Health institutions get vehicles

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27-11-08

THE Ministry of Health has presented 25 double cabin pickups valued at $570,000 to health training institutions in the country.
Some of the institutions that benefited from the package include the Sefwi Wiawso Health Assistants Training School, Keta Health Training School, Bolgatanga Health Assistants Training School and the Yendi Health Assistants Training School.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Health, Major (retd) Courage Quashigah, charged the institutions to adhere to a good maintenance culture to ensure that the vehicles lasted long.
Once the vehicles were maintained, he said, the training of health personnel would be enhanced as the vehicles would help facilitate their training.
He said the ministry was also in the process of securing library books for the institutions to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Health Training Institutions (COHHETI), Mr James Yambor, assured the minister that the vehicles would be used for their intended purpose.
The Managing Director of CFAO Ghana Limited, Mr Thomas Peletier, through whose company the vehicles were secured, pledged his company’s continued support for the ministry.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Elias Sory, underscored the need to motivate teachers of health training institutions.

Multi-million dollar agric initiative launched

27-11-08
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Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) has launched an Education Trust Fund to support brilliant, needy senior high school (SHS) students.
Beneficiaries of the “MGL Educare Trust Fund” will each be given GH¢300 and some ‘pocket money’ a term during their course of studies.
The first batch of 10 beneficiaries from six SHSs are T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School (Potsin), Ebenezer Senior High School, Odorgonno Senior High School, Methodist High School, West Africa Senior High School and the Aburi Girls Senior High School were yesterday presented with their scholarship packages at the ceremony.
The beneficiary students are Thomas Amoah, Henry Nii Quarshie, Doris Korama, Stella Antwi Konadu, Harold Neequaye, Issifu Gariba, Derrick Agbemazi, Shantel Iris Nunoo, Dominic Acquah and Beatrice Morrison.
MGL are the owners of myjoyonline, Joy FM, Adom FM, Luv FM, Asempa FM, Hitz FM, Nyhira FM and mypaddies.com.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, commended the MGL for coming out with such a bold initiative to encourage children to be in school.
She urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them to develop themselves in order to become responsible citizens in future.
The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the fund, Very Rev. Ama Afo-Blay, said the fund, which was part of the company’s social responsibility, was to help give back to society what the company received from it.
According to her, the MGL was committed to transforming the lives of needy, brilliant students, and that the target of the fund was to cover 100 students in the next five years.

Multi-million dollar agric initiative launched

Back Page lead
27-11-08


AN ambitious $2.5 million agriculture initiative, the Ghana Agro-Dealer Development Project (GAAD), aimed at supporting 2,200 agro-dealers and 150 seed producers to increase agriculture productivity has been launched in Accra.
The three-year project, which is funded by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is expected to increase the income and well-being of 850,000 small holder farmers in the country.
Its objectives include providing training and technical support to agro dealers, encourage agro dealers to join agro-input trade associations, facilitate access to agro-input dealers to finance and train dealers in the value and methods of providing services to farmers.
Launching the project on Tuesday, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Debrah, in an address read on his behalf, pledged the government's support for making the project a success.
“The project’s goal is to increase availability, accessibility and affordability of quality agro-inputs in rural areas and we as a government, will provide the regulatory framework through the passage and implementation of the seed, fertiliser and crop protection laws in Ghana,” he said.
He said with farmers dealing in fertilisers and other inputs, it was the responsibility of the ministry to ensure that inputs were secured in a safe environment.
The President of AGRA, Dr Namanga Ngongi, said having improved seedlings would lead to dramatic increase in food production in the country.
He said the project was also to assist beneficiaries to have access to credit guarantees, adding that there was no use in training a dealer who could not have access to finances.
The Country Representative of the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), Dr Kofi Debrah, said the project would be implemented by the IFDC and a consortium, the Ghana Agricultural Associations Business Information Centre (GAABIC).
In an address read on his behalf, the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson Benjamin, said the body had a key objective in reducing poverty through agriculture development.
AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Its programmes develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor, while safeguarding the environment.
It advocates policies that support its work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain, from seeds, soil health and water to markets and agricultural education. AGRA's Board of Directors is chaired by Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK's Department for International Development and other donors, AGRA works across sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana.

15 timber companies challenge legality of permit by Commission

24-11-08
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Some of the forest plantations that the 15 aggrieved timber companies said they won through competitive bidding are now being operated in by some other firms.
This came to light when a leading member of the aggrieved companies took journalists on a tour of the plantations at Jasikan in the Volta Region last week.
At the sites were chopped lumbers, tractors and other earth moving machines used for the harvesting of trees.
The 15 companies which have challenged the legality of permits issued by the Forestry Commission (FC) to 40 timber firms operating in some of the country’s forest plantations, accused the Commission of circumventing the relevant Legislative Instrument (LI 1721) to allocate concessions to timber firms which did not go through any bidding processes.
The companies alleged that those concessions were taken away from those who genuinely won them through the bidding process as required by law.
In addition, they said, the FC allocated the plantations at the price of GH¢140.00, which was 50 per cent less than the prices won during the bidding for the plantations, adding that prices won for the lots/plantations ranged between GH¢250 and GH¢350 per cubic metre.
The aggrieved firms have, therefore, called on the government to immediately withdraw all illegal timber permits issued by FC to all timber firms that did not go through the bidding process.
Failure to do that, they said, they would go to court to stop the operations of what they said were illegal operators, Mr Bright Nkeyasen, spokesperson for the aggrieved companies, told journalists during the tour.
He took journalists to 14 lot/plantations and claimed the area was won by Alacrety International during the bidding but was given to another firm. At the site workers were seen busily working when the team of journalists got there.
Mr Nkeyasen again took the press to lot 12, he said was originally won by Talento Wood Processing Limited, but was again given to another firm.
He said lots 11 which was won by Nkebright and lot 13 won by Engineering and Technical Services during the bidding were all allocated to other firms by the FC through permit which was wrong, adding that lots 1 won by Isberg and lot 2 won by Ghana Tropical were yet again given to other firms illegally.
The 15 companies challenging the legality of permits issued by the FC are In God’s Service Company Limited, Aframco Limited, Carlnormal Limited, House of Kay, Unclewad Company Limited, Tiger Exports Limited, Talento Limited and Belltop Company Limited.
The rest are Isbeg Company Limited, Ghana Tropical Limited, Nkebright Agencies, B.MS. Limited, Engineering and Technical Limited, Jeewap Company Limited and Alacraty International.

Accra Poly sets up research and innovation centre

24-11-08
Page 55

THE Accra Polytechnic has set up a research and innovation centre to promote research in the areas of applied science and technology.
“With the passing of the Polytechnic Act, polytechnics have now become autonomous. Progression is assured and research is encouraged so as to facilitate innovation and the development of best practices for industry,” the rector of the polytechnic, Dr Festus Addo-Yobo, said at the 16th matriculation of the polytechnic last Saturday.
In all, 2,246 freshmen and women out of the 3,441 qualified applicants were formally admitted to the polytechnic.
Dr Addo-Yobo further announced that the polytechnic had set up a Students Hardship Fund to support students who genuinely needed money for academic activities, and, therefore, urged students who needed support to take advantage of the facility.
He said the polytechnic had embarked on a programme to provide the applied sciences, arts and technology education in a student-centred manner.
According to him, the polytechnic was piloting the competency-based learning scheme in two departments — Fashion Design and Mechanical Engineering.
“We are also implementing an ambitious programme to provide e-library facilities in all our reading rooms. We can down-load textbooks, research papers, among other things, from databases for reading,” he said, adding that “we will soon reach agreements with donors so that we can print copies of relevant pages of books for students”.
Dr Addo-Yobo said the courses offered in the polytechnics were closer to what the market demanded and, therefore, expected “polytechnic graduates to make use of a large percentage of what is taught in the classroom so as to make an impact in the market”.
He said having realised the importance of polytechnic education to its industrialisation process, the country had invested so much in providing infrastructure and other facilities to train more people.
He urged the freshers to overcome academic obstacles and think big while on campus, saying that “I want Accra Polytechnic to become the breeding ground for future entrepreneurs”.

Monitor academic performance of children - Baiden-Amissah

24-11-08
Page 11

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, has called on parents and teachers to constantly monitor the academic performance of children to ensure that they take their studies seriously.
She said children should also take advantage of existing opportunities to move up to the highest level of the education ladder.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah made the call at the second presentation of benefits to 30 students under the Junior Achievers Trust International (JATI) programme and the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) Life Education Assurance Policy in Accra.
The beneficiaries were made up of 25 girls and five boys.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said the education reform programme had made it mandatory for children of school-age to be in school, adding that “presently the government has a project like the school feeding programme with the aim of providing a decent meal, and development of schoolchildren”.
The Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, commended JATI, SIC and heads of senior high schools who took the initiative to get their students enrolled in the scheme.
He said the GES would ensure the sustainability and growth of the scheme by adhering to the tenets of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the organisation so that more students could benefit from the package.
The Board Chairman of JATI, Mr John Yaw Amankrah, said the aim of the programme was to demonstrate the fulfilment of mission of the organisation.
“JATI exists to reduce the incidence of school drop-outs and improve academic performance of students in senior high school”, he explained and pointed out that the organisation exists to teach entrepreneurship to benefit students aged 11 to 18.

