Back Page
26-09-08
THERE is widespread illegal importation and sale of non-compliant energy saving lamps (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) in the country, the Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission (EC), Dr Ofosu Ahenkorah, has said.
He told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the importation of the illegal CFLs was contrary to the energy efficiency standards and labelling requirements stipulated by the Energy Standards and Labelling Regulations of 2005.
He named some of the CFLs on the market as Elbee, Global, Crabtree Tribe, Ling, Tong Lighting, Harbour, Crystal, Osram Dulux and Economy Hongyao.
The rest are: Gava, Vyba, Oscar Mettro, Miracle Koshi, SL-Prismatic, Ouqi, Philips, Bruder, Ground, Sunsea, Focus, Marksonic (Fine) and Eurolite.
Dr Ahenkorah explained that in 2002, the government, upon the recommendation of the Energy Foundation, removed import duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) on energy saving lamps.
The objective, he said, was to ensure that the sale of energy saving lamps were affordable to the people instead of the incandescent bulbs, which consume four times the energy of CFLs.
He said apart from not lasting long, the inferior lamps did not bright enough, thereby compelling people or consumers to use more of such lamps at one place.
Dr Ahenkorah said having realised that there was the need for lamps imported into the country to meet certain standards, standards were set and gazetted in August, 2003.
To make the standards work, he said, the Legislation of 2005 was passed to make sure that all energy saving lamps complied with the standards set.
He said the discovery of the illegal sale on non-compliant CFLs was made by the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) during a compliance monitoring exercise, saying that in the course of the exercise, it was realised that the illegal lamps did not have labels, a key requirement under the 2005 Legislation.
Section 5(1) of the Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling (non-ducted air conditioners and self-ballasted fluorescent lamps) Regulations, 2005 states that “A person shall not store, offer for sale, sell, distribute, import or otherwise dispose of a self-ballasted lamp unless the lamp bears a label that indicates the minimum performance.”
Dr Ahenkorah said any person who contravened any of the requirements on labelling in the regulations committed an offence and was liable to summary conviction of a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.
Dr Ahenkorah said tests conducted on the illegal lamps showed that instead of the lamps lasting 6000 hours, they lasted 600 hours.
Such a practice, he said, affected the consumer the more, and that “once the consumer loses confidence in the lamps he/she turns to the use of incandescent bulbs, which consumes more energy”.
On the state of the country’s energy situation, Dr Ahenkorah said it was okay.
“I don’t think we would run into the energy crisis again,” he pointed out.
Friday, September 26, 2008
GRASAG calls for release of thesis grant
Page 31
26-09-08
THE Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has called on the government to immediately release the 2007-2008 academic year thesis and bursary grants.
In addition, it has demanded a 100 per cent increase in the grants, effective the 2008-2009 academic year, to meet the increasing cost of goods and services.
"The inexplicable delay in disbursing the 2007-2008 academic year thesis and bursary grants to graduate students in Ghana speaks eloquently about how the government perceives graduate education. The 2008-2009 academic year has begun and is into its second month now but the thesis and bursary grants for 2007-2008 academic year are yet to be paid," the National President of GRASAG, Mr Michael Adusei, said at a press conference in Accra.
He said GRASAG would advise itself if the government failed to release the 2007-2008 grants by October 15, 2008, adding that a lot of efforts had been made to facilitate their payment.
He said, for instance, that press releases, press conferences and radio interviews, complemented with incessant visits to the offices of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the Scholarship Secretariat and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, "have all been employed as weapons to move the government to pay the grants".
Mr Adusei said a petition sent to the Chief of Staff on the delay in the disbursement of the grants had yielded no response and asked whether or not the grants had been abolished.
"Currently, the bursary grant, which is paid uniformly to all postgraduate students who complete the bond forms, stands at GH¢230 per year for a maximum period of five years for PhD programmes and three years for Master's programmes," he said.
The thesis allowance, he said, was paid once in a year in a graduated way to postgraduate students as MA/MSC/MBA/LLM/PGDip, GH¢69; MPhil, GH¢172.50, PhD, and GH¢287.50 and said "we believe the above figures do not reflect economic realities, for which reason we are asking the government to review them so that they will fulfil their intended purpose of promoting graduate education".
Mr Adusei also announced that disability allowance payable to students with disability in the various institutions was in arrears for three years.
The President of the Disabled Students of the University of Ghana, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi, who confirmed this, said the situation had resulted in hardship on the part of disabled students.
26-09-08
THE Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has called on the government to immediately release the 2007-2008 academic year thesis and bursary grants.
In addition, it has demanded a 100 per cent increase in the grants, effective the 2008-2009 academic year, to meet the increasing cost of goods and services.
"The inexplicable delay in disbursing the 2007-2008 academic year thesis and bursary grants to graduate students in Ghana speaks eloquently about how the government perceives graduate education. The 2008-2009 academic year has begun and is into its second month now but the thesis and bursary grants for 2007-2008 academic year are yet to be paid," the National President of GRASAG, Mr Michael Adusei, said at a press conference in Accra.
He said GRASAG would advise itself if the government failed to release the 2007-2008 grants by October 15, 2008, adding that a lot of efforts had been made to facilitate their payment.
He said, for instance, that press releases, press conferences and radio interviews, complemented with incessant visits to the offices of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the Scholarship Secretariat and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, "have all been employed as weapons to move the government to pay the grants".
Mr Adusei said a petition sent to the Chief of Staff on the delay in the disbursement of the grants had yielded no response and asked whether or not the grants had been abolished.
"Currently, the bursary grant, which is paid uniformly to all postgraduate students who complete the bond forms, stands at GH¢230 per year for a maximum period of five years for PhD programmes and three years for Master's programmes," he said.
The thesis allowance, he said, was paid once in a year in a graduated way to postgraduate students as MA/MSC/MBA/LLM/PGDip, GH¢69; MPhil, GH¢172.50, PhD, and GH¢287.50 and said "we believe the above figures do not reflect economic realities, for which reason we are asking the government to review them so that they will fulfil their intended purpose of promoting graduate education".
Mr Adusei also announced that disability allowance payable to students with disability in the various institutions was in arrears for three years.
The President of the Disabled Students of the University of Ghana, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi, who confirmed this, said the situation had resulted in hardship on the part of disabled students.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
NADMO, five others embark on fire audit exercise
Back page (72)
25-09-08
THE National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and five other organisations have begun what they call a ‘fire audit’ exercise in some major markets in the Greater Accra Region to identify possible hazards that are likely to cause fire outbreaks.
The exercise, which is being undertaken with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Police Service, City Guards and representatives from assemblies in the metropolis, is aimed at preventing fire outbreaks in the markets.
The Greater Accra Co-ordinator of NADMO, Mr Ben Brown, made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday.
The move is as a result of the rampant fire outbreaks in markets and other places. The Kantamanto Market, for instance, recorded its second fire outbreak in two years on Monday night.
The Makola Market had also experienced a number of fire outbreaks that have destroyed goods worth millions of cedis over the years and last July fire gutted a warehouse, a hairdressing salon, an internet cafe and a Benz cargo truck at Adabraka in Accra.
Mr Brown said the fire audit exercise had been carried out at Tudu and was currently being carried out at the Makola Market.
From Makola, he said, the team involved in the programme would move to the Kaneshie Market, and subsequently to the other markets in the metropolis.
He said the exercise involved the examination of electrical wiring to find out how old the wires were and whether or not they had been truncated.
‘’We also check the kind of gadgets that are used in the markets,” he said, adding that “when we check and the right thing is not done, the ECG would remove the meter till the right thing is done”.
Mr Brown who deplored the way and manner some electrical connections were done in markets and said such connections were responsible for fire outbreaks, hence the need to prevent them.
On the Monday night fire outbreak at the Kantamanto Market, he said NADMO had begun assessing the extent of damage to goods and other property to ascertain their actual cost, adding that “this would take three days”.
In addition, he said, there would be counselling of the victims to let them know the kind of interventions that were there from government agencies, banks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help bring their (victims) lives back to normalcy.
Mr Brown said the sole responsibility of reconstructing the market rested with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and that the responsibility of NADMO was to partner the Assembly to ensure ‘sustainable development’ of the markets.
Sustainable development, he said, included ensuring access roads through the market, a clinic to meet the health needs of the traders and provision of potable water and a crèche.
“Once that is done, we would be able to meet the needs of people yet unborn, among other things,” he stated.
In a related development, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed concern about comments made by some eyewitnesses on some media networks to the effect that the first fire engine to respond to the incident at Kantamanto, did so without water.
“Management is worried over the constant and persistent peddling of false information by some victims of fire disasters. Such falsehoods do not only soil and bring the name of the service into disrepute, but also bring down the morale of firefighters who, in spite of inadequate logistics and personal protection, put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of both lives and property,” a statement signed by DOIII Timothy Osafo-Affum said.
According to the statement, the service had consistently informed the public that its fire engines had capacities of 1,000 and 1,200 gallons of water, which could be expelled between two and five minutes depending on the intensity of the fire.
It said the problem of the fire service had been the unavailability of flowing fire hydrants in the country, and that “until this problem is fixed and proper layouts for easy accessibility put in place, the current situation where fire [engines] have had to move from accident scenes within a twinkle of an eye in search of water will continue to be with us for a long time”.
“We want to assure the public that investigations are underway to find the cause of fire (at Kantamanto) and to come out with comprehensive measures to curb future occurrences,” the statement said.
25-09-08
THE National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and five other organisations have begun what they call a ‘fire audit’ exercise in some major markets in the Greater Accra Region to identify possible hazards that are likely to cause fire outbreaks.
The exercise, which is being undertaken with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Police Service, City Guards and representatives from assemblies in the metropolis, is aimed at preventing fire outbreaks in the markets.
The Greater Accra Co-ordinator of NADMO, Mr Ben Brown, made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday.
The move is as a result of the rampant fire outbreaks in markets and other places. The Kantamanto Market, for instance, recorded its second fire outbreak in two years on Monday night.
The Makola Market had also experienced a number of fire outbreaks that have destroyed goods worth millions of cedis over the years and last July fire gutted a warehouse, a hairdressing salon, an internet cafe and a Benz cargo truck at Adabraka in Accra.
Mr Brown said the fire audit exercise had been carried out at Tudu and was currently being carried out at the Makola Market.
From Makola, he said, the team involved in the programme would move to the Kaneshie Market, and subsequently to the other markets in the metropolis.
He said the exercise involved the examination of electrical wiring to find out how old the wires were and whether or not they had been truncated.
‘’We also check the kind of gadgets that are used in the markets,” he said, adding that “when we check and the right thing is not done, the ECG would remove the meter till the right thing is done”.
Mr Brown who deplored the way and manner some electrical connections were done in markets and said such connections were responsible for fire outbreaks, hence the need to prevent them.
On the Monday night fire outbreak at the Kantamanto Market, he said NADMO had begun assessing the extent of damage to goods and other property to ascertain their actual cost, adding that “this would take three days”.
In addition, he said, there would be counselling of the victims to let them know the kind of interventions that were there from government agencies, banks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help bring their (victims) lives back to normalcy.
Mr Brown said the sole responsibility of reconstructing the market rested with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and that the responsibility of NADMO was to partner the Assembly to ensure ‘sustainable development’ of the markets.
Sustainable development, he said, included ensuring access roads through the market, a clinic to meet the health needs of the traders and provision of potable water and a crèche.
“Once that is done, we would be able to meet the needs of people yet unborn, among other things,” he stated.
In a related development, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed concern about comments made by some eyewitnesses on some media networks to the effect that the first fire engine to respond to the incident at Kantamanto, did so without water.
“Management is worried over the constant and persistent peddling of false information by some victims of fire disasters. Such falsehoods do not only soil and bring the name of the service into disrepute, but also bring down the morale of firefighters who, in spite of inadequate logistics and personal protection, put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of both lives and property,” a statement signed by DOIII Timothy Osafo-Affum said.
According to the statement, the service had consistently informed the public that its fire engines had capacities of 1,000 and 1,200 gallons of water, which could be expelled between two and five minutes depending on the intensity of the fire.
It said the problem of the fire service had been the unavailability of flowing fire hydrants in the country, and that “until this problem is fixed and proper layouts for easy accessibility put in place, the current situation where fire [engines] have had to move from accident scenes within a twinkle of an eye in search of water will continue to be with us for a long time”.
“We want to assure the public that investigations are underway to find the cause of fire (at Kantamanto) and to come out with comprehensive measures to curb future occurrences,” the statement said.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
181,000 Vacancies declared for BECE placement
Page 11
24-09-08
HEADS of second cycle schools have declared a total of 181,000 vacancies for the placement of qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates under the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
The number of declared vacancies outstrips the 173,315 BECE candidates who qualified for placement this year.
What this means is that there is hope for the 33,837 qualified BECE candidates who have not yet had placement into second cycle schools, the Director of the Basic and Secondary Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Stephen Adu, told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Out of a total of 173,315 BECE candidates who qualified for placement, 139,478 candidates including 1,579 re-entry candidates have been placed into senior high schools and technical institutes leaving 33,837.
