A social development organisation, HedgeGhana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, has organised a day’s workshop for a number of women in the Brong Ahafo Region to build their capacities in governance and decision-making.
The workshop, held in Sunyani under the organisation’s women in governance programme, was attended by a cross section of women, including those working with public, private and civil society organisations.
Participants observed that despite various interventions the participation of women in local governance had not improved, and therefore, stressed the need to step up efforts to increase women’s representation in next year’s district assembly election.
They also advised women who intend to contest in the elections to remain resolute and cultivate cordial relationships with members of their communities as part of their preparation towards the elections.
Ms Afia Appiah, the Executive Director of HedgeGhana, said results of the 2008 election showed that only 20 female parliamentarians were elected out of the 230-member legislature. This was until the death of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chereponi, Mrs Doris Asibi Seidu, on August 1, 2009.
She also said the number of female assembly members were 408, representing 10 per cent of the total of 4,224 District Assembly Members, adding that there was also low female representation at the zonal and area committee levels.
She said it was for this reason that a group of gender sensitive and civil society organisations were implementing the "Her War Chest" project.
Ms Appiah added that the objective of the project was to build the capacity of at least 200 women across the country annually over a period of four years for district assembly elections and the 2012 general elections.
She stated further that each participant at the end of the project would be equipped with tit bits in personal grooming tips and skills, message development techniques and advocacy, public speaking and comportment skills, managing the media, fund raising techniques and campaign planning. They would also be provided with funds that would be raised during the project.
Ms Appiah said apart from helping to build the capacity of women to assume public office, HedgeGhana also enlightened women on issues such as reproductive rights and economic empowerment.
She expressed her appreciation to all organisations and agencies that had supported their initiative to empower women.
Mr Kwaku Aduse-Poku, a retired educationist and a local government practitioner, who spoke on the topic "The Local Government System",urged women who are aspiring to become assembly members to make themselves known to opinion leaders and elders in their communities, get their campaign team in place and run an effective campaign so that they would be elected.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
ADUANA BEAT LIONS (BACK PAGE, NOV 2)
New entrants Dormaa Aduana Stars yesterday deflated the egos of visiting Kpando Heart of Lions by defeating them by a lone goal in their Glo Premier League match at the Nana Agyeman Boadu Stadium at Dormaa Ahenkro through a goal scored on the 68th minute by Richard Addae.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
MAAME TIWAA IS BA @50 (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 5)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
Maame Ama Tiwaa, a 19-year-old former student of St Louis Senior High School (SHS) in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and Miss Sunyani Municipal, in the early hours of Sunday, was crowned the winner of the Brong Ahafo (BA) @50 Beauty Pageant at the Sunyani Polytechnic Auditorium after a long programme that opened at 9.20 p.m. on Saturday Night.
Fifteen other young ladies were in the race, which was held at the municipal and district levels before the grand finale, attended by the Second Lady Mrs Loudina Mahama, who also hails from the region and specifically, the Nkoranza North District, Madam Cecilia Johnson, a Member of the Council of State, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo and all Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region.
The pageant, which was well patronised, formed part of activities marking the creation of the region by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana on April 4, 1959 two years after Ghana attained independence.
The prize package for Maame Tiwaa includes a trip to the United States of America (USA) and other items yet to be disclosed by the planning committee of the Golden Jubilee Celebration.
The first and second runners-up Ms Juliet Pinaman Sabi, 20, and Ms Sarah Deewah, 22 both Miss Tano South District and Miss Wenchi Municipal respectively also received prizes for trips to destinations in Europe and Africa.
After three rounds of the contest, five ladies representing Nkoranza South, Dormaa East, Kintampo South, Tano South, Wenchi and Sunyani emerged as the finalists out of which Miss Sunyani unicipal was declared the winner after they answered the ultimate question on the achievements, challenges and prospects of the region, which was also the theme for the celebrations .
Activities engaged in by contestants before the eventual winner was declared included traditional dances, showcasing of various talents, answering questions from the four judges and giving a brief history about their various municipalities and districts.
Apart from the three top winners, all the 16 contestants were presented with hampers by Sleek Cosmetics, while Miss Wenchi, Miss Sunyani, Miss Nkoranza South and Miss Tano South who were adjuded as Miss Eloquence, Miss Personality, Best Traditional Performer and Miss Talent in that order were also presented with prizes.
