AN emergency meeting to find solutions to the wanton destruction of the forest cover and the pollution of the Birim River through illegal mining often referred to as “galamsey” in the three Akyem traditional areas, has been held at Koforidua.
During the deliberations, the participants put the blame on the various stakeholders.
The activities of illegal miners who have been prospecting for gold in the East Akyem District in recent times, have led to the deaths of a number of people.
The meeting, which was held in Koforidua, was to see how best to address the issue, especially the cause of the deaths of two schoolchildren in an abandoned “galamsey” pit at Kyebi.
In attendance were members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), chiefs from the three Akyem traditional areas, namely Abuakwa, Kotoku and Bosome, landowners, municipal and district chief executives, officials from the Minerals Commission, Ghana Water Company and some licensed miners.
It came to light that some chiefs and landowners in the area allegedly collected various sums of money from licensed miners, who in turn gave out parts of their concessions to the “galamsey” operators.
It was also revealed that the Ghana Minerals Commission often gave out concessions to the licensed miners without consulting the traditional authorities in the area and that had made it difficult for the chiefs to monitor their activities.
Such officials were also alleged to have collected huge sums of money from the licensed miners so they did not adhere to the laid-down mining regulations.
Another worrying aspect of the issue was an allegation that some personnel from the joint security operations carried out in the past to arrest the illegal miners informed those they were to apprehend, making it possible for them to escape during the swoops.
In the round table discussion chaired by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, some of the traditional leaders pointed accusing fingers at licensed miners.
According to them, they were only interested in seeking their individual interests at the expense of the communities’.
The chiefs said the emergence of mining activities in the three traditional areas had led to several anti-social behaviours in the affected communities and mentioned teenage pregnancies and schoolchildren abandoning classes to mine gold known in the local parlance as “kolikoli”.
Some of the licensed miners also blamed the chiefs, who they claimed sold out concessions to them but later gave the same concessions out to illegal miners and other persons residing in the area without their consent.
Addressing the participants, the Executive Director of the GMC, Mr Fred Ohene-Kena, also blamed some of officials of the Minerals Commission whose selfishness and negligence had also contributed to the miners destroying the environment.
He warned that any official of the commission found to have gone “wayward” would face the full rigours of the law.
Mr Ohene Kena reminded the chiefs and landowners that since the minerals and other natural resources in the land had been vested in the government, they should refrain from giving out any of such concessions to miners, whether licensed or unlicensed.
For his part, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who recently led a security task force to clamp down on the illegal miners, directed the municipal and district assemblies to revoke the license of any mining company that would be found to have ceded parts of its concession to illegal miners.
He also urged the assemblies to issue permits to only mining companies whose activities would not pollute the Birim River.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
ENSURE SAFETY ON PNTANG-MAMFE ROAD...Otobuor Gyan Kwasi urges (PAGE 40, MAARCH 31, 2010)
THE chiefs and people of Aburi, Kitase and Gyankama in the Akuapem South District, have made a passionate appeal to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to put in place the necessary safety measures to ensure safety on the Pantang-Mamfe road.
The road, which was rehabilitated about three years ago and transformed to become one of the best in the country, has become a death trap due to speeding by motorists.
Making the appeal through the Daily Graphic at Aburi, the chiefs who were led by the Aburihene, Otobuor Gyan Kwasi, said safety measures such as the construction speed humps and road signs like zebra crossings, would help reduce the rampant killing of people, especially women and children, by speeding motorists.
According to them, in some instances, the drivers even refused to stop after knocking down pedestrians, making it impossible to bring the offenders to book.
They said in July, last year, 19 persons, mostly children and women, were killed by vehicles on the Kitase-Gyankama stretch of the 30-kilometre highway.
They added that two years ago, four children who were crossing the road to fetch water were also instantly killed while many adults were also killed or sustained various degrees of injury after being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Some of the adults who survived the accidents included four teachers from the Aburi Girls Senior High School who were crossing the road from the main yard of the school to the annexe.
To reduce or avert such tragic deaths on the highway, residents of Kitase and Gyankama have without the approval of the Ghana Highway Authority, erected speed humps on the road within the two towns, which have not reversed the situation but rather destroyed the beauty of the road.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Aburihene, Otobuor Djan, the Kitasehemaa, Nana Korkor Ntim, and the Headmistress of Aburi Girls SHS, Mrs Silvia Asempa, appealed to the GHA to use its expertise to address the issue as quickly as possible.
According to them, several appeals to draw the attention of the GHA to the danger posed to the people living along the road by speeding drivers had yielded no fruitful results.
They stated that until proper speed humps were erected along the highway, the frequent knocking down of pedestrians with the attendant deaths would continue.
“If those who are responsible for ensuring safety on the roads to prevent the killing of innocent people do not do what is expected to stop the carnage, then people in affected communities are left with no option but to erect inappropriate speed humps to save lives and property,” the Aburihene stated.
The road, which was rehabilitated about three years ago and transformed to become one of the best in the country, has become a death trap due to speeding by motorists.
Making the appeal through the Daily Graphic at Aburi, the chiefs who were led by the Aburihene, Otobuor Gyan Kwasi, said safety measures such as the construction speed humps and road signs like zebra crossings, would help reduce the rampant killing of people, especially women and children, by speeding motorists.
According to them, in some instances, the drivers even refused to stop after knocking down pedestrians, making it impossible to bring the offenders to book.
They said in July, last year, 19 persons, mostly children and women, were killed by vehicles on the Kitase-Gyankama stretch of the 30-kilometre highway.
They added that two years ago, four children who were crossing the road to fetch water were also instantly killed while many adults were also killed or sustained various degrees of injury after being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Some of the adults who survived the accidents included four teachers from the Aburi Girls Senior High School who were crossing the road from the main yard of the school to the annexe.
To reduce or avert such tragic deaths on the highway, residents of Kitase and Gyankama have without the approval of the Ghana Highway Authority, erected speed humps on the road within the two towns, which have not reversed the situation but rather destroyed the beauty of the road.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Aburihene, Otobuor Djan, the Kitasehemaa, Nana Korkor Ntim, and the Headmistress of Aburi Girls SHS, Mrs Silvia Asempa, appealed to the GHA to use its expertise to address the issue as quickly as possible.
According to them, several appeals to draw the attention of the GHA to the danger posed to the people living along the road by speeding drivers had yielded no fruitful results.
They stated that until proper speed humps were erected along the highway, the frequent knocking down of pedestrians with the attendant deaths would continue.
“If those who are responsible for ensuring safety on the roads to prevent the killing of innocent people do not do what is expected to stop the carnage, then people in affected communities are left with no option but to erect inappropriate speed humps to save lives and property,” the Aburihene stated.
Friday, March 26, 2010
WORK BEGINS ON AKYEM WENCHI WATER PROJECT (BACK PAGE, MARCH 26, 2010)
A sod has been cut for work to begin on the construction of a water project at Akyem Wenchi in the Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region.
The project, estimated at GH¢882,651, involves the construction of a treatment plant and installation of mechanised boreholes and standpipes.
On completion, the project will supply 120,000 gallons of water daily to serve the needs of 6000 people in the area who have to walk long distances to fetch water from the Birim River.
The project is being funded by the Danish Government through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the area at the sod-cutting ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said the project demonstrated the government’s commitment to fulfil its promise of providing clean water to the people of the area and surrounding communities.
He, therefore, called on those who would be selected to serve on the board to oversee the maintenance of the water project to ensure that revenue that would be generated would be utilised to maintain the project to prolong its lifespan.
For his part, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, said since the government was determined to improve the lot of rural folks, it would ensure that all the basic social amenities, including potable water, were made available to enhance development.
The Wenchihene, Baffour Wankyi Kuompa, expressed appreciation to the government for its commitment to provide a clean source of water to the people, saying that "this indeed will improve the health status of our people".
The project, estimated at GH¢882,651, involves the construction of a treatment plant and installation of mechanised boreholes and standpipes.
On completion, the project will supply 120,000 gallons of water daily to serve the needs of 6000 people in the area who have to walk long distances to fetch water from the Birim River.
