxi drivers in the municipality on Thursday that they were being harassed by the police on the roads and the slightest offence they were also hauled before the law courts.
He stated that the police were there to enforce the laws in the country, which were being applied everywhere and therefore the police in the course of the discharge of their duties would not target a section of the populace as was being perceived by the taxi drivers in the municipality.
The Regional Police Commander also urged the leadership of the various unions to impress upon their members to endeavour to operate within the confines of the Road Traffic ACT, which had been in existence since 2004, saying that it was not any new law that is being enforced as they perceived.
Touching on the fines imposed by the law courts for traffic offences, DCOP Oppong-Boanuh stated that the judges were only applying the penalties or punishments prescribed by the law, saying that a traffic offence such as failing to stop when signalled by the police to do so even attracted a fine of 250 penalty units. A penalty unit is GH¢12 (¢120,000).
“The police are only enforcing the law and the law courts are also imposing the fines as prescribed by law and therefore it should not be perceived as a form of harassment, but to ensure that there is disciplined and safety on the roads,” the Regional Police Commander observed.
He appealed to drivers to be courteous and disciplined at all times and cooperate with the police to ensure safety on the roads.
A section of taxi drivers in the Sunyani Municipality on Thursday converged on the forecourt of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) to channel their concerns, about what they termed as police harassment of taxi drivers in the municipality, to the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah.
The Regional Minister in his response to their concerns urged them to be polite, courteous and cooperate with the police to ensure discipline and safety on the roads.
Monday, May 19, 2008
NEGOTIATE FOR FAIR COMPENSATION (PAGE 40)
Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
COMMUNITIES affected by mining in the country have been urged to always endeavour to negotiate for fair and adequate compensations from mining companies since that was their right.
Negotiating for fair and adequate compensation from mining companies should, therefore, not be seen as the affected communities asking for favours or begging for pittance, since mining activities deprived them of their sources of livelihood.
An Environmental Programme Officer of the Third World Network, Africa (TWN, Africa), a policy research organisation, Mr Abdulia Dramani, said this at a day’s workshop organised by Livelihood and Environment Ghana (LEG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in conjunction with TWN, Africa, in Sunyani.
The workshop, attended by members selected from communities affected by mining in the Ahafo Mine of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited (NGGL) serving on the Newmont Ahafo 2008 Crop Rates Review Committee (CRRC), was to sensitise them to their rights and how to negotiate for better compensation.
Mr Dramani also warned communities affected by mining not to be fascinated or excited by the figures mentioned by mining companies during negotiations for them to abandon such meetings, because once they were equipped with the proper negotiation skills, they could go ahead to clinch a better deal.
He urged the communities going for such negotiations with mining companies, to be abreast of the country’s Mineral and Mining Laws in order to negotiate for adequate compensation that would be satisfactory to all and be paid promptly.
Mr Dramani further called on the communities to expose any mining company that used threat, intimidation and lies to cow them into submission to accept rates that were not satisfactory.
“Any mining company that comes to tell you that the government said it should pay you a certain amount, but we have decided to top it up is a lie and must be exposed,” he said.
He said the figures proposed by the Land Valuation Board for compensation were not the rates for fair and adequate compensation, but were the basic rates to guide negotiations and therefore must not be regarded as the accepted rate.
Mr Dramani further advised the communities affected by mining to present a united front at all times during the negotiation period and avoid being rushed by the mining companies to accept anything.
The Executive Director of LEG, Mr Richard Adjei Poku, urged members of the CRRC to take the workshop seriously, since it was to equip them to negotiate for fair and adequate compensation for their communities.
The participants called for prompt payment of compensation to communities affected by mining so as to remove any suspicion and mistrust.
COMMUNITIES affected by mining in the country have been urged to always endeavour to negotiate for fair and adequate compensations from mining companies since that was their right.
Negotiating for fair and adequate compensation from mining companies should, therefore, not be seen as the affected communities asking for favours or begging for pittance, since mining activities deprived them of their sources of livelihood.
An Environmental Programme Officer of the Third World Network, Africa (TWN, Africa), a policy research organisation, Mr Abdulia Dramani, said this at a day’s workshop organised by Livelihood and Environment Ghana (LEG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in conjunction with TWN, Africa, in Sunyani.
The workshop, attended by members selected from communities affected by mining in the Ahafo Mine of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited (NGGL) serving on the Newmont Ahafo 2008 Crop Rates Review Committee (CRRC), was to sensitise them to their rights and how to negotiate for better compensation.
Mr Dramani also warned communities affected by mining not to be fascinated or excited by the figures mentioned by mining companies during negotiations for them to abandon such meetings, because once they were equipped with the proper negotiation skills, they could go ahead to clinch a better deal.
He urged the communities going for such negotiations with mining companies, to be abreast of the country’s Mineral and Mining Laws in order to negotiate for adequate compensation that would be satisfactory to all and be paid promptly.
Mr Dramani further called on the communities to expose any mining company that used threat, intimidation and lies to cow them into submission to accept rates that were not satisfactory.
“Any mining company that comes to tell you that the government said it should pay you a certain amount, but we have decided to top it up is a lie and must be exposed,” he said.
He said the figures proposed by the Land Valuation Board for compensation were not the rates for fair and adequate compensation, but were the basic rates to guide negotiations and therefore must not be regarded as the accepted rate.
Mr Dramani further advised the communities affected by mining to present a united front at all times during the negotiation period and avoid being rushed by the mining companies to accept anything.
The Executive Director of LEG, Mr Richard Adjei Poku, urged members of the CRRC to take the workshop seriously, since it was to equip them to negotiate for fair and adequate compensation for their communities.
The participants called for prompt payment of compensation to communities affected by mining so as to remove any suspicion and mistrust.
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