Slim Bluster and his dancers as well as Asem and a Salsa group from Accra preformed at the event, which was Mceed by Kwame Adinkra of Angel FM in Kumasi and Naa Ayele of Sky FM, a Sunyani-based radio station.
Maame Ama Tiwaa, a 19-year-old former student of St Louis Senior High School (SHS) in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and Miss Sunyani Municipal, in the early hours of Sunday, was crowned the winner of the Brong Ahafo (BA) @50 Beauty Pageant at the Sunyani Polytechnic Auditorium after a long programme that opened at 9.20 p.m. on Saturday Night.
Fifteen other young ladies were in the race, which was held at the municipal and district levels before the grand finale, attended by the Second Lady Mrs Loudina Mahama, who also hails from the region and specifically, the Nkoranza North District, Madam Cecilia Johnson, a Member of the Council of State, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo and all Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region.
The pageant, which was well patronised, formed part of activities marking the creation of the region by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana on April 4, 1959 two years after Ghana attained independence.
The prize package for Maame Tiwaa includes a trip to the United States of America (USA) and other items yet to be disclosed by the planning committee of the Golden Jubilee Celebration.
The first and second runners-up Ms Juliet Pinaman Sabi, 20, and Ms Sarah Deewah, 22 both Miss Tano South District and Miss Wenchi Municipal respectively also received prizes for trips to destinations in Europe and Africa.
After three rounds of the contest, five ladies representing Nkoranza South, Dormaa East, Kintampo South, Tano South, Wenchi and Sunyani emerged as the finalists out of which Miss Sunyani unicipal was declared the winner after they answered the ultimate question on the achievements, challenges and prospects of the region, which was also the theme for the celebrations .
Activities engaged in by contestants before the eventual winner was declared included traditional dances, showcasing of various talents, answering questions from the four judges and giving a brief history about their various municipalities and districts.
Apart from the three top winners, all the 16 contestants were presented with hampers by Sleek Cosmetics, while Miss Wenchi, Miss Sunyani, Miss Nkoranza South and Miss Tano South who were adjuded as Miss Eloquence, Miss Personality, Best Traditional Performer and Miss Talent in that order were also presented with prizes.
Slim Bluster and his dancers as well as Asem and a Salsa group from Accra preformed at the event, which was Mceed by Kwame Adinkra of Angel FM in Kumasi and Naa Ayele of Sky FM, a Sunyani-based radio station.
WE'LL RELEASE LAND FOR INVESTMENTS (PAGE 12, NSEMPA)
By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani
The Vice President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Yaw Kagbrese, has given the assurance that Nananom were ready to release land for investments in the region as a way of helping to propel its socio-economic development.
He said the region was endowed with untapped natural resources such as mineral deposits, timber and fertile land for the production of food and cash crops and both local and foreign investors, therefore, could take advantage of the resources to invest in the region with the view to adding value to the resources.
Nana Kagbrese, who is also the Omanhene of the Yeji Traditional Area, gave the assurance at the opening of the Brong Ahafo (BA) @ 50 Trade and Investment Fair dubbed, “Dwa Kesse 2009” at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani, the regional capital last Thursday.
The week-long fair, which opened on October 22 and will end on October 29, 2009, is aimed at attracting investors, both local and foreign, the region and entertaining them to add value to the food and cash crops produced abundantly in the region and other natural resources the region is endowed with.
There are about 500 exhibitors in the agriculture, textiles and garments, wood works, telecommunications and banking industries as well as herbal medicine practitioners taking part in the fair, which is also being used as a rallying point to promote indigenous businesses.
Nana Kagbrese further pledged that Nananom were again ready to support all initiatives that would result in development and create jobs for the youth in the region He therefore, signalled the investor community to come since they would never regret their decision.
The Yeji Omanhene noted that the completion of the Bui Dam, which was currently under construction would further help boost the energy requirements for investment in the region and urged all and sundry to play their respective roles effectively in the region’s investment drive which had been launched at the fair.
Nana Kagbrese in his opening remarks as the chairman, further urged Nananom to use part of the royalties that they received to support any investment initiatives in their respective traditional areas.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, in his address said the fair was to provide the citizens, especially the youth, the opportunity to exhibit their creative skills, showcase the industrial and tourism potential of the region and use the fair as a rallying point for unity, and development to attract investors.
He said the end result of the fair was to create employment and wealth, thereby reducing poverty in the region.