Mr Adu attributed the non-placement of some qualified candidates into second cycle schools to the wrong selection of programmes and schools.
He said the candidates used wrong codes for instance to select schools, adding that although the candidates were required to choose from six schools, some of them did not do so, probably confident that they were going to get their first choice schools.
“We are going to sort out all these problems on own merit. That is why we have established a task force on the placement exercise,” he stated.
Mr Adu explained that the placement was done on competitive basis, and that those who had not been placed had been directed to contact their district directors for further instructions.
To qualify for placement, a candidate needed to score not more than grade five in the four core subjects of English, mathematics, science and social studies, and not more than grade six in any other two subjects.
He added that the raw scores of candidates were used in the selection process, and that even though two candidates might have the same aggregate, one might get his/her first choice school ahead of the other.
About two weeks ago, the GES released the 2008 placement of qualified BECE candidates into second cycle schools under the CSSPS.
A statement signed by the Director General of the GES, Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, said the results of the placement would be available at junior high schools, senior high schools and technical institutes from Friday, September 26, 2008.
It said candidates could access their placements by texting only their index numbers to MTN, 1755, 1756; Kasapa, 1755 and Onetouch, 7777.
It noted that the placement was based on choice of schools, programmes and scores, and that fresh students were expected to report to their respective institutions on October 14, 2008.
24-09-08
HEADS of second cycle schools have declared a total of 181,000 vacancies for the placement of qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates under the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
The number of declared vacancies outstrips the 173,315 BECE candidates who qualified for placement this year.
What this means is that there is hope for the 33,837 qualified BECE candidates who have not yet had placement into second cycle schools, the Director of the Basic and Secondary Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Stephen Adu, told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Out of a total of 173,315 BECE candidates who qualified for placement, 139,478 candidates including 1,579 re-entry candidates have been placed into senior high schools and technical institutes leaving 33,837.
Mr Adu attributed the non-placement of some qualified candidates into second cycle schools to the wrong selection of programmes and schools.
He said the candidates used wrong codes for instance to select schools, adding that although the candidates were required to choose from six schools, some of them did not do so, probably confident that they were going to get their first choice schools.
“We are going to sort out all these problems on own merit. That is why we have established a task force on the placement exercise,” he stated.
Mr Adu explained that the placement was done on competitive basis, and that those who had not been placed had been directed to contact their district directors for further instructions.
To qualify for placement, a candidate needed to score not more than grade five in the four core subjects of English, mathematics, science and social studies, and not more than grade six in any other two subjects.
He added that the raw scores of candidates were used in the selection process, and that even though two candidates might have the same aggregate, one might get his/her first choice school ahead of the other.
About two weeks ago, the GES released the 2008 placement of qualified BECE candidates into second cycle schools under the CSSPS.
A statement signed by the Director General of the GES, Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, said the results of the placement would be available at junior high schools, senior high schools and technical institutes from Friday, September 26, 2008.
It said candidates could access their placements by texting only their index numbers to MTN, 1755, 1756; Kasapa, 1755 and Onetouch, 7777.
It noted that the placement was based on choice of schools, programmes and scores, and that fresh students were expected to report to their respective institutions on October 14, 2008.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Be civil in utterances--Students appeal to political parties, others
Front Page
23-09-08
SOME first and second-cycle students in Accra have appealed to political parties and their leaders, social commentators and callers to radio phone-in programmes to stop raising the political temperature in the country.
They said comments made in public that sought to create the impression that this year’s elections were a do-or-die affair were not only uncalled for but also a threat to the peace being enjoyed in the country.
The students, who made the appeal in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, implored politicians especially not to peddle falsehood and make inflammatory comments, since such comments could degenerate into violence.
According to them, it was not wrong for people to have different opinions on national issues, adding that in disagreeing or arguing on an issue, there was the need for leaders and supporters of political parties to be civil in their language.
They expressed concern over the way some party supporters called into radio and television programmes and made unsubstantiated allegations against their opponents, adding that the way the hosts of the programmes allowed those allegations to be made without calling the supporters to order was regrettable.
They believed that radio and television hosts should be able to make callers retract unsubstantiated comments and apologise for making inflammatory comments or unsubstantiated comments about their opponents because without doing that such allegations would be accepted as truths.
“We are appealing to our politicians not to say things that will lead to violence. We want peace in the country, since we have seen on television and heard on radio how violence has led to the destruction of lives and property,” Francis C. Sarpong, a student of Labone Senior High School, said.
Master Stephen Cofie, a student of the Kaneshie Secondary/Technical School, said there was the need for the peace in the country to be sustained for people to go about their day-to-day activities.
He said supporters of the various political parties should not kill one another for politicians, since they (the supporters) would be the losers in the end because in the event of violence, the politicians and their families would escape, leaving the supporters and their families behind to suffer.
“Nobody should kill himself for a politician and his family. Rather, people should work hard for the betterment of their families,” Amina Alhassan, a third-year student of the Pig Farm JHS, said.
She said some of the comments made by people on radio, especially the leading members of some parties, were not good at all, adding, “We feel so sad when big men who are supposed to be responsible make such comments.”
All politicians, she said, must commit themselves to ensuring peace before, during and after the elections, saying that Ghanaians should reject those raising tension in the country.
A Class Five pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, Kofi Nyanno, advised students to expose politicians who would want to use them to create violence, adding that students who were of the voting age should cast their ballots peacefully on December 7, 2008.
“After casting your ballot, don’t stay around the polling station,” he said.
A second-year student of the Akropong Methodist JHS, Regina Tetteh, said the country could not be developed without peace and pleaded with political party leaders to be mindful of what they said.
She said her dream for the future would be shattered if the forthcoming elections ended in violence, as she would not be able to complete her education.
“We want peace to reign forever in this country for us to achieve our dreams. Our leaders should tolerate whoever becomes the next President,” she said.
Master Abiola Adjani, a second-year student of the Osu Presbyterian Senior High School, said he preferred peaceful elections for the youth to continue with the development of the nation in future.
He, therefore, pleaded with political party leaders to advise their supporters against the use of vulgar language on their opponents, since that would incite violence.
23-09-08
SOME first and second-cycle students in Accra have appealed to political parties and their leaders, social commentators and callers to radio phone-in programmes to stop raising the political temperature in the country.
They said comments made in public that sought to create the impression that this year’s elections were a do-or-die affair were not only uncalled for but also a threat to the peace being enjoyed in the country.
The students, who made the appeal in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, implored politicians especially not to peddle falsehood and make inflammatory comments, since such comments could degenerate into violence.
According to them, it was not wrong for people to have different opinions on national issues, adding that in disagreeing or arguing on an issue, there was the need for leaders and supporters of political parties to be civil in their language.
They expressed concern over the way some party supporters called into radio and television programmes and made unsubstantiated allegations against their opponents, adding that the way the hosts of the programmes allowed those allegations to be made without calling the supporters to order was regrettable.
They believed that radio and television hosts should be able to make callers retract unsubstantiated comments and apologise for making inflammatory comments or unsubstantiated comments about their opponents because without doing that such allegations would be accepted as truths.
“We are appealing to our politicians not to say things that will lead to violence. We want peace in the country, since we have seen on television and heard on radio how violence has led to the destruction of lives and property,” Francis C. Sarpong, a student of Labone Senior High School, said.
Master Stephen Cofie, a student of the Kaneshie Secondary/Technical School, said there was the need for the peace in the country to be sustained for people to go about their day-to-day activities.
He said supporters of the various political parties should not kill one another for politicians, since they (the supporters) would be the losers in the end because in the event of violence, the politicians and their families would escape, leaving the supporters and their families behind to suffer.
“Nobody should kill himself for a politician and his family. Rather, people should work hard for the betterment of their families,” Amina Alhassan, a third-year student of the Pig Farm JHS, said.
She said some of the comments made by people on radio, especially the leading members of some parties, were not good at all, adding, “We feel so sad when big men who are supposed to be responsible make such comments.”
All politicians, she said, must commit themselves to ensuring peace before, during and after the elections, saying that Ghanaians should reject those raising tension in the country.
A Class Five pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, Kofi Nyanno, advised students to expose politicians who would want to use them to create violence, adding that students who were of the voting age should cast their ballots peacefully on December 7, 2008.
“After casting your ballot, don’t stay around the polling station,” he said.
A second-year student of the Akropong Methodist JHS, Regina Tetteh, said the country could not be developed without peace and pleaded with political party leaders to be mindful of what they said.
She said her dream for the future would be shattered if the forthcoming elections ended in violence, as she would not be able to complete her education.
“We want peace to reign forever in this country for us to achieve our dreams. Our leaders should tolerate whoever becomes the next President,” she said.
Master Abiola Adjani, a second-year student of the Osu Presbyterian Senior High School, said he preferred peaceful elections for the youth to continue with the development of the nation in future.
He, therefore, pleaded with political party leaders to advise their supporters against the use of vulgar language on their opponents, since that would incite violence.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Guidelines on School Feeding Programme launched
Page 47
22-09-08
THE Audit Service has developed guidelines for the administration of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).
Under the guidelines, district auditors are required to conduct monthly audit inspection of the accounting and store records of the district implementation committees (DICs) of the programme.
The auditors are also mandated to visit beneficiary schools to examine the accounting records of the school implementation committees (SICs) and the quality of food served to the children.
Speaking at the launch of the guidelines in Accra yesterday, the Auditor-General, Mr Edward Dua Agyeman, said district auditors were enjoined to submit quarterly reports on their auditing to their regional auditors, who would compile the regional reports and forward them to the Audit Service.
He indicated that the guidelines would, among other things, provide a single source of information for both officials and auditors of the programme.
He said three months after the end of each year, the accounting records and financial statements of the GSFP should be prepared by the National Secretariat and submitted through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to the Auditor-General for certification.
Mr Dua Agyeman said the Auditor General might, as a result of operational exigencies, contract an accounting firm to conduct the audit of the GSFP, adding that “district finance officers are required to maintain separate and adequate accounting records in respect of the GSFP’s feeding grants and the cost of bulk purchases made from them”.
According to him, caterers were tasked to maintain separate and adequate accounting records in respect of the GSFP which would enable inspectors to identify the amount of feeding grants released to them, the dates of the releases, the number of children who were served with meals on each school day of the releases and the quantity of foodstuffs and equipment received from the DICs and the national secretariat.
Mr Dua Agyeman said the monitoring and evaluation officials were to inspect the quality of food and water served to the children, ascertain the actual number of schoolchildren in a school during the previous term, investigate any discrepancies which might be detected, as well as monitor the receipt of kitchen items and foodstuffs from the national secretariat, among other things.
Launching the guidelines, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, said there was the need for all to commend the government for coming up with that laudable programme.
He said a lot of children were going to school as result of the programme, saying that it was “impossible for such children to absorb on empty stomachs”.
The government, he said, would continue to introduce more of such programmes.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, said the GSFP was an initiative of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar (3) of NEPAD, which sought to enhance food security, reduce hunger and improve enrolment among schoolchildren.
“The programme is part of Ghana’s efforts at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on extreme hunger and poverty, as well as achieve universal access to primary education by 2015,” he said.
The National Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr Michael Nsowah, said by 2010, the programme would have injected $147 million into the local economy, adding that a significant aspect of the GSFP was the emphasis on locally grown foodstuffs, with a target to procure at least 80 per cent of food from local sources.
The Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Frank Agyekum, assured Ghanaians that the government would continue with the programme.
In an address read on his behalf, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, pledged the support of the service to the programme.
22-09-08
THE Audit Service has developed guidelines for the administration of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).
Under the guidelines, district auditors are required to conduct monthly audit inspection of the accounting and store records of the district implementation committees (DICs) of the programme.
The auditors are also mandated to visit beneficiary schools to examine the accounting records of the school implementation committees (SICs) and the quality of food served to the children.
Speaking at the launch of the guidelines in Accra yesterday, the Auditor-General, Mr Edward Dua Agyeman, said district auditors were enjoined to submit quarterly reports on their auditing to their regional auditors, who would compile the regional reports and forward them to the Audit Service.
He indicated that the guidelines would, among other things, provide a single source of information for both officials and auditors of the programme.
He said three months after the end of each year, the accounting records and financial statements of the GSFP should be prepared by the National Secretariat and submitted through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to the Auditor-General for certification.
Mr Dua Agyeman said the Auditor General might, as a result of operational exigencies, contract an accounting firm to conduct the audit of the GSFP, adding that “district finance officers are required to maintain separate and adequate accounting records in respect of the GSFP’s feeding grants and the cost of bulk purchases made from them”.
According to him, caterers were tasked to maintain separate and adequate accounting records in respect of the GSFP which would enable inspectors to identify the amount of feeding grants released to them, the dates of the releases, the number of children who were served with meals on each school day of the releases and the quantity of foodstuffs and equipment received from the DICs and the national secretariat.
