THE Tema Lions Club last Saturday organised a free eye-screening for about 400 residents of Adukrom and its surrounding communities in the Akuapem North District in the Eastern Region.
The exercise drew an overwhelming number of people from Apiredi, Dawu, Awukugua and Akropong among whom various eye defects such as glaucoma and cataract were diagnosed.
A free medication and glasses were provided to those with minor eye conditions, while those with serious defects were referred to the Tema General Hospital for free cataract surgical operations.
As part of the programme, the association also donated a number of wheelchairs to the Adukrom Clinic to facilitate the facility’s delivery of quality healthcare services to the people.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the exercise, the President of the club, Mr Henry Boateng, said the club took the initiative to organise the outreach programme to provide the people of Adukrom and its environs free access to quality eye-screening and treatment.
“It is our firm belief that a free medical exercise of this nature always provides the people an opportunity to seek proper medical attention about their health problems and also seek proper advice,” he said.
According to him, the club had established a multi-purpose eye care centre at the Tema General Hospital as part of the club’s commitment to empowering the health post to address the various eye problems facing the people in Tema and the country as a whole.
Mr Boateng added that the club had in the past organised a number of free eye-screening exercises for people living in Tema and Ashaiman and their environs and gave the assurance that similar initiatives would be carried out in other parts of the country.
“Those who had serious defects were referred to the Tema General Hospital, where they were operated upon for free,” he added.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
ALL NATIONS VARSITY COMMENCES OIL, GAS PROGRAMME (PAGE 9)
FOR decades, Ghana has relied entirely on cocoa and its few but fast-dwindling natural resources such as, manganese, bauxite and timber for the needed foreign exchange for its socio-economic development.
However, at a time when the minerals and timber are being exhausted, a new discovery — oil has been made.
Large reserves of the black gold has been found on the shores of the Western Region, which according to experts, when fully tapped, would put the country on the map of petroleum exporting countries.
Certainly, the country’s offshore oil wells are set to start pumping the commodity in 2010 with the prediction of 10 billion barrels of oil at Cape Three Point wells, now christened Jubilee Fields, supposed to be one of the biggest to be discovered in Africa in recent times.
With the discovery of this product in commercial quantities, taking into consideration the global energy demand, both in the medium and long term, the country’s oil industry has a huge potential of transforming the economy.
While the country’s oil imports had taken a big chunk of its foreign exchange earnings, the discovery of oil now will help Ghana to gain sufficient foreign exchange to consolidate its fragile economy and implement development projects. The exploration will also aid efforts at raising the standard of living of Ghanaians, for whom the industry will offer enormous employment opportunities.
However, the question that should engage the minds of the Government and other stakeholders is how prepared are Ghanaians to take advantage of the opportunities to be provided by the oil and gas industry to enable them derive the maximum benefits? Do the indigenous people have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet the labour demands of the industry?
Experiences from some of the African oil-producing countries, including Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon reveal that the low engagement of indigenous people in their oil industries had seen the influx of expatriate workers into those countries.
This problem has always been attributed to a lack of relevant knowledge and practical skills by the local people, resulting in a situation where a scanty number of local people with professional backgrounds are recruited, while the majority with the requisite knowledge or skills are recruited as security guards for menial jobs.
Consequently, most of the operations and managerial positions in the industry are managed and controlled mostly by expatriates from process engineers, inspection personnel, geologists, mechanical engineers, material personnel, plant contractors, corrosion control personnel, financial accountants and electrical engineers, an unfortunate situation that has resulted in the payment of huge salaries to these expatriates.
While the engagement of expatriate oil workers, admittedly, will boost and sustain the country’s oil production, the low recruitment of indigenous people in the industry will not, in the long-term, serve the interest of the nation.
Therefore, if the country and its people should reap the expected benefits from the employment opportunities presented by the oil and gas industry, Ghana needs the right skills and the requisite education in petrochemical engineering programmes at the tertiary level.
It is for this reason that attempts by universities in the country, including the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the only private university, the All Nations University (ANU) in Koforidua to offer engineering-oriented programmes to train students in petrochemical engineering to equip them with the relevant knowledge and skills for the demands of the labour market in the oil industry should be applauded and supported by the Government and other stakeholders.
ANU has, indeed, shown an unflinching commitment to train students to meet the labour demands of the oil and gas industry in Ghana and the sub-region, in spite of the huge capital required for the purchase of laboratory equipment for such programmes.