Conflicting reports on access to toilets

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20-11-08

THERE are conflicting reports over the percentage of Ghanaians who really have access to toilet facilities.
While the Joint Monitoring Project (JMP) set up by the UNICEF and the WHO indicates that only 10 per cent of Ghanaians have access to improved toilet facilities, Ghanaian institutions say 61 per cent of the population have access to the facilities.
In view of the discrepancies in figures, Mr Thomas Sayibu, Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, appealed to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to set up a task force that would clearly define the indicators, terminologies and minimal standards for measuring what constituted improved toilet and develop a time-frame for all data collection institutions to adhere to the indicators.
That, he said, would help ensure that the country progressed towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation.
Mr Sayibu made the appeal in an address read for him at a press conference organised by the Coalition of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) in water and sanitation to mark World Toilet Day, which fell yesterday, November 19, 2008.
The day is to remind people, among other things, that clean toilets are crucial to good health. This year’s celebration is on the theme: “We Deserve Better.”
Mr Sayibu observed that a lack of commitment to enforce the building code was the main factor responsible for people not having toilets in their homes.
He underscored the need for MMDAs to not only enforce the code, but to prosecute landlords and landladies who flouted it.
“According to the Ghana Statistical Service Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report for 2006, more than four million Ghanaians defecate in the bush, open drains, water bodies or fields, instead of using the latrine. The report indicates open defecation is prevalent in the 10 regions,” he said.
Mr Sayibu said the practice was most widespread in the Upper East Region with about 82 per cent of the people without any form of latrine, followed by the Upper West Region with about 79 per cent and the Northern Region with about 73 per cent.
He said such negative practice was caused by the absence of clean household or public latrines and ignorance of the harmful effects of open defecates.
He said Ghana was not any different from the rest of the world and that, according to the World Toilet Organisation, about 2.5 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population lacked basic sanitation, adding that only about 30 per cent of people who have sewerage system have their facilities treated in an environmentally and friendly way with the rest going into gutters, among other places.
Mr Sayibu said sewage was virtually non-existent in the country, and that “Tema and some satellite systems in parts of Accra, Kumasi and other cities were the only places that could boast of sewage systems in the country.
“According to the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD), only about 4.5 per cent of Ghanaians have access to sewage systems. Apart from Tema, many of those satellite systems are found within such institutions as government ministries, academic institutions and hospitals rather than in settlements,” he explained.
Mr Sayibu said improved sanitation services and hygiene practices needed to be emphasised as a major element for the building of human capability in the poverty reduction strategy for the country.
Mr Emmanuel Addai, the Communications Specialist of Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform of the Ministry of Water Resources Work and Housing, disclosed that Ghana ranked 48 out of 51 African countries with access to household sanitation facilities.

NUGS to monitor elections

Page 44
17-11-08

THE National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is to dispatch election observers to some parts of the country to monitor this year’s elections.
The union said although it was yet to decide on the number of its members that would be used as observers, its emphasis would be placed on the conflict-prone areas.
“Our presence at polling centres will be to deter any electoral fraud. The exercise will also enable us to make an objective assessment of the process,” the President of NUGS, Mr Ishmael Tweneboa-Kodua, said this in Accra at the launch of a peace campaign towards elections 2008 by the union.
“We cannot allow any overly ambitious person or group of persons to ruin the nation because of their personal interest. Let me also remind my colleague students to remember that Ghana is ours and we have a responsibility to secure its future,” he said.
He said as part of the peace campaign, members of the union would be visiting schools to sensitise students to contribute their quota to successful elections, adding that during such visits “we will show video excerpts of the ravages of post-election violence in some parts of the continent”.
Mr Tweneboa-Kodua said politicians should stop looking for excuses far in advance to doubt the credibility of the elections, adding that what was needed now was reconciliatory messages by political leaders to lessen the tension in the country.
The NUGS President said recognising the crucial role that the youth played in violence and other related matters, the union had outlined a series of activities it believed would help to quash any potential trouble.
Mr Tweneboa-Kodua said Ghanaians were not aware of any situation in history when violence yielded the desired results, hence the need for politicians to follow laid-down rules and regulations.

Parents complain about illegal fees

17-11-08
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A DISPUTE has arisen between some parents and the authorities of some public and private junior high schools (JHSs) over the alleged demand of illegal fees in the just-ended registration for the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Some basic schools which were charging above the required registration fees include the Kaneshie Awudome Junior High School, the Abavana Down JHS, Abelemkpe Community JHS, Kaneshie North JHS and Boundary Road JHS.
With the exception of Awudome JHS which charged GH¢ 10, the rest charged GH¢ 12.
Following complaints by some parents about the collection of extra fees by the authorities of the schools in question, checks conducted by the Daily Graphic at the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) revealed that the subsidised cost of registration for the BECE examination was GH¢ 5.1 per pupil.
However, parents of final-year JHS students were asked to pay between GH¢ 10 and GH¢30, which was far in excess of what parents and guardians were supposed to pay.
Further enquiries made at some public and private schools in and outside Accra indicated that parents and guardians were paying more than double what they were supposed to pay for the registration.
One of the heads who pleaded anonymity said the cost of photographs and banker’s draft were factored into the registration, leading to the increased figures.
The Director of the Basic Education Division of the GES, Mr Stephen Adu, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that indeed each final-year JHS student was supposed to pay GH¢ 5.1, but the GES had received reports of the illegal registration fees being charged by schools.
He explained that the original cost per pupil for the examination was GH ¢17, but because the government was paying GH¢ 11.9 as subsidy per student, parents were required to pay only GH¢ 5.1 per child.
The Head of the National Examination Administration Department (NEAD) of WAEC, Mr Kweku Nyamekye Aidoo, also confirmed this.
The President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Mr Godwin Sowah, said the cost of BECE registration varied from school to school.
For instance, he said, schools which were not examination centres included the cost of transporting candidates to and from examinations as well as taking of pictures and snacks for students during the examinations.
A number of parents and students confirmed to the Daily Graphic that moneys they paid ranged between GH¢ 10 and GH¢ 30. They would, however, not want the names of their children’s schools to be mentioned since they believed the practice occurred in almost every JHS.
“I was asked to pay GH¢ 30 for my daughter’s registration by a school in Accra, A. Acquaye, told the Daily Graphic.
Efo Kofi, another parent who said he paid GH¢ 20, said the action of the heads of the schools was not fair, and suggested that the necessary action should be taken against heads of schools who were found to have engaged in the illegal act.
He said most parents in the rural areas would not be able to pay the registration fees, and that it was time the GES acted.
“I paid GH¢ 20 for the BECE registration of my child at a very popular school,” a parent who wanted to remain anonymous said.
According to Mr Adu, the GES was issuing a circular to heads of basic schools on the issue since nobody had asked them to charge more than the approved fee.
He said some heads had claimed that they were charging above the stipulated fees because they factored in the cost of banker’s draft, photographs, hiring of extra teachers to prepare students and some tests to prepare the students ahead of the main examination in April next year.
Mr Adu who deplored the attitude of the heads, believed that the final-year students should be allowed to take their own pictures, adding that any other amount regarding the hiring of teachers and tests should have been communicated to parents, charged separately and not be added to the main fees for the examination.
He said the GES took strong exception to the practice and would respond appropriately if heads failed to heed the circular that would be issued this week.
The 2009 BECE registration, which began on October 3, 2008, ended on the 14th of this month.

K'BU ON THE MOVE

Front page Lead
14-11-08

THE Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is to set up a Urology and Kidney Transplant Centre at an estimated cost of $10 million to address the needs of people with kidney problems.
“Hopefully, within two years we should set up our own transplant centre here to carry out kidney transplant for the numerous Ghanaians who need it,” the Chief Executive of the hospital, Prof Nii Otu Nartey, told the Daily Graphic after a news conference to announce the execution of kidney transplant on three persons at the hospital.
Three successful transplants were carried out this week. In the first case, a sister donated one of her kidneys to her brother, while a woman donated a kidney to her husband in the second case, with a father donating a kidney to his son in the third.
More than 200 Ghanaians across the country need kidney transplant, many of whom have had to depend on renal dialysis to survive. A dialysis costs 100 euros per session and kidney patients require three sessions of dialysis a week.
Prof Nartey said although the hospital was yet to have a legal framework put in place for such an exercise, the management was now developing documents to be sent to Parliament to give a legal backing to it.
“Already there is transfusion. Once you can transfuse blood from one person to another, you are looking at the means of taking something from one human being to another. So there is that legal framework there.
“We now need to look at taking one organ from one person to another. We will send the documents to Parliament soon,” he said, adding that the Attorney-General would have to review the legal documents.
Prof Nartey said although the country was using the legal framework of the Commonwealth of Nations which was permissible in such exercises, it needed to have its own legal framework in which Parliament would have to determine which precautions to take.
He said the hospital wanted Parliament to put certain structures in place to determine who could donate to whom, which body parts could be donated, among other things.
He appealed to corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to support the hospital in setting up the urology and kidney transplant centre, since the cost of putting people on dialysis was too high.
Prof Nartey said the hospital would train its own staff in the execution of the task, adding that in the course of that a team from the United Kingdom would continue to come in to assist.
The Chief Surgeon of the Birmingham University Hospital, Mr Andrews Ready, said the last three days had been inspirational to the 11-member team from the UK and their Ghanaian counterparts.
The team assisted their Ghanaian counterparts in the kidney transplants.
Dr Ready paid tribute to the management and staff of Korle-Bu for their support in carrying out the transplants which were a major success in the country.
He said almost all the equipment that was used in the transplants were from Korle-Bu.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), who commended the team from the UK for the exercise, underscored the need for Ghanaians to live healthy lifestyles to prevent contracting diseases.
“Prevention is better and cheaper than cure,” he said, and thanked Ecobank and Cal Bank for sponsoring the trip of the team from the UK.
He said health education and nutrition should be put in the school curricula so that children could develop the habit of living healthy lives.
The Chairman of the Ethics Committee in respect of the transplant, Prof Andrews Ayeetey, said the hospital had to use the Human Tissue Act of England and Wales for the transplant.
The Head of the Dialysis Unit at Korle-Bu, Dr Charlotte Osafo, also commended the teamwork displayed by both the UK team and their Ghanaian counterparts.
The three donors and three recipients who underwent the exercise looked hearty and well when the sector minister, together with the team of doctors and staff from Korle-Bu and journalists, visited them.
They expressed their gratitude to the team which carried out the exercise and appealed to Ghanaians not to be afraid of donating their kidneys, since kidneys were vital to the survival of people who needed them.

