THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has commended the Christian community in the region for its commitment towards the socio-economic development and spiritual uplift of the region.
Such commitment, he said, had contributed immensely to the creation of a sense of unity and peace among the people resulting in the rapid development of the area.
“The Eastern Region has witnessed relative unity and peace, which have triggered the rapid socio-economic progress which have made the region, especially Koforidua, to become a centre for national conferences and other important events,” Mr Ampofo said.
The Regional Minister made the commendation when the Founder and the Presiding Bishop of the Light House Chapel International, Evangelist Dag Heward Mills, some members of the church and the Christian Council paid a courtesy call on him at his residence last Tuesday.
The visit was to express appreciation to the minister for facilitating the organisation of the Healing Jesus Crusade at Koforidua and also to officially invite him, traditional authorities and some heads of departments and agencies in the New Juaben Municipality to the crusade.
Mr Ampofo said with Koforidua becoming the centre for the Healing Jesus Crusade, many people would be healed and renewed in the mind as they had an encounter with God.
“The healing that the people will get during the crusade is expected to reduce the burden on the National Health Insurance Scheme and in the prisons which will in the long term reduce the pressure on the national budget for the health sector and the upkeep of prisoners,” he stated.
Mr Ampofo added that “a lot of armed robbers and people engaged in social vices, by virtue of the crusade, will also have a change of heart and turn on a new leaf to contribute positively to society’s good.”
For his part, Evangelist Heward Mills said the church and other stakeholders decided to organise the crusade at Koforidua to enable the inhabitants as well as those living in the surrounding communities to draw closer to God and develop a personal relationship with Him.
He appealed to the people to turn away from worshiping idols.
“Any nation that draws closer to God always enjoys abundant blessings and prosperity while those who reject him are faced with poverty”, stated.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
ROTARY CLUB DONATES EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO ASEMPANEYE (PAGE 21, FEB 12, 2010)
MEMBERS of the Accra Ring Road Central Rotary Club have donated assorted educational materials to the Asempaneye Primary School, a farming village in the Akuapem North District in the Eastern Region.
The items comprised 100 school uniforms, exercise books and other stationery, as well as footballs and playing kits.
The educational materials were distributed among 100 schoolchildren in the village, which the members of the club adopted.
Members of the club are also putting up a modern GH¢70,000 school block in order to raise the standard of education in the area.
When completed, the school block would provide a conducive teaching and learning environment for the pupils and the teachers, who are currently accommodated in a dilapidated mud structure, which poses danger to them.
The club has also organised a free medical care for the residents of the area, mostly schoolchildren and women.
The exercise, which was carried out by a 10-man medical team, including five doctors, was used to screen the people of various health problems.
Beneficiaries with minor health problems were provided with free medicine while those with serious ailments were referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua and the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Akuapem-Mampong for treatment.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the initiative, the Service Project Director of the club, Mr Victor Asante, said the club had decided to support the pupils and other inhabitants of the village as part of its community assistance project aimed at improving their lives.
According to him, through voluntary contributions by members, the club had raised GH¢3,000 which had been spent on the first phase of the school building comprising a library, a staff common room and a playing field.
“We are trying to raise additional funds for the completion of the school project,” Mr Asante said.
The items comprised 100 school uniforms, exercise books and other stationery, as well as footballs and playing kits.
The educational materials were distributed among 100 schoolchildren in the village, which the members of the club adopted.
Members of the club are also putting up a modern GH¢70,000 school block in order to raise the standard of education in the area.
When completed, the school block would provide a conducive teaching and learning environment for the pupils and the teachers, who are currently accommodated in a dilapidated mud structure, which poses danger to them.
The club has also organised a free medical care for the residents of the area, mostly schoolchildren and women.
The exercise, which was carried out by a 10-man medical team, including five doctors, was used to screen the people of various health problems.
Beneficiaries with minor health problems were provided with free medicine while those with serious ailments were referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua and the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Akuapem-Mampong for treatment.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the initiative, the Service Project Director of the club, Mr Victor Asante, said the club had decided to support the pupils and other inhabitants of the village as part of its community assistance project aimed at improving their lives.
According to him, through voluntary contributions by members, the club had raised GH¢3,000 which had been spent on the first phase of the school building comprising a library, a staff common room and a playing field.
“We are trying to raise additional funds for the completion of the school project,” Mr Asante said.
AIDS COMMITTEE VISITS K'DUA, NSAWAM PRISONS (PAGE 20, FEB 12, 2010)
MEMBERS of the Eastern Regional AIDS Committee last Thursday visited Koforidua and Nsawam Prisons to obtain first-hand information on the conditions of the inmates, especially those living with HIV and AIDS.
The visit, which was to ascertain whether the various HIV and AIDS educational programmes organised in the prisons had been beneficial, was also used to further educate the prisoners on the pandemic, especially counselling and voluntary testing.
Led by the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Sampson Badu Ofori, the visit was to enable the members of the committee to see how best they could assist the two reformation centres to set up counselling bodies and refurbish their existing clinics.
The visit made it possible for the committee members to interact with the inmates, especially those on antiretroviral treatment.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the visit, Dr Ofori said for many years, education on HIV and AIDS in the country’s prisons had not been given the needed attention, resulting in the worsening conditions of inmates living with the disease.
According to him, the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) with the support of Global Fund had made available some funds and resources for the refurbishment of the clinics of the two prisons and also for the establishment of HIV and AIDS counselling and testing centres.
That, Dr Ofori stated, would make it possible to incorporate effective HIV and AIDS education in their programmes.
