THE Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has urged the government to do more to address the challenges schoolchildren face in rural areas to ensure quality education for all children in the country.
He said many schools in the rural areas lacked modern infrastructure, trained teachers and learning materials and, therefore, the government must address the situation now in order to secure the future of the nation.
“If you go to the rural areas schoolchildren still have classes under trees, while others attend school under deplorable structures, without teachers and learning materials,” he lamented.
Most Rev. Gyamfi, therefore, urged the government not to put impediments in the way of churches that are assisting in the provision of quality education. he also encouraged the churches to go to such deprived communities to set up schools as a way of complementing government’s efforts.
He was speaking at the first opening day and graduation ceremony of the Sacred Heart Basic School at Penkwase, a suburb of Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital.
The school was established 26 years ago by the Sunyani Catholic Diocese as a public school to serve the educational needs of the people of Penkwase, Low Cost and New Dormaa, thanks to the Franciscan Friars, a group in the Catholic Church under the auspices of Rev. Fr Martino Corazzin. The Friars had helped to provide the school with modern infrastructure as well as teaching and learning materials to enable the school to compete effectively with other schools in the big towns and cities in the country.
Most Rev. Gyamfi urged parents to take centre stage in the education of their children by providing them with all that they needed to enable them to concentrate on their studies.
He further pledged that the Catholic Church would continue to complement the governments’ efforts to provide quality education for all children in the country.
In an address read on behalf of the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Education, Mr Samuel A. Amankwa also commended the Catholic Church for complementing the efforts of the government in the delivery of quality education in the country.
He called on teachers to continue to offer their best and eschew negative practices such as lateness to work, absenteeism and drunkeness, since they served as role models for their pupils and the communities they taught.
Mr Nat Dzadey, the Deputy Brong Regional Coordinating Director, who represented the Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said the government was committed to improving salaries and conditions of service of teachers in the country and had, therefore, given a 20 per cent incentive to teachers who accept postings to the rural areas.
He also gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide infrastructure and post trained teachers to public schools in the region.
Madam Krapah Gyasi, the Headmistress of the school, said the school had won several awards, including the second prize of the National Coca-Cola Essay Writing Competition and it ranked the 28th in Academic Excellence category award of the 2nd National Basic Education Award organised by Ayekoo Excellence Foundation.
She said discipline and academic excellence would continue to be the hallmark of the school and commended the teachers for their hard work.
In all, 89 students of the school who wrote this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and graduated were presented with certificates, while those who excelled academically were presented with prizes.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
EXTORTION: POLICE HUNT FOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PAGE 23)
THE Atebubu-Amantin District Police Command has launched a man-hunt for the District Director of Education Lucas Nsekisi-Nim for allegedly extorting GH¢100 each from 52 newly recruited untrained teachers in the district.
According to the police, Nsekisi-Nim left his duty post when the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Sanja Nanja made a report on the alleged extortion to the police.
The District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr John Adusei, confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic at Atebubu.
He said when he detailed a detective to invite the suspect to the police station to write a statement, he was told that he had left for Accra .
When the Daily Graphic contacted the DCE on the issue, he stated that when he made the report to the police on August 5, this year, for Nsekisi-Nim’s arrest, he had information that the suspect had left for Yeji, the Pru District capital to catch a ferry to cross the Volta Lake to his home town.
Briefing newsmen at Atebubu on the case, Mr Nanja said he received information that the District Director of Education had demanded GH¢150 each from the 52 newly recruited untrained teachers after handing over their appointment letters to them.
He said the district recruited 65 pupil teachers but 52 of them went to the Amanten and Atebubu where they were directed by the District Director to open accounts where their salaries of GH¢140 each would be paid into.
Mr Nanja further stated that apart from demanding GH¢150 from the 52 pupil teachers, the district director also back-dated their appointment letters to February, 2009 whereas they received their appointment letters in April, 2009.