The university’s readiness to offer a bachelor degree in Oil and Gas Engineering, starting from September, 14, 2009, followed an approval by the National Accreditation Board (NAB), which gave the university the greenlight following its acquisition of modern laboratory equipment for the programme and meeting other requirements for the undertaking of such programmes.
The institution, which is affiliated with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the SRM University in India, has already put up mod-tech laboratories for practical training of the students in Chemical Engineering, Process Control Laboratory, Thermodynamic Laboratory, Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Process Instrumentation and Control Laboratory, Refining and Separation Processes laboratory and Computer Laboratory, among other issues.
Besides, the university has a well-resourced faculty, comprising 11 qualified lecturers: six from India and the rest from Ghana, who, according to the President of ANU, Dr Samuel Donkor, were more than prepared to provide quality tuition in the oil and gas programme to its students.
“In view of the over-increasing demand for petroleum and petrochemicals as energy resources and for consumption as commodity products, a curriculum in the branches of oil and gas was evolved by the university,” he stated.
Dr Donkor said the university, which was currently offering seven accredited programmes, took pride in offering these high technology-oriented professional degrees to young students aspiring for challenging careers, adding that “we are more than set to deliver quality tuition to produce qualified local expertise for the oil and gas industry”.
The president mentioned such other programmes as Biomedical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration with options in Accounting, Banking and Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Biblical Studies being offered by ANU.
Standing tall among its peer private universities in the country, ANU, after being accredited by the NAB, began in November, 2002 with only 37 students.
Currently, the university, poised to complement the Government’s commitment to enhance the delivery of tertiary education in the country, has 98 full-time lecturers, a commitment premised on the fact that the quality of education a university can offer depends largely on the dedication and commitment of its faculty.
With a current student population of 1,800, ANU provides its students with the state-of-the-art laboratories to complement hands-on practical training.
The institution, through its partner organisation, the All Nations International Agency (ANIDA), has offered scholarships to more than 300 brilliant students to pursue higher education at the university since its establishment.
ANU is the first university in the country to introduce Electronics and Communications Engineering and among the first to introduce the Biomedical Engineering in the country and Africa.
Given the resolve of the ANU, and its collaboration with the KNUST, Ghana, unlike other oil-producing African countries, can be proud of producing the requisite human resource for the oil and gas industry.
However, at a time when the minerals and timber are being exhausted, a new discovery — oil has been made.
Large reserves of the black gold has been found on the shores of the Western Region, which according to experts, when fully tapped, would put the country on the map of petroleum exporting countries.
Certainly, the country’s offshore oil wells are set to start pumping the commodity in 2010 with the prediction of 10 billion barrels of oil at Cape Three Point wells, now christened Jubilee Fields, supposed to be one of the biggest to be discovered in Africa in recent times.
With the discovery of this product in commercial quantities, taking into consideration the global energy demand, both in the medium and long term, the country’s oil industry has a huge potential of transforming the economy.
While the country’s oil imports had taken a big chunk of its foreign exchange earnings, the discovery of oil now will help Ghana to gain sufficient foreign exchange to consolidate its fragile economy and implement development projects. The exploration will also aid efforts at raising the standard of living of Ghanaians, for whom the industry will offer enormous employment opportunities.
However, the question that should engage the minds of the Government and other stakeholders is how prepared are Ghanaians to take advantage of the opportunities to be provided by the oil and gas industry to enable them derive the maximum benefits? Do the indigenous people have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet the labour demands of the industry?
Experiences from some of the African oil-producing countries, including Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon reveal that the low engagement of indigenous people in their oil industries had seen the influx of expatriate workers into those countries.
This problem has always been attributed to a lack of relevant knowledge and practical skills by the local people, resulting in a situation where a scanty number of local people with professional backgrounds are recruited, while the majority with the requisite knowledge or skills are recruited as security guards for menial jobs.
Consequently, most of the operations and managerial positions in the industry are managed and controlled mostly by expatriates from process engineers, inspection personnel, geologists, mechanical engineers, material personnel, plant contractors, corrosion control personnel, financial accountants and electrical engineers, an unfortunate situation that has resulted in the payment of huge salaries to these expatriates.
While the engagement of expatriate oil workers, admittedly, will boost and sustain the country’s oil production, the low recruitment of indigenous people in the industry will not, in the long-term, serve the interest of the nation.
Therefore, if the country and its people should reap the expected benefits from the employment opportunities presented by the oil and gas industry, Ghana needs the right skills and the requisite education in petrochemical engineering programmes at the tertiary level.
It is for this reason that attempts by universities in the country, including the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the only private university, the All Nations University (ANU) in Koforidua to offer engineering-oriented programmes to train students in petrochemical engineering to equip them with the relevant knowledge and skills for the demands of the labour market in the oil industry should be applauded and supported by the Government and other stakeholders.
