The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd) , has urged Ghanaians to take care of their oral health and to regularly visit dental facilities for professional advice and care.
He advised that people should not wait till their jaws get swollen before rushing to dental units.
Major Quashigah made the appeal when he inaugurated a 6.5-million euro Ghana Dental Project at the Kintampo North Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The ceremony also marked a symbolic inauguration of 21 Dental Clinics built nationwide under the Ghana Dental Project, which is a collaboration between the governments of Ghana and The Netherlands.
Three of the clinics are in Brong Ahafo Region and are located at Kintampo North Municipality and Goaso, the capital of the Asunafo North Municipality, and Sampa, the capital of the Jaman North District.
The project is to ensure availability and access to essential health services of high quality for individuals, especially those in deprived communities.
Major Quashigah recalled that in his school days, teachers inspected the teeth of pupils to ensure that they had the best of oral hygiene.
He noted that teachers were no longer “inspecting teeth” and this made it imperative for parents to supervise their children to clean their teeth.
He stressed the need for personnel manning the dental clinics to adopt good maintenance culture for the equipment at the facilities.
He commended the Kintampo Health Training School’s Research Centre for winning an international award for research.
The acting Director of the Kintampo Health Training School, Mr Moses Solaga, said the school received 7,651 applications for admission for the 2007/2008 academic year but was able to admit only 491, 33 men and 158 women.
Mr Solaga said intake of students had increased from 20 per class to as high as 100 or more per class but infrastructure development had not kept pace with the increased intake.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North, Mr Awudulai Razak, appealed to the Ministry of Health to help fence the school to prevent further encroachment of its land.
Monday, June 9, 2008
THREE DROWN IN RIVER VOLTA (PAGE 50)
Three workers at the Bui Hydroelectric project site drowned in the River Volta when they went on an expedition after close of work on Thursday evening.
The victims were identified as Evans Afful, a native of Biadan in the Berekum Municipality; Aborigio Daniel alias Abongo, from Bamboi; and Kofi Owusu Adams from Chiraa, near Sunyani. Their bodies were retrieved from the river (the Black Volta) by a search party and deposited at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani.
The Police at Banda Ahenkro and the Police Patrol Team resident at the Bui Project site both confirmed the story and said on June, 5, 2008 the three local workers who were in the company of two others, namely Victor Anane and Sulemana Salifu, did not go home after the day’s work at 5.30 p.m.
They said Mr Hung She Wen, the Chinese in charge of blasting for the hydro project, announced that blasting for the whole day was over and therefore asked all workers off duty to go home, but the five, including the three deceased persons, did not go home.
The victims and their two other colleagues went into the bush at the riverside up-stream of the dam construction area to hunt for alligators, but their expedition did not yield any result as no alligator was caught.
At the same time, another worker, Kwesi Gota, was in his boat at the other side of the river fishing on his way home up-stream after work and decided to attend to the call of nature at the bank of the river.
Gota had been joined in the boat by the three deceased persons. The victims, who did not know boating, saw that the boat was moving in circles on the river, which made them anxious, and therefore mishandled the boat.
According to the police sources and eyewitnesses accounts, the boat shook severely and the victims mishandled it the more. At last the boat capsized and the three fell into the river.
One of the three victims, Evans Afful, swam to the riverside and Victor Anane, who was already on the riverside, made an attempt to save Evans by stretching his foot for Evans to hold but Evans’s weight rather pulled Anane and both of them fell into the river.
The three workers drowned in the river with the boat disappearing after the incident. The other three workers — Victor, Sulemana and Gota — who were not on the boat, reported it to the security department of the Bui Hydroelectric Project and the police patrol team resident at the Bui Camp went in.
Authorities of Syno Hydro, the Chinese firm working on the Bui Dam, sent the three workers to report the incident to the police at Banda, and immediately the police and personnel of Syno Hydro organised a search party to look for the three workers who had drowned in the river but they were not found.
On June 6, 2008, the search party was able to retrieve the bodies of Evans and Aborigio, while that of Kofi, which was in a decomposed state, was found on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
When officials of the Bui Hydro Project were contacted, they confirmed the incident and added that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that such unfortunate incident did not occur at the project site again.