The project is being funded by the Danish Government through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the area at the sod-cutting ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said the project demonstrated the government’s commitment to fulfil its promise of providing clean water to the people of the area and surrounding communities.
He, therefore, called on those who would be selected to serve on the board to oversee the maintenance of the water project to ensure that revenue that would be generated would be utilised to maintain the project to prolong its lifespan.
For his part, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, said since the government was determined to improve the lot of rural folks, it would ensure that all the basic social amenities, including potable water, were made available to enhance development.
The Wenchihene, Baffour Wankyi Kuompa, expressed appreciation to the government for its commitment to provide a clean source of water to the people, saying that "this indeed will improve the health status of our people".
Monday, March 22, 2010
$2BN TO REVAMP RAIL SYSTEM (SPREAD, MARCH 22, 2010)
More than $2 billion is to be injected into the rail transport system in the country to make it a safer, affordable and cost-effective alternative to road transport.
The investment is to revamp the sector to facilitate the movement of goods and services along the Accra-Koforidua-Kumasi rail line, which was one of the busiest rail lines in the country.
The project, which is expected to be implemented this year, would be funded by the African Railway Company.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, said upon completion of the project, travelling from Accra to Koforidua and Kumasi would be faster, while the toll that heavy vehicles took on the roads and road accidents would reduce to the barest minimum.
The deputy minister made the announcement when she was accompanied by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben, Mr Alex Asamoah, and officials of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC) to inspect encroached lands along rail lines in Koforidua on Saturday.
The visit also afforded the ministers the opportunity to appeal to squatters on the company's land to vacate, otherwise they would be ejected.
The deputy minister said since the operation of a modern and effective railway system was more affordable, cheaper and cost-effective, the government was determined to seek the active participation of investors to commit resources to the sector.
Mrs Attivor indicated that the involvement of foreign investors in the railway system would transform Ghana Railways from its current fragmented, unprofitable state into a viable commercial enterprise that would offer prompt and quality services to commuters.
According to her, the railway system in Ghana had been run down and neglected for many years in spite of its importance to transportation in the country.
"The problems of the GRC have been made worse as many illegal settlers have not only taken over the lands of the company but have also contributed to the current dilapidated state of the railway lines across the country," Mrs Attivor said.
She, therefore, appealed to the illegal settlers to relocate 100 feet from the rail lines, since their presence close to the lines could scare away investors from investing in the sector.
For his part, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who took Mrs Attivor round to observe at first-hand some of the unauthorised structures sited close to the rail lines in Koforidua, appealed to the squatters to relocate to facilitate the development of the area.
That, he said, would enhance the development of the central business district of Koforidua to make the area investment-friendly.
The investment is to revamp the sector to facilitate the movement of goods and services along the Accra-Koforidua-Kumasi rail line, which was one of the busiest rail lines in the country.
The project, which is expected to be implemented this year, would be funded by the African Railway Company.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, said upon completion of the project, travelling from Accra to Koforidua and Kumasi would be faster, while the toll that heavy vehicles took on the roads and road accidents would reduce to the barest minimum.
The deputy minister made the announcement when she was accompanied by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben, Mr Alex Asamoah, and officials of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC) to inspect encroached lands along rail lines in Koforidua on Saturday.
The visit also afforded the ministers the opportunity to appeal to squatters on the company's land to vacate, otherwise they would be ejected.
The deputy minister said since the operation of a modern and effective railway system was more affordable, cheaper and cost-effective, the government was determined to seek the active participation of investors to commit resources to the sector.
Mrs Attivor indicated that the involvement of foreign investors in the railway system would transform Ghana Railways from its current fragmented, unprofitable state into a viable commercial enterprise that would offer prompt and quality services to commuters.
According to her, the railway system in Ghana had been run down and neglected for many years in spite of its importance to transportation in the country.
"The problems of the GRC have been made worse as many illegal settlers have not only taken over the lands of the company but have also contributed to the current dilapidated state of the railway lines across the country," Mrs Attivor said.
She, therefore, appealed to the illegal settlers to relocate 100 feet from the rail lines, since their presence close to the lines could scare away investors from investing in the sector.
For his part, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who took Mrs Attivor round to observe at first-hand some of the unauthorised structures sited close to the rail lines in Koforidua, appealed to the squatters to relocate to facilitate the development of the area.
That, he said, would enhance the development of the central business district of Koforidua to make the area investment-friendly.
PREZ COMMENDS ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL (PAGE 55, MARCH 22, 2010)
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has commended management and staff of the St Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua for the quality health care services it has provided in 50 years of its existence.
He said the commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by management and staff of the hospital had helped to fight the "ravages of diseases and healed victims of accidents in the country and beyond".
"Your reputation for quality orthopaedic care has indeed attained an international recognition for which you must keep it up", the President stated.
The President made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, at Golden Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua.
The hospital which specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology, was established by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God from the Castilian Province of Spain with an out-patient attendance of 25.
Today, the facility records an average daily OPD attendance of 200 patients, comprising Ghanaians and other nationals.
The President said since the health of the people was wealth that would enable the country to achieve a middle-income status, the government was determined to ensure that quality and affordable health care delivery services were accessible.
He said the government alone could not accomplish such a commitment and, therefore, commended the membership of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), including the National Catholic Health Service.
"Your compliment in the area of health care delivery has indeed helped to narrow healthcare gaps of inequality and inequity between the urban and the rural parts of this country over the years", the President stated.
He added "you are indeed a pro-life and anti-marginalisation of the non-reached, poor and sick".
By virtue of the immense role being played by the National Catholic Health Service and other members of the CHAG, the President said that every effort would be made to recognise "you as separate agency of the Ministry of Health to enable us to attain the best health system required by the people of this country".
On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the President acknowledged some of the challenges facing the scheme, and mentioned, for example reimbursement to a number of service providers. He gave the assurance that such a problem would be addressed and the legal and operational challenges facing the scheme streamlined.
He also assured management of the facility that a borehole would be constructed to serve as a source of water to the hospital and directed the Biomedical Engineering unit of the Ministry of Health to assist the hospital to address its equipment needs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, expressed concern over how some managers of the NHIS had colluded with some service providers to siphon funds allocated for the smooth running of the scheme.
He said the government was determined to flush out such unscrupulous persons to make the scheme vibrant and attractive. Mr Ampofo acknowledged the patience of some of the service providers, including the St Joseph Hospital, which had continued to render services.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Rev Bro Johannes Baptista Torwoe, mentioned the lack of funds as one of the challenges facing the delivery of quality health care at the facility, saying "our past foreign partners who used to support us have now folded up due to the global economic crisis".
He therefore appealed to well-meaning individuals and the government to help address that problem.
He said the commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by management and staff of the hospital had helped to fight the "ravages of diseases and healed victims of accidents in the country and beyond".
"Your reputation for quality orthopaedic care has indeed attained an international recognition for which you must keep it up", the President stated.
The President made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, at Golden Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua.
The hospital which specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology, was established by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God from the Castilian Province of Spain with an out-patient attendance of 25.
Today, the facility records an average daily OPD attendance of 200 patients, comprising Ghanaians and other nationals.
The President said since the health of the people was wealth that would enable the country to achieve a middle-income status, the government was determined to ensure that quality and affordable health care delivery services were accessible.
He said the government alone could not accomplish such a commitment and, therefore, commended the membership of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), including the National Catholic Health Service.
"Your compliment in the area of health care delivery has indeed helped to narrow healthcare gaps of inequality and inequity between the urban and the rural parts of this country over the years", the President stated.
He added "you are indeed a pro-life and anti-marginalisation of the non-reached, poor and sick".
By virtue of the immense role being played by the National Catholic Health Service and other members of the CHAG, the President said that every effort would be made to recognise "you as separate agency of the Ministry of Health to enable us to attain the best health system required by the people of this country".
On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the President acknowledged some of the challenges facing the scheme, and mentioned, for example reimbursement to a number of service providers. He gave the assurance that such a problem would be addressed and the legal and operational challenges facing the scheme streamlined.
He also assured management of the facility that a borehole would be constructed to serve as a source of water to the hospital and directed the Biomedical Engineering unit of the Ministry of Health to assist the hospital to address its equipment needs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, expressed concern over how some managers of the NHIS had colluded with some service providers to siphon funds allocated for the smooth running of the scheme.