ANU has, indeed, shown an unflinching commitment to train students to meet the labour demands of the oil and gas industry in Ghana and the sub-region, in spite of the huge capital required for the purchase of laboratory equipment for such programmes.
The university’s readiness to offer a bachelor degree in Oil and Gas Engineering, starting from September, 14, 2009, followed an approval by the National Accreditation Board (NAB), which gave the university the greenlight following its acquisition of modern laboratory equipment for the programme and meeting other requirements for the undertaking of such programmes.
The institution, which is affiliated with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the SRM University in India, has already put up mod-tech laboratories for practical training of the students in Chemical Engineering, Process Control Laboratory, Thermodynamic Laboratory, Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Process Instrumentation and Control Laboratory, Refining and Separation Processes laboratory and Computer Laboratory, among other issues.
Besides, the university has a well-resourced faculty, comprising 11 qualified lecturers: six from India and the rest from Ghana, who, according to the President of ANU, Dr Samuel Donkor, were more than prepared to provide quality tuition in the oil and gas programme to its students.
“In view of the over-increasing demand for petroleum and petrochemicals as energy resources and for consumption as commodity products, a curriculum in the branches of oil and gas was evolved by the university,” he stated.
Dr Donkor said the university, which was currently offering seven accredited programmes, took pride in offering these high technology-oriented professional degrees to young students aspiring for challenging careers, adding that “we are more than set to deliver quality tuition to produce qualified local expertise for the oil and gas industry”.
The president mentioned such other programmes as Biomedical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration with options in Accounting, Banking and Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Biblical Studies being offered by ANU.
Standing tall among its peer private universities in the country, ANU, after being accredited by the NAB, began in November, 2002 with only 37 students.
Currently, the university, poised to complement the Government’s commitment to enhance the delivery of tertiary education in the country, has 98 full-time lecturers, a commitment premised on the fact that the quality of education a university can offer depends largely on the dedication and commitment of its faculty.
With a current student population of 1,800, ANU provides its students with the state-of-the-art laboratories to complement hands-on practical training.
The institution, through its partner organisation, the All Nations International Agency (ANIDA), has offered scholarships to more than 300 brilliant students to pursue higher education at the university since its establishment.
ANU is the first university in the country to introduce Electronics and Communications Engineering and among the first to introduce the Biomedical Engineering in the country and Africa.
Given the resolve of the ANU, and its collaboration with the KNUST, Ghana, unlike other oil-producing African countries, can be proud of producing the requisite human resource for the oil and gas industry.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
BUST OF WEREKO AMPEM STOLEN AT AMANOKROM (PAGE 19)
TROUBLE is brewing in Amanokrom, the capital of the Gyaase Division of the Akuapem Traditional Area, following the disappearance of the bronze bust of the late chief of the area, Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II, who reigned as Amanokromhene from 1975 to 2005.
The bust of the late chief, which was erected shortly after his death in November 2005, was suspected to have been removed last Saturday, August 29.
Before its removal, the late chief’s bust was sited along the main road in the town, near the Amanokrom Presbyterian Junior High School, and its disappearance has resulted in accusations and counter-accusations between supporters of the present chief, Nana Osiem Kwatia II, and those backing Kofi Asamoah of the Asona Royal Family who they are claiming to be the legitimate successor to the throne.
Some of the supporters of Mr Asamoah, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, indicated that since the disappearance of the bust, they had become the prime suspects of police investigations, a situation they said had made them feel insecure, especially during the night.
According to them, a day after the disappearance of the statue of the late chief, over 20 policemen mobilised from Akropong, Mamfe and Mampong arrived in the town to begin investigations, in which they were the targets.
For instance, they said, 11 persons belonging to the Asona Royal Family were arrested and detained by the Akropong police for their alleged involvement in an attempt to set ablaze the Amanokromhene’s palace on July 8, 2008 while nobody from the sitting chief’s side was ever arrested and interrogated.
They, therefore, warned that if the report made by the Chief of Amanokrom, Nana Kwatia, to the police about the missing statue should make them the prime suspects, “the police must be prepared for retaliatory action from the people”.
When contacted, the Crime Officer of the Akropong Divisional Police, ASP David Ashong, said on August 29, this year, Nana Kwatia, who is also the Gyaasehene of Akuapem, informed the police that the bust of his predecessor had been taken away by some unknown persons.
He said some policemen were sent to the scene to ascertain the allegation and carry out investigations into the incident to determine those who stole the bust.