Mr Dua Agyeman said the monitoring and evaluation officials were to inspect the quality of food and water served to the children, ascertain the actual number of schoolchildren in a school during the previous term, investigate any discrepancies which might be detected, as well as monitor the receipt of kitchen items and foodstuffs from the national secretariat, among other things.
Launching the guidelines, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, said there was the need for all to commend the government for coming up with that laudable programme.
He said a lot of children were going to school as result of the programme, saying that it was “impossible for such children to absorb on empty stomachs”.
The government, he said, would continue to introduce more of such programmes.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, said the GSFP was an initiative of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar (3) of NEPAD, which sought to enhance food security, reduce hunger and improve enrolment among schoolchildren.
“The programme is part of Ghana’s efforts at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on extreme hunger and poverty, as well as achieve universal access to primary education by 2015,” he said.
The National Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr Michael Nsowah, said by 2010, the programme would have injected $147 million into the local economy, adding that a significant aspect of the GSFP was the emphasis on locally grown foodstuffs, with a target to procure at least 80 per cent of food from local sources.
The Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Frank Agyekum, assured Ghanaians that the government would continue with the programme.
In an address read on his behalf, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, pledged the support of the service to the programme.
Final draft of youth policy ready
Page 47
22-09-08
THE Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment has completed the final draft of the National Youth Policy.
It is to be submitted to Cabinet, after which it would be sent to Parliament for approval.
The Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea, announced this when he launched a 95-page book titled Transmutation.
The book is authored by Jonathan Osei Owusu, Executive Director of Perfector of Sentiments (PoF) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.
It is aimed at re-enforcing the five pillars of national orientation - proud to be a Ghanaian, patriotism and spirit of Ghana first, dedication and discipline, positive and “can-do-it attitude”, productivity and accountability as well as ensuring behavioural change among the youth, among other things.
Nana Akomea noted that a youth fund, dedicated to youth employment would be established under the National Youth Policy to support the youth in their quest to secure job opportunities.
He said the book was a remarkable achievement from the young author, adding that the attitude of the youth was the attitude of the nation, since they formed the majority of the population.
He, therefore, underscored the need for the youth to develop a positive attitude towards life.
The Minister of Harbours and Railways, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, commended the author for taking the challenge to write a book meant for not only ensuring behavioural change among the youth, but instilling discipline in them.
He urged the youth to stay away from negative activities, and said they should also re-orient themselves by thinking big so as to achieve what they set out to do.
“ Our behaviour patterns influence the behaviour of others. We should, therefore, behave in a manner that would affect the lives of others positively,” he said.
The author of the book, Mr Osei Owusu, said although the youth wanted to see the better side of life, they did not want to endure the challenges that went with better life.
He said nothing was impossible for them, and that all they needed to do was to think right and work towards what they wanted to achieve in life.
A former Member of the Council of State, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, said it took a few dedicated individuals to make a change in society.
22-09-08
THE Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment has completed the final draft of the National Youth Policy.
It is to be submitted to Cabinet, after which it would be sent to Parliament for approval.
The Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea, announced this when he launched a 95-page book titled Transmutation.
The book is authored by Jonathan Osei Owusu, Executive Director of Perfector of Sentiments (PoF) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.
It is aimed at re-enforcing the five pillars of national orientation - proud to be a Ghanaian, patriotism and spirit of Ghana first, dedication and discipline, positive and “can-do-it attitude”, productivity and accountability as well as ensuring behavioural change among the youth, among other things.
Nana Akomea noted that a youth fund, dedicated to youth employment would be established under the National Youth Policy to support the youth in their quest to secure job opportunities.
He said the book was a remarkable achievement from the young author, adding that the attitude of the youth was the attitude of the nation, since they formed the majority of the population.
He, therefore, underscored the need for the youth to develop a positive attitude towards life.
The Minister of Harbours and Railways, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, commended the author for taking the challenge to write a book meant for not only ensuring behavioural change among the youth, but instilling discipline in them.
He urged the youth to stay away from negative activities, and said they should also re-orient themselves by thinking big so as to achieve what they set out to do.
“ Our behaviour patterns influence the behaviour of others. We should, therefore, behave in a manner that would affect the lives of others positively,” he said.
The author of the book, Mr Osei Owusu, said although the youth wanted to see the better side of life, they did not want to endure the challenges that went with better life.
He said nothing was impossible for them, and that all they needed to do was to think right and work towards what they wanted to achieve in life.
A former Member of the Council of State, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, said it took a few dedicated individuals to make a change in society.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Animal Husbandry
Book Review: Animal Husbandary
Title: Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa
Author: Paul Kwadwo Addo
Publisher: Akaddo Company Limited
Pages: 252
Reviewer: Emmanuel Bonney
Many nations are working to develop agricultural education programmes and institutions. However, the importance of agricultural education has not been given the needed attention. In other cases, the importance of human resource development is recognised, but nations lack agricultural personnel who can plan and implement these programmes at all levels.
Civilisation began with agriculture. When our nomadic ancestors began to settle and grow their own food, human society changed. For most of history, society's connection to the land was intimate. Human communities, no matter how sophisticated, could not ignore the importance of agriculture.
In modern times, however, many in the urban world have forgotten this fundamental connection. Insulated by the apparent abundance of food that has come from new technologies for the growing, transportation and storage of food, humanity's fundamental dependence on agriculture is often overlooked.
To enable the agriculture sector to play the role expected of it, the required human resource is needed for the sector. Students would have to be groomed and given the knowledge required to move the sector forward. This can only be possible when they have the right materials at their disposal.
Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa is a textbook designed to equip students of agriculture with knowledge, skills, and desirable attitudes towards commercial animal production and to view agriculture as a business that they can depend on for their livelihood, especially after school.
It is aimed at laying a solid foundation for students to apply principles of managing animal enterprises effectively and efficiently.
The book also aims at providing the necessary and needed information in animal husbandry for students of agriculture, especially those preparing for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The book follows strictly the syllabus for Animal Husbandry of WASSCE. The language use is simple for better understanding. Pictures, diagrams, illustrations and tables have been used to aid self-learning and understanding.
The contents include introduction to animal husbandry, anatomy and physiology of farm animals, introduction to animal nutrition, animal health, animal improvement, monogastric production, ruminant production and cattle production.
Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa concludes with an epilogue aimed at equipping students with 10 key points to assist them to cultivate the habit of starting their own agribusiness after school. They include developing a business plan, raising capital for business, good record keeping and customer satisfaction.
The book contains past questions and answers from the WASSCE. This is to give the student a fair idea of the kind of questions to expect in the examination.
The writer is the Executive Director of Akaddo Company Limited. He is a product of the University of Education, Winneba where he graduated with Bachelors and Masters degrees in Agriculture Science and Educational Administration and Management respectively.
He obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA, and a certificate in Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He was trained as a teacher at the Atebubu Teacher Training College after which he practised for about a decade.
He is currently a Test Administrator at the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX).
Title: Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa
Author: Paul Kwadwo Addo
Publisher: Akaddo Company Limited
Pages: 252
Reviewer: Emmanuel Bonney
Many nations are working to develop agricultural education programmes and institutions. However, the importance of agricultural education has not been given the needed attention. In other cases, the importance of human resource development is recognised, but nations lack agricultural personnel who can plan and implement these programmes at all levels.
Civilisation began with agriculture. When our nomadic ancestors began to settle and grow their own food, human society changed. For most of history, society's connection to the land was intimate. Human communities, no matter how sophisticated, could not ignore the importance of agriculture.
In modern times, however, many in the urban world have forgotten this fundamental connection. Insulated by the apparent abundance of food that has come from new technologies for the growing, transportation and storage of food, humanity's fundamental dependence on agriculture is often overlooked.
To enable the agriculture sector to play the role expected of it, the required human resource is needed for the sector. Students would have to be groomed and given the knowledge required to move the sector forward. This can only be possible when they have the right materials at their disposal.
Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa is a textbook designed to equip students of agriculture with knowledge, skills, and desirable attitudes towards commercial animal production and to view agriculture as a business that they can depend on for their livelihood, especially after school.
It is aimed at laying a solid foundation for students to apply principles of managing animal enterprises effectively and efficiently.
The book also aims at providing the necessary and needed information in animal husbandry for students of agriculture, especially those preparing for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The book follows strictly the syllabus for Animal Husbandry of WASSCE. The language use is simple for better understanding. Pictures, diagrams, illustrations and tables have been used to aid self-learning and understanding.
The contents include introduction to animal husbandry, anatomy and physiology of farm animals, introduction to animal nutrition, animal health, animal improvement, monogastric production, ruminant production and cattle production.
Animal Husbandry for Senior High Schools of West Africa concludes with an epilogue aimed at equipping students with 10 key points to assist them to cultivate the habit of starting their own agribusiness after school. They include developing a business plan, raising capital for business, good record keeping and customer satisfaction.
The book contains past questions and answers from the WASSCE. This is to give the student a fair idea of the kind of questions to expect in the examination.
The writer is the Executive Director of Akaddo Company Limited. He is a product of the University of Education, Winneba where he graduated with Bachelors and Masters degrees in Agriculture Science and Educational Administration and Management respectively.
He obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA, and a certificate in Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He was trained as a teacher at the Atebubu Teacher Training College after which he practised for about a decade.
He is currently a Test Administrator at the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX).
School heads pleads for security
19-09-08
Page 11
AUTHORITIES of schools that have been invaded by drug peddlers and thieves have called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide security for their schools, since they are losing vital educational materials.
They said as a temporary measure, security personnel should be deployed to such schools to protect school property and ward off the miscreants.
The Apenkwa cluster of schools, for instance, has been one of the worst affected. Thieves have made away with a printing machine valued at GH¢2,200, plastic cups and plates, fluorescent tubes, ceiling fans among other educational materials, according to the teachers.
Some of the heads told the Daily Graphic during a tour of their premises last Tuesday that there was an urgent need for security in the schools.
At the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, it was realised that apart from the stolen fluorescent tubes in the classrooms and on corridors, the main electric wire that connected the school to the national grid had also been stolen.
The motive, apparently, is to enable the anti-social elements to carry out their nefarious activities under the cover of darkness.
It was also noticed that wire mesh used to seal the top of the office of the head teacher was also cut to ensure easy access to the office.
When the Daily Graphic got to the school, Mrs Victoria Akrong, who was registering fresh pupils, had a large box containing the educational materials of the school by her.
"You see I had to get this box to be keeping our materials in, since my office was not safe. After school I lock it and take it somewhere for safe keeping," she said.
During the vacation, she said, on a surprise visit to the school, she saw two wounded thieves taking cover in one of the classrooms after breaking the lock to the room.
Mrs Victoria Akrong said she had to call some young men in the area to get the thieves out after head teacher of the Shiayennoh Primary '2' and '3', Mrs Mercy Agbenorwuu, said a printing machine worth GH¢2,200 that was brought to the school was stolen within a week.
The Apenkwa Circuit Supervisor, Mrs Felicia Dadza, deplored the current problem being faced by the schools, adding that there was the need for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to reintroduce the watchmen that were withdrawn from the schools.
The Director of Works Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Carl Henry Clark, said the Assembly was taking steps to address the problems being faced by schools in the metropolis.
He said apart from rehabilitating the schools with the support of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the assembly had begun fencing the schools.
He said as a result of the lack of enough resources, the assembly had to prioritise, and gave the assurance that the schools would be protected.
Mr Clark urged members of the community to help protect schools that were being used for anti-social activities, since such activities went a long way to affect academic work.
Page 11
AUTHORITIES of schools that have been invaded by drug peddlers and thieves have called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide security for their schools, since they are losing vital educational materials.
They said as a temporary measure, security personnel should be deployed to such schools to protect school property and ward off the miscreants.
The Apenkwa cluster of schools, for instance, has been one of the worst affected. Thieves have made away with a printing machine valued at GH¢2,200, plastic cups and plates, fluorescent tubes, ceiling fans among other educational materials, according to the teachers.
Some of the heads told the Daily Graphic during a tour of their premises last Tuesday that there was an urgent need for security in the schools.
At the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, it was realised that apart from the stolen fluorescent tubes in the classrooms and on corridors, the main electric wire that connected the school to the national grid had also been stolen.
The motive, apparently, is to enable the anti-social elements to carry out their nefarious activities under the cover of darkness.
It was also noticed that wire mesh used to seal the top of the office of the head teacher was also cut to ensure easy access to the office.
When the Daily Graphic got to the school, Mrs Victoria Akrong, who was registering fresh pupils, had a large box containing the educational materials of the school by her.
"You see I had to get this box to be keeping our materials in, since my office was not safe. After school I lock it and take it somewhere for safe keeping," she said.
During the vacation, she said, on a surprise visit to the school, she saw two wounded thieves taking cover in one of the classrooms after breaking the lock to the room.