He said the government was determined to flush out such unscrupulous persons to make the scheme vibrant and attractive. Mr Ampofo acknowledged the patience of some of the service providers, including the St Joseph Hospital, which had continued to render services.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Rev Bro Johannes Baptista Torwoe, mentioned the lack of funds as one of the challenges facing the delivery of quality health care at the facility, saying "our past foreign partners who used to support us have now folded up due to the global economic crisis".
He therefore appealed to well-meaning individuals and the government to help address that problem.
PREZ COMMENDS ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL (PAGE 55, MARCH 22, 2010)
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has commended management and staff of the St Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua for the quality health care services it has provided in 50 years of its existence.
He said the commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by management and staff of the hospital had helped to fight the "ravages of diseases and healed victims of accidents in the country and beyond".
"Your reputation for quality orthopaedic care has indeed attained an international recognition for which you must keep it up", the President stated.
The President made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, at Golden Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua.
The hospital which specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology, was established by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God from the Castilian Province of Spain with an out-patient attendance of 25.
Today, the facility records an average daily OPD attendance of 200 patients, comprising Ghanaians and other nationals.
The President said since the health of the people was wealth that would enable the country to achieve a middle-income status, the government was determined to ensure that quality and affordable health care delivery services were accessible.
He said the government alone could not accomplish such a commitment and, therefore, commended the membership of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), including the National Catholic Health Service.
"Your compliment in the area of health care delivery has indeed helped to narrow healthcare gaps of inequality and inequity between the urban and the rural parts of this country over the years", the President stated.
He added "you are indeed a pro-life and anti-marginalisation of the non-reached, poor and sick".
By virtue of the immense role being played by the National Catholic Health Service and other members of the CHAG, the President said that every effort would be made to recognise "you as separate agency of the Ministry of Health to enable us to attain the best health system required by the people of this country".
On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the President acknowledged some of the challenges facing the scheme, and mentioned, for example reimbursement to a number of service providers. He gave the assurance that such a problem would be addressed and the legal and operational challenges facing the scheme streamlined.
He also assured management of the facility that a borehole would be constructed to serve as a source of water to the hospital and directed the Biomedical Engineering unit of the Ministry of Health to assist the hospital to address its equipment needs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, expressed concern over how some managers of the NHIS had colluded with some service providers to siphon funds allocated for the smooth running of the scheme.
He said the government was determined to flush out such unscrupulous persons to make the scheme vibrant and attractive. Mr Ampofo acknowledged the patience of some of the service providers, including the St Joseph Hospital, which had continued to render services.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Rev Bro Johannes Baptista Torwoe, mentioned the lack of funds as one of the challenges facing the delivery of quality health care at the facility, saying "our past foreign partners who used to support us have now folded up due to the global economic crisis".
He therefore appealed to well-meaning individuals and the government to help address that problem.
He said the commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by management and staff of the hospital had helped to fight the "ravages of diseases and healed victims of accidents in the country and beyond".
"Your reputation for quality orthopaedic care has indeed attained an international recognition for which you must keep it up", the President stated.
The President made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, at Golden Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua.
The hospital which specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology, was established by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God from the Castilian Province of Spain with an out-patient attendance of 25.
Today, the facility records an average daily OPD attendance of 200 patients, comprising Ghanaians and other nationals.
The President said since the health of the people was wealth that would enable the country to achieve a middle-income status, the government was determined to ensure that quality and affordable health care delivery services were accessible.
He said the government alone could not accomplish such a commitment and, therefore, commended the membership of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), including the National Catholic Health Service.
"Your compliment in the area of health care delivery has indeed helped to narrow healthcare gaps of inequality and inequity between the urban and the rural parts of this country over the years", the President stated.
He added "you are indeed a pro-life and anti-marginalisation of the non-reached, poor and sick".
By virtue of the immense role being played by the National Catholic Health Service and other members of the CHAG, the President said that every effort would be made to recognise "you as separate agency of the Ministry of Health to enable us to attain the best health system required by the people of this country".
On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the President acknowledged some of the challenges facing the scheme, and mentioned, for example reimbursement to a number of service providers. He gave the assurance that such a problem would be addressed and the legal and operational challenges facing the scheme streamlined.
He also assured management of the facility that a borehole would be constructed to serve as a source of water to the hospital and directed the Biomedical Engineering unit of the Ministry of Health to assist the hospital to address its equipment needs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, expressed concern over how some managers of the NHIS had colluded with some service providers to siphon funds allocated for the smooth running of the scheme.
He said the government was determined to flush out such unscrupulous persons to make the scheme vibrant and attractive. Mr Ampofo acknowledged the patience of some of the service providers, including the St Joseph Hospital, which had continued to render services.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Rev Bro Johannes Baptista Torwoe, mentioned the lack of funds as one of the challenges facing the delivery of quality health care at the facility, saying "our past foreign partners who used to support us have now folded up due to the global economic crisis".
He therefore appealed to well-meaning individuals and the government to help address that problem.
Friday, March 12, 2010
BE TRANSPARENT IN DISCHARGING DUTIES ...School Feeding Programme officers advised (PAGE 11, MARCH 12, 2010)
THE National Co-ordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Alhaji Abdul Rahman, has urged regional co-ordinators and desk officers of the scheme to be transparent and honest in the discharge of their duties to ensure its successful implementation in the country.
He advised them to refrain from linking the programme to partisan politics and rather let the feeding of the beneficiary schoolchildren with nutritional meals remain their main interest.
At a meeting with the staff of the programme at Koforidua, Mr Rahman said “as staff of the scheme, you must not engage in any action that will compromise efforts at clearing the image of the scheme of corruption and politics, which are inimical to its development”.
The meeting was aimed at collating data from co-ordinators and desk officers of the scheme in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions to inform future decision-making processes to improve and expand the implementation of the programme across the country.
Such a move, he said, would ensure that the implementation of the initiative would be devoid of corruption and politics, which threatened its successful implementation in the past.
As staff of the scheme, you must refrain from diverting money meant for the programme into your pockets and resist attempts to inflate figures in order not to deprive the children of warm and nutritional meals under the feeding programme on a daily basis, Alhaji Rahman stated.
The national co-ordinator said on assumption of office this year, the scheme was faced with some problems, which affected its implementation.
According to him, efforts were currently being made to enhance the image of the scheme to enable them to become socially accountable to stakeholders.
He indicated that the scheme, which was the only school feeding programme being run in Africa, was very important to the government and it had approved GH¢50 million this year for the programme as against GH¢39 million spent on the initiative last year.
He also indicated that the Dutch Government had earmarked GH¢12 million while the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation had pledged money for the programme.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, urged the staff of the scheme to prepare local dishes for the children to enable them to appreciate “their local diets”.
He advised them to refrain from linking the programme to partisan politics and rather let the feeding of the beneficiary schoolchildren with nutritional meals remain their main interest.
At a meeting with the staff of the programme at Koforidua, Mr Rahman said “as staff of the scheme, you must not engage in any action that will compromise efforts at clearing the image of the scheme of corruption and politics, which are inimical to its development”.
The meeting was aimed at collating data from co-ordinators and desk officers of the scheme in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions to inform future decision-making processes to improve and expand the implementation of the programme across the country.
Such a move, he said, would ensure that the implementation of the initiative would be devoid of corruption and politics, which threatened its successful implementation in the past.
As staff of the scheme, you must refrain from diverting money meant for the programme into your pockets and resist attempts to inflate figures in order not to deprive the children of warm and nutritional meals under the feeding programme on a daily basis, Alhaji Rahman stated.
The national co-ordinator said on assumption of office this year, the scheme was faced with some problems, which affected its implementation.
According to him, efforts were currently being made to enhance the image of the scheme to enable them to become socially accountable to stakeholders.
He indicated that the scheme, which was the only school feeding programme being run in Africa, was very important to the government and it had approved GH¢50 million this year for the programme as against GH¢39 million spent on the initiative last year.