He said prior to the removal, a gong-gong beater, Yaw Danso, who was sent by Nana Kwatia to announce an important meeting between the chief and the people scheduled for August 14, was attacked and beaten by some masked individuals who also took away his tools.
ASP Ashong denied reports that the police arrested some people or invited the people for interrogation.
Amanokrom has in the past remained one of the most peaceful towns on the Akuapem Ridge since the late Oyeeman Wereko Ampem ascended the stool in 1975 until his death in November 2005
There were no reports of any problem pertaining to chieftaincy during his reign. However, upon his death, three names came up for succession but one of the persons declined the offer, leaving the current Omanhene, who is known in private life as Fred Croffie, and Kofi Asamoah, in the race.
The bust of the late chief, which was erected shortly after his death in November 2005, was suspected to have been removed last Saturday, August 29.
Before its removal, the late chief’s bust was sited along the main road in the town, near the Amanokrom Presbyterian Junior High School, and its disappearance has resulted in accusations and counter-accusations between supporters of the present chief, Nana Osiem Kwatia II, and those backing Kofi Asamoah of the Asona Royal Family who they are claiming to be the legitimate successor to the throne.
Some of the supporters of Mr Asamoah, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, indicated that since the disappearance of the bust, they had become the prime suspects of police investigations, a situation they said had made them feel insecure, especially during the night.
According to them, a day after the disappearance of the statue of the late chief, over 20 policemen mobilised from Akropong, Mamfe and Mampong arrived in the town to begin investigations, in which they were the targets.
For instance, they said, 11 persons belonging to the Asona Royal Family were arrested and detained by the Akropong police for their alleged involvement in an attempt to set ablaze the Amanokromhene’s palace on July 8, 2008 while nobody from the sitting chief’s side was ever arrested and interrogated.
They, therefore, warned that if the report made by the Chief of Amanokrom, Nana Kwatia, to the police about the missing statue should make them the prime suspects, “the police must be prepared for retaliatory action from the people”.
When contacted, the Crime Officer of the Akropong Divisional Police, ASP David Ashong, said on August 29, this year, Nana Kwatia, who is also the Gyaasehene of Akuapem, informed the police that the bust of his predecessor had been taken away by some unknown persons.
He said some policemen were sent to the scene to ascertain the allegation and carry out investigations into the incident to determine those who stole the bust.
He said prior to the removal, a gong-gong beater, Yaw Danso, who was sent by Nana Kwatia to announce an important meeting between the chief and the people scheduled for August 14, was attacked and beaten by some masked individuals who also took away his tools.
ASP Ashong denied reports that the police arrested some people or invited the people for interrogation.
Amanokrom has in the past remained one of the most peaceful towns on the Akuapem Ridge since the late Oyeeman Wereko Ampem ascended the stool in 1975 until his death in November 2005
There were no reports of any problem pertaining to chieftaincy during his reign. However, upon his death, three names came up for succession but one of the persons declined the offer, leaving the current Omanhene, who is known in private life as Fred Croffie, and Kofi Asamoah, in the race.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
POLITICIANS URGED TO REFRAIN FROM INFLAMMATORY UTTERANCES (PAGE 16)
THE Chief of Kade, the capital of the Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II, has called on Ghanaians, particularly political leaders to refrain from engaging in inflammatory utterances and acts that could compromise the unity and the peace prevailing in the country.
He said they should rather focus on engaging in dialogue that would strengthen the sense of unity and the peaceful co-existence among the people.
“The envious democratic credentials we have attained as a nation should always spur us on to continue to see ourselves as one people with a common destiny and be each other’s keeper,” Osabarima Tenadu stated.
Speaking at this year’s annual Ekaade festival at Kade on Saturday, Osabarima Tenadu said “in our political arena today, we must know and understand that politics is not about violence, but an expression of our belief in a political ideology”.
The event drew a large gathering from all walks of life, including the District Chief Executive for Kwaebibirem (DCE), Mr George Agyeman-Duah, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kade, Mr Ofosu Asamoah.
The Kadehene said over the past 16 years when the country began practising democratic governance, Ghana had gained an envious status as a model of democracy internationally touted for other countries in the sub-region to look to.
Such democratic credentials, he said, required that Ghanaians, irrespective of their political leaning, should strive to eschew unhealthy political engagements that could negatively incite the people against others with different political backgrounds.
“Since we have no other place to seek refuge in times of conflicts and violence in the country, we must all resolve to do away with unhealthy political conducts that divide our ranks,” he appealed, adding that “we must respect and tolerate each other’s views”.