He said initially the District director demanded GH¢150 from each of the 52 pupil teachers, but they pleaded with him that they could afford GH¢100, but he insisted that if they could not pay the money, then they would forfeit their one month salary of GH¢140 each.
Mr Nanja said when the teachers collected their salaries, each of them decided to give the district director GH¢100 but he refused and insisted on the GH¢140 each which was the full nine month’s salary.
He said 18 out of the 52 teachers later went to the District Director’s office and paid the GH¢100 each to his messenger who he had authorised to collect the money on his behalf.
According to the DCE, he later had information about the extortion and invited the messenger to find out whether the director actually asked him to collect the money for him and he confirmed it.
Mr Nanja said he was in his office when the district director returned the money which was in a brief case to him to be given back to the teachers but he refused.
He added that the district director again came to his office in the company of another man to plead on his behalf, but he refused.
Mr Nanja said he, therefore, made a report to the police who invited the suspect for his statement but he was later told that he had left Atebubu for his hometown across the Volta Lake.
Efforts to get Mr Nsekisi-Nim for his side of the story proved futile as he refused to pick the call on his mobile phone and later switched off the phone.
According to the police, Nsekisi-Nim left his duty post when the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Sanja Nanja made a report on the alleged extortion to the police.
The District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr John Adusei, confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic at Atebubu.
He said when he detailed a detective to invite the suspect to the police station to write a statement, he was told that he had left for Accra .
When the Daily Graphic contacted the DCE on the issue, he stated that when he made the report to the police on August 5, this year, for Nsekisi-Nim’s arrest, he had information that the suspect had left for Yeji, the Pru District capital to catch a ferry to cross the Volta Lake to his home town.
Briefing newsmen at Atebubu on the case, Mr Nanja said he received information that the District Director of Education had demanded GH¢150 each from the 52 newly recruited untrained teachers after handing over their appointment letters to them.
He said the district recruited 65 pupil teachers but 52 of them went to the Amanten and Atebubu where they were directed by the District Director to open accounts where their salaries of GH¢140 each would be paid into.
Mr Nanja further stated that apart from demanding GH¢150 from the 52 pupil teachers, the district director also back-dated their appointment letters to February, 2009 whereas they received their appointment letters in April, 2009.
He said initially the District director demanded GH¢150 from each of the 52 pupil teachers, but they pleaded with him that they could afford GH¢100, but he insisted that if they could not pay the money, then they would forfeit their one month salary of GH¢140 each.
Mr Nanja said when the teachers collected their salaries, each of them decided to give the district director GH¢100 but he refused and insisted on the GH¢140 each which was the full nine month’s salary.
He said 18 out of the 52 teachers later went to the District Director’s office and paid the GH¢100 each to his messenger who he had authorised to collect the money on his behalf.
According to the DCE, he later had information about the extortion and invited the messenger to find out whether the director actually asked him to collect the money for him and he confirmed it.
Mr Nanja said he was in his office when the district director returned the money which was in a brief case to him to be given back to the teachers but he refused.
He added that the district director again came to his office in the company of another man to plead on his behalf, but he refused.
Mr Nanja said he, therefore, made a report to the police who invited the suspect for his statement but he was later told that he had left Atebubu for his hometown across the Volta Lake.
Efforts to get Mr Nsekisi-Nim for his side of the story proved futile as he refused to pick the call on his mobile phone and later switched off the phone.
Friday, August 7, 2009
FUND FOR NEEDY STUDENTS IN ASUTIFI (PAGE 11)
THE Asutifi District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region is to establish an educational endowment fund by the close of the year to cater for needy students in the district to enable them to pursue further education.
The fund, to be known as the Asutifi Educational Endowment Fund, will be managed by a board of directors with two representatives from among the management and members of the assembly.
The Asutifi District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Eric Addae, said this at its first ordinary meeting at Kenyasi, the district capital.
He said the assembly would provide the seed money to set up the fund, while contractors working in the district would also be required to pay 0.5 per cent of their contract sum into the fund.