AME Zion Church gets first female Bishop

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13-11-08

THE Presiding Prelate of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (A.M.E. Zion Church) , Rt. Reverend Dr Mildred Bonnie Aku Hines, has called on males and females of the church to join hands and move the church and nation forward.
Bishop Hines, 53, the first female Presiding Prelate in the history of the A.M.E. Zion Church, said her aim was to promote unity.
Though a female Bishop, she said, she was not going to concentrate on women but would work with both men and women to achieve the purpose of Christ for her life.
Bishop Bonnie Hines, who is presiding over the Western-West District of the A.M.E. Zion Church, has undertaken a familiarisation tour of the district after her election in June this year in Atlanta .
The Western-West District of the Church is made up of Churches in Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia .
According to the Bishop, she would work in the area of education and leadership development, which would begin with the children.
Bishop Bonnie Hines was accompanied by the Missionary Supervisor, Mrs Gwendolyn Brumfield, and Rev Dr Kermit Kwesi DeGraffenreidt. They visited the church's vocational and girls senior high school at Klikor in the Volta Region and Winneba respectively for Bishop Bonnie Hines to acquaint herself with their problems.
She urged members of the church to gird up their loins with what God had given them and redeem the world for Christ.

Aggrey Memorial Zion Choir launches anniversary

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13-11-08

THE Aggrey Memorial A. M. E. Zion Church Choir at Mamprobi in Accra has launched its 50th anniversary celebration with a call on choristers to let the songs they sing reflect their lifestyles.
The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Reverend Dr Fred Deegbe, who made the call, said it was incumbent on the choristers and Christians in general to be true ambassadors of Christ.
The Golden Jubilee celebration, which is on the theme: "Celebrating 50 years of Worshipping", will involve the donation of 200 pints of blood to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Blood Bank, raise seed money for a fund to support needy members and purchase a new set of ceremonial choir robes.
Launching the anniversary, Rev Dr Deegbe stressed the need for the choir to let the songs they sing go beyond the walls of the church in order to bring joy to others.
He entreated members of the congregation to be faithful in whatever they did in order to receive the blessings of God.
The host pastor of the church, Rev Peter E.T. Sefogah, in a message, urged members of the choir to keep on sacrificing their time to the service of God.
He also underscored the need for the church to appreciate the services of the choir, adding that "we cannot pay them for what they do, but we can motivate them in so many ways".
He took the opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians to let the spirit of God guide them in voting for people they wanted to govern the nation during the December polls.
Rev Sefogah called on the police to be professional in their dealings during the elections.
The President of the choir, Mr Ralph Agblehor, said the 95-member choir had 60 active, 25 distant and 10 retiring members.
Both the old and new members of the choir treated the congregation and visitors to some inspiring hymns during the launch.

Ghana’s training facilities in arts and culture commended

Page 32
13-11-08

THE President of Trinidad and Tobago, Prof George Maxwell Richards, has commended the University of Ghana for the establishment of the School of Performing Arts which provides training in the arts and culture.
He said such an initiative did not only go to preserve the traditions of a country but also helped to project them.
“Trinidad and Tobago will learn a thing or two from you and take it back,” he said after witnessing a display of traditional dances performed in his honour by students of the school during a visit to the university as part of his state visit to the country.
Prof Richards, who was accompanied by his wife, Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, underscored the need for young people to take leadership positions in tertiary institutions.
That, he said, was because such institutions provided the platform or training ground for the development of future leaders.
He said the University of the West Indies and a number of institutions, including the University of Ghana, shared certain things, adding that the University of West Indies, which began with a single campus, now had other campuses.
Prof Richards said education was the first key to development, adding that “this is a view that is increasingly being shared by many countries”.
He, therefore, stressed the need for adequate attention to be paid to the development of the educational sector.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof C.N.B. Tagoe, who outlined the history of the university to its present state, said it began as the University College of the Gold Coast in 1948.
He said the university, which was then affiliated to the University of London, became autonomous through an Act of Parliament in 1961, which enabled it to award its own degrees.
He said the mission of the university, among other things, was to develop world-class human resource and capabilities to meet national needs and global challenges.
Prof Tagoe said the university, which had links with more than 200 institutions world-wide, shared things in common with the University of West Indies.
The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Prof S. Sefah-Dedeh, said the establishment of the faculty was to identify new areas which would fit into national development.

Five agencies get call centres to improve service delivery

Page 38
10-11-08

THE Ministry of Public Sector Reform has established call centres in five agencies with a toll-free line to enable the public to access services provided by some agencies.
The agencies are the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Registrar General’s Department, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department and the Passport Office.
The initiative, which is on a pilot basis for three months, would be expanded to other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
The Minister of Public Sector Reform, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, announced this on Tuesday at the launch of new Charters for 53 MDAs and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra.
He gave the toll-free number to the agencies as 021-6111, and indicated that the motive for the establishment of the call centres was to help improve service delivery in the organisations.
According to him, there was the need for the clients of public institutions to be served on a timely basis, so as to ensure that they had confidence in the public sector.
Mr Owusu-Agyei noted that there was the need for a time frame for all the services provided by the public sector, and appealed to heads of institutions to have durbars with their staff to sensitise them to what was contained in the Charters.
He said over the last three years, the government had been implementing far-reaching reforms in the public sector, adding that “the government’s efforts have focused on restructuring the public sector to improve performance and manage change to attain best practices in the management and delivery of public service”.
“The establishment of Client Service Units within MDAs, MMDAs and the development of a Service Charter is now a key performance target for any public institution,” he said, and expressed the hope that the launch of the Charters would provide the right spirit and commitment to realise the government’s goal of ensuring quality service for all.

Chamber of Commerce embarks on membership drive

Page 38
10-11-08

THE Accra Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ARCCI) will embark on a membership drive as part of efforts to strengthen the chamber, the Chairman of the ARCCI, Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso, has said.
He added that the chamber would educate members on the importance of a corporate image, developing a capital investment plan, how to use loans, among other things.
Nana Dankawoso made this known to the Daily Graphic at the 529th monthly meeting of the ARCCI in Accra last Wednesday.
He said a major challenge facing the chamber was how to collectively source for funds, as members did that individually.
He underscored the need for financial institutions to move away from using landed property as collateral before giving out loans.
Rather, he said, they should use trust to give out loans, adding that they could also use treasury bills and life insurance policies, instead of landed property.
Nana Dankawoso called on the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) to develop a policy for members of the chamber that would enable them to have direct access to the organisation.
“We are requesting that you do business with us directly and not through intermediaries,” he stated.
A Programme Officer at the GTZ, Dr Julius Spatz, said the organisation did not deal with companies directly but gave loans to the banks for onward lending to companies and individuals.
He said loans to smaller banks were tied to technical assistance, among other things.
GTZ’s operations in Ghana are geared towards the country’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy goals. The strategy aims at sustainable and equally distributed economic growth, as well as accelerated poverty reduction in a democratic environment.
The chamber facilitates the participation of members in international trade fairs, conferences, seminars and exhibitions. It actively co-ordinates pre-exhibition arrangements with organisers in the host country.
Among other things, it also provides assistance to member firms which want to enter foreign markets through training and advice on exporting, documentation, including certificates of origin, and market intelligence.