Among the measures is that every worker should leave the project site after the close of work, while a ban has been placed on hunting and fishing in and around the river.
Meanwhile the owner of the boat has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations, while the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the Sunyani Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
The victims were identified as Evans Afful, a native of Biadan in the Berekum Municipality; Aborigio Daniel alias Abongo, from Bamboi; and Kofi Owusu Adams from Chiraa, near Sunyani. Their bodies were retrieved from the river (the Black Volta) by a search party and deposited at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani.
The Police at Banda Ahenkro and the Police Patrol Team resident at the Bui Project site both confirmed the story and said on June, 5, 2008 the three local workers who were in the company of two others, namely Victor Anane and Sulemana Salifu, did not go home after the day’s work at 5.30 p.m.
They said Mr Hung She Wen, the Chinese in charge of blasting for the hydro project, announced that blasting for the whole day was over and therefore asked all workers off duty to go home, but the five, including the three deceased persons, did not go home.
The victims and their two other colleagues went into the bush at the riverside up-stream of the dam construction area to hunt for alligators, but their expedition did not yield any result as no alligator was caught.
At the same time, another worker, Kwesi Gota, was in his boat at the other side of the river fishing on his way home up-stream after work and decided to attend to the call of nature at the bank of the river.
Gota had been joined in the boat by the three deceased persons. The victims, who did not know boating, saw that the boat was moving in circles on the river, which made them anxious, and therefore mishandled the boat.
According to the police sources and eyewitnesses accounts, the boat shook severely and the victims mishandled it the more. At last the boat capsized and the three fell into the river.
One of the three victims, Evans Afful, swam to the riverside and Victor Anane, who was already on the riverside, made an attempt to save Evans by stretching his foot for Evans to hold but Evans’s weight rather pulled Anane and both of them fell into the river.
The three workers drowned in the river with the boat disappearing after the incident. The other three workers — Victor, Sulemana and Gota — who were not on the boat, reported it to the security department of the Bui Hydroelectric Project and the police patrol team resident at the Bui Camp went in.
Authorities of Syno Hydro, the Chinese firm working on the Bui Dam, sent the three workers to report the incident to the police at Banda, and immediately the police and personnel of Syno Hydro organised a search party to look for the three workers who had drowned in the river but they were not found.
On June 6, 2008, the search party was able to retrieve the bodies of Evans and Aborigio, while that of Kofi, which was in a decomposed state, was found on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
When officials of the Bui Hydro Project were contacted, they confirmed the incident and added that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that such unfortunate incident did not occur at the project site again.
Among the measures is that every worker should leave the project site after the close of work, while a ban has been placed on hunting and fishing in and around the river.
Meanwhile the owner of the boat has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations, while the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the Sunyani Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
DFP FLAF BEARER TOURS BRONG AHAFO (PAGE 16)
THE flag bearer of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, has pledged that if given the mandate in the 2008 elections by the electorate to form the next government, the party will give special attention to agriculture.
He said local farmers would be provided with the needed incentives to improve food production and food security in the country, thereby increasing their income levels to reduce poverty.
According to him, the DFP government, under his administration, would not only pay special attention to the production of cocoa, but also to other traditional food and cash crops in the country for local consumption and export.
Mr Ansah-Antwi made the pledge on Wednesday, when he called on the Techiman and Wenchi Traditional Councils, as well as on the Chief Imams and Zongo chiefs in the two traditional areas, as part of his four-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He promised to set up processing factories to cut the annual glut of food items experienced by farmers in the country.
The policy direction on agriculture by the party, Mr Ansah-Antwi said, would help put the country on the path of industrialisation as local industries would be fed with the required raw materials, which would lead to the creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The DFP flag bearer was accompanied on the tour by Dr Obed Asamoah, the Founder of the party; Mr Bede Ziedeng, the General Secretary; Mr Piesie Anto, the National Organiser; Madam Franklina Asamoah, the National Women Organiser; Madam Frances Asiam, the National Vice-Chairperson, as well as some regional executives of the party.