“As a result of lack of jobs many of the youth of the region embark on irregular migration to greener pastures, resulting in the death of those who use the desert. To help reverse this trend, the fair is being used to woo investors into the region, to create jobs for the youth”, he stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, in his address, said micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were directly the leading employers in most regions of the country and they also contribute over eight per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Porduct (GDP).
According to him, it was for that reason that the mgovernment had placed a lot of emphasis on developing the MSME sector as part of efforts to harness foreign investments in the region.
The Vice President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Yaw Kagbrese, has given the assurance that Nananom were ready to release land for investments in the region as a way of helping to propel its socio-economic development.
He said the region was endowed with untapped natural resources such as mineral deposits, timber and fertile land for the production of food and cash crops and both local and foreign investors, therefore, could take advantage of the resources to invest in the region with the view to adding value to the resources.
Nana Kagbrese, who is also the Omanhene of the Yeji Traditional Area, gave the assurance at the opening of the Brong Ahafo (BA) @ 50 Trade and Investment Fair dubbed, “Dwa Kesse 2009” at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani, the regional capital last Thursday.
The week-long fair, which opened on October 22 and will end on October 29, 2009, is aimed at attracting investors, both local and foreign, the region and entertaining them to add value to the food and cash crops produced abundantly in the region and other natural resources the region is endowed with.
There are about 500 exhibitors in the agriculture, textiles and garments, wood works, telecommunications and banking industries as well as herbal medicine practitioners taking part in the fair, which is also being used as a rallying point to promote indigenous businesses.
Nana Kagbrese further pledged that Nananom were again ready to support all initiatives that would result in development and create jobs for the youth in the region He therefore, signalled the investor community to come since they would never regret their decision.
The Yeji Omanhene noted that the completion of the Bui Dam, which was currently under construction would further help boost the energy requirements for investment in the region and urged all and sundry to play their respective roles effectively in the region’s investment drive which had been launched at the fair.
Nana Kagbrese in his opening remarks as the chairman, further urged Nananom to use part of the royalties that they received to support any investment initiatives in their respective traditional areas.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, in his address said the fair was to provide the citizens, especially the youth, the opportunity to exhibit their creative skills, showcase the industrial and tourism potential of the region and use the fair as a rallying point for unity, and development to attract investors.
He said the end result of the fair was to create employment and wealth, thereby reducing poverty in the region.
“As a result of lack of jobs many of the youth of the region embark on irregular migration to greener pastures, resulting in the death of those who use the desert. To help reverse this trend, the fair is being used to woo investors into the region, to create jobs for the youth”, he stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, in his address, said micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were directly the leading employers in most regions of the country and they also contribute over eight per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Porduct (GDP).
According to him, it was for that reason that the mgovernment had placed a lot of emphasis on developing the MSME sector as part of efforts to harness foreign investments in the region.
BA IS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE TO GOVT (PAGE 20, OCT 27)
THE Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, has stressed the strategic importance of the Brong Ahafo Region to the government in particular and Ghanaians in general since the region is “the bread basket” of the country.
He gave the assurance that the government would do all it could to provide a conducive macro-economic environment, reliable infrastructure as well as peaceful and stable political atmosphere, to ensure that business thrives in the region.
Mr Gyetuah said this at the opening ceremony of the the Brong Ahafo at 50 Trade and Investment Fair, dubbed “Dwa Kesse 2009” at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The week-long fair, which started on October 22 and ends on October 29, this year, is aimed at attracting local and foreign investors not only to do business in the region, but also to add value to the abundant food and cash crops, as well as other natural resources the region is endowed with.
The fair also forms part of activities marking the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of the region.
The event is on the theme: ”Brong Ahafo at 50: Achievements, challenges and prospects.”
There are about 500 exhibitors in the agricultural, mining, textiles and garments, wood works, telecommunications and banking industries.
Herbal medicine practitioners are as well taking part in the fair, which is also being used to promote indigenous businesses.
Mr Gyetuah said with the support of its Italian counterpart, the government had secured a 20-million Euro credit facility under the Ghana Private Sector Development Fund to assist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country desirous of procuring equipment and services from Italian suppliers.
The facility, Mr Gyetuah said, formed part of the government’s support designed to build the capacity of MSMEs in the country and could easily be used to acquire technology for agro-processing fields in which Italy was quite competitive.
Mr Gyetuah further disclosed that the government had under the Business Development Services (BDS) Fund made available $4.5 million for disbursement to industry as matching grants to procure the services of technical and management experts to help MSMEs to improve on their productivity and performance.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, reiterated that the Golden Jubilee celebration of the creation of the region had been packaged to attract investments to the region, create more jobs, initiate projects and mobilise human and material resources to propel the socio-economic development of the region.