“Since we have well-trained nurses at the clinics in the two prisons who provide the inmates with the necessary voluntary counselling and testing and also educate them on the disease, we the members of the committee have resolved to provide the nurses with the needed support to enable them to discharge their duties more efficiently,” he said.
Sharing his observation at the two prisons, Dr Ofori said the care and support given to inmates living with the disease was encouraging, describing it as “one of the best offered to people living with AIDS (PLWA)”.
He was happy about the clean environment of the two prisons, especially the Nsawam Prisons, and commended the prison officers and the inmates in that respect.
In answer to a question on what had been done so far to contain the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the Eastern Region, Dr Ofori said 20 antiretroviral treatment centres had been attached to some of the hospitals in the area.
He mentioned the Regional Hospital in Koforidua, the St Martin’s De Porress Hospital at Agormanya, the Nsawam Government Hospital, the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Akuapem Mampong, the Akuse Government Hospital, the Suhum Government Hospital and the Kyebi Government Hospital as some of the health facilities attached with such centres.
Others, he said, included the Enyiresi, Akyem Oda, Akwatia, Atibie, Begoro, New Abirem, Asesewa Government Hospitals, Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital, Donkokrom Presbyterian Hospital and the VRA Hospital at Akosombo.
The visit, which was to ascertain whether the various HIV and AIDS educational programmes organised in the prisons had been beneficial, was also used to further educate the prisoners on the pandemic, especially counselling and voluntary testing.
Led by the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Sampson Badu Ofori, the visit was to enable the members of the committee to see how best they could assist the two reformation centres to set up counselling bodies and refurbish their existing clinics.
The visit made it possible for the committee members to interact with the inmates, especially those on antiretroviral treatment.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the visit, Dr Ofori said for many years, education on HIV and AIDS in the country’s prisons had not been given the needed attention, resulting in the worsening conditions of inmates living with the disease.
According to him, the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) with the support of Global Fund had made available some funds and resources for the refurbishment of the clinics of the two prisons and also for the establishment of HIV and AIDS counselling and testing centres.
That, Dr Ofori stated, would make it possible to incorporate effective HIV and AIDS education in their programmes.
“Since we have well-trained nurses at the clinics in the two prisons who provide the inmates with the necessary voluntary counselling and testing and also educate them on the disease, we the members of the committee have resolved to provide the nurses with the needed support to enable them to discharge their duties more efficiently,” he said.
Sharing his observation at the two prisons, Dr Ofori said the care and support given to inmates living with the disease was encouraging, describing it as “one of the best offered to people living with AIDS (PLWA)”.
He was happy about the clean environment of the two prisons, especially the Nsawam Prisons, and commended the prison officers and the inmates in that respect.
In answer to a question on what had been done so far to contain the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the Eastern Region, Dr Ofori said 20 antiretroviral treatment centres had been attached to some of the hospitals in the area.
He mentioned the Regional Hospital in Koforidua, the St Martin’s De Porress Hospital at Agormanya, the Nsawam Government Hospital, the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Akuapem Mampong, the Akuse Government Hospital, the Suhum Government Hospital and the Kyebi Government Hospital as some of the health facilities attached with such centres.
Others, he said, included the Enyiresi, Akyem Oda, Akwatia, Atibie, Begoro, New Abirem, Asesewa Government Hospitals, Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital, Donkokrom Presbyterian Hospital and the VRA Hospital at Akosombo.
PTA BUILDS CLASSROOM BLOCK FOR ABURI SECONDARY (PAGE 11, FEB 12, 2010)
THE Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the Aburi Girls Senior High School has constructed a three-unit science block valued at GH¢50,000 for the school.
The project is aimed at solving the lack of adequate classrooms for the study of science at the school.
It is expected to increase the intake of students who wish to pursue science subjects at the school, unlike in the past when only a few students were admitted to study the course.
The inauguration of the project was done during the official handover of a new PTA-funded water sachet producing plant also put up to address the acute water shortage facing the teachers and students of the school.
Prior to the inauguration of the plant, students of the institution often had to walk long distances to fetch unclean water from a valley near the school.
In an address, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Silvia Asempa, expressed her happiness that the completion of the science block would offer many students who desired to study science at the school a better chance to be enrolled unlike in the past when a few students were privileged to be admitted.
She expressed her profound gratitude to the PTA for its relentless efforts towards the development and academic progress of the school over the years.
“Our students have been able to acquire enviable academic laurels in all examinations by virtue of the wonderful support and commitment of our PTA, who have stood by the management of the school in our development aspirations,” the headmistress said.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the delivery of quality education in the country should not be the sole responsibility of the government but all stakeholders and therefore commended the PTA of the school for its commitment to the progress of the institution.
He asked the students to utilise the opportunity offered them to study science by taking a keen interest in the study of science and mathematics.
The project is aimed at solving the lack of adequate classrooms for the study of science at the school.
It is expected to increase the intake of students who wish to pursue science subjects at the school, unlike in the past when only a few students were admitted to study the course.
The inauguration of the project was done during the official handover of a new PTA-funded water sachet producing plant also put up to address the acute water shortage facing the teachers and students of the school.
Prior to the inauguration of the plant, students of the institution often had to walk long distances to fetch unclean water from a valley near the school.
In an address, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Silvia Asempa, expressed her happiness that the completion of the science block would offer many students who desired to study science at the school a better chance to be enrolled unlike in the past when a few students were privileged to be admitted.