Besides, development partners such as Nananom, Newmont Gold Ghana Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine at Kenyasi, organisations and philanthropists would also be made to contribute to the fund.
Mr Addae noted that the establishment of the fund had been necessitated by the numerous appeals to the assembly for support from students in the district to enable them to further their education.
“Since my assumption of duty, my office has been flooded with personal appeals and formal applications for support of some kind from students to pursue further education and, having critically examined the situation, there is the need to set up the fund,” he stressed.
He said currently there were three schools in the district benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, namely, Muoho Anglican, Nkrankrom Methodist and Manhyia Primary, adding that the assembly was working assiduously for the expansion of the programme to enable more schools to benefit from it.
He announced that the assembly had, as of the end of June 2009, generated GH¢224,376.23 internally from property rates, fees, fines, among others, noting that plans were afoot to rake in more revenue locally to help the assembly to meet its development agenda.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, in his address, commended the assembly for taking the decision to establish an educational fund to support students from the district to pursue higher education.
He noted that 10,751 teachers out of the total of 21,554 from kindergarten up to the teacher training college level in the region were untrained.
He, therefore, tasked the various municipal and district assemblies in the region to sponsor more students to teacher training colleges to take up teaching appointments at the basic level of education across the region to help reverse the trend and also help get more students from the region to tertiary institutions.
He added that the assemblies that would sponsor students from their various areas of jurisdiction to the training colleges should bond the beneficiaries so that they would come back to serve in their communities after completion.
The fund, to be known as the Asutifi Educational Endowment Fund, will be managed by a board of directors with two representatives from among the management and members of the assembly.
The Asutifi District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Eric Addae, said this at its first ordinary meeting at Kenyasi, the district capital.
He said the assembly would provide the seed money to set up the fund, while contractors working in the district would also be required to pay 0.5 per cent of their contract sum into the fund.
Besides, development partners such as Nananom, Newmont Gold Ghana Limited (NGGL), operators of the Ahafo Mine at Kenyasi, organisations and philanthropists would also be made to contribute to the fund.
Mr Addae noted that the establishment of the fund had been necessitated by the numerous appeals to the assembly for support from students in the district to enable them to further their education.
“Since my assumption of duty, my office has been flooded with personal appeals and formal applications for support of some kind from students to pursue further education and, having critically examined the situation, there is the need to set up the fund,” he stressed.
He said currently there were three schools in the district benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, namely, Muoho Anglican, Nkrankrom Methodist and Manhyia Primary, adding that the assembly was working assiduously for the expansion of the programme to enable more schools to benefit from it.
He announced that the assembly had, as of the end of June 2009, generated GH¢224,376.23 internally from property rates, fees, fines, among others, noting that plans were afoot to rake in more revenue locally to help the assembly to meet its development agenda.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, in his address, commended the assembly for taking the decision to establish an educational fund to support students from the district to pursue higher education.
He noted that 10,751 teachers out of the total of 21,554 from kindergarten up to the teacher training college level in the region were untrained.
He, therefore, tasked the various municipal and district assemblies in the region to sponsor more students to teacher training colleges to take up teaching appointments at the basic level of education across the region to help reverse the trend and also help get more students from the region to tertiary institutions.
He added that the assemblies that would sponsor students from their various areas of jurisdiction to the training colleges should bond the beneficiaries so that they would come back to serve in their communities after completion.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
TECHIMANHENE APPEALS TO PREZ TO COMPLETE MARKET (PAGE 16)
THE Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, has appealed to President J.E.A. Mills and his government to complete the Techiman market project, which was started by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government under former President J.J. Rawlings in the 1990s.
According to him, since the exit of the NDC from the political scene, the project has been discontinued and it would be prudent for an NDC-led government of Prof. Mills to complete the project, saying there was this Akan adage that “Adwuma sini nni akatua,” which means that “ uncompleted work does not get rewarded”.
Nana Ameyaw made the appeal at a durbar of chiefs and people of Techiman at the Methodist School Park to welcome President Mills as part of his just-ended three-day tour to the Brong Ahafo Region.