He also indicated that the Dutch Government had earmarked GH¢12 million while the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation had pledged money for the programme.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, urged the staff of the scheme to prepare local dishes for the children to enable them to appreciate “their local diets”.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
War on galamsey operations...ARREST CHIEFS...Okyenhene charges (LEAD STORY, MARCH 10, 2010)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Kyebi
THE Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, has reaffirmed his resolve to halt illegal small-scale mining in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area with a call for the arrest and prosecution of any traditional ruler in the area suspected to be promoting the practice.
According to him, any chief who would be found to have collected money and given out land to the illegal miners to operate in the area should be made to face the full rigours of the law without any fear or favour.
He said if the laws of the country were to be respected and promoted, then those found guilty of flouting them, such as chiefs and members of royal families, including his own children, should not be spared but be made to face the law.
The Okyenhene also advised citizens of the area to refrain from joining the illegal mining, warning that those found involved should not be spared.
“Our ability to subject chiefs, members of royal families, citizens of Okyeman and outsiders to the full rigours of the law, without any favour, fear or political interference, will serve as a deterrent to others who are bent on destroying our forests and river bodies in the pursuit of their selfish interests,” he said.
Addressing the Okyeman Council at his palace, Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said, “If you, as chiefs, allow poverty to compel you to give out land to selfish individuals to destroy our forest reserves, water bodies and the ecology, at the expense of the people and posterity, then you must be made to be accountable for your selfish actions by facing the laws of the land.”
The meeting, which coincided with a press conference by the chiefs of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, also called for a ban on illegal mining in the area and an appeal to the government to tackle the issue with the seriousness it deserved.
The meeting came to an abrupt end when a report reached the Okyenhene and his sub-chiefs that some media personnel who were being taken round by the Akyem Abuakwa mining monitoring team to have a first-hand observation of the effects of the illegal mining on the land in the area had been assaulted by some of the illegal miners.
The reporters were chased into their waiting vehicle but, unfortunately, Mr Frank Okyere, the Eastern Regional correspondent of TV Africa, sustained a minor injury on the head when one of the galamsey operators slammed the door of the four-wheel drive on his head.
In another meeting to interact with the media, the Okyenhene expressed anger at the manner in which rumours were making the rounds that he (the Okyenhene) had, over the years, had a hand in the activities of galamsey operators in the area.
According to him, those unfounded rumours had negatively cast a slur on his 10-year reign during which he had consistently promoted environmental conservation in Okyeman.
“As an advocate of environmental conservation, if the land belongs to me, how then can I contract some people to dig the gold and the diamonds which are vested with the government and share with them?” Osagyefuo Ofori Panin asked.
“It will be highly hypocritical of me to preach environmental conservation and turn round to engage in activities that will undermine my resolve to protect the land for our people and future generations,” he emphasised.
He added that “anybody who goes around saying that I, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, have authorised or instructed him to operate on our land for gold and diamond is a blatant liar and must, therefore, be brought before the council of chiefs to prove himself of his claims”.
To that end, the Okyenhene warned that any chief found to be promoting galamsey operations in the area should consider himself not part of the traditional council any longer.
“If, as a chief, you are caught to be backing illegal mining in your area, do consider yourself not a part of the traditional council and never, on any occasion, attempt to step foot in my palace,” he warned the chiefs.
According to him, the incessant and blatant depletion of more than 80 per cent of forest reserves in Okyeman and its environs and the heavy pollution of the Birim River, which had been the main source of drinking water for the people over the years, by a syndicate of illegal chainsaw operators and illegal miners were seriously undermining efforts to protect the forest and other natural resources in the area.
He acknowledged that while the youth needed to be provided with jobs, the manner in which the land was being degraded and abandoned posed a serious threat to people, especially women and children who often had to cross such degraded and dangerous land to their farms.
THE Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, has reaffirmed his resolve to halt illegal small-scale mining in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area with a call for the arrest and prosecution of any traditional ruler in the area suspected to be promoting the practice.
According to him, any chief who would be found to have collected money and given out land to the illegal miners to operate in the area should be made to face the full rigours of the law without any fear or favour.
He said if the laws of the country were to be respected and promoted, then those found guilty of flouting them, such as chiefs and members of royal families, including his own children, should not be spared but be made to face the law.
The Okyenhene also advised citizens of the area to refrain from joining the illegal mining, warning that those found involved should not be spared.
“Our ability to subject chiefs, members of royal families, citizens of Okyeman and outsiders to the full rigours of the law, without any favour, fear or political interference, will serve as a deterrent to others who are bent on destroying our forests and river bodies in the pursuit of their selfish interests,” he said.
Addressing the Okyeman Council at his palace, Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said, “If you, as chiefs, allow poverty to compel you to give out land to selfish individuals to destroy our forest reserves, water bodies and the ecology, at the expense of the people and posterity, then you must be made to be accountable for your selfish actions by facing the laws of the land.”
The meeting, which coincided with a press conference by the chiefs of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, also called for a ban on illegal mining in the area and an appeal to the government to tackle the issue with the seriousness it deserved.
The meeting came to an abrupt end when a report reached the Okyenhene and his sub-chiefs that some media personnel who were being taken round by the Akyem Abuakwa mining monitoring team to have a first-hand observation of the effects of the illegal mining on the land in the area had been assaulted by some of the illegal miners.
The reporters were chased into their waiting vehicle but, unfortunately, Mr Frank Okyere, the Eastern Regional correspondent of TV Africa, sustained a minor injury on the head when one of the galamsey operators slammed the door of the four-wheel drive on his head.
In another meeting to interact with the media, the Okyenhene expressed anger at the manner in which rumours were making the rounds that he (the Okyenhene) had, over the years, had a hand in the activities of galamsey operators in the area.
According to him, those unfounded rumours had negatively cast a slur on his 10-year reign during which he had consistently promoted environmental conservation in Okyeman.
“As an advocate of environmental conservation, if the land belongs to me, how then can I contract some people to dig the gold and the diamonds which are vested with the government and share with them?” Osagyefuo Ofori Panin asked.
“It will be highly hypocritical of me to preach environmental conservation and turn round to engage in activities that will undermine my resolve to protect the land for our people and future generations,” he emphasised.
He added that “anybody who goes around saying that I, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, have authorised or instructed him to operate on our land for gold and diamond is a blatant liar and must, therefore, be brought before the council of chiefs to prove himself of his claims”.
To that end, the Okyenhene warned that any chief found to be promoting galamsey operations in the area should consider himself not part of the traditional council any longer.
“If, as a chief, you are caught to be backing illegal mining in your area, do consider yourself not a part of the traditional council and never, on any occasion, attempt to step foot in my palace,” he warned the chiefs.
According to him, the incessant and blatant depletion of more than 80 per cent of forest reserves in Okyeman and its environs and the heavy pollution of the Birim River, which had been the main source of drinking water for the people over the years, by a syndicate of illegal chainsaw operators and illegal miners were seriously undermining efforts to protect the forest and other natural resources in the area.
He acknowledged that while the youth needed to be provided with jobs, the manner in which the land was being degraded and abandoned posed a serious threat to people, especially women and children who often had to cross such degraded and dangerous land to their farms.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
NANA TWININ ELECTED PRESIDENT OF GHANA TOURISM FEDERATION (PAGE 21, MAR 4, 2010)
THE regent of Kwabeng in the Eastern Region, Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin, has been elected as the new President of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF).
Nana Twinin, who is also the Akyempemhene of Kwabeng, was elected together with other new executive members to run the affairs of the association for the next two years.
The new president contested the position on the ticket of the Ghana Hotels Association, polling 16 votes to beat Mr Nkunu Akyea of the Tour Guides Association, who had 13 votes.
A hotelier by profession, Nana Adjei Twinin is the Managing Director of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel and the Mac Dick Hotel, both at Koforidua.
Other members of the newly elected executive included Mr David Nana Anim, as the vice president and Mrs Edith Addo, as treasurer.
The two, who served under the previous administration, were elected unopposed.
Nana Anim stood as the former president of the Car Rentals Association of Ghana whilst Mrs Addo, who is the proprietress of Crab House Restaurant at Kaneshie, stood on the ticket of the Indigenous Caterers Association.
The new executive of GHATOF will officially be sworn in today, March 4.
The event drew observers from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ghana Tourist Board, among other organisations.