Speaking at separate courtesy calls in Techiman and Wenchi, Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that, since about 70 per cent of the country’s population was engaged in agriculture as a source of livelihood, the DFP would embark on what he termed “agricultural revolution or the green revolution” to enhance agriculture and improve the income levels of farmers.
He further stated that a DFP government would modernise agriculture, provide subsidies and agricultural inputs as well as grant loans to farmers.
According to Mr Ansah-Antwi, his government would embark on small-scale irrigation projects to ensure all-year-round farming in the country.
The DFP flag bearer said his government would work towards the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, housing, clothing, water, health care, quality education, roads, energy and telecommunications.
Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that a DFP government would review the trade liberalisation policies of the NPP and NDC governments, which he said, had hampered the growth of local industries.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote massively for the DFP to enable it to implement those laudable programmes aimed at improving the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian as well as putting the nation on the path of industrialisation.
Dr Asamoah, for his part, said the party had been set up to introduce civility into the body politic of the country, stressing that the party would not use insults, vilification, intimidation and violence to achieve political ends in the country.
He bemoaned the growing personality attacks and vilification between the NPP and NDC ‘serial callers’ on the airwaves, which if not checked, could disturb the peace and stability of the nation.
Dr Asamoah stressed that the DFP abhorred untoward acts and would, therefore, focus on issues in its campaigns, devoid of insults, abuse, pettiness, violent threats and political vendetta.
For their part, the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa, and the Okomahene of Wenchi, who represented their various traditional councils, called for decorum among the supporters of the various political parties during, before and after the general election.
The DFP flag bearer and his team later opened the Wenchi and Techiman Constituency offices of the party and introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wenchi, Mr Thompson Akotia, a retired educationist to the electorate.
He said local farmers would be provided with the needed incentives to improve food production and food security in the country, thereby increasing their income levels to reduce poverty.
According to him, the DFP government, under his administration, would not only pay special attention to the production of cocoa, but also to other traditional food and cash crops in the country for local consumption and export.
Mr Ansah-Antwi made the pledge on Wednesday, when he called on the Techiman and Wenchi Traditional Councils, as well as on the Chief Imams and Zongo chiefs in the two traditional areas, as part of his four-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He promised to set up processing factories to cut the annual glut of food items experienced by farmers in the country.
The policy direction on agriculture by the party, Mr Ansah-Antwi said, would help put the country on the path of industrialisation as local industries would be fed with the required raw materials, which would lead to the creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The DFP flag bearer was accompanied on the tour by Dr Obed Asamoah, the Founder of the party; Mr Bede Ziedeng, the General Secretary; Mr Piesie Anto, the National Organiser; Madam Franklina Asamoah, the National Women Organiser; Madam Frances Asiam, the National Vice-Chairperson, as well as some regional executives of the party.
Speaking at separate courtesy calls in Techiman and Wenchi, Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that, since about 70 per cent of the country’s population was engaged in agriculture as a source of livelihood, the DFP would embark on what he termed “agricultural revolution or the green revolution” to enhance agriculture and improve the income levels of farmers.
He further stated that a DFP government would modernise agriculture, provide subsidies and agricultural inputs as well as grant loans to farmers.
According to Mr Ansah-Antwi, his government would embark on small-scale irrigation projects to ensure all-year-round farming in the country.
The DFP flag bearer said his government would work towards the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, housing, clothing, water, health care, quality education, roads, energy and telecommunications.
Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that a DFP government would review the trade liberalisation policies of the NPP and NDC governments, which he said, had hampered the growth of local industries.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote massively for the DFP to enable it to implement those laudable programmes aimed at improving the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian as well as putting the nation on the path of industrialisation.
Dr Asamoah, for his part, said the party had been set up to introduce civility into the body politic of the country, stressing that the party would not use insults, vilification, intimidation and violence to achieve political ends in the country.
He bemoaned the growing personality attacks and vilification between the NPP and NDC ‘serial callers’ on the airwaves, which if not checked, could disturb the peace and stability of the nation.
Dr Asamoah stressed that the DFP abhorred untoward acts and would, therefore, focus on issues in its campaigns, devoid of insults, abuse, pettiness, violent threats and political vendetta.