'Political violence worrying'

Page 1
10-11-08

THE Chairman of the Council of the University of Ghana, Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, has said the series of political violence being recorded ahead of the forthcoming elections pose a threat to business activities in the country.
According to him, the actual manifestations of violence were hampering business activities and that both local and foreign investors were increasingly becoming worried about the situation.
Mr Oteng-Gyasi, who is also the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), said this at the 60th anniversary congregation of the University of Ghana on Saturday, during which the Faculty of Engineering Science graduated its first batch of 19 students.
A total of 1,988 graduands, made up of 161 diplomates, 1,395 undergraduates and 432 postgraduates, were presented with certificates.
For the diplomates, 9.2 per cent had distinctions, with 11.5 per cent of the undergraduates obtaining First Class, 25.66 per cent Second Class (Upper Division) and 49 per cent Second Class (Lower Division).
Mr Oteng-Gyasi said although there were no perfect elections and democratic conditions anywhere in the world, the necessary structures to police the December elections should be put in place to ensure peaceful polls.
“Threats of violence will not help the country. It is important that we go into the elections knowing that there will be a loser and a winner,” he said, adding that it was incumbent upon all to put the interest of the country first, since democracy was not only about winning elections but also about losing elections.
He said it was important that there was finality to election issues and cited the Al-Gore/George Bush election case which was determined by the Supreme Court.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof C.N.B. Tagoe, said the university received 22,865 applications for admission and that of the 20,277 undergraduate applicants, 11,700 were admitted to read various programmes, with 6,272 being enrolled on the main campus and 1,479 at the Accra City Campus.
He said 2,588 candidates applied for postgraduate admission, out of which 1,352 gained admission, with 1,023 registering to pursue the various postgraduate programmes.
He said with 435 foreign students and 273 others from partner institutions on exchange programmes, the total population of the university was 29,642 students.
Prof Tagoe said after discussions with the various stakeholders, the University Council had given approval for most of the recommendations of the Visitation Panel which reviewed the university's academic programmes, infrastructure, resources, administrative and governance structure to be implemented.
"Many of the recommendations cannot be implemented until there has been a revision and re-enactment of the laws and statutes governing the university. All the necessary documents for this exercise have been submitted to the government and I would urge Parliament to see to the revision of the university's act before rising finally for the elections," he said.
With the oil find in the country, he said, the university had been considering opportunities to contribute to the development of the human and technical resources for the emerging petroleum sector of the country's economy.
Prof Tagoe said the Faculty of Engineering Sciences recently organised a summit to bring together constituents of the university and representatives of key public and private sector institutions to discuss the human resource needs of the petroleum industry.
"The long-term plan is to create a platform for the interaction of the university with industry on human resource development for the petroleum sector," he said.
He announced that 319 students had so far benefited from financial aid, while 144 had been awarded scholarships by the Financial Aid Office, adding that the total scholarship disbursement by the office increased from GH¢12,100 in the 2005/2006 academic year to GH¢45,331.52 for the 2007/2008 academic year.
Prof Tagoe said the University had allocated GH¢500,000 from its own resources for research in the 2008 budget and urged members of faculty to put in applications to access the fund.
On Information and Communications Technology (ICT), he said the university was to receive an $8.2 million concessionary loan from the Chinese government for the improvement of ICT infrastructure to facilitate the smooth running of the Distance Education Programme.
The Managing Director of Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), Mr Lawrence Adu-Mante, said the bank had been assisting tertiary institutions and that in the case of the University of Ghana, it was funding the construction of a 2,000-capacity lecture hall complex.
He said with an initial projected donation of GH¢432,414 in 2003, the bank had set aside a total amount of GH¢1,264,978 for the complex, adding that "so far a total of GH¢1,228,902 had been disbursed”.
On behalf of the bank, he presented a cheque for GH¢5,000 to support the university's needy fund scheme and urged the graduands to offer whatever they could to uplift the image of the university.
In a valedictory address, Ms Anna Abrafi Kodua, who obtained First Class in Engineering Science, reminded her colleagues to adhere to what they had learnt on campus and continue to be shining examples to others.

Vegetable farmers adopt action plan

Page 30
06-11-08

STAKEHOLDERS in the vegetables industry have adopted a five-year action plan to enable them to increase the quality and quantity of vegetables produced for both the domestic and international markets.
They are projecting that by the next five years, Ghana’s vegetable export industry would be competitive, marketing about 10,000 tonnes per annum of high value vegetables globally.
The action plan was adopted at the end of the last in the series of workshops organised by ACDI/VOCA, an international NGO working in partnership with the Millennium Development Authority to implement the authority’s agricultural projects in the Southern zone.
Participants at the vegetables workshop included input suppliers, small and large-scale vegetable farmers, researchers, wholesalers, retailers and other exporters of vegetables, representatives of financial service providers, as well as agric extension and inspection officers.
At the end of the workshop, the participants identified access to adequate finance, inadequate infrastructure, access to high quality seeds and technology, as well as land tenure problems, as the main challenges facing vegetable players in the vegetable industry.
They suggested among other things that farmers should be educated to adopt modern framing procedures and change their attitudes towards loan repayment and appealed to banks not to perceive agriculture as a risky investment but rather employ consultants to oversee activities of farmers for enhanced vegetable production.
Apart from the request for the provision of adequate post-harvest infrastructure and equipment including irrigation systems, tractors, pack houses, cold chain, combine harvesters, planters and composting plans, the participants also called for provision of adequate information on the modern equipment and infrastructure to all actors.
Exporters must also make available information from the market to the farmers on the needs of the market including varieties on demand, prices and standards available.
While encouraging farmers to form associations and farmer-based organisations, participants in the workshop also emphasised the need to educate farmers on good agronomic practices to complement the efforts of demonstration centres.
A Senior Technical Assistant of ACDI/VOCA, Emmanuel Dormon, expressed his organisation’s preparedness to partner all players in the agricultural sector to help in the full realisation of the rich potential of the country’s agricultural and agribusiness sectors.

Company develops chemicals for local market

Page 30
05-11-08


WOOD Chemicals Limited (WoodChem), one of the participants at the 12th Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Industry Exhibition (GIFEX 2008) has locally developed a variety of chemical products to meet the market demands of its customers.
They are extrafic, a water resistant wood glue; wood lac, a high gloss lacquer and wood glue which are designed to give excellent finishing to wood products manufactured locally to enable local furniture producers, especially to compete effectively with their foreign counterparts.
According to the Managing Director of the company, Mr Albert Kwame Bosomki???, the ultimate goal of the company was to expand and reach out to small scale wood users in every part of the country.
He also said although the company was yet to be set up in every region, its products could be found in the regions.
He said expansion had to do with finances and expressed concern about the bureaucracy of the banks, adding that such practice did not augur well for fast -growing businesses.
Mr Bosomki, therefore, called on the government to support small scale industries by setting up an institution that would certify firms and issue them with letters that would ensure that they had easy access to loans.
He said such a state institution would look at the business plans and operations of firms, pay them regular and surprise visits to ensure that the companies were doing the right thing before issuing them with the letters that would enable them to secure loans with lower interest rates.
“Many small scale industries have fantastic ideals but having access to loans is the problem. The bureaucracy and high interest rates are disincentives to the firms,” he said, adding that the small scale industries could help reduce the unemployment situation in the country.
Mr Bosomki said his company which had been operating for five years had made great strides in the wood working industry and had shown remarkable expertise in the production of wood chemicals such as glues and coatings for wood.
“At wood chemicals we don’t only know-how, but we have more than 30 years expertise acquired from renowned wood working countries like Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Cote d’ Ivoire,” he quipped.
He said the company had adopted adequate safety measures at its factory.

16,000 BECE candidates yet to be placed

Page 14
05-11-08


A backlog of 16,000 qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates are yet to be placed into senior high schools and technical institutes following the placement of 16,764 more qualified candidates by the Ghana Education Service (GES) last week.
Explaining why the backlog occurred, the Director of the Basic and Secondary Education Unit of the GES, Mr Stephen Adu, said the candidates failed to take advantage of the mopping up programme to contact their heads of former junior high schools (JHS) to find placements at the second cycle schools with vacancies.
The placement of the 16,764 candidates brings the total number of candidates who have been placed into second cycle schools this year to 156,242.
The first batch of 139,478 qualified candidates were placed in September, this year.
However, Mr Stephen Adu, told the Daily Graphic that there were vacancies for the 16,000 candidates, and that all they needed to do was to contact heads of community senior high schools with vacancies for placement or their heads of basic schools chose from the list of vacant schools.
He said the heads of community schools were expected to submit the names of the qualified candidates to the GES to formalise their placement into second cycle schools.
The GES, on September 16, 2008, released the placement of 139,478 candidates, including 1,579 re-entry candidates. It said the figure was out of a total of 173,315 candidates who qualified for the placement.
Parents whose children were not placed during the first exercise expressed their frustration with the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) and urged the GES to improve on the efficiency of the system.
Following that, scores of parents continued to besiege the GES Headquarters with their children, in search of schools.
According to Mr Paul Kofi Krampa, Deputy Director, Public Relations Unit of the GES, all the 16,764 candidates were to contact their former JHS heads as well as the district and regional offices of the GES from Monday, November 7, 2008 to know their placements.
A release from the GES said candidates could, however, access their placements on MTN 1755, 1756, Kasapa 7777 from Monday, November 3, 2008.
It said heads of community senior high schools, which still had vacancies, should compile lists of qualified candidates who sought admission to their schools, adding that the lists should be forwarded to the District Education Office for approval at the headquarters.
“It must be noted that only the 287 schools that had vacancies after the initial placement are to undertake this exercise. The GES, once again appeals to parents and their wards, to accept placement based on the choices they have made,” it said.
The statement expressed the hope that the public would co-operate with it to complete the 2008 exercise by November 15, 2008.