Nana Twinin, who is also the Akyempemhene of Kwabeng, was elected together with other new executive members to run the affairs of the association for the next two years.
The new president contested the position on the ticket of the Ghana Hotels Association, polling 16 votes to beat Mr Nkunu Akyea of the Tour Guides Association, who had 13 votes.
A hotelier by profession, Nana Adjei Twinin is the Managing Director of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel and the Mac Dick Hotel, both at Koforidua.
Other members of the newly elected executive included Mr David Nana Anim, as the vice president and Mrs Edith Addo, as treasurer.
The two, who served under the previous administration, were elected unopposed.
Nana Anim stood as the former president of the Car Rentals Association of Ghana whilst Mrs Addo, who is the proprietress of Crab House Restaurant at Kaneshie, stood on the ticket of the Indigenous Caterers Association.
The new executive of GHATOF will officially be sworn in today, March 4.
The event drew observers from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ghana Tourist Board, among other organisations.
MULTI-PURPOSE PALACE FOR KWABENG (PAGE 35, MIRROR, FEB 27, 2010)
From Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua
THE Regent of Kwabeng, capital of the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region, Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin, has appealed to the citizens of the town to take advantage of the settlement of the prolonged chieftaincy dispute in the area to unite and peacefully coexist with one another.
He further urged the people to invest in the local economy as part of their contribution to boosting the socio-economic progress of the ancient town.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a palace court for the town, the regent said “we can only hope to see meaningful development of our town if we are prepared to live at peace with each other and let go past misunderstanding among us”.
The construction of the GH¢85,000 multi-purpose palace for the area was initiated by Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin, who also is currently the Akyempemhene of the area.
It is expected to be completed in December, this year to replace the dilapidated palace which was built in the 1920s.
The regent noted that the prolonged litigation among the three royal families, dating back to 1934, had severely affected the development of the town, a situation that had discouraged many potential investors from investing in the town.
“If we the leaders are always pre-occupied with litigation at the courts, how can we have the time to channel our time, energy and resources into development initiatives that will better the lot of our subjects?” Nana Twinin asked.
Outlining development initiatives taken by the traditional authorities, Nana Twinin said the leaders of the town had set up various committees to oversee improvements in the areas of health, education, sanitation and environment, administration and economy of the area.
The regent expressed concern over the lack of social amenities facing the district such as good road network, a hospital and infrastructure for the Anglican Senior High and Technical School at Kwabeng and appealed to the government to help address such problems.
The District Chief Executive for Atiwa, Mr Ata Twum, also reiterated the need for the people to invest in the local economy of the town so as to raise its development status.
He expressed the readiness of the district assembly to provide the needed support for various laudable development initiatives yet to be implemented in the town.
THE Regent of Kwabeng, capital of the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region, Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin, has appealed to the citizens of the town to take advantage of the settlement of the prolonged chieftaincy dispute in the area to unite and peacefully coexist with one another.
He further urged the people to invest in the local economy as part of their contribution to boosting the socio-economic progress of the ancient town.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a palace court for the town, the regent said “we can only hope to see meaningful development of our town if we are prepared to live at peace with each other and let go past misunderstanding among us”.
The construction of the GH¢85,000 multi-purpose palace for the area was initiated by Nana Kofi Adjei Twinin, who also is currently the Akyempemhene of the area.
It is expected to be completed in December, this year to replace the dilapidated palace which was built in the 1920s.
The regent noted that the prolonged litigation among the three royal families, dating back to 1934, had severely affected the development of the town, a situation that had discouraged many potential investors from investing in the town.
“If we the leaders are always pre-occupied with litigation at the courts, how can we have the time to channel our time, energy and resources into development initiatives that will better the lot of our subjects?” Nana Twinin asked.
Outlining development initiatives taken by the traditional authorities, Nana Twinin said the leaders of the town had set up various committees to oversee improvements in the areas of health, education, sanitation and environment, administration and economy of the area.
The regent expressed concern over the lack of social amenities facing the district such as good road network, a hospital and infrastructure for the Anglican Senior High and Technical School at Kwabeng and appealed to the government to help address such problems.
The District Chief Executive for Atiwa, Mr Ata Twum, also reiterated the need for the people to invest in the local economy of the town so as to raise its development status.
He expressed the readiness of the district assembly to provide the needed support for various laudable development initiatives yet to be implemented in the town.
WHAT ACTIONS MUST GOVERNMENT PURSUE IN 2010? (PAGE 31, MIRROR, FEB 6, 2010)
I strongly believe 2010 will be a good year if Ghanaians adopt a positive mental attitude and strive to do the right thing in every sphere of our life at all times.
One of the things I hold strongly is that if others in the developed world, through positive attitude, have made it, we cannot afford to fail to make it too. Anytime I travel outside Ghana what I see and admire is the attitude the people in Britain, US and Singapore.
For instance, where there is positive culture among the people and it is a situation which I consider to have played an immense role in their development aspirations.
In Ghana however, it is the contrary as in many instances our attitude towards projects built by the government is negative as enterprises are left to deteriorate because of our culture of lack of maintenance.
This situation has not only cost the nation millions of money used to rehabilitate such projects but also makes the country lose favour in the eyes of the international community.
If we can change our attitudes, then we can hope to change our nation.
As part of efforts to ensure a positive change in the people’s attitudes, I expect the government, religious bodies, traditional authorities, parents and other stakeholders to focus sustained attention not only on preaching the gospel but also on attitudinal change.
Attitudinal change oriented programmes must be embarked on in our schools, market and public places. If I can put my house in order and my neighbour can do the same, then we can positively hope the entire nation can move in the same direction.
This will put a brake on the practice of spending millions of cedis to keep our environment clean.
Together we can accomplish a lot of things since we are not a poor nation. So long as our attitudes remain negative, we would waste every resource meant for development.
Indeed 2009 saw less government activities in areas such as the holding of conferences and workshops in most of the hotels across the country. This was because the nation had just emerged from elections and past experiences always show that anytime there is a change of government, things move slowly.
However, now that the government has put in place its machinery and appointments, I am hopeful that the economy would see significant growth that will encourage the patronage of various facilities in the hospitality industry in the country.
To ensure that the sector measures up to the expectation of the people,there is the need to give priority to the training of staff in the hospitality industry.
Apart from the infrastructure that is built, the other most important aspect of the industry is the need to allow staff to upgrade themselves to enable them to discharge their duties more professionally.
I believe that when people patronise hotels they should get value for their money since they have reasons for going to such places. Some go for the purpose of business transactions, others to have rest and some for private reasons while others do so to attend conferences. All these people need to be accorded the needed courtesy and good services to make them feel at home.
Hoteliers must remember that it is only when we have repeated visits from satisfied guests that we can be in good business. It is therefore important to ensure a sustained good relations with guests at all times.
Another area that can assure good service delivery is the constant supply of utilities such as electricity, water and good telephone network from the telecommunication services. Guests will feel comfortable when all these are running perfectly.
In a situation where there is power curtailment hotels must have standby generators but this means more cost for the running of such services.
I think there is hope for advancement for the hospitality industry.
I hear people say that 2009 was a very bad year. Yes, it was a very bad year, for him who says that. But it was not a very bad year for me.
For me, it was the best of years and 2010 is going to even surpass 2009 in goodness because that’s what I’m expecting of 2010. That’s what I believe 2010 has in “the bag” for me.
We don’t have to expect others to make things look and taste better for us but must do so for ourselves. It is only the individual who can make his or her own life, that of the family community, country and 2010 look better and become better.
And if I am better, then I can also influence others to be same, resulting in a better world for us all.
Ghanaians should therefore look at 2010 with hope for better results. Challenges are to be expected at every stage of life – but no challenge is going to make 2010 bad. Every challenge is to make the individual a better person.
We will cry, we will laugh and continue believing we are beautiful and handsome in 2010 because that’s who we are.
The figure 10 may stand for a number of things. 2010 as I figure, should be considered as a year of wholeness and fullness for Ghanaians. We only have to be prepared to receive. All we need is to be still and know that our God is good.
After the tension associated with the 2008 elections died down, Ghanaians were looking forward to some calm but there has been agitations all over.