For their part, the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa, and the Okomahene of Wenchi, who represented their various traditional councils, called for decorum among the supporters of the various political parties during, before and after the general election.
The DFP flag bearer and his team later opened the Wenchi and Techiman Constituency offices of the party and introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wenchi, Mr Thompson Akotia, a retired educationist to the electorate.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
INTENSIFY EDUCATION ON GOVT POLICIES AT GRASS ROOTS (PAGE 21)
THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, has called on staff of the Information Services Department (ISD), especially Metropolitan, Municipal and District Information Officers (MMDICs) to disseminate government policies and programmes to the people.
He said such vital information must be intensified at the grass-roots level to enable people to understand and appreciate what the government had done since it assumed power in 2001.
Mr Asamoah Boateng made the call when he met with the staff of the ISD and municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, as part of his five-day working visit to interact with them and find out how the government’s information machinery could be strengthened at the grass-roots level.
According to him, the government had chalked up remarkable successes within its seven-and-a-half-year rule, but information flow to the people at the grass roots had been slow.
The situation, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said, had paved the way for detractors of the government to wage a relentless vile propaganda to discredit it in the eyes of the people.
He, therefore, charged all information officers to put their act together and educate the people on the government's achievements, as well as its policies and programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant, among others, which were aimed at alleviating poverty level of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He urged the staff of the ISD not to be distracted by the lies being peddled about the government, but always endeavour to discharge their duties in a professional manner, devoid of any political colouring.
“You must endeavour to speak the truth always and present the facts as they are, but not to allow your partisan interest to influence your work.”
Mr Asamoah-Boateng noted that the Ghanaian economy was resilient and, therefore, it was able to withstand the recent surge in crude oil prices and food items globally.
He said the government was concerned about the increase in world market prices of crude oil and its negative impact on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian that was why it had put in place several interventions to mitigate the impact on the people.
The minister, however, noted that the government’s move had been politicised. He, therefore, urged the information officers to go to the people and tell them the facts about what the government had done to mitigate the effects of the global problem.
He charged the information officers to leave the partisan aspect to the politicians and focus on real issues to enable the people to appreciate and understand the interventions announced by the President to mitigate the impact of the global problem on them.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng mentioned some of the interventions of mitigating the impact of the rising cost of crude oil on the world market as the reduction in the prices of some petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and pre-mix fuel.
He added that what was left now was a reduction in the prices of imported rice, which the importers had agreed to do.
According to Mr Asamoah-Boateng, the government was also supporting local rice farmers to produce 53,000 metric tonnes of rice by the close of the year, and increase the production figure to 103,300 metric tonnes within the next two to three years.
He called for a cordial relationship between information officers and the MDCEs to ensure the dissemination of government policies and programmes to the people at the local level.
He pledged that the ministry would provide them with the necessary logistics to enable them discharge their duties efficiently.
He said such vital information must be intensified at the grass-roots level to enable people to understand and appreciate what the government had done since it assumed power in 2001.
Mr Asamoah Boateng made the call when he met with the staff of the ISD and municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Brong Ahafo Region in Sunyani, as part of his five-day working visit to interact with them and find out how the government’s information machinery could be strengthened at the grass-roots level.
According to him, the government had chalked up remarkable successes within its seven-and-a-half-year rule, but information flow to the people at the grass roots had been slow.
The situation, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said, had paved the way for detractors of the government to wage a relentless vile propaganda to discredit it in the eyes of the people.
He, therefore, charged all information officers to put their act together and educate the people on the government's achievements, as well as its policies and programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant, among others, which were aimed at alleviating poverty level of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He urged the staff of the ISD not to be distracted by the lies being peddled about the government, but always endeavour to discharge their duties in a professional manner, devoid of any political colouring.
“You must endeavour to speak the truth always and present the facts as they are, but not to allow your partisan interest to influence your work.”
Mr Asamoah-Boateng noted that the Ghanaian economy was resilient and, therefore, it was able to withstand the recent surge in crude oil prices and food items globally.
He said the government was concerned about the increase in world market prices of crude oil and its negative impact on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian that was why it had put in place several interventions to mitigate the impact on the people.