She expressed her profound gratitude to the PTA for its relentless efforts towards the development and academic progress of the school over the years.
“Our students have been able to acquire enviable academic laurels in all examinations by virtue of the wonderful support and commitment of our PTA, who have stood by the management of the school in our development aspirations,” the headmistress said.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the delivery of quality education in the country should not be the sole responsibility of the government but all stakeholders and therefore commended the PTA of the school for its commitment to the progress of the institution.
He asked the students to utilise the opportunity offered them to study science by taking a keen interest in the study of science and mathematics.
Friday, February 26, 2010
AMPOFO: PLACE PREMIUM ON INVESTING IN PEOPLE (PAGE 16, FEB 2, 2010)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has called for a paradigm shift in the pursuit of the development agenda of district assemblies in the country.
He said instead of district assemblies concentrating on development initiatives such as providing social amenities including markets, toilets, roads and schools, they must make investments in the people the number one, to invest directly in the mainstay of their local economies to generate revenues and wealth and create employment for the people.
Speaking at a workshop to review decades of decentralisation and the district assembly system in Ghana in Koforidua, Mr Ampofo said “our development focus must aim at stimulating the growth of our local economies to generate revenues that could be recycled in the economy to address other socio-economic development challenges facing our districts”.
The one-day workshop is meant to provide a platform for key actors in the decentralisation process system to discuss the challenges facing the concept and make inputs that could improve the process.
It brought together about 85 members of the National Association of Local Government Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) including presiding and assembly members from metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Western and Central regions.
It is sponsored by the NALAG, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Africa 2000 Network, UNDP and Sustainable Rural Livelihood Project (SRLP).
Buttressing his point, Mr Ofosu Ampofo said for the past two decades in the experimentation of the district assembly concept, all the district assemblies had concentrated on development agenda that had overconcentrated on providing social amenities and other services at the expense of investment in the mainstay of their local economies.
Such myopic concept of development by the district assemblies had significantly undermined their capability to adopt and implement diversified development projects that could create wealth and employment and address other socio-economic challenges facing their development.
Citing an example, he indicated the Fanteakwa District for instance where there was a vast land suitable for the cultivation of pepper and citrus, the district assembly should not only focus on supporting the farmers with the necessary inputs and resources but should also acquire the needed equipment that could be used to add value to such crops to enable them to attract high prices both on the local and the international markets.
This, he said, would be the only way the district assembly could meaningfully support the farmers to raise sufficient incomes to support themselves and their families, adding that “when farmers get disposable incomes then they will be in a position to also expand their farms and spend in the interest of the local economy”.
“If we only provide the farmers with all the inputs they need to cultivate their crops but fail to build their capacity to add value to their products and create a market for them, then we can expect their bumper harvest to often go waste all the time”, he stated.
Mr Ampofo added, “If we can acquire extracting machines for the citrus farmers to extract orange juice from their produce, the juice could not only be made available to basic schools benefiting from the School Feeding Programme to improve the pupils’ nutritional requirement but could also create a ready market for the crop.”
He said instead of district assemblies concentrating on development initiatives such as providing social amenities including markets, toilets, roads and schools, they must make investments in the people the number one, to invest directly in the mainstay of their local economies to generate revenues and wealth and create employment for the people.
Speaking at a workshop to review decades of decentralisation and the district assembly system in Ghana in Koforidua, Mr Ampofo said “our development focus must aim at stimulating the growth of our local economies to generate revenues that could be recycled in the economy to address other socio-economic development challenges facing our districts”.
The one-day workshop is meant to provide a platform for key actors in the decentralisation process system to discuss the challenges facing the concept and make inputs that could improve the process.
It brought together about 85 members of the National Association of Local Government Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) including presiding and assembly members from metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Western and Central regions.
It is sponsored by the NALAG, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Africa 2000 Network, UNDP and Sustainable Rural Livelihood Project (SRLP).
Buttressing his point, Mr Ofosu Ampofo said for the past two decades in the experimentation of the district assembly concept, all the district assemblies had concentrated on development agenda that had overconcentrated on providing social amenities and other services at the expense of investment in the mainstay of their local economies.
Such myopic concept of development by the district assemblies had significantly undermined their capability to adopt and implement diversified development projects that could create wealth and employment and address other socio-economic challenges facing their development.
Citing an example, he indicated the Fanteakwa District for instance where there was a vast land suitable for the cultivation of pepper and citrus, the district assembly should not only focus on supporting the farmers with the necessary inputs and resources but should also acquire the needed equipment that could be used to add value to such crops to enable them to attract high prices both on the local and the international markets.
This, he said, would be the only way the district assembly could meaningfully support the farmers to raise sufficient incomes to support themselves and their families, adding that “when farmers get disposable incomes then they will be in a position to also expand their farms and spend in the interest of the local economy”.
“If we only provide the farmers with all the inputs they need to cultivate their crops but fail to build their capacity to add value to their products and create a market for them, then we can expect their bumper harvest to often go waste all the time”, he stated.
Mr Ampofo added, “If we can acquire extracting machines for the citrus farmers to extract orange juice from their produce, the juice could not only be made available to basic schools benefiting from the School Feeding Programme to improve the pupils’ nutritional requirement but could also create a ready market for the crop.”
ABURI GIRLS PTA FUNDS WATER SATCHET PLANT (SPREAD, JAN 26, 2010)
A Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has called on the government to abolish the seal placed on parent-teacher associations’ (PTA’s) ability to contribute meaningfully to the development of their children’s schools.