Koforidua Poly meets deadline-In submitting marked scripts for verification

5-11-08
Page 11


STUDENTS of the Koforidua polytechnic have become the first in the country to receive the Higher National Diploma (HND) results, within the same year of completing school.
The National Board for Professional and Technicians Examination (NABPTEX) last week released the results of students of the polytechnic who completed school in June this year.
Hitherto, it took about a year for the HND results of the polytechnics to be released due to the delay of the polytechnics to submit the marked scripts of their final year students to NABPTEX for verification.
The submission of the marked scripts for verification by an external examination body, is part of the quality assurance measures by NABPTEX.
The Executive Secretary of NABPTEX, Mr Ben Antwi-Boasiako, told the Daily Graphic that the Board was not responsible for the delay in the release of results of polytechnics, and that once the institutions submitted the scripts of their students early, their results would be released on time.
He commended the authorities of the Koforidua polytechnic for setting the pace, adding that “this is the first time a polytechnic has submitted its marked scripts for verification by an external examination body within the given time frame”.
“Koforidua polytechnic has shown that students can finish school in a year and get their results in the same year,” he explained, adding that students of the polytechnics who completed this year should have their certificates by the end of the year.
Mr Antwi-Boasiako, therefore, urged the polytechnics to emulate the example of the Koforidua polytechnic by submitting their scripts to the Board on time for verification and release.
“According to our regulations, marked scripts should be ready six weeks after the students had written their examinations. But most lecturers do no go by that deadline and sometimes take six months to submit the marked scripts of students,” he lamented.
He announced that NABPTEX, in collaboration with the Dutch Government would next week hold a four-day meeting with the polytechnics on four HND programmes - Agricultural Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Civil Engineering and Fashion that were using competency-based training (CBT) methods.
The methods, according to him, were in line with the new way of restructuring Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) curriculum, which the government has agreed should be competency-based.
Mr Antwi-Boasiako said the CBT methods had inputs from the industry.

Identification exercise takes break

Page 20
04-11-08

THE national identification exercise which began on July 1, this year is on a review break in the Eastern Region to enable the National Identification Authority (NIA) to retool ahead of the second phase of the exercise.
The break, among other things, is to ensure that the equipment and materials used for the exercise are put in place.
The Head of the Information Department of the NIA, Ms Bertha Dzeble, told the Daily Graphic that the authorities had met the drivers and the technical team of the NIA as part of the review and retooling.
According to her, a few things were left to be cleared, after which the second phase of the exercise in the Eastern Region would commence.
She said areas covered under the first phase in the region included the Birim North and South, Kwahu West, Kwaebibirem, Atiwa, East and West Akyem, Suhum and New Juaben districts.
The second phase would involve the Yilo Krobo, Manya Krobo, Fanteakwa, Asuogyaman, Kwahu South, Afram Plains, Akuapem North and Akuapem South districts.
Ms Dzeble explained that the division of regions into two during the exercise was to help make the exercise less stressful, since the use of two machines at a centre shortened queues.
She said the apathy shown in the course of the exercise was a problem, as people waited till the last minute before rushing to register, saying such a practice resulted in the formation of long queues.
Ms Dzeble said after the Eastern Region, the exercise would move to the Volta Region, after which the Greater Accra Region would follow, adding that in every region about 6,000 personnel would be deployed during the exercise.
On the issue of allowances, she said the procedure through which the NIA Secretariat had to go before the allowances were paid was what led to the delays, adding that the matter was being addressed.
She deplored the attack on personnel by some people who wanted to be attended to after jumping queues.
Ms Dzeble said five of such attacks took place during the first phase of the exercise in the Eastern Region, saying that in one instance, the police had to be called in to save the situation.
The matter, she said, had been taken up by the NIA authorities who had alerted the Police Administration to that effect.
She, therefore, appealed to the public to desist from attacking registration officials but rather give them the necessary support to do a good job.

Three escape unhurt in train accident

4-11-08
pAGE 20

THREE persons escaped unhurt when the vehicle in which they were was run into by a train on the Graphic Road yesterday evening.
The accident, which occurred at about 5.40 p.m, involved a Toyota Corolla saloon with registration number GW 2454 Y and a Tema-bound train.
The train was travelling from the train station at CMB while the vehicle was travelling from the Graphic area towards the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle.
The accident, which drew a large number of people from Adabraka and its environs, led to heavy traffic because the dual carriageway got temporarily blocked.
Passengers from Kaneshie or Accra had to alight from their vehicles and walk from the accident scene.
According to eye-witnesses, the driver of the Toyota car, which had stopped on the railway line due to heavy traffic, had to abandon the vehicle when she saw the training coming her direction.
They said as the train approached, the two other persons in the vehicle also jumped out of it, and since the vehicle was in the path of the train, it ran into its side, dragging it for a few metres.
“I saw the woman in Customs uniform get out of the vehicle, hold her head and start crying. We had to shout at her to move away from the vehicle before the train would crash into her,” Kofi, an eye-witness, said.
The driver of the train refused to talk to the press, saying that according to the Railways Regulations, they had to report to the Control Office first.
However, Enoch Siaw, a Clearing Agent, who was sitting by the driver of the Toyota vehicle, when the traffic control officer of the Railways stationed at the point of the accident saw the Tema-bound train around a curve towards his control point, he started shouting at the drivers to clear the way for the train.
He said at that time, the Toyota vehicle was right on the track with other vehicles in front and behind it, leaving the driver little room to manoeuvre, adding that they had no option, but to come out of the car.
No sooner had they come out of the car than the traffic started to move, but the attempt to get back into the car prove futile as the train almost approached the scene.

Cabinet approves new irrigation policy

03-11-08
Page 31

CABINET has approved an irrigation policy that seeks to provide strategies and appropriate regulatory framework for irrigation development and expansion in the country.
The policy also seeks to make the operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes more participatory through the involvement of farmers in all aspects of management at all levels.
“The policy takes into account the aspirations of existing and potential irrigation practitioners in both the private and public sectors,” the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Debrah, said in a address read on his behalf at the opening of a sensitisation workshop on the feasibility study of the Accra Plains Irrigation Project.
The feasibility study, which is being conducted by STUDI International, an engineering consultancy firm, is expected to identify 200,000 hectares after which the zoning process of the area would identify 5,000 hectares as priority for irrigation development.
Mr Debrah announced that a national inventory of dams and dugouts had been compiled by the government, and in addition to the database and assessment of potential of existing dams and dugouts, the inventory would also facilitate the development of a national irrigation master plan that would guide irrigation development in the country.
In June this year, he said, the government gave the green light for the start of rehabilitation on the Tono Irrigation Project, saying that the GH¢8 million project, which would be completed in December this year, was well known for the production of tomatoes and rice.
He said crops to be cultivated on the Accra Irrigation Plains included banana, soyabean, rice, pineapple, mango, maize, groundnut and cowpea, adding that “this project will increase agricultural production and contribute to the satisfaction of the growing domestic demand for food and raw materials for agro-based industries”.
Mr Debrah indicated that the ministry had set a target of having about 50,000 hectares under irrigation by 2010, and that under the project the government would ensure the completion of all on-going projects on schedule.
“The interrelationship between proper water control and its management on one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the other is so obvious. Ghana will realise the extent and full potential of irrigation development for enhancing food security and poverty reduction through judicious exploitation of the water resources of the country,” he emphasised.
Mr Boujemaa Remili, a representative of STUDI International, said conducting the project was a real challenge, since the group had to measure the real potential of the area taking into account the multiple characteristics of soil, rainfall slope, as well as underground water quality and quantity.
The current step of the study, he said, dealt with the zoning of the Accra Plains Irrigation Project.
A consultant, Mr Nelson Offei Osae, who chaired the function, said it was important to know the potential of the Accra Plains so that the government could prepare for its development.

‘Probe allocation of timber rights’

Back Page lead
31-10-08

FIFTEEN timber companies operating in the country have called for investigations into the allocation of timber rights by the Forestry Commission.
The companies made the call as a result of what they claimed was the illegal deals being carried out by the commission in the allocation of timber rights.
The companies are In God’s Service Company Limited, Aframco Limited, Carlnormal Limited, House of Kay, Unclewad Company Limited, Tiger Exports Limited, Talento Limited and Belltop Company Limited.
The rest are Isbeg Company Limited, Ghana Tropical Limited, Nkebright Agencies, B.MS. Limited, Engineering and Technical Limited, Jeewap Company Limited and Alacraty International.
Addressing the press in Accra yesterday, the spokesperson of the aggrieved companies, Mr Bright Nkeyasen, said the Forestry Commission had allocated plantations to more than 40 companies illegally at the price of GH¢140.00, 50 per cent less than the prices won during the bidding for the plantations.
Some foreign companies, he alleged, had been allocated plantations/lots without due process, which required that there should be competitive bidding.
“The Ghana-Ivory Coast boundary trees were also allocated illegally to only two companies at GH¢ 95.00 per cubic metre. Total volume of these materials illegally allocated at cheap prices amounted to over 100,000 cubic metres of plantation timber all going to the world markets,” he alleged.
He said such acts of sabotage undermined the letter and spirit of the competitive bidding process thereby making “those of us who won the lots/plantations legally uncompetitive on the world markets”.
Mr Nkeyasen said in 2003, the government enacted a law that regulated timber allocation in the country, and that the law brought sanity and fairness into timber allocation, saying that the Law, LI 1721, spelt out general procedures for allocation of timber rights.
To pre-qualify to enter into the bidding process, companies had to be registered in accordance with the law of the country, meet all tax obligations and must not be indebted to the commission.
The 15 companies, he said, were the bid winners of the 2007 competitive bidding organised by the Forestry Commission, and that 24 lots or plantations were advertised for pre-qualification.
Mr Nkeyasen explained that after the pre-qualification process, as “we prepare for the actual bidding, three big lots were removed from the list namely lots 4, 8 and 10, totalling 35,000 cubic metres.
“When we asked why these three lots were removed from the list, Forestry Commission reply was that they were not going to sell them due to environmental and security concerns,” he said.
He explained further that prices won for the lots/plantations ranged between GH¢250 and GH¢350 per cubic metre, bringing the total price for the remaining 23 lots to GH¢ 23,958,392, and that two weeks after the competitive bidding, “the three lots which were removed from the list due to environmental and security reasons, were allocated to a foreign company based in Singapore at the price GH¢140.00 per cubic metre, which is less than 50 per cent of prices won at the bidding, without passing through competitive bidding process as required by law”.
Mr Nkeyasen also called on the government to revoke all illegal licence and permits issued by the commission.