According to the Techimanhene, the Techiman market is reputed to be one of the biggest in the sub-region and the commercial hub in Brong Ahafo Region.
He said the market was used by traders from places like Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire and therefore needed to be developed to meet challenges.
Nana Ameyaw, on behalf of the chiefs and people, also appealed to President Mills to consider the construction of Police Barracks for Techiman as a matter of urgency.
This, he said, would enable the police administration to post more personnel to the area to help deal with the high crime wave in the municipality.
He noted that as a result of the market and large presence of financial institutions, armed robbers, as well as notorious gangsters, had made the area a target and constantly robbed traders of their monies and other valuables.
The Techimanhene said in 2001/2002, the traditional council decided to construct police barracks but after the foundation was laid the project was halted for lack of funds.
Nana Akumfi Ameyaw called on the government to help complete barracks and construct a municipal court complex since currently they were using a small section of the traditional council premises as the Techiman Circuit Court.
Nana Ameyaw further appealed for the reshaping and tarring of the Tuobodom –Offuman road, which has become a death trap.
He called for the rehabilitation of the bridge on that stretch of road to enable farmers in the area to cart their produce to the marketing centres.
The Techimanhene, on behalf of the traditional council and people, thanked President Mills for his visit and expressed the hope that their requests would be granted.
He also used the occasion to appeal to Ghanaians to exercise restraint for the government for very soon they would begin to enjoy the fruits of the pragmatic policies and programmes being put in place to the government.
According to him, since the exit of the NDC from the political scene, the project has been discontinued and it would be prudent for an NDC-led government of Prof. Mills to complete the project, saying there was this Akan adage that “Adwuma sini nni akatua,” which means that “ uncompleted work does not get rewarded”.
Nana Ameyaw made the appeal at a durbar of chiefs and people of Techiman at the Methodist School Park to welcome President Mills as part of his just-ended three-day tour to the Brong Ahafo Region.
According to the Techimanhene, the Techiman market is reputed to be one of the biggest in the sub-region and the commercial hub in Brong Ahafo Region.
He said the market was used by traders from places like Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire and therefore needed to be developed to meet challenges.
Nana Ameyaw, on behalf of the chiefs and people, also appealed to President Mills to consider the construction of Police Barracks for Techiman as a matter of urgency.
This, he said, would enable the police administration to post more personnel to the area to help deal with the high crime wave in the municipality.
He noted that as a result of the market and large presence of financial institutions, armed robbers, as well as notorious gangsters, had made the area a target and constantly robbed traders of their monies and other valuables.
The Techimanhene said in 2001/2002, the traditional council decided to construct police barracks but after the foundation was laid the project was halted for lack of funds.
Nana Akumfi Ameyaw called on the government to help complete barracks and construct a municipal court complex since currently they were using a small section of the traditional council premises as the Techiman Circuit Court.
Nana Ameyaw further appealed for the reshaping and tarring of the Tuobodom –Offuman road, which has become a death trap.
He called for the rehabilitation of the bridge on that stretch of road to enable farmers in the area to cart their produce to the marketing centres.
The Techimanhene, on behalf of the traditional council and people, thanked President Mills for his visit and expressed the hope that their requests would be granted.
He also used the occasion to appeal to Ghanaians to exercise restraint for the government for very soon they would begin to enjoy the fruits of the pragmatic policies and programmes being put in place to the government.
Monday, August 3, 2009
NDC TO BUILD MODEL SCHOOL AT NSAWKAW (PAGE 16)
Professor John Evans Atta Mills’s administration has pledged to build a model senior high school (SHS) at Nsawkaw, the capital of the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region, this year.
The school will be inaugurated by President Mills as part of the 50th anniversary (Golden Jubilee) celebration of the creation of the region, which will be climaxed in November, this year.
The General Secretary of ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, made the pledge at a durbar by the chiefs and people of the Tain District to honour President J.E.A. Mills as part of activities on his just-ended three-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr Nketiah made the pledge in response to an appeal made by the Omanhene of the Nsawkaw Traditional Area, Nana Kutu Ayim Baffour II, for a SHS.