The minister, however, noted that the government’s move had been politicised. He, therefore, urged the information officers to go to the people and tell them the facts about what the government had done to mitigate the effects of the global problem.
He charged the information officers to leave the partisan aspect to the politicians and focus on real issues to enable the people to appreciate and understand the interventions announced by the President to mitigate the impact of the global problem on them.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng mentioned some of the interventions of mitigating the impact of the rising cost of crude oil on the world market as the reduction in the prices of some petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and pre-mix fuel.
He added that what was left now was a reduction in the prices of imported rice, which the importers had agreed to do.
According to Mr Asamoah-Boateng, the government was also supporting local rice farmers to produce 53,000 metric tonnes of rice by the close of the year, and increase the production figure to 103,300 metric tonnes within the next two to three years.
He called for a cordial relationship between information officers and the MDCEs to ensure the dissemination of government policies and programmes to the people at the local level.
He pledged that the ministry would provide them with the necessary logistics to enable them discharge their duties efficiently.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
CONSULT COMMUNITY LEADERS BEFORE SITING PROJECTS (PAGE 20)
MUNICIPAL and District Assemblies (MDAs) have been urged to always consult community leaders when siting development projects especially school blocks and markets in rural communities, to prevent those projects from becoming ‘white elephants’.
Most infrastructure, such as school buildings and markets built for communities are not being used and are overgrown with weeds because the communities were not involved in the siting of those projects.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, made the call in response to a question posed by this writer at the Brong Ahafo Regional meet-the-press session held in Sunyani on Thursday.
He was replying to why community leaders were not consulted in the siting of development projects in their areas resulting in the refusal of the communities to use those projects after completion.
According to the regional minister, it was not only school buildings in some parts of the region that were neglected after completion, but also many new markets dotted around the region that were not being utilised.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, therefore, urged the MDAs to consult with communities before siting them.
He stressed that if possible, the assemblies should sign a memorandum of understanding with the communities to the effect that after the completion of such projects, they would use them before the assemblies would go ahead to provide them with new projects.
Touching on the upgrading of some institutions into model schools, Mr Baffour-Awuah announced that work on those schools were about 95 per cent complete in the beneficiary schools across the region, which had turned those schools into first class institutions.
Mr Baffour-Awuah stated that $75 million had been earmarked for the Sunyani water project, adding that a memorandum to that effect was currently before Cabinet.
He appealed to Nananom to allocate land for the proper disposal of waste in their communities to improve sanitation.
The regional minister announced that the region had been designated as one of the beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Project Scheme for workers.
He said land had therefore been acquired for the project while contractors had also been selected for the project to start as soon as possible.
Mr Baffour Awuah stated that the region had benefited from massive infrastructure development, mentioning in particular road construction and provision of school blocks for basic schools.
He named some of the projects as the Sunyani-Ntotroso-Acherensua road and the ongoing construction of the Drobo-Sampa road.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for his part, said the regional meet-the-press series had been instituted by his ministry to afford the regional ministers the chance to deal with issues within their regions and the localities.
He noted that the NPP government was committed to the total development of the country so every Ghanaian, especially media practitioners, had a role to play to ensure the forward march of the country.
Most infrastructure, such as school buildings and markets built for communities are not being used and are overgrown with weeds because the communities were not involved in the siting of those projects.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, made the call in response to a question posed by this writer at the Brong Ahafo Regional meet-the-press session held in Sunyani on Thursday.
He was replying to why community leaders were not consulted in the siting of development projects in their areas resulting in the refusal of the communities to use those projects after completion.
According to the regional minister, it was not only school buildings in some parts of the region that were neglected after completion, but also many new markets dotted around the region that were not being utilised.
Mr Baffour-Awuah, therefore, urged the MDAs to consult with communities before siting them.
He stressed that if possible, the assemblies should sign a memorandum of understanding with the communities to the effect that after the completion of such projects, they would use them before the assemblies would go ahead to provide them with new projects.
Touching on the upgrading of some institutions into model schools, Mr Baffour-Awuah announced that work on those schools were about 95 per cent complete in the beneficiary schools across the region, which had turned those schools into first class institutions.