On education, Osabarima Tenadu expressed deep concern over the lack of adequate infrastructure facing the Kade Day Senior High School, a problem that had adversely affected teaching and learning in the school.
“The deprived Kade Day SHS seriously lacks a lot of amenities, including boys’ dormitory and a well-equipped library,” he stated and, therefore, appealed to the Government to help put up a boys’ dormitory for the school.
Osabarima, who thanked the Government for upgrading the Kade Health Centre to a hospital status, however, appealed for the improvement of facilities of the hospital, especially accommodation for its personnel to enable them to “enjoy their stay and offer their best to promote health care in the area”.
He said they should rather focus on engaging in dialogue that would strengthen the sense of unity and the peaceful co-existence among the people.
“The envious democratic credentials we have attained as a nation should always spur us on to continue to see ourselves as one people with a common destiny and be each other’s keeper,” Osabarima Tenadu stated.
Speaking at this year’s annual Ekaade festival at Kade on Saturday, Osabarima Tenadu said “in our political arena today, we must know and understand that politics is not about violence, but an expression of our belief in a political ideology”.
The event drew a large gathering from all walks of life, including the District Chief Executive for Kwaebibirem (DCE), Mr George Agyeman-Duah, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kade, Mr Ofosu Asamoah.
The Kadehene said over the past 16 years when the country began practising democratic governance, Ghana had gained an envious status as a model of democracy internationally touted for other countries in the sub-region to look to.
Such democratic credentials, he said, required that Ghanaians, irrespective of their political leaning, should strive to eschew unhealthy political engagements that could negatively incite the people against others with different political backgrounds.
“Since we have no other place to seek refuge in times of conflicts and violence in the country, we must all resolve to do away with unhealthy political conducts that divide our ranks,” he appealed, adding that “we must respect and tolerate each other’s views”.
On education, Osabarima Tenadu expressed deep concern over the lack of adequate infrastructure facing the Kade Day Senior High School, a problem that had adversely affected teaching and learning in the school.
“The deprived Kade Day SHS seriously lacks a lot of amenities, including boys’ dormitory and a well-equipped library,” he stated and, therefore, appealed to the Government to help put up a boys’ dormitory for the school.
Osabarima, who thanked the Government for upgrading the Kade Health Centre to a hospital status, however, appealed for the improvement of facilities of the hospital, especially accommodation for its personnel to enable them to “enjoy their stay and offer their best to promote health care in the area”.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
SIX-BEDROOM HOUSE FOR KWAHU NORTH TEACHERS (PAGE 31)
A Six-bedroom facility for teachers in four communities in the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains) has been inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiary communities.
The GH¢18,000 structure, with facilities such as kitchens, a rain harvesting system and toilets, would serve teachers posted to basic schools at Tease, Dim, Sakabo and Taylorkope communities in the area.
The project was funded by the European Union (EU) under its 6th Micro Project Programme with support from the Kwahu North District Assembly and the beneficiary communities
Inaugurating the facility, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, commended the EU for its commitment towards addressing accommodation needs of teachers posted to rural parts of the country, a gesture he said would motivate teachers to accept posting to such areas and give off their best.
The EU Micro Project Programme Manager, Mr Kobina Dankyi Darfoor, said the micro project programme was a community-based rural development programme meant to assist rural communities have access to social facilities such as school buildings, toilets, health posts, teachers’ and nurses’ quarters, among others.
The chief of Pitiko, Nana Danso Ababio II, thanked the EU for the gesture, which he said would not only encourage teachers to accept posting to the communities but would also improve teaching and learning in the beneficiary communities.
The GH¢18,000 structure, with facilities such as kitchens, a rain harvesting system and toilets, would serve teachers posted to basic schools at Tease, Dim, Sakabo and Taylorkope communities in the area.
The project was funded by the European Union (EU) under its 6th Micro Project Programme with support from the Kwahu North District Assembly and the beneficiary communities
Inaugurating the facility, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, commended the EU for its commitment towards addressing accommodation needs of teachers posted to rural parts of the country, a gesture he said would motivate teachers to accept posting to such areas and give off their best.
The EU Micro Project Programme Manager, Mr Kobina Dankyi Darfoor, said the micro project programme was a community-based rural development programme meant to assist rural communities have access to social facilities such as school buildings, toilets, health posts, teachers’ and nurses’ quarters, among others.
The chief of Pitiko, Nana Danso Ababio II, thanked the EU for the gesture, which he said would not only encourage teachers to accept posting to the communities but would also improve teaching and learning in the beneficiary communities.
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