It is either one pastor against the other, or a pastor against a traditional leader, or two politicians inciting their followers against each other, sometimes, even within the same political party.
This year, I pray that Ghanaians will push all such differences down the drains so that together we can put ideas together on how to build the country especially at this time that the country has found oil.
I also hope that the “give it to God” attitude will be made more manifest in our daily activities so that in forgiving ourselves love will abound.
My joy will know no bounds if at the end of the year, the MTTU of the Ghana Police Service reports that there was less or no road accidents this year.
My greatest wish is that God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.
I had always viewed 2009 as a great year, but I think this year would be more promising. I hope to see significant progress in every sphere of my life — from developing a stronger personal relationship with God, excelling in my academic work to building better relationships with my colleagues, lecturers and parents.
Moreover, unlike the previous year, I am very optimistic that 2010 will offer me so many opportunities to enable me to be of assistance to others in society.
For this reason, I hope that society in general including churches, community, well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies will cultivate the habit of giving back to society as part of their social contributions in support of the needy and the under-privileged.
This, I hope will help create a better future for such people to develop themselves too.
As a midwifery student, I expect to see less maternal deaths in our health facilities. To this end, I look up to the government to resource the hospitals and clinics to enable health personnel discharge their duties more professionally.
After all, it will be in support of the nation’s developmental aspiration to achieve the third and fourth Millennium Development Goals which call for a reduction in infant mortality and an improvement in maternal health. Besides, the government should also ensure that roads in the remote areas of the country are improved to ensure safe transportation of pregnant women to health delivery centres.
In addition as a student leader, I pray that this year will also see the youth exhibiting greater commitment and determination in all aspects of their lives and avoid seeking shortcuts to attain material wealth.
It is said that shortcut to greatness is shortcut to one’s downfall. The youth must therefore desire to develop themselves academically to empower them to become responsible adults and refrain from lifestyles that could predispose them to diseases, particularly HIV and AIDS which will destroy their future ambitions in the long run.
The previous year saw the media playing its role very well in the Eastern Region. Nonetheless, there were incidents where for example an impostor who claimed to be a journalist had a brush with the law and was jailed.
I want to see more improvements in the functions of the media this year. It is therefore my hope that political parties, representatives of the government in the region and other players in the economy will accord media practitioners the needed support to enable them live up to expectation.
From December last year to January this year, journalists in the Eastern Region have been entertained by corporate organisations, political parties and individuals, making it one of the biggest receptions ever given to the media recently in appreciation of the good work done last year.
As a result, I expect the media to perform better than it did the previous year and hope that media employers will institute better conditions of service for their reporters since this will encourage them to be more professional and also prevent them from becoming susceptible to manipulation.
The media must focus more attention on development challenges particularly in the area of agriculture, which engages over 70 per cent of the population in the country. Tourism must also be highlighted.
I see 2010 to be a good year and hope Ghanaians will work hard to push the economy forward.
After the change of government in 2008, it is important that Ghanaians endeavour to get along with the government and focus on rebuilding the country to make it great in spite of the global recession.
There is too much talk on politics in this country, a situation that has seen precious times being wasted on air.
Instead of wasting precious time, we must all put our shoulders to the wheel of development.
It is my wish that the country would have a new direction which will require civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses, journalists and other professionals to close the door on politics and attend to serious work.
Besides, I also expect the youth to yearn to develop themselves by reading wide and to become responsible adults. They must refrain from negative lifestyles that can make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV and AIDS.
It is my hope that the old generation will put up positive attitudes to enable the young ones to emulate them.
With regard to health, I expect the public health division of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Services to be up and doing and address the various diseases such as malaria and other preventable sanitation-related diseases.
We have done well but there is more room for improvement.
One of the things I hold strongly is that if others in the developed world, through positive attitude, have made it, we cannot afford to fail to make it too. Anytime I travel outside Ghana what I see and admire is the attitude the people in Britain, US and Singapore.
For instance, where there is positive culture among the people and it is a situation which I consider to have played an immense role in their development aspirations.
In Ghana however, it is the contrary as in many instances our attitude towards projects built by the government is negative as enterprises are left to deteriorate because of our culture of lack of maintenance.
This situation has not only cost the nation millions of money used to rehabilitate such projects but also makes the country lose favour in the eyes of the international community.
If we can change our attitudes, then we can hope to change our nation.
As part of efforts to ensure a positive change in the people’s attitudes, I expect the government, religious bodies, traditional authorities, parents and other stakeholders to focus sustained attention not only on preaching the gospel but also on attitudinal change.
Attitudinal change oriented programmes must be embarked on in our schools, market and public places. If I can put my house in order and my neighbour can do the same, then we can positively hope the entire nation can move in the same direction.
This will put a brake on the practice of spending millions of cedis to keep our environment clean.
Together we can accomplish a lot of things since we are not a poor nation. So long as our attitudes remain negative, we would waste every resource meant for development.
Indeed 2009 saw less government activities in areas such as the holding of conferences and workshops in most of the hotels across the country. This was because the nation had just emerged from elections and past experiences always show that anytime there is a change of government, things move slowly.
However, now that the government has put in place its machinery and appointments, I am hopeful that the economy would see significant growth that will encourage the patronage of various facilities in the hospitality industry in the country.
To ensure that the sector measures up to the expectation of the people,there is the need to give priority to the training of staff in the hospitality industry.
Apart from the infrastructure that is built, the other most important aspect of the industry is the need to allow staff to upgrade themselves to enable them to discharge their duties more professionally.
I believe that when people patronise hotels they should get value for their money since they have reasons for going to such places. Some go for the purpose of business transactions, others to have rest and some for private reasons while others do so to attend conferences. All these people need to be accorded the needed courtesy and good services to make them feel at home.
Hoteliers must remember that it is only when we have repeated visits from satisfied guests that we can be in good business. It is therefore important to ensure a sustained good relations with guests at all times.
Another area that can assure good service delivery is the constant supply of utilities such as electricity, water and good telephone network from the telecommunication services. Guests will feel comfortable when all these are running perfectly.
In a situation where there is power curtailment hotels must have standby generators but this means more cost for the running of such services.
I think there is hope for advancement for the hospitality industry.
I hear people say that 2009 was a very bad year. Yes, it was a very bad year, for him who says that. But it was not a very bad year for me.
For me, it was the best of years and 2010 is going to even surpass 2009 in goodness because that’s what I’m expecting of 2010. That’s what I believe 2010 has in “the bag” for me.
We don’t have to expect others to make things look and taste better for us but must do so for ourselves. It is only the individual who can make his or her own life, that of the family community, country and 2010 look better and become better.
And if I am better, then I can also influence others to be same, resulting in a better world for us all.
Ghanaians should therefore look at 2010 with hope for better results. Challenges are to be expected at every stage of life – but no challenge is going to make 2010 bad. Every challenge is to make the individual a better person.
We will cry, we will laugh and continue believing we are beautiful and handsome in 2010 because that’s who we are.
The figure 10 may stand for a number of things. 2010 as I figure, should be considered as a year of wholeness and fullness for Ghanaians. We only have to be prepared to receive. All we need is to be still and know that our God is good.
After the tension associated with the 2008 elections died down, Ghanaians were looking forward to some calm but there has been agitations all over.
It is either one pastor against the other, or a pastor against a traditional leader, or two politicians inciting their followers against each other, sometimes, even within the same political party.
This year, I pray that Ghanaians will push all such differences down the drains so that together we can put ideas together on how to build the country especially at this time that the country has found oil.
I also hope that the “give it to God” attitude will be made more manifest in our daily activities so that in forgiving ourselves love will abound.
My joy will know no bounds if at the end of the year, the MTTU of the Ghana Police Service reports that there was less or no road accidents this year.
My greatest wish is that God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.
I had always viewed 2009 as a great year, but I think this year would be more promising. I hope to see significant progress in every sphere of my life — from developing a stronger personal relationship with God, excelling in my academic work to building better relationships with my colleagues, lecturers and parents.
Moreover, unlike the previous year, I am very optimistic that 2010 will offer me so many opportunities to enable me to be of assistance to others in society.