Mr Baffour-Awuah stated that $75 million had been earmarked for the Sunyani water project, adding that a memorandum to that effect was currently before Cabinet.
He appealed to Nananom to allocate land for the proper disposal of waste in their communities to improve sanitation.
The regional minister announced that the region had been designated as one of the beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Project Scheme for workers.
He said land had therefore been acquired for the project while contractors had also been selected for the project to start as soon as possible.
Mr Baffour Awuah stated that the region had benefited from massive infrastructure development, mentioning in particular road construction and provision of school blocks for basic schools.
He named some of the projects as the Sunyani-Ntotroso-Acherensua road and the ongoing construction of the Drobo-Sampa road.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for his part, said the regional meet-the-press series had been instituted by his ministry to afford the regional ministers the chance to deal with issues within their regions and the localities.
He noted that the NPP government was committed to the total development of the country so every Ghanaian, especially media practitioners, had a role to play to ensure the forward march of the country.
Monday, June 2, 2008
ISD EMBARKS ON EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN B/A (PAGE 40)
THE Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Information Services Department (ISD) has started a two-week campaign to educate people in the region about government policies and programmes.
The acting Regional Director of the ISD, Mr Bossman Amoh-Poku who disclosed this to newsmen in Sunyani, said the objective of the exercise was to let the public know exactly what the government was doing rather than they relying on hearsay.
He said various crews from the department would tour all the towns and villages in the region to give talks and feature film shows for the public to have a “real feel” of what was happening.
Mr Amoh-Poku mentioned some of the issues being discussed as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Metro Mass Transit, free medical care for pregnant women which would start in July 2008.
According to Mr Amoh-Poku, the exercise would also enable the ISD to get feedback from the people in the various communities being toured.
Prior to the commencement of the exercise, the Regional Director of ISD had summoned all the district officers, commentators and assistant camera operators to Sunyani for a briefing on how they should go about the education campaign and the role of each member of staff during the exercise.
Mr Amoh-Poku warned the ISD staff not to “do any politics” during the campaign, stressing that “the education should be devoid of politics.”
He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the district assemblies that were yet to provide office accommodation to ISD staff, to do so without further delay to ensure the effectiveness of the department in the districts.
The acting Regional Director of the ISD, Mr Bossman Amoh-Poku who disclosed this to newsmen in Sunyani, said the objective of the exercise was to let the public know exactly what the government was doing rather than they relying on hearsay.
He said various crews from the department would tour all the towns and villages in the region to give talks and feature film shows for the public to have a “real feel” of what was happening.
Mr Amoh-Poku mentioned some of the issues being discussed as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Metro Mass Transit, free medical care for pregnant women which would start in July 2008.
According to Mr Amoh-Poku, the exercise would also enable the ISD to get feedback from the people in the various communities being toured.
Prior to the commencement of the exercise, the Regional Director of ISD had summoned all the district officers, commentators and assistant camera operators to Sunyani for a briefing on how they should go about the education campaign and the role of each member of staff during the exercise.
Mr Amoh-Poku warned the ISD staff not to “do any politics” during the campaign, stressing that “the education should be devoid of politics.”
He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the district assemblies that were yet to provide office accommodation to ISD staff, to do so without further delay to ensure the effectiveness of the department in the districts.
USE DIALOGUE TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES (PAGE 40)
THE Asunafo North District Chief Executive (DCE), Alhaji Ishak Abubakar Bonsu, has added his voice to the appeal to the various factions in the Bawku conflict to embrace peace and use dialogue to resolve their differences.
According to him, the Bawku municipality and its environs were predominantly a Muslim community where ‘brothers are killing brothers’ at the instigation of personalities craving for power and wealth.
The DCE, therefore, implored his fellow Muslim brothers involved in the conflicts to rethink their stand and let the Islamic faith that propagates the universal phenomenon of peace, influence their thought and actions for peace to prevail in the area.
Alhaji Bonsu made the appeal at the ninth annual symposium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Chapter of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) in Sunyani.