According to the chief, the establishment of the SHS would provide the opportunity for the youth in the area, including many junior high school (JHS) students, to pursue higher education
Mr Nketiah called on the police to launch a full-scale investigation into the arson attack on the Electoral Commission (EC) office at Nsawkaw in order to arrest the perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law.
The EC office at Nsawkaw, together with its electoral materials and other things, was razed to the ground by fire believed to have been caused by some people who were yet to be identified.
This was in the run-up to the second round of the 2008 presidential polls and as of now, nobody had been arrested and prosecuted for that arson attack.
Mr Nketiah stated that the police, since that arson attack, had not launched any investigations into the matter, let alone arrest the culprits to face the law.
He, therefore, called on the police to begin investigation and bring to book the perpetrators for it to serve as a deterrent to others who might think that they could commit any crime against the state and go scot-free.
The NDC General Secretary said no one was above the laws of the country and the nation could not thrive on the culture of impunity, which had the potential to destroy this country.
The large crowd that had defied a heavy downpour to listen to the President and his entourage, cheered on Mr Nketiah, who is also a native of the district.
He indicated that the NDC would insist on growing local business, saying, for example, that local contractors must be awarded sub-contracts for any major project that would be executed by expatriates.
According to him, the Bui Dam power project, which coincidentally is in the Tain District, had no job for local contractors and accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of not sub-letting some of the projects to local contractors but rather preferred to let foreign contractors execute the entire project.
Mr Nketiah noted that the Bui Dam was in Tain yet the people of the district did not know what was happening on the ground and called on the Bui Power Authority (BPA) to constantly engage the people in order to erase any mistrust and tension that often arose between them and the communities affected by the project to ensure the smooth execution of the project.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, expressed concern about the poor quality of stones being used by the firm constructing the Bui Dam.
He, therefore, appealed to the BPA Board to investigate it as a matter of urgency to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the matter.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Brong Ahafo Region, thanked the President for his visit and also invited him to the climax of the 50th anniversary celebrations in November, this year.
He also thanked the chiefs and people for voting for President Mills when Tain became the decider for the 2008 presidential run-off.
Nana Baffour, who spoke on behalf of the four traditional areas in the district, namely Nsawkaw, Seikwa, Banda Ahenkro and Badu, appealed to the President and his government to tar all the major roads linking the four major towns to the district capital and the feeder roads that lead to the food production centres to enable farmers send their farm produce to the marketing centres.
He also called for the extension of electricity and potable water to all communities in the district, as well as barracks for police personnel in the district capital.
President Mills was later enstooled as Nana Nkosuohene V, that is a development chief by the chiefs and people of the Tain District.
Among those who accompanied the President were Alhaji Collins Dauda, Messrs Albert Abongo and Joe Gidisu, Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources, Works and Housing and Roads, as well as Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Madam Cecilia Johnson, both members of the Council of State and Mr I.K. Adjei- Mensah, Board Chairman of the BPA.
The Tain District, which was creted out up of the then Wenchi District, now a municipality, assumed such importance in the political history of Ghana, both locally and internationally, espectially when it became the decider for the 2008 presidential elections.
The school will be inaugurated by President Mills as part of the 50th anniversary (Golden Jubilee) celebration of the creation of the region, which will be climaxed in November, this year.
The General Secretary of ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, made the pledge at a durbar by the chiefs and people of the Tain District to honour President J.E.A. Mills as part of activities on his just-ended three-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr Nketiah made the pledge in response to an appeal made by the Omanhene of the Nsawkaw Traditional Area, Nana Kutu Ayim Baffour II, for a SHS.
According to the chief, the establishment of the SHS would provide the opportunity for the youth in the area, including many junior high school (JHS) students, to pursue higher education
Mr Nketiah called on the police to launch a full-scale investigation into the arson attack on the Electoral Commission (EC) office at Nsawkaw in order to arrest the perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law.