Mrs Victoria Akrong said she had to call some young men in the area to get the thieves out after head teacher of the Shiayennoh Primary '2' and '3', Mrs Mercy Agbenorwuu, said a printing machine worth GH¢2,200 that was brought to the school was stolen within a week.
The Apenkwa Circuit Supervisor, Mrs Felicia Dadza, deplored the current problem being faced by the schools, adding that there was the need for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to reintroduce the watchmen that were withdrawn from the schools.
The Director of Works Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Carl Henry Clark, said the Assembly was taking steps to address the problems being faced by schools in the metropolis.
He said apart from rehabilitating the schools with the support of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the assembly had begun fencing the schools.
He said as a result of the lack of enough resources, the assembly had to prioritise, and gave the assurance that the schools would be protected.
Mr Clark urged members of the community to help protect schools that were being used for anti-social activities, since such activities went a long way to affect academic work.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Continue with school feeding programme— Pupils send appreciative message to govt
Back page lead
17-09-8
CHILDREN benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) have called on the government to maintain and sustain the programme.
According to them, the programme should not be scrapped but expanded to cover all public primary schools in the country, since it was helping in not only reducing the burden on parents but also attracting more children to attend school.
The children made the call in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic during a tour of some schools yesterday on the ‘My First Day At School’ event, which ushered in the 2008/2009 academic year.
The day is used to welcome children who are going to school for the first time and welcoming others who would be moving to new classes. It is also used to sensitise the public to the need for people to send their school-age children to school.
The programme, which was introduced in 2005, is currently operational in 987 kindergartens and primary schools out of a total of 13,246 primary schools nationwide with 477,714 pupils benefiting. And this had led to an increase in school enrolment in those schools by 17.5 per cent and improved school attendance by 19.3 per cent.
Primary school children at the Apenkwa cluster of schools said the school feeding programme was good, since some of them were not given money regularly to go to school.
A class three pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, Elizabeth Ogyaa, said although the food was nutritious it was not enough, hence the need to increase the quantity given them.
Kofi Nyanno, a class six pupil of the Shiayennoh Primary School, described the programme as a relief to parents, since some of their friends who were not coming to school because they did not have money to buy food, were now coming to school.
A class six pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary school, Mariam Yakubu, also commended the government for the introduction of the programme and appealed to those who served the food to have patience and not scream at them.
Two parents, Joyce Larbi and Amina Becheem, who brought their children for admission to class one, lauded the government for the programme.
The National Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr Michael Nsowah, who toured some of the schools to mark the ‘My First Day at School’ event, said the programme was targeting about 95,000 pupils to achieve its target of 560,000 this year.
He said the Cabinet had approved an increase in the feeding fee under the programme from 30Gp per child per day to 40Gp.
He told the children that the government wanted them to grow up and become responsible citizens hence the numerous support and interventions.
The Netherlands government supports the GSFP by co-funding the feeding cost on a 50:50 basis.
17-09-8
CHILDREN benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) have called on the government to maintain and sustain the programme.
According to them, the programme should not be scrapped but expanded to cover all public primary schools in the country, since it was helping in not only reducing the burden on parents but also attracting more children to attend school.
The children made the call in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic during a tour of some schools yesterday on the ‘My First Day At School’ event, which ushered in the 2008/2009 academic year.
The day is used to welcome children who are going to school for the first time and welcoming others who would be moving to new classes. It is also used to sensitise the public to the need for people to send their school-age children to school.
The programme, which was introduced in 2005, is currently operational in 987 kindergartens and primary schools out of a total of 13,246 primary schools nationwide with 477,714 pupils benefiting. And this had led to an increase in school enrolment in those schools by 17.5 per cent and improved school attendance by 19.3 per cent.
Primary school children at the Apenkwa cluster of schools said the school feeding programme was good, since some of them were not given money regularly to go to school.
A class three pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, Elizabeth Ogyaa, said although the food was nutritious it was not enough, hence the need to increase the quantity given them.
Kofi Nyanno, a class six pupil of the Shiayennoh Primary School, described the programme as a relief to parents, since some of their friends who were not coming to school because they did not have money to buy food, were now coming to school.
A class six pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary school, Mariam Yakubu, also commended the government for the introduction of the programme and appealed to those who served the food to have patience and not scream at them.
Two parents, Joyce Larbi and Amina Becheem, who brought their children for admission to class one, lauded the government for the programme.
The National Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr Michael Nsowah, who toured some of the schools to mark the ‘My First Day at School’ event, said the programme was targeting about 95,000 pupils to achieve its target of 560,000 this year.
He said the Cabinet had approved an increase in the feeding fee under the programme from 30Gp per child per day to 40Gp.
He told the children that the government wanted them to grow up and become responsible citizens hence the numerous support and interventions.
The Netherlands government supports the GSFP by co-funding the feeding cost on a 50:50 basis.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Urban planning must consider the poor, says Gyan-Baffour
Page 44
15-09-08
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, has said that strategic urban planning directed at the poor is essential for economic growth and sustainable development.
In view of that, he said, the implementation of the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) should, therefore, take into account the reaction of the urban poor to such plans.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour said this at the opening of the annual review meeting of the UPRP in Accra.
The UPRP is a five-year project which is in line with the government of Ghana’s comprehensive poverty reduction programme enshrined in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II. The UPRP is being implemented on behalf of the government by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment with support from the Social Investment Fund (SIF).
It aims at contributing to the country’s efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that calls for a reduction by half the proportion of the poor living on less than a dollar a day.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour said the challenges ahead of poverty reduction in the country was to achieve the target more effectively and directly, using pro-poor coherent sectoral policies rather than rely on the trickling down effect of continued economic growth.
Another challenge, he said, was to take into account the spatial dimension of poverty with a distinct emphasis on its urban specificity as well as to include local actors, notably civil society, the private sector, the business community and local governments in a co-ordinated effort.
The Executive Director of SIF, Ms Ama Serwaa Dapaah, who made a presentation on the status of the UPRP as of August 2008, said the low level of participation of some municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies (MMDAs) had placed more responsibilities on the zonal project staff’s mentoring and supervision.
She said inadequate office space to house the project implementing unit and other key consultants to the project was impeding the delivery rate of the project.
“Some of the MMDAs’ physical planning offices are in a very deplorable state of repair and they require extensive rehabilitation works or new construction in some cases”, she stated.
For her part, Mrs Effie Simpson said the focus of the project was sustained poverty alleviation within the framework of the national urban poverty reduction programme.
The project, she said, had four main components comprising capacity building for pro-poor urban development and management, social capital and investment support, urban small-scale enterprise development as well as project management and coordination.
She said the project was expected to improve livelihoods in urban and peri-urban zone through increased access to basic quality services and socio-economic infrastructure.
The project covers 12 towns and cities: Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Koforidua, Ho, Tema, Akim Oda, Agona Swedru, Apam, Wenchi, Agogo and Kasoa.
15-09-08
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, has said that strategic urban planning directed at the poor is essential for economic growth and sustainable development.
In view of that, he said, the implementation of the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) should, therefore, take into account the reaction of the urban poor to such plans.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour said this at the opening of the annual review meeting of the UPRP in Accra.
The UPRP is a five-year project which is in line with the government of Ghana’s comprehensive poverty reduction programme enshrined in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II. The UPRP is being implemented on behalf of the government by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment with support from the Social Investment Fund (SIF).
It aims at contributing to the country’s efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that calls for a reduction by half the proportion of the poor living on less than a dollar a day.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour said the challenges ahead of poverty reduction in the country was to achieve the target more effectively and directly, using pro-poor coherent sectoral policies rather than rely on the trickling down effect of continued economic growth.
Another challenge, he said, was to take into account the spatial dimension of poverty with a distinct emphasis on its urban specificity as well as to include local actors, notably civil society, the private sector, the business community and local governments in a co-ordinated effort.
The Executive Director of SIF, Ms Ama Serwaa Dapaah, who made a presentation on the status of the UPRP as of August 2008, said the low level of participation of some municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies (MMDAs) had placed more responsibilities on the zonal project staff’s mentoring and supervision.
She said inadequate office space to house the project implementing unit and other key consultants to the project was impeding the delivery rate of the project.
“Some of the MMDAs’ physical planning offices are in a very deplorable state of repair and they require extensive rehabilitation works or new construction in some cases”, she stated.
For her part, Mrs Effie Simpson said the focus of the project was sustained poverty alleviation within the framework of the national urban poverty reduction programme.
The project, she said, had four main components comprising capacity building for pro-poor urban development and management, social capital and investment support, urban small-scale enterprise development as well as project management and coordination.
She said the project was expected to improve livelihoods in urban and peri-urban zone through increased access to basic quality services and socio-economic infrastructure.
The project covers 12 towns and cities: Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Koforidua, Ho, Tema, Akim Oda, Agona Swedru, Apam, Wenchi, Agogo and Kasoa.
Experts develop plan to produce quality maize
Page 14
15-09-08
A FIVE-year action plan aimed at making the country the leading producer of high quality maize has been developed by a group of agriculture experts.
The action plan (2008-2013) is also to make the country a net exporter of quality maize in the West African sub-region.
The experts were drawn from input suppliers, small and large scale maize farmers, maize stockers and wholesalers, retailers, exporters, extension officers, financial service providers and seed producers.
The plan was developed at a two-day workshop on maize value change organised by an international non-governmental organisation, ACDI/VOCA, contracted by the Millennium Development Authority to facilitate the Commercial Development of Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) component of the Millennium Challenge Account(MCA)-funded agricultural development activities.
The MCA Ghana programme aims at accelerating the pace of the processes towards enhanced economic growth and the reduction of poverty. These processes are to be led by agricultural transformation activities in 23 pilot districts.
To address the issue of low productivity, the plan recommended the transfer of technology and agronomic practices to farmers and other actors needed to be intensified, and that the activities required to address the problem of low productivity needed to happen within the period of October 2008 to March 2009.
“Intensification of extention training, including field demonstrations, farmer to farmer interactions and use of mass media to reach large numbers of farmers, will have to be undertaken. In addition, there need to be an enhanced access to agro inputs and farm machinery,” it said.
The plan underscores the need for the rehabilitation of old silos and construction of new ones, coupled with enhanced post-harvest extension activities, and also the need for the provision of post-harvest services such as shellers, dryers and warehousing.
It called for various forums involving farmers and financial service providers, insurance companies and input dealers and stockists, indicating that “there will be the need to intensify financial services and financial management education to farmers and other value chain participants”.
“Formal leases for farmlands, as well as education, on quality standards in the industry and structured transactions involving stockists, banks and farmers will be required to assure farmers’ access to credit in a sustainable way. There will be the need to develop specific financial service products for farmers in the maize industry,” it stated.
The ACDI/VOCA Senior Vice President resident in West Africa, Mr Olaf Kula, pledged the continued support of the organisation.
The workshop was, among other things, to verify the preliminary findings of the maize value chain analysis conducted for enhancing industry competitiveness, facilitate the development of a consensus for a more competitive industry, identify opportunities which would increase the competitiveness of the maize value chain and identify constraints and challenges of the maize industry.
15-09-08
A FIVE-year action plan aimed at making the country the leading producer of high quality maize has been developed by a group of agriculture experts.
The action plan (2008-2013) is also to make the country a net exporter of quality maize in the West African sub-region.
The experts were drawn from input suppliers, small and large scale maize farmers, maize stockers and wholesalers, retailers, exporters, extension officers, financial service providers and seed producers.
The plan was developed at a two-day workshop on maize value change organised by an international non-governmental organisation, ACDI/VOCA, contracted by the Millennium Development Authority to facilitate the Commercial Development of Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) component of the Millennium Challenge Account(MCA)-funded agricultural development activities.
The MCA Ghana programme aims at accelerating the pace of the processes towards enhanced economic growth and the reduction of poverty. These processes are to be led by agricultural transformation activities in 23 pilot districts.
To address the issue of low productivity, the plan recommended the transfer of technology and agronomic practices to farmers and other actors needed to be intensified, and that the activities required to address the problem of low productivity needed to happen within the period of October 2008 to March 2009.
“Intensification of extention training, including field demonstrations, farmer to farmer interactions and use of mass media to reach large numbers of farmers, will have to be undertaken. In addition, there need to be an enhanced access to agro inputs and farm machinery,” it said.
The plan underscores the need for the rehabilitation of old silos and construction of new ones, coupled with enhanced post-harvest extension activities, and also the need for the provision of post-harvest services such as shellers, dryers and warehousing.
It called for various forums involving farmers and financial service providers, insurance companies and input dealers and stockists, indicating that “there will be the need to intensify financial services and financial management education to farmers and other value chain participants”.
“Formal leases for farmlands, as well as education, on quality standards in the industry and structured transactions involving stockists, banks and farmers will be required to assure farmers’ access to credit in a sustainable way. There will be the need to develop specific financial service products for farmers in the maize industry,” it stated.
The ACDI/VOCA Senior Vice President resident in West Africa, Mr Olaf Kula, pledged the continued support of the organisation.