He said such a move by the government would encourage more parents to cultivate the self-help spirit to contribute generously towards the development of basic and senior high schools in the country.
That, he noted, would go a long way to complement the government’s commitment to provide the needed resources and infrastructure in the educational sector to improve teaching and learning.
“The time has come for the government-must syndrome and regulations of schools to give way to parents who have the ability to support their children’s schools to do so as part of their contribution to improving the standard of education in the country,” Dr Antwi-Danso stated.
Speaking at a PTA meeting of the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School on Saturday, Dr Antwi-Danso said “the government must encourage a self-help spirit among PTAs instead of killing it”.
The event, which was used to discuss some of the challenges confronting the academic progress of the school, was also used to inaugurate a water sachet producing plant funded by the PTA of the school.
The plant, which is connected to a borehole and several water tanks, is expected to solve the acute water shortage facing the teachers and students of the school who often have to walk a long distance to fetch unclean water from a valley near the school.
The initiative, first among SHSs in the country, is also expected to address the drudgery parents and guardians often go through in carrying barrels and bags of sachet water to their children in the school.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said while education was the key that opened the gate to the total development of human beings, the government alone could not provide the necessary resources, saying, “This is a shared responsibility with PTAs and other benevolent organisations to build our schools.”
The minister, who commended the PTA of the Aburi Girls’ SHS for its commitment to the school’s development, appealed to other PTAs to emulate the “shining example of what this association has done for the school”.
For their part, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Silvia Asempa, and the Chairman of the PTA, Prof. Eniu Kwesi, noted that the construction of the water sachet plant would help address the acute water problem facing the students and their teachers.
That, they said, would enhance teaching and learning in the school.
He said such a move by the government would encourage more parents to cultivate the self-help spirit to contribute generously towards the development of basic and senior high schools in the country.
That, he noted, would go a long way to complement the government’s commitment to provide the needed resources and infrastructure in the educational sector to improve teaching and learning.
“The time has come for the government-must syndrome and regulations of schools to give way to parents who have the ability to support their children’s schools to do so as part of their contribution to improving the standard of education in the country,” Dr Antwi-Danso stated.
Speaking at a PTA meeting of the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School on Saturday, Dr Antwi-Danso said “the government must encourage a self-help spirit among PTAs instead of killing it”.
The event, which was used to discuss some of the challenges confronting the academic progress of the school, was also used to inaugurate a water sachet producing plant funded by the PTA of the school.
The plant, which is connected to a borehole and several water tanks, is expected to solve the acute water shortage facing the teachers and students of the school who often have to walk a long distance to fetch unclean water from a valley near the school.
The initiative, first among SHSs in the country, is also expected to address the drudgery parents and guardians often go through in carrying barrels and bags of sachet water to their children in the school.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said while education was the key that opened the gate to the total development of human beings, the government alone could not provide the necessary resources, saying, “This is a shared responsibility with PTAs and other benevolent organisations to build our schools.”
The minister, who commended the PTA of the Aburi Girls’ SHS for its commitment to the school’s development, appealed to other PTAs to emulate the “shining example of what this association has done for the school”.
For their part, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Silvia Asempa, and the Chairman of the PTA, Prof. Eniu Kwesi, noted that the construction of the water sachet plant would help address the acute water problem facing the students and their teachers.
That, they said, would enhance teaching and learning in the school.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
MORE MEASURES TO SAVE ADOMI DRIDGE (SPREAD, JAN 25, 2010)
THE Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) is to install high speed weight-in-motion electronic sensors and automatic gates at both ends of the Adomi Bridge to prevent trucks with excess loads from using the bridge.
The sensors, which will be erected at the Atimpoku and the Juapong ends of the bridge, will activate the automatic gates to open for heavy trucks with loads not exceeding the 30-tonne weight limit for the bridge.
The project, being financed by the government, is scheduled to commence in March 2010 and is expected to be completed in September 2010.
The Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, made this known when he inspected the bridge at Atimpoku last Friday.
During the visit, vehicles were checked to ensure that their loads did not exceed the weight limit.
Five extremely overloaded trucks were impounded.
The deputy minister was accompanied by some officials of the GHA, including the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Administration, Mr Peter Dagadu, and Mr Norbert Quamor, the Public Relations Officer.
As part of safety measures to protect and prolong the lifespan of the 54-year-old bridge, Mr Mettle-Nunoo said the GHA would also erect two axle weighing equipment at the Kpong and the Asikuma junctions to check the weight of trucks before they could proceed all the way to the Atimpoku and the Juapong ends of the bridge.
He said another toll booth would be introduced at the Juapong end of the bridge to prevent vehicles from that end of the bridge from waiting for too long to pay their tolls, since such delays could exert pressure on the bridge.
He said trucks with excessive loads would have to use alternative roads such as the Juapong-Adidome, the Ho-Adidome and the Sogakokpe roads.
The deputy minister later inspected the 60-km Juapong-Adidome road, which is yet to be awarded on contract, to serve as an alternative road for trucks with excessive loads.
He noted that since the Adomi Bridge was one of the treasured national assets, every effort must be made to ensure its safety in order to prolong its life-span.
According to him, the failure of motorists to comply with the safety measures to be instituted could lead to the destruction of the bridge, a situation that could necessitate its replacement, expected to cost the nation about $500 million.
He indicated that while the bridge was constructed with a weight limit of 20 tonnes at a time when the volume of traffic was low, “today the volume of traffic has brought so much distress to the bridge because it is the only option to cross from the eastern to the central corridors of the nation”.