He said the fair was also to equip the citizens, especially the youth, to exhibit their creative skills, showcase the industrial and tourism potential of the region and use the fair as a rallying point for unity, cohesion and development to attract investors.
The regional minister said as a result of lack of jobs in the region, a large number of the youth regularly migrated to other countries, with most of them using the desert, where some of them died.
The Vice President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Yaw Kagbrese, who chaired the ceremony, gave the assurance that Nananom were ready to release land for investments in the region as a way of helping to propel its socio-economic development.
He said the region was endowed with untapped natural resources such as mineral deposits, timber and fertile land for the production of food and cash crops.
He, therefore, urged local and foreign investors to take advantage of them to invest in the region with the view to adding value to those resources.
He gave the assurance that the government would do all it could to provide a conducive macro-economic environment, reliable infrastructure as well as peaceful and stable political atmosphere, to ensure that business thrives in the region.
Mr Gyetuah said this at the opening ceremony of the the Brong Ahafo at 50 Trade and Investment Fair, dubbed “Dwa Kesse 2009” at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani, the regional capital.
The week-long fair, which started on October 22 and ends on October 29, this year, is aimed at attracting local and foreign investors not only to do business in the region, but also to add value to the abundant food and cash crops, as well as other natural resources the region is endowed with.
The fair also forms part of activities marking the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of the region.
The event is on the theme: ”Brong Ahafo at 50: Achievements, challenges and prospects.”
There are about 500 exhibitors in the agricultural, mining, textiles and garments, wood works, telecommunications and banking industries.
Herbal medicine practitioners are as well taking part in the fair, which is also being used to promote indigenous businesses.
Mr Gyetuah said with the support of its Italian counterpart, the government had secured a 20-million Euro credit facility under the Ghana Private Sector Development Fund to assist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country desirous of procuring equipment and services from Italian suppliers.
The facility, Mr Gyetuah said, formed part of the government’s support designed to build the capacity of MSMEs in the country and could easily be used to acquire technology for agro-processing fields in which Italy was quite competitive.
Mr Gyetuah further disclosed that the government had under the Business Development Services (BDS) Fund made available $4.5 million for disbursement to industry as matching grants to procure the services of technical and management experts to help MSMEs to improve on their productivity and performance.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, reiterated that the Golden Jubilee celebration of the creation of the region had been packaged to attract investments to the region, create more jobs, initiate projects and mobilise human and material resources to propel the socio-economic development of the region.
He said the fair was also to equip the citizens, especially the youth, to exhibit their creative skills, showcase the industrial and tourism potential of the region and use the fair as a rallying point for unity, cohesion and development to attract investors.
The regional minister said as a result of lack of jobs in the region, a large number of the youth regularly migrated to other countries, with most of them using the desert, where some of them died.
The Vice President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Yaw Kagbrese, who chaired the ceremony, gave the assurance that Nananom were ready to release land for investments in the region as a way of helping to propel its socio-economic development.
He said the region was endowed with untapped natural resources such as mineral deposits, timber and fertile land for the production of food and cash crops.
He, therefore, urged local and foreign investors to take advantage of them to invest in the region with the view to adding value to those resources.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
ADUANA STARS, LIBERTY DRAW (BACK PAGE, OCT 22)
• A bizarre incident climaxed the match between new entrants, Aduana Stars, and Liberty Professionals' goalless drawn game at Dormaa Ahenkro yesterday, reports Samuel Duodu, Dormaa Ahenkro.
Immediately after Takoradi-based class one referee, S.B. Bortey's final whistle, some irate fans of the home team pelted the police who were escorting the referee to the dressing room with satchet water and oranges.
Immediately after Takoradi-based class one referee, S.B. Bortey's final whistle, some irate fans of the home team pelted the police who were escorting the referee to the dressing room with satchet water and oranges.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
PASS THE MENTAL HEALTH BILL (PAGE 20, OCT 20)
THE Kintampo Users and Carers Association (an association of people with mental disorders who have undergone treatment) and the Mental Health and Poverty Project (MHaPP) based at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, have added their voice to the call on the Government to pass the Mental Health Bill.
According to them, the bill holds the key to the success of integrating mental health into primary health care, which would also provide the resources and legal backing for the protection of the human rights of the mentally ill in he society.