Prez inaugurates A-Poly block of flats

Page 3
30-10-08

President J. A. Kufuor yesterday inaugurated a number of facilities at the Accra Polytechnic to enhance effective teaching and learning there.
The projects, which were financed through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the polytechnic’s internally generated funds, were a five-storey block of 20 three-bedroom flats, a five-storey block of 20 two-bedroom flats, a five-storey block comprising two-bedroom flats and a five-storey block of 20 one-bedroom flats.
The rest were a water supply and distribution system on campus, block to house the Bachelor of Technology and a library, an Electrical and Electronic Engineering block and a 500 KVA electricity generating plant.
The accommodation facilities will be occupied by about 80 members of staff of the polytechnic who, hitherto, had to commute from long distances to school.
Performing the inauguration ceremony, President Kufuor said never had such massive infrastructural development taken place in the polytechnics in the country within a short time.
That, according to him, was the extent of the government’s commitment to higher education and the development of polytechnics in general.
He commended the authorities of the polytechnic for using its limited space to put up such facilities.
He said although the population was increasing, land was not, and, therefore, stressed the need for those in the capital to be economical in the use of space for providing accommodation.
“You have demonstrated by the construction of these tall structures that we can satisfy the demand for accommodation in a confined space without sacrificing aesthetic considerations. Your buildings help to brighten the capital’s skyline to add to the city’s beauty,” he stated.
President Kufuor said polytechnics occupied a significant place in the tertiary educational sector, since their mandate was “to provide training of a kind that does not obtain anywhere else in the sector”.
Beyond the traditional Higher National Diploma (HND), he said, the legal instrument provided polytechnic education now opened up the possibilities of training at the level of bachelor’s degree and beyond, adding that “it is possible to start at one type of institution to complete at another, transferring grades”.
Commenting on the forthcoming elections, he urged the staff and students to ensure that their utterances and actions, both on campus and within their communities, would be aimed at promoting free, fair and credible elections, to which the government was committed.
He said as role models, they were in a position to help make the elections successful.
The Rector of the Accra Polytechnic, Prof Festus Addo-Yobo, commended the government for funding the projects, saying that “these demonstrate the government’s positive attitude towards teaching and research in the Applied Sciences and Technology and Applied Arts and the provision of technical skills within the polytechnics”.
He said the polytechnic had responded positively to the government’s assistance by setting a target to become a world-class polytechnic, adding that the projects would go a long way to help it to achieve its ambitions.
Prof Addo-Yobo appealed to the government to assist the polytechnic to acquire land for the construction of hostel facilities outside the campus to provide more accommodation facilities for its students.
The Chairman of the Polytechnic Council, Mr Napoleon Bulley, who chaired the function, described the provision of the facilities as historic.

Wanton destruction of trees deplored

29-10-08
Page 30

PARTICIPANTS at a seminar on 100 years of forestry in Ghana at the Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX 2008) have deplored the wanton destruction and cutting of trees in urban areas for commercial activities.
They said such destruction was seriously affecting the ecology. They therefore called on the authorities concerned to enforce by-laws in regard to the destruction of trees in urban areas.
“We have failed in our urban plantation development”, the Technical Director of the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr Fredua Agyeman, summed up the views of the participants.
A former Dean of the Institute for Renewable and Natural Resources, Mr J. G. K. Owusu, who set the tone for the discussion on the subject, said little was being done about urban plantation development.
He said apart from the streets, trees around some schools had been cut, thereby defeating the purpose for which they were planted in the first place.
He stressed the need for people to plant trees around their houses to provide greenery and that people should not only plant trees for economic reasons but also to maintain the ecological balance.
In a keynote address, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Professor Nii Ashie Kotey, stressed the need for innovation and pooling of resources to meet future challenges in the timber industry so the country could remain competitive in the global village.
A Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr E. A. Abeney, said forest standards require sound environmental practices.

Ghana's forest depleting at alarming rate

Page 38
27-10-08

ABOUT eighty-five per cent of Ghana’s forest reserve has been depleted, leaving only 15 per cent in good condition, Dr Daniel Sekyere, Deputy Director of the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) has stated.
This, he said, was due to unsustainable agriculture practices, illegal farming practices, poor logging practices, over-exploitation, illegal chainsaw lumbering and mining and firewood extraction.
He said for instance, that the country consumed between 10-16 million cubic meters of fuel wood annually.
Dr Sekyere was presenting a paper on “100 Years of Forestry in Ghana: CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana’s Contribution Towards National Development” as part of the Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX 2008) in Accra.
The impact of forest degradation, he said, included soil erosion, formation of hardpan, decline in water volume in rivers, streams, lakes and dams, deterioration of water quality, wind damage to crops and buildings, air pollution and global warming and climate change.
Dr Sekyere said the country’s potential forest zone covered 8.2 million hectares while 1.7 million hectares were under forest reservation and the remaining 6.5 million used for agriculture, settlements, roads and railways.
According to him, more than 70 per cent of the non-reserved forest had been lost over the last 100 years, leaving only 15 per cent in good condition.
He noted that FORIG had instituted various interventions, including restoration of degraded forest, large scale plantation and efficient utilisation of forest products to arrest forest degradation.
Dr Sekyere said the mandate of the institute was to undertake forest products research to ensure sustainable management and utilisation of the country’s forest resources as well as engage in the commercialisation of the research results and services.
He said CSIR-FORIG had a vision of becoming a centre of excellence in Forestry Research in the humid tropics, adding that the mission was to conduct high quality user-focused research that generated scientific knowledge and appropriate technologies which enhanced sustainable development.
FORIG’s contribution to sustainable forest management, he said, included the development of methods of rehabilitating mined and degraded sites, development of biodiversity conservation methods and establishment of Bambusetum containing fifteen (15) indigenous and exotic species.
“I believe that if our research findings are applied diligently, we will create greater impact and more value for our stakeholders, reinvigorate our research and help contribute to a sustainable environment and improved livelihoods for the good people of Ghana,” he said.
Dr Sekyere said FORIG’s contribution to plantation development were the development of techniques for establishment of woodlots in the derived savannah agro-ecological zones in the country, establishment of economics of plantation development, improved seeds and seedlings for planting and vegetation propagation techniques for species such as Wawa, Odum and Kusia.
The efficient utilisation of forest products, he said, drying and preservative schedules for a number of tree species, development of technologies for pulp and paper production from indigenous plant species, physical, mechanical, anatomical and working characteristics of a number of species, utilisation of lesser-used species and suitability of various species for composite products manufacturing.
Dr Ernest G. Foli of FORIG said the timber trade in Ghana began well over 100 years ago and that only a few species, mainly Mahogany, Odum, Sapele, Wawa, among others, were of interest in those early days.
Until about 1990, he said, less than 20 timber species were considered as species of ‘prime’ commercial value.

New wood species for manufacturing identified

Page 46
27-10-08

THE Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) has identified seven additional wood species of commercial and industrial value.
Among other industrial purposes, the wood species, according to the TIDD, can be used for panelling, furniture, flooring, mouldings, structural work, door, decorative veneer and plywood, for the local and international markets.
The seven species bring to 28 the number of wood species in Ghana that are used for manufacturing purposes.
They are Asoma, Yayaa, Wawabima, Ananta, Avodire, Sinduro, Ohaa and Watawpuo.
A Trade and Industry Officer at the TIDD, Mr R.A. Dadzie, made this known to the Daily Graphic at the ongoing Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX) at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre.
He gave the National Indicative Felling Levels (NIFLs) of the species as Asoma, 17,592 cubic metres; Yayaa, 4,678 cubic metres; Wawabima, 12,874 cubic metres; Ananta, 12,327; Sinduro, 6,128 cubic metres; Ohaa, 4,140 cubic metres and Watawpuo, 9,774.
He said the Division was going to promote the species to individuals, firms and organisations, adding that the ultimate aim of the TIDD was to ensure maximum returns from the sale of wood products.
Mr Dadzie said an amount of €184.17 million was realised from the export of 528,570 cubic metres of wood products from January to December, last year, and that for the same period in 2006, an amount of €170.10 million was generated.
According to him, the TIDD had targeted to generate €200 million by the end of this year, adding that the Division was able to rake in €96 million in the first half of the year.
In a related development, the Wildlife Division of the FC underscored the need for Ghanaians to undertake activities that would protect the environment for future generations.
The Public Relations Manager of the Division, Mrs Vivian A.N. Nuhu, expressed concerns about the way some people were treating the environment, thereby threatening the survival of some animal and plant species.
She noted that wildlife is not only about dangerous animals but also about living creatures like ants and butterflies.
Mr Emmanuel K.K. Mensah, Assistant Public Relations Manager of the Forestry Commission, stressed the need for people living in a particular area to embark on community forestry because of its potential to transform their lives and environment.
An official of the FC, Mr Daniel Mensah, who was manning the Resource Management Support Centre (RMSC) stand at the fair, said the centre was the technical wing of the FC.
He said it was responsible for the exploration, development, facilitation, institutionalisation, implementation and monitoring of effective and affordable forest and wildlife management system in the country in accordance with the national forest and wildlife policy.
He said the objectives included accelerating improved operational capacity of the FC, enhance operational capacity and facilitate accelerated preparation and implementation of management plans.