He, therefore, appealed to drivers of heavy duty trucks with loads exceeding the permissible 30 tonnes to desist from using the bridge and rather use the available alternative routes.
He also solicited the co-operation and support of the media, members of the public and the security agencies to preserve the bridge. For his part, Mr Dagadu gave the assurance that the GHA would ensure the speedy construction of the various alternative roads for vehicles with excess loads.
The sensors, which will be erected at the Atimpoku and the Juapong ends of the bridge, will activate the automatic gates to open for heavy trucks with loads not exceeding the 30-tonne weight limit for the bridge.
The project, being financed by the government, is scheduled to commence in March 2010 and is expected to be completed in September 2010.
The Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, made this known when he inspected the bridge at Atimpoku last Friday.
During the visit, vehicles were checked to ensure that their loads did not exceed the weight limit.
Five extremely overloaded trucks were impounded.
The deputy minister was accompanied by some officials of the GHA, including the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Administration, Mr Peter Dagadu, and Mr Norbert Quamor, the Public Relations Officer.
As part of safety measures to protect and prolong the lifespan of the 54-year-old bridge, Mr Mettle-Nunoo said the GHA would also erect two axle weighing equipment at the Kpong and the Asikuma junctions to check the weight of trucks before they could proceed all the way to the Atimpoku and the Juapong ends of the bridge.
He said another toll booth would be introduced at the Juapong end of the bridge to prevent vehicles from that end of the bridge from waiting for too long to pay their tolls, since such delays could exert pressure on the bridge.
He said trucks with excessive loads would have to use alternative roads such as the Juapong-Adidome, the Ho-Adidome and the Sogakokpe roads.
The deputy minister later inspected the 60-km Juapong-Adidome road, which is yet to be awarded on contract, to serve as an alternative road for trucks with excessive loads.
He noted that since the Adomi Bridge was one of the treasured national assets, every effort must be made to ensure its safety in order to prolong its life-span.
According to him, the failure of motorists to comply with the safety measures to be instituted could lead to the destruction of the bridge, a situation that could necessitate its replacement, expected to cost the nation about $500 million.
He indicated that while the bridge was constructed with a weight limit of 20 tonnes at a time when the volume of traffic was low, “today the volume of traffic has brought so much distress to the bridge because it is the only option to cross from the eastern to the central corridors of the nation”.
He, therefore, appealed to drivers of heavy duty trucks with loads exceeding the permissible 30 tonnes to desist from using the bridge and rather use the available alternative routes.
He also solicited the co-operation and support of the media, members of the public and the security agencies to preserve the bridge. For his part, Mr Dagadu gave the assurance that the GHA would ensure the speedy construction of the various alternative roads for vehicles with excess loads.
I'LL MAKE KOFORIDUA TOURIST HUB OF ER (PAGE 31, JAN 20, 2010)
THE Managing Director of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin I, has said it is his intention to make Koforidua the tourist hub of the Eastern Region.
His ambition, he said, was to increase the facilities at the hotel to take care of visitors to the region, explaining that the three-deluxe facility, which started with three workers now had a workforce of 85.
Nana Twinin stated this at the staff awards night of the hotel in Koforidua on Monday, during which he also commended members of his staff for their hard work, describing them as “my assets who have contributed greatly to the success we have obtained today”.
The Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Sampson Donkor, advised stakeholders in the hospitality industry to give priority to building the capacities of their human resource to enable them to improve on their level of professionalism.
That, he said, would not only promote the industry in the country but also make the sector more competitive in the delivery of quality professional services.
The event, which was used to reward several staff members of the hotel for their distinguished services, saw Mr Joseph Okyere being adjudged the Best Worker of the year, for which he received a colour TV set, a DVD player and a standing fan.
Mr Donkor said a general survey conducted two years ago on the quality of services provided by facilities in the hospitality industry in Ghana showed that most of the hotels were far below the average, saying that “the success of any industry depends not on its facilities but the quality services provided by its well-trained staff”.
He attributed that unfortunate situation to the lack of formal training for staff of such facilities, a situation that had contributed to the hospitality industry in the country not being competitive enough.
Mr Donkor commended the management of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel for recognising the need to allow its staff to upgrade themselves, adding that “though it is not one year yet since your establishment, you have achieved so much success to compete with big hotels in Accra”.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said since the Eastern Region was endowed with abundant tourism potential, the government had decided to turn the ERECDEC Hotel in Koforidua into a hospitality institution to be managed by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
His ambition, he said, was to increase the facilities at the hotel to take care of visitors to the region, explaining that the three-deluxe facility, which started with three workers now had a workforce of 85.
Nana Twinin stated this at the staff awards night of the hotel in Koforidua on Monday, during which he also commended members of his staff for their hard work, describing them as “my assets who have contributed greatly to the success we have obtained today”.
The Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Sampson Donkor, advised stakeholders in the hospitality industry to give priority to building the capacities of their human resource to enable them to improve on their level of professionalism.
That, he said, would not only promote the industry in the country but also make the sector more competitive in the delivery of quality professional services.
The event, which was used to reward several staff members of the hotel for their distinguished services, saw Mr Joseph Okyere being adjudged the Best Worker of the year, for which he received a colour TV set, a DVD player and a standing fan.
Mr Donkor said a general survey conducted two years ago on the quality of services provided by facilities in the hospitality industry in Ghana showed that most of the hotels were far below the average, saying that “the success of any industry depends not on its facilities but the quality services provided by its well-trained staff”.