For this reason, I hope that society in general including churches, community, well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies will cultivate the habit of giving back to society as part of their social contributions in support of the needy and the under-privileged.
This, I hope will help create a better future for such people to develop themselves too.
As a midwifery student, I expect to see less maternal deaths in our health facilities. To this end, I look up to the government to resource the hospitals and clinics to enable health personnel discharge their duties more professionally.
After all, it will be in support of the nation’s developmental aspiration to achieve the third and fourth Millennium Development Goals which call for a reduction in infant mortality and an improvement in maternal health. Besides, the government should also ensure that roads in the remote areas of the country are improved to ensure safe transportation of pregnant women to health delivery centres.
In addition as a student leader, I pray that this year will also see the youth exhibiting greater commitment and determination in all aspects of their lives and avoid seeking shortcuts to attain material wealth.
It is said that shortcut to greatness is shortcut to one’s downfall. The youth must therefore desire to develop themselves academically to empower them to become responsible adults and refrain from lifestyles that could predispose them to diseases, particularly HIV and AIDS which will destroy their future ambitions in the long run.
The previous year saw the media playing its role very well in the Eastern Region. Nonetheless, there were incidents where for example an impostor who claimed to be a journalist had a brush with the law and was jailed.
I want to see more improvements in the functions of the media this year. It is therefore my hope that political parties, representatives of the government in the region and other players in the economy will accord media practitioners the needed support to enable them live up to expectation.
From December last year to January this year, journalists in the Eastern Region have been entertained by corporate organisations, political parties and individuals, making it one of the biggest receptions ever given to the media recently in appreciation of the good work done last year.
As a result, I expect the media to perform better than it did the previous year and hope that media employers will institute better conditions of service for their reporters since this will encourage them to be more professional and also prevent them from becoming susceptible to manipulation.
The media must focus more attention on development challenges particularly in the area of agriculture, which engages over 70 per cent of the population in the country. Tourism must also be highlighted.
I see 2010 to be a good year and hope Ghanaians will work hard to push the economy forward.
After the change of government in 2008, it is important that Ghanaians endeavour to get along with the government and focus on rebuilding the country to make it great in spite of the global recession.
There is too much talk on politics in this country, a situation that has seen precious times being wasted on air.
Instead of wasting precious time, we must all put our shoulders to the wheel of development.
It is my wish that the country would have a new direction which will require civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses, journalists and other professionals to close the door on politics and attend to serious work.
Besides, I also expect the youth to yearn to develop themselves by reading wide and to become responsible adults. They must refrain from negative lifestyles that can make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV and AIDS.
It is my hope that the old generation will put up positive attitudes to enable the young ones to emulate them.
With regard to health, I expect the public health division of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Services to be up and doing and address the various diseases such as malaria and other preventable sanitation-related diseases.
We have done well but there is more room for improvement.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
ACCOUNTANT JAILED ONE MONTH FOR STEALING (PAGE 34, MIRROR, JAN 23, 2010)
From Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua.
A 35-year-old chartered accountant, who registered his company in the name of his employer’s company and channeled cheques issued in the company’s name into his account, has been sentenced to a month imprisonment with hard labour by a High Court at Koforidua.
Peter Nana Addai Sarpong, was said to have opened an account in the name of Mac Dic Investment with the Koforidua branch of the HFC Bank, into which he paid three cheques valued at GH¢8,000, issued in the name of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, where he was a staff.
Sarpong, who was charged with one count of stealing for which he pleaded not guilty, was said to have deleted all records of transactions of the hotel stored on the company’s computer in respect of the operations of the hotel.
Prosecuting, a State Attorney, Mr Fred Tetteh, told the court, presided over by Mr Justice G. S. Suurbaareh, that Sarpong, who is an accountant by profession and lives in Accra, on May 12, 2009, deserted his post and went into hiding.
He said Sarpong’s employer detected that he had stolen three cheques valued at about GH¢8,000 that were paid to the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel by the clients.
The prosecutor said a complaint was made to the police and during investigations, it came to light that Sarpong forged the official company registration certificate of Mac Dic Enterprises Limited with a fake name, Kobina Abanfo, which he used to open a bank account.
Mr Tetteh said Sarpong was later traced and arrested. Giving the sentence, the court said the audit report indicated that five other cheques paid to the Mac Dic Hotel were not disposed into the hotel’s account and could not be traced, noting that those cheques covered the sum of GH¢3,639, which formed part of the sum of GH¢8,000 for which the convict had been charged.
The court said that although the amount involved did not appear too great, the way in which the convict planned and executed the crime, as well as the clever manner in which he tried to prevent the detection by deleting all information from the computer, coupled with the fact that he used his professional knowledge as a chartered accountant to commit the crime made him a very dangerous person.
It further indicated that, while it was true that the convict was a young man, there was nothing to show that it was his “first brush with the law”, adding “such a person should not be made to serve a long sentence and in the absence of grievous circumstances, he should not even suffer a custodial sentence.
“However, as indicated, the manner in which he planned, executed and tried to cover up the crime make him a potential danger to society and should be made to realise that the criminal path he had undertaken to travel at 35 years of age is not profitable, but only leads to doom, a bit of custodial sentence is necessary to make him realise his folly”, the court emphasised.
However, the Attorney General has appealed against the sentence which it considered as lenient.
A 35-year-old chartered accountant, who registered his company in the name of his employer’s company and channeled cheques issued in the company’s name into his account, has been sentenced to a month imprisonment with hard labour by a High Court at Koforidua.
Peter Nana Addai Sarpong, was said to have opened an account in the name of Mac Dic Investment with the Koforidua branch of the HFC Bank, into which he paid three cheques valued at GH¢8,000, issued in the name of the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, where he was a staff.
Sarpong, who was charged with one count of stealing for which he pleaded not guilty, was said to have deleted all records of transactions of the hotel stored on the company’s computer in respect of the operations of the hotel.
Prosecuting, a State Attorney, Mr Fred Tetteh, told the court, presided over by Mr Justice G. S. Suurbaareh, that Sarpong, who is an accountant by profession and lives in Accra, on May 12, 2009, deserted his post and went into hiding.
He said Sarpong’s employer detected that he had stolen three cheques valued at about GH¢8,000 that were paid to the Mac Dic Royal Plaza Hotel by the clients.
The prosecutor said a complaint was made to the police and during investigations, it came to light that Sarpong forged the official company registration certificate of Mac Dic Enterprises Limited with a fake name, Kobina Abanfo, which he used to open a bank account.
Mr Tetteh said Sarpong was later traced and arrested. Giving the sentence, the court said the audit report indicated that five other cheques paid to the Mac Dic Hotel were not disposed into the hotel’s account and could not be traced, noting that those cheques covered the sum of GH¢3,639, which formed part of the sum of GH¢8,000 for which the convict had been charged.
The court said that although the amount involved did not appear too great, the way in which the convict planned and executed the crime, as well as the clever manner in which he tried to prevent the detection by deleting all information from the computer, coupled with the fact that he used his professional knowledge as a chartered accountant to commit the crime made him a very dangerous person.
It further indicated that, while it was true that the convict was a young man, there was nothing to show that it was his “first brush with the law”, adding “such a person should not be made to serve a long sentence and in the absence of grievous circumstances, he should not even suffer a custodial sentence.
“However, as indicated, the manner in which he planned, executed and tried to cover up the crime make him a potential danger to society and should be made to realise that the criminal path he had undertaken to travel at 35 years of age is not profitable, but only leads to doom, a bit of custodial sentence is necessary to make him realise his folly”, the court emphasised.
However, the Attorney General has appealed against the sentence which it considered as lenient.
BIG CARNIVAL ROCKS KOFORIDUA (PAGE 38, MIRROR, JAN 9, 2010
From Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua.
THE 2009 Koforidua Street Carnival came off in a glittering, vivacious and colourful atmosphere that attracted a large number of people who were treated to various music flavours.
The event, fourth in the series saw both the young and old, taking to the streets to dance to hip-hop beats, reggae hits, highlife and live band music.
The one-day extravaganza, which started in 2007 and is considered by many in the New Juaben Municipality as the greatest show in the Eastern Region, created a joyous atmosphere with the revellers jam-packed with little space between them.