The workshop was, among other things, to verify the preliminary findings of the maize value chain analysis conducted for enhancing industry competitiveness, facilitate the development of a consensus for a more competitive industry, identify opportunities which would increase the competitiveness of the maize value chain and identify constraints and challenges of the maize industry.
My first day at school 'morrow'
THIS year’s ‘My First Day At School’ event which heralds the commencement of the academic year for basic schools throughout the country will be held tomorrow, Tuesday September 16, 2008.
The 2008 event would be used to usher in the 2008/2009 academic year.
My First Day At School is used to welcome children who are going to school for the first time and welcoming pupils who would be moving to new classes.
The Day is also used to sensitise the public on the need for people to send their children, who are of school-going age to school.
As part of the day, gifts such as exercise books, pencils, school bags, toffees and other school materials are distributed to pupils.
Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives, Chiefs, religious and opinion leaders visit schools in their areas, to celebrate the day with first timers.
The current government re-introduced the day which was initially marked at the beginning of every academic year in the past.
The 2008 event would be used to usher in the 2008/2009 academic year.
My First Day At School is used to welcome children who are going to school for the first time and welcoming pupils who would be moving to new classes.
The Day is also used to sensitise the public on the need for people to send their children, who are of school-going age to school.
As part of the day, gifts such as exercise books, pencils, school bags, toffees and other school materials are distributed to pupils.
Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives, Chiefs, religious and opinion leaders visit schools in their areas, to celebrate the day with first timers.
The current government re-introduced the day which was initially marked at the beginning of every academic year in the past.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Let's be serious with 'decongesting' Accra
Page 29
12-09-08
GRADUALLY but steadily, hawkers in Accra's Central Business District (CBD) and other parts of the capital have returned to the streets and pavements, defiling the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) directive to stay off the pavements and streets.
The traders, most of whom have abandoned stalls allocated to them at the various markets, have returned in their numbers displaying their wares and doing brisk business.
The items being sold include vegetables, fresh and smoked fish, yam, cassava, plantain, cooked food, children and adults’ clothes, shoes of all sizes and electrical gadgets.
The traders have taken over the pavements at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie, Tema Station, Kinbu, UTC, Fire Service and the National Investment Bank area in Accra Central. The footbridges at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie have not been spared either as traders and beggars have occupied both sides of the bridges leaving a small portion for pedestrians to use.
It is sad the way the city authorities have turned a blind eye to the indiscipline being exhibited by traders. As a matter of fact, the current situation in Accra is an eyesore that needs urgent attention.
Woe to a pedestrian who mistakenly treads on the items of a trader who has displayed his/her wares on the pavement. Pedestrians are being forced indirectly to compete with cars for the little space left on the streets since the pavements, which are meant for them to use have been taken over by traders and hawkers.
The massive decongestion exercise carried out by the AMA on February 8, 2005, the first time in many years, was hailed and welcomed by all since it enabled the free movement of people and vehicles in and around the CDB and other market areas. The AMA, indeed, spent huge sums of money to undertake the exercise which was supervised by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service, Police Service, AMA task force and City Guards.
After the exercise, the City Guards, AMA task force and some police personnel were stationed at vantage points to prevent hawkers from coming back onto the pavements and streets.
Ghanaians were sceptical about the sustenance of the exercise but the AMA gave every assurance that the exercise would be sustained.
However, just after a few months, the situation was back to square one with the gradual return of traders.
Ghanaians then began sounding the alarm bells about the activities of the traders.
The matter got out of hands in the run-up to the Odododiodoo by-election with some blaming the AMA and the government for ignoring the threat posed by the traders in order to get more votes for the ruling party’s candidate in the election.
The alarm sounded by Ghanaians was not heeded and the situation now is out of control.
The newly constructed GH¢ 1,900,000 Pedestrian Shopping Mall close to the Odaw Drain at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which was to host thousands of petty traders, has been abandoned, giving cause for concern since it was constructed at a huge cost.
The situation is not different at the traditional markets as some traders have also abandoned the stalls allotted them, all in the name of catching customers.
“There is no justification for any petty trader or hawker to choose to sell on the streets and pavements of the CBD. AMA will be ruthlessly poised to prosecute anyone who will flout these humane arrangements,” the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, told the Daily Graphic before one of the decongestion exercises.
The illegal trade on the streets and pavements do not only create inconvenience to pedestrians, but leaves the streets dirty since after selling the traders leave in their trail dirt for the AMA officers to clear at the assembly's own cost the next day.
The lack of action by the AMA has confirmed the suspicion that the government fears losing votes in the 2008 general election hence it has turned a blind eye on what is happening in the capital presently.
Everybody, including traders understood the motive behind the previous decongestion exercise carried out by the AMA in 2005.
On January 21, 2007, the AMA undertook yet another exercise to rid the CDB of Accra, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie area of petty traders and unauthorised structures.
After the exercise, the assembly made it clear that it would not tolerate any petty trading and hawkers in those areas.
Today, the situation is far from what was said. In the 2007 exercise, a 75-member AMA task force, supported by 100 policemen, 100 prison officers as well as personnel from the GNFS and military destroyed wooden structures, among other things.
Apart from enjoying fresh air while one walked through the streets, vehicular movement was also smooth.
It is about time governments in this country set a precedence for all to follow, even if they lose votes from the affected victims. Illegality must not be condoned in any form. The traders must be told in plain language that the pavements and streets are not meant for doing business. The AMA is so helpless in solving the problem and this is bad for this country. It has to enforce its bye-laws on street hawking.
The hypocrisy shown before and during international conferences held in Accra must stop as it is not helping anybody. Ahead of such conferences, the streets and pavements are cleared and painted only for traders to return immediately after the conferences. If the failure of the decongestion exercise has to do with funds, the needed funds must be secured to sustain future exercises.
Accra must not be left the way it is currently. The AMA has to be firm in implementing its decisions since apart from ensuring sanity in the capital city, other metropolitan areas take a cue from what it does.
12-09-08
GRADUALLY but steadily, hawkers in Accra's Central Business District (CBD) and other parts of the capital have returned to the streets and pavements, defiling the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) directive to stay off the pavements and streets.
The traders, most of whom have abandoned stalls allocated to them at the various markets, have returned in their numbers displaying their wares and doing brisk business.
The items being sold include vegetables, fresh and smoked fish, yam, cassava, plantain, cooked food, children and adults’ clothes, shoes of all sizes and electrical gadgets.
The traders have taken over the pavements at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie, Tema Station, Kinbu, UTC, Fire Service and the National Investment Bank area in Accra Central. The footbridges at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie have not been spared either as traders and beggars have occupied both sides of the bridges leaving a small portion for pedestrians to use.
It is sad the way the city authorities have turned a blind eye to the indiscipline being exhibited by traders. As a matter of fact, the current situation in Accra is an eyesore that needs urgent attention.
Woe to a pedestrian who mistakenly treads on the items of a trader who has displayed his/her wares on the pavement. Pedestrians are being forced indirectly to compete with cars for the little space left on the streets since the pavements, which are meant for them to use have been taken over by traders and hawkers.
The massive decongestion exercise carried out by the AMA on February 8, 2005, the first time in many years, was hailed and welcomed by all since it enabled the free movement of people and vehicles in and around the CDB and other market areas. The AMA, indeed, spent huge sums of money to undertake the exercise which was supervised by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service, Police Service, AMA task force and City Guards.
After the exercise, the City Guards, AMA task force and some police personnel were stationed at vantage points to prevent hawkers from coming back onto the pavements and streets.
Ghanaians were sceptical about the sustenance of the exercise but the AMA gave every assurance that the exercise would be sustained.
However, just after a few months, the situation was back to square one with the gradual return of traders.
Ghanaians then began sounding the alarm bells about the activities of the traders.
The matter got out of hands in the run-up to the Odododiodoo by-election with some blaming the AMA and the government for ignoring the threat posed by the traders in order to get more votes for the ruling party’s candidate in the election.
The alarm sounded by Ghanaians was not heeded and the situation now is out of control.
The newly constructed GH¢ 1,900,000 Pedestrian Shopping Mall close to the Odaw Drain at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which was to host thousands of petty traders, has been abandoned, giving cause for concern since it was constructed at a huge cost.
The situation is not different at the traditional markets as some traders have also abandoned the stalls allotted them, all in the name of catching customers.
“There is no justification for any petty trader or hawker to choose to sell on the streets and pavements of the CBD. AMA will be ruthlessly poised to prosecute anyone who will flout these humane arrangements,” the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, told the Daily Graphic before one of the decongestion exercises.
The illegal trade on the streets and pavements do not only create inconvenience to pedestrians, but leaves the streets dirty since after selling the traders leave in their trail dirt for the AMA officers to clear at the assembly's own cost the next day.
The lack of action by the AMA has confirmed the suspicion that the government fears losing votes in the 2008 general election hence it has turned a blind eye on what is happening in the capital presently.
Everybody, including traders understood the motive behind the previous decongestion exercise carried out by the AMA in 2005.
On January 21, 2007, the AMA undertook yet another exercise to rid the CDB of Accra, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie area of petty traders and unauthorised structures.
After the exercise, the assembly made it clear that it would not tolerate any petty trading and hawkers in those areas.
Today, the situation is far from what was said. In the 2007 exercise, a 75-member AMA task force, supported by 100 policemen, 100 prison officers as well as personnel from the GNFS and military destroyed wooden structures, among other things.
Apart from enjoying fresh air while one walked through the streets, vehicular movement was also smooth.
It is about time governments in this country set a precedence for all to follow, even if they lose votes from the affected victims. Illegality must not be condoned in any form. The traders must be told in plain language that the pavements and streets are not meant for doing business. The AMA is so helpless in solving the problem and this is bad for this country. It has to enforce its bye-laws on street hawking.
The hypocrisy shown before and during international conferences held in Accra must stop as it is not helping anybody. Ahead of such conferences, the streets and pavements are cleared and painted only for traders to return immediately after the conferences. If the failure of the decongestion exercise has to do with funds, the needed funds must be secured to sustain future exercises.
Accra must not be left the way it is currently. The AMA has to be firm in implementing its decisions since apart from ensuring sanity in the capital city, other metropolitan areas take a cue from what it does.
Wee peddlers, thieves invade school lands
Page 1
12-09-08
CHECKS by the Daily Graphic at the Accra Metropolitan Directorate of Education have revealed widespread encroachment on school lands and invasion of school buildings by drug peddlers and thieves in the Accra metropolis.
The situation does not only disrupt academic activities, but is also a threat to lives and school property and undermines effective teaching and learning.
Apart from the encroachment on the school lands, which has affected expansion, classrooms are used as brothels while the suspected drug peddlers smoke Indian hemp on school compounds during school hours. Refuse is also dumped near schools and mechanics make noise while passers-by use the school compounds as a thoroughfare.
At the Alajo Cluster of schools in the Ayawaso Sub-Metro for instance, the front of the school gate has become a refuse dump while a community toilet has been sited near the school.
Some members of the community also cook on the school compound at weekends.
The veranda of the Manhean Junior High School (JHS) at Osu Manhean has become a sleeping place for some people during school hours.
Kiosks have also sprung up around the school compound with the owners claiming to have permits from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
Documents cited by the Daily Graphic indicated that the affected schools included the Kaneshie 1, 2 and 3 primaries and JHSs, Awudome 1 and 3 JHSs, the Avenor Primary, Kaneshie Kingsway schools, Shiayennoh 1, 2 and 3, Pig Farm Primary and JHS, Kotobabi 3 and 4, Kwashieman Cluster, Dansoman 2, A and B, Abossey Okai 1 and 2 and Kaneshie West 1 and 2.
School authorities and the Accra Metro Directorate of Education have expressed concern over the situation, which is virtually out of hands, adding that the current situation was having an adverse effect on effective teaching and learning.
For the directorate, it was the duty of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to protect the schools and their lands. Officials of the directorate said it was sad that people complained of the poor performance of students at the basic level, yet did little to ensure that students had the right environment for teaching and learning.
“Unfortunately there is no community support for the affected schools. When the students don’t do well they blame the education sector forgetting that a lot of factors went into producing good results,” an official who wanted to remain anonymous said.
School authorities said the records of students in the affected schools were always tampered with, adding that locks to cupboards and offices were always broken whenever they were changed.
12-09-08
CHECKS by the Daily Graphic at the Accra Metropolitan Directorate of Education have revealed widespread encroachment on school lands and invasion of school buildings by drug peddlers and thieves in the Accra metropolis.
The situation does not only disrupt academic activities, but is also a threat to lives and school property and undermines effective teaching and learning.
Apart from the encroachment on the school lands, which has affected expansion, classrooms are used as brothels while the suspected drug peddlers smoke Indian hemp on school compounds during school hours. Refuse is also dumped near schools and mechanics make noise while passers-by use the school compounds as a thoroughfare.
At the Alajo Cluster of schools in the Ayawaso Sub-Metro for instance, the front of the school gate has become a refuse dump while a community toilet has been sited near the school.