He attributed that unfortunate situation to the lack of formal training for staff of such facilities, a situation that had contributed to the hospitality industry in the country not being competitive enough.
Mr Donkor commended the management of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel for recognising the need to allow its staff to upgrade themselves, adding that “though it is not one year yet since your establishment, you have achieved so much success to compete with big hotels in Accra”.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said since the Eastern Region was endowed with abundant tourism potential, the government had decided to turn the ERECDEC Hotel in Koforidua into a hospitality institution to be managed by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
POLICE IMPOUNDS DIVERTED COCOA (PAGE 19, JAN 16, 2010)
SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY bags of cocoa, which were being conveyed from Wassa-Akropong in the Western Region to the Takoradi Port but were diverted to the Eastern Region, have been impounded at Asabebea, near Akim Oda.
The cocoa, valued at GH¢97,000, was impounded by the police on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at midnight after the people had raised the alarm about the suspicious rebagging of the cocoa beans at an abandoned warehouse at the village.
The driver and the mate of an articulated truck which carried the load managed to escape arrest.
According to the District Chief Executive for the Akyemmansa District, Mr Tom Budu, he received reports on Sunday, January 10, 2010, that about 650 cocoa bags, suspected to have been stolen, were being repackaged at an abandoned warehouse at Asabedea,
He said he immediately informed the security personnel, who rushed to the scene, where they saw a large quantity of cocoa beans on the floor of the abandoned warehouse.
“Since the abandoned warehouse is partially roofed and could expose the cocoa beans to the rain any time, we decided to rebag the beans in different sacks and placed them in a more secured place,” the DCE stated.
For the safety of the beans, he said armed police personnel had been detailed to guard them while the District Security Committee would take further measures to safeguard them.
The cocoa, valued at GH¢97,000, was impounded by the police on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at midnight after the people had raised the alarm about the suspicious rebagging of the cocoa beans at an abandoned warehouse at the village.
The driver and the mate of an articulated truck which carried the load managed to escape arrest.
According to the District Chief Executive for the Akyemmansa District, Mr Tom Budu, he received reports on Sunday, January 10, 2010, that about 650 cocoa bags, suspected to have been stolen, were being repackaged at an abandoned warehouse at Asabedea,
He said he immediately informed the security personnel, who rushed to the scene, where they saw a large quantity of cocoa beans on the floor of the abandoned warehouse.
“Since the abandoned warehouse is partially roofed and could expose the cocoa beans to the rain any time, we decided to rebag the beans in different sacks and placed them in a more secured place,” the DCE stated.
For the safety of the beans, he said armed police personnel had been detailed to guard them while the District Security Committee would take further measures to safeguard them.
DAASEBRE HONOURS CIIZENS, COMPANIES (PAGE 20, JAN 16, 2010)
THE Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre (Prof) Oti Boateng, has emphasised the importance of charity as a virtue in nation-building.
At the Akwantukese dinner/dance and awards night in Koforidua recently, the Omanhene said, “Charity blesses the one who receives, as well as the one who gives it.”
He, therefore, urged corporate bodies, organisations and well-to-do individuals to be alive to their corporate social responsibilities to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of society.
The event, which was organised to round off activities marking this year’s Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of New Juaben, was used to honour individuals, institutions and companies which have made immense contributions to the progress of the New Juaben Traditional Area and Ghana.
The high point of the ceremony was the Special Certificate of Honour awarded to Nana Bobie Dankwa III, the Gyaasehene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, for his exemplary display of confidentiality, honesty and total loyalty to the Yiadom-Hwedie Stool and its occupant.
Two institutions and three individuals received the Daasebre Award for Excellence for their invaluable support to the development of New Juaben and the country.
The institutions were the All Nations University College (ANUC) and the Ghana AIDS Commission, while the individuals were Mr Daniel Awuah-Darko Jnr, Vice-Chairman of Vanguard Assurance Company Limited; Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, a veteran journalist, and Mr Godfred Oppong-Peprah, an inventor.
Several institutions and individuals were also honoured in recognition of the exemplary fulfilment of their corporate social responsibility to the development of New Juaben and the successful celebration of the 2009 Akwantukese Festival.
The 2009 Akwantukese Sponsorship Awards were given in the five categories of Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Bauxite.
The Platinum awards were received by the ANUC, Vanguard Assurance and the Ghana AIDS Commission, while the Gold awards went to Ghana Cocoa Board and Merchant Bank.
The HFC Bank obtained the Silver award, with the Bronze award going to Safety Insurance Limited, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Ghana Commercial Bank Limited.
Three companies and organisations, namely, Linda Dor Restaurant, the Lands Commission and Y&K Enterprise, received the Bauxite award.
Some individuals and organisations also received Certificates of Commendation. They included Cadbury Ghana Limited, Voltic Ghana Limited, Accra Brewery Limited, Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Kasapreko Company Limited, Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Nana Kofi Twinin, the Managing Director of Mac-Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, for his contribution to peace and unity in New Juaben.
Presenting the awards, Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng, who is also the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, said the commitment and support of the organisations, companies and individuals had enabled the traditional area to “achieve significant progress and greatness”.
At the Akwantukese dinner/dance and awards night in Koforidua recently, the Omanhene said, “Charity blesses the one who receives, as well as the one who gives it.”
He, therefore, urged corporate bodies, organisations and well-to-do individuals to be alive to their corporate social responsibilities to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of society.
The event, which was organised to round off activities marking this year’s Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of New Juaben, was used to honour individuals, institutions and companies which have made immense contributions to the progress of the New Juaben Traditional Area and Ghana.