The EC office at Nsawkaw, together with its electoral materials and other things, was razed to the ground by fire believed to have been caused by some people who were yet to be identified.
This was in the run-up to the second round of the 2008 presidential polls and as of now, nobody had been arrested and prosecuted for that arson attack.
Mr Nketiah stated that the police, since that arson attack, had not launched any investigations into the matter, let alone arrest the culprits to face the law.
He, therefore, called on the police to begin investigation and bring to book the perpetrators for it to serve as a deterrent to others who might think that they could commit any crime against the state and go scot-free.
The NDC General Secretary said no one was above the laws of the country and the nation could not thrive on the culture of impunity, which had the potential to destroy this country.
The large crowd that had defied a heavy downpour to listen to the President and his entourage, cheered on Mr Nketiah, who is also a native of the district.
He indicated that the NDC would insist on growing local business, saying, for example, that local contractors must be awarded sub-contracts for any major project that would be executed by expatriates.
According to him, the Bui Dam power project, which coincidentally is in the Tain District, had no job for local contractors and accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of not sub-letting some of the projects to local contractors but rather preferred to let foreign contractors execute the entire project.
Mr Nketiah noted that the Bui Dam was in Tain yet the people of the district did not know what was happening on the ground and called on the Bui Power Authority (BPA) to constantly engage the people in order to erase any mistrust and tension that often arose between them and the communities affected by the project to ensure the smooth execution of the project.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, expressed concern about the poor quality of stones being used by the firm constructing the Bui Dam.
He, therefore, appealed to the BPA Board to investigate it as a matter of urgency to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the matter.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Brong Ahafo Region, thanked the President for his visit and also invited him to the climax of the 50th anniversary celebrations in November, this year.
He also thanked the chiefs and people for voting for President Mills when Tain became the decider for the 2008 presidential run-off.
Nana Baffour, who spoke on behalf of the four traditional areas in the district, namely Nsawkaw, Seikwa, Banda Ahenkro and Badu, appealed to the President and his government to tar all the major roads linking the four major towns to the district capital and the feeder roads that lead to the food production centres to enable farmers send their farm produce to the marketing centres.
He also called for the extension of electricity and potable water to all communities in the district, as well as barracks for police personnel in the district capital.
President Mills was later enstooled as Nana Nkosuohene V, that is a development chief by the chiefs and people of the Tain District.
Among those who accompanied the President were Alhaji Collins Dauda, Messrs Albert Abongo and Joe Gidisu, Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources, Works and Housing and Roads, as well as Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Madam Cecilia Johnson, both members of the Council of State and Mr I.K. Adjei- Mensah, Board Chairman of the BPA.
The Tain District, which was creted out up of the then Wenchi District, now a municipality, assumed such importance in the political history of Ghana, both locally and internationally, espectially when it became the decider for the 2008 presidential elections.
Friday, July 31, 2009
SPEED UP LAND DISPUTE CASES (PAGE 47)
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has appealed to the law courts to speed up land dispute cases before them to help restore sanity in land ownership in the country.
According to him, the delay by the courts in dealing with land cases had led to an upsurge in land guards created by factions involved in the various land disputes to protect their lands till the final determination of the cases.
The situation, he said, had eroded investor confidence in the country.
He, therefore, appealed to judges sitting on land cases in the country to dispose of them as quickly as possible to bring law and order into the sector.
Alhaji Dauda made the appeal when he inaugurated the 29-member Brong Ahafo Regional Lands Commission, under the chairmanship of the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, in Sunyani last Tuesday.
Other members of the commission are the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, and the Omanhene of the Sankore Traditional Area, Nana Yaw Adusei II. They were sworn into office by the Supervising High Court Judge in Sunyani, Mr Justice Francis Opoku.
Alhaji Dauda called for attitudinal change on the part of the staff of the Lands Commission to ensure the successful implementation of the new land reforms aimed at making the process of registering land and other related issues stress-free for all Ghanaians.