Some members of the community also cook on the school compound at weekends.
The veranda of the Manhean Junior High School (JHS) at Osu Manhean has become a sleeping place for some people during school hours.
Kiosks have also sprung up around the school compound with the owners claiming to have permits from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
Documents cited by the Daily Graphic indicated that the affected schools included the Kaneshie 1, 2 and 3 primaries and JHSs, Awudome 1 and 3 JHSs, the Avenor Primary, Kaneshie Kingsway schools, Shiayennoh 1, 2 and 3, Pig Farm Primary and JHS, Kotobabi 3 and 4, Kwashieman Cluster, Dansoman 2, A and B, Abossey Okai 1 and 2 and Kaneshie West 1 and 2.
School authorities and the Accra Metro Directorate of Education have expressed concern over the situation, which is virtually out of hands, adding that the current situation was having an adverse effect on effective teaching and learning.
For the directorate, it was the duty of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to protect the schools and their lands. Officials of the directorate said it was sad that people complained of the poor performance of students at the basic level, yet did little to ensure that students had the right environment for teaching and learning.
“Unfortunately there is no community support for the affected schools. When the students don’t do well they blame the education sector forgetting that a lot of factors went into producing good results,” an official who wanted to remain anonymous said.
School authorities said the records of students in the affected schools were always tampered with, adding that locks to cupboards and offices were always broken whenever they were changed.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
BECE-No candidate will miss chosen school, GES assures
Spread
11-09-08
THE Ghana Education Service (GES) has assured Ghanaians that no qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate will be placed in a second-cycle school he/she did not choose under the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
It said candidates would be placed on merit in schools they themselves had chosen.
The Director in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Stephen Adu, who gave the assurance in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said students should look out for the six choices of schools they had chosen when the placement was completed.
According to him, the placement exercise would be done once, hence the six options (schools) given to candidates to choose from, and urged the public to co-operate with the Service, since not all the candidates would get their first choice schools.
He said the Service would not entertain the situation whereby parents asked for a change of school after choosing a particular school, since that created a problem.
He said the CSSPS Secretariat was expected to complete the process of placing candidates in senior high schools and technical institutes today.
Mr Adu said after that there would be printing and packaging of the documents, which would take about 10 days, after which they would be dispatched to second-cycle schools and education directorates.
“Next week candidates can text to short codes that will be given to know where they have been placed. We are hoping that the hard copies of the placement would get to the schools from 21st September,” he said.
He said the GES was working on the development of a website through which the placement could be hosted for candidates to check which schools they were placed in.
Mr Adu urged parents and guardians to be patient, since placement would be done according to the information provided by candidates.
He said the GES was doing its best to place all the qualified candidates.
Under the placement exercise, a candidate is supposed to score not more than grade five in the four core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, and not more than grade six in any other two subjects.
More than 62.1 per cent of candidates who wrote the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year qualified to enter senior high schools and technical institutes, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The candidates, numbering 210,282, scored between aggregates six and 30, thus meeting the requirements for placement into second cycle schools.
11-09-08
THE Ghana Education Service (GES) has assured Ghanaians that no qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate will be placed in a second-cycle school he/she did not choose under the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
It said candidates would be placed on merit in schools they themselves had chosen.
The Director in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Stephen Adu, who gave the assurance in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said students should look out for the six choices of schools they had chosen when the placement was completed.
According to him, the placement exercise would be done once, hence the six options (schools) given to candidates to choose from, and urged the public to co-operate with the Service, since not all the candidates would get their first choice schools.
He said the Service would not entertain the situation whereby parents asked for a change of school after choosing a particular school, since that created a problem.
He said the CSSPS Secretariat was expected to complete the process of placing candidates in senior high schools and technical institutes today.
Mr Adu said after that there would be printing and packaging of the documents, which would take about 10 days, after which they would be dispatched to second-cycle schools and education directorates.
“Next week candidates can text to short codes that will be given to know where they have been placed. We are hoping that the hard copies of the placement would get to the schools from 21st September,” he said.
He said the GES was working on the development of a website through which the placement could be hosted for candidates to check which schools they were placed in.
Mr Adu urged parents and guardians to be patient, since placement would be done according to the information provided by candidates.
He said the GES was doing its best to place all the qualified candidates.
Under the placement exercise, a candidate is supposed to score not more than grade five in the four core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, and not more than grade six in any other two subjects.
More than 62.1 per cent of candidates who wrote the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year qualified to enter senior high schools and technical institutes, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The candidates, numbering 210,282, scored between aggregates six and 30, thus meeting the requirements for placement into second cycle schools.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Maiden access course results released
Page 17
08-09-08
THE results of the maiden access course for technical and vocational school graduates organised by the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examination (NABPTEX) have been released.
In all 140 applicants who undertook the one-year course were successful in the examination and have gained admission to five polytechnics. They are: Ho Polytechnic, 29; Cape Coast Polytechnic, 20; Kumasi Polytechnic, 42; Takoradi Polytechnic, 16, and Sunyani Polytechnic, 33.
The one-year course in English, Mathematics and Science is to create an avenue through which technical and vocational school graduates will have direct admission to the polytechnics to pursue Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.
Hitherto, a technical and vocational school graduate had to do craftman course work for two years and then undertake an advanced craftman course before doing the technician one, two and three.
The Executive Secretary of NABPTEX, Mr Ben Antwi-Boasiako, said the access course was not for senior high school graduates but technical and vocational school graduates.
Studies, he said, had shown that the percentage of senior high school graduates who were admitted by the polytechnics to HND programmes was higher than that of candidates from technical and vocational schools.
“It is to address this lack of parity that NABPTEX decided to run the course to facilitate equity in the opportunities of both products of technical and vocational candidates and senior high school candidates,” he said.
Mr Antwi-Boasiako noted that the rationale for polytechnic education would be defeated if proper foundation for HND programmes was not laid firmly in the ideals of technical and vocational philosophy.
“For polytechnic education to be relevant and sustainable there is the need to focus on people who have the appropriate exposure and background in technical and vocational education. Unfortunately, it has been noticed that the technical and vocational education curriculum is not focused on English, Mathematics and Science,” he said.
As a result, he said, technical and vocational school graduates who should benefit from the HND programme were not admitted to polytechnics, adding that there was, therefore, the need to help them to acquire a foundation for the courses that were run at the HND level, hence the access programme.
Meanwhile, NABPTEX has released the results of the Accra and Wa polytechnics. The results could not meet the deadline for the submission of results of students.
This brings the total number of students who have been awarded HND this year to 7,179. NABPTEX had initially released the results of eight polytechnics.
08-09-08
THE results of the maiden access course for technical and vocational school graduates organised by the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examination (NABPTEX) have been released.
In all 140 applicants who undertook the one-year course were successful in the examination and have gained admission to five polytechnics. They are: Ho Polytechnic, 29; Cape Coast Polytechnic, 20; Kumasi Polytechnic, 42; Takoradi Polytechnic, 16, and Sunyani Polytechnic, 33.
The one-year course in English, Mathematics and Science is to create an avenue through which technical and vocational school graduates will have direct admission to the polytechnics to pursue Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.
Hitherto, a technical and vocational school graduate had to do craftman course work for two years and then undertake an advanced craftman course before doing the technician one, two and three.
The Executive Secretary of NABPTEX, Mr Ben Antwi-Boasiako, said the access course was not for senior high school graduates but technical and vocational school graduates.
Studies, he said, had shown that the percentage of senior high school graduates who were admitted by the polytechnics to HND programmes was higher than that of candidates from technical and vocational schools.
“It is to address this lack of parity that NABPTEX decided to run the course to facilitate equity in the opportunities of both products of technical and vocational candidates and senior high school candidates,” he said.
Mr Antwi-Boasiako noted that the rationale for polytechnic education would be defeated if proper foundation for HND programmes was not laid firmly in the ideals of technical and vocational philosophy.
“For polytechnic education to be relevant and sustainable there is the need to focus on people who have the appropriate exposure and background in technical and vocational education. Unfortunately, it has been noticed that the technical and vocational education curriculum is not focused on English, Mathematics and Science,” he said.
As a result, he said, technical and vocational school graduates who should benefit from the HND programme were not admitted to polytechnics, adding that there was, therefore, the need to help them to acquire a foundation for the courses that were run at the HND level, hence the access programme.
Meanwhile, NABPTEX has released the results of the Accra and Wa polytechnics. The results could not meet the deadline for the submission of results of students.
This brings the total number of students who have been awarded HND this year to 7,179. NABPTEX had initially released the results of eight polytechnics.
Students call for early release of funds
Page 11
10-09-08
GHANAIAN students studying modern languages in tertiary institutions have appealed to the government to urgently release funds for the 2008/2009 Year-Abroad-Programme.
The students, who are from the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL), said the uncertainty hanging over the programme had given students great cause for concern because time was running out.
The Year-Abroad-Programme is to afford students studying modern languages the opportunity to acquire proficiency in the languages studied by going to the countries where those languages are spoken.
Addressing the press in Accra on Monday, Mr Placide D. Guiatin said students of UEW who were to go to Togo in July were still in the country not knowing what to do.
“Students of Swahili from the University of Ghana who are supposed to be getting ready to go to Tanzania are at home. Students of French, Arabic, Spanish, Russia from the UCC, KNUST, UG and School of Translators are supposed to be leaving at the end of the month but up till now we don’t know whether we will be going or not,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to come clear on the issue as a result of the uncertainties over the programme.
Mr Guiatin said the programme was to enable students to have first-hand experience in terms of cultural exchange and to be equipped enough to become good users, masters and teachers in the languages studied.
He said with the current situation, students from the University of Ghana and the School of Translators would be forced to stay at home for one academic year.
He said it was an undeniable fact that the human resource of a country was developed through good communication skills in various working languages, especially in the economic sector.
“Studying languages to a high level which plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the country will reduce drastically. This is because students opt to offer languages at the university with the hope of entering the Year-Abroad-Programme to help them polish their languages, knowing very well that it is difficult if not impossible, to study foreign languages in Ghana,” he said.
10-09-08
GHANAIAN students studying modern languages in tertiary institutions have appealed to the government to urgently release funds for the 2008/2009 Year-Abroad-Programme.
The students, who are from the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL), said the uncertainty hanging over the programme had given students great cause for concern because time was running out.
The Year-Abroad-Programme is to afford students studying modern languages the opportunity to acquire proficiency in the languages studied by going to the countries where those languages are spoken.
Addressing the press in Accra on Monday, Mr Placide D. Guiatin said students of UEW who were to go to Togo in July were still in the country not knowing what to do.
“Students of Swahili from the University of Ghana who are supposed to be getting ready to go to Tanzania are at home. Students of French, Arabic, Spanish, Russia from the UCC, KNUST, UG and School of Translators are supposed to be leaving at the end of the month but up till now we don’t know whether we will be going or not,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to come clear on the issue as a result of the uncertainties over the programme.
Mr Guiatin said the programme was to enable students to have first-hand experience in terms of cultural exchange and to be equipped enough to become good users, masters and teachers in the languages studied.
He said with the current situation, students from the University of Ghana and the School of Translators would be forced to stay at home for one academic year.
He said it was an undeniable fact that the human resource of a country was developed through good communication skills in various working languages, especially in the economic sector.
“Studying languages to a high level which plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the country will reduce drastically. This is because students opt to offer languages at the university with the hope of entering the Year-Abroad-Programme to help them polish their languages, knowing very well that it is difficult if not impossible, to study foreign languages in Ghana,” he said.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Poly Council to be reconstituted
Sept 5, 2008
Page 17
THE Polytechnic Councils of the 10 polytechnics in the country are to be reconstituted by December this year.
This follows the expiration of the mandate of the current Councils.
Appointments to the new Councils have reached advanced stages, and the process for the appointments would soon be completed.
The Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polytechnics (CORP), Dr Samuel Obeng Apori, announced this at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday.
The news conference was to formally express the appreciation of the polytechnics to Parliament for passing the Polytechnic Act (Act 745, 2007) and the President, for giving accent to the Act, and to highlight the role of polytechnics in the socio-economic development of the country.
Dr Apori said the polytechnics did not envisage any problem emanating from each polytechnic awarding its own Higher National Diploma (HND) as specified under Act 745 of 2007, saying that what was happening presently was not peculiar to the country alone and that the same applied to other countries.
He said although the original mandate of awarding HND was done by the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examination (NABPTEX), there would not be a complete break from NABPTEX, but a gradual process.
Apart from ensuring quality assurance, he said the polytechnic would ensure that there were standards for all to follow in the award of individual HND.
"The Conference of Rectors of the Polytechnics of Ghana would like to use this occasion to thank the Parliament of Ghana and His Excellency the President for the new Polytechnic Act 745. The polytechnics see the Act as very progressive and one that will enable them to better play their role in national development and, therefore, support it in its entirety," he said.