The high point of the ceremony was the Special Certificate of Honour awarded to Nana Bobie Dankwa III, the Gyaasehene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, for his exemplary display of confidentiality, honesty and total loyalty to the Yiadom-Hwedie Stool and its occupant.
Two institutions and three individuals received the Daasebre Award for Excellence for their invaluable support to the development of New Juaben and the country.
The institutions were the All Nations University College (ANUC) and the Ghana AIDS Commission, while the individuals were Mr Daniel Awuah-Darko Jnr, Vice-Chairman of Vanguard Assurance Company Limited; Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, a veteran journalist, and Mr Godfred Oppong-Peprah, an inventor.
Several institutions and individuals were also honoured in recognition of the exemplary fulfilment of their corporate social responsibility to the development of New Juaben and the successful celebration of the 2009 Akwantukese Festival.
The 2009 Akwantukese Sponsorship Awards were given in the five categories of Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Bauxite.
The Platinum awards were received by the ANUC, Vanguard Assurance and the Ghana AIDS Commission, while the Gold awards went to Ghana Cocoa Board and Merchant Bank.
The HFC Bank obtained the Silver award, with the Bronze award going to Safety Insurance Limited, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Ghana Commercial Bank Limited.
Three companies and organisations, namely, Linda Dor Restaurant, the Lands Commission and Y&K Enterprise, received the Bauxite award.
Some individuals and organisations also received Certificates of Commendation. They included Cadbury Ghana Limited, Voltic Ghana Limited, Accra Brewery Limited, Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Kasapreko Company Limited, Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Nana Kofi Twinin, the Managing Director of Mac-Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, for his contribution to peace and unity in New Juaben.
Presenting the awards, Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng, who is also the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, said the commitment and support of the organisations, companies and individuals had enabled the traditional area to “achieve significant progress and greatness”.
PENTECOST WOMEN DONATE TO ORPHANAGE (PAGE 22, JAN 16, 2010
THE New Juaben Women’s Movement of the Church of Pentecost has presented assorted items worth GH¢1,500 to the Hour of Grace Orphanage at Huhunya in the Yilo Krobo District in the Eastern Region.
The items comprised new and second-hand clothing, two maxi bags of rice, loaves of bread, a maxi bag of sugar, biscuits, three cartons of milk and assorted toiletries.
The gesture formed part of activities to mark the National Women’s Week of the church.
Presenting the items, Mrs Esther Asare Konadu, the wife of Pastor Asare Konadu who is in charge of the church in New Juaben, said the gesture was to make the inmates happy during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Receiving the items, the founder of the orphanage, Mr Lawrence Gbengor, thanked the movement for the gesture. He described the gift as timely, and would make the inmates happy.
The items comprised new and second-hand clothing, two maxi bags of rice, loaves of bread, a maxi bag of sugar, biscuits, three cartons of milk and assorted toiletries.
The gesture formed part of activities to mark the National Women’s Week of the church.
Presenting the items, Mrs Esther Asare Konadu, the wife of Pastor Asare Konadu who is in charge of the church in New Juaben, said the gesture was to make the inmates happy during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Receiving the items, the founder of the orphanage, Mr Lawrence Gbengor, thanked the movement for the gesture. He described the gift as timely, and would make the inmates happy.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
ALLOW GREATER PARTICIPATION IN DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS (SPREAD, JAN 12, 2010)
Suggestions have been made at a two-day consultative workshop on the country’s electoral process for a wider participation in the provision of campaign platforms for candidates of the district level elections.
The Electoral Commission (EC) had previously centrally provided such platforms for district level elections and the suggestions are for that activity to be liberalised so that other bodies can provide platforms and to organise public fora for candidates to complement the efforts of the EC.
Those suggestions were made at a validation workshop on the “Legal and institutional framework for District Level Election” in Koforidua.
It was organised by the EC, facilitated by the KAB Governance Consult (KGC) and co-funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Participants came up with several recommendations that were aimed at addressing the various challenges that had confronted the running of district level elections since 1998, particularly those of 2002 and 2006.
The recommendations, when adopted and given a legal backing, are expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the conduct of district level elections in 2010 and in subsequent elections.
The workshop validated the recommendations that came out of the nationwide public fora in all the 10 regional capitals from October 15 to November 8, 2002 that collated ideas for a possible institutional and legislative reform to enhance district level elections in the country.
“While the amendment of relevant legislation and regulation in the mounting of platforms will be undertaken, the EC will also have to develop guidelines to facilitate the conduct of such public fora to ensure that there is decorum, equity and suitable access of all candidates,” the forum recommended.
It also came up with the recommendation that stressed the need to determine or review the number of elected members of the various unit committees, proposing that only five people be elected at the unit committee level.
However, the forum considered the issue of the appointment of members at the unit committee level to be left to the discretion of the government, as such a consideration had to be guided by the need to maintain gender balance, among others.
The forum also recommended the need for the rebranding of unit committees to foster a sense of neighbourliness, identification in terms of development and other vital services in the communities.
With regard to the appointment of district chief executives (DCE) and presiding members (PM), it recommended the need for a simple majority of all members of a district assembly to confirm the appointment of a DCE or a PM, instead of the current provision of two-third voting for the confirmation of such appointees.
The workshop was attended by top officials of the EC, including Mr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, the Electoral Commissioner; Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government, the executive of the National Association of Local Authorities (NALAG), representatives of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and decentralisation experts.
The Electoral Commission (EC) had previously centrally provided such platforms for district level elections and the suggestions are for that activity to be liberalised so that other bodies can provide platforms and to organise public fora for candidates to complement the efforts of the EC.