DDP constructs canopy walkway

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27-10-08

A MINIATURE canopy walkway is to be mounted in the Achimota Forest as part of efforts to boost tourism in the city.
The walkway, which will be six metres high and 25 metres long, is being built as part of the ongoing Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX 2008) by DDP Outdoor Limited.
The Public Relations Manager of the Wildlife Division, Mrs Vivian A.N. Nuhu, told the Daily Graphic on Saturday that having a canopy walkway in the Achimota Forest would boost visits to the area, especially the zoo that was being built there.
She said although the walkway would be permanently in the forest, “we will see whether or not it will be possible to bring it to the Trade Fair Centre during fairs for people to have a feel of it”.
There is one of such facility at the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.
She said once the walkway was mounted, visitors to the area would pay something little to have access to it, adding that using the canopy walkway in the Achimota forest could help build the confidence of people in using the canopy walkway at the Kakum Park.
She said the walkway should have been used for the GIFEX, saying it was, however, not late for subsequent events.
Mrs Nuhu said a new zoo was currently being built in the forest following the relocation of animals to the Kumasi Zoo, adding that the zoo would cover 40 hectares of the forest.
According to her, the Wildlife Division had 100.2 hectares in the area and that it was out of that that the 40 hectares was being used for the zoo.
She described the Achimota Forest as complex, with a part of it functioning as ‘the lung of Accra’, while it had rare fruits and wildlife in it.
Mrs Nuhu indicated that ponds for crocodiles, as part of the zoo, had been developed, while there were grasscutters, ostriches and camels donated by the Libyan government.

WITC develops smoke dryer

25-10-08
Page 18

THE Wood Industries Training Centre (WITC) has developed a smoke dryer facility that uses saw dust for the drying of wood products instead of electricity.
The facility, which is suitable for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), is affordable and easy to use.
“The smoke dryer is user-friendly and does not pollute the environment, Mr George Zowonu, Public Relations Office of the WITC, told the Daily Graphic at the 2008 Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX) at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
He noted that SMEs spent a lot of money in drying their wood and that “we have developed this facility to cut cost”.
He said the centre was holding workshops with SMEs to educate them on the use and manufacture of the facility to enable them to reduce their (SMEs) operational costs.
“This facility would go a long way to help reduce the operational costs of SMEs,” he emphasised.
According to him, every wood species had its moisture content and that the wood was supposed to be dry to meet the appropriate moisture content depending on its use.
Mr Zowonu indicated that the centre provided technical training to people irrespective of their category in the wood industry, and that in addition to the provision of training, the centre, among others, manufactured tongue and groove (T&G) wood products for panels and ceilings things.
He disclosed that the name of the centre would be changed to Timber Technology Centre as a result of changes in technology so as to bring it up to the expected standard.
With its primary focus on capacity building, human resource development and institutional strengthening, the centre offers a wide range of supporting services to those involved in downstream wood processing.
In addition to its core activities, Mr Zowonu said the centre provided extension and consultancy to the timber industry in sawdoctoring and wood processing, among other services.
Over the last 12 years, WITC had earned a reputation as a centre of excellence for training, consultancy in the timber industry, as well as other timber-related sectors in the country.
It is staffed with highly experienced and committed people, who share the core belief that progress in the timber industry can only be achieved through capacity building and by working in partnership with clients and stakeholders.

Call for body to check sub-standard concrete products

25-10-08
Page 19


THE Deputy Minister of Transportation, Mr Magnus Opare-Asamoah, has called for the formation of an association that will serve as a peer review mechanism to stop the proliferation of sub-standard concrete products in the country.
“Such a body could also collaborate with other professionals to research into new trends and practices in the industry,” he said.
Mr Opare-Asamoah said this at a public forum organised by the African Concrete Product (ACP), as part of the 12th Ghana International Furniture Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX 2008) at the Trade Fair Centre.
He said the products of the construction industry needed to be regulated to ensure that consumers got value for their moneys, adding that the government was committed to firms the necessarily supported and gave encouragement in ensuring that the “construction industry continues to contribute its quota to the gross domestic product of the country”.
"The government will continue to provide the needed resources and support for the regulatory agencies such as the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to execute their mandate effectively," he stated, saying that there was the need for the country to aspire to and maintain high standards.
Mr Opare-Asamoah commended ACP for its efforts in promoting the use of high quality concrete products in the building and road construction industry.
According to him, the company had since the country's independence, been a true and reliable partner in the construction industry.
The Chairman of the ACP, Mr Carl Richards, said the country had seen an unprecedented boom in construction in recent times.
He said the importance of using correctly specified materials and properly qualified professionals in the construction process could not be overemphasised.
"With 52 years of service under its belt, ACP is an industry expert and leader. Our original mandate to create concrete products that meet international standards holds," he said.
The President of the Ghana Institute of Architects, Arc. William N.T. Evans-Anfom, said it was sad that some people hired the services of non-professionals when building, adding that it was more expensive to use a non-professional, since one was likely to spend more on shoddy works.
He said the building industry was all about standards.

Coconut, palm waste to be turned into usable wood

25-10-08
Back page lead

THE Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) has made a significant breakthrough in processing waste coconut and palm trees into usable wood for the manufacture of various products.
Items that can be manufactured from the waste coconut and palm trees include tables, chairs, cupboards and beds.
Some of these products are on display at the 12th Ghana International Furniture and Woodworking Exhibition (GIFEX) at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
A research scientist at FORIG, Mr Francis Wilson Owusu, told the Daily Graphic that coconut and palm trees that were more than 40 years old were suitable for use, and that the older the tree, the better the volume.
He said the institute had moved into discovering the trees as a result of the country's dwindling forests, adding that coconut and palm tree species were found in many communities across the country.
In a presentation at a seminar organised as part of GIFEX 2008, Mr Owusu said, “The forests of Ghana are dwindling as a result of over-exploitation.”
The effects, he said, were that some industries were folding up, thereby creating unemployment, there was a decline in revenue generation, increase in illegal chain saw activities, among other things.
Mr Owusu said with the new discovery, the institute would recommend the wood species to manufacturers and users of wood products, adding, "We are now at the promotional stage."
He said the wood from the trees was solid and explained that the institute had acquired a logosol machine for the milling of the trees into lumbers, noting that the machines could be used to mill the trees where they were felled.
With the discovery, he said, owners of palm and coconut trees could benefit substantially as they could make money from the sale of the trees once they were dead or attacked by disease.
At the seminar, it came out that FORIG had also been successful in working on some of the timber species that were unknown or less used, with some of the timber species being adopted and available on the market.

University of Ghana to break for Dec polls

Spread
21-10-08


THE University of Ghana is to break from December 6 to 8, 2008 to enable students to take part in the December 7 elections.
The authorities of the university have, therefore, changed the starting date of the first semester examinations for the 2008-2009 academic year from November 24, 2008, to November 19, 2008.
“We will break for December 6,7 and 8, 2008 for students to go and exercise their franchise. We will, however, continue with the first semester examinations from December 9, 2008,” the acting Director of Academic Affairs, Mr E.A. Amartey, told the Daily Graphic yesterday.
He said the break for the elections would not in anyway affect the academic calendar, and that the date, December 13, 2008, on which the first semester was supposed to end remained unchanged.,
He said students were expected to finish their examinations by December 13, 2008.
Mr Amartey said the authorities had already communicated the change in the commencement of the examinations to students.
Meanwhile, some students have welcomed the decision of the authorities to give them the opportunity exercise their franchise.
They said the short break would also afford them the opportunity to follow the elections closely.
“The decision is okay because writing examinations during the voting period will have disenfranchised some us,” a second-year student, Abdul Kassim said.
Another student, Stephen Asamoah, who supported the assertion of his colleague, said most students registered outside campus and that “it was good to allow them to go home and cast their ballots and come back”.
The decision of the authorities of the University of Ghana comes just about a week after the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) announced that it was going to break for students to partake in the elections.
The University Relations Officer of KNUST, Mr Solomon Panford, said after deliberating on the matter, the Academic Board had decided that the university should go on recess on Friday, December 5, 2008 and resume on Monday, December 8, 2008 to allow students who would want to travel to participate in the elections to do so.