It was on the theme: “Crisis in Islam, the Role of the Muslim Youth.” Muslim students from other second cycle and tertiary educational institutions in the Sunyani municipality attended the ceremony.
Alhaji Bonsu condemned the attitude of some Muslim youth, who allow themselves to be used by politicians and other opinion leaders to carry out negative activities.
He therefore urged members of the association to educate their less privileged brothers and sisters at home to remain resolute and live peaceful lives, since no matter how grave their differences, they should use dialogue and consensus building to resolve them.
Alhaji Bonsu expressed concern about the perennial crisis associated with the organisation of the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
He was not happy the way the performance of a religious obligation in the lives of Muslims had been turned into a money-making venture pursued by organisers of the pilgrimage without taking into consideration the untold hardships they bring to their fellow Muslims.
An official of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Sunyani, Mr Ibrahim Ishaku, who also spoke on the topic: “Islam and Politics, the Way Forward,” said religion could not be separated from politics.
He therefore urged Muslim students, who want to enter mainstream politics to acquire more knowledge through formal education and also develop the art of public speaking and organisational ability.
Mr Ishaku stressed that since Muslims were important stakeholders in the politics of the country, they must enter into politics not only to protect their interests, but also for the socio-economic development of the country.
The President of the S-Poly Chapter of the GMSA, Mr Oteng-Mensah Salia, said the aim of the association, was to promote the spirit of unity, brotherliness and understanding among all Muslims for the good of humanity.
He called for the enforcement of the Education Act (1961), Act 87, section 22, which encourages freedom of worship so as to free Muslim students from the problems they usually face in relation to religious practices in most non-Islamic institutions.
Mr Salia also stressed the need for Muslim students, especially ladies in the various basic and second cycle schools, to be allowed to put on the veil to school and if possible to dress as Muslims on campus.
He further appealed to all politicians to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order to sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
According to him, the Bawku municipality and its environs were predominantly a Muslim community where ‘brothers are killing brothers’ at the instigation of personalities craving for power and wealth.
The DCE, therefore, implored his fellow Muslim brothers involved in the conflicts to rethink their stand and let the Islamic faith that propagates the universal phenomenon of peace, influence their thought and actions for peace to prevail in the area.
Alhaji Bonsu made the appeal at the ninth annual symposium of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) Chapter of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) in Sunyani.
It was on the theme: “Crisis in Islam, the Role of the Muslim Youth.” Muslim students from other second cycle and tertiary educational institutions in the Sunyani municipality attended the ceremony.
Alhaji Bonsu condemned the attitude of some Muslim youth, who allow themselves to be used by politicians and other opinion leaders to carry out negative activities.
He therefore urged members of the association to educate their less privileged brothers and sisters at home to remain resolute and live peaceful lives, since no matter how grave their differences, they should use dialogue and consensus building to resolve them.
Alhaji Bonsu expressed concern about the perennial crisis associated with the organisation of the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
He was not happy the way the performance of a religious obligation in the lives of Muslims had been turned into a money-making venture pursued by organisers of the pilgrimage without taking into consideration the untold hardships they bring to their fellow Muslims.
An official of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Sunyani, Mr Ibrahim Ishaku, who also spoke on the topic: “Islam and Politics, the Way Forward,” said religion could not be separated from politics.
He therefore urged Muslim students, who want to enter mainstream politics to acquire more knowledge through formal education and also develop the art of public speaking and organisational ability.
Mr Ishaku stressed that since Muslims were important stakeholders in the politics of the country, they must enter into politics not only to protect their interests, but also for the socio-economic development of the country.
The President of the S-Poly Chapter of the GMSA, Mr Oteng-Mensah Salia, said the aim of the association, was to promote the spirit of unity, brotherliness and understanding among all Muslims for the good of humanity.
He called for the enforcement of the Education Act (1961), Act 87, section 22, which encourages freedom of worship so as to free Muslim students from the problems they usually face in relation to religious practices in most non-Islamic institutions.
Mr Salia also stressed the need for Muslim students, especially ladies in the various basic and second cycle schools, to be allowed to put on the veil to school and if possible to dress as Muslims on campus.
He further appealed to all politicians to conduct their campaigns with decorum in order to sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
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