Those suggestions were made at a validation workshop on the “Legal and institutional framework for District Level Election” in Koforidua.
It was organised by the EC, facilitated by the KAB Governance Consult (KGC) and co-funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Participants came up with several recommendations that were aimed at addressing the various challenges that had confronted the running of district level elections since 1998, particularly those of 2002 and 2006.
The recommendations, when adopted and given a legal backing, are expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the conduct of district level elections in 2010 and in subsequent elections.
The workshop validated the recommendations that came out of the nationwide public fora in all the 10 regional capitals from October 15 to November 8, 2002 that collated ideas for a possible institutional and legislative reform to enhance district level elections in the country.
“While the amendment of relevant legislation and regulation in the mounting of platforms will be undertaken, the EC will also have to develop guidelines to facilitate the conduct of such public fora to ensure that there is decorum, equity and suitable access of all candidates,” the forum recommended.
It also came up with the recommendation that stressed the need to determine or review the number of elected members of the various unit committees, proposing that only five people be elected at the unit committee level.
However, the forum considered the issue of the appointment of members at the unit committee level to be left to the discretion of the government, as such a consideration had to be guided by the need to maintain gender balance, among others.
The forum also recommended the need for the rebranding of unit committees to foster a sense of neighbourliness, identification in terms of development and other vital services in the communities.
With regard to the appointment of district chief executives (DCE) and presiding members (PM), it recommended the need for a simple majority of all members of a district assembly to confirm the appointment of a DCE or a PM, instead of the current provision of two-third voting for the confirmation of such appointees.
The workshop was attended by top officials of the EC, including Mr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, the Electoral Commissioner; Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government, the executive of the National Association of Local Authorities (NALAG), representatives of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and decentralisation experts.
DON'T RELEASE LANDS FOR GALAMSEY — CHIEFS TOLD (PAGE 23, JAN 9, 2010)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has reiterated his appeal to traditional leaders to desist from releasing land to illegal miners to engage in “galamsey” operations which expose the people to various health hazards.
“The activities of selfish individuals engaged in galamsey operations are degrading our arable lands, destroying our water bodies and seriously affecting the lives and property of the communities involved,” Mr Ampofo stated.
He made the appeal when he addressed the end-of-year meeting of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.
The regional minister said one of the issues which had become a major source of worry to most of the communities in the region and the government was galamsey operations which had assumed alarming proportions lately.
“These people are not adhering to the environmental and mineral laws of the country and are seriously destroying the forest covers and sources of water at the expense of the health of the people in the affected communities,” he said.
He told the traditional leaders that small-scale miners could only exploit minerals in the soil “when they regularise their operations”.
The government, he said, had identified mechanised agriculture as the fulcrum of its economic development, adding that as part of the strategy to encourage the youth in the sector, the government was implementing the Youth in Agriculture programme this year.
He, therefore, appealed to traditional authorities to support the initiative by releasing land to the youth who were interested in going into agriculture in their respective communities.
“I hope if our chiefs embrace the project and release land willingly, it will motivate more youth to participate in the programme,” Mr Ampofo stated.
Mr Ampofo expressed the preparedness of the government to resource various traditional authorities to enable them to play their roles in ensuring national cohesion and the socio-economic development of the country.
The regional minister expressed concern over the high rate of maternal mortality and HIV and AIDS cases in the region.
“As major stakeholders, I urge you all to join the crusade against HIV and AIDS, as well as maternal mortality, so that they can be reduced to their barest minimum if not completely eliminated,” Mr Ampofo told the chiefs.
Responding to the concerns of the regional minister, the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Daasebre (Prof.) Oti Boateng, declared the House’s readiness to work with all stakeholders to address the various development challenges facing the region to better the lot of the people.
“The activities of selfish individuals engaged in galamsey operations are degrading our arable lands, destroying our water bodies and seriously affecting the lives and property of the communities involved,” Mr Ampofo stated.
He made the appeal when he addressed the end-of-year meeting of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.
The regional minister said one of the issues which had become a major source of worry to most of the communities in the region and the government was galamsey operations which had assumed alarming proportions lately.
“These people are not adhering to the environmental and mineral laws of the country and are seriously destroying the forest covers and sources of water at the expense of the health of the people in the affected communities,” he said.
He told the traditional leaders that small-scale miners could only exploit minerals in the soil “when they regularise their operations”.
The government, he said, had identified mechanised agriculture as the fulcrum of its economic development, adding that as part of the strategy to encourage the youth in the sector, the government was implementing the Youth in Agriculture programme this year.
He, therefore, appealed to traditional authorities to support the initiative by releasing land to the youth who were interested in going into agriculture in their respective communities.
“I hope if our chiefs embrace the project and release land willingly, it will motivate more youth to participate in the programme,” Mr Ampofo stated.
Mr Ampofo expressed the preparedness of the government to resource various traditional authorities to enable them to play their roles in ensuring national cohesion and the socio-economic development of the country.
The regional minister expressed concern over the high rate of maternal mortality and HIV and AIDS cases in the region.
“As major stakeholders, I urge you all to join the crusade against HIV and AIDS, as well as maternal mortality, so that they can be reduced to their barest minimum if not completely eliminated,” Mr Ampofo told the chiefs.
Responding to the concerns of the regional minister, the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Daasebre (Prof.) Oti Boateng, declared the House’s readiness to work with all stakeholders to address the various development challenges facing the region to better the lot of the people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)