He said with the new land administration reforms in place, it was expected that the commission would reduce the bureaucracy, inefficiencies and frustrations in land administration, adding that anything short of that would defeat the good intentions of the reform.
He announced that the new Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767) passed by Parliament in 2008 mandated the commission to oversee all matters relating to land administration and management in the country.
He added that with the new reforms, the Survey Department, the Land Valuation Board, the Land Title Registry and the Lands Commission Secretariat had been merged and a new Lands Commission with four functional divisions, namely, Survey and Mapping, Land Registration, Land Valuation and Public and Vested Lands Management, had been created.
He, therefore, tasked the commission to work hard to complement the efforts of the government to deliver on its mandate to the people as well as help remove all the bottlenecks associated with land administration in the country that had impeded national development.
Alhaji Dauda announced that the government was considering de-vesting some of the vested lands in the Brong Ahafo Region to the various stools and, therefore, called for the collaboration of the commission.
He gave the assurance that if the reasons for vesting were no longer valid, the government would not hesitate to de-vest the lands.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo in his address, expressed the hope that with the inauguration of the Regional Lands Commission, all matters relating to land disputes in the region would be resolved amicably to ensure the orderly development of the region.
Nana Nkrawiri, on behalf of the members, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to live up to expectation.
According to him, the delay by the courts in dealing with land cases had led to an upsurge in land guards created by factions involved in the various land disputes to protect their lands till the final determination of the cases.
The situation, he said, had eroded investor confidence in the country.
He, therefore, appealed to judges sitting on land cases in the country to dispose of them as quickly as possible to bring law and order into the sector.
Alhaji Dauda made the appeal when he inaugurated the 29-member Brong Ahafo Regional Lands Commission, under the chairmanship of the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, in Sunyani last Tuesday.
Other members of the commission are the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, and the Omanhene of the Sankore Traditional Area, Nana Yaw Adusei II. They were sworn into office by the Supervising High Court Judge in Sunyani, Mr Justice Francis Opoku.
Alhaji Dauda called for attitudinal change on the part of the staff of the Lands Commission to ensure the successful implementation of the new land reforms aimed at making the process of registering land and other related issues stress-free for all Ghanaians.
He said with the new land administration reforms in place, it was expected that the commission would reduce the bureaucracy, inefficiencies and frustrations in land administration, adding that anything short of that would defeat the good intentions of the reform.
He announced that the new Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767) passed by Parliament in 2008 mandated the commission to oversee all matters relating to land administration and management in the country.
He added that with the new reforms, the Survey Department, the Land Valuation Board, the Land Title Registry and the Lands Commission Secretariat had been merged and a new Lands Commission with four functional divisions, namely, Survey and Mapping, Land Registration, Land Valuation and Public and Vested Lands Management, had been created.
He, therefore, tasked the commission to work hard to complement the efforts of the government to deliver on its mandate to the people as well as help remove all the bottlenecks associated with land administration in the country that had impeded national development.
Alhaji Dauda announced that the government was considering de-vesting some of the vested lands in the Brong Ahafo Region to the various stools and, therefore, called for the collaboration of the commission.
He gave the assurance that if the reasons for vesting were no longer valid, the government would not hesitate to de-vest the lands.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo in his address, expressed the hope that with the inauguration of the Regional Lands Commission, all matters relating to land disputes in the region would be resolved amicably to ensure the orderly development of the region.
Nana Nkrawiri, on behalf of the members, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to live up to expectation.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
RCC MUST SUPPORT INFANTRY BATTALIONS (PAGE 15)
THE Chief of Army Staff, Major General J.N. Adinkrah, has appealed to the various regional co-ordinating councils (RCCs) to support the infantry battalions (troops) in their respective regions to enable them to discharge their duties efficiently and help maintain the relative peace the people are enjoying.
He also called for co-operation from the public for the military to enable it to discharge its constitutionally mandated duties efficiently without trampling on the rights of any citizen.