The group made the call at a forum at Kintampo as part of activities marking this year’s World Mental Health Day.
It was on the theme: “Mental health in primary health care: Enhancing treatment and promoting mental health” to raise public awareness of mental health issues.
To mark the day, members of the association and students from the Kintampo Senior High School (SHS) went on a procession through some principal streets of Kintampo to further deepen awareness creation on mental health issues in the municipality.
They carried placards, some of which read “Pass the Mental Health Bill”, “Seek treatment for your relatives”, “No health without mental health”, “Mental illness is curable” and “Approximately 450 million people have mental illness”.
At the forum, Mr Edward Adiibokah, a Research Fellow of MHaPP at the Kintampo Research Centre, said situational analysis of mental health services in Ghana conducted by the MHaPP in 2007 revealed that legislation and institutions meant to provide services and to protect the human rights of the mentally ill people in Ghana were poorly resourced, ineffective and antiquated.
He said the mentally ill were excluded from social protection strategies and exemptions for the poor such as the poverty alleviation funds and the District Assembly’s Common Fund for the disabled.
Mr Adiibokah stated that the passage and implementation of the Mental Health Bill held the key to the successful integration of mental health into primary health.
He said the MHaPP was a cross-country study, involving four African nations, namely Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and the Zambia.
The Chairman of the Kintampo Users and Carers Association, Mr Mohammed Adjei Dickson, said they decided to come together to form the association, because “we realised that we have similar problems such as stigma, high levels of disability, double disease burden, unemployment, media stereotyping, among others”.
He said the association had membership of over 800 and was still growing.
Mr Adjei Dickson stated that the day afforded them the opportunity to let their voice be heard that “we are people with needs and rights”.
A Senior Psychiatric Nurse at Kintampo, Madam Mary Lamptey, said treatment for mental illness was absolutely free, and therefore called on all and sundry to seek early treatment, since mental illness was curable.
Giving some key facts on mental health, Madam Lamptey said mental disorders were common and about one out of eight (12-48 per cent) of all people would suffer from mental disorders at some point during their life, adding that there were more than 75 million people with alcohol use disorders and more than 15 million people with other substance use disorders in the world.
According to them, the bill holds the key to the success of integrating mental health into primary health care, which would also provide the resources and legal backing for the protection of the human rights of the mentally ill in he society.
The group made the call at a forum at Kintampo as part of activities marking this year’s World Mental Health Day.
It was on the theme: “Mental health in primary health care: Enhancing treatment and promoting mental health” to raise public awareness of mental health issues.
To mark the day, members of the association and students from the Kintampo Senior High School (SHS) went on a procession through some principal streets of Kintampo to further deepen awareness creation on mental health issues in the municipality.
They carried placards, some of which read “Pass the Mental Health Bill”, “Seek treatment for your relatives”, “No health without mental health”, “Mental illness is curable” and “Approximately 450 million people have mental illness”.
At the forum, Mr Edward Adiibokah, a Research Fellow of MHaPP at the Kintampo Research Centre, said situational analysis of mental health services in Ghana conducted by the MHaPP in 2007 revealed that legislation and institutions meant to provide services and to protect the human rights of the mentally ill people in Ghana were poorly resourced, ineffective and antiquated.
He said the mentally ill were excluded from social protection strategies and exemptions for the poor such as the poverty alleviation funds and the District Assembly’s Common Fund for the disabled.
Mr Adiibokah stated that the passage and implementation of the Mental Health Bill held the key to the successful integration of mental health into primary health.
He said the MHaPP was a cross-country study, involving four African nations, namely Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and the Zambia.
The Chairman of the Kintampo Users and Carers Association, Mr Mohammed Adjei Dickson, said they decided to come together to form the association, because “we realised that we have similar problems such as stigma, high levels of disability, double disease burden, unemployment, media stereotyping, among others”.
He said the association had membership of over 800 and was still growing.
Mr Adjei Dickson stated that the day afforded them the opportunity to let their voice be heard that “we are people with needs and rights”.
A Senior Psychiatric Nurse at Kintampo, Madam Mary Lamptey, said treatment for mental illness was absolutely free, and therefore called on all and sundry to seek early treatment, since mental illness was curable.
Giving some key facts on mental health, Madam Lamptey said mental disorders were common and about one out of eight (12-48 per cent) of all people would suffer from mental disorders at some point during their life, adding that there were more than 75 million people with alcohol use disorders and more than 15 million people with other substance use disorders in the world.
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