Dr Apori called for more support from the government, adding that the status of polytechnics, as full-fledged tertiary institutions, placed on them new challenges and responsibilities.
He stressed the urgent need for more human resource development for both teaching and non-teaching staff, and appealed for scholarships for polytechnic staff.
"There is the need for ultra-modern teaching and learning equipment and materials to adequately prepare the students in order to reduce the time needed to adapt to the world of work. When the students have had adequate hands-on and practice-based training, then they become more employable in specific job areas," he said.
Dr Apori said the practical nature of polytechnic education made it capital intensive, and therefore the call by CORP for more financial resources.
He said as part of efforts to attract more science students, the government should consider giving scholarships or subsidies to students pursuing science and mathematics in second-cycle schools.
In addition, he said, science and technology bias students in the polytechnics should be given scholarships and other forms of financial and material rewards as was done for student nurses and teachers, in order to motivate them.
Dr Apori said the attraction and retention of staff had been a challenge to the polytechnics, and that "this was due to the low remuneration and unattractive conditions of service of polytechnic staff which affected the ability of the polytechnics to attract and retain the requisite human resource".
"We highly appreciate efforts made by the government to improve the remuneration of polytechnic staff during the recent salary negotiations. We wish to call on the government to complete the negotiations for conditions of service for various unionised groups in the polytechnics," he emphasised.
Page 17
THE Polytechnic Councils of the 10 polytechnics in the country are to be reconstituted by December this year.
This follows the expiration of the mandate of the current Councils.
Appointments to the new Councils have reached advanced stages, and the process for the appointments would soon be completed.
The Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polytechnics (CORP), Dr Samuel Obeng Apori, announced this at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday.
The news conference was to formally express the appreciation of the polytechnics to Parliament for passing the Polytechnic Act (Act 745, 2007) and the President, for giving accent to the Act, and to highlight the role of polytechnics in the socio-economic development of the country.
Dr Apori said the polytechnics did not envisage any problem emanating from each polytechnic awarding its own Higher National Diploma (HND) as specified under Act 745 of 2007, saying that what was happening presently was not peculiar to the country alone and that the same applied to other countries.
He said although the original mandate of awarding HND was done by the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examination (NABPTEX), there would not be a complete break from NABPTEX, but a gradual process.
Apart from ensuring quality assurance, he said the polytechnic would ensure that there were standards for all to follow in the award of individual HND.
"The Conference of Rectors of the Polytechnics of Ghana would like to use this occasion to thank the Parliament of Ghana and His Excellency the President for the new Polytechnic Act 745. The polytechnics see the Act as very progressive and one that will enable them to better play their role in national development and, therefore, support it in its entirety," he said.
Dr Apori called for more support from the government, adding that the status of polytechnics, as full-fledged tertiary institutions, placed on them new challenges and responsibilities.
He stressed the urgent need for more human resource development for both teaching and non-teaching staff, and appealed for scholarships for polytechnic staff.
"There is the need for ultra-modern teaching and learning equipment and materials to adequately prepare the students in order to reduce the time needed to adapt to the world of work. When the students have had adequate hands-on and practice-based training, then they become more employable in specific job areas," he said.
Dr Apori said the practical nature of polytechnic education made it capital intensive, and therefore the call by CORP for more financial resources.
He said as part of efforts to attract more science students, the government should consider giving scholarships or subsidies to students pursuing science and mathematics in second-cycle schools.
In addition, he said, science and technology bias students in the polytechnics should be given scholarships and other forms of financial and material rewards as was done for student nurses and teachers, in order to motivate them.
Dr Apori said the attraction and retention of staff had been a challenge to the polytechnics, and that "this was due to the low remuneration and unattractive conditions of service of polytechnic staff which affected the ability of the polytechnics to attract and retain the requisite human resource".
"We highly appreciate efforts made by the government to improve the remuneration of polytechnic staff during the recent salary negotiations. We wish to call on the government to complete the negotiations for conditions of service for various unionised groups in the polytechnics," he emphasised.
UG organises forum for presidential aspirants
Pge 14
Sept 4, 2008
THE University of Ghana will provide a common platform next month for all the candidates who will contest this year's Presidential election to articulate their plans and programmes.
It is scheduled for the third week of October as part of efforts to deepen the country's democratic culture and enable the candidates to explain what they would do to enhance higher education for productivity.
The presidential candidates written to by the university authorities include the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), the People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for the debate.
Each of the candidates will be given between 10-15 minutes to articulate his party's programmes after which questions would be fielded from different groups including academia and civil society organisations.
The acting Public Affairs Director of the University of Ghana, Mrs Stella Amoah, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the debate formed part of the 60th anniversary of the university.
Letters signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. C.N.B. Tagoe, to the presidential candidates said as a boost to Ghana's democratic culture, the University of Ghana's 60th Anniversary Planning Committee had proposed a platform for all the presidential candidates to engage the university community, alumni, friends of the university and the general public to a Presidential Debate.
"For us at Legon, your participation will be a significant contribution as we celebrate 60 years this year as the premier university while sustaining our leadership position as an institution that has contributed significantly to Ghana's human capital," the letters said.
A source at the 60th anniversary planning committee said although only the DFP had confirmed its participation, he expressed the hope that the other candidates would confirmed their participation.
According to the source, the actual date for the debate would be set by authorities in consultation with the candidates.
It indicated that the presidential debate was also an opportunity for the candidates to market themselves and their parties.
Meanwhile, some students at the university have welcomed the debate saying it would serve as platform to assess the candidates better.
They said having all the candidates on one platform was a laudable idea, and expressed the hope that the dream of the university would materialise.
Sept 4, 2008
THE University of Ghana will provide a common platform next month for all the candidates who will contest this year's Presidential election to articulate their plans and programmes.
It is scheduled for the third week of October as part of efforts to deepen the country's democratic culture and enable the candidates to explain what they would do to enhance higher education for productivity.
The presidential candidates written to by the university authorities include the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), the People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for the debate.
Each of the candidates will be given between 10-15 minutes to articulate his party's programmes after which questions would be fielded from different groups including academia and civil society organisations.
The acting Public Affairs Director of the University of Ghana, Mrs Stella Amoah, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the debate formed part of the 60th anniversary of the university.
Letters signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. C.N.B. Tagoe, to the presidential candidates said as a boost to Ghana's democratic culture, the University of Ghana's 60th Anniversary Planning Committee had proposed a platform for all the presidential candidates to engage the university community, alumni, friends of the university and the general public to a Presidential Debate.
"For us at Legon, your participation will be a significant contribution as we celebrate 60 years this year as the premier university while sustaining our leadership position as an institution that has contributed significantly to Ghana's human capital," the letters said.
A source at the 60th anniversary planning committee said although only the DFP had confirmed its participation, he expressed the hope that the other candidates would confirmed their participation.
According to the source, the actual date for the debate would be set by authorities in consultation with the candidates.
It indicated that the presidential debate was also an opportunity for the candidates to market themselves and their parties.
Meanwhile, some students at the university have welcomed the debate saying it would serve as platform to assess the candidates better.
They said having all the candidates on one platform was a laudable idea, and expressed the hope that the dream of the university would materialise.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
470 Science centre computers faulty
September 3,2008
Page 11
ONLY 190 out of the 660 computers supplied to the Science Resource Centres for second cycle schools are functioning. The remaining 470 have broken down.
Those that are working have problems such as faulty CD drives that prevent the use of the education software on CD-Roms.
In addition, 468 computers running on Windows 3.1 cannot run the new educational software, thereby compelling schools to purchase their own.
“The spare parts for these computers based on the old AT technology are no longer on the market. It is also on record that many pieces of the electronic equipment especially the sensor metres are out of use due to long period of usage,” a Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, reported at the opening of a one-month training workshop for science teachers and technicians in Accra.
Philip Harris International, a UK-based supplier of education equipment which is providing £5.4 million for the programme, is also providing 10 resource persons.
Under the support, all the computers at the 110 science resource centres would be replaced with new computers and new science equipment. As part of the support, a science resource centre each would be established at the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba, for the training of science teachers.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah noted that in 1996, the Ministry of Education sought to address the lack of science equipment and defective teaching and learning science materials in secondary schools across the country with the establishment of the science resource centres.
“These centres have a positive impact on both the teaching and learning of science. In the past few years, operations at these centres have witnessed challenges as a result of our inability to train teachers and technicians to man the centres, as well as the lack of maintenance and refurbishment of equipment,” she observed.
Since the inception of the project, she said, seven training programmes have been conducted for which 468 science teachers and technicians have been trained to man the resource centres between 1996-99, adding that “due to the lack of funding there has been no training programme for science teachers and technicians ever since”.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said information and data collected during the monitoring of the centres indicated that many centres did not have trained teachers to handle the science software and equipment installed at the centres, and that many of the trained teachers had resigned, been promoted, transferred, left for further studies, or had gone on retirement.
She said there was, therefore, the need to train more science teachers and technicians to replace them, and urged the participants to take the programme seriously.
A representative of Philip Harris, Mr Phil Godding, said it was time to reinvigorate the centres and teachers by providing them with the requisite training and skills, since science and technology are key to the development of any nation.
He said the training that would be provided would help students to be critical thinkers and better problem solvers.
The Director of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Stephen Adu, underscored the need for adequate attention to be paid to the teaching and learning of science.
Page 11
ONLY 190 out of the 660 computers supplied to the Science Resource Centres for second cycle schools are functioning. The remaining 470 have broken down.
Those that are working have problems such as faulty CD drives that prevent the use of the education software on CD-Roms.
In addition, 468 computers running on Windows 3.1 cannot run the new educational software, thereby compelling schools to purchase their own.
“The spare parts for these computers based on the old AT technology are no longer on the market. It is also on record that many pieces of the electronic equipment especially the sensor metres are out of use due to long period of usage,” a Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, reported at the opening of a one-month training workshop for science teachers and technicians in Accra.
Philip Harris International, a UK-based supplier of education equipment which is providing £5.4 million for the programme, is also providing 10 resource persons.
Under the support, all the computers at the 110 science resource centres would be replaced with new computers and new science equipment. As part of the support, a science resource centre each would be established at the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba, for the training of science teachers.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah noted that in 1996, the Ministry of Education sought to address the lack of science equipment and defective teaching and learning science materials in secondary schools across the country with the establishment of the science resource centres.
“These centres have a positive impact on both the teaching and learning of science. In the past few years, operations at these centres have witnessed challenges as a result of our inability to train teachers and technicians to man the centres, as well as the lack of maintenance and refurbishment of equipment,” she observed.
Since the inception of the project, she said, seven training programmes have been conducted for which 468 science teachers and technicians have been trained to man the resource centres between 1996-99, adding that “due to the lack of funding there has been no training programme for science teachers and technicians ever since”.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said information and data collected during the monitoring of the centres indicated that many centres did not have trained teachers to handle the science software and equipment installed at the centres, and that many of the trained teachers had resigned, been promoted, transferred, left for further studies, or had gone on retirement.
She said there was, therefore, the need to train more science teachers and technicians to replace them, and urged the participants to take the programme seriously.
A representative of Philip Harris, Mr Phil Godding, said it was time to reinvigorate the centres and teachers by providing them with the requisite training and skills, since science and technology are key to the development of any nation.
He said the training that would be provided would help students to be critical thinkers and better problem solvers.
The Director of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Stephen Adu, underscored the need for adequate attention to be paid to the teaching and learning of science.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Ministry to relocate GAF's properties-Affected by new developments
Page 3
2-09-08
THE Ministry of Defence is in the process of relocating properties of the Ghana Armed Forces close to which public or private structures have now been built.
The move, according to the ministry, is to relocate such assets of all the garrisons affected, to enable the ministry and the Armed Forces to derive maximum use or benefits from them.
“The process will be carried out in accordance with laid-down procedure, which has been formulated to ensure clear, transparent and candid transaction, including thorough deliberation by an internal committee, the prior knowledge approval or consent of the High Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Minister of Defence and finally the Armed Forces Council,” a statement signed on behalf of the Minister of Defence by the Chief Director of the ministry, Mr E.F. Ofosu-Appeah, said.
The statement was in reaction to a letter written by Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (Retd), a former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), concerning the proposed sale of the No. 1 Roman Ridge official residence of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, in a personal letter to the Ministry of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, said he had the information on radio and drove to the Ministry of Defence to check whether or not it was true.
“It was confirmed to me that it was absolutely true that the decision had been taken to sell off this very important edifice of the Ghana Armed Forces to a private property developer.
“As a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, I was horrified, to say the least, to hear that the official residence of the Chief of Defence Staff was going to be sold and no alternative arrangement had been made to provide the CDS with a fitting residence,” the letter said.
Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah had expressed the belief that No. 1 Roman Ridge was chosen to be the residence of the CDS as a result of its prime location and the huge area it occupied, adding that the CDS received a “large number of people, including students of the Royal College of Defence Studies from the United Kingdom, the Indian National Defence College and many others from across the globe”.