Maj Gen Adinkrah made the appeal when he called on the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, at his office as part of his maiden visit as the Chief of Army Staff to the 3 Garrison (3 Infantry Battalion) at the Liberation Barracks in Sunyani.
The Chief of Army Staff, who had toured the barracks and interacted with the officers and men of the Garrison earlier in the day, said he had paid a similar visit to Tamale and Kumasi to interact with the troops there.
The Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the three Northern regions form the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He also visited the conflict areas in the three northern regions, particularly Bawku, to access the situation on the ground.
Maj Gen Adinkrah, who was accompanied by Brigadier Gen C.K. Ocran, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command, and Lt Colonel Amoah Ayisi, the Commanding Officer of the 3 Garrison in Sunyani, said the troops were always ready to support the various RCCs to help maintain law and order in their various regions to create a congenial environment for all to go about their activities peacefully.
He thanked the Brong Ahafo RCC for the support it had been providing the troops in Sunyani to enhance their performance during operations and called for more assistance from the various RCCs to the barracks to make living conditions there better for the troops.
Mr Opoku, in his response, thanked the Chief of Army Staff and his entourage for the visit and pledged the RCC’s continuous support to the 3 Garrison to enable the troops to assist in the maintenance of peace in the region.
He disclosed that the government would soon come up with a policy that would provide the military and all other security agencies with the necessary logistics and support for them to effectively maintain of law and order, saying without peace there would not be development.
He added that the first pillar of the Better Ghana agenda was the maintenance of peace, which was a pre-requisite for the rapid socio-economic development of the nation.
Maj Gen Adinkrah’s tour at the Liberation Barracks took him to the Medical Centre which caters for the officers and men of the 3 Garrison and their families, as well as the surrounding communities, and gave the assurance that it would be renovated soon to enable it to deliver quality health care.
Other problems that came to the fore during the Chief of Army Staff’s visit were the water supply to homes, sewerage treatment plant and bad roads at the barracks.
He also called for co-operation from the public for the military to enable it to discharge its constitutionally mandated duties efficiently without trampling on the rights of any citizen.
Maj Gen Adinkrah made the appeal when he called on the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku, at his office as part of his maiden visit as the Chief of Army Staff to the 3 Garrison (3 Infantry Battalion) at the Liberation Barracks in Sunyani.
The Chief of Army Staff, who had toured the barracks and interacted with the officers and men of the Garrison earlier in the day, said he had paid a similar visit to Tamale and Kumasi to interact with the troops there.
The Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the three Northern regions form the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He also visited the conflict areas in the three northern regions, particularly Bawku, to access the situation on the ground.
Maj Gen Adinkrah, who was accompanied by Brigadier Gen C.K. Ocran, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command, and Lt Colonel Amoah Ayisi, the Commanding Officer of the 3 Garrison in Sunyani, said the troops were always ready to support the various RCCs to help maintain law and order in their various regions to create a congenial environment for all to go about their activities peacefully.
He thanked the Brong Ahafo RCC for the support it had been providing the troops in Sunyani to enhance their performance during operations and called for more assistance from the various RCCs to the barracks to make living conditions there better for the troops.
Mr Opoku, in his response, thanked the Chief of Army Staff and his entourage for the visit and pledged the RCC’s continuous support to the 3 Garrison to enable the troops to assist in the maintenance of peace in the region.
He disclosed that the government would soon come up with a policy that would provide the military and all other security agencies with the necessary logistics and support for them to effectively maintain of law and order, saying without peace there would not be development.
He added that the first pillar of the Better Ghana agenda was the maintenance of peace, which was a pre-requisite for the rapid socio-economic development of the nation.
Maj Gen Adinkrah’s tour at the Liberation Barracks took him to the Medical Centre which caters for the officers and men of the 3 Garrison and their families, as well as the surrounding communities, and gave the assurance that it would be renovated soon to enable it to deliver quality health care.
Other problems that came to the fore during the Chief of Army Staff’s visit were the water supply to homes, sewerage treatment plant and bad roads at the barracks.
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