A unique feature of this year’s street carnival was the inclusion of games such as snookers and table tennis which equally drew a lot of attention from the youth some of whom took turns to show their talents in the games.
Lasting for 12 hours from 6 p.m to 5.30 a.m, the fiesta set the entire municipality agog with almost all the drinking bars, shops and fuel filling stations opened until the next day.
About eight music ‘spinners’ and three live band music groups graced the event, which saw most of the people moving from one area of the carnival to another and from one live band music stand to the other to savour the variety of music that was being played.
Besides the excitement that characterised the event, there was also enough food and other delicacies which all made the festival enjoyable and one to be remembered for a very long time.
In fact it is being touted as the best ever organised by the Y & K Investment Limited in collaboration with the HFC Bank, TAG Ghana Limited, OLAM, Nestle Ghana Limited, Tigo and Vodafone, Cadbury Ghana Limited, Yas Detergent, Hippo Ghana Limited and Imesco Ghana Limited.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Chief Executive Officer of Y & K Investment Limited, Mr Kwesi Premoh said his outfit initiated the event as part of its corporate social responsibility to provide an interesting and lively atmosphere for the residents to share in the joy of the Christmas festivities.
“Since the New Juaben Municipality abounds in many tourism potentials, we decided to initiate this annual street carnival to add more beauty and variety to entertainment life in Koforidua, which is noted as one of the best places for relaxation and socialisation in the country”, Mr Premoh stated.
According to him, to make the event a permanent one, there were plans to introduce more innovations and seek the support of other sponsors to “ensure its proper organisation every year”.
THE 2009 Koforidua Street Carnival came off in a glittering, vivacious and colourful atmosphere that attracted a large number of people who were treated to various music flavours.
The event, fourth in the series saw both the young and old, taking to the streets to dance to hip-hop beats, reggae hits, highlife and live band music.
The one-day extravaganza, which started in 2007 and is considered by many in the New Juaben Municipality as the greatest show in the Eastern Region, created a joyous atmosphere with the revellers jam-packed with little space between them.
A unique feature of this year’s street carnival was the inclusion of games such as snookers and table tennis which equally drew a lot of attention from the youth some of whom took turns to show their talents in the games.
Lasting for 12 hours from 6 p.m to 5.30 a.m, the fiesta set the entire municipality agog with almost all the drinking bars, shops and fuel filling stations opened until the next day.
About eight music ‘spinners’ and three live band music groups graced the event, which saw most of the people moving from one area of the carnival to another and from one live band music stand to the other to savour the variety of music that was being played.
Besides the excitement that characterised the event, there was also enough food and other delicacies which all made the festival enjoyable and one to be remembered for a very long time.
In fact it is being touted as the best ever organised by the Y & K Investment Limited in collaboration with the HFC Bank, TAG Ghana Limited, OLAM, Nestle Ghana Limited, Tigo and Vodafone, Cadbury Ghana Limited, Yas Detergent, Hippo Ghana Limited and Imesco Ghana Limited.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Chief Executive Officer of Y & K Investment Limited, Mr Kwesi Premoh said his outfit initiated the event as part of its corporate social responsibility to provide an interesting and lively atmosphere for the residents to share in the joy of the Christmas festivities.
“Since the New Juaben Municipality abounds in many tourism potentials, we decided to initiate this annual street carnival to add more beauty and variety to entertainment life in Koforidua, which is noted as one of the best places for relaxation and socialisation in the country”, Mr Premoh stated.
According to him, to make the event a permanent one, there were plans to introduce more innovations and seek the support of other sponsors to “ensure its proper organisation every year”.
TRAGEDY AT KYEBI...Galamsey pit kills 2 brothers (LEAD STORY, MARCH 2, 2010)
TWO schoolchildren, aged 12 and 15, died at Kyebi in the Eastern Region on Sunday when they fell into a pit dug and abandoned by illegal miners.
Shell-shocked residents said they found the bodies of the two children, Kingsley Effah Agyeman and his 15-year-old elder brother, Kofi Darkwa, in the deep pit at about 3 p.m.
Agyeman, a Class Six pupil of the Methodist Primary and Junior High School at Kyebi, and Darkwa, a JHS Two student of the same school, were said to have gone to their mother’s farm on the other side of the degraded land and were returning home when the tragedy occurred.
According to reports, Agyeman was the first to slip at the edge of the pit and when his brother attempted to rescue him, they both fell into the water-filled pit.
The bodies of the two were later retrieved, after which they were deposited at the Kyebi Government Hospital mortuary.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the grief-stricken mother of the deceased children, Madam Felicia Twumaa, a 47-year-old farmer, said while she was preparing a meal for her family, some children in the area rushed to her house to inform her about the discovery of the bodies of her two children in the pit.
Commenting on the issue, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, expressed dismay at the activities of illegal miners whose activities were causing endless suffering to the people of Kyebi.
According to him, the pits were not only claiming the lives of innocent people, particularly children, but were also causing serious destruction to the forest cover, the land and the Birim River which served as the main source of water for the people living in Okyeman.
“While the Birim River is on a daily basis being heavily polluted with poisonous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide and its course diverted by the galamsey miners, our wood cover and cocoa farms are being destroyed at an alarming rate, to the detriment of the people,” the Okyenhene stated.
“We cannot condone such reckless and wanton destruction of our land and river by these selfish illegal miners who are depriving the communities and the state the needed revenue, as they sell the gold mined on the black market,” he added.
Osagyefuo Ofori Panin warned that the traditional authorities and the people of Okyeman would no longer condone the illegal activities of small-scale miners in the area, adding, “We will take charge to protect our land and water bodies which have been the source of our strength if the appropriate authorities fail to help us.”
To that end, he advised those engaged in illegal mining, including citizens of the area and outsiders, to remove all their mining equipment from the land, stressing that they would be made to face the consequences of their actions if they did not heed the warning.
“We are not going to wait until another family suffers another tragedy like this. We are going to fight all illegalities in our land and hope that the government will support us in this endeavour,” the Okyenhene added.
Shell-shocked residents said they found the bodies of the two children, Kingsley Effah Agyeman and his 15-year-old elder brother, Kofi Darkwa, in the deep pit at about 3 p.m.
Agyeman, a Class Six pupil of the Methodist Primary and Junior High School at Kyebi, and Darkwa, a JHS Two student of the same school, were said to have gone to their mother’s farm on the other side of the degraded land and were returning home when the tragedy occurred.
According to reports, Agyeman was the first to slip at the edge of the pit and when his brother attempted to rescue him, they both fell into the water-filled pit.
The bodies of the two were later retrieved, after which they were deposited at the Kyebi Government Hospital mortuary.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the grief-stricken mother of the deceased children, Madam Felicia Twumaa, a 47-year-old farmer, said while she was preparing a meal for her family, some children in the area rushed to her house to inform her about the discovery of the bodies of her two children in the pit.
Commenting on the issue, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, expressed dismay at the activities of illegal miners whose activities were causing endless suffering to the people of Kyebi.
According to him, the pits were not only claiming the lives of innocent people, particularly children, but were also causing serious destruction to the forest cover, the land and the Birim River which served as the main source of water for the people living in Okyeman.
“While the Birim River is on a daily basis being heavily polluted with poisonous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide and its course diverted by the galamsey miners, our wood cover and cocoa farms are being destroyed at an alarming rate, to the detriment of the people,” the Okyenhene stated.
“We cannot condone such reckless and wanton destruction of our land and river by these selfish illegal miners who are depriving the communities and the state the needed revenue, as they sell the gold mined on the black market,” he added.
Osagyefuo Ofori Panin warned that the traditional authorities and the people of Okyeman would no longer condone the illegal activities of small-scale miners in the area, adding, “We will take charge to protect our land and water bodies which have been the source of our strength if the appropriate authorities fail to help us.”
To that end, he advised those engaged in illegal mining, including citizens of the area and outsiders, to remove all their mining equipment from the land, stressing that they would be made to face the consequences of their actions if they did not heed the warning.
“We are not going to wait until another family suffers another tragedy like this. We are going to fight all illegalities in our land and hope that the government will support us in this endeavour,” the Okyenhene added.
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