However, the statement from the Ministry assured the general public and the dedicated personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces that no decision had been taken by any person or authority to sell any property or assets of the Ghana Armed Forces, including the No. 1 Roman Ridge.
“Any statement to the contrary by any person is speculative,” the statement explained.
2-09-08
THE Ministry of Defence is in the process of relocating properties of the Ghana Armed Forces close to which public or private structures have now been built.
The move, according to the ministry, is to relocate such assets of all the garrisons affected, to enable the ministry and the Armed Forces to derive maximum use or benefits from them.
“The process will be carried out in accordance with laid-down procedure, which has been formulated to ensure clear, transparent and candid transaction, including thorough deliberation by an internal committee, the prior knowledge approval or consent of the High Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Minister of Defence and finally the Armed Forces Council,” a statement signed on behalf of the Minister of Defence by the Chief Director of the ministry, Mr E.F. Ofosu-Appeah, said.
The statement was in reaction to a letter written by Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (Retd), a former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), concerning the proposed sale of the No. 1 Roman Ridge official residence of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, in a personal letter to the Ministry of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, said he had the information on radio and drove to the Ministry of Defence to check whether or not it was true.
“It was confirmed to me that it was absolutely true that the decision had been taken to sell off this very important edifice of the Ghana Armed Forces to a private property developer.
“As a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, I was horrified, to say the least, to hear that the official residence of the Chief of Defence Staff was going to be sold and no alternative arrangement had been made to provide the CDS with a fitting residence,” the letter said.
Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah had expressed the belief that No. 1 Roman Ridge was chosen to be the residence of the CDS as a result of its prime location and the huge area it occupied, adding that the CDS received a “large number of people, including students of the Royal College of Defence Studies from the United Kingdom, the Indian National Defence College and many others from across the globe”.
However, the statement from the Ministry assured the general public and the dedicated personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces that no decision had been taken by any person or authority to sell any property or assets of the Ghana Armed Forces, including the No. 1 Roman Ridge.
“Any statement to the contrary by any person is speculative,” the statement explained.
Extend school feeding plan to private schools
Page 28
1-09-08
THE Association of Private Schools in the Central Region (APS-CR) has called for an extension of the school feeding programme to some private schools in the country.
“We the members of the APS-CR acknowledge the fact that the Ghana School Feeding Programme has had its own challenges since its inception, but with those challenges came the successes.
“We, therefore, deem it fit to advocate that the government includes some private schools in the programme even if on a pilot basis so that we can collectively reap the social benefits, which would go a long way to improve our effort of providing quality education,” it said.
The President of the association, Mr John Ibrahim Sesay, made the call at a media interaction at Kasoa in the Central Region on Wednesday.
He said as an association of private schools in the Central Region, its objective was to contribute to the human development of the nation by providing sound basic school education to children.
Education, he said, was the cornerstone of human capital and formed the basis of an individual’s economic productivity, adding that members saw the school feeding programme and Capitation Grant as a sure way to help reduce poverty and improve the level of education.
Mr Sesay said there was enough evidence to confirm that the school feeding programme had a positive impact on beneficiary children as far as nutritional improvement was concerned.
“There is more than enough evidence to prove that children who are hungry or chronically malnourished are less able to learn compared to healthy children, regardless of their growing environment,” he stated.
In addressing the benefits of the programme, he said one could not overlook the impact on enrolment and attendance, and that statistics from beneficiary schools in the country suggested that the programme had increased the general attendance by 30 per cent.
“It might interest us all to know some of the challenges that private schools in urban areas and rural areas in Ghana face, I believe that when these challenges are told as they are, the call to include some private schools in the Ghana School Feeding Programme will be more understandable,” he said.
Mr Sesay indicated that even if the government included some private schools in the programme, it would be laudable, adding that “we also see this as an opportunity to firmly establish a public and private sector collaboration”.
1-09-08
THE Association of Private Schools in the Central Region (APS-CR) has called for an extension of the school feeding programme to some private schools in the country.
“We the members of the APS-CR acknowledge the fact that the Ghana School Feeding Programme has had its own challenges since its inception, but with those challenges came the successes.
“We, therefore, deem it fit to advocate that the government includes some private schools in the programme even if on a pilot basis so that we can collectively reap the social benefits, which would go a long way to improve our effort of providing quality education,” it said.
The President of the association, Mr John Ibrahim Sesay, made the call at a media interaction at Kasoa in the Central Region on Wednesday.
He said as an association of private schools in the Central Region, its objective was to contribute to the human development of the nation by providing sound basic school education to children.
Education, he said, was the cornerstone of human capital and formed the basis of an individual’s economic productivity, adding that members saw the school feeding programme and Capitation Grant as a sure way to help reduce poverty and improve the level of education.
Mr Sesay said there was enough evidence to confirm that the school feeding programme had a positive impact on beneficiary children as far as nutritional improvement was concerned.
“There is more than enough evidence to prove that children who are hungry or chronically malnourished are less able to learn compared to healthy children, regardless of their growing environment,” he stated.
In addressing the benefits of the programme, he said one could not overlook the impact on enrolment and attendance, and that statistics from beneficiary schools in the country suggested that the programme had increased the general attendance by 30 per cent.
“It might interest us all to know some of the challenges that private schools in urban areas and rural areas in Ghana face, I believe that when these challenges are told as they are, the call to include some private schools in the Ghana School Feeding Programme will be more understandable,” he said.
Mr Sesay indicated that even if the government included some private schools in the programme, it would be laudable, adding that “we also see this as an opportunity to firmly establish a public and private sector collaboration”.
Repair bridge on Obom-Kasoa road
page 47
1-09-08
PEOPLE living along the Obom-Kasoa road in the Central Region have called for the reconstruction of the only bridge that links the Obom area to the Kasoa township.
A major part of the bridge collapsed about a month ago, leaving only a small portion which has become a death-trap to both motorists and pedestrians who are competing for the only portion left.
According to drivers, the current state of the road is not only a death-trap to motorists and pedestrians, but a threat to the livelihood to the people, since one cannot not transport goods from one end of the road to the other.
Drivers and residents said with the situation now, it was difficult for trucks to use the bridge since the remaining portion could cave in under little pressure any time.
A driver, Anthony Nettey, told the Daily Graphic that several appeals to get the bridge reconstructed had fallen on deaf ears, adding that officials of the Awutu District Assembly had also visited the area.
“Conveying goods in trucks from the Kasoa township to the other side of the Obom road is not possible. There is only a small portion of the bridge left and any attempt to use trucks to ply the road would lead to the collapse of the remaining part of the bridge,” a resident, Stephen Amoah, said.
A resident, Stephen Cofie, said the road was dangerous to first time drivers, hence the need to “reconstruct it now before we start counting our loss”.
He said there was the need for the Assembly or the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to take up the matter.
“The bridge is now a death-trap. I hope we are not waiting for something fatal to happen before we reconstruct the bridge,” he said and added that there was the need for the government especially to be “proactive in this matter”.
1-09-08
PEOPLE living along the Obom-Kasoa road in the Central Region have called for the reconstruction of the only bridge that links the Obom area to the Kasoa township.
A major part of the bridge collapsed about a month ago, leaving only a small portion which has become a death-trap to both motorists and pedestrians who are competing for the only portion left.
According to drivers, the current state of the road is not only a death-trap to motorists and pedestrians, but a threat to the livelihood to the people, since one cannot not transport goods from one end of the road to the other.
Drivers and residents said with the situation now, it was difficult for trucks to use the bridge since the remaining portion could cave in under little pressure any time.
A driver, Anthony Nettey, told the Daily Graphic that several appeals to get the bridge reconstructed had fallen on deaf ears, adding that officials of the Awutu District Assembly had also visited the area.
“Conveying goods in trucks from the Kasoa township to the other side of the Obom road is not possible. There is only a small portion of the bridge left and any attempt to use trucks to ply the road would lead to the collapse of the remaining part of the bridge,” a resident, Stephen Amoah, said.
A resident, Stephen Cofie, said the road was dangerous to first time drivers, hence the need to “reconstruct it now before we start counting our loss”.
He said there was the need for the Assembly or the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to take up the matter.
“The bridge is now a death-trap. I hope we are not waiting for something fatal to happen before we reconstruct the bridge,” he said and added that there was the need for the government especially to be “proactive in this matter”.
Killer driver still at large
30-08-08
Page 19
THE driver of the Mercedes cargo vehicle that killed five persons at the Kasoa toll booth portion of the Malam-Kasoa road last Sunday is still at large.
The driver escaped from the accident scene when his vehicle with registration number GW 776 S, ran into two other vehicles, trapping some hawkers, killing three of them on the spot while two others died later in hospital.
He has not been seen after the accident that injured about 12 others, mainly hawkers. Some of the victims of the accident were sent to the Winneba Government Hospital, others to the Kasoa Health Post and the rest to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ACP Daniel Avorga, told the Daily Graphic that the police had not been able to locate the driver or the owner of the vehicle.
He said the vehicle would be taken to the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) to trace the owner and subsequently the driver.
Earlier, he expressed concern about the attitude of drivers who absconded from accident scenes, saying that if they (drivers) were not in any danger there was no need to leave the scenes till the police arrive.
He said for the fear of being tested by the police on the spot, drivers who drove drunk or were on drugs, bolted before the police arrived.
ACP Avorga said a lot of accidents were as a result of human error induced by drugs and alcohol.
Page 19
THE driver of the Mercedes cargo vehicle that killed five persons at the Kasoa toll booth portion of the Malam-Kasoa road last Sunday is still at large.
The driver escaped from the accident scene when his vehicle with registration number GW 776 S, ran into two other vehicles, trapping some hawkers, killing three of them on the spot while two others died later in hospital.
He has not been seen after the accident that injured about 12 others, mainly hawkers. Some of the victims of the accident were sent to the Winneba Government Hospital, others to the Kasoa Health Post and the rest to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ACP Daniel Avorga, told the Daily Graphic that the police had not been able to locate the driver or the owner of the vehicle.
He said the vehicle would be taken to the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) to trace the owner and subsequently the driver.
Earlier, he expressed concern about the attitude of drivers who absconded from accident scenes, saying that if they (drivers) were not in any danger there was no need to leave the scenes till the police arrive.
He said for the fear of being tested by the police on the spot, drivers who drove drunk or were on drugs, bolted before the police arrived.
ACP Avorga said a lot of accidents were as a result of human error induced by drugs and alcohol.
200 Displaced by Kasoa demolition exercise
30-08-08
Back page
ABOUT 200 people have been displaced following the demolition of more than 100 structures at the Lamptey-Mills area at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The people, who are currently putting up with friends and relatives, have, therefore, called on the government to intervene in the matter, since they did not have anywhere to go.
They said for now there should be an embargo on the exercise, which had been suspended according to the police.
“For those of us who could not get anywhere to send our things, we had to sleep in the open last night to keep watch over them,” Alhaji Demsu, an executive member of the Lamptey-Mills Landlords Association, told the Daily Graphic on Thursday.
He said with each of the households having about five people, including caretakers, the number of people affected by the exercise was huge.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Seth Owusu-Ansah, said the current situation was horrible as people had nowhere to sleep.
He said although the case was pending at the Court of Appeal, the lady at the centre of the issue was not ready to negotiate.
Last Wednesday, about 15 bulldozers backed by armed policemen pulled down more than 100 houses around the Lamptey-Mills area.
The affected landlords deplored the exercise, since they were not given any prior notice. They also argued that there was an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal against the Swedru High Court decision.
However, the Central Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atenga, said after the police headquarters were informed of the court’s requests, checks were made at the court to see whether or not there was a stay of execution, saying that the checks showed that there was none.
She said announcements of the intended demolition were made in some newspapers and on some radio stations.
Back page
ABOUT 200 people have been displaced following the demolition of more than 100 structures at the Lamptey-Mills area at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The people, who are currently putting up with friends and relatives, have, therefore, called on the government to intervene in the matter, since they did not have anywhere to go.
They said for now there should be an embargo on the exercise, which had been suspended according to the police.
“For those of us who could not get anywhere to send our things, we had to sleep in the open last night to keep watch over them,” Alhaji Demsu, an executive member of the Lamptey-Mills Landlords Association, told the Daily Graphic on Thursday.
He said with each of the households having about five people, including caretakers, the number of people affected by the exercise was huge.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Seth Owusu-Ansah, said the current situation was horrible as people had nowhere to sleep.
He said although the case was pending at the Court of Appeal, the lady at the centre of the issue was not ready to negotiate.
Last Wednesday, about 15 bulldozers backed by armed policemen pulled down more than 100 houses around the Lamptey-Mills area.
The affected landlords deplored the exercise, since they were not given any prior notice. They also argued that there was an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal against the Swedru High Court decision.
However, the Central Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atenga, said after the police headquarters were informed of the court’s requests, checks were made at the court to see whether or not there was a stay of execution, saying that the checks showed that there was none.
She said announcements of the intended demolition were made in some newspapers and on some radio stations.
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