Spain marks National Day

Page 47
20-10-08

THE Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Julia Alicia Olmo Romero, has said the bilateral trade between Spain and Ghana is developing in a manner that will be of great benefit to the two countries.
She mentioned the successful execution of the second financial protocol that provided Ghana with 65 million euros of soft loans that were being used in the agriculture, fisheries, water, health and infrastructure sectors.
In addition, she cited the satisfactory negotiation of the debt swap agreement that implied a debt cancellation in favour of Ghana to the tune of almost 30 million euros.
Speaking at the celebration of the National Day of Spain, Madam Romero also mentioned the agreement for the promotion and protection of reciprocal investments.
The creation of a vocational and training centre that would contribute to job creation, building capacities, and the “gentleman’s agreement on migration”, she said, also formed part of cooperation between the two countries.
“Nevertheless, I am convinced that we still have a hard work to do to allow Ghana and Spain to deepen their mutual knowledge and expand their relations as a whole,” she stated.
Madam Romero commended Spanish non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and religious orders for their determination to improve the education and health situation of the less favoured people.
She said the day did not only mark the arrivals of the Spaniards in America but also the birth of Spain as a country that had contributed to forge a distinctive identity and given birth to a language and culture that reached nearly 500 million worldwide.
“Today Spain is a modern and dynamic country that during the last 30 years has been experiencing a significant political, economic and social development. After those years of fruitful evolution, we have achieved a collective aspiration of taking our place alongside the most developed countries in Europe without leaving our responsibility of being a bridge between continents, regions and cultures,” she said.

Ghana marks World Food Day

18-10-08
Page 18


GHANA and 39 other African countries have benefited from a $28-million package from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to address problems associated with the global rise in food prices.
The money, which was made available through the organisation’s Technical Cooperation Programme, is to enable countries to carry out short-term measures, particularly distribution of essential farm inputs to farmers.
The FAO’s Representative in Ghana, Ms Helena Semedo, announced this yesterday at a Flag-hoisting ceremony in Accra to mark this year’s World Food Day celebrations.
It was on the theme: “World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bio-energy”.
She said the day, which was celebrated in 190 countries, provided the organisation and its member countries the opportunity to reflect on the chosen theme and undertake efforts to attain food security and eradicate hunger in the world.
“Ghana has made significant strides to reduce hunger and poverty and is regarded as one of a few African countries that are likely to achieve the first Millennium Development Goal by 2015. This positive outlook may be derailed by climate change, among many other factors, including soaring food prices,” she said.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Akubuor Debrah, said although climate change affected everyone, the worst-hit was the hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers, fishermen and forest-dependent people who were vulnerable and insecure food-wise.
“By affecting the availability of land, water and biodiversity, the price of food will continue to rise as demand increases and the increasing demand for biofuels produced from crops will adversely impact on the availability of food for the poor,” he said.
To address the problem, he said, it behoved all to stop destroying the environment by adopting good farming methods, adding that farmers should abide by the advice of extension agents of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Mr Debrah said the ministry had made it an objective to ensure universal food security and improved growth in agricultural incomes by adopting policies that would enhance and facilitate efforts by all stakeholders to increase productivity.
“As a result, we have in place several strategic interventions like improved irrigation to small holder farmers, distribution of improved seeds and seedlings, provision of inputs to farmers and provision of storage facilities for international marketing,” he stated.
The Minister of Fisheries, Ms Gladys Asmah, in a speech read on her behalf, said pressures had been exerted on fisheries resources, thereby making it impossible to scientifically manage the country’s fisheries resources.
“Our seas, lakes and rivers have been over-fished and exploited. Fishing is no longer a way of life but an intense commercial activity with heavy investments and capital outlays,” she said, adding that while the country required nearly 800,000 metric tons of fish annually, the country’s total annual fish harvest stands at 400,000 metric tons,” she stated.
The Director General of the FAO, Mr Jacques Diouf, in a message, said the number of hungry people had increased from 75 million at the end of last year due to the soaring food and energy prices.
“This crisis is due to decreasing investments in agriculture in the poorest countries during the last 30 years. The share of agriculture in public development aid declined from 17 per cent in 1980 to three per cent in 2006,” he said.

“Discoveries in Learning” conference opens Thursday

Page 11
20-10-08


A THREE-DAY international education exhibition conference that will showcase practical and innovative techniques in learning will be held at the British Council Hall in Accra from October 23-25, 2008.
The conference, dubbed “Discoveries in Learning”, will bring together lecturers, principals, teachers, students and parents and other stakeholders in the education sector.
It is being organised by Higher Learning Ghana, a company committed to empowering individuals, organisations and institutions with creative strategies to help them realise their potential to the fullest.
The conference will be held in collaboration with the British Council, AMAL Bank and Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MoESS). The sector minister, Prof Dominic Fobih, is expected to open the conference, which will also be attended by representatives of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The conference, which is on the theme: “The Learning Revolution”, will provide the platform through which international and local experts will share ideas in the area of education.
Some of the topics to be treated at the conference include learning motivation and thinking skills, learner-centred leadership, creative use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to organisational teaching, personal learning and thinking skills, and preparing young people for the global market.
The topics for the exhibition conference are meant to be interactive, practical and innovative, as well as impact on techniques of learning and teaching.
The Director of Higher Learning Ghana, Mrs Amanda Allotey, said the “Discoveries in Learning”, which is Ghana’s premier leading international exhibition, had plans to showcase recent breakthroughs and innovations on learning strategies”.
Speakers for the exhibition conference include Dr Trevor Male and Mr Garry Burnett of the University of Hull, United Kingdom, who will be speaking on the topics: “Learner Centred Leadership, Learner Motivation and Personal Learning Skills” respectively.
A motivational speaker, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, will also speak on the topic, “Preparing Young People for the Global Marketplace and Mr Ebo Whyte, another motivational speaker, will be one of the speakers at the Parenting Seminar on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Other topics will include ‘Early Years’, ‘Special Needs’, ‘ICT’ and ‘Practical Strategies for Parents’.
Mr Moses Anibaba, Director of the British Council, has also endorsed the programme, noting that “There is a lot of synergy between the topics to be covered within Discoveries in Learning and our Continuous Professional and Personal Development Programmes, hence the British Council’s support for the event”.
He also noted that the exhibition conference had the potential of raising the next generation of leaders to meet global demands of the marketplace.

Five honoured by ATRACO old students

20-10-08

SOME old students of the Accra Teacher Training College (ATRACO) have honoured two former principals and three teachers of the college.
They are Mr Ferdinand Gberbie, former Principal (1978-1988); Mr Wallace Abubakar, immediate past Principal (2001-2007); Mr Daniel Ofotsu Apronti, former Head of Mathematics Department; Mr Thomas Acquinas Ntumy, former Head of English Department and Mr Joe-Adjei Cobblah, former Head of Science Department.
They were each presented with a certificate.
Each of the recipients was given the opportunity to share some experiences, as well as some challenges and encounters they had with their old students.
The Principal of ATRACO, Ms Christine Henaku, used the occasion to thank the organisers and also called on the government to assist the school to put up an assembly hall.
For his part, Mr John Kwame Quayson, an old student, who organised the programme with the assistance of Mr Charles Adjetey, said the event was a historic one since Messrs Gberbie, Apronti and Joe-Adjei were among the few who moved the school from the old site at Kokomlemle to its present location in 1985.
He said teachers played a key role in the development of a country's economy, through quality education, and must be rewarded when the chalk and pens were officially placed on the table upon retirement.
Other past students, including Dr Okpoti, Head of Mathematics Department of the University of Education, Winneba and Mr De Youngsters, Proprietor of De Youngsters School, were also given the floor to recount some experiences to the admiration of the current student body.

Five honoured by ATRACO old students

Page 11
20-10-08

THE Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC) has initiated moves to set up a Centre for Education and Technology that will provide Information and Technology (IT) related services for tertiary institutions in and outside the country.
To facilitate that vision, the GTUC has created the office of Information Technology Services which will help speed up the process.
The President of the university, Dr Osei K. Darkwa, announced this at the third matriculation of the GTUC in Accra on Friday.
In all, 511 freshers, made up 43 females and 434 males, were admitted to the college. The fresh students comprised 53 students from 16 other African countries. They will pursue certificate, diploma, degree and postgraduate programmes.
Dr Darkwa said the Centre for Education Technology in Africa (CETA) would link the GTUC with colleges and schools throughout West Africa, Africa and the world at large, adding that the office of Information Technology would manage the university’s central technology infrastructure and provide IT-support services for the university.
He said the GTUC was seeking accreditation from the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to offer new programmes in Computer Forensics and Information Technology Management, adding that a third faculty, the Faculty of Business Entrepreneurship, would start next year.
“To position the university to be more competitive with others in Ghana and other parts of the world, the university is moving in the direction of open and distance learning. We are in the process of creating the GTUC virtual campus and satellite campuses in selected cities in Ghana, in conjunction with the polytechnics,” he said.
Dr Darkwa said that would enable the university to offer online courses to students who might not be physically located in Accra, saying that by “creating the GTUC virtual campus the university can enrol more students throughout Ghana and West Africa”.
He said the students were fortunate to be entering the university at the time the authorities were putting up a new classroom complex, establishing new technological infrastructure that would link the GTUC to similar institutions in other parts of the world, as well as establishing the university as an autonomous entity from its parent company.
“We encourage you to involve yourself in one or more of the many student clubs, as well as community service. It is often in these enjoyable co-curricular activities that we have opportunities to explore and develop yet untapped aspects of your character and talents,” he told the students.
On behalf of his colleagues, Kwabena Appiah-Berko pledged to share in the vision and mission of the university and appealed for the expansion